Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3:

At first, Eurydice didn't know where the scream had come from. She ran to the window, expecting to see...she didn't know exactly what. There was nothing there. 

Taking a deep breath, Eurydice slowly walked to her door and peeked around the corner. From here, she could only see the top of the stairs. What if there is something down there? she thought. Something? It would be someone, not something.

Slowly, Eurydice crept down the stairs, being careful not to make a sound. She grabbed an empty vase that was sitting on the table at the bottom of the stairs; maybe she could sneak up on whoever it was and catch them off-guard. Only, when Eurydice finally made it to the living room, she saw what had been doing the screaming.

The television was on; something about vampires was playing. The woman in the vampire's grip was bleeding from her neck, no longer making a sound. The vampire appeared to be vicious and still thirsty, as it threw the girl's body on the ground and went in search of more.

Eurydice unintentionally shivered and flipped the television off. She sat the vase back on the table where it belonged. Why had she freaked out over that? Then she realized the television had come on by itself. Eurydice shook her head at herself and went back upstairs to start on her history homework.

Eurydice's parents got home a few hours later, both seemingly stressed. When 

Eurydice asked them what was wrong, they only exchanged disquieted glances and told her not to worry. Of course, this only made her worry more. They had just moved to a new town, so there could be a number of things wrong: the house could be not what they had expected; maybe Eurydice's mother couldn't find a job; maybe they were having second thoughts. That last one was not a bad thing in Eurydice's mind, though she was not going to bring it up again.

After a quiet dinner, Eurydice told her parents goodnight and headed up to bed. The next school day was sure to be just as bad as the first, so she might as well go in with a clear head.

The next morning, Eurydice woke bright and early, taking a shower and fixing her hair. For some reason, she felt that she actually cared what she looked like, whereas, yesterday, she couldn't have cared less. She chose to wear her usual dark colors: black jeans, a black V-neck shirt and her high-tops. Her long, brown hair was naturally wavy, so she just brushed it out and, after applying a little eyeliner, she was ready to go.

This morning, Eurydice chose to ride the bus, though she was sure that she would regret the decision later. The bus was filled; every seat was taken. Some kids were even standing. Eurydice took a deep breath and leaned against the side of one of the cushiony seats. She could feel the other students' eyes on her, but today she ignored them. She felt elated, better than last night. She felt as if today was going to be far better than the day before.

This time, though still no one talked to Eurydice up until lunch, she didn't mind it. She could feel them still watching her, but today, she felt it was more that they were stares of awe, or even envy. And, even if thinking like that this was totally self-absorbed, Eurydice just knew it was true. She did look beautiful. Her long, brown hair was shining in the bright sun and her emerald-green eyes were just as bright.

Eurydice sat down on the ground under a large oak tree. She had no lunch with her today, just a book about Greek mythology. Since Felix had told her the origin of her name, Eurydice's interest in the story had spiked. So, now she was sitting under a tree on a beautiful day, checking up on the story. She wanted to see how accurate 

Felix had been, though she had to admit that he seemed to know what he was talking about. After all, Felix had been practically back in time, living the story out himself.

Felix was feeling particularly giddy today. He wasn't sure why, exactly. Only that he had woken up this morning extremely hungry, having not fed the day before. So, he had gone out and Glamoured a yoga instructor. He didn't remember her name; he never remembered their names. What did it matter? They were only good for one thing anyway. Felix smiled to himself, thinking of the feeling of draining someone to the edge of their life, leaving just enough blood so that they could recover. Who knew, he might need to feed from them again someday.

He preferred people like the yoga instructor: healthy, fit, beautiful. People who ate greasy foods and didn't know the meaning of hygeine, those were his least favorite. 

He could almost taste the unhealthiness in their blood, the grease and...The thought of it was enough to make his stomach churn.

Felix was standing just outside the school. It was lunchtime and, though he had no need for human food, it was a reason for him to escape class. The only reason Felix had started school this year at all was because he could feel something coming. And that something wasn't good. Felix had been alive�"dead?�"for around three centuries, and he had seen things beyond even the most evil of humans' imaginations. Something was going to happen, and he had no idea what it was. He just felt that he should be there, waiting.

Felix thought back to the first woman he had ever loved. Her name was Layla and she had been an Angel. Literally, an Angel, sent down from the Heavens to kill Vampires. 

Of course, then Felix had not realized what Layla was, or that she was meant to kill him. He didn't know that Vampires were actually created by Satan, sent to destroy the Angels that were sent down by God to destroy the Vampires. He didn't know that falling in love with Layla would cause her to be damned for eternity�"Felix stopped. 

There were some things that were too painful for him to think about. Layla being the most painful of all.

Sighing, Felix looked around him. These humans were too stupid to realize all that was going on around them. Vampires and Angels and things far too complicated for their tiny brains to comprehend. All they cared about were their material things and who had the best car, or the better grades. Felix scoffed at the fact that he was here at all. He was superior to these humans in every way possible. I should just leave. Felix thought. Why am I here anyway? I could be out Glamouring some innocent girl into giving herself up to me. Felix grinned briefly, until he saw her.

Eurydice was sitting under a big oak tree, reading. From here, Felix could see that she was reading about Greek mythology. Felix smirked and started for the girl.

"Greek mythology, huh?" Felix said when he was standing in front of Eurydice. "You couldn't just take my word?"

Eurydice looked up at him, shielding her eyes from the sun with one slender, beautiful hand. "You made me curious."

Felix really looked at Eurydice; she was beautiful today. Not to say that she hadn't looked beautiful the day before, but there was something different about her today. 

She seemed to be glowing. That was when Felix realized that Eurydice must be...No, it couldn't be. Felix filed the thought away and sat down beside Eurydice.

"Doesn't it make it hot for you, wearing black all the time?" she asked, eyeing Felix's dark attire. "You know, black attracts the sun."

Felix smiled his dazzling smile. He had seen girls faint at the sight of it; that was what 

he liked. It saved his energy. This way, he didn't have to Glamour them into giving in to him. Not that they would put up a fight anyway. he thought. "I prefer dark colors," he replied. "Besides, you're wearing all black, too," Felix pointed out.

"True," was all Eurydice said. A few minutes passed by in silence before she asked, 

"So, how long have you lived here?"

"Almost a year now," Felix replied. No need to mention that he had not felt anything that actually made him feel good�"besides the hunt�"until Eurydice arrived. Strangely, she very much reminded him of Layla. "Did you say that was a sunstone?" Felix asked Eurydice.

"Yeah."

"Where did you get it?" Surely, it couldn't be...

"My grandma passed it down to me. She got it from her grandma. It's been in the family for generations," she answered. "Why?"

Felix swallowed hard. That sunstone looked exactly like...It even had the crack down the middle�"No, no, no. But it only made sense. They looked alike; the same green eyes that shone like emeralds, the same dimples so deep they didn't even have to smile for them to be visible. But what were the chances?

Before Eurydice knew it, Felix was on his feet and practically running away from her. What was up with him? Eurydice stood and followed Felix, but he wouldn't turn when she asked him what was wrong. Finally, Eurydice grabbed Felix's arm. This got a reaction, though not the one she had been expecting.

"What do you want?" Felix asked, his voice strained.

"What's wrong? Did I do something?" Eurydice said, baffled.

"Nothing. Look�"stay away from me."

"But�""

"No," Felix interjected firmly. "People tend to get hurt when I'm around, so just take 

care of yourself. And watch out."

Then he was gone.

In History class, Felix was missing. Eurydice couldn't help but think she had done something to make him as angry as he was. She noted that Felix had started acting odd when they were talking about the sunstone. But what could that possibly mean? 

Eurydice had had this ring for years; her grandmother had had it before her. Eurydice sighed.

When she glanced up from her work, she noticed Mr. Hastings staring at her. He did not look away when she continued staring back at him. Was everyone going crazy?

Eurydice walked home again that afternoon, her good mood ruined. Her parents were home when she arrived; she tossed her backpack on the couch and slumped in a kitchen chair. Her mother was making spaghetti; her father was on the phone with someone. She could just make out the words.

"...we did move here to get away from all that, but it looks as if it's followed us here," her father was saying. "Anywhere we go, it will be the same; we can't run from it, we can't hide her from it forever."

"Who is dad talking to?" Eurydice asked her mother. 

Her mother didn't look up from stirring the pasta. "I don't know, dear."

"Well, what's he talking about? What are we running from?" Eurydice felt a pang of fear. Was that why her parents had been acting so weird lately? She was certain now that was the reason they had left Cleveland.

Eurydice's mother slammed the spoon down on the counter and glared at her. "Stop. Asking. Questions."

A second later, her father entered the room. "Amanda, I need to speak with you alone," he said. 

Eurydice stood. "I don't know what you guys are keeping from me, but it isn't fair to me. If I'm in danger�"if we're in danger�"I have the right to know," she said. "If there is something that I should be afraid of, don't you think I should know about it? What if something happens? I won't know what to do, because I will have been left in the dark the whole time."

Robert, Eurydice's father, spoke first. "Let your mother and I talk about this alone."

"Ugh!" Eurydice stormed out the front door, slamming it behind her.

Later that night at dinner, her parents had told her that there was nothing to worry about; they could handle it. Whatever it was. Eurydice had left her untouched food on the table and gone to bed, feeling frustrated.

Felix slammed his fist down on the desk he was sitting at. He had fled the school and came directly to the library. He had to know if Eurydice was related�"in any way�"to Layla. And here he had it, Eurydice's family tree. He had found it online after an hour or two of research. He had pored over every inch, every name in the family tree, seeing Eurydice after Eurydice, until he finally found her. Layla.

Funny, he even remembered being there when this particular portrait of Layla had been painted. That was nearly two hundred years ago. And now, he was in the twenty-first century, having some chance meeting with Layla's great-great-great-whatever-granddaughter. It was crazy; it made no sense.

Then he remembered. How could he have forgotten? John. The man that Layla had been paired with. Layla had hardly mentioned John, besides saying that she wished she were paired with Felix, and how that could never happen. Layla hadn't been one for telling Felix about her past. She hadn't even mentioned her daughter, except to tell Felix that she could never introduce the two of them; it was too dangerous. Come to think of it, Layla had never really gotten around to explaining anything�"about her being an Angel, or about how it was forbidden for her to even be near Felix, unless it was to stake him.

And stake him, she had. Hypothetically, of course.

Felix shut off the computer and sighed. What was he supposed to do now? He had told Eurydice to stay away from him, which was what she should do. But it wasn't what Felix wanted her to do. He felt an odd connection to the girl. It was not the type of connection he had felt to Layla. No, this was different, stronger somehow. He felt like it was his obligation to protect Eurydice, to take care of her. How could he do that when he was away from her? he reasoned.

"Kenneth?" Eurydice was extremely surprised to see him here. What was he doing in Virginia? He was supposed to be in Ohio. "What are you doing here?"

"Look, there are some things we need to talk about," Kenneth said seriously.

"Felix?" Eurydice said when Felix sat down at the picnic table beside Kenneth, across from her. "What are you doing?" Felix had clearly told Eurydice to stay away from him. 

So, why was he sitting with her now?

Kenneth tensed when Felix sat down and a weird, uncomfortable expression crossed Felix's face. They both recovered almost instantaneously, but Eurydice had noticed.

"I decided that there was no way you'll make it through high school without me," Felix said with a grin and a wild look in his violet eyes.

Eurydice rolled her own eyes playfully and looked back to Kenneth. "What did you need to talk to me about?"

Kenneth did not try to conceal the fact that he didn't like Felix. He glared over at him, then turned to Eurydice. "This isn't something we should discuss in mixed company." Kenneth enunciated the last two words meaningfully, pushing his blonde hair out of his eyes.

"It's only the three of us," Felix said lightly. This only got him another glare from Kenneth. He flashed his smile and winked at Eurydice. Her heart skipped a beat. "Oh, you mean me," Felix said.

"Just come by my house tonight," Eurydice told Kenneth. "We can talk then."

Felix glanced over at Kenneth grimly. He knew Kenneth was an Angel, and he was willing to bet that Kenneth and Eurydice were paired, whether Eurydice knew it yet or not. He was sure Kenneth knew everything. Otherwise, he wouldn't be here looking to "talk" with Eurydice. Kenneth was going to tell her what she was and what her duties entailed. That meant that Kenneth was going to tell Eurydice was Felix was as well. 

Maybe he could fix things if he got to her first.

Reviews

[NoelHC]

OK, the plot thickens. Nicely done, and I like the foreshadowing you used; "Something was going to happen, and he had no idea what it was. He just felt that he should be there, waiting."

I am now waiting for new chapters, you will have to get busy.

Very good work, Shawna.