A CONSTELLATION OF TROUBLE
When they got back to the diner later that evening, the girls were still working. The three of them sat at their normal booth and briefed Stephan on what happened at Pacifica. “They weren’t all too willing to go to combat against the Conselho, they said they only would if their freedom was at stake and no other reason. So the trip was practically a waste of time.” Solara gave his view on the matter. If they would not be able to rely on them when the fight came to them they would not stand a chance.
“You should have mentioned Stephan to them. They would have backed you up, mostly out of fear but they know that he can lead them as no one else can.” He recalled how Solara had shut him down on the thought of suggesting such a thing.
Stephan knew he must have had a good reason not to. How could one argue with him, he had access to everyone’s mind, he knew more than all of them combined.
“You could have put us in a position that we wouldn’t have been able to handle. One of the guys there wasn’t his biggest fan. As you were introducing me to them, I was looking into their thoughts. That one guy, once you mentioned his service unit I could see him imagine killing Stephan ten different ways.” He winced at the memory, “You know how to win a crowd, don’t you.” he punched Stephan playfully on the shoulder.
“It’s closing time, we should get a move on. Where are you crushing today?” Stephan asked Solara, he thought he had something special planned. Kayla had been talking about it the whole time he had been there alone.
“We are going back to my place why do you ask.”
“Nothing I was just wondering.”
Once the girls were out of their aprons they left, Vincent walked across the street to his new home.
Stephan and Scarlet were on their way home when she asked him if he knew what Solara was planning. He shrugged his shoulders he didn’t know any more than she did, than what Kayla had told her. They walked into the house, at that moment he knew something wasn’t right, there was a scent he didn’t recognize, one that didn’t belong. He pulled her back outside the house and gave her his phone.
“Call Solara or Kayla, whoever will pick up first, then call Vincent to tell them to get here as first as they can.” He stood beside her, he thought of going in to investigate but was afraid to leave her unprotected. He couldn’t go with her inside, what if she saw something that he couldn’t explain at that moment.
Five minutes after she hung up, Vincent was at the house, Stephan had given him instructions and he disappeared into the house. She could hear tires screeching to a halt behind her Solara was here. Kayla came out of the car and ran towards her, she wore a worried look on her face.
There is something in the house, stay here with the girls I’m going in after Vincent, I sent him in ten seconds ago and he isn’t out yet.
Solara nodded and took the girls back into the car. He locked them in, it was a bit ridiculous considering what was in the house couldn’t be stopped by the locked door, but it made the girls feel safe. He stood at the front of the car his arms crossed on his chest. He then decided to tap into what was going on, he heard three minds he didn’t recognize. The strangers seemed to know Stephan and Vincent at that moment he concluded who they were. He continued to listen in, from what he could hear, he could tell they were on a diplomatic mission.
“I know what they want from me and I am not interested. I am not going to take sides in this feud.” Stephan was mad now he couldn’t understand why his past kept dragging him back. “Vincent, go check on Solara, tell him to come in and you keep watch outside.” He didn’t want them to know that they were guarding humans just outside the door. He didn’t know how they would react, but he also didn’t want to give them something they could hold against him.
“Beasts?” Solara had walked into the house. How did they know where to find him? The fact that they came straight to the house was what worried him the most.
“What do they want?” He directed the question at Stephan but continued to hold his gaze on the beasts. He always considered them as beasts, but he thought it best not to voice it out. He may be on the same side as one of the most powerful supernatural creatures in the world, but he was not about to test their patience especially with Scarlet and Kayla nearby.
“I think you can answer that for yourself, and I’m certain that you can guess what my answer to them was,” Stephan answered irritatingly. Their presence was bothering him, and the longer they stayed the more irritable he became.
The biggest of the three was the first to speak. Something about him reminded Solara of the bullies who would pick on him when he was a frail human. “I see that you would rather support the vampires than us. It is reasonable considering they created you. But they also have taken so much from you.” he was glaring at Solara now.
“Yeah well, I think we are just cooler than you are!”
“Solara this is not the time for that,” Stephan spoke quickly he didn’t want the situation to get out of hand. Think of Kayla. With that single thought, he backed down.
Stephan stepped forward, he had had enough of it all, “my friends and I do not want any part of your feud. We left that life behind a long time ago. Now we live among humans peacefully. I do not want any problems. Now could you please leave and don’t come back.”
Their three visitors left without saying a word. As they walked out of the house, Stephan worried if they had taken the scent of the two humans who lived here. He hoped that his and the other two vampires scents were strong enough to mask it.
Vincent came in with the two girls after he was given the all-clear. They knew that there would be many questions, especially from Kayla. Solara had his hands full with that one.
“What was going on in here? Did someone break in or what? And why were we locked in the car for fifteen minutes? Someone, please explain.” as it was expected Kayla spoke up first.
The house was as they had left it in the morning so a burglar story wouldn’t fly with her. “Stephan thought he saw movement in the house, but it was nothing. He was just a little worried about Scarlet. It was nothing babe.” Solara pitched his story to Kayla hoping she would buy it. At first, it didn’t look like it, but she took the story anyway.
“Babe I know you had something planned but could we just stay here instead. Stephan’s paranoia has worn me out, and I don’t want to spend more time in that car.”
“What about you, love, are you tired. Want to get some sleep.” Stephan had her in his arms, rocking her side to side.
She sighed and nodded, “Yes please, I’m a bit exhausted. You scared me for a while, but I guess you had good intentions. Vincent why don’t you crush on the sofa, I’ll get you a pillow and some covers.”
***
“Sure thanks.” He plopped onto the sofa behind him, for some reason the events of the nights had him shaken, if they could track them the Conselho couldn’t be far behind. At that moment he realized he wasn’t able to check upstairs since he had encountered the visitors in the living room. Solara’s head snapped up he had heard his thoughts. He nodded towards him as if asking him to go and check.
What would be my reason for snooping? He thought that Solara had an idea for that, either way, he would only need a second to check. Over Kayla’s head, Solara mouthed kiss her to Stephan. In times like these, he wished he could project his thought into other people’s minds.
Stephan didn’t understand what he meant but he did it anyway. As they pulled away from the kiss Vincent was already back. All clear.
When the girls went up to fetch some bedding for their new friend, Stephan asked Solara what had happened. “I needed Vincent to check the top floor, he didn’t get a chance to the first time.”
He realized now more than before the kind of danger that they were getting the girls into. On his part he would sacrifice anything for her, he knew he had to protect her no matter the cost.
The next morning Stephan and Vincent left early for his apartment, he was going to get the rest of his things, though the only thing he had there were his clothes, he didn’t want any part of him back in that hole. He wasn’t going to go back, every part of him hoped that his relationship with Scarlet would work, his life was with her now and he would do his best to make her happy.
***
Scarlet walked down the stairs, Solara was going to give her and Kayla a lift to work that morning, she could hear a phone ringing. No one was answering it, she searched for it and found it on the kitchen counter. It was Stephan she decided to answer it, she didn’t think he would mind. They were together now and there were no secrets between them. She flipped the phone open and placed it on her ear, “Stephan’s phone, Scarlet speaking, how may I help you?”
The man at the other end of the line had a deep voice, it was a bit soothing to her, “Hello, may I please talk to mister Jeraldi, it’s about the apartment he is renting from me. May I please have a word with him?” Scarlet thought it was odd considering that he was at his apartment at the time. She didn’t want to think that he was lying to her.
“Isn’t he there? Anyway, would you like to leave a message I’ll make sure I pass it along to him?”
“Sure, could you please tell him the building has been condemned and is being shut down he needs to come and pick his belongings? If he could do this as soon as possible I would appreciate it. Thank you.” scarlet was curious she needed to know where it was.
“Sorry if it isn’t too much trouble, could you tell me where that is, I could come and start early?” she hoped he wouldn’t ask her too many questions about it. She had her eyes shut wishing he wasn’t the confidential type.
There was a long pause before he spoke again, “Ok its telegraph hill apartments on Lombard Street. Apartment number sixteen. As soon as you can do it I would appreciate it.”
As soon as she hung up the phone she dialed the cab service, she couldn’t ask Solara to take her, he probably knew what his friend was trying to hide and he would not allow him to warn him. Fifteen minutes later the cab was here. She had refrained from telling Kayla about it until she was about to leave. They were still in her room.
As soon as she heard the cab’s horn she called out to Kayla and asked her to cover her until she got to the diner. She ran out the door before she heard what she yelled back to her. There would be no distractions until she knew what he was hiding. She didn’t understand why he would keep to apartments and choose the damp to live in. considering it was getting condemned she thought it was worse. She gave the cab driver the address and got lost in her thoughts, it wasn’t long before they got there. It was practically around the block.
The building was practically falling apart, she walked towards the door ready to jump out of the way, in the event a piece of it fell from above. She decided to take the stairs the lift didn’t seem like a good idea, besides it was only four flights up. People were moving furniture were stacked on top of each other in the hallways. She stood in front of door sixteen, she took a deep breath, before she used the key the superintendent gave her, it wasn’t easy it took a lot of flirting on his part. She turned the doorknob and took a step of faith.
Her jaw fell at what she saw. The room was colorful, it had a sweet jasmine scent, and it was clean and organized. It was hard to believe that it was part of the catastrophe of a building that she had walked through. It was beautiful, it had a peaceful serene feeling about it. She walked through it, she couldn’t imagine why he hadn’t brought her here before.
She walked towards the mirror and froze at the reflection, she turned around and walked to the picture across from her. She was beautiful, her curly hair fell around her face bringing out her eyes. Her features were mesmerizing, and he had his arms around her, he was staring at her. Anyone could see the love in his eyes. He was happy with her.
She felt around her bag for Stephan’s cell phone she assumed he was still with Vincent, and if not he would be at the garage.
***
Solara and Kayla were at the diner, Stephan didn’t see Scarlet with them. He walked into the diner with Vincent at his side. “Where is Scarlet, she isn’t sick is she?”
Solara took a seat before he answered, “She said something about having to take care of something and asked Kayla to cover her shift.”
At that moment Vincent’s phone rang, “Stephan why are you calling me?” he felt his pockets and realized he didn’t have it. He thought that it may be Scarlet using his phone.
“Give it to me. Hello?” they watched as Stephan nodded agreeing with the person at the other end of the phone. “Am… ok sure. I will be there in a while.” Stephan was swallowing hard. His already abnormal heart was beating at an abnormal rate now. He grabbed the chair beside him, he let his shield down for Solara to hear him.
She found Sotera’s apartment.
His eyes were wide now, an appropriate reaction to the situation, he cleared his throat and went silent.
“You should go now and try and fix it.”
Stephan left, he wanted to run down to the apartment but didn’t think it was wise. How would he explain arriving there two minutes after her phone call without a car? He tried to think of an excuse to tell her, but nothing seemed sufficient. How could you explain to your new girlfriend why you were holding on to an apartment of your dead girlfriend? He pulled up to the apartment building. He had to face her and answer all the questions she had, honestly.
He pushed the door open, she was on the floor. Her legs were crossed and she held a picture frame in her hands. He knew what the only pictures there were, Sotera and his. She looked up at him she was quiet. She wanted to give him a chance to explain himself.