AN: Sorry this took a bit longer to get out than usual! I have had quite a horrible time with my computer lately. But yea! It's here now!
~Thanks you to the angelical, perfect, wonderful, breathtaking people who have sent comments my way! You light up my life! Kisses and exuberant hugs to:
Starwisher(I'm so glad that you enjoy this!),
Kitty_Kat (well your welcome for the thanks! It's the least I could do for the wonderful reviews you give me!),
*~Keller~*( no worries! I can't kill the main character yet! And I'm glad you like the chapter names. They're fun to make up!),
Myst (torturing? Well, yes, perhaps. It is fun, I can say that! ::grins::),
Diomede (Ahh! Don't apologize! I'm just happy whenever you can find the time to review! And it was such a nice one at that!),
Pixie ( Uh, I think the flashback took place in Massachusetts. I'm so glad that you like it so far and I hope I don't disappoint you if I give something away!), And
Aerin Honour( Was this fast enough for you? ::grins:: I hope so! And thanks!)
Please people! Review like these nice people above. I love to hear any comments on what you think and if ya do, you get your name up there like them! Cool deal, ne? It also helps me to get chapters up quicker. Yes, :: cringes:: I'm afraid that I do need persuasion because I'm normally very lazy. Okay, enough pleas and onto the story now!
*~*~*~*~*
Chapter Six:
Lei placed two cool fingertips over her temples, looking deep into her eyes. She prepared herself to forget all of this, wondering briefly whether she would even know something was missing. Probably not. She didn't want to forget how it felt to have him kiss her, and let her give him something back. It had felt so right. Avalon felt a slight tugging in the back of her mind, felt his presence within her like a supernova.
Lei frowned slightly, brow creasing in concentration. She could still remember everything quite clearly so he was obviously having a harder time than he had thought. Again she felt a tugging, firmer this time, more persistent. It almost tickled. He tugged again but this time she felt something flare up within her, like watching a bomb go off inside her head. She could see it, hear it, but the explosion didn't hurt. Instead it pushed outward, where she knew Lei was resting in her mind.
Desperately she tried to pull whatever it was back inside her but it was too late. The violet irises in front of her were swallowed up by the blackness of pupils as Lei gasped suddenly in pain. His back spasmed and arched in an involuntary reaction to whatever had come out of her. He seemed to be staring through her, seeing but not at the same time. She was absolutely terrified.
She couldn't break his gaze, petrified in fear as he fought for breath, body wracked with convulsions. Suddenly something tangled in her hair and pulled her off the bed. Pain screamed through her scalp from the rough treatments but she was glad for it. As soon as she had looked away Lei's body had collapsed. His brother Ashyr was holding him, shaking him frantically in an effort to wake him up.
Carefully Avalon stood up on legs suddenly gone weak and tottered over to the bed. Ashyr looked up at her, hatred burning in normally icy eyes.
"What the hell did you do to him?" He yelled furiously. He looked down at his brother's limp body in his arms and carefully lay him down on the bed. Lei's already pale skin was almost translucent now, features completely lax in unconsciousness.
"I...I don't know," she stuttered, clasping shaking hands over her stomach as if that would help to get rid of the bottomless feeling in it. "I just felt this tugging and then something erupted and went after him. I couldn't stop it, I swear!" He didn't look very convinced but he didn't say anything. Quietly he checked Lei's pulse and made sure he was breathing alright.
"Well he's not dead, so I guess that's a good sign. I suppose we'll just have to wait until he wakes up to see what happened." He turned a glare on her. "In the meantime, you aren't getting near him." She started to protest but the look on his face was clearly telling her to try so she decided against it. Ashyr was probably just waiting for a chance to take out his anger on her and she didn't need to provoke him anymore.
Sighing, she went to sit in the bean bag in the corner, hoping he would wake up soon. She really didn't want to be under that death glare for very long.
Someone obviously heard her wish because a few minutes later Lei groaned and sat up, wincing as he did so.
"Now that," he muttered, "was one helluva ride."
*****
The first thing he was aware of was the ice pick that someone had shoved through his head. He groaned and sat up, grimacing as a white hot bar of agony flared straight through his head from temple to temple. Aware that two sets of eyes were staring at him he said the first thing that came to mind.
"Now that was one helluva ride." His brother stared at him as if he'd gone crazy. He shook his head in wry amusement.
"You started having seizures and that's all that you can say for yourself?" he asked. From behind Lei, two arms were hugging him tight.
"I'm so sorry, I don't know what happened and I couldn't stop it!" Avalon said. He could feel her body quivering behind him in fear. Lei leaned back against her in comfort; whether it was to comfort her or himself he wasn't sure. In front of him, his brother was glaring.
"I know what happened," Lei said quietly, wondering what was wrong with Ashyr. Surely he didn't think that Avalon meant to hurt him. "Someone set a spell on her to keep people from interfering with her mind. I gathered that much before it blasted me. I don't know why or who though. I mean, what's the point?" Avalon shifted slightly so she could look him in the face.
"A...a spell?" she asked, alarmed. Lei nodded, not noticing the sudden uneasiness that crossed her face.
"Yeah, but no one here is strong enough to do this kind of thing. It takes an extremely strong witch to cast a spell like that one." Ashyr snorted.
"Okay, so the girl has a spell on her. I think we have some more eminent problems at the moment, such as what to do with her," he said giving her a chilling grin. Lei knew exactly what his brother would prefer to do if he had his way. And there was no way Lei would let him touch her.
" We aren't going to do anything with her. Since we can't get rid of the memories she's just going to have to live with them. And yes 'Shyr, live is the key word there." His brother scowled furiously.
"How do we know that she won't go blabbing out our secret?" he challenged.
"Hello," Avalon interrupted, looking peeved. "I'm still here so I'd appreciate it if you two would stop talking as if I weren't. And I'm not going to tell anyone. I'm not that stupid; anyone who would actually believe me would only kill me because they would be part of this Nightworld thing too." Ashyr scowled even deeper but Lei smiled gratefully at her. He turned to his brother.
"We'll just have to take a blood oath. There's magic in that, and that way she can't betray us and we can't betray her," he suggested, putting emphasis on the last part. As much as he loved his brother, he wouldn't trust him any further than he could throw him. Ashyr sighed impatiently.
"Fine," he snapped. "But let's hurry up and do this." Lei turned back to Avalon, who was looking more than slightly alarmed.
"Don't worry, it's just a little bit, as if we were blood brothers." He smiled sheepishly. "I've already taken a bit of yours so now it's your turn." He stood up and crossed over to his desk. Opening a drawer, he took out a wicked looking wooden knife and brought it back. She watched him, guarded interest on her face as he flicked the knife across his wrist. A thin line of red appeared where the knife had cut. He held it out to her.
She gave him a look that clearly expressed her revulsion but reluctantly brought his wrist to her mouth. After a minute or so he took his wrist back from her, rubbing at the stinging cut. Ashyr leaned forward now, fangs out and ready but Lei shook his head.
"Nuh uh, we're doing this the civil way," he told his brother. *Besides, this way I can control how much you take from her,* he thought grimly. Before Avalon could react, he grabbed her wrist and made a small cut at the base of it. She cried out in surprise but said nothing. Ashyr looked rather sullen but took her wrist. Then they repeated the process again.
Avalon looked down at her wrist which, because of the vampire blood now in her, had completely healed. She looked slightly nauseated but exhilarated at the same time.
"I think I should probably go home now," she said. Lei nodded.
"I'll walk you home," he told her, getting up form the bed. She smiled gratefully. Ashyr got up as well and left without another word. "Just let me get dressed and we'll go," he told her. She turned around and went to study the abstract print she had been looking at earlier, giving him at least some semblance of privacy. He appreciated the gesture as he got dressed, although Lord knew it wasn't as if they hadn't seen each other hundreds of times before when they were little. Somehow that was just different.
"You can turn around now," he told her. They went out his window, it was faster than going out the front door and then doubling around, and then passed through the yard and out onto the street silently. Avalon lived only a few blocks away, less than ten minutes walking if they cut through a few yards, and he knew the way by rote. They had often snuck out as kids to create mischief in the neighborhood.
Avalon was glancing around in interest. He knew what she was seeing. To her it would seem as if she were a blind deaf girl who suddenly could see and hear. She had been given enough blood that her senses would be heightened. She turned to him in delight.
"Is this how it always is for you? I can see the bug on that flower over there and it's at least twenty feet away!" He laughed and nodded.
"Yeah, you just get used to it after a while I guess." She sighed wistfully and linked arms with him.
"I would never get used to this," she murmured." I wouldn't want to." She was silent again as the ran across Mr. Weyant's yard. He was mean and always threatened to use his rifle on them if they trespassed. Not that the threat ever stopped them but neither were they anxious to find out if he would carry through. Once they were past his house she stopped though.
Lei looked at her quizzically as she stared up at him, a strange expression on her face.
"What?" he said laughing.
"I never realized just how handsome you are," she said quietly, watching his reaction through her lashes. His stomach lurched quite suddenly, as if butterflies had suddenly taken wing inside it. What was going on?
"Ah, thanks," he replied, not sure what to say. "You've certainly improved from the scabby-kneed girl you were when we were little." Something like anger flashed in her face and she turned away from him. She started walking back towards her house, muttering quietly enough that he couldn't make out what she was saying.
Lei stood in shock for a moment before trotting to catch up with her. "What's wrong?" he asked, thoroughly confused now. She shook her head emphatically, crossing her arms tightly in front of her.
"Nothing Lei, just don't worry about it," she snapped
"No. Why are you mad at me?" She whirled around to glare at him.
"Oh come on Lei. 'You've certainly improved from the scabby-kneed girl you were when we were little'? What a great compliment. And I wondered why girls were falling at your feet," she hissed sarcastically. She took off again, running this time. The vampire blood had brought other changes on her as well. She was *fast*. By the time he had caught up with her again she was already climbing up the trellis to her bedroom window.
"Avvie, wait!" he called up to her. She climbed in her window and shut it tightly. He considered climbing up after her but just then she locked the window and drew the blinds down. There went that idea. Angry now, he spun on his heel and stomped off. If she wanted to be that way then that was fine with him!
*Girls* he thought in disgust.
*~*~*~*~*~*
*Boys* she thought angrily.*They can't get anything right.* Avalon sighed. She was madder at herself than him at this point. How stupid could she be? She had practically just thrown herself at him and he didn't even do anything. Just came back with some lame-ass comment. She should have known better. Of course he didn't like her, she was practically his sister.
Avalon carefully undressed and got under her covers, snuggling down with the little teddy bear he had won her at the county fair a few years ago. It had been at about that time that she had decided she liked him as more than just a friend. She kissed the velvet head, hugging it tight. Still...
She ran a finger along her throat where she could still feel his mouth burning against it. *If only*she thought as the events of the night finally caught up with her. She fell asleep still hugging the ragged teddy bear in her arms.
*~*~*~*
Well, did you enjoy it? Then let me know! Write what you think in the pretty little box down there. And you benefit too! Just think of all that extra writing practice you get from it...No? Okay, well then, do your good deed for the day then.
Byeee!
Kae
Email: kaelyn@quik.com
Webpage: http://hometown.aol.com/ramseskittyn/enter.html
Quote for the day:
"I've bought a one way ticket
To a one road town
Found a half hearted love
With a no brained clown"
-My little country song, by me!
~Thanks you to the angelical, perfect, wonderful, breathtaking people who have sent comments my way! You light up my life! Kisses and exuberant hugs to:
Starwisher(I'm so glad that you enjoy this!),
Kitty_Kat (well your welcome for the thanks! It's the least I could do for the wonderful reviews you give me!),
*~Keller~*( no worries! I can't kill the main character yet! And I'm glad you like the chapter names. They're fun to make up!),
Myst (torturing? Well, yes, perhaps. It is fun, I can say that! ::grins::),
Diomede (Ahh! Don't apologize! I'm just happy whenever you can find the time to review! And it was such a nice one at that!),
Pixie ( Uh, I think the flashback took place in Massachusetts. I'm so glad that you like it so far and I hope I don't disappoint you if I give something away!), And
Aerin Honour( Was this fast enough for you? ::grins:: I hope so! And thanks!)
Please people! Review like these nice people above. I love to hear any comments on what you think and if ya do, you get your name up there like them! Cool deal, ne? It also helps me to get chapters up quicker. Yes, :: cringes:: I'm afraid that I do need persuasion because I'm normally very lazy. Okay, enough pleas and onto the story now!
*~*~*~*~*
Chapter Six:
Lei placed two cool fingertips over her temples, looking deep into her eyes. She prepared herself to forget all of this, wondering briefly whether she would even know something was missing. Probably not. She didn't want to forget how it felt to have him kiss her, and let her give him something back. It had felt so right. Avalon felt a slight tugging in the back of her mind, felt his presence within her like a supernova.
Lei frowned slightly, brow creasing in concentration. She could still remember everything quite clearly so he was obviously having a harder time than he had thought. Again she felt a tugging, firmer this time, more persistent. It almost tickled. He tugged again but this time she felt something flare up within her, like watching a bomb go off inside her head. She could see it, hear it, but the explosion didn't hurt. Instead it pushed outward, where she knew Lei was resting in her mind.
Desperately she tried to pull whatever it was back inside her but it was too late. The violet irises in front of her were swallowed up by the blackness of pupils as Lei gasped suddenly in pain. His back spasmed and arched in an involuntary reaction to whatever had come out of her. He seemed to be staring through her, seeing but not at the same time. She was absolutely terrified.
She couldn't break his gaze, petrified in fear as he fought for breath, body wracked with convulsions. Suddenly something tangled in her hair and pulled her off the bed. Pain screamed through her scalp from the rough treatments but she was glad for it. As soon as she had looked away Lei's body had collapsed. His brother Ashyr was holding him, shaking him frantically in an effort to wake him up.
Carefully Avalon stood up on legs suddenly gone weak and tottered over to the bed. Ashyr looked up at her, hatred burning in normally icy eyes.
"What the hell did you do to him?" He yelled furiously. He looked down at his brother's limp body in his arms and carefully lay him down on the bed. Lei's already pale skin was almost translucent now, features completely lax in unconsciousness.
"I...I don't know," she stuttered, clasping shaking hands over her stomach as if that would help to get rid of the bottomless feeling in it. "I just felt this tugging and then something erupted and went after him. I couldn't stop it, I swear!" He didn't look very convinced but he didn't say anything. Quietly he checked Lei's pulse and made sure he was breathing alright.
"Well he's not dead, so I guess that's a good sign. I suppose we'll just have to wait until he wakes up to see what happened." He turned a glare on her. "In the meantime, you aren't getting near him." She started to protest but the look on his face was clearly telling her to try so she decided against it. Ashyr was probably just waiting for a chance to take out his anger on her and she didn't need to provoke him anymore.
Sighing, she went to sit in the bean bag in the corner, hoping he would wake up soon. She really didn't want to be under that death glare for very long.
Someone obviously heard her wish because a few minutes later Lei groaned and sat up, wincing as he did so.
"Now that," he muttered, "was one helluva ride."
*****
The first thing he was aware of was the ice pick that someone had shoved through his head. He groaned and sat up, grimacing as a white hot bar of agony flared straight through his head from temple to temple. Aware that two sets of eyes were staring at him he said the first thing that came to mind.
"Now that was one helluva ride." His brother stared at him as if he'd gone crazy. He shook his head in wry amusement.
"You started having seizures and that's all that you can say for yourself?" he asked. From behind Lei, two arms were hugging him tight.
"I'm so sorry, I don't know what happened and I couldn't stop it!" Avalon said. He could feel her body quivering behind him in fear. Lei leaned back against her in comfort; whether it was to comfort her or himself he wasn't sure. In front of him, his brother was glaring.
"I know what happened," Lei said quietly, wondering what was wrong with Ashyr. Surely he didn't think that Avalon meant to hurt him. "Someone set a spell on her to keep people from interfering with her mind. I gathered that much before it blasted me. I don't know why or who though. I mean, what's the point?" Avalon shifted slightly so she could look him in the face.
"A...a spell?" she asked, alarmed. Lei nodded, not noticing the sudden uneasiness that crossed her face.
"Yeah, but no one here is strong enough to do this kind of thing. It takes an extremely strong witch to cast a spell like that one." Ashyr snorted.
"Okay, so the girl has a spell on her. I think we have some more eminent problems at the moment, such as what to do with her," he said giving her a chilling grin. Lei knew exactly what his brother would prefer to do if he had his way. And there was no way Lei would let him touch her.
" We aren't going to do anything with her. Since we can't get rid of the memories she's just going to have to live with them. And yes 'Shyr, live is the key word there." His brother scowled furiously.
"How do we know that she won't go blabbing out our secret?" he challenged.
"Hello," Avalon interrupted, looking peeved. "I'm still here so I'd appreciate it if you two would stop talking as if I weren't. And I'm not going to tell anyone. I'm not that stupid; anyone who would actually believe me would only kill me because they would be part of this Nightworld thing too." Ashyr scowled even deeper but Lei smiled gratefully at her. He turned to his brother.
"We'll just have to take a blood oath. There's magic in that, and that way she can't betray us and we can't betray her," he suggested, putting emphasis on the last part. As much as he loved his brother, he wouldn't trust him any further than he could throw him. Ashyr sighed impatiently.
"Fine," he snapped. "But let's hurry up and do this." Lei turned back to Avalon, who was looking more than slightly alarmed.
"Don't worry, it's just a little bit, as if we were blood brothers." He smiled sheepishly. "I've already taken a bit of yours so now it's your turn." He stood up and crossed over to his desk. Opening a drawer, he took out a wicked looking wooden knife and brought it back. She watched him, guarded interest on her face as he flicked the knife across his wrist. A thin line of red appeared where the knife had cut. He held it out to her.
She gave him a look that clearly expressed her revulsion but reluctantly brought his wrist to her mouth. After a minute or so he took his wrist back from her, rubbing at the stinging cut. Ashyr leaned forward now, fangs out and ready but Lei shook his head.
"Nuh uh, we're doing this the civil way," he told his brother. *Besides, this way I can control how much you take from her,* he thought grimly. Before Avalon could react, he grabbed her wrist and made a small cut at the base of it. She cried out in surprise but said nothing. Ashyr looked rather sullen but took her wrist. Then they repeated the process again.
Avalon looked down at her wrist which, because of the vampire blood now in her, had completely healed. She looked slightly nauseated but exhilarated at the same time.
"I think I should probably go home now," she said. Lei nodded.
"I'll walk you home," he told her, getting up form the bed. She smiled gratefully. Ashyr got up as well and left without another word. "Just let me get dressed and we'll go," he told her. She turned around and went to study the abstract print she had been looking at earlier, giving him at least some semblance of privacy. He appreciated the gesture as he got dressed, although Lord knew it wasn't as if they hadn't seen each other hundreds of times before when they were little. Somehow that was just different.
"You can turn around now," he told her. They went out his window, it was faster than going out the front door and then doubling around, and then passed through the yard and out onto the street silently. Avalon lived only a few blocks away, less than ten minutes walking if they cut through a few yards, and he knew the way by rote. They had often snuck out as kids to create mischief in the neighborhood.
Avalon was glancing around in interest. He knew what she was seeing. To her it would seem as if she were a blind deaf girl who suddenly could see and hear. She had been given enough blood that her senses would be heightened. She turned to him in delight.
"Is this how it always is for you? I can see the bug on that flower over there and it's at least twenty feet away!" He laughed and nodded.
"Yeah, you just get used to it after a while I guess." She sighed wistfully and linked arms with him.
"I would never get used to this," she murmured." I wouldn't want to." She was silent again as the ran across Mr. Weyant's yard. He was mean and always threatened to use his rifle on them if they trespassed. Not that the threat ever stopped them but neither were they anxious to find out if he would carry through. Once they were past his house she stopped though.
Lei looked at her quizzically as she stared up at him, a strange expression on her face.
"What?" he said laughing.
"I never realized just how handsome you are," she said quietly, watching his reaction through her lashes. His stomach lurched quite suddenly, as if butterflies had suddenly taken wing inside it. What was going on?
"Ah, thanks," he replied, not sure what to say. "You've certainly improved from the scabby-kneed girl you were when we were little." Something like anger flashed in her face and she turned away from him. She started walking back towards her house, muttering quietly enough that he couldn't make out what she was saying.
Lei stood in shock for a moment before trotting to catch up with her. "What's wrong?" he asked, thoroughly confused now. She shook her head emphatically, crossing her arms tightly in front of her.
"Nothing Lei, just don't worry about it," she snapped
"No. Why are you mad at me?" She whirled around to glare at him.
"Oh come on Lei. 'You've certainly improved from the scabby-kneed girl you were when we were little'? What a great compliment. And I wondered why girls were falling at your feet," she hissed sarcastically. She took off again, running this time. The vampire blood had brought other changes on her as well. She was *fast*. By the time he had caught up with her again she was already climbing up the trellis to her bedroom window.
"Avvie, wait!" he called up to her. She climbed in her window and shut it tightly. He considered climbing up after her but just then she locked the window and drew the blinds down. There went that idea. Angry now, he spun on his heel and stomped off. If she wanted to be that way then that was fine with him!
*Girls* he thought in disgust.
*~*~*~*~*~*
*Boys* she thought angrily.*They can't get anything right.* Avalon sighed. She was madder at herself than him at this point. How stupid could she be? She had practically just thrown herself at him and he didn't even do anything. Just came back with some lame-ass comment. She should have known better. Of course he didn't like her, she was practically his sister.
Avalon carefully undressed and got under her covers, snuggling down with the little teddy bear he had won her at the county fair a few years ago. It had been at about that time that she had decided she liked him as more than just a friend. She kissed the velvet head, hugging it tight. Still...
She ran a finger along her throat where she could still feel his mouth burning against it. *If only*she thought as the events of the night finally caught up with her. She fell asleep still hugging the ragged teddy bear in her arms.
*~*~*~*
Well, did you enjoy it? Then let me know! Write what you think in the pretty little box down there. And you benefit too! Just think of all that extra writing practice you get from it...No? Okay, well then, do your good deed for the day then.
Byeee!
Kae
Email: kaelyn@quik.com
Webpage: http://hometown.aol.com/ramseskittyn/enter.html
Quote for the day:
"I've bought a one way ticket
To a one road town
Found a half hearted love
With a no brained clown"
-My little country song, by me!