Growing Wildflowers | WLW

Buttercup

I've never met the elders. Most vampires haven't but I've heard stories about them, dressed in extravagant clothes and covered with gold jewelry. John's never been summoned to speak to them so he can't answer any of my questions. Mostly, I just want to know if they're going to be nice to me. If they'll take pity on me when I fail my assignment or if they'll lock me up for eternity. My mind is running wild with fear but not just because of the elders. My hands tremble because my fate lies in the hands of either the elders or a hunter. I have no control over my own destiny.

"This is a pretty steep request, John."

I zone back into John's conversation with his friend to see if he's managed to find a place for me to stay, or if I'll have to go back to the hotel for the week.

The woman is wearing overalls smeared with dirt and red rain boots. Her curly hair is gray in most places but used to be brown. She has wrinkles around her lips and eyes from the warm smile that's still present on her face even though John is practically begging for help.

John takes the woman's hand in his. "I know. I know, Aurora. That's why I'm talking to you. I need someone I can trust right now." He motions toward me. "This girl is like my own daughter. You know that."

I withhold a gag at the thought of being Gunner's sibling.

The woman glances at me, and I force a half-smile, trying to look like I don't have half of Bolton County after me.

"She'll only be here a couple weeks until we can get everything sorted out," he continues.

"And what if the hunter tracks her back here?" Her voice is smooth like honey. "What am I supposed to do then?"

John tilts his head at her, a hint of a smile playing at his lips. "Is the famous Aurora afraid of a little hunter?"

She rolls her eyes and playfully shoves him.

He puts his hands up in mock surrender. "I don't know. Doesn't sound like the Aurora I used to know."

She raises an eyebrow at him. "Maybe because you never stop by for a cup of coffee like you used to." She shrugs. "Maybe you don't know Aurora anymore."

John sighs and nods. "That's fair. I've been absent ever since the... You know."

Aurora crosses her arms over her chest again. "Mmmhm."

John looks her in the eye again. "Let me make it up to you?"

It feels like I'm intruding on their moment, so I sneak through the wooden doors with cracked sage-green paint and into the backyard. Aurora's yard is full of plants and fruit trees. She has a vegetable garden even though she doesn't need to eat, and vining plants hang from her gazebo in the middle of the yard, right next to the pond with massive orange spotted fish.

I sit on the bench under a larger tree and let the trickling water lull me into a sense of security. Aurora's giggles float out from the open window in her kitchen. The air is crisp with pine and rain, but my head is heavy with sleep until my phone dings.

It's Liam.

My chest clenches. It's Liam. He has to be the hunter. I jump to my feet, jog to the house, and push through the backdoors with my phone clenched in my fist.

John and Aurora look at me, their expressions worried.

I hold the phone up and am about to push words out when there's a light rap on the front door.

All of us look at the door but only John speaks. "Are you expecting company?"

Aurora swallows. "No."

We stay silent for a moment while John thinks. "It's one of us," he says and Aurora nods like she'd already come to that conclusion.