The Storm Ahead

Six

Emotions burned their way through my mind. What the ever loving fuck was that? The deep breaths I took didn't seem to fill my lungs and left me with a deflated emotion, almost like anger, but not quite. I quickly found the cause of my wake up, as knocks continued to bang on my door.

"Yes?" I grumbled, trying to rub the last bit of sleep from my eyes. 

The door swung open to show my mother, a tired expression weighing down her face. 

"I think we need to talk, Caroline." She said, her head hung low.

I sat up lazily on the side of the bed and stretched my arms, popping my shoulders and neck. I looked up at her, and let out a breathy laugh. 

"About what?"

She looked at me, confusion burning in her eyes.

"About e-everything." She stuttered. 

I nodded slowly, a firm frown dancing on my lips. 

"I don't trust you."

"Caroline, how could you say-"

"How could I say that?" I asked, my voice raising. "How could I say that. You're kidding. You lied to me. You knew and you didn't tell me. You acted like I was crazy, you covered it up. You refused to just...tell me. Thats all I wanted mom. I wanted you to help me and you didn't. I wanted my mom to just tell me it'd be okay. And you didn't."

By the end of my rant, tears stung at my eyes, but I blinked them away. The faster drum of my heart only infuriated me more because even my body knew how angry I was. 

My mother stood in front of me, anger and pain fighting in her eyes. 

"Caroline I understand that you see it that way but-"

"You couldn't possibly understand anything I'm feeling."

"Give me a chance to explain."

"10 minutes. Starting now."

"Our family has always been different, at least as far as I can remember. Each woman in our family has possessed a different gift. I can read emotions. Your grandmother could teleport and commune with the dead. I wasn't hiding your gift from you, Caroline, I- I wasn't sure of what it was."

"How am I supposed to believe you?"  I asked, my voice quivering. "How am I supposed to trust that you aren't lying again? That you aren't trying to put me back where I was? Ignorant and in the dark? I can't go back to that. I can't go back to thinking i'm broken or crazy, Mom. I won't let you put me back there."

"What are you going to do then, Caroline? There are people out there who want to kill you more than anything. And they're here. That's what the phone call was. An alert. They're back. I was going to try to get you out of here while there was still time."

"How could you possibly believe that I would leave CadenBay?" I asked, "How could you think I would leave Leo?"

"Don't you get it Caroline, he will never understand you if you tell him. He'll never want you. The women of our family are cursed with a secret that keeps us just out of reach of true love."

"That isn't what this is mother. This is something you could never understand. Loyalty. I will not leave him here, in danger, if I can help him. If I can protect him." I growled, "You couldn't understand the lengths I would go to to protect him."

"Caroline this is not your choice-"

"Then it must be a real inconvenience for you that I am making a choice. I am not leaving CadenBay, so if you want to leave, you know where the door is. I will not run from enemies and leave people I care about behind to fight them."

She let out a crude laugh. 

"You're going to get yourself killed over a couple boys?" She asked sarcastically.

"If that's what it comes to."

"Caroline, don't be stupid."

"Mother I've made my decision. I think it's time you made yours."

.............................................

I was sat at the dining room table, mug tightly gripped, when he knocked on the door. 

"It's unlocked." I called. For a moment I wondered if it was one of the people my mom talked about. 

"I'm sorry about how I acted, C. It wasn't my place and-" He stopped when he saw my face, "What's wrong?"

I just let out a sad laugh. What's wrong? What's wrong. So, so much. 

"Where's your mom, Care?"

"Gone."

As I said it, it seemed like some kind of cloak over me disappeared, because once the worlds left my lips someone started to bang on the door. 

I yanked up, and realized it must be one of them. My mind rushed for a solution but found only one. Get Leo out of here.

"Leo, get out of here, now."

He had already stepped closer to me, but as I tried to push him out, the front door lost it's fight and a man stepped inside. Leo took no spare time in rushing in front of me.

"Listen Buddy, we've already called the police," Leo lied, "They will be here any minute now, so you better start running."

The man looked at Leo like a pile of trash was talking to him. Like Leo was gum on the bottom of his shoe. 

The man took another step, his eyes narrowed in on me. He moved his way closer and Leo took his own step forward, but the man shoved him to the side. 

"Leo," I shouted, watching helplessly as he fell to the ground. 

The man reached to a holster on his leg and pulled out a long knife. I backed away, my hands held in front of me as a sign of surrender. He stalked toward me, and I backed away, until I found myself trapped in a corner. He was close enough to me that I could smell a stench radiating off of him. I heard a bark, and my heart nearly exploded from fear at the thought of what he would do to Lucy. Lucy continued to growl at the man as he placed a hand on both sides of the wall behind me. 

"Little witch, you have been too much trouble," He said, inching his hand closer to my neck, "To not struggle."

I could feel his breath on my neck and I felt an urge to vomit.

"Get the fuck away from her, you bastard." Leo said, his voice holding an angry growl I had never heard from him. 

"I'll be right back, Pretty," The man whispered, "I have to deal with the mortal."

"No!" I fought against him now, but couldn't pull him down. He grabbed Leo by the throat and I felt panic rise in me, a kind of panic I had never felt before. I felt all of the anger, fear, and defiance in my heart swell together and I was pulled inside my mind. 

"Ut obitum fiet ei" It whispered quietly, then again louder. It repeated it again and again, until it was almost a shout.

I was pulled out of the darkness. 

"Ut obitum fiet ei." I called, twisting my hand. His neck let out a sickening crack and he fell to the floor. I felt any strength in my body that was left fade away, and I fell back against the wall. 

I looked up to Leo, and one of my biggest fears became real. He looked at me, his eyes filled with fear. He had pushed himself back against the wall, and was trying to put as much distance between us as he could. 

"Leo," I said, trying to ignore how weak my voice sounded, how tired I must look, "Leo i'm not going to hurt you, you know that."

He remained silent. 

"Leo," I whimpered, "please say something."

His eyes met mine, and he looked at me like he didn't recognize me. 

"Leo please, please I can explain."

"W-" He stuttered, "What are you?"