Unraveling Selena by Marisa Maichel (best ereader for comics TXT) 📖

I asked, standing up.

"Would...would you go to the North Hampton Homecoming dance with me?"

"Sure," I said. "But you don't go to North Hampton anymore."

"Now I do," he said. "I just got registered. So we'll be seeing each other in the halls soon."

"Oh?" I hedged.

"Yeah. My parents think that I'll be safer with more adults around."

"They're not wrong," I replied. "I always feel safer with the guards around."

"Are you ready, Reese? Oh, hello, Evan," Father said.

"For what?" I asked.

"I need you to come with me to be a witness to a meeting between supernaturals. Evan may come along, too."

I looked at Evan. "I don't know if I want you coming along. The last time I went to one, there was a huge fight. Guess whose fault it was?" I gestured to Uncle Soren, who was coming out the door.

"Oh, haha," Uncle Soren said sarcastically. "My gut is killing me from my nonexistant laughter."

"And you wonder why Louis is always so sarcastic," Father teased him.

I looked at Evan. Then I pecked his forehead. "If I'm not back at midnight, don't look for me. I will most likely be limping from a lich attack."

"Okay, that one actually was my fault," Uncle Soren admitted abashedly.

"What happened?" Evan asked.

Father spoke up. "He got angry at a centaur and literally called him 'a jack with an ass.' It was quite messy, especially after that lich tried to kill Louis. My nephew would have had a hole blown through his chest if Reese hadn't pushed him out of the way."

Father put a protective arm over me and kissed my temple. "I was proud of him, but at the same time sick to my stomach because it could have gone a lot worse. I don't know what I'd have done if I lost Reese."

"I'd have never forgiven myself if Louis had died that night," Uncle Soren added.

"There's no way I'm letting you go alone," Evan said.

"Evan Byrd, if you get hurt tonight because of me, I'll never forgive myself," I said.

"Reese Emerson, do you remember what I said last year about me not letting you get into dangerous situations?"

My stomach dropped. "You had convinced me to go to that nightclub and I was sneaking off by myself to smoke cigarettes. You thought I was doing heroin or crack cocaine."

"I was worried about you, because I'd never been around that shit before, and a bunch of people were doing it."

"You overreacted and screamed at me, accusing me of poisoning myself." I noticed that Father flinched at the mention of poisoning myself.

"I had no idea that you made your own poison then," Evan replied.

"I know, and I understand that. I do. Ever since I turned you, I've been worried about you constantly, even if I hadn't seen you in a while."

"It wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it was, but that's for another time. You're not coming, and that's final."

Evan looked at my father.

"Oh, let him come," he finally said. "He's been concerned about you, and you about him."

"Fine, but hold my hand."

"Do you know who you sound like?" Evan asked me. He glanced at my father.

"Well, I did create him," Father gloated. "He is half me."

Minutes later, we reached the tiny room where the meeting would be held. Father and Uncle Soren were in full garb, including canes. I was wearing my usual outfit, plus a hoodie. Evan looked like a scared rabbit, squeezing my hand tightly.

"I love you," I whispered to him. His eyes widened and he looked at me. I smiled gently at him. Father grabbed my shoulder and steered me toward the meeting room.

As soon as we entered, everything got quiet. The lich at the front spoke up first.

"Ah, Soren, Mordecai. I was not expecting you. I see that you have brought your young one, Mordecai. And a newcomer."

"This is Evan," Father said. "He's a friend, and a new vampire, still only a fledgling. He is to be treated with the same respect that Reese receives, or I shall know why not."

"Understood," said Alstri. "And where is Louis?"

"He decided not to come," Father continued. "After what happened last time." Alstri nodded in understanding. The creatures around gaped at us. Evan looked around curiously. I understood his fear and curiosity.

Goblins, more vampires and werewolves, centaurs, Elves, demons, even a few angels. This was barely a quarter of the "supernatural" beings who lived around the area, and the demons and angels were not even from Earth. I noticed the same centaur that Uncle Soren had insulted. Warright, I thought his name was.

Uncle Soren stepped up to the podium, moving Alstri out of the way.

"Enemies, comrades, and people who I do not know or care about," he began, "My brother and I have decided that we will only be sending one of us to these meetings. The only reason why we started going in the first place was to protect Reese after he was born."

Several pairs of eyes turned to look at me. I felt like a sideshow attraction. I tightened my hold on Evan's hand, and he tightened his hold on mine.

"We have also decided to open a hospital for you all specifically," Uncle Soren continued. "No more awkwardness with human or non-whatever doctors. You won't have to reveal your diet if you are a vampire with stomach or blood vessel problems. That is all. Good night, people who I still don't know or care about."

Alstri took the stand again.

"That's it?" I said, amazed.

"Yes. As a royal family, we are not required to attend these stupid meetings, but your father and grandfather want us to," Uncle Soren said.

"You don't have to come," Father retorted.

"But if I didn't, who will protect you two? Since you do not trust the guards to keep our operations a secret-"

"I never said that."

"Not even Toby knows, and he's Reese's friend as well as guard. How do you explain that, little brother?"

"Big brother, if you had kept your fat mouth shut last time, we wouldn't have had all those problems! And you were very rude tonight as well! I don't know how you weren't raised in a barn!"

"That term is as old as we are. You're smarter than that. At least, you think you are."

They continued to bicker all the way back to the house.

I rolled my eyes at Evan, and he smiled a little.

I rolled over on my stomach as Evan rubbed my back. I cherished each touch, each feeling, each butterfly in my stomach. I rolled over onto my back. His eyes trailed over my chest and abs.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you, too," he replied.

CHAPTER NINE - ANGEL WITH A GUN

I first heard the news from Louis and Uncle Soren.

"Reese, there's something you ought to know," Louis said.

"What is it?" I asked, looking up from Gargoyles. I had gotten a complete set of graphic novels, and was currently working my way through the tenth volume.

"It's about Sarah," Uncle Soren said, looking at his shoes. "She's been seriously hurt. We think that Jordan did it."

"Jordan did what?" I asked apprehensively.

"Sarah's been shot," Louis explained. "In her left side, somewhere between the hip and the abdomen."

Needless to say, I rushed over to the hospital as quickly as I could. I found Mother and Alexander in the waiting room with Cirino, who was babbling nonsensically. He seemed to sense the stress and fear in the air.

"What happened?" I asked my soulfather.

"Sit down," he said. "Have a coffee."

"I don't want coffee, I want to know what happened!"

"Have a coffee," he said sternly, handing me a warm cup. I took a sip. It was actually type B negative.

"All I saw was a flash of blond hair," Mother said. "I tink it was Jordan Hart, and then I heard a shot, and Sarah collapsed. I ran to her side and called for Alexander. He called an ambulance." She bounced Cirino, who was blowing a spit bubble.

I wiped his mouth with a tissue and then said "Any chance of catching the bitch?"

"Reese! Language!" Mother covered the baby's ears.

"Marina, he's too young to care," Alexander told her. "And I sent some bounty hunters after her. They are the best vampire bounty hunters in the world, they'll catch her."

"I still do not like the look of that woman," Mother said.

Alexander smiled at her. "I have known Elizabeth for many years. She will catch her if the boys don't."

"Elizabeth?" I asked.

"Elizabeth Rowell," Alexander explained.

"She's famous," I noted.

"Yes, and for good reason. She will capture Jordan Hart so we may extract revenge on behalf of Sarah. I told Elizabeth how important Sarah is to this family. She was not as disturbed by her being human as the guys were. I swear."

"Whose fault is that?" Mother asked him. "You yourself don't see most humans as anything more than food. or a nuisance."

He looked embarrassed.

I buried my head in my arms, my stepfather rubbing my back.

"She'll be all right, Reese," he said.

"How do you know?" I said.

"She's a strong girl, the strongest I've ever met, besides your mother. She will survive, and if she doesn't, there's always the other option."

"Alexander!" Mother snapped. He grinned cheekily at her, his face falling when he saw me.

"She will survive, Reese," he said.

"Oh, sure," said Evan's voice. I looked up.

"Hey, Evan."

"Oh, you'll go to a hospital for Sarah. I forgot, she's your true soulmate or some shit like that. Who gives a crap?"

"Evan, don't be jealous."

"How can I not be jealous?! You've always preferred her over me!"

"Evan Byrd, if the roles were reversed, I'd do the same for you."

He looked sad and embarrassed. "Sorry."

"Are you going to be like this if I even talk to Sarah?" I asked. He seemed even more embarrassed. I raised my eyebrow. He would have been blushing if he was still human. I could sense more problems that would occur soon.

It was a painful three hours. Mother had to go home to put Cirino in bed, but she came back after she secured a babysitter for him.

After three hours of mental and emotional torture, I was allowed to see her. Evan came with me. It was not lost on me that I had acted the same way that Evan was acting.

She was sitting up in bed. She looked terrible. Her hair was a tangled mess, she was still shiny from sweating, and her side was bandaged.

"Hello, everyone," she said, her voice scratchy. "Hi, Evan, Reese."

"Sarah," Evan said tersely. I glanced at him.

"I saw Jesus," she said.

"You saw Jesus?" Mother asked, her voice filled with awe.

"Yes. He smiled at me and said it wasn't my time yet. Then He looked at my side and said that Jordan would be caught."

"What else did He say?" Mother asked.

"He said that he loved me. He loves each and every human on Earth, and the vampires who follow Him."

"I saw him on the Cross," Alexander said. "Even though I was not a believer, His pain tore at my heart. I still don't know if I believe, but my beautiful fiancee does."

"I remember it well," Uncle Soren said. "Chaos ensued for years after. I knew someone who was a soldier for Pilate. He nearly died trying to control the angry crowds."

"I have sent several bounty hunters after Jordan," Alexander broke in. "She will be caught shortly, my dear."

"Why didn't she bite me?" Sarah asked.

"She did not want to risk changing you," Father replied. "Why is she still after you?"

"She blames me for everything," Sarah said, hugging herself. Mother pulled up a chair beside her and kissed her. She caressed her chin and looked at her just like a mother would.

"My poor baby," Mother cooed. "I will personally rip every strand of hair out of her head one by one, and then I will tear off her head and send it into the pyre." Sarah looked up at my mother with wide eyes. Mother kissed her again. "I will never harm you, my daughter. Never, even at my angriest."

"Sarah!" A tall figure pushed his way in.

"Hello, Glen," Sarah said. He looked terrified.

"What happened?! Are you hurt?"

"She was shot,