Black Roses
Chapter 2: "What do you want?"
The next morning, Arabella woke up sweaty remembering the dream of her parent's tragic death. "Damn..." she murmured to herself as she rose out of bed. Luckily she woke up on time for her day job. Interning for an asshole who hits on her all the time. "Justin?" She questioned as she saw him sitting on the kitchen stool eating cereal. "Oh hey, Ara." Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Aren't you suppose to be in school?" He smiles and takes a sip of milk. "Yep. My bus is running late." "Oh. Okay. Remember dont break any of the rules or-" "Or the Council Leaders will destroy me and you. I know. Stop worrying so much, Bell. I'll be fine." He said, reasurringly. She fake smiled and walked over to the coffee machine. The sound of a bus came down the street. "Well I'll see you later." Justin said, making his way to the door. "Alright. Bye Justin." Arabella answers as she hears the door close softly. When the coffee was ready she drank it and walked back to her room. It wasn't easy for a 20 year old to support themselves and another human being for 3 more years with minium wage. Matter of fact she was still paying for her classes online. After Arabella's parents died she had to drop out of college to raise Justin. He was only 13 when they died.
Sighing she dressed in a tight- but proffessional- pants suit with a white button up blouse under the black jacket. Arabella made her way to her vanity and lined her eyes with eyeliner. Continuing the process she put 2 coats of mascara on her eyes and golden eyeshadow. She lightly applied a layer of cherry lip gloss and popped her lips. Looking at her hair she decided to pull in to a high ponytail, letting her fiery tresses hang down to her shoulder blades. A side bang swept across the right side of her face, covering the light bruise from the slap last night. "Done." she said with satisfaction. She slipped on her stilettos and walked out of her home, but not before grabbing her cell phone. Arabella caught a taxi to her job. A huge buliding named Avery Enterprises. She paid the fee and jogged into the building. "Good morning, Miss ." Julie the receptionist greeted her. She smile and answered her. "And good morning to you too, Julie." Julie smiled and handed her a folder full of papers. "Mr. Avery told me to give these to you. Oh and he wants to see you. Right now." Julie informed her. "Oh. Okay. Thank you Julie." Arabella said walking past her to her boss's closed office door. As she neared the door.
The name Damien Avery came into view. Arabella sighed as knocked on the door. "Come in." A deep voice came through the door. "Hi Mr. Avery. You wanted to see me?" "Yes. Come in and shut the door." She did as told and stood infront of his desk. "Have a seat." He murmured. She obeyed and tried to control her heart rate as nervousness went through her veins. "We have much to discuss, Arabella. First of all...I need you to go thorugh those files and edit the rough drafts. Then go make copies." Arabella nodded her head as she jotted what he wanted her to do on a sticky notepad. "Oh and make sure everyone in the office gets one." "Yes sir. I'll get right on it." Arabella stood up and turned for the door. "Miss St. Mare?" Arabella turns around and looks at him. "Did you forget something?" He asked. Arabella furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "My coffee?" "Oh! I'm sorry, Mr. Avery. I'll get it." He nodded and waved her off.
Arabella quickly walked out and went into the employee's bathroom. she exhaled heavily as she began to feel her heart rate returing to normal. The door opens and Ryann walked in."Hey Bells. What's jingling?" Arabella smiled at her long time friend. Who laughed at her own joke. "I was just in Avery's office." Ryann's blue eyes widened. Her bottom lip dropped. "What were you doing in there?" she whispered to Arabella. "Almost dying of nerves!" Arabella said with a light laugh. "What'd he want?" "Me to do alot of stuff. As in right now. So I'll see you later Ry." Arabella replied as she walked out of the restroom,not waiting for her betfriend's answer. Arabella loved Ryann,but she also loved her job. She got the coffee and made copies of the files that were all ready edited. She walks to her boss's door,swaying her hips from side to side.
Arabella gently knocks on the door. No response. She knocks again, thinking that he didn't hear her. No response. "Mr. Avery? I have your coffee and the copies." Arabella said as she poked her head into the room. She looked around and didn't find anything. Arabella was about to leave when she heard faint breathing coming from the extra storage room for a closet. Slowly she walked towards it. "M-mr. Avery?" She swallowed as she felt the fear deep in her veins, that now felt cold. Arabella opens the door to see what she thought was to be extinct. It was a Hyrid. Breathing heavy she tried to close the door quickly. Only to be stopped by a blow to her chest, fyling her backwards and making her spill coffee on the marble floor. She yelped at the imapct and scrambled to the desk. Where was Mr. Avery? Did this being that outwitted the Council Leaders kill him? Arabella focused her eyes on his face. "Oh my god..." She whispered with realization that Mr. Avery was dead after all. He was looking down on her with pure fury in his eyes. Power enamenated out, radiating around the room. Hybrids were the most powerful magical beings out there. They were the only ones who could defeat the Council Leaders. Hybrids were good at first, but then they started to use the gift for evil. Slowly turning away from the good side. So the Council Leaders had them vanquished. Every powerful witch or wizard participated in it. Including Arabella's great grandfather and mother. "W-what do you want?" Arabella whispered.
Damien walked toward her with a smirk on his face. Arabella backed up into a corner the closer he got. Bending down to her level, Damien spoke. "For you to come with me for a little while." He whispered. She spoke with annoyance and disbelief. "Are you fucking insane? There's no way in hell-" "If you want to see your brother alive, I suggest you do." Arabella's face went pale white. Her brother? He had her brother? "If you do anything to him, I swear..." She hissed. "You'll do what? Kill me?" Damien laughed at her. "Go ahead and try, sweetheart. Even the Council Leaders couldn't do it." She looks away and tries to make a run for the door. But Damien was two steps ahead of her. He quickly caught her and pushed her to the cold, marble floor yet again. "GET OFF OF ME!" She screamed. He straddled her her stomach and just smiled. Arabella struggled to shimmout from undrneath him. "SOMEONE HELP ME! PLEASE!" She cried out. "Keep screaming babycakes. No one can hear you. They're all under my spell." Damien said in amusement. Arabella stopped trying and just sat there.
"Good girl. Obvisiously you're smart. Now we can go and you can see your little brother." He got up and in a blink of an eye they were surrounded by a huge buildng. It almost looked like a warehouse. The floor wasnt as beaten and tattered as most warehouse floors. And there were numerous windows leading down a hallway. Arabella turned her head to the right and saw a red suede couch with orange cream pillows. The floor had a big white fuzzy rug in the center, making the red couch stand out. There was a loveseat similar to the couch and then an entertainment center, holding a big flatscreen TV. Arabella looked straight ahead. The kitchen was white, black and red. She couldn't see much but she didn't feel like going to look. Or maybe its because Damien had a firm grip on her elbow leading her down the hallway to a room. He opens the door and takes her inside. There was nothing there. Arabella turned around furious. "Where the hell is my brother?"
A shuffling noise came from behind her as she saw Justiin scramble from underneathe the bed. "Bella?" Arabella crosses the space between them and hugs Justin, tightly. "Oh god. Justin I was so worried." She felt something stabbing at her eyes. She tried to blink, but a warm salty tear esaped her eye. "What's going on, Arabella? Who is this guy?" Justin asked. Before Arabella could answer him Damien spoke up. "I'm Damien Ivan Averasine." Arabella's mind automatically goes sback to when she was younger. Sitting on her grandfather's lap while he told her about the Averasines. They were the most notorious Hybrids of all. His father was the one that killed a Council Leader. Arabella sucked in a breath and put Justin behind her. How could she not have noticed? Avery...Averasine. It all made sense now. "Ara? Whats wrong?" "Justin just stay behind me." She said carefully. "I take it you know about my family, Miss ." "Get out, Damien. NOW." Arabella spoke with authority. A look of shock crossed Damien's face. "If you hadn't noticed this is my house." "I DON"T FREAKING CARE! GET OUT!" She yelled. He smirked, liking the way she acted. "Whatever you want. Fiesty. I like it." He says before walking out and closing the door. "Okay. Um...Justin. We need to get out of here. Right now." She said while looking around. "Arabella, how are we suppose to do that?" "I don't know. How'd you get here?" "He brought me here." "Yes, I know that, but how did he bring you here?" "Magically." "Shit!" Arabela cussed to herself and slid to floor. "I have to find a way to get us out of here, Justin." She murmured.