Chapter 12

Forgotten

They had been at Thiery's mansion for a little over a week, swimming in his pool, playing in his arcade, they had all even gone out to the casino's with genuine forged ID, thanks to Thiery. No matter what she did Lily couldn't get Kenny's eyes out of her head. She didn't understand why, they had spent barely an hour in each others presence and he didn't even remember that.

She wanted to walk to the strip, but the thought of Alder catching her kept her suitably detained. Thiery searched for him for two days before they got a note saying he was under Night World protection, he had reached his benefactor and spilled his guts. None were happy with this thought, they knew Noah and Lily existed now.

"Restless?" Ash asked as he walked up behind her. She had been wandering aimlessly in the mansion for over an hour.

"Yeah, and bored," she said with a sigh.

"Well let's go out then. I'll let your mother know," Ash smiled.

"Really?" She asked happily, making him smile. Ash lauged and nodded.

"Meet me at the front door in twenty minutes," he said and walked off.

Lily ran to her room and changed in record time. She wore a skimpy blue dress with silver flowers that shined in the light. She left her hair down, barely brushing it. She then ran downstairs to the front door and waited for Ash. He walked down the stairs in a stunning black on black outfit that was striking against his hair. His eyes were a deep blue, making him look younger and more innocent.

"Ready?" He asked. She nodded excitedly. "Thiery is lending us his limo and Nilson to drive it, we can go anywhere you want kid."

"Let's go to a casino and get a drink," she said. Ash nodded and escorted her out the door and down the sidewalk to the black limo waiting in the street.

"Take us to the Flamingo Nilson," Ash said when they were in and the door was closed.

"Yes Sir," Nilson said, and the car sprung to life.

It didn't take long for them to reach the casino and Nilson stopped in front of it.

"Call me when you're ready to leave," Nilson said.

"Okay Nil," Ash smirked and got out of the car, pulling Lily out behind him.

"Do you think this is a good idea?" Lily asked as he took her arm.

"Course it is, with you here to protect me nothing can go wrong," he smirked.

"And here I thought you were here to protect me," she laughed.

"Hell no, you'd kick my ass," Ash laughed. They walked into the casino and bumped into someone, sending him sprawling on the ground. Lily bent down without thinking and helped him up only to see a pair of dark green eyes under long blood red hair. Her eyes widened as she saw Kenny.

"You okay?" Ash asked.

"Yeah I'm fine," Kenny said.

"Sorry about that," Lily murmured.

"Haven't we met before?" Kenny asked, obviously puzzled.

"No I don't think so," she said with a smile.

"She's knew in town," Ash chimed in. He knew who Kenny was too, and he was just as perplexed as she that he knew her. Shiloh was a very thorough person.

"You look very familiar, where are you from?"

"San Fancisco," Ash said before she could come up with a lie. Kenny's eyes lit up as if he remembered something.

"Yeah, and your name's Lily," he said. Lily's jaw dropped. "That's right, we met a week ago. I can never forget a face."

"Apparently obviously not," Ash murmured. Lily turned to look at him, he was smiling, he thought this was funny.

"Well we were about to get a drink," Lily said, pulling Ash towards the door of the casino.

"I thought you were only seventeen?" He asked, loud enough for the doorman to hear. Lily shook her head and walked away, not wanting to deal with it.

"I suppose we're not getting a drink," she grumbled, walking away from the casino.

"Am I intruding or something?" Kenny asked.

She wanted to be mean to him, send him away; it was for his own good after all. When she looked in his eyes though she couldn't do it, "not really."

"So what do you want to do, are you hungry?" Ash asked.

"Not really," she shook her head to emphasize her point. She didn't want to feed on Kenny and she couldn't say why.

"Well I could call Nilson and we could go somewhere else or we could walk, up to you. I hear there's a roller coaster on one of these casino's."

"Yeah it's pretty cool but kind of far away," Kenny said.

"I'll call Nilson then," Ash shrugged as he pulled out his phone. It rang as he was opening it. He looked at the phone as if it had bit him. "It's Mary," he said, looking at Lily.

"Take it, I'll be fine," she shooed.

"you sure?" He asked.

"Yes, take it," she said. Ash nodded and walked away.

"He your boyfriend?" Kenny asked.

"Nope, he's talking to his girlfriend."

"So, uh, listen I know this is gonna sound weird but the night we met is kind of a blur to me. I know I met you with James and I know we went somewhere, but I can't remember much else," Kenny said, looking confused.

Lily was surprised in spite of herself, the fact that he remembered anything, let alone that much, impressed her. "And?" She prompted, waiting for him to get to his point.

"Did anything happen, I mean," he stopped and looked at her pleadingly.

"I knocked him out before he could try anything," she soothed. Kenny visibly relaxed at her comment.

"Good."

"So where is your brother?"

"He's at home, got a cold."

"Ah, and you were out looking for more innocent young girls to victimize?" His jaw dropped as she asked this. She wasn't sure why she was being so mean to him, but she couldn't help it. As she spoke to him her stomache was filling with butterflies and she was beginning to have to restrain herself from jumping on him and kissing him, she had never felt this way before and she didn't want to now.

"I was getting my schedule for next week from work," he said, forcibly closing his mouth. "I should be going though."

He turned and as he began to walk away she had the appalling feeling of wanting to go after him. It became so strong as he walked further away that she couldn't help it, she ran after him. She caught up with him in the parkinglot as he was unlocking his car.

"Kenny wait," she called, making him stop and look towards her.

"What?" He asked.

"I'm sorry I was being mean, it's just that… I don't know how to explain it." She shook her head. "I would really like it if you hung out with Ash and I."

"I don't know, I really should get going," he said, turning to go. She reached out and grabbed his hand, and that's when it happened.

Connection, she felt herself falling forward, she couldn't stop. She was caught by a pair of welcoming arms. They held her tight, supporting her. She clung to him, never wanting this feeling to stop. Lily was inside his mind, floating. She looked around mystified. They had bee in the parking lot, and then suddenly they weren't. It was as if there was only the two of them in the entire world.

His mind was bright and full of light, there were no dark corners. She wandered in it for a moment, simply relishing the feeling of him. Images appeared before her, Kenny as a child riding his bike with his big brother. Kenny at school being picked on.

"Memories," a voice whispered to her. He opened himself to it, he wanted her to see him as he was. He had nothing to hide. That's when she realized she did.

She had felt him in her mind for a while now but she pushed him out and threw up the highest walls she could, trying to hide herself from him, not wanting him to know what she was.

"Why not?" A voice in her head asked, it was a minute before she realized it was Kenny's thoughts, she could hear what he was thinking.

"I don't want you here," she shouted, trying to keep him out. She felt him flinch and her walls began to fall. "No," she whispered. She needed her walls to protect her, to hide her from him. If he found out what would he think?

"What's happening Lily? What is going on?" His thoughts were so confused, worried almost. She knew what this was, had heard about it at length from Ash.

"Whats a soulmate?" Kenny asked, having caught her thought.

"Nothing, just go away please," she pleaded as she tried to pull her mind from his. The pull was too strong, it wasn't letting her go. She couldn't help but want to share everything with him, let him know what she was. Her walls fell into nothing around her. She was unprotected, but she didn't care anymore, not about anything. All she wanted was to share everything with him.

"Well well well, if it isn't Lily," a voice broke into their minds, she felt the connection snap and she was in her body again. She was sitting on the pavement being held by Kenny. She looked up at him wonderingly, what had broken their connection?

"Alder you snake," she whispered as it dawned on her that Kenny hadn't spoken. She turned to face him, pulling away from Kenny as she did so and standing up.

"Vermin," Alder growled. From what she could tell he was there by himself, she thought this was a good sign.

"I heard you ran off to your master, wasn't he disappointed to find out you spilled the beans and told us who he is?" Lily smirked. "Who helped you escape?"

"As for Azheda, he doesn't hide from anyone, especially not vermin like yourself and your family. Don't worry Lily you'll meet him soon enough. You and that twin of yours will both be lucky enough to receive his hospitality, but not yet. And as for my escape, you were fools to think some bast cord would keep me tied," Alder smirked, then disappeared from sight as a black limo squealed into the parking lot.

Ash and Nilson jumped out. "Damn it I told you to stay put," Ash yelled.

"Alder was here," she said casually. Ash looked around as if he were hiding in the shadows.

"Where?"

"He left just as you pulled up, he told me Azheda was going to be Noah and mines gracious host soon, and that he escaped on his own, which I do not believe," she said, examining her nails.

"Come on we're going back to Thiery's and packing, we're leaving Vegas now," Ash grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the limo. She didn't budge.

"I can't leave," she said.

"Why not?" Ash asked as he finally stopped pulling her.

Lily turned and looked at Kenny, "he's not safe anymore, Alder saw him."

"So?" Ash asked before a look of understanding crossed his face. He burst out laughing.

"Excuse me, I hate to interupt but can some one please tell me what the hell is going on?" Kenny yelled.

"Crap," she mumbled, taking his hand and dragging him to the limo with her. "Get in," she ordered. Kenny looked from her to Ash to Nilson, then back to her, he turned and got in the limo. Lily jumped in behind him and Ash got in last, closing the door.

"Where to miss?" Nilson asked from the front.

"Just drive please," she said, rubbing the bridge of her nose to get rid of her headache.

"So you gonna tell him or what?" Ash asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Why don't you?" She growled.

"He's your soulmate, not mine," Ash laughed. Lily glared at him.

"Rot in hell," she said, then turned to Kenny who was watching her, his eyes huge and confused. "Where shall I start?" She asked herself, and began with the Night World.

A half hour later Lily was drinking an absolute vodka in the back of the limo while Nilson drove around Vegas, Ash sat in a corner of the car trying, unsuccessfully, to hide his laughter, and Kenny tried to steady his breathing. She had told him everything. It had been difficult to start but once started she couldn't stop.

"So you're a, uh, a v-vam-" Kenny couldn't finish it.

"A vampire, yes, and a witch, a shapeshifter, a werewolf and human," she said with a smile.

"So you're insane, I'm in love with a girl who's insane," he said to himself. Her heart skipped a beat when he said he was in love with her.

Lily sighed and shook her head. "I suppose you want proof then?" She asked. Kenny looked at her with his deep, unfathomable eyes. She nodded and thought of blood, it wasn't hard since she was starving. She could feel her teeth elongate and turn milky white, she knew her eyes, which were never normal to begin with, were turning to liquid silver.

Kenny began to cough as she did this, he had apparantly forgotten to breathe. She retracted her teeth and allowed herself to turn normal again.

"Don't touch me," Kenny yelled as she reached out a hand to move a strand of hair that had falled in his eyes away. Lily flinched and pulled back. "You're, you're-" Kenny shook his head, speachless.

"Is this how they all react?" She asked Ash, remembering how she had reacted when told the truth.

"Mary was rather calm about the whole thing, though she found out when I wasn't there," Ash said offhandedly.

"You mean you didn't tell her?" Lily asked surprised. Ash laughed as if at a memory.

"No, my misbegotten sisters told her after she spied on them and saw them feeding on a dear."

"Of course," Lily laughed.

"Please just take me back to my car," Kenny was saying.

"I can't do that, wish I could but I can't. Alder saw you and he might try to hurt you to get to me. I can't have that," she said.

"So you're kidnapping me?"

She shrugged, "if your not coming willingly. Nilson take us to Thiery's, we've got a lot to discuss."

Yeah, so, review. This might be a littleconfusing to someone that hasn't read L J Smith. Her books are all about soulmates so I may not have explained it well or something, let me know. I mean i know it's not that hard a concept to understand but the way it's portrayed may be.

Let me know if you have any questions, and of course give me your comments!

Thanks for the review Windy, and I'm sure more about Alder will be revealed in later chapters... I am the author after all:)