Beautiful Voices

Chapter 11

Time seemed to slow down to turtle speed as Alaric got closer. Watching the way he moved was like watching a dancer do his greatest performance. He was graceful, silent, and seductive. His whole body was tense as he stopped just outside of the van's entrance seeming uncertain of what to do. We silently stare at each other until my stomach interrupts our awkward moment, yelling at me to feed the beast. Breaking into a smile he climbs through the back and sits across from me.

"I'm so glad you're okay Chloe and I were so worried."
Alaric says patting my knee reassuringly. A pang of jealousy shoots through my heart and ties my stomach in knots. Trying to rein in my temper I plaster a smile and reply.
"Me too, that was the suckiest thing I've ever been through."

Mom's face pops around the corner at that moment with a look of sadness and pity. Handing me a subway sandwich she says.
"You want to talk about it?"

I shake my head no my lip quivering, I was not quite ready to relive that nightmare.
A car comes zooming down the street and I can tell it's Chloe, and right behind her were 3 different news vans trying to get an interview with the damaged goods. The cops on duty instantly form a line around the paramedics van trying to give me a bit of peace before the other shoe inevitably dropped.

"Miss you can't go over there, she's just been through a lot and needs a little peace right now."
An officer stays in a stern voice holding back a frantic Chloe.

Sticking my head out of the van I'm bombarded with camera flashes and microphones being pushed through the protective arms of the police.

"What happened to you out in those woods?"

"Did you know you were with the Silencer?"

"How did you make it out alive?"

"Where is the Silencer now? Is he still out there!?"

Ignoring their pestering questions I address the cops.
"It's okay let her through."

Chloe roughly shoves past the cops glaring at them as she passes. Alaric hops out of the van to my disappointment giving Chloe room to hover over me and make herself feel better.
"I never should have let you go alone with him if they ever catch that son of a bitch I'm going to sneak into his prison room and__."

"He's dead."
I interrupt her, staring at the wall behind her my voice monotone.

"Wait, what?"
Chloe's eyes widen and I see mom and Alaric focus on me intently.

"I killed him."
I say with deathly calmness that only my mom understands.

"Shit, baby look at me."
Mom tries to focus my attention on her to stop me from spiraling but it's already started.

The first time I'd ever sired I'd put someone in a coma, I hadn't been with mom and we didn't know my siren side had surfaced. And one day as I was walking home from  the library for some books mom wanted me to learn and an older kid had tried to rob and frisk me. Without thinking I'd just started screaming and screaming. Mom and I hadn't known if I would be able to siren scream. Apparently I could and it damaged his brain so much that he'd never be able to wake up, so they'd pulled the plug. And it was my fault.
When he had died I went overboard, it had destroyed me. I didn't eat, I shut out my mom then I'd shut down completely blocking out all emotions, I couldn't cope with the thought of taking away someone else's life. And right now I was feeling the same thing. But this time it was worse because his soul couldn't move on. He'd be forever trapped in me, he'd never find peace. His eternal life would be spent stuck in me making me stronger and that wasn't fair.
My resolve broke and I felt breaths of air heave in and out of my lungs someone put a paper bag over my mouth thinking I was hyperventilating. But in reality I was being torn in two inside, falling apart because of the atrocity I'd committed. Mom gets closer raising her arms to hug me but I shy away. Feeling that wall build back up with extra reinforcements. My mom sees this and goes into a panic trying to stop me from my inevitable fall to rock bottom. Everything thing starts to fade out as I draw into myself blocking out all things that could hurt me. I can hear my mom yelling at me but it's like I'm hearing it through water. There's suddenly a stinging in my cheek that I'm vaguely aware of but then I block that out too.
The prettiest set of green eyes appear in front on mine. They bore into me as if they're not even looking at me but my soul. I see his mouth moving and I hear noise but its just sounds like static. He snaps his fingers in front of my eyes then waves his hands when he doesn't get a response he does something that completely catches me by surprise.
Planting his lips on top of mine the pressure of them the only thing that doesn't feel numb to me. A rush of desire springs through me awakening my deadening emotions. Sucking my bottom lip between his teeth nipping at it gently, my sharp intake of breath breaking the silence that's fallen over the group.

"Okay that's enough Romeo time to get off my daughter."
Grabbing Alaric by his bicep mom misses the lust filled look he shoots my way. And my returning wink, but Chloe doesn't if the conniving little half smirk she's throwing me way was any indication.

"Could you guys give us a little space for a sec, I need to talk to Ivy."
My mom says giving Alaric an especially stern look. When they are out of hearing distance mom spins back around looking me dead in the eye she says.
"There's been something I've been keeping from you. Something I planned of never telling you." Looking down at my family ring she picks of my hand that holds it and continues.
"But since the ring's spell has broken I'm left with no other choice."

"What are you talking about mom? What's going on?"

She's still looking down at our joined hands one single tear rolls down her cheek falling onto her outstretched plam.

"I lied to you sweetheart, we weren't running from the covenant, we were running from your biological father, we are running from Poseidon."