True Trust
Part One
"Leave her alone!" Polaris-Willow Redfern heard her father shout at the man who was about to knock her mother over the head. The men had tied his hands and feet together with bast ropes and he could do nothing for her.
"Mommy." Polaris-Willow whispered helplessly. She could feel her brother Sirius-Oak stiffen behind her in anger.
The man looked at Daddy with malicious laughter in his eyes and brought his club down for a crushing blow on Mommy's head-
Polaris-Willow shot up in bed; she almost screamed "NO!" but she stopped herself. She could feel the ice cold sweat trickling down her skin; her breath came out quick, shallow, and scared. Polaris-Willow lay back on her bed trying with all her might to calm herself. 'Just calm down, it was only a bad dream,' she told herself. 'Like hell it was a dream!' another part of her shot back, 'A dream you have every night for half your life?! I don't think so!'
When she had calmed herself down enough, Polaris-Willow looked at her alarm clock. It was 4:30 am. "Oh, Goddess!" she muttered wearily under her breath. She hadn't gotten to bed until about three hours ago and she had to get up at 6:00 am. Polaris-Willow turned her face away from the clock and stared up at the ceiling.
She lay there quietly for a moment, and then she reached out with her mind to brush those of her sisters and brothers. The touch was feather light, but enough for her to know that she had not woken any of them up. She reached out a little further in the house looking for Aunt Poppy and Uncle James; they weren't in their room. Then she found them, in the kitchen, she had not disturbed them. But Aunt Poppy knew she was awake now. Polaris-Willow pulled back sighing, she knew that her aunt would be up to check on her.
Polaris-Willow thought about how strange it was that she and her brothers and sisters called Poppy, James, and several other people aunt and uncle, even though the were not really aunts an uncles. James was actually her father's first cousin and Poppy was his soulmate and wife. Then again they had more or less been parents to her for half her life… ever since her mom and dad had died.
Just then Aunt Poppy gently knocked on the door. Polaris-Willow said nothing, but her aunt came in without waiting for a reply. She came over to Polaris-Willow's bed and sat on the edge. Poppy, though in reality in about her forties, looked not a day older than 16, when James had turned her into a vampire because she was dying. Her red hair was a bright flame in the hall light, and her eyes were shining emeralds in the dark.
"Polaris, what's wrong?" Poppy asked worriedly.
"Nothing, just a bad dream," Polaris-Willow told her, trying to sound nonchalant, "I'm fine now."
"Polaris-Willow Redfern, you are 16 years-old and one of the bravest people I know," her aunt told her in a slightly scolding, slightly scornful voice, "Your do not wake up at 4:30 in the morning over 'just a bad dream' for Goddess' sake. Now what is wrong?"
Polaris-Willow said nothing, looking away from her aunt.
"It was about your parents wasn't it?"
Polaris-Willow shrugged uncomfortably, still looking away from Poppy.
"Polaris, I really wish your would talk to someone about what happened," Poppy said, her worry very evident on her face, "It is not good to keep all of this inside."
"And talking about it is supposed to make it all go away!?" Polaris- Willow almost shouted back fiercely, finally facing her aunt.
Poppy looked hurt. "I only think that sharing what you have been through might help you live with the burden better," Poppy told her earnestly.
Polaris-Willow saw how much she had hurt her aunt. "Aunt Poppy, I'm sorry for what I said, but I just don't think I am ready to share this, even though it has been eight years. Plus I don't want to burden anyone else with this knowledge. I have to be strong," Polaris-Willow told her gently.
"Polaris, you have not cried in eight years. You have dedicated your life to hunting down the people who killed your parents. You grew up in record time, and you are always there to help someone who needs it," Poppy said in gentle reproof, "How much stronger do you need to be?"
"Aunt Poppy, please!" Polaris-Willow said, sounding a little desperate, "I'm just not ready."
Poppy looked worried, but understanding.
"I'm going to go for a swim before I get ready for school," Polaris- Willow told her, with finality in her voice.
Poppy nodded silently.
Polaris-Willow got up and went to her dresser. Poppy watched her as she looked for a suit. Then sighing got up and silently left.
Polaris-Willow paused for a moment and looked up into the mirror on her dresser. Looking back at her was a 16 year-old girl who was medium height and willowy with ash blond hair, creamy skin, and soulful eyes that changed colors with her moods. All her friends said that she looked very fragile but at the same time so strong, and even though she lived more or less like a human you could still see her vampire heritage. Polaris-Willow then looked at a picture on her dresser. It was of her mother and father. Her eyes and hair were like her father, Ash Redfern's, ash blond and eyes that changed colors, however while hers changed strictly by her moods, her father's had changed moment to moment, her older brother Sirius-Oak and her youngest sister Andromeda-Lavender had eyes that changed like that. Having eyes that shifted color was a dead give away that someone was a Redfern, the major lamia family.
Lamia were the family vampires, ones that were born vampires, could have children, grow up and stop aging whenever they wanted to. Made vampires, like Aunt Poppy, were people who had been turned into vampires by another vampire. Once someone was made into a vampire they stopped aging and you could not make someone over 19 a vampire. But once someone was a vampire they were more or less just like lamia, faster and stronger than humans, immortal and never got sick. That was why Uncle James had changed Aunt Poppy, she had been dying of cancer. At the time it was against the laws and put both of them in danger. But Polaris-Willow knew that neither of them truly regretted it, though there was one down fall that she knew saddened them both: made vampires could never have children. Raising Polaris-Willow and her siblings helped ease the pain a little though.
Aunt Poppy and Polaris-Willow's mother, Mary-Lynette Carter Redfern, had been close friends. Polaris-Willow looked at the picture again thinking how beautiful she was, dark hair, and brilliant blue eyes, the only way that she resembled her mother was in her facial structure. However, Vega- Iris, Polaris-Willow's twin sister, looked just like their mother in every respect it seemed except for her eyes, which were shaped like their father's.
Polaris-Willow looked over at her sister's empty bed and felt a pang of loneliness. She envied her sister's beautiful coloring, sweet voice and musical abilities, but she missed her right now. Vega-Iris was on a trip with the choir, she would be home that afternoon, but Polaris-Willow wouldn't see her until after school.
Polaris-Willow sighed and tried to shake the feeling off. She got back to looking for a suit and finally found one. Polaris-Willow slipped it on and hurried down stairs.
Polaris-Willow stood on the dock looking out over the pond, it was 5:15 and the sky was turning a pale gray-blue, the sun would not be up for at least a quarter of an hour yet.
It was so quiet, so peaceful. 'Why can't the world always be like this?' Polaris-Willow wondered to herself. She sighed, pulled on her goggles and jumped in.
Ruhe Drache stood in the kitchen making breakfast. 'Why the hell am I here?' he wondered to himself, 'I didn't even want to do this! So why did I come?' Even as he asked himself the question he knew the answer, 'Because Mom, Dad, Aunt Iliana, Uncle Blade and Nicola thought it would be good for me. And because Mom, Aunt Iliana and Nicola, especially Nicola, know how to get to my weak spots in order to get what they want.'
Ruhe sighed and shook his head with self-disgust. It really had been Nicola who had finally convinced him to come here. It was amazing that a tiny, 4'8, 15 year-old, human girl could manipulate a much taller, much stronger, 18 year-old, shapeshifter. For Goddess' sake he was the second born son of the First House of Shapeshifters, if it got out that his biggest weak spot was his wakened old soul cross cousin he would be a laughing stock! But then again the girl had always had a natural talent of being so sweet and persuasive that she could charm squirrels down from the trees. He chuckled at that thought.
Just then he heard someone coming down the stairs. "Speak of the devil," he muttered to himself ironically, "Morning!" he called out.
"Good-morning!" Nicola answered, "Are those pancakes, hash browns and sausages I smell?"
"Yes."
"And why would you be going to so much trouble for such an extravagant breakfast I wonder?" Nicola asked, crossing her arms, with an eyebrow raised and a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. She was looking at him in a challenging way and even though she was standing there in her nightgown it took all of Ruhe's strength not to go to pieces.
"I am hoping that this will soften you up a little and maybe you will let me change your mind so we can go home," he told, he glanced at her, slyly, out from the corner of his eye, "Is it working?"
"No, I am determined to stay and you will stay with me, no matter what," she informed him looking defiant.
"I knew you were going to say something like that," he said dryly.
"So, are you ready for our first day of school?" Nicola asked setting the table.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Ruhe admitted, in defeat.
"Why can't you at least try to be excited about this?" Nicola asked pleadingly, "I mean this is supposed to be and adventure of sorts."
Ruhe looked at he over the pancakes he was serving. 'Damn it! She has that look!' he thought, 'I hate it when she gives me that look, she knows that I will give.'
"All right! I'll try," he told her grudgingly.
Nicola smiled brightly. 'Admit it,' he ordered himself, 'giving is worth seeing that smile on her face.'
Nicola was more like a little sister than a cousin to Ruhe and that was how he thought of her. He would die for her if he had to. 'You are going to die for her,' the thought came from somewhere deep inside him. He quickly pushed it aside, he didn't need to think about that. Nicola certainly didn't need to be reminded of that.
"So what class are you most excited for?"
Polaris-Willow climbed out of the water and sat on the dock. She pulled her knees up to her chest as she watched the sun slowly rise. She smiled, she loved almost anything that involved the sky, particularly the stars.
The swim had been good for her. She didn't care much for sports that was Sirius-Oak's "thing", but exerting energy felt good and it got her mind off of the "real world".
Polaris-Willow glanced at her watch, 6:00, she should get ready for school now. She sighed and drew herself to her feet. She took one last look at the sunrise, colors dancing, then she walked toward her house.
She grabbed her towel from the tree branch where she had left it and wrapped herself in it.
She opened the door and walked into the kitchen. Sirius-Oak was sitting at the table helping their middle brother, Leo-Sumac, with some homework.
"Have a rough night?" Sirius-Oak asked, not looking up.
"NOYB," Polaris-Willow told him curtly as she grabbed a bagel.
Sirius-Oak snorted and said, "Anything you say Star."
Polaris-Willow nodded and ruffled Leo-Sumac's hair, just to annoy him.
"Hey! Watch it!" Leo-Sumac ordered her.
Polaris-Willow chuckled as she left the room. She ran up the stairs to get the shower before someone else did.
Ruhe was finishing up some of the school paper work for Nicola. When it asked for her date of birth, Ruhe nervously ran his fingers through his dark hair. No one knew Nicola's real birthday, she had been abandoned when she was an infant. Aunt Iliana and Uncle Blade had found her and ended up adopting her. When Nicola turned 6 they had preformed a blood-tie ceremony and made her their blood daughter. Nicola was proud to bear the name Harman; it was the name of the head family of witches, it was a shortening of their real name Hearth-woman. Those that bore the name Harman were those that had descended directly through a female line of witches all the way back to Hellewise Hearth-woman, daughter of Hecate the Witch Queen. There were not too many Harmans around, but Nicola did have two blood sisters and a blood brother.
Ruhe blew out a breath and put down what the family had designated as her birthday, the day that they found her.
Just then Nicola hurried in, "How's this?" she asked twirling around so he could inspect her outfit, a turquoise T-shirt and a blue denim skirt.
"It looks great!" he told her.
"Well I'm ready to go then!" she said cheerfully, flipping her braid over her shoulder. The end was fastened with a hair-tie that had a black lily on it, the symbol of Old Souls. Ruhe wore a watch on his wrist that had a black iris in the middle, the symbol of a popular club.
"Right," he said gathering up his stuff. They hurried out of the house and to the car.
"Hurry!" Nicola told him excitedly, "I don't want to be late!"
Polaris-Willow stood in front of her mirror examining her outfit, a black sleeveless shirt, blue jeans with a black crocheted shawl tied around her waist and a pair of black boots, she tucked a versatile wooden/iron/silver knife under the shawl. Her hip length hair was twisted into a bun held by two black wooden hair-sticks, good to use when in a pinch. In her ears she wore simple studs in her lobes and a black hoop in the cartilage. She wore a silver choker, and armband. Polaris-Willow nodded approvingly at her reflection, yeah she was ready for just about anything.
Then she looked at her right hand. On her fourth finger there was a ring, it had a black rose and white lily twined together, the craftsmanship was exquisite, every leaf, thorn perfect; until three years ago Polaris- Willow had always worn it on a thin gold chain because it had been too big for her finger, but now it fit and she rarely took it off. Her parents had intended to give it to her for her tenth birthday, but they had died and Aunt Poppy and Uncle James had given it to her early. The black rose was the symbol of the vampires and the white lily that of the humans, her heritage. Goddess, she missed them.
Polaris-Willow pushed those thoughts away, took one last glance in the mirror, grabbed her purse and hurried downstairs.
"Hey!" she shouted, "All heading to the junior high and high schools early get in the car pronto!"
"Coming!" came a shout. Polaris-Willow's 13 year-old sister, Ursa- Violet, came running.
"Why are you coming to school so early?" Polaris-Willow asked her.
"I have my first day of tutoring," Ursa-Violet told her.
"Riiiight, why do you need a tutor, you get strait A's in all your courses?" Polaris-Willow asked her skeptically.
"Welllll…" Ursa-Violet started nervously, "My grade in history has fallen a little."
"How much is a little?" Polaris-Willow asked looking at her skeptically.
"I-I-," Ursa-Violet stammered, "I'm getting a B!" sounding rather distressed.
"Ursa," Polaris-Willow told her patiently, "a B is not that bad, it is still above average."
"I know!" Ursa-Violet told her passionately, but it is not good for me, or you for that matter!"
"I plead the 5th," Polaris-Willow told her coolly, Ursa-Violet laughed. Polaris-Willow had always thought that having a younger sister who got those kinds of jokes was great. Ursa-Violet, like Polaris-Willow had skipped two years of school, Polaris-Willow was a senior and Ursa- Violet was a freshman, both in high school.
"I would be pleading it too in your position, young lady!" Ursa- Violet said with mock scolding, they both ended up laughing.
To be continued…
Part One
"Leave her alone!" Polaris-Willow Redfern heard her father shout at the man who was about to knock her mother over the head. The men had tied his hands and feet together with bast ropes and he could do nothing for her.
"Mommy." Polaris-Willow whispered helplessly. She could feel her brother Sirius-Oak stiffen behind her in anger.
The man looked at Daddy with malicious laughter in his eyes and brought his club down for a crushing blow on Mommy's head-
Polaris-Willow shot up in bed; she almost screamed "NO!" but she stopped herself. She could feel the ice cold sweat trickling down her skin; her breath came out quick, shallow, and scared. Polaris-Willow lay back on her bed trying with all her might to calm herself. 'Just calm down, it was only a bad dream,' she told herself. 'Like hell it was a dream!' another part of her shot back, 'A dream you have every night for half your life?! I don't think so!'
When she had calmed herself down enough, Polaris-Willow looked at her alarm clock. It was 4:30 am. "Oh, Goddess!" she muttered wearily under her breath. She hadn't gotten to bed until about three hours ago and she had to get up at 6:00 am. Polaris-Willow turned her face away from the clock and stared up at the ceiling.
She lay there quietly for a moment, and then she reached out with her mind to brush those of her sisters and brothers. The touch was feather light, but enough for her to know that she had not woken any of them up. She reached out a little further in the house looking for Aunt Poppy and Uncle James; they weren't in their room. Then she found them, in the kitchen, she had not disturbed them. But Aunt Poppy knew she was awake now. Polaris-Willow pulled back sighing, she knew that her aunt would be up to check on her.
Polaris-Willow thought about how strange it was that she and her brothers and sisters called Poppy, James, and several other people aunt and uncle, even though the were not really aunts an uncles. James was actually her father's first cousin and Poppy was his soulmate and wife. Then again they had more or less been parents to her for half her life… ever since her mom and dad had died.
Just then Aunt Poppy gently knocked on the door. Polaris-Willow said nothing, but her aunt came in without waiting for a reply. She came over to Polaris-Willow's bed and sat on the edge. Poppy, though in reality in about her forties, looked not a day older than 16, when James had turned her into a vampire because she was dying. Her red hair was a bright flame in the hall light, and her eyes were shining emeralds in the dark.
"Polaris, what's wrong?" Poppy asked worriedly.
"Nothing, just a bad dream," Polaris-Willow told her, trying to sound nonchalant, "I'm fine now."
"Polaris-Willow Redfern, you are 16 years-old and one of the bravest people I know," her aunt told her in a slightly scolding, slightly scornful voice, "Your do not wake up at 4:30 in the morning over 'just a bad dream' for Goddess' sake. Now what is wrong?"
Polaris-Willow said nothing, looking away from her aunt.
"It was about your parents wasn't it?"
Polaris-Willow shrugged uncomfortably, still looking away from Poppy.
"Polaris, I really wish your would talk to someone about what happened," Poppy said, her worry very evident on her face, "It is not good to keep all of this inside."
"And talking about it is supposed to make it all go away!?" Polaris- Willow almost shouted back fiercely, finally facing her aunt.
Poppy looked hurt. "I only think that sharing what you have been through might help you live with the burden better," Poppy told her earnestly.
Polaris-Willow saw how much she had hurt her aunt. "Aunt Poppy, I'm sorry for what I said, but I just don't think I am ready to share this, even though it has been eight years. Plus I don't want to burden anyone else with this knowledge. I have to be strong," Polaris-Willow told her gently.
"Polaris, you have not cried in eight years. You have dedicated your life to hunting down the people who killed your parents. You grew up in record time, and you are always there to help someone who needs it," Poppy said in gentle reproof, "How much stronger do you need to be?"
"Aunt Poppy, please!" Polaris-Willow said, sounding a little desperate, "I'm just not ready."
Poppy looked worried, but understanding.
"I'm going to go for a swim before I get ready for school," Polaris- Willow told her, with finality in her voice.
Poppy nodded silently.
Polaris-Willow got up and went to her dresser. Poppy watched her as she looked for a suit. Then sighing got up and silently left.
Polaris-Willow paused for a moment and looked up into the mirror on her dresser. Looking back at her was a 16 year-old girl who was medium height and willowy with ash blond hair, creamy skin, and soulful eyes that changed colors with her moods. All her friends said that she looked very fragile but at the same time so strong, and even though she lived more or less like a human you could still see her vampire heritage. Polaris-Willow then looked at a picture on her dresser. It was of her mother and father. Her eyes and hair were like her father, Ash Redfern's, ash blond and eyes that changed colors, however while hers changed strictly by her moods, her father's had changed moment to moment, her older brother Sirius-Oak and her youngest sister Andromeda-Lavender had eyes that changed like that. Having eyes that shifted color was a dead give away that someone was a Redfern, the major lamia family.
Lamia were the family vampires, ones that were born vampires, could have children, grow up and stop aging whenever they wanted to. Made vampires, like Aunt Poppy, were people who had been turned into vampires by another vampire. Once someone was made into a vampire they stopped aging and you could not make someone over 19 a vampire. But once someone was a vampire they were more or less just like lamia, faster and stronger than humans, immortal and never got sick. That was why Uncle James had changed Aunt Poppy, she had been dying of cancer. At the time it was against the laws and put both of them in danger. But Polaris-Willow knew that neither of them truly regretted it, though there was one down fall that she knew saddened them both: made vampires could never have children. Raising Polaris-Willow and her siblings helped ease the pain a little though.
Aunt Poppy and Polaris-Willow's mother, Mary-Lynette Carter Redfern, had been close friends. Polaris-Willow looked at the picture again thinking how beautiful she was, dark hair, and brilliant blue eyes, the only way that she resembled her mother was in her facial structure. However, Vega- Iris, Polaris-Willow's twin sister, looked just like their mother in every respect it seemed except for her eyes, which were shaped like their father's.
Polaris-Willow looked over at her sister's empty bed and felt a pang of loneliness. She envied her sister's beautiful coloring, sweet voice and musical abilities, but she missed her right now. Vega-Iris was on a trip with the choir, she would be home that afternoon, but Polaris-Willow wouldn't see her until after school.
Polaris-Willow sighed and tried to shake the feeling off. She got back to looking for a suit and finally found one. Polaris-Willow slipped it on and hurried down stairs.
Polaris-Willow stood on the dock looking out over the pond, it was 5:15 and the sky was turning a pale gray-blue, the sun would not be up for at least a quarter of an hour yet.
It was so quiet, so peaceful. 'Why can't the world always be like this?' Polaris-Willow wondered to herself. She sighed, pulled on her goggles and jumped in.
Ruhe Drache stood in the kitchen making breakfast. 'Why the hell am I here?' he wondered to himself, 'I didn't even want to do this! So why did I come?' Even as he asked himself the question he knew the answer, 'Because Mom, Dad, Aunt Iliana, Uncle Blade and Nicola thought it would be good for me. And because Mom, Aunt Iliana and Nicola, especially Nicola, know how to get to my weak spots in order to get what they want.'
Ruhe sighed and shook his head with self-disgust. It really had been Nicola who had finally convinced him to come here. It was amazing that a tiny, 4'8, 15 year-old, human girl could manipulate a much taller, much stronger, 18 year-old, shapeshifter. For Goddess' sake he was the second born son of the First House of Shapeshifters, if it got out that his biggest weak spot was his wakened old soul cross cousin he would be a laughing stock! But then again the girl had always had a natural talent of being so sweet and persuasive that she could charm squirrels down from the trees. He chuckled at that thought.
Just then he heard someone coming down the stairs. "Speak of the devil," he muttered to himself ironically, "Morning!" he called out.
"Good-morning!" Nicola answered, "Are those pancakes, hash browns and sausages I smell?"
"Yes."
"And why would you be going to so much trouble for such an extravagant breakfast I wonder?" Nicola asked, crossing her arms, with an eyebrow raised and a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. She was looking at him in a challenging way and even though she was standing there in her nightgown it took all of Ruhe's strength not to go to pieces.
"I am hoping that this will soften you up a little and maybe you will let me change your mind so we can go home," he told, he glanced at her, slyly, out from the corner of his eye, "Is it working?"
"No, I am determined to stay and you will stay with me, no matter what," she informed him looking defiant.
"I knew you were going to say something like that," he said dryly.
"So, are you ready for our first day of school?" Nicola asked setting the table.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Ruhe admitted, in defeat.
"Why can't you at least try to be excited about this?" Nicola asked pleadingly, "I mean this is supposed to be and adventure of sorts."
Ruhe looked at he over the pancakes he was serving. 'Damn it! She has that look!' he thought, 'I hate it when she gives me that look, she knows that I will give.'
"All right! I'll try," he told her grudgingly.
Nicola smiled brightly. 'Admit it,' he ordered himself, 'giving is worth seeing that smile on her face.'
Nicola was more like a little sister than a cousin to Ruhe and that was how he thought of her. He would die for her if he had to. 'You are going to die for her,' the thought came from somewhere deep inside him. He quickly pushed it aside, he didn't need to think about that. Nicola certainly didn't need to be reminded of that.
"So what class are you most excited for?"
Polaris-Willow climbed out of the water and sat on the dock. She pulled her knees up to her chest as she watched the sun slowly rise. She smiled, she loved almost anything that involved the sky, particularly the stars.
The swim had been good for her. She didn't care much for sports that was Sirius-Oak's "thing", but exerting energy felt good and it got her mind off of the "real world".
Polaris-Willow glanced at her watch, 6:00, she should get ready for school now. She sighed and drew herself to her feet. She took one last look at the sunrise, colors dancing, then she walked toward her house.
She grabbed her towel from the tree branch where she had left it and wrapped herself in it.
She opened the door and walked into the kitchen. Sirius-Oak was sitting at the table helping their middle brother, Leo-Sumac, with some homework.
"Have a rough night?" Sirius-Oak asked, not looking up.
"NOYB," Polaris-Willow told him curtly as she grabbed a bagel.
Sirius-Oak snorted and said, "Anything you say Star."
Polaris-Willow nodded and ruffled Leo-Sumac's hair, just to annoy him.
"Hey! Watch it!" Leo-Sumac ordered her.
Polaris-Willow chuckled as she left the room. She ran up the stairs to get the shower before someone else did.
Ruhe was finishing up some of the school paper work for Nicola. When it asked for her date of birth, Ruhe nervously ran his fingers through his dark hair. No one knew Nicola's real birthday, she had been abandoned when she was an infant. Aunt Iliana and Uncle Blade had found her and ended up adopting her. When Nicola turned 6 they had preformed a blood-tie ceremony and made her their blood daughter. Nicola was proud to bear the name Harman; it was the name of the head family of witches, it was a shortening of their real name Hearth-woman. Those that bore the name Harman were those that had descended directly through a female line of witches all the way back to Hellewise Hearth-woman, daughter of Hecate the Witch Queen. There were not too many Harmans around, but Nicola did have two blood sisters and a blood brother.
Ruhe blew out a breath and put down what the family had designated as her birthday, the day that they found her.
Just then Nicola hurried in, "How's this?" she asked twirling around so he could inspect her outfit, a turquoise T-shirt and a blue denim skirt.
"It looks great!" he told her.
"Well I'm ready to go then!" she said cheerfully, flipping her braid over her shoulder. The end was fastened with a hair-tie that had a black lily on it, the symbol of Old Souls. Ruhe wore a watch on his wrist that had a black iris in the middle, the symbol of a popular club.
"Right," he said gathering up his stuff. They hurried out of the house and to the car.
"Hurry!" Nicola told him excitedly, "I don't want to be late!"
Polaris-Willow stood in front of her mirror examining her outfit, a black sleeveless shirt, blue jeans with a black crocheted shawl tied around her waist and a pair of black boots, she tucked a versatile wooden/iron/silver knife under the shawl. Her hip length hair was twisted into a bun held by two black wooden hair-sticks, good to use when in a pinch. In her ears she wore simple studs in her lobes and a black hoop in the cartilage. She wore a silver choker, and armband. Polaris-Willow nodded approvingly at her reflection, yeah she was ready for just about anything.
Then she looked at her right hand. On her fourth finger there was a ring, it had a black rose and white lily twined together, the craftsmanship was exquisite, every leaf, thorn perfect; until three years ago Polaris- Willow had always worn it on a thin gold chain because it had been too big for her finger, but now it fit and she rarely took it off. Her parents had intended to give it to her for her tenth birthday, but they had died and Aunt Poppy and Uncle James had given it to her early. The black rose was the symbol of the vampires and the white lily that of the humans, her heritage. Goddess, she missed them.
Polaris-Willow pushed those thoughts away, took one last glance in the mirror, grabbed her purse and hurried downstairs.
"Hey!" she shouted, "All heading to the junior high and high schools early get in the car pronto!"
"Coming!" came a shout. Polaris-Willow's 13 year-old sister, Ursa- Violet, came running.
"Why are you coming to school so early?" Polaris-Willow asked her.
"I have my first day of tutoring," Ursa-Violet told her.
"Riiiight, why do you need a tutor, you get strait A's in all your courses?" Polaris-Willow asked her skeptically.
"Welllll…" Ursa-Violet started nervously, "My grade in history has fallen a little."
"How much is a little?" Polaris-Willow asked looking at her skeptically.
"I-I-," Ursa-Violet stammered, "I'm getting a B!" sounding rather distressed.
"Ursa," Polaris-Willow told her patiently, "a B is not that bad, it is still above average."
"I know!" Ursa-Violet told her passionately, but it is not good for me, or you for that matter!"
"I plead the 5th," Polaris-Willow told her coolly, Ursa-Violet laughed. Polaris-Willow had always thought that having a younger sister who got those kinds of jokes was great. Ursa-Violet, like Polaris-Willow had skipped two years of school, Polaris-Willow was a senior and Ursa- Violet was a freshman, both in high school.
"I would be pleading it too in your position, young lady!" Ursa- Violet said with mock scolding, they both ended up laughing.
To be continued…