The Last Corvus (completed)

Ch. 40 Isadora

Chapter 40

Isadora

He takes my hand, quickly pulling me down the hallway towards our rooms. "We have to get out of here." Thinking he means to just leave the building, I follow him towards the elevator; but when he stops just outside our doors, I start to wonder what he means.

Taking both of my hands in one of his, he pulls his key out with the other, gesturing with it, "We need to leave, get out of here, somewhere where she won't find us. Don't worry about anything, I'll plan it all, just pack. Be ready to leave as soon as possible." He kisses my forehead and turns to his door, unlocking it quickly before disappearing inside.

I stand there, dumbfounded, for who knows how long until his words sink in and I, too, turn to my door. Luckily, there really isn't that much to repack, only the clothes and few books I unpacked when I had that dream.

Funny, looking back, how prophetic that dream was. It said I would end up with Linden (not with that many words, but the message was there), and I have. It said we would be running from something (although not giant rabbits), and we now find ourselves running from the lunacy of a vengeful vampire. I wonder what else will come to fruition? Are we going to ride in a submarine?

Repacking the clothes, books, and poster (ah! I got a book signed by Poe! I can't help but still geek out about that, even in this situation) into the boxes takes a lot less time than I thought it would, and a few minutes later I pack the clothes I wear most often into my suitcase. Along with my toiletries, swimsuit, burnt-orange peacoat, and pajamas I just changed out of (I had only slept in them for a few hours.)

One never knows where one might go.

With nothing else to do, I flip through the carpet options, knowing that, wherever I go next, nothing will have such a customizable floor. Winna spoiled me. They all have. Well, not Jem, but everyone else. With their friendship, their accepting me back even after I wigged out and ran away.

Speaking of... I've left a trail of clothes, my favorite clothes, no less, across New York. My red tunic in my garden shed, my favorite skinny jeans with Janet and Demetrius. I wonder if Lin will let me run by and pick them up before we leave. 'Run by'... it's funny how often people use that expression without actually being able to run as fast or as far as they want... like I can.

Still absentmindedly flipping through the rugs, I look at a spot on the other side of the doorway... where a blood smear about the size of my opened hand is soaked into the carpet. My blood. Nearly gagging from the memory of the bite and blistering cold, I cover my neck scar with my hand, using my arm to cover as much of my chest scar as I can through my tee's material. Thank you, Henry. Very much.

I flip one, two, three more colors and land on the burgundy. My favorite color, the exact shade of my dried blood.

Just then someone knocks, startling me into squeaking. It's just Lin, as proven when I open the door and he leans against the doorframe. I welcome him in and he hesitates, smirking.

"What?"

"Are you sure you want to let me in? Vampires have to be invited."

"Ha. Some flaws with that plan: one, that didn't stop you when I was being attacked," his mood noticeable darkens and I try to make him forget about Henry, "and two, you're no longer a vampire."

He leans in, planting a kiss on the tip of my nose, "quite right. All because of you, my salvation."

With us being so close he can see just how red I become when I blush at his praise, making him smirk as I shove him lightly away. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Plus, I figure you're pretty harmless, considering." I almost say "considering the fact that I could easily beat your butt if you tried anything." But I don't get to. Lin leans in quickly, wrapping his arms around my waist so I can't move, and I start to panic.

He laughs quietly at my squirming, until he realizes why I'm squirming and what I'm probably remembering. Which I am; the strength of Henry, the fear, the biting cold, the darkness.

He lets go so quickly I stumble backwards and he just barely manages to catch my wrist before I hit the carpet. He twirls me into his arms, just like a dance, he even sways us to some imaginary melody; slowly, my back to his chest, his arms wrapped around my arms around my waist.

"I'm sorry," he whispers in my ear as we slowly twirl. I nuzzle my cheek against his, silently accepting his apology. So much has happened... I barely remember what happened that horrible evening. Not that I try to, but still.

All of a sudden La Vie En Rose starts playing from somewhere and Lin stills, pulling out his cell (a design I've barely even heard of, it just came out. One of the world's top-twenty modern breakthroughs. I can't even begin to remember everything it can do.) He says hello and barely gets two words in for the rest of the call. His eyes interchange between widening, narrowing, and wincing; all the time looking at me in confusion. He says bye and hangs up, pocketing it and shaking his head. What did I do this time? Because everyone knows that I cause ALL the problems around here.

The suspense is making my head feel like it's about to explode. "What? What happened?"

He just continues to stare at me until I shake him and he finally answers. "Last night... do you remember the two men you fought?"

"Yes. Why?" They really didn't put up that much of a fight. Except for that annoyingly persistent one, but even he didn't last that long.

"What, perchance, did you do to them?"

"Why?" I'm starting to get a little freaked out, did something happen to them, did I kill them, too?

He looks at me, dead serious, and whispers, "they're human."

Ha. That's a funny joke. Hilarious.

I wait for him to crack a smile, a smirk, anything, but after a few excruciatingly long seconds his expression never changes from shocked confusion. He isn't kidding. Oh my. I start to finger my necklace, scratching my fingernail against the garnet center.

"All I... all I remember doing was something with my necklace and..." I run my tongue across my fangs, trying to remember what else I'd done.

"Oh, I spit on the knife," I murmur, remembering.

"What was that, Kitty?"

"I... I spit on the knife before I cut them. I don't know why I did, it... it just felt like I was supposed to. How... how did they find out? How long did... did it take? Were they in pain?" Even though they tried to kill me I'm surprisingly curious about their health. And what's with the stuttering?! I think this is the first time since elementary school I've ever stuttered so much!

He nods, supposedly understanding everything, and grabs my hand as he makes for the door. Five seconds later (or what feels like five seconds, I really have no way of telling, everything's happening so fast) we barge in on Dr. Jones and Winnamine. She's sitting on his desk, twirling his glasses just out of his reach as they both laugh.

They both hear us at the same time and he snatches his glasses back, placing them back on his nose as she springs to the floor, at attention. Lin explains everything to them. The bouncers carrying the men into one of the couched rooms (turns out the bouncers are vamps too, which I should have already figured out, they were able to hear me after all), and them going to check on them and finding them human, both complaining of killer headaches (probably a side-effect of the gold, I don't know.)

And last but not least, what I did to them. What do Paul and Winna do? Stare at me like I'm a freakin' unicorn.

They all excitedly chatter amongst themselves for a few moments, speculating reasons why what I did would do what it did. I tune out most of it, Dr. Jones using too many scientific mumbo-jumbo for me to understand, only tuning back in when I hear Lin ask where Jem is and Paul respond that she's locked in her room with Phillippe keeping guard until we leave the city. Wow, I completely forgot we were leaving for who-knows-where. Well, obviously Lin does. But I digress.

Lin walks around the desk, clasps Paul's hand and shakes it firmly. Following his lead, I hug Winn. For the last time, as far as I know.

Twining his fingers with mine, Lin bring them to his lips and kisses the back of my hand. "It's time to leave, Kitty." With that, we go pick up our suitcases, say goodbye to Edgar and Phillippe, ascend the elevator to the car and drive away.