The Trouble with Evie

Chapter 34

Trying to be quiet as we walked through the forest was not easy. Every step we took was another beacon that pointed to our location. It was the only choice. Going the other way meant that we'd have to walk past Drakkus and his goons again, and I did not want that.

The only consolation that I had was that apparently, vampires had good hearing but not great. To hear us walking through the forest, they'd have to be close. On the street where we'd seen them was not within range. Still, I felt like we needed to be quiet just in case there were more vampires in the forest.

Everything was wet, and there was a low-lying fog that coated the ground like a wispy veil. We couldn't see the ground but it was there, floating around and creating a heightened sense of unease inside of me. A bird called out a whooping squawk that I'd heard before but made the mood seem ominous in the eerie silence. Anzide held my hand tight, moving us as fast as he dared while always looking around. I think that he was on a higher alert than what I was.

I knew that we were close to home when I saw the witch's ring. Keeping to the exterior, we continued past it and toward Niko's cave. I wanted to know who had taken his body. I had my suspicions, but for now, it had to wait.

When I saw the fence, I was happy. Getting closer to the house brought a sense of ease, even if we weren't out of the woods yet. Oddly enough, I felt more exposed when I walked across the lawn than when I was in the forest. Maybe it was because I was exposed. Always seen, never missed.

The path to the back door was uneventful. Brad frowned as he watched us walk through the door.

"Okay, so we'll start from the top, shall we? Going to school was clearly a mistake."

"Yeah," I sighed. "Do what you need to get it done here. I'm not going back."

"Already figured that. We'll discuss it at lunch. How about you two get those muddy shoes off? Socks too. Damn it, look at the mess."

Anzide rolled his eyes, flicking off his shoes. I tossed mine to the pile, peeling the wet socks off and leaving them next to my bag. There was mud everywhere, made worse by the water dripping from us. Brad was ushering us away, desperate to stop us from messing up the room. I don't know why he was being so fussy. It's not like the floor couldn't be cleaned. If he didn't want to do it, I'd be happy to clean it up. After all, I'd made the mess.

"Go and warm up before you catch a cold."

With a dejected nod, I turned to the corridor.

"Don't let any vampires into this house," Anzide grumbled at Brad.

"Sure."

As I trudged up the stairs, I thought about going to school now that the demon headmaster had made an obvious move against me. I was done with the place. When I couldn't walk through the corridor by myself, then it was an issue.

Hearing footsteps, I turned to see my silent protection was a step behind me. We were both wet, leaving water everywhere.

Anzide followed me into the bathroom, removing his shirt to wring out over the bathtub. I leaned on the closed door, watching him with a burning curiosity. Well, a lot of things were burning at the moment.

The nicely defined body was too perfect. I guess that's all part of the biblical thing.

"How come you don't just dry yourself?"

"It doesn't work like that. I still have a physical presence. I am bound to certain laws regarding the body and the form, like gravity, for one. I can't fly through the sky, but I can pass through things. It's complicated."

When his hands moved to the top of his pants, I bit my lip, waiting with a smile that could barely be contained. Anzide stopped and turned the top half of his body to look at me. Slowly my gaze lifted, and I saw how caught I was. He turned completely and then sauntered over like he was the king of the world.