Rain Gently Tapping Against My Skin

“Are you sure he’s there?”, I ask, looking up at the Holiday Inn doubtfully.

“He payed for an entire week, Melody.”, Zoey says hopefully. They already knew about Alison. They knew that she may not make it because of the bite.

“Alright,” I say, already heading toward it before Sammie stopped me.

“You don’t have to go in there alone, Melody. We can go with you. Donovan’s dangerous …”

“I’ll be fine. I’ll scream if I need any help.”

I walk into the lobby, thankful that I had stolen the key to the hotel-room from Kevin before leaving. It wasn’t easy, either. He’s beyond furious with Donovan for practically killing Alison. He also has no idea that I’m even doing this, or that Alison is still alive thanks to Mirabelle, Laura, Kim, and Cassie. Oh, and Kristan, Rachel, Oliver, and Mark. They stayed behind, keeping a close watch on Alison incase anything were to go wrong.

Anyway, I had watched him beating the crap out of this punching bag while crying. It was so weird to see him so torn between being completely psycho or crying his heart out. And he says he doesn’t have a heart!

I come back to the present as I come face to face with the door to the room. I was just about to knock, when it swings open, revealing Donovan who looked like he hadn’t been unconscious the last time I’d seen him. About an hour or two ago.

“What do you want?”

“Alison’s dieing.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“She won’t come back. Ever. Donovan, everyone would be in some serious debt to you if you saved her.”, I say, taking a step closer. “Alison’s practically saved all of our lives. You saving her in like twice that. You don’t have to care about her to at least want that much.”

“That’s not enough for me to want to save her.”, Donovan growls, glowering down at me. “I tried with Katharina and that didn’t work out.”

“Wait, you were —”

“Daniel Connor. Katharina’s boyfriend until she found out what I was.”, Donovan rolls his eyes, gesturing for me to come in. “Witches are dedicated people. Most look after humanity. Alison looks after whoever matters to her.”

“You still have to want to save her. If you waited so long for her reincarnation …”

“Sure, I care a little that she’s dieing. But she’ll just come back again. Probably a Kendall. Alison always liked that name.”, Donovan says thoughtfully, sitting down on the couch. “Anyway, I’m not that worried. Her body will reject it because the change wasn’t complete. But only I can fix this, Melody, no one else.”

“So, that’s it? You’re completely ignoring the fact that she won’t come back at all!”

Donovan chuckles at that. I slapped him angrily, glaring.

“Jeez, Melody!! Like I told you, Alison’s coming back!”, Donovan says, glaring back at me. “And I don’t see what I’ll get if I try and help her. Other than nearly being unconscious and killing her.”

“Kevin won’t know. He doesn’t even know I’m here.”, I say through my teeth.

“Oh,” Donovan seemed like he was now considering it. “That’s still not enough reason. I’m personally looking forward to meeting Kendall, anyway.”

“Fine, what do you want? Keep it reasonable.”, I say, glaring. “And depending on whether she lives or not is what happens.”

“Oh, she’ll live. Hmm … how about you all supply me with a place to crash?”

“I can’t make anyone agree to that, Donovan. Nobody trusts you enough to even consider it.”

“I didn’t mean up at Fallen, Melody. I meant down here on earth. I know you all can use magic to pay for things. And I’m gonna need some money to pay for what they broke here.”

“Fine. But first you save Alison.”

“Alright, when and where? Since I’m fairly sure Kevin completely disapproves on this.”

“Here. Tomorrow at midnight.”

“Alright. I’ll be waiting,” Donovan says, smirking at me.

“All you do is fix her, Donovan. Anything else and I’ll let Kevin at you. He’s beyond furious for all you’ve done to her.”, I growl, stepping closer to him.

“You’ve only heard Alison’s version of the war, Melody.”, Donovan says, standing up to beat my height. “I’m a vampire. I die in fire. I couldn’t go past those gates without dieing. I’ll admit that I knew everyone was going to die. But I gave every ounce of my power to make sure she stayed alive. That Prince David just made me seem like the bad guy.”

“Ever consider the fact that maybe you are?”

“I never said I was completely innocent. I’ve killed people, by accident and intention. I’m just saying that if I could’ve gone down there I would’ve. Who knows? Maybe I would’ve saved everyone.”

“If you loved her so much, why didn’t you just keep her up there with you?”

“First off, I tried. Just that Zoey … she sucked her into it. Secondly, how am I supposed to explain to a five-year-old girl that all her friends were going to die while fighting against Hell.”

♠ ♣ ♠

I had considered what Donovan had said, running it over and over again in my head. Did David even know Donovan was a vampire? And Alison said she had convinced herself it was a dream most of her life, so wouldn’t that mean that there might be holes in her memory? I thought about all this silently, eating a salad absentmindedly. I was meeting Donovan this evening back in his hotel room. The Psychics, Mirabelle, Jessica, Cassie, Kim, Kenneth, and Randy were coming with me. Chris and Laura were staying behind to distract Kevin while we worked. Max, Martin, and David had pressured me into letting them come along, giving me all the reasons why they should go.

“You ready?”, Laura asks, looking at me sadly.

“How is she?”

“We’ve been able to slow down the venom, keep it from completely destroying her as best we could. But you may want to go sooner.”

“I can’t. Kevin would notice too much if we disappeared in the daylight.”

“Speaking of which, he’s in about as bad a shape as Alison. He nearly killed me when I tried talking to him.”, Chris says. “I never seen him care so much about someone dieing. Usually he just shrugs and walks away, completely forgetting about their existance.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, but with Katharina and Alison, it’s a whole different story. Those two were nearly impossible to seperate! Kevin looks most like mom, nowadays.”, Chris chuckles, rolling his eyes. “He’s actually blonde.”

“Really?”, I say, not believing it for a second. If he was, then how the heck does he keep from showing it?

“Yeah. His hair turned black when he died. We hardly recognized him.”

“How could his hair go from blonde to black?”, still not buying it.

“I dunno. Katharina’s hair was blonde like you. Oh, and she had these green eyes that always made Kevin the protective older brother.”, Chris chuckles. “He had to make millions of boys back off since she was five. Maybe that’s just a witch thing, since Alison does it, too.”

“I used to have green eyes.”, I say, shocked by that little piece of information. “I used to have really green eyes. Lots of guys just stared at mine like little puppy dogs.”

“Ah, I remember those days.”, Dylan says, rolling his eyes. “I had to be her protective older brother.”

♠ ♣ ♠

Too many thoughts were crowding my mind. I was thinking about what Donovan had said about Alison during the war, about how David had turned her against him. That was still a little unbelievable, but that wasn’t the only thing giving me this headache. I was also thinking about what little description I had gotten about Katharina, and how it was a little odd that those few simple things sent me into a flutter of questions about her.

But I had little time to think about all of that. It was less than an hour to midnight, and I was on my way to get Alison. I walked into the cottage, where Alison was held. But I stopped outside, staring wide-eyed at Kevin, as he stood casually beside her pale figure. It was depressing to see her so sick.

“How long to you expect me to not know?”

“Long enough to heal her.”

“You know, it’s amazing how much you trust him even after all he’s done to Alison.”

“I’m not going alone. Lots of people are helping.”

“Oh, yes, of course. Because they have complete faith in Donovan.”, Kevin says sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “Martin’s going to make sure Donovan doesn’t try anything. Max is going to spark the anger to kill him if she dies. David’s going to make sure nobody dies. The Psychics are all going because they know what he’s able to do. Mirabelle’s going so that if she does die, she’ll be able to save her. My nieces and nephews just want to help murder him when he fails.”

“He promised she’d live.”

“Do you hear yourself right now, Melody?! Nobody trusts him! They’re all going so they can kill him when he messes up!”

“Where’s Laura?”, I suddenly nobody but us were here. I seriously did not feel comfortable with that knowledge.

“Gone. I told her to get lost for not obeying my wish to just let her die.”

“Kevin,” I growl, pushing past him to get to Alison. I check the monitors, thankful for my mom teaching me everything. Her heart was still beat studily, which was a relief. “What the hell is your problem?”

“My problem is that monster that you’ve recently taken to trusting.”

“I don’t have to trust anyone to want Alison to be alive.”

“How are you even sure that he’s not just gonna kill her? Then turn around and kill all of you?”

“Because he waited over five hundred years for her.”, I growl, glowering up at him. “Donovan’s name five hundred years ago was Daniel Connor.”

“I remember that much. Because unlike you, I actually trusted him five hundred years ago. Everyone expected Donovan and Katharina to get married. But she didn’t hear of it, threatened exposing what mom did to everyone.”, Kevin rolls his eyes. “So, he won her over once Chris, Josh, Raine, and I were out of the way, he made his move. Won her over quickly, then broke her just as swiftly.”

“You can’t hold it against him. He’s changed since then. Almost like you except … less recent.”, I say, rolling my eyes. “You try acting like you don’t care what happens to Alison. When I know for a fact that you’re more hopeful than I am that she makes it through this. That you hated yourself when you said you didn’t care. When you turned down seeing her one final time it was because you can’t stand to see her like this.”

“You don’t know the first thing about me.”, Kevin growls. “I’ll admit that I care about what happens to her. But other than that, you have no proof.”

He was so close to me, glaring down at me angrily. I glare back up at him, stubborn in this battle. But I could tell he was, too, staring into his silvery-golden eyes. I remembered back when I had first showed up on Fallen, over five years ago. I remembered how I thought it was so nice how he had saved me from Josh. Where’s a pile of bones and evil villian when you need one?

Anyway, we continued glaring at it each other, blinking rarely. Until Alison’s heart monitor was starting to slow. Then I broke my gaze, hovering over her, trying desperately to remember what my mom had said to do.

“Stop wasting your time, Melody. Alison’s dead.”

“I’ll believe that when her heart stops beating.”, I growl, lifting her off of the bed. It was amazing how light she was, not to mention how she seemed much taller than she actually was. “Now, move out of my way. You want her dead so badly, then I’ll make your wish come true.”

But he remained glaring at the door. I was getting impatient. A lot of time must have passed. I had to get her to Donovan, to at least try and save her life.

“Kevin, move.”

“No. I’m not letting you drag her nearly across the country just to feed some psycho vampire. That’s no way to die.”

“That’s what you’ve been all worked up over?”, I ask, holding back laughter. “You were scared that he was gonna drain her?”

“Why are you laughing?! Vampires have no self-control.”

“I’m sorry. But if you’re so worried about it then why don’t you just come along? You’ve known Donovan better than most of us. Or, better than anyone who can talk.”, I say, walking straight past him as he begins to protest. “Just come on before I change my mind.”

♠ ♣ ♠

“You’re late,” Donovan says, glaring as he opens the door, backing up quickly as Kevin walks quickly behind me. I tried getting him to stay downstairs with the others, and that’s really why I’m late.

“Take a wild guess why,” I say sarcastically, glaring at Kevin. “His name starts with a K.”

“I wouldn’t even need that much info.”, Donovan says, taking Alison from me. I gasp as I saw his fangs, fighting the impulse to run. He bit her neck, and I tried my best to hold Kevin back from murdering him.

“Kevin, stop!”, I growl, trying to keep him from attacking Donovan. He’s pretty strong when he’s angry, and just about threw me into a wall. Curse freaky psycho sixteen year old boys who played football with those druggie fake-muscles.

“There. Let her sleep for twenty-four hours and she’ll be as good as new. I’m expecting pay when she wakes up?”

“YOU’RE FRICKIN’ PAYING HIM?!!!!”, Kevin growls, tackling me down onto the ground.

“Yeah, and I’d really appreciate you not breaking anything, Kevin. Because I’m paying for it.”, I say, glaring up at him. “Now get off!”

“Why are you paying him anything?!”

“Because I’m not risking getting punched in the face. And I was personally looking forward to meeting Kendall.”, Donovan says, rolling his eyes. “She’ll be as good as new. Healthy and alive.”

“Who’s Kendall?”, Kevin asks, looking down at me as if I knew. Has anyone noticed that he always looks at me as if I have all the answers? Becuase it’s a little annoying.

“Kendall’s who he’s convinced himself that Alison would reincarnate into.”, I say, rolling my eyes. “Now would you care to, I dunno, get off of me?”

“Oh, right,” he helps me up, as I glare at him. He seriously ticks me off nowadays. It feels like we are married, sometimes, with all the arguement that usually start over something to do with Alison. It’s funny how she’s usually the only reason we haven’t killed each other, too.

“Thanks, Donovan,” I say, taking Alison, which Kevin takes her quickly away protective, glowering at Donovan.

“Just keep her away from anyone for a few days. Especially vampires. They like things that they think are taken.”

“Oh, I wonder why I’m not surprised.”, Kevin growls, as I attempt to push him out the door.

“See yah, Donovan! Remember, she dies, you die!”, I say cheerfully, trying to ignore the fact that Kevin was still trying to kill him. I pull him along to the elevator, not giving him the chance to run back and kill Donovan.

“I can walk, you know,” Kevin says sarcastically.

“Yeah, but I don’t trust you.”, I say, glaring, waiting until we were safely in the elevator to start yelling. “You big idiot!!!! You shouldn’t make him angry!!! Not when Alison’s life is on the line!!!”

“I don’t give crap about he feels, Melody. I just want Alison to be able to live or die peacefully.”

“How’d it go?”, Jessica asks, popping up as soon as the elevator doors open.

“She’ll wake up in twenty four hours.”, I say, walking into the lobby, where everyone was surrounding Zoey. “What’s going on?”

“I dunno, Zoey just started screaming … what did Donovan do to Alison?”, Ray asks, holding Zoey close, looking up at me.

“He bit her,” Kevin says from beside me, making me walk away quickly. I wasn’t in the mood for his crap.

♠ ♣ ♠

We were all staying up later than normal. I was excited to see Alison’s raven-feather eyes again, to hear her laugh and smart-ass comments. It would just be nice to have her back. Kevin wasn’t even trying to act like he didn’t care anymore, but still managing to look perfectly serious.

Then she woke up, and I gasped with shock.