A little author's note at the end. Please read it.
Sage
Two days.
It had been two days since we got word from Huntley saying that Pheonix was planning to visit Kallihan. We didn't know when...hell, we didn't even know if it was true. Honestly, I don't think any of us really wanted to know.
I tried to be the bearer of peace for once, trying to make them realise that if indeed someone is going against the pure bloods, it is better if we all fight together. We could use Pheonix on our side. Axel and Ezra were ofcourse not happy about that. Donovan on the other hand didn't completely agree with me, but he understood what I meant.
Arabella was my savior among this chaos, she was the only one that had something of use for me. She wouldn't step into Kallihan and she didn't want to speak over the phone. Nathaniel went out to meet her but she wanted to talk to me. She finally decided to meet up at the border of Kallihan which was half a day's drive out on the way to Cohen. Apparently she still didn't trust vampires enough. Well, I can't blame her.
"Seriously? You could have just stayed with us for a few days" I slammed the door behind me and walked upto the black car she was leaning against.
"Breathe in vampire lands? My soul would not be at rest" she shrugged.
"Would you believe me if I tell you I am not annoyed to see you?" I stood with my hands behind my back.
"I believe you. It must be torture living with idiots" Yes, I told her about Pheonix and the rumour of him coming to Kallihan. Apparently she already knew alot of what happened during the war. Her ancestors were part of it. But somehow she did understand my point of view on this. And I was happy to actually have someone on my side.
"What was so important you had to come all the way out here to tell me yourself?" I squinted my eyes.
She took a deep breath, gave me a hesitant stare, nervous movements. I already knew I'm not going to like this.
My eyes fixed on someone inside the car.
"Who is that?" I eyed the tall figure.
"My friend's boyfriend. He offered to drive me out here"
Witch. I could smell the vervain on him from a mile away.
"You sure he's safe?" I eyed him.
"Can we sit in your car and talk?" I nodded yes and turned around towards my car and she followed.
"Tell me" I pulled the door shut and sat facing her in anticipation.
"There is talk among the witches....the ancestors.."
"You perform ancestoral magic too?"
"No, my friend does" she shook her head "Can I talk now?" she hissed out.
I nodded for her to continue.
"I'm not a part of a coven anymore. So I don't exactly have access to any ancestoral connection or anything of that sort. But my friend has. And apparently there's this group of witches. Powerful witches, trying to find a spell..." she looked at me with sorry eyes.
"What spell?" I could sense the fear on her. He heartbeat was picking up and that was never a good sign.
"The spell" she emphasized "The spell that created the Pure Blood Vampires "
I stared at her in shock for a second or two. I needed time to process what I just heard. No. That's not possible.
"No" I shook my head in disbelief "That's not possible"
"Maybe. Maybe not. But it is a spell. And spells have loopholes, so..." she gave me a sympathetic look.
"How can you be so sure?"
"I'm not. But we can't take it lightly either"
"The original spell? How are they gonna do that? That's ancient magic" I looked at away in surprise.
"Yes. All your bloodlines were turned by different witches...but the same magic. The same spell"
"Why are they going after us all of a sudden?" I muttered to myself.
"I don't know. But that bullet that you got shot with... that was one of their first tries, they..."
"What?" I snapped.
She let out a sigh.
"The hexed bullets. They used cloaking spells on hunters or werewolves to get into Vampire land and test out if it worked"
"I'm guessing that didn't work out well for them, huh" I gave let out an ironic chuckle
"Yes. It worked on regular Vamps, but it didn't work on you, that's when they decided to go all in..." her voice got lower.
"All in as in make a spell strong enough to take us down. Subdue even a pure blood" I shut my eyes in realisation.
"That's honestly not my worry Sage"
I shot my eyes back to hers. Ofcourse they still held fear, but not towards me.
"What do you mean?"
"If they find the Original spell...not only can they reverse it, bit also create new pure bloods"
Oh shit.
"I gotta get back before nightfall" she whispered. "The wolves have been asking around for me since the whole thing with Stefan..."
"Speaking of Stefan" my memory was suddenly jogged. I reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a little bag with a hanky in it.
"This is the blood we found on the wall. You said you'd find out who's it was" I handed it to her.
She took out the hanky, examining it. A few seconds of chanting and meditating and...
"Stefan" she muttered.
"Do a locator spell" I instinctively responded.
"I already tried that. But he's cloaked. I suppose that's why they didn't mind leaving his blood behind" she put the hanky back in the bag and put it into her pocket "You mind of I keep this? Incase I can push through the cloaking spell.."
I nodded. Not like I could do much with it anyway.
"You can always stay in that house you cloaked" I owed her...for helping me cloak the house earlier and for putting her life at risk after my little stunt in Cohen. " Its not exactly in Kallihan. And no one will find you there"
"That's not a bad idea" she nodded "But my stuff is at Aubrey's house. I gotta get that"
"Alright"
We said bye and she left. I understand why she would rather want to tell me this in person than over the phone.
Damnit!
First we were scrambling around, trying to find clues and figure out what was going on. Now everything was unraveling and coming at us at the same time and neither of us know where to turn. And Pheonix... The icing on the fucking cake.
I drove home as slow as I could, to put off having this conversation with the rest of them . But I was going to have to do it anyway. My mind swirling with the endless possibilities of how things could go wrong.
And Axel…. he's not the same. Ever since the night we got news of Pheonix's possible arrival, he's been.. a little distant at times. But at the same time he had to have me around him, like I was something fragile in need to protection.
Why?
When I ask him that his only reply is that he likes being around me. I wasn't used to this. I wasn't used to having someone around me all the time…not that I don't like being around him. I'm just confused.
I reached the Palace after a long drive. I walked in expecting questions being thrown at me the second I step through the door, but no. No one was there. I hurried up to my room. Rather, Axel's room. I wanted to move out of the room. I told the housekeep to clean up the room I had found few days back. It should be ready for me to move in by now.
I began packing the few clothes I had with me for now. I ordered the rest of the clothes that were bought to be sent to my new bedroom.
I heard footsteps at the door and my heart skipped a beat. As annoyed as I was for him... I couldn't be angry with him. As much as I kept telling myself I should have some distance between us, I knew that wasn't really what I wanted. All I wanted to do was kiss him. I didn't even want to have sex. I just wanted to hold him around and snuggle upto him and kiss the life out of that damn mouth of his.
"Going somewhere?" I heard a low voice from behind me, but it wasn't the one I was expecting.
I turned around "Ezra?" I breathed out in an annoyed tone.
"Disappointed?" he smirked and leaned against the door frame.
"No" I sat down at the edge of the bed.
"No? Your heartbeat started doing the Tango at the sound of footsteps" he crossed his arms over his chest " I thought you were expecting your boyfriend"
"He's not my boyfriend, Ezra" I shot him a glare.
"Then what? Your roommate?" he gave me a grin.
I shot him an annoyed look and his expression turned stoic in a second as he took a step in with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Where did you go?"
"I went for a drive" i leaned back on my plams, giving him a glare. Ofcourse he knew where I was. He wouldn't have come here if he didn't.
"Do you have to be a pain in my ass Sage?" he squinted his eyes a little in annoyance.
Fine. I don't exactly feel like pissing off my brother right now anyway.
"I went to meet Arabella" I sat up straight.
"Who?"
"The witch who was supposed to get me information. Noelle Crassus's daughter"
"Ahh. Yes" he looked down. "And?"
"She's got this friend that heard whispers from their ancestral coven..." I began and proceeded to tell him everything Arabella told me.
He looked at me wide eyed, in disbelief.
"When this is over. I'm going to burn every witch walking this earth" his fist were clenched in anger, his eyes red. The only thing missing were the fangs in display.
"Yes, we will" i spoke low and walked to towards him, putting my hands on his shoulders "But not now. Now we have to find out if this is indeed true"
I turned around to pick up some stuff of mine. I tossed a bag to Ezra and picked up the rest of my clothes. "Walk with me"
I walked out and he followed behind, grabbing some more of my stuff.
"Do you think they'll try and make new pure bloods?" I took longer strides to catch up to me.
"That's not what I'm concerned about. If they find the original spell they might try to kill us. They might succeed Ezra. Every spell has a loophole"
"The spell is foolproof, Sage. There is no loophole. No reversal" he glanced at me and pushed the door open.
"I don't know....For once I hope you're right"
He opened his mouth to say something else, but I suppose he decided otherwise. He simply pressed his lips together and walked towards the bed and dropped the stuff on the bed.
"Why did you leave the room?" he turned around to look at me.
"Leaving? I just moved down the hallway"
"He cares about you, you know" he looked me dead in the eyes, freezing me in my tracks by the words that just left his mouth. Ofcourse I knew he cared, he didn't exactly try hiding it.
"I just need my space" the words left my mouth before I realised it.
Ezra's stern glare softened and he pulled me into a warm hug. I don't remember the last time he did this.
"He's been upset since he heard about Pheonix" he whispered into my hair, stroking my hair like I was a baby, he was trying to calm down. Did I really need to be calmed down?
"He reminds him of Madelyn" I whispered to myself. I guess I might have forgotten my brother was a vampire that can hear probably my heart pumping the blood into my veins.
He immediately stopped stroking my hair "He told you" he whispered as he pulled back to look at me.
I nodded.
"And that affects you?" his eyes scanned me, as if he was trying to read me.
"I don't want to know"
"It does" he gave me a sympathetic look. Why? What exactly was he sorry about?
I closed my eyes and looked on the side, avoiding my brother's stare.
"I don't want it to. Why am I even talking to you about this?" I walked away and sat down on the bed. How could he possibly understand this.
I heard a gush of wind and my eyes immediately moved over Ezra's shoulder to find those wild greys staring back at me. Ezra turned around to follow my gaze.
"Axel" Ezra greeted him cheerfully "Wonderful timing pal"
Axel didn't say a word. He just clenched his jaw and stared at me with an unfamiliar look in his eyes.
" I think you both need to act like adults and sort your damn feelings out" he gave me a glare and walked past Axel giving him a slight nod, that Axel surprisingly returned, shutting the door behind him.
"What is this?" he raised an eyebrow at me.
"My room is set up" I raised my hand, looking at the surroundings, ignoring the glare he was shooting me.
"I see. And wanted promoted this sudden shift?"
I took a slight step away from him, getting uncomfortable with the heat spreading through me.
"I need some space, Axel"
"Space from me?" he immediately countered.
"Are you fucking kidding me? Not everything is about you, you know?" I snapped back in annoyance.
"You were fine in my room" he took a step towards me and I could see his expression soften.
"Yes I was. But I think we need some.."
"Distance" he whispered and bit his bottom lip. There were so many unreadable emotions that ran through his face...his eyes. He pursed his lips together and looked away from me.
"Spit it out"
"What?"
"Whatever's on your mind" he crossed his arms over his chest.
How was I to explain something even I didn't understand. I didn't even know what exactly I wanted from him.
"Us"
"Us?"
"Yes. Its been bugging me" I blurted out.
"What exactly has been bugging you?" he emphasized on the last two words.
"I think we should stop...hav...oh gosh" i ran my hand through my hair and took a step further away from him.
"We should stop what, Sage?" his eyes darkened as he took a threatening step towards me.
"We shouldn't sleep together again" I whispered, guilty of my mind and body wanting the exact opposite in that moment.
"We agreed to that earlier, didn't we? How'd that work out for us baby?" he kept walking towards me and I kept stepping back. I wasn't afraid of him, no. I was afraid of letting myself completely go like the last time… But he just had this way of making me act on impulse...of making me want to do everything that came into my mind.
"That's coz we're both idiots" I whispered.
"You know that's not true Sage" he smirked and my back hit the glass window. Another few steps and his hands were on either side of my head. His face inches away from me. And all those dirty thoughts I was trying to push down was rising back up all over again.
"Why do you keep doing this?"
"Doing what?"
"What do you want from me Axel?" I put my hands against his chest to keep him from getting any closer. And he stopped. He stayed still and narrowed his eyes at me.
"I want you" he whispered with huskiness evident from his voice.
"You had me" he put his hands on mine that were on his chest.
"You don't get it Sage" he took another step closer and I was caged completely between the glass and his rock hard chest.
"Then explain" I whispered under my breath. He was paying way too much attention to me to not hear that.
He let go of my hands and took a step back like something suddenly went off in his mind.
"I shouldn't have to explain it to you"
"What?" I suddenly felt cold from the distance between us.
"Come talk to me when you're ready to grow up Sage"
And with that he turned around and walked out of my room, slamming the door behind him. Leaving me in complete and utter confusion.
"No" I stormed out of the room and stopped in his tracks. How dare he.
"What do mean when I grow up?" I sped infront of him. "What the hell did you mean by that?" I pointed a finger at his chest.
"Nothing, Sage. Let it go" he tried to push past me.
No. He wasn't going to not answer questions and just walk away from me.
"Explain Axel" I hissed out and pushed him back against the wall "What am I missing here?"
He looked at me with that same vague expression. Giving me nothing but more confusion.
"Axel" I reached my hand up to his throat "Tell me" I hissed out.
He let out a villainous laugh before bringing his dark eyes back to mine.
"We're not doing this Sage. I'm not making this easy for you" One push and it was me against the wall with his hands on my neck, tilting my head up to look at him "I'm not going to explain something you already know"
Another gush of wind and he was gone. And I was left standing in the middle of the empty corridor wondering if my mind was playing tricks on me or did he mean what I thought he did.
************
Shits getting intense
Although I'm a little confused about something. Y'all already know this is a Romance book. But do y'all want to see more of the wolf plot it more of Sage and Axel?
Right now I'm trying to balance both equally but I just can't seem to get it right.
So help a girl out. Help me make this book a little better coz right now I'm all over the place and I feel like my writing is as well.
Anyway I love you all. Even the silent readers (yes y'all too)
Don't forget to hit that little star babes
I'll see y'all soon