Chapter 21

Corde

"What do you know about your charms?" Jesse asked.

"Um, I've only summoned my blade so far. Thomas told me that the others could be called forth the same way, but I haven't used them yet," I paused. "Except Aider, I tried that once on Thomas."

"What did you need to do that for?" Jesse questioned curiously.

I blushed. I was still embarrassed about the whole thing.

"I cracked him… I didn't do it on purpose! He was chasing me and my instincts took over. I let out this flash of light, and it shattered his body horribly."

Jesse's smile was now enormous. Not exactly what I had expected after you tell someone that you nearly murdered their brother.

"So Thomas told you to heal him, did he?"

"No, I just somehow knew," I paused. "An idea came into my head and I went with it. His body had already healed before I started. He said that he had a headache, so I tried to take it away."

Jesse laughed, "That must have been quite the punch."

"Yeah, it was."

Jesse laughed again.

"Alright," his voice turned slightly more serious. "Your charms are French, so for now we will summon them in that language. Once you are proficient, you may summon them in any language that seems natural for you."

"Thomas told me I could do that."

"Close your eyes, Danny."

I closed them. This was familiar to me.

"Repeat after me," Jesse's tone was quiet and strong. "Corde."

"Corde!" I shouted.

This time the burn did not emanate from my necklace; instead it came from my bracelet. My right hand instantly tore the jewelry from my left wrist.

I opened my eyes and stared at the thick silver thread that was coiled in my hand. The handle met the glowing string seamlessly, it was difficult to tell where the grip ended and the cord began.

"In the future you can summon this charm by saying the words 'cord' or 'rope'. Eventually you will not need words at all to summon your charms," Jesse instructed me. "With your charms words really aren't that important. It's what you're thinking that matters."

"So I won't have to say 'Arme' to summon my blade?" I asked timidly. My necklace started to burn, so I tore it from my neck with my left hand.

Jesse chuckled, "No, you won't. And it will help to prevent you from unwillingly summoning your weapons."

I stared at my blade and then sheepishly looked up at Jesse. William joined us in the room.

"Since you have them both out, we will work on using two of your charms together. Your rope has many purposes, it can be used to capture your opponent, if you need to climb, lower or swing yourself, and it can be used as a transmitter to deliver your fire or shock."

"Come again?" I needed clarification.

"Your Électrochoc and Flamme charms are exactly that: shock and fire. You can send these elements through your blade or cord to transmit them onto your enemies. You can only kill a vampire by fire Danny, how else did you expect to burn them?"

"I hadn't given it any thought yet," I admitted quietly.

"It's OK. Let's give it a try," he spoke as he grabbed the phony blade and rope from the wall. "Your weapons will be able to do much more than these, but I should be able to demonstrate well enough."

I remembered that only the Master and slayer of a Calling can share charms. I wondered how Thomas was doing. I could still feel the shield I placed around Jesse, William and myself. I didn't remove it.

Jesse walked over to his father.

"Take your rope and try and trap dad," he instructed as he snapped his wrist while handling the rope. I watched as the cord lashed out towards William and the end wound itself around him several times, binding him tightly.

"Then focus on your blade and say 'flamme'," he commanded as he raised his blade and then brought it down towards William's stomach. He stopped just before hitting him with it.

"You can complete your strike with your blade, you will not cut your rope or hurt dad," he smiled. "Go ahead."

Jesse flicked his wrist and the cord slithered off of his father and fell to the ground. He stepped aside and motioned me to try it myself.

I let my strand of rope fall to the floor while holding onto its handle. I then pulled my arm back and swung towards William.

The cord wriggled like a snake, but did not move with any force.

"Remember to flick your wrist Danny," William encouraged. "At the end of your throw, snap through with the top end of your handle pointed towards me."

I nodded and then wound up my arm again. As I threw the rope I flicked my wrist lightly. This time the cord wrapped around William, but only for a second. It wound itself loosely, and after only a moment the cord limply fell to the ground.

"Its timing and force," Jesse suggested. "Try waiting a half second longer and then snapping a little faster."

I was getting frustrated with myself, and circled my arm with the force of anger. It helped. On my next attempt my timing was perfect as I followed through with a hard snap of my wrist. I watched as my cord lit up gently as it tightly wrapped itself around William.

"Very good Danny," Jesse spoke proudly. "Now once you see the cord coil itself around your victim make sure you pull the rope back. This will bind your opponent as tightly as possible and bring them towards you. As you pull on the rope, step towards your victim preparing to strike. Remember that all these creatures you fight are incredibly strong and fast. Once you bind them with your rope, you will not have long before they will be able to free themselves."

I released my coiled rope with a light flick of my wrist, and then I prepared myself for another attack.

I stared intently into William's eyes and lashed my cord towards him, as the end of the rope snaked around his body I lunged myself into the air. My instincts thought of a word, and my lungs expelled it.

"Fire!" I heard my voice exclaim as I swung my blade through his body. I watched as the end of my weapon lit up with excitement but left William completely unharmed. I was impressed when I realized I just called forth a charm in English.

"Nicely done!" Jesse congratulated me with a large smile. "Now remember, fire works well on vampires, but on werewolves and shifters it's best to use your shock."

"Is there any particular way that I need to kill the immortal creatures? I know vampires must be burned, and Thomas said that shifters can be killed the same way that humans can, what about werewolves?" I inquired of my eager trainer.

"Most slayers will cut apart a vampire with their blade before they try to burn them; it's just easier that way." Jesse looked up and smiled broadly at me. "We have a tendency to run when we are on fire. If you are able to use your cord or your mind to hold a vampire still, tearing us apart first is not necessary.

"As for the other creatures," Jesse continued. "They succumb to injuries much the same as humans do, if you want to be absolutely certain with a werewolf, stab his heart with your blade. Werewolves can be slightly more resilient than shifters. Silver is deadly to them, it's the main reason your charms are made of that metal."

"Alright Danny, let's see how you do against a moving target, shall we?" William encouraged. "Not many of your victims will be standing still."

"Ok." I flicked my wrist and set William free. I watched as he moved away from me and stood in the center of the room.

"Try and anticipate his movement," Jesse instructed. William stared at me trying not to grin.

I took a step forward and William stepped to the side. As I charged further William started to dance away from me. After several casual strides I sprinted towards him and whipped my blade at my fellow slayer, but the strand did nothing but grasp at thin air. William had long since removed himself out of reach of my cord.

I tried again and again, failing with equal misery each time. Soon I was panting and breathless, and started to fill with small amounts of anger and resentment.

"You are going to have to use your mind on him Danny. Slow him down. Feel where he is and where he wants to go. Stop him in his path," Jesse advised me. This was turning out to be way more difficult than it looked.

I slowly, but eventually got the hang of the drill although I wouldn't have considered myself proficient at it. Eventually I heard Jesse's voice make me stop.

"Alright Danny, that is enough for tonight," Jesse resigned after noticing the buckets of sweat pour off my body. "We better stop before Thomas accuses me of wearing you out."

"I'm ok, really," I said defensively through gasps of air.

Jesse smiled at me.

"I can keep going," I insisted.

"Not tonight, I don't want to have to face the wrath of my brother," Jesse acknowledged as he placed his arm on my back and led us out of the training room.

"How are you going to take her home Jesse?" I heard William's voice come from behind us. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"Actually, why not just let her stay here? It's not a great idea to leave without Thomas, and it's safe for her here. Danny can sleep in Thomas's room, that way we both can be here with her until he comes back. I am sure that Thomas won't mind." Jesse then pushed me down a hallway I had not been down before. We stopped outside a large oak door. "Danny, you need to lift your shield now, I will let Thomas know that he can find you here when he is done. He will tell your dad that you will stay here tonight."

"Are you sure you don't mind, I don't want to impose…" I was hesitant. I've never slept at anyone's house (aside from Mel's) that wasn't my own. Sleeping at Thomas's place, IN HIS ROOM, was something I wasn't sure how I was supposed to feel about.

"It's safer for you this way, and I am sure your parents would agree. I will phone your mom and let her know. Here are some towels and pajamas for you, make yourself comfortable." William had grabbed some linen from the closet in the hall and placed it in my hands while Jesse opened the door to Thomas's room and waved me inside.

"My room is attached to Thomas's through the washroom, if you need anything, just ask. I won't be far," Jesse requested thoughtfully.

I then stepped past Jesse and felt my mouth drop. The room was beyond huge. Four large glass windows lined the outside wall allowing the moonlight to cast milky shadows across the open floor. The left side of room was lined with familiar carvings of gargoyles, a fireplace and a four poster, old fashioned, king size bed. In the center of the right side of the room were two large doors, I could only assume that they led to the shower, while the back and front of the room had various pieces of furniture scattered throughout. The 18th century seemed to meet the 21st century perfectly in this open space, all the furniture was carved in oak and covered in shades of amber fabric while the room was lit with stylish lamps and lined with trendy décor, clearly designs of the last decade. Atop the oak desk was a laptop plugged into the wall, and a stereo sat on what looked like one of several dressers.

"Remember to lift your shield Danny," Jesse reminded me. "And call me, even if you simply sense something. I won't be far," he smiled. "Good night."

"Good night," I nodded and Jesse closed the door.

After taking a deep breath I was pleasantly reminded of Thomas because the room was filled with his scent. I closed my eyes, lifting the fog that I had placed earlier to protect my thoughts from him.

"You're so spoiled," I whispered into the air, thinking of my personal protector while absorbing the vastness of my surroundings. "…and I missed you tonight."

I sighed as I marched over to the large doors in the middle of the room. I heard a faint creek as I pulled them apart. To my surprise, the bathroom was very modern. This room was also large, for a washroom, with new tile, shower, clawfoot tub, sink and cupboards.

I started to go through the linen William had given me. I was grateful when I noticed a new toothbrush stashed between pajama tops and bottoms. I separated my towels from the rest of the linens placing them on top of the counter beside the shower. I started to peel off my clothes while turning on the polished steel taps and adjusting the temperature of the water. I let the shower run hotter than I normally would and steam quickly filled the room as a result.

The water fell like rain, attacking my sticky, sweaty skin. The stall contained only boy'ish soaps and shampoos, but I didn't care, they would do in a pinch. I popped open the lid of the body wash and took a gentle whiff. The smell wasn't overpoweringly masculine, so I poured some into my hand and lathered it around my body. I felt it take away all traces of perspiration from my skin. I took my time as I put shampoo and conditioner in my hair. I found that the shower was extremely relaxing; I forgot where I was and the fact that I wouldn't be sleeping at home tonight.

Before the water turned cold, I reluctantly removed myself from the comfort of the stall, dried myself off and put on the oversized pajamas. They felt like they weren't ever used, yet had a very old style to them. I tightened the drawstring around my waist and buttoned the flannel top. I then walked over to the sink and scrubbed my teeth with my new toothbrush and some toothpaste. I found a comb behind the mirror and ran it effortlessly through my hair. Thomas's conditioner worked well.

As my body started to cool down from the heat of my shower, the lids on my eyes began to drop. I let out a large yawn as I walked through the bathroom doors.

I heard a chuckle come from the bed.

"Spoiled am I?" Thomas laughed. "You do pretty well yourself, Miss Lanigan."

I practically sprinted across the room and pounced on the mattress. I wrestled myself under the covers and snuggled up to his chest.

"How was hunting?"

"Ok. We didn't go far," Thomas answered. "How come you were blocking me?"

"Oh, that," I yawned. "I had some questions for your dad, and I didn't want you to worry because I knew you would be part of the answer."

"What kind of questions?"

I looked up at Thomas and saw him staring at me with loving, yet perplexed eyes. I wrinkle creased his forehead.

"Well, when I first met your father I had a vision," I answered. "It was a picture of him on the day you, Jesse and Michelle chose to become vampires."

Thomas's arms suddenly tightened around me. His body was rigid.

"I felt that your dad was supposed to tell me what happened. Jesse filled in some of the gaps."

"How much did they tell you?" he asked curtly.

"Everything," I responded. "But don't be mad! Your father was supposed to be the one to tell me. Something inside of me told me that he was the one I needed to ask."

I yawned again.

Slowly, the tension in Thomas's arms faded. I felt a cool kiss in my damp hair.

"We will talk about this tomorrow. Get some sleep."

My mind was beginning to drift, blackness was overtaking me.

"Ok. I love you," I yawned one last time.

"I love you too. Good night Danny," his gentle voice whispered.

I quickly fell asleep as his continuing kisses brushed through my hair.

I felt myself yawn and stretch as the morning brought me out of my slumber. Thomas was at my side, with his hand across my body and intoxicating my senses with the smell of his sweet breath. I could definitely get used to this kind of slumber party.

"Good morning. How did you sleep?" Thomas spoke as my lashes fluttered awake.

"Dreamless, but really good." My body was involuntarily stretching itself from head to toe.

"Dad is cooking you some breakfast; I thought you would need something substantial, seeing as how you will be having a long day."

"Huh?"

"We have our games against Quesnel tonight," Thomas answered. "I put the bag of clothes you mom gave me last night in the washroom. Your volleyball equipment and school bags are already in the car… Get dressed sleepy head."

I blushed as Thomas grinned at me.

Once I was dressed and washed all the sleep from my eyes, Thomas lead me downstairs to the kitchen where we were greeted warmly by William.

"Good morning Danny! I hope you like ham and eggs." William motioned me to sit at the table.

"Love them actually." Ham and eggs were my absolute favorite.

I looked at the spread before me as I sat down. Juice, coffee, milk and water were placed in appropriate pitchers; there was a bowl of fruit, several bran muffins and warm whole wheat toast placed in the center of a table set for two. William was obviously joining me.

"This looks great. Thank you!" My mouth was watering. I forgot how hungry training had made me the morning after my last session.

"You're welcome. I enjoy the fact that I have the chance to cook for someone other than myself. You will have to come and join me more often." William placed a plate filled with eggs and ham in front of me. It smelled so good.

Thomas took a seat in a chair beside me while William went and grabbed his plate from the counter and then sat at the other place setting on the table.

"Danny, can I ask a favor of you?" William looked at me as I was shoveling in spoonfuls of egg into my mouth.

I stopped momentarily to allow myself to clear my mouth of all the pieces of egg.

"Sure."

"This weekend is Thanksgiving, and with the threat on your family it would be best if everyone was together. I was thinking that perhaps you could invite your family over here, I will cook for everyone. It would allow everyone the chance to get to know each other and then no one will be separated."

"Sounds good to me," I shrugged. I never put a lot of thought into holiday preparations before. I usually just showed up when they served the food. "Mom will insist on bringing something though, what should I tell her?"

"Tell her to phone me," he said through a smile.

"Will do," I responded as I raised a mouthful of ham and popped it in my mouth.

Thomas chuckled as he placed his hand on my back and started rubbing circles as I chewed.

"You're hungry." His soft voice was amused.

"Yep." This was not a time to be wordy, I was eating. I grabbed some toast from the pile in front of me and took a large bite.

Laughter came from both Thomas and William as they witnessed my actions.

"It's good," I insisted, forgetting my manners and talking with my mouth full of toast.

Williams responding smile was warm and genuine. He poured me some orange juice from the pitcher as I continued to devour my food.

"I'm going to like having you around Danny," he laughed.

"Thank you." It was a response to both the compliment and gesture of filling my glass. I then took a large swig of the thick, sweet liquid. It was really good too.

The rest of breakfast was filled with comfortable silence, aside from my noisy chomping. After I ate my second helping of meat and eggs, I pushed my plate away from me.

"Thanks so much for the breakfast. I was great," I spoke contently, patting my stomach.

Thomas smiled at me as he picked up my dishes and took them to the sink with movements that were too quick for a human. I instantly felt awkward, thinking I should help clean up. William noticed my urge to move and to help and assured me immediately.

"Don't worry about the clean up you two," he commanded softly then turned his attention to his son. "I've got all day. Besides, I think Danny would like a minute or two before she goes to school."

Thomas flashed over to me and took my hand.

"Let's get you… freshened up?" Thomas hesitated through a grin.

"Kay." I was blushing.

"Have a good day guys." William waved us out of his kitchen. "And good luck at your games tonight."

I waved goodbye to William and then Thomas and I went to his room. Once there he spun me into an affectionate embrace, his cool arms giving me a warm hug. I didn't look up to meet his eyes.

"We have some time to kill. Is there anything you need before we go to class?" I could feel his chin up against my ear.

"Yeah," I sighed, comfortable where I was. "I should try to tame my hair and brush my teeth and, well … human stuff."

His arms slowly dropped from around me placing his hands in my own. A kiss found its way to my forehead.

"Do you need anything?" He asked gently.

"No, mom packed my toiletry bag with my clothes. I'm good."

"Alright." His arms spun me towards the washroom although his feet didn't move. I brushed past him and he whispered, "I'll wait here."

My face flushed.

I think I did my hygiene in record time, leaving my gums a little raw from the forceful brushing in an effort to be both thorough and quick. After I was done I loaded my night bag, slug it over my shoulder and left the washroom.

The moment I opened the door I was scooped up in a pair of hard strong arms. Before I could blink Thomas was sitting on the edge of the bed with me on his lap. I looked up at his face, and saw the creases in his forehead.

"What's wrong?" I raised my hand to his cheek as I spoke. He turned away to avoid looking into my eyes.

There was a short pause. My beating heart filled the silence.

"What do you think of me?" he asked shyly.

"What do you mean?" That seemed to come out of nowhere.

"Last night, you blocked me. I have no idea why you felt you needed to do that." He looked at me with a very concerned gaze. "You found out things about my darkest hour, and you didn't come to me with your questions. It was one of the most personal, and regrettable things that happened to me in my life and you found out about it from someone else… Why didn't you want to hear it from me?"

I gulped.

"I'm not proud of what I did Danny, and I won't hold it against you if you feel… differently towards me because of it," he spoke somberly.

"What?" Huh?

"Danny, I willingly went into this. My actions were based on rage and vengeance. Then I killed people to sustain myself. The fact that you didn't come to me with your questions makes me feel like you were …," he paused, searching for the right word. "Disgusted with what you learned about me."

I tried to process his statement.

"So you think that I didn't talk to you about it because I would be repulsed?" I watched him flinch. "And that I would love you less afterwards?"

"Yes," he admitted as his eyes hit the floor.

I felt an eyebrow raise on my forehead, I started to rub my thumb across his cheek.

"There are so many things that I've done wrong Danny."

My thumb stopped rubbing his cheek as my hand cupped his jaw making him turn and face me, his mouth just inches away. I knew words could not offer comfort; so I put my mouth into action and pressed it against his.

I was forceful, aggressive, and deliberate. I felt his hesitation and reluctance as I moved my lips across the marble surface of his skin.

My mouth was busy, so I had to use another method of communication.

"I missed you last night. I love you."

I continued to kiss, I continued to taste.

"I love you and I NEVER plan to stop."

His lips started to respond.

"I love you. I trust you. I want you. I need you."

With each thought I showed him he sweetly deepened the return of his kiss until he started to take over. His sadness had turned to longing, his doubt was now determination.

Heat, warm and pleasurable fire ignited in my body as it responded to his touch, his want, his wish.

I could feel my lips turn red from the pressure of his mouth. I tasted the sweetness of his breath. I did not want to stop, but I knew I was going to need time to regroup from THIS. It required all of my resolve to slow the pace of my eager mouth.

"Now take me to school." My lips lingered, tenderly sucking his bottom lip. I slowly opened my lashes.

"Thank you, Danny." His eyes lifted up to meet mine. "I love you."

And then we made our way to school.