Part 12
"Something weird is happening to Rowan," Jade insisted. "You guys can't tell me I'm the only one who's noticed."
Mary-Lynnette didn't say anything. Rowan's behaviour was definitely changing. Jade was right. Rowan's usual careful and calm big sister attitude had disappeared. She was vague and said things that didn't make a lot of sense, and not only that, she snapped and bitched unexpectedly.
"She's almost scary," Mark added.
They were sitting in their usual spot in the Burdock farmhouse living room the next day, trying to figure out what to do. They were no further than they had been the other day. Midian hadn't been at home when Kestrel had called, and Blake didn't seem to be around. Now Rowan was missing too.
"This town's so tiny, I can't belie e we can't *find* her," Kestrel snorted, flipping through a TV Guide magazine.
"Actually, does anyone else think Rowan's new attitude is kind of fun?" Ash said from his seat beside Mary-Lynnette, hi arm casually draped over Mary-Lynnette's shoulders. Without Rowan around, his feet were resting carelessly on the coffee table.
Jade just stared at him disgust. "You're unbelievable."
"I never disagreed with him," Kestrel put in unhelpfully.
Mary-Lynnette felt uncomfortable. She was the only one Rowan had trusted enough to tell her secret to. It was probably the memories and plus the reappearance of Blake and the confrontation last night that were making her act strangely.
As much as she wanted to yell at the others for their reactions to this, she couldn't betray Rowan's confidence.
"You know something," Ash said, looking her directly in the eyes.
"I'm sworn to secrecy," she said with a sigh.
"You know what's up with Rowan? How come she told you and not her own sisters?" Jade asked indignantly, her emerald eyes flashing.
Even Kestrel seemed mildly annoyed as she put her magazine down and was eyeing Mary-Lynnette furiously. Mary-Lynnette flushed. "I don't know, but she did," she said, sitting up defensively.
"Don't encourage her," Ash muttered with a lazy smile, removing his feet from the coffee table.
Mary-Lynnette glared, but was stopped from saying something by the sound of shriek outside the front door.
"We really need to get that hole fixed," Mark said as he and Jade stood up to go answer the door.
"Why?" Kestrel followed. "We always know when someone new arrives."
"Easy for you to say!" Ash snorted.
Jade opened the front door. The girl who stood there was pulling her ankle out of the hole in the front porch, her face obscured by a cascade of blood red hair. She looked up, eyeing the group at the door.
Mary-Lynnette peered over Ash's shoulder to get a better look. She'd never seen such smooth, flawless skin, almost marble like in its fineness. Her eyes were a clear, bright blue, her lips large and sensual, enhanced with a dusky rose lipstick. Her figure was slender and delicate, with a tiny waistline, completed with legs that went on for miles. She was dressed in a white top, short blue skit, and clearly expensive high heeled shoes.
Mary-Lynnette's grip on Ash's arm tightened as she heard him draw a breath. Mark had a dreamy look too. Though he tried to change his expression when Jade elbowed him.
"Can we help you?" Kestrel's voice was curt, not exactly welcoming.
"I am Alana Blackthorn," the girl announced. "I am here to see Rowan Redfern."
"You're kidding," Ash was still staring at her. "Rowan's not here at the moment."
"Then I shall wait until she arrives." And without being invited, Alana Blackthorn walked straight into the house and sat down in an armchair in the living room, crossing her perfect legs at the knees.
^Who the hell is this girl?^ Mary-Lynnette thought as the group traipsed in behind her.
"You, bring me a cup of hot tea," she ordered Mark.
"Um, okay," Mark hurried off to the kitchen.
"It is extremely rude of Rowan to make an appointment, and then not bother to turn up." Alana's blue eyes moved around, scowling, looking for someone to blame.
"Rowan never told us you were coming," Kestrel said, folding her arms.
"You want cream and sugar?" Mark's voice called from the kitchen.
"Cream," Alana told him. Then turned back to Kestrel. "Why did she not tell you? Who are you? And why are there vermin in your house?"
Mary-Lynette was fighting not to punch this girl. She had the grace and beauty of a princess, but the attitude of a spoilt brat.
"That's Jade, Ash, I'm Kestrel. That's Mary-Lynnette and Mark," Kestrel pointed to each as Mark came back with Alana's tea. She took the cup without even thanking him. Mark shrugged and moved closer to Jade.
"That is forbidden," Alana was staring at the two of them, eyes narrowed at their closeness.
"We're *Daybreakers*," Jade said firmly. "And it *is* allowed."
"Ugh," Alana snorted in disgust. "Then you will all go away until Rowan comes back and explains why she is wasting my time."
"Gladly," Mary-Lynnette muttered, dragging Ash back onto the front porch. "Who the hell is that bitch?"
The rest had followed as well. Ash was smiling sheepishly. "She came to the enclave looking for a husband. Her father is some rich, snotty vampire lord."
"That explains a lot," Mark muttered. "What's she doing with Rowan?"
Ash shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to wait for Rowan to come home and tell us."
* * *
"Something weird is happening to Rowan," Jade insisted. "You guys can't tell me I'm the only one who's noticed."
Mary-Lynnette didn't say anything. Rowan's behaviour was definitely changing. Jade was right. Rowan's usual careful and calm big sister attitude had disappeared. She was vague and said things that didn't make a lot of sense, and not only that, she snapped and bitched unexpectedly.
"She's almost scary," Mark added.
They were sitting in their usual spot in the Burdock farmhouse living room the next day, trying to figure out what to do. They were no further than they had been the other day. Midian hadn't been at home when Kestrel had called, and Blake didn't seem to be around. Now Rowan was missing too.
"This town's so tiny, I can't belie e we can't *find* her," Kestrel snorted, flipping through a TV Guide magazine.
"Actually, does anyone else think Rowan's new attitude is kind of fun?" Ash said from his seat beside Mary-Lynnette, hi arm casually draped over Mary-Lynnette's shoulders. Without Rowan around, his feet were resting carelessly on the coffee table.
Jade just stared at him disgust. "You're unbelievable."
"I never disagreed with him," Kestrel put in unhelpfully.
Mary-Lynnette felt uncomfortable. She was the only one Rowan had trusted enough to tell her secret to. It was probably the memories and plus the reappearance of Blake and the confrontation last night that were making her act strangely.
As much as she wanted to yell at the others for their reactions to this, she couldn't betray Rowan's confidence.
"You know something," Ash said, looking her directly in the eyes.
"I'm sworn to secrecy," she said with a sigh.
"You know what's up with Rowan? How come she told you and not her own sisters?" Jade asked indignantly, her emerald eyes flashing.
Even Kestrel seemed mildly annoyed as she put her magazine down and was eyeing Mary-Lynnette furiously. Mary-Lynnette flushed. "I don't know, but she did," she said, sitting up defensively.
"Don't encourage her," Ash muttered with a lazy smile, removing his feet from the coffee table.
Mary-Lynnette glared, but was stopped from saying something by the sound of shriek outside the front door.
"We really need to get that hole fixed," Mark said as he and Jade stood up to go answer the door.
"Why?" Kestrel followed. "We always know when someone new arrives."
"Easy for you to say!" Ash snorted.
Jade opened the front door. The girl who stood there was pulling her ankle out of the hole in the front porch, her face obscured by a cascade of blood red hair. She looked up, eyeing the group at the door.
Mary-Lynnette peered over Ash's shoulder to get a better look. She'd never seen such smooth, flawless skin, almost marble like in its fineness. Her eyes were a clear, bright blue, her lips large and sensual, enhanced with a dusky rose lipstick. Her figure was slender and delicate, with a tiny waistline, completed with legs that went on for miles. She was dressed in a white top, short blue skit, and clearly expensive high heeled shoes.
Mary-Lynnette's grip on Ash's arm tightened as she heard him draw a breath. Mark had a dreamy look too. Though he tried to change his expression when Jade elbowed him.
"Can we help you?" Kestrel's voice was curt, not exactly welcoming.
"I am Alana Blackthorn," the girl announced. "I am here to see Rowan Redfern."
"You're kidding," Ash was still staring at her. "Rowan's not here at the moment."
"Then I shall wait until she arrives." And without being invited, Alana Blackthorn walked straight into the house and sat down in an armchair in the living room, crossing her perfect legs at the knees.
^Who the hell is this girl?^ Mary-Lynnette thought as the group traipsed in behind her.
"You, bring me a cup of hot tea," she ordered Mark.
"Um, okay," Mark hurried off to the kitchen.
"It is extremely rude of Rowan to make an appointment, and then not bother to turn up." Alana's blue eyes moved around, scowling, looking for someone to blame.
"Rowan never told us you were coming," Kestrel said, folding her arms.
"You want cream and sugar?" Mark's voice called from the kitchen.
"Cream," Alana told him. Then turned back to Kestrel. "Why did she not tell you? Who are you? And why are there vermin in your house?"
Mary-Lynette was fighting not to punch this girl. She had the grace and beauty of a princess, but the attitude of a spoilt brat.
"That's Jade, Ash, I'm Kestrel. That's Mary-Lynnette and Mark," Kestrel pointed to each as Mark came back with Alana's tea. She took the cup without even thanking him. Mark shrugged and moved closer to Jade.
"That is forbidden," Alana was staring at the two of them, eyes narrowed at their closeness.
"We're *Daybreakers*," Jade said firmly. "And it *is* allowed."
"Ugh," Alana snorted in disgust. "Then you will all go away until Rowan comes back and explains why she is wasting my time."
"Gladly," Mary-Lynnette muttered, dragging Ash back onto the front porch. "Who the hell is that bitch?"
The rest had followed as well. Ash was smiling sheepishly. "She came to the enclave looking for a husband. Her father is some rich, snotty vampire lord."
"That explains a lot," Mark muttered. "What's she doing with Rowan?"
Ash shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to wait for Rowan to come home and tell us."
* * *