Rhys Drache stood back and watched the figures on his hill. His eyebrows furrowed as he peered eagle-eyed at the faces. /Ally and Jake/ The third was an unknown to him. It was the vampire he had felt earlier. /Damn she's gorgeous./
Forgetting lunch, he started up the hill to join them when a figure emerged to block his way.
"Rrhhhyyyyss….." Paige purred. "Where are you going?" She wrapped soft arms around his lean body.
He looked down briefly at the blond beauty in front of him. True, Paige Felis had the figure of a model, the artistic face with doe eyes the color of the sky. But frankly, he knew the girl was after one thing - babies and his last name. Although she was a shifter from a good family, Rhys was no where ready to be comtemplating marriage, much less babies.
"I'm gonna greet the new girl," He answered, looking anywhere but at the creature touching him.
Paige threw a withering look in the direction of the hill and said, "Rhys, what is it? What is it with me that makes me so…unattainable to you." She whispered the last part, hugging her arms to herself, looking every bit dejected and vulneratabe.
/Not this time/ Rhys thought to himself grimly. He took her hand and gently replied, "Paige...you deserve an oscar."
Paige rolled her eyes, dropping the act. "A girl can try Rhys. Remember this - you can run, but you can't hide. I will have my way."
But he only laughed and escorted her back to her friends. He left meeting the new girl to another time. There would be plenty of
As luck would have it, he was surprised to find someone else sitting in his usual seat in Art with stunning hair, tanned skin, and a great figure. Sliding in a chair next to the girl he smiled at her and thumbed his necklace. A patterned design of black flowers and seashells.
The girl briefly flashed her fangs. "August Redfern."
"Rhys Drache. So what brings you to this part of town?"
August studied him for a moment before answering, but smiled and said, "I like to move. It keeps up the pretenses."
"Ahh, mysterious. I like that." he rubbed his chin while flashing another grin.
August chuckled a bit, her eyes glinting a bit in the light. "Really. Well, it was nice meeting you, but I think I'm feeling the sudden urge to make another move." She got up, gathered her things, and walked towards a table that was full except for one seat.
/Well if that's how you wanna play it/ Rhys smiled at her retreating back.
Although August knew that isolating her target seemed unwise, she also knew it would entice Rhys even more. He was every bit the teenage boy, exuding thoughts of sex and conquest. The cocky boy seemed to like a "challenge", so she decided to play his game. /Let the hunt begin.../
When class was over, August practically ran out of the room. The musky cage that humans liked to call High School was too much to bear at that moment.
She needed a swim to clear her jumbled thoughts. She drove her Jetta over to her rented beach house. She peeled off her shirt and the skirt in the car until she was wearing only a tank and boyshort underwear. She got out and smelled the ocean air, basking in the warmth and freedom of the beautiful sea in front of her.
Her little paradise away from business. Perhaps she would keep the house beside the beach as her vacation home. It sat on a small hill, but her property encompassed 500 feet around each side, including a bit of beach land. Her neighbors, though not too far, were far enough to grant her privacy. The beach was her backyard, and willow trees that had been enchanted to live in the patches of grass around her home were her neighbors.
Uncaring of what those saw, she walked at length on the beach in her underwear and tank top /Hell, in France we used to go topless/ she thought wickedly. Women's lib as an interesting time.
She swam for hours and finally, after exhaustion hit, she returned back to the real world.
Smile slowly fading, she walked back, feelig the shift in the air. He was here and it was returning, hitting her like a tidle wave of lost hopes and dreams. Thoughts of depression swam to her mind. There were so many times, in her lowest lows, when she grabbed a stake and stared at it for hours. Contemplating death... Something to end her misery...something to set her free.
When August had reached her house, she found she had a visitor sitting in her living room. The room was pitch black, but she knew he was there. She felt him a mile away and was dreading every step towards him. "How was your swim, my dear?" the voice asked. The figure got up and walked towards the girl.
/You, why do you have to be here? /August sighed impatiently, "Don't you think it's a bit early for a check-in?"
"Tut, tut. So much anger." Stepping into the light, August looked up at the face that was once so handsome to her. "Are you aggravated at me love?"
Snarling, August slashed a clawed hand at his face. The welts started to heal almost immediately. He had not flinched at all. "Don't you ever call me that vile name again. I am not your anything. Leave me the hell alone to finish your assignment!"
"No need to get nasty. I just wanted to remind you that you are to get close to the Drache boy. Not alienate him. Your performance today is questionable. You've been successful in your missions so far but my dear, lately you've been getting sloppy." He reached down and pulled her face closer to his, "Try not to mess this one up. Hmm?" He disappeared in an instant, which was what she wanted, but his sudden departure her infuriated.
"August Redfern?" Jake asked. The whole group sat around Jake's living room. With a fire blazing and snacks in the other room, the Daybreak meeting began.
"It's doable!" Rhys responded defensively, looking into the fire. "She likes me! I know it!"
"She's kind of...old..."Ally said slowly. She and Jake shared the same thought. They didn't think he had a chance in hell.
"I think we should lay low. She's powerful and a Redfern. Although we got some on our side, there are still some out there who hold seats on the Night World council." Ever the voice of reason, Thane, a werewolf, said his peace and made his departure. The rest of the pack leaving with him.
Rhys rolled his eyes and sighed. "Well great discussion guys!" he said to their backs. He shook his head. "Why don't they ever stay?"
"There's no point to hash it out when they know the resolution will be the same - everyone agreeing and you not following orders," Jake answered.
"Good point." Rhys laughed. "Well that was the last item on our agenda anyways. Daybreak meeting ajourned. C'mon guys lets get some grub and talk about clothes or something."
The next day, August as drove into the Bradford High parking lot and found herself right next to an old 1968, well refurbished convertible. Pulling off her sunglasses, she got out of her Jetta and walked over to a examine the beautiful classic piece of American design. She could feel him admiring her from behind.
"Redfern," a voice above hr said. "Like what you see?"
August straightened up quickly. Rhys, who had hovered very close behind her, was knocked back from the speed and force, almost toppling over. August reached for him before he fell to the ground. Skin touched skin and suddenly the parking lot fell apart. Everything became an unearthly white.
August felt as if her mind had burst open and literarily fell forward. Thoughts jumbled together painfully, screaming in every direction—
"What the hell just happened!"
"What are you doing to me!"
"It's so pretty…"
"Getoutgetoutgetoutgetout!"
"Soulmates."
Realization hit and quieted every thought.
August looked at the boy who had caught her as she fell. Sparks of electricity sizzled around them as they tried to assemble what had happened.
"I don't believe it." Her thoughts voiced. It was dangerous for her to even like someone, much less be connected to them with something even remotely like a relationship. It was just another sign of weakness.
"Believe it," Rhys thought grimly. "I never woulda thought it would ever happen to me, but don't fight this. I heard it only gets worse later, the more you surpress it." All his bravado and chauvinistic charm gone, Rhys seemed almost normal.
August liked him. She could feel his determination to keep calm and his quick cool assessment of the situation.
And that was dangerous. HE was inside her world. This little boy penetrated all he defenses where none have ever been able to do so before. And the thought terrified her.
"August... What's wrong?" Rhys sensed something that she was hiding. Something that she had encased deep inside her mind. Walls were thrown up everywhere. "What has made you so afraid to let anyone in?"
At this point, August felt the edges of her world become obliterated in a few short seconds. Her senses were being overloaded with too much feeling that she did the only thing that came naturally to her. She became angry. "What makes you think I'm so afraid?" She asked, fury welling up. "Like I said yesterday, you don't know me. You don't know anything ABOUT me. So as far you are concerned, you can take your witchcraft and be damned!" August pushed with all her might both mentally and physically. The outer Rhys was smashed into his car. The moment bare skin stopped touching each other, the connection was broken. Rhys awoke dazed and August stood up furious and ashamed at the same instant.
But staring into his eyes, she saw that he wasn't angry. Only disheartened. "I apologize, Rhys. Are you alright?" she asked through clenched teeth.
Rhys got up gently and eyed her warily. "Look Redfern, I don't know why you are so defensive, and I definitely don't get the mood swings, but whatever it is…this is.." he stopped not knowing what else to say.
A crowd of onlookers had formed a semi circle around the cars. August noticed Jake and Ally in crowd. They were holding each other for comfort. Ally had her hand up over her mouth.
The connection with Rhys had let her experience some of his joy and happiness that made her want more. For a desperate second, she felt as if she wanted to give into the belief of being with one person your whole life, but she couldn't. It wasn't logical and frankly it was destructive. August couldn't bare the thought of being in such pain again.
"I'll pay for the damages to your car. I didn't mean to…to..." she couldn't finish the sentence. Looking around, she realized what a threat these humans were. They had just witnessed a short, unremarkably muscled girl push a full grown boy 3 inches into his car. She quickly accessed the other Night people around her and sent out a message. /Start blanking the humans/
Within minutes, people began to work together in smoothing over the events and replacing it with a dim memory. Making them only see two of their fellow students accidentally bump each other on the parking lot which proceeded into a word fight.
An assistant principal finally made her way towards the crowd and ushered the humans away. "Nothing to see here folks. C'mon keep it moving." She looked at August and Rhys. "You two, come with me."
Rhys and August glanced at each other, forgetting at the moment what had just happened and knowing, as night people, what they had to do.
They followed the principal grimly, walking in silence. The plump woman struggled up two flights of stairs and turned down a long, dark corridor. Panting a bit, she motioned them inside the sound proofed walls and closed the doors behind them. As soon as they reached her office, August immediately began to blank out the AP's mind.
"It's ok Mrs…"
"Berlinger," Rhys stepped in. "Nothing serious to worry about. Just a little mishap that we can handle between our insurances."
The AP stood still for a second, head erect. A dazed expression came over her face as she pondered the thought followed by a look of understanding. "I see. Well then move it along. Don't be late to class."
Rhys & August shuffled out hurriedly.
"You ok?" the southern boy asked as he ran to catch up with her.
"Perfect," August muttered.
"Look, Redfern." Rhys pulled out a hand to stop her.
Once again, contact came from his hand on her bare shoulder and before the white atmosphere began to surround her again, August thrust his hand away and looked at him angrily. "I'm trying to be nice here Rhys. Can you just drop what you might think is happening and get over the fact I'm not into you?"
Rhys stared her hard in the face and said, "Look, you're old, proud, and beautiful. I get it. You didn't think in a million years you could ever be destined to anyone much less a lowly 'shifter and a young one at that. We've all heard it before and this story isn't any different. At the end of the day you're stuck with me, so get over it." Jumping down the last flight stairs, he left without a glance back.
The bell rang. August stood still against the rushing crowd of students with mixed feelings. She didn't know what the hell was happening. She didn't even want to think about it. Memories like the ones that were threatening to surface were almost as dangerous as her fury rages. Resolution sank in and she turned around, making her ways towards her first period class. She still had a job to do.
Stage one was in play. Her objective was to devise a cover of a girl who was nice and wanted to do "good" for the world. She was friendly, peppy, sugar, spice, and everything nice. She sought out Night people and began associating with them in order to seek out Daybreakers. By the time the last bell rang, August was definitely in. All of this was insured by the help of a bit of mind control and the fact that she was considered drop dead gorgeous didn't particularly make things difficult either.
The students ran out of their last class of the day enthusiastically, wishing that summer was still here. As August and a group of people trailing her approached her car, a look of horror transfixed each and every one of their faces. A barrage of toilet paper, silly string, and what looked like thick red paint covered August's parking spot. Her once beautiful sleek, new silver Jetta had become a dripping mass of horrendous red -explicitives ran through her mind.
Anger welled up inside her, but she made sure it didn't show. Instead, she turned up the waterworks and began to slowly let tears fall down her face. It was surprisingly easy.
Rhys was walking out of the school building when he saw a huge crowd of people surrounding August. Everyone seemed to try to comfort her or wipe her tears at the same time. /What the hell is going on?/ he thought until he saw what she was standing next to. What had once been a car was now a piece of bad art.
The crowd drew to a hush when they saw Rhys approaching.
"Hey ya'll…what happened?" he asked somewhat nervously.
"As if you don't know!" Ashley said arms around the teary August.
Rhys held up his arms in mock defeat, "Honest guys. Redfern? What did ya try to do? Paint something decent for a change?"
August just looked up at him, eyes red from what he thought looked more like smothered rage instead of tears. "I can't believe you would do this Rhys. I mean, I know we had our differences, but to wreck my car? I-I-I…" she started sobbing.
"Hey Redfern," Rhys said startled. "I didn't do anything to your car. I promise. Besides, where would I get all the paint?" He half joked.
"It's not funny Rhys!" a voice behind him said. He turned to find himself face to face with Ally.
Rhys face crumpled with dismay, "You don't think I actually did this do you?" He looked towards the people he'd known since pre-school. "C'mon guys. Jared. Paul. Ya'll were with me during our off period. No way would I have been able to do anything."
Jared and Paul looked at him blankly for a second and then confusion settled onto their faces. "Yea that's true…"
"Hold on guys, if Rhys didn't do it, then who did?" Ashley demanded.
Everyone looked expectantly at Rhys as if to say, 'well?'.
He shrugged and said, "Your guess is as good as mine. Like I said, I'm innocent, but hey Redfern, I'll clean it up for ya. No charge."
"I can clean it myself thank you," August muttered. She wiped her tears off her face and straightened her shoulders. "Thank you so much for your concern," she said to the crowd and took out her cell to call a tow truck. No way was she gonna ride home in that.
"Hey August, don't worry about it. My dad can pick up your car no sweat," a boy called out.
Her face brightened into a smile that made Rhy's heart melt for a second. "Thank you so much Billy."
"Here Redfern, I'll give you a ride," Rhys offered, hoping to catch up on her good side.
She gave him a look and said with much tact, "Rhys that's really sweet of you, but where I live…I don't want to be out of your way."
"I'll take you home," Ashley said suddenly. "I think I live down your street."
"Really?" August said surprised. "I'd really appreciate it." As Ashley began to lead her away, August turned around and flashed another one of her stunning smiles and said in a heart felt voice, "Thanks."
The crowd dispersed as Ashley walked August over to her mustang. Rhys stood there unmoved with one thought on his mind /What the hell is going on?/