END ROADS

CHAPTER 60: FLAMES COVEN

Another two weeks were gone just like that. Grey was always busy, I was concentrating on some research based on my powers and the witches as well. I was getting even more skilled with time but things had gotten really awkward between Grey and I. We barely met and if we did we just exchanged a few words. Mostly he warned me against using my powers and he was damn strict so if I had to use them, I had to really hide. I was cheeky yes, how can I have powers and not use them?

The sun had gone west, I guess the outside was all white covered in snow. The trees were bare without leaves only the coniferous trees covered in snow. It was pretty cold, the vampires were now in resemblance of the ones I always saw in movies, in long black cloaks.
I sat in the library nibbling on the tip of my pencil dreamily. Nowadays reading romantic novels was marvellous, I couldn't help sit down and make the images in my head. There was love, hard love among the vampires indeed.
Since Lisa was gone with her mate Arthur, her best friend Aimee had always been sticking around with Abigail. She stole my best friend. But anyway... I was still jealous. Abi was mine alone!
"Hey Missy, I have been here ten good minutes" a voice startled me. I looked up at Arianna Huffington.
"Oh..." I laughed nervously "ten?"
"You forgot?"
"What did I forget?"
"Seriously?'
I knitted my brows trying to remember anything but I couldn't recall anything at all.
"You better remind me or we are here forever " I announced.
"The Flames coven dummy, don't forget the whole coven or rather a good percentage of it visits the Flames coven as a custom since the olden days " she explained irritated.
"Oh, so?"
She rolled her eyes "you are coming "
"Am going nowhere, I wanna stay here. I have only finished half of the library."
She choked "half?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I am sure no vampire has read even an entire shelf. Come on we should get going "
"Am not coming, am not significant anyway " I said dismissively
"You are forgetting you got a whole four hundred or so vampires under your guidance. Did you?"
I buried my head in the massive book and groaned.
"Now you remember, come on we should be moving or Grey will skin me alive "
I dragged myself out of the library and followed Arianna into my room. I changed into a pair of black jeans a blue top and a black wool jacket. I slid my feet into the white sneakers then tied my hair in a high ponytail.
"Let us go" I said to Ari.
"I envy you, you are always stunning even in the simplest clothes let's go "
I grabbed her hand and held her back.
"Am not running down all those stairs while I can teleport."
Before she could argue we were standing at the driveway where a good number of limos and heavy vehicle were lined. They all were dark as the night and tinted.
"The black range rover over there" Ari pointed at the last vehicle in the line and disappeared into the limo nearby.
I dragged myself into the car and got inside. Before I could even sit down the car started moving making me fall into the arms of the guy next to me.
"Ow, are you a rock or something?" I yelled rubbing my forehead and fixing my seatbelt.
I looked at the guy next to me and almost collapsed.
"You!"
"Who else could it be?"
"Must I be in the same vehicle as you?"
"Scared?"
"Who's scared?" I shot back folding my arms over my chest.
"You haven't missed me? You've been avoiding me since we. ...
My palm flew towards his mouth and covered it.
"Shut up "
He licked my hand and I let go immediately.
"Are you a cat or something?"
"Don't you think that is too much to insult someone in a single day?"
"Who's insulting the other?"
"You are shifting blames?"he raised a brow
"Who's...
The driver suddenly braked, my forehead rammed into the front seat yet again. I howled in pain.
"Are you two plotting to get me another forehead over the one I already have?" I yelled
"You're loud" Grey muttered dismissively
"I will...
He turned his gaze towards me, his eyes blazing red and his fangs extended. He ran his tongue over his fangs, neat and sharp like the tip of a sword. I swallowed loudly and shrunk back.
"Why are you making yourself smaller? I was just giving you a genuine smile"
"For a moment I thought I was sitting beside Lucifer" I mumbled aware that Grey could hear me.
The remaining way to the private airstrip. The last jet stood there magnificently endowed with a large calligraphy of the name 'GREY'
"Must you show off your wealth?" I asked no one in particular
"If I didn't show off how would you know?" He responded stepping out of the car
I wasn't talking to you Mr big guy.
I followed him out , he was already standing at the entrance of the jet. I took a single step on the stairway and paused. Grey looked back at me and smirked.
"Scared?"
I nodded.
He grinned shifting halfway into a demon.
I shrugged "who said I do be afraid of you? Am height phobia dummy" I climbed the stairway and entered the jet. I sat at the far left side of the comfy seats. I tightened my seatbelt leaned back and closed my eyes.
"You heartbeat is too loud" Grey was obviously getting at me.
"Close your ears, you might end up deaf" I retorted not bothered to even open my eyes.
"You have developed a bad attitude, too sassy"
Disappointed?!
"Definitely not your type, am I right?" I tilted my face sideways and opened my eyes. He was glaring at me, the jet took off . I struggled to hold myself together until the jet was stable in air.
"What is the use of visiting the Flames coven?"
"History, a custom"
"What for?"
"Brotherhood between the two covens" he answered simply. I heaved a sigh
"What for? You two don't seem to be family at all. You're all different and are never in the same lane"
"Brothers fight, don't they?" He posed lifting his brows at me.
I sat back silent for a while and grinned.
"You can smell sin, greed and lust. Right?"
"Yeah"
"Which of those have you ever scented on Keith?"
"Greed of course" he answered as if it was obvious
"I thought you didn't know, greed for what?"
"Power....
"Whose place is he eyeing?"
"Mine and my father's"
He responded resting his fist under his chin. He was watching me from below the lids.
I hummed in agreement.
"Have you ever thought the reason to why he is always as he is? Violent? And the reason to why he's hungry for power?"
"A choice maybe...
"Steele is also hungry for power but he's not a psychopath like Keith. Don't you think something might be wrong with him? Or there is a story that is untold?"
Silence befell the atmosphere, it was freezing cold. I had a feeling, just a feeling that Keith was not as he was by choice, there was something behind his violent behaviour and extreme greed and complicated behaviour.
"Now that you have mentioned it ... I am starting to doubt my assumptions"
"When did his behaviour start?" I asked.
"Keith has been out of the picture for a century or so. Then he showed up when he was fourteen, a paranoid kid cold and unfriendly. He was always drinking blood and talked less. Then he took over his father's coven, Flames coven. The council of the Flames coven didn't want him to rule but Steele thought he had the potential to rule"
"Why did the council oppose him?"
"He was found with a lot of cases, he killed a lot of people... Humans and almost got us in trouble, but he was never remorseful, he never wanted to make amends or change"
"And why did Steele support him?" I inquired and he simply shrugged.
"He probably saw the potential in him or he pitied the kid"
I couldn't help but scoff.
"Steele? Pity? It is more of a contrast. I have a feeling Keith is not what we see him to be, he's a kid who's helpless"
"A kid? He's a grown ass man" Grey rolled into a loud laugh .
"You'll see it"
"Did you have a vision?"
"What? ... No it's just a feeling. .. a thought maybe or am just being paranoid"
Before he could say more, the jet hit the ground and the door slid open. He inhaled sharply and got off the jet. I followed closely behind as we alighted at the rooftop of the flames coven. It was much more spectacular than I do though. The blend of the ancient architecture and the modern design with a taste of technology made the building look so dreamy. The roof top was so beat it had four tall towers at each corner of the building. The space was wide enough to accommodate five to six jets. It was neat and clean the floor below was neat and clear. The entire building was surrounded by tall trees it probably wouldn't be noticed from a far.
"It's beautiful" I declared
"Don't judge a book by it's cover"
"Is it ugly on the inside?"
"It is more beautiful than the outside actually"
"Then what do you mean?" I furrowed my brows
"Keep your eyes and ears open. You will see"
We walked off to the pillars on the left side, Grey pressed a red button and the pillar shifted. A door opened leading to a small cylindrical shape space that could accommodate at least five people. We got in and Grey punched a few buttons and the door closed then it descended.
I never thought vampires could invent this much who would have thought those pillars were of use at all?
We got off at the ground floor, a long hallway welcomed us. The walls were painted warm colours and the paintings hanged around were lively. Birds, flowers and beautiful castles. We arrived at a double mahogany door that was opened by the two guards and we walked into an wide open room. The stench of blood hit me like a whirlwind and I almost threw up. I stepped closer to Grey the room was poorly lit and it was giving me creeps. The sound of a piece of metal clattering on the floor startled me, I hugged Grey's arm who seemed un wavered. The lights were turned on blinding me for a second
At the end of the room was a silhouette of a man, Keith Gavin! His clawed hands were bloody and around him was a good number of dead humans with their limbs twisted and turned mercilessly.
H turned around, his eyes dark red, his face and mouth bloody. He grinned displaying his needle sharp fangs.
"Finally you have arrived" he said shifting his gaze to Grey for a second then back to me.
"You didn't like my gift?"
"I loved it...
"It wasn't for killing Keith, they were supposed to be servants since you have killed a good number of them" Grey explained, his voice full of irritation.
"The gift was mine, so whatever I do with it is none of your business"
Grey sighed pinched the meeting of his eyebrows.
"Master Grey, I got your room ready, S746" Ari spoke who had just arrived in the room
"Thank you"
"Should I get Becky a room too?"
"She's fine, she can sleep on the floor" he said lifting his shoulders a little. Was he teasing me?
"I want her....
A snarl sounded in the vast room. Keith had his eyes fixed on Arianna's neck. My eyes went wide, no damn way! Wasn't he satisfied?
In seconds he had the dagger in his hands speeding towards Ari. My heart gave a loud thud. And my brain was no longer in function mode. I swiftly skidded across the floor, using my power to speed towards Ari and pushed her with ally strength into Grey's arms. The dagger sunk into my shoulder splattering blood onto the floor. I groaned in pain smacking Keith's face sending him flying across the room.
"BECKY!!"
His voice was tight with tension, I panicked.
"She's not human" Keith said almost subconsciously, still on the floor.
Grey let go of Ari and rushed over to me completely pissed off. I was watching Keith on the floor, he wasn't moving to attack he was completely dazed. That was unlikely him.
"Are you okay?" Grey snapped me back to look at him
"Am fine" I answered silently.
"I wasn't wrong from the last time.... You definitely aren't simple" Keith said lifting his eyes to my face.
"Leave Ari, stay in your room or maybe with Abi, keep safe" Grey instructed her. She walked off slowly obviously traumatised.
"For sure O is the best blood type" Keith mumbled licking a drop of blood on his arm
"Come with me" Grey dragged me out of the room. He led the way up several flights of stairs and entered the room he was assigned. He sat me down on the bed his brows knitted. He was furious, gosh I always got on his nerves without noticing it at all.
"How many times do you have to bleed so you can understand that you should take care of yourself?"
I scoffed tilting my head a little.
"What?!"
"Do you have to be this stupid?"
"Stupid you say?" Me? Stupid? He had the guts to call me stupid for saving someone's life?
"Who gave you the right to scold me? I can do what I want with my life OK? If I die so be it, I am dying at the end anyway so what is the fuss about?"
"I fuckin' care about you Becky!"
I gulped a lump of saliva blinking severally. What had gotten into him? I was not used to seeing him so open about his feelings.
"What....
"I can't stand it when anything happens to you, alright? Are you not tired of punishing me? Do you know how many times I have to sit at the edge of the bed watching you half dead for days that feel like a millennium? Do you know how freaking scary that is? Do you have the slightest idea, Becky? You torment me when you get this careless, when you are crying as if your heart has been split apart. I always want to break down when I see you this bloodied my your own blood. It fuckin' makes me go insane"
I swallowed, shrinking back, trying to reduce my presence. He was scaring me. He was shaking with anger. He was at the verge of exploding!
"Do I have to be more miserable than I am right now for you to see that I care about you? Or must I say the words for you to understand what am trying to point out, right now?"
He trapped me between his arms leaning closer and his green eyes burrowed into mine.
"I die and resurrect every single time I am around you" he held the dagger and pulled it out. I whimpered from the pain that stung my shoulders mercilessly.
"Would you stop this craziness for once? Will you just make sure you are alive till I die? Would you please stop stepping up for other people and look after yourself?"
I wanted to nod but I couldn't, I can't sit back and watch others get hurt, it was hard for me.
"But Ari would have died if I....
"You think her life is more of value than yours?"
What?!
He pinched his brows then looked back at me.
"Just promise me that you'll not get me this pissed off ever again. Can you do that ?"
I swallowed avoiding his gaze, he held my chin up his fangs digging into his own lip. Was he trying to seduce me?
"Will you?" He raised a brow his gaze intensifying
"OK fine, I promise I will....
My words were cut short by a sensual kiss that left me panting and breathless. His toxic blood that was like a drug was divine just like wine. I couldn't resist it I walked along.
Of what harm would it be?