Passion for Blood

Chapter 12:

As promised Fitz has someone take me home, I am relieved to finally be away from him and whatever it is that goes on there. Yet I cannot help but feel hurt at his words. I suppose they don't have a heart. Taken out of my thoughts the chauffeur announces our arrival at my home. The stoned building decorated by nature, brings a smile to my face, and then it dawns on me, how will my brothers react to my sudden disappearance? What will they say? Exiting the car the doors open to reveal Xavier, who looks half-dead from the circles under his eyes and his hair all over the place. Looking at his tired expression my heart sinks, I thank the chauffeur and make my way up the staircase towards him. "Where the hell have you been?" he instantly asks me, irritation evident in his eyes. "I-I..." I'm unable to find words, he looks like this because they were searching for me, which only means the other two would look worse. "I decided to leave and go stay with grace," I lie. Why on earth did I lie, why not tell them the truth, I cannot help and think that they could be hiding something far greater from me. The truth about the council. "During the night, when we were facing an attack?" he asks raising a brow at me. I fiddle with my fingers, it's not easy to lie for me, it's quite ironic actually I come from a family who are strong and brave yet I carry none of those traits. I can't kill an undead to save my own life yet I've been trained to do so without question and now I'm struggling with the fact that I had lied to my brother. "I felt it was better to leave with the rest," I say never making eye contact with him. One thing about Xavier and me is that we are much closer to each other than the others. Although we bicker and quarrel we can always tell each other everything and trust that they don't say a word. He even told me about his first time, it was horrific to hear but alas I still kept quiet about it. "Speaking of attack-" "It was just a group of boys playing tricks," Xavier interrupts. "Alright, even though I know you are lying," he says looking at me with hurt eyes. I look at him with surprised eyes and ask "How did you know?" "You were fiddling with your fingers, it's something you do when you have something to hide, I know you, Madeleine." " I'm sorry," I say looking down. "Don't worry about it, but you should worry about Alexander and Nathaniel," sighing we both walk in to find the place normal. The maids are at work, cleaning and organising. "Xavier who is here?" I hear Alexander's voice, in panic, I turn to face Xavier only to find him walking away. Traitor. "Where the blady hell were you sister?" hearing his stern voice I slowly turn to face his fuming face. "I-" "Do you have any idea the trouble you caused us, we have been searching for you," he also looks half-dead, I feel terrible yet it was not entirely my fault. "I apologise, brother, I decided to go to Grace as I thought it was best," I hear him sigh and then the sounds of footsteps echo in the entranceway. The next I know I am in my brothers embrace, I hug him back as if my life depended on it, It may have been a short while that I was away but that period was not one I want to endure ever again. Fitz is an undead he is dangerous and careless yet somehow I am drawn to him. He reminds me of the dark, most of the time I feel comfortable in it and safe and other times it scares me to be alone with it.

"Now I've lied for you about your whereabouts, which is not easy as your brothers are quite intimidating, I have not seen you but I can tell something is off with you. Tell me what is going on with you," Grace says giving me a worried expression. After the encounter with Alexander, I had said the same thing to Nathaniel and he was not too happy about it but was relieved to see that I was not hurt. I decided to ring Grace so that she could go along with my lie, which led to her coming over and where we are now. I suppose at some point I must tell somebody about my adventure, maybe it will take some of the weight off my chest. Sighing I tell Grace everything, from my first encounter with Fitz to him kidnapping me and the story of the council. Looking up at her, she looks to be in deep thought but the shock is evident in her eyes. "Well, this is unexpected," she says. "Are you alright?" I ask her "Yes I am doing very well," she says "Really?" "No Madeleine, do you even hear yourself right now? You are saying that the council my family was never human and now there are more creatures around us," she shouts. I should have expected this, Grace has only ever known the council. Her family is the Elwoods but she chose to be a nurse as she hated books. She too loved saving lives and serving a greater cause. "I do have a question, why haven't you told your brothers any of this?" she asks furrowing her brows. "I can't, if they do know the truth about the council, they will simply hide it from me and hunt Fitz down, I cannot let that happen, I need to know the truth," I say. "Yes but he told you about the council, and you saw what he does to people without remorse, why not just kill him?" I wish I could but for some odd reason I cannot bring myself to do it, it's almost as if half of me would break if I did, I would hate myself. " I just can't bring myself to kill something that was once human," I say looking away. "Yes he was once human, now he is an undead," she says looking confused. "Unless, there is something else you are not telling me," I look at her to find her one brow raised in a suggestive manner. "I have not developed feelings for him, he has done nothing but complicate and bring misery to my life," I say defensively. "If you say so," raising her hands in surrender.