The King, The Enemy, and the Wars[Sequel to The Slayer]

Chapter 26

"Okay, what's up?" Luke asked.

"Okay, since you don't want to go to another place I'll just say it here. I think we need to take a break," I said.

"You do?" Luke asked disbelievingly.

"Yeah, I just feel as though we aren't as close as we used to be and we are too different, and it just isn't working, but hopefully we can be friends, okay?" I said while holding all the pain in.

"Yeah, I am so glad you feel that way, but I thought you were still really into us. I was thinking the same thing, that we should take a break. Vi, are you sure? I just thought that…but wow. It's good to know we were on the same page on that, I was really afraid I was going to hurt you," Luke said hugging me.

"Hurt me? Please, you wish you could actually hurt me, anyways I have to go, so see you later," I said as I walked out of the café on the verge of tears.

                I walked down to the practice rooms and went in one and cried. I couldn’t believe he really thought a lot had changed between us. Nothing has changed between us, I am still the Violet I've always been and he is still the Luke he's always been, but I guess not. What went wrong? What did I do? Did I really worry about Andrew too much? Why should that bother Luke and if it did why didn’t he talk to me about it? Crying harder I heard someone walking to the practice rooms so I stopped crying and held my breath hoping they would pass by.

"Violet?" A voice called.

                I peeked my head through the window and it was Trace. I composed myself and made sure my makeup was alright before I opened the door and said hey.

"Hey, I heard you and Luke broke up, are you alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Luke said he broke up with you, so I just thought I should check on you."

"He said what?!"

"Well, he said you talked to him and he said he thought about it before you did so technically he broke up with you…I don't know, I was confused so I came looking for you," Trace attempted at explaining.

"Oh, well, honestly I am fine," I said trying to give a convincing smile.

"You are not fine," Trace said as he pulled me into a hug.

"How did you know?" I said trying to keep my voice steady.

"I spent most of the summer with you, I can tell when you are being fake happy," Trace said as he released me.

"I just don't know what went wrong, or what I did…" I said as tears fell broke free against my will.

"Let's ditch the rest of today okay?" Trace suggested and I nodded.

"Alright, lemme go grab our bags and we will leave through the downstairs exit so we won't run into him," Trace said as he left.

                Trace came back down stairs with our bags and we headed to his car. The whole way home I cried, shockingly. Once inside the house Trace made me tea and waited for me to gain control.

"I'm sorry you saw me cry," I said.

"It's okay, it's nice to know you can be soft sometimes," Trace joked which put a smile on my face.

"Thanks for being there for me."

"You were there for me when I needed it most, so of course I am here for you," Trace said with a smile.

"Do you know what happened? Cuz I don't and it is driving me crazy!"

"No, but if you want I could ask…" Trace offered.

"That would be great if you could."

"Then I will, but for now, how about we try and relax watch TV or a movie or something," Trace suggested.

"Sounds good," I replied as I turned the TV on.

                The phone rang in the middle of our TV show so I muted the TV and picked the phone up.

"Hello, this is Bruce," Bruce introduced.

"Hey, it's Violet,"

"Oh, what are you doing home at this hour?"

"I kind of ditched the afternoon, but anyways what did you call for?"

"Jason said to call back to make sure that tonight was alright for you guys to come over for dinner,"

"Yeah, tonight is fine,"

"Alright, I will see you guys then, goodbye," Bruce said before we hung up.

"Who was that?" Trace asked.

"This guy I saved yesterday," I replied.

"Oh, the guy at the ice cream shop you were at? What did he want?"

"He invited Jason and me over for dinner."

"Oh that's nice," Trace said with a smile.

"Yeah, it is. Um, I have a question,"

"Okay, shoot,"

"Would you, if you were given the choice, ever become a vampire?" I asked.

"Um, I don't think I would, why?"

"Just wondering," I said.

"Why? Has one of your vampire friends offered you that?" Trace asked suddenly worried.

"No, I was just wondering."

"Okay, but would you if you were offered?" Trace asked.

"Me? I used to be a hunter; I don't think I would be able to," I replied.

"This is because you are too different from Luke, you were hoping I would say yes so it would justify you saying yes weren’t you?"

"What? I wouldn't turn into a vampire just to be with Luke, and even so, I shouldn’t have to change to be with him."

"Okay, just making sure you weren't going to do anything like that."

"I am not stupid, I may be hurt but that doesn’t make me stupid. I wouldn’t ever want to be a vampire after what I saw Andrew go through, and what he has to deal with everyday. I rather kill them than be one of them trust me," I assured.

"Alright, you have made your point. So you heard about that murder right?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Do you think a vampire did it?"

"Instinct made me think it was, but it could have been that criminal who was going to shoot Bruce," I countered.

"True."

"Sometimes I want to escape all this, this vampire drama, but I can't. I am surrounded by it wherever I go. It's ridiculous, I mean one of my friends was turned, and then Andrew was turned, and I found out that Luke was the vampire kid I knew when I was young. In a way I've always been involved in their world, whether on their side or against them. I've never known the feeling of not being in their world."

"Wow, I can't imagine that. I mean I know not all are vicious killers, but the elder ones are, and most Nobles are, even if they are turned today because of the roots of the blood you know," Trace said.

"Yeah, it's true…there are plenty of old vampires that go back to Dracula's time…maybe they would be better rulers…" I said thinking of Andrew and the stress he was under.

"Yeah, but they are ruthless killers, would they really be better ruling the Vampire world?"

"I don't know…Let's watch TV and forget about Vampires for just a couple minutes?" I suggested as I turned the sound back on.