The Rules of the Red - 2014 Watty Award Winner |✓|

Chapter Twenty-One - Part Four

That voice sent a cold, eerie sensation of unrest down the length of my spine. And as if in response, Johl moved from his position in front of the doorway to reveal the Hunters’ Vampire, who leaned casually against the frame.

“Vivienne, breath-taking – even after a century,” Johl said in a simpering tone, taking the Vampire’s hand and kissing it.

“Now, now Johl, you know better than to say the “c” word. I haven’t had the big centennial bash yet.”

Vivienne wore tight black jeans, a simple white tank top, and black biker’s boots. Lethal-looking, silver, hoop earrings and pink nail polish, gave her a softness to her tough look, but her eyes remained a dead give-a-way. They were brown windows with a black soul for a view. She ignored me, blatantly, and my heart nearly beat from my chest with dread, as I witnessed the look of concentrated vehemence upon Tidus’ face. Feeling ill, I noticed the small duffel bag – that was probably full of clothes – resting on the ground at Vivienne’s feet.

“Honey, I’m home,” Vivienne said coyly, looking at Tidus with the same kind of hunger that he usually reserved for me. “But Tidus, my love, you don’t look so happy to see me. Did I come at a bad time?” Her grin was as awful as Johl’s.

“Viv, would you like to –” Johl began, but Tidus was quick to cut him off.

“Invite her in, brother, and I swear I’ll make you wear your bowels as a necklace…”

“Poor Ti – still so uptight, and after all this time…” Vivienne said, rolling her eyes playfully along with Johl. “I know you aren’t one to mince words, so I’ll just put it to you simple: the Hunters have business here, so I’ll be in town for a while, and I thought it might be fun to… catch up.”

She cocked her head sideways a little, and looked at him, biting her lip with a sultriness that obviously had little need for practice. Already beginning to smolder from the heat of my own rage, I looked expectantly at Tidus. Why wasn’t he slamming the door in her horrible face?

“Vivienne, stalking isn’t going to make me hate you any less. And if you ask me, eighty-nine years isn’t nearly enough time to make me even reconsider having anything to do with you again.”

Together, Johl and I watched the silent massacre that occurred behind their words. They were slaughtering each other in some unseen battle, and both for very different reasons.

“Oh Ti, how long will you hold this grudge? Shouldn’t what happened in the past stay in the past? Look at me – I’m a slave for god’s sake. My sentence is a reminder, every day, Ti, of what I did. Those Hunters work me like a dog, chasing bounties – they’re endless. And I swear, I didn’t ask to end up back in Harbor. In fact, I’d rather be on the beach at Maui, drinking from a Hawaiian, and pretending that I can still tan.”

“You don’t get it Eve,” Tidus said, in a quiet voice that revealed just how quickly his patience was leaving. “I don’t want you here. And I will never invite you into my home.”

There was a tense silence among the four of us, but I could hear my heart pounding loudly within my own ears, so I knew that they could probably hear it too.

Could this get worse?

“Yeah, but, see, that’s the thing about marriage, sweetheart,” Vivienne said, and stooped to pick up her bag. Then she was through the doorway and behind us all in a flash, but I still noticed she moved considerably slower than the Romaines.

“Half your shit still belongs to me, Tidus – including this big, obnoxious castle.” Vivienne said, with a self-satisfaction that I felt should have been criminalized. “I’m your wife. And maybe tonight, you can let me remind you…”

Vivienne raised a hand, but Tidus turned his face from her touch the minute she reached out. His eyes locked with mine and they were filled with such a hollow sadness, that I was reminded very clearly of a wild animal in a cage.

“And as for you, Leader Noble…” Vivienne stepped forward and closed the gap between us. She looked me square in the eyes, ensuring that there was no way I could possibly mistake the hatred in her face. “As much as I’d love to bash in that pretty, brown face, we’ll have to settle our score when your service to the Hunters is no longer required. In the meantime, don’t go wandering too far, partner. We’re gonna have some Witch-hunting to do.”

And Vivienne sped away down the hall, obviously intent on settling into her new quarters.

“Oh that wife of yours,” Johl said, draping an arm across his brother’s shoulder. “She truly knows how to make a good entrance, doesn’t she? Wow, I forgot how much fun she is.”

And Johl copied Vivienne’s exit, cackling merrily as he went.

“She’s your wife?” I said, knowing that there was no need for an answer. And he must have known it too, because he couldn’t seem to give me one, much less look me in the eye. “Tidus, is this really what you meant when you said you wanted to protect me?”

“Trust me, Naomi, we all need protection from Vivienne, but unfortunately, she wasn’t what I meant...”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me that you were married?” I said, feeling hurt and betrayed, even though he didn’t belong to me, and never really had.

“Honestly, Naomi, I was actually sort of hoping that I wouldn’t ever have to…” Tidus said, looking, with misery, down the hall. “Again, I’m sorry.”

And he disappeared after his family, leaving me with the hard reminder that I was truly alone.

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