Cassian Legacy: The Vampire Prince
Chapter 20

I spent the rest of the week athome. I didn’t go to school. I called in sick every day. I just lay on the bedtrudging up memories I didn’t want to relive. Why couldn’t I have justlistened? Why did I allow myself to go out with him? Why did I agree to adance? Why hadn’t I stopped myself when the new waltz played?

The questions were endless but theyall returned with the same answer. I did it because I wanted to - I wanted toget attached. I had tried so hard to isolate myself that in the end, I cravedrelationships, even among people who were quite different than I.

It was Friday now. I had missedthree more days of school. I hadn’t talked to anyone since that night, not evenFinn. But most of all, the reason why I stayed away from people was because Ihad drunk human blood in Finn’s wine mix and I wasn’t prepared for therepercussions. As long as I remained still, I didn’t have to worry about thedizziness that accompanied my elite hearing. Since Monday night, it hadsharpened drastically.

Every time Emily turned on theshower, or opened the refrigerator, or even left the house I heard the actionsplay out like she stood near me. She didn’t live that far from me, but therewas enough distance between our homes that I normally wasn’t bothered by hereveryday activities. I knew what she was doing in there every hour of everyday; every second and a half. It was unbearable.

Sometime that afternoon, oncethings quieted down again, I got up and tried taking a warm shower. I couldn’tturn on the hot, because my nerve receptors were far too sensitive. Plus, thecold was even worse than the hot. Eventually I gave up and got out, onlybecause I couldn’t get a perfect in-between setting. Only half of my body hadbeen washed and my hair was wet but not shampooed, though the drastic effectdidn’t phase me like it normally would’ve.

As I stood there drying off with atowel, I heard a familiar engine pull up by the curb near the gated hedge. Theengine shut off. In about a minute he’d be here. My eyes glanced at the nearestclock. It was after school, or at least past all his classes. I was sure he wasworried about me, which was why he even stopped by at all.

He gently knocked on the frontdoor. “Abelia?”

His words were quiet. I threw onsome clothes and opened the door. I pulled him in before he could make anymovements and shut the door quietly.

“What are you doing here,” I raspedout. My voice was scratchy, probably from lack of use.

He thrust his hands in his pockets.“So you have been sick.”

I turned away. “Something likethat.”

He followed me into the smallliving room. “You weren’t at school so I’m dropping by the invitation for you.”

I glanced back at him. “Whatinvitation?”

He handed me a cream coloredenvelope.

I opened it and found a cordialinvite to the Tierney manor, scrawled in gold calligraphy on silky paper. Ilooked back up at him. “Now’s not a good time.”

He watched me for a while as I heldthe piece of paper and stared at it. “Why won’t you tell me about your past? Iwant to know.”

Of course… that’s what this allcame down to. I shook my head. “Some things are better left unsaid.”

His hand reached out and caressedmy cheek, startling me for the first time since that night. “It’s eating youalive inside, the pain. Tell me something to ease your burden.”

I crossed my arms, stubbornly, andhe dropped his hand. His touch had sent more shivers of delight though my spineagain. To keep myself from exposing how he made me feel whenever his skintouched mine, I forced my body into a rigid state. “Alright, you really want toknow?”

He nodded, looking anxious in asense. In the few seconds I met his eyes, the feeling was gone, replaced by indifference.He tried his best resembling his normal façade, probably afraid to show what hereally felt.

“It must be killing you that I’mnot spilling the secrets surrounding my ancestry.”

His eyebrows arched. “Not really.I’ve never cared about anyone’s past before.”

The comment shocked me more than itshould have. At this rate I might as well tell him something otherwise he’dnever stop pestering me about it. I sighed and thought very hard about whatpiece I could give him so that he’d stop with his annoying questions. Maybe ifhe knew of the tale, the vampire legend, then he’d leave me alone. “Have youever heard of Cassius’s Plight?”

He gave me a pointed look. “Ofcourse I have. I am a Tierney. I wasraised on those myths.”

That would make this easier. “Youremember the girl he was so in lovewith?”

He racked his brain for a bit,narrowed his eyes, and then finally nodded.

Here was the moment of truth. “Itgoes something like that.”

The dark blue eyes drifteddownward, gazing at the wooden floors beneath us. I knew exactly what he wasdoing - replaying the story in his mind until he got to the part aboutCassius’s true love, whom was sacrificed to save his vampire life. After a fewminutes of thinking, he rested his gaze back onto mine. “That was… how…”

He looked so confused now, and Iwas sure he was. Cassius’ Plightwasn’t a love story no matter how many people thought it to be romantic. Thesituation was all wrong, on so many levels. It was why I hunted them. I smiled sadly, trying to keep ittogether, but it didn’t last long. I collapsed onto the couch and hid my facein my hands. I didn’t cry though. My sadness was beyond tears now.

“You remember your own birth.” Heformed the question, but right after he said it I realized that he actuallymeant it more as a statement.

I looked back up at him.

His eyes were full of concern. “Notmany do.”

I glanced back at the invitation,still in my hand, wishing I could change the subject. “When am I to appear?”

Finn sighed and shifted hisposture. “Tomorrow. And if all goes well, you’ll be selected as one of my personalbodyguards. They know you can compel others of our kind. And because you are soyoung, it makes sense that you would attend school, which already places youbeside me as a friend.”

I put the invitation on the tablein front of me. He must’ve loathed the fact that I intentionally avoidedtalking about my past, the vampire legend, and the connection the two topicsshared, but he didn’t pry further. I continued resting my thoughts on the topicregarding his family, bringing about the situation at the Blue Lagoon to mind.

“How’s Atria?”

A huge grin spread across his face,momentarily forgetting my plight. “She was livid when she figured it out. Ittook a lot longer this time. I happened to be at home when the effect woreoff.”

I nodded. So it was getting better. Now it was time toreplace out about school. “How’re my friends? Are they alright?” During mydepression I had turned off my phone, unless it was time for me to call theschool with my excuse of the day.

He shrugged. “As good as can be expectedafter what happened, I guess. I don’t really talk with them.”

Naturally he wouldn’t without mearound. “Has Ms. Ingram asked about me?”

Finn’s eyes met mine quickly - hehad been looking around the apartment at random pieces of furniture. “Why do youask so specifically about her?”

I straightened upright and leantback into the sofa. Eventually the truth about her warlock blood would comeout. I was surprised they hadn’t discussed it with me before, though they triedwarning me once. “I know you can’t compel her.”

His eyebrows knitted together. “Howdid you figure that out?” But before I could answer he continued. “Did she tellyou?”

I swallowed, because what I wasabout to say he might get angry over, and to be honest, he should. “Look, she’snot a threat… well not yet at least. I’ve been steering her away from you.”

“The Chemistry project.” He lookedwary, like he suddenly didn’t trust me. I didn’t blame him. He technicallyshouldn’t, but I couldn’t help feel hurt from the look of distrust.

I nodded. “I know why you can’tcompel her. I found out a month ago, when she tried attacking me at school,that particular day I ended up in biology with you.”

His facial expression changedrapidly. He all of a sudden was fearful and intrigued, though I wondered if hewas afraid of me or her now. “Are you alright?”

I eyed him. “Would I be here if Iwasn’t?”

He closed his open mouth. “So whatis she? A witch?”

I shook my head. “Not quite.” Thiswould be hard for him to hear, if he had ever heard of one before. Not many ofour kind believed they existed. “She’s a vampire hunter, with hardly anyexperience.”

His reaction was immediate - hestiffened and his facial muscles went taut. Now he understood completely what Ihad hidden from him. Hopefully he would understand why I kept the secret. “Shehas spells, guards against her mind.”

I shrugged. I had no idea if whathe stated was true, but I wouldn’t doubt it. “Maybe. But she also has warlockblood in her veins. She told me so herself, after she threatened me but beforeshe tried putting a stake in my heart. Her plan obviously didn’t work by theway.”

Finn took a turn about the room,thinking. “What is she looking for?”

I didn’t have to verbalize that,but hopefully my face said it all.

He shook his head slightly. “Stupidwoman. She’s going to get herself killed.”

I agreed with him, but didn’t stateit out loud. “So, tomorrow?” I brought the subject back around to happiertopics.

He nodded. “I’ll come by ateleven.”

Thinking about the dress codeexpected of me from the other night I wondered if I needed another dress thatfancy for this occasion. “What should I wear?”

“Anything nice.”

I sighed inwardly. Some part of mesaid that he had a different definition than what I thought of when it came todressing. “Define nice? What I wore Monday night?”

He smiled as though enjoying thethought of me in that dress. “Not that formal.”

I rolled my eyes. This witty bantercame from a man who had seen the ins and outs of my closet. “Spit it out, Iknow you have an idea of what you want me to wear in that brain of yours.”

He grinned and laughed, actuallylaughed and not that slight chuckle he usually settled for. It startled me. Isaw his teeth for once, white and straight like a row of pearls. “If you mustknow, I like the blue top with the long white skirt.”

The skirt, of course he would pickthat.

“You don’t like it?” He must’veseen my grimace.

I shook my head. “It’s not that.It’s sad that you keep picking out my outfits like I don’t even know how todress myself properly.”

He shrugged and chuckled slightly.“You look beautiful either way, but my parents are picky, unlike me. They’llexpect you to wear something lady like.”

I didn’t know how to respond tothat. On one hand he complimented me and called me beautiful. On the otherhand, he only said what he did because of his parent’s strict dress code. Washe making excuses upon my ignorance or did he actually mean the nicecompliment? “Fine. I’ll meet you at eleven in my white skirt.”

I stood up, believing thisconversation to be at an end finally. I walked him to my door. I was about toopen it when he turned and spoke to me, as though the comment were anafterthought.

“Oh, and make sure to do your hairtoo.”

I rolled my eyes and opened thedoor. I couldn’t help the sarcasm now. I had been holding my tongue up untilthis point. “Are you done with telling me how to fix myself?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. Let’ssee how you turn out tomorrow.” He walked outside and I slammed the door shutbehind him before I could hear another word.

I immediately regretted the actionas my ears seared with pain. Stupid blood in the stupid wine bottle. Stupidsong had to play at the stupid wrong moment.

Itrudged up the stairs and face planted onto my bed. Hopefully tomorrow would bea better day.