A Shade of Halloween

  I got to the doorway, and stopped at the sound of a feminine voice. She was telling whoever she was having a conversation with how crazy she was about them. Out of curiosity, I peered inside and felt my heart drop to my feet. Trina Bayle was sitting on the bed with her hand on Ryan’s face! A mixture of confusion, shock and jealousy hit me from all sides. I didn’t even know where to begin to process what I had just seen. For starters, I didn’t know Ryan even knew Trina. Even if they knew each other, I had no idea what on earth she was doing in his house... and at that time of the night!

  I stormed out in anger and marched down the hallway. I didn’t even know where I was going but I wanted to get as far away from them as possible. I heard Ryan calling my name from behind me but I didn’t bother to stop. I had pretty much had enough of the Soille brothers. Thinking about things in retrospect, my life was very close to perfect before they showed up and now, it was one big mess - no thanks to them. I had barely taken five steps when Ryan appeared in front of me, sweeping me into his arms.

  “Get away from me!” I snapped.

  I don’t even know why I was so upset but I felt like my blood was boiling within my veins. Looking at him only got me more upset and I just wanted him gone. Ryan ignored my words and scooped me off my feet.

  “Put me down!” I yelled.

  I had barely finished the sentence when I found myself back on the bed in Ryan’s room. He had moved me with his enhanced speed and while I was still trying to process my new location, I saw him lock the door and come back to the bed. He dangled the keys in front of me and smiled.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “You can’t keep me here against my wish.” I frowned.

  “...and you can’t assume things without asking first.” He replied.

  “I don’t need to...” I started, but Ryan cut me off.

  “She died saving you, Selena!”

  For a few seconds, everything fell silent. The weight of Ryan’s words sank into my consciousness like a concrete boulder tossed into a river.

  “She... what?” I asked.

  “While I was fighting Ros off at the cathedral, I delegated your safety to Trina. She was pulling you out through a different exit when Ros got away from me and killed her.” Ryan replied.

  “Um...”

  I didn’t know what else to say. I felt deflated, guilty and sorry at the same time.

  “She was already dying when I got to her. I had no choice but to turn her. She just woke up from the sleep of death and what you saw back there was me helping her deal with her heightened emotions.” Ryan continued.

  I couldn’t believe Trina Bayle was dead... and because of me. I wanted to cry but that would seem ridiculous. She was technically dead but she was still alive. Just as a vampire. I hated Ros even more after hearing what he did to Trina.

  “I’m sorry.” I apologized.

  I was still upset at him for sitting there with her like that but I understood. Trina was having a hard time adjusting to the changes and Ryan being as sweet as he normally was, stayed there to help. I knew I too would freak out if I woke up one day and discovered I was a vampire. Besides, helping Trina was the right thing to do.

  “I was never upset with you, my love.” Ryan smiled. “I like the pout though.”

  I smiled at his tease, not realizing I was even pouting in the first place.

  “I don’t want you to ever bother about anyone being with me. My heart is all yours. It has always been.” Ryan smiled, pulling me into his arms.

  I smiled back at him and he pulled my chin up with his index finger. My gaze met with his intense green orbs and they burned with a warm fire. For a moment, I was lost... drowned... and I melted into his beautiful gaze. He brought his face down and claimed my lips with his.

  I froze.

  In a moment of panic, I pulled back and ran into the bathroom. I didn’t look back at Ryan but I knew he would be shocked by my actions. I didn’t care. I just couldn’t kiss him... not after what happened with Ros. I felt like I was undeserving of him. I felt like he wouldn’t want to kiss me if he knew.

  “Selena...”

  I heard Ryan calling me from outside the bathroom door. I wanted to run into his arms and tell him to make everything okay but I couldn’t. He couldn’t make things okay. He couldn’t change what I had done.

  “Selena... Please. Just come out and talk to me.” I heard him say from outside.

  This time, I opened the door and just stared at him with tears in my eyes. He came into the bathroom and held me close.

  “I’m sorry.” He apologized. “I shouldn’t have done that so soon. I know you’ll need some time to get to know me... in this lifetime.”

  I wasn’t crying because he kissed me. I didn’t really need time to get to know him. I just wanted to tell him the truth but the words burned at the back of my throat. I was so scared of what his reaction would be. Things would surely be different if he knew and I wasn’t sure I was ready to deal with it just yet. Ryan picked me up and took me back into the room. He turned on the sound system and just danced with me. We danced to a slow and lovely song I had never heard before but instantly liked. It was a sweet gesture but he reminded me too much of Ros.

  Ros had danced with me that night before I gave myself to him and for some reason, I couldn’t get it out of my mind. The guilt was killing me on the inside but the words I needed failed to come out.

  “I can sense your resistance.” Ryan whispered. “I want you to know that it’s okay.”

  I froze on the spot just listening to his words. What was okay? Did he somehow know what Ros and I did? There was no way he could have known or was there?

  “OMG! vampires can hear my thoughts.” I freaked out in my mind.

  “Only when they’re listening... and I’m listening right now because I’m desperately trying to get through to you.” Ryan whispered.

  He pulled away from me so he could look straight at my face.

  “Selena, I...”

  “So you still don’t know?” I asked, cutting him off.

  “Know what?” He asked.

  In that moment, I regretted asking if he didn’t know. It wasn’t the right time to tell him something like that. What if he freaked out?

  “Selena, whatever it is, you can tell me. I’m just here to love you.”

  “You promise not to hate me?” I asked.

  “How bad is it?” He raised an eyebrow.

  “Like... really bad.”

  I ran to him and buried my face in his chest.

  “Okay. It’s not like I can hate you so let’s hear it.” He said.

  “Um... When Ros took me, he pretended to be you at first and he told me so many things we shared and I didn’t really know he wasn’t you...”

  “And what happened?” Ryan asked.

  The smile on his face had disappeared and he just had his normal focused look on. I was really scared to tell him but I had to. I had already boxed myself into a corner and I couldn’t go back now.

  “I slept with him.” I whispered.

  Ryan didn’t say anything. He just looked at me with eyes full of rage. I could tell he was gritting his teeth and trying really hard not to show me how upset he was - and he had every right to be.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” I added, hoping the flames in his eyes would die down. They didn’t. They continued to burn fiercely until he spoke.

  “You didn’t know. It’s okay.” He managed a small smile but I could tell it didn’t come from his heart.

  I felt deeply sorry for the way the information made him feel. I had hurt him, that much was clear. He was still being sweet to me and that killed me even more.

  Ryan rubbed his fingers through his hair and turned around before turning back to me again.

  “Um... We need to check on Trina. She should be freaking out by now.” He said, with eyes full of pain.

  I didn’t argue. I knew he would need time to deal with the issue and I wasn’t going to pressure him.
I just hoped he would come around soon because my heart craved him. My body needed him and I could barely function without him.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Omniscient POV

  Ryan exited his bedroom with Selena trailing quietly behind him. He didn’t look back at her because he was trying hard not to freak out. Regardless of the fact that he wasn’t there when the sex happened, he could see it in his mind’s eye. He imagined the smile on Ros’s face while he claimed the love of his life and explored her body in ways that made his blood boil. That mental picture made him want to hurt Ros… and he wanted to hurt him really bad. That notwithstanding, he had to keep his composure. At least for Selena’s sake. She had gone through a lot in such a short time and the last thing he wanted was to break her even more with his reaction.

  They entered Trina’s room and found her in a corner, lifting different pieces of furniture into the air.

  “Do you know how easy it is for me to carry stuff now?” She asked, eyes gleaming at Ryan.

  “Yeah... You’re a lot stronger now.” Ryan replied with a smile.

  “Trina?” Selena called.

  Trina looked at her with a pout and dropped the dresser in her hand.

  “Hey, Selena.”

  “I want to say how sorry I am for what Ros did to you... and thank you. I’d never have guessed you’d put your life on the line for me.” Selena said.

  “It’s okay, Selena. I just wanted to help. I knew you didn’t kill those people and when everyone was trying to say you did, I had to do something.” Trina replied.

  “...and I’m so sorry about my outburst earlier.” Selena added.

  “It’s okay. I understand. Ryan’s sweet and hot... and I’m not going to lie about being attracted to him. I mean, who wouldn’t? Look at him.” Trina said, pointing at Ryan.

  “...and my head just exploded into a trillion little pieces. Puff!” Ryan made an explosive sound with his mouth and fell to the ground like he was dead.

  The two girls burst out laughing.

  “Yeah... and that too. He’s so goofy.” Trina added. “What I’m trying to say is this. I know that he loves you and I respect that. I don’t want to come at him but I can’t seem to stop myself. Ryan says I’ll learn to control my emotions soon and I hope it’s really soon. Things will go back to normal then. I promise.”

  “You’re so amazing, Trina. Thank you so much.” Selena smiled and moved forward to hug Trina.

  Selena rested her head on Trina’s shoulder in a way that made her neck very visible to Trina and in an instant, Trina’s eyes turned bloodshot red. She bared her fangs and brought her jaws down towards Selena’s neck with her newly acquired enhanced speed. Ryan quickly intercepted her and pulled Selena away.

  “Hey! Hey! Hey! Trina.” Ryan cautioned.

  “Oh my gosh!” Trina exclaimed. “I’m so sorry.”

  Selena looked on in shock, not knowing what really happened.

  “I’m so sorry. I don’t know how that happened.” Trina continued to apologize.

  “It’s okay.” Ryan said. “I should get you a blood bag.”

  “What happened?” Selena asked.

  “I was going to bite you. I’m so sorry. I just couldn’t stop myself. I should leave.” Trina ranted.

  “No, Trina. None of this is your fault.” Selena replied, holding her hand. “We’ll help you adjust to this lifestyle. I promise.”

  Trina squeezed Selena’s hands and blood started making its way out of her eyes.

  “This is all so hard. I don’t know what I’m going to do. What do I tell my mum? My little brother...”

  Ryan pulled her into a hug and soothed her hair while her sobs died down.

  “Vampires cry blood?” Selena whispered.

  “I can hear you.” Trina said from Ryan’s chest, making them all laugh.

  “Yeah, they do.” Ryan replied, pursing his lips. “Why don’t you girls stay here and I’ll be back in a minute. I have to get Trina a blood bag.”

  The two girls nodded as Ryan made his way to the door. He stepped into the hallway and peered his head back into the room.

  “Try not to bite her before I get back.” He said, pointing at Trina.

  Trina and Selena smiled, before getting back to their chat. She filled Selena in on how she met Ryan and how they worked together to find her. Ryan returned a few seconds later with a blood bag and handed it to Trina who gulped it down hurriedly.

  “There’s something I have to do right now, but I promise to be back soon.” He told both girls. “Are you girls going to be okay?”

  They both nodded and he zoomed out of the room with enhanced speed.

  “That has to be so cool.” Trina stated.

  “Have you tried it?” Selena asked.

  “No. I don’t even know how.” She replied.

  “I think you just run normally.” Selena replied.

  “I should give it a shot.” Trina smiled.

  She started a fast run and crashed into the wall in less than a split second.

  “Ouch!” Trina screamed.

  “Oh my Gosh, I’m so sorry.” Selena ran towards her, helping her up.

  “We should only try that in open space.” Selena added, and both girls laughed.

  Upstairs, Ryan turned the key of a locked bedroom and walked inside. There was a brown wooden coffin on a table in the middle of the room. He walked towards it and slipped on a glove before picking up a silver stake from the floor beside the coffin. He pushed the lid open and looked at the shriveled face of Ros Soille. There was a silver stake still stuck in his heart and he looked like he had been dead for a century. Ryan circled the coffin with his hands behind him, still holding the stake.

  “You know what, brother? I’m not upset.” He scrunched up his face. “I’m really not. I know you did it because you wanted me to get upset, so no. I’m not going to be.”

  He drove the stake in his hand into Ros’s stomach with all his might. The body bounced in the coffin, still looking dead. Ryan pulled the stake out and continued circling the coffin.

  “All this time we’ve believed we were of equal strength... but you know what, little brother? I’m older than you, even if it’s for just a few seconds. I can tell I’m stronger because you’re the one in the coffin right now. Still, I let you have everything you wanted. You became leader of the clan because I let you have it. I wanted just one thing and you couldn’t give it to me. You...”

  He drove the stake into Ros’s chest a couple more times before pulling it out and continuing his circling of the coffin.

  “I’m going to have her because she loves me... and you know what else I’m going to have? The Serafino clan back!”

  He drove the stake into Ros’s chest again and pulled it out.

  “Hmm. Why don’t I make you feel this just a bit?” Ryan asked Ros’s shriveled form.

  He dropped the stake in his hand to the ground and pulled out the stake in Ros’s chest. Ros gasped for breath and sat up sharply in the coffin. With a scream, Ryan plunged the stake right back into Ros’s heart, causing him to lay back dead and shrivel into the century old dead vampire once again. Ryan replaced the lid of the coffin and took in a deep breath. He straightened out his shirt and put a smile on his face before walking out and locking the door behind him. He had barely finished locking the door again when he heard the panicked voices of Trina and Selena coming from downstairs. He rushed to them with vampire speed and by the time he got to the room, he was alarmed. There was a fire burning on one of the walls and both girls were trying to put it out. He rushed out again with his enhanced speed and returned with a bucket of water. Once the fire was out, he turned back to them.

  “What the hell happened here?” He asked.

  “Um...” Trina started, but turned to look at Selena.

  “Um...” Selena said, turning back to look at Trina.

  “Can you please tell me what happened?” Ryan asked, suppressing his frustration. “Trina, did you lose it and start a fire??
??

  Both girls looked at him with wide eyes.

  “Trina, I asked you a question.” Ryan said calmly. “I promise not to be upset. Just tell me.”

  “I... I... I...” Selena stammered.

  Ryan turned to her with a confused look.

  “Selena, did you do it?” He asked.

  She nodded slowly and wrapped her arms around herself.

  “Why?” He asked.

  “More like... how?” Trina replied.

  “What do you mean?” Ryan asked.

  “Trina and I were practicing how to do vampire stuff because it was really exciting. At some point she tripped and I got scared she was going to fall. I stretched out my hands to help her and...”

  Ryan raised his eyebrows.

  “...and what?”

  “The fire came from my hands.” Selena whispered.

  Ryan’s eyes widened.

  “Wow, Selena. That can only happen if you’re… Wait a minute. You might have gotten it from your mum! She was a sorceress. She could do stuff like that. You just might be a sorceress too.” He replied.

  “How can that be? I’ve never had any special power in my life.” She asked in confusion.

  “You’ve never lived longer than your eighteenth birthday before.” He replied, a little too excited for someone who just discovered the love of his life had creepy powers. “You were most likely dying before your powers manifested. I know it doesn’t make much sense right now but we’ll figure it out, I promise.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Selena’s POV

  I was sitting on the bed when Trina decided to try controlling her speed. We figured if she just tried to run slower than before, she could still move super-fast and be able to stop before she crashed into any solid object.

  “I can do this, Selena.” Trina said with a bright smile.

  It was funny how the heightened emotions thing worked in vampires. A few minutes ago, Trina was the most dejected person on the planet. She was so sad I almost got depressed for her. Now, the smile on her face was so bright it could light up the entire house.

  “Sure you can.” I smiled back.

  I hadn’t even completed one blinking cycle when I saw Trina crash into the opposite wall with an even greater force than the last time she tried running. I was so scared that I instinctively screamed and stretched out my hands in front of me. I felt a surge of power, much like an electrical current flowing through me. It felt like a tornado of some sort was moving through my veins. Before I could comprehend what was going on, I saw traces of blue flames rising from my palms. I screamed in terror just as the flames blasted into the wall Trina was, scorching her in the process. I freaked out when I saw Trina’s hair on fire but quickly sighed in relief when she rolled out of the fire and healed instantly.