"How did you know that?" Michael whispered as we began the descent down into the cave. "You know, about the bluff?"
"I can't tell you that…" I frowned, which once again caught Michael off guard.
She could be my sister with that frown… It's so eerie. He made a mental note to press the issue further later.
"Just stick close, okay?" He requested. "I feel like you're… my responsibility, or something?"
"Will do," I laughed as we entered the cave and my eyes widened at being able to put a real image to the one that had been told in stories.
David began telling the back story of it, which I already knew so I tuned him out. My eyes drifted down to my ring again, which was now a deep red. In an instant, my eyes traveled over the four boys, wanting to get close enough to each of them to see when my ring would burn at my skin.
"Marko, food!" The smallest of the boys quickly nodded and brushed past me as David dragged Michael off. My eyes widened for a moment, before I realized there was no change to the ring.
Well, one down…
Star looked over at me, but made no conversation as she drifted away as well.
I felt no ill will about it; I knew my mother had been mind-fucked into submission at that point. She was already worried about Michael, she couldn't care for me; some girl she didn't know.
I sighed as I followed Michael and David, my hand grabbing lightly at the former's jacket. He shot me an encouraging smile as Paul passed over a joint to David, which quickly ended up in Michael's hands.
David grinned as Michael stared down at it, "You'll like it here."
David roamed off to take a seat as Michael took a hit and offered it to me; I had to suppress a laugh as I nodded and took a hit as well.
He'd be kicking himself for that one down the road.
I took a seat on the ledge beside Michael and couldn't help but smile as he stared past David at Star, "She's gorgeous."
"Yeah…" He whispered back with a small nod.
Marko began throwing food around and David graciously offered us each a carton. Michael shook his head, as did I, and David shot us each an amused smile and began another round of instigation.
Michael eventually grabbed the boxes and I had to look away as David asked, "How are those maggots?" Michael stared back blankly with a questioning look. "Maggots, Michael. You're eating maggots. How to they taste?"
He stared down with a laugh before doing a spit take past my boots and dropped the box to the ground as Star tried to speak up, "Leave him alone."
David turned his attention towards me, "How are your noodles?"
I cocked an eyebrow and put a smug grin across my lips, "That's not going to work. A little weed won't make me see worms." I lifted the chopsticks up from the box and happily shoved a bite into my mouth. "They're only noodles."
David scowled as he leaned back in the chair, "Who are you, anyways? You aren't from around here."
"I'm on vacation," I swiftly lied. "I thought I'd get some time alone before college in the fall."
"It's not smart to vacation alone in Santa Carla," Paul chimed in. "Murder capital of the world, and all."
"I'll take my chances," I shot back as I shoved the box into Michael's hands, assuring him it was safe to eat.
It wasn't long before the boys all introduced themselves, and I was free to use their names without fear of exposing too much knowledge.
Dwayne, having been silent thus far, finally spoke up, "Where are you going to college?"
"UCLA," I responded. "I'm going in for classes in acting and music."
"You play something?" Paul's interest was caught and I couldn't help but chuckle.
"The guitar quite well, and the piano a little," I nodded, remembering when Mom forced it on me. "I sing, mostly. My mother can't carry a tune, but my Dad got me into it when I was about 6. He plays guitar, so he'd always let me chime in."
"That's sweet," Michael commented, remembering how his Dad would do that with him.
I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness as I just nodded.
"Sing us something," David said more like a command rather than a question. "If you're good enough to study it, I think we'd all like to hear." He made a motion towards Dwayne, who quickly grabbed Paul's guitar and handed it over. I frowned slightly as my ring stayed the same upon our fingers brushing; he seemed the most polite out of all of them.
It took me a moment to realize that I had been close enough to Paul as well, and I gave a sigh of internal relief. He seemed like someone I would regard more as a brother.
He was kind of a pig, from what I had noticed and heard.
That relief was short lived as I realized that there was only one person left.
My eyes met David's; full on, for the first time, and I held back a small shriek as I felt the skin under my ring sizzle.
It would have to be him, wouldn't it?
He was the one I had been fearful of it being. So, of course...
Maybe I should have listened to my parents and let it go. Especially with the way he was staring at me now.
I shook the thoughts away as I propped the guitar in my lap and quickly thought of the first song I could. It was funny that the first one in my mind was the one I was named for; the song Dad would sing me to sleep with on a frequent basis in my childhood.
I began strumming as I ignored the rapid beating in my heart and began a softer, acoustic melody.
Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night
And wouldn't you love to love her?
Takes to the sky like a bird in flight
And who will be her lover?
All your life you've never seen a woman taken by the wind
Would you stay if she promised you heaven?
Will you ever win?
She is like a cat in the dark
And then she is the darkness
She rules her life like a fine skylark
And when the sky is starless
All your life you've never seen a woman taken by the wind
Would you stay if she promised you heaven?
Will you ever win?
Will you ever win?
Rhiannon
Rhiannon
Rhiannon
Rhiannon
She rings like a bell through the night
And wouldn't you love to love her?
She rules her life like a bird in flight
And who will be her lover?
All your life you've never seen a woman taken by the wind
Would you stay if she promised you heaven?
Will you ever win?
Will you ever win?
Rhiannon
Rhiannon
Rhiannon
Taken by
Taken by the sky
Taken by
Taken by the sky
Taken by
Taken by the sky
Dreams unwind
Love's a state of mind
Dreams unwind
Love's a state of mind
"Are you happy now?" I smirked as I tossed the guitar to Paul, who caught it in midair with ease.
"You're good," Star mumbled from behind David.
Michael stared at me in amazement, "Better than I expected."
"I had a good teacher," I smiled as my eyes turned back to David.
He was watching me carefully as he motioned for Marko and whispered something in his ear. "I'm impressed," He finally acknowledged, as Paul and Dwayne muttered the same.
I had no time to respond as Marko came back out with a jeweled glass bottle and Star circled behind Michael with wide eyes.
David took a slow drink, looking instantly stronger and calmer. He leaned forwards towards Michael, "Drink some of this; be one of us."
He gave me a look that easily read, 'You're next.'
I knew what was in that bottle.
I had known what was to come since I entered the cave.
It wasn't as if I could become a vampire now; the enchantress told me that.
I would return as a human to my time if I killed and became more than just a half.
I knew that it could come to this… I needed to get close to them without disrupting the natural order of things. For that reason, I couldn't tell Da – Michael not to drink… I, however, could refuse it.
Did I want to, though?
I wanted to get to know David, the man who was supposed to be my perfect match in life.
This was the best way.
My eyes turned up as Michael stood to grab the bottle and the boys began chanting his name. Out of the corner of my vision, I caught Laddie scurrying away from the boys. I could faintly hear Star say that it was blood, before Michael gave her a snarky look and took a swig from the bottle, earning a cheer from the boys.
"What about you, gorgeous?" Paul hollered over the cheers.
Michael passed the wine my way and I wrinkled my nose at the rusty smell. How had my Dad been that much of a moron? This smelled nothing like wine.
I saw Laddie and Star exit the room with terrified looks on their faces and it about broke my heart.
"Yeah, sure," I ignored the burn of the liquid and the screaming of my brain as I drank and quickly shoved the bottle away when I was done.
The boys applauded as Marko began to wheel David around, chanting both of our names.
"You're one of us, guys," Paul clapped us both on the back as a party ensued around us.