Chapter 13
-"Tamao-chan, you really have to try and eat something."- Chikaru placed her hand on her shoulder, hoping to get a reaction from her.
Tamao didn't even glance at her, she hadn't touched her food since she sat down and how could she after what she just experienced. She could not get Marinel's cries of pain out of her head, the way she screamed made her blood run cold, the way she looked after they saved her.
She couldn't understand how her friends could act like nothing happened!
-"I don't want too."-
-"Tamao, I know you want to be with Mari—"-
-"Evelyn."- Tamao interjected.
-"What?"- Shion was confused.
-"She wants us to call her by her first name, Evelyn."-
-"Oh I see,"- Chikaru could only smile.
Yaya however got back on track as she said, -"Tamao, it's not like we could forget what we saw."-
-"Yeah, it was horrible."- Shion followed up, -"I can't begin to imagine how it was for you."-
-"Then how can you all sit here, and be calm about it!"- Tamao raised her voice, if only slightly.
-"Tamao-chan, we have to be for Evelyn's sake. I can't deny what I felt seeing her like that, seeing you like that but we have to stay strong for her and you."- Chikaru spoke gently, and in a way it helped ease Tamao.
CLANG!
Momomi slammed her fists on the table, causing the dishes to bounce, startling the girls, -"I still want to find the bastard that did it and rip them a new one!"-
Shizuma leaned forward, -"Same here, but unfortunately there's nothing we could really do against people like them."-
-"I know and that's what pisses me off!"-
Shizuma then did something that surprised everyone in the table, she wrapped her arm around Momomi, -"Just calm down a little, I'm as angry as you but Eve will get better."-
Momomi sighed, then leaned her head on Shizuma's shoulder, -"I know… still can't help it."- That mere gesture still sent a wave of shock at the girls, didn't they hate each other?
Chikaru shook it off and focused back to Tamao, -"So please, you have to try and eat Tamao to keep your strength up."-
Tamao didn't want too, she couldn't even look at food right now but in the end she forced herself to eat.
Chikaru smiled that she was able to get through to Tamao, and hoped she would get better in the future as well.
Tamao then returned to Marinel's room, upon greeting Nagisa and Yaya they left the room after a few minutes to allow the blue haired girl to be alone with Marinel, even if she was still sleeping.
She sat by the bed, watching over her and how she longed to hear Marinel's voice again but knew that was far from happening.
She gripped Marinel's hand and ran her thumb back and forth gently as she watched her. Shortly after the door opened up and Shizuma walked in the room.
-"Still sleeping?"-
Tamao nodded.
-"Hey listen, we're all going to go to my summer home. No school for a couple of weeks and we can bring Marinel with us. Just thought a change of scenery would be good."- Shizuma sat next to Tamao.
-"Okay."- Tamao's voice just carried so much sorrow, it almost made Shizuma's heart drop in an instant, -"How are we going to get her there?"-
-"Same way we brought her here, get her on my back and cover her from the sun."- Shizuma quickly shook her head, knowing how idiotic that was, -"Actually, we'll just wait till the sun goes down then we'll take her."-
Tamao nodded as the girls all packed up and got things ready to get going and they managed to fit everything in Shizuma's limo and all that was left to do was wait till the sun went down.
The sun soon went down, and it would only be an hour till the moon would take its place but now was a good time to move Marinel.
With the help of the girls, they managed to get Marinel onto Shizuma's back and off they went and luckily for them there weren't a lot of girls wandering about so they didn't have to answer any question.
As they walked outside, the sun was past the horizon but its glow was still very much there but they knew it wasn't going to hurt Marinel so they kept going till they reached the stone steps that led down.
The way down was tiring for Shizuma because Marinel was heavier then she looked but she was the best in her sports team for a reason so she kept pushing along despite the girls asking if she needed help.
The limo could be seen getting closer and closer; Yaya rushed on ahead and opened the door so Shizuma could get Marinel inside. Shizuma gently laid her down inside and once everyone was inside they all drove off to Shizuma's summer home to spend some time away from school and everything.
Strangely enough, the girls hadn't said a word which Yaya felt was strange but then again as she looked across from her seeing Marinel still in a deep sleep probably didn't warrant much for words. The drove was a long one but soon enough Shizuma could see it getting closer and sadly, the girls could not gaze at the beautiful land that surrounds it due to the moonlight as it was much too dark.
-"Come on girls."- Shizuma carried Marinel on her back once more as the girls made their way inside the rather spacious home and found the room they would put her in then gently laid her down on the bed.
Shizuma took everyone with them, leaving Tamao alone in the room with Marinel so she could keep watching over her.
Tamao must have been watching over Marinel for what felt like forever, and her eyes were beginning to get heavy and she refused to fall asleep. So she stood up and left the room to see if this house had any sort of coffee or anything that would help her stay awake.
As she neared the kitchen, she could hear chatter coming from the room and deep she had hoped that there would be no one there, she just didn't want to talk to anyone.
She gripped the door knob, hesitating for the longest moment, did she really want to go through with it? It was strange for her, this wasn't how she normally was and would look to her friends for support but right now she wanted to be alone. She felt isolated even though her friends were there with her, they just didn't understand what Tamao was feeling or at least that's how it felt to her.
Her heart was split in two, she could feel it and she still couldn't get those cries of pain out of her mind, seeing as Marinel slowly burned alive, no one should ever see something so horrific like that.
That's when her heart began to doubt, did she want to be with Marinel after all this, she never knew that this would happen just by being with her… they both could've died that night and that thought alone began to eat away at her.
She tightened her grip on the door knob, but in the end she couldn't open it and walked away, tired and on the verge of tears once again.
She walked up the stairs and towards the room she was staying at with Marinel. Her gaze was on the floor as she opened the door and slowly walked inside.
"Ello' love."
Tamao stopped in her tracks and slowly lifted her gaze from the floor and saw Marinel, awake and sitting on the bed.
Marinel could already take a guess at how she was feeling just by looking at her face, she gave off a warm smile, "I'm sorry I scared you love."
Tamao couldn't hide the pain, the sorrow on her face as tears quickly flowed down her face and bawled loudly as she ran to Marinel and embraced her, burying her face within her bosom and crying.
Marinel could feel it, just by her cries alone how much she must have suffered because of her and held her gently, "It's alright now." She softly spoke as she gently stroked Tamao's head.
But Tamao could say nothing, her tears and sobs wouldn't allow her.
Marinel knew all too well that the image of her burning up was probably still in her head and would not go away anytime soon, how she wished she'd never have to see that.
Marinel then put Tamao at arms length, "It's gonna be okay now love" she softly giggled hoping to make her feel better, then whisked away some of her tears with her thumb.
Tamao shook her head, pain, anger and sorrow in her eyes, -"Baka!"- Then she embraced her once more.
"Well… not the response I expected." She said, "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"
Tamao slowly pulled away, and quickly pressed her lips on hers as the two kissed lovingly.
"Ya know, if you keep doing that love it's gonna want to make me do something naughty to you." She said in between their kisses. But this, this is what she missed, Marinel's voice, her attitude, everything about it even if she wasn't asleep for a long time, it was still enough to drive her mad.
-"I don't care!"- she kissed her some more and eventually it ended with the two laying back down on the bed and Tamao falling asleep as she held onto Marinel.
As Marinel stroked Tamao's arm, she gazed up and only had one thing in mind… she wanted to get back at the people who almost killed her, she would have to embrace her darker nature once more, a side of her she never wanted to go back too because in the past when she took her first kill it was difficult to get out. It was so easy to take a life for her, and so easy to lose yourself to it, she wasn't even sure she'd get out again.
But she would not let this go, not for a second, they almost killed her and Tamao, how could she sit back and do nothing to the people responsible? No, they needed to be punished for what they did and Marinel would show them why it was a mistake to mess with her.
She looked at Tamao, her heart sank for what she would have to do and if she did… she wondered what Tamao would think of her, would she even want to go back to a normal life with her?
She could still recall her past clearly after killing her first assailants, once back home her own blood lust kept spiking like a drug and she wanted more, she wanted more blood, to see it, to taste it, to feel it on her fingers… it was horrible.
Tamao would never take her back if she left to get revenge, she knew that all too well and she was okay with it, if it meant ensuring that nothing would ever happen to Tamao or her friends in the future then she was willing to sacrifice her happiness for them.
But for now, she would enjoy what little time she had with Tamao as she felt the warmth of her body pressed against her.
"My my, what a beautiful home." Marinel walked around the house, the sun had finally come out and after a few hours the young vampire decided to allow Tamao to get her rest and she took the opportunity to look around where she was at.
She could hear chatter coming from the living room, and Marinel opened the door, she immediately locked eyes with Shizuma and soon enough the rest of the girls saw her.
-"Evelyn?!"-
-"Eve-chan!"-
Shizuma rushed her, Momomi close behind her and the rest of the girls, they all embraced her.
"Well now, I'm certainly loving all this attention," She giggled.
Shizuma slowly backed away to look at her, and she was shocked though she shouldn't because as she looked her over it was like nothing had ever happened to her. There wasn't a single scar or anything to indicate that she was hurt at all and in a way she was envious, she could only wish she could heal like Marinel could.
-"Eve-chan, are you okay?"- Chikaru asked as she held her hand.
"Ay, I'm alright sugar."
Nagisa practically jumped at her, their faces nearly touching, -"Are you sure Eve-chan? Is there anything we can do for you?"-
Marinel had to take a step back, "No, I'm alright."
Momomi practically pushed everyone away, not letting the rest of the girls say anything and once she was in front of Marinel she immediately embraced her.
Marinel smiled and sighed, "Alright, lets get this out of the way," she began as she caressed Momomi's face and looked at everyone, "You're probably all wondering what happened to us right?"
-"Tamao already told us."
Now that was surprising, "I see."
Momomi clenched her fist, "So are you doing anything about it?"
Marinel only nodded, -"You can't be serious?"- Shion quickly spoke up.
"Do you think I'm just gonna sit back and let this slide?" Marinel replied though unknown to her Tamao was standing behind her.
-"As far as they are concerned, you're dead and they shouldn't bother you anymore." Shizuma threw in as she too couldn't believe what Marinel was saying.
"I don't care, they deserve to be punished for what they did to me, to Tamao."
-"You can't!"-
Marinel silently gasped and turned around, watching Tamao behind her, her eyes still filled with sorrow and fear, -"I just got you back," she ran up to her, -"I don't want anything to happen to you again!"
The vampire girl only sighed, "I'm sorry love, but this is something I have to do."
-"NO!"- Tamao pleaded, -"Like Shizuma said, they think you're dead and they won't bother us!"-
But Marinel's face didn't change, she was still set in what she wanted to do and do it she would.
"No, I'm sorry." Marinel placed her hands on Tamao's shoulders, "I'm really sorry love, but I'll be back, I promise." She began to walk out the door, seeing that the sun was still out but after her near death experience, this shouldn't be a big deal to make it back home.
-"Evelyn! If you walk out that door, our relationship is over!"- Tamao shouted just as Marinel gripped the door knob and she stopped.
Marinel gripped the knob, for the first time she was hesitating and it was painful knowing that and she surely didn't want to lose Tamao's love. But they were right, they thought that Marinel was dead and she could continue on with her life with Tamao, with her friends and be happy with them. She smiled just thinking about it, the fun she could continue to have with them.
"… I'm sorry love." Marinel opened the door, and in the blink of an eye, she was gone and only a gush of wind was felt as the door shut closed.
Leaving all her friends speechless over what just happened.
Marinel arrived back at her clan's mansion, many vampires lived here and when the sun was up they would retreat into the basement to continue their fun. She opened the doors and walked inside, the rumble of the bass shaking the whole house and it wasn't a surprise to her, this is what she heard all the time.
She walked upstairs into the main room, everything was dark and lit up with special lights that they all were fond of, such as neon lights and other dark colors. She threw open the door and found the elder vampire, the clan master at his deck and snapped his gaze to Marinel and was shocked.
"Evelyn?!" He stood up, he rushed her and took her in his arms, "I heard horrible news that you were killed." He spoke gently.
"I'm fine, my friends saved me." she said to which he only smiled.
"I'm glad they were there, to think you'd be the one to actually befriend humans."
Marinel however cut right to the point, "You know why I'm here."
He nodded, "I had hopes you survived and if you did, I knew you'd come back." He walked back to his desk, opened a drawer and pulled out a two foot length black case and placed it on the desk.
Marinel walked to it, and undid the latches to reveal a beautiful dagger, the grip was wrapped in black leather strips and the blade was a sleek, shiny silver and the pommel of the dagger was a lone ruby embedded in it.
"So shall we kill them all?" He asked as Marinel ran her fingers gently across the smooth blade and made sure it was sharp.
"No, I just want them." She said as she slammed the blade back into its sheath and fastened it on her belt.
He nodded, "I'll get a few of our men to accompany you and we'll go tonight."
"Sounds good." Marinel took a seat although, he couldn't help but feel concerned.
"Are you sure about this? I still remember the time you took your first life, how it left you."
"I'll be fine." She replied, her tone was cold as ice and she didn't care, she wanted to get back at them and make sure they never hurt anyone ever again, the only regret in her mind was knowing that Tamao was done with her and that hurt more than getting burned alive.
But one thing was certain, her school life, her love life and her life with her friends... she knew it was over now.