Fighting Destiny (Central Coven) (4 page)

I opened my eyes and shook my head to clear the vision.  “Wow, I had no idea.  I didn’t know I could do that.  This Grey thinks we are in Danger?”  “Yes.  If Alexander is near we most certainly are.”  “Besides vampires, I’ve never heard of a supernatural dying.”  “I only know about vampires,” Anita admitted.  “I think we have a lot to learn, and maybe not a lot of time to learn it,” I said, acknowledging something my intuition was telling me.

“What did he mean by other supernaturals?”  “I don’t know.  Half the time I can never figure out what he is talking about.”  “You said you were able to pick up an ‘otherness’ about me, have you sensed that about anyone else?”

“Well, don’t think I am too paranoid, but I am very curious about Dean and Finn.  I mean come on, no one is that attractive without some help.”  “I don’t think you are paranoid.  I saw Dean’s eyes reflect light like yours do.  And when Finn touched me the first time I felt an electric charge between us.” “The thing with Dean’s eyes is very curious, but between you and Finn that just tells me that you too have electricity,” she teased.  I raised my eyebrows, “Yeah, I guess we really don’t know anything. Do we?”  “Nothing except there are two hot guys next door waiting for us and we are sitting here talking about them,” Anita pointed out.  “True, let’s get back over there.”

Chapter Five

We heard the boys laughing at the shenanigans on screen.  I knocked on the door, and Dean answered, “Is everything alright?”  “Of course, just girl stuff,” Anita said, and then she tensed.  Dean put his arm around her protectively, his pupils narrowed into slits “Uhm, sorry, I just got a creepy feeling all of a sudden, like something bad is about to happen,” Anita responded, and glanced my way. 

Anita sniffed the air, a little too obviously.  “What?” I whispered.  “Something familiar,” she growled.  “Can you place it?” Dean asked, a little more perceptively than I was prepared for.  “Y..yes,” she answered off guard.  Anita seemed to slip into a trance, “It smells like me, but from a long time ago.”

I understood immediately.  She meant, before she was changed.  There was only one thing that could trigger that memory. Vampires were invading tiny Ellensburg, Washington.  Grey warned us, but what I wanted to know was why?  What was their goal, and when would we find out?  Well, you know what they say, never ask a question you don’t want to know the answer to, because as soon as I finished that thought a bloodcurdling shriek rang out from down the hall. 

Anita looked into my suddenly glowing green eyes.  Her lips curled over her extending fangs.  I tried to think of an excuse to leave, and keep Dean and Finn from following.  Anita didn’t have the same concerns; she just got up and left without a word.  I quickly made a bland excuse and followed her.  Finn looked uncomfortable to have us out of his sight, very sweet, unnecessary but sweet. Dean looked excited. I would have to ponder later.

I followed the hazy image of Anita as she raced down the hallway. Even to my comparatively dull senses the coppery smell of blood hung heavy like drugstore perfume.  As we neared room 327 the stench was so strong it felt like a smack in the face. 

“I’ll kick in the door,” Anita said.  “No.  We want to see what is in there without tampering with evidence.  I don’t want anyone to know we were even in there.  I’ll use my wand.”  I opened my hand and green mist began to swirl and solidify until I held my carved jade wand.

I pointed the quartz end at the door and commanded it to open.  The swirling mist grasped the knob twisting until it opened.  “Let’s get this over with.”  The stench that was offensive in the hall was overwhelming in the room. I silently willed my wand to lighten the room.  The crystal glowed bright enough we could see around the room without turning on the lights. 

“I smell blood,” Anita said soberly.  I turned my wand toward the window, and saw a bloody hand print on the glass, which was open.  I pointed at it, but Anita just shook her head.  “Not enough.  The smell is too strong.”

I pointed the light toward the chair by the desk, congealed blood pooled on the floor, the chair, and the desk.  “Dear God, I had no idea there was so much blood in the human body.”  I swallowed hard to force the rising bile back down my throat. 

Anita stood still as a statue, her eyes glowed like polished bronze, and her nostrils flared.  She pinched the bridge of her nose.  “Yeah several pints, and I’m afraid we are looking at most of it.  There is no way she could have survived this.  She’s been drained.  Shit.” 

I carefully put my hand on her shoulder.  She was holding in her bloodlust by the thinnest thread.  “We will look for her.  Maybe she has been changed. Come on, we won’t give up, but we should get out of here before we get caught.  Grab my hand.”

“Wait,” she said, and headed toward the windowsill.  There was a bloody shirt, neatly folded and placed on the radiator near the window. A feral hiss escaped her lips and she growled out one word, “Alexander.” “Let’s go,” she said, and grabbed the shirt.  I went over and grabbed her shoulders and teleported to our room.

“Damn vampires!” I exclaimed and kicked my bed.  “Hey, what did I do?” asked Anita feigning hurt feelings.  “Present company excluded.”  “Does that include me,” asked a voice from the window.  I jumped, “Who is that?”   “Grey, I told you not to come here!” Anita snapped.  “That was before your neighbors started disappearing.  Now you may need my assistance,” said the melodious voice.  “May I come in?”

“Anita, what do you think?”  “As much as I hate granting him an invitation, another vampire has already gained access to our dorm hall, so…what do we have to lose.  What the hell, come in Grey.”  Grey stepped over the windowsill from the thin ledge.  I let out a small gasp.  I’ve never been strongly drawn to a guy before I met Finn, and now looking at Grey, I can understand how women can feel torn between two men.  As if he read my mind, he looked at me and winked. 

Anita snapped her fingers between us.  “Hello,
missing student
,” she said emphatically.  “Do not be angry love,” Grey consoled and gently ran his hand through Anita’s lush chestnut locks.  She seemed mollified by his actions, at least for the moment.  “I thought there was at least a day or two before they made their move, I apologize, I miscalculated,” Grey stated and bowed his head toward both of us. 

“It was not
they
, it was he.  Alexander did this.” Anita tossed her bloody shirt at Grey.  In one lighting fast movement he caught the shirt and lifted it to his nose.  Grey hissed at the recognition, just as Anita had.  Except, Grey’s hiss was truly menacing.

“What do we do now?” I asked, trying to focus.  “We need to answer the usual questions.  Who, why?” Anita answered.   “I have a question for you then, who is Alexander?”  “He is the vampire that tried to turn me,” Anita said through clenched teeth.  “He is leading a small army, and he is not going to stop until someone stops him,” Grey added.  I took a deep breath, “Since I don’t see the
Council
anywhere, I suppose we have to stop him.”

“That might be exactly what he is counting on.  He has plans, and he has help.  He wants to build his army, but I also believe he is after the two of you.  It is the why part I have not figured out yet.”  “This was a message to me,” Anita seethed.

“I fear you are right.  You are his ultimate curiosity, an unfinished game, and worse yet, you are the perfect way to get to me,” Grey confided.  Anita nodded her head, letting Grey’s words sink into her head.  “I knew, of course I knew he would always come for me one day.  I hoped it was over, but I always knew it wasn’t.” 

Anita abruptly turned her back to him, “Thanks for your help Grey.  It’s getting late we should get to bed.”   “Goodnight ladies, I will see you again,” he said and smiled showing his unnaturally white teeth.  Then he grabbed my hand and kissed it, and winked again.  With a sudden movement, he was out the window, and the faint sound of laughter filtered in as he disappeared into the night.

That night was difficult.  Between Anita fighting a nightmare, and police officers investigating down the hallway, sleep escaped me. When daylight began to filter through the threadbare drapes, I gave up efforts to sleep.  I cracked open the door and peeked down the hallway.  Police officers stood on either side of the missing student’s dorm room, attaching strips of yellow police tape.

“We might as well go get breakfast,” said Anita, voice thick with fatigue.  I nodded, and began to pull clothes from my drawers.  “I’m not very hungry, but it is the best place to overhear any gossip,” Anita continued.  “How are you?” I asked, while studying the dark circles under her eyes.  “I’ll live, but that girl can’t say the same.  Don’t worry about me. I’ve already come through this.  Let’s find her and end her torment.”

We saw few people on our way across the lawn, and only a few more once we were seated in the dining hall.  Everyone was quiet and subdued. “It seems news travels fast. I wish we had taken a few seconds to find out her name,” I whispered.

Anita held her hand up for me to wait, “I can hear those two girls who are sitting by the window.  They are saying that they were friends of…Vanessa. That is what they are calling her.  I guess the police came and talked to them early this morning. They said the police found their room and phone number tacked to her bulletin board.”

“Where did you run off to last night?” Finn asked from behind me.  I jumped at the sound of his voice.  I was lost in thought about the fate of Vanessa.  And as much as I tried to stop myself, I was also thinking about the mysterious allure of Grey.  His dark eyes, both captivating and dangerous, held centuries of knowledge and a mischievous glimmer.

I turned to look up at Finn, and expected the spark to have died.   The blue fire of his eyes slammed into me and for a small moment I felt like I couldn’t breathe.  I realized I hadn’t answered his question, and I struggled to remember what he asked me.  Something about last night…uh…

“I wanted to chase down Anita,” I lied.  Then I thought of a lie that was a half-truth.  I looked at Anita and she nodded her head.  I cocked my eyebrow. Did she hear me?  She smiled…interesting…I would have to file that away to figure out later.

I grabbed Finn’s arm and walked him away from the table.  “O.K. I’m only telling you this because the attack last night has brought back some bad memories for Anita.  God, that sounds awful, like really self-centered.  I don’t mean it that way.  It’s just she completely freaked.”  I took a deep breath and started again.

“See, about a year ago Anita was attacked, and when she heard that scream she panicked.  I needed to make sure she was all right.  She isn’t handling this well, and it seems best you guys know about it. ” Everything I said was true, just not the reason why we left. 

“I’ll let Dean know her leaving last night had nothing to do with him,” Finn hinted.  “Yeah, please do.  It seems like they really like each other,” I added. “I think he was worried she didn’t want to go out with him.  Do you think he should ask her out?” I thought for a moment.  What was the best answer, I’m not Anita, but I didn’t want to screw this up for her.  Dean is a great guy, but Anita had a lot of issues to work out.  What the hell did I know though?  “He should definitely ask her out.” 

Finn playfully bumped my shoulder, “And what about you?” “No, he should not ask me out,” I laughed.  He pushed the hair out of my face, “Would you like to go to a movie sometime?” I smirked. I could end his torment now, but where would be the fun there? “Well, I guess if things don’t work out with them, what the hell?”  “With me, silly.” “Oh, yeah that would work better,” I said trying to hold back a teasing smile. “You are a handful.  I’ll come find you later, okay?”  I nodded, “Yes, I would love to go out with you Finn.  Later is good, because I should get back to Anita for now.”   He smiled his intoxicating smile, reached out and gently tugged a lock of my hair,  “I’ll see you later then.”

I shook my head as I headed back to the table.  Humans can get you into so much trouble.  Regardless, I was drawn to Finn, and there are so many different kinds of magic in this world.  I am not strong enough to ignore his, even if it is just the magical promise of love. 

I started to tell Anita about my conversation I had with Finn, but she just tugged on her ear.   “Super hearing remember?”  “I forget sometimes,” I said with a shrug.  “Well thank you,” Anita gushed.  “You’re welcome.”

“I didn’t have time to think about how I might be screwing things up with Dean last night.  I had just talked to Grey, and then that awful scream.  Ugh!  Life is never going to be normal again is it?” Anita complained.  “Was life ever normal for either of us?” “It used to be for me,” Anita replied softly.  “I’m sorry about what you have gone through, but I am glad to know you.  I’ve never had a best friend before, and I don’t think we would be as close if that hadn’t happened to you,” I answered honestly.

“Well I guess that is the silver lining,” Anita agreed.  “Tell me, how do you see things going with Dean?”  Anita thought for a second, “Hmm, I like him a lot.  But it is happening so fast.  He seems so sure about me, but I feel so screwed up. I don’t understand why he has so much faith in us.”  “What are you going to do?” I asked.  “I am going to do something that scares the shit out of me.  I am going to close my eyes and jump.  He is such a great guy, and I know if I screw this up I will never forgive myself, so I’m going to go for it.”

Anita waved her hand, as if she could shoo away the serious discussion.  “Enough about me. Let’s talk about something important.”  “What did you have in mind?” I asked curious about what could be more important. “Is Finn getting hotter or is it just me?”  “There is something going on.  I mean look at him over there, none of the girls around him can seem to keep their eyes off of him,” I complained.  “Let’s get out of here before the green eyed monster comes out and turns those girls into frogs,” Anita said giggling.  “I don’t turn people into frogs,” I mumbled.