Chapter 37 CHAPTER 37
CAEL'S POV
“Okay, not to be a spoil sport but this isn't working,” I heard from Marcus’s grave.
“It's daylight, this is working perfectly well.”
“No, that's not what I mean. She's not here, clearly, and from what you said about the double school thing, she won't be back until night. And when she is, she's simply going to go back up there and all we'll do is just keep inhaling sand and wood down here.”
“Your underling has a point,” my brother grunted.
“So what do you need us to do?”
“Go after her in the wild. The second she slips, we'll be there to get her.”
“And how do we explain being in the school environment? There are wolves everywhere.”
“The King is here with us. I'm sure he can compel them to ignore us.”
“He can't compel the entire school, Marcus.”
“Not the whole school silly, just anyone who asks.”
“Or he can slip back into his teaching role. That way he can lure her to us without any eyebrows raised and we can leave here quickly. I have a kingdom to run.”
It felt like a stab in the neck that these plans didn't come from me.
That's how messed up she has me.
I knew what was happening and why and I knew it signalled my end, yet I kept to it, not even slowing down.
Fire was burning right before me and I was rushing into it.
Anything to be in her space.
That's some fucked up shit.
But no matter what, I can't muster up enough anger to hate this girl.
Not like any of it is her fault anyway. She was literally engineered by an ancient curse centuries before her existence.
I still haven't figured out how her father found out she's the one and kept her from us for so long.
We could have taken care of this problem when she was a baby and I wouldn't be in a grave right now, wishing I could hold her to my chest.
We waited till night fell properly before coming out.
Marcus helped Fabian cover his grave and we did our best to make sure we left no evidence.
They were right, there's nothing to see here, just a safe haven for her.
To be protected from us.
When we got back, I took Marcus's iPad and ordered a bunch of things we were going to need for the next day.
Normal clothes, glasses for our eyes, veneers and rings that Fabian could power so we don't get crispy.
And to everyone's surprise, I went to bed and slept.
"Wake up Cael, this is unbecoming of you."
I stretched and yawned and Fabian looked at me like I'd shat myself.
"I was tired, ever heard of that?"
"No. I'm a vampire. You?"
"I don't know," I grunted as I found my way to the bathroom and washed off the sorry feelings I felt clawing up my throat.
Armed with an iron-tight plan, we headed to Nashville High.
It wasn't difficult to find a place to hide, the school was too big for its own good, finding her though, that's where the problem lay.
"She changed classes," I muttered as I watched another teacher take my classes.
It grated on my nerves as I watched half the class sleeping and he didn't even bother.
"Any idea why?"
"I'll be right back," I whispered, coming out of hiding.
I'd dressed like a normal parent, not my usual flamboyant style so I was able to disguise myself as I briskly walked through the school.
I found her in a class with her cousins by her side.
"More security," I started, turning to see Fabian by my side. "What's wrong with you?"
"I didn't hear you following me."
"Then whatever is wrong with you is an emergency. We have to grab her the second that bell rings. I don't care what commotion it causes, you hear me? I will not lose you!"
I nodded and looked back at her.
My Sera.
She was concentrating really hard on the book before her and I bathed in her scent.
It's been forever since I was this close to it.
Now I felt like a crack head.
"Oh I see it now," Fabian chuckled. "Let's go. I won't be caught in her snare."
I followed him back to Marcus who had found seats and was swiping away at his phone.
"What was that about?" I asked Fabian.
"What do you mean?"
"Your eyes, they developed a different colour for a second and then you changed the whole plan immediately. I thought we were supposed to grab her once the bell rang."
As if hearing me, said bell rang and everyone scampered out of their seats and headed to the cafeteria.
"I thought she'd be an easy target, thought this whole plan was put in place by their Council without the support of their goddess. I was wrong. She's up there cackling at this mess."
"I'm lost," Marcus said, looking at both of us
"Same here, what did you notice?"
"She's my life mate."
"What on earth is that?"
"What I'm trying to say, is that she's what the wolves call a soul mate. She's my mate. Our Kind used to have that before the dark ages. I only remember it in stories. But looking at her, the signs are impossible to ignore. Gosh, her scent is driving me mad already."
"What... What are the signs?"
"Fierce protectiveness. Heart beating out of tune every time she's near. Her scent. Lust that is mind-altering. There's so much more but these are telltale signs. The most important thing is that the beast inside of you calms down."
"I think there's a mistake somewhere."
"What do you mean?" He snapped at me, that protective feeling coming over him.
"Everything you just described, I've been feeling it. It's why she still lives. The idea of killing her feels like suicide. It's why I wanted to bring her to you so you could finish the job."
"You've got to be kidding me, you're both connected to her at the same time!" Marcus exhaled. "So the job still falls on me now, doesn't it?"
"I'm afraid so," Fabian growled, "because I've laboured too hard to lose it all over... Feelings."
He might be wording it wrongly but he's got a point.
To me, she's worth every empire on earth, but it's not just about the two of us anymore.
If Fabian loses his throne, the vampire race will either end the world as we know it, or the world will end it.
No other option except to take out the problem.
Time to get ourselves chained down.