Shadows

Chapter 3

Rhea woke up when she bumped her head.

"Ow!" She rubbed the sore spot.

She was in a car, driving on what looked like a bumpy country road.

"Morning sleepyhead." The guy driving the car said.

She remembered him, Kevyn, from last night. Breaking into her home and apparently, now kidnapping her.

"What are you doing? Take me home, now!" Rhea's throat felt rough when she spoke. She was thirsty. Her stomach grumbled. And hungry, too.

"Here, got you something." Kevyn's arm left the steering wheel and reached for something in the backseat. He handed Rhea a white plastic bag. A grocery bag with food and drinks in it.

"Thanks." Rhea hesitantly mumbled, not quite sure whether she should be thanking a potential serial killer. She didn't want to take food her kidnapper had touched, but if she wanted to escape she had to have some strength. Rhea placed the plastic bag over her lap. What Rhea thought looked casually, she reached for her pocket, searching for her phone. Looking down at herself, she then realised she was still wearing her my little pony pyjama. Kevyn hadn't taken his eyes of the road.

"I have your phone." He said.

Rhea's eyes widened in disbelief. Why did that creep take her phone?!

"Well give it to me." She demanded.

"And risk you calling for help?" Kevyn laughed. "No way."

They were now back on the high way. He pulled over to a gas station. He parked his car then turned his face towards Rhea, a serious look in his eyes.

"So, here's what we're going to do. You can get dressed in the bathroom and then you come straight back here. I'll be waiting. Don't even think about running, I'm stronger, faster, and older than you. Then I'll tell you a little story. Sounds fun, right?" An arrogant smirk plastered on his face as he spoke the words.

"No." Rhea stated.

The smirk fell a little, but never did he let his arrogant appearance fall.

"Well, you don't have a choice. Now go." He ordered while shoving a weekend bag into Rhea's lap.

Rhea took the bag and got out of the car. She took a good look at the car, an Audi Q7. She also studied the license plate. She then headed to the ladies bathroom.

It smelled so badly in there Rhea gagged. She opened the bag to find out what Kevyn had packed. He must have been in her room since he got clothes from her wardrobe. She blushed when she saw the underwear he had packed. He had only grabbed her lace underwear, not having packed one single normal pair of knickers.

The bastard.

He had also packed her toothbrush, hair brush and other necessities. Rhea changed into a pair of black skinny jeans with a black t shirt, to match her mood. The only shoes she's got is the one he put on her while she was knocked out, which were her black converse. She then brushed her teeth and combed her hair. Even though she was kidnapped, she still wanted to look presentable.

She headed back to the car with the bag in her hands.

"Gosh you smell bad, didn't they have any showers in there?" Kevyn teased while she got back into the car.

"Fuck off."

"It isn't very ladylike to swear." Kevyn stated.

The words that followed from Rhea's mouth weren't pretty.

Kevyn furrowed his brows at her. "Well now that the lady is done," he stretched the word lady, "we can begin our little chat."

"Whatever, just take me home." Rhea didn't feel like chatting at all with that douche.

"So, what I'm about to say will probably freak you out, but it is the truth." He warned her.

Rhea made herself comfy and sighed. She looked at him with raised eyebrows, waiting for him to start.

"Well go on." Rhea said impatiently. The sooner he told her his little story the sooner she could go home.

Kevyn scanned her face for a bit before taking a deep breath.

"Ok. Please leave your questions for when I'm done. So, I'll start with your name, which is not Rhea Delany, but Marleen Blackwood."

Rhea's eyes widened. Her brows knit together in confusion. She opened her mouth opened to say something.

"Please, please, don't ask questions just yet." He reminded her. "You're a doppelgänger, which means you are someone's shadow self. And let that someone be Nadia Buchvarov, one of the most dangerous vampire's in the world."

Rhea processed the words. Marleen Blackwood? Nadia Buchvarov? VAMPIRES?!

"I know what you're thinking, but it's true! And you were under protection, until someone killed your Guardian. Luke isn't your real brother, that's not even his real name. His real name is Sebastian Goddard. He's from the Goddard family, one of the most powerful Guardian family's in the world. Although the Caldwell family comes as a close second." He smirked, obviously proud of his own family.

How could he still be this arrogant after dropping all this information on her?! Rhea thought. She knew she shouldn't believe him, he's probably mentally ill, but somehow the name Marleen felt familiar. While Rhea was lost in her own thoughts Kevyn continued talking.

"It was his job to protect you, but he failed. So now I'm your new Guardian now, aren't you lucky. It's now my job to keep you from the evil vampires. Don't worry, some of them are pretty nice... and totally hot." His eyes stared dreamily into the distance.

That sick, sick bastard.

"Anyway, where did I left off?" He mumbled. "Oh yeah! Protecting you. You're pretty popular in our world actually, your blood is really wanted. But, they can't have it. Way too powerful. So that's why there's Guardians. We are a powerful mix of both witch and vampire. This is actually against nature's balance, you can't be both. Vampires are bad and unnatural, while witches are mighty and powerful. Bad combination.  To repay nature we have to fulfil a lifelong duty of protecting those who need it, hence the name Guardian."

Rhea's mouth hung open. All this new information felt so unreal and yet familiar.

"Besides vampires, Guardians, and witches, we also have werewolves. But don't worry, they won't do you any harm. Unless it's full moon, obviously."

Yeah, obviously. Because werewolves are totally normal.

"I think we've covered the basics. Any questions?" Kevyn asked.