Chapter 28: Jake

"Your drink, sir" said Mr. Peeves, the kind butler that had worked for me for quite a while now.

"Thank you" I answered absentmindedly while staring at the huge portrait of a beautiful young girl dressed in an elegant satin emerald dress that reached all the way to her bare feet as she stood in a garden filled with flowers of all types.

"She really is a beauty, isn't she?" asked Mr. Peeves as he handed me my drink.

"Yes...not even the garden which was kept in perfect shape could compare to her..." I replied, only glancing at the black tea in the cup briefly before bringing it to my lips and allowing it to flow down my throat.

"Didn't she used to live here, sir?" asked Mr. Peeves.

"Yes, she did. In fact, this was the room where she had her first dance. And I had the privilege to be her dancing partner for the night" I answered, the memories beginning to flood my mind.

"It's a shame that she left with her parents. It would have been nice to have a smiling face like hers around" continued Mr. Peeves as he picked up the remaining shards of a glass cup from the small table right next to my chair.

"It really is a shame..." I mumbled, the images of my younger self floating into my head. The feel of her hair, her skin underneath my fingertips, her eyes that held so much innocence and trust as she looked into mine...I quickly pushed the thoughts back and cleared my throat. Those days where I didn't have to worry about hurting her with every touch were over, and if I wanted even an ounce of that privilege back, I had to gain control over myself. "Could you excuse yourself, Peeves? I need absolute silence" I said with the cup still in my hand as I sat in the chair.

"Certainly" Mr. Peeves said. He bowed like any butler should before walking toward the door. As soon as I heard the door close from behind me, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, allowing my mind to go blank. With the cup still in my hand and my eyes closed, I allowed only one memory of her to emerge from its hiding place and linger, and then another, and some more, until my whole head was filled with every sound and every scent of her. This was what I had to go through before I even allowed myself to touch her again. I would not risk hurting her just because I wasn't able to control myself. And if I had to torture myself with past images of her, if I had to prepare myself before I could touch her again, then so be it. She will be mine, and belong to no one but me.

The door behind me swung open and I heard someone panting step into the room. The sudden appearance of an unknown guest startled me, but I kept control and didn't break the glass in my hand, which gave me a sign of improvement.

"What do you want?" I asked without turning to see who my guest was.

"It's me" said one of the Eraser spies that I had sent out a few days ago. "We have just found out that the Flock is preparing to leave tonight."

I sighed, but was still glad that I was able to keep control over my strength. "Is that all? We'll just track them like we have been doing" I replied.

"But there's something else that you might want to hear. Last night, the one called Fang went shopping...but instead of going with one of the usuals...he went with Ember" reported the Eraser.

My pinky twitched slightly and a crack formed on the cup.

"On their way back, they were talking and laughing..."

Another crack.

"And then they fell on top of each other...and almost kissed."

The glass shattered in my hand. I looked at it with disinterest, not surprised to not find any blood like a regular human, even though some of the bigger shards dug into my skin and revealed what was really underneath.

These Erasers are smart...really smart. They know what it takes to get me to make a move against the Flock, and they know how to use it to their advantage. They were out for blood, but I was only after one thing...

I stood up and placed my hand on the top of the chair, which instantly broke and fell to the floor. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" I asked, finally turning all of my attention to the Eraser. He grinned and barred his yellow fangs, glad to see that I showed some feeling.

"It began to rain at that point, and it takes longer for us to fly in bad weather" he replied.

I glanced at the portrait of her on the wall before looking back at the Eraser. "Get everyone ready. We're going to make a surprise visit" I said. The Erasers grin became menacing as he turned and began to walk out the door. Seconds later, Mr. Peeves came into the room once again.

"Would you like me to get the doctor to take out the shards in your hand, Master Jake?" he asked.

I looked at it again before turning back to the picture. "Yes. And get the mechanic in here. Have him fine tune these arms. They're a little too sensitive" I replied.

"Yes sir" said Mr. Jeeves as he hurried out of the room again.

I stared at the picture of a younger, smiling Ember, looking as carefree as she possibly could. "You will be mine..." I mumbled to myself.

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Author's Note: Hey there, everyone! Haven't seen you in awhile lol. Well, here it is. The newest chapter. Hope it doesn't suck lol. Sorry if it takes a long time (even though it is summer vacation .), but I'll try my best!

Now, back to the story...*clears throat*...WHAT DID JAKE MEAN BY "FINE TUNE THESE ARMS"! Ooh, a mystery that won't be solved right away...makes you wanna read more doesn't it...OF COURSE IT DOES!

So keep reading...and send some reviews!