17 | The Rings

Seaside, California October 14, 2012

Seana

LIVING a carefree life had its perks, especially when I didn't give a thought about those dreaded things; emotions.

The night I walked into my parents' home; blood covered the entire foyer. One slew individual laid at the head of the staircase, that of a werewolf turned back to its human form. The birthmark on his back was circular; signifying that he was of the Mirren Clan. They were beasts that ravaged the countryside, killing livestock, people, but most especially, our kind. And then I saw my adoptive parents, torn to pieces. A scream that I never had heard erupted from me, and with that, my emotions ceased. My mind was empty, but intent on one thing. Eradicating the Mirren filth that killed my family.

I hunted them down one by one. But they had procreated quickly, some fleeing from Ireland and going to America, others to England and beyond. But I was only after those who killed my father and mother. Sebastian Mirren, the Alpha of the Mirren clan, had fled to America. I was always trailing close behind. I eventually got my revenge in the '30s. I pulled him apart piece by piece when he was old and too weak to fight back. Then his son in the 50's, his grandson in the 70's. I lost track of Sebastian's great-granddaughter, the last of his line.

While I was traveling, I decided to see if Scott had gone home to Boston, but the house was abandoned; that was when I decided to travel to Seaside. Right when I did, I crossed paths with the Mirren filth and learned they even had a whole pack. I targeted them, taking off one member at a time. However, I didn't expect to see Scott helping them. Much less willing to protect one for years up until now.

The world had changed from the one I was born into. The past century had been a blur, the days the same. What was one to do for a century on this Earth? It had been lonely for a time; after I had killed Sebastian's grandson. Till I found others to give the gift of immortality to. Most I turned didn't make it past their first year; they always ended up dead somehow.

While I was in New York in 1994, I was visiting a witch who owed me a debt. But she betrayed me. The stupid bitch tried to flee from my wrath, but I caught her. And turned her into the thing she hated most. A vampire. Even when I had saved her from my kind years prior, she still had the nerve to double-cross me. I left her to fend for herself, the worst thing was living a life alone as a vampire.

A witch is valuable, but not the ones that are unwilling to do what I need of them.

Now that I had come to this wretched school, I had a new motive. To find others that are willing to become one of us. And to cause havoc, life is so dull without it.

I had found one willing individual, Isabel Florence, I could see her potential. She was inherently evil. However, her irritating friend was a complication, for, underneath all her fake facade, she was weak. I had plans for Maggie either way.

I also had plans for that Kaiser boy. I knew Lily Rezza would do anything to protect him. He was a human, unprotected by the Hathaway Coven. What better way to sway that little witch to do what I ask of her?

So, I waited for the right moment when she would be alone. And it came when I heard her enter one of the school buildings where her locker was. As she walked at her slow mortal pace, I was already in the building, compelling one of the teachers to leave their classroom to me.

"Damn lock," I heard Lily remark as she fiddled with the lock till it opened. I had hoped she could comprehend how to do this spell for me, humans had issues with the most basic of things.

Sighing, I quickly sped out of the classroom and then appeared beside the witch.

"Hello Ms. Rezza, care to do a favor for me?" I implored, she snapped her head in my direction; then jumped back with a scream and dropped a book she had. Though I caught it before it ever reached the ground, "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," I murmured.

I held out the book to her.

"What do you want Seana?" Lily hissed as she grabbed the book from me.

"Just a favor. A simple spell, nothing more," I replied pulling three separate small bags out from my pocket, each containing a ring and a strand of hair.

Lily looked at the bags, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"You may wonder how my kind walks in the daylight Ms. Rezza," I murmured.

"You want me to make daylight rings?" Lily exclaimed. She became angry. "You expect me to help you after you tried to harm my friends? You killed Zach's mother, and surely countless other innocent people. I want nothing to do with killers."

"That's so darling of you to say, however, you do associate yourself with killers all the same. Your abomination you call a friend is from a long line of cold-blooded killers, and Scott well," I chuckled. "He is capable of being just as ruthless as I, a vampire with no humanity who cares for no one. We kill for the joy of it, and I care for no one's life. Neither did Scott. But he has his precious humanity back, it has made him weak and pathetic."

"Well, whoever he was long ago is not who he is now. But you, you are sick and twisted," Lily retorted as she took a step towards the door.

"Believe me, my dear, this is the last time I will ask nicely," I murmured, blocking her path.

"Get out of my way," she hissed.

"You know, there is no need to make this difficult," I drawled. "Besides, I can easily just make you do as I wish."

"Sorry to break it to you, but witches can't be compelled," Lily hissed.

"My dear Ms. Rezza," I chuckled softly. "You are not yet a full witch, that is quite evident in the fact that you are not yet eighteen. I've been doing my research."

My uncle was always fascinated by witches, his wife was one of the most powerful that ever lived. Even if she had Adelaide's magic or she was one of the few witches that did get their magic before their birthday; she is still vulnerable to compulsion. It would only be temporary before her usage of magic burned it away but I needed no interference tonight from anyone.

"I've been doing my research as well," she snarled.

Lily turned back towards me, her eyes glowing fiercely as she flicked her wrist. I felt my wrist bone snap, causing me to drop the bags on the floor as I yelped in pain.

I felt even more force put onto my body, forcing me to fall onto the ground. I glanced up at the stubborn witch's defiant gaze, though her hold on me was weakening, just enough for me to break out of it.

Her mortal body could not handle that sheer amount of power for long; she had not gone through the change yet that a witch undergoes on their eighteenth birthday.

"That's what I was hoping for," I snarled, grabbing the bags from the floor.

In the same second, I grabbed Lily and sped us into the classroom. I released her and sent her flying onto the ground straight towards a desk; the air knocked right out of her.

I pulled each ring and strand from the bags and set them on one of the many lab tables. I turned towards Lily who was still on the ground, struggling to get onto her feet.

"I wouldn't try anything else dear, just do this spell for me and make this easier for the two of us. I would hate to kill an innocent to persuade you," I warned.

She glared at me with contempt as she got up from the floor. "Or you could just compel me like you said you could," she quipped back at me.

"Or that, but that would take the fun out of things would it not?" I laughed to myself as I walked over to the teacher's desk, taking pen and paper off of it. After I wrote down the incantation for the daylight rings I walked back to her.

"You're insane," Lily remarked.

"And bored," I sighed. "Can you recite this enchantment? Aloud or in your mind would work, but you must focus on it to work. You need to do it to each ring once, understand? Say the spell to each ring, then take the strand of hair and loop it through the ring till it disintegrates into nothing. Then you know it is done." I concluded.

Lily slowly grabbed the paper and read it. She lifted the first ring and strand and began to loop it through the ring as she muttered the spell under her breath, her eyes closed in concentration.

I walked closer, watching Lily as she finished the spell. Her eyes flashed open, the ethereal glow from them dimming as she dropped the ring onto the table, the strand gone.

"That strand, it was red," she paused. "Why Isabel?"

"She has the perfect traits of being a vampire, she truly doesn't care for others. Though none of that concerns you, dear. Finish the other two and I will let you get back to your boring mortal existence."

Lily glared at me, then lifted the second ring and did the same spell, though she was silent as to who it was made for, she didn't seem shocked in the slightest. I could have just picked Isabel as my only choice, but having three was even better. Especially since I had plans for them all, but it was best to have the rings done beforehand, it would save me the hassle of doing it after they were turned.

I heard her phone buzz in her pocket, Lily sighed as she yanked it out. I sped to her side and grabbed the phone from her.

"Ms. Moone is so impatient, isn't she?" I sneered. "I'll just tell her you had to help your lovely art teacher."

Sending the text, I handed the phone back to a fuming Lily.

"After this I want you to stay the hell away from me," she grimaced.

"I would love nothing more," I deadpanned.

She set the second ring down, then lifted the third, her face deepening in concentration once more, her long slender fingers twisting the hair strand around the ring, though it was much shorter than the other two hair strands.

However, she stopped suddenly.

"What now dear?" I smirked.

She threw the ring across the room and started charging toward me. "If you touch or harm Brandon in any way Seana I swear I'll—"

Before she even uttered another word I grabbed her and pinned her to the wall roughly.

"Or you'll what? Kill me? Like I haven't heard that one before," I hissed.

She thrashed around in my grasp violently, spitting out a flow of curse words while I was getting more annoyed.

"Let go of me!" she screamed.

I covered her mouth and forced her to look directly into my eyes. I tapped into my ability to compel her.

"You will not tell anyone about what you have done for me this day, if someone asks you, you just simply got your book and helped your art teacher," I commanded, she completely stopped thrashing afterward. "If someone asks you what happened, you will simply just forget."

At least I knew it worked now, I just hoped it would stay that way. Scott's compulsion was weak while mine was at its strongest, the fresher the blood, the stronger a vampire was. Age also had a part in it as well. Even if she remembered; it would take a long time. Tonight I had plans, and the last thing I needed was Scott trying to thwart it like he always tried to do.

"Leave Brandon alone, Seana! Out of all people why him?" she cried.

"Because I knew choosing him would keep you in line, my dear," I replied. "In doing so, I know you will stop Ms. Moone from trying anything if you want your first love to stay safe. I learned much about you from compelling him."

"Fuck you, Seana," Lily spat, pushing me away from her.

"Oh," I added before she walked out the door, "I think Brandon is nearby, good luck warning him. It won't do you any good."

She glared at me for a few seconds, then she was gone. I listened as she fled from the building, right where she ran into Brandon. I didn't bother to listen to her now frantic pleas to stay clear of me.

I bent down and collected the third ring, the hair strand was nowhere so I'm sure she finished it. It didn't matter nonetheless, I had no intention of using the ring, I just needed to put fear in her to make sure she wouldn't mess with me, it was bad enough with that stubborn annoying bitch Celesta. I had to dispose of her soon; I had the perfect plan. I just had to wait for the perfect moment.

I smirked as I looked down at newly made daylight rings and walked into the empty hallway. But suddenly I felt another presence behind me.

I turned, only to see Lily's art teacher himself.

Francis Hathaway. Of course, a member of the Hathaway coven, if that weren't any more obvious. He was another one of my uncle's progeny as was I. But I knew to not ever mess with him. He was like Claire and Adelaide, an annoying hybrid.

He eyed me with contempt as he stalked towards me.

"I haven't harmed a single one of your fledgling witches," I hissed.

"Trust me, Seana Kane, if you had," Francis remarked, "I would have plucked your meaningless existence from this world."

Francis was beside me in a millisecond, his cold hands wrapping around my neck and sending me into darkness.