Faded Memory

Chapter nine

He let out a sigh. “Let Katani up and I will tell you everything.” I turned to Katani and looked her in the eyes. They were back to their normal blue color. “There is no need for you to kneel to me anymore. Stand up.” Katani stood up and brushed herself off. I was about to apologize when she held her hand up and shook her head.

“Don’t.” I closed my mouth and turned back to Ashton.

“Why can I control her?”

Ashton moved to stand next to Katani and she instantly stood in front of him. His arms wrapped around her waist and he laid his chin on her head. Something about the way they were so close to each other made me clutch my chest. The throbbing that was temporarily forgotten now came crashing back with a vengeance. I closed my eyes trying to calm myself only to open the again to have all of them staring at me with concern and worry in their eyes. I sighed.

 “Im fine.” They all hesitated for a second before Ashton let out another sigh.

 “When Katani and I first meet there was tension between us. I felt a pull towards her and for that I tried to avoid her by all costs, but being the stubborn woman she is she never gave up. One day at her school she got into a fight with a girl named Nikki.” As soon as he said the name a sense of hatred ran through me. A growl escaped my lips.

“You remember her then?” I nodded my head. I did remember her. “She and Katani fought and we had to clean up the mess.” The memories of that day came rushing back to me as if just happened yesterday.  Ashton sighed. “Yes. Not only that, but that was the day that Katani found out that she was a half vampire. As time went on I finally gave into Katani and that was the day I found my mate.” He moved his head to her shoulder, and brushed his lips against her neck. My heart lurched forward making my grip tighter on my chest.

“As our love began to grow so did the hatred of Nikki towards Katani. A few days later Katani learned of her best friend being found dead.” Katani stiffened at the memory and Ashton pulled her closer to him. “At first we thought nothing of it, but then her mother was taken from her and Michelle was hurt.” I looked to Michelle and frowned.  She just shook her head and gave me a smile.

“Don’t look at me like that aunty. Yes I was hurt, but my father saved me. If it wasn’t for him, we might have never learned that I was a shape shifter.” I gave her a weak smile and looked at Ashton.

“What she says is true. When I saved her somehow I awakened her too.” Ashton let out another sigh. “Sadly we can’t say the same for Katani’s mother. We were to late in finding her. That’s when we learned that Nikki was behind Katani’s friend’s death. That’s when we knew we had to stop her.” He was about to say more when a growl erupted from each of our throats. On instinct Ashton, Katani, Damina and I formed a protective circle around Michelle who had already transformed into a lioness and was now crouched low with her teeth exposed.

I called the daggers to me and once in hand I crouch down waiting for the threat. Clouds began to form in the sky shielding the sun. I felt my vision go red and the tress began to slightly sway as if sensing my mood, and were eager to be used against the threat. Our attention was turned left when a twig snapped. I could see the outline of the intruder and instantly I went to action. Without hesitation I threw my dagger in that direction and heard a loud hiss when it disappeared out of sight.

Without missing a beat Damina began to run towards the body. I raised my hands feeling the vines and trees move at my command. The air became thick and fogged. I silently thanked her and turned my head back to the left. Two forms began to walk towards us. The fog became thicker and thunder roared through the air. The two figured stopped and Michelle jumped over us going to them. I heard her growl before another hiss ripped through the air. The intruder was down, Damina with her hand around his neck, and you could see Michelle crouched low growling.

Katani, Ashton and I began to walk towards them. Each step we took the fog seemed to part and allow us through. As we got closer the air became so thick, even I felt suffocated. When we took the final stepped towards them the fog moved away and we stood staring at the face of the intruder.

It was only a mere boy. Instantly my anger was replaced with concern. Damina had her knife pressed against his neck hard enough to draw blood. A pool of blood was formed on his shoulder where dagger had hit its mark. I moved my eyes lower noticing the bruises and the cuts along his body. His clothes hung in tatters around him, his ankle was bleeding from I assume Michelle biting him, and he had a chain wrapped around the opposite ankle. I moved my eyes back up to his face taking in his swollen and busted lips, his bruised cheek, and finally I looked into his eyes.

I froze as I looked into them. They told a story. His eyes held pain and shown that this boy has seen more in his lifetime than a teenager should. Though I saw that, it wasn’t the pain that had me clutching my chest again. It wasn’t the pain that made me crumble to the ground. No it wasn’t any of that. It was the color of his eyes.

They were the most beautiful color of gold I have ever seen in my existence. It was something about his eyes that had me trying to control my breathing. Someone put their hand on me and I’m sure they were talking, but I wasn’t hearing of their words. All I could focus on was this little boy’s eye.

I numbly crawled towards him afraid to do more than that. As I got closer a growl came from beside me. I broke from trance long enough to turn and hiss menacingly letting the challenges be known. All that came was a whimper. I turned back to the boy as our eyes looked again and I was instantly back in his trance.

I sat in front of him and we starred at each other neither saying a word. He tried to move forward, but instead he hissed in pain. I looked at his neck and noticed that dagger that was still held there. My eyes turned red as I followed the dagger, to the hand, to the arm, to the shoulder, and finally to the face. I could feel the growl bubbling in my chest.

“Get. Off. Of. Him.” I spoke low and clear not hiding the anger that I felt in that moment. She didn’t hesitate and instantly stepped back. As she let him go he fell forward. I caught him, turning him, and laid his head in my lap. He winced and my eyes traveled to the dagger.

Without thinking about it I reached for it and yanked it out. He hissed and growled, but even he was too weak to more than that. He turned and our eyes locked. My heart tried to escape its place. What was it about his eyes that had my chest throbbing in pain? The boy gave me a weak small smile and I couldn’t help but to do the same. He reached up, but was too weak so I took his hand in mine and put it to my cheek holding it there. His body seems to relax, and what he said next had me going stiff. In a whisper of a voice he spoke for the first time.

 “I’ve missed you Aunt Serene.” Those were his last word before he fell into unconsciousness.