Chapter 27
The plants. How could I forget about the plants? Yet I did, not remembering until I was standing under them as they hung from the olive-green ceiling of Stasha’s living room.
“Careful,” I told Laylen, pointing up at the ceiling. “They come alive.”
He glanced up at the vines warily. “They do?” I nodded. “They attacked me the last time I was here.” Laylen pulled a disgusted face at the vines and then we crept through the house to find Stasha. But we found the house empty.
“I don’t think she’s here,” I said, announcing the obvious.
“Good observation,” he joked and I pulled a face at him.
“But that just means we can take her by surprise.” I pointed a finger at him. “I like the way you think.” But, then, I grew serious. “You seem better…a little bit anyway with the whole,” I pointed at my teeth, “thing.” He flopped down on the living room couch and rested his arms across the top of it. “I am doing a little bit better…but I mean, it’s still there.” He furrowed his eyebrows. “Did you know Aislin came to me and said she was sorry for everything…it was really weird.”
“Really weird,” I said, wondering if it had anything to do with the talk we had about Laylen and me being just friends.
I roamed around the room, glancing at the photos’ hanging on the walls. One photo in particular, resting on the shelf, made me stop in my tracks. It was a picture of Stasha and Alex, smiling as the sunlight sparkled in their hair. I picked up the picture and stared down at it, thinking about Alex’s and my “future talk.” Would we ever have pictures like this?
Ones of smiles and happiness?
I hoped so.
I put the picture back on the shelf and moved along to the next shelf, which had a collection of leaves on it.
“What is her deal with plants?” I muttered. “I mean, I know it’s good for her gift but…it’s still weird.” I glanced up at the ceiling. “And I wonder how she makes them come to—”
“Shhh.” Laylen hissed, jumping up from the couch. “I think I hear something.”
We stood silent, listening as the sound of footsteps moved toward the door. Laylen and I skittered to the hallway, ducking down, waiting to attack. We heard the jingling of keys and then the door creaked open.
“I don’t know why he made me take one of you stupid things,” Stasha said, slamming the door. “I mean, it’s not like you do any good. And I can’t even hear what you’re saying.”
I tensed up. She was not alone. This was going to make things a little complicated.
“And don’t ruin my plants,” she snapped. “I need them to keep me alive.”
Ah, so that’s why she needed the plants. An image of me destroying all her plants popped into my mind, but I shook it away. I needed her alive, otherwise these marks on my arm were here to stay.
“This is ridiculous.” Stasha sounded furious and I was starting to wonder who she was having a rude one-sided conversation with. “Do you leak ice or something?” Laylen’s head whipped in my direction and my eyes widened. Did she just say ice?
My heart sped up as the realization that the air had drastically dropped in temperature smacked me in the face. How had I not felt it until now? Usually I could feel their cold from a mile away. Perhaps it had something to do with me being a Keeper now.
“So, do you want to take down Stasha or the Death Walker?” I whispered in Laylen’s ear.
He considered this. “I’ll take death girl, since you’ve proven you can handle a Death Walker…besides, her touch won’t kill me.”
I nodded and he handed me a knife from his pocket.
“We’ll have to make it quick, though.” I clutched the small knife in my hand. “This thing won’t kill it.” Laylen peeked around the corner and then glanced back at me. “Okay, the Death Walker’s on the couch.” We exchanged a peculiar look. “And Stasha’s watering her plants.”
I rolled my eyes and held the knife in the perfect attack position. Laylen nodded and raised his hand, counting down on his fingers...three…two…one.
We leapt out form the hallway and took them both by surprise. The Death Walker’s eyes lit up. Stasha dropped her pail and water puddled across the floor. The chil of the room immediately froze the water over and ice crackled all over the walls and vines, freezing everything in its place.
The Death Walker’s yellow eyes lit up with rage beneath the hood of its black cloak. Laylen darted toward Stasha and she picked up a ceramic rose and chucked at him. It hit him in the shoulder and scattered across the floor.
I turned my attention away from them and focused on the death monster, hovering toward me, thirsty to kill. But, like at the castle, I felt in control, knowing I could take the evil ice-machine down. I started to circle it and it followed my movement, circling me back. It yellow-eyes were locked on me, waiting to attack. I held the knife out in front of me, the sharp point glinting in the light. It was now or never. So, with one quick movement, I lunged forward and stabbed the sword into its chest and then ducked for cover because I knew what was coming—the Chil of Death. Its death breath puffed through the air as its body rocked and swayed, before tipping over and hitting the floor with a loud crash. I whirled around, relieved to see that Laylen had gotten Stasha pinned up against the wall.
She looked furious, her blue eyes glaring ferociously at Laylen. “You’re messing up my hair,” she whined.
I hopped over the Death Walker and moved over beside Laylen.
Stasha’s eyes instantly narrowed on me. “Well, well, look who was stupid enough to come back.” She smirked.
“What? Was my trying to kill you not enough of a warning that you should never be around me?”
“You, know, it really doesn’t seem like you’re in much of a position to be such a…”
“Bitch,” Laylen finished for me.
“Exactly.”
Stasha shot me a dirty look, but winced as Laylen pushed her harder against the wall.
“Fine, what do you want?” she asked.
I held up my olive-green scarred arm. “I want you to take your death out of my arm.”
She shook head. “No way.”
Laylen and I looked at each other with devious expressions on our faces.
“What do you think we should do?” he asked me.
I glanced back at the unconscious Death Walker slumped on the floor and pointed at the knife sticking out of its chest. “Well, we could always use that on her.” Stasha let out a loud snort. “This is hilarious. I mean, here you are a vampire who won’t feed. Oooh, scary. And you,” she shot me a malicious look, “You’re the pathetic girl who can’t feel anything.”
“Couldn’t,” I corrected her. “I’m perfectly capable of feelings now. In fact, I’m pretty sure I have enough anger in me right now that I might just have to…” The sight of Laylen’s fangs descending made me trail off.
Stasha’s eyes widened as he moved his fangs toward her neck.
“I am not the same vampire you once knew Stasha,” Laylen hissed through his fangs and I shuddered. “I’m perfectly capable of feeding now.”
Stasha was terrified and I had to say that the look was not a good one for her.
“Fine. I’ll remove my death from your hand.” She gritted through her teeth. “But you two are lucky that that stupid monster’s ice froze over my plants, otherwise this would have gone down differently.”
“And if you try to kill her instead of removing the death, I’ll drain you of all you blood, got it?” Laylen said, his fangs still pointing sharply from his mouth.
“Got it.” Stasha said with attitude.
Laylen slightly loosened his grip so Stasha could slip off her gloves.
“Why do you even have one of those things in your house?” Laylen asked, nodding his head at the Death Walker.
“Why not?" Stasha pulled off her glove and tossed it on the floor. “Give me your arm,” she told me.
Hesitantly, I reached my scarred arm out to her, holding my breath as she wrapped her deathly fingers around my wrist. Within seconds, the olive-green lines were fading away, until my skin was back to its normal paleness. I let out a breath as she moved her hand away, but then gasped as I caught sight of something on her wrist.
A black triangle pointing around a red symbol.
Laylen followed my gaze and his bright blue eyes went wide. “Where did you get that?” he asked.
Stasha glanced down at her marked wrist. “What this?
I’ve always had it.”
Laylen shook his head. “No, you haven’t.”
“Yes, I have,” she said in a low, condescending tone. “I’ve had it since the day I was born.”
“Alex would have never dated you if you had it,” I said, but then I questioned my own words.
Laylen was questioning them too, but before any more words could be exchanged, the Death Walker suddenly leapt to its feet and let out a loud shriek.
“Time to go,” I said quickly and reached for Laylen’s hand.
He knocked Stasha to the floor before taking it. And as the Death Walker charged at us, its yellow eyes glowing, ready to devour, I blinked us away, back to the house.