Sequel: Eternal Rest 2: 4 AM

Eternal Rest

Chapter 14

Matt watched as his dad paced the length of the kitchen and raised an eyebrow at him. He had never seen his dad like this before. Not in any of his 328 years. Jimmy looked to him and they turned to his mother hoping that she could give an explanation she shook her head. Elainia was the first to speak when she finally put down the ice cream carton once it was empty.

“So anyone wanna tell us what’s going on?”

“Yeah seriously we’re all a part of this too.”

“Not by choice…” Nevaeh said glaring at Matt. That caught her father’s attention.

“What, wait was someone turned against their will again? Because if so then I can’t let this go a second time…”

“No no one was turned against their will.” Zack shot out quickly Laila thankfully didn’t say a word but she did smile at him and there was a playful look in her eyes. Hey if she was gonna be almost indestructible she couldn’t think of a cuter guy to flirt with. Matt and Brian saw it and rolled their eyes. They didn’t want Zack in anymore trouble than they were all already in.

“When and who?” Andrew said to Adele. She knew what he meant and smiled as she took Johnny’s hand.

“About two days after we left, and Johnny.” He turned to Laila.

“Uhm… about eight weeks ago…” she wondered if he would know that Zack hadn’t asked.

‘BLOCK YOUR THOUGHTS’ shot thru her head in several different voices and she did as she was told and finished speaking.

“And Zack did.”

“Willingly…” Andrews eyes were waiting the answer from Zack and suddenly Zack knew he was in deep shit. For the second time with this man. This wasn’t going to look good for him.

“Look we had no choice she saved my life and Nia’s mom who is dead now by the way almost killed her and…” Zack trailed off wondering just how to plead his case to Matt’s dad.

“I wasn’t mad when I found out. See I was glad because now I can really get to know my great, great grandmother and aunt… and besides Zack wouldn’t have done it if he wasn’t such a sweet heart.” her voice didn’t falter and she kept her thoughts blocked wondering if the man would be able to get passed her barriers. But everyone’s reaction to her calling him a sweetheart seemed to direct his attention elsewhere.

‘sweetheart?’ Zack thought to himself while the others tried not to laugh at him being called a sweetheart. Nia however succeeded in not hiding the laughter that bubbled out. Andrew turned to her.

“What’s so funny?”

“Uhm sorry, but well never mind…stupid fucking hormones.” she said as she tried to get her laughter under control. Laila shook her head and smiled. She like the rest of the group knew that the babies were Zacks.

“Hormones…?” Melody asked and then her jaw dropped.

“Yeah so me and Nia really need to get going, so come on, you guys can fill us in tomorrow.” Brian said. He wasn’t ready to deal with the ugly scene that was sure to follow, that and it was getting dark. And he wanted to get home before it was pitch black out. He pushed Nia up and she trashed her carton and put the spoon in the sink. She hugged her friends and smiled as she kneeled down to hug the gigantic black dog. She then took Brian’s hand and walked out with him. Thank god her things were already in his car. She slid in the passenger side and he got in and started the engine.

“Sweetheart my ass.” Matt said as he peeled out of the driveway. Nia glanced in his direction and knew that he was ready to explode finally about the fact that she wasn’t having his children. “Stupid mother fucker is no sweetheart. He’s a fucking asshole and so help me god if he gets in trouble for this he’s on his own. I’m not saving his ass again…” He talked to himself the whole ten miles to his place and Nia was actually glad to get out of the car. When she did her heart stopped for a moment when she saw his house. It was beautiful. She turned in circles trying to take it all in, even in the lingering daylight she saw it all as if the sun was still shining bright. She stopped at the stairs and bent down to sniff one of the roses that grew in front of the huge front porch. Brian watched her and smiled. He unlocked the front door and when she walked in she dropped her purse on the table in the entryway and asked where the closest bathroom was. He told her and she took off toward it. She finally wondered her way back out to find him standing almost in the same place sorting through his mail.

“Can I explore?” She was like a kid in a candy store.

“Yeah, it’s your house to now, that is if you wanna live here with me…?” he turned it into a question and she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him gently.

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I love you Brian.” He kissed her back.

“I love you too Nia.”

“Anything off limits?”

“Not to you, to Brian’s parents yes, come find me before you go to the third floor though.”

“Okay”

“Hey, I’m gonna put what blood we have in the bottom of the fridge, there’s a hidden drawer, just like at Zacks.”

“Okay, I’ll follow you to the kitchen and start there then.” And that’s just what she did. She was in heaven when she walked in though. There were so many cook books and there was a glass fronted cabinet with every appliance she could ever think of to use to cook. She flipped open a cook book while he unloaded the blood. He obviously loved cooking as well because the books looked well worn. She put the one in her hand back and ran her hands over the spines of the other books. She passed over a little one and he watched as she pulled it out. She read the title of it.

…Recipes by Talia Haner…

She looked toward Brian and saw his eyes filled with sorrow. It was his mothers. She said nothing as she put it back with the rest and continued looking around the kitchen. She heard him come up behind her and she turned and he handed her a bag of blood. Before she opened it she reached out and touched his face.

xoxox

Adele was staring at the door where Andrew and Melody had just walked out of the kitchen. They all looked at one another and Zack looked worried. He wanted to disappear. He knew he was in trouble and this wasn’t the first time although if you thought about it, it wasn’t his fault that he had been turned in the first place. Which was why this technically should only be strike one against him.

“Look Zack, we’re not going to let him punish you. If you hadn’t have done it I’m betting one of them would’ve…” Matt said nodding in the directions of the twins who were sitting on the floor with Fang and Laila.

“But they didn’t and it was me and your dad never really liked me.”

“Look man, you’ve never once fucked up in the what 94 years that you’ve been a vampire. There really isn’t anything you can do, and none of us will let them hurt Laila, she just seems to fit with us, just like the twins do.” Johnny said. Zack smiled at his friends and prayed to god that they were right.

“Drew, just calm down, look everyone is allowed at least one mistake, you of all people know that honey. And you know damn well that it is his first mistake and it’s not like he turned her to kill people. She’s a doctor, I read that much before they told her to block from you. She saved lives when she wasn’t like us, and she saved another one in that hotel mess. Don’t judge him because you’ve never liked him. And besides do you really want to leave Nia’s babies alone with just her to raise them. Well yeah sure they’ll have Brian too, but they need their father as well.” Andrew listened to his wife’s soft words and sighed. He knew she was right and he knew that the only ruling would be that they would have to keep a close eye on the turned Laila. He sighed, why was it when it came to the five of them was he so willing to make sacrifices and cover their mistakes. Oh yeah that was right, they were the best hunters the council had and he knew that the other council members knew what the guys did, but let it slide as well seeing as they never truly caused any harm. He sighed,

“Alright Mel, you’re right dear. I’m just a little stressed, that was a lot of clean up and it just feels like there is about to be another war.”

“Yes I know, but we made it through the last one. We’ll make it through this one. Now, why don’t you go explain to them just who that blade belongs to.” Melody said before she kissed her husband on the cheek. He took her hand and went back into the kitchen. Matt looked up at his parents and when he saw the look on his dad’s face he seemed to relax.

“Okay, look just be careful all of you and we’ll get through this. I just wish that the other two were still here, so that this doesn’t have to be repeated. Seeing as you all worked well as a unit, and I mean all of you, right down to your three newest turns, we’re hoping, well I’m hoping you’ll work together to stop this before another war breaks out.”

“Dad who the hell does the blade belong to and why in the hell did Marius have it?” Matt said.

“It belonged to Dillon Miles.”

“The high councilman?” Zack asked standing from where he was sitting at the table.

“You’ve done your homework…”

“No he wanted me dead remember.” Zack said seething somewhat. Matt shoved him.

“Oh right, well apparently he still does or there is a reason that he wants Elainia.” Andrew said.

“But wait isn’t he one of the good guys?”

“And you are?”

“Nevaeh Williams, I though the council was supposed to protect us and not kill us.”

“You guys have a council…?” Laila asked raising an eyebrow.

“Kind of like the president and congress and all that, only normally we’re a little more controlled, which is why the last war was 200 years ago.” Jimmy said. His eyes were a dark blue and Matt placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Sorry dad but all of this is hard on Jimmy.”

“I know it must be, but I trust all of you to keep him safe. He lost a lot the last time.”

“I have more to loose this time.” Jimmy said looking around at his friends and the two people that he had considered second parents growing up and that had helped him through the last war when he lost Leana.

“Anyway, we’ve suspected for a long time that he has been abusing his power and each high councilman or woman is given a coronation blade, which is why I’m surprised you didn’t recognize it for what it is Matt. But we’re each given one and most of us keep them on us to use as protection in case we are attacked by rogues or other creatures of the night. Don’t ask now Laila was it, I’m sure Zack would love to explain that to you. Anyway others place their blades on display. I have used mine to fight along side my son and wife as well as many other hunters over the years. Dillon has been trying to turn the international council against one another as well as the rest of the Continental council, as well as region councils.”

“Oh dear god I hate politics…” Laila said and then apologized for it.

“Yes well it seems that the councils are all divided now. And no one feels that they can trust anyone on the Continental council. Which is made up of all high councilmen, there are no women on that council, even though we’ve been trying for years to make it even. Dillon is on that council and it seems that they are split four three, and it’s four to the good, and three to the darker side. Rumors have been going around for almost a century that someone in a very powerful position is trying to cause a rebellion, now we know who. We just need to know why Elainia.”

“Dad the way her change went so smoothly, we think that she had already swallowed a little bit of vampire blood. I know from when I was little you told me that that was possible, and when it happened very rare. Nia thinks it’s possible, she told us she was there the night her parents were killed. But obviously her mother had been turned.”

“Then there must be something… did she give details?”

“No…” Matt said.

“She tried to revive her mother. She administered CPR but it didn’t work. There was blood all over the place, all over Lana.” Everyone turned to Adele. Johnny looked at her for a moment. And when she burst into tears he held her.