Chapter 16
Chapter
Sixteen
TWO DAYS.
That’s how long I allow myself.
I stare at my ceiling. I lie in my bed. I empty every emotion and heated feeling inside of me. I let it all drain out of me.
Because if I don’t, I will destroy myself. I can feel the beast inside of me, threatening to crawl up in my chest. It wants to take up residence in my throat, it wants to choke the life out of me. It wants to wrap its clawed hands around my heart and give a good, long squeeze.
It wants to force tears out onto my cheeks. It wants to make my breath rip in and out of my lungs with the speed of a jackrabbit.
I think maybe I’m fighting off a panic attack.
Two days, that’s how long my House leaves me alone for.
And then, to my surprise, it’s Cameron who first opens my bedroom door.
“Liv?” he asks tentatively. “May I come in?”
I don’t answer him as I continue to stare at the ceiling. But I hear him step inside anyway and close the door. He walks over to my bed and sits on the edge of it. My eyes slide over to his.
There’s concern there, but it’s shallow. There’s a slight gleam in his eye that I can’t identify. “I brought you some brownies,” he says as he holds up the plate he has.
My eyes drift down to them. My stomach gives a growl. I haven’t eaten anything in two days. “I’m not hungry,” I say as I look back up at the ceiling.
“Trust me, you should try these brownies,” he says as he picks one up and wafts it in front of my nose. “They’ll make you feel a lot better.”
I give him a curious look and Cameron’s expression is mischievous and excited. Hesitantly, I sit up and fold my legs on the bed. I take the brownie and nibble off a bite.
And my human body suddenly realizes that it does need food, because my stomach growls again and demands more.
I finish the whole thing off in less than thirty seconds.
I go to grab for another, but instantly Cameron’s hand is wrapped around my wrist, stopping me.
I look up at him in surprise. “I’d pace myself,” he says with a smile and a shake of his head.
“These are very special brownies and not for mass consumption.”
“Cameron,” I say very calmly. “What did you just feed me?”
His eyes are cautious, hesitant. “Just…something to make you feel better.”
I raise an eyebrow at him. “There’s weed in those brownies, isn’t there?”
Instead of answering me, Cameron stuffs an entire brownie in his mouth and smiles at me.
For a moment I’m horrified. I’ve never touched marijuana before, and now I’ve just been given it without my permission.
But I look at Cameron, and see the hopeful look in his eyes. He really is just trying to help.
What’s the harm, I guess?
I shake my head at him, break off a quarter of one of the squares, and stuff it in my mouth. “How long ‘til it starts working?”
Cameron shrugs as he sets the plate on my bedside table and pulls something from his back pocket.
“Probably not very long since you’ve never done edibles before.
But I brought this to help pass the time.
” It’s a DVD copy of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
“You have no idea how truly epic this movie is until you watch it with my special snacks in hand.”
I shake my head and smile. “I think I may have underestimated you. You’re a bad influence.”
He smiles his biggest, cheesy grin. “But I did get you to smile. The saddest thing ever, seeing pretty girls sad.”
I chuckle and shake my head. “Well, I’m not sure about the method, but thanks. I kind of needed someone to pull me out of my funk.”
“You’re welcome,” he says as he stands and crosses to the giant TV on the wall directly across from my bed. Little does he know that just to his right is a wall that opens up to reveal a hidden armory, to his left is a painting that covers a passage way and tunnel that leads outside the property.
He puts the movie in before making a giant, almost impossible to see leap, before landing back in the bed on his back beside me.
“Hey, don’t break the furniture!” I mock screech. “This bedframe is probably older than Markov!”
And he laughs hysterically. “Way older than Jasmine.”
“Certainly older than you,” I say as I lay next to him and the opening credits start. “Baby.” I nudge him in the ribs.
“Hey! I can’t help my age,” he defends as he takes the remote and starts the movie.
“Well, you won’t be the baby for much longer,” I say as I cuddle up to a pillow that’s propped up on his shoulder.
“Pending death and all that,” Cameron says as the movie begins.
“And all that,” I say quietly. “How did you die?”
Cameron reaches for another brownie and waves it around before taking another bite. “Didn’t know one could have enough pot in their system to kill themselves. Maybe it was the pills I took too.”
“You were a druggie?” I ask with a little laugh.
“Only used the good stuff,” he snickers back.
It feels good. Laughing. Smiling. Being with someone who I don’t feel like I have to manipulate to keep. Cameron is easy going. He just needs a friend, and right now I’m in desperate need of one myself.
By about the middle of the movie, we’re both laughing hysterically, and apparently very loudly, because Nial pops his head in to check on us, and we both shush him far too loudly, but that’s funny too and we both can’t stop laughing.
Nial gives us a disapproving look, but shakes his head with a smile.
When the first movie is over, we pop in another.
And I think we might start another, but suddenly my eyes are on the ceiling and I feel like I’m floating away.
I’m not sure how many brownies I’ve eaten now, but it’s been at least two.
Maybe five. Numbers are feeling a little like shimmery bubbles at the moment, prone to pop the second I grasp them.
“You ever think about how damn long you’re going to live?” I ask as I study the ceiling above my bed.
“Sometimes,” Cameron says. His voice is a lot more focused than mine.
“I have no idea how old my dad was, but he was old,” I say with a little, quirked smile. “I mean, he had to be hundreds of years old. It’s kind of creepy when you think about it, that he was like, ancient, and he hooked up with my twenty year old mom.”
Cameron snickers. “That is pretty gnarly.”
“Yeah,” I say, licking my lips. Suddenly I’m starving. I need something salty. Like now. But my limbs feel really heavy. “So what’s the deal with you and Trinity?”
He gives a little psh sound and shakes his head.
“I’ve been in love with her ever since I joined the House, but she’s only ever looked at me like a friend.
Never thought the age thing would be a factor, considering I resurrected at nineteen and she’s only sixteen, but she’s been a vampire for over forty years.
I’m just the young stupid friend to her. ”
“Ouch,” I say, feeling for him. “That’s hard.”
“Yeah,” he says. He reaches down and pats my leg as my stomach gives a roaring growl. “You have to feed the monster or it will only get worse. Let’s get you some food.”
“Okay,” I say, and for some reason, the way the word sounds is crazy funny to me. I burst into laughter. “Words are weird,” I snicker. I slide my legs off the bed, but put too much momentum behind it or something, cause suddenly I’m slipping to the ground.
But in an instant, Cameron is at my side and catches me before I hit the ground. “Easy there, cowboy,” he chuckles. And suddenly he’s hoisted me up and I’m flung over his shoulder. He starts carrying me out the door and down the hall.
I of course start laughing hysterically again.
“What did you to do her?” Lillian demands when we reach the bottom of the stairs.
“I made her feel better.” And I can hear the smile in his voice. My hair cascades around my head and I can’t see much of anything. I’m imprisoned by my hair.
That’s funny too.
“You got her high?” Lillian sounds super annoyed and very concerned.
“She’s totally baked,” Samuel laughs.
He laughs, so I start laughing too.
We reach the kitchen. I know, because I see the wood floor end and the tile begin. Suddenly, Cameron flips me right side up and carefully sets me in a chair at the bar. I blink hard, my head rushing.
“Seriously, Cameron?”
That’s Anna. I turn to see her walking in from the ballroom. She looks super pissed.
“Everyone just chill out,” I say. My eyelids don’t want to open all the way. My tongue feels kind of thick. And I’m so hungry. Cameron hands me a bag of chips and I tear into it with vigor. “Seriously,” I say through a mouthful. “I feel great.”
And maybe it’s my slurred words. Maybe it’s the sight of me stuffing my face and crumbs going down my shirt, on the floor, everywhere, but Samuel snorts. Which cracks a smile on Lillian’s face. Anna shakes her head and walks away, but she looks less angry.
“See?” Cameron says with a smile. “I made it all better.”
THE NEXT MORNING, WHICH ISN’T really a morning but more like eight in the evening, I wake with a splitting headache. I just don’t feel…right, is the best way I can describe it. And I’m crazy thirsty.
Thankfully, when I roll over, I find a tall glass of water and two pills on my nightstand.
Nial.
I down both the pills, followed by all the water in two huge gulps. I claw my way out of my bed and use the bathroom.
Even though I have thick blackout curtains in my room, the intense light from our motion sensors outside come spilling into my room.
I’m across the room in a flash, ripping back the curtains.
The lights at the fence line are brilliantly bight. I see a figure fall from the fence.
The world goes dark once again, my eyes feel blind with the instant lack of light.
“Wake up everyone!” I bellow as I dart from my room and start down the stairs. I nearly fall, since I’m not feeling great, but catch myself at the last second. “Anna’s got the spy!”
By the time I reach the bottom of the stairs, every one of my House members is already assembled, ready and waiting. I open the door and squint through the dark.