Chapter 13

Nascent Admiration

Lily watched Kenny's expression as they drove up to Thiery's house. It went from anger, to stun, to wonderment before her eyes. He turned his eyes on her then.

"I suppose if I have to be kidnapped I might as well be kidnapped in style," he said making both her and Ash laugh.

"I'm not really kidnapping you, you can call people and go out whenever you like, you'll just be staying here instead of at home and when you leave there will be people following you to ensure your safety," Lily said.

"How serious is this Alder guy, what would he do?" Kenny asked suddenly.

Lily turned serious, "he could actually kidnap you, and believe me his hospitality isn't as wonderful as he tried to make it out to be. He could also-" Lily stopped and plastered a smile on her face, not wanting to tell him.

"Kill me?" Kenny asked as if she had told him.

"Your connection," Ash whispered to her.

"Yeah he could kill you, would have killed me if it weren't for Ash here," she said casually, trying to lighten the mood, it didn't work.

"He tried to kill you?" Kenny yelled.

"Me too, it's no big deal as long as Lily doesn't take off by herself, you too. He's strong but if he doesn't catch Lily unaware I think she can take him," Ash said.

"Oh yes, I a vampire of a whole month can take a vampire of two hundred," she scoffed, forgetting Kenny for a moment.

"You're telling me this guy is two hundred years old?" Kenny whispered.

"Yeah, but that's nothing to a vampire, Thiery, who you'll meet shortly, is thousands of years old."

"Thousands?" He whispered in shock, Lily just nodded. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen, already told you. Not that you should have remembered it though," she said, thoughtfully turning to Ash. "Could that be the soulmate thingy?"

Ash shrugged. "Who knows, Hannah remembered Thiery from other lives thousands of years ago, but I've never heard of someone remembering something that has been erased. Though, thinking about it, my cousin Thea tried to spell her soulmate into falling in love with someone else and that didn't work. Perhaps the soulmate bond is too strong to be erased or forgotten."

"What exactly is this soulmate thing I keep hearing about?" Kenny asked intrigued.

Lily looked at Ash who knew from personal expirience, he nodded and began, "it's when two souls are destined to be together, they were made for each other. Some say they are two halves of the same soul. It doesn't matter if you hate the person that is your soulmate because once you meet them you'll never be truly happy apart," Ash smiled as he said this.

"I see," Kenny said. The window separating the drivers seat from the back of the limo slid down making Kenny and Lily jump.

"Thiery and Hannah are waiting for you inside," Nilson said. Ash nodded and got out, leaving the door open for her and Kenny.

"Thanks for the ride Nilson," Lily said as she got out.

"Any time miss," Nilson said.

Kenny got out slowly and looked at the mansion in awe.

"Come on they're waiting," Lily said, taking his hand and leading him up the path to the house.

He let her lead him, liking the way her hand felt in his. It was right, somehow. Kenny held on tighter as they reached the door and Lily opened it. Kenny pulled back, he wanted to turn and run away. Somehow he thought he wouldn't have to believe any of this if he didn't enter that house, this would all turn into a strange dream or it would be some kind of joke. Lily pulled him through.

"So this is the young man Ash was telling me about," Thiery murmured as Lily dragged Kenny into the house.

"You, I know you," Kenny said suddenly making Thiery stare at him.

"Do you? From where?" Thiery asked.

"The night I met Lily, I think," he said a look of curiosity crossing his face. Thiery turned and looked at Lily.

She shrugged, "Don't ask me, maybe Shiloh did it wrong or something."

"I did what wrong?" Shiloh walked into the entryway and looked around, his eyes widening at the sight of Kenny.

"You erased his memory wrong, he remembers us," Lily said.

"That's impossible," Shiloh said coming to look at Kenny. "What's he doing here anyway?" She could tell Kenny was becoming annoyed by the way everyone was talking about him but not to him.

"I'm being kidnapped, aparently," Kenny said. Shiloh glared at Lily.

"And why are you kidnapping him?"

She shrugged and pulled Kenny along behind her as she walked away from Shiloh, she didn't want to tell him.

"Lily answer me," Shiloh growled as she began to take Kenny upstairs.

She continued to ignore him. She could feel Kenny's confusion through their connection, she had been feeling everything he did since their initial touch.

"Damn it Lily tell me something," Shiloh yelled.

"You're not going to tell him?" Ash asked. Lily stopped and turned around, glaring down the stairs at them all.

"You find this so damn funny, you tell him," she yelled at Ash, then turned back and ran up the stairs, her hold on Kenny never slacking. She brought him to her bedroom and closed the door, locking it behind them.

"What was that about?" Kenny asked. She shook her head.

"I don't know, just confused," she whispered.

"This is all real, isn't it?" Kenny asked suddenly, making her giggle.

"You're just figuring that out?" She asked. Kenny nodded and sat down on her bed, putting his head in his hands. Lily looked at him for a moment before going and sitting next to him. "I'm sorry, this kind of messes things up for you, doesn't it?" She asked softly.

Kenny lifted his head and looked at her. "Not really, it's just weird is all. All my life I was told monster aren't real, vampires don't exist, witched are for fairy tales, and now…" Kenny stopped talking, his gaze never wavering as he watched her.

Lily was so confused, she had only known Kenny for a short time and yet she couldn't contain her urge to kiss him. She leaned forward and was stopped by the sound of knocking on her door. Lily sighed audiably.

"Who is it?" She asked.

"Hannah."

"Oh, come in," she said as she hopped off the bed.

Hannah walked in with a smile on her face and a sadness in her eyes. "Hello Lily, this must be your new friend Kenny," Hannah said.

Lily nodded shortly watching Hannah closely, something was wrong. "What is it?" She asked.

"I suppose I can't really hide anything from you, vampires are too psychic to be fooled by us," Hannah smirked. "This came for you a moment ago, delivered by house Azheda." Hannah handed her a closed envelope.

Lily turned it over, looking at it. The front of the envelope read "Lilith Aisling Ambrose," in a scrawling, spidery script. She felt Kenny get off the bed hover behind her.

With a sigh Lily ripped it open and pulled out the piece of paper inside. She glanced over it, it didn't take long, only had a three sentances, three sentences that sent fear into her heart.

"We have his family. If you want them back we will take you in trade. My people will be watching for your reply."

Lily looked at Kenny and handed him the note.

"I'm sorry," she whispered sadly. "I wish I had never met you and gotten you involved in this."

"I-is this real?" Kenny asked looking into Lily's eyes.

"Yes."

"You can't go to him, I won't let you," Kenny yelled as the note fluttered unheeded to the floor.

Lily smiled sadly and leaned forward, she had to kiss him just once. He was much taller than her so she had to stand on her tip toes to reach him. She flung her arms around his neck and pulled him down to meet her lips.

The kiss was amazing. Lightning flashed between them as Lily deepened their kiss, holding on to him as if this would be the last time she saw him. It would.

Lily stepped back, breaking contact from him and smiled. Without a word she ran to the balcony doors and flung them open. Before either Hannah or Kenny knew what was happening she flung herself over the rail and changed. She felt her fingers contract and pull into talons as her hair dissolved into a mass of feathers. Her body shrank and her arms turned liquid, reshaping themselves.

Before she hit the ground she veered up and soared into the sky away from Thiery's mansion. She knew the alarms would be raised by now, all it would have taken was Hannah's shout. She soared higher in the air wanting to get as far away from the house as possible, she knew Thiery had shapeshifters that could probably track her, she was in fact counting on it. But she had to be with Azheda when they found her, she wouldn't be taken back before she saved Kenny's family.

She soared through the air, watching for signs from below that she had reached her destination. Azheda was no fool, he had a sense of timing for everything, and he was very good.

Suddenly she stopped mid flight and looked around, she had been touched by a sense. Lily looked below her and saw a small house, well kept, and quaint. It was his. She wasn't sure how she knew it, but she did. Lily dropped into a dive with a smile, she had found him.

Lily dropped to the roof and without even looking around she changed. Her wings became arms with hands and fingers, her her feathers dissolved leaving her clad in bare skin, she felt her hair touch her lower back and cringed, she had forgotten she would be naked.

A laugh made her turn cautiously around, on the roof stood Alder and a man that looked to be about twenty years old. He had blond hair and brown eyes. He was incredibly handsome, high cheekbones, thick pouting lips, and wide innocent eyes, innocent unless someone were able to see the carnage that stood at his back. Lily could feel the evil emenate from him in waves, it was making her nauseous.

"Azheda," she said, ignoring her sickness. She stood in front of him clad in nothing but her long hair.

"Lily, how wonderful to see you again," Azheda said, confusing her all the more. His eyes wandered over her body, making her cringe.

"I don't believe we've ever met," she said, standing her ground.

"Ah, but we have. It was a very long time ago, it's been about three or four hundred years since last I saw you." Azheda was confusing her. He walked towards her with a predatory stride. She wanted to run but she couldn't move, she was stuck.

"I'm only seventeen," she whispered as he drew close enough to touch her.

"This body is only seventeen, but your soul is quite old, almost as old as Hannah actually. I must say I am impressed by what you have become, the savior or destroyer of the world." He reached out, taking her by the hair he pulled her face close to his. He was doing something to her, she couldn't budge no matter how much she wanted to, and she wanted to.

"Wh-where are they?" She whispered as he moved closer to her. She wanted to cover her nakedness, do anything to make it so he didn't touch her.

"Safe for now, if you cooperate they will be freed," Azheda said, pulling back and looking at her. "I must tell you my dear, I was quite surprised when Alder told me he saw you in a very compromising position with that redheaded human. It's a good thing he knew the boy, and their family."

"What I do and more importantly who I do it with is none of your concern. This is between you and I, let them go," she growled. As if ropes had fallen off of her she could move again, she made sure to stay still however.

"Everything you do has to do with me, you see my dear I'm your soulmate." Lily burst out laughing.

"Sure you are," she said sarcastically. Azheda took one finger and placed it over her lips. Lily stared at him in shock as she felt it, a connection. It was almost nothing, like butterfly wings touching her, but it was there. It was nothing compared to her connection with Kenny, but he was right, they were soulmates.

"H-how?" She asked in shock and disbelief. She couldn't hav two soulmates, it wasn't possible. One was unheard of, but two couldn't exist, there could only be one half of your soul, couldn't there?

Azheda was smiling at her and caressing her cheek. "You see my dear, the connection doesn't lie. We were meant to be together."

She wondered suddenly if he knew about Kenny, if he knew she had another soulmate. She had to figure this out, and quickly, the lives of Kenny's family rested upon her. "Why not just come to me and tell me then, why the kidnapping?" She whispered.

"I would never have been allowed near you, you had to come to me," Azheda said. She nodded knowing the truth of his words.

"So you will let them go?"

Azheda stared into her eyes unblinkingly, then simply shrugged. "If it means that much to you they can go free." He turned to Alder then, who she had forgotted even existed. "Take them to Thiery's mansion and let them go in front of it, leave a note with them saying we have made a deal and she is staying with me. Perhaps put something in the note about me harming her if I see anyone remotely connected to Thiery." Alder nodded and left, and Lily breathed a sigh of relief.

"D-do you have something for me to wear?" She asked when Alder had left them alone on the roof, she was very uncomfortable.

"I rather approve of this, but if you want to be dressed you shall be dressed in the finest clothes. Come with me." Azheda took and hand and led her off the roof, all she could think as she left was that she had somehow betrayed Kenny, and she hoped he could forgive her someday.

I hope you liked this chapter, a little boring at the beginning but I think it picked up there at the end. Let me know what you thought, any questions or concerns ect.

Thanks for your review Windy, you're really a great reviewer and I enjoy reading them!

Sorry it took me so long to update this,I thought that I had updated it last night only to realize I didn't and then when I tried to update it this morning it wouldn't let me, I should have the next one up tomorrow night. And for all those All May be Lost fans out there, I'll have that up by next week.

REVIEW, and thanks to everyone reviewing this!