Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L.J. Smith as are any
of the characters you recognize like Thierry, Hannah, Keller, Lupe
etc.
Spoilers: All of the Night World books especially Witchlight as this
story occurs at the same time as Witchlight.
Author's notes: Just so you know ^=thought, "=speech and ~=telepathic
communication. I should also say that my description of Gwern's driving ability is a true story of what someone I know did except he was driving a tractor at the time.
Here's a little something for the weekend, well a couple of chapters anyway. Thanks to Water Angel and Mandy for reviewing the last part. I really cannot thank you enough, I hope you like these parts too.
Part 12.
Icarus was sitting at the table surrounded by bits of metal and tools when Des got up.
"What you doing?" Des asked.
"Trying to fix this stupid toaster," Icarus replied, "it got trashed in the fight last night. I told Gwern fixing it was his job seeing he was on clean up duty, know what he said?"
"What?" Des asked.
"He said he's not mechanically minded."
"I'm not," Gwern said from the door.
"More like lazy as sin and not willing to admit it," Icarus replied and let out an exasperated sigh, "how the hell am I supposed to fix this? It looks like one of those airfix models I never could make, always had wings where the engines should be and engines for wheels."
"Well you know what they say," Gwern said, "if at first you don't succeed."
"Then skydiving isn't for you," Des interjected with a smile.
"I was going to say destroy all evidence that you tried, but yours is as good," Gwern replied grinning.
"So I'll dump the heap of junk?" Icarus said.
"Yep then buy a new one and let people believe it's the old one on which you performed an amazing feat of technical ability," Des suggested.
Icarus grinned, "Knew there was a reason I liked this girl," he said to Gwern.
A very tired and rumbled looking Winema appeared at the door. "What's going on?" she asked.
"We're having a moment of silence in memory of the brave little toaster who lost its life in last night's goings on," Icarus told her.
"Then we're going to school," Gwern added.
"What? Why?" she groaned.
"Hey don't look at me, I thought I'd seen the last of high school last year," Icarus told her. "Believe me having to go back isn't something I'm enjoying."
"Because," Gwern answered, "you want to stay here then we've got to carry on as normal, we don't want any nosy humans coming looking to see what's wrong and wondering what four teenagers are doing living on their own."
"But why today?" Winema said resting her head on the table, "I'm too tired to go to school and it's the last day before holidays it's not like we'll be doing anything."
"Tough," Gwern replied.
Des sighed, oh yeah Mr. I'm in charge, you must grovel before me was back.
~Yeah,~ his voice said in her head, ~my life would be so much easier if people would learn to worship me.~
~I wish you'd stop reading my thoughts,~ she replied suppressing a smile.
~Believe me I'm trying, you just thought that one really loud, you must really believe it.~
Then he was gone, no cloud of smoke just an empty space that he had filled for that one minute when he was in her mind. Having him there for that one moment just opened up the wound again, made it hurt all over again.
"Come on," she said to Winema, "maybe it we start pumping you full of caffeine now you might survive the day."
"Only if you start injecting caffeine straight into my bloodstream now," Winema replied wiping sleep from her eyes, "So how are we getting to school anyway?" she asked.
"I'm driving," Gwern replied.
Des just kept herself from groaning, she hadn't been in the car with Gwern since the night they'd arrived and he hadn't exactly impressed her with his driving skills that night. Icarus grinned interpreting her look exactly.
"Yeah, I know getting into a car with Gwern 'Doomsday Machine' Burdock doesn't seem like an enjoyable prospect but what can we do?"
"I'm sure he's not that bad," Winema said.
"Oh he is," Icarus replied, "you never really learn to swear until you get into a car Gwern's driving. Did I tell you guys about the time he crashed into a house?"
"He crashed into a house," Winema exclaimed. "How the hell did he manage that? I mean other car, truck, bus, even wall I could understand but a house?"
"Yeah well it wasn't all my fault," Gwern said miffed, "'Rus told me there was nothing behind me."
"Because I assumed you could see the hulking, great, big two storey building behind you," Icarus retorted.
Des sniggered, "You hit a two storey house."
"We all make mistakes," Gwern replied.
"Yeah but most of them don't involve 3,000 dollars worth of damage to a car and cracking the wall of a house."
"You cracked the wall," Des said dissolving into giggles, she couldn't help herself.
They were all laughing now even Gwern, though his laughter was a more sheepish, embarrassed sort of laughing. Des was surprised how good it felt, maybe it was because they were releasing the tension or something but it just felt nice.
"If he's so bad a driver why are you guys letting him drive?" Winema asked.
"Because Des and I are careful law abiding drivers and if we get anyone following us we are not equipped to handle that but Gwern is," Icarus replied, "anyone in their right mind would get off the road as soon as they saw him coming. Plus it's always good for a laugh."
"Come on Winema, you can handle it," Des said with a smile, "just remember that which doesn't kill us makes us stronger."
The rest of the day was a bit of a blur for Des, a sleep deprived blur and she had the disconcerted feeling that she may have fallen asleep in some classes. She went back to bed for a few hours when they got home, she wasn't sure she'd sleep, she always found it hard to go back to sleep in the middle of the day but she conked out as soon as she hit the pillow.
"Hey," Icarus said when she eventually got up again, "Guess what, we're going to a party."
"We're what?" she asked.
"Going to a party," Winema replied for him.
"Why? Do you know about this?" she asked Gwern.
"Yeah," he replied sheepishly.
"And you agreed," Des said shocked.
"Well yeah," he said softly.
"But what about Winema? What about the Dark Ninjas?"
"I want to go," Winema said, "don't you think we need a break? To forget what's been going on for a while?"
"You guys go I'll stay here," Des replied.
"But Des," Winema began.
"You have to come," Icarus interrupted, "you have to come." He pouted his bottom lip and gave her huge puppy dog eyes. "Come on," he said, "no one can resist the puppy dog face."
Des laughed, "Alright I guess an hour or two wouldn't be too bad."
"That's the almost spirit," Icarus said, "try and up it a couple of notches before the party and we'll be going places."
Elissa thought her party was going to be a total bust, neither Gwern nor Icarus had turned up, so basically her whole reason for throwing the party was null and void. Just as she was thinking this the doorbell rang. She opened the door to find the two boys and Winema and the other girl whose name she still couldn't remember. Her moment of happiness was almost dashed when she thought 2 guys, 2 girls and made the inevitable conclusion. She quickly pushed that thought aside, not a chance, maybe one of them was dating Winema but there was no way either of them was dating the other girl. No offence to her or anything but she just wasn't in a league with Icarus and Gwern, not by a long shot.
Des could hear the music thumping before she got out of the car. The house wasn't exactly big and judging from the amount of cars around the place was packed. ^Is it too late to back out now,^ she thought remembering why exactly it was she wasn't a party person.
Elissa answered the door for them. "You made it," she said in a perky voice that irritated the hell out of Des. "Come in," she said stepping away from the door. As soon as they got inside she dragged Gwern and Icarus off somewhere.
"I guess we've been left to our own devices," Winema said to Des, "again."
"It would appear so, yes," Des replied.
"Do you think we should offer her subtlety lessons, I mean there's obvious, there's blatant and then there's Elissa."
Des grinned, "Yeah well knowing Icarus and Gwern she'd have to hit them over the head with a brick for them to notice, they're kind of oblivious when it comes to that kind of thing. Well Icarus is anyway, he told me that Elissa isn't interested in them as anything other than friends."
Winema snorted, "Blind as a decapitated rabbit."
"What?" Des asked with a laugh.
"It's something my Dad used to say. He said blind as a bat was wrong because bats aren't blind so he made up his own saying."
"Well it's colourful," Des said with a smile.
"That it is," Winema replied.
Des walked around the house, it was a pretty nice place, she wondered if Elissa's parents knew about this party and what they'd think when they saw the mess when they got home. She wouldn't like to be Elissa then but she wouldn't mind being there to watch. She knew she was being bitchy, she couldn't help it, something about the girl rubbed her the wrong way, she was sure she was a very nice person but she just couldn't see it. It could be the way she hung all over the boys or the way she acted towards her and Winema, she didn't know.
She made her way back to the living room where the centre of the party was and the dancing and hopefully Winema. It was Icarus she met first.
"Hey," she said not having to shout because someone had put on a soft, slow song.
"Hey," he replied, "having fun?"
"I guess," she said.
"I guess means no," Icarus said back.
"Yeah okay then, I'm not having fun."
He smiled, "We'll just have to rectify that won't we. By the way what I said before about Elissa and being friends, I guess I got it wrong," he said indicating the area where everyone was dancing. Des followed his gaze to where Gwern and Elissa were dancing. Dancing close, very close, too close in Des's opinion.
"I need some air," she whispered quickly not caring if he heard her or not and headed for the door. She sat on the wall in front of Elissa's house and felt tears prickling the back of her eyes. What was wrong with her, why was she acting like this? The answer hit her with the power of a pile driver, jealousy. She was jealous, she almost laughed, she had pushed him away and now she was jealous that someone else wanted him. How pathetic was she?
She took a deep breath in through her nose, she had to calm down, to control herself but her mind didn't seem to want to let her do that. Images of Gwern and Elissa so close together you couldn't put a knife between them kept being thrown up at her. Her teeth were gritted and her fingernails were cutting little crescents in the palms of her hands. Oh Goddess, how could she feel like this, it wasn't right, she should either want him or not want him there was no middle ground.
Elissa wrapped her arms around Gwern's neck, dancing closer. She smiled up at him aware that she probably looked starry eyed and maybe a little too happy, how could she not, he was so gorgeous, those deep blue eyes that were framed by thick black lashes she envied him. He had cupid's bow shaped lips and there was something about his bone structure that made him look proud, almost regal. Proud and wilful but still gorgeous. She wanted to kiss him, to reach up and press her lips to his. She attempted to do so but he stopped her.
"No," he said, "no." He pushed her away from him; "I've got to go."
Des could feel tears coming freely now. She hated that he could make her react like this, make her feel like this, she hated him. She was thinking this when she felt a breath on her face and a presence looming over her. She looked up to see gold and then she felt the pressure on her lips. It started as a gentle movement against her mouth but then it became a hard caressing motion, a demanding kiss. It took her by surprise at first so she couldn't react but then she began to struggle, trying to push him off her.
He stopped suddenly. "Get away from me," she whispered, whispered because she was afraid anything louder would become a scream, too easily become a scream.
"With pleasure, I've achieved what I came here to do anyway."
He was looking past her now, towards the house. She turned to see what he was looking at and saw Gwern half way down the path.
^Oh Goddess,^ she thought, ^how much did he see.^
She pushed herself from the wall, ignoring the blond vampire beside her and walked towards Gwern. He was really, really angry, his fists were clenched and she could see tremors running through his body, she'd never seen anyone so angry before, so angry they were shaking. It made her mad, what right had he to be angry, he who up until a few moments ago was conjoined with Elissa. All her disgust and fear at what had just happened evaporated leaving only anger.
"Who was that?" Gwern spat through gritted teeth.
"No one you know," Des replied.
Gwern was so angry he couldn't think straight, all he could see was Des and the vampire kissing, it was replaying over and over again in his head. Then Des's attitude, like it was nothing to do with him, like she didn't give a damn about him and maybe she didn't, maybe she really did hate him. He didn't know what it was, hurt pride, broken heart but he was angrier than he could remember ever being before.
"Known him long or was he just some guy you decided to jump while he was coming down the street?"
Des could hear the bitterness in his voice and felt indignation fill her, it wasn't as if she had wanted to kiss him, she had fought him to stop. She was the one with the right to be angry, no one had been forcing him to dance with Elissa, no one making them wrap themselves round each other like that.
"What about you?" she snapped, "get tried of the slut or are you just taking a breather while Icarus does her?"
Des saw Gwern's eyes turn liquid silver and realised too late she'd pushed him too far. She barely caught the movement as his hand came down across the side of her face. It stung but twice as bad as the slap was the hurt, the pain she sensed in Gwern as his palm made contact. Tears welled in her eyes, what had she done, what had he done.
Gwern was standing there a look of shock and horror on his face. She felt the pain in her cheek and it was surprisingly familiar, the blond vampire had hit her like that before. She couldn't believe she had thought Gwern might be different, he was the same, all vampires were the same. No matter how they acted or how they appeared underneath they were all the same.
The strange thing was that while she was standing her still reeling from Gwern's blow she could feel the connection between them, feel it tugging painfully. For a few moments she thought she could see it, a line of fire burning bright orange, powerful, pure and scary. She could feel it winding around her heart and it burned Goddess how it burned. She ran, hoping that the connection would weaken if she got away from Gwern, far away from him.
