AN: OMG GUYS WE'RE BACK! Yes, I know, it's been forever. TWISTED TELEPATH AND I ARE SO SO SO SORRY! Honestly, it's my fault. I lost interest, had writers block, etc... But the good news is, we're back and writing! And all of you have to give a ridiculously large THANK YOU to the guest reviewer who left a very very long review on this (And a shorter second one) because if they hadn't, I wouldn't have gotten any inspiration to keep writing. Thank you, Guest/NotLoggedIn for reviewing. And please, feel free to PM me, mystery reviewer, with any questions you have! I would have said something, but I couldn't exactly message a guest.
DISCLAIMER:You guys know what we do and do not own. Woop.
-Kami's POV-
"Taylor!" I screamed again, feeling all my fear surge in me.
The guy's eyes flashed gold as he smiled. "It's a shame," he mourned. "You're so pretty." After trying to get myself not to freak out, I breathed in and out, backing away from the tree. He crept toward me. "So young, too. Like, sixteen?" He shrugged. "Oh well."
As he came toward me, I kicked him. It was a sloppy kick, but he fell the ground, holding his crotch.
I made a break for it, running down the block and across the street. I could feel shadows pass over me as I skid past, the night now feeling scarier than I gave it credit for. It felt like it was growing darker and darker as I ran.
Suddenly, a pain shot to my eyes, practically blinding me with colors. I couldn't make out anything anymore, but I kept on running. All my bravado vanished when I got my sight back just to see that I was about to crash into another damned tree. I jerked back, getting ready to curve around it, but a hand reached out and grabbed my wrist, yanking me back. I blinked a couple times to notice that the guy I thought I left back at the party was cradling me in his arms. Before I could scream again, he slapped his hand on my mouth. I refused to make him let go by licking his hand, since I didn't want to taste anything like someone else's blood.
"I fucking hate you, you know that, right?" I said through his hand.
"The feeling's mutual." He grinned.
"Stop bickering with her and restrain her," another voice added. This voice belonged to the guy who was ranting at the party. With his brown curls, soft green eyes, and tall, muscular structure, I wondered if all vampires were this hot. I kept myself from drooling into the other guy's hand.
"She managed to kill Luca without even trying. Even with uncontrollable powers, she's dangerous, no matter how harmless she seems. Be careful."
They tied my hands and ankles together, and before I could attempt to threaten them any further, I was staring into the cute guy's gleaming topaz eyes, drowning into ecstasy. Anything on my mind, like Taylor, Benny, and the kiss, melted away and was replaced with how much I wanted to just go along with whatever this guy had to say.
"You're not going to scream anymore," he whispered, his voice sounding soothing and sexy.
"You're going to go along with this. You're not going to run, or kick, or swear, or cry for help. You're going to follow me back to the house, and you're not going to make a sound. Do you hear me, Kamille?" He made me hideous name sound beautiful. It rolled off his tongue perfectly and clearly.
I nodded obediently, giggling slightly. The inner sane part of my mind told me that I was acting stupid, but I went along with this words anyway, burying whatever common sense I had (or at least I thought I had).
The other guy let go to let his friend hold my hand and guide me up the block.
"My name's Tavian, remember?" he asked me, putting an arm around me.
"Right... Tavian," I repeated dreamily, smiling. I broke out in laughter again, twirling a brown lock of my hair.
"That's strong-ass glamour," the other guy said.
"See, I have to make her comfortable with me," Tavian said, "since she just had a terrible breakup with that boyfriend of hers."
I chuckled. "He wasn't my boyfriend... He... he's like my brother... I mean like... yeah, he's adorable... and smart... and silly," I sputtered. "But that doesn't mean I can't have a little fun..." I leaned my head on his shoulder. "Mmm, I so wish you were in your underwear right now..."
"Yeah... I think I went overboard."
"Plan B, then?" The other guy took out this rod thing... or maybe it was a shovel... And all I remember is a bang sound and falling to the ground.
-Taylor's POV-
A lot of last night was kind of a blur. I don't remember much, and that was really bad. "So not ladylike..." I mumbled in a thick, sleepy voice.
An arm tightened around my waist "What's not ladylike?" an equally sleepy voice questioned back to me.
I became aware of the body pressed against mine, someone's face against my hair.
I yelped, "Ah!" and scrambled against the sheets. I ended up falling to the floor with a 'thump.' I stared up at the bed as Rory's face popped over the edge.
"You should really be more quiet, you know. My mom might come up here, and I don't wanna have to explain this to her," Rory said.
I stared, open-mouthed. This was so not happening. "What am I doing here?!" I asked in a whispered screech.
"Well you kind of passed out," Rory explained. "And I couldn't take you home without your permission to enter so I brought you to my house. Like it, sweetness?"
"What. Happened. Last night?" I hissed between gritted teeth.
As he started to answer, everything flashed back through my mind. The party, the vampires, the fog, and pain in my head. The black swirls all around the room, and the vampire with the spiders crawling out of every opening in his body. The horror and the sick fascination that I felt watching it... And the power. Oh, the power. It was delicious—
"—And then you kissed me, and it was so awesome," Rory said, a dreamy look on his face. I snapped out of my memories as the scene of the kiss surfaced into my mind.
"Oh god." I covered my mouth in shock. I kissed Rory. I kissed someone who I wasn't dating. Oh my god, am I a slut now? Might as well go out and kiss everybody! This is not how I acted. Dear lord, Kami will have a field day with this.
Wait a second.
I dashed for my bag, which was on the floor, and pulled out my phone. No calls, no texts, nothing from Kami.
"What happened to Kami? Where did she go last night?" I asked Rory.
His dreamy look paused for just a second. "I don't know. I think I saw her with Benny."
Even with a boy, Kami would have sent me a text or something to brag about it and make me uncomfortable. Or, if she had seen me with Rory, she would have called demanding juicy details. I speed-dialed her twice, but she didn't answer. Then I called Aunt Skylar, but she told me Kami wasn't at home. "Rory, I need to borrow your phone."
"Okay, Angel." Rory grinned happily, passing his phone over. I went through his contacts and dialed Benny's number.
It rang a few times before Benny's sleepy voice answered, "What the hell do you want this early, Rory?" he snapped.
"It's Taylor," I said quickly. "Were you with Kami last night?"
"I don't want to talk about her," he answered gruffly.
"I don't care. I need to know if you were with her and where she went."
"Fine, she kissed me and I told her I just want to be friends, and she got pissy and stormed off. That enough?" Benny sounded really angry. Either he was upset or not a morning person.
"You didn't see where she went? You didn't go after her?" I questioned.
"No, I didn't go after her. Can I go back to sleep now?" Not a morning person, apparently.
"I wouldn't count on it. I think Kami's missing."
"What?" Now he sounded more alert.
"She's not answering her phone, she hasn't called me or sent me any texts. That's not like Kami. She's not at home with Aunt Skylar either."
"I'll call Ethan and meet up with you at Rory's house," Benny said immediately. His voice turned teasing. "How'd that go last night, by the way?"
"This is not the time, Benny!" I squeaked. "And it is also none of your business!"
"I'll take that as a—" Before he could finish, I hung up the phone and passed it back to Rory.
"Wipe that grin off your face, please." Despite how worried I was, I still couldn't help being mannered. "We're going to look for Kami."
"Why? Where'd she go?" Rory asked.
"We're going to find out," I answered.
-Kami's POV-
By just opening my eyes, all my pain and forgotten common sense flooded into me. It was like a giant fat woman sitting on my head. I fought my headache, yawning loudly. Something clogged my throat, so my natural instinct was to hack it up and spit it out. Taylor would've killed me. A fuzzy smile crept up on me just thinking about her. Honestly, I would kill for a ladylike quip from her right now, since I was longing to tease her about her dirty dancing last night. I never knew that little girl could grind.
Then I remembered what position I was in.
I lifted my head, squinting because I couldn't see anything in the dim light. I walked deeper into the darkness...
My head banged against something iron.
I held my head, bottling up my pain, and decided to actually consider what the hell happened last night.
That power I felt last night... it was stronger than any high I've felt and better than any drink I've had. Since my head wasn't as fuzzy as roughly five hours ago, I could actually think about it. It felt so good to have this utterly insane power, you know? It was so dark, and twisted, and dangerous, but at the same time, it was the best thing that happened to me. I loved being in control... And I didn't feel a bit of guilt, which was surprising, considering that I killed someone. But if I didn't kill him, he sure as hell would've killed me first.
A light filled in the room, nearly blinding me for a second time. I could see that there was a row of iron bars separating the room. Tavian was on the other side, using the smile that I found so delicious hours ago... now it just made me want to vomit.
"Ah," he sighed, "Snoring Beauty's awake."
I ignored his comment. "I thought you would've killed me," I said. "What gives?"
"I couldn't bear to kill such a nice girl like yourself." I broke out in snorty laughter. "What's so funny?"
I calmed down, wiping a tear from my eye. "What's the real reason for you not killing me?"
"It's... complicated," he said. A wicked smile crossed his features. "But don't get comfortable, my dear. I know something that'll have you wishing you were dead." He took out keys and unlocked the cell. An unseen force pushed me forward. He bound my hands together with stupid, then pulled me out of the prison.
We travelled down a hallway and into a new room. This room was occupied by three other guys and two girls. They snarled at me. I rolled my eyes. I have a hate club here, too.
"Kami Steele, descendant of the Steele bloodline," Tavian said grandly, hurling me forward. "As you guys know, we are missing our other witch, so nothing can be achieved just yet, but... I present you guys, you lucky five, with the opportunity to show this girl how much her family has hurt you. But remember, you can't kill her."
A buzz of laughter and whispers went around, and each of the vampires in the room were bug-eyeing me hungrily. Tavian shut the door.
"Hey," I said nervously. "Maybe we can talk this thing out? You know, like in the movies?"
The answer I got was a skin-slitting slap across the face. Blood drizzled from the cut. That's when I realized I was the punching dummy in an anger-management class.
-Taylor's POV-
I paced around a tree, waiting for Rory's friends to arrive. Despite how much I willed them to go away, the wrinkles between my eyebrows were stubborn and fighting to stay. "When will they get here?" I asked Rory for what must have been the tenth time in the past five minutes.
"Angel, calm down. They'll be here soon." He relaxed against the tree trunk, sitting high up in a branch, "Probably."
My thoughts screeched 'Probably?!' while my mouth sighed delicately. I must stay calm. I can't lose my temper. I need a calm mind in order to think rationally. Stay calm. Control your mind. Control your emotions. Kami is okay. Hopefully.
Please let her be okay.
"We're here!" Ethan's voice called from behind. I stopped pacing and turned, my heart beginning to race again. "Sorry it took so long, I had to make up some story for my mom."
"You're here now," I said evenly "That's what matters. Now, Kami's missing. I don't know where she is, or where she could have gone. Benny, you were the last one to talk to her. Are you sure there's nothing you remember? Nowhere you saw that she went?"
Benny looked uncomfortable "Like I told you, I didn't see anything. She left, and then I left. She was long gone."
I bit my lip. We had no leads at all. Kami could be anywhere and we didn't know where to start. My throat clenched painfully and my eyes prickled with brimming tears. I couldn't cry, not now. I had to find Kami, I had to find her before she was hurt, I had to save her -
Then she appeared in front of me, collapsed on the ground. She looked up at me, blood trickling from her mouth, staining her clothes that were wrecked with deep gouges in her skin. Bruises blossomed across her skin. "Taylor..." She croaked out, her voice hoarse, laced with pain "Taylor, why didn't you save me? Why didn't you help me? I thought we were friends..."
My heart gripped with fear "Kami, Kami, no, please, I'm coming for you. I will find you, I swear. Please, I'm sorry, but I'll be there soon!" I felt like throwing up. I heard another voice, but it was muffled. Something touched me, but it felt like the wind flowing across my skin.
"You did this to me, Taylor-Anne. It's all your fault!" Kami cried at me.
The threatening tears spilled over in what felt like a wave. My voice came out thick, cracking "No, Kami, I'm still trying! I'll find you, please Kami!"
"Taylor-Anne!" A force came and slapped me across the face. Kami faded away, blurring and twisting like tendrils of smoke. In her place was Aunt Skylar.
"A-Aunt Skylar?" I asked, confused.
"Taylor, you need to calm down. Whatever you saw, it wasn't real." She held my face in her hands, staring me straight in the eyes.
"I-It was Kami, she-she needs me, she's hurt badly-"
"Kami's hurt?" Benny asked, looking concerned.
"No, she's not." Aunt Skylar snapped at him. "Now, Taylor, forget what you saw. It wasn't real. You let your powers overtake you, and that's why you saw what you did. It was an illusion, nothing more."
"H-How do you know about that?" I was shaking terribly, my nerves going haywire.
Aunt Skylar rolled her eyes "Oh please, as if I wouldn't know that my two favorite girls have powers? What kind of Summers woman would I be if I couldn't sense when my girls finally grew into their powers?"
I sniffled, drawing power from my aunt. "What do you mean?"
"Taylor, there's a lot that you don't know right now, and I can't quite tell you. Right now, Kami is what's important. You, seer boy," She turned her head towards Ethan, who looked surprised, "Take this." She tossed something at him,
"How did you-" Ethan began, but he couldn't speak when he caught the object. It was Kami's hairbrush. His eyes turned white and he froze as a vision took over.
AN: Ooh, we left a cliffie! Mwahaha. We have the next chapter done, and Twisted Telepath and I will discuss when it shall be posted, but don't fret, it shall be soon!
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All our love,
Panda-Chan8 and Twisted Telepath