Destruction

16. How To Start A War

Absolutely love her book Sweetest Desire, one of my favourites! Can't wait till the next update.

Athena

BANG

It sounded like a gun going off, like a car back firing, like a firework exploding, or, and most likely, a vampire being thrown against a wall.

I hadn't left my room since the ruined 'date' with Zachary, I'd locked myself in and barricaded the door and pretended that I couldn't hear him knocking every time that he came by. It was easier this way I kept trying to convince myself, I could almost pretend that I was back at The Orphanage, and I'd been locked away for being out too late again.

But that fantasy never lasted for long, the loud bangs would always start as heated voice were audible throughout the whole castle. Many times I'd considered leaving my room and seeking out Caleb or Philip, but the all consuming fear of running into Zachary always stopped me.

It had been days since I'd last seen another person, I hadn't talked in such a long time that I was scared I'd forgotten how. But worst of all, and I hated to admit it to myself, I was thirsty.

It was a fire that grew stronger everyday burning my throat, making concentrating near impossible, it felt like I'd combust at any moment and go up in flames, but I also felt to weak to do anything about it.

I stared longingly at the door wishing I'd had the courage to venture out earlier and find Caleb, rather than sitting alone in my room and turning into a coach potato.

"My Lady?"

The timid voice ripped my concentration away from my pity party, it wasn't the fact that it was the first person who'd talked to me in days that made me curious and walk towards the door. It was the fact that the speaker was female.

I opened the heavy mahogany door to see a small girl, no older than 10, dressed in a maids outfit with her hand raised to knock again.

I was bewildered, what was a young child doing here, why was she dressed like that, where were her parents?

"Can I help you?" My voice came out slightly croaky from lack of use and the fire that was still burning away in my throat.

The girl tilted her head down and sunk into a curtsy as she presented the metallic goblet on the silver tray she was holding. "Sir asked for me to bring this to you."

She kept her head down, waiting for me to retrieve the goblet, before she would move again. It was bazaar, she was barely old enough to be allowed to walk alone, let alone be a maid for a centuries old vampire.

I begrudgingly took hold of the goblet, it was slightly warm to the touch, causing my pale hands to warm up.

"Enjoy." She raised her head ever so slightly as she came up from her curtsy, but it was high enough for me to catch a glipse at her eyes. She was human.

"Wait!" Goblet in hand I lunged across the gap to grip her shoulder firmly, turning her back towards me. Now that I had her listening I didn't know what to say, so I settled with the first thing that came to mind. "Do you live here?"

Her smile was sweet and innocent and seemed to brigthen her whole face. "Yes, My Lady."

"Where?" The words seemed to tumble out of my mouth before I could gage what I was saying.

"In the servants wing of course, My Lady."

"Where is that?" I never realised before how hungry for information I really was.

"This is the West Wing, for yourself and The Lord, the guest currently reside in the East Wing, the Dinning Room and Offices are in the South Wing and the Kitchens and servant housing is below that, My Lady." She seemed happy to be giving me information, it was almost as if no one had talked to her in a long time either.

"And why do you keep calling me 'My Lady'?"

Her posture stiffened and she turn her head away from me slightly. "I believe that is something you should ask The Lord, My Lady."

I scoffed, "how will God asking god help me?"

She suddenly turned her head back eyes locking onto mine. "Not God, My Lady. The Lord, Lord Zachary, you should be asking him these questions, My Lady. Not me, now if you'll excuse me." She shook of my hand which had loosened it's grip during our conversation, while turning away quickly and disappearing around the corner.

I didn't know what to say.

Who the hell was Zachary?

"For the last time there is no logical way to attack The Orphanage. There is a reason that they are the last resistance group left, they're smart and cunning, it's almost as if they know our weaknesses." Zachary's voice sounded strained as if he'd repeated this point many times before and found it tedious to have to do it again.

"Everything has a weakness you just have to know what it is." Sebastian's voice shook with anger as he slammed his fist down on the desk in Zachary's office.

"Not this one, it's like they're always one step ahead of us, they're so well organised. I've never seen anything like it." The disbelief was clear in Zachary's voice.

Sebastian scoffed. "Then what do you suggest we do? Everyday they pose more and more of a threat."

"I'm not sure. Hell, we only re-found there base a few weeks ago, we don't want to form a full scale attack and start another war."

I felt bad eavesdropping but everything I was over hearing wasn't anything they'd normally tell me, but I needed there attention so I cleared my throat slightly to annouce my presence, and straight away nine pairs of eyes locked onto me.

"Do you think I can borrow Zachary for a bit?" I ask while staring at his back as he's still hunched over the table.

"If you can't see ma petite fille I'm a bit busy." He avoided looking at me by busying himself with something on his desk.

"Please, it's important."

He suddenly spins round, his red eyes blaring with rage and anger. "I said I'm busy."

It hurt to be spoken to like that. To be yelled at in front of so many people, treating me like some worthless child after he brought me to this stupid castle.

I stared up at the pearly white ceiling in my room clasping the contact lens box to my chest, now that my thoughts were no longer clouded by hunger I was beginning to realise how lonely I really was, and how much I missed Jude.

He was my best friend and the last time I'd talked to him he'd yelled at me and stormed out. He was probably angry with himself, thinking that he'd caused me to runaway, to get trapped outside after dark and become pray for any hungry vampire around. There was no doubt in my mind that he would blame himself.

There was no one here that I could talk to, no one who would understand. Jude wouldn't understand the new me but he'd understand the my own personal self loathing, I knew if I talked to him I would have to provide half truths. Carefully sidestepping the whole 'mates' subject and the army of male models that seem to be making war plans.

But I could do that, I would even risk losing my life just to see my best friend again, it would prevent me from being forever alone.

I slipped the contact lens onto my eye, blinking a few times to help me get over the initial discomfort of having a thin layer of plastic covering my eye and obscuring my vision.

I couldn't help but smile, with the contacts in and my fangs retracted I looked almost human again, I looked like the Athena that had slept in the shed, that had received abuse from Lawrence and that had been hit in the face by Jude.

I was me again.

The khaki shorts I'd pulled on and black long sleeved top almost resembled my uniform from The Orphanage, my hair was neater and I didn't have any shoes but I could easily mess up my hair and explain my lack of shoes.

I could easily go back.

They sleep all day anyway and hunt at night.

I'd fit right in.

The picture to the right is the maid >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>