Part 10
The next few days were the strangest of Cassidy's life. The news about Marlene was all over town, the police had no suspects, no evidence, and the forensics people had (unsurprisingly for Cassidy) come to a dead end.
There was a viewing two days later, followed by the funeral. Every minute of it all was awful, people were in such shock, all Marlene's friends were in floods of tears, even Lavinia and her friends were teary-eyed. Cassidy watched the whole thing in a blank state of shock, like her mother.
Her mother seemed to have gone catatonic, their grandmother had to come and help out. Grandma's pale violet eyes were normally bright and sparkling, now they were sad with grief, overcast with concern.
At home later after the wake, Cassidy was left to clean things up. Lavinia had disappeared with her new boyfriend, creepy Rylan Dahmer. Khardine had tried to talk to her, but Cassidy wasn't ready for dealing with her yet.
She was nearly finished when her grandmother came in to help her.
"I'm going to take your mom to Vegas for a while to stay with some friends of hers who can help her recover."
"I didn't know Mom knew anyone in Vegas." Las Vegas seemed like a strange place to go to just after your daughter had died.
"Old friends. We can't tell you everything, you know." Grandma's eyes twinkled oddly. "Will you and Lavinia be okay by yourselves?"
Cassidy thought of her plan with Orion. No parents around for her would certainly make things a little easier. She sniffled and nodded.
"I'll leave a phone number if you need us. Why don't you go to bed? I'll finish off."
Cassidy nodded and left the room heading up stairs. She was surprised to find Ivy ad left her a text message to say her party had been postponed until a later date. Cassidy wondered what was up with that. Ivy wasn't the most sensitive person in the world. It didn't seem likely she would cancel a party because some kid had died. Was she up to something?
Yelena also called they say they were postponing her 'date' with Paris Shadow. Cassidy wasn't exactly broken up about that.
She wanted to bury herself in Orion's arms and feel him stroking her hear, muttering words of comfort. She wanted him to caresse her in forbidden places, make her tingle like crazy. Orion didn't call. She decided not to call him, he'd warned her about the exposure calling his home number.
The following week she got a stab in the gut when a new girl came to school, Donatella, tall and marble-skinned, shimmering dark hair falling around slender shoulders, a figure to die for emphasized by the most fashionable clothes.
She clung to Orion's arm as they went around the school together. Orion had never mentioned Donatella to her! Diana didn't seem to have any problem with Donatella either.
"There are plenty of other guys out there," Khardine had offered.
She had caught up with Cassidy on her way out of school. Cassidy laughed shortly. "Name one - and preferably not a blood sucker."
Khardine frowned. "You talked to him."
Cassidy shrugged. "Yeah. I should have known it was too good to be true." She sighed, her heart clenching with pain as she watched Orion, Diana and Donatella walk by. What was he *up* to? He glanced at her quickly, then looked away.
"Well, better to know the truth before he bites you," Khardine offered.
"I guess." Cassidy was tired of feeling this mixture of love and pain. Why did her soulmate have to be a *vampire*?
"You are *not* going to believe this! Lavinia is a *witch*! I've just seen her use her powers, the orange fire on - "
Cassidy's head snapped round at Khardine's friend Pearl came running up, breathless, red curls bouncing on her shoulders. She looked at Cassidy, flushing.
"Oh, crap," Pearl said, smiling an embarrassed smile.
Khardine's eyebrows rose. "It's okay, Pearl, Cassidy knows."
"Then - she must be a witch too." Pearl eyed Cassidy doubtfully.
Inside Cassidy was screaming with joy. She had found a *loophole*. Being a witch meant she was a Night Person! Then that meant she and Orion had every right to be together. "So how can I be a witch?"
Khardine looked at Cassidy. From the expression on her face Cassidy guessed her friend had figured out what she was thinking. "I guess we'd better make sure. Before *Lavinia*" she looked pointedly at Cassidy "does something stupid."
Cassidy ignored the look.
* * *
The next few days were the strangest of Cassidy's life. The news about Marlene was all over town, the police had no suspects, no evidence, and the forensics people had (unsurprisingly for Cassidy) come to a dead end.
There was a viewing two days later, followed by the funeral. Every minute of it all was awful, people were in such shock, all Marlene's friends were in floods of tears, even Lavinia and her friends were teary-eyed. Cassidy watched the whole thing in a blank state of shock, like her mother.
Her mother seemed to have gone catatonic, their grandmother had to come and help out. Grandma's pale violet eyes were normally bright and sparkling, now they were sad with grief, overcast with concern.
At home later after the wake, Cassidy was left to clean things up. Lavinia had disappeared with her new boyfriend, creepy Rylan Dahmer. Khardine had tried to talk to her, but Cassidy wasn't ready for dealing with her yet.
She was nearly finished when her grandmother came in to help her.
"I'm going to take your mom to Vegas for a while to stay with some friends of hers who can help her recover."
"I didn't know Mom knew anyone in Vegas." Las Vegas seemed like a strange place to go to just after your daughter had died.
"Old friends. We can't tell you everything, you know." Grandma's eyes twinkled oddly. "Will you and Lavinia be okay by yourselves?"
Cassidy thought of her plan with Orion. No parents around for her would certainly make things a little easier. She sniffled and nodded.
"I'll leave a phone number if you need us. Why don't you go to bed? I'll finish off."
Cassidy nodded and left the room heading up stairs. She was surprised to find Ivy ad left her a text message to say her party had been postponed until a later date. Cassidy wondered what was up with that. Ivy wasn't the most sensitive person in the world. It didn't seem likely she would cancel a party because some kid had died. Was she up to something?
Yelena also called they say they were postponing her 'date' with Paris Shadow. Cassidy wasn't exactly broken up about that.
She wanted to bury herself in Orion's arms and feel him stroking her hear, muttering words of comfort. She wanted him to caresse her in forbidden places, make her tingle like crazy. Orion didn't call. She decided not to call him, he'd warned her about the exposure calling his home number.
The following week she got a stab in the gut when a new girl came to school, Donatella, tall and marble-skinned, shimmering dark hair falling around slender shoulders, a figure to die for emphasized by the most fashionable clothes.
She clung to Orion's arm as they went around the school together. Orion had never mentioned Donatella to her! Diana didn't seem to have any problem with Donatella either.
"There are plenty of other guys out there," Khardine had offered.
She had caught up with Cassidy on her way out of school. Cassidy laughed shortly. "Name one - and preferably not a blood sucker."
Khardine frowned. "You talked to him."
Cassidy shrugged. "Yeah. I should have known it was too good to be true." She sighed, her heart clenching with pain as she watched Orion, Diana and Donatella walk by. What was he *up* to? He glanced at her quickly, then looked away.
"Well, better to know the truth before he bites you," Khardine offered.
"I guess." Cassidy was tired of feeling this mixture of love and pain. Why did her soulmate have to be a *vampire*?
"You are *not* going to believe this! Lavinia is a *witch*! I've just seen her use her powers, the orange fire on - "
Cassidy's head snapped round at Khardine's friend Pearl came running up, breathless, red curls bouncing on her shoulders. She looked at Cassidy, flushing.
"Oh, crap," Pearl said, smiling an embarrassed smile.
Khardine's eyebrows rose. "It's okay, Pearl, Cassidy knows."
"Then - she must be a witch too." Pearl eyed Cassidy doubtfully.
Inside Cassidy was screaming with joy. She had found a *loophole*. Being a witch meant she was a Night Person! Then that meant she and Orion had every right to be together. "So how can I be a witch?"
Khardine looked at Cassidy. From the expression on her face Cassidy guessed her friend had figured out what she was thinking. "I guess we'd better make sure. Before *Lavinia*" she looked pointedly at Cassidy "does something stupid."
Cassidy ignored the look.
* * *