Struck (A Vampire Novel) ✔

Nineteen

 

I looked between Aveline to Xander and back again as they led me down the hall with me in between them. They only glanced at me, probably feeling my stare on them. I was just so happy to have people around me besides the kitchen staff lady. Plus, they weren’t bad to look at. In fact, they were actually a very cute couple. I nudged against Xander’s arm to try to get his attention, but he only flashed me a wink before continuing in silence. I sighed.

“Where were you two?” I asked curiously and pretty loudly. Just in case they didn’t hear me over their silent treatment.

“We had to guest at another coterie for a few days,” Aveline answered while Xander remained somber. She looked at me briefly, her eyes glancing over to Xander. “It wasn’t pleasant.”

“Did someone die?” I inquired in a hushed voice.

Xander scoffed. “I wish.”

Aveline met my confused expression and rolled her eyes. “It was the Bennett Coterie. Their territory is back in Chicago. Vincent had to play nice in order to make up for his attack on Jacobi during the gathering,” She finally explained. Now I knew why they weren’t in the best of moods. “By nice, I of course mean he apologized briefly to Jacobi and we had to bear his presence for five nights until Jacobi felt a battle wasn’t going to be necessary.”

“The only reason Vincent wouldn’t agree to a battle is because he knows he’d lose unless Jacobi wasn’t paying any attention,” Xander then flashed me his charming smile. “Even then, he apparently can’t win. Not with our little tiger watching.”

I felt odd at the statement. If I had been someone who didn’t know better, I’d think I was some sort of bodyguard waiting to protect people. When in truth it was just a mistake, one which had almost cost me my life.

We reached a set of doors, not the same double doors I had known to be an exit, but a new set which when opened I realized led outside as well. I hesitated when Xander stepped outside and Aveline waited with the door opened for me to walk through. For a moment, I just stood there in confusion. Were they really allowing me to go outside… into the actual darkness with nothing above me but clouds, sky, and stars?

“Come on, Elysia,” Aveline coaxed, waving her hand, “We’re not teasing you.”

Assured that I wasn’t being led into some sort of trap, I stepped through the doors and onto the cement pathway that led to the left and right following the building walls. There was a third path made of trampled dirt leading straight into what looked like a forest of thick trees. I looked up, blinking at the black sky sparkling with bright stars. We had to be far from a city. New Jersey didn’t have such bright stars in the highly populated areas.

The wind blew lightly, a pleasant cooling sensation in the warmth of the midsummer night. The trees moved with it. I felt like I wanted to roll around on the grass. I’d seen dogs on walks do that often. Maybe this is what I was: a dog on a walk. I swallowed a lump in my throat, feeling both joyful at being outside but mournful knowing it wasn’t true freedom.

“Elysia,” Xander called to my quiet musings. I blinked and looked at him. He gestured to the trees. “You can go. Not… go go.” He quickly corrected himself, preventing my hope from soaring at false words. “You can explore, is what I mean. We won’t follow.” I looked at the trees and back at him before glancing at Aveline, who nodded in agreement.

“Go on. Spend however long you want out here. We’ll know where you are now,” She said easily, but obviously was tense about it. I wondered if she worried I would try to get away. Or maybe she was worried I’d get hurt still.