“What is Emma doing in your head?” Julian heard Aiden ask, and couldn’t provide a reply. What could he say? He had no idea how that happened. The only people that had access to his thoughts were his twin brother. The others of his kind were allowed by his permission. He has never been evaded.
“I think her powers are growing.” He said rather, checking out the longness of her hair and the stark greenness of her eyes which reminded him of the thick forest.
She looked like Sheila, and although he didn’t want to think in a particular way, the thought was beginning to come to shape, and he didn’t know if it was a good news or a bad one. He had to speak with a particular someone. But first, the party.
His twin was silent.
Julian knew he was ruminating on the matter.
“I’m sorry about that. I was just curious. Can you lead the way?” He asked telepathically, waiting in anticipation to see if she could also communicate too, not just dropping her thoughts alone.
“The person that knows the way is right in front of you. You seem to forget that I am not a werewolf, but a human. I don’t know my way around this place yet.” She replied, meeting his expectations.
Wow. He thought. What could this mean?
“It means she could read your thoughts if she wanted. She had read mine once.” Aiden murmured through the mind path, shocking Julian.
Quickly, he stepped up a strong barrier around his mind. Thoughts were meant to be private.
“But you encroached hers.”
He heard her taunting voice, and his eyes widened in amazement. Had she heard his conversation with his brother?
“Of course. Send my greetings to the Professor. And tighten your barriers more. They are weak.” She taunted, and he felt weak, a first for him.
She was definitely not human. Never. She was a mixed breed. He concluded, taking hold of his earlier thought, whilst creating a stronger hedge around his mind. He had to speak with the Prince of his people.
Aiden’s silence told him that the latter was still recovering from the shock of the girl’s power.
But what had subdued them?
A power that strong… why had it been subdued?
Ava felt jealous watching Julius stare so openly and blatantly at Emma. It was like they were communicating some hidden mysteries that she knew nothing of. She felt like the third wheel. She was sad, then angry. Why should the redhead always get the attention of the opposite sex? What did she have that she herself didn’t possess? Was it the red hair? She would dye hers red, if it would make Julius notice her.
She had thought that they had had something going on between them with the way he had stared at her earlier. Had she seen wrong? Had her heart beaten for the wrong person? What was she expecting… she thought sadly… vampires didn’t feel.
Prescott, noting her feelings and reading her thoughts, fussed cutely and whined like a cute pet would do, aiming to drive those untrue thoughts out of her head even for a second.
It worked. Ava, watching the squirrel squirm in her arms, rode her hands over his back, whispering intangible words as if to sooth it.
And when she felt Julian’s hand on her arm, she shrugged it away, lifting up her head.
“Let’s be going. We would take a shorter cut, since we have a knight in shining armor with us.” She said, mentioning the last clause with all the sarcastic-ness she could muster, grinning in delight when she saw a frown develop on his face.
“You are not goi…” Casper was saying, seeing the trio walking away from them, still immobile, when he felt an invisible hand around his neck, choking him.
Emma wheezed around, for she had already turned to move behind Ava towards the path that the latter had pointed out to and was walking in, rather hastily.
“What are you doing?” She shouted out loud at Julian, when she heard Casper grunting and choking to death.
“Let him go at this moment.” She stated furiously, balling her hands. But Julian wasn’t even moved by the tenacity of her voice. He was enraged at the foolishness of the wizard. Shouldn’t he be wise enough to run and hide, to fight another day? What was Leonarya feeding her recruits with? He thought, remembering the older of Zipfara’s children.
Didn’t he have an idea of whom it was, even if it was the distortion theory they all had about his kind? Wasn’t he afraid of a vampire?
He found the lad’s courage stupid and life insulting. His anger incensed the more by Ava’s silent rebuke. He still hadn’t graspes why she had been annoyed at him. So, he was pouring his anger on poor Casper.
“He knows he is no match for you. Let him go.” Emma said in a calmer tone when she saw that Casper was almost turning blue, and Julian’s eyes were red.
She didn’t know much about these real vampires, but the ones from stories had very hot tempers, and easily killed without feeling remorse.
“Let him go.” Ava added, and immediately at her voice, Julian dropped Casper to the floor. Emma snorted, though relieved. It was true that she hated what Casper had done, but she didn’t want him dead.
“Really… I see now.” She said after a beat, darting her eyes between the duo who had now resumed staring at themselves.
“Please, not again.. Can we be going? We are already late.” She whined in an exasperating tone, stomping her foot to alert the duo of her presence and the impending party.
Ava broke away first, immensely confused. Did the vampire like her or Emma?
She wasn’t sure. But she was sure that he had dropped the wizard at her plea.
Did she have hope? Time will tell.
For now, Derek’s party calleth unto them.
“I’m sorry. I must have zoned out. Let’s go. Derek must be waiting.” She said, winking at Emma, who blushed, unable to stop herself, before leading the way once again, Prescott pretending to be asleep in her arms.
Julian sighed, watching them walk away from him. He had to go.
He turned around, saw the wizards staring at him, and smirked, before releasing them from his spell.
They were not worth his time.