Part 7
Orion froze when he listened to Cassidy's message on his private line. She sounded desperate. Was that tears he heard in her voice? "Who's that?"
He cursed under his breath. His friend Travis had come home from school with him. Orion had automatically checked his answering machine, he'd forgotten he'd given Cassidy his number.
"A friend," Orion answered.
"That human you've been sneaking around with?"
"What?"
Travis snorted. "Secrecy is not one of your things."
Orion stared out the window. "You and Jasmine followed me the other night."
"It was Jasmine's idea!" Travis protested, turning on Orion's Playstation 2 console. "You know what she's like."
Travis's girlfriend Jasmine Ferngrove was notorious for sticking her nose in where it didn't belong.
"So you want to experiment with a human, it's no big deal. You'll kill her once you're bored, right? You're the Redfern heir, you can get away with anything."
Orion stared blankly at the wide screen TV as Travis made his game selection. "I guess I'd better go see what she wants."
"I can cope without you. Go."
Orin left the room. As long as Travis thought he was only experimenting with Cassidy, he would be all right. If the truth got out, he'd be dead before he knew what hit him. And so would Cassidy and her family.
He found her in their little palm tree covered hide out. The sun was setting, reds and golds dancing across the sky while shimmering their reflections in the water. Any other time the scene would have been romantic.
"What's wrong?"
Cassidy didn't stand up when she saw him. Her eyes were red-rimmed. She'd been crying.
Orion stopped himself from reaching out for her. There was nothing more he wanted to do right now than to pull her into his arms and kiss those tears away. The more time they spent connected together by the silver cord pulling them into each other's minds. The more likely she would find out the truth. Then again, judging from her expression.
"You know, don't you?"
"Khardine told me you're port of this *Night* *World* thing. That you're really an evil monster." She spat 'Night World' out like it was a dirty word. "It's true, isn't it?" Her voice was oddly cold. "No wonder my mother warned me to stay away from Redferns."
"Yeah, it's true. The biggest rule in the Night World is don't tell humans about it, and the second is don't fall in love with them. That's why I couldn't tell you."
Cassidy shook her head. "But that's so unfair! If we're really meant for each other why *can't* we be together? They shouldn't have *laws* about being in love! It's so cruel."
She was right. Orion had always been taught to uphold the Night World law, ensure its' survival. Their endless rules had always bored him. He'd always wanted something different to happen to him, and a human soulmate had been the challenge he was looking for. He had to keep her, he couldn't bare to let her
"We can find a way to be together. Just because I'm a - you-know-what - doesn't mean I'm bad." Orion sat down beside her on the smooth rock.
Cassidy laughed harshly. "A good vampire. Yeah, right."
"Keep it down!" Orion looked around nervously. "If another person from my world heard us or found out you know, then they'd kill you."
Cassidy shook her head, laughing again. "And you're trying to convince me you're good?"
Orion sighed. He'd been afraid of this. Her friend Khardine must be a Daybreaker, it was the only explanation for how she knew now. ^I guess I understand^ he thought, starting out at the ocean. ^Khardine's looking out for her friend.^
"Okay, okay, I'll be blunt. Most of my people would rip your lungs out given the chance. We're beautiful, powerful, and some are immortal. We've been around longer than you and will be here long after. They think they're superior. Our survival is governed by these laws, keep ourselves secret and no loving humans. However, that doesn't mean *all* of us follow these rules. It was Khardine who told you?"
Cassidy nodded. Orion stood up, pacing up and down. "She must be a Daybreaker - Circle Daybreak are an organisation of your kind and my kind that want all the species to live in harmony together rather than hunt each other."
"So why can't we join them?" Cassidy asked.
Orion stopped pacing. He had always known that was a possibility. "My family would rather we me dead than as a Daybreaker. They'd hunt us down and kill us."
Cassidy sighed. "And this is why Diana is trying to get rid of me? Who's Paris Shadow, really?"
"An assassin. I was going to get that bastard before he got you."
"So do that."
There was an uncomfortable hiatus. Orion stopped staring at the sea and turned to look at Cassidy. She just sat there on the rock, looking pale and dejected, head hung, arms folded. Then she looked up at him. "Is there any way *I* can become one of you?"
Orion shrugged. "Vampire or shapeshifter." He was well aware of the fact that you couldn't make a vampire without permission from the Council, but considering the position he was supposed to be taking when he graduated - and even Travis had said he could get away with anything.
"Wait a sec," Cassidy smiled dryly, "there's got to be a catch."
"You need permission from the big boss guys and the back up of the Council." Orion's eyebrows rose. "But I have another idea."
* * *
Orion froze when he listened to Cassidy's message on his private line. She sounded desperate. Was that tears he heard in her voice? "Who's that?"
He cursed under his breath. His friend Travis had come home from school with him. Orion had automatically checked his answering machine, he'd forgotten he'd given Cassidy his number.
"A friend," Orion answered.
"That human you've been sneaking around with?"
"What?"
Travis snorted. "Secrecy is not one of your things."
Orion stared out the window. "You and Jasmine followed me the other night."
"It was Jasmine's idea!" Travis protested, turning on Orion's Playstation 2 console. "You know what she's like."
Travis's girlfriend Jasmine Ferngrove was notorious for sticking her nose in where it didn't belong.
"So you want to experiment with a human, it's no big deal. You'll kill her once you're bored, right? You're the Redfern heir, you can get away with anything."
Orion stared blankly at the wide screen TV as Travis made his game selection. "I guess I'd better go see what she wants."
"I can cope without you. Go."
Orin left the room. As long as Travis thought he was only experimenting with Cassidy, he would be all right. If the truth got out, he'd be dead before he knew what hit him. And so would Cassidy and her family.
He found her in their little palm tree covered hide out. The sun was setting, reds and golds dancing across the sky while shimmering their reflections in the water. Any other time the scene would have been romantic.
"What's wrong?"
Cassidy didn't stand up when she saw him. Her eyes were red-rimmed. She'd been crying.
Orion stopped himself from reaching out for her. There was nothing more he wanted to do right now than to pull her into his arms and kiss those tears away. The more time they spent connected together by the silver cord pulling them into each other's minds. The more likely she would find out the truth. Then again, judging from her expression.
"You know, don't you?"
"Khardine told me you're port of this *Night* *World* thing. That you're really an evil monster." She spat 'Night World' out like it was a dirty word. "It's true, isn't it?" Her voice was oddly cold. "No wonder my mother warned me to stay away from Redferns."
"Yeah, it's true. The biggest rule in the Night World is don't tell humans about it, and the second is don't fall in love with them. That's why I couldn't tell you."
Cassidy shook her head. "But that's so unfair! If we're really meant for each other why *can't* we be together? They shouldn't have *laws* about being in love! It's so cruel."
She was right. Orion had always been taught to uphold the Night World law, ensure its' survival. Their endless rules had always bored him. He'd always wanted something different to happen to him, and a human soulmate had been the challenge he was looking for. He had to keep her, he couldn't bare to let her
"We can find a way to be together. Just because I'm a - you-know-what - doesn't mean I'm bad." Orion sat down beside her on the smooth rock.
Cassidy laughed harshly. "A good vampire. Yeah, right."
"Keep it down!" Orion looked around nervously. "If another person from my world heard us or found out you know, then they'd kill you."
Cassidy shook her head, laughing again. "And you're trying to convince me you're good?"
Orion sighed. He'd been afraid of this. Her friend Khardine must be a Daybreaker, it was the only explanation for how she knew now. ^I guess I understand^ he thought, starting out at the ocean. ^Khardine's looking out for her friend.^
"Okay, okay, I'll be blunt. Most of my people would rip your lungs out given the chance. We're beautiful, powerful, and some are immortal. We've been around longer than you and will be here long after. They think they're superior. Our survival is governed by these laws, keep ourselves secret and no loving humans. However, that doesn't mean *all* of us follow these rules. It was Khardine who told you?"
Cassidy nodded. Orion stood up, pacing up and down. "She must be a Daybreaker - Circle Daybreak are an organisation of your kind and my kind that want all the species to live in harmony together rather than hunt each other."
"So why can't we join them?" Cassidy asked.
Orion stopped pacing. He had always known that was a possibility. "My family would rather we me dead than as a Daybreaker. They'd hunt us down and kill us."
Cassidy sighed. "And this is why Diana is trying to get rid of me? Who's Paris Shadow, really?"
"An assassin. I was going to get that bastard before he got you."
"So do that."
There was an uncomfortable hiatus. Orion stopped staring at the sea and turned to look at Cassidy. She just sat there on the rock, looking pale and dejected, head hung, arms folded. Then she looked up at him. "Is there any way *I* can become one of you?"
Orion shrugged. "Vampire or shapeshifter." He was well aware of the fact that you couldn't make a vampire without permission from the Council, but considering the position he was supposed to be taking when he graduated - and even Travis had said he could get away with anything.
"Wait a sec," Cassidy smiled dryly, "there's got to be a catch."
"You need permission from the big boss guys and the back up of the Council." Orion's eyebrows rose. "But I have another idea."
* * *