A/N: Firstly i would like to apologize for how long it has taken me to post. I do so hope you enjoy this chapter, As always i would love to see your wonderful reviews, your ever so welcomed criticisms and your fantastic ideas. I also hope that you become as found of Lucky's new fledgling as i have even though he has only just been introduced. I do not own Lucky or the Drakes. Now i present...

Chapter 7: Taking you in and under my wing, but never shall i let you in

Morning came and morning went, It was deep into the afternoon when i finally decided to wake up and when i did the first thing i noticed was the strange boy sitting on Hunters bed sporting a great big shiner of a black eye and an assortment of other cuts and bruises. "Afternoon" he said a little to happily " or should i say evening"
Evening? it can't be that late i looked to the curtains, orangey pinkish light pored through the gap where the curtains join, setting the floor alight as though someone had set a line of fire through the center of the room. "Who the hell are you?" i asked bewildered at the fact that there was a stranger in my room and no body had bothered to tie him up and interrogate him yet although he must have run into some trouble judging from the state of his face but that only brought on thoughts of doubt as to whether my friends were alive or not.

"I'm Eli, and you're my new mentor"

What!

"Excuse me" i sputtered, kicking my duvet off.
"You're Lucky Hamilton right?"
"Yes"
"Kieren said you were going to be my mentor until i was allowed back into the academy"

ooooooooooooooooh noooooooooooooo, Of course Kieren freaking Black would be behind this. It practically reeks of deceit.

"Well Eli this is the first I've heard of this, and why exactly are you in here?" he smiled a sheepish grin
"This is where I'm supposed to be sleeping"

This just gets so much better, wait where is Hunter in all of this because no doubt she has something to do with it, her and Kieren were always plotting and planning. they may not be as sneaky and manipulative as me but they certainly could be if they tried.

We sat in awkward silence for a while, me to surprised to be bothered and i think he was just trying to be polite.
"Why did they suspend you from the academy?" his cheeks were steadily growing redder and redder.
"Well ummm, i uh i.."
"Yes?" oh how i felt like a teacher at this point.
"Well i uh i disobeyed a lot of direct orders" seriously that was it?
"Annnnnd...?" i prodded there had to be more for him to be suspended, i mean i disobeyed rule after rule and i made it through.

"And that's it" he says earnestly, my jaw drops.
"Don't lie" i say "there is no way you'd get kicked out for that, seriously if i am supposed to be your mentor i need to know the dirt... i mean the truth"
Eli looks down at his feet "oh." oh?

"Well um the orders i disobeyed, it turns out were definitely put in place for a reason" duh,
"Go on.."
" well there was a Hel-Blar attack" his voice started to rise as his speech speed up.
"And all i wanted to do was help, but they're sooooo much stronger than i thought and there were so many of them. I tried to take them but a junior followed me, his name was jimmy." oh no
"And while i was managing barely but he managed to get caught and the Hel-Blar... he... it... it ripped out his throat"

I am the biggest bitch, in the universe.

I spent the rest of the evening getting to know Eli, he was sixteen, the oldest of five kids, he had a soft spot for orphans and he planned to become a great hunter. It turns out Hunter had gone back with Kieren to the academy to help with protection so i was officially left in charge... Great. By the time we were done we were famished. Sophia and Alice were out hunting the bars for any sign of another creeper so it was just us to feed.

"What do you feel like. my shout" Eli shrugged
"Um, any decent Chinese take out stores?"

I nodded of course there was i knew the best place ever i went there once on a date with...

My heart begins to ache and throb but i keep a straight face, it was obvious i was going to have to be the rock in this friendship if it was going to work and i was going to get Eli back into the academy in tip top shape.

The Chinese shop is just down the road from our apartment so its only a ten minuet walk in the rain. but even so we are soaked to the bone "just order what you want and i'll pay" i manage to say through chattering teeth. While Eli orders our food i wait.

waiting seems so uneventful doesn't it? but in my life nothing is uneventful, because as i sunk into the background the door opened and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on edge. every part of my body screaming for me to run yet somewhere deep, deep, deep, deep down under the rubble i used to call my heart a familiar safety was there but it to small for me to even bother. And as i turned to survey the threat i come face to face with Quinn, Logan and Conner.

"I told you it was her" Quinn elbowed Logan, a cheery grin on his face. My heart began to flutter frantically but only for a second before i remembered the could hear it. Does he know? Do they recognize me? they have to.

But they don't, thanks to Eli.

"Hey i got our food" he says before freezing, he can sense it to the unnatural chill about them, the lack of breath that comes from their lips. He clicks on quicker than i thought he would.

"Who're your friends" he asks sizing them all up.
"This is Quinn, and his brothers?" Quinn takes in my.

"Oh, right Cassidy these are my brothers Logan and Conner." The only difference between the two is that one has longer hair then the other.
"Oh, hi" i say casually, i take the food from Eli relishing in the instantaneous warmth. Quinn is now sizing up Eli now " Oh sorry where have my manners gone, This is My cousin Eli he's staying with me while his parents are out of town"

Eli, the genius puts on an embarrassed grimace, and he plays them like puppets. Logan even pats him on the shoulder sympathetically.
Another personal success.
"Sooo, you stalked me into the Chinese shop just to make sure it was me?" i ask, laying it on thick and even batting my eye lashes...Remind me to grimace later.
It's Logan who answers though, " yea he did even though poor old Nicky is sitting in the car. My heart drops instantly. Logan is staring at me, probing me with his eyes. He's suspicious of me but my face shows nothing but what cassidy is feeling which is right now nothing.
"Is Nicky another brother?" i ask almost as dimly as possible.
"Yea" Conner says, even he's a little weary.
"Well better not keep him waiting" i say grabbing Eli's hand and we leave. but even with the rain pouring down i still see him. sitting dejectedly in a black SUV. Our eyes lock, and my chest explodes but my face stays passive. i see a spark of recognition in those eyes before he dissolves into the rain.

Leaving me hollow and back in the past.