Crimson, Clover & Honey

{ 16 }

"Lorelei, please, be still. I know this is worrisome, but we must stay composed." Samuel had my blood rag in his palms, applying pressure, trying to stop the bleeding. Head cuts could be tricky, they bled a lot more, a lot faster.

"Does she need stitches?" Theo asks from my other side. Someone had their hand tightened on mine, probably Jeremy.

"I don't think so. She may bruise worse, the cut was not too deep." I could feel the ache pounding on the side of my forehead.

"They have Xavier," I repeat, my eyes shut tight. "What are they thinking?" Silence answers me and I can feel the annoyance grow in me once again. "Theo, please. What do you know?"

"Mother left. Xavier left shortly after-" most likely after our incident in the kitchen, " and neither can be found, neither have returned. I am not sure what else could have happened."

"So, what do we do? Go back into town, approach Kallum? Go to my house?"

"I think we should regroup at your house, search for clues, for whereabouts. Your parents abandoned the house but they may have left things behind." Theo continued to answer and I was grateful.

"Or we go into the center of town and show the bastards a thing or two," Jeremy growls. I can feel his hand squeeze mine slightly. Why was he angry, didn't he not like vampires? These bastards were his own family. Or he was eager to release his anger on anyone he could justify.

"That is exactly what we cannot do. That is grounds for execution on sight. We don't want people to die."

"You know, for monsters, you guys have zero back bone. Kallum was right when he said that," Jeremy grumbles, letting go of my hand to begin a pace in this stuffy attic. I open my eyes, looking up to see Samuel intently examining me.

"So, you are saying there is some sort of secret place or plan for them? And the details may be hidden in my house?" My brain wants to scream for Theo to call his girlfriend but Samuel & Jeremy are in the room.

"Precisely that, yes," Theo nods. Samuel guides me to slowly sit up. I am lightheaded, but get through it. Jeremy has settled to lean on the wall across from me, watching me with concern.

"Have you eaten?" Samuel asks. I shake my head. "Let us go make some breakfast then."

Jeremy races over to help me off the table. All three of us march down the steps, Jeremy in front of me going slowly, not giving any space to let me fall. I appreciate his devotion.

Jeremy seemed tightly wound, whether to keep his composure for me or to deal with his unstable emotions around the men he saw as monsters-which now included himself.

Samuel pulls out eggs, peppers, cheese, milk from a small mini fridge beneath the kitchen island. Maybe food that was once his wife's. I hadn't checked there earlier, either.

He makes an omelette and hands it to me. I eat as much as I can stomach with worry settling in my veins.

"So, we go to the house, we search, what if we dont find anything?" I ask.

"Then, we go to Kallum. We have no other choices. We have truly done no wrong and there is no grounds for his kidnapping. But we will have to fight. There is no doubt he will be prepared. If we dont find anything, this may just be sacrifice." I can see in Samuel's eyes he is worried. He has a baby coming.

"You stay here," I tell him, "you must stay here." He only nods to me.

Once finished eating, Samuel orders me to grab my things but I only grab my long wool sweater jacket and scarf. I didn't plan on staying home forever. I would be coming straight back, with Xavier locked to my side.