Immortals (ON HOLD)

Chapter 24

** A/N: Hey hey! :3 I'm SOOOOOO sorry for the really late update! D: The holidays are pretty hectic (in a good way! :] ) A BIG thank you to everyone who reads and votes; it really means to much to me. Feel free to comment, too! Let me know how you're liking everything :) Thanks again, and as always, happy reading :))

~Holly **

Dimitri

            I couldn’t believe I had told her she looked pretty! It was stupid, and now she probably thought that I liked her, or something. Granted, she did look absolutely gorgeous, but I shouldn’t have said anything. I hit my head against the steering wheel once I was back home, and parked in my driveway. I knew Ariel wouldn’t tell Kat, but whenever it came to me and girls, Katherine could sniff an answer out of me like a bloodhound. The girl was really weird about love and relationships, and I made my way inside. I heard the TV on in the back room and followed the hallway until I saw Chris and Kat on the couch, eating from a bowl of chips. I sat on the chair to the right of them, and Kat looked me over. “Hey,” she said with a smile, and I nodded to her. “Did you two make-out or something? Because if not, then I don’t give a shit,” Chris growled, stuffing a handful of ruffled Lays into his mouth. I rolled my eyes. “No, we didn’t make out, or even hold hands,” I muttered, playfully glaring at Kat. She pouted, turning back to whatever movie was on. I managed to grab some chips before Chris ate my hand, and slunk back to my chair to try and tune in.

I just kept thinking about tomorrow, and why the hell I had agreed to help Ariel in the first place. I had to admit, decorating for Christmas used to make me happy as a kid. It’d be nice to string up some lights and maybe put some figures in the front yard. I couldn’t help wondering what Ariel’s face looked like after I had left, and the thought of her blushing made me laugh to myself. She could be independent and stubborn all she wanted, but every girl was the same when they were complimented. Kat kept watching me from the corner of her eye, and I left a few minutes later to see what Scarlet was up to. She was in the audio/video room with Emrick, and they turned when I arrived. “What’s up?” I asked, walking over to them. Emrick was leaning on the back of the chair Scarlet was in, and I came up on her other side. They were watching the video of Kellan’s interrogation, when Ariel had cut herself open and was demanding answers. I suppressed a shudder, closing my eyes for a second. “I think I’ve got something on Ariel, and I asked Emrick if he had seen it when he looked at her powers,” she explained, looking up at me. I watched as Ariel cupped Kellan’s face on the little black and white TV monitor, and wondered how she was so brave when only a little while before that, she had screamed her head off when Zane and Naomi had tried to bite her.

“What’d you see?” I asked, looking from her to Emrick. “Today during training, I saw Ariel’s photographic reflexes. But I also saw some things I couldn’t exactly explain.” “Like?” I pressed, and Scarlet finished for him. “Ariel’s mom had the power of pheromone manipulation, and I think she’s inherited it.” She rewound the tape, right as Ariel cut herself. I gritted my teeth, but watched as she spoke softly to Kellan, looking directly in his eyes. In no way was that his craving for her blood, but Ariel putting him in a trance. “See? She didn’t even know she did it, and Kellan just told her everything.” “I think that’s what I saw, and this video is more than conclusive.” I nodded, watching as she threw the knife against the wall. I tore myself away from the video, looking over at Emrick. “Did you see anything else? Does she have any other powers?” “I think she’s also inherited her father’s gift.” “She can make force fields?!” Scarlet and I said in unison, eyes wide. “I believe so. She’s very gifted…” he murmured, and I hated the smile that ran across his lips. “How will we know for sure?” Scarlet asked, shutting the tape off. Emrick sighed, pinching the space between his eyebrows. “I have no idea. Nathan never told me how his power exactly worked, so I can’t even begin to explain it to Ariel.”

“I guess you’ll tell her about everything when she comes over, right?” I asked, and his face twisted in uncertainty. “How am I supposed to tell her something that I can’t teach her? She’s counting on me to guide her, but when it comes to creating force fields…I don’t have a clue.” “We can help her too,” I blurted, unaware of how defensive I sounded until it was too late. “I mean, her training doesn’t all have to fall on you.” Emrick dipped his head in gratitude, but the look in his eyes didn’t sit right with me. “Thank you, Dimitri. You’re extremely kind to offer.” I knew there was more to that sentence, and I could just imagine the rest of it. You’re extremely kind to offer but, you’re too young. But you’re not strong enough. But you need to control your own powers first. I was glad he hadn’t continued, but knowing he didn’t think I was capable of teaching her made my stomach churn. I clenched my fists behind my back angrily, dipping my head slightly. “I think we’ll just stick with hand-to-hand combat, for now.” His amiable voice broke me from my thoughts, and I nodded with a forced smile. I left shortly after that, wondering how our relationship had become so tense. I barely wanted to be around Emrick anymore, which is pretty awful, considering he gave me this life. He taught me all that I know, and as grateful as I am, I couldn’t ignore the nagging sensations coming from my gut. I sighed as I flopped down on my bed, drinking more elixir.

I put my arms behind my head, staring out at the moonless sky. It seemed so empty and dull, just like our house seemed without Ariel. Both bright, vibrant, mysterious and startling. I physically shook the thoughts away, and ran my hand over my forehead in frustration. I hated how a girl was forcing her way into my life, straining my relationships, and corrupting my thoughts. I couldn’t get away from her no matter how hard I tried, and my stomach turned uncomfortably within me. I wondered if it was because I was older than her, and maybe that made me feel like an older brother; attached. She was becoming a part of this Immortal family, after all, but I had never felt any of these odd, overwhelming feelings before. No one could make me so angry, but at the same time, make me feel so human and vulnerable. It wasn’t a pleasant mix of emotions, and I vowed to act as normal as possible tomorrow. I fell asleep soon afterward, trying to imagine myself as a wolf as I slept.