The Gyfted

Safety

Tons let out a slight growl. It startled Irene as the last time he was that angry, he almost killed someone. Irene grabbed Tons' coat jacket. "Please... Calm down. Let me explain to Castien what's happening to me." She pleaded.

"I know what is happening to me. It's an a curse. Not on me. On Aistel. Seems it causes certain males, no matter the species, to seek her out. They can't break the curse on her, nor its hold over me... The best thing to do is for me to stay away. However, that makes me sick. I do not wish to harm her. I don't think the feelings are truly genuine but that doesn't make me feel any better." Castien said as he helped Sebastian to his feet.

Irene walked over to help. "I thought you were immune?" She asked Sebastian.

He chuckled. "Well, to the effects of sick... Not from the energy pull. Wait... How are you BOTH alright?" Sebastian asked with a puzzled expression on his face.

Irene realized she hadn't felt sick. She rubbed her stomach and smiled. "Maybe cause I'm starving?" She giggled.

"No even then you should have been dry heaving... Well lucky you I guess. Tons is quite a beast, so I'm not shocked." Sebastian chuckled.

Tons groaned and walked towards Sebastian. "You know what, forget it. Take me to her right now." He demanded.

The two brothers looked at each and motioned to Fisle who had just walked in to the crystal room.

"Ah, so you must be Tons. Such a peculiar nickname. I wonder how you got it." Fisle stated as he slowly walked up to Tons. He eyed Tons and smiled. "I see. Come, I'll talk you to her." He said as he turned and walked away.

Aistel had gotten dressed and put on an outfit Tons had brought her. She wasn't sure why, but it felt right to put it on. As she was was fixing her makeup, there was a knock on the door. She got excited and nearly ran to open the door.

"Hi there, Aistel." Said Madeline. She had a cruel grin on her face.

Swiftly, Aistel slammed the door back in Madeline's face. This caused Madeline to swear out loud and knock again.

"Madeline?" a voice said from behind her.

It was Sebastian who was with Fisle, Irene and Sebastian. Fisle had a disgusted look on his face when he saw Madeline. Suddenly he walked forward and spoke to Madeline in Elvish. "Why are you here, you dirty blooded woman?"

Madeline instantly bowed to Fisle. "Forgive me, my lord. I had only come with the to speak to the honorable guest. I had met her before-"

Fisle had placed his hand under her chin and had her stand up straight. "No, you didn't. Get away from here. Now." He told her as he pushed her head away.

Tons had ignored what was happening and knocked on Aistel's door. "Hey Angel... It's me. Open up." He whispered.

Suddenly the door swung open, and Aistel was standing there staring at Tons. She reached up and touched his face as if half wondering if someone else would appear. Once she knew for sure it was Tons and hugged him tighter than she had really done in the past.

Tons was a bit shocked, but he welcomed the hug. "Come on inside, Angel. I'm here now. You're safe now." He said as he carried her into the room and closed the door.

"Hey! Let me in, you jerk!" Irene screamed as she banged on the door.

Aistel went to open the door but was turned around by Tons. He pulled her into another hug and she hugged him back. The safety she had longed for was finally here. Irene was on the other side of the door, but that was not her safety. Irene was her comfort. Tons was her safety.

After about twenty minutes, Aistel let Irene and the others in. Irene pinched Tons as hard as she could. He couldn't feel it but pretended it hurt. Same as he had done when they were kids. "I'm sorry, Ire! I just to spend some alone time with her. Aistel isn't usually that open to letting me hug her... I took advantage of it. Sorry." He pleaded to his cousin.

Irene rolled her eyes and turned to Aistel who was staring out of a window. "Hey you ok Aistel? You look sleepy. Didn't get much I guess with everything going on with Castien and this whole meeting thing, huh?" She asked.

Aistel sat up straight and glanced over at Irene. She tucked her head into her knees. "I'm exhausted because I can't sleep. I can't sleep because I am exhausted. I am exhausted because I was hiding from Castien for two days straight." She said.

Sebastian stood up and walked over to Aistel. "I'm so sorry, Aistel. Castien is also sorry. Do you know how to make him stop? He wants to stop, but he says he can't. He is locked in the medical wing at the hospital. He is not to be let out without myself or Lord Fisle knowing. He is sick as well." He said.

Aistel looked up at him, confused. "I don't know. I do know that it's only happened once, and that guy ended up destroying himself. Ricky. He was my friend. All of us were friends. Then one day... it all changed. Suddenly, he started following me everywhere. Buying me things. He always, always calling. He would show up at my school, job, Irene's, Tons, my parents... He was everywhere. He started to get aggressive and would grab me and force me to go places with me. I would like to say that, if it was for my strength, he more than likely would have done something worse to me." She said twirling a lock of hair.

"Ricky suddenly started to forget about his own safety. He would start following me in the daytime. Everyone knows vamps and sunlight don't go together. Thats how he was destroyed. He followed me to work and tried to force me to run away with him. 'It's what they want.' He said. Then it happened. He burst into flames in front of me. As he was being destroyed, he begged me for forgiveness and to allow him to go. To ask them to let him in. To open the gates. I don't understand what he was talking about or why... There were these symbols... like ancient runes. They appeared on his forehead as he was being destroyed. He begged and begged... Then he was no more."

"I don't know what he meant. I wish I did. I have heard that Vamps think heaven and hell are real and that once they are cursed, they will never get to go to either and are damned to wander purgatory for all eternity. I didn't understand it. That and everything else." Aistel said through tears.

Tons saw her tears and wrapped his arms around her. "I've got you, Angel. I've always got you." He whispered into her ear.

Fisle stood up and walked over to Aistel. He leaned down and looked into her eyes. "Aistel, you are truly... unknown." He said as he brushed a lock of hair out of her face, much to Tons' displeasure. "All of you, enjoy Faeland. I have provided you each with a thousand dollars. Please do enjoy this humble place. Sebastian, come with me, we must attend to Castien as well as your father." He said as he walked out of the room.

"I'll see you all the day of the meeting. Oh right, Tons and Irene, wear something nice, you can't go into the meeting though you can attend the gathering before it and after it." Sebastian said as he waved and closed the door.

Irene smiled and turned to Aistel and Tons. "Lets go shopping!" she said with a smile.

Tons chuckled and stood up. "Let's go, Ire and Angel. Let's go have some fun." he said, pulling up Irene and Aistel.

As the two cousins laughed and joked about where to go and what to buy, Aistel was just staring out of the window, the image of Ricky bursting into flames replaying in her memory, over and over again.