The Most Important Rule
Chapter Seventeen
I couldn't stop thinking about him.
Lawrence…Silver eyes.
Foster noticed that I had been really distracted lately, so he tried to cheer me up. His methods for making me feel better weren't exactly what I had expected, however. "Foster, stop trying to unbutton my shirt!" I barked at him during breakfast.
"You have a spot on it! Here, let me help you clean it off - Hey! Come on, you don't have to hit me. I'm only trying to help." He pouted. If he were in his wolf form, I could just imagine him with his ears pressed back and tail between his legs, the universal sign of being rejected.
I sighed and looked down at my pancakes, my hunger dissipated. Pushing the plate aside, I stood up and headed out of the kitchen.
“I'm going to take a shower," I said, standing up.
"Want me to help?"
"No."
I ran up the stairs, a bit faster than necessary, and darted into my room before Foster could make another perverted comment. I decided the shower could wait and I collapsed onto my bed.
Staring up at the ceiling, I let out a long sigh.
Silver eyes.
I knew it was downright idiotic, I knew that I only felt this way because Lawrence had manipulated my emotions…but I simply could not push these feelings away. It wouldn’t stop.
-_-_-_-
I refused to come out of my room for the next few hours but eventually hunger got the best of me. I came down to the kitchen, feeling defeated and seriously craving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Rustan happened to be in the room as well.
As I made my food, I decided I’d ask Rustan a few questions that had been floating around in my head for a while. He seemed to be the one to know these sorts of things, anyway.
"Hey, um, can I ask you something?" I asked him.
"If it's another one of those questions that ends in a make out session," Rustan started, looking up at me, "ask as many as you want."
"It's about demons," I informed him curtly.
"Oh," he said shortly, looking deflated.
"You said that they're stronger than werewolves and vampires...Do they have any extra abilities? Or powers or something? Because if they can fly and shoot laser beams from their eyes, it'd be nice to know these things before we have to fight them."
"You want me to list what they can do?" he asked.
"Sure, that works."
"Well, for one thing they're physically stronger than any other immortal. And they don't have the same kinds of weaknesses that vamps or wolves do. They’re fine in the sun and silver has no effect on them."
"What can hurt them, then?"
Rustan just shrugged. "The demons tend to keep these things to themselves, so no one really knows for sure. It makes them undefeatable. But one of the demons' greatest specialty," Rustan continued, "is manipulating fear."
This caught my attention. "What do you mean?"
"Demons can take your greatest fear and they make it infest your mind. You can't stop thinking about it, and you're completely consumed by it. It's basically torture."
That's me, I realized. Lawrence found out what I was scared of – falling in love – and made it happen to me.
"How can you stop it?" I asked. Rustan caught the eagerness in my voice and he gave me a suspicious look, but then he decided to ignore it.
"Well, the best way to stop it is to not let any demons find out what you're afraid of," Rustan answered. "If they don't know your fears, they can't do anything."
I mentally slapped myself in the face. Why the hell had I ever told him in the first place? That stupid mind control…
"But if it does happen...then you have to overcome your fear."
"I don't get it," I said.
"Alright, for example. Let's say you're afraid of...roller coasters. I don't know. But the demon can make it so that that's all you think about it, day and night. And it's completely unbearable. The only way to break out of the trance is to go on a roller coaster and not feel afraid. The only problem is now you're so terrified and chances are you wouldn't have the guts to do it."
I receded into thought. Did that mean I would have to fall in love all over again to get out of this stupid 'enchantment' Lawrence put on me? Was it really the only way to break out of his control?
"If I killed the demon, would the trance-thing be broken?" I asked.
Rustan shrugged. "I would assume so."
I sighed in relief; at least there was that way of getting out of this mess. But I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to make myself kill Lawrence…not with these feelings towards him.
"Wait," Rustan suddenly said. "Why did you say I? Did it happen to you?"
"What? Oh, no. No, no, no. Of course not," I answered, a bit too quickly. "It was a hypothetical situation. Obviously."
Rustan just stared at me.
"Um, okay then. I'm just going to...go now...Bye?"
I am officially the QUEEN of bad lying.
-_-_-_-
LATER THAT NIGHT
I was lying in bed, staring at my alarm clock as it glared the time at me. 11:55 p.m. I had been just gazing at it for the last two hours.
I couldn't wait anymore.
Silver eyes…Silver eyes silver eyes silver eyes silver eyes silver eyes silver eyes.
I was completely infatuated with him. I couldn't get him out of my head! I had to see him again. I couldn't not see him again.
Silently and stealthily, I crept out of my room. I was especially careful not to wake Foster or Rustan; if they caught me, I would be screwed. I couldn't even imagine what they would do, or what they would think of me. I was pathetic.
I was downstairs now, only a step away from the door. As I reached for the doorknob, I hesitated.
Was this worth it? I mean, this was probably the most insane thing I've ever done.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and opened the door, allowing a burst of cold air to slam into me. A surge of shivers flowed down my body, followed by a creeping wave of guilt.
I was breaking every single rule in the book.
I wasn't a good vampire hunter anymore.
Vampire hunting was my life. Is my life. I lived it, I breathed it. If I was throwing this away, I was throwing everything away. I couldn’t go through with this. It was unrealistic. It didn't make any sense - where was the logic I once used to love?
This was the moment for me to decide. If I went to meet Lawrence, the life I had now would be gone forever. If I turned back inside, I could return everything to normal. I would be retreating back into the life I had control over. Into safety.
But I would never be able to get Lawrence out of me head.
I took a deep breath of the chilling night air, and then I made my decision.
I stepped outside and shut the door behind me.
It wasn't long before I found myself in downtown New York. I was in the exact place where Lawrence said he would be waiting, and the clock had just struck midnight...And yet Lawrence was nowhere to be found.
I let out a sigh. Not in relief, in disappointment. I truly wanted to see him.
Suddenly, I heard the light, airy voice that sent shivers - of joy - down my spine.
"I knew you'd come."
-_-_-_-
Rustan had heard Chase leave the house.
She hadn't woke him up; actually, he had stayed up to see if she was really going to meet Lawrence. After all of those questions she asked him today, Rustan couldn't help but feel suspicious.
He slinked after her, careful to stay in the shadows and out of her sight. Just as he had assumed, she went straight for the place where Lawrence said he would be waiting for her.
He watched from the rooftops as Lawrence walked up to her. A few words were spoken, being almost too soft for Rustan to speak up. Chase looked confused, yet somewhat happy, and Lawrence had the undeniable look of satisfaction on his face.
He was good, Rustan had to admit. Lawrence had lured Chase right into a trap. Rustan knew exactly what Lawrence was doing: the demon needed Chase for whatever reason, and he needed to get close to her, somehow. He knew that kidnapping her or taking her by force would be too much of a struggle - Chase was too much of a fighter, and the demon didn't want to have to put in that much effort. As strong as they were, demons were quite lazy. They preferred to depend on deception and trickery so they could do their dirty work.
But there was a catch: if Chase went with Lawrence, Foster and Rustan would follow. They were on her team - of course they would go wherever she went. They couldn't leave Chase unprotected.
Lawrence knew this and smartly used it to his advantage. He got Chase to do come with him willingly, and Rustan and Foster would just come with the package. It was hitting three birds with one stone.
Rustan watched as Lawrence held out his hand in an offering gesture. Chase took it. Bingo.
This gesture meant that she would succumb to his will. She would do whatever he asked right now, and go wherever he went. If he was going back to his castle or lair or wherever the hell demons liked to live, she would be sure to be there.
Rustan smirked maliciously.
Everything was going according to plan.
Lawrence inconspicuously glanced up to the rooftop - right where Rustan was sitting. Chase didn't notice a thing. Rustan didn't bother ducking out of view; he knew that Lawrence had already seen him.
Lawrence's eyes rested on Rustan for a moment, and the two made eye contact. And then, Lawrence smiled.
Rustan smiled in return.
Ah, good old teamwork.
Poor Chase. She should have followed her instincts when she and Rustan first met. Rustan was exactly what she had initially believed him to be. It was just like she always said:
There's no such thing as a good vampire.
Lawrence…Silver eyes.
Foster noticed that I had been really distracted lately, so he tried to cheer me up. His methods for making me feel better weren't exactly what I had expected, however. "Foster, stop trying to unbutton my shirt!" I barked at him during breakfast.
"You have a spot on it! Here, let me help you clean it off - Hey! Come on, you don't have to hit me. I'm only trying to help." He pouted. If he were in his wolf form, I could just imagine him with his ears pressed back and tail between his legs, the universal sign of being rejected.
I sighed and looked down at my pancakes, my hunger dissipated. Pushing the plate aside, I stood up and headed out of the kitchen.
“I'm going to take a shower," I said, standing up.
"Want me to help?"
"No."
I ran up the stairs, a bit faster than necessary, and darted into my room before Foster could make another perverted comment. I decided the shower could wait and I collapsed onto my bed.
Staring up at the ceiling, I let out a long sigh.
Silver eyes.
I knew it was downright idiotic, I knew that I only felt this way because Lawrence had manipulated my emotions…but I simply could not push these feelings away. It wouldn’t stop.
-_-_-_-
I refused to come out of my room for the next few hours but eventually hunger got the best of me. I came down to the kitchen, feeling defeated and seriously craving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Rustan happened to be in the room as well.
As I made my food, I decided I’d ask Rustan a few questions that had been floating around in my head for a while. He seemed to be the one to know these sorts of things, anyway.
"Hey, um, can I ask you something?" I asked him.
"If it's another one of those questions that ends in a make out session," Rustan started, looking up at me, "ask as many as you want."
"It's about demons," I informed him curtly.
"Oh," he said shortly, looking deflated.
"You said that they're stronger than werewolves and vampires...Do they have any extra abilities? Or powers or something? Because if they can fly and shoot laser beams from their eyes, it'd be nice to know these things before we have to fight them."
"You want me to list what they can do?" he asked.
"Sure, that works."
"Well, for one thing they're physically stronger than any other immortal. And they don't have the same kinds of weaknesses that vamps or wolves do. They’re fine in the sun and silver has no effect on them."
"What can hurt them, then?"
Rustan just shrugged. "The demons tend to keep these things to themselves, so no one really knows for sure. It makes them undefeatable. But one of the demons' greatest specialty," Rustan continued, "is manipulating fear."
This caught my attention. "What do you mean?"
"Demons can take your greatest fear and they make it infest your mind. You can't stop thinking about it, and you're completely consumed by it. It's basically torture."
That's me, I realized. Lawrence found out what I was scared of – falling in love – and made it happen to me.
"How can you stop it?" I asked. Rustan caught the eagerness in my voice and he gave me a suspicious look, but then he decided to ignore it.
"Well, the best way to stop it is to not let any demons find out what you're afraid of," Rustan answered. "If they don't know your fears, they can't do anything."
I mentally slapped myself in the face. Why the hell had I ever told him in the first place? That stupid mind control…
"But if it does happen...then you have to overcome your fear."
"I don't get it," I said.
"Alright, for example. Let's say you're afraid of...roller coasters. I don't know. But the demon can make it so that that's all you think about it, day and night. And it's completely unbearable. The only way to break out of the trance is to go on a roller coaster and not feel afraid. The only problem is now you're so terrified and chances are you wouldn't have the guts to do it."
I receded into thought. Did that mean I would have to fall in love all over again to get out of this stupid 'enchantment' Lawrence put on me? Was it really the only way to break out of his control?
"If I killed the demon, would the trance-thing be broken?" I asked.
Rustan shrugged. "I would assume so."
I sighed in relief; at least there was that way of getting out of this mess. But I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to make myself kill Lawrence…not with these feelings towards him.
"Wait," Rustan suddenly said. "Why did you say I? Did it happen to you?"
"What? Oh, no. No, no, no. Of course not," I answered, a bit too quickly. "It was a hypothetical situation. Obviously."
Rustan just stared at me.
"Um, okay then. I'm just going to...go now...Bye?"
I am officially the QUEEN of bad lying.
-_-_-_-
LATER THAT NIGHT
I was lying in bed, staring at my alarm clock as it glared the time at me. 11:55 p.m. I had been just gazing at it for the last two hours.
I couldn't wait anymore.
Silver eyes…Silver eyes silver eyes silver eyes silver eyes silver eyes silver eyes.
I was completely infatuated with him. I couldn't get him out of my head! I had to see him again. I couldn't not see him again.
Silently and stealthily, I crept out of my room. I was especially careful not to wake Foster or Rustan; if they caught me, I would be screwed. I couldn't even imagine what they would do, or what they would think of me. I was pathetic.
I was downstairs now, only a step away from the door. As I reached for the doorknob, I hesitated.
Was this worth it? I mean, this was probably the most insane thing I've ever done.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and opened the door, allowing a burst of cold air to slam into me. A surge of shivers flowed down my body, followed by a creeping wave of guilt.
I was breaking every single rule in the book.
I wasn't a good vampire hunter anymore.
Vampire hunting was my life. Is my life. I lived it, I breathed it. If I was throwing this away, I was throwing everything away. I couldn’t go through with this. It was unrealistic. It didn't make any sense - where was the logic I once used to love?
This was the moment for me to decide. If I went to meet Lawrence, the life I had now would be gone forever. If I turned back inside, I could return everything to normal. I would be retreating back into the life I had control over. Into safety.
But I would never be able to get Lawrence out of me head.
I took a deep breath of the chilling night air, and then I made my decision.
I stepped outside and shut the door behind me.
It wasn't long before I found myself in downtown New York. I was in the exact place where Lawrence said he would be waiting, and the clock had just struck midnight...And yet Lawrence was nowhere to be found.
I let out a sigh. Not in relief, in disappointment. I truly wanted to see him.
Suddenly, I heard the light, airy voice that sent shivers - of joy - down my spine.
"I knew you'd come."
-_-_-_-
Rustan had heard Chase leave the house.
She hadn't woke him up; actually, he had stayed up to see if she was really going to meet Lawrence. After all of those questions she asked him today, Rustan couldn't help but feel suspicious.
He slinked after her, careful to stay in the shadows and out of her sight. Just as he had assumed, she went straight for the place where Lawrence said he would be waiting for her.
He watched from the rooftops as Lawrence walked up to her. A few words were spoken, being almost too soft for Rustan to speak up. Chase looked confused, yet somewhat happy, and Lawrence had the undeniable look of satisfaction on his face.
He was good, Rustan had to admit. Lawrence had lured Chase right into a trap. Rustan knew exactly what Lawrence was doing: the demon needed Chase for whatever reason, and he needed to get close to her, somehow. He knew that kidnapping her or taking her by force would be too much of a struggle - Chase was too much of a fighter, and the demon didn't want to have to put in that much effort. As strong as they were, demons were quite lazy. They preferred to depend on deception and trickery so they could do their dirty work.
But there was a catch: if Chase went with Lawrence, Foster and Rustan would follow. They were on her team - of course they would go wherever she went. They couldn't leave Chase unprotected.
Lawrence knew this and smartly used it to his advantage. He got Chase to do come with him willingly, and Rustan and Foster would just come with the package. It was hitting three birds with one stone.
Rustan watched as Lawrence held out his hand in an offering gesture. Chase took it. Bingo.
This gesture meant that she would succumb to his will. She would do whatever he asked right now, and go wherever he went. If he was going back to his castle or lair or wherever the hell demons liked to live, she would be sure to be there.
Rustan smirked maliciously.
Everything was going according to plan.
Lawrence inconspicuously glanced up to the rooftop - right where Rustan was sitting. Chase didn't notice a thing. Rustan didn't bother ducking out of view; he knew that Lawrence had already seen him.
Lawrence's eyes rested on Rustan for a moment, and the two made eye contact. And then, Lawrence smiled.
Rustan smiled in return.
Ah, good old teamwork.
Poor Chase. She should have followed her instincts when she and Rustan first met. Rustan was exactly what she had initially believed him to be. It was just like she always said:
There's no such thing as a good vampire.