Millie was standing outside the door to her room, she didnt have her key with her, so she would have to break the doorknob. Of all the people that she thought would keep secrets from her, she never thought that Kate would. It was unfair of her to use the fact that she had once tried—and failed miserably—to kill herself against her, as if that were reason enough to not tell her things.
She had been in a dark place. She was close to a breaking point, to giving up to giving into Micah and his demands. She rest her forehead against the cool wooden door fighting back tears of frustration. She didnt want that anymore, not really. But Kate had known, probably for the entirety of their friendship, the truth about what she was, about why she existed. She heard footsteps behind her and she pushed off the door and relaxed her posture.
"Hey," greeted Jeff from behind her, and Millie turned and was met with a wide smile and an absent wave.
He was all cloaked, his backpack thrown carelessly over a shoulder.
"Hi," she smiled back.
"Is everything okay?"
Millie nodded her head but then sighed and said "No, not really."
"Wanna talk about it? I know place where you can get some great food."
A small laughed bubbled in her throat and she nodded. That did actually sound like something shed like to do. Millie followed him downstairs and now sat in Connie's kitchen, with a piece of what looked to be blueberry pie in front of her.
"Where is Mrs. Burge?" she inquired looking around.
Jeff filled a glass with milk and placed it next to her plate before taking the stool next to her. "I think she has a date." A small smile curved on her lips. Even the older woman had a life, and now she felt just a little pathetic.
"Whats wrong?" he asked turning to face her. Millie angled to him and sighed when he absently, gently brushed back a lock of stray hair from her face.
"My best friend came into town today and we had sort of a fight and we never fight, not like this. I just found out that shes been hiding, things from me. And I guess I can see why she would but I still dont get why she didnt trust me enough to tell me the truth."
"Maybe she had a good reason for not telling you," he suggested.
"Maybe she did, but it still hurts to know that she hid something like this from me."
"I'm sorry you were hurt." He brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek and warmth bloomed in her stomach. He leaned forward but this time she didnt pull back, instead she rose to meet him. His lips brushed against hers slow, testing and a little unsure. Millie moved her hand to the back of his neck and pulled him closer sinking herself into the innocent taste of his kiss. He pulled back and gave her a soft nervous laugh, a blush warming his way across his face and at that moment she thought he was just so very cute.
"Am I interrupting?" wondered a voice from the door.
Jeffs gaze lifted and Millie turned to find Kate occupying the space, studying the interaction between them.
"No," Jeff cleared his throat, shifting away from her guiltily. "I was uh, just leaving. I'll call you later."
Millie nodded as he left allowing Kate to take his spot beside her. Millie said nothing but turned away from her applying herself to eating the pie with more concentration than necessary.
"He's cute," she started. Millie nodded not taking her gaze off the pie. "Is he the one you were telling me about? Millie, please dont shut me out. I hate you being mad at me."
The fork dropped unto the plate with a noisy clatter. "I just dont get why you didnt tell me, about any of it."
"I don't know. I just figured the less you knew the easier it would be, to hide you. My Talent allows me to shield you, and I havent been just shielding you from Micah but from the Ancients too."
"Why? Why do any of this? What was I, just some pet that you wanted to keep?"
"What!? No!" her voice was filled with alarmed indignation. "It was never like that. There is so much about this world that you still dont understand."
"And whose fault is that?" she asked looking her best friend squarely in the face. Kate looked down and sighed, thinking that she may have deserved that. Millie could see the guilt on Kates face, feel it pouring off of her and she ran her hands over her face and through her hair. "So what happens now? Do I just forget everything or do I get to know what youve been hiding from me?"
Kate looked a little worried but she nodded Theo has agreed to let you use his library to find everything out yourself, and we will be there to help you.
It didn't take long for Millie to gather her things and pack them up. Kate had convinced her that staying at Theos house would be better for everyone. Theo had told her what happened last night and with Micah close and knowing that he had sent people after her, she needed to be as far away from the people she had grown to care about as possible.
She stood and studied the room, sadness washing over her, she hadnt been here long and she wasnt the type of person that usually grew attached to a place, but she had to this one. She had felt at home here than she had ever remembered being anywhere else.
Kate had cloaked the room, removing any signs or scent of Millie.
So house may have been the wrong word to use when describing where Theo lived. It was a large colonial style plantation house, that rose into the sky on a shingled roof, held up by large white columns. Its french windows with sills hanging out, spilling over with colourful blooms all inhabiting the space around which was a large expanse of green sprawling lawn.
If the outside looked like a Plantation house, the inside boasted heavily of European influence, from the art masterpieces hanging on the walls and the style of the space itself.
Theo breezed through the doors, and Millies eyes tracked his every movement. His gaze locked on her and she drew her lower lip between her teeth suddenly feeling very guilty about the kiss that she had shared with Jeff. She shook the thought away, he couldnt have known anyway, and besides she had a right to kiss whoever she wanted.
"Had a nice..break?" he asked his voice dripping with accusation.
Millie didnt answer, she had done nothing wrong that constituted feeling guilty. Kate said that you had a library.
His gaze still bore into her but he nodded and turned away from them. She followed Theo down the hall to large double doors. The smell of worn, aged paperhit her first and she was comforted by it. She had spent so much time in the halls of libraries looking, searching, now was probably the first time she felt loke she was making progress.
Large shelves starting from just under the high ceiling sinking to the floor packed with books. Large windows allowed for the warm sunshine to bleed into the room, warming the space.
"There are so many books here."
"Well, vampires could care less about their history, but Ancients were a narcissistic bunch. We love immortalizing ourselves."
A thin smile formed on her lips. "You're already immortal."
"Yes, but we still like to hear about ourselves, and what better way than in words."
He lazily crossed his arms over his chest and spared a brief glace at the table before it began to fill up with books appearing in a puff of swirling smoke, much like each of the times he had appeared out of nowhere. Millie picked up one closest to her, and studied the spine, before looking back at him.
"And your Talent would be..."
"Teleporting," he disappeared from his spot only to appear behind her, whispering in her ear "Among other things."
Millie took a conscious step away from him and levelly met his gaze. "So are all of these books on the history that Kate protected me from?"
"Look, dont go too hard on Katrina. She was only doing what she did to protect you, yes she went a little overboard with the entire thing but most Ancients arent like Katrina, they would easily lock you up just to have you to feed on whenever they please."
A cold shiver ran down her spine. Now she knew where Micah got his sense of entitlement. It also made her wonder, which category did Theo fall into. Was he like Kate or was he like most Ancients? So far he hadnt tried to feed from her.
"Why would the ancients do that?"
"A Soul Keeper is a forbidden thing, but they also happen to have the sweetest, purest most desirable blood and therein lies the demand to create them. We take what we want."
She turned to him, her eyes meeting his. A thrill went through her, his scent—something wild and dark—surrounding her. He was close his body, his heat, mere centimeters away from her. All she had to do was step forward and theyd bee touching. Her toes curled in her shoes, her fingers gripping the edge of the table to help stop her from reaching out to him because he presented a very real temptation. One he didnt seem inclined to stop.
"And where do you figure in all this?" her voice had gone deeper, more husky and she wondered if it were her own.
Theo closed the space between them and her heart beat a little faster. She wanted him to move away at the same time she didnt think he was close enough. His fingers brushed her inner wrist and traveled up her arm to her shoulder, each stroke wreaking havoc on her already frazzled nerves. "I've never had to contend with the particular temptation before, but I have a feeling Ill have to now. Ive tasted you and I dont think once will be enough."
Her breathing grew shallow when his fingers gentle but firm closed around her neck, his fingers tracing her frantic pulse. "Enough for what?"
"Enough to make me not want you."
Lust unfurled in her stomach, a sensation that was very new to her. She never reacted to a male like this before. Alarmed at her reaction she sidestepped and put some—even if it was a minute amount—distance between them. Inhaling deeply she rubbed her open palms against her thighs and cleared her throat, hoping that it would help her bodys reaction to him.
"Th-thank you for letting me use your library," she stated abruptly hoping that it would stare the conversation away from wants and her own wayward thoughts.
He just tipped his head and gave her a heart stopping grin before tipping his head fully satisfied that he had managed to shake the control. He scented the male on her as soon as she walked through the door and ugly jealousy reared its head as a voice buried deep inside of him proclaimed the she was his. This time it was he who moved away and in the blink of an eye he was gone.
Millie pressed her hand over her racing heart. Theo was definitely very dangerous to her, just not in the way that she had originally envisioned.
She read late into the night until her neck muscles were stiff and sore but she was up early again eager to devour the world of information that awaited her downstairs. She'd been through a lot of material, learning all that she had been starved of for the last couple of years.
Theo had told her that she could go wherever she wanted in the house, there would always be someone around to help her, but it seemed a little intrusive. In truth she had sensed other people in the mansion but had yet to meet any of them—mostly because she would be where they werent—and then there was the hostile guy when shed first woken up. She wasnt eager to see him again.
He didn't like her, that much she could tell, but there was pain in his eyes. Pain and anger. A combination that was very explosive. He had haunted eyes. Eyes that told her that he had seen a great many terrible things and she knew from her own experience that things like that left scars. Not the type of scars you necessarily see, but things like that leave its mark on a person.
She was in the kitchen, which even though she didnt much cook was fast becoming her favorite place. Mostly because Vampires didnt eat and rarely ever came in here and also because of how light and airy it was. She was humming softly to herself, some pop song shed heard on the radio—she was unsure who sang it or what it was called but the beat was infectious—making a sandwich for herself when a young girl, she couldnt have been more than fifteen, breezed in and dumped her bag on the table.
"Oh My God," she breathed in deeply, "You smell amazing." Millie shrunk back a little, her fingers reaching for the knife at her wrist; she didnt like the thought of hurting the little girl.
The girl hastily waved her arms in the air jangling the beads and bracelets that adorned her wrists. "I wasn't going to, I mean you do smell good, and Theo already said that, its just that your scents been all we could really, for the entire day, well night, and...Im Kit. Kit Deveraux."
Kit seemed more embarrassed by what shed just said more than anything else. She was wearing a school uniform, a blue plaid shirt that fell a couple of inches above her knees and a crisp white shirt with thin vertical lines and a monogram at the pockets. Her hair was a rich chestnut and was swept into a ponytail, showing off her slender neck. Her face was youthful with wide green eyes and full lips.
"Deveraux?"
"Yeah," she smiled brightly "I'm kinda like Theos little sister in the not-related-very-complicated type of way."
A soft laugh passed Millie's lips, "Well, its nice to meet you Kit, I'm Millie," she said invitingly "You're up early."
"I usually am," she walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a back of blood, sticking a straw in it like a juice pouch, before planting herself on a stool at the counter. "Theo likes me to pretend to be normal, thats why I have to travel the old fashioned way. I attend school an entire hour away or maybe just ten seconds if I traveled the vampire way. St. Magdalene's Boarding School," she sighed much like the teenager that she was, or rather like the teenager she appeared to be.
She seemed young, much too young to have to deal with having a life like this and it had Millie wondering what exactly happened to her that made her into a vampire. But it didnt seem all that polite to ask. Besides asking questions meant that they could ask them back.
Kit's watch beeped and she let out a curse, before hopping off the stool, dumping the empty pouch in the trash and scooping up her bag. She hurried out of the room before popping her head back in and giving Millie a high chirped good-bye. A soft chuckle escaped and Millie finished constructing her sandwich, her mood lighter than it had been in days.
She ate in silence thinking that it was really peaceful here. She felt the same level of comfort here that she had at the boarding house. Sunlight was bleeding through, the windows, casting a soft glow in the place and Millie had a yen to stay there basking in the warmth of the sunshine. She heaved a heavy sigh, but she had too much to do.
After cleaning up in the kitchen she started for the library when she heard giggling. Female Giggling.
She was drawn to the sound of it and she hesitated in the hall for a second before following the sound. She had wanted to ignore it but she was much too curious.
Theo was standing in the foyer, next to the door in a thin white shirt and dark jeans, with a scantily dressed brunette hanging all over him. Ripe hot jealousy tore through her at the sight. Jealously she had no business feeling.
The woman snaked her hands up his chest and around his neck, pressing her body against his. Millies fingers tightened into fists an animalistic need to claim what was hers rising in her chest.
"I could stay," she crooned, her voice low and filled with wicked promise We could have some more fun.
Millie stared, unable to look away, her breathing slowly increasing, her teeth grounding together as she waited for his reply. He said nothing, instead he leaned down, his hands pulling her hips flush against his body and his mouth devoured hers. The woman sank into the kiss, moaning low in her throat, the kiss searing even from afar.
She was shocked by her own reaction and she quickly shoved all that messy emotion away. Her reaction where he was concerned was beginning to get ridiculous. She contemplated leaving, but then decided that she would go when he left. It would lower the risk of getting caught. The woman reluctantly untangled herself from Theo before exiting the house blowing a kiss over her shoulder at him.
"Eavesdropping?" he said when the door clicked closed and she bit down her gasp. Stupid vampire hearing. She turned to leave, but he popped in front of her, startling a sharp scream from her lips. "Enjoyed the show?"
"I was just on my way to the library," she claimed, raising her chin proudly.
"Really?" his eyebrow quirked in amusement. "But you do know that the library is at the other end of the house."
She did know that, but she wasnt about to admit that to him. "It's a big house, easy to get lost. So who was your friend?"
He smirked at her, she felt like she'd been baited and she obviously fell for it. Of course he had to have known she was behind him. He had super hearing and an acute sense of smell. "No one really important."
"She seemed quite important a second ago, or do you kiss everyone like that?"
"Only if I like them. And besides a guys got to eat."
Her face was aghast with shock, her eyes going wide. "You fed from her?"
"I'm not one for bagged blood. Dont worry all she really remembers is really great sex."
Millie stuttered at his choice of words, she really did not need to think about him and sex right now, she'd been doing way too much of that already. "That confident in your abilities huh?"
"Yes," he stated simply moving forward, his breath whispering over her skin, his eyes dancing hotly over her face. She pushed off the wall, away from his closeness and started walking down the hall. "But there's also the fact that one of my Talents happens to be Telepathy. Its easier than you think, to take a peek inside someones head."
"That sounds like an invas—wait," her steps halted and she faced him. "Have you ever looked inside my head?"
The smile on his lips was purely predatory "Why? Been thinking things that you dont want me knowing about?"
"Yes. Well I—No."
He gave a low chuckle and it reverberated low in her stomach. "I haven't. I can look into the minds of humans, and most Newbloods and Vampires. Ancients and Soul Keepers are harder to read, but I can usually get inside their heads if I try hard enough." He stepped towards her and she moved away until her back hit the wall. His arms went to either side of her caging her in. "But you know I really wouldn't mind knowing what was going on in your pretty little head."
Her eyes were drinking him in and drowning him again, and he willingly went down. If he was being completely honest hed only kissed that girl—whose name he had forgotten—only because he had sensed Millie behind him. It may have been a shitty thing to do, but it got a rise out of her. She had been jealous, and that excited him, it proved that whatever he felt, she did too.
Her scent was driving him crazy, and not the scent of her blood, but the scent of her, sweet and female. Although the memory of what she ad tasted like still lingered in is mind. He had fed on three humans just to lessen the ache he felt in his fangs, but now it didnt seem to make much of a difference. Not with her here. There was a pink tinting her skin, and he wanted to trace every freckle on her body with his tongue. His thoughts had quickly developed from curiosity to desire with an alarming speed. He moved closer until his breath whispered against her face.
"Do you want to know what I think about?"
She swallowed and he followed that tiny movement closely. Her lips parted slightly, her lower lip, full and supple inviting him to just taste her. Her wondered how she would taste. Would she be sweet and vulnerable as she looked? Or would he taste the fire that he saw him her eyes?
"Are we interrupting something?"
They both looked up to find Kate and Drake standing in the middle of the hall studying them. All traces softness disappeared off Millies face and she moved away from Theo. She stood awkwardly shifting on her feet before repeating that she was going to the library.
His eyes tracked her until she was no longer in his sight, it was only then that he turned to face the interrupting duo, cursing their timing. He had nevef in all his life had to work so hard to catch the attention of a female. Mostly all he had to do was smile and he could get them naked. He wanted Millie more than he had ever wanted anyone before and it was a lot harder than he thought it would be to get her naked.
"I've seen that look before Theo. That's a dangerous look to have, it never works. Us and them the temptation is just too much for most to resist," warned Kate.
"Trouble," repeated Drake "That female is nothing but trouble. I'm telling you."
"I know," he admitted, maybe to what Kate had said or Drake but a part of him knew that they were both very correct in their observations. "But we have bigger problems right now."
"She's still mad at me," Kate sighed sinking herself into the plush black leather couch that sat in the middle of his study. The light that came in from the large windows bathed the room in bright light.
"What did you expect?" he inquired, moving across the room and making a drink and Teleporting it into her and Drakes hands before making another for himself. "That she would understand why you did it."
"Well yes," she admitted "Millie is an understandable person—most of the time. I just hate that shes mad at me."
Drake made a non-committal grunt and Theo arched an eyebrow at her. She huffed out her breath; she didnt need them judging her for the choices that she had made. They knew nothing of the situation before she and Millie came here but she still felt the need to defend herself, and that left her feeling even more annoyed.
Kate placed her glass aside and sank further into the chair and ran her fingers through the shortened strands of her blonde hair.
"Look you can judge me all you want but all I ever wanted to do was protect her. I was so lost after everything that happened with Cole. I spent most of my time trying to forget, getting drunk, doing stupid things because I didnt want to feel, because it hurt too much. Then one day I find this girl. She was half starved, huddled in a corner, so afraid, I just..."
How was she to explain that in that moment she had forgotten her own pain, her own sorrow and had instead focused on someone else. One encounter with a girl with watchful eyes and a sad face had changed her life. Millie had given her life meaning again. In the greater scheme of things she supposed that Millie had saved her just as much—if not more—as she had rescued her.
"She became my family Theo and I did whatever I had to do to protect her, even if that meant lying to her."
"And I think that she's a lot stronger than you gave her credit for. I doubt that having someone like Micah in her head has ever been easy."
She ran her fingers through her hair inhaling deeply. "She is strong. So maybe most of what I did was to make certain I didnt lose her. I wouldn't be able to survive it this time. And I didn't want the truth of things to push her over the edge."
"We may not have a choice now."
"What do you mean?"
"I've made a couple of calls, and Drake's done some investigating and its not good news."
"Vampires, older ones have been disappearing a lot over the past couple of months," added Drake, picking up where Theo had left off. "Someones been collecting Talents. And something tells me that this has to do with Millie."
Theo nodded his agreement before asking, "Katrina, who exactly is Micah?"
Kate studied the both men in the room and drained the contents of her glass in one gulp. He was one of the Soulless, but of course Theo knew that already, she just didnt know how to go about explaining what a monster Micah really was. She sighed heavily before saying, "Oberon was his Sire."
"Oberon," he parroted "Well that explains a lot."
"I told you," started Drake "We should've just put her back when we had the chance. Now this shit just got a whole lot more fucking complicated."