Disclaimers: I don't own the Nightworld or any of the concepts or recognisable characters, that copyright remains with L. J. Smith so please don't sue me... I can't afford it ::lol::. Any unrecognisable characters are my own though, so please don't use them with out my permission. Oh and I'd love it if you'd R&R.
Part 4: Chase
What the hell is a Belmontia doing here? The thought echoed through Chase Redfern's mind almost savagely. Despite their unquestioning loyalty to the council, not a single one of them are assassin-material! Besides, their hatred of the Daybreakers is too well known and ingrained for one of them to be here to spy!
At that moment the image of a young 10-year-old kid, with a mass of riotous red hair, and hazel eyes that saw altogether far too much flashed across his mind. Valerine… Chase grimaced, not wanting to think about her, not wanting to dredge up old memories, but his mind didn't seem to get the message, the old memories overwhelming him, the mischievously grinning 10 year old being replaced with a more solemn 15 year old…
"Chase…Chase! Wait up!"
Chase paused, turned round slowly, amber eyes lighting up as he saw the slender 15 year old, her hair a mass of unruly curls around a face, that if not classically beautiful was in no way ugly. "Valerine," he grinned, watching as the hazel eyes a complete contrast to the green eyes that was a Belmontia family trait lit up with her answering smile. He'd always found Val easy to read, ever since they'd first met four years ago, the day that he'd first run into her - literally. "When did you get back?"
"Four days ago," she sighed, absent-mindedly tucking a strand of fiery red hair that all Belmontias had behind her left ear. "You wouldn't believe it to see it though, it's almost as if I never left! Four days and my parents haven't approved of a *single* thing I've done!" She made a face.
Chase looked at her, "Valerine, your parents, hell make that the whole of your family have *never* approved of *anything* you do," His voice was wry. "I doubt they'd break with tradition and start now!"
Valerine sighed in response.
Chase looked at her sharply, swallowing the curse he'd nearly uttered automatically, with what he thought was remarkable constraint on his part. "What's wrong Valerine?"
"I…I…Um nothing."
Chase looked sceptical "Sure, and I'm really Santa Claus in disguise." He continued in a softer voice "I know you're lying, but I don't want to talk out here in the streets, and I have a feeling that your parents don't know that you're here with me." He grinned at her scowl, before continuing "So how about I buy you one of those disgustingly sweet sundaes you seem so addicted to, and you tell me the truth about what's wrong. Deal?"
Valerine looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, then grinned. "Do you realise how much trouble I'm going to be in if any of the family catches me with you?" Her hazel eyes had a daredevil light in them, and another emotion that disappeared so quickly, he couldn't be sure whether or not it was a figment of his imagination…
Chase grimaced, forcing the memories back. Valerine was the last person he wanted to think of at the moment. She belonged to a Chase Redfern that no longer existed, a Chase that had died the night he'd found out that she'd left town with that cousin of hers…What was her name again? Theo! Theo Keillor! Abandoned him for Circle Daybreak and the Daybreakers. He shook his head, Valerine belongs to the past, a past if which I'm lucky I'll never have the misfortune to meet. After all we'd be on opposite sides now…She's a traitor to the Nightworld, and I… I'm one of its best executioners. He sighed once more, then left the apartment to hunt wondering why those last thoughts of his had managed to depress him so much.