Part 6
Ash was tearing himself apart trying to work out what he'd done to Midian Galena. If he could find the girl and talk to her, maybe he could convince her he wasn't the bad guy anymore.
It was going to take a lot of work. He didn't even know where to start looking. "Have you seen that girl around? The one who ran off this morning?" he asked Kestrel, who was fluffing her hair in front of her dresser mirror.
"What?" Kestrel wasn't listening to him, looking for something on the dresser. Jade and Mark were smooching on the couch downstairs, and Rowan had gone out, though she wouldn't say where.
"That girl who freaked and ran off this morning?? Have you seen here around here before?"
"No." Kestrel picked up a tube of lipstick and smeared a vivid red shade over her lips. "Why so concerned?"
Ash shrugged uncomfortably. "She freaked because she saw me and I want to know why."
"Terrorised so many poor weak vampires you can't remember a single one?" Kestrel turned from the mirror. "How do I look?" She was wearing a sleeveless black top, tight fitting jeans, a Gucci belt and brown leather ankle boots. Her nails were painted the same crimson as her lips, her hair was a shining halo of gold around her.
"Fine," Ash said automatically. "Why?"
"I have a date." She picked up her purse.
^If Midian Galena hadn't arrived and got in the way, then so would I,^ Ash thought moodily. "Who with?"
Kestrel's eyes narrowed. "If you start doing the protective older brother thing then I'll hit you."
"Just curious." Ash leaned against the doorway with a lazy smile.
"His name's Blake. We met this afternoon. And I'm borrowing your car." Kestrel flashed a set of keys at him and was gone before Ash could protest.
Blake...he'd known a Blake back in the enclave. Together the two of them had been...well...bad wasn't even the closet word to describe them. He recalled Blake had a meek girlfriend Marissa, whom they both loved to torture. Blake physically, himself with cruel words that reduced her to speechless fear or hysterical...
Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit. Ash's eyes closed. Now he knew why Midian Galena had seemed familiar. The name had changed, the hair had grown, but those haunted garnet eyes were still the same.
She had to talk to her before anyone else dead. Make her see he was different. Before Mary-Lynnette heard.
He left Jade and Mark still going gooey-eyed at each other and walked into town. He could see Kestrel outside the pizza restaurant with a familiar looking figure. So it was the same Blake.
Did Midian know he was here? Had he followed her? Obviously she didn't know, or she wouldn't be standing over by the General Store. He walked over to her quickly and took her arm.
"You need to come with me, now," he muttered into her ear.
Midian turned to look at him in surprise, then became defiant. "I'm not going anywhere with a sadistic monster like you."
Ash gritted his teeth. He didn't need Blake to see her panicking. "Listen to me, you little idiot, I'm trying to *save* you."
"From what."
"Don't ask now. Just *come*. You need to be somewhere safe. Where'd you live?"
Midian opened her mouth indignantly, then finally seemed to realise he was serious. "This way." She led him to the apartment building she lived in and inside. She eyed him awkwardly, nervously. Ash felt bad, sensing, and not blaming her, that she was still afraid of him.
"Um...why were you saving me, and from *what*?"
"An old acquaintance of mine who's apparently dating one of my sisters. I was looking for you, and well..." He trailed off, leaning against the kitchen counter.
"You were looking for me?" Midian never took her eyes from his.
"I sort of...I wanted to apologise."
"Apologise."
Even Ash could cringe at that. "I realise how that sounds, but I'm not the person I was back then. I've changed, and I need for you to understand that."
"Because you're in love with Mary-Lynnette who might be a potential friend and you don't want her to know about your nasty side."
Ash's eyebrow raised. "You're good."
Midian was silent and turned away from him. He didn't want to tell her Blake was around unless he absolutely had to. It was a lot to expect, for him to say he was sorry and that would make everything okay.
Midian had moved to sit on the bed. Cautiously, Ash sat down next to her, touching her hand lightly. "Um...do you think you *try* and forgive me? A little?"
Midian turned to look at him, studying him carefully. For a moment Ash panicked, wondering if she was going to try and kiss him. He moved away from her quickly.
"I'll think about it," she said.
Ash smiled. Well it was a start. Midian stood up. There was a knock on the door. Midian frowned. "I don't know anyone in this town yet."
Ash's smile faded and he pushed her out of the way, opening the door slowly, only to find himself face to face with Mary-Lynnette and Rowan.
* * *
Ash was tearing himself apart trying to work out what he'd done to Midian Galena. If he could find the girl and talk to her, maybe he could convince her he wasn't the bad guy anymore.
It was going to take a lot of work. He didn't even know where to start looking. "Have you seen that girl around? The one who ran off this morning?" he asked Kestrel, who was fluffing her hair in front of her dresser mirror.
"What?" Kestrel wasn't listening to him, looking for something on the dresser. Jade and Mark were smooching on the couch downstairs, and Rowan had gone out, though she wouldn't say where.
"That girl who freaked and ran off this morning?? Have you seen here around here before?"
"No." Kestrel picked up a tube of lipstick and smeared a vivid red shade over her lips. "Why so concerned?"
Ash shrugged uncomfortably. "She freaked because she saw me and I want to know why."
"Terrorised so many poor weak vampires you can't remember a single one?" Kestrel turned from the mirror. "How do I look?" She was wearing a sleeveless black top, tight fitting jeans, a Gucci belt and brown leather ankle boots. Her nails were painted the same crimson as her lips, her hair was a shining halo of gold around her.
"Fine," Ash said automatically. "Why?"
"I have a date." She picked up her purse.
^If Midian Galena hadn't arrived and got in the way, then so would I,^ Ash thought moodily. "Who with?"
Kestrel's eyes narrowed. "If you start doing the protective older brother thing then I'll hit you."
"Just curious." Ash leaned against the doorway with a lazy smile.
"His name's Blake. We met this afternoon. And I'm borrowing your car." Kestrel flashed a set of keys at him and was gone before Ash could protest.
Blake...he'd known a Blake back in the enclave. Together the two of them had been...well...bad wasn't even the closet word to describe them. He recalled Blake had a meek girlfriend Marissa, whom they both loved to torture. Blake physically, himself with cruel words that reduced her to speechless fear or hysterical...
Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit. Ash's eyes closed. Now he knew why Midian Galena had seemed familiar. The name had changed, the hair had grown, but those haunted garnet eyes were still the same.
She had to talk to her before anyone else dead. Make her see he was different. Before Mary-Lynnette heard.
He left Jade and Mark still going gooey-eyed at each other and walked into town. He could see Kestrel outside the pizza restaurant with a familiar looking figure. So it was the same Blake.
Did Midian know he was here? Had he followed her? Obviously she didn't know, or she wouldn't be standing over by the General Store. He walked over to her quickly and took her arm.
"You need to come with me, now," he muttered into her ear.
Midian turned to look at him in surprise, then became defiant. "I'm not going anywhere with a sadistic monster like you."
Ash gritted his teeth. He didn't need Blake to see her panicking. "Listen to me, you little idiot, I'm trying to *save* you."
"From what."
"Don't ask now. Just *come*. You need to be somewhere safe. Where'd you live?"
Midian opened her mouth indignantly, then finally seemed to realise he was serious. "This way." She led him to the apartment building she lived in and inside. She eyed him awkwardly, nervously. Ash felt bad, sensing, and not blaming her, that she was still afraid of him.
"Um...why were you saving me, and from *what*?"
"An old acquaintance of mine who's apparently dating one of my sisters. I was looking for you, and well..." He trailed off, leaning against the kitchen counter.
"You were looking for me?" Midian never took her eyes from his.
"I sort of...I wanted to apologise."
"Apologise."
Even Ash could cringe at that. "I realise how that sounds, but I'm not the person I was back then. I've changed, and I need for you to understand that."
"Because you're in love with Mary-Lynnette who might be a potential friend and you don't want her to know about your nasty side."
Ash's eyebrow raised. "You're good."
Midian was silent and turned away from him. He didn't want to tell her Blake was around unless he absolutely had to. It was a lot to expect, for him to say he was sorry and that would make everything okay.
Midian had moved to sit on the bed. Cautiously, Ash sat down next to her, touching her hand lightly. "Um...do you think you *try* and forgive me? A little?"
Midian turned to look at him, studying him carefully. For a moment Ash panicked, wondering if she was going to try and kiss him. He moved away from her quickly.
"I'll think about it," she said.
Ash smiled. Well it was a start. Midian stood up. There was a knock on the door. Midian frowned. "I don't know anyone in this town yet."
Ash's smile faded and he pushed her out of the way, opening the door slowly, only to find himself face to face with Mary-Lynnette and Rowan.
* * *