Forsaken (Book #1)
Chapter Nine

I stood there in shock watching him walk away from me. His words echoed in my mind, “Don’t talk to Lucian.” That order should be easy to obey and I shouldn’t want to talk to Lucian. But I did. I wanted to know why he had saved me – because he still hadn’t told me – and I wanted to replace out more about him.

It was ridiculously stupid of me, because I was courting danger. But I had always been a little rebellious and I didn’t think Lucian was truly evil. He definitely wasn’t the best role model or anything but I don’t think that he was well and truly evil. I think he had a bad past and he did horrible things but I don’t think that he was evil.

Not super evil, anyways.

After shaking off my shock, I placed the blades back in the chest, closing it and locking it. Then I just stared at it. What was I supposed to do with the chest? And the blades?

Before I could even ponder or act, Grayson was striding back into the room with two strange people behind him. Without a word or a glance at me, they were lifting the chest and carrying it away.

Well, guess that answers that question, I thought. Now time to replace Lucian.

Actively looking for Lucian would end up being the equivalent for looking trouble but I wanted to replace out more about him. There was this niggling feeling in the back of my mind that said that I knew him.

Undoubtedly I was attractive to him – because he was very, very attractive – but that wasn’t just it. It was like I knew him. There was something about him that was just insanely familiar. I grabbed my jacket from where I had tossed it and grabbed my backpack from where it was lying near the door before heading downstairs and outside.

I didn’t get far before I heard footsteps beside me. I turned my head my eyes widened upon seeing the ethereal looking features of Lucian.

“You wanted to talk to me?” He questioned falling in step beside me, donning a leather jacket now – seriously both of them had to wear leather jackets – holey jeans and a black tee shirt.

“How’d you know?” I asked him suspiciously.

“Just a hunch.” He answered with a shrug. “You shouldn’t be around me Calla. I’m dangerous, and you know there’s also the fact that I’m supposed to kill you.”

“But you won’t.” I said knowingly. He glanced at me surprised. “You have had plenty of opportunities to kill me and you haven’t so I don’t think that you will now.”

“I could.” Lucian murmured trying to sound convincing.

But I didn’t believe him. He wouldn’t hurt me, no matter what he said I knew that he wouldn’t. We walked in silence for a few minutes as it started to sprinkle lightly. Walking past the various shops that lined the streets I couldn’t help the melancholy thoughts surrounding my mind.

Would I be around for Thanksgiving? For Christmas?

I was going to be in a battle that would determine the fate of the world – so I had been told – and I wasn’t that great of a fighter. I didn’t have any abilities – yet – and we were probably hilariously outnumbered.

“Will you eventually kill me?” I asked Lucian.

He stopped walking, turning to stare at me. His golden eyes looked torture and I wanted to reach out and embrace him. But I didn’t. Even though I wanted to, I didn’t. I couldn’t. I didn’t quite understand the strange attachment that I for him – it seemed to go beyond just physical attraction.

“If I have to.” He eventually murmured. “I don’t want to but if I have to I will.”

“And who will dictate if you have to kill me?” I couldn’t help but ask. “You? Or your superiors?”

“Me.” Lucian answered after a pause.

“And if your superiors tell you to kill me, will you?”

“I don’t know.” Lucian closed his eyes, his hands quivering.

When he didn’t elaborate I dropped the subject. As we continued walking towards my house, we were both silent consumed by our own thoughts. I decided as we were walking that I was going to try to help Lucian.

I shouldn’t have to help him or feel obligated to help him but I wanted to. I could tell that he wasn’t happy. Even though I may not know the real Lucian, I still wanted to help him.

Call me stupid, but I was determined to help him. Even if it cost me my own life.

“I don’t need help.” Lucian said abruptly as we came within a couple feet of my help. “I don’t need anyone’s help. Least of all yours. Why don’t you focus on stopping the summoning of Darya, instead of helping me?”

Then he disappeared. I stared at the spot where he had been standing with a sad look on my face. Maybe I was just being presumptuous thinking that Lucian would want my help, but I couldn’t help it. Seeing someone looking so miserable just brought out my more compassionate side.

Even if he was my enemy I was replaceing it very hard to hate him. But instead of focusing on him I needed to focusing on stopping the summoning of Darya. Then I would be able to focus all of my efforts into helping Lucian – if he would even need it after the Afterdark fails to summon Darya.

I shook off my confusion at his actions and headed into the house. All of the lights were off, except for the kitchen. I set my backpack down near the door and slowly walked into the kitchen. My eyes landed on Andrea, who was sitting at the counter. The second thing I noticed was the box of wine sitting on the counter beside her and then the glass of wine she was nursing in her hand.

The argument that she and Parker – my adoptive dad – had must have really shook her up. Both of my adoptive parents did their fair amount of drinking but this was a little excessive. She didn’t even seem to notice me when I cleared my throat or even when I said her name.

“Mom?” I tried again.

Slowly her head turned towards me. Her eyes were hazy and bloodshot and tears were pooling in her eyes, threatening to spill over.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, taking a step closer to her.

I had never really been that close with either of my adoptive parents. We had fun and deep down I knew that we loved each other. But, it wasn’t the same love that a biological family had for each other. I cared for them. I just didn’t show it that often.

“Your father is an ass,” She told me bluntly her words slurring together. A spar of anger lit in her eye. “Parading around London with a bunch of hu-hussies.” She hiccupped. “And rubbing it in my face.”

“He was cheating on you?” I gaped, staring at her completely stunned by that revelation.

“Emotionally.” She confirmed with a dip of her head. Then the tears spilled forward. “Why doesn’t he love me anymore? Why am I just sex to him?”

I stared at her unable to move. I didn’t know how to handle this kind of a situation. In our family Andrea had always been the strong one, unable to be affected but now she had dissolved into tears. Hesitantly I wrapped my arms around her, trying to provide her with some semblance of comfort.

She sniffled, setting her wine glass down on the counter. Then she shrugged my arms off of her and proceeded to make her way up the stairs, stumbling a few times and muttering incoherent words underneath her breath. I watched her go worriedly.

There was nothing that I could do for her. She didn’t want my help and so I guess I would just have to sit by and watch as she destroyed her life. Once I heard the click of her bedroom door I was putting away her glass and the wine, then I too was heading upstairs. To hopefully fall into a dreamless sleep.

* * * * *

Unfortunately for me I did dream. Dreams that were vivid and brightly colored filled with cacophonies of sound. It was all incredibly disorienting once I woke up enveloped by silence and dull colors. Strangely I missed the dreams as incoherent as they may be. Being awake now, I hardly remembered what the dreams were about but I knew that in the dreams I felt great joy and serenity.

I grabbed my jacket off of the back of the couch and roughly tugged my arms into the sleeves. Andrea was still peacefully asleep and I didn’t have the heart to wake her up and tell her that I was leaving for school. After her fallout with Parker she needed all of the rest and relaxation that she could get. A horn beeped outside and I rushed over grabbing my backpack and heading out the door.

I locked the door, hurrying towards the car. The cool temperatures caused goosebumps to arise on my skin and the wind nipped at my cheeks. The leaves on the trees were slowly turning beautiful shades of red, orange and yellow. I paused to admire the leaves for a few moments but the honking of the horn caused me to snap out of my admiration and climb into the car.

The ride to the school was virtually silent, aside from the noise coming from the radio. I spent much of the ride, looking out of the window and at the hustle and bustle of New York. My phone buzzed from where it was nestled in the pocket of my jacket. I pulled it out, and swiped my finger across the screen to look at the text.

Cassie: Hurry up! I’m alone and freshmen are surrounding me.

I shook my head, fighting back a smile. Cassie had this innate dislike of freshmen. So did almost every other upper classmen. Freshmen were bundles of arrogance and hormone – a deadly and unattractive combination.

Calla: Aw, are the big bad freshmen scaring you?

Cassie: No, they aren’t. They are being ridiculously annoying. Now come and help me!

I just locked my phone not bothering to reply. It would still be at least ten minutes until we arrived at the school, because of how heavy the traffic was this morning. The car had just pulled into the school parking lot and then there was Cassie yanking open the door and pulling me out of the car an enraged look marring her normally peaceful features.

“So help me-” She started.

“I’m sorry I left you alone with the scary freshmen.” I teased her but underneath that was an apology.

She narrowed her eyes at me. “Fine you’re forgiven.” She sniffed. “Where are the hotties?”

“How should I know?” I answered her a little confused on why she was asking me.

“Uh, let’s see. They know you, they both look smitten, and have this whole love-triangle thing going on.” Cassie shot back with a roll of her eyes. “Come on you can’t tell me that you didn’t notice.”

I didn’t reply.

Her eyes grew wide. “Oh my God you didn’t notice! Okay well, they both have a crush on you or an infatuation with you. Whatever the heck you want to call it. I mean there’s the golden boy – Lucian – and the bad boy – Grayson – and it’s just the perfect set up for some sexual tension and a sizzling hot love-triangle!” She squealed, clapping her hands together looking enthusiastic.

“Cassie this isn’t one of the fantasy novels that you like to read. There will be no love-triangle, because neither of them like me romantically.” I told her firmly.

“Really?” Cassie said doubtfully a frown appearing on her face. “You can’t honestly tell me though that you haven’t thought that they are incredibly hot and you might want a relationship with them.”

“I have not thought about having a relationship with them. And of course, I have eyes. I can clearly see that they are both very attractive, but this is in no way going to become a love-triangle.” I rolled my eyes. “Besides, love-triangles are overrated.”

“I’m going to be here when at sentence comes back and bites you in the ass.”

“Oh bite me.” I muttered.

“No thank you. I’ll let karma do it for me.” Cassie smiled primly.