Redemption (Waking Up Dead) (5 page)

The council stated all the facts and then voted on my father’s punishment.  Little did he know, he was about to be exiled.

“This is a very hard ruling and it cannot be taken lightly.  You have taken another man’s life and that is against our rules.  You can no longer be a member of this coven and you will leave here immediately.” The coven leader made his orders very clear.

My mother cried out and was instantly scolded for her actions.  The council would not hear her plea for her husband.  What he had done had to be paid for.

My father was immediately escorted back to the house and was allowed to gather his things before leaving.  They had not permitted my mother to follow and instructed her to never have contact with him.  If she was caught with him she would be banished and stripped of her power.

My heart was breaking for them.  I could feel the love that they have had together and it seemed wrong to me to destroy such a thing.  My father had only been protecting their and me, his unborn child.  The reasoning behind their decision sickened me.

My father had explained why he had not been in my life and I now know the reason that he and my mother could not be together.  The only part that made me worry was what the Elders would do if they knew they were together again.  Would they take my mother’s power?

“I have become and very powerful sorcerer since then and I don’t think they are a match for us.  The blood that runs in you is as ancient as the beginning of time and the power that goes with that is something they cannot control.  They knew that when they’d banish me and they have to know that your mother is with me now” my father said smiling.

Now let a few of my questions had been answered, the lost feeling that I had was gone.

“But… What about me?”

My father looked it me, clearly confused by my question.  I had never told him about my feelings of being a vampire and witch.  Would his coven accept me or would they shun me the way his coven had done him?

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

I explained my problem to him and he listened carefully to everything that I was saying.  His face would change from time to time and I could tell he was thinking hard about the issue.

“There is something that we can do about that, but there are more important matters at hand for you right now.”

What could possibly be done about me being a vampire?  Nothing.  To change that now, as far as I understood, would be impossible.  I am cursed to be this way until I meet the true death that would change all that forever.  But somehow my curiosity had changed.  What other matter could be as important as this one?

My father began telling me things about Max, things that I had never expected to hear.  He knew about our love for each other and that it was new and exciting for the both of us.  But why he said next changed everything.

“I would like for you and Max to be married.”

I was stunned.  For once in my life I had become speechless.  Max and I are connected and there was no denying that.  One question remained.  Is this what Max wants?

My father smiled, “I don’t think that he will have a problem with it.”

I smiled back at him, but the fear of an arranged marriage took hold of me.  Could this really work out for both of us?  There was only one way to find out.

Alzar left the room and called for Max.

Soon, but both entered the room.  Each of them seemed to be rather pleased about something and my only guess was that Max was going to go along with my father’s suggestion.

Max took a seat next to me and began to talk to my father.  I watched the conversation go on without really even hearing the words.  Could this really be happening?  Is this the best thing to do?

Surely Max was not going to agree to be married to a creature such as I am.  That would be wrong and against his coven.

Come to think about it, I had never asked Max about anything like that.  I knew that he had belonged to an organization that supposedly governed all the supernatural beings that exist, but I had not heard any more about that either.

“You should tell her” Max told my father.

Alzar began explaining that the story about the Organization had been a cover.  It was something that Max had been instructed to tell Aden so that he would not get suspicious of him.

More lies.  I can’t stand this.  I feel like everything that I know has been made up and I was not sure what I should think about anything.  This had all been a cover for them, one that was used to take another person’s life.  Is that not against their coven laws?

“I need to know the truth, about everything” I told them as I stared at the floor, afraid to look up and meet either of their eyes.  All of this makes me feel horrible, lost and I needed to be able to find out what my life is going to be like in order to live it.

Max began to speak and I still refused to lift my head.  I listened carefully as he told me every detail about the day that I had met him.  When he had been talking to Alzar he knew that I was listening and had cast a spell so that I could not hear the things that they were really talking about.  I could only hear what they wanted me to hear.

That was smart on their part, I suppose. 

Thoughts and questions flew through my mind and I wish that I could find all the courage that I needed to be able to ask them all, but I was getting everything now.  There was no use in me interrupting the story.  I just tried to be as patient as I could as Max continued talking.

He began to talk about the first time that he had seen me and for some reason it sounded like he was talking to my father instead of me.  He started saying she in the place of you and I felt like he was declaring his love to my father.

I could not keep my head down any longer. 

I had been right about that.  Max was talking to my father now.  He told him that he had felt the connection with me as soon as he looked at me.

“I knew, right then, that she is the one that I am destined to be with for the rest of my life.”

My face started feeling flushed and something inside me was telling me that he is right.  I feel the same way about him.

A strange sensation took hold of my body.  It was not clear if I should be alarmed or calm.  The longer that I sat there, the more I was starting to understand what was happening to me.

Max and my father’s conversation had come to an abrupt stop and they had focused all of their attention on me. 

I heard my father whisper, “Just stay calm.  It will be over soon.”

His tenderness surprised me and I looked directly at him.  His eyes were full of hope and love.  Whatever was happening to me was making him proud and I knew that it couldn’t be bad if he felt that way.

Max moved closer to me and placed his hand on my knee.  He began stroking my hair as an attempt to comfort me and to help me get through this.

I could feel the power surging throughout my body and all my nerves were reacting to it in ways that made me jerk uncontrollably. 

I was sure that I was starting to look like a freak to them, but they didn’t seem to mind if I was. 

Heat filled my body and I was sure that if it got any worse I would possibly vomit.  I began to swallow hard and as soon as I did, Max used one of the magazines that had been on the table beside the couch to fan me.  The air soothed my skin slightly, but the feeling of being on fire never really lessened.

Without any warning, the pain came.  It was the most excruciating pain that I had ever felt.  It twisted my body and caused worse spasms than in the beginning. 

Max put his arms around me right as I screamed out in agony.  He held me tight and I think that he was just trying to keep me from hurting myself. 

It seemed like hours had passed since this started, but it had only been minutes.  The force of the power that was building inside me threatened my entire body and I was not sure that I was going to make it through this alive. 

“You are going to be fine” Max whispered to me as he rested his head on my shoulder.

I tried hard to focus on him, but I was having a hard time doing it.  That is until I felt the first teardrop on my skin. 

Max had started to cry.  Our connection allowed us to read each other’s thoughts and emotions.  From that, I knew that he was both frightened and proud about what was happening to me.  That left me confused in a way.

I switched my focus from him and stared at the clock.  Counting the seconds then turning to minutes helped to keep my mind at ease.

Seven minutes had passed before Max has released his hold on me.  The pain had gone away as quickly as it had come, but I could still feel the electrical pulses running through me.

CHAPTER 4

My father stood up and came over to me.  The way that he was acting gave me a sense of hope that this was all over and I was going to be fine from here on out.  I was right.

“How do you feel?” he asked.  My answer was not as prompt as he must have wanted because he dropped to the floor in front of me and put his hands on both of my cheeks.  He seemed to be looking me over to see if something was wrong, maybe I had an injury that I had not noticed yet, but I don’t feel anything.

These new feelings that I was having about him were confusing to me.  I had a father once and he was a good man.  He loved me with all of his heart.  I had never questioned that and still nothing could make me change my mind about him. 

I hated the fact that he was gone and I still miss him as bad as I did in the beginning.  The pain that losing him caused is something that I will never heal from.  It will always be with me as long as I lived.

But, now, I’m here with my real father, the man that had loved me once, but had to let me go.  And from what I had seen in the time that I have spent with him, he still loves me now. 

The question of why he had been away from my mother and I burned at my mind.

When my mother loves someone, she loves them with everything that she has.  She is the type of person that would jump in front of a bus to save a stranger from being run over.

There’s just so much more to this than I know and all the unanswered questions leave me searching for my true self-worth.

“Are you okay?” he asked with worry stinging his words.

“Yeah, I’m fine.  I think.”

I didn’t want to let him know how much all of this was bothering me.  Any unnecessary stress that could be avoided was fine by me.

Max let out a sigh and grabbed me.  Turning me to face him, he kissed me.  I was taken aback by his action, but I kissed him back.  This time I didn’t hold anything back. 

It wasn’t until I heard my father clear his throat that I realized that he was still in the room with us.  When I pulled away from Max, I expected to be embarrassed by him seeing the kiss, but I wasn’t.  I felt proud and relieved that he had been able to see that I return Max’s love.

The feeling that I had when we kissed were so much different than before.  It was stronger and passionate.  I was no longer afraid or cautious about being with him.  I no longer worried about hurting him, but his blood still screamed at me, tempting me to drink from him.

The arranged marriage didn’t seem like it was going to be such a big thing.  I actually think that I was welcoming it now.  I want to be with him in that way.  The power of our bond was unreal.  It caused feelings inside me that I had never known before.  It was like someone had started a fire in my heart.

“Now that all that is out of the way, would you like to know what just happened to you?” my father asked me.

“Yes.”

Max repositioned himself to a more appropriate distance as he shot my father an apologetic glance.  Leave it to him to be the one that was sorry for that.

My father explained that what I was feeling had been a combination of my powers and the bond, between Max and me completing the transition.  If it had not happened all at once, it would not have been as painful as what I experienced.

As he talked, I noticed that every thought that Max was having entered my mind as if he was speaking to me directly.  Before, I had to really concentrate on him to hear them, but now it had become as easy as breathing.  His words followed into my mind without hesitation and the sweet sound of his thoughts soothed my tension.

He was thinking about how much he loves me and I could no longer question what I was hearing.  Every thought, every emotion was real and utterly undeniable.

I had not noticed that Alzar had stopped talking until he called my name.  I knew that what he was trying to explain to me was extremely important, but there was just something about the way that I had felt about Max that was trumping everything else.

“Laynie, you have to listen to what I’m saying.”

I straightened myself and tried to make myself look like I was interested in what he was saying.  This was will be so hard because all I wanted to do was be with Max.

I wanted to touch him, to know his body like I knew my own.  I wanted to lie beside him and talk about things that held no real importance in life.

“You have an important decision to make” my father said.

Max lowered his head and I knew that the decision that he was talking about was not one that I could take lightly.  I was attuned to Max so well that I knew that this was going to be a major thing to decide. 

“What decision?”

“You have to decide which side you want to be on.”

There was no question what he was talking about.  The fact that I was a vampire and a witch could call some serious trouble for all of us and he was now asking me to choose.  I had asked him before about how I was going to be allowed to be a part of his coven.

“If you choose to stay a vampire I will have to strip you of all your power.  Make no mistake, it is not easy thing to do” Alzar said to me and for the first time I saw true fear in his eyes.

Did he mean that this could be dangerous?  Surely not.  He is such a powerful sorcerer and there was no doubt my mind that he could do anything he set his heart and soul to.

Max turned to me and I could see the tears welling in his eyes.  This was shaping up to be a bigger deal than I thought it was going to be. 

“This could kill you.”  His words were shaky and just to hear him like that tore at me.  He was feeling pain, so much that I could feel it as well.

Every moment that went by revealed a new surprise for me.  I feel what he feels and I can hear what he thinks.

I was speechless.  It seems that I am destined to be tortured for all of eternity.  Nothing ever went the way that I wanted and the only thing that I asked for was just a moment of peace.  A moment where nothing was going to go wrong and I could be happy.  I just want to live, to be with my family and friends. 

“You cannot be both at the same time.  The others will try to kill you just because you are what you are” Max whispered, his voice shaking from his emotions.  “You will have to give up everything and everyone that you know now.”

I just found my father and had begun to accept what my destiny really is.  Times like these make me wish for death.  It seemed so much easier just to give up than to go through everything that I am going through.

“And if I choose to stay a witch?”

My father smiled at my question.  “That is a different story, but you have to make that decision for yourself.  No one can make it for you.”

Although, the nature of this discussion was frightening me and I already knew which side I was going to choose, I wanted to hear what was going to happen to me before I said anything.

“I learn a spell many years back that could turn a vampire back into a human, but I have only done it once.  The vampire that requested that made it through quite well and I believe that it will work out the same for you as well.”

That seemed to be the silver lined cloud that I had been searching for and I knew that I could not leave my mother.  I wanted to be here with all of them.  Alice and Caleb need me.  How else would they be able to make it?  They sure as hell can’t do it on their own.

When Aden turned me I had not been given a choice, but now I had one and I was going to make it the right way.  There was only one option for me now…life.

“I don’t want to be a vampire” I told the both of them.  “I never wanted this.”

“So what is your decision?”

“I want to be human again.”

As I voiced my choice to them, my father came over to me so quickly that it startled me.  His arms were around me in a loving embrace as he started to sob. 

My arms were around him, trying to console him, but that was not what he needed.  He had been so relieved to hear my decision that he couldn’t help to cry.

I had never been real big on seeing a grown man cry.  There was something about it that turned me inside out. 

I turned to look at Max and the tears that were rolling down his cheeks let me know that I had made the right decision.  If they could only hold in their joy for the time being.  That would be great.

“What now?” I asked as my father loosened his hold on me.  I had almost broke over the point of crying myself and I wasn’t fond of showing weakness in front of other people, especially my father.  He needed to know that I am strong and able to do any and everything that was asked of me.  Who wants to have a crybaby for a daughter?

“There is work to be done” Max said as he and my father both started leaving the room.

From the way the both of them or acting, I knew that it would only be a matter of time before we would try the spell and all I wanted to do was talk to my mother.  I needed her to reassure me that everything was okay and for me not to worry.  She needed to tell me that my father was just as powerful as I thought and that he would do everything in his power to correct what Aden had done to me.

I got up and began searching the house for her.  I looked in every room downstairs, but she wasn’t there, so I began my hunt for her upstairs.  This probably wouldn’t be taking me as long if the house wasn’t a mansion and I actually knew where I was going.  But I needed the time to myself to think about everything that has happened and was going to happen and this was a good way to have that time.

This could be the answer to everything that had hoped for, everything that I wanted and dreamed of since I first saw Max.  All wanted to be his wife and two have a family with him.  All of that can be possible now with my father’s help.

Every place that I had looked for my mother came up empty.  I couldn’t find Alice or Caleb either and that was weird.  Alice had always tried to stay as close to me as possible, but now I could barely sense her through our bond.

After ending my search for my mother, I tried to find my way back downstairs to my father.  I got lost a few times after I’d taken some wrong turns, but it wasn’t anything that frustrated me.  It was actually fun in a way.  I felt like an explorer out trying to find all the nooks and crannies of a new place.

The paintings and pictures on the walls caught my attention and I couldn’t pass by them without giving them a moment’s admiration.  They were someone’s vision, a work that had to be done.

I paid special attention to the walls and light fixtures.  Every room was different and I wondered what the reason behind it was, but I’m sure that it was just a design flaw or just my father being crazy.  He seems to like being different.

As a walked downstairs, I heard the rattling of metal and I followed the sound into the kitchen.  My father and Max had several small glass containers filled with herbs and other things that I wasn’t sure why they were.  They both had a look of determination about them and I tried to stay as quiet as I could to ensure that I didn’t interrupt anything.

Their movements were almost like they were dancing.  Their bodies spun and floated as they worked.  This seem like such a natural thing for them, something that they had done all of their lives.  As I watched them more, their steps started to sound like music, soothing and precise in rhythm.

I heard my father tell Max that it was time, but I didn’t have a single clue what he was talking about.  It wasn’t until Max started picking up some of the small glass containers and pulling the corks out, that I had realized what they were doing.

The two of them carefully measured each individual ingredient and added it to the kettle that was on the stove.  The steam lifted higher and higher after each one and I closely watched them, careful not to miss a single detail.

While they were doing interested me and it was all I could do to stay out of the way.  Spell casting generated so much power, raw and unharnessed, and I wanted to be a part of it.  The witch in me yearned to be included, but the vampire in me shivered.

As time passed, the kitchen began to have a much calmer feel to it and my father and Max seemed to be relaxing as well.  I wanted so desperately to ask them where my mother was, but as soon as I opened my mouth they began to chant.

At first, I thought they were just singing a song that they both knew the words to, but that wasn’t right.  Their words were musical, but they had a clear sound to them except for the words.  They were different.

The louder their words became, the more I realized that everything was changing around me.  I could hear things that I had not been able to before now and it scared me.  Being a vampire, my hearing is flawless, but this was different.  I was hearing things, voices around me, but as I looked around the room there was no one there but us.

I closed my eyes and tried to focus on what the whispers were saying.  Oddly enough, it was as if they were having a conversation my father and Max, a conversation that was not meant for me to hear.

Not knowing what else to do, I rose from my seat and tried to make my way out of the room, but something was holding me back.  I felt like I was being held inside the room by something that I couldn’t see.  I had already been through that once when I was turned and I didn’t like the feeling then.  Not much had changed from then to now.  I still didn’t like it.