Blood on Roses [COMPLETED]

Twenty-Four: Consideration

"That arrow was aiming right for your heart."
~ Zachary Nolan

TWENTY-FOUR

My eyes snapped open. My pajamas were drenched in cold sweat. For a moment, I was suffocating. I could tell I nearly died from this overexertion of my power.

Eventually, my tense muscles loosened, and I recollected the events of the previous day. Or should I say, the day I relived?

I was reliving the day I relived.

I grabbed my phone, and the brilliant screen displayed 11:00 AM, indeed still Monday the 14th. I was sound asleep for so long. I might as well skip school since I already learned the classes today. Twice.

While I brushed my teeth, I pondered what went wrong the last time.

First, it wasn't a good idea to propose to postpone the mission in front of everyone. Apparently, Celia hated my guts. And I had to give Harvick more time to think. Second, I'd talk to Hailee this time so she couldn't have any chances to notice the tunnel. Third, since this was my last chance to live this day, I'd wear a black scarf to cover up my face. I couldn't risk running into Arthur or Jaxson.

I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and set out to the headquarters.

Due to it being before noon, I caught Harvick at the entrance of his office, looking like he was about to head off somewhere.

"I need to talk to you about tonight's mission right now," I stated plainly but solidly.

He paused for a moment, then nodded and showed me inside.

I made a disclaimer that I would be telling nothing but the truth. Without other opinions to waver his rational thinking, Harvick took everything I said seriously.

I could tell the gears in his head were spinning rapidly by the time I spent twenty minutes explaining my experience in living this day twice. I wished two simple things for further proof.

Harvick always had his hood down whenever he faced me alone, probably to show that he had nothing to hide from me. He searched my eyes for any signs of dishonesty, and I returned an unblinking stare.

If Zach hadn't tattled, Harvick shouldn't have had any idea about my relationship with Arthur, Kaydence, Alecx, and Jaxson.

When my thoughts instinctively drifted to Zach, the space where my heart used to be clenched in agony. It was painful enough bringing my feelings for him to a cessation. Now that my head was filled with his smile and protectiveness, I had to close my eyes to force it away.

I was able to resist Zach's natural charm when I first met him, but as time passed, I was merely another victim to his dashing audacity and incisiveness. Before I knew what hit me, he had me completely enamored.

"So... what do you have in mind?" Harvick finally voiced, yanking me out of my trance.

"You need to tell everybody that you've found out where the captured are kept. All eight of them are in the furthest southwest room. One of the cells is specialized with a palm-print lock and solid walls. Do you know if anyone can open it?"

Harvick nodded right away. "Celia has the power to crumble whatever she touches; the drawback is that her hand has the recovery speed of a human. I don't know if you noticed her the other day. She's the tall one with purple cornrows."

Celia, again?

I suddenly thought of the first time I lived this day. Celia had shaken my hand.

"What happens if she touches another person?"

"A human would get severe burn wounds, but a vampire wouldn't be affected."