Seaside, California April 16, 2013
Lillian
FLASHES of what transpired at Zach's went through my mind. One minute I was begging Scott to leave, then I was standing over my father with his katana. I had him backed into a corner.
I had never seen him so frightened before in my entire life.
Who the hell had I become? Was I even myself anymore?
Chaos erupted around us, Cel and Zach had disarmed me and forced me to the ground. I remember Scott looking mortified
I just tried to kill my own father.
All I wanted at that moment was for this to end.
Then my father used his magic to seal mine and I woke up here in my bedroom, my mother sitting beside me. Her eyes were red from crying.
She and my father got into a heated argument. It ended when she told him to get the hell out and she wanted a divorce.
She tried to unseal my magic, but whatever ancient spell that was my mother couldn't undo it. Only he could.
A part of me didn't even care anymore. My magic was two things, a strength that saved me countless times and a weakness when it consumed me. When it consumed me, all that was left was death and destruction.
Sitting here watching my classmates hollering and having a blast was making me feel more distressed. I already shooed away all my friends, their pitying looks weren't helping me either.
I should've just stayed home. It was only through my mother's coercive nature that I came to this God-Forsaken prom.
She dolled me up, she didn't want me to miss my senior prom. She pulled me into her bathroom and started braiding my hair and did some low bun with it. After an army of bobby pins and a decorative hair stick getting stabbed through it, it did look beautiful. She left some strands of hair to dangle on the sides of my cheeks.
I tucked those behind my ear the moment she dropped me off here. I kept fidgeting with my earrings, or I would tap my foot to the beat of whatever was playing over the speakers.
I caught glimpses of my cousins, they all were dressed to the nines. Elle was the last one to leave me at the table we claimed. She was wearing an ice-blue gown. Out of everyone, I thought she looked the most beautiful.
How someone didn't ask her to prom I never understood. She probably scared them all away with her recital of the square root of pie. That was her go-to method of warding off dates.
Tomorrow was her birthday. I knew she had been waiting patiently for it, but I could always sense an unease about her. We were all nervous before our eighteenth birthday.
And the most strenuous thing now was that my father, in his rage, decided sealing my magic was a good enough punishment for knocking him and Cel out. And fighting him when he tried to beat the shit out of Scott. The amount of times Cel has done that to me was ridiculous.
Also, why didn't my parents think of doing that when my magic was spiraling out of control last year? Did that option just float away from their brains?
Then again, I did use it against my father which was a huge mistake. I was tired of everyone trying to kill or harm Scott. He has literally been through hell and everyone wouldn't give him a break.
So now I was a sitting duck if something went south. I had nothing to defend myself with if Seana came back wanting to kill us all again. But she had fled town apparently.
Orion's report of her fleeing was very trustworthy. Not.
That man is a snake.
I just didn't understand why everyone had to be against Scott now. It wasn't like that before. My father appeared very tolerant of our relationship.
I just hoped my father didn't run off and do something idiotic. If he went to Scott's and did something I would never speak to him again.
I gulped nervously. I didn't want to think if something like that happened. I had sent messages to Scott's phone, but none of them had been answered.
I wondered if seeing me go off the rails made him second-guess our relationship. I knew that thought was ludicrous. I should have been the one second-guessing us, he has actually killed several people when he had no humanity.
I guess I was deranged after all.
And just for a fleeting moment, I thought I felt Scott close by like when I did the last time we blood shared. I looked up, only to just see a sea of faces.
My heart sank.
"Lily!" I heard Cel shrill, she and Zach were weaving around people.
She and Zach took the seats beside me, they had a plate full of food on it.
"You got to get out there!" she insisted and put a handful of grapes into her mouth.
"I'll pass," I mumbled. "I honestly just want to die right now."
"Uh, no way in hell," Cel affirmed, shoving the plate toward me. "Eat something! Go dance! Have some fun!"
"Do you understand that I do not want to be here?" I snapped and folded my arms across my chest. "The two of you can go act happy and giddy elsewhere."
"Lily we are trying to cheer you up," Cel reasoned. "Your father overreacted. That is all I can say. But his heart was in the right place. To him, his daughter was being hurt. Any father would go batshit crazy."
"Still doesn't make it any better," I muttered.
"And I'm sure your parents will get past this! They aren't really going to divorce," Zach insisted.
Ah yes, another trigger for stress.
Now all I wanted now was a distraction from this hell called life.
"You know what?" I began and stood up. "I think I'll go dance now."
Cel and Zach just grinned at me like idiots and yanked me onto the dance floor. Some pop song was blaring through the speakers as everyone around me jumped to the beat. I tried to keep up, but jumping and screaming with everyone wasn't really helping.
When slow songs came on I would just go to the sidelines. I half expected Elle to be right where I was, but she was elsewhere. She probably left already.
Parties weren't her thing. I still hoped she and that Jonathan guy would meet again. They would make a cute couple.
After two hours of roaming through the gym, forcing food down my throat, and trying to put up with Zach and Cel's abundant happiness, I was ready to leave. It was almost eleven now though this crap would be going till one in the morning.
I was not sticking around for it.
Scott never replied to my messages, so that concerned me. Maybe he just needed some space after today? My father did try to kill him.
I remember Elle asking me earlier if she and I wanted to have a sleepover.
Of course, I agreed. It had been forever since we had one with just us.
Speaking of which, I needed to go find her. I hadn't seen her in a while. First I walked along the edge of the gym to see if she was there. I found the group of other smart kids she hung out with, they hadn't seen her either.
I was starting to wonder if she just left without me.
My phone dinged in my side purse, I took it out quickly. It was a message from Elle.
She said she was in the bathroom and not feeling well. She could barely stand apparently and was puking her insides out.
Jeez, did she get food poisoning from the food? I'd admit it wasn't the best-tasting stuff ever. It was mostly just finger food.
I left the gym with haste, the bathroom was right before you exited the entire building. Some of the teachers and students lingered in the hallways chatting amongst themselves. I grabbed my dress, bunched it into my hands, and started walking faster. This long-ass dress has slowed me down all night.
I pushed the bathroom door open, to only see no one. I quickly checked each stall, the last one was the only one closed. When I tried to push it open, it was locked.
"Elle?" I called out and knocked on the stall.
No response.
I peeked between the stall walls, barely being able to see anything. I could make out a figure slumped beside the toilet. My eyes widened in fright, I sank to the ground and looked under.
There Elle was, passed out.
"Shit!" I cried and started crawling under the stall toward her. I had to force myself through, the damn dress barely fitting through.
I got over to her and started shaking her, she still wasn't responding. I pulled her onto her back and started smacking her cheeks gently.
"Elle please wake up!" I begged. I looked around the stall, nothing appeared to be amiss.
Her purse was hanging on the stall post. And from where she was she had been bent over the toilet. I peeked in it, it was just water.
"God dammit!" I hollered and unlatched the stall. I bent back down on the ground and kept shaking Elle. I grabbed her wrist, checking for a pulse.
I started shaking my head, not believing what was going on. I realized how cold she felt to me. I glanced down at her face. I felt for a pulse at her neck to see if she was breathing. She had no injuries.
"This can't be happening!" I cried in disbelief.
I pulled my phone out and immediately dialed Cel's number. I put it on speaker and dropped it to the ground beside me. Out of all the times in my life I needed to know something, I didn't know how to do CPR.
I've seen it done before, but I was scared I was going to do it wrong.
The phone eventually went to voicemail. I dialed it again then jumped up and ran out to go get help. I rushed out, only to see that the hallway was now deserted.
Was this some sick twisted nightmare?
I ran back in and grabbed Elle from underneath her arms. I wasn't leaving her here. She was heavier than she looked, I got about halfway out the stall with her till my phone started ringing. I gently set her down and answered it, not even looking at the Caller ID.
"Celesta please come to the bathroom, it's Elle!" I sobbed until a chilling voice silenced me.
"Hello Lillian," I heard Seana's voice purr.
I felt my body go cold, I pulled the phone from my ear and glanced at the screen.
It read Eleanor Harris.
I felt my voice catch in the back of my throat. I couldn't even speak.
The phone dropped between my fingers and fell to the ground. I sunk to the ground beside Elle and grabbed her hand and squeezed it. Why did everyone I love always end up dead because of me?
I didn't understand it.
I heard the sound of heels walking up behind me, I already knew it was that fucking woman. And I had no way to fight against her. She finally decided to kill us all.
I turned and looked up into her hateful gaze. I slowly stood up, my body shaking.
"No one is coming to help, I compelled them all away. I even made sure your friends would be distracted," Seana murmured. "I also heard someone didn't have their magic anymore. So I chose you to bear witness to this."
"You bitch!" I snarled and lunged at her, only to catch air.
I spun around, only to have her grab me and pin me to the wall, her hand latched around my throat. I fruitlessly tried to pry her fingers from my throat, but that only made her tighten her hold.
"Maggie must've felt as helpless as you when your loving boyfriend killed her," Seana chuckled. "Too bad he can't help you."
I just glared at her. I reached my hand up to where by bun was, feeling for that damn hair stick my mother put in it. When my fingers felt it, I immediately yanked it and went right for Seana's face.
I didn't even hesitate, I felt the adrenaline rush kick in. The point of the stick went straight into her eye, a piercing scream escaped her. She dropped me to the ground, now completely distracted by her injury.
I bolted to the door and screamed the name of the only person who could hear me over all the noise.
"Zachary!" I screeched, my voice echoing down the hallway.
Just as I was about to scream again Seana yanked me back into the bathroom, her grip on my wrist making me want to scream. She flung me back to the ground next to Elle. I already knew my wrist was sprained, it was throbbing.
"That wasn't smart," Seana hissed, her eye red with blood pooling from it. "I'm surprised you did that, I never took you for being that violent."
"Fuck you," I spat.
Seana just smirked at me. Then she turned her attention to Elle's body, my gaze following her.
My brain must have been hallucinating, I saw Elle's hand twitch.
"Seana, what did you do to her?" I breathed. I scooted over to Elle and grabbed her hand which had moved. She still felt cold.
It was only a second later I connected the dots. She turned Elle.
I felt my blood start to boil.
"Your precious friends took Isabel and Maggie from me, so I decided to take one of you," Seana put forth. "Also I did it to spite my uncle, he is so protective of his darling witches."
"Why Elle!?" I shrieked. "She has done nothing to you!"
"That's exactly why I chose her!" Seana interjected. "The most innocent. I could've chosen someone else, but Elle I could manipulate easily. Compel her. She wasn't a full-fledged witch yet. But her blood still healed me. After that, my senses finally came back to me, so I decided to snap her neck here."
I started shaking my head, not wanting to believe everything happening around me.
"The major person at fault here is my dear uncle, the rest of you are just collateral damage really," Seana snickered. "When your dear cousin awakens I'm going to have her drain you dry, and Scott can feel the pain of losing something he cherishes."
"She turns 18 tomorrow, what makes you think you can control her when she can easily put you on your ass?" I remarked and stood up, glaring at her defiantly. "You are so fucking deranged it's pathetic. Go ahead and kill me, I could care less. But just know what will be waiting for you Seana."
If I died I would end up just like Elle. A hybrid. I never wanted things to end like this.
"You see, that is the sweet thing of it all," Seana purred. "She won't ever turn 18."
My breath caught in my throat. "Youâ"
"Yes, she won't ever be a full witch. That spark for it will always be there, but she will never get her magic!" Seana chuckled. "Isn't that terrific?"
Suddenly Elle let out a loud gasp, her chest filling with air as she took her first breath. She reached for her throat, and sat up, looking around bewildered.
"Lily?" Elle cried. "What is going on?!"
She glanced at Seana, her eyes widening with fear. She started to scoot back.
"Hello there," Seana greeted. "How is your throat feeling?"
"What?" Elle gawked. "I don't understand."
She reached for her throat again, confused.
I tensed, my eyes searching for where Seana discarded my hair stick. It was pointless. I was fucked. I wasn't going out without a fight though. It was perfect timing to not have my magic.
"My dear, we have much to discuss, but first you need to complete your transition," Seana affirmed.
Elle just kept backing up, Seana's attention now fully on her. I saw the stick was under the sink, I just scooted back from them and grabbed it, keeping it hidden behind my back.
"Transition?! W-What are you talking about?!" Elle spluttered.
"To a vampire of course," Seana confirmed. Seana turned her evil gaze to me and grinned, her fangs lengthening.
"You know if I die I'll just come back, you do know that right?" I blurted out.
"Oh really? Scott must have given you his blood then. I can just kill you a second time then," Seana retorted then grabbed me, her fangs slicing right into my forearm.
She ripped them out and grabbed Elle by the neck and forced her mouth right where I bled. Elle struggled against her, but the second blood touched her lips she was gone. Seana didn't need to hold Elle anymore. Instead, both of Elle's hands gripped mine. Her gray eyes bled black, and then I felt her teeth sink into the skin.
I just stared at her, so much anger and sadness flowing through me. I gripped the stick tight in my other hand then brought it up and stabbed it right into her chest. She ripped her teeth out, tearing my skin even more.
She stared down at the hair stick that was embedded into her chest. Her eyes reverted back to gray, tears forming in them.
She slowly pulled the stick out and stared at it then glanced at my blood-soaked arm, realization dawning on her face.
"Lily?" she choked back a sob. "I'm so, soâ"
"No, no it's okay you are going to be okay! Alright?" I insisted and grabbed her hands with mine, squeezing them.
"Alright? I justâno. I just bit you!" Elle shrieked. "How is that alright?!"
"Enough with the hysterics now," Seana sighed. "Finish her off. Or I will."
"Will you finally go through with your threats?" I mocked and stood up facing her.
I just stared her down, all my fear dissipating from me. I thought I would fear facing death, but glaring at her all I felt was contempt.
"I thought you would at least try and beg for your life," Seana chuckled. "I suppose you want to be like us then."
"I never want to be a vampire," I hissed. "But at least then I could rip you to shreds and not think twice about it."
"See? You already have some bloodthirst in you," Seana murmured. "I'm curious, if I gave you my blood who would you be sired to? There is one way to find out."
I took a step back as Seana took a step forward. Elle wasn't paying attention to either of us now, She was rocking back and forth, her arms wrapped around her knees. I was going to kill Seana.
"Scared yet?" Seana grinned as her eyes blackened.
I wasn't scared. I was backing up so I could grab that hair stick from the floor again. She realized what I was doing and pounced on me. She pinned me to the wall, and the last thing I saw was her fangs going for my throat.
The pain went all through my body, this was nothing when Scott accidentally bit me at homecoming last year. She tore into my throat, my body losing all the fight that was left in me.
But something grabbed her and threw her off me, I just fell to the ground, my hand reaching for my bleeding neck. I looked up to see Zach fighting against Seana, he had his claws sunk into her chest.
Just as soon as the pain came it started to fade, I pulled my hand away from my neck, expecting to see more blood. I felt it again, the skin was completely smooth.
I glanced at my arm, there was blood on it. But the puncture wounds were gone.
I got back up slowly, Zach and Seana still tearing at one another. Elle stopped rocking back and forth, she had her black eyes glued to my blood-soaked neck.
I tensed, knowing Elle was going to lunge at me. When she did, I grabbed her and shoved her away roughly, her body knocking right into a sink.
It completely cracked on impact.
I didn't even bother waiting for her to come at me again, I reached down, grabbed the hair stick, and went to help Zach. Seana had him on the other side of the bathroom, I came up behind them and shoved the hair stick into her back.
She let out a cry and focused now on pulling it out. Zach used that opportunity to kick her away from him, sending her flying into the stalls. The hard plastic of the stall broke as she went through it.
I glanced at Zach, seeing if he was injured. He was just staring wide-eyed at me.
Why was he looking at me like that? He started to look afraid, I think?
Seana recovered from our assault on her then like the coward she was, she took off and grabbed Elle.
"No, no no!" I yelled and bolted out of the bathroom, the halls still empty of people.
I stopped to rip my heels off, I wasn't letting Seana get away with my cousin. As I was taking the last one off I felt Zach grab me by the arm and yanked me upward, his eyes about to pop out of his head.
"Lily what the fuck happened back there?!" he quipped.
"What do you mean what the hell happened? Seana turned Elle!" I thundered.
"Lily right now we need to get you checked out!" Zach pleaded then grabbed my arm again, he was looking at the blood I was covered in.
"I am fine," I insisted.
I didn't know why I had healed. It must have been the vampire blood in my veins right now.
"No I am serious I saw Seana attacking you!" Zach revealed. "Then you justâ"
"I what?" I gawked. "Finally was able to not get my ass handed to me?"
He started feeling my neck where Seana bit me, his face growing more concerned.
"Do you feel okay?" he asked and looked at my wrist that had been sprained earlier, it was fine now.
He was looking at my face now. I was just growing more pissed.
"Let go of me!" I yelled and pushed him off me. I just barely pushed him and he went right at the wall.
My eyes widened with panic.
"Lily," he cautioned and started walking to me slowly, his hands slightly raised up. "I just need you to try and calm down okay?"
"Calm? How can I be fucking calm?!" I shouted. "I just found my cousin dead on the floor!"
I stalked toward him, my hands balled into fists.
"You saw her did you not?" I questioned.
"I did, but right now you need to please calm down, I don't know what has happened to you but something is wrong," Zach revealed.
"There is something wrong, you are in my Goddamn way," I hissed. "Now are you going to keep stalling me or help me find Elle?"
"Right now you need help, do you even realize what you are?" Zach asked, his eyes filling with sadness.
"What do you mean what I am?" I rasped. "You thinkâ"
I had no injuries. I literally flung someone twice my size across a hallway. He thought Seana killed me and I wasn't human anymore.
The sound of someone running down the hall caught my attention, I turned expecting Cel or Amberly.
It was Scott.
My breath caught in my throat, as a sigh of relief escaped me. He had come after all.
Before Scott even got to me Zach got between us.
"Scott wait I think Seanaâ" Zach began but got cut off.
"What happened?" he questioned and looked around Zach at me.
"Seana turned Elle," I told him as a sob escaped me.
Then I was enveloped in a tight embrace. Then I just lost it. All the fight in me died just as the wave of despair struck me.
"Scott can you check Lily, I think," Zach gulped. "God I hope I am wrong."
"Check her for what?" Scott remarked, he released me from the hug and really looked at me.
Then his hands were on my face, my neck, he was beginning to get just as frantic as Zach now. I had to wiggle myself free from him. The two of them honestly thought I was in transition or something.
"Scott look at me!" I begged and cupped his face with my hands and pulled him close to me. "I am okay!"
My arms dropped to my sides as Scott shook his head in disbelief. I grabbed both of his hands and laid them right over my thumping heart.
"Do you feel that? It's still beating like crazy," I chuckled sadly.
"Scott? Is she good?" Zach whispered, sounding hopeful.
I just gave him a withering look. Of course, I was okay. Physically anyway.
Mentally I was fucked. I knew the emotional crash was coming.
Scott just started to smile and nodded, then he pulled me to him again. I just held on tight. Because soon I knew we were going to be separated again.
I knew we had stepped into the end. The darkness blanketing this town had gone, taking my innocent cousin with it.
WHEN we got to the house, all the lights were on. Cynthia had brought Kenny over to stay while my mother and she left to chase after Seana. Kenny had shut himself in the guest room upstairs, wanting to be left alone.
I didn't blame him for wanting to be alone.
Our entire coven had already started searching for Seana and Elle.
My mother was having Amberly's aunt Margaret come and stay with us. She didn't want my father stepping foot into the house.
My father, according to Scott was sobering up at his house. Why did my father think that was a good idea?
I was in no shape to help anyone. I knew when everyone left and I was alone I was going to fall apart. Even with Cel here it wasn't going to be enough.
I was sitting on the living room couch, still wearing my monstrosity of a dress, my hair falling all around me.
Scott sat beside me, his arm around me. Zach and Cel were on the other couch. My mother was upstairs packing. None of us knew what to do.
Where would we even begin?
I was useless. I had no magic and whatever strength I had earlier seemed to have faded. Scott figured it was from the blood sharing. No one really knew what could happen, not many relations between the living and dead were heard of.
"Scott, you were with Seana for years, can't you think of anywhere they might have gone?" Zach inquired.
Scott thought for a moment. "We did frequent New York often, she may have gone there."
"Are you sure?" Cynthia quipped.
"Can't be certain, but it is a place to start." Scott sighed.
I heard my mother coming down the stairs, a suitcase thumping behind her.
We all glanced at her as she strode into the living room.
"You ready Cyn?" she implored.
Cynthia just nodded.
My mother walked over to me and bent down till she was at eye level with me. "Are you going to be okay honey?" she asked.
"No," I admitted. "But I will manage."
My mother gave me a sad smile and hugged me. Then she and Cynthia were out the door, leaving all four of us staring at one another awkwardly.
"So that's it? We are just going to sit here and let the adults handle it?" Cel shot out. "When have the adults ever solved anything?"
"Celesta can you for once tone it down with the sarcasm?" Scott remarked.
"Hey I am just being honest," Cel defended.
"We can do something," Zach began. "Scott and I can go to New York and look around some of Seana's old hangouts!"
"Yes, that is a great idea!" Cel exclaimed. "Lily and I will just stay here and do nothing!"
She smacked Zach on the back of the head.
"We can, someone has to look after Kenny, and I'm sure the Hathaway coven is going to be hunting Seana, you can feed intel to Scott and Zach if they get any leads," I suggested.
Cel's eyes widened with surprise. "We can, but why would we need intel from the coven?"
"Because if I know one thing about them," I went on. "They will kill Seana and Elle on the spot if they get to them first. Just think about it, what will Seana make Elle do?"
"Kill innocents," Scott chimed in quietly.
"The coven won't hesitate then," Cel sighed.
"Well, that settles it!" Zach beamed and jumped up from the couch.
Cel just glowered at him.
"I need some fresh air," I mumbled and got up from the couch, they all looked at me with concern.
I just walked straight out onto the patio and sat down in one of the lawn chairs. I looked up at the sky, the stars shining brightly. I heard the patio door slide open and closed. I already knew it was Scott.
He sat in the chair across from me and looked up at the sky with me.
"They sure are bright tonight," he muttered.
I glanced at him and finally remembered something important. I reached for my necklace; pulling it out I unclasped it. The chain was stained with blood from earlier.
"I meant to give this to you," I murmured and took the ring off the chain.
I reached my hand out for him to take it.
"I'll probably need that soon won't I?" he mused and slid the ring back on his index finger.
"Yeah, we don't need you becoming a human torch or anything," I chuckled.
I didn't know how many times he would tell me that joke when were out somewhere together.
He stood up as did I and I was lost in him. He held me tightly, his face buried into my shoulder as we stood there silently holding one another.
"You better come back to me, you hear me?" I whispered.
"Always," he replied.