Status: Part Two is up and kicking. Literally. The thing won't leave me alone.
Blood Isn't Always Thicker Than Water
Expiration Date
My heart now felt like it had abandoned me. Jeremy’s head was turned away from me, like he couldn’t bear to see my reaction. Well, let him super-sense it. I was furious.
“You WHAT?!”
The dogs jumped a bit.
“Cas, you have no clue how guilty I feel now.”
“Why were you stuck with me?” This made no sense.
“You’re an unregistered purebred. The only one. Your brother is registered, as in people know he’s alive and he has a valid birth certificate.”
“MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE EXPIRED?!”
“You could say that.” Jeremy pet the dogs a bit to calm them down. “Yours became invalid ever since news that you were supposed to be dead came out. Technically, you don’t exist. So the King of ‘Vampires’ sent me out when he found out you actually existed after that guy Logan brought you to him. I made it seem as accidental as possible when you found me.”
“You said ‘Caspian Ross… I’ve been waiting for you’, or something like that.”
He shrugged. “It was true. And that was how I acted, right? It was totally natural. But, anyway, I was supposed to make regular reports to the King about you in general, but especially your intentions. But just two days ago I found out that Mr. King wanted to know about the stuff I just told you because apparently either you or your brother is the perfect match for Sam.”
I frowned. “I have a fifty-percent chance of being with Samantha Royce? Forever?”
“Uh, yeah, kinda.”
“Cool… And why are you telling me all this? You aren’t still working for him, are you?”
Jeremy shook his head. “I’ve decided that my loyalty lies right here.” He tapped a finger against the top left side of my chest, over my heart. A slow smile spread across my face, along with a strong blush. “And, also, I wanted to let you know that Sam is kinda living at Brendon Urie’s apartment, and I’ve seen that she’ll move to your brother’s soon.”
I stared at him, totally nonplussed and disbelieving. “You mean to tell me that soon my fifty percent will be down to twenty-five?”
“You mean your chances of being with Sam? Kind of. Before you left her on the parking garage, I’d say that you had a ninety to ninety-five percent chance. When you left, seventy-five. Once Sam got to Brendon’s, fifty. Soon, as in maybe a couple days, five to zero.”
I yelped. Seriously. It scared the dogs more than any of my human reactions so far. “And I’d lose her to the brother I’ve never met?”
He nodded.
“Oh, this is crap,” I said. “If I go get Samantha, will she die because of me?”
He shrugged. “No idea. Why do you think that so many people have died because of your presence?”
“’Cause they have. I’m the worst charm or omen or whatever in the world.”
A small smile was haunting Jeremy’s lips. What the hell was so funny? “Cas, you do realize that there are perfectly reasonable explanations for why all those people died, don’t you?”
I frowned and glanced around. “Um, no, not really…”
“Well, your dad, Ross the second, was an alcoholic. Alcohol is the same to humans as it is to ‘vampires’. So your dad died from his alcoholism. That woman, Marietta Carver, she probably died from the loneliness, sadness and anxiety from you leaving her. Well, being forced to leave her. You were like a real son to her. It crushed her when you were taken. Rick Ricardo was killed by some of the King’s ‘vampires’. Mr. King thought that Rick-Ric might have influenced my decision to stop working for him. You know, I gave the King some false information.”
“What was it?” I asked when Jeremy didn’t continue, noticing his bad little kid smile.
“I told him you and Miss Royce had had a certain kind of…intercourse together.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
“YOU DID NOT!”I exploded, making the dogs jump to their feet—like I had just done—and back up.
Jeremy made some calming noises and they settled down again, a few feet away from where they had been before.
I was still standing, fuming. “Jeremy…”
He just stared, expressionless, at me.
That just made me madder. Out of the blue, a crazy need to do something came over me. Without thinking, I lunged at Jeremy. Like he had been expecting this, he dodged to the side.
And I went flying right into the fire.
“You WHAT?!”
The dogs jumped a bit.
“Cas, you have no clue how guilty I feel now.”
“Why were you stuck with me?” This made no sense.
“You’re an unregistered purebred. The only one. Your brother is registered, as in people know he’s alive and he has a valid birth certificate.”
“MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE EXPIRED?!”
“You could say that.” Jeremy pet the dogs a bit to calm them down. “Yours became invalid ever since news that you were supposed to be dead came out. Technically, you don’t exist. So the King of ‘Vampires’ sent me out when he found out you actually existed after that guy Logan brought you to him. I made it seem as accidental as possible when you found me.”
“You said ‘Caspian Ross… I’ve been waiting for you’, or something like that.”
He shrugged. “It was true. And that was how I acted, right? It was totally natural. But, anyway, I was supposed to make regular reports to the King about you in general, but especially your intentions. But just two days ago I found out that Mr. King wanted to know about the stuff I just told you because apparently either you or your brother is the perfect match for Sam.”
I frowned. “I have a fifty-percent chance of being with Samantha Royce? Forever?”
“Uh, yeah, kinda.”
“Cool… And why are you telling me all this? You aren’t still working for him, are you?”
Jeremy shook his head. “I’ve decided that my loyalty lies right here.” He tapped a finger against the top left side of my chest, over my heart. A slow smile spread across my face, along with a strong blush. “And, also, I wanted to let you know that Sam is kinda living at Brendon Urie’s apartment, and I’ve seen that she’ll move to your brother’s soon.”
I stared at him, totally nonplussed and disbelieving. “You mean to tell me that soon my fifty percent will be down to twenty-five?”
“You mean your chances of being with Sam? Kind of. Before you left her on the parking garage, I’d say that you had a ninety to ninety-five percent chance. When you left, seventy-five. Once Sam got to Brendon’s, fifty. Soon, as in maybe a couple days, five to zero.”
I yelped. Seriously. It scared the dogs more than any of my human reactions so far. “And I’d lose her to the brother I’ve never met?”
He nodded.
“Oh, this is crap,” I said. “If I go get Samantha, will she die because of me?”
He shrugged. “No idea. Why do you think that so many people have died because of your presence?”
“’Cause they have. I’m the worst charm or omen or whatever in the world.”
A small smile was haunting Jeremy’s lips. What the hell was so funny? “Cas, you do realize that there are perfectly reasonable explanations for why all those people died, don’t you?”
I frowned and glanced around. “Um, no, not really…”
“Well, your dad, Ross the second, was an alcoholic. Alcohol is the same to humans as it is to ‘vampires’. So your dad died from his alcoholism. That woman, Marietta Carver, she probably died from the loneliness, sadness and anxiety from you leaving her. Well, being forced to leave her. You were like a real son to her. It crushed her when you were taken. Rick Ricardo was killed by some of the King’s ‘vampires’. Mr. King thought that Rick-Ric might have influenced my decision to stop working for him. You know, I gave the King some false information.”
“What was it?” I asked when Jeremy didn’t continue, noticing his bad little kid smile.
“I told him you and Miss Royce had had a certain kind of…intercourse together.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
“YOU DID NOT!”I exploded, making the dogs jump to their feet—like I had just done—and back up.
Jeremy made some calming noises and they settled down again, a few feet away from where they had been before.
I was still standing, fuming. “Jeremy…”
He just stared, expressionless, at me.
That just made me madder. Out of the blue, a crazy need to do something came over me. Without thinking, I lunged at Jeremy. Like he had been expecting this, he dodged to the side.
And I went flying right into the fire.
♠ ♠ ♠
Is it just me or is this chapter shorter than the rest? Whatever. I'm not supposed to be on the computer right now so I can't leave a long and awesome Author's Note like I usually do. Hope all you wonderful readers understand!One mor thing: NO ONE has read the chapter before this yet! I'm being nice and putting this out for you guys before ANYONE has even read the other chapter. I'm sure you all have your excuse, but this is inexcusable.
Just kidding. I forgive you all, because I'm amazing like that. I'm being conceited today, aren't I? Well, this is the only place I can be, so deal with it! And comment and subscribe if you haven't already! However, if you've commented before, by all means, comment again. And be awesome and read the stories I've posted in my signature. Just click "Comments" at the top of this page and when you see a comment put in by me, look down at the bottom and you will see two stories mentioned. READ THEM. Thank you. Bye!
-Thyra
P.S. Don't kill me because I finished with another cliffhanger. Pretty please?