Chapter 7
"Just help me find my phone bro," Matt a fairly recent member of the coven said. "For the last blasted time stop calling me bro!" Sheamus a long time member of Seth's coven yelled annoyed. "Still will help me find my phone?" Matt asks. Sheamus knew it was just easier to help him or else he annoy everyone trying to find out. "Well where was the last place you had it?" Sheamus finally asked. "Well let's see. Seth had just told me take prisoner bro back to the cell. He asked to use the rest room…" "He asked to use what?" "The toilet bro!" "You idiot! Vampires don't use a toilet. You didn't leave him alone in there did you?" Sheamus asked. "Well yeah Bro. Just because he's a prisoner doesn't mean we can't give him a little privacy," Matt says.
"Well he probably lifted your phone and used it to make a call when you gave him privacy. Come on moron," Sheamus yells. Matt followed him. The walk to the area with the cage and burst in. "Alright lad where is it?" Sheamus yells looking at Riley. "Where is what?" Riley asks. "You know what!" Sheamus yelled. "Yeah Bro just had it over. Not cool by the way. If you join the coven you are doing the crap work for me," Matt says. "I don't what what you two are talking about," Riley claims. "You're lying!" Sheamus says going to get the key. He unlocks the cage and pulls Riley. "One last chance!" Sheamus warns as he grabs Riley's collar. "Hey let him go!" Penelope yelled.
"Easy fellas I got right don't' I? I'm a citizen and all. And I've ahd a rough couple of months I got dragged away from my loving family and made a vampire. I used to have little brother that was only this tall," Riley says sound scared crouched low with his hand in showing the height of his brother. "Maybe he doesn't have it" Matt says. "Plus I had to leave my big brother who this tall," Riley yells before throwing an upper the catches Sheamus right in the chin knocking him over. Matt goes to throw a kick but Riley jumps back and Matt catches Sheamus in the face with Matt off balance Riley tosses him into the cage and than Sheamus. "Holy crap it worked!" Riley says picking up the keys and going to Penelope cage. "Did you just steal a Three Stooges joke to do that?" Penelope asks in shock.
"Soitenly, nyuk, nyuk, nyuk. Although I got the bit from Shemp not Curly…" "GET ME OUT OF HERE!" Penelope yells. Riley gets the door open. "Run!" Riley says. He and Penelope do just that heading for the door. They reach a hall. "Which way?" Riley says. "How should I know?" Penelope asks. Riley points to the left. "Okay that way is where Seth's office was that way… or was it that way?" Riley says now looking to the right. They hear someone coming from the right. "Left," both say at once before running again. "Stairway," Riley says seeing a sign. "Better elevators," Penelope says. "No you never take an elevator. People can control elevators," Riley says. "People can block stairs and it takes longer," Penelope says as she hits a button. "Trust me the stairs," Riley says. "We just need to get to the public, Seth won't touch us in front of normal," Penelope says. "We don't have time to argue," Riley says.
"Oh you two are out of time," A female voice with a southern accent. They turn around and see a tall blonde woman. The woman charges and knocks Riley into a wall. The wall gives away. "Now as for you little girl..." Before the woman can finish Penelope kicks her. The woman swings wild. Penelope ducks under the swing and hand springs into a elbow that hits the woman in the face. "Enough playing around..." Suddenly something burst through the women's chest and she turns to ash. "Mandy, Sonya I've never been so happy to see you," Penelope says.
"Are you are alright? Where is Riley?" Mandy asks. "Over there," Penelope says pointing at the whole in the wall. "I'll check on him," Finn says moving over to the hole. The blow knocked Riley through a wall and into the stair well where he fallen to the next floor. Thankfully the quick healing had kicked in and Riley was making his way back up. "You alright lad?" "I'll live I'll guess," Riley says. Finn helps him up the rest of the steps. "We have to get out of here. Let's go," Mandy says. The group fled back to the elevator this time Riley didn't bother to argue.
Meanwhile
Seth and Becky had gone to a dinning room to feast. While others of there kind restrained themselves to animals, Seth saw no reason though. From what he had seen very few humans cared about others. There were plenty of lost souls it was amazingly easy to buy humans being sold by other humans. "Do you think little Riley has finally made up his mind?" Seth asks as they neared the door. "HEY LET US OUT!" A voice yelled. Seth's face turned very angry. He didn't have to say what Becky already knew. That voice wasn't Riley. Seth burst through the door. "What are you two idiots..." Seth couldn't even finish. Instead he started screaming for people to find Riley and Penelope. Becky meanwhile knew she had another card to play.
The Compound
Riley had been stunned to learn Malakai was alive. "It's going to take a lot more Seth's group to put me down kid," Malakai says. "Riley drink this Mandy's orders," Gigi says handing him a packet of blood. "I'm almost getting used to this stuff. But can't they bring me a deep dish pepperoni pizza," Riley thought. "Pepperoni how disgusting," Jacy says. "What?" Riley asks. Plus deep dish to fattening," Gigi adds. "How did these dingbats know what I was thinking about," Riley thinks "Who are you calling a dingbat," Gigi says upset. "So Mandy was right," Malakai says. "Oh great they have the power to read minds?" Riley says.
Mandy has been listening and speaks up. "Not quite. Riley it seems you have the power of mental projection," Mandy says. Riley's face it clear he had no idea what that is. "You make other people know what you are thinking. It's actually how we found you. You somehow managed to connect with me," Mandy explains. "Well make it stop," Riley says. "Riley you are the one that can make it stop," Mandy says. Both Gigi and Jacy start to laugh. "Think about it. Mr. grumpy doesn't like to talk now can't stop himself from sharing his thoughts," Gigi says. "Wait could it be a side effect from my head getting scanned that woman," Riley thinks. "Typically added powers don't work like that," Mandy says.
Elsewhere
It was a crappy motel. It had be a crappy motel he couldn't pay with a card it had to be cash. Adam peaked out the window. "Are you ever going to tell me why you are in such a damn panic?" Britt said annoyed. "I told you something is going on," Adam says. "Damn it Adam don't do this to me. I had to put with crap like this due my father. Riley and I fought so long to make lives for ourselves," Britt ranted. "You did Riley…" Adam stopped himself. "Wait is this about Riley?" Britt asks. "It's a long story babe…"
The Next Day
Mandy had brought Riley to some private room to train his new found power. "So what am I going to do?" Riley asked as they sat across from each other. "I'm not really sure. I've never head someone having with this type of power. When I use my hypnosis I have try to use it. So we need to find your trigger," Mandy says. "But I don't want to use this power," Riley says. Riley was frustrated he was still dragging his feet on everything. At this stage she thought the only reason he hadn't run away was he had no other place to go. "In order to make sure you aren't using your power when you don't want to we have to know what causes you to start projecting," Mandy tells him. "Well I don't what causes it," Riley says.
"Let's start with yesterday when you were captured. You managed to contact me and gave me information to find you and Penelope. What did you do?" Mandy asks. "No idea," Riley says. "You were walking down a hall. Try to walk me through it," Mandy tells him. "Okay the big dumb ugly guy and the other idiot had let me out of the cage. I was trying to get the lay of the land see if I could find an escape bath or a weapon. I stated to think if there some way to contact you guys," Riley says. Mandy listens to him. "Did you think about me in particular?" "I guess I figured you would be the one to decided about any rescue attempts," Riley says.
"Okay I want to try something. You remember where the libara in this compound is?" I want you walk there find a book and think about telling me the title," Mandy told him. Riley nodded. Mandy closed her eyes she also wanted to see if she could recrate seeing through his eyes like yesterday. Sure enough little flashes appered. It was differrent, this time it was like she was seeing a series of photographs yesterday it was like she was watching a video. As Riley reached the library she opened her eyes.
"It doesn't matter just pick a book. What language is that? Just book Riley... Think of Mandy. Think of her how picture her face her very beautiful face...The Great Gatsby."
Mandy took a deep breath that had been a lot. Riley returns to the room. "Why Gatsby?" Mandy asks. "Ah so I did do it," Riley says. "Yes you did. So why Gatsby what drew you to that book?" She was curious for a number of reasons. It was a rare to chance to maybe learn about him. "My mom always wanted me to read it. I don't know why, guess she wanted to brag about her son reading the classics," Riley says. "Well a modern classic," Mandy says. "Modern that book is like a hundred years... oh right," Riley says. ignoring that Mandy moves on. "I think I have figured out your trigger. It's you have to want to reach out to someone," Mandy says. "Wait I didn't want to talk to Gigi or Jacy," Riley says.
"Yes wanting to make a snarky comment is something you could never do," Mandy says. "Okay point taken," Riley says. "Now are you thinking of anyone right now?" Mandy asks. "Not really. So what i just don't think of people?" Riley asks. "I think it's more you have put a block up," Mandy says. "Huh?" "I think now that you are aware of it you will be able to control it. Its like talking, people are able to filter out what they want to say to others... even you," Mandy says. "Does she know or is she just guessing?" Riley thinks. "I am doing my best," Mandy says annoyed. "Sorry," Riley says.
Later that same day
"Sonya says we will be leaving soon," Liv says to Riley as they say outside. He had never much of a nature guy but since he couldn't go out into the sun anymore he had come to enjoy the moon. It wasn't full but instead just a few days past being full. ""So back to thirteen thirteen Mockingbird Lane?" Riley asks. He was looking over to the side where a few minutes ago Zack had passed by. "Look we didn't get a chance to talk about it... But that stuff maybe you should tell the others," Liv says. "No," Riley says.
"How in hell did I wind up being around Saber Jr? What are the freaking odds we both become vampires," Riley thinks. "Well there are a lot more vampires than people know," Liv replies. "I did it again damn it," Riley says annoyed. Liv just nods. "When we get back to the mansions I'm going right to my room and only thinking about the crack in the wall," Riley says. Liv laughs.
"I'm telling dad," Britt says as Riley looked at the hole in the wall. "Tattletale I go down for this you go down," Riley says. "You threw the ball," Britt reminds him. "Yeah well I'm going fix it. Dad has a whole bunch of stuff in the basement," Riley says opening the basement door. "Dad will notice," Britt tells him following him like a shadow. "Dad notice something don't make me laugh on these steps.
"I hope you are okay Britt," Riley thinks. He looks over at Liv but she doesn't react. "I did it," Riley thinks as he smiles. Getting up Riley stretched his arms. "I'm heading in," Liv says. Riley nodded. Hard to think just a day earlier he was in that damn cage. He heard someoen coming turning around he saw Finn. "Fine night isn't it?" Finn asks. "It is," Riley says. "Got a moment to talk boy?" Finn asks. His tone told Riley it wouldn't be a good idea to say no. "Yeah sure." Finn led him to an area he used as an office and retreat. "Do you know how I met Zack?" Finn asks. "None," Riley says.
"He was trying to track down the man that killed his father, wife, and unborn child," Finn says. Riley says nothing. "He would running afoul of the wrong people. One of the people he was chasing had stone something of value from me. A lot happened but I wound up owing him. A while back I found out the name of the pereson who actually did it. But word was that person was dead. Must be a small world you know that person's name?" Finn asked. "Riley Morgan... Look Finn I've figured I would have to pay sooner or later. Everyone keeps telling me how these covens are a family. If he's your family go a head and tell him..." Finn held up his hand to stop him. "Part of me really wants to. But the damage wouldn't be worth it," Finn says.
Riely didn't know how to respond. "Bigger threats are out there. Our Coven's will need each other. If I tell Zack, he will kill you. If Zack kills you well your Coven won't trust mine anymore. The best thing we can both do is burry this secret forever," Finn says. "I'll explain to the others. They might agree I have it coming," Riley says. "Not worth the risk. Like it or not there is more going on that just your pre turned life," Finn says.