Eternally Blue (Sunset Cliffs Vampire #1) (Paranormal Teen Romance) (17 page)

Nikolai looked disgusted “You are his maker right?” Lainey nodded and he continued “Now I can’t be certain because this is so rarely an issue but I recall learning that if a made vampire is switched back and then drinks again from his maker he will either change back within a fortnight or just be returned some of his symptoms”.

Everyone looked at Noah wide eyed. He started spitting out blood, and frantically trying to wipe it from his face. “No” he said loudly, regaining his composure “I won’t go back to that”. He looked at Lainey accusingly and I couldn’t help but to follow his gesture. Nikolai sensing this grabbed my arm before I could lunge at her.

In her defense she looked just as distraught by the situation as we were. “I didn’t know, Noah baby you have to believe me, I didn’t know. We don’t even know if what he is saying is true. He could be lying! Maybe he wants to keep you weak so that he can have Blue!”

‘“
No” I said, “He is not lying, I remember learning that now too in school. Lainey how could you?”

“
I didn’t know!” She screamed. Oh no, I could tell that in about one second there was going to be, yup there they were. Blood tears. Bleh. She wailed again and fled out of the cave.

“
Oh great,” I looked at Nikolai, “I’m not going after her”.

Nikolai shrugged, “She’ll come back, she has the clan’s protection now, she probably just needs to calm down and collect herself and rest for the day, and I’d guess she’ll be back at Noah’s door tomorrow night”.

I looked at him pointedly, “Or maybe she’ll find her way to your door somehow”.

Exasperated he rolled his eyes and bent over Noah to inspect the damage.

I looked at Ben, “How are you feeling, can you walk?” He nodded “If my other option is drinking vampire blood and having freaky side effects, I will walk, Nikolai needs to carry Noah”.

We looked at Noah for confirmation and he started to deny it but getting to his feet he stumbled and gave in with a heavy sigh. “Yeah I think I am going to need help”.

We headed down the cliff carefully, I had one of Ben’s arm slung over my shoulder and Nikolai carried Noah. We managed to all arrive at Nikolai’s car in one piece, but the sun was threatening to make an appearance. I looked at Nikolai worried after we had everyone settled in the backseat. “I think I am going to spend the day in the cave, you should take my car”.

“
But –“ I started.

“
There isn’t time Blue, you know that.”

“
What about Annie? What are you going to do with him?”

He hesitated, “I will keep him secured until it gets dark again and we’ll see what kind of mood he is in, that will determine what I have to do. You understand that if at all possible I won’t turn him into the council”.

I nodded, and took his hand. He brought it slowly to his lips and murmured something into them. It sounded like I love you, but I couldn’t be sure. Then he was gone. I got in and sighed heavily, looking in the rearview at the boys in the backseat.

“
Do you know how to drive a manual?” Ben asked, looking nervous.

“
No” I said just trying to rattle him for assuming I couldn’t drive stick, “but you’re in no shape to drive, so I’ll have to manage”.

Noah spoke up weakly “Nikolai is going to kill you when you mess up his transmission”.

I grunted my assent and threw the car in first gear and whipped it out of the parking lot and onto the road. In spite of everything they knew about me, these boys wanted to doubt my driving ability so I didn’t let myself feel too bad when they were both throw back against their seats groaning softly.

Oh yeah, of course I knew how to drive a stick shift, back when I started driving they didn’t have automatics. I had been driving this very same car for the last five years when Nikolai was feeling extra generous.

Noah surprised me by whispering from the back seat and I had to strain to hear him. “For what it’s worth, deep down I knew what you were. I recognized your necklace as being what they give to the next chosen clan leader; Lainey has one with her symbol on it. I thought maybe it was just a coincidence but then I could smell it on you after you got your ears pierced, but by then I didn’t care.”

Neither of us responded to him, I was too stunned and spent the remainder of the ride home trying to make sense of what he said - that my clan chose me to be the next leader, even as I was acting on my desire to become an immortal.

I pulled into Noah’s driveway and tried to help Noah out, but he refused my help and was looking surprisingly better. I wasn’t sure if this was a good or bad thing since I didn’t know the extent of which Lainey’s blood had ‘healed him’, but he seemed pleased with himself so I returned his grin. He collapsed on the couch in his living room and Ben unceremoniously collapsed on the floor.

“
Well I’m not about to go home at this hour so I’m going to find a bed” I practically yawned.

Noah grunted, “Take mine”.

I smiled and climbed the stairs. Instead of feeling awkward about being in his room, I was comforted by his smell. I snuggled into his pillow and before I drifted off to sleep allowed myself to smile, finally thinking about the second half of what Noah said on the ride home: he accepted me.

My dreams were not sweet. I dreamed of sitting at a piano, playing “Your Song” - the cover, by Ellie Goulding. I was in the cave we spent the majority of our night in. I was a vampire again and I was wearing a floor length black gown. Noah, Ben, Annie, Nikolai, and Lainey were all in attendance as well, in folding chairs, and dressed to the nines in tuxes and an evening gown, watching me play by firelight. I was playing my heart and soul out, and crying tears of blood, and I remember thinking as I was playing that I wasn’t sure if I was playing this song for Noah or for Nikolai, for beginnings or for ends, and as the song finished playing I looked up at my audience of five, and noticed that there wasn’t a dry eye among them either. I realized only one of them had clear tears, and my eyes traveled to meet Noah’s as he opened his mouth to smile a toothy grin, and to my horror I saw fangs.