The Red Winter

Chapter Sixteen - P1

The house was quiet, too quiet; Reagan sat across from me with a phone in hand. I didn't need him exactly, I just wanted his company. I had helped to burn all the bodies from the fight a few hours ago but the lingering smell of smoke drifted through my open window. My hair was piled up in a bun on top of my head and I was dressed in a pair of joggers, socks, and a white tee. My computer screen was blaring at me and to get away my eyes drifted to the framed photograph of me and Christian, with one hand I picked it up and placed it out of sight. Reagan heard it move and looked up curiously.

      "How's Reid doing?" my Irish friend asked and I shrugged.

      "Essie rang this morning and he's responsive but not conscious yet." I picked up the green apple from my desk and rolled it between my fingers. "I'm not allowed to see him yet."

      He blinked in surprise, "Since when did the hunters stop you from doing anything?"

      "No, it's not them, they understand because we're...bonded." I rolled my eyes. "It was Father who requested I give them time."

      "And you're going to just do as he says?"

      I looked away from his intent gaze, downstairs sat my mother and father, my two brothers and sister. They were alive and well, yet I had holed myself up in my office with Reagan. I felt an emptiness in the chest, I wanted to see Reid. I wanted to look into his eyes and hear him say the words 'I'm here, I'm not dead.'

      I turned back to the white screen and tried to look through my emails, but my thoughts drifted elsewhere and I groaned in frustration. Standing up I looked around despairingly before fixing my gaze on the multipurpose PA. He was right, since when did I, do as I was told?  Never in my life had I been the dutiful daughter and years had only made me worse. The person I was, she was unkind with a bright scarlet mean streak but she did harbour a love for one individual and she was not going to change roles for anyone, not even her family. How quickly my priorities are compromised.

      I stood up and opened the door before a second had even passed outside of my head. Just as I was about to leave Reagan looked up. "I thought you were hiding out in the vampire's vampire proof room?"

      I shrugged. "You know I get bored. I'm going out. Why don't you go and welcome my family to the twenty-first century?"

      "Your, and I quote 'psychotically challenged family who I should stay away from unless I have a death wish' family?"

      I thought about it for a moment and then answered, "Pretty much." Then I left.

      As I walked down the steps I could conveniently look down at them without them noticing, the silver from my office blocked their senses. My father was dressed in another suit and had taken lodging in one of the grandfather chairs near the fire; he had also picked up an interest in my extensive Gothic literature collection to which I had merely hidden my amusement at. Mother had been a little less...settled; she hadn't hidden her distaste for my 'modern' lodge and spent half of her time making tea (she'd mastered the kettle in her month alive) and the other half fussing over everyone. Lysander had taken to life like a duck to water, he had already discovered bourbon had improved drastically and the fact that women more...openly showed interest than a thousand years ago didn't fall short with him either. Elric, as always, appeared indifferent to the situation. He cut his hair and put on a pair of khaki's and a jumper, he was still the handsome Elric we all knew and hell would freeze over before he complained. It was only Saya who looked ready to drown, her face was in a perpetual frown and she hid away behind Elric most of the time, it was a far cry from the independent Saya I had known.

      I took a step and everyone turned as they saw me come down the stairs, I wanted to roll my eyes at the synchronisation of their actions. I ignored them all and went to the kitchen, snatching up the Range Rover's keys. It was my father who finally spoke, "Where are you going?" I bit my tongue to stop the torrent of comments I wanted to reply with.

      "Out," my tone was forced and everyone knew it. I didn't like being questioned; it was only Reagan and darling Natasha who I could bare. Except she was now gone. That was something I needed to sort out when all of this blew over. When Reid had recovered and I had finally gotten used to the idea of my family being alive.

      "You honestly think I'm going to let you walk out the house dressed like that?" Mother's voiced raised a notch and I stared at her.

      "You honestly think after hundreds of years I give a fuck about how you perceive my dress sense?" My words were released before I could throw them into the pile of 'DO NOT SAY TO YOUR MOTHER' words and phrases.

      She slapped a hand to her mouth cried out quietly, I mentally hit myself. It was only Lysander who looked to be entertained by my mistake. My grip on the keys tightened but Father's severe gaze kept me from running away; no doubt he would have stopped me anyway.

      "Is that what you think?" he asked softly, but the intimidating edge had taken its well-used place and I saw the leather binding of the book in his hand strain a little.

      "Just...give me time. I need to sort things out and right now my head isn't clear. I have a new third line vampire to train who's stuck in our castle right now, a young human protégé to teach, a runaway PA to find, a cat to find and the man I love to go and care for. I can't believe I'm saying this but let's just wait, Reagan is going to help you adjust and explain how the Council is run."

      "Who runs the Council?" asked Elric's curious voice from the fireplace.

      "You, me, all of us technically, that's what I told the world. Why don't you know that?"

      Elric ignored my last comment, "So it seems the Council has risen."

      "Quite, now I'm leaving."