Chapter 14-Confrontation
I don’t think it was more than a second after he disappeared that a deep, dark sadness washed over me and started to pull me under. Everything he said seemed so impossible, even after what I saw. He said he loved me. How could he say that and at the same time be trying to do unspeakable things to me? I thought about his warm kisses and then remembered the time he tasted like blood. I ran into the bathroom and hurled. His purple eyes and cold skin had me wondering why I’d never pieced it all together before. I heard the rumors, I read “Twilight”. It had all been a lie from the very beginning and a colossal waste of my time. Draven came into the bathroom to check on me and by then I had gotten rid of everything possibly left in my body. I motioned for him to sit down on the edge of the tub while I clung to the toilet bowl.
“I’m sorry,” he said remorsefully.
“I know. It’s just really difficult to take in, but it all makes sense. His eyes change color you know, when he gets angry or frustrated or excited.” Draven nodded urging me to continue. “When I got attacked at school that creature looked directly into my eyes and they were purple. The same color as Cole’s sometimes. How could I have been so blindingly stupid?” I sobbed.
“That’s crazy,” he said comforting me. “It’s not your fault that he tricked you. That’s just what they do, its part of their job.”
I hated that I had just been a meal ticket for him, that he roped me into falling for him and then broke the news to me. I got up and stumbled back over to the bed, threw myself down and shoved a pillow over my head. “I just want this all to be over,” I shouted to no one in particular.
The bed rippled underneath his weight when he came over to sit next to me. “I know you do and hopefully we can get this all worked out.”
“I still want him you know.” Silence. “I don’t know what it is about him that makes me feel like that, but I do. And yet, no matter how I feel about him I still want to kill him. I won’t let him hurt anybody else because he can’t have me and I don’t want him to move on to his next victim. I know it sounds strange and it’s probably going to take everything I have in me to do it, but I will get him back for this-one way or another.”
Draven sighed. “I promise to be by your side for as long as I can.”
He’s already done so much for me, I thought. I have to find a way to make it up to him somehow.
“Thanks.” He lay down next to me and stared up at the ceiling. I thought about ways I could help him in the silence that followed. What did he want more than anything? I’m pretty sure it was to get back home. And that’s when I decided to make it my mission. After all was said and done, I would find a way to get him back to his family.
“I’m going to help you,” I said smiling.
“What do you mean?” he asked rolling over to face me.
“I mean, I solemnly swear to find a way to get you back to your home. So you can see your family and friends again.”
“I can’t ask that of you,” he said looking away. “Besides, you know less about all this stuff than I do. I don’t think you could be of any help. I’ve tried just about everything.”
I reached out to take his hand and felt him shudder. I smiled to myself. I’ll never be able to get over how exciting it is for him when I just touch his hand. “I probably don’t know very much and the chances are high that I will be of no use to you, but, I have to try. I want to try. After everything you’ve done for me, I want to do something for you in return.” I leaned forward and pressed my forehead to his. His eyes went wide and he looked on the verge of tears, but he nodded and said, “I’d like that.”
A knock on the door brought us back to the present and before I could even blink, Zilla was in the room holding a large pink leopard print duffle bag. I couldn’t help but laugh. That’s so Zilla. No matter what we are doing, she has to still be fashionable.
“What’s going on here?” she asked flopping down next to me.
“Nothing much now, we were just talking.”
“What do you mean nothing much now?” Tears welled up again at the thought of Cole and she wrapped her arms around me.
“What happened? Tell me,” she said concerned.
So I told her everything that Cole had revealed to me, even the part about me offering my blood to Viale in exchange for his guidance which I had left out earlier. When I was finished she said, “I’ll kill him.” She got up and paced the room. Her face was red and she looked angrier than I’ve ever seen her before. “I swear on everything, I will make him pay for this. He tricked me into thinking he liked you and he actually just wanted to hurt you.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“How could it not be? I encouraged him to pursue you and now look what’s happened.”
“Stop,” I said holding up a hand, “this really isn’t your fault and its not mine either, so quit talking like that.”
She lay back on the bed and cuddled up next to me. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
“It’s okay, really. I think I’ve cried just about all the tears I have left in me.”
Our anklets touched briefly as she snuggled up closer and we both felt that familiar surge of power. Immersed in our own conversation we had completely forgotten Draven was in the room until he cleared his throat and said, “Speaking of those anklets.”
We both eyed him wearily. “What about them?”
“Where did you get them?”
“They were a present from Zilla for my birthday, why?”
He nodded and continued, “Zilla, where exactly did you find them?”
“A shop called Gypsy Cravings. I went in to see what all they had for sale and just as we were leaving the woman behind the counter, I think her name was Alise, stopped us and told me she had something special to show me. She pulled out a box with both anklets in it.”
“Hmmm,” he said tapping his chin with his index finger.
“Hmmm, what?” I asked confused about where this was headed.
“I meant to tell you before when I first noticed that change in you both after your anklets touched, but so much has been going on.”
“Spill it already,” I said sitting up flustered.
“Well, those anklets you’re wearing are called dolgam in my world. A dolgam is a trinket such as a piece of jewelry or a stone that is infused with a witch’s power. The powers within the dolgam will be equally matched to the level of the witch who crafted them. For instance, if the witch is the strongest you’ve ever met then the dolgam’s protection will be equal to that strength. If the witch is weak the dolgam will be also. They are mostly used for protection, but some are crafted for evil while others hold random miscellaneous powers. You really never know what you’re going to get unless you seek out someone to design one for you. Even then they are extremely hard to come by.”
“So, what do you think our dolgam’s do and why do you think she chose us to give them to?”
“I don’t know for sure. Whatever powers are within those anklets are meant to help you and not harm you. I can tell from the way they affect your personalities, but I can’t really put my finger on what they specifically do. We would probably need to go back to this Alise and find out.”
“Well that’s a relief,” I said sarcastically, “wouldn’t want to add something else into the mix of craziness we are involved in.”
Zilla nudged me. “Quit being so dramatic.”
“Have you heard anything about Jett’s funeral?” I asked changing the subject.
Zilla smacked her forehead. “Duh, I totally forgot to tell you about that. I spoke to Mrs. Alastair at the hospital when I was checking in on Locke. She said that all the arrangements have been made and the funeral is set for tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. She wants all of his friends to be there and requested us to say a few words about him.”
Thinking about Jett made tears sting the back of my eyes, but I forced them back down.
“Okay. I think that’s the least we can do after everything that’s happened. He was a great friend and I want to tell everyone.”
Zilla nodded in agreement. “Definitely. So, are we going to set out on this adventure sometime shortly after or should we take a few days before we head out?”
“I think it’s probably best if we leave after the funeral. The sooner we can get back at the people who killed one of our best friends, the better.”
“Agreed,” Zilla and Draven said in unison.
“Well then, I am going to leave my bag here and go take care of a few more things. I want to be able to see Locke again before we go.”
“How is he by the way? Do you want me to come with you?”
“No, that’s okay. You need to get some rest after the long day you’ve had. He’s actually doing fairly well right now. His vitals are back to normal and he’s starting to get up and move around. I think he has a cracked rib, but other than that he should be fine.”
“Good,” I said with a sigh of relief. “Glad to hear it. Give him my best when you see him. I guess while you’re gone I should probably confront my parents, well my dad anyway.”
“Yes,” Zilla said reassuringly. “If anything they’ll just tell you you’re crazy and since we both know you’re not there isn’t anything to worry about. We will end up going on this quest whether we have their information or not so no matter what they say just remember that.”
“Thanks bestie, I will,” I said hugging her.
“I’ll see you soon,” she said grabbing her purse and heading out the door.
“So what do you think is the best way to approach my dad?” I asked Draven after she disappeared down the hall. “Should I go in there all lit up or should I just corner him when he’s alone?”
He laughed. “It probably isn’t the best idea to rush in there all fired up, no pun intended. I think you should just pull him aside and grill him as much as you can. The more you can get out of him the better.”
“True,” I said yawning. I was tired and emotionally raw. “Can I just sleep first? It’s been such a long day.”
“No,” he replied firmly. “If I have to kick you off the bed to get you going, I’ll do it.”
I groaned. “Fine, have it your way. Just keep an eye on the creeper in the closet.”
He smiled. “Very funny. Now get going and don’t come back until you have some answers.”
I got up off the bed and made my way out of the room. I was just about to go down the stairs and find him when I noticed that the lock on the basement was undone and the door was slightly ajar. I looked up and down the hall checking to make sure it was clear then I slid it open just enough to stick my head in. For a minute all I could make out was deafening silence, but then I heard a voice I recognized. Dad. He was talking to someone, but his voice too low for me to decipher. I took a step forward and leaned further in hoping he wouldn’t hear anything out of the ordinary. So far so good. Nobody was in the room with him as he paced back and forth looking nervous. That meant he was on the phone.
“Yes, this is Orlando at 316 Nautical Wisp Street. Passcode 123456. We need to move our protection level up to tier 4. Yes, I said tier 4. The reason? Extenuating circumstances. We don’t pay you to think, we pay you to do.” My first thought was, who makes their passcode 123456? Lame. And protection tier to level 4? What does that mean? “Yes, that’s all,” he said finishing the call.
I snuck back out and raced onto the patio leading up to the widow’s walk making sure to leave the door somewhat open so I could hear when he came out. I inhaled the cool crisp night air and waited. A few minutes later a clanking noise signaled his latching the door again so I proceeded to head back inside.
“Hey dad,” I said nudging him with my elbow.
He looked from the door to me, but didn’t say anything. “Everything okay?” I asked concerned.
“Yeah, everything’s fine sweetheart,” he said, his mood changing. “How are you doing?”
“The usual,” I said shrugging my shoulders. “I was wondering if you had a few minutes to talk.”
He frowned but said, “Sure, is now a good time?”
“As good a time as any I suppose.”
He looped his arm through mine and started to lead me downstairs where I knew my mom would be within earshot. That would not turn out well. I needed to get him alone. Plus, Draven might be able to decipher some of the cryptic answers I was bound to receive.
“Can we talk in my room?” I asked slowing to a halt. He looked at me cock-eyed, but nodded his head.
“Good,” I said pulling him back.
Once we were inside I shut the door firmly and gestured for him to sit down, which he did without hesitation even though I could tell he was getting nervous. It didn’t help that I was pacing the room and I hadn’t said anything yet.
“What’s going on PB? Whatever it is, you can tell me,” he said reassuringly.
“Sorry dad, it’s just a lot of things and I want to make sure that I get everything right before I throw it all at you.”
His eyebrow quirked up, but he didn’t speak anymore, just waited for me to proceed.
“Okay,” I sighed. “You’re not going to like any of this, but I need answers and I know I’m not going to get anything out of mom. She hasn’t exactly earned her mother of the year award.”
He opened his mouth to defend her and I waved him off. “Don’t. I know what you’re going to say and I understand your point of view, but let’s just agree to disagree on it because that isn’t what I wanted to talk to you about.”
He looked like he wanted to still broach the subject then thought better of it. “Okay, then shoot.”
Where should I start? How about the fact that I can light myself on fire? Or that I’m being chased down by some crazy vampires, that I have a ghost friend, that I found some diary entry I can’t decipher, the spell book meant for me or how about that for some unknown reason I feel like it all somehow relates to my mom and maybe even the family crest tattoo I have on my wrist? I can’t reveal too much because I know whatever I say here won’t be confidential. He’s bound to tell my mom. So, I start with the easiest of all the subjects and the one least likely to cause irreversible damage.
“What do you know about our family crest?”
“To be honest, I don’t know very much about it. We got them a very long time ago from a friend of the family. Why, is there something wrong with it?”
“No, for the most part I was just curious and since it sort of relates to the next question I’m about to ask I figured it was safer to start with that.”
“I don’t understand,” he said shaking his head quizzically.
“I know. Be patient, it will all come full circle. How much do you know about our family having powers?”
His jaw dropped open, “What do you mean powers?”
Maybe it’s better if I show him what I mean, there isn’t really a good way to describe it otherwise and the chances of him believing me are higher. “I mean like this,” I said reciting an incantation and igniting a ball of fire in the palm of my hand.
He jumped in the air about as high as a cat would if you tied a balloon to their tail and then popped it. I immediately put it out, not wanting him to try rushing out of the room and grabbing mom. Although he looked like at any second that would probably be his next move. Neither of us said anything for a bit and I swear I heard him mumble under his breath that this wasn’t supposed to happen yet, but when I asked him what he had just said he denied ever saying anything at all. He stared at me eerily as if trying to decide what to say. The weirdest part about the whole situation was his acceptance of the impossible. If anyone else had just shown their parents what I did, they would be shipped to a loony bin and written off. Dad, however, seemed to take it in stride. “I don’t know anything about it,” he said steadily.
He was lying. He had to be. There was no wa
y he could still be sitting here in the same room with me after that little trick and not know something. “You’re not telling the truth,” I said calling him out. “We have an honesty policy and you’re breaking it.”
“How dare you accuse me of something like that,” he said raising his voice. I flinched at the sound as it was a tone I’d never heard before.
“I’m sorry,” I pleaded remorsefully. “I didn’t mean for it to come out like that.”
He pretended not to hear me as he said, “I’ll send your mom up.”
“I don’t want to hear anything from her,” I said throwing a mini fit. “She doesn’t like me and nothing I ever can or do will change that.”
“How can you even say that with a straight face?” he asked offended. “Your mother loves you more than you’ll ever know.”
“Please,” I said as calmly as I could muster, “don’t go there yet. There are a couple more things I need to ask you about this whole situation and if you still can’t answer them I will gladly welcome mom up here.”
I thought he would refuse, but he said, “Go on.”
I swallowed the lump forming in the back of my throat and continued. “Does mom keep a diary?”
“I don’t think so, why do you ask?”
He sounded sincere, but after his earlier lie I had to be sure. “I’m going to show you something and I need to tell me if it is mom’s handwriting.”
“Okay,” he said eyeing me wearily.
I reached underneath my pillow and pulled out the torn diary page Zilla and I had taped together. I handed it to him carefully and watched as he struggled to keep his emotions under wraps. “Where did you get this?” he asked eyes blazing. “Did you go down into the basement?”
“I have a right to know,” I said crossing my arms over my chest defiantly.
“It’s not,” he said looking away and standing up. “Are we done here?”
He was lying, again. I knew he wasn’t going to let me push him any further with the questioning. If I wanted more answers, I would have to talk to my mom.
“Yeah,” I said sitting down on the bed defeated.
“Stay out of the basement,” he said as he turned and stormed out.
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