MAEVE

Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

My heart flipped as I stared at his menacing figure in the dark. He was bathed in shadows as he leaned back casually against the wall, booted feet crossed together as his dark eyes watched me intently, waiting for me to run, scream, or perhaps faint. And trust me I was close to doing all three simultaneously.

I stood on trembling knees, my heart beating erratically as I closed my eyes. If this was the way I was going to go out, then I refused to cry. I waited for death's hand, and waited still.

"What the hell are you doing?" His voice interrupted me and pulled me back from the place I was trying to enter to find peace. I opened my eyes in irritation.

"It is bad habit to play with your food before eating it," I told him seriously, my eyes scrunched up in a frown.

His narrowed slightly, as he looked at me in confusion. I sighed.

"Come on big guy, get on with it already," I told him impatiently. He drew in a sharp breath before speaking slowly, as if to a child.

"Get on with what exactly?" He asked me.

"The drinking, or feeding, whatever it is y'all call it, get on with it. I hate the waiting," I told him again, and his eyes widened slightly as he looked at me with the barest hint of interest, not even amusement. Just that slight interest you give to a bug you are about to squash.

"So you think I am about to eat you,"  He trailed slowly, not even asking, just stating a fact. I nodded.

"Yes, aren't you?" I asked him skeptically. He leaned away from the wall as if bored already, and turned to leave.

"Whatever it is you think you know, you are mistaken," He told me firmly, before turning around to leave.

"I'm not. I know what you are, what you all are," I told him impulsively. I never meant to say it. I mean, never let a murderer know you know what he is to his face. Especially when you are alone with him in a dark empty building. But something about his arrogant dismissal sparked my ire.

He stopped and walked back to me. Face still devoid of emotions.
"I already told you. You know nothing," He repeated. "Why did you make me repeat myself? I hate repeating myself,"

"Stop trying to fool me!" I exclaimed. "I figured it all out so stop trying to outsmart me, you can't."

He leaned down to my level, his face barely an inch from mine. He was close, close enough for me to smell the mint on his icy breath.

"You are pretty, aren't you?" He asked softly, studying my face and peering into my eyes as if trying to figure something out. I was flattered, so flattered that I unknowingly let my guard down.

"Really? Thank you," I grinned, patting my scarf and thanking the stars once more for my complexion.

"Perhaps you are the one trying to fool us all," He ended with a satisfied smirk. And alarm bells finally went off in my head.

"I don't know what you mean." I told him, stumbling back quickly to create space between us. I was in full panic mode. In all my years no one had been smart enough to figure out my secret, and I intended for it to remain so.

"I am leaving,"  I told him finally. "Don't even try to stop me,"  I turned on my heel, ready to scream if he tried any nonsense. And made for the door.

A few more steps, I chanted in my mind. I was close, so so close when his arm wrapped around my waist and he clamped his other hand over my mouth to prevent my scream.

He held me hostage against the wall, and against my will my nose inhaled deeply. Drawing in the odd yet sweet scent of cold rain on a dewy morning, and something just a little bit darker. He leaned down once more and stared into my eyes, this time I could not look away.

"You had a bad dream, nothing more. You are going to go back upstairs and take all this off. Remember, you had a bad dream nothing more," He murmured, voice lowering to a soft persuasive purr that left no room for refusal. I nodded dumbly and turned to go back to my room. I could feel his eyes freezing my back with its stare. But not once did I look back.

I woke up confused the next morning. I was in my pajamas, on my bed, and I woke up before my alarm could go off. But still something felt terribly wrong.
Shrugging my thoughts away, I moved to the bathroom to perform my morning routine. I was brushing my blonde wig when it all came back to me with a dizzying force. I remembered it clearly. From watching them take off, to me packing my bags, to Elijah denying everything and calling me stupid, and to him persuading me to go back and sleep.

As I frowned still in deep thoughts, I remembered he never persuaded me, rather he ordered me to go back, and despite my terrified state I did. His voice soft, almost compelling.

I sat bolt upright. If all my years of being addicted to anything supernatural had taught me anything, it was that he definitely tried to compel me. I was boiling with rage now. Oh he tried, did he? Well I was going to show them, all of them.

I avoided Dre and his friends that morning, ignored all the stares and whispers, and even refused to acknowledge Noah when he smiled and waved so enthusiastically at me that my heart almost melted, and I had to remind myself of how frightening he looked last night. I also ignored Elijah when he sent me a searching look, as if sensing something wrong. When first period arrived, I made sure to seat at the very front. Let them wonder, let them.

Finally it was lunch time, and I walked into the cafeteria and went to my first table in a corner, with head phones that was switched off on my ears so I could ignore Dre's persistent screaming without looking like a total bitch.

Was what I was about to do wrong and potentially dangerous? Yes. Was I doing it to prove a stupid point? Well yes. Was I going to do it anyway? Hell yeah.

I waited until I saw them enter the cafeteria. I waited until I saw him seated. I waited till he was comfortable, then I carefully extracted the sharp pin from my wig.

Rolling it around my fingers, I stared at him, waiting for him to see me. He finally turned towards me, and I caught his eye and held it before giving him an arrogant smirk. He frowned slightly in confusion and I winked at him before pricking my finger with the pin. I watched his eyes widen just before all hell broke loose.