Part 9 (1/2)

”Are you okay?” Eli's voice was low and rough with anxiety.

Was I okay? Well, it wasn't the first thing I expected him to say. Where was the chastising I was so positive I'd receive from him? ”I-I'm okay.” I stuttered nervously.

He fell silent once again. I could see the school in the distance. So close, yet so far away.

”I have to admit, I thought you would be a lot angrier with me.”

I caught a glimpse of Eli's face briefly as the gap in the trees made room for the moonlight. His lips quirked up into half a smile, something I wasn't expecting.

”There's no need for me to be angry. What's done is done. I'm just glad we got out of there alive, for now, anyway.”

He felt so distant. I resisted the urge to cling to him, forcing us together.

”You think we're going to die?”

”There's a high possibility, I suppose.” He was polite, as if he were barely interested.

His words hurt, not literally, of course. It was just difficult for me to hear. Eli was always so positive and strong. I'd never seen him doubt himself before now.

I swallowed hard, forcing the annoying questions I wanted to ask back down my throat. I should be mad at him, shouldn't I? As far as Lucian was concerned, Eli and Aleksandrov lied to me. There was another reason why I hadn't fully turned, why Hank wanted me so badly.

”Will you tell me?”

”No,” he said curtly. He knew what I was talking about.

”Why not? It's my life, I deserve to know.”

”You said you didn't want to hear any more information.”

”Not from him. I want to hear it from you.”

”I can't tell you.”

”Why not?”

Eli exhaled in annoyance. Why couldn't he tell me? Why couldn't Mr Aleksandrov tell me? More importantly, why was the enemy the only one wanting to tell me?

”Because, Ruby, it will destroy you, and if things go bad, then it will destroy everything. You already have such a hard time controlling your anger. If this other thing gets out... there's no hope,” he replied cryptically.

I gave up as we approached the border of the school. Its tall stone wall cast long shadows over the ground, swallowing Eli and I as we got closer. The only light was the moon seeping through the wrought iron gate.

Eli held the gate open for me and closed it as he stepped through. A bright purple light illumined the gate, sending small lightning bolts along the metal. I watched in awe as the gate was sealed. It was a beautiful thing to witness.

I don't know what it was, the school seemed so alien to me. Perhaps it was the fact everyone here was lying to me with the exception for a select few.

In the short time I'd been here at SS, I've grown to love it. It has become my home, my future. Without it, I'd still be a vampire, alone and hunted by Hank. Maybe this secret was why they were so eager to bring me back.

My thoughts brought me all the way to my dorm room. Eli watched me curiously as I pulled a key from my jacket pocket.

”What?” I asked, returning his curious stare with a nervous one.

”Why did you agree?”

”I didn't have a choice. He would have forced me anyway and he would have killed you.”

”He wouldn't have been able to force you to do anything. I would've rather he killed me than endure what we're about to go through.”

”Eli, you asked for this. I didn't want you to be reinstated as my guardian. Your death is the last thing I need on my conscience.”

I glanced down at my fingers and fidgeted with them nervously. Even without eye contact I could feel Eli's eyes burning into me.

”You know how I feel about you. You know I could never live with myself if something happened to you and I did nothing to help.”

I did know how Eli felt about me. I didn't know if it was to the extent I felt for him. He was willing to risk his life for me again. Did that mean he loves me, too?

”Goodnight,” he whispered, then paced back down the corridor.

I stared after him until he disappeared and then I entered my room. On the noticeboard attached to the back of the door, I saw a note. It was in Mila's handwriting: R,.

Uncle asked me to stay at his house tonight.

We have a family friend visiting.

See you tomorrow, hopefully.

Love, M.

I threw myself onto the bed. I didn't take into account the fact I'd be leaving Mila behind. I didn't think I could. Raina would no doubt go back to hara.s.sing her. She'd most likely move back in with her uncle and have no one to talk to about Gabriel.

I realized I was shaking. I couldn't stop the tears. It was as if suddenly everything hit me all at once. I was leaving here, leaving everything behind.

I reflected on my current lifestyle, knowing it would all be gone soon. I needed to figure out a plan. I couldn't let Lucian get away with this. We were human beings (well, kind of). We weren't vending machines or a spring of infinite blood that he could just harvest w.i.l.l.y-nilly. If I had any chance of fixing this, then I needed to know the secret. Hopefully it could help.

Pain and Temptation.

Escaping from the girls' dorm was easy. Mrs Ploit took a toilet break, leaving the exit unmanned. I felt guilty once more for sneaking past her, but if I could get back unnoticed, then what was the harm?

The teachers' campus was quiet. Getting past the guardian in the booth wasn't a problem, either. Although the gate by the booth was the only official entrance, the rough cut of the seven foot c.u.mbrian stone wall that divided the community from the student campus was easy to climb. It offered natural stepping stones, allowing me to pull myself up and over.

I approached Eli's house. The moon reflected on the side of his Audi Q5 SUV. As I neared, the front door opened and Mr Aleksandrov stepped out onto the porch with two other guardian angels. I dove beside the SUV, hoping the guardians didn't hear me. I peered through the dark gla.s.s, my stomach twisted into knots as the one closest to me shot a glance my way. When he turned back to the conversation, my body relaxed.

The dialogue between Eli and Mr Aleksandrov was quiet and m.u.f.fled. Whatever they were discussing, they didn't want anyone else to hear. They shook hands and Mr Aleksandrov and his guardians descended the steps before turning down the street, walking at a leisurely pace. I didn't move, not until Mr Aleksandrov disappeared out of sight. Once they did, I waited a few more minutes before I found myself at Eli's door; my arm was poised and ready to knock, but suddenly I was unsure if I should intrude. I had put him through so much tonight already. Maybe I should go? I turned my back to the door but a creak made me turn back.

”Ruby? What are you doing here?”

”I - uh -”

I took a big gulp of air, trying to buy time to piece a sentence together. What was I doing here? It kind of just happened. One minute I was crying uncontrollably in my bed and the next I was scaling a stone wall. I guess I wanted to know about me more than I thought I did.