Author's Notes: Here's the fourth chapter. I hope everyone enjoys it, and please leave me some comments so I know how it's doing! I'm going to slow down the posts a little bit, because I've only got four finished chapters left. But don't worry too much, because they're all about twelve pages or so each so you've still got a lot to read. Plus I'm up to about twenty pages of new material… It is slowing down a bit, but I'm still getting at least a page a day. So enjoy! Please Review!
Chapter Four
Ilya growled lowly as he streamed away from his older brother. Nicolah thought himself so powerful and so above everyone else. He would enjoy proving his foolish brother wrong.
And he would start by ridding the world of Elijah, that accursed hunter that had removed so many of their ancients.
He grinned, the skin about his wretched, stained mouth stretching to the limit and showing his blackened, decaying gums. He could not wait to fight this hunter.
~*~
Elijah frowned as he flew towards the undead. 'Brother they have spilt and the younger is waiting for me. He longs to spill the blood of a hunter this night.'
He felt his brother stirring softly in his mind. 'Are you going to give him what he wants?'
'I hope to take out Ilya tonight so that this will not happen again.'
'You might lose his trail, Elijah.'
Elijah sighed slightly, almost boredly. 'I realize this, but you must also realize that in my doing so it will make our search easier.'
'Do what you wish brother, you always have. But remember we cannot let my mate's friend die. I will not deal well with her tears.'
Elijah sent no reply as he sped quickly towards the awaiting battle. He would not allow this girl to die, could not allow it for his sister-kin's sake.
~*~
Ezekiel sighed deeply when he finished talking with his brother. Nicolah had the girl, and had sent his younger brother to delay Elijah.
His dark chocolate gaze drifted to land on his lifemate's face. The undead was doing all this just to get a hold of his mate. A growl passed his lips at the thought, a flame red glow lighting his eyes momentarily. There was no way he would let them get a hold of her.
Ezekiel blinked as he felt a hand gently caress his cheek. "What's wrong Zeke?"
He frowned slightly as he pulled her securely into his arms, burying his face into her silky blonde hair. "I don't want to lose you."
Audrey smiled and gently stroked his hair, amazed at how young he sounded. "You won't." She kissed his brow before she knew what she was doing.
Ezekiel smiled down at her, turning into her hand so he could gently kiss her palm.
She shivered as he did so and raised an eyebrow. "Now where did the 'I don't want to lose you' come from?"
He sighed as he held her hand against his cheek, savoring the small bit of contact with her. "The reason the undead have taken your friend is to entrap you."
Her grey-blue eyes widened in horror. "They what?"
He frowned and tightened his grip on her. "They are using her to draw you out."
"But Elijah is going to be able to get her back, right? They won't be able to use her.."
He sighed deeply, glancing away slowly. "Elijah is in a battle with one of the undead right now. I am fairly positive that Nicolah already has your friend, my little seer."
"Then we'll give them what they want!"
He stared at her, not quite sure what she was saying. "What do you mean?"
"Well they want to draw me out, ne, so we'll let them think they have and while they bother with me, you and Elijah can get Rebekah."
Ezekiel's face contorted in anger. "No." His voice was clipped and carried none of the emotion she had become used to. "There is no way I will allow you to put yourself in that danger."
"But my best friend is in that danger now!" She hadn't meant to raise her voice, but she couldn't help it.
"My first duty is to see to your health and safety. Anyone else has to take second to you."
"She's my best friend Ezekiel!"
"If I have a choice between who I will save I will always choose you. It does not matter who else is in danger. You are my life Audrey, I cannot go on without you." His voice had filled with his love by the end. He didn't hide his intense need of her, it was there in his eyes and voice, and it brought tears to her eyes as she stared up at him.
"Zeke.."
He sighed, watching her sadly. "I know you want to help your friend Audrey, but I need to know that you're safe. I promise you that I will do everything in my power to save her, but in return I need you to promise me that you'll stay away from danger."
She stared quietly up at him for a moment, tears still filling her eyes. "All right Ezekiel, I promise."
He sighed, the complete relief visible in his handsome features as he moved forward to hug her. "Thank you, cara."
She moved into his hold, sighing softly. After a moment she looked up at him. "Did you really mean it when you said that I am your life?"
He blinked at the sudden question, then smiled fondly, lovingly down at her. "How could I not? Without you there is no color, no joy, nothing. Of course I am going to love and cherish you."
Her eyes filled with crystalline tears again and she buried her face into his chest, not wanting him to see her crying.
He frowned in confusion and tilted her chin up with gentle fingers. "Love.. Why are you crying?" His thumb gently stroked over her cheek, brushing away the few drops that had fallen. "I thought women were happy when their husbands told them how they felt.."
She laughed, still crying. "They are. I am."
He continued to watch her, thoroughly confused, acting almost as if he were a child, he was so unused to seeing any emotions at all from those around him. "Then why do you cry?"
She smiled at him, quickly wiping away her remaining tears. "They're happy tears. And you'll have to get used to them if you're planning on keeping me around."
He grinned broadly at her. "I plan on doing more than just 'keeping you around'." He swooped down and captured her mouth, devouring it with his own. He pulled back moments later, leaving her thoroughly dazed. "Would you like to see your painting now?"
~*~
Michael shoved a hand through his hair. "I cannot believe she can't remember anything. She didn't even remember us."
"But she does now."
"Only because we reintroduced her to us, Nyx. We need her to wake up so we can get out of here."
Nyx sighed as he watched Michael with his amber eyes. "Pacing won't wake her up any faster Michael and you're making me dizzy so give it a rest."
Michael glared at his younger cousin. "I have to do something."
"Would you two be quiet! She's still sleeping."
"I'm not asleep anymore Cailean."
The three were instantly by her side, looking worried, and yet relieved that she was awake. "You're awake!"
She nodded and winced. "I am. And no shouting, my hearing is not going, just my memory." She glanced at Nyx and smiled, "How is it you can still get dizzy?"
He offered an impish grin, "Being dead is just like being alive except people can't see you."
Cailean rolled her eyes, "And you do not eat, sleep, get dirty or any of those things that the living do."
Nyx shrugged, brushing his sister's statement off. "Minor details."
Rebekah laughed tiredly, "That does not sound so bad."
Nicolah appeared in the entryway of the cavern he had placed her in. "Why do you insist on talking to yourself?"
"Because you have left me completely alone with no amusement?"
He raised an eyebrow, smiling darkly at her. "So you want amusement do you?"
Michael growled at that. "You had better not touch her again!"
Rebekah's eyes quickly darted to Michael, before looking back to Nicolah. Again, huh? How long had this… man been holding her captive?
He tilted his head, "What would you say to taking your first step into my world?"
She blinked up at him, trying her hardest to look innocent. "Well I don't know.. I may not be entirely happy with my body, but I like the fact that it's not yet decomposing."
His grin just widened, showing his stained incisors. "You'll get used to it I'm sure." He grabbed her by the hair and dragged her closer to himself. When she was close enough he bent his head and sunk his teeth into her neck, drinking in her blood like a glutton. Only when he felt her heart begin to stutter did he pull back and tear at his wrist, thrusting it at her mouth and forcing her to drink.
She gagged and tried to turn away but he only held her tighter. "Don't fight it. No matter what happens I shall make you like me." He tossed her carelessly away when she had taken enough for an exchange. He watched her with a smile, then sighed deeply, his voice strained. "I hope that you have finished off the hunter brother."
Ilya shook his head, the motion causing blood to begin pouring from his open wounds again. "I did not."
Nicolah rounded on his brother, flames jumping in his coal black eyes. "You could not even manage that? Why then, did you come back?"
Ilya growled lowly, "He would have killed me had I not fled."
"Then you should have died."
The wounded vampire scowled at his brother, hissing angrily. "The hunter is not without his own wounds. He will need to seek the soil just as I will." He glanced at the girl on the floor and raised an eyebrow, "I will need blood."
Nicolah sighed, "Go ahead and use her, but I have just made an exchange with her so you will not be able to take too much. And remember Ilya, we cannot lose our bait now that you have brought us nothing but more work." He gave a small grin as he turned his gaze to the brunette.
Ilya grinned and grabbed the girl, biting into her neck, unable to hear the explicit mutters of the ghostly companions in the cave.
~*~
Audrey's eyes began to tear as she stared at the canvas, then back to Ezekiel. "You really see me like that?" She pointed with a pale finger to the painting of herself.
In the painting she was laying in an open field, colorful flowers littered about and a full moon overhead. Silver light from the moon danced around and on her pale body as she laughed happily up at the star filled sky, giving her the look of a goddess. Her hair was let down, wildly framing her face and conveniently covering her bare shoulders. She had a midnight blue blazer covering from her chest to upper thighs, one of Zeke's obviously. And the last important detail in the picture was a tall, dark haired man sitting beside her, his back to the viewer and his head tilted downward, gaze fixed intently on the young woman's face. One of his large, tanned hands was fingering her silky blonde hair, the strands wrapped possessively around a few of his fingers.
Ezekiel smiled fondly down at her, his hand reaching out to entwine itself in her hair. "Of course I do. That is exactly what you look like, only now you are younger than you are in the painting."
She stared at him and then back at his oil painting. "Zeke…" She threw her arms about him in a hug.
He blinked, but hugged her back happily. "I hope the tears now are a sign that you like it."
She nodded up at him, "They are." She placed a hand gently on his chest, glancing up at him through shyly lowered lashes. "I think I've fallen in love with you.."
He grinned, leaning down and kissing her deeply. 'I know you've fallen in love with me.'
She sighed into the kiss, 'No Zeke, I mean that I'm ready..'
He pulled back in surprise. "What?" He watched her intently. "You have to be absolutely sure."
"I am.." She chewed her lower lip nervously. She did want to do this; it was just a frightening thought. Would he hate the fact that she was almost physically sick every time she thought about it.
He gently stroked her cheek. "It will not be like that with us. I promise you that none of those thoughts or memories will come to you whilst we make love."
She stared at him before nodding slowly, "I believe you Zeke.. And I'm ready."
He picked her up and they were almost instantly in his bedroom, and he was placing her softly onto the large satin bed.
He nuzzled her neck gently, piercing her throat with fangs, drinking her life force in as he pushed at her shirt, moving it upwards. Once he had taken enough to make an exchange he ran his tongue over the pinpricks, closing the puncture wounds but leaving a mark on her, his mark. He then kissed her deeply, letting her taste her own sweet essence. As they kissed his shirt disappeared and one of his fingernails became long and sharp.
He finally broke off the kiss and while staring down at her he cut into his chest, using his other hand to draw her mouth to it. He watched her pleadingly, "Please love.. I need you to do this for me."
Audrey gulped, but nodded slowly. Her mouth cupped the bleeding wound and she heard him gasp, felt the pleasure that was coursing through him.
She had been preparing herself for this moment, assuming that no matter how good it felt to have him take her blood that she would be repulsed by taking his, only because it was against everything she knew… And she hated things going into necks. Yet… yet the moment was surreal and utterly sensual, something that completely cut her off from anything else in the world but him.
He eventually placed his hand between her mouth and his chest, stopping her feeding. And by that time his body was trembling with the pleasure coursing through him. No matter how gentle he had promised he would be he couldn't think of anything but getting into her, relieving the pressure that was a sweet torment to them both.
He moaned and captured her mouth with his own, almost roughly, but still filled with his complete love for her. While his mouth hungrily took possession of her, his hands were busy removing her clothing, ripping in some cases so that he would not have to break the kiss.
At her small whimper he finally pulled back to let her have some much needed air. All the while his mouth continued to fan the fire, build the heat that was spreading to everywhere he touched.
He grinned when he finally removed the last shred of clothing on her. His chocolate brown eyes stared intently down at her young body, wide in complete wonder as he tried to memorize her body. "Caressima… you're beautiful."
This of course only caused Audrey to color further as she stared shyly at his face. "I'm not. And why is it I'm the only one without clothing here?"
As soon as the grin spread across his sensual face she knew she should've kept her mouth shut.
Why? Because the sooner his clothing was off, the sooner the whole 'thing' would start.
He raised a black eyebrow slowly, grinning smugly down at her. "Eager to see my body, ma petite?"
She rolled her eyes and was unable to control her mouth while it betrayed her. "If it's anything like what I've seen so far then I can't wait."
He grinned again as her eyes widened in horror. "And just when I think I had learned all about your little habits I find out you have a runaway mouth. Not that I mind."
She rolled her eyes again, her normally pale face a deep tomato red. "Of course it would choose now to show itself."
He chuckled, the sound low and husky, as he happily nuzzled her neck, his fingers trailing slowly down her arms and then moving to gently tease the skin of her stomach. "I happen to like it."
"You would." She shoved at his arms, "Stop that. It's making me warm."
His grin returned, "That's the whole point. Now," he tilted his head, his clothes completely gone, "Are you ready?"
She nodded dazedly, her wide eyes fixed on his bare chest.
He kissed her deeply again, his hands traveling down her body, gently massaging as they went. They finally came up her thighs and he spread them, placing a knee between her legs. One large hand gently kneaded her inner thigh while his other moved up and found her most sensitive of spots, rubbing gently before letting a finger slipping into her, making her moan into his mouth.
Another finger soon joined the first and he scissored them gently, getting her ready for his penetration
He pulled away from the kiss and she whimpered softly at the loss of his mouth and then his fingers. "Ezekiel! Stop drawing it out!"
He chuckled and positioned himself beginning to slowly push in. He leaned forward so that his mouth was next to her ear. "It will not hurt, bébé. I promise." With that he moved into her quickly, making sure she felt no pain. He groaned as his body shuddered in pleasure and he stilled himself to make sure he had total control before he began to thrust into her tight sheath.
It didn't take long for him to bring her to the edge, and he held her there so she could feel the pleasure she gave to him. Then as quickly as it had started he brought it to an end as he spilled his seed into her.
Audrey cried out as she held tightly to him, her eyes shut as she panted to get some air.
He smiled and pulled out, rolling onto his side and bringing her to his chest. "That wasn't as bad as you thought it would be, was it?"
She idly ran a finger down his chest. "No comment."
He grinned down at her, looking like a mischievous little boy. "Oh no… I think I want a comment on this one."
Audrey sat up, gathering the sheets around herself. "Then I suppose you'll have to wait until I've showered and changed."
He sat up also, pouting. "I don't think I like that idea very much." He slipped an arm about her frame and pulled her securely to his chest. "So why don't you stay here in bed and we can have some more fun."
She rolled her eyes and shoved at his arms. "Oh no. We did it and it's out of the way. We don't have to do it anymore. And this way there won't be any babies to worry about."
He raised a black eyebrow, "The chance that you'll get pregnant is very slim, ma petite."
"Slim is not never so I say no more." She kissed his cheek and moved quickly to the bathroom, locking the door behind her.
'A simple lock won't stop me, cara.'
She grinned as she turned on the shower, dropping the sheet. 'It will if you ever want to do that again.'
Ezekiel groaned softly, running a tanned hand through his hair. 'This is not fair in the least.'
'Well you know what they say: No one ever said life was fair.'
He pouted and leaned back against the headboard. 'I'm your mate though; you're supposed to see to my needs.'
She nearly giggled at how much he sounded like a little boy whining for his favorite toy.
'Because you are my favorite toy.'
She did laugh at that. 'Well this toy has broken and needs a long while to be repaired.'
Ezekiel's pout deepened. 'I feel so unloved, bébé.'
'I wasn't able to get the girl.'
Ezekiel blinked in surprise, 'Elijah? What happened?'
'The battle with Ilya did not go well. I wounded him, but he also got in his own strikes.'
Ezekiel sat up, frowning deeply. 'Do you need me to come to you?'
'Your mate will not mind?'
Ezekiel glanced to the bathroom and smiled. 'I doubt it. She is busy at current.'
He could almost hear his brother's frown. 'She would be unguarded should you come. I will just go to ground and rest for a few night.'
'Elijah I could safeguard her and come to your aid if you have need of it.'
'Your lifemate is being hunted, Ezekiel. You should not leave her side if you have the choice.'
Audrey rolled her eyes as she scrubbed her body, listening to the two. 'He'll be gone for no time at all. Besides I could go with him, if you're really so worried.'
The brothers both blinked in surprise, not knowing that she had been listening in on their conversation.
She grinned at the silence that followed and rinsed herself off. 'So I'll get dressed and we'll be on our way then.'
They still stayed silent, well Elijah stayed silent well Ezekiel pouted and muttered about not having any more fun.
~*~
Karleena muttered angrily to herself, her hazel eyes narrowing in a fierce glare as she stared at the bus seat in front of her.
It just figured her two best friends would take a vacation in another country and get kidnapped or lost. Though she was surprised that whoever had taken the two hadn't already given them back. Hell the only reason she could put up with them was because… actually she didn't know why she was able to put up with them. But whatever the reason was, she did, and she missed them. Not that she would ever admit it to anyone else, especially not them.
So that's how she ended up on the smelly, broken down bus. And when she found the two they were in for it. She grinned at the thought. Maybe she would use her long sword. That would be fun.
The large man sitting next to her shivered at the evil grin and hastily moved away from the pretty, though extremely frizzy haired woman.
Those Americans always scared him when they came into town.
~*~
Nyx sighed deeply, shoving a hand boredly through his hair. "She hasn't woken up yet."
Cailean groaned in annoyance. "Thank you Captain Obvious. Had you not pointed it out we would have thought she was already awake."
"Guys?"
The twins looked over at Michael, their identical amber eyes wide in surprise, "Yeah?"
"Shut up."
Rebekah groaned as she sat up slowly, "What happened.."
Michael glanced at her and frowned. "They took your blood then left this cave. Are you okay?"
She nodded, rubbing her sore neck and wincing when she found the bite marks. "I hope they don't have rabies.."
Nyx grinned. "Now we can get out of here!"
"How idiot? We've got no energy and she's got broken bones in her leg."
Michael sighed, rolling his eyes at his cousins. "We'll figure it out. We have a while till they get back."
~*~
Audrey gasped quietly at the extent of damage done to Elijah. And he was just going to ground like that?
Elijah offered her a small smile, though it did not hold much emotion behind it. "It is not as bad as it looks, little sister."
She glared at him, "Of course it isn't… Losing blood in general isn't a bad thing, right?"
Ezekiel smiled a bit, pulling Audrey to his side and gently nipping at her neck in reprimand. "Calm down, little seer, I will heal him and then you can berate him."
Elijah raised an eyebrow at his younger brother, "You're going to have your lifemate berate me brother? Are you sure that is wise?"
Audrey rolled her eyes, "You realize that I can hear you both? I am right here." She crossed her arms and continued to glare at both of them. "Just heal him already so we can force him into the ground and not let him out for a while. He's grounded."
Ezekiel glanced at his mate and shook his head, smiling as his brother stared at her like she was crazy.
"She thinks to punish me?"
Ezekiel nodded, "And in this case I believe she is correct."
Audrey grinned and stuck her tongue out at him.
Ezekiel chuckled, before he placed a hand on his brother's chest, ensuring himself that he would stay down as he worked. And then he began the long, grueling process of healing from the inside out.
By the time he had healed each laceration on his brother's body he was ashen and stumbling with fatigue.
Audrey moved to help him and he smiled, gently nuzzling her neck. "Stay here with him while I go feed." His chocolate eyes slid to his brother, 'Keep her safe for me.'
Elijah nodded and both he and Audrey watched as Ezekiel disappeared from the cave.
Audrey shifted nervously before she sat down across from him. "So.."
He raised an eyebrow at her, smiling slightly. "I do believe I am in your debt, little sister."
Audrey blinked in surprise, before answering dazedly. "You… what?" She stared at him, unable to comprehend what he had just said.
"You saved my brother's life."
She blushed a bit, glancing shyly down. "He saved mine, remember?"
Elijah shook his head, his face just as emotionless as always, despite the topic. "No I mean you saved his soul. If he had not found you I am sure that he would have chosen to greet the dawn within a few risings."
Audrey's eyes widened and filled with tears. Her heart clenched in pain.
Ezekiel instantly surrounded her with warmth and love. 'It did not happen, caressima, do not think of it.'
Audrey shivered, hugging herself as she tried to force the tears away.
Elijah frowned slightly "I did not mean to make you sad."
She sniffled a bit, "How can that not make me sad?"
"I am sorry.. I just wished to thank you. I don't have to worry about him anymore."
Audrey's head snapped up to stare at him, her grey-blue eyes wide in horror. "You're planning on ending your life, aren't you?"
He nodded slowly, "Ezekiel has you now. He does not need me. And I am close to the edge. I want to face the dawn while I still have a choice."
"No!"
Elijah blinked, the only sign that he was surprised.
Audrey glared fiercely at him. "Just because he has me doesn't mean that you aren't needed anymore!"
Elijah shook his head. "He will miss me, yes, but with you by him he will survive."
She glared even further, her hands clenching into fists by her side. So that wouldn't work, but what about… "And your lifemate? You're going to leave her alone in this world?"
He frowned deeply, "Perhaps she has already passed to the next world and is waiting for me there."
"Do you really believe you wouldn't have felt her passing? Even a tiny bit?"
He nodded, "It is possible."
She rolled her eyes. "Oh come off it! Ezekiel wasn't even dieing and I felt his pain."
"You were very close though."
"You can't possibly believe this crap your saying." She smiled at him, "Now on to another topic as that is depressing and won't happen anyway."
He blinked at her and then smiled, though it was forced. "You certainly are an interesting woman."
She grinned at him, "I would have to be to keep up with your brother." She tilted her head, watching him. "So I'm sure you know things about me, as you're able to read minds and all, but I know next to nothing about you. So tell me stuff."
He raised an eyebrow, "Stuff?"
Her slate blue eyes rolled, "About yourself? Do I have to get Ezekiel to tell me everything? Cause I'm sure his tales will be biased against you."
Elijah shook his head with a sigh. "There is not much to tell, little sister. Our parents passed on when we were younger so I raised both Ezekiel and Zacharai."
Audrey blinked in confusion, interrupting him. "Zacharai?"
Elijah nodded slowly, "My youngest brother and Ezekiel's twin."
"What happened to him?"
"He could not hold out against the beast and turned twenty some years ago."
Audrey frowned deeply, her eyes filling with sorrow. "How sad.."
He nodded, "That is when I first truly began to worry about Ezekiel…well as much as I can anyway. It was his first hunt because I had been too wounded to hunt him myself. Up until that point he had managed to control his beast through his art, his painting and his jewel work. But it seemed after that he just stopped caring."
Audrey tilted her head, "This is interesting Elijah, but I know that part.. I want to know about you."
He frowned, "I do not know what to tell you."
She blinked, "There has to be something you can tell. Do you have any hobbies?"
He stared at her as if she had said some foreign word. "Hobbies?"
~*~
Karleena eyed the tiny man behind the desk in annoyance, before growling out, "What do you mean you don't remember either?"
The man sighed and rubbed his temples for the fifth time that hour, more truthfully, the fifth time since she had come up to him. "I told you over the phone that they hadn't stayed here."
She glared at him, her hazel eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. "They said that they were staying here." She pulled out a photograph and pointed to her two friends. "You honestly don't remember them?"
He glanced at the photo, at first just to appease her, but then he had to hold back a frown as he saw the blonde that had been with Ezekiel a few days ago. Of course he wasn't going to tell this psychotic American he knew either of the girls. She looked dangerous and who knows why she would be looking for these two girls. "No. I don't remember them at all."
She sighed, "Fine. Are there any other hotels around here?"
The man took out a piece of paper and began writing the address and number of the hotel nearest the small town. "This is the closest one," he said as he handed her the paper. "I would try there."
She nodded and moved to go, sending him one last glare. She hated liars. And it was obvious that this man was lying. She had seen the look of recognition he had donned when he looked at the photo.
She then smirked. She was already here and it was getting close to sunset. She smiled overly sweetly at the man, grinning inwardly at his wince. "Since I'm already here, do you have a room I can stay in?"
He nodded slowly, though she could tell that he was in no way happy about the new development. "How long do you want to stay?"
She shrugged, "A week I suppose."
~*~
Audrey smiled in relief as Ezekiel came back into the cave, his color much better this time. "Thank God you're back Zeke! Your brother is impossible!"
Ezekiel raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "I've noticed that on occasion too." He offered his brother his wrist. "I offer so you can regain your health." He smiled fondly, "Take as much as you need. I fed well."
Elijah nodded slowly and bit into his brother's wrist, drinking in the life giving liquid.
Audrey tilted her head to watch the two. As much as she thought she would be grossed out by something like this it seemed… natural, noble even. The way the two brothers helped each other survive struck a chord in her and she wondered if she and her own brother would ever have a relationship where they could openly show affection and love for one another. Then again her brother did show affection for her in his own way… most of the time it came in some form of an insult or bodily function, but that was better than nothing.
Ezekiel raised an eyebrow at her, 'You want your brother to show more affection for you? I can help with that, ma petite.'
Audrey glared at him, "One: I don't want you to use compulsion on him and two: stop reading my mind! It's creepy."
He grinned at her, completely unrepentant. "I like being in your mind though. You keep so many interesting thoughts to yourself."
Elijah flicked his tongue casually over the pinpricks and pulled back, "Thank you, Ezekiel."
He nodded and smiled at his brother, "You have done this for me more times than I can count, it is about time that I repay the favor."
Audrey smiled a bit. "And now we all go back to the house, where we force Elijah to stay for at least two weeks."
Elijah raised an eyebrow as he stared down at her. "You still think to ground me?"
She nodded, smiling. "Yup! Oh maybe we can find a hobby for you this way!"
Ezekiel blinked as he looked between the two, "A hobby?"
Audrey nodded, "He doesn't have any. And he needs something to do beside hunt vampires and evil doods."
Ezekiel frowned. "He sketches. Would that not be considered a hobby?"
Audrey blinked in surprise and turned to stare at Elijah. "You can sketch and you didn't think that was a hobby?"
He shrugged slowly, "I have not drawn anything in over two hundred years."
Audrey smiled, "Well now you can!"
"You will force me to draw?"
"I forced Rebekah and Karleena to draw for me all the time… well put more properly I bribe them."
Elijah sighed as he stood slowly, "And why do I have the feeling that you won't let me get out of this."
She grinned, "Because I won't."
~*~
Ilya glared at the small female as she sat there, ignoring him. He didn't like being ignored, especially not by some stupid human female. "I'm talking to you."
Rebekah glanced up at him with a sigh. "Well so is Michael and I'd rather listen to him as he isn't a brat."
Ilya raised an eyebrow as he watched the girl. "Michael?"
She nodded, "What you can't see him either?"
Ilya rolled his eyes, "There is no one in this cave but you, my brother and myself."
"Tsk. Well if you can't see him, I'm not going to tell you about him."
He rolled his eyes, "The men were right. You are crazy."
She smiled innocently, "Yes, but at least I still have intelligence."
He glared at her, "Don't try to get smart with me."
"I'm sorry I'll use smaller words for you from now on. I promise."
He growled and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her up from her spot on the ground. "Are you trying to give me a reason to hurt you?"
She rolled her eyes, "Of course! How did you know that was exactly what I wanted to do?"
Another growl sounded from his throat.
"That's enough, Ilya. We can't have you hurting our bait any more than you already have." Nicolah came into the room, smiling civilly at the brunette. "Though I do suggest you leash your tongue, my brother has quite the temper." He held out one of his thin hands to her. "Come, we're going on a trip."
Her caramel chocolate eyes narrowed. "Why don't I feel excited?"
He chuckled, the sound akin to nails on a chalkboard. "I would be excited if I were you."
She snorted, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like, 'Oh that changes everything' under her breath.
He raised an eyebrow testily at her. "I'm taking you to meet a friend of mine."
"I think I'd like to skip out on the meeting, if you don't mind."
He grinned. "I do. And he'll be very sad if you don't come. So," his eyes began to glow a bright flame red as he reached into her mind and forced her compliance. "Be a good little girl and you won't get hurt anymore."
He grinned and picked the girl up, turning to look at his brother. "Now you know our plan. Remain out of sight for a couple of weeks and see to it that they do not know the girl is gone. All right?"
Ilya nodded, trying to hide a glare. "This is pointless. They know we have her. We should just kill her and they wouldn't know the difference."
"The hunters are smarter than that. Besides we can use her as a play thing once we get her friend."
~*~
Vlad stared nervously at the phone across from himself. Did he really dare call Ezekiel? He had been told to if anything suspicious happened. And this new American suddenly showing up and asking questions certainly fit into that category. And yet he did not want to feel responsible for this girl's death, no matter how frightening she was.
But Ezekiel would find out eventually, whether it came from him or not, and it would be safer for him if he told him before Ezekiel found out on his own.
With a heavy sigh he reached for the phone.
