Burned (Book1) The White Rose Vampire Series

Chapter Seventeen

Bastian and I decided to attend classes while Jonathon stayed with Izzie. The truth was we had to find Bethany and staying in the safety of the manor wasn't going to help us do that. It surprised me when Gilliam joined us in the car looking somber as he glanced out the window.

I looked at Bastian with a raised brow. He shrugged as he started the car before taking my hand in his. His blue eyes appeared stormy as he glanced in the rearview at his brother.

"What do you think you're doing?" Bastian asked, his brows furrowing in distrust as his eyes met Gilliam's in the rearview mirror.

Gilliam rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, little brother," he said, that mischievous glint returning to his face. "I'm not here to flirt with Lanie. I want to help find Bethany. I heard Dimitri's wails all night. He's in pain. I'm doing this for him."

Bastian raised his brows in surprise. "I thought you were still mad at him for kicking you out last time."

I blinked, surprised. "Dimitri kicked him out of the manor?"

"It was a minor disagreement," Gilliam said shrugging his shoulders trying to dismiss the conversation but Bastian's eyes narrowed on his brother.

"It wasn't minor," Bastian said through clenched teeth. "You kidnapped one of the church members...And drained her and left her body to be found with puncture wounds in her neck."

"You did what?" I asked, my eyes wide as his irresponsible behavior caused my stomach to turn. Dimitri may be feral, but Gilliam's actions were just as dangerous.

"He's leaving out the part where they killed a little girl," Gilliam defended, his nostrils flaring. "Just because they found that she was a distant relative of one of the original witches. They burned her claiming it was saving her soul. She wasn't even a descendant. She was only five. She should have been protected especially by the one who I killed."

I frowned as my stomach churned. "What do you mean?"

I turned to him. When his eyes met mine they were filled with so much pain my stomach clenched. "She was her mother."

A tremble slid through me as Bastian continued, his voice oddly vulnerable as I tried to come to grips with the fact that a mother could murder her child, "It wasn't the fact you killed her.  Dimitri understood that," Bastian said, gently. "It was the fact you dumped her on the church's doorstep."

Gilliam shrugged. "It was a message."

"And you still don't see how much danger you put us in," Bastian said, his eyes wide, "Dimitri, Jonathon, and I were attacked. If it wasn't for Lanie's parents, we would have become feral."

"That's what happened?" I asked, glancing between Gilliam and Bastian.

Bastian nodded tersely as Gilliam huffed. "Regardless of our disagreements, I still don't relish that Dimitri is in such pain," he said, gritting his teeth. "He's still my family.  I want to help."

Bastian sighed as he finally allowed Gilliam to change the subject. "Don't cause any trouble."

Gilliam nodded. "I won't."

As I glanced at Bastian, I could tell he didn't believe him. Hell, I didn't know if I believed him either but at least now, I could see why his vengeance overrode any thoughts of our safety.

**********

"Damn it!" Bastian said, annoyance clear in his voice as we made our way across the campus. His eyes landed on Mallory as she moved closer to us. His hand snaked around my waist, pulling me closer and causing her to pause for a moment before straightening her spine and walking closer.

"Why doesn't she give up?" He asked, groaning. "It's obvious I want nothing to do with her."

"Do you want me to protect you from the big, bad Mallory?" I teased as his hand curled over my hip.

He curled his lip. "I might need it," He said, causing me to laugh but he continued. "You think I'm kidding but she's terrifying."

Bastian gritted his teeth as she stepped closer, her floral perfume wrapped around us like a snake as she pressed her chest out. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

"Bastian, you still haven't called," she said, pouting as her brown eyes narrowed on his arm wrapped around my waist. "Oh...It's you again...Lanie, right?"

"Right," I said on a sigh as she fought to keep a smile on her face.

Gilliam was watching the exchange that mischievous glint growing brighter as Mallory twisted a tendril of her hair around her finger.

"You know Lanie?" Gilliam said, smiling when her eyes moved to him.

"Well...No," she said with a shrug. "I had only heard that she was their new maid."

Bastian opened his mouth to defend me but Gilliam was quicker. "Maid...No," Gilliam said stepping closer. "Bastian wouldn't have the maid in his bed."

Mallory's pink lips parted as she turned to Bastian. "What?" She asked, blinking before standing straighter.

Bastian smiled as he pulled me even closer. "She's not the maid," he said, frowning. "She's my so-....Girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Her voice shook with rage. "But she's so-"

"Beautiful...Exquisite...Real," Gilliam smirked when she grimaced on the last word. "Perfect for Bastian."

Rage quickly covered her features as her eyes landed on Bastian. "You would rather have a gothic freak than me?"

"I would rather have Lanie than anyone and yes, that includes you," Bastian said as we stepped around her. Gilliam rolled his eyes and followed us as a frustrated scream broke from her throat.

I gazed up at Bastian. "Why on earth did you ever go on a date with her?"

"Truthfully?" He asked, grimacing when I nodded my head. "I dated many girls searching for you. Sadly, I didn't find you until the day after that awful date with her. I noticed you in the courtyard, late for your first day of college."

I smiled. "I guess I'm always late."

Bastian kissed my head. "At least you showed up."

Gilliam groaned as he swiped his hand over his face. "You both are making my stomach churn with all the flowers and candy bullshit," he said, frowning. "Where are we going first?"

"Bethany's dorm," Bastian and I said in unison.

"Lead the way," he said, frowning. "And keep the nauseating romantic tension down to a minimum."

I glanced at Gilliam as his eyes darkened and my heart clenched. Beneath the mischief and the brooding, I could see a vulnerability shown in a brief flash of his eyes. Directly following that was the same fear I had glimpsed in Dimitri's eyes. It made me wonder if Dimitri wasn't going to be the only one chained in the basement.