27
“Emily?”
I jolted out of my reverie, staring at Solomon.
“Sebastian had a good point. You may not be safe at home.”
A frown slowly appeared on my face. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Emily, don’t talk!”
I shook my head. “The pain will go away eventually… besides, I’m tired of using that marker.”
Fiona laughed. “Whatever, it’s your pain.”
“It means that vampires might attack you back in your human world,” Solomon clarified, a weary expression crossing his face.
“But-”
“Father, if that’s the case then one of should go with her,” Sebastian interjected, cutting me off. “At least for a little while, to make sure she’s safe.”
Solomon nodded. “I agree. However, Sebastian, it can’t be you.”
“I already know,” he responded glumly.
I grinned at him disappointment. Fiona was a better choice anyway. If I ever did get hurt, she knew how to fix me up.
“Vincent will go.”
“What?” I cried, narrowing my eyes at the King. At the same time, Vincent scoffed a “yeah right”.
He cocked an eyebrow in amusement. “You are Vincent’s responsibility after all.”
“But he’s a jerk!”
Sebastian and Fiona chuckled, abruptly stopping when Vincent threw them a harsh glare.
“This will be a good way for you two to get along then, won’t it?”
“Father, I will not-”
“You will,” Solomon ordered, an edge to his voice. “And you will keep an eye on her at all times.”
Vincent scowled. “That’s not fair! I have a life too!”
“I don’t want him follow me around!” I told the King, shaking my head in disbelief. “He’ll scare everyone away! What about school?”
Sebastian grinned. “School?”
“I heard high school is the time of your life,” Solomon commented thoughtfully, turning to look at his son. “It’ll be an experience.”
“I’m not going to high school.”
“I’ll have to have Luella figure out how to enroll you…”
.
.
“Father!”
Fiona giggled, winking at me. “You’re lucky you get to see Vincent in class-
Oh my god! Does your school have a uniform?”
“Yes,” I muttered, gritting my teeth together.
Had Vincent been acting the way he did before he’d suddenly had a stick shoved up his butt, I would be thrilled about this surprising event. The old Vincent could have been one of my best friends, and maybe more- I shook my head. Too far. He was still a vampire. He could have been one of my close friends. But now… Dropping my scowl, I glanced at him. He clenched his jaw, his eyes meeting mine. I nearly flinched at the anger.This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.
“Well Vincent, at least you won’t have to bring a lot of clothing,” Solomon stated, smiling widely.
“I’m not going,” Vincent growled, clenching his fists. “I’d rather die.” With that, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
I winced at the noise.
“Ooh, he’s angry,” Fiona remarked, staring after him. “I would be excited if I got to go to high school again… I actually had fun.”
“You’re welcome to go too, Fiona,” Solomon told her. “You’ll just have to return home afterwards.”
“Really?” she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up in excitement.
He nodded. “Of course. It’s just school.”
Sebastian crossed his arms, looking grumpy. I laughed at him, feeling much better. If Fiona was going to be there too, I could handle it. “Feeling left out, Sebastian?”
“Yes,” he muttered flatly.
“Sorry, Sebastian, but we need you here…”
He sighed heavily. “I know…”
“I have to go find Luella now… Emily, would you mind going to tell Vincent he better start packing? After that, you can start too.”
“Ehh…” I made a face. He would ask me to do that.
“I’ll escort you to his room,” Sebastian offered, nodding toward the door. “I know you like to get lost.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Just like I like to be attacked by Joel and Vincent?”
He chuckled. “Just like that.”
I rolled to the edge of the bed I was in, just now realizing there wasn’t an IV attached to me. Instead of inquiring about it, I shrugged it off, placing my feet onto the ground. As soon as I stood up, my legs gave out from under me, and I dropped to the floor. Sebastian and Fiona both grabbed me halfway down, setting me back on my feet again.
.
.
“You okay?” Fiona questioned worriedly.
“My legs are asleep,” I admitted embarrassedly, feeling my face grow hot. “I’ve got it now.” Holding onto the bed, I managed to take a few shaky steps on my own before the feeling started to return.
“Then let’s go,” Sebastian said, watching as I staged toward the door. “Vampires don’t experience their limbs feeling asleep… I wonder what it feels like.”
“It hurts,” Fiona and I stated simultaneously.
He grinned. “Does it?”
“It feels like a thousand pins and needles being stuck into your skin,” I told him truthfully.
“Ow…”
“Exactly,” Fiona responded, wrinkling her nose. “I don’t miss it one bit. I’m going to go eat something, so I’ll see you two later.”
“I’ll join you after I drop Emily off,” Sebastian informed her, nodding to me. “Just a minute.”
She nodded and saluted him. “See you then, Seb.”
As she walked away he watched her, a gentle smile on his face. I nudged him in the side. “You should tell her how you feel.”
“No.”
“Why not? She definitely still likes you!”
“It’s impossible for us to be together.”
“That just sounds like you’re making up an excuse to not get together.”
He pursed his lips at me. “I’m not doing that.”
I shrugged. “I just said it sounded that way.”
“I want to,” he disclosed, sighing again. “However right now, with the dilemma with you, I don’t feel like it’s the right time.”
“Oh… That’s probably right.”
He nodded his head, pushing me to the right. “Vincent’s room is the second door on your right.” He pointed toward it. “Have fun.”
I tried my best to smile. “I’ll try…”
He ruffled my hair. “I suggest telling him than running.”
I laughed, pushing his hand off my head. “Yeah, otherwise he might through his bed at me.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised.”
My gut dropped. “Wait, he would do that?”
“Be careful,” Sebastian warned me, winking.
.
.
An anxious feeling crept over me as I trudged to the door. I raised my fist to know, but figured it wouldn’t matter if I did or not. Opening the door, I poked my head slowly, locating Vincent on lying on his bed. Holding my breath, I slipped inside the room, hoping he wouldn’t notice me. He didn’t move, so I figured he hadn’t.
“Shut the door,” he suddenly snapped, making my heart jump into my throat.
“S-sure,” I stuttered, closing it behind me. “Solomon told me to tell you to start packing.”
“I’m not going.”
“But he said you had to…”
“I don’t care.”
Scowling, I marched to the side of his bed, putting my hands on my hips, and hovering over him intimidatingly. “Do you have a problem with me?”
“Yes.”
“What did I do?”
His eyes slid over to me, an annoyed expression coming onto his face. “Nothing.”
“Obviously I did something,” I snapped at him. “You were actually being friendly for the past couple days and now you’ve returned to being a jerk.”
“I thought I was always a jerk.”
“You are! But usually not this bad!”
He shrugged, returning his attention to the ceiling. “Go away.”
“Vincent!”
“Careful, if you yell any louder Sebastian might come.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “What are you talking about?”
Vincent sat up abruptly, nearly knocking his head on mine. “Don’t you want him to save you? Isn’t that why you called for him when Joel was attacking to you? Even though I was one room away?”
I blinked at him. “What?”
“You’re my responsibility,” Vincent growled at me. “Not his. You should have called for me.”
“Vincent,” I started, my eyes widening. “Don’t tell me… Are you jealous I called for him and not you?”
His face blanked at my words.
“You are, aren’t you?”
“Who is?” he grunted, narrowing his eyes. “Jealous? Why would I be jealous?”
A smirk grew on my face. “You are! That’s why you are so angry! You wanted me to call for you!”
“I never said that-”
“You don’t need to,” I declared smugly. “Your actions say it all. You’re jealous of Sebastian.”
“I am not!”
“Yes you are.”
“You’re stupid.”
I patted his head. “It’s okay, Vincent. The only reason I called him was because he said if I ever needed help to yell and he’d hear me.”
“Which apparently he didn’t,” Vincent appraised me. “I was the one who heard your terrified squeaks.”
I ignored his taunt, frowning at him. “I tried calling you at first, you know.
“You did?”
“You were asleep,” I informed him.
He narrowed his eyes. “Of course.”
“You were the one that saved me though,” I continued, feeling awkward. I dropped my gaze to the floor. “So, thank you, I guess…”
“Huh.”
My eyes snapped back to his sapphire ones. “What?”
The smirk that was on my face earlier had transferred to his. “I guess I’m a hero.”
I smiled wryly at him. “Don’t inflate your ego too much.”
“You owe your life to me now,” he notified me. “That’s how it goes in the books, right?”
“I don’t owe you anything,” I responded, pressing my lips together in a flat line.
“Yes you do.”
“Nope.”
Before I could blink, he’d swept my legs out from under me and had me on the bed. I stared up at him, my heart racing from his sudden actions. He held me down by my shoulders, a complacent expression on his face. “I saved your life, and I can also end it.”
“Get off me,” I demanded, pushing on his chest and ignoring his threat. I knew it was an empty one- and so did he.
“You’re an interesting human, you know that?”
“How so?”
“Any other one in this position would be trying to take advantage of the situation.”
My face flushed at his innuendo. “Whatever. Get off now.”
He laughed loudly, allowing me to sit up. “Fine, fine.”
“Get packed,” I ordered him.
“This better be worth it,” he muttered, looking irritated again. “High school? What is Father thinking?”
I shrugged. Whatever he was thinking, I was glad he was thinking it now. Vincent was back to his normal, holier-than-thou attitude. I raised a hand to my mouth, hiding the secret smile that was beginning to form. A jealous Vincent was actually pretty cute…
______________________________