Darlings of Darkness: A Vampire Anthology Part 61

"Er... why don't you sit down." He sat.

And then silence again.

"Can I get you a drink?" I asked.

"Sure. A c.o.ke would be great. Thanks."

I rushed into the kitchen, via my bedroom where I brushed my hair and put on a little lip gloss (another gift donated by Jo), picked up two cans of c.o.ke and walked back into the living room. He stood as I entered the room and sat when I sat.

I found it a little strange, but a.s.sumed he was just being polite.

"So... Lilly. How are you settling in?"

"Okay I guess. Pretty well under the circ.u.mstances," I said without even thinking.

"I'm so sorry about your parents."

"I'm sorry about yours too."

"Kindred spirits," he said.

"Sorry?"

"I guess we're like kindred spirits. You and me," he said with a sad smile.

I warmed to him even more than before and all I could think was that I just wanted to know everything about him. Again I was like a lovestruck puppy and felt silly.

"I'm sorry about the other day at your party. I didn't mean to be rude."

"I didn't think you were rude at all. I thought you were... kind of cute, actually. Maybe a bit weird too," he laughed.

He thought I was cute!

"I was disappointed that you left so abruptly though. It would have been a great party... if you'd stayed."

"Sorry," I managed to mumble.

"That's okay. I understand that being thrown into a party after everything you've been through was probably a little tough. All those people and stuff. I was very tempted to come after you but I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable."

Thankfully, Oliver hadn't realised that I had hidden in my bedroom until everyone had left. I had been desperate to go out and speak to him again but was far too embarra.s.sed.

"Are you always this quiet?" he asked as he turned to look me in the eyes.

I looked at him and shook my head, "No... not really. It must just be you."

"Oh." He looked disappointed.

"No... I don't mean that in a bad sense. I mean, it's like at the party. I just couldn't talk. I wanted to say so many things. I just couldn't. And now, I don't know where to start."

"So it's not because you don't like me, then," he asked, smiling.

"Oh no! Absolutely not. You're great. I guess I just get a little shy around you."

He laughed.

"Why don't we start like this: I'll ask you some questions about yourself and you answer?"

I agreed. "So, do you miss England?"

"That's a difficult one because if I say no, that's almost like saying I don't miss my parents. But I honestly really don't miss England. I never felt particularly alive there, if you know what I mean. Here it's so different. I feel like I belong here. I never felt that over there."

"I don't think it means you don't miss your parents. Of course you miss them. I still miss mine and they died a long time ago."

I smiled sadly, "Ask me another."

"What do you think of the Canadian hospitality?"

I laughed, "That's a funny question! But now that you ask, I never realised people could be so nice. I haven't met a single person here who has been unfriendly or rude. Everyone I've met even just briefly has been wonderful. That's probably another reason why I am falling for Canada."

He smiled again and was silent for a few moments while he came up with another question.

"How are you enjoying school here?"

"Honestly? I love it. I always liked school because it was so good to get out of our apartment. I didn't feel as restricted there, and here... well it's a whole new ball game. For the first time in my life, I have more than one friend at school. Respect from everybody, if you know what I mean," I said as I looked at Oliver's confused expression.

"You don't really understand me, do you?" He shook his head.

"Let's just say I lived a very lonely life in England. I was naive. I didn't know anything about life. Yes I learned a lot in school, but school doesn't necessarily teach you about life, it just teaches you facts about life. I'm sorry, I'm rambling now."

"Don't be sorry, Lilly. I think I understand what you mean. I'm just sorry that you had such a lonely upbringing. If you had grown up here, it wouldn't have been like that at all. I would have made sure of that," he added shyly, "I would have liked to have known you before now."

I blushed again and he was clearly embarra.s.sed, "I'd better go," he said suddenly as he stood up. "Thanks for the c.o.ke. Maybe we can see each other again soon?"

I nodded and smiled and before I knew it, he was gone.

As I went to sleep that night, I still had b.u.t.terflies. Even though Oliver had made a quick exit, I knew it was because he was embarra.s.sed about being so candid with me. He really liked me. He had pretty much told me so. And he thought I was cute!

CHAPTER TWELVE.

The following evening, Oliver unexpectedly turned up again. It was almost a re-enactment of the previous night. I was sitting on the couch comfortably reading a book, full from eating a hearty dinner, when in walked Oliver wearing a shy grin.

"Hey Lilly. I hope you don't mind be popping in to say hi again."

"Of course not," I answered, as I made a mental note to make more of an effort with myself in future.

I offered him a c.o.ke and he said yes. I ran into the kitchen, via the bedroom again, brushed my hair and put on some lip gloss before rushing back in.

But this time, as I handed him the can and we both sat down, he said, "You know what. Why don't we take a walk instead?" Standing up he placed the can on the coffee table almost as soon as he'd sat down.

Relieved to have something else to do, I jumped up and grabbed my coat, gloves, hat and scarf.

He laughed at me as I wrapped myself up and we stepped outdoors after I yelled to Meredith that we were going for a walk. She appeared briefly at the front door with a cheeky smile and winked at me before closing the door.

"So..." I said.

"So..."

"Here we are again."

"Yup," he answered as we walked slowly.

It felt like there was some kind of tension between us but I couldn't understand what it was, so I said nothing. Instead I waited for him to say something to break the ice. We walked for a few minutes until he finally said, "Lilly?"

"Yes?" I answered hopefully.

"Last night when we spoke, you mentioned that you were falling for Canada... well, I wanted to ask you if... if it is just Canada that you're falling for? Or whether there might be something, or someone, that you're falling for too," he asked. But before I could answer, he blushed and added, "Sorry, you don't have to answer that if you don't want to."

I wanted to answer his question; after all, I knew the answer. I was falling for him, without a doubt. Regardless of the fact that I was a few years younger than him, I felt like we had a connection.

"Can I ask you a question?" I asked hesitantly.

"Shoot."

"Why did you really come to see me tonight?" I asked bravely.

This time, his face turned pink before he replied.

"Honestly... I was hooked the second I laid eyes on you, Lilly. It's weird really, because I've always hung out with girls my age, but I almost feel like you've put a spell on me. Not that I'm calling you a witch or anything," he laughed, "but I've never been bewitched before."

During the silence that followed, it was as if I could hear his, and my own, heart beating.

I was so glad that I'd wrapped my scarf around my face... it helped hide the fact that I was blushing so much and the fact that I was grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

"And even though I barely even know you, I feel like I've always known you," he laughed breaking the silence, "and I can't believe I'm actually saying all this. Out loud. To you."

"Well, I'm kind of glad that you are saying it out loud. To me. I know how you feel, Oliver. I've never... er, hung out with a boy before. Let alone a boy who is older than me! It just feels... right. But I guess we'll just have to get to know each other better won't we?" I replied happily, "but now... it's so freezing. Why don't you walk me back home?"

As we turned to walk back towards the house, I looked up at him and smiled. He caught me watching and he laughed.

"In answer to your question... Canada isn't the only thing I'm falling for" and I laughed cheekily as he took my gloved hand in his.

As we approached the front door, Oliver asked me out on a date, "a proper date," he said, the following Friday night. I happily accepted and he leaned in and gently kissed me on the cheek. My first kiss!

"I'll pick you up at seven," he said and then he was gone.

That night I drifted off to sleep happier than I had done for a long time. But my dreams were strange and vivid once again.

I found myself flying freely with the ravens while I was looking down at the cats below. Only this time they weren't small cats, one was a white mountain lion and the other a black panther.

They were stalking something. I couldn't quite see what it was but as I flew closer, I saw that they were stalking Oliver. I tried to get his attention but he couldn't see me, he could only see and hear ravens squawking at him from above. "Oliver, Oliver watch out!" I yelled, but as hard as I tried to get him to understand me, I knew that all he could hear were the incomprehensible squawkings of a bird.

I tried to reach him in time but it was no good, the cats had already pounced and as I landed nearby, I saw that he was covered in blood. As I approached the b.l.o.o.d.y scene, the cats seemed to bow down to me and skulked away as I picked him up with ease and carried him to the waterside to try and clean his wounds, but as I looked down into the water, my reflection wasn't that of a raven or a girl... it was that of a mountain lion. I screamed.

I awoke with a start and noticed that my face was soaked from tears that streamed down my cheeks.

"Lilly, goodness me," said Meredith as she rushed into my room and switched on the light just as Gabriel had done before. She sat down on the bed and cradled me in her arms. "It's alright. It was just a bad dream. Just a dream. Shhhh. It's over. It's over."

The tears wouldn't stop as I tried to tell her that Oliver was in danger. "The cats, the cats," I sobbed.

"No, it was just a dream, sweetie. Oliver is fine. Calm down." Eventually, I realised that it had been nothing but a scary nightmare triggered by the memory of the words I had learnt just days before... that Oliver and Ben's parents had been killed by wild mountain lions many years before. It was nothing more than my subconscious mind playing horrible tricks on me.

Meredith had been kind, a.s.suring me that all was well. She even made me a cup of sweet cocoa to help soothe me back to sleep. The rest of the night went by quietly.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

The following day I was awoken by the sound of Gabriel's voice. Although he spoke quietly, I could still hear him.

"I came back as soon as you sent your message, Meredith. I guess I have no choice now but to tell her the truth. I had hoped the dreams wouldn't have started until she was at least 18. I understand now that it is a sign. She must be told. It's such a shame that this is all happening now. She is so young. I've never known for it to happen this young before," he'd said.

Meredith murmured something in response but I couldn't hear what it was.

I could hear the sadness in the way Gabriel spoke and that made me feel sad too, even though I had no idea what he had to tell me. I finally felt relief. Relief that, at last, I would know the truth. But along with the relief came the dread. After all, it must be bad for there to have been so much secrecy in the first place.

Now that I knew that he planned to tell me, I waited for him to broach the subject, so that day I just acted as normal, I went to school and completed my homework before dinner. It was after we'd eaten and washed the dishes that something finally happened.

He had summoned both Meredith and Wyatt my father's brother and sister who had arrived just as we had finished washing the dishes.

"Lilly. It is time," said Gabriel, as Meredith took my hand and led me into the living room where we all sat in silence waiting for the news to be broken to me.

Gabriel produced an old battered shoe box and took off the lid. In it were photos and letters. He handed me the first. It was a picture of a very beautiful young woman with long black hair. There was something vaguely familiar about her. She was probably a few years older than me but in her arms was a tiny newborn baby. Clearly the photo had been taken immediately after the baby had been born, in the local hospital.

"Who is this?" I asked.