Chapter 12 –

“So…how was your night?” Scotia sat before me, his eyes burning holes into my lowered head. I kept my eyes averted – a great view of his trainers from where I sat, I might add.

I thought back to that horrifyingly dramatic night… Torture, death, vomit – a bloody party.

It took only seconds before my stomach dropped and felt the nauseating effects. I began to run, one long leg crossing over the other in an embarrassing attempt at speed. Every step brought me closer to the doorway, but it seemed that time stood still during my most sickly moments. I grasped at straws and brought my hand to my mouth; the stench was still strong on my palm… My shoulder banged against the wall; a disgusting amount of dust covered the mass of my left side and portions of my hair. As I rounded the small corner that connected the hall to the loo, my knees buckled, and I went sprawling across the floor, warm vomit in my mouth all the while. I was so close, yet so far away…

I cleared my throat. “Fine.” Now two pairs of eyes bore holes into me: Scotia across from my slouched form and Felicity on the arm of the dilapidated couch, perfectly balanced like a ballerina.

“Uh-huh. Okay.”

I sighed and repositioned myself. How could I change the subject without being too obvious? I had no chance of surviving Scotia’s all-seeing eyes anyway. Giving up was my best hope – just answer and they’ll try to understand. No fail – right?

“Well, what did you do to entertain yourself – to put it bluntly – Reed?” Her voice was soft and genuine. “You can tell us. Scottie told me everything last night.” The way that she lovingly drawled out his name made my whole self react with a selfish pang of all too familiar jealousy. “I won’t judge you.” She leaned forward a little as if it were possible to reach me from across the room.

My hands shook in my lap, and my feet tapped relentlessly against the floor.

“If you don’t want to say anything, just answer my one question: what the bloody hell is that stain on the rug?”

********

Their hopeful attempts of an unobvious interrogation fell apart at the seams. Two pairs of eyes were always on me, watching my every move, studying my shaky reaction to their peculiar nonchalance. How did criminals manage to not crack under pressure? Utterly impossible to stay composed with a light shining on your face and trained eyes marking the spot.

Those two naïve lovebirds sat across from me in a crowded pub. We were silent and sipped from our mugs noisily, except Felicity. She refused alcohol ‘at a time like this,’ she said so childishly and sweetly when I offered. But what did that mean? Did she think that it was possible to discover the mystery of the stained rug? I knew in my mind that she was psychoanalyzing everything, from my tone of voice to the way that my eyes darted every which way. And Scotia – oh, Scotia – held her close, nuzzling her neck like a love sick fool.

We sat in silence. But all good – awkward – things must come to an end.

“So you think that I won’t get anything out of you?” Felicity said. Her elbows rested on the table, with her chin resting on her folded hands. It would have been funny had I not been so scared of her questions.

Scotia chimed in immediately afterwards. “If the man doesn’t want to talk, don’t make him talk. I know Reed better than anyone; he’s a hard head and a little close to grade ‘A’ wank, but he’s my best mate. You should worship the ground he walks on, Felicity; if it wasn’t for him, I would probably – okay, would be – in prison away from little old you.” He smiled, touching his finger to the tip of her nose as he swung the mug around the smoke-filled air. There was no way that he could be plastered after one drink…What the hell was he doing – patronizing me?

“Fine, then. What do you want to discuss? The Uriel clan, perhaps?” She was mocking me…

My head jerked up on impulse. She stared at me, those big brown eyes sparkling in the little light that illuminated our table.

A slow smile was creeping onto her childish features. “What do you see, Reed? I know that you can see death…What do you see?”

I swallowed back the lump that had formed in my throat. “I see –”

Scotia had cut me off, though. “Don’t you dare tell her.” There was an edge to his voice. As cliché as it sounded, I understood his love for her at that moment. He leaned back and wrapped his arms around her slender body.

“No, he’s right. Not here, anyway, but I will hear it when the time is right.” That same slow smile played across her face.

The rest of our time was spent in awkward silence and the usual outburst by a singing Scotia. He would raise his mug then bring his head into his hands; always a bipolar drunk. A mindless humming sound never stopped pouring from his lips – until he crushed them to Felicity’s, that is. Sadly and even more pathetically, my jealousy became monstrously apparent as time went on.

“No fun, my babe no fun! No fun, my babe no fun! No Fun to hang around! Feeling that same old way!” he belted, out-of-tune, after another round of drinks.

To my dismay, we were ushered out of the pub by a strong hand. I think that the fellow’s name was John or something…He understood, though – a little compassionate towards Scotia and his embarrassing antics; they seemed to know each other…But that didn’t matter; my interrogation was closer than I had hoped, and I felt a little nauseated at the thought. Maybe that was what Felicity wanted, for us to talk in private without Scotia’s protection from the truth. That mischievous look on her face as she pulled me aside, before we were practically forced out of the door, scared me a little.

“I know what you want to know,” she whispered from below.

A little girl had me shaking in my boots.

*******

Six o’clock – precious hours until the day ended, and I slowly yet rapidly crept towards my inevitable death. Two days: what could I do in that short span of time? Honestly. Wallow in self pity as any other day, or find the meaning of life with the help of a friend and acquaintance? Any level-headed human being would choose despair, in my opinion. I had nothing else to do for the world except wait and take it as it came. I was on death row.

My mind wandered away from death for once: Lily’s – I nearly gagged – beautiful face and Aunna’s – my heart plummeted – ivory perfection. Two girls I would never have or hold held my heart between their delicate fingers.

I heard footsteps behind the door and then a light knock. “Can I come in?” she whispered into the wood. Slowly, she let the door swing open. “He finally fell asleep. I thought that it would be the perfect time to talk about – you know…”

We stood feet apart in the little space, Felicity in the doorway, and I on my bed. The air had a sort of electricity, mainly because of my anxiousness and weariness. A large part of the tension that circulated through the tightly packed room…

“Should we get right to it?” She elegantly floated to the window; the midday sun illuminated her profile in a soft orange glow. She really was a pretty girl. “I suppose so. It’s not like we can drag this out any longer.” She ran her fingers through her hair in one swift motion, red tones catching in the sun light. “But I do love a good mystery.” Her lips lifted into a small smile. “A good mystery, indeed…”

I sat up and swung my leg over the side of the bed. “I want to know everything, Felicity. You have to understand how much after hearing everything from Scotia.” I practically begged for an answer. “Ask me whatever you want to know.” My voice cracked on the last syllable.

It was a while before she answered. “But, you see, I know that my information, and inevitable questions, will upset you to no end. What good will it do when all you have to look forward to is peace at last? Happiness should be your main goal, Reed. It would be mine if I knew that I was about to die.” She turned towards me and held out a hand. “And I’m deeply sorry, but I’ve seemed to have lost my arrogance and conviction during my time to think of the repercussions.”

Just tell me. My feet tapped against the floor. Ask me anything; I can handle the shock value – look at my track record for safe measure.

“Just ask me, Felicity.” I was annoyed; she had me anticipating the moment – and now, nothing.

“Have you ever watched the sunset, really watched it?” Her voice was just below a whisper. “It’s one of my favorite things in the world…The orange, pink, purple, and blue paint the sky so beautifully every time…” She came closer and beckoned for me to stand with one small outstretched hand. Stalling.

“I want to tell you, ask you; but I feel that it is my obligation as a child of God to protect you.” There were tears in her eyes. “And the savior of my true love deserves to be happy.” Her whole body shook with sobs. Maybe not stalling; maybe she was a sweet and tender girl whom believed in the betterment of the world with mere kindness. Or, perhaps, she was a fantastic actor.

I shuffled my feet along the floor and let my eyes travel to the ceiling.

She moved to the window again, staring out at the buildings and clouds. “Scottie told me that you aren’t very religious, and I can somewhat comprehend your reasoning, in a logical way. But that doesn’t really matter now…I’m torn, Reed – between the Christian way and the kind, scholarly way.”

The only sounds were Felicity’s sobbing and the oncoming storm in the distance; all else was quiet.

“I should be getting back to Scottie. He’s going to have one hell of a head ache in the morning.” I can’t be certain but I think that she rolled her eyes. “And if I get the urge to tell you everything, I’ll be by your bedside in an instant. I won’t change my mind this time – I promise.”

I only had seconds before she disappeared from my clutches. “Felicity?”

Her head spun around, those big browns eyes wide with interest and lips curved into a quizzical smile. “Yes, Reed?”

Like every time before, I felt suspended in the air; weightless; untouchable in my time of prophecy. A sweet and simple death played before my eyes. No suffering. No sadness. Sheer joy radiated from every pore of her wrinkled skin and hooded eyes. She would die old and happy with her dear Scottie by her side. Never had I witnessed such brilliance and luster during one’s death. But how was it possible: he by her dying side?

I guess my morbid talent had its flaws…Perhaps, it was his ghost…No, that would be impossible to see. I put the idea away for later thoughts.

I stalled for all eternity, stuck between getting off of the bed and stuttering fragments of words. “I-I wanted to know about you, if you don’t mind.” My foot caught on a loose floorboard; I was stuck.

Felicity looked me up and down. “Okay. I guess that I can spare you a minute or two.” She sat on the baggage chest near the door. Her face was cast in a shadow, nothing but the portions of her shoulders and short legs showing, an orange glow covering the rest of her. “And if I get my arrogance back, questions await you, mate.”

I let out a shaky laugh.

“But I think that you should remove yourself from that floorboard; that can’t be comfortable.”

“Uh, right.”

After releasing my foot from the depths of the floor – a few scratches stinging in the aftermath – Felicity began to speak. Her voice was a little monotone while describing but still sweet and shy.

“It’s not interesting, really…

“Well, I guess that I should start from the beginning. I was born in Japan – my mother Japanese and my father a part of the American Air Force. I spent most of my childhood there until my father was relocated to Germany. It wasn’t home to me, but I wanted my family to be happy so I excelled in school, getting the highest marks possible in the short amount of time that we stayed there. My mother was elated; she didn’t enjoy Germany as much as my father and I did, but she tried to hide the fact. I was ten when we left.

“Next, we come to my life in Lakenheath. And, fortunately, the last place that my father was sent. My mother enjoyed the United Kingdom, and I couldn’t get enough of the culture. Again, I excelled in all of my school work and found myself in of the most prestigious preparatory schools, Christ College.”

She smiled and clasped her hands together. “That’s when I met Scottie.” Her smile became more pronounced. “We had the same History class together.” Her voice became a little dreamy while remembering. “I sat in the front because I was so short, and he sat in the front because the teacher disliked him.” She quietly laughed to herself. “I think that I even knew then that I loved him…”

I clenched my fist; that all too familiar sensation of jealousy over-whelmed me.

“He needed a tutor and I was more than willing to help. So, we met on the weekends, studying the war and what-not. And then one day, he leaned in and kissed me.” She unfolded her hands and brought her knees to her chin, a smile still in place.

“We discussed the history of the vampire often because I’d picked up a book at the library; from then on, I was hooked on folklore and the reality that they were tangible beings in our world. Scottie and I talked of traveling to Finland and Transylvania, but he left suddenly…” The corners of her mouth turned down. “We kept in touch for awhile but lost contact after a year. The last country…that I heard he was in… was…Latvia.” She hesitated. “When he came back, I didn’t recognize him at all but I still loved him – even with his constant haze and through the roof THC levels.” She gritted her teeth while speaking of his drug use.

Her smile reappeared, and she leaned forward, letting the orange glow cover her entire body.

“And that’s it. Nothing special, like I said before.”

I rocked back on my heels and deliberated whether I should berate her with questions.

“What are you thinking so hard about?” She giggled. “Go ahead and ask me any questions you want; I’m expecting it.”

There was one significant thing that stuck out in my mind as she spoke. Maybe it was her disdain for his mileage apart, but it was the way that she hesitated, like it was important; like she wanted me to ask. Was it possible that this was her important information? That it was a pivotal moment in our short-lived acquaintance? Possible.

I blurted it out, unable to contain my curiosity. “Tell me about Latvia.”

“I thought that you would never ask. You see, I wouldn’t have been able to discuss the information without feeling like I betrayed Scottie, but it’s important for you to know everything. And it’s not like I’m actually betraying his loyalty; he doesn’t even know how bad this could affect you.”

“Tell me everything,” I pleaded.

“Not right now, though…I want to ask you a few questions related to my information before I tell you anything.”

I nodded.

She hopped off of the chest in one graceful leap then skipped over to the window. The sun was falling behind the buildings rapidly, the light becoming dimmer as the minutes passed.

I sighed, and she looked over to me. “Is this really that nerve-wracking?”

The look on my face must have answered her question. I couldn’t imagine how terrible I looked.

“Okay, then. Tell me the name of the vampire hunting you.”

I swayed on spot but prevailed against the gradual dizzy feeling that threatened to make me collapse.

“Maybe you should sit.”

I obeyed and fell onto the unmade bed in my usual uncoordinated manner.

Felicity waited awhile, maybe until I found my breath again. She leaned against the wall, her expression grave. “Please answer.”

I gulped back my fears. “K-Kazimir.”

“Correct.” She folded her arms against her chest. “And what do you know of this being, Kazimir Zaccarius Uriole?”

“Nothing.” I truly didn’t know a thing about him, nor did I want to know. All I knew was that Scotia was idiotic enough to trust…him.

“Correct. Now, I want you to remember back to when Scottie told you of his travels to Latvia. Who did he meet in his short months there? Do I even need to ask, though?”

A shiver ran down my spine. Realization stared me right in the face.

“Do you understand?” Her face was solemn. “I sure hope so…But to make sure – Scottie never lost contact with Kazimir over the years. He still talks to him to this day, which has inadvertently led him to you after years of searching – although, I can’t understand how he could not have traced your scent; Ruslan is an amazing tracker, and Eduard can recognize a particular blood type for miles. And Celia, Kazimir’s wife, has an extraordinary gift for finding people as well.”

It was impossible to wrap my mind around her explanations, Scotia’s relationships, and the fact that I should I be dead. Dead in the ground drained of blood and all of those other bodily fluids that associate with human beings. It could have been over ages ago. But how was it even possible? The same situation as when that damned clan caught Lily and I: they were playing, seeing how far my sanity stretched, perhaps.

Felicity came to sit by me, putting her tiny arms around my shoulders, barely reaching from one blade to the other.

We sat there in silence – except for my rushed breath.

She put a hand to my clammy forehead. “I’m sorry, but I had to tell you. You deserved to know this, Reed. I swear that Scottie hadn’t an inkling of the danger; I promise.”

“No. No, it’s okay.” I stared at the floor while speaking. My eyes were wide, and my jaw was tight.

“The funny thing is that I haven’t told you the worse part yet.” She rested her head against my arm, and I couldn’t help but to feel comforted – like I had a friend.

My breathing became even more erratic, though. The worse part? I would fall off of the bed and crawl into the fetal position if I heard anymore. I was at my wits end, in a way; sanity close to being a mere memory altogether as I waited for that moment of inevitable death.

She must have picked up on my thoughts just by looking at my expression. I don’t know how that was even possible, but she did understand me more than anyone at that moment. “But I won’t tell you. You should have one happy memory before dying, at least I think so.”

In one of her quick and graceful leaps, she stood in front of me. I kept my eyes to the floor and studied her shoes while waiting for her good-bye for the night, maybe for forever. She took my face in her child’s hands, and I immediately closed my eyes. Her soft Cupid’s bow lips pressed to my forehead and then she was gone.

I would miss Felicity. It was comforting to know that she looked out for me.