Vanessa P.O.V.
Paton and I had finished up our walk after we caught Charlie following us. Silly Charlie. When we got home, I became sad. I'd have to go back to Bloor's after tomorrow. I mean, I was excited to be able to tell Asa, Billy, and Manfred about my family but…I liked it here. I went back up to Paton's room and was looking through my bag when I found something wrapped in brown paper. The package I was supposed to give to Grizelda. I walked out of the room with it and knocked on her door. No answer. I opened it to find her asleep on the bed. I sighed, set it down on her dresser, and left.
When I went back to my uncle's room, I looked at his papers. They seemed to be a history of the Red King and his ten children. It was mostly about Amoret. I laughed softly to myself. "Oh Amoret." I said to myself. I put the papers back down on his desk and slipped into my pjs. I walked downstairs and found Charlie and Uncle Paton talking quietly at the table. Then I noticed a line of rats along the wall. I frowned.
"When did that happen?" I asked. Charlie jumped and looked at me. Relief washed over him when he recognized me. "When you and Uncle Paton were upstairs talking. This strange man came in with these three cats that he called the Flames. I saw them in a photograph…" he trailed off, looking at Uncle Paton. I groaned.
"The flames were here and you didn't tell me?" I whined. Charlie looked confused. "You know them?" I nodded. "They're excellent playmates." I informed him. He rolled his eyes and looked back at Uncle Paton.
"What do I do?" he asked. I paused and sat at the table with them. "Do about what." Charlie hesitated and then spilled the beans about a case called Tolly Twelve bells and a lost baby. I froze. He frowned. "What?" he asked. I shook my head. How the heck did he find out about Dr. Tolly and his daughter Emma? How much does he know? Should I tell Manfred? Should I tell Uncle Bloor? All these questions were whirling around in my head. Charlie frowned. "What?" he repeated. I laughed shakily.
"Nothing Charlie." I tried to get up but Paton pulled me back into the chair. "Spill it." he demanded. I hesitated and sighed. "I can't believe you found Tolly Twelve Bells. The Bloors have been looking for it for years." I said quietly. Paton's eyes narrowed. "You're right. There is a lost baby and she is at Bloor's." I said. They waited. I threw my hands in the air. "That's all I'm saying." I said.
Paton glared at me. Charlie was fuming. "You're not going to help us find out who she is? Or save her? Or anything?" he exclaimed. I shushed him. "Shut up! Grizelda will hear you and then she'll tell Ezekiel and then I'll end up just like the lost girl." I whispered furiously. He looked confused but lowered his voice. "Well, are you?" he asked. I shook my head. "I know who she is. I know how to save her, but I have to keep the balance, but you do know her." I said quietly. He looked confused. "You'll understand later on." I said gravely, remembering the hardships of the others.
Uncle Paton nodded. Then the phone started to ring. My Uncle went to answer it as Charlie and I made small talk. Paton came back and he didn't look happy. "Vanessa, Manfred Bloor just called, he and Ezekiel will be here soon to pick you up." he said. I frowned. "Why?" I demanded. He shrugged. "Something about a wolf." He said. I froze. Asa. I jumped up and darted to Paton's room and retrieved my bag, then I raced down stairs and sat at the table. I sifted through my bag until I found my sketch pad and my pencil, then I threw my bag down and furiously began to sketch a wolf. Charlie stared at me.
"Vanessa, what are you doing?" he asked. I hushed him and placed my hands on the wolf. I closed my eyes. "My dear father, my King, please give me your vision in my time of need." I whispered. I could feel Charlie and Paton's eyes on me. Then I opened my eyes and looked at the picture. Charlie and Paton gasped. The wolf had changed.
He was lying on the ground, whimpering in pain. There was a dead body next to it and the wolf was bleeding. There was someone next to the wolf, soothing him with howls and grunts. Billy Raven. Tears filled my eyes. The scene stopped moving and Paton put his hand on my shoulder. I looked at him. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly. I started shaking. "Asa is dying." I whispered. He frowned. "Asa?" he asked.
"It's her stupid boyfriend." Charlie muttered. I sighed and suddenly the doorbell rang. Paton answered it and Manfred strode into the house and into the kitchen. He looked from me, to Charlie, and then at the sketch pad.
I started bawling. Manfred started to come and give me a hug but Charlie beat him to it. "Shh, Vanessa, sh." He said soothingly. "Everything is going to be okay." He said. I nodded and pulled away, wiping my eyes. He smiled a little. "Now smile." He said. I tried and started laughing a little in spite of myself. Manfred picked up my bag and motioned for me to come. I picked up my sketch pad and my pencil and walked over to him. He held my free hand and led me out the kitchen.
I stopped and gave my Uncle a hug. He hugged me back. "You'll always be welcomed." He whispered. I nodded and left. As soon as we were in the car, Ezekiel slapped me. I looked at him, stunned. Manfred seemed surprised too. Ezekiel glared at me. "I won't have you speak of me in that ill manner that you have used with your grandmother." He demanded. I nodded. "Yes sir." I whispered. I was silent the whole trip until we started to pull in front of the school. I unbuckled my seatbelt.
"Where is he?" I asked Manfred. He sighed. "He's by the oak tree with Billy Raven." He answered. I nodded and stepped out of the car. Manfred grabbed my wrist. I looked at him. "You can't go dressed like that!" I then realized that my shorts were a little short and that my shirt was pretty low. I groaned. "Like he'll be able to tell! I have to go now." He sighed and let go of my wrist.
He opened my bag and threw me huge grey, Metallica sweat shirt that he had given me for my fifteenth birthday. I pulled it on and ran to the garden as fast as I could, each howl of pain making me go faster. I finally reached it and collapsed by Asa's side. I caught my breath and saw that the body was gone. "They got rid of it." Billy whispered. I nodded and looked at him.
"Thank you for staying with him." I whispered. He nodded, got up, and left. I made an orb of light bright enough for Asa to change back into himself. His abs were drenched in a deep red. Tears filled my eyes as I took off my sweat shirt and covered his man business. He coughed up blood and looked at me. "Vanessa?" he asked quietly. I nodded. "I'm right here, it's okay." He smiled and coughed more. He shakily lifted his hand and put it on my cheek. I held it there. "Don't cry over me, Vanessa. I'm not worth it." he whispered. I cried harder. "What happened, Asa?" I cried.
He looked at me. "I went into your room and heard a noise beneath your window. I looked and saw a strange man walking around beneath, talking to himself." He wheezed. He started coughing again. My heart was breaking. "It was night so I went outside and listened to him as a wolf. He was talking about taking you away, I think he was going to hurt you." he coughed again. "So I killed him." he whispered. I froze. "Y-you killed him?" I whispered. Then I noticed a shiny object a little ways off. It was a knife. He looked at me.
"I'd understand if you hated me for being this monster, but please stay with me, just for tonight." He begged. I ran my hand through his messy red hair. "I could never hate you Asa, and you're not a monster." I said. He smiled. "Whatever pleases you." He whispered. He started a violent coughing fit then. I fought the urge to cry. "Stop talking, it's only making it worse." I said gently. He nodded. I looked up at the sky. "Please help me." I whispered. I felt a warm breeze.
Heal him, my child. A majestic voice said. I looked down at my hands to see them faintly glowing. I looked at Asa. "This might hurt a little." I whispered. He merely rolled his eyes. I placed my hands on his abs and thought of healing. My hands glowed brighter and Asa moaned. When my hands stopped glowing, I looked at his abs to see a shiny pink scar. Asa opened his eyes and looked into mine.
"I owe you my life." He whispered. He slowly sat up, careful to keep his business covered. I leaned over his crossed legs and hugged him. He hugged me back. I let go and he stretched out his legs and leaned against the tree. I nuzzled up close to him and he wrapped his arms around me. "Thank-you." He whispered. I smiled. "You're welcome." I replied.
He pulled me into his lap and wrapped my legs around his torso. At first I was confused but then he pulled me closer and gently kissed me. I kissed him back. He had one hand fisted in my curls, the other on the small of my back, pressing our bodies flush together. I wrapped my arms around his neck one of my hands playing with the shaggy red hair at the nape of his neck. I felt him sigh contently against my lips and smiled. We did this for awhile until I broke apart and yawned with a sheepish grin on my face. He laughed and let me crawl off his lap. I lie down on the grass and put my head in his lap and fell asleep.
Meanwhile…
Charlie P.O.V.
When Vanessa left, I was fuming. Who cares if Asa is dying? He's a jerk and he's on the bad side. I paused. Bad side? Why am I thinking of it that way? Vanessa's words came back to me. I have to keep the balance…you'll understand later on. She had said. I knew what she meant now. I sighed. Uncle Paton came over to me.
"What's wrong, Charlie?" he asked warily. I frowned. "Why does she have to go? She was supposed to come and be here with us this weekend so we could all get to know her and we'd almost be a real family again." I said angrily. He sighed. "I know, Charlie. I'm not too happy about it either but her friend needed her help." He said. I frowned.
"He doesn't deserve her help, much less her. He's a jerk to everyone except her. He hates my guts! I swear the only reason why he won't beat me up is because I'm Vanessa's brother." I ranted. I looked at my uncle. "There's rumors that he's killed some kids in the ruins, kids who got in the Bloor's way." I whispered. Uncle Paton rolled his eyes. "I doubt that Charlie." I frowned. If only he'd been there when Gabriel Silk had told me about that ratty cape.
"Still, there's something…off about him. He has creepy yellow eyes and has been stalking me and Benjamin all weekend and it's so stupid because we can tell it's him!" I said. Uncle Paton frowned. "Do you think they know about the case?" he whispered. I froze. "They probably do." I whispered back. He nodded. "Do you have it hidden?" he asked. I nodded. "It's in Benjamin's basement." I whispered back. He nodded. "That should do for now." He said. Then Grandma Bone came downstairs and started yelling so I went up to bed while she and my uncle went back and forth.