The Trouble with Evie

Chapter 51

The caravan tilted as the dancing duo moved out of the way, continuing their little love fest at the other end. I smiled, leaning on the kitchen counter. Watching Niko and Beatrice return to the way that they were was a beautiful thing to be a witness to.

It was nine am, and we'd been up for several hours clearing the debris. We'd taken a break for a few minutes to have something to eat and drink. The day was starting to warm up, but it was agreed that Anzide and I would return to the mess. Brad would sit under the marquee and go through each of the planks of wood, pulling out the nails. I don't know what his plan was but the wood and the bricks were all sorted into piles.

I looked at Niko and Beatrice and wondered if Brad was planning for a different kind of life. The kind that needed a much larger house. If he found someone, they'd have kids. At some point in the future, Anzide and I would probably take that path too. There was even a strong chance that Niko and Beatrice might have more. We would be in a house that, while big, was in reality, too small for us as a group.

Beatrice shrieked with a giggle when Niko turned her under his arm. It started to turn a little naughty when she curled back into his arms. I turned away, not wanting to see my great-grandparents kiss. Brad merely rolled his eyes.

"Missing out, eh buddy? Need to get yourself a little vampire action?"

"Not right now, thanks. Aside from the fact that the caravan is not big enough for the five that we clearly have now that good old grandma is back, we have a looming war, and we don't know who is friend or foe."

I had to say, he was right. We'd been stuck in this situation for just a few days, and it wasn't getting any easier. The only reprieve that we had from each other was when we did things outside of the caravan. Brad and Niko would go out to feed, and Anzide and I would go grocery shopping.

"Evie?"

Everyone paused at the sound of someone that could cause a lot of problems. I looked at Niko, the one person in this infernal tin can that had to be kept a secret. He should be dead and I wasn't prepared to tell the world differently just yet.

Stepping out of the caravan with my permanent security guard not far behind, I walked around the side to see Kannon standing at the fence line.

He gave me a vague smile that died just a little when he saw Anzide.

"Kannon," I said tersely. "Why are you here?"

He shrugged uneasily.

"You look a little stressed. Is something wrong, something you need to tell me?"

"I'm sorry for everything. You know that it was not my idea, and I hate that it came between us."

Well, that's not entirely true. I wasn't going to tell Kannon that I'd seen him and my other nemesis, Jess Hartley, screwing against my locker at school. Their lust filled words before the defiling were enough to open my eyes to the truth. I was just grateful that I had Anzide's help to hide from their sight. Otherwise, I would have never known.

"I want you to win. You have no idea what it's like being under his thumb. I want out, I want to walk away, but I can't."

Aww, no turning your girlfriend into a vampire and becoming the second in charge of Drakkus's coven? Such a pity.

With another shrug, Kannon's gaze lowered.

"I just thought I'd say that."

"Okay, well, thanks for that. I guess."

When Kannon wasn't looking, I turned to Anzide, and after giving him a subtle smirk, I flicked my head. He frowned but accepted my silent request to put some grass between us. If I was going to get anything out of Kannon, it would be done without Anzide around.