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CHAPTER TWELVE
Both Nate and Randy badgered me the whole way home. Nate felt that the attention I was giving the human boy was comical. He also found it interesting that he recognized me. After I explained how the human had seen me in the woods the day of his disappearance, Nate sobered and didn’t speak.
Randy, however, was more on the irritated side. He felt that I had spent too much time in the hospital, given too much information away, that I had been careless. I just told him that if he thought he could have done better, he should have done it himself. That shut him up right.
The rest of the time was spent in silence until we reached the cottage. While we ran, I couldn’t get the human boy out of my mind. His name rang in my ears like the steady beat of a drum. I was flustered. It wasn’t uncommon, I supposed, as some vampires say that some humans have special powers over us. This I found even more bothersome. What if this Isaac kid knew what I was? What if he sensed it?
I also couldn’t forget the revelation after a left the hospital, how I hadn’t given it any notice before—his pointed teeth. It was a subtle thing, the tips of them only slightly sharpened, but it was enough to grab my attention afterwards. What human has such pointed teeth? And what human has such soft, velvety hands?
Giving myself a mental shake, I jolted to a stop, refusing Randy when he motioned to follow him inside the cottage. Instead, I took to the trails, taking my time. My breath chilled the surprisingly warm air, and I tucked my hands into the pockets of my sweats, feeling the breeze curl around my arms like an embrace.
I thought again of the stories I had heard about humans and sometimes how they have the gift of sight, as if they can see right through us. But if this human boy… this Isaac knew what I was, why didn’t he expose us? Why did he help Nate if we were so dangerous?
My head started to ache as more and more questions entered my mind until finally I had to sit, my knees giving way beneath me. Closing my eyes, I covered them with my hands, placing my elbows on my thighs.
“Rough journey?”
I didn’t even glance upwards; his scent was enough to identify him.
“I guess you could say that,” I mumbled, nearly incomprehensible as my hands blocked the flow of words from my mouth.
Carmen sat beside me, his body heat feeling oddly warm against mine. He must have felt it too for he gently covered my forearm with this hand, making me shiver.
“You’re so cold?” His eyes swirled with queries as I met them.
“Just rattled, that’s all.”
“Rattled… I don’t understand—“
“Never mind. It isn’t important,” I cut in, smiling for his benefit. But, as usually, he saw right through my travesty.
“Why do you always have to keep things to yourself? It’s natural to release your feelings to another. It makes you feel better.”
“Are you always so wise?” I asked with a smirk, and he smiled in return. The feeling was mutual between us as we sat, content with each other’s company. There was no tension, no feelings of hurt or regret. It was just like old times… almost, as Nora came into view, bringing with her a floral scent that made it seem almost as if spring had arrived.
“Oh, there you are, Carmen.” She sighed with relief, as if it had been seriously disconcerting to her that she didn't know where he was.
Carmen stood at her entrance, like a lord before his lady. It was sickening to watch, so I rose as well, planning to make my leave. But Nora surprised me, when she took a step back. “I’m going to go back to the cottage now.” Her voice was awkward, her face pinched. It was one of the few times I had seen Nora’s feelings get the best of her. She almost ran in the opposite direction after a moment, and Carmen took a step forward, moving to follow. I didn’t stop him. He had to do what he wanted. I had no more hold over him than Nora did. Carmen needed to find his own way.
I saw it in his eyes where his heart truly lay then and pushed him slightly to follow whatever it was telling him. “Go. She came here looking for you.”
“But—“
I shook my head, stopping the flow of excuses I knew were preparing to flow from his mouth. “Go,” I said more forcefully, giving him a shove. He just stared at me for a moment and then he too left, following in Nora’s footsteps.
Sighing, I let my eyes drift to the heavens. It was a clear sky, the sunlight shielded by a full whiteness, the clouds preparing for, no doubt, another winter storm. Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I continued my walk.
The trails were long and smooth, the snow having worn away any ruts now that it was packed and hard. The crystals sparkled in the waning light and the temperature dropped drastically, pricking at my skin. That’s when I noticed my veins.
They were still red.
Odd, I thought, holding my palm closer to my face, tracing the main artery with my pointer finger of my other hand. They usually only stayed red for a few hours after feeding before returning to their normal black. But, as I watched, the color was deepening, the crimson fading. Thinking back, it had only been a barely twenty-four hours since I fed.
A gust of wind blew my hair from my loose pony, the elastic band springing free, catching the wind and traveling out of my reach. Not even bothering to get it, I let my hair tangle around my head, wishing then that I hadn’t given Randy my sweatshirt back. The wind was bothering me more than usual and I rubbed my hands up and down my arms, though it did no good.
A few more steps and then I heard it.
It started out soft, like a cricket’s song. But slowly, it grew louder until it pounded against my sensitive eardrums like that of a seagull’s squawk—loud and obnoxious. I searched the area with my keen eyesight, but saw nothing. Even the skies were absent of any activity. Now that I thought about it, the woods had been unnaturally quiet, as if there were no wildlife around. Again, it was winter though, so that was natural… right?
The sound abruptly died, plunging the forest into a deafening silence. The sound had been mournful, as if the creature had been dying inside. It had raised the hair on the back of my neck and glancing down, I started when I saw that my nails were out, long daggers brushing my pant leg. Whatever that had been, it had put my defense-mode on high.
Waiting only a minute longer to see if the sound would return, I spun around and headed back to the cottage. Too many things had happened that day to add the worry of a mysterious noise in the woods to the pile. It was probably just some annoying crow or something. Nothing to be concerned about.
Just like that human boy. He, too, needed to be taken from my thoughts. He was just some kid that helped Nate that fate had somehow provided us with a meeting, as fleeting as it was. Nothing more than that.
The cottage came into view, along with Elena seated on the cement steps. Her head shot up when I entered the grounds, and she smiled to me, her moon-like orbs glimmering as the light around us continued to fad.
I was mere feet away from her when the snow began to fall. Slow at first, thick like cotton balls. It slowly picked up speed until it covered us with thick ice. But I paid the weather no mind. At the sight of Elena, my worries faded. I couldn’t fathom the ability she had to do this for me, but I was awfully grateful. It dropped from my shoulders as if I had been laden with tons of weight and now it had been stripped away.
“Sophia, I’ve been waiting for you. Carmen told me you were rattled about something.”
I shrugged. “Not anymore.”
She smiled, her silvery eyes sparkling, as if this had been her plan. “Well, I’m glad. Come now, you must be tired.”
I nodded. I couldn’t deny the fatigue I suddenly felt at her mention. I could just imagine the bed awaiting me upstairs and I quickened my pace.
My foot had barely crossed the threshold when, in the distance, I heard the unmistakable sound of a bird in agony, the high-pitched squawk I had heard earlier. And like before, it sent my hair on end.
“Something wrong, Sophia?” Elena’s voice brought my eyes to hers.
“No, nothing,” I hurried to say, and as I closed my door, I repeated over and over in my head: Just a crow, just a crow.
But I knew deep down that it was something more.
- I see you've pleased us all and posted another chapter *starts dancing* . So, let's get down to business, ash (: 
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