Twisted Fate Chapter 17

Around noon, Caleb saunters into the living room. He flashes an ear to ear grin as he leisurely sits on the sofa. It’s clear that he had an exceptional evening, likely with Petrova. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this satisfied.

I am standing in front of the fireplace, tending to what is left of my incinerated clothing. I jab the poker into the ashes, stirring the remaining embers.

“Rough night?” Caleb asks.

I set the poker down carelessly. Caleb’s face wrinkles slightly as it hits the floor. “Geez, that bad, huh? What’s with the fire there?”

“I need to ask you something and I need you to be truthful.” Caleb nods his head. “Is there a way to liberate ourselves?”

Caleb stands up swiftly and says, “No. It is a transgression to even consider it.” He walks toward me and says, “If there was a way, I would have done it long ago. Let it go, Damien. This is your lot. You need to make the best of this situation, even if it is less than ideal.”

I bow my head in defeat. I am well aware of the rules. Lavinia is the leader. Her will shall be done above all else and any act of defiance is punishable by death. Breaking away from the coven is against Lavinia’s will, therefore I must remain loyal. I didn’t expect any other answer, only hoped for one.

“Lavinia is old world. She’s survived for centuries and for good reason. She’s as smart and shrewd as they come.”

“She has a creator. How did she break away from her coven?”

Caleb sighs and says, “Lavinia doesn’t reveal much about herself. What I have gathered, and keep in mind this is purely conjecture, is that she and Xavier went off on their own to track down the pure one. Back then, vampires were created in droves. They weren’t a tight knit group as they are now. They were savages who did whatever they wanted whenever they wanted. I doubt that they had any opposition when they chose to leave Europe.”

“How long have they been in California?” I ask.

“Twenty years.”

“Is that when you were turned?”

Caleb nods. “Lavinia created her own coven shortly after arriving here. There have been others, but none of them lasted very long. Patience isn’t her strong suit and they paid the ultimate price for their lack of progress. It’s crucial that you tread lightly where Lavinia is concerned. You and I are replaceable and she won’t hesitate to do so if we fall out of line.”

“Well, she was quite pleased with my performance last night.”

“Gave her a ride on the bologna pony, did ya?”

“More like ripped a man to pieces.”

“That’s cool. Whatever floats your boat. I don’t judge.”

“F**k you! You know what I mean!”

“Thus, the burning of your clothes.” Caleb stands up and approaches me. “You blacked out again, didn’t you?”

A part of me wants to hide that fact from him, but it wouldn’t do me any good. If there’s any chance Caleb can help me with my issues, I need to lay it all out on the line. “I did, but it was different this time. Before I fully came to, I had a memory of when I…” I can’t finish my thoughts, though I know Caleb understands what I am getting at.

Caleb rests his hand on my shoulder. “We agreed we wouldn’t speak of this. Say no more.”

“I was there. I relived carrying her into the cave and digging…Holy s**t! I was digging into the dirt in my mind, but in actuality I was clawing into the man’s chest. Is that possible?”

“I think the reverse is true. You had the memory because you tore into him. Memory replay is mental, not physical. The realistic feeling is an illusion.” Caleb’s eyes narrow as he says, “Stop trying to make sense out of things. You’ll drive yourself crazy.”

“I already am,” I grumble.

“All the more reason to stop,” he says somberly.

“Lavinia mentioned that the ritual will be in a few days.”

“When the altar of Chiron sits high in the sky,” Caleb recites.

“What does that mean?”

“Ara is a constellation that is visible during the summer months. It is most prominent in July, so it should be a matter of days, maybe weeks. Enjoy the sweet, optimistic Lavinia while you can, because when the ritual fails, she’ll be on the warpath.”

My phone rings. It’s Rachel. “Hey,” I say, holding back the excitement. Ordinarily, I would leave the room or lie about who was on the other line. There’s no point in doing that. There’s no doubt that Caleb can hear her voice as clearly as I can.

“Hey, are you busy?”

I glance at Caleb, noticing the irritation that is plastered on his face. “No, nothing important.”

“I was thinking we could go watch the fireworks tonight. My parents will be going and so will Shannon. I know she’d love to see you again.”

“As long as I’m not intruding.”

“Oh, God no! They’re gonna love having you there, trust me.”

Caleb says, “Oh, yeah. They’ll love that their daughter is dating a bloodsucker!” I kick Caleb in the shin, which doesn’t faze him one bit. He chuckles, then bears his teeth, teasing me with a breathy hiss.

“We’re heading down there at about eight. The fireworks start at ten.”

“Where are we going?”

“Echo Park. They’re having a festival, so there are other things to do besides watching the fireworks.”

“I probably won’t make it there until around nine or so.”

“Come on, Damien. Go meet her at eight like she wants you to. What’s the worst that could happen?” Caleb’s sly smile widens as I pull my arm back, threatening to throw the phone at him. I hear Rachel say, “That’s fine. Just call me when you get there.” I shake my head in disgust as I resume the conversation.

“I will. I can’t wait.”

“Me too. It’ll be fun. See ya later.”

“Bye, Rachel.”

Caleb snickers. “Where do you see this going, Damien? I mean, really?”

“I don’t know and I don’t care.” I turn away from Caleb. I may have to listen to him scold me like a child, but I don’t have to look at him while he does it.

“I think you will care when the sweet turns sour. When she finds out what you are, what do you think she will do? I can tell you what she won’t do. She won’t hold you and tell you everything’s alright. She won’t accept the fact that you are a monster and you’ll have no choice but to kill her.”

I swing around, fists balled tightly. “Then explain Petrova. She accepts who you are.”

“She accepts me because I was honest with her from the get go. I didn’t plan for it. I planned to compel her to forget, but she knew what I was all along. She had dealings with vampires in Russia and claimed it was fate that had brought us together.”

Fate. Is fate in play here? I surely hope so. I don’t care how sour things get, I would never kill Rachel. I would sooner die than cause her an ounce of pain. One thing is certain. I cannot let her know what I am. The day may come when opening up to her is a possibility, but it’s too soon to expect her to accept the truth.

“Are you going to see Petrova tonight?”

“I have to make up for lost time. She was miffed that I stayed away for so long. She just can’t get enough of the C-Dog.”

Good. Caleb will be preoccupied tonight. I can see Rachel without Caleb sniffing around. “I’m glad you found Petrova. I really am.”

“She truly is a slice of Heaven.”

“I sensed that the moment I met her,” I say with a smile. “What do you have planned for the rest of the day?”

“Rest and relaxation. That is, as long as the humans behave themselves. Holiday weekends tend bring out the worst in people. I’m sure there will be a clean up or two. Damned heathens!” Caleb heads for the tunnel entrance. As he grabs the doorknob, he turns to me and says, “Behave yourself tonight and keep in mind what I said.”

Once Caleb is gone, I flop down on the sofa. Time moves too slowly for me to bear. At this rate, it will feel like days until sundown. I set the alarm for eight o’clock and lay down, immersing myself in a state of deep meditation.

Reviews

[Kate Whitaker]

Ahhh, some answers!

So Lavinia... is it a mental control or just a she's stronger and has mad money thing?

[easybreezy]

Her only power over them is the fact that she is their creator and she's a vicious b***h. None of my vamps have any extra powers. They are all equal aside from experience and the hierarchy of importance in the coven.

[Kate Whitaker]

fun!