Bleeding Hearts

Chapter 9

*Aaliyah's P.O.V*

When I woke up again, my senses were immediately on high alert. I jerked up, my body aching slightly as I sat up. I let out a shuddering sigh when I saw Rana was asleep in the chair next to me. My magic reached out to test their levels and I found that they had refilled just slightly. I then did the totally mature thing and smacked my sister in the head.

"What?" Rana said as her eyes opened, focusing on me for a moment. "I'll kill you Aaliyah, keep your hands to yourself," she stated after a moment.

"You used a sleep spell on me, you're lucky I just smacked you in the head," I retorted. "What happened to being vigilant?" I questioned.

"I'm sorry, I didn't expect an attack from my sister," Rana said as she glared at me. "I forgot how much of a pain you were," she said as she got up.

"Thank you," I said with a small smirk on my lips. "Where am I? This room is different from the one I woke up in," I stated.

"Vampire council, guest room," she informed me. I groaned as I rested my head on the pillow.

"Kill me now," I muttered as Rana swirled her hand. Her magic fixed her dress and her hair. I gave her an expectant look and she laughed softly as she waved her hand and my hair was pinned up.

"You're welcome," she said with a small grin. I hopped out of bed, sighing softly as I felt my fangs dig into my bottom lip.

"Am I stuck here as a prisoner or do I have free roam?" I asked Rana. She hesitated and I raised an eyebrow.

"Technically you have free roam," Rana said after a moment. "But the guards have been instructed not to let you leave the grounds," she said.

"I don't need to leave the grounds, I was really good at playing hide and seek when we were kids and no one could ever find me," I laughed as I left the room. I ignored the looks of the guards as I went outside, feeling their eyes on me. I went to the willow trees as Rana followed me.

I easily climbed up the tree, my hands finding all the right grooves and foot holds. I sat at the top of the tree, leaning against the branch as I looked down at Rana.

"No wonder no one could find you, you know we weren't supposed to climb the trees," Rana said as she sat at the bottom of the tree. I looked down at her, a small smile on my lips.

"I was never one to follow the rules," I said as I hummed softly. "I missed this, sitting here and listening to the wind," I stated.

"Heads up, grandma and grandpa are coming," Rana said. I groaned as I laid on my stomach on the branch, I rolled off the branch and dropped down onto the ground next to Rana. I stood up, dusting myself off.

"Aaliyah," my grandmother, Kavita, said softly when she reached us. She was one of the eldest vampires alive being the third to ever exist and a leader of the vampiric council.

"Grandmother," I said politely as I looked at Rana. She hesitated for a moment and I flinched when she suddenly hugged me.

"You should have come to me Aaliyah, I may be a council leader but I would never have turned you away," she whispered before smacking the back of my head. "Come to me if something else ever happens or else I'll not be so nice," she warned.

"I was kind of banished," I said in response to her warning.

"Never here my love," she said softly. "I never let the official order go in," she said softly.

"It's true," my grandfather, Rhazien, said. He was never one to be affectionate so he simply offered me a smile. "I think it's the perk of being the favorite grandchild," he said.

"Hey!" Rana protested.

"I didn't say she was mine," he protested. "I dislike you both equally," he informed us.

"Thanks grandpa," I said as grandmother kissed my forehead. She didn't let me go, her arms still wrapped around me tightly. I didn't have the heart to push her away, not like I would have with my parents.

"Don't listen to your grandfather, I don't favor either of you girls. I've never had a favorite grandchild," Grandmother informed both of us.

"I should be yours because I know I'm definitely not going to be grandma's favorite," I said simply.

"Why is that?" Grandmother asked.

"Did Keturah not tell her?" I asked, my eyebrows raising in surprise. I realized I shouldn't really be surprised though because Keturah sometimes liked to see people squirm.

"Tell her what?" Rana asked.

"That I may have stolen the missing dragon egg," I said. Grandmother wanted to smack the back of my head but I could tell that she held back.

"You're going to be lucky to survive her when she finds that out," Rana said simply. I huffed softly as I rolled my eyes.

"That's why I'm not going to tell her until I have to. I like living," I retorted.

It was nice to pretend things were like they used to be. I knew they weren't though and I had subtly let them all know that. I never called my grandparents by grandmother or grandfather. Nor did I call them grandma or grandpa. I only did that when we weren't close and we weren't close now.

I didn't think that everything would ever go back to how things used to be. We would never have that same closeness we used to have when I was a child. That kind of hurt to acknowledge but it was the truth and I knew that. We might be able to become a little closer over time but the damage had been done.

None of the damage between us would ever be as bad as the rift I had with my parents. We would never be able to fix that damage, not after how they had chosen a side so quickly.