Buried trust

Chapter 32

I never wanted to see that tattoo on her arm. The curly circle with the kind of flames around it. Luke has that tattoo on his back too. The tattoo they take if they want to walk in the daylight. I take her arm. "Where did you get these put?" I ask Alex. "Natalie set it." Luke is behind me and looks at Alex's arm. Natalie keeps staring at the floor. I know how much she hates vampires but she would never hate her best friend. I think that's why she gave Alex the tattoo. "Maybe if you had told me about everything I could have been more careful. But yes, after a car accident you are definitely dead. Well, only that man then. I was lucky, thanks to Christopher." I open my mouth to say something but I can't. How can she suddenly be so insensitive? "Oh yes, he says hi, turn around." I turn around slowly to see that on the other side of the hallway, Christopher is waving. When I turn around I see that Alex has disappeared. Andrew doesn't know what to say, he takes turns looking at me, Natalie and Luke. "Is she a ..." he can't finish his sentence because Natalie bursts into tears. "It's my fault, I gave her the tattoo. If I hadn't I could have told you first but she came to me so sad. With blood all over her face and body." So the accident was true. Why haven't I followed my instincts? "Natalie it doesn't matter, we just have to persuade her. She has to understand that Christopher is not a good person." I say and I look at Andrew. "No mention is made of this to Jenny or Ethan." He nods and walks away. "Luke we have to skip classes today." Luke looks at me. "But Maddie, you've already missed so many." "I don't care, we have to make a plan to kill him," I say. "I'll help," Natalie says. I nod and take Luke's hands. "I have to talk to Alex first," I say and I give him a kiss. I walk out. Yesterday I came in my own car so it is still there. There is only one place where Alex can be now, otherwise, I have no idea where she is. I step in my car and drive away from school.

I arrive at coffee point. It's not too busy inside. I look through the window and see Alex's brown curls. She is sitting with a latte in her hand. I walk in and Alex immediately looks in my direction. "Alex," I say and I walk over to her. "Maddie, about time." I look at her with a questioning look as I take a seat in the chair opposite her. "What do you mean?" I ask. "Well, it was about time you started telling me the reality, how I am still alive after a violent accident in which I died." "Um, I don't know." "You don't know what?" Alex interrupts me. "I do not know how," I say. "Okay wow, I expected a lot but not that. You don't have to lie. You know Christopher wants me to deliver you to him, but you are my best friend so explain why he wants you. " "So you know about ..." "Vampires? Yes, I know all about that. " "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you, I just wanted to protect you," I say. "Yes yes, always the same bullshit. But tell me, why does Christopher want you? " "Well he and my grandmother once dated and ever since then he wants revenge on her bloodline." "And he wants a mortal, hmm. Something is wrong. I'll give you a chance or I'll kill everyone in this bar." I look around and see a woman typing on her computer and a man drinking his coffee. The barista is also working on the machine. "Maddie, they hear us but can't do anything. I've paralyzed them with some kind of mind control or something. Really special what you can do as a vampire." "Alex, please don't do this." "You still have a chance." "Okay okay. I am a descendant of a famous bloodline. I didn't know this, but apparently, I also have something special, but I don't know what." "Wrong! Answer Maddie, I'm sorry for what you're going to see." Alex gets up and speeds to the woman in the bar. She turns her head slightly and sinks her teeth into her neck. "Alex!" I shout and see how she is already with the man. She sinks her teeth into his neck again. She's at the barista now. "Are you sure that was all you could think of?" Asks Alex. Alex flexes the barista's neck. The neck is now tilted in such a way that she can sink her teeth in one movement, she can also give a small turn to the neck, and then the barista is dead. Alex's face changed to a chilly, dead look, her eyes red and her lips covered in blood. Her fangs are very visible and they go towards the neck. "Okay, stop!" I shout. Alex turns her head a little but doesn't let go. "I am a predictor, a supernatural that is rare and Christopher wants me for my powers." Alex's face returns to her normal look as I know it. "Was that so difficult?" She asks. She drops the barista and he falls to the floor. You hear a small crack and Alex bends over. She feels the pulse of the barista. "Oops, went by accident." She says and she steps over the body. "Alex you know they are not going to see this as an animal," I say. "Oh yes, hmm. Help me." I sit and watch Alex put all three bodies over her shoulder. "Well then not." Mutters she and she walks to the warehouse. A little later she returns and holds a napkin in her hands. She wipes her mouth and says, "Well tidy is neat." She smiles and opens the bar door. "Thank you for your honesty, but I haven't been honest. I just wanted to test your loyalty if you still liked me now. Unfortunately, you did not pass this test. Of course, I knew you were a predict, something else. I'm going back to school now and don't you dare follow me." She walks out the door and I watch her walk away and then suddenly disappear. I look around at the empty bar. I get a shiver and walk out of the bar. I get into my car and start the ride back to the cabin.

"And she's still alive." Asks Olivia when I get back to the cabin. "Yes. Well no." I say. "Huh, what do you mean?" "Well technically she is dead but she looks very much alive." "No, you say she's a vampire." I nod and walk to the large doors that lead to the garden. I open them and walk outside. The weather is still nice, I hope it stays that way. It probably starts raining next week because the weather has been nice in Maryville for too long. Olivia is following me. "And now?" She asks me. "We have to get Alex to control herself." "Why?" "I didn't want to tell her what I was and she killed three people right in front of me." "Yes, that is not so much fun, no." "Sorry, Liv, but I really have to be alone," I say. Olivia nods and walks back into the cabin. I immediately hear her laugh along with Niall. I'm not quite sure, Niall and Olivia. I grab a chair and take it to the lake. I put it down on the soft grass and sit down. I close my eyes and enjoy the sun that burns my skin. I have to sort out my thoughts. We have Christopher who now knows who I am, Alex who is a vampire and Me who doesn't know what to do now. I have to somehow show Alex that he's a bad person. I have no other way how else to persuade Alex. Suddenly I get the image of the crying Natalie before my eyes again. Natalie didn't really have a choice whether to help your best friend or let her stay in the dark forever. I would have done the same if I were her. I wish Alex had stayed out of everything. She should never have gotten involved but Christopher made that choice for me. I can almost scream how much I hate that man. Everything was so special when I first heard about it but now it almost feels like I've been working on it for years. My shoulders are being grabbed. I turn to see Luke standing there. "Hi," I say. "Hey, are you okay?" He asks me. "Except for everything from today, actually quite okay." "Maddie, you are so strong." "Don't lie, I don't even know how to act on Alex. My grandmother did it to an entire village and she is still alive." "Exactly, you can do that too. Talk to Olivia about it." "I don't know if I can," I say and I turn away from him. Luke takes my chin and turns it towards him. He presses my lips against his. I really love him, but he still lied about things. Why am I suddenly thinking about this? It's true, he lied about his identity, about my grandmother, and in fact what I am. Maybe he wants me too because of my strength. I let go of Luke and gently push him back. "What is it?" He asks. "No nothing, a thought about Alex." I get up and walk back inside. Where do these thoughts suddenly come from, this makes no sense. I turn on the television and watch the news. 20 people are missing. Enter the three of the bar. Oh, Alex, I'm so sorry. Why do you have to go through this? She doesn't deserve this. I quickly turn off the television. I sigh deeply and check my phone. A message from Natalie.

'Maddie, I'm so sorry about Alex. I should have told you. Can we talk, please?'

I text Natalie back to say I'm heading her way. I need to get out of this house. Get away from Luke for a while. I get into my car and drive towards Natalie's house. Her mother opens the door and lets me in. I go upstairs to Natalie's room. She's on her bed. There is a pillow in front of her that she keeps hitting. "Nat, are you okay?" I ask and I close the door. Natalie is startled by me and throws the pillow at me. "No, I blew it. Why do I always keep doing things that I'm going to regret? Have you seen all those missing people, that's Alex." Says Natalie and she starts to sob. "Natalie it's not your fault. You couldn't have known she was on Christopher's side." "Sure, who else could have turned her into a vampire." "Yes that's right, but otherwise she might have been dead in that car accident," I say. "Maybe it was a setup. Did that Christopher just gets that man to run into Alex so that she became a vampire." Natalie shouts. The images of my dream are returning. "That's why they didn't go into CPR." I accidentally say loudly. "What? Did you know about the accident? " Asks Natalie. "Yes, four minutes late I woke up from my vision. But the paramedics weren't resuscitating. I thought it was strange." "That is indeed a bit strange, yes." "I know what to do. We're going back to the cabin and making a plan to beat Christopher." Natalie nods. "Just head off his body." She says. I raise an eyebrow. "Or just him, um, I know a lot. Head off just sounds nice." She says and she has to laugh. "Before we go I need to talk to you about Luke," I say. Natalie's mood goes from happy to very serious again. "What is it? Trouble in paradise?" She says. "Maybe," I admit and tell her how Luke lied to me but I still love him. "Sorry Maddie, I can't give you the best advice but you have to follow your gut. That's always the best." Thanks, Nat. I say and we walk down and I say bye to Natalie's mother and we get into the car towards the cabin.