A.N: Hey guys!!
Firstly i would like to thank all of you who reviewed last chapter!! You are the one making me going, plus you are really often make me smile which totally give you cookies points! Big kudos to you
This is the last chapter that my friend Kelly did Beta for. Thank you girly and i totally understand why you had to stop for a while even if i'm going to miss you.
Well guys don't forget to check out the promo i made for this story on youtube (link on my profile) and i repeat again if you have any questions or suggestion don't hesitate to email me (you can find the link on my profile too as the PM got a big problem for and i don't receive them on fanfiction.) i won't bite since i didn't go Stigoi just yet lol.
Well i hope you'll enjoy this chapter!! R &R
Hugsies xoxo
Chapter 7:
I was in front of the little house standing on the pavement my eyes fixed on the door. I could feel a faint twitch of discomfort, but it wasn't the usual 'guilt'one, no it was the "holy-shit-strigoi-ahead" one.
I sighed with relief, as I knew that I still "had it." I could still 'feel' the strigoi, but this feeling of relief only stayed long enough for me to acknowledge it as this feeling was way too faint for the Strigoi to still be around.
Damn … If Andre wasn't dead already I would kill him and his…his puppet master too. I thought as I took one step down the path leading to the house.
I stopped again as my heart started pounding harder and harder in my chest.
I wasn't sure I could open the door and see the place were Mason's body was lying, the place where his life had been taken because he came back to help me.
I am bad luck…No worse than that! I am a curse! I thought sadly. Bringing terrible things on the people who truly cared for me! Mason? Dead. Dimitri? Worse than dead. Lissa? Attacked, almost killed etc… Adrian? Well the day was still young!
Somebody needed to warn him something like, "Don't care too much about Rose or you'll die young, probably of a painful and violent death…Maybe you should see the movie The Ring you know Rose could play the 'tape'" I added to myself giggling to this dark comparison.
Okay now you truly lost it! I added taking another stiff step forward.
But Adrian was clearly a masochist, already addicted to so many things that could cause his death he probably wouldn't even care…. Idiot!!
I couldn't go any further… Maybe they were right! Maybe I wasn't strong enough, if I was already too weak to revisit the place where Mason died!
Don't be weak! Dimitri deserves better than that! I thought trying to bring some courage into me.
I looked around to see if anyone saw my …well…odd behavior there were no other words to describe it.
A woman in her 60's looked at me from her porch about two houses down and caught my attention for two reasons.
First, she was eyeing me with both curiosity and wonder, like she was dying to ask me something.
Secondly there was someone…or something I knew only too well that was standing beside her…Andre!
I shook my head and concentrated my attention back to the door.
Freaking ghost puppet!! I thought as the anger dissolved all the apprehension I had.
I was about to walk down the path, but Andre appeared standing in front of the door pointing to the woman with a fierce look in his eyes.
"Yeah! Right I'm sooo going to listen to you…" I whispered, which took a lot out of what I wanted to sound, both sarcastic and threatening. "I'm not that stupid!"
He shook his head and pointed at the woman again.
"Are you a slow ghost?" I asked "what part of "get the hell out of here I won't listen to a word from your fucking ghostly mouth" don't you understand huh? You screwed me and not in the good way I may add!" I said trying to sound all grown up and sure of myself, but I was pretty sure that I sounded more pathetic than anything else.
He nodded with such an apologetic look on his face that I was taken aback for a second.
"What? You're not working for…your master anymore?" I asked with a smug smile.
He shook his head.
"Let me guess… You changed your mind? You want to make amends and decided to really help me now right?" I asked doing my best not to laugh as it would probably alert my 'audience'on my unstable mental health.
He nodded fiercely and pointed to the woman once more while mouthing 'please question'
"She knows stuff?" I couldn't help but ask and I immediately wanted to slap myself for taking the bait.
I looked at him through narrow eyes for a second. I didn't have much to lose anymore. Asking the woman questions would probably take me no more than 5 minutes and well…. at least I would have a clear conscience!
But how could I approach this woman? I couldn't go all "Hello I'm like a bad vampire slayer, a bit like Buffy or Blade you know, but not that cool since my vampires are not as sexy and well I'm more damaged than she or he will ever be, but have you seen one or two bad vampires here??"
Yeah… I'm sure she'll be receptive to that! I thought. Well I needed to figure something fast.
I concentrated my attention on Andre again
"Ok… I hope you are right…I'll ask her!" I added in a threatening huff, well… if a huff could be threatening.
He looked relieved and charged me. As he passed through me I felt like an electrical signal being sent to my brain and the face of a young man I've never seen before somehow appeared in my brain.
Wow! Ghost's can send image messages too! That's soooo cool! Ghostly picture messaging. I thought forgetting about my anger for a minute, as I was too impressed.
Ok so the guy had dark hair like mine and he was tan too (so odd for Washington but whatever) he had gray eyes and a scar going from the right corner of his right eye to the corner of his mouth.
I looked around pretending to be in total despair, which was actually easy to do as a plan was forming into my head.
We didn't really look alike, but I'm pretty sure that I could make the idea of him being my older brother pretty believable.
I sighed heavily talking to myself just loud enough to be sure she could hear as well…If she hadn't any hearing impairments.
"Oh where are you?" I asked my voice shivering with emotion as I actually pictured Dimitri saying those words. "Oh Ross…Momma needs you." I added shaking my head sadly. I had been watching a rerun of FRIENDS on TV this morning at the coffee shop I took my breakfast at, and it was the first name that came to mind.
And here it was, she took the bait too.
She came down to me.
"Are you looking for something?" She asked with compassion.
I realized at this instant that I had tears in my eyes. Damn… think Dimitri and the tears will come! I thought, but for the first time I was glad to have this weakness.
"It's…It's my older brother Ross." I said looking at the woman with all the weariness I truly felt.
"He disappeared from home near Missoula a couple of months ago and my mother… my mother is very sick," I added the words strangled by the tears in my voice. "And I need to find him before… before it's too late."
The woman put a hand on my shoulder and she looked really sad for me. It made me feel guilty to play with her like that, but I had no choice.
"And… And after investigating a bit I've learned that he has been in Spokane really recently, in this neighborhood and…" I looked at the house pointing. "And someone is pretty sure they saw him getting out of this house this week, but I don't know…" I shrugged. "This house seems empty to me." Unfortunately I added to myself.
"I don't know sweetie… Do you want to come in and tell me a bit more about your brother? Maybe…" she looked at the house and winced.
Yeah she saw something all right! I thought with hope
"Maybe I can help." She added with a smile that I could see intended to make me feel better.
Once I sat at her kitchen table she prepared me a hot chocolate. Could this woman be nicer? I thought with a little smile. Seeing her kindness made me believe a bit more that humanity still stood a chance at redemption somehow.
She sat across from me with a cup too. "You know…" She said slowly "there is some people doing some bad stuff in that house and well…if your brother was there it's not a good thing."
"Yeah?" I asked interested.
"I don't know exactly what's going on in there, but…." She grimaced "the people going in there are defiantly weird," she added somehow uncomfortable.
The way her face was set clearly showed that she had seen the strigoi because I knew that look only too well. It was the face of a human who were trying their best to explain the inexplicable and knowing that believing would make them both insane and paranoid for the rest of their lives.
"What does your brother look like?" She asked with an encouraging tone probably trying to forget the image in her head.
I gave the description of Andre's 'vision'.
She nodded in recognition, but looked at me with wary eyes as if I, firstly, wouldn't like what she was about to tell me, and secondly, as if this information would be dangerous for me… And I wasn't disappointed.
"You know maybe you shouldn't look for him by yourself." She said worried. "They are not the kind of people that should be approached by a young girl." She added, but the way she said the world 'people'made me understand that she knew they weren't human per say.
"Oh I don't intend to put myself in danger," I said as sincerely as I could. "My mother is relying on me too much to take stupid risks."
She seemed to be pleased enough with my answer to continue speaking. "Well I'm sorry sweetie, but I don't think your brother is in town anymore. Last night, I was letting fluffy out," she said pointing at the cat fast asleep near the fire place. "When I saw your brother in the driver's seat of a black luxury car…probably a Lexus I think, and a blond …young…pale man," she said wincing "slid in the passenger's seat and they left pretty fast."
Based on her reaction, I knew too well who the blond young man was.
"The license plate of the car was from Oregon." She added trying to remember more. "But I'm sorry I just didn't really look at the matriculation itself."
Oregon? OREGON?? I thought what the fuck!! I just nodded not knowing what to say. Oregon was so big I couldn't investigate a whole State like that. I was doomed! Unless I could find something more.
"Maybe…Maybe you've seen my brother with someone else who is still around…. Someone who will know a big more," I asked with a begging and desperate tone, which wasn't so hard as it was exactly as I felt.
She looked at me with suspicious eyes as if she didn't know if she should speak and put my life in danger.
I quickly looked behind her where Andre was standing. He nodded once and pointed at her.
She knew more that was certain.
"Please Mrs.… Please you have to help me I'll… I'll be extra careful I promise," I said with tears in the eyes. Well as careful as a revengeful damaged dhampire can be I added to myself.
She sighed showing she was giving in. "Well… Please be careful okay…. I… You seem to be such a nice girl I don't want you to get into any kind of trouble or I'll feel guilty for the rest of my life."
I nodded using the full force of my innocent eyes on her. I knew what it was to live with lots of guilt and I didn't wish that on anyone.
"Okay…" She said seeming to believe me enough. "Well I did see your brother three or four times with a boy of this neighborhood, his name is CJ." She shook her head, "but I can tell you the kid is bad news, always was always will be. If you want to find him he is almost always at a bar called The Snake…. Not a place for a young girl well… not a place for anyone with half a brain really, but…" She shrugged. "If someone knows something it's him even if I don't think he'll say anything."
Oh he will talk to me…. I thought imagining the tortures I could cause him. "I won't force anything," I said calmly.
She described him to me, maybe 5'9, bulky, Reddish hair and Grey eyes and a dangerous look on his face, which actually made me laugh inside.
I thanked her with profusion and it was sincere since I owed her a lot, much more than she seemed to comprehend.
The bar wasn't to far so I decided to go now as she said he was spending most of his days there.
The sooner I go, the faster I'll know were to stand.
Ghostly Andre was walking or rather floating or well… whatever ghosts do beside me as I hurried up to the bar.
"Well thanks," I said grudgingly knowing that without his intervention I would be as lost as before, "but…just so you know you're not forgiven…. far from it," I added with much more anger than I actually felt, but he needed to learn his lesson.
He nodded.
We stopped at the angle, just across from the bar. Seeing the kind of dump it was I was pretty sure they wouldn't ask for my ID since they were probably already violating a huge number of federal laws.
"But… But what changed your mind?" I asked as curiosity got the best of me.
He looked at me and shrugged as he mouthed. I love you…sister.
I pressed my lips together trying not to show emotion. Andre always used to joke as he entered the academy with one sister and left it that summer with two. Lissa and I were both 5 and he was 7 then, but it had been the same ever since.
The Dragomirs' have always been some kind of a substitution family and Lissa as my twin sister and Andre like a big brother.
I sighed "Ok...Time to go in," I said walking into the bar and sitting on the last stool at the end of it. It allowed me to have both a good view of the entire room and of the door without being noticed straight away.
Strategy classes put at use at last. I thought shaking my head.
A dodgy bartender came to me. He had so many tattoos that I could barely see actual skin on his arms.
"What can I get ya?" He asked looking both smug and suspicious.
"A bottle of Bud "I said looking straight into his eyes.
"You sure you legal?" He asked making fun of me really. "You know…it's no place for little girls here."
"Really want to go there dude?" I asked coldly still keeping my eyes on his, showing I wasn't afraid. "I'm no little girl and legal enough believe me," I said as the smart ass I was, which was maybe a mistake, but I realized it wasn't when a wide smile spread on his face.
He nodded. "Ok…. Mam'" he said putting the bottle in front of me.
I looked around the room and stopped my eyes on a girl sitting in a corner table for a minute. I did it for two reasons really.
Firstly because she was looking at me and secondly she looked so familiar!
I frowned looking in front of me again as I tried to remember were I had already seen her face.
She was like some kind of familiar stranger, someone you could swear you knew, but in fact you didn't or like an amnesic seeing someone he knew for the first time since his memory loss. I turned my head pretending to stare at the door, but peeked at the girl again.
I knew her... Damn where from? That was frustrating!! I shook my head well I've probably seen her while on the run with Lissa at University or stuff since we were living in a Students house.
I have far more important things to do now I thought concentrating on the people getting into the bar again.
About two minutes later she walked up to stand beside me and handed a 10 to the bartender, probably to pay for her drink. After he gave her the change she quickly looked at me.
"You know… Strength is just a tool… not the end," she said nodding toward my pendant with a accent I couldn't place. She then turned around and left the bar without another word.
I looked down at the cross and quickly hid it under my sweater.
But how did she -- I quickly looked up as I saw her leave the bar. The cross was facing her… How on earth did she know about the word 'Сила' engraved on the back??
I was about to stand up to run after her when CJ walked in. It was the perfect timing to set my priorities straight again.
I looked at him, trying to look as alluring as I could with a tiny shy, yet slutty smile (at least I tried)
He looked at me and smiled back while walking toward me.
Yatzee! I thought looking down at my beer, but switching to a more 'inviting' position.
He sat beside me.
"Hey" he said smugly.
"Hey" I said with what I thought was a sexy voice. When all I wanted to say was 'hey strigoi's bitch!'
We talked for a little while about random things. I tried to sound as idiotic, naïve and weak as I could and boy that was hard!! The total contrary of my actual personality, but his smart-ass attitude tipped me on the fact that it was what he wanted and I didn't get disappointed.
He had his eyes so glued to my breasts that I started to wonder if he expected some monkeys to come out from it.
"Maybe…do you live far away?" I asked licking my lips when I only wanted to puke as I could see the lust in the eyes of this man that I already hated.
"Why? Want to see my place?" He asked expectantly. "I do have a little flat not too far from here," he added with a wink.
"So… What are we waiting for?" I asked winking back.
"I was wondering exactly the same thing!" He said standing up and helping me down the stool.
As we walked to his flat I could feel my hunting knife in my left sock, the taser on my belt and the razor blades in my right sock.
Oh you're gonna scream believe me, but not for the reason you think… I thought following him to his building.