Ever After (33 page)

Doc also had Roth and Taylor watching Sara. They would know her every move and she would not be allowed near me or anything I ate under any circumstances. Doc gave me extra pain medication so I could sleep that night. I curled into Will’s arms and went to sleep as Doc and Pratt headed to Gran’s room to fill her in before they left. Gran always knew what was going on, at all times. I liked that, she and Doc were good friends and he wanted to ease her mind about me and not have her worry.

Libby settled in and was reading when dad got home. Gran had called him and he left the office early to see about me. I was really glad he ran into Doc and Pratt on their way out. They gave him a good story so he wouldn’t ask too many questions. We couldn’t have him thinking I was getting sicker now, as I was to be going to France to study for the last semester of my junior year.

If he thought I was sick, again he would make it hard for me to go. I knew Doc and Pratt would smooth over the details and have him agreeable to my upcoming trip out of the country. I knew tomorrow Will would be with me all day, and things would be much better. I could hope they would be much better, anyway.

Chapter
16

Momentary quiet

It had been a quiet day, thankfully after yesterday’s drama. Will was with me all day except for when he had to hide in my bathroom when dad came in for his routine morning visit before he went to work. Sara had left early that morning, she was going shopping in New York with friends of hers from college, Gran had told us. I was so glad she was gone for the day and Will wouldn’t have to hide.

Doc and Pratt stopped by about ten that morning, and Pratt gave me another double dose of serum and a quick check up. Emma and Lydia had come with them, to visit me. Lydia brought me some flowers and Emma had made me some cookies, she said she had to make a double batch since Roth and Riley ate the first one. I laughed at that, those two ate anything and everything; they had definitely not lost their taste for human foods.

It was now late evening, and we had all ate supper, made lovingly by Gran. Roasted turkey, peas, mashed potatoes, and peach pie for dessert. I had missed the meals she made; they always reminded me of when I was little. Gran loved to cook and took every chance she could to do so.

Sara had thrown fits when she used her precious designer kitchen, so Gran had her own made in the east end of the house. It was actually, where the kitchen was at the turn of the century and perfect for her to use. Dad had it updated of course and put in all the things Gran wanted to make it efficient for her to use.

I had eaten so much I felt like popping, Gran knew that was my favorite meal. Will ate a ton too; he ate quite a bit more human food now, than he did before Vincent’s attack.

I still worried he was not recovering, as he slept more than I did at night. Pratt and Doc promised me he was going to be fine very soon and not to worry about it. I curled up to watch TV as Will slept on the couch, and Libby had gone off to her room already after getting me all settled for the night. Things were quiet, and I wasn’t complaining about that at all.

I didn’t think much as I heard voices downstairs. I expected Gran’s book club had just got done with their meeting. It was Tuesday night and that was their regular meeting night. I was going to sit in, as I loved to read, but was feeling kind of tired so I decided to go to bed early. Libby gave me my last serum dose for the day and all was quiet. I had felt pretty good all day, just really tired. Pratt said as long as I stayed warm, and had my serum doses on schedule I would be feeling as good as I had been before the “
Sara
” incident.

Chapter
17

Things go from good to bad

I was into an old episode of Gilmore Girls so I ignored the sound of footsteps in the hall. I could hear 100 times better now, as my body got closer to being more vampire like. I always heard many things that I normally didn’t as a human. I heard my door slowly open, I figured maybe Gran was coming in to say goodnight. I didn’t bother to look up. The voice I heard now was one I hoped and prayed I would never hear again.

“Ahhhh Corrine, well you’re looking rather under the weather aren’t you?” Todd Downs was standing before me. I couldn’t move. I could barely breathe as I watched him lock my bedroom door.

“Surprised to see me aren’t you? It has been a long time hasn’t it?” He looked expectantly at me, but I was frozen in fear and could not speak.

He was speaking softly enough to avoid waking William. I knew I needed to scream, or something to wake Will up. I curled my legs up to my chest, pulling my comforter up next to my neck. I felt like I couldn’t get any air and my body started shaking.

“I see lover boy is passed out, not to normal for a vampire to be doing that is it?” He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes looking at William closely.

“What?” I whispered in shock. What did he know about vampires? How did he even know Will was one? I felt my stomach churn.

“I see you are surprised that I know what
he
is
.” He looked at William, seeming to study him again. “Rare indeed to see a vamp sleep so soundly for so long, he seems almost….
human
.” Todd smirked as he shook his head.

“A human? Why are you speaking like that?” I gasped trying to understand him. He was acting really weird and talking strange not like the creep I knew he was. He was speaking as if he actually had a brain.

“I see your shocked Corrine. You can tell I’m different but you are not sure how? Well… I will let you in on a secret.
I
am like your lover boy over there now. I too am a vampire.” He tilted his head and smiled at me.

“Ah… but not a half ass half blood as your precious William is. No, I am a full blood and much stronger than he is as you know, I’m sure. I happened to run into Will’s creator, Vincent not long after my last little visit with you. Once I told him, I knew of you and William he offered to change me. He said my hatred of you two would make me a perfect addition to the Dark coven.

“What’s going on? What do you want then? You’re immortal, you can be an evil jack ass forever now, why bother me and William?” I was really regretting the jackass thing now, he was after all a vampire and insane. He was more dangerous now than he ever was as a human.

“Oh Corrine you’re smarter than that, did you think I would pass up the chance to pay you back for making the last year of my human life sheer hell?”

“You did that Todd, not me. You attacked me, I said no and you know it! I told you how I felt about sleeping with you and you tried to force yourself on me at that party! Don’t you dare blame me because you’re a walking hormone and can’t control yourself?” I hissed at him. I felt the old anger I had buried rise as I stared into his eyes.

“To top it off you nearly killed me by all the crap you put in my drink. Did you know if the paramedics had been just 30 minutes later in getting my stomach pumped out, I would have died! Nice job on that! One muscle relaxer wasn’t enough? Were you that stupid or did you want me to die after you had your way with me!”

I was furious, I couldn’t control all the things I was saying either. It was all pouring out, all the anger and all the things I had wanted to say to him ever since that horrific night. I knew I was probably pissing him off and it was insane for me to do so. I lay here in this bed helpless, confronting my worst enemy. I knew somewhere inside, this may be it for me. He was probably going to kill me next. Todd was evil, he was evil before even the night of the attack, and he had to be much worse now.

I thought back to when we started dating in high school, our senior year. I should have known then to run the other way. Todd was controlling, and abusive to me. Not so much physical but verbal. He never wanted me to go out with my friends, made me quit Drama club and soccer. He said they took too much of my time, and he needed me more.

Kara and Beth begged me to dump him so many times, if only I had listened to them. They were my best friends, and they really loved me, but I was young and stupid, and thought Todd loved me too. It started to get bad at the start of our freshman year at Harvard. One night after a movie he swore I was flirting with a guy, he hit me in the parking lot, just a slap but all the same, he hit me. I should have dumped him then, but was too scared.

“You’ve got some nerve yelling at me like that right now. From what I hear, you’re in pretty bad shape. You should have known I would be back for you! I spent the last year hiding from all the cops your dad hired to hunt me down. If I hadn’t run into Vincent and his crew in New Orleans, I would be doing time in prison right now thanks to you.”

He walked around the room looking at all my pictures and personal stuff. “Daddy’s little girl.” He smirked holding up a picture of my dad, and me when I was 8 years old at the local fair. “Tell me Corrine, what does daddy think about you having a half blooded vampire as a boyfriend? I bet he wouldn’t approve would he? I bet he doesn’t even know, does he? Maybe somebody should tell him about William’s true identity eh?”

“Shut up Todd, you know you can’t, even the Dark coven would kill you for exposing what he is. It’s the un written law all covens live by. You can’t expose other vampires, half blood or not.”

“Do I ever follow rules Corrine?” he laughed and moved on to look at the other pictures I had on my nightstand. “Oh now that is sweet, you and lover boy together. He really does pass for a human. I could never tell by looking at him he was a vampire.” I watched him set that picture down and now his eyes were fixed on me. It was all too much for me, having Todd right here in my room, the confidence I had before was now gone, replaced by terror.

“I hear you’re really sick and that you actually gave your blood to William so he wouldn’t die. You really amaze me Corrine. You would give up your life for him, but you wouldn’t even sleep with me? You are a major head case, you do realize that don’t you? Oh and I thought you also might want to know you royally pissed off the Dark coven, by doing that.” He smirked. “A big mistake on your part.”

“Why? What does it matter to them, me saving William, which has nothing to do with your freaky coven!” I felt the anger welling up inside of me again.

“Oh… it does, Vincent wanted William back in the Dark coven for some reason.” He grimaced in disgust for a second. I knew he had a deep hatred for William and I hated to see what he was planning to do to him.

“You were the one who he believed led him away from being a real vampire. I will never understand why he favored him so much, but he was adamant that William return to New Orleans. Your strong bond with the followers led Doc to protect you. When Doc killed Vincent he sealed William’s fate as well as yours.” I felt a pain in the back of my head now. I was desperately trying to hide it from Todd as he spoke.

“What do you mean?” I said in a whisper, trying to hide my agony.

“You see Corrine, Vincent let me become one of his coven to be his.” He tapped his finger on the edge of my footboard. “Assistant, if you will. I was to help him achieve all the things he wanted to do. I was his right hand the last few months before he died.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and took a deep breath.

“Vincent made me also promise to complete his work if he should not be able to do it. I swore to him if he made me a vampire I would do just that.” He smiled at me as he narrowed his eyes.

I couldn’t imagine what he was thinking. “So that brings us to this point right here, I made Vincent a promise and I will not fail him.”

I couldn’t imagine what he had to promise to get Vincent to turn him into a vampire, but I knew it couldn’t be good at all. Another pain gripped my body, this time in my stomach. I doubled over and gasped in pain, tears filled my eyes. I knew Todd could sense I was weak, it was a skill all vampires had. It was a way of tracking their next meal.

“Are you hurting? I can see how much suffering being with that half blood has caused you Corrine. I did love you, did you know that?” I felt my stomach drop; I couldn’t believe he just said that.

“You don’t know the meaning of that word, don’t flatter yourself.” I wrapped my arm around my chest, closed my eyes, and looked away, so not wanting to have this conversation with him.

“I did Corrine, but now I only hate you and that is why completing Vincent’s plan will be all the more enjoyable for me. Your coven leader Doc killed the only person who ever understood who I was and now you will pay. It is common knowledge you are dying just so you know, the entire Dark coven is aware of it.” He laughed, but not loud enough fro Will to hear him.

“I know you are trying to cheat a human death by becoming a vampire, nice idea. I like how you think. I hate to tell you though, it probably will not happen. Leo my coven’s chief leader knows a vast deal about changing too, and he is fairly certain yours will never complete.” I had no words. How did they know, who had told them about me I wondered.