Part 18 Edan knew not showing up at school that day was going to look very ad for him, considering he was in the frame for Beth's murder. He wasn't any happier about leaving not giving Sarah any explanation, particularly after the discovery of their soulmate connection. He sat behind the wheel of his car, stuck in a traffic jam on the highway out of town. He had wanted to stay, wanted to enjoy the soulmate connection. Never in a million years had he expected Cisara to show up, claiming him to a promise he had made centuries ago. And it didn't take a genius to guess if Cisara was in town, then she was going to hook up with the dominant vampire in the town. From what he had seen, his look was worsened, by the fact that happened to be Helenia, another past mistake he was unable to erase. ^Not anymore^ he thought, tapping the steering wheel impatiently. As he did he heard his cell phone beeping. He'd almost forgotten he had one. It wasn't like anyone bothered to call him. He'd just bought one to see what the fascination with them was. The message was from Jora, telling him she was on her way. Yet another face he had never expected to see again. Edan smiled faintly, thinking how *nothing* in this town had happened the way he had expected it to. At least Jora was one of the good guys, and actually on his side. The Daybreakers were still distrusting of him. He hadn't even done anything. "Sometimes bad things happen to good people." "Holy shit!" he exclaimed, almost spinning into another car as he heard the unexpected voice in the passenger seat beside him. "The language you people use today is rather vile," the ghostly figure of Annabelle commented as she shimmered into being, her delicate nose wrinkling. Edan heard an angry horn honking behind him, reminding him he still had to keep his eyes on the road. He started moving again, trying to digest the fact that there was the ghost of a long dead girlfriend in his car. "What are you doing here?" "You left your poor human soulmate at the mercy of Cisara and Helenia. They're working a spell against her." "What kind of spell?" Edan felt like screaming. He couldn't be in three places at once. Sarah was supposed to be being protected by the Daybreakers. "I am not sure. Arcturus is also on the prowl as well. Now that witch is gone, and as soon as he hears of your soulmate - " "You're not telling me anything I don't already know!" he snapped at her angrily. "And if you've got nothing to do but just sit there and state facts, you might as well just go away." There was an awkward silence. Edan wanted to protect Sarah from his past more than anything. She didn't have to suffer because of his own stupidity. Meeting with Jora had been part of a plan to deal with all three of them, Helenia, Cisara and Arcturus once and for all. "I've got everything under control," he told Annabelle. "If you say so. Just remember sometimes even the best ideas are clouded." And she vanished. Edan felt himself releasing a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. He turned off the highway and the next exit, and headed for a gas station, where he parked at a road side diner. Jora was already inside waiting for him. Yes, he was going to make up for his past mistakes, Sarah would be safe from them, no matter what it took. * * *