Status: Updates on Sundays
Why Don't You Just Drop Dead?
The Phoenix
“William!” I cried, pushing past the league of Dandies who tried to keep my out of the dining room. “William, why would you let them?” I demanded, childish tears of anger and emotional pain streaming down my face and dripping onto the white dress I’d gotten for my sixteenth birthday.
“Winona, please, I’m in a meeting,” William begged, gesturing to the other men in suits around the table. “Brendon, take Winona back to her room, please.”
“C’mon, Winnie.” I fought his grip on my wrist, but years of coddling and not ever having to defend myself had left me spoiled and weak. Brendon easily pulled me along back to my bedroom and shut the door behind us. “What the hell was that all about?”
“The hunters came, I saw them. They came and William made me go with them.” I’d stopped crying at this point, dragging the back of my hand across my face to catch any remaining tears instead.
“What?” The annoyance on his face was rewritten into rage.
“That’s what I wanted to know! But he’s in one of his stupid meetings and won’t tell me what’s going to be happening. He must know that they’re coming, but they’ve got a new boy.”
It was hard enough to keep the hunters at bay with just the four of them, but a fifth could really push things over the edge.
Brendon left me alone, then. I always had to wait in my room when William was negotiating. He said it was because I was human still, and my blood was distracting to some of the men. I think it was really because he was worried I’d break something, or annoy a prospective ally.
“Winona,” William sighed, appearing in my room. He rarely bothered with doors. “Brendon told me you saw the hunters coming?”
“Soon. There are five now. And you give me up to them.”
“It’s all for the clan, sweetheart. We need to get someone on the inside to pick them apart and help us win so they don’t kill any more of our kind.”
“Your kind. You won’t turn me.”
“You’d lose your gift, precious.” I knew he was stressed by the amount of pet names pouring out of his mouth. “When we’ve won, that’s when I’ll do it. You’ll get to rule when I retire, dear.”
“So you’re still handing me over. They’re going to drag me out of here and you and the other Dandies teleport out.”
“Try and make the best of it, Winona. I need to get back to my meeting; I left the other clan heads with Brendon and god only knows how that will turn out.”
I tried to focus my Sight as he left. William made me exercise it daily so I could pinpoint the future more exactly. The room around me vanished and was replaced with ashes. The bastards would burn my home to the ground. The only thing left behind was the metal bed frame, and the bare skeleton of the rest of the mansion.
“Not going to teleport out?” My eyes focused again. There was a blonde boy in my room, stake in hand. “Or can’t?” He corrected himself, nothing the lack of fangs in my snarl.
“Andy! Pete!”
That’s when the vision started playing itself out. Two more of the hunters rushed into the room, and the three of them combined were able to drag me out. The Dandies were long gone.
“Winona, please, I’m in a meeting,” William begged, gesturing to the other men in suits around the table. “Brendon, take Winona back to her room, please.”
“C’mon, Winnie.” I fought his grip on my wrist, but years of coddling and not ever having to defend myself had left me spoiled and weak. Brendon easily pulled me along back to my bedroom and shut the door behind us. “What the hell was that all about?”
“The hunters came, I saw them. They came and William made me go with them.” I’d stopped crying at this point, dragging the back of my hand across my face to catch any remaining tears instead.
“What?” The annoyance on his face was rewritten into rage.
“That’s what I wanted to know! But he’s in one of his stupid meetings and won’t tell me what’s going to be happening. He must know that they’re coming, but they’ve got a new boy.”
It was hard enough to keep the hunters at bay with just the four of them, but a fifth could really push things over the edge.
Brendon left me alone, then. I always had to wait in my room when William was negotiating. He said it was because I was human still, and my blood was distracting to some of the men. I think it was really because he was worried I’d break something, or annoy a prospective ally.
“Winona,” William sighed, appearing in my room. He rarely bothered with doors. “Brendon told me you saw the hunters coming?”
“Soon. There are five now. And you give me up to them.”
“It’s all for the clan, sweetheart. We need to get someone on the inside to pick them apart and help us win so they don’t kill any more of our kind.”
“Your kind. You won’t turn me.”
“You’d lose your gift, precious.” I knew he was stressed by the amount of pet names pouring out of his mouth. “When we’ve won, that’s when I’ll do it. You’ll get to rule when I retire, dear.”
“So you’re still handing me over. They’re going to drag me out of here and you and the other Dandies teleport out.”
“Try and make the best of it, Winona. I need to get back to my meeting; I left the other clan heads with Brendon and god only knows how that will turn out.”
I tried to focus my Sight as he left. William made me exercise it daily so I could pinpoint the future more exactly. The room around me vanished and was replaced with ashes. The bastards would burn my home to the ground. The only thing left behind was the metal bed frame, and the bare skeleton of the rest of the mansion.
“Not going to teleport out?” My eyes focused again. There was a blonde boy in my room, stake in hand. “Or can’t?” He corrected himself, nothing the lack of fangs in my snarl.
“Andy! Pete!”
That’s when the vision started playing itself out. Two more of the hunters rushed into the room, and the three of them combined were able to drag me out. The Dandies were long gone.