Chapter 9
Truths Revealed
They made it back home in record time, Lily telling them what had happened since last they saw each other while her brothers and Ash listened avidly. By the time they reached their house her story was finished.
They hopped out of the car and Lily was immediately grabbed in a bear hug by her mother and father. She was rather surprised by this, she had always assumed they didn't really care about them since they were never home, she figured they didn't really love her. By the tearful hello she received though she realized she had been wrong about her parents, she had been wrong about a lot.
They pulled her inside where she had to relate the story yet again for her parents, being sure to leave nothing out. When she was finally finished all she wanted was a shower and a change of clothes, she was still wearing Ash's shirt while he walked around with his bare chest showing.
Lily glanced at Ash, he was quite good looking. He had ash blond hair that looked a little shabby, but still nice. He was very handsome and muscular, but it was his eyes that caught her attention, they were never the same color. They switched from blue, to yellow, to orange, to purple, to any color in between.
That was when the doorbell rang. Everyone stood up from the couch where they sat and looked at the door.
"I'll get it," their father said as he strode towards the door.
"Is Lily here?" They all heard, Lily knew that voice well, it was Adam.
"Lily is indisposed at the moment Adam, try another time," their father said.
"Wait, I really need to talk to her, just for a minute please?" Lily sighed thoughtfully. After what had happened with her friends she didn't really trust Adam, but what could he do with her family here?
"I'll see him," she told her father silently and walked to the door.
"What's up Adam?" She asked. Her father watched them for a moment before leaving to stand in the family room and wait.
"Where have you been Lily? Did I do something to make you mad? Why don't you ever call me anymore?" Adam broke out. Lily blinked in surprise, she hadn't expected that.
"I've just been really busy with family stuff," she said. A hurt look crossed Adam's face.
"You never do anything with your family, you always use to tell me you hated spending time with them."
She shrugged, "things change Adam, I'm not mad at you, I'm just busy."
"Problem here?" She heard Ash ask from behind her and gave him a smile.
"No problem, uh, Adam this is Ash, Ash this is my friend Adam," Lily introduced. Adam looked from Ash to Lily, and she remembered for the first time that she was wearing his shirt.
"Family stuff, right," Adam said and turned to leave.
"Adam you're being stupid," she said.
Adam turned back and looked at her for a moment, then left without saying anything else.
"Boyfriend?" Ash asked. She shook her head and closed the door.
"Just a friend I've known for a while, but of course so were Lane and Patty."
"Don't judge one friend for the faults of others," Ash said. She looked up into his eyes, they were a pale blue, and nodded.
Lily and Ash walked back into the family room to listen to a lively discussion.
"If we let him go he might come back," Jason said.
"I say we kill him," Shiloh said.
"But then we're no better than him," Kaleb said.
"Who?" Lily asked, and they turned to stare at her.
"Alder," Ash said for them. "He's still tied up in the basement."
"Well I'd like to speak with him before you make your decision, but before I do that I want to shower and change. Not that I don't love your shirt Ash but I think you may need it back," she smirked as she headed up the stairs.
Ash shrugged. "Makes no difference to me." She laughed and closed the door to the bathroom.
Twenty minutes later Lily came downstairs fully clothed and drying her hair with a towel.
"Here you go, thanks for letting me borrow it," she said, proferring Ash's shirt to him.
"No problem," he said as he took it from her and slipped it over his head.
"So what's been decided about Alder?"
"When we take you and Noah to Las Vegas to see Thiery and Lady Hannah we're going to have Alder in the trunk with us," Shiloh said.
"I'm going to Vegas?" She asked happily.
"Yep," Jason said.
"Nifty, can I get a fake ID and gamble?" She asked hopefully.
"Nope," he mother said with a laugh.
"This isn't for fun Lily, this is serious," he father said sternly.
"Oh all right, so can I talk to Alder?"
"Yes but we're all going down with you," Shiloh said. She nodded and headed for the basement door.
She opened the door and headed down in front of them all. When she reached the floor she looked around, and there he was, one of her kidnappers tied to a chair.
"Hello Alder," she said as she walked to him.
Alder looked up in surprise at her. "Lily," he said, fear lacing his voice. Her family filed in the room behind her.
She crept closer and inspected him. He had very few wounds, meaning they had probably used metal for most of it. The largest wound was in his side where a stake had penetrated. It had been taken out by her parents and lay beside him on the floor.
"Looks like your orders don't matter anymore, especially since you couldn't follow through with them," she murmured as she thought about the day Ash had called him. A look of anger crossed his face.
"Don't worry about my orders Lily, worry about yourself. When I get free I'm coming back for you and Ash," he growled.
She nodded thoughtfully, "I had thought as much, that's why you'll never get free. Now, who sent you to kill Ash and how many were sent?" She asked sweetly.
Alder smirked. "Why would I tell you that?"
"Because if you don't then this pretty little stake, which I can tell you've already been aquainted with, will meet your spine. I'll make it so you never walk again. Have you ever met a crippled vampire?" She smiled again as she picked up the wooden stake covered in his blood. His eyes grew large as he saw it.
"You wouldn't," he growled.
"Oh wouldn't I? After what you did to me?" She laughed. "Someone pull him forward in the chair please?" Ash stepped forward to comply when a cry burst forth from Alder.
"I'll talk," he yelled. She smiled down at him, he really was a whimp.
It had only taken him a half hour to give her the names of the Night World Assassins that were after Ash, seven in all, including Alder, and one very powerful made vampire, his name was Azheda. He was one of the oldest made vampires in the Night World, she learned, the only one older in fact was Thiery himself. He was the ones that had sent the assassins after Ash in the first place, and he lived in Vegas.
"Ash needs to get out of San Francisco, they all know you're here," Shiloh said when they were upstairs.
"I'll come with you to Vegas, I should speak with Thiery anyway," Ash said.
"That's fine, Shiloh take Ash back to his place to pack a few things, the rest of you go pack yourselves, we're leaving tomorrow," their mother said. They all nodded and left to pack their things. Lily went upstairs, a smile lighting her face as she did. She had never been to Vegas, it could be fun.
She opened her door and stepped inside, not bothering to look around as she closed the door. A hand covered her mouth as she went to turn on her bedroom light.
"Don't scream it's just me," a voice said, Lily's eyes opened wide as she recognized Adam's voice.
The hand was lifted from her mouth and Adam stood there smiling.
"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked.
"I had to talk to you without that guy looking over your shoulder. Look Lily I don't know what the hell is going on but I don't like that guy and I think you should dump him."
Lily burst out laughing. "Ash?" She asked incredulously. Adam nodded, looking confused. "I don't know where you get your information Adam but Ash is a friend of the families and from what I could tell deeply involved with someone else." Lily had been trying all morning to get Ash's attention, possibly get him alone. After a few hours of trying she gave up. She had caught a picture escaping his walls once or twice of a pretty girl with dark hair and eyes, she knew Ash was hers.
"Then why were you wearing his shirt?" Adam asked curiously.
"That's none of your damn bussiness. Now if you'll please leave I have to get packed, I'm leaving tomorrow," Lily said, pointing to her door.
"Leaving where?"
"Again that's none of your bussiness," she growled getting annoyed.
"You would always tell me stuff like this Lily, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing," she sighed and sat down on her bed. "Look Adam some things have changed in the past month, I can't tell you where I'm going and I can't tell you why, and that's all I can say," she finished lamely.
"Will you call me at least?"
She stopped herself from saying of course, she didn't know if she could. "Maybe, it depends on a lot of things."
"How long will you be gone?"
She shrugged, "until I come back." Adam looked at her before nodding and walking towards the door.
"I'm sorry I broke into your room and went kinda weird on you," he said, then left. Lily watched him go silently. She wanted to tell Adam everything, she really did, the problem was she didn't want him to get hurt.
With a sigh she turned her mind to happier thoughts, she was going to Vegas in the morning.
Thanks to all my lovely reviewers... No wait... reviewer again, oh well. Anyway have you figured out what story you would like to make a cameo in Windy? Let me know in your review!
Thanks, and keep reviewing everyone!
