Blood & Winter

Chapter 19 : The cats out of the bag

            I lay with my head on his chest, my fingers tracing the lines of his firm muscles. August began  kissing the scratches and bite marks along my arms, softly running his tongue over them to heal them with his saliva. But I pulled my arm away and shook my head.
            “No, leave them. It will heal fast anyways. They don’t even hurt. I enjoy looking at them. Is that weird?”
            August laughed softly from beside me. “Well yes, actually it is. I’m sorry I was so rough. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
            “I’m a little sore, but have you taken a look at yourself? I got a few nicks in there too!” I smiled at him, as he rose from the bed. When he looked into the mirror, he erupted into laughter.
            “A nick? If I had been human, you most likely would have broken every bone in my body.”
        I leapt from the bed and ran over to him, stumbling, not yet used to my newfound speed.
            “Oh baby, did I hurt you?” I asked concerned.  I reached up to brush the gash over his eyebrow. I had bitten him many more times than he had me. He was covered in marks, and some of the puncture wounds were still leaking blood. I kissed his body, running my tongue over the marks, healing them with my saliva. But there were so many, together with the scratches and bruises, August gently pushed me away, and told me to ignore it.
        We crawled back into bed, and I curled up against him. August closed his eyes, and pulled me closer to him. I felt him slip off into a deep sleep, but my mind was racing, and I couldn’t do the same myself. I quietly crawled out of bed, and slipped out of the room. I felt my throat burning with thirst, as I went down the stairs.
       I went into the ballroom, and crossed its large white marbled floor to the bar, poured myself a giant glass of blood, and took it over to the sofa by the window. The sky outside was heavy with clouds, and when I opened the window, I could smell the rain in the air. Taking a deep drink from the cup, I sighed.
      So I was getting married? At the age of twenty eight. And there would be no one there to walk me down the aisle. I had never known my father, and according to my mother, she hadn’t really know him either. I had been the outcome, of a one night stand. I had asked her why she had kept me instead of an abortion, and she had said that it just felt right.
       I wondered when, and where we would get married. I suddenly thought of Rauel, and then of my phone, which had long ago disappeared. I had totally forgotten I even owned one. I wondered where it was. Probably somewhere in my car back at Lucy’s. Rauel was the only person I could think of that I wanted there. He was my oldest, and pretty much only friend. And was probably livid with me for not calling him. It had been months.
      Luckily I knew his number by heart, and began searching the room for a phone. I saw one sitting against the wall, on the bar, and walked over to it to make the call.
     Dialing the number, I tried to think of a good enough explanation for my disappearing act, but couldn’t think of one.
      After a few rings, Rauel picked up the phone. “Hello?”
      “Rauel! It’s Cassandra!” It felt so good to hear his voice.
      “Cassandra? Where the hell have you been? I have been trying to call you for more than six months! I thought you were dead!” He sounded pissed as hell.
      “Oh, I’m far from dead.” I couldn’t find the words to say how sorry I was, so I just let him talk.
       “Far from dead? Oh boy, what’s his name?” The anger that had been is his voice was completely gone.
       I laughed at the way he knew me so well. “August Hartigan. I’m so sorry Rauel, darling. If you can believe it, I actually just realized that I have no idea where my phone is, and haven’t even thought of it once, since…since I met him. Oh Rauel, you have to come to Ireland.”
       “Ireland? What in god’s name are you doing there? You sound, different. Something in your voice has changed.” He sounded worried.
     I suddenly remembered that I was now a vampire. How in the hell was I going to tell him. Was I even allowed to tell him? “It’s a long story, but I will give you the reason. We haven’t set a date yet, but Rauel, August asked me to marry him, and I said yes.”
     “Yes? Misses I’m never ever going to get married, ever, never, in a million  years, said yes?” He sounded genuinely surprised. “He must really be something special if he got you to say yes, or  did he have to drug you first?”
      I laughed at his jibe. “No Rauel, he didn’t drug me. But I love him, I do. I really love him. You know what I have been through with men, and what a shit magnet I have always been. Especially with Zack, but August, oh god, you would fall in love with him yourself!” I filled him in on the last six months, all except for the accident, and being turned, and promised him I would let him know when the wedding was, as soon as I knew myself. And he filled me in on things back in L.A.. As the conversation came to an end, I suddenly felt sad. I missed him, a lot.
       “Well it sounds like you found your soul mate," if only he knew.."and I’m really happy for you, but turn your phone on Cass, or at least call me once in a while to let me know your alive. I  was really worried, you’re like a sister to me. Please don’t do that again, and I miss you.” He sounded sad, and I felt even worse for not being in touch with him.
     “I miss you too Rauel. And I’m really, really sorry. I promise I will call you in the next week or so, and let you know all the details okay?” We said our goodbye, and as I hung up the phone, I heard August calling my name from upstairs.
      “I’m in the ballroom, I was thirsty.” I called up to him. Within seconds August was beside me, wrapping his arms around me, and kissing me deeply.
     “I missed you.” He ran his hands over my arms and I felt bumps rise on my skin.
    “I called Rauel.” I breathed in his scent, letting the wintery smell envelope me.
    “And who is Rauel?” I heard a slight tinge of jealousy in his voice and smiled.
     “Well, Rauel is my oldest friend. I have known him since I was a baby. He is talented, and handsome, and totally and completely gay.” I felt the tension leave August’s body, and chuckled to myself. “August, do you know that since we met again at Lucy’s I have not answered my phone once? I don’t even have a clue where it is.”
       “I thought you just didn’t have one!” August looked at me surprised.         
     “Do you have any idea where it is? I had no intention of cutting you off from the world Cassandra.” He looked like he felt ashamed.
      “August, from the moment I first kissed you, I forgot there was a world outside of you. But tonight, I began thinking of the wedding, and I suddenly thought of Rauel. He would kill me if I were to get married without him here. He would kill me if I didn’t let him plan the whole event.” I could already see Rauel running around like a chicken with its head cut off, getting the whole event in perfect order.
        “You were thinking about the wedding?” There was a such a look of love on his face that I felt myself melting. “Have you thought about when you want to get married? Of course there isn’t any pressure, like I said even if you don’t want me to take the throne, I would still marry you. Whenever you want.”
      “Well, honestly I never thought I would even get married August. And even more, I never really dreamed of having a big wedding. But I have been sitting here looking at this beautiful ballroom, and all these images have been floating through my mind. I really don’t have anyone to invite, except for Rauel. I’m sure you would have hundreds to invite though.” I suddenly felt sad that I really didn’t have anyone in my life. I missed my mother more than ever at that moment, and August felt my sorrow.
       He took my hand and we walked over to one of the windows.     
     “Unfortunately, if we really do take the throne together, a grand wedding cannot be avoided. It’s a tradition.” August pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “I guess we should call Alex and the twins. It’s time they knew about you turning. Emily is going to be furious with me.”
      “Why would she be mad?” This shocked me. I could never imagine Emily angry with August.
      “I told you Cassandra. Being a vampire is not easy. It comes with a lot of baggage. Emily and Ian were not turned in the way you were. It was forced upon them.” He sighed as he dialed Emily’s number. “But your right, we need to tell them.”
       August handed me the phone as soon as it started to ring. I looked at him questioningly, why should I be the one to tell her? Was he that afraid of her reaction? I felt my mouth go dry the moment she answered the phone.
      “August?” Emily’s voice came in clearly over the long distance between us.
      “Ugh, no. Hi Emily, it’s Cassandra.” I found that I couldn’t speak. The words lodged themselves in my throat and my mouth just hung open.
     “Cassandra? Where’s August? What happened? Is everything okay?” Emily’s voice was full of anxiety and worry.
    “What? Oh, of course, everything’s…fine. I guess. Um, it’s just that, I know everything.” I know everything?  That’s what I was going to say. I had the worst way with breaking news.
      “I mean, well, Emily, shit.” I had no idea what I was supposed to say. The silence hung over the line like a dead weight.
      “Oh my god. He turned you didn’t he?” Emily’s voice was firm, and thick with anger. “Put August on the phone, now.” I just stared at August as I handed him the phone. His hand reached out slowly to take the phone from me.
    “Emily, it’s not what you think. I had no choice.” He rose from his place next to me on the window seat, and paced around the ballroom as he explained to Emily what had happened and why he had turned me. But he did not tell her what Olivia had asked of him, or that we were engaged.
      “Okay, so I will see you on a few days. Call Lucy for me okay? And next time I tell you not to open the cards for me,  don't listen, shove that shit in my face while I am tied down if you have to.” August came back over to me, and slumped down into the seat.
      “Is she really that mad? And what was that about the cards?” I could tell he was having trouble trying to calm himself. I had not heard what Emily had said to him over the phone. I honestly had been singing to myself in my head so that I wouldn’t. I was sure if I had tried I would have been able to hear. But I had felt his shame, I had felt it like a blow to the stomach.
     “She’s not really mad I guess. She understands. Do you remember when we came back from the cottage at Lucy’s, and Emily had opened the tarot cards? And I had been so angry?” I simply nodded, waiting for him to continue. “Well she had tried to tell me that this is exactly what would happen. She had predicted an accident, only she had not seen that I would turn you. I had also refused to listen to her.”
I stared at him in disbelief.
      “So you knew this was going to happen? You knew that the accident would happen?” I wasnt angry, just very confused.
    “No, of course not. She had foreseen tragedy. She saw that someone I loved very much would have a tragedy fall upon them, but not who it would happen to. I had refused to believe it. I couldn’t let myself believe it.” His eyes suddenly filled with tears, and they spilled over onto his cheeks. “I’m so sorry Cassandra, I’m so damn sorry.”
        I took his hand in my own, and squeezed it gently. “August, I love you. Nothing matters to me anymore except for being with you. But why didn’t you tell her that you asked me to marry you? Or that Olivia asked you to reclaim the throne?”
      “She didn’t let me say anything more. Emily, Ian and Alex will be here within the next twenty four hours. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are already on their way to the airport. The plane is still here so they will have to make it here on their own. We will tell them all when they arrive. But for now, let’s just go to bed.”
I suddenly felt very tired at the mention of sleep. It had been a long day. A long week, and I had a lot to come to terms with. As we climbed the stairs to the bedroom, I felt more loved than I ever had my entire life. That would take more getting used to than anything else.

RAUEL