14: A Little Something Else

My feet pace the floor from the kitchen to the living room to kitchen to living room. I can’t say that my mind is racing because it’s not. I can’t comprehend one single thought, my mind is blank. Blank with fear. How in the hell did I end up here? In this predicament?

The vibration of the knock on the door can be felt through every fiber of my being. It hasn’t even been two hours since I marched out of Mystic Moon. Did those fiends really send their blood bag after me? On a more logical thought, it could be Gretchen or heaven forbid it could Caleb. Monty would most definitely go blabbing about my craziness to him and he would feel some obligation to see what’s wrong.

A knock pounds on the door again. No one shouts through the wood making my logical answers go right out the window. Gretchen and Caleb or even Avery or Avalos would holler my name giving them away. Step by slow step, I approach the door. My legs like jello and my eardrums humming from my rushing pulse.

Hand clutching the doorknob, just about to turn it, a knock slams against the door again. My whole arm shakes with the force. A deep breath in, no turning back, I quickly turn the knob and swing the door open.

Gabriel cockily leans against the doorframe. “Hello, little witch.” He’s looser distressed jeans today, but his t-shirt is still too tight drawing my eye to his muscles.
“Wha-what...how…it’s...” I’m a stuttering fool trying to put the tiny jagged pieces of my brain back together. It’s daylight. How is he here?

“There’s something I haven’t told you.” He takes a step forward, pausing at the threshold. A flash of excitement crosses his face. “Clever aren’t you.” He wags his finger at me with a half cocked smile on his face, amused by my antics. But then he gets serious.

Stern, golden eyes meet mine, he takes a step forward over the threshold, into my apartment. My heart racing, my tongue tied, all I can do is jump back creating some space between us. “It’s not possible.”

“I didn’t want you to find out this way. Through force, but I don’t want to make your days as miserable your nights can be.”

“What are you.” The words barely a whisper as they spill from my numb lips.

“Vampire...and a little of something else.” He teases.

“What something else?”

“Human. I’m surprised you didn’t pick up on that.”

My mouth has a hard time catching up to my mind. The words either come out too fast or all jumbled up. “Half breeds haven’t been-”

He jumps in and talks over me, finishing my sentence, “around from a long time. Punishable offense thanks to werewolves.” He takes a step in my direction, slow and calculated, “But, Phillip is very good at keeping his creations secret. Wouldn’t you say?”

“This can’t-it can’t be happening.”

He takes a few fleeting steps in my direction, his hand raised to my cheek, “it is, love.”

I quickly slap his hand away, “don’t call me love,” I shout at him. “You killed Gary.”

“I didn’t. I only knew after the fact that Phillip sent someone to threaten the man, but you little witch had tainted him and he was under the impression he was untouchable, but,” he steps even closer to me. The knuckle of his index finger runs down the length of my arm, “no one is untouchable.”

The graze of his cold skin brings forth a trail of goosebumps. I swallow hard, unable to catch my breath. I have to put all my attention to swallowing that spit, because I may just choke on it.

“Are you ready to meet Phillip now? Or does that blonde friend of yours have to be visited next?”

“You leave Avery alone.” My voice cracks giving away my fear.

“All you have to do is go for a ride or I can have more people brought into this. Will you come with me for your own kind? How about those two witches at that shop? It’ll be too easy for Phillip to set a fire, maybe with all the denizens that support you and your craft still inside.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“No, I wouldn’t, but Phillip would. That’s what makes him what he is, a leader, a monarch of vampires.”

“A killer, more like it.” I take a step away from him because his closeness makes me uneasy. “And what happens at the end of this ride?” I can’t believe I’m considering it, but Gary was first and there’s bound to be a second or a third or a fourth or a fifth. I’m sure Phillip wouldn’t stop even if hundreds of bodies pile up.

“Oh, you’ll see. Phillip has big plans for you.” He flashes me that devious smile. The devil is lurking just beneath the charming facade.

“Fine.” I agree, something I never thought I would do. “Let me grab my things.” I turn away from him, but he quickly catches my arm stopping me in my tracks.
“No need to grab anything.”

“But.” I mutter as he tugs me with him towards the door. It's more like dragging me with him, but somehow my feet easily find their footing, following the pull as if they have a mind of their own. “If I don't bring my phone and reply to messages or calls, people will look for me. Do you want that? Does Phillip want that?”

In the blink of an eye, he lets me go, disappears and reappears. His grasp back on my arm and my phone in his other hand. “I’ll hang onto it for you.”

“I hate you.” I mumble to myself as I regrettably let him lead me out the door.

I barely hear him silently reply back, “not for long.”

Whatever that’s supposed to mean.

As we exit my apartment complex it feels like everyone’s eyes are on me, judging me for accepting a vampire’s request. My mind doesn’t think as I climb into the backseat of a car waiting right out the building. My mind doesn’t think as Gabriel drives away, soon leaving the city behind.

Like the wolves, Phillip’s house is deep into the outskirts of town. Gabriel tries to start a conversation with me, asking stupid questions about Mystic Moon and Avery and even Caleb. I dodge each one with silence or a glare. After only a few tries he gives up.

The ride is long and the sun slowly starts to set. My eyelids get heavy, but I fight the pull of sleep. How can I fathom the thought of sleeping in the car whose driver is a vampire, who is leading me to a bigger, badder vampire.

It seems like hours of fighting against sleep, but the second a large iron gate comes into view, I straighten up. A large, rustic manor resides just past the gate. It lurks in the distance, silently telling those thinking about entering to turn back.

But feeling at home, Gabriel doesn’t turn back, he happily punches in a code unlocking the gates and drives down the curved driveway with a stupid smile on his face.
I crouch in on myself as we come to a stop at the front doors. Gabriel exits the car, the slam of his door startles me. When he opens mine and I don’t immediately come out, he pokes his head down into the doorway, “Ready to meet Phillip?” His hand is extended waiting for me to grab it.

I don’t. Instead I slap it away. My heart is rattling inside my chest cavity as I slide out of the vehicle. It’s nearly impossible to regain control of it. It’s fast pace threatens the stability of my legs.

A fog comes over me as I follow Gabriel inside. Maybe this is all a dream. It’s possible. It wouldn’t be the first time that I had a realistic dream. I secretly pinch myself and pinch my lips closed to block the yelp of pain from sounding. Who am I kidding? This is real, this is all too real.