54: Oblivious & Stupid

By the time we wake up it’s well into the afternoon. After that dream and the message it sent, I’m not looking forward to coming face to face with them. Especially today, because tonight is the end of life as we know and the start of something terrible.

“We should go drop the spell off to the coven, make sure they have everything down.”

I stiffen at his words. Is it wrong or stupid of me to think that he would forget or blow it off. Maybe go himself and not bring me along.

He notices of course, my inner turmoil. “We don’t have to stay there if you don’t want to. I know you would probably prefer to be as far away from them as possible once they start.” He offers.

“It’s something else. I...I saw something.”

“What do you mean you saw something? When?” Clearly confused, because he’s been with me for the past how many hours and didn’t mention anything.

“Last night, my nightmare.” I tip my head to the floor still trying to find my words. “I know where they got the book.” I pause, but Gabriel doesn’t force the words to come out faster. “Evangeline.”

“Okay. I thought Brooklyn was the one to get, but it was a different member.” He says shrugging it off as if it didn’t matter who got the book.

“She got it from Felix.” As soon as I say the name Felix, Gabriel straightens up. “She got it knowing what would happen. She’s on their side.”

“What?”

“She’s romantically involved with Felix.” I shutter at those words. Romantically involved with a demon, but being romantically involved with Felix makes it a little worse. “She purposely brought that book to Brooklyn and pointed out the spell because Felix wanted her to.”

“Why? I mean if the spell is performed she’d die.” Gabriel questions.

“I don’t know. Maybe she knows of a way to survive, selling her soul possibly or maybe she’s suicidal for a demon. But it was her.”

“Do you think she’s told him? That you’re working on changing it?”

This time I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t think so. I mean he would probably send some his minions after me and the only one that has been out to get me is Jezmin.” Her name brings up another discussion I need to have with Gabriel.

“Well, lets go get our sabotager.” Gabriel says not giving me a chance to bring up the so-called bigger evil that the vampires are hiding.

I reluctantly leave, but Gabriel stalks out of my apartment on a mission. A mission that all I have to do is follow...hopefully. The ride over to the manor is agonizing. Air enters and exits my lungs painfully, my heart doesn’t slam against my ribcage instead it remains iced over burning a hole in my chest and my mind races with incomplete thoughts, all of which are dreadful.

We don’t take any detours to Phillip or anywhere else in the manor. I wish we would though, because I want more than anything to stall. Gabriel on the other hand races down the steps to the dungeons forgetting about my slow human-ish legs.

He waits until I’m finally at his side before he opens the door without knocking. “We need to talk.” He says right on cue with his first footstep into the room. It takes all the members by surprise. He slams the door shut as soon as I’m fully inside, blocking the way out. “We have a trader in our company and she needs to explain herself.”

There’s a wave of anger that flashes across their faces. They have several hours before the ritual, but they seem to already be dressed in their sacrificial robes, hair done, bold makeup on to stand out against the glow of future flames. My eyes stop on Evangeline, but she keeps that bitchy look plastered on her face and it’s hard to tell if she’s scared.

Brooklyn is the first to snap back. Being so full of herself and her so-called superiority of the coven, her cape is bedazzled with tiny little crystals that glitter in the light. Her make up is a little more subdued than the other girls and her hair is in large curls, which bounce when she talks. “What the hell are you talking about? If anyone is a trader, it’s her.” She points her finger at me.

Gabriel shakes his head before he points his finger into the room straight at Evangeline. “Well, I think it’s her.”

“Me?” Evangeline shouts into the silent room. “You’ve got to be kidding me Gabriel. I’m sure your little witch told that, right? She’s trying to screw us and ruin everything.”

“You can cut the act Evangeline.” Gabriel replies unamused.

“It seems that she’s already got her claws into you.” Evangeline retorts not giving showing an ounce of guiltiness. “I’m ashamed to call you a friend for take an outsiders word over your own family’s.”

Immediately, chatter breaks out within the room. Everyone is bickering something. The coven is yelling at Gabriel and Gabriel is yelling back at the coven. It’s incredibly hard to think as all the voices blend into one loud blur. Deafening and incomprehensible.

“Felix.” I shout into the room. All goes quiet and all eyes glare at me. “You got the book from Felix.” I see her lip pucker, ready to deny the accusation. “I saw it.”

Evangeline laughs so loud that it makes my ears ring and it makes her look even more like a witch...not the pretty kind. “Sure you did.”

“You were in the alley of the market, his hands left a burn trail on your body. I even got one myself,” I tug the collar of my shirt down over my shoulder to show the demon fire burn, “Hurt like a bitch. Bolted my ass awake right away, but I saw enough.”

Brooklyn shifts her eyes to Evangeline. “Angel?”

“What? You don’t believe this bullshit, do you?” Her face gets red and her words become stuttered. “I-I-I would never. She’s the one sneaking around with demons. How else would she get that burn?”

“The day you brought the book to me, you were red...like you were sunburned.” Brooklyn says putting the pieces together in her head as she speaks. “Please tell me it wasn’t demon fire.” Brooklyn says as she recalls the day nearly begging Evangeline to deny it.

“And what if it was?” Evangeline quickly realizes that she’s buried up to her neck in her lies. “I would never hurt the coven. Never.” Her voice cracks as her strong-willed act crumbles.

“Wouldn’t hurt the coven?” Brooklyn turns her mean girl attitude on her friend. “You do realize what would happen to us if we performed that ritual. We would die...and you would...what?”

“Be indebted to Felix.” Gabriel interrupts. “That’s it, is it? You enslaved yourself to Felix for power and you offered the coven up too.”

All the coven members eyes flash to Evangeline praying that Gabriel's assumption isn’t true. But it is. Evangeline wiggles under everyone’s gaze, she twists her hands together so tightly that they turn white and then an angry red. “Not to a gross one.”

That’s all she has to say? Not to a gross one? Not to one that would take advantage of them. Not to one that would use them and their magic for their own personal gain. Not to a mean one, but a nice one. No one has ever encountered a nice demon that wasn’t gross.

“Bind.” Brooklyn says into the extremely quiet room. At that one single word Evangeline goes rigid before collapsing onto the floor. “She can have the cell next to the sacrifice.” More silence fills the room. “Gabriel.” Her eyes go wide silently assigning him to the task.

He eyeballs each of us before he slowly walks up to Evangeline and grabs her by her arm heaving her to her feet. As he passes me he whispers, “I won’t be gone long.”
Brooklyn stares at me as Gabriel leaves the room. The other coven members chatter amongst themselves. One of them expresses her shock at Evangeline’s betrayal, while another tells one that she’s bound to become second.

But my eyes stay on Brooklynn. The second Gabriel is gone, her mouth opens. “You have the spell?” She asks and I nod. “And you know how to perform it?” She asks again, but I don’t nob in reply. “We’re down a member and you’re going to be filling her spot.”

“What? No.” My own words are echoed by the other members in the room, obviously just as shocked as I am. An uncontrollable panic comes over me. “I have a deal with Phillip. I fix the spell and then I’m out. It isn’t my fault that you had a back-stabber in the mix. I am not a part of your coven.” I know my words give the other members of the coven some relief, but Brooklyn isn’t moved by my blatant separation from the coven.

A laugh erupts from her mouth and I’m immediately taken back that she’s laughing at me. “Oh, how cute...and stupid. I highly doubt that you have this deal with Phillip. He has a tendency of saying things and never meaning them, but you’ll find out. Let me tell you though, there is no out after this. This is the beginning and you my dear like the rest of us, have a very important role. And you have my role or what used to be my role.”

“And what is that?”

She gives me a sly smile. “You’ll find out.”

“Find out what?” Gabriel says as he walks into the room stopping all conversation.

“If the ritual is a success with one member short since Hazel is refusing to participate.” Brooklyn replies with pouty lips.

“Not my problem. She already made it clear that she’s not participating. This is on you, just how you like it. All attention and glory on yourself.” Gabriel says unfazed by Booklyn’s whining.

I dig the spell out of my purse eager to leave. I slap the sheet of paper down on the table that’s already filled with charms and crystals and herbs.. “This is best I can do.”
“And let’s hope it’s good enough.” One member says from the far corner of the room. The one that was telling someone they’d probably become second.

The coven member that was vocalizing her shock of Evangeline’s deception and potentially becoming said second steps forward. Her name is Kara if I recall. She grabs the piece of paper and reads the spell out loud.

*“All hail the sun and the darkness it brings
The damned, the resilient and the subservient will conquer
For the blood of the lost, will break the binds of the undead
They will rise and those will believe
They will stride and those will kneel
The immortals will reap victory
For darkness of the sun and shadows become one as the world is evolving”*

“It’ll have to do.” Brooklyn says as she swipes the paper from Kara’s hands. “Girls get ready. We have to go scout the area to make sure there’s no demons lurking and put down a protective barrier, because all of our attention and energy is going to have to be on this spell and not some nasty ass demon sneaking up on us.” Her eyes meet Gabriel’s stare. “I guess you two can go wait it out, tucked away safely from harm’s way. I’m sure there’s lots to inform Hazel of pertaining to the newly claimed vampire world that is upon us.”

Time seems to stop as the two of them stare at each other. Brooklyn with one eyebrow perked, a daring gesture on her face while Gabriel straight out glares at her. What are they not telling me?

“Let’s go. I know you probably wanted to go back home, but you’re safest at the manor. We’ll stay up stairs until we know it’s over and then I can bring you back home if you want.” Gabriel says as his eyes break away from Brooklyn. His hand gently wraps around my upper arm and guides me out of the room leaving the coven behind.

I’m dazed and speechless as Gabriel walks us back up stairs straight to his room. At one point in time, I would’ve been nervous or excited to be going to his room, but right now...I feel sick. I walk as far into the room as I can and listen to the click of the door.

With my back to Gabriel, I ask, “What is my role in all of this? After this?” Silence. “Brooklyn told me that I took her role and that there’s no getting out of this...whatever this is?” I hear Gabriel’s mouth part, but I stop his words from sounding. “Jezmin told me something similar. That vampires walking in the daylight isn’t the only thing to come out of this, something more sinister is coming. What are they talking about, Gabriel?”

Part of me wants to know, has to know because not knowing is rapidly eating away at me. While at the same time, I want to remain oblivious and stupid. Maybe that’s why I put off Jezmin’s taunting threats so long. Not being privy to their plans is perfectly fine with me as long as it doesn’t involve me. But apparently it does.