Fledgling (The Vampire Manifesto, Book Two) (11 page)

“What?” I stammered.

“That’s why she’s sooo…” He just shook both of his hands in the air at her. “…like this.”

“You weren’t there, Connor. You don’t know how bad it was.” I was trying to explain, but Connor wasn’t listening.

He was in my face now. “What else did you…instruct her to do?”

“Nothing.” I said, backing away. “I just…I needed her to calm down.”

“Then why did you bring her back here?” He asked again.

I refused to answer, choosing to remain silent.

“Madison.” He called out.

“What Connor?”

“First there’s me, then Ethan…” He pointed to Dakota. “…and now her.” Connor shook his head. “You know, two’s company, but three’s a crowd.”

“If you touch her, I swear to God Connor…”

“You’ll what?” He questioned. “Murder me in my sleep?” Nothing but laughter. “You know you can’t take me.”

“Connor.” I’ve never seen him like this before. At least not towards me anyway. “What’s wrong with you?”

He was pacing back and forth, severely agitated. “While you were out being a…blood slut, I was stuck here, cleaning up your mess. You remember Aiden don’t you? Your brother? The guy with sever blood loss who refuses to stay in the bed and rest. The guy I had to enthrall just so he wouldn’t remember what it was you did to him?”

He pointed to his head with his finger. “I had to compel him just to go to sleep. Then there’s your boyfriend…”

“You have a boyfriend?” Dakota asked out the blue.

Connor just stood there with a look of pure incredulity on his face. “We talk about her dead mother and there’s not a peep out of this one, but at the first mention that you have a boyfriend and now we can’t get her to shut up?” He shook his head. “But no, there’s no compulsion going on there, is it?”

I closed the distance between us, grabbing each of his hands. His whole body was tense, but my touch seemed to calm him down, his muscles seemed to relax. “Hey.” I touched the side of his face. “It’s okay Connor. I’m here now, I’m here. I’m with you now. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I was so…worried.” He closed his eyes.

“We have to stand together Connor. There is too much at stake right now. We can’t fall apart.” I ran my fingers through the side of his hair, his face tilting at my touch.

Then I pulled away.

He stood there, eyes closed for just a moment longer. “If I have to listen to Ethan explain to me about his never ending quest to always be there for his girlfriend, I’m going to vomit.”

“Come on Connor, it can’t be that bad.”

“I almost punched him.” He explained. “Twice. Not to mention the Judas…”

“Don’t call Girard that.” I calmly made my way towards Dakota, squarely placing myself between her and Connor.

“Her scent…it sickens me, but that’s not the real problem.” He admitted. “It’s your brother’s girlfriend. That blonde chick.”

“You mean Abigail?” I didn’t understand. “There’s nothing wrong with her.”

“She keeps asking me questions about our…you know…car accident. Just finding all the little plot holes in it, then driving a Mack truck through them.”

I came to her defense. “She’s just overprotective.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Why didn’t you just tell her to leave you alone?” It was that simple.

“You think I didn’t try?” He was in front of me now. I carefully pushed Dakota further back from him, putting a greater distance between the two.

“Well I did.” He finished. “Multiple times.”

“And?” I was missing something.

“That’s the point Madison.” Connor threw up his hands in frustration. “I told her multiple times, in so many words, to just leave me alone and you know what, she didn’t. That woman is impervious to compulsion.”

“Really?”

“I’ve never met anyone who was impervious to compulsion.” He thought hard. “Nope. Nobody.”

“So what does that mean?”

“I don’t think she’s human.” He admitted.

“Oh come on Connor, its Abigail.”

“I didn’t think Goodwin was human.” He made a gun motion with his index finger and thumb. “That’s why I shot him. I was testing my theory.”

“You’re not shooting Abigail.” I insisted.

Connor walked off towards the house. “We’ll see.”

Then he was gone.

I turned to Dakota. “You get all that?”

She inhaled. “You have lots of enemies, one of whom murdered my mother and tried to kill me. A chick that nobody trusts, an emo boyfriend, a psychotic, jealous booty call with super powers who wants to like, murder, hmmm, I don’t know, everything maybe? Also there’s the anemic brother who I’m pretty sure you just tried to murder, on accident mind you, so at least that’s a thumbs up. Then we have the brother’s girlfriend who seems to know that you and psycho dad are lying about something, but nobody can understand why, because like, psycho booty call seems so trustworthy to begin with…hmm…I think that’s it.”

“Yeah, I think you got it all.” I laughed.

“Oh...” Dakota held up one finger. “And apparently I’m under mind control. Can’t forget that, it’s the most important one.”

“Wow.” I’ve never heard it broken down quite like that before. “You still wanna come with me?”

She took hold of my hand again. “When I change my mind Madison, you’ll know it.”

I led her down the street, my house just there in the middle of the cul-de-sac. When I opened the door, everything hit me all at once, my parent’s death, what I did to Aiden, the blood of everyone in the room, the peril that we now face. It was all there, just waiting for me.

Everyone that I cared about was here in this house, everyone that I wanted to protect. How I was going to do it, I wasn’t sure, but I would sacrifice myself before I let any person in this home come to harm.

“Who’s your pal?” Girard asked. She was sitting in the living room next to Abigail on the couch eating something I’m sure she shouldn’t be. Ethan was on the chaise lounge chair and he got up when he saw me. I crossed the living room and collapsed into his arms kissing him with all the passion that I could muster.

“Hey baby.” He smelled so good, his touch a consoling blanket of serenity that I didn’t feel with anybody else. Connor made me feel protected, Dakota made me feel loved, but Ethan, he made me feel at peace.

I slipped out of his embrace, not because I desired to, I could escape into his arms forever, but rather because there were things that needed to be accomplished. I made my way over to Abigail, my saccharine Abigail and hugged her tightly.

“You okay?” She seemed withdrawn when she spoke to me, like before, but I let it pass.

“No.” I honestly wasn’t. “But it’s okay.”

I situated my arm around Dakota’s shoulders. “Everybody this is Dakota Theia.”

“Um...hi.” She leaned in. “Could have gave me a heads up on that.”

“She’s going to be residing with us for the foreseeable future.” Despite some unusual looks because that proclamation, I began to point everybody out. “You’ve already met Connor.” I said. “Umm...for right now, I’d advise that you just…stay away from him.”

“Good call.” He agreed.

Dakota didn’t even look at him. “Not a problem.”

“This beautiful girl here…” I pointed towards the couch. “This is my best friend, Abigail.”

Abby gave her a speedy wave. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“She’ll undoubtedly twenty question you later.” I added.

“Damn straight.” Abby replied.

“Over there is my boyfriend Ethan.” I blew him a kiss. “You can trust him, he’s good peeps.”

“Dakota.” Ethan and his one-word greetings, I just love him.

“And that’s Principle Girard.” I frowned somewhat. “Trust her less.”

“Well thanks.” Girard exclaimed.

“You’re welcome.” Her just being in my living room felt uncanny. “I’m going to want you to bring Dakota up to speed later, okay?”

“On what?” Staci asked.

“On everything.” I replied.

Connor gave me a cantankerous look, but I ignored him. If he didn’t like that, he’s damn sure isn’t going to like what transpires next.

“Okay.” I breathed in deep. “Here we go.” I turned to Dakota. “You might want to take a seat.” I thought about it for a moment. “I think I might wanna do that as well.”

The loveseat was empty and it was just big enough for two, which was superb because I led Dakota over to it and we both sat. I grabbed her hand and fingers locked, our hands resting on my knee.

“Okay, so a lot of shit has gone down.” I began. Connor, who was leaning up against the wall, stood fully up. “People want to hurt me…want to hurt us and it’s dangerous that you don’t know what’s going on. If you don’t know what’s happening, you won’t know if you’re in trouble because you won’t know what to look for.”

Connor face palmed himself. “I’m going to need alcohol for this.”

“Kitchen, bottom cabinet, next to the dishwasher.” I said. “Bring the bottle and pour me a glass.”

He made his way out the living room. “Roger that.”

I turned towards Abigail. “You’re right to question Connor about the accident.” I admitted. “There was no accident.”

She leaned forward, hands clasped together, her forearms resting on her knees. “I know Madison.”

“You know?” I asked.

Connor was back, handing me a drink.

“Scotch.” He said. “Good year too.”

I drained it all in one gulp.

Abigail eyeballed Connor in disgust as he made his way back to his spot on the wall. “Like I would believe anything that came out of his mouth.”

Connor pointed at Abigail, then to me. “Told ya.”

“I flew to California with Connor.” I explained.

“Wait, you did what?” Ethan asked.

Connor shrugged. “I have a plane.”

“Some incidents ensued while I was over there.” Just ruminating about it, I could feel the machete in my torso. “Let’s just say I died.”

Abigail was horrified. “Madison, oh my God.”

“She’s inept like that.” Connor poured himself another drink. Swallowed it whole and then starting taking large draughts straight from the bottle.

I squeezed Dakota’s hand. I was beginning to tear up and leaned towards her for support. Her hand was on the back of my neck and our foreheads were pressed up against each other. I stayed like that, eyes closed until I could get it all together.

“I’ve got you.” She whispered in my ear. “If you fall, I’ll be there to catch you.”

I had to force myself away from her embrace. “Like I said, I died and Connor…”

Everyone turned to look at him.

He wiggled his fingers. “That would be me.”

“Connor brought me back to life.” I continued. “As a Vampire.”

Chapter 4

Touch me, tease me, pull my hair…

There was complete and utter silence in the room.

“Didn’t see that one coming.” Ethan muttered.

Connor placed a handful of chips in his mouth. “That’s what we in the industry like to call a plot twist.”

My eyes fell on Dakota. “Are you okay with this?”

She caressed my face with her hand. “I’m okay.”

Connor was next to Ethan, thrusting the Doritos bag in his face. “Chip?” He asked. “Bet you can’t eat just one.”

Ethan shoved it away. “No thank you.” His eyes were strictly on Dakota and me.

Connor pointed to us. “Look at the hand holding.” He said. “The way their heads are touching, the way she just fondled Madison’s face. Now when they do stuff like that, what does it mean exactly?”

Ethan didn’t speak.

Connor shrugged. “Chicks.” He headed back towards the kitchen, tapping Ethan on the shoulder as he passed. “Think about it brother.”

Abigail stood up. “I’m calling the police.”

“What?” Girard got up too.

Connor had his head in the refrigerator. “I fail to see how the police would contribute to this conversation.”

“It’s obvious that she’s drugged. She’s talking crazy, you drugged her. ” Abigail was glancing around. “Where the hell is my cell?”

“Looking for this?” Connor was waving her phone in the air while he was still digging through the fridge.

“How did you…” Abigail began making her way towards the kitchen, but Girard was obstructing her path.

“Wait Abigail, it’s true.” Staci exclaimed. “Everything she said is true.”

Abigail just looked at her like she was crazy. “Oh please, you came in with them, your everything you say is suspect.”

“Abigail.” I called out.

Connor was closing the fridge, a slice of cold pizza in his mouth. Abigail was right there, in his face as soon as he turned around. She attempted to grab the cell out his hand, but he just held it over her head so she couldn’t reach it.

“Give me my phone jackass.” She was jumping up, but he was toying with her, lowering the phone, then raising it higher each time she reached for it.