Hyde (10 page)

He chuckled walking her to the large black car
in the driveway with a man in a bowler hat sitting at the drivers
seat.

"Is he for real?"

Marcus frowned, "Do you mean is he alive?"

She laughed, "No I mean is he seriously wearing
a bowler hat? Why? Is he dead?"

He laughed, "No, not that I'm aware of. I don’t
actually believe he can be killed."

She put her hands on her hips pulling her arm
from his and looked back at the house.

He opened the door for her but she bit her lip
and took a step back, "You know all the bad guys drivers wear
bowler hats in James Bond movies. It's like a signature."

His dark blue eyes sparkled, "You think I'm the
villain?"

She watched his lips move and nodded, fighting
her body, "I do. You smell like sex, you make me think about sex
and I'm not one of those girls. You're smug and cocky. That’s a
very villainous trait and you're too good looking. Oh and you have
an accent and a driver with a bowler hat."

He tilted his head examining her, "Well James
Bond is sexy, he makes every woman fall in love with him and he's
smug, oh and cocky. I dare say he has an accent, Scottish even and
he's very good looking." He put a hand up to his mouth to whisper,
"Maybe the driver with the bowler hat is trying to be badass."

She laughed and looked back at the Tudor, Aimee
was gone but Roland stood at the front door watching her. His old
eyes looked concerned.

She hated the way he avoided every question. She
put a hand out to Marcus, letting him pull her into the car and
closed the door.

The driver started the huge black car and drove
away. She tried not to look at Roland, knowing she had not listened
to her father's dying wish but she wanted answers.

She turned to Marcus trying not to breath him in
as she had the last time she had been in the car with him.

"What are you?"

He smiled, "Nephilim."

She frowned, "Uhm Bless you."

He laughed, "My father was an angel who came to
earth and got my mother pregnant."

"When?"

His dark eyes twinkled like crystals as he
grinned as if he were toying with her, "Some time ago."

"Did he stay with your mom?"

The sparkle in his eyes faded and a hostile look
crossed his brow, "He did not. I was raised by my
grandparents."

She didn’t want to ask about his mother knowing
she wouldn’t want anyone to ask where her mother was.

"What am I?"

He shrugged, "For now a girl. Maybe a woman,
although I think that line has already been crossed."

She blushed looking at the driver in the
rearview and shook her head, "What kind of monster am I? If you're
half an angel am I half the devil?"

He laughed, "The Devil is actually a very funny
woman named Lorri and no I dare say she has never reproduced anyone
or anything. You my dear are something very special indeed. You are
the worst kind of monster, man made. Though you're a special blend
of things."

She shivered feeling the attraction to him
overwhelming her. She held her breath.

He smiled leaning in, "Is it easier if I just
get it over with and kiss you."

His words brushed against her face.

She fought with the feelings over taking her and
shook her head.

He pulled back shrugging and looked at the
driver, "Lydia's Henry, if you please."

The bowler hat nodded.

Hanna watched Marcus with her eyes narrowing. He
was toying with her.

"How do you do that? How do you make me feel
like this?"

He laughed reaching up, touching her face with
his cool hand. He dragged his thumb along her lower lip, "Side
effect of what I am. Can't be helped."

She fought the urges her mind was desperately
making into images in her mind.

"Do I smell Aleksander on you?" He asked
fighting a laugh.

Her eyes widened, "What?"

He leaned in smelling her neck, "Yes, yes
Aleksander. Did he come to see you this morning?" His dark blue
eyes fought to hide something.

She imagined for a second it was jealousy and
nodded, "Roland thinks he can help me with something."

"Humph, fat chance of that. He is like you in
one respect, he to is man made." His voice was affected with
pretentious mockery.

She felt a wall come up between them, he seemed
to believe himself better than her, as if she could help the kind
of monster she was.

She turned, looking out the window. Her sudden
dislike for him made her impervious to his effects. She felt her
face flushing.

The car turned onto a dead end street lined with
huge old trees. She smiled seeing them. They reminded her of her
fathers Tudor home.

Henry stopped the car in the middle of the
road.

Marcus looked out the window speaking softly,
"The car is permitted no further." He climbed out and walked around
to her side.

He opened the door offering her his hand. She
imagined his bare hand touching hers but recalled his disdainful
feelings toward her. She climbed out refusing his hand. He didn’t
step back as she left the car. He stood his ground, forcing her to
step directly in front of him. He looked down on her, "I can't come
with you but if you need any help just ran back out here. I can't
protect you in there."

She glared at him, "She's like two hundred years
old Marcus not a Titan."

His dark eyes narrowed, "Its not her I'm worried
about."

She gulped, "What do they want with me?"

He shrugged, "They may try to keep you against
your will. If you want to I will take you to my place right
now."

She looked around him at the massive white
mansion at the end of the road and shook her head, "I need some
answers."

He took her hand in his and kissed the back
softly, "I will not leave this spot until you return."

She blushed, "Stop being nice to me and then
mean to me. You can't have it both ways."

He smirked and stepped aside creating a pathway
for her to walk to the mansion.

She felt a warm wind surrounding her as she
walked nervously up to the old house.

A girl stood at the front door on the porch, she
had dark hair and mocha skin. She wore an old fashioned dress and
an apron. She waved at Hanna excitedly.

Hanna turned back at Marcus, who smiled at her.
She didn’t know which way to walk, but she wanted answers and Lydia
seemed like the only person who could help her.

The closer she got to the house the less color
the girl on the porch seemed to have. She seemed almost translucent
as Hanna approached the porch.

"You must be's the Miss Hanna we's been hearing
bout."

Hanna raised an eyebrow seeing the front door
through the girl.

"Are you, uhm, are you a, a.."

"Oh just say ghost and get it out. Lord
suffering I don’t has all day to be standing here waiting on you.
Come in before the flies gets ya."

Hanna didn’t know what any of it meant. She
looked back at Marcus who stood at the car waiting for her to
return. She felt afraid walking up to the door to the huge
house.

The door was wide open. She crept in slowly
looking around at the huge entryway and old-fashioned iron benches
and coat hanger. She smiled at the wrought iron umbrella holder, it
suited the décor perfectly.

"Well now dear come on in and get settled. We
have much to discuss." Lydia stormed into the room grabbing her
hand and dragging her into the house as the door closed unassisted.
Hanna watched as Lydia spent a brief second looking out the front
window as they walked into a large sitting room. She seemed to be
noticing who stood on the street outside her house.

She smiled at Hanna and put her old hands on
Hanna's arms, "Well now my dear you had some nerve coming here with
Marcus. Did Roland not tell you we don’t associate with the Dark
Ones?"

Hanna frowned, "Dark what?"

Lydia rolled her eyes, "Oh I suppose we have a
lot of explaining to do. Roland seems to have left it all to me."
She grabbed Hanna's hand and marched her across the sitting room to
a large sofa.

Hanna couldn’t believe the size of the rooms nor
how many there were. She gaped, looking around. "Why am I here?"
She asked looking at the artwork on the walls. It had to be worth a
fortune.

Lydia smiled, "Well firstly we need to get
working on that elixir your father left you and secondly we need to
get you into training. You need to start working on controlling
yourself when you change."

Hanna felt her hair start to rise on her arms,
"Change?"

Lydia nodded, "Well of course, we have people
who can work with you. People who can help you in a safe
environment."

Hanna shook her head, "No. I won't change. Not
if I can stop myself."

Lydia laughed, "My dear the potion we gave you
was only ever meant to be a short term solution for your father. He
stayed on it for a long time and it killed him. He was very old and
very strong and it killed him. I swore with everything I am that I
would help you."

Hanna felt her eyes start to water, "I would
rather die than become that monster."

"Who is that man on the street?"

Hanna wiped away her tears seeing a girl walking
into the sitting room and sitting down. She was athletic looking
and plain but in a cute sort of way.

"Ari this is Hanna and that is Marcus
Dragomir."

"Is he a dark one? Should I go get rid of
him?"

Hanna smirked at the young girl who was no more
than a day older than her, if that.

Ari laughed, "Oh my god sorry, is he with
you?"

Hanna nodded, "I guess. He wont come in."

Lydia's eyes burned, "He can't come in."

Hanna watched as Ari's face fell, "Hanna you run
with rough crowds."

A hugely tall and thick boy walked in, Hanna
couldn’t gage him either. He seemed young and yet like Aimee, his
eyes spoke volumes.

"Hanna this is Lucas."

He nodded at her sitting on the couch next to
Ari. The way he sat, almost wrapping around Ari but not touching
her made Hanna uncomfortable. He seemed to be protecting Ari, as if
Hanna would hurt her. She felt a small amount of shame knowing they
must all know her for the monster she was.

"Don’t be ashamed Hanna, everyone here has
something they don’t like about themselves."

Her face flushed. Her embarrassment increased,
"I came for answers."

"Answers take time."

They sat in awkward silence until Hanna laughed,
"Okay look I need to know what the hell is going on? My friend
can't come in your yard and this guy looks like he might eat me if
I move suddenly and you look like you're ten. Are you guys dating?
Sort of gross you must be like what thirty. Dude. Lydia you want me
to come here so you can do science projects with my blood. Aimee
killed my dad and you sent her to come get me, like we could maybe
hang out and shit? This is fucking bizarre, sorry for swearing but
it is. I'm pretty sure I'm done here. Please excuse me." She
couldn't help but be slightly polite at the end.

She rose from the chair watching as the big guy
moved himself as if readying for her to do something dangerous. She
rolled her eyes and walked from the room.

"Hanna dear wait a moment please." She ignored
Lydia's voice.

She walked to the front door pulling it open to
see Aleksander standing on the deck leaning against the railing.
She started to laugh shaking her head, "You live her too? Here at
the Monster Mansion, what is this some kind of school for monster
and angel kids?"

He grabbed her arm pulling her into him. His
white blue eyes mesmerized her, "You need to stay away from him."
He pointed to Marcus.

She shook her head, "I think I need to stay away
from all of you. You're some kind of toxic weird cult. I heard
about this side of town and the cult. I just didn’t know my dad was
a card-carrying member. But it makes sense now." She pulled her
arms away from Aleks and walked down the stairs.

"Hanna wait please."

Marcus stood on the street looking ready to
break into a run. She walked to him hearing Lydia calling her back
to the house but she ignored them all.

Marcus looked relieved as he pulled her to him,
holding her tight against his hard body she felt his lips graze the
top of her head. She could feel him fighting to flex his muscles,
her body nearly groaned against the force of his embrace.

"She meets you on neutral ground from now on."
He spoke softly against her face.

"Hanna you do whatever you want to do okay. If
you want to come here we will help you. We want to help you."

She pulled out of Marcus's grip seeing the hurt
look on Aleks's face. She nodded and climbed into the car.

Marcus laughed, "Well mate I'd say she decided
how she wants this to go. So guess we'll call you if we need
you."

Aleks took a step toward Marcus but Lydia
shouted something making him stop.

Hanna felt relieved when Marcus got into the car
and closed the door, "Home Henry, if you please."

Henry started the car and drove. Hanna watched
out the back window as the mansion and the people in front of it
got smaller and smaller. Something in her gut told her she was
making the wrong choice. With everything that had gone on she
couldn’t convince herself the old woman meant her no harm.

Chapter Ten: You live in a castle, in
Oregon

When the house came into view she felt her
breath pull from her lungs, the house was huge. It made her fathers
mansion seem as if it were the guesthouse.

"You live in a castle?" She asked feeling odd
about him. She recalled the way he'd belittled her and Aleks for
being lowly monsters.

He laughed, "It's not a castle, it's a gothic
revival. I suppose it looks like a caste. I had it built years
ago."

"Like how many years, it makes Lydia's place
look brand new."