Chapter Twenty-Two - Part One

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Chapter Twenty-Two

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As the limousine pulled up in front of Claudia’s later that night, Ethan had made it a clear point of refraining from asking what had happened back at the castle. I knew that he was well aware of the dark and lonely feeling that had come over me, but he was as tired of asking questions, as I was of avoiding them.

“Naomi,” Ethan said, laying a warm, supportive hand on my arm, before I could let myself out of the limo. “About earlier, I’m sorry. I don’t wanna be mad at you.”

“Yeah, well, me too.” I said quietly. “I’m sorry too.”

Ethan paused, nodding, and I knew that our conversation about the Council would be picked up another time. For tonight, he was determined to leave things on a good note.

“You sure you aren’t mad that I’m not coming in with you? It’s just, I know he’s the reason why you’re so upset, and since I don’t wanna go to jail tonight, I think it would probably be better if I just stayed away for right now.”

“It’s ok,” I said quietly, and with a small smile. “I understand. And as much as I would rather go home and watch Golden Girls with you, I still have to be here for him. Claudia’s sister really needs this, and Tidus could die…”

“Hey, I get it, trust me.” Ethan assured. “Call me tomorrow ok?”

I smiled, nodded, kissed his cheek, and said good-bye. And then I was outside, standing in front of Claudia’s trailer, watching the lights of the limo as it pulled away from the curb and disappeared up the street. There was a chilliness to the night air, but I embraced it. It took the edge off the heat from all those mixed emotions I was feeling.

“You’re late. I was worried you weren’t gonna show.” Claudia said, as I turned around. She had stepped onto the porch, barefoot, just before Ethan had left. She was still wearing her purple dress from earlier that evening, but now with an ugly, brown, afghan draped around her shoulders. She hugged it now, tightly, to her body, looking awfully fragile for a girl who was a Witch.

“I was too for a minute,” I said, as Claudia stepped down from the porch and walked onto the lawn.

“Can we talk? Before we do this?”

“Ok, sure,” I said and she led me to the dusty, rusted pickup that was leaking oil in her driveway. With the click of a key that had been hidden in the folds of her blanket, she automatically unlocked her truck. I opened the door to climb inside of the passenger’s seat, but paused before sitting.

“Oh crap, sorry,” Claudia said, brushing away what appeared to be chip crumbs from the seat.

“So, what’s up?” I said, after Claudia started the engine, cranked up the noisy heater, and turned up the radio, giving me the distinct impression that this was a conversation she didn’t want anyone else hearing.

“Well,” Claudia said, and took a deep breath, as if she didn’t quite know how to broach the subject. “I feel like I should mention that there’s a teensy-weensy, slight chance that this could go south and something really bad could happen to Tidus.”

“I know,” I said heavily, leaning back in the seat. “He already told me.”

“Yeah, but never mind killing him – that’s not what I’m worried about. He’s a Vampire – they’re known for rising from the dead, so that isn’t the problem. The problem, is that there’s so much evil in this ring that I’m worried it could leave a residue, or somehow infect him. Tidus could go back to being the Vampire he was when he was first turned, and trust me, that is not someone that we wanna meet. For a guy like him, he’s surprisingly fragile. And I’m scared that this might just break him.”

“Claudia,” I said carefully. “If there’s really a chance that going through with this could cause Tidus to lose his humanity, then why go do it? Why continue to put your lives at risk?”

“Because I love my sister that much,” she said immediately. “And because Tidus knows that he owes this to her. Our family – our entire lives – were stolen from us because of him, and I will do anything I have to in order to make sure my sister can finally get some sort of peace. She’s a sweet girl, she didn’t deserve what happened –”

“And what is it that happened to Angel exactly?” I asked quietly. “What did Tidus do to her?”

Claudia paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes as she traveled back to a painful, distant memory.

“It’s not what he did. It was his protégé – the first and only Vampire that Ti ever created. His name was Quinn. We met a couple of years ago, back when my family was still alive. And after one date with him, I was convinced that I was in love. So I took him home, and he killed my parents. And he would’ve finished off Angel too, if Tidus hadn’t shown up when he did. He was like the dark knight. He saved my sister, but it was too late for our parents…”

Claudia paused, but I didn’t interrupt.

“Angel was forced to leave our clan, but I knew I couldn’t stay in The Order without her. So I left too, and Tidus struck up a deal with my grandmother. If he killed Quinn and then took in my sister, they’d be even, and she wouldn’t get the Hunters involved. So, that’s what he did…”

Suddenly the picture was clearer, and I understood things a little better now. This was why he was so protective of Claudia, and had wanted to handle Lillian in such a delicate manner. Tidus had personal stakes in this.

“My sister died because of mistakes that Tidus and I both made.  So now do you understand why it is I have to do this?”

I nodded, feeling sorry for the girl that I had once thought I hated.

“But I’m not an idiot,” Claudia continued quickly. “I know that there are serious risks to what I’m about to do, which is why I have to know that if something goes wrong, and if anything happens to me…” Claudia took another deep breath before finishing what she had to say.

“If anything happens to me or Tidus, will you make sure that the Romaines continue to take care of my sister? I know that I have no right asking you this – especially after how I treated you before – but Angel needs this – it could change her entire future.”

“Okay, sure.” I said, even though I knew that this would be a heavy burden to bear, if ever it came down to it. “I will, promise.”

“Thank you,” Claudia said, letting her shoulders slump in release. It seemed that this had been a weight on her shoulders too. “I don’t think anyone really understands how important this is to me…”

“Well, I think I could probably say otherwise,” I said, taking the moment to make a huge, monumental decision and reveal something that I had kept closer than any other secret.

“A few years ago, I lived with this really amazing foster family – they were the best people that I’ve ever met.” I said. “They even considered adopting me for a while. I was sixteen, at the time, and they had two biological kids around the same age as me – Danny and Callie. And those guys – they were like my real brother and sister. And I’m telling you this, Claudia, because they were my family once, and I destroyed them. I made a mistake – just like you – and it ended up getting people hurt.”

I didn’t tell Claudia the parts about how a popular jock named Kyle Preston had attacked and raped Callie at a party, or that I had shifted and ended up killing Kyle and hurting Danny at the same time. And I certainly didn’t mention the worst part about that day two years ago: seeing Danny rushed away on a stretcher with two medical attendants racing against time to get his heart and lungs working again.

“So actually, I do know how you feel,” I finished. “And I’d make sure Angel was taken care of. You don’t have to worry.”

“You know he loves you, right?”

“What?”

“Tidus. He does – I can tell. And I know you said that you don’t love him back, but you don’t need love to destroy someone.”

I looked down at my hands in my lap, squeezing them around my clutch, trying to release some of that tension. But it didn’t work. The pain was still there.

“I’m not going to hurt him,” I said quietly.

“Oh I hope not,” Claudia said, in a tone filled with hidden meaning. “Because anyone close to Tidus is close to my sister – and I won’t let anything bad happen to either of them,” Claudia shut off the ignition, and climbed out of the truck, pausing one more time before closing its door.

“We’re all in the backyard. So just go around, through the gate.”

And through the dirty windshield, I watched her stride across the lawn to the small gate at the side of her trailer. And when she disappeared from view, I turned my gaze to the swirling greyness of the Harbor skies overhead, wondering if it was really possible to be friends with one of your enemies.

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Claudia’s backyard was a large square of unblemished, forest-green grass. A wrought iron patio table with four matching chairs was pushed close to the trailer, where Addy and Tidus were seated and already waiting. They both stood quickly as I rounded the corner, looking awkward and clumsy in one another’s presence. Claudia wasn’t standing by either of them, however. She was a slight distance away from them both, with her back to us all, and her face to the moon.

“Really, Mimi, I thought you would never get here. Woman, do you check your phone? Ever?”

“Sorry, it died,” I said in apology, slipping the ring surreptitiously from my finger, and setting it on the end table when she wasn’t looking. I would choose a better time to explain how the ring had ended up on my finger. This was something I was sure I didn’t want Claudia hearing.

“Ok, are we ready to do this?” Claudia asked, briskly taking her place at our sides.