Chapter 18

The house was dark when we pulled into the driveway, my jeep sitting in lone splendor.

I sat very still as they searched every shadow, identified every scent, sound and feature and searched with their minds for any sign of an attack. The engine shut off and still we waited.

"Let's go," he said finally.

Chadwick watched as Morgan unfastened the harness, my shaking hands unable to do much. I may be able to keep calm in serious situations but I do shake, something about releasing excess energy.

"Don't worry," he told me soothingly," everything will be fine."

"Do you really believe that?" I asked.

"I believe that Connor would do anything to keep you safe." His face was open and honest and I felt my eyes fill as I smiled back.

"Morgan, Chadwick," Connor barked and they were gone, melting into the deepening twilight. Connor helped me out of the monstrosity, carrying me in his arms as he moved to the porch, his eyes and senses alert.

"Ten minutes," he reminded me.

"No problem," I told him, unlocking the door and switching on the lights. "Aunt Claire?" I called, just to make sure. When no one answered, we moved inside.

Connor made me wait in the doorway while he searched the house. When he was satisfied, I ran to my room, digging out one of the suitcases I'd brought, shoving in what I thought I'd need most. On second thought, I shoved my laptop in as well; it had the locations of all my friends plus my hangouts and I really didn't want the hunter to find it. Besides, Claire knew I would never leave it behind. I spared a glance at my books but didn't grab any; I knew I'd be back eventually, hopefully.

While Connor ran my suitcase out to my car, I sat at my desk and wrote a hasty letter for Claire:

I'm sorry Claire but I have to go. Something is wrong with Dad, I know it. I can't explain it but I know. I need to find out what's wrong. I'll let you know what I find out.

Tricia

I grabbed my wooden jewelry box and the big, old dictionary I'd turned into a secret safe box and ran back downstairs, leaving my note on the kitchen table.

Connor was waiting impatiently at the door and I hurried to him. I heard the phone ring as I shut the door but he wouldn't let me go back. I locked the door and he hurried me to my jeep, making me ride shotgun.

"I can drive," I told him, hiding my still-shaking hands. He was already around the car by then.

"You can't see the turn-off," he told me as he climbed inside. My old Jeep roared to life, though compared with the monster Jeep, it purred. He floored it, quickly hitting sixty-five miles an hour. It began to shimmy, just like John Old told me it would so long ago; I really hoped my poor car wouldn't shake apart.

I started when lights suddenly flared behind us, blindingly bright.

"Its just Morgan," Connor told me, grabbing my hand.

I let out a small scream, which Connor quickly muffled with his hand, when something landed on the roof of the vehicle.

"And that's Chadwick," he said, a small snort escaping his sorrowed state. "Always showing off." He stopped talking, cocked his head and sighed. "She's already been and gone from your Aunt's," he said. He listened again and pressed the gas pedal a little more, causing the vehicle's shaking to increase. "She's following, though at a distance." I started shivering all over and he pulled me close. "It will be okay, Trish," he told me soothingly.

"I'm afraid we won't see each other again," I whispered, my eyes really trying to overflow.

He wrapped his arm around me and kissed my temple. "We'll be together again soon, Love, that I promise. I won't let anything keep us from each other for long. Don't forget, this was your big plan," his voice lightened slightly, a small edge of teasing making it through.

"It was the smartest idea- of course it was mine."

"Do you have so little faith?" He tried to smile but I wouldn't bite.

"Why did this happen to us?" My voice was barely audible but I knew he could hear me.

"It was my fault," he said darkly. "I should never have exposed you like that. I was stupid." There was a hateful rage barely controlled in his tone which he directed at himself while he pulled me even closer.

"Yes, but why me?" I acknowledged his part rather than denying it, which would only enrage him farther. "Your family was fine, the other two didn't go into a frenzy, so why me?"

"The same reasons I wanted you," he told me. "We might have been able to keep your presence hidden, or at least play down your importance if I hadn't reacted the way I did. But then again," he sighed, "she might have killed you on the spot."

We rode in silence for a few minutes, taking the back ways out of town to avoid people, the other vehicles headlights still shining behind us. I tried to not think about what was to come, tried to think positive but was having a rough time of it.

"I'm going to have to kill her," he said, interrupting my thoughts. "Maybe the male, too. Marcus won't like it, but oh well." He looked at me while he spoke, seeming satisfied by whatever he saw.

I could no longer see anything but the swiftly passing road so I knew we were getting close. I laid my head against his chest, trying to find a way to ask the question I really didn't want to know the answer to when I decided it might just be best to spit it out.

"Connor," I said, "how do you kill a vampire?"

He passed his penetrating gaze over me and I fought the urge to cower and apologize. "Remove the head, dismember the body and burn the pieces." His usually animated voice was absent of any emotion, dead.

"And the other two will fight?"

"The male is hers, but Deju?" Connor shrugged. "Chadwick isn't certain, though there didn't seem to be a strong bond there."

"Please promise you won't try to fight them alone," I pleaded, my grip tightening on him possessively.

"Don't waste energy worrying about me, Tricia, don't you dare. The only one you need to worry about is yourself, remember? You can't let anything happen to you, so please, just this once, listen to me and obey."

I nodded, not wanting to argue right now. "Are we still being followed?" I asked instead.

He tapped rapidly on the roof, waited for a reply, then nodded. "Yes, but she won't attack the house. Not yet."

He turned onto the invisible drive, slowing only slightly, the headlights of the other Jeep still close behind us. We drove right up to the front porch, the lights from the house flooding the surrounding lawn like imitation sunshine, though the darkness of the surrounding forest seemed to stop it from penetrating its camouflaging branches.

Davis was at my door before I could do more than unbuckle myself, crushing me like a doll to his massive chest as he ran me inside. He set me down in the middle of the living room and, though I felt him move away, the sudden light had blinded me and I couldn't make out more than movement.

I felt something warm, wet and soft put into my hand and I raised it to my face, enjoying the scent as I wiped the dirt of the past few hours from my face and hands. My eyes finally adjusted as I scrubbed, allowing me to see that everyone was inside now, Connor and Josephine beside me.