1 Changes
"Did Trinidad know you were half vampire?" Damon asked me as he drove us toward the cemetery. From the back seat, Madelyn and Julian quirked an eyebrow.
I shook my head. He thought that my mother was a lamia, which made me one as well. Wrong! Like Damon said I was a perfect fifty-fifty percent vampire and human.
"Does your family know?" Madelyn asked softly.
Jasmina and Morigan certainly didn't. Branton didn't think much about my abilities, he thought I was just psychic. Vampires were a bit out of his league. Florence was the only one who actually might know. She witnessed Trinidad kidnapping me by changing into a giant buzzard, swooping down and snatching me from the front yard. She wasn't very surprised when Damon and Stefan were revealed to be vampires. She had to know.
"Doesn't really matter if they knew." Julian told his girlfriend, "Right now we have to focus on this game."
"And prepare for any tricks Keegan might pull." Damon added. I looked at the window and sighed.
Boy is my life messed up, I thought. Abusive in laws, brother kidnapped by a psycho straight out of mythology, being a half vampire and trapped playing a deranged game for my life and my family's.
"Since you're going to complain so loudly, why not just say for everyone's life." Damon said receiving looks from Julian and Madelyn. "Remember, Keegan gets to chose another person other than you if he wins."
All right for everyone's lives.
I laid my head on the cool glass all of a sudden tired. I didn't want to fight anymore. Let Keegan take me, my family and another person. I'm sick of fight every day of my life.
Damon laid a hand on my knee and gently squeezed, "Don't quit now, I'm just starting to get used to being a vampire pin cushion."
I laughed, dazzling everyone in the car. When I laughed, everyone could feel the happiness I felt. It's like when an infant giggles, you just can't help but giggle too.
"Are you two having a conversation that we're not aware of?" Julian asked, "Because, Damon, you've never seem to have been the type to talk to yourself."
Wonder what Julian would think if he knew Damon quoted Shakespeare, I asked myself with a smirk.
"Don't you dare, Taliesin." He replied, "Don't you even think about it."
Too late.
The Hallowed Souls Cemetery was almost exactly like it had always been. Nice view, a tombstone everywhere, all was normal. Except for the fact the gates to the place was chained and pad locked shut since the entire cemetery seemed to be dying to get out.
Six policemen stood on guard with guns drawn watching the moaning creatures rock the black iron gates back and forth in an attempt to open them. Off to the side where the police couldn't see them was a few vampires and witches from the pub. Obviously everyone was concerned about this mess.
"How are we going to get past them.' Madelyn hissed as we pulled up.
Damon smiled and drove behind the cemetery toward the river. Once there we got out of the car watching as zombies came out of their graves and stumbled toward the gateway.
Damon turned toward me and asked, "Can you change into an animal?"
I nodded. Sure, I changed into two: a snow-white owl and a milky vixen. All of which were fairly small since I was small. Heck, I barely reach Damon's shoulders.
"Julian turn yourself and Madelyn into some sort of bird, preferably something that can attack." Damon instructed.
"No need for him to do that." Madelyn said right before changing right before my eyes into a red-tailed hawk.
Julian shook his head, "You weren't kidding when you told Gabriel you had powers." Then he changed into a hawk as well and continued in our minds, "Two years has taught you much." He nuzzled his love.
Damon turned to me and almost instantly was a crow.. or was he a raven? Who knows? I didn't waste my time changing and simply vaulted the fence.
The zombies immediately turned from the gate and came after me. While the others landed and retrieved the clue, I fought the dead. With everyone that I defeated ten more took its place. Soon I knew it was hopeless and by then it was too late for me to escape.
Hands and bone ripped at my flesh, drawing blood. The stench was overpowering, making me faint. Soon I was knocked to the ground and the corpses dove in for the kill.
I fought back the urge to scream as rotting teeth ripped my skin. Then suddenly the creatures were thrown off me and Damon stood before me, his elegant clothes shredded.
"Let's get out of here." He said offering me a hand up. I immediately took it then both of us ran and jumped the fence. Once we were in the safety of the car, I allowed myself to relax.
Where's the clue, I wondered. I turned to Madelyn and cocked my head inquisitively.
"We didn't get a clue." Damon answered, "We got a note."
I gave him a confused frown.
"It said: Since you are not playing both halves of the game, someone is now mine." Julian told me sadly.
Without urging Damon quickly drove back to Joan's. The estate was dark in the afternoon sunlight. Inside we could hear faint crying, not a good sign.
In the living room Joan lay in a crumpled heap on the floor. Madelyn rushed up to her and checked her pulse.
"She's unconscious." She told us. "Let's keep looking."
We left Joan where she was and went into the kitchen where Auntie Florence and Elena lay on the floor surrounded by scattered potatoes.
"Did you know the potato was damned as an evil food in early Europe?" Julian inquired as Madelyn checked on my aunt.
I left them to follow the sound of the crying. I walked out of the kitchen, past Morigan's unconscious form in the bathroom and up to Jasmina's room. Inside I found Moria crying as she rocked herself.
As I squatted down in front of her, I could hear her saying something over and over.
"My poor baby, my sweet Jasmina." Moria sobbed. "He took my baby."
I heard Damon come in behind me.
"Joan and the rest are waking up." He told me, "Discover who Keegan has?"
"Jasmina!" cried Moria, her sobbing becoming louder and uncontrollable.
Moments later when everyone was revived and Moria was safely sedated, Stefan explained what happened.
"Everything was fine. Jasmina was flirting with me, Morigan was primping while Florence and Elena went to make some old fashion potato soup. Joan was calling someone to move Moria's sewing machines over here when he appeared."
"Joan was the first to fall asleep. Then Keegan worked his magic on the rest of the house. Almost everyone was drifting off to sleep. I only stayed awake long enough to watch Moria and Jasmina run away from a glowing wolf and snake."
"The Creeper and Lurker." Julian said shaking his head, "Why are they helping Keegan?"
"They're animals, they help the person with the kibble." Morigan snapped showing her true colors.
"Fenris and Jormungand are not just animals!" Julian snapped back, "They are the children of my sovereign, Loki."
Morigan shrugged, "And it matters because..?"
I wanted to wring her neck and I could tell Julian did too from the blue fire in his eyes.
"Julian does bring up a interesting question. Why is his pets helping Keegan?" Damon asked. "The three of them have been friends for awhile."
I shrugged. I didn't care about the glowing creatures, just me and mine. That included Moria and her two horrible daughters, despite the fact they treated me like dirt.
What can I say, I'm nice.
"So what do we have for clues?" Joan asked. "The graves of Angel's parents'."
Julian interrupted her, "Ariel's grave. Both notes were sitting on her tombstone, not her husband's."
Madelyn nodded deep in thought, "Interesting."
"And then we have Trinidad's story about how Ariel killed." Joan began again.
Something struck Madelyn. "What do these two clues have in common?" she exclaimed thrilled to the bone.
Aunt Florence saw it before anyone else, "Ariel! This Keegan keeps focusing on my niece."
"Right." Madelyn replied with a nod.
Morigan rolled her eyes "If it was that easy to figure these clues out, why didn't you do it before Jasmina was taken?"
"Because I don't like you or your sister." Damon replied venomously. Morigan shuddered in fear at his fierce expression and so did I. Damon Salvatore was a dangerous man.
He turned to me and winked, something that didn't go unnoticed. Morigan's face turned crimson with pure rage.
"Is that why you slept with my sister?" she snarled and stuck her nose up in the air with smug satisfaction.
Stefan turned to his brother with his mouth agape, an expression mirrored by most in the room.
"I slept with your sister just to get in your house." Damon replied nonchalantly. "She was simply a means to an end."
Morigan's jaw dropped and this time the red flush to her face was due to embarrassment.
I gave Damon a smile and said in his mind, thank you.
What do you think of it?
"Did Trinidad know you were half vampire?" Damon asked me as he drove us toward the cemetery. From the back seat, Madelyn and Julian quirked an eyebrow.
I shook my head. He thought that my mother was a lamia, which made me one as well. Wrong! Like Damon said I was a perfect fifty-fifty percent vampire and human.
"Does your family know?" Madelyn asked softly.
Jasmina and Morigan certainly didn't. Branton didn't think much about my abilities, he thought I was just psychic. Vampires were a bit out of his league. Florence was the only one who actually might know. She witnessed Trinidad kidnapping me by changing into a giant buzzard, swooping down and snatching me from the front yard. She wasn't very surprised when Damon and Stefan were revealed to be vampires. She had to know.
"Doesn't really matter if they knew." Julian told his girlfriend, "Right now we have to focus on this game."
"And prepare for any tricks Keegan might pull." Damon added. I looked at the window and sighed.
Boy is my life messed up, I thought. Abusive in laws, brother kidnapped by a psycho straight out of mythology, being a half vampire and trapped playing a deranged game for my life and my family's.
"Since you're going to complain so loudly, why not just say for everyone's life." Damon said receiving looks from Julian and Madelyn. "Remember, Keegan gets to chose another person other than you if he wins."
All right for everyone's lives.
I laid my head on the cool glass all of a sudden tired. I didn't want to fight anymore. Let Keegan take me, my family and another person. I'm sick of fight every day of my life.
Damon laid a hand on my knee and gently squeezed, "Don't quit now, I'm just starting to get used to being a vampire pin cushion."
I laughed, dazzling everyone in the car. When I laughed, everyone could feel the happiness I felt. It's like when an infant giggles, you just can't help but giggle too.
"Are you two having a conversation that we're not aware of?" Julian asked, "Because, Damon, you've never seem to have been the type to talk to yourself."
Wonder what Julian would think if he knew Damon quoted Shakespeare, I asked myself with a smirk.
"Don't you dare, Taliesin." He replied, "Don't you even think about it."
Too late.
The Hallowed Souls Cemetery was almost exactly like it had always been. Nice view, a tombstone everywhere, all was normal. Except for the fact the gates to the place was chained and pad locked shut since the entire cemetery seemed to be dying to get out.
Six policemen stood on guard with guns drawn watching the moaning creatures rock the black iron gates back and forth in an attempt to open them. Off to the side where the police couldn't see them was a few vampires and witches from the pub. Obviously everyone was concerned about this mess.
"How are we going to get past them.' Madelyn hissed as we pulled up.
Damon smiled and drove behind the cemetery toward the river. Once there we got out of the car watching as zombies came out of their graves and stumbled toward the gateway.
Damon turned toward me and asked, "Can you change into an animal?"
I nodded. Sure, I changed into two: a snow-white owl and a milky vixen. All of which were fairly small since I was small. Heck, I barely reach Damon's shoulders.
"Julian turn yourself and Madelyn into some sort of bird, preferably something that can attack." Damon instructed.
"No need for him to do that." Madelyn said right before changing right before my eyes into a red-tailed hawk.
Julian shook his head, "You weren't kidding when you told Gabriel you had powers." Then he changed into a hawk as well and continued in our minds, "Two years has taught you much." He nuzzled his love.
Damon turned to me and almost instantly was a crow.. or was he a raven? Who knows? I didn't waste my time changing and simply vaulted the fence.
The zombies immediately turned from the gate and came after me. While the others landed and retrieved the clue, I fought the dead. With everyone that I defeated ten more took its place. Soon I knew it was hopeless and by then it was too late for me to escape.
Hands and bone ripped at my flesh, drawing blood. The stench was overpowering, making me faint. Soon I was knocked to the ground and the corpses dove in for the kill.
I fought back the urge to scream as rotting teeth ripped my skin. Then suddenly the creatures were thrown off me and Damon stood before me, his elegant clothes shredded.
"Let's get out of here." He said offering me a hand up. I immediately took it then both of us ran and jumped the fence. Once we were in the safety of the car, I allowed myself to relax.
Where's the clue, I wondered. I turned to Madelyn and cocked my head inquisitively.
"We didn't get a clue." Damon answered, "We got a note."
I gave him a confused frown.
"It said: Since you are not playing both halves of the game, someone is now mine." Julian told me sadly.
Without urging Damon quickly drove back to Joan's. The estate was dark in the afternoon sunlight. Inside we could hear faint crying, not a good sign.
In the living room Joan lay in a crumpled heap on the floor. Madelyn rushed up to her and checked her pulse.
"She's unconscious." She told us. "Let's keep looking."
We left Joan where she was and went into the kitchen where Auntie Florence and Elena lay on the floor surrounded by scattered potatoes.
"Did you know the potato was damned as an evil food in early Europe?" Julian inquired as Madelyn checked on my aunt.
I left them to follow the sound of the crying. I walked out of the kitchen, past Morigan's unconscious form in the bathroom and up to Jasmina's room. Inside I found Moria crying as she rocked herself.
As I squatted down in front of her, I could hear her saying something over and over.
"My poor baby, my sweet Jasmina." Moria sobbed. "He took my baby."
I heard Damon come in behind me.
"Joan and the rest are waking up." He told me, "Discover who Keegan has?"
"Jasmina!" cried Moria, her sobbing becoming louder and uncontrollable.
Moments later when everyone was revived and Moria was safely sedated, Stefan explained what happened.
"Everything was fine. Jasmina was flirting with me, Morigan was primping while Florence and Elena went to make some old fashion potato soup. Joan was calling someone to move Moria's sewing machines over here when he appeared."
"Joan was the first to fall asleep. Then Keegan worked his magic on the rest of the house. Almost everyone was drifting off to sleep. I only stayed awake long enough to watch Moria and Jasmina run away from a glowing wolf and snake."
"The Creeper and Lurker." Julian said shaking his head, "Why are they helping Keegan?"
"They're animals, they help the person with the kibble." Morigan snapped showing her true colors.
"Fenris and Jormungand are not just animals!" Julian snapped back, "They are the children of my sovereign, Loki."
Morigan shrugged, "And it matters because..?"
I wanted to wring her neck and I could tell Julian did too from the blue fire in his eyes.
"Julian does bring up a interesting question. Why is his pets helping Keegan?" Damon asked. "The three of them have been friends for awhile."
I shrugged. I didn't care about the glowing creatures, just me and mine. That included Moria and her two horrible daughters, despite the fact they treated me like dirt.
What can I say, I'm nice.
"So what do we have for clues?" Joan asked. "The graves of Angel's parents'."
Julian interrupted her, "Ariel's grave. Both notes were sitting on her tombstone, not her husband's."
Madelyn nodded deep in thought, "Interesting."
"And then we have Trinidad's story about how Ariel killed." Joan began again.
Something struck Madelyn. "What do these two clues have in common?" she exclaimed thrilled to the bone.
Aunt Florence saw it before anyone else, "Ariel! This Keegan keeps focusing on my niece."
"Right." Madelyn replied with a nod.
Morigan rolled her eyes "If it was that easy to figure these clues out, why didn't you do it before Jasmina was taken?"
"Because I don't like you or your sister." Damon replied venomously. Morigan shuddered in fear at his fierce expression and so did I. Damon Salvatore was a dangerous man.
He turned to me and winked, something that didn't go unnoticed. Morigan's face turned crimson with pure rage.
"Is that why you slept with my sister?" she snarled and stuck her nose up in the air with smug satisfaction.
Stefan turned to his brother with his mouth agape, an expression mirrored by most in the room.
"I slept with your sister just to get in your house." Damon replied nonchalantly. "She was simply a means to an end."
Morigan's jaw dropped and this time the red flush to her face was due to embarrassment.
I gave Damon a smile and said in his mind, thank you.
What do you think of it?