Chapter Eleven
The following morning I knew something was different. Something wasn't the same. I jumped up looked outside, and then ran downstairs.
Everything in the house was the same. Nothing had changed.
"What's wrong, Alyssa?" Father asked, sitting at the table like he did every morning.
"Nothing," I said, pulling the chair out.
"You look tired, dear," Mother said, sliding a plate in front of me.
"I-I just didn't sleep well," I muttered, poking at the eggs she'd made.
"You're not hungry?"
"Not particularly." I got up without eating that uneasy feeling still in the pit of my stomach.
"Alyssa, how nice to see you," a smooth, easy voice said from the corner.
The hair on the back of my neck rose and my toes curled in my slippers. I knew that voice. I hadn't heard it in centuries, but I knew it.
"Mathias, how nice to see you and so early in the morning."
"Please have a seat."
"Thank you." Yes, thank you for inviting me to sit down in my own house. At least I know why I felt so uneasy when I woke up.
"So tell me, dear one, how goes your hunt?"
Does he suspect something? Why is one of the Guild leaders in my living room?
"I'm not sure, Mathias."
"Why aren't you sure," he asked, crossing one jeaned leg over the other.
The Guild was always at the height of fashion. They were also donating to charities and aiding in disaster relief. They never let anyone see their true selves, and they were the only ones in the group who could stay in the public eye for so long; passing off as their own grandsons for hundreds of years.
"The students I've been able to get close to appear to be completely normal. I haven't been able to find a single abnormal thing about them besides the fact they're mortal."
He reached out, trailing his fingers along the side of my face. I clenched my jaw as his lips quirked up. His long neck gave way to a handsome face with a head full of dark hair that hung in his face in just the right way to make any other girl swoon. If it weren't for his perfectly tailored jacket or his leather shoes, you'd think he'd just rolled out of bed. He ran his hands through my hair and pulled my head toward his. I could feel his hot breath on my face. He smelled spicy.
Spicy, hot, and dangerous.
"Stop it, Mathias," I whispered.
"What's wrong, Alyssa? This never bothered you before."
"That was a lifetime ago. I'm telling you now to stop."
"What happened, Alyssa? You haven't fallen in love with another mortal have you?" he asked.
"No. I would never make that mistake again." I pushed his hand away and sat back. "Please, what do you want?"
"I told you, where is the nest?"
"There isn't one. You wasted your time."
He took a deep breath, watching me closely. "I know when you're lying to me, and now is one of those times. Stop lying. I don't know why you're protecting a bunch of monsters, but I want you to stop it. Where is the fucking nest."
"Mathias, you are overstepping the bounds. You can leave now." I stood and walked away.
I could feel him watching as I left. My mind was racing a million miles a second. If he was in town, his brothers couldn't be far behind.
"How did your meeting go?"
"Why didn't you warn me he was in there?" I said to my mother when I reached the top of the stairs.
"He asked us not to."
"Of course he did." I shook my head, peaked over my shoulder , and walked into the bathroom. "I'm late. Deal with him. I'm not talking to the Guild anymore. When I have more on the nest I'll let everyone know okay?"
I slammed the door shut and turned on the shower. Sitting in the bottom, I hugged my knees and waited for as long as I could before I crawled out. I felt like a jellyfish out of water.
"Are you ready yet?" mom asked.
"No."
"Hurry."
"I'll go as fast as I want," I muttered.
"Mathias is going to take you to school."
"No he's not!" I shouted through the door.
"You will stop this foolishness. Have you forgotten who he is?"
"How can I forget?" I asked.
"He has the power to have us burned. Do you want to die? Just because we don't age doesn't mean he can't kill us."
I sighed as the uneasy feeling grew stronger. I felt as though I were about to vomit. He was going to find out my secret. He was going to find the monsters I was trying to protect.
"Fine."
"And be sure to wear something suitable. You will be with a high Guild leader."
"Yes, mother."
"I don't know why you never pursued your relationship with me."
I winced at the memory. It was centuries ago that Mathias and I played with the idea of us being together, but the sting of his betrayal felt like it happened yesterday.
What would he say if he knew I was in love with a vampire now?
I dug through my closets for something that would be impressive or at least didn't look like something a high school girl picked out.
"Why do I let Chloe do all my shopping?" I asked myself.
"Who is Chloe?" Mathias asked behind me.
"A friend. I have made friends here. Not that you would know what those are," I snapped. "Why are you in my room? Why are you really here?"
"I told you, Alyssa, to find the monsters nest. Your family has been searching for it for over a hundred years now. We're getting rather restless waiting for results."
"You'll get results. This country keeps growing. New towns keep popping up. There are new places for us to check everyday," I said, pulling the towel tighter around my body.
"Mmmm yes, but not like this one. This one is rather special isn't it, love?"
"No. It's like any other town we've been to."
"Oh but it's not. It's rather small and quaint, don't you think?' he asked.
"Mathias, just say what you're thinking. Stop with the mind games already."
"You're hiding something."
"Why would I hide something from the Guild? I know what happens if I do. I don't feel like dying or watching my family die."
"Oh I wouldn't kill you, just your folks. I'd keep you all for myself." In a flash he was in front of me. "I'm warning you, Alyssa, don't lie to me. I know when you're lying. Don't forget why my brothers and I are in charge of all the Hunters."
"I know why."
"Next time I visit Vincenzo will be with me." He grabbed my arm, twisted it behind my back, and pulled me in closer. "You don't want him here. Poor Melissa never got over her mind reading. She's still in that asylum in Switzerland. She's been there for over eighty years; crazy as ever. I don't want to see that happen to you, my beautiful snowflake."
"I'm not yours anymore. If you don't mind I'd like to get ready for class."
"Stop fighting it, Alyssa."
"Mathias, go."
He turned on his designed toe and walked out of my room. I sank to my knees, my stomach in my throat. Nobody made me more anxious or nervous than the leaders of the Guild. Mathias was the worst of them all. He made me fall in love with him then crushed my heart into a million pieces. I wanted him to burn.
I pulled on jeans, a tight blue sweater, and black boots. Creeping down the stairs I hoped nobody would notice when I snuck out the door.
"Not trying to avoid me are you?"
I sighed and hung my head. "No."
"Good. Let's go."
Grabbing my bag, I followed Mathias out to his car. It was a sleek, blue Audi.
"Way to stay incognito."
"I'm not. I have money I'm going to live like I do."
"Whatever, Mat."
"How would you like to show me around?"
"I wouldn't."
"Why?"
"You don't need to disturb that school. You're intimidating enough to your own kind. You don't need to scare the mortals," I grumbled.
"If you say so."
"I do."
He pulled up to the front of the old gothic mansion, my stomach still doing somersaults. I slowly unbuckled my self and slid out of the car. I glanced around, hoping nobody paid particular attention to us. Of course everybody did.
"Alyssa, who were you with?" Derek asked.
"I don't want to talk about it right now." I kept my head down and walked to my locker.
"That was nice car."
"Yeah. I know," I said, slamming my locker door shut.
"Those windows were really dark."
"Derek, drop it."
"What's wrong?" Blake asked.
"Ask Alyssa," Derek said, eyeing me.
I slid into my seat and put my head into my hands.
"I'm lost."
"The Guild is in town. At least one of the leaders are here."
"What?" Blake asked.
"Mathias surprised me at my house this morning."
"How do they just surprise you?" Herades asked, sliding into the chair next to me.
"They don't announce when they're visiting. They just show up."
"Does he know anything?" Chloe asked.
"No. At least I don't think so."
"Well what did you tell him?" Derek asked.
"Nothing. I didn't say a damn word."
No red letter ever arrived announcing Mathias' visit. We had no warning. They never made house calls. Could my past with him have softened the blow? I still hadn't told my parents about the nest or that I wasn't going to kill anymore. At least not innocents. I was no longer going to be their puppet.
"Have you told your parents yet?" Demia asked.
"Not yet."
"When are you going to?" Blake asked.
"I don't know. I don't even know how to tell them."
"Just tell them." Chloe chimed in.
"That won't work." I sighed. "Especially not now. Not with Mathias hanging around."
"Why not?"
"They're Hunters, remember? And Mathias is the Guild. They will kill us."
"So?"
"So, I say, hey Mom and Sad, ya know what. I found the nest but let's not do what we've been programmed to do."
"Yeah?"
"It's not that easy, Chloe."
"My dad is a scientist. We do have serums that can, well, incapacitate them for a few hours. They can give you enough time to tell them, for it to sink in, and them not go postal on us. Or kill us."
"That could work," I said, running my hand through my hair. "But then they would do what they have been doing for hundreds of years. Track us, kills us, and serve up our b
The following morning I knew something was different. Something wasn't the same. I jumped up looked outside, and then ran downstairs.
Everything in the house was the same. Nothing had changed.
"What's wrong, Alyssa?" Father asked, sitting at the table like he did every morning.
"Nothing," I said, pulling the chair out.
"You look tired, dear," Mother said, sliding a plate in front of me.
"I-I just didn't sleep well," I muttered, poking at the eggs she'd made.
"You're not hungry?"
"Not particularly." I got up without eating that uneasy feeling still in the pit of my stomach.
"Alyssa, how nice to see you," a smooth, easy voice said from the corner.
The hair on the back of my neck rose and my toes curled in my slippers. I knew that voice. I hadn't heard it in centuries, but I knew it.
"Mathias, how nice to see you and so early in the morning."
"Please have a seat."
"Thank you." Yes, thank you for inviting me to sit down in my own house. At least I know why I felt so uneasy when I woke up.
"So tell me, dear one, how goes your hunt?"
Does he suspect something? Why is one of the Guild leaders in my living room?
"I'm not sure, Mathias."
"Why aren't you sure," he asked, crossing one jeaned leg over the other.
The Guild was always at the height of fashion. They were also donating to charities and aiding in disaster relief. They never let anyone see their true selves, and they were the only ones in the group who could stay in the public eye for so long; passing off as their own grandsons for hundreds of years.
"The students I've been able to get close to appear to be completely normal. I haven't been able to find a single abnormal thing about them besides the fact they're mortal."
He reached out, trailing his fingers along the side of my face. I clenched my jaw as his lips quirked up. His long neck gave way to a handsome face with a head full of dark hair that hung in his face in just the right way to make any other girl swoon. If it weren't for his perfectly tailored jacket or his leather shoes, you'd think he'd just rolled out of bed. He ran his hands through my hair and pulled my head toward his. I could feel his hot breath on my face. He smelled spicy.
Spicy, hot, and dangerous.
"Stop it, Mathias," I whispered.
"What's wrong, Alyssa? This never bothered you before."
"That was a lifetime ago. I'm telling you now to stop."
"What happened, Alyssa? You haven't fallen in love with another mortal have you?" he asked.
"No. I would never make that mistake again." I pushed his hand away and sat back. "Please, what do you want?"
"I told you, where is the nest?"
"There isn't one. You wasted your time."
He took a deep breath, watching me closely. "I know when you're lying to me, and now is one of those times. Stop lying. I don't know why you're protecting a bunch of monsters, but I want you to stop it. Where is the fucking nest."
"Mathias, you are overstepping the bounds. You can leave now." I stood and walked away.
I could feel him watching as I left. My mind was racing a million miles a second. If he was in town, his brothers couldn't be far behind.
"How did your meeting go?"
"Why didn't you warn me he was in there?" I said to my mother when I reached the top of the stairs.
"He asked us not to."
"Of course he did." I shook my head, peaked over my shoulder , and walked into the bathroom. "I'm late. Deal with him. I'm not talking to the Guild anymore. When I have more on the nest I'll let everyone know okay?"
I slammed the door shut and turned on the shower. Sitting in the bottom, I hugged my knees and waited for as long as I could before I crawled out. I felt like a jellyfish out of water.
"Are you ready yet?" mom asked.
"No."
"Hurry."
"I'll go as fast as I want," I muttered.
"Mathias is going to take you to school."
"No he's not!" I shouted through the door.
"You will stop this foolishness. Have you forgotten who he is?"
"How can I forget?" I asked.
"He has the power to have us burned. Do you want to die? Just because we don't age doesn't mean he can't kill us."
I sighed as the uneasy feeling grew stronger. I felt as though I were about to vomit. He was going to find out my secret. He was going to find the monsters I was trying to protect.
"Fine."
"And be sure to wear something suitable. You will be with a high Guild leader."
"Yes, mother."
"I don't know why you never pursued your relationship with me."
I winced at the memory. It was centuries ago that Mathias and I played with the idea of us being together, but the sting of his betrayal felt like it happened yesterday.
What would he say if he knew I was in love with a vampire now?
I dug through my closets for something that would be impressive or at least didn't look like something a high school girl picked out.
"Why do I let Chloe do all my shopping?" I asked myself.
"Who is Chloe?" Mathias asked behind me.
"A friend. I have made friends here. Not that you would know what those are," I snapped. "Why are you in my room? Why are you really here?"
"I told you, Alyssa, to find the monsters nest. Your family has been searching for it for over a hundred years now. We're getting rather restless waiting for results."
"You'll get results. This country keeps growing. New towns keep popping up. There are new places for us to check everyday," I said, pulling the towel tighter around my body.
"Mmmm yes, but not like this one. This one is rather special isn't it, love?"
"No. It's like any other town we've been to."
"Oh but it's not. It's rather small and quaint, don't you think?' he asked.
"Mathias, just say what you're thinking. Stop with the mind games already."
"You're hiding something."
"Why would I hide something from the Guild? I know what happens if I do. I don't feel like dying or watching my family die."
"Oh I wouldn't kill you, just your folks. I'd keep you all for myself." In a flash he was in front of me. "I'm warning you, Alyssa, don't lie to me. I know when you're lying. Don't forget why my brothers and I are in charge of all the Hunters."
"I know why."
"Next time I visit Vincenzo will be with me." He grabbed my arm, twisted it behind my back, and pulled me in closer. "You don't want him here. Poor Melissa never got over her mind reading. She's still in that asylum in Switzerland. She's been there for over eighty years; crazy as ever. I don't want to see that happen to you, my beautiful snowflake."
"I'm not yours anymore. If you don't mind I'd like to get ready for class."
"Stop fighting it, Alyssa."
"Mathias, go."
He turned on his designed toe and walked out of my room. I sank to my knees, my stomach in my throat. Nobody made me more anxious or nervous than the leaders of the Guild. Mathias was the worst of them all. He made me fall in love with him then crushed my heart into a million pieces. I wanted him to burn.
I pulled on jeans, a tight blue sweater, and black boots. Creeping down the stairs I hoped nobody would notice when I snuck out the door.
"Not trying to avoid me are you?"
I sighed and hung my head. "No."
"Good. Let's go."
Grabbing my bag, I followed Mathias out to his car. It was a sleek, blue Audi.
"Way to stay incognito."
"I'm not. I have money I'm going to live like I do."
"Whatever, Mat."
"How would you like to show me around?"
"I wouldn't."
"Why?"
"You don't need to disturb that school. You're intimidating enough to your own kind. You don't need to scare the mortals," I grumbled.
"If you say so."
"I do."
He pulled up to the front of the old gothic mansion, my stomach still doing somersaults. I slowly unbuckled my self and slid out of the car. I glanced around, hoping nobody paid particular attention to us. Of course everybody did.
"Alyssa, who were you with?" Derek asked.
"I don't want to talk about it right now." I kept my head down and walked to my locker.
"That was nice car."
"Yeah. I know," I said, slamming my locker door shut.
"Those windows were really dark."
"Derek, drop it."
"What's wrong?" Blake asked.
"Ask Alyssa," Derek said, eyeing me.
I slid into my seat and put my head into my hands.
"I'm lost."
"The Guild is in town. At least one of the leaders are here."
"What?" Blake asked.
"Mathias surprised me at my house this morning."
"How do they just surprise you?" Herades asked, sliding into the chair next to me.
"They don't announce when they're visiting. They just show up."
"Does he know anything?" Chloe asked.
"No. At least I don't think so."
"Well what did you tell him?" Derek asked.
"Nothing. I didn't say a damn word."
No red letter ever arrived announcing Mathias' visit. We had no warning. They never made house calls. Could my past with him have softened the blow? I still hadn't told my parents about the nest or that I wasn't going to kill anymore. At least not innocents. I was no longer going to be their puppet.
"Have you told your parents yet?" Demia asked.
"Not yet."
"When are you going to?" Blake asked.
"I don't know. I don't even know how to tell them."
"Just tell them." Chloe chimed in.
"That won't work." I sighed. "Especially not now. Not with Mathias hanging around."
"Why not?"
"They're Hunters, remember? And Mathias is the Guild. They will kill us."
"So?"
"So, I say, hey Mom and Sad, ya know what. I found the nest but let's not do what we've been programmed to do."
"Yeah?"
"It's not that easy, Chloe."
"My dad is a scientist. We do have serums that can, well, incapacitate them for a few hours. They can give you enough time to tell them, for it to sink in, and them not go postal on us. Or kill us."
"That could work," I said, running my hand through my hair. "But then they would do what they have been doing for hundreds of years. Track us, kills us, and serve up our bodies to the Guild. Including me their own daughter."
"Do you think normal drugs would work?" Heradas looked up at me.
"I don't see why not. We may be immortal, but we're still human. I just don't know how I feel about drugging my parents."
"What kid doesn't want to do that?" Demia asked.
We all just laughed. We didn't want to, but we did. It was all we could do. All I could do. I wanted to sit down and cry. I wanted to wallow in self-pity and loathing. Loathing for who I am, who I was and who the Guild wanted me to be. I couldn't though. I had to be strong. Not only for Blake but for everybody else. I'm not sure they fully understand the danger of what we're doing or that this is real and not just a game. It didn't feel real though. I wish I could just pinch my arm and wake up. odies to the Guild. Including me their own daughter."
"Do you think normal drugs would work?" Heradas looked up at me.
"I don't see why not. We may be immortal, but we're still human. I just don't know how I feel about drugging my parents."
"What kid doesn't want to do that?" Demia asked.
We all just laughed. We didn't want to, but we did. It was all we could do. All I could do. I wanted to sit down and cry. I wanted to wallow in self-pity and loathing. Loathing for who I am, who I was and who the Guild wanted me to be. I couldn't though. I had to be strong. Not only for Blake but for everybody else. I'm not sure they fully understand the danger of what we're doing or that this is real and not just a game. It didn't feel real though. I wish I could just pinch my arm and wake up.