3 Hit the Road Jack (2 page)

“Sit,” he gestu
red his hand towards two seats i
n the front row. When we made no movement he added, “Keep your weapons out but please sit. I mean you no harm.”

“Then what do you want?” Kellan pressed
,
remaining in his spot.

“You are the chosen ones; the ones prophesized of, are you not?” He busied himself in a desk drawer searching for something.

“What’s it to you?” Kellan hissed between gritted teeth.

“Relax. He’s clearly not interested in fighting,”
I said pressing a hand to his back to calm him.

“Sit and I will tell you.” Kellan refused to budge. Against his will I hopped into the next aisle over and made my way to the before suggested seats.

“I’m afraid we aren’t trusting due to some recent incidents so if you could just cut to the chase I’
d
really appreciate it,” I stated. He looked between me and Kellan for a moment. As the bell rang, officially making
us
tardy or absent from second period, I hadn’t decided yet, he removed a worn black book from his drawer. Gold embellishments laced the binding but no visible title was displayed. In fact, no words or symbols appeared anywhere on the cover. It was a solid black fabric stretched over hard ends offering no clue to its contents. He noted my curious observance.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am William Jameson and I am your Eislom or guardian of wisdom.”

“Eislom? What is that?” I interrupted.

“As I said, I am your guardian of wisdom; I am your guide, your assistant. My sole purpose is to ensure that you fulfill yours. I am here to provide you with the resources and knowledge you lack. Now have you read the prophecies?”

“Uh… um…” I stuttered trying to wrap my brain around what he claimed. Kellan was suddenly seated next to me.

“I figured as much; hence the journal. It’s written in Slavak, old Russian essentially. I have taken the liberty of translating it for you.” He whipped out a large four inch black binder filled to the brim with 3-hole punched paper. “This is sacred and confidential. You must guard it with your lives. It provides you the keys needed to unlock your powers together. Now we will need to meet regularly. There is much to teach and more to learn.” Kellan and I sat motionless with dumbfound
ed
looks on our faces.

“Is he legit? Is this real?”
I asked.
“Dr. Zhan never mentioned an Eislom.”

“I don’t know. I’m reluctant to trust anyone right now.”

“Oh wonderful, you’re already linked! You’re right on schedule with that feature. As for your hesitance, please confirm my participation with Dr. Zhan and anyone else you deem necessary to trust me. It’s imperative that you trust me.” He pulled out a legal pad and began making notes.

“Now I see you’re engaged or at least promised to each other. Have you claimed each other physically?” He was businesslike, as if he were conducting a job interview.

“Huh?” we exclaimed simultaneously.

“You’
v
e swapped blood but it seems you carry the blood of many vamps Alexa so I need to know if you two have mated.” He didn’t hesitate; he was direct in his explanations and didn’t waste one second on questioning us.

“Mated?” I stumbled peeking at Kellan whose forehead showed the same worried creases and cheeks flushed with embarrassment and rage on the subject.

“Yes, mated. Oh for heaven’s sake. Have you two had intercourse?!”

“How old are you?” I smirked, allowing the outrage to subside. It seemed to lighten his mood a bit.

“Three hundred and twenty-three. I suppose the reference gave it away. However
,
I must know if you’ve had sex. Is that the modern term?”

“Yes, that’s the modern term and no we haven’t done it,” I spewed the information trying to withhold emotion.

“Oh dear
,
n
ow I am not an advocate for adolescent promiscuity
;
however
,
I must insist that you two do this as soon as possible.”

“You
insist
?” I didn’t know whether I wanted to laugh, cry or scream over the suggestion.

“I’m releasing you two at once. You must go home with the journal. Read through it. You must consummate your union in order to unlock the powers between you,” he babbled. He seemed overwhelmed by the thought; almost flustered by the parallel.

“Are you serious?!”

“Do I appear dishonest to you? Would I, a professor of academics, typically promote such recklessness early on? No, of course not! Go home at once and study this journal. You will need it to bring all you ought to pass.”

“We have classes. We’re in a school you know?” Kellan chuckled. I could tell he wasn’t buying into the story. I didn’t know for sure if I was either. Given everything I’d heard, seen and experienced the last couple months though, I couldn’t just discredit it as nonsense.

“Go home. I will file all the papers for you and obtain your assignments. Meet me tomorrow morning at 7am here in the classroom. Come through that back door there. It will be unlocked,” he said standing to pass the binder and journal to us. I looked at Kellan. Our glances were similarly shocked and yet not shocked, both receptive and rejective. Mr. Jameson gracefully approached us and set the books on the desk in front of me. “I know you are uncertain at this time, but please hurry along. We have no time to waste. 7am,” he reiterated with urgency. I nodded my head.

“So do we leave or stay?”
I eyed the books before me, shifting impatiently in my seat. Kellan seemed to be just as restless.

“We will take your word for what it is
:
possible truth. If we choose to believe you then we’ll be here tomorrow morning.” He stood and reached for the items. His gaze was on me the entire time expectantly watching my reaction.

“Very well then,” William agreed rising at the same time as me.

“You do realize that encouraging students to skip school doesn’t make you a very good teacher,” I stated and asked moving to collect my book bag slung on the back of my chair.

“I encourage traditional students to attend class daily however you two fall within another ca
tegory. Your future success relies
not on this nonsense. Quitting tomorrow would further expand your learning opportunities in fact. Alas, we will take one step at a time and the first step is to trust me,” he explained. He slid his hands in his pockets and relaxed his stance. He was calm and comfortable despite our threats.

“Where are you from?” I looked at him quizzically.

“Can
’t
you tell by the accent?” he teased with a grin.

“England?”

“Very good. London to be exact though the London of my time versus today is quite different I’m afraid.” He spoke but his lips pursed and forehead wrinkled showing signs that his mind was elsewhere. I simply nodded.

As we left I realized I wanted to trust him, this Eislo
m
as he called himself. Without my pa
rents, I was lacking an authoritat
ive guide. Sure the High Authorities and the Bladang Leaders step
ped in and out, but with them it wa
s usually
all
b
usiness. With Mr. Jameson, I fe
l
t
like he woul
d be more like my dad. It sounded
foolish
,
eve
n now, but it’s the feeling I go
t with him. I was apprehensive to trust anyone, but the emotional side of me, the human part
, was overwhelmed
at the idea.

“It’s not foolish babe. I know you miss your parents. Just remember that in our world emotions are weakness. We need to be careful,”
Kellan warned pulling me into his arms as we roamed the empty halls towards the parking lot.

“I know you’re right. I’m trying but it’s hard to go against what dominates me. I am sevent
y-five percent human, remember?”

“You’re still twenty-five percent vampire and have had more vamp blood in you than anyone I know.”

“Point made,”
I sighed pushing open the doors to freedom.

Chapter 2

“His story checks out. Dr. Zhan confirmed everything,” Kellan announced as he entered the family room. Craig, Mel and I quickly turned our attention to him as he plopped down on the sectional beside me.

“What did he say?” I jumped on the subject instantly.

“That we should listen to everything he said. He actually worked with the prophet before his assassination. He fled with the journal and has spent his years studying and preparing for us to arrive and connect.” His words came out with confidence but I could tell he was still trying to comprehend the reality of the news.

“Jiminy croaks!” Craig exclaimed scooting to the edge of the sofa cushion waiting for more.

“That sounds… it actually sounds like something out of a book of Victorian society scandals,” Mel shrugged struggling to define the situation.

“So then the uh… the umm… bed… stuff is true?” Kellan nodded once. Nerves instantly set in; I began fidgeting with my fingers, twisting my ring in circles.

“Bed stuff?” Mel asked, an eyebrow r
aised
showcasing her confusion and curiosity.

“Are you skirtin
’
about Miss L riding your jolly lolly?” Craig winked.

“Jolly lolly?” Mel and I cracked at the same time. Kellan groaned covering his face with his hands.

“Pah. You know. Shackin
’
, riding the disco stick; doing the bippity boppity boop, playing knight rider?” he smiled devilishly.

“Seriously?” Mel scrunched her face exhaling with sarcasm. Craig shrugged. Abruptly they both looked at us anxiously. “Well?” she prompted.

“Well what?” I tried to side step the horror in this topic.

“Is that what we’re piddlin
’
about?” Craig pressed.

I looked to Kellan, his eyes peeked between his fingers. He slung them down heavily onto his thighs and ran his hands up and down towards his knees. Seeing his discomfort brought out the protective side of me.

“Mr. Jameson said that we need to have sex, that since I have so many other vampires in my bloodstream, it’s the only way for us to unlock all our powers together,” I said leaning into Kellan for support. I felt myself blush with embarrassment.

“Merry Christmas
,
Brother Ben!” Craig’s eyes lit up with excitement.

“Uh, wow! Umm… Craig, we should go. I need to get home for… uh… Kyle! He’ll be home soon and can’t be alone.” Mel stood and tugged on Craig’s arm prompting him to come along. “I’ll… uh… we’ll see you tomorrow guys.” She waved and scurried past us to the door.

“Uh… ok?”

“Bye!” she called.

Within seconds they were out the door. I turned to look at Kellan who began laughing.
“Oh gosh. Those two are perfect together.”

“
Yea, that’s an understatement,”
I agreed. We both got quiet and just looked at each other. We gazed at each other like star-crossed lovers though we’d never gone that far. He reached over and tucked a few strands behind my ear. He ran his fingers along my cheek giving me goose bumps.

“I’d like nothing more than to take you to bed right now, but I’m not going to,” he mused caressing my lips with his fingers.

“Why?” I asked breathlessly.

“Because I want you to want to. Right now you’d be doing it because you feel you have to and this sort of thing should never be a chore.” I couldn’t help but smile at that.

“You’re great, you know that?”

“Yup. You forgot smart and sexy too,” he smirked.

“Pompous airhead,” I smacked his arm playfully.

“Hey, careful. You’re pretty strong these days,” he chuckled.

“So I’ve been told.”

He sighed. “I guess we should get busy. Looks like we have a lot of reading to do.”

“Sure. You want a beer?” I got up and went to the fridge to retrieve my second favorite form of blood: bottled and chilled.

“I’d rather have your hot blood than a cold bottled substitute,” he replied at my side in a split second inhaling the scent at my neck.

Buzz, buzz, buzz.

He sighed in frustrated defeat. I broke away to answer my cell phone.

“Hello?”

“Leka, you have to get out,” Kalel warned.

“What’s coming?” I asked immediately alarmed. Kellan was at my side in a flash listening in.

“More assassins
;
Jack has hired more.”

“How do you know?”

“We caught one lurking around here for you. He’s being tortured as we speak. I don’t know how many there are. Grab some clothes and come here. Claire is out of town for another week so there is nothing keeping you there.” His words were rushed; he was on edge. Despite admitting to feeling something for me Kalel ha
d
taken to playing the older, big, well, muscle-head big I mean, brother role in my life. In all that had happened to me, it was him and Kellan that were the most protective and proactive. I looked up at Kellan. His face was solemn; he gave nothing away. I knew it was bad though because he blocked his thoughts.