What is hidden in the dark will one day seek the light.
Truth to Hide
Of course, it wasn't out of pure boredom that I decided to enjoy the company of the too-tall-for-his-own-good guy out of all the other idiots. No, I had a plan.
I noticed that they were hiding something from me. They must have thought that I was either blind or fucking stupid to not notice it. As much as I've been treated like one, I'm neither.
It was as if they had just come to some unspoken agreement that I was indeed to be watched twenty-four hours a day. They made awkwardly sure that there was always at least one person with me. I deduced from this that there was either a bounty on my head or that I was being hunted for some other reason. But if that was the case, I couldn't ask Des, he wouldn't tell me the truth. In fact, he'd probably tie me up and lock me in the room to keep me there. No, I know my brother too well. That can't happen.
So I decided to pick the weakest among them. The wolf, may be naive but he is no fool, and he has his nose to track me down. The cat is also problematic because, although he doesn't show it much, he might be the most cunning of the bunch — I couldn't risk him finding out my plan. And Des was out of the question from the start, he knows me too well. So that left Tootall — as soon as his attention waned a little, I'd slip away.
My fingers clenched into fists. I've got to find out what I've got myself into. To do that, I first have to gather information. I knew exactly where I was supposed to go. In front of me was a blurry image of a bunker — although I didn't really know who or what I'd find there, I was sure I'd find the right person. I knew almost instinctively where I should go.
We got on the bus, of course, I got the seat by the window. Tootall made no attempt to engage me in conversation. That made me nervous. Even more so when I glanced at him and he smiled sweetly.
"Hey," I said unfriendly.
"Call me Alice," he asked.
"What?" I raised one eyebrow.
"You've always called me Alice," he said, "It would be strange if it were any different now."
"Hm," I turned back to the window.
"What did you want to say?" he asked.
I slowly slid my gaze back to him. "Are you a hunter?"
He nodded.
"Des's partner?" I asked, to which he nodded again.
I managed to hate him even more, even though I thought it was impossible. I always thought I'd be Des' partner. Only me.
"I think I'd better come clean now, rather than surprise you," he mused, then burrowed his gaze into mine, "In fact, there's a bit more between us. I'm dating your brother."
I froze. I felt myself pale and blush at the same time. Don't ask me how that's possible, I haven't managed to reproduce that reaction since.
My fingers clenched into fists.
"You are the worst," I growled with murderous fury, "I hate you."
I'd have liked to beat him to a pulp — he wouldn't notice and he'd be dead. What's holding me back?
"When your older self found out, I thought he'd react like this," he remarked, perhaps more to himself than to me.
"At first you were angry, as you are now," he began with a nostalgic smile, "Then you calmed down and accepted it. Even I was surprised at how easily. Maybe because we had been friends for a while then."
I laughed sharply.
"Friends?" I repeated in disbelief. "I don't have any friends. I only have Des, so if you try to take him away from me, I'll kill you."
"What are you talking about?" he said, "You've got Alex and Rolo. What are they if not friends?"
I shrugged. "There are only two kinds of people around me: those who command me or those who obey me."
"What has happened?" asked Tootall anxiously, "What has happened to make you so distrustful of those around you?"
"None of your business," I turned back to the window.
We traveled in silence for a while, then he spoke again.
"When I met you, Alex was already with you," he said, "You were childhood friends..."
"I don't care", I shrugged, uninterested.
"You know I'm right," he said.
I didn't answer. We got off and walked into Tesco. I'd never seen so many people in one place in my life. It looked like I was going to have a disgustingly easy time of it on the run. Tootall was shopping for this and that, mostly the more necessary groceries, but he kept looking behind to see if I was following.
"Shay..." he began, "Shay!"
I looked up at him in disgust.
"Do you like pudding?" he asked.
"I don't hate pudding. Why?"
"You were just looking at them for a bit long,'" he said with a cheerful smile.
I shrugged.
"Which one would you like?" he stepped up to me and started to sort through the desserts.
"The chocolate one," I said.
"That's one of my favourites too," he replied cheerfully, as he was torn between two puddings.
"Which one do you prefer, Shay?" he would turn to me.
"Shay!" he cried, almost frightened, drawing the attention of the other people, but the one he was really looking for was long gone.
(...)
It was almost too easy. What can I say, even I was surprised at how easily I managed to get away. I stepped out of the supermarket into the night. I headed off in the direction of what I thought was the grey bunker-like house — although I had a feeling it was still a long way away.
"Where are you going?" I heard the otherworldly voice and I froze.
Slowly, very slowly, I turned towards the translucent figure. My heart was pounding hard in the pit of my chest, yet no scream came from my throat — perhaps because it was so familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, this unearthly presence.
"Who are you?" I answered with a question.
The ghost smiled softly. "Simon."
I turned my back on the ghost. "Don't even try to stop me. I know everyone is hiding something from me."
I clenched my fists.
"I'm not going to stop you," he declared, which took me completely by surprise.
He stepped beside me and I looked up at him with round eyes. Simon simply took my hand and his smile broadened.
"I'm simply going with you, even if you are going to the end of the world."
My heart shrunk into a tiny little ball deep in my chest. For some reason my heart ached at that gentle smile and what the ghost had said to me. I clenched my jaw and wanted to pull my fingers out of his grip — but I didn't.
"So where are we going?" he asked.
"Why?" I asked in a lower than a whisper.
"Hm?"
"Why did you say that?" I asked, almost angrily.
I looked up at the ghost with eyes that would have made most hunters shudder. Yet this willful, foolish specter looked at me with a look of indulgence as if he hadn't even noticed it.
"Because I am your friend," he said in his unearthly voice.
A tiny spark seemed to have flickered in his dead eyes at that moment, but it may have been my imagination. Then he took his eyes from my face and gazed pensively into the distance. Maybe if he'd had to look me in the eye, he wouldn't have been able to say those words.
"Because you gave my existence meaning."
My eyes widened and my lips quivered. Simon squeezed my hand and smiled down at me again. My eyes began to sting. Simon crouched down in front of me as if to comfort me.
"I will be by your side until your last breath," he promised, "because there is no place for me in this world but by your side."
I had no idea what to say to that, so I remained silent. Although the ghost's touch was exceptionally cold, I did not pull my hand away. I gently guided my gaze to his face. His form seemed so translucent and fragile that I feared if I squeezed his hand, he would disappear. It was as if he were dying... yet this foolish spirit merely looked at me with his dead eyes, as if to convince me that he really meant what he said.
"Will you tell me what is going on?" I asked.
Simon nodded readily. Okay, I thought, and took the ghost's translucent fingers between my two hands, concentrating on warming his hands. Simon's eyes widened for a moment, then flickered with understanding.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
When I released his hand, the ghost's form seemed a little more solid.
"I'll expect an explanation when we get home," I said, and Simon nodded.
Tootall stormed out of the supermarket as if he was being chased by a horde of mountain trolls at the very least.
"Shay!" he shouted my name with dramatic insistence.
He ran to me, but only really calmed down when he saw Simon beside me.
"Oh," he said, very intelligently, "Hi, Simon."
"Hi," replied the ghost.
"What are you doing out here?" asked Tootall, a little confused.
"I just wanted to get some air," I replied quickly. "Shall we go?"
I was about to leave when the hunter stopped me. "Wait!"
The guy was almost proud to show me the contents of the nylon bag. On top of the stuff inside I saw two puddings. Both were chocolate. I raised an eyebrow.
"I couldn't decide which one you wanted, so I bought them both," he added.
Hmpf. Idiot.
"Let's go home," he smiled down at me, "The others must be waiting."
I nodded and slowly started to walk past him. I could feel the hunter's always kind gaze on me, but my own gaze was fixed on the pavement the whole time. Simon himself suddenly disappeared into thin air, but I was sure he hadn't gone too far from me.
"Alice," I began, and his eyes widened in surprise. But I could only see it out of the corner of my eye because I didn't really feel like looking at him.
"Yes?" he asked, in a voice of ugly satisfaction.
"Why are you by my side?"
The hunter was silent for a moment.
"Because I like being around you," he said at last in a soft voice.
"Is that the reason?" I asked quietly.
"Yes."
For some reason, that reassured me a little.
When we got home, the kitchen was sparkling. Of course, Rolo was staring at us with piercing eyes and Alex immediately jumped in front of us, worried and asking like crazy what had taken so long. Des was the only one who noticed the change. He raised his eyebrows in satisfaction. I knew immediately what he meant and pulled my lips away. He stepped over to me and ruffled my hair.
Alice finally retired to the living room to rest. I pushed one of the puddings into his hands and sat down with the other in my hand on the other side of the sofa — as far away from him as possible.
"I don't like that brand, so you can eat it," I added graciously and opened mine.
"Thank you," he said, and I left it at that.
I was so lost in thought that Des was able to and stole a spoonful of my pudding.
"Hey!" I shouted.
"Your fault, little brother," he grinned. "You let your guard down."
Just then, the doorbell rang. The unexpected sound broke the rhythm of our banter, and all eyes turned towards the door. I looked at Des, who shrugged, then at Alex, who was already on his feet.
"I'll get it," Alex said, heading for the door.
A few moments later, Alex returned with a visitor in tow — a girl with striking features and an air of authority. She carried a small bag in one hand and an unmistakable aura of power that immediately put me on edge.
She was stronger than Alex but maybe weaker than Des, I noted silently.
"Hello, everyone," she greeted us politely with a nod.
I blinked, trying to place her face. There was a nagging familiarity, but I couldn't remember her. That was the moment her gaze found me.
"Shay?" she asked, her voice a mixture of shock and concern as her eyes settled on me. "What happened to you?"
I looked up, momentarily startled by her question and her intense gaze.
"Who are you?" I asked, my voice steady despite the unease I felt.
Coffee's eyes softened slightly, though her demeanor remained composed. "It's me, Isidora."
Alex stepped forward, attempting to bridge the gap. "He lost his memories," he explained quickly. "We're still trying to piece everything together."
Coffee's expression turned from shock to a cold determination. "I see," she said, turning her gaze back to me. "Well, I brought cocoa. I thought it might be a nice treat." She handed over a small package wrapped in fine paper.
I took it cautiously, my eyes never leaving hers. "Thanks," I mumbled, still wary.
Des, sensing the tension, stepped in. "How was the meeting?"
Coffee nodded slightly. "It was as tedious as ever. But we reached an agreement, for now."
Her eyes flicked back to me, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of something — compassion, perhaps? — before her usual composed mask slipped back into place. As the evening wore on, Coffee's presence became a quiet reassurance. She sat in a corner, watching over us with her characteristic stoic calm.
Later, Alex decided to make use of the cocoa Coffee had brought. He bustled around the kitchen, gathering milk, a pot, and mugs. The smell of rich, warm cocoa soon filled the air, making my stomach grumble slightly.
"Here," Alex said, handing me a steaming mug. "I think you could use this."
I took it cautiously, my hands wrapping around the warmth of the mug. I took a tentative sip and found myself pleasantly surprised by the creamy, sweet taste. It was comforting, like a hug in a cup.
"This is good," I admitted, looking up at Alex.
He smiled, looking relieved. "I'm glad you like it."
We sat in a comfortable silence for a while, sipping our cocoa. Coffee remained in her corner, observing quietly, but there was a sense of peace in the room that hadn't been there before.
Coffee's gaze lingered on me for a moment longer. She sighed, her usually composed demeanor cracking slightly. "I should have been here sooner," she admitted quietly, her voice tinged with regret. "If I had known..."
I blinked, surprised by the raw emotion in her voice.
"You were at the council. It's not your fault," said Alex.
She shook her head. "I would have left the Vampire Council right away if I'd known what happened. I'm sorry."
Alex stepped closer, his expression softening as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Izzi, it would have jeopardized your future position in the council. That's why Shay didn't call for you. He knew he would need you in a strong position in the future."
Coffee's eyes flickered with a mix of understanding and lingering guilt. "But still, I feel like I should have been here."
Alex gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Shay knew what he was doing."
I nodded slowly. "I always know what I am doing."
Coffee's eyes softened, and she seemed to gather herself. "Alright."
(...)
I waited vigilantly for Simon to come to see me, and he did indeed come in the middle of the night as promised.
"You're late," I remarked, even though we hadn't agreed on a precise time.
Yet Simon didn't seem angry about it, he just sighed wearily.
"It took time for everyone to fall asleep."
I nodded, and for a few moments we just stared at each other. To my credit, I was really patient, waiting for moments before I called out his silence.
"You promised," I reminded him.
"I know," he replied and hovered closer.
He sat down on the bed beside me and I was again confronted with the otherworldly chill of his nearness. But perhaps he knew it too, for even if I stubbornly showed no sign of being bothered, he soon wrapped the blanket around me. Simon cared for me like never before or since. Perhaps he felt I needed it most at that time — and indeed, that was true.
"You're king," he declared suddenly.
His words were sudden in themselves, yet it was his meaning that stunned me the most.
"What...?" I breathed.
"You are the Fifth King, Shay," he explained, "You were cursed by a Wraith, that's why you turned into a child."
"So..." I began vaguely. "You mean to say that... I'm a king. Like, say, Crimson?"
"Yes," said the ghost, twisting my world out of itself.
"But... but how is that possible?" I asked almost desperately.
I think he didn't know the answer to that so he started talking about something else instead.
"Members of your court are trying to protect you because you are vulnerable at the moment," he explained, then stopped for a moment and looked at me with concern, "Shay, are you okay?"
I did not answer.
"Shay..."
I didn't answer. I didn't answer, no matter how many times he said my name.