Vampires Suck

Chapter 36: When the Door Opens

AIDEN

"Good luck, Aiden, I wish you well in whatever path lies ahead of you," Marie said as we both stopped at the doors of the entrance, which her butler was already holding open for me.

"Thank you, Marie, I don't know how I could ever repay you," I began, but Marie quickly swatted her hand.

"There is no need, you're the son of my dearest friends—consider this like a gift from...a fairy godmother," Marie finished thoughtfully, causing my nose to scrunch up in displeasure at the comparison. Marie laughed in response. "What, you don't like that? Okay, then perhaps just a regular godmother?"

"It's a little better..." I replied jokingly. Marie's smile widened as she caught on to that before her face shifted to an emotion I couldn't quite read.

"I've never been a godmother before, but it would be a great honor to be yours," she said softly then, and my chest tightened at the sincerity in her tone.

"Well, it would be a great honor to be your godson. I know that my parents would have loved that," I responded gently, causing Marie's eyes to flicker with sadness.

"I would hope they would," she whispered so quietly that if I didn't have my vampire hearing, I would have thought I imagined it. In the next second, all trace of her previous gloom was gone, however, and she regarded me once more with a bright smile.

"You should get going. You have a lot ahead of you."

I nodded in agreement. I moved to step out the door before turning back once more to her.

"Remember all that I said," she stated then, and I knew that she was referring to the tracking spell and how it worked. I looked down at the compass in my hand before I nodded once more to her.

"Well then, goodbye—godson," Marie said, and for some reason I felt an overwhelming sadness at that, as if I were saying goodbye to an old friend. It should have been strange, considering I'd only known her for a couple of hours, but it felt natural. Perhaps it was because she was the only tie I had to my parents. Truth be told, being with her had been the closest I'd felt to being with my parents since they'd disappeared.

"Goodbye," I said, looking warmly into her golden eyes before I headed back to my car.

I was just about to get in when she called out, "Oh and Aiden?"

I quirked an eyebrow.

"If you need help, do not ever hesitate to ask. You know where to find me."

Though her lips were in a small smile, her eyes were completely serious. It left me with a strange, foreboding feeling.

"I will," I said in return, fully meaning those words, before I finally got into my car. I drove away, aware that Marie didn't close the door until I was nearly out of sight.

DIANA

I quickly went inside my house, immediately shutting and locking the door behind me. I wasn't safe, not when Joel could show up at any second. Oh god, what was I supposed to do?

The first thing that crossed my mind was that I needed to call the police—it was the smart thing to do, even if there wasn't much of a guarantee they'd catch him. At least then if I went missing (a chill ran through me at the thought), they'd know who it likely was. Besides that, I'd be an idiot to keep the danger I was in a secret.