Chapter Four (Alexander)
"It was great seeing you again, Alex," Nathan said with a warm smile as we stood outside the cafe, waiting at the bus stop, "Maybe some time we can meet up, just you and me?"
This was it, I realized with a deep breath. I had to be straight forward with Nathan. He was a nice guy, there was no doubt about that. He was friendly, and I couldn't get over that smile of his. It was cute. He'd be a great guy-- for someone else.
I still wasn't completely over Nicholas and there was the fact that he was just a human and I was a pureblood. It would never work out. He'd be killed. I knew that for a fact. Of course, I wouldn't tell him that part. I'd just tell him about Nicholas is all...
"Listen, Nathan," I started, smiling the best I could, "I'm not sure what Mark's been up to lately. I mean, you're a really great guy, but..."
"You're not interested." Nathan filled in with a sad smile. I felt the heat reach the tips of my ears as I cleared my throat, shoving my hands into the pockets of my jacket, glancing sideways at Slade, Zander, and Mark, who were talking animatedly about something. I looked back at Nathan.
"I'm really sorry... I... just lost someone I cared about very much and... I'm still not over it." I apologized softly, reaching up to brush the hair out of my face. Nathan smiled warmly and reached out, brushing the hair out of my face, his fingertips tickling my cheek. I felt goose bumps course over my skin as he lowered his hand.
"It's all right. We can still be friends, though," Nathan added brightly, "As long as we get to hang out, I'm happy. Next time you wanna go out for coffee, let me know. We can just go as friends. Here's my number." He pulled out his cell phone and I did the same, punching his number into my contacts list before biding him farewell.
"See ya later, Alex." Nathan said, then surprised me by leaning in and kissing me on the forehead lightly. His lips were warm and soft against my skin, making my cheeks flame even more as I watched him back away, giving me a quick wave before departing down the sidewalk. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes.
"Laaame!" I jumped, snapping my head to glare at Mark, who was standing slightly behind me, his hands in the pockets of a leather jacket that looked suspiciously like Storm's. A cold gust of bitter winter wind blew his black hair over his blue eyes that watched me with a deadpan expression as I scowled at him.
"What's lame?" I demanded defensively. Mark made a face, folding his arms over his chest.
"And after all the work I did to get you guys to meet. Now who am I supposed to hook you up with?" He complained, stomping his foot like a sulking child. I smiled, cocking my head a little.
"Mark, you really don't need to do this. I'm fine on my own. I've been alone for a long time. This isn't any different." I assured. Mark frowned, averting his eyes before looking back at me stubbornly.
"Yea, but you're my friend. I don't want you to be alone. I've been alone for a long time too and I don't like it. I don't even like getting on the train or bus alone anymore. I hardly shower alone either. Storm's always there with me and when he's not, you are. You can't tell me that you don't get lonely." He protested quietly. I hesitated, letting his words sink in and hated myself for the pang of jealousy that shot through me.
It was a guilty pleasure having wanted to shower with a lover.
But that didn't mean I was going to sleep with the first guy I met. I wanted someone I actually loved. Maybe almost as much as Nicholas, but who knows when that would happen? And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't lonely. I did find myself waking up to cry after a nightmare and I had to turn on my lights because I was scared of being alone in the dark. I had almost picked up my phone a few times to call Mark, but it wasn't his problem.
It was mine. I couldn't dump my crap on him when he had enough to deal with himself, what with Vladimir hovering and Newt on the loose, probably plotting revenge against Vladimir and whoever was close to him.
"Yea," I answered at last, making Mark's expression fall, "I do get lonely, but... It happens. It'll pass after a while, Mark. Come on, don't look at me like that." Mark huffed angrily, folding his arms over his chest again.
"How can I not be upset? You're my friend, Alex. Actually, you're my only friend. You're my first friend. You've done more for me than anyone I know. I can't be the only one allowed with a happy ending. You deserve one too. I wanna help with that." He insisted. I smiled.
"You help just by being my friend, Mark. That's all I really need. Everything else is trivial." I assured. Mark opened his mouth to say something, then seemed to think better of it and just huffed, waving me off and walking over to Slade and Zander. I smiled lightly until my cell phone rang and I blinked, reaching into my pocket and holding to my ear.
"Storm?" I asked, surprised after seeing the caller ID.
"Alexander. I'm sorry if this is a bad time, but is Mark with you?" Storm asked sternly. I raised an eyebrow, glancing over at Mark, who was making a face at Slade, who grinned back at him.
"Yea, why?" I asked.
"Thank God," Storm breathed, then paused to say something to someone else on the other line before getting back to me, "We have a problem. Someone breached the security at the manor." My eyes widened and I quickly turned my back on the others, covering one of my ears with a hand so I could entirely focus on Storm.
"What do you mean? What happened? Is everyone okay?" I demanded.
"Yes," Storm informed, "The alarms just went off like crazy a couple hours ago. My father's having everyone evacuated so they can do maintenance and a security check. I was hoping Mark was already somewhere safe. My father and I are going to head over there and pick him up before we find a hotel." I paused to frown, glancing over my shoulder to make sure the others were distracted before I looked away again.
"Storm, do you think it was Newell?" I asked in concern. There was a short pause before Storm sighed.
"I can't say for sure, but I can honestly say that that's what I'm thinking. And it has to be what my father's thinking. He's been stressed this whole year and it's probably going to drive him insane. I think staying out of the house for a bit will do him some good. Are there any hotels in the area?" He asked. By that, he probably meant some high class expensive hotel that made Motel 8 look like a dump.
"There's a Webers Boutique Hotel, a Hampton, and--"
"We'll probably stay at the Webers Boutique."
"Surprise, surprise."
"Well, if you'd like, you could stay with us."
"You're already bothered. I'm all right. Do you want me to let Mark know then? You're free to pick us up at my campus. We'll be in the library."
"All right. I'll be there in less than an hour." We hung up and I tucked my phone away before walking over to the others. Slade looked up first, raising an eyebrow.
"Does this mean I get to meet Mark's husband?" He asked eagerly, making us stare at him. I blinked, then looked at Mark, who snapped his head to stare at me.
"That was Storm?" He asked, alarmed. I nodded.
"Storm said that there was a breach in the security at your guys' place. He and his dad are coming up here to get away while the security does a maintenance check." I informed. Mark nibbled his lower lip nervously and Slade whistled.
"Maintenance? Security breach? Ya's pretty rich, ain't ya?" He exclaimed, looking at Mark, who blushed lightly. I smiled lightly.
"I told Storm we'd meet him at the campus library, so let's head over there to wait up for him." I informed. They nodded as we got on the next bus that came around, ready to take us to campus. I was relieved to be on the bus again with the heater right behind my legs, warming me up.
"Is Storm all right?" Mark asked, fumbling for his cell phone. I smiled lightly.
"Yes, he's just tired." I responded. Mark sighed in relief, casting me a quick smile before looking away with a frustrated groan.
"I think I left my cell phone back at home. Fantastic."
"What are you? A teenage girl? You'll be too busy talking to me." I responded with a smirk while Mark rolled his eyes before looking up as Slade turned in his seat to face us, peering over the top with a little smile.
"So, ya says his father and him are comin' down, eh? What are they like? Should I keep me powers on the downlow?" He asked curiously. I glanced at Mark, who sighed and informed Vladimir Slade and Zander about his new family.
The fact that Storm was stunningly handsome and even I would admit that. Black hair and blue eyes like some exotic model out of a magazine, a strong jaw and a hard, muscular body that oozed power.
His father was hardly different, in a lot of ways. Despite being his father, Vladimir looked more like Storm's brother. Nothing about him looked old or fragile. He was raw power in the flesh and it gave me goose bumps sometimes to think about just how much power he contained and what he would use it for. I grimaced and squeezed my eyes shut for a moment.
"Are you all right?" Mark asked, noticing instantly. I smiled reassuringly.
"I'm fine. Just a little... thirsty." I admitted, shrugging my shoulders. Slade's eyes widened a little and he ducked behind the seat so only his eyes were peering over and Zander was rolling his eyes at him.
"You aren't gonna go 'round bitin' anyone, are you?" He asked cautiously. I laughed quietly and shook my head.
"Not interested in your blood, Slade." I replied. Slade pouted, sitting on his knees so he was totally leaning over the back of the seat.
"And why not?" He demanded, sounding offended. Zander snorted and grabbed Slade by the ear, giving it a tug that made Slade squeak before whirling in his seat and settling down with some complaints that Zander scolded him for. I glanced at Mark, who had cocked a brow, his lips pursed.
"He's really weird." Mark commented, scrunching up his nose after a while as he leaned back in his seat. I smiled politely, resisting the urge to laugh.
"He reminds me of you, honestly. Maybe that's why you don't like him." I offered. Mark blushed and scowled at me.
"I'm nothing like that weirdo."
"Piercings, rebellious, weird."
"I don't have piercing anymore. It's kind of hard when you're a vampire. Not to mention, I tried to pierce my nose again a few months ago, but Storm got mad at me and forbade me from ever doing it again. Says he like me au naturel." Mark muttered, reaching up to rub the spot where his piercing used to sit on his nostril. My eyebrows rose, making Mark look at me curiously.
"Whoa, Storm forbade you? Never mind. Slade's rebellious. You're whipped." I mused, turning away to hide my laughter as Mark blushed dark red and stiffened in his seat.
"I am not whipped! I just... I mean... He asked."
"Asked or told you not to?"
"What's the difference?!"
"Haha, you are whipped. That's fantastic. I never thought anyone could tame you, Mark, but I was wrong. Storm's got you wrapped around his pinkie finger."
"Does not!" Mark protested desperately in an attempt to get his image back, but it was already shattered and I was already laughing hard into the sleeve of my jacket as Mark continued to make up excuses. That was pretty much the rest of the bus ride until we arrived at the college and got off, heading toward the campus library.
Our shoes squished in the slushy snow on the sidewalks as snow began to gently dance from the gray sky above. The sun could barely peer through, thank the Goddess. I was running low on fuel and I could really use a cup of O negative. My cheeks felt hot as I remembered that Nathan's blood type was O negative.
Stop thinking about it, I scolded myself. Nathan was just another guy. He was nice, sweet, friendly, but... He just wasn't Nicholas and I hated myself for comparing them. While they were so much alike, they were completely different at the same time.
And I didn't want to fall in love with a human. He'd get hurt.
I'd already seen it happen once and it wasn't about to happen again.
As soon as we arrived at the library, we found a place out in the open, but furthest away from anyone who might accidentally eavesdrop on our conversation. Although, we could easily say it was a silly online roleplay. We took our seats and dropped our things, sighing in relief at the warmth of the library and comfort of the silence around us, save for clicking on the computers and people coughing nearby.
"So, what are we going to discuss while we're here exactly?" Zander asked as he rested his hands on the table, leaning forward as Slade sat on his legs in the chair, his head resting on the table to peer up at the rest of us.
"Well, first of all, Slade had that vision about Newell doing something dangerous. Something that'll involve a lot of deaths." I added with a concerned frown. Mark's eyes widened as I gave him the details of Slade's vision, watching Slade lift his head sleepily.
"If it helps any, I swore I saw somefin'... sparklin' in the vision." He offered. I frowned, looking at him.
"What kind of sparkling? Like, a light reflecting or...?"
"Edward Cullen?" Mark tried, making me roll my eyes and elbow him. Slade grinned, leaning forward on his elbows, his head resting in his hands.
"Was no fairy, that much I can tell ya... But... It was... I dunno. Pretty. Very pretty, but scary at the same time cuz... I know it was a light and it was reflectin' off all them bodies ya lil' vampy guy was wif. He was just kneelin' in a pool of blood. He wasn't smilin' 'o nofin'. He was just... sittin' there while his lil' friends ran 'round killin' people. I fink he might have been wearin'... a fancy outfit 'o somefin. I can't 'member it all exactly. Sorry. That's the buzz kill 'bout these visions. They like dreams sometimes in the sense tha' I can't 'member 'em all." He apologized, scratching the side of his head awkwardly before looking up at me. I frowned.
"Huh... Maybe Storm or Vladimir will know more about it when they get here. They should be here any minute." I mused thoughtfully, trying to go any sparkling kind of lights I may have seen recently, but none of them came to mind.
"That's still creepy," Mark mumbled behind his hands before lowering them to the table to scratch at the wood, "I mean... Have all your visions come true? Are you sure this one isn't just, like, bad reception?" Slade smiled faintly and I could sense the sadness behind it as he cocked his head.
"If all 'em visions wasn't true, I'd be one happy bloke, but it ain't that simple... All of my visions, as well as my father's, have come true before... We see the incidents, not how they 'appen, though, and that's what pisses me off. I can't tell if what we're doin' is accordin' to plan 'o if we's just fuckin' it up further." He explained calmly, glancing at Zander, who frowned as he looked at Mark and I.
"Slade's right. Master Bennett never had a strong prediction. He predicted the 9/11 attacks and the death of Osama. He predicted the destruction of the Court of Seven, and he even predicted his own death on the same night Slade predicted it. They always come true, and that's the scary part." He answered quietly. I felt a cold little chill go up my spine as I remembered the way Selene had whispered that her husband's dying vision had been of his own son dying. It was all he managed to say before slipping away. I looked at Slade, who didn't seem the least bit bothered about our conversation now as he twirled a lock of green, blue, and purple hair around his pinkie finger.
If Slade kept using his powers, he'd end up dying. Selene said that once he started bleeding is when things were in the red, but so far, Slade was still seizing. I couldn't take anymore risks, though. Slade was done with his psychic job.
"Storm!" I looked up as Mark shot out of his seat and rushed instantly across the library. My eyes flickered in time to see Storm come in and take Mark into his arms. It was strange to see someone as small as Mark engulfed in Storm's big, muscular arms. I felt a sliver of jealousy and instantly stomped it away as I rose to my feet. Slade and Zander did the same as we approached Storm, who let go of Mark to greet me with a nod of his head and an outstretched hand that I took.
"Storm, this is Slade Bennett and Zander..." My voice trailed as I realized I didn't know Zander's last name, but he filled it in for me as he shook Storm's hand.
"Cooligan. Zander Cooligan." Zander greeted politely. Storm nodded his head, passing a curious glance at Slade as he put an arm around Mark, holding him close as Mark muttered something about timing. I frowned at him, then caught movement out the corner of my eye to see Vladimir walking in.
I suddenly felt rooted in place. Every fiber in my body instantly knew that obedience was key in Vladimir's presence. Vladimir was our leader, our president, our king. His power radiated in waves around him, curling and twining around everyone in the room. His deep black hair was still cut modernly short, but seemed to have grown out just a bit so it was hanging over his forehead now. His eyes were still the icy shade of blue I'd always known them to be. His jaw had been adorned with a light shadowy stubble and he was wearing a black knit sweater under a matching cashmere jacket along with a pair of loose black slacks and loafers.
"Hello, Alexander." Vladimir greeted me as soon as his icy blue eyes fell upon me. I instantly remembered the way his hand had oozed thickly with Nicholas' blood and his eyes were so cold and unfeeling, his lips pursed as the red ran down his face and stained his clothes. As soon as the image was there, it was gone. Replaced with the usual collected Vladimir Van Gothica.
"Hello, Vladimir." I returned with a nod, not holding out my hand. I didn't want to touch the hand that killed Nicholas. I'd probably lose it, so I just smiled politely. Vladimir didn't smile, though. The look on his face told me he knew what I was thinking and that made me feel colder as he looked away to meet eyes with Slade and Zander.
"Slade Bennett," He mused, making Slade blink with wide eyes of surprise, "I've met your parents. Wonderful souls. I should hope that your mother can make it to my party this weekend after my home's been fumigated."
"I thought it was a maintenance check." Slade pointed out. Vladimir's stern expression broke into a grin.
"Maintenance, fumigation. I see no difference when it involves pesky children." He responded, making Slade's eyes widen for a moment before he cocked his head. The look on his face instantly told me what was about to happen and I winced.
"Slade..." I started, reaching out to grab him, but Vladimir took my wrist and I froze, staring at his hand before looking up at him, but he wasn't look at me, he was looking at Slade, who'd grown stiff and was staring up at Vladimir with wide, strangely colored eyes, his lips parting.
"S-Scary," He managed, his eyes unblinking as they held Vladimir's, "It's dark... Y-You've killed so many people. You killed yo father... Yo mum. Yo brother. All that blood... T-There's so much." Slade's voice had become choked as tears filled his eyes and streaked down his cheeks, making my eyes widen as I snapped my head to stare at Vladimir, who just stared at Slade intently. Storm was gripping Mark tightly, a tight-lipped frown on his face as Zander winced.
"But, yo not evil," Slade murmured, the tears still flowing down his cheeks, falling to the floor below, "Ye don't want to hurt anyone on purpose.... Yo just protectin' the only people you haven't killed yet. But it won't be enough. Ye fight like a god, but yo still jus' a vampy... Ain't nofin' special 'bout ye, and ye know tha', but yo still gonna...." His voice choked off again and this time, Slade's whole body crumpled to the floor, but not before Vladimir caught him under the arms.
Slade was seizing, badly now. His whole body trembled violently as Vladimir carefully set him on the floor, touching his shoulders. Slade's head fell back as drool ran down the sides of his mouth, his eyes wide.
"He wasn't supposed to have anymore visions! He'll die if he does." I managed as Vladimir touched Slade's temples.
"I know how the pyschic abilities work, trust me." Vladimir muttered, studying Slade's face before taking a deep breath and tilting Slade's head so their eyes were locked. I watched Vladimir's eyes go from cold icy blue to deep red, like blood. I stiffened, watching Vladimir stare at Slade intently until he slowly stopped seizing.
Slade blinked a couple times, then rolled onto his side, breathing hard as Vladimir helped him and Zander instantly rushed to Slade's side, demanding if he was okay or not. Vladimir rose to his feet as Zander assisted Slade in standing.
I stared at Vladimir as he watched Slade with interest.
The vision Slade had... What was it about? What did he see exactly? He had said that Vladimir had killed so many people, which I don't doubt for a second... And yet, at the same time, he said Vladimir wasn't evil. I couldn't understand it and part of me denied it. Vladimir had killed his own family, his own kind, and Nicholas. How did that not make him evil?
But another part of me knew it was just the pain of loss talking.
Vladimir had no evil intentions when he killed Nicholas. I knew that. Vladimir had been protecting his son against a hellbent half-blood that meant as much to him as a twig in the forest.
But I couldn't help that pint of hate that I held for him for taking away the one thing I had longed for...
"Tha' was kinda scary." Slade managed, holding onto Zander for support as he reached up to hold his head with his other hand. Vladimir gave a nod.
"I apologize for that. It came on suddenly and I shouldn't have made eye contact with you, but the information was helpful." He responded. Slade blinked and glanced up at Vladimir for a moment before giving a short nod, averting his eyes.
"No problem. I needed to wake up anyway." He added. Vladimir gave him a warm, comforting smile as Storm cleared his throat sternly.
"Now. I'm sure we're not here to discuss psychics rather as here to discuss how, where, and what we've found out about Newell." Storm announced calmly. Vladimir nodded, withdrawing his hands from his pockets. For some reason, I found myself taking a step back. Vladimir kept his eyes away from me, though.
And for some reason, that annoyed me.
Why wasn't he looking at me?
"From the security breach, before we left, Storm and I managed to get some information on Newell and it's rather interesting. Let's sit and discuss this somewhere private." He added, glancing between Zander and Slade, who shared looks before looking up at him.
"Why not our dorm room?" Zander asked.
"Perfect." Vladimir agreed.
Right.
Perfect.
Let's cram four blood-drinkers and two humans into a teeny tiny dorm room together.
This'll be fun.