Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Stacy’s Place

 

The next day we reached Manhattan around two in the afternoon.  Wasting no time, we went straight to Stacy’s.  I still had a key so I let us in knowing she was still at work.  Stacy usually spent two hours at practise every day and then had rehearsals every Friday for four hours.  I knew she would be home in about half an hour and I hoped I didn’t freak her out being here.  I walked slowly around the uptown apartment remembering my years with her.  I saw her favourite book sitting on the coffee table with my letter sticking out holding her place. I smiled softly; I knew she would find the letter I had left and know that I had to leave and that I hadn’t meant to hurt her.  James was sitting in a chair in the living room waiting patiently for her to arrive.  I heard the key in the door and I turned to face Stacy as she entered.  When she opened the door and saw me standing there she dropped everything she was carrying and stared at me in disbelief.

“Hello Stacy,” I said quietly.

“Alli, where have you been?  When did you get here?  What’s going on?” she demanded breathlessly as she stared at me in shock.  She quickly pulled herself together and moved into the apartment catching sight of James as she shut the door.

“Stacy this is my godfather, James Madley.  My real name is Anastasia.  You can call me Anna now.  I’m living in Canada right now and, as for what is going on, I can only tell you that my mother was very wise to have kept me hidden.  I’ve learned a lot this past year.  I’m sorry I left the way I did, but it was the only way to keep you safe. You were being followed by one of my father’s thugs.  I didn’t want you to get hurt because of me, so I left.  I’ve seen things that you would not believe and protecting those I’m close to is something I’ve tried to do.  I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me anymore,” I blurted out.  It felt so good to finally tell her the truth.  She looked at me appraisingly, then suddenly threw her arms around me and held me tightly.

“I’m so glad you’re safe,” she breathed.

“It’s good to see you too,” I whispered back fighting the tears of happiness that threatened to spill over.  I know she would believe me.  I loved her so much.

“So why did you come here now?” she questioned looking from me to James.

“Have you seen this writing before?” I asked holding the pages Jeff had given me out to her.  She took the photocopied page and looked at it for a few minutes.

“Latin and Egyptian I believe,” she mused, more to herself than to us.  She sat down in a chair by the window reading the passage quietly to herself.

“There’s one line missing.  I have seen this before, but not the original.  Your mother had this written on a piece of paper.  I know there was another line in Greek, something about a star choosing something.  I really don’t remember, it was such a long time ago.” She looked at me apologetically.

“Thank you,” I said quietly and exchanged a glance with James.

“If your right then there is hope yet,” I smiled with relief.

“What is this all about Anna?” she asked raising the photocopy in her hand.

“That is a legend that my father and his family believe in.  I guess I kind of believe it too, and I need to know as much as possible because my father and his family think that I am the Rising Starr,” I explained.

“Anna!” James said in a disapproving tone.

 I turned to glare at him.  “I’m not going to hide this from her James.  She’s in as much danger as the rest of you and she needs to know why my father has been watching her.  It’s only fair,”

“You don’t know that Anna.  He could have left her alone,” he retorted.

“I doubt that.  You know how thorough he is.  I’ve been keeping a low profile for years and he always finds me.  The only reason he hasn’t done anything lately is because of the ultimatum I gave him.” I stated flatly.  James nodded tersely and crossed his arms over his chest as he glared out the window.  I could tell that he wasn’t pleased, but he also knew I was right.

“Anna, what are you talking about?  This is nothing but a silly story.  There’s no real truth to it. Your mother left your father because he was abusive.” Stacy looked at me in confusion.

“Yes, he and his family were extremely abusive, but that wasn’t the only reason she left.  I mean, think about it Stacy, she never even told you my real name!  She also never told me when my real birthday was.  I only found that out from James this past September.  She hid a lot about me from everyone and James is the only one who knew the whole story and I knew nothing of him until just before I arrived here.” I revealed to her.

Her eyes widened in shock as she took in what I had just told her.  She shook her head in disbelief as she thought about everything.

Just then, James’ phone rang.  I glanced at him as Stacy and I spoke quietly about my past few months in Huntsville.  I didn’t tell her everything, I just gave her a basic overview of how things had been.  I was listening to James conversation with half an ear.

“Yes,” he answered.

“When did it happen?” he demanded his eyes darting worriedly to me and then out the window.  My ears perked up immediately and I started to pay attention to James and the tension in his shoulders and voice.

“We’ll leave immediately,” he stated firmly and snapped the phone shut.

“We have to go Anna. Now.” He was on his feet immediately and turned toward the door.

“What’s happened?” I asked in a panicked voice.

“Your school friend Jeff was found murdered.  We need to get back.  I have to watch over the investigation,” he said urgently as he headed for the door.

I nodded.  I threw my arms around Stacy and hugged her quickly as I folded the photocopy of the legend I had shown her and put it back in my pocket.

“I’ll try to call you when this is over.  I’m sorry you had to be involved,” I said sadly.  “Please stay safe.”

“I’m just glad you are okay.  Take care of yourself.”  She waved from the door as we got onto the elevator. 

 

 We raced back to the airport and booked the next flight back to Toronto.

“What’s going to happen when we get home?” I asked worried.

“I don’t know.  I need to see the reports and, if I can, the body as well,” he answered.

“My father did this didn’t he?  He’s getting impatient.” I looked at my hands.

“We don’t know that for sure.  We shouldn’t jump to conclusions until we have all the facts.” James placed a hand on my shoulder trying to offer some comfort.

“This is all my fault.  I hurt the people I’m close to.  I should be locked away forever.” Tears starting to well up in my eyes.  I felt so helpless.

“Who are you talking about? Jeff or Alex?” he asked softly brining me in for a hug.

I shook my head mutely, and leaned into his shoulder for support until we could board the plane.  I honestly didn’t know who I was talking about at that point in time but I had a feeling it was more related to Alex than Jeff.

Chapter 35

Chapter 35: The Smithsonian

 

Our flight left Toronto for Washington in the early afternoon.  When we arrived in Washington we went straight to our hotel to get some rest for the next day.  James tried several times to get me to talk, but I just sat and stared out the hotel window lost in thought.  I found myself wondering what Alex was doing right that second and then, of course I would get mad at myself for thinking about him.  I was going around in a vicious circle internally.  I wanted to be with Alex but he had betrayed my trust, I didn’t trust people easily, I had allowed him in, Let him break down my walls and look what happened. So what was I going to do about it?  I just didn’t know.  My depression was toxic and I didn’t want to be here, but there was nothing else to do but try to distract myself with something important. 

We arrived at the Smithsonian Institute early the next day.  June was almost over, and it felt like my life was almost over too.  I could hide from my feelings behind a wall, but James was chipping away at it constantly with his love and caring.  I wasn’t sure exactly why I wanted to look at the manuscript with the legend about my fate anymore.  Did it really honestly matter, or was I just a silly little girl with foolish hopes and dreams?  Dreams of a life I could possibly never have.  James touched my arm pulling me away from my thoughts as we entered the institute.

“Anna, are you sure you’re up to doing this?  We could come back later.  You haven’t even eaten since lunch at the party 3 days ago and you’re all pale and frail looking,” James said looking at me with concern all over his face.

“Wasting time eating will accomplish nothing.  I’ll be fine.  Now let’s get this done.  We have other things to do while we are here.” My voice was terse and business-like.

“What other things?” James asked quizzically.

“We need to check in with the FBI to see how their investigation is coming along and I also need to get some clothes.  I only came here with two sets so I need to go shopping,” I said flatly.

“Alright, when we’re done here you can go shopping and I’ll deal with the FBI. Okay?” James agreed, still watching me with concern.  I nodded in agreement as James spotted his friend the curator and waved.

The curator met us in the lobby.  He and James had been friends for a long time and they greeted each other warmly, shaking hands and giving each other a friendly pat on the shoulder.

“It’s good to see you, James.”

“It’s good to see you too.  Jeff, this is my goddaughter, Anna.  Anna, Jeff,” he introduced us.

“It’s a pleasure Anna,” Jeff said smiling at me.

“Nice to meet you,” I said quietly, shaking his hand.  Jeff was a tall lanky man.  He was bald with warm brown eyes and a friendly smile.  He wore dark grey dress pants and a navy blue double breasted blazer.  He looked very distinguished and exuded an air of quiet confidence.

“Well, I guess you didn’t come here for a personal chat.  I’ll take you to the manuscript. Is there something in particular that you wanted to see?” he asked James.

“There is a legend in the manuscript about the ‘Rising Starr’,” I said before James could respond.  Jeff looked at me curiously.

“We just translated that piece a few days ago and it’s not complete.  There is piece missing, but it is an interesting read.”  He continued talking, his enthusiasm at finding this manuscript evident.

“The legend was written in Latin which was relatively easy to translate, but there were ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs thrown in to the text which made it a bit confusing to read at first.  We finally realized that the Egyptian hieroglyphs were separate from the Latin. It’s a fascinating way to hide different information,” he explained admiringly.

We entered a small room with a long table in the centre.  The manuscript rested in the centre and there was a woman was sitting at a computer typing away busily.

“Megan, could you give us a moment please?” Jeff asked politely.

“Of course,” she said politely and immediately rose to leave.  I found myself drawn to the manuscript and stared at the old pages on the table.  They even smelled old, like rotten wet wood, almost musty. It gave me a headache just thinking about it.  I started rubbing my temples as I looked at the spot where the legend of the Rising Starr seemed to jump out of the page at me.

“How did you know that was the place?” Jeff asked bemused.  I looked up at him. “Because I’ve seen this writing before.  Not this book, but I’ve seen this text somewhere before.”

“I can print out a copy of the legend for you, so you can take it home.  It’s not normal procedure, but James has done a lot for me in the past and I owe him,” Jeff smiled.

“Thank you.  I would appreciate that,” I said quietly, smiling back at him.

He handed me a print out in the original text and then the translation.  The copy of the original text showed that a piece of the manuscript had been torn out. 

I looked at the pages in front of me and began to read.

 

The time will come. The time will come.

A child will come. The child of the Rising Starr.

            The bearer of fortune. The bearer of destruction.

Of Which the child will be depends on the claiming.

The claiming will take place during the child’s 18^th anniversary.

The claiming will bind.  The claiming will bond.

Once done, it cannot be undone.  All will change.

Nothing will be the same.

The Rising Starr will bring Power, and Fortune to those in control.

 The Rising Starr comes only once every four thousand years.  

The one who wants the Rising Starr must claim the child on their 18^th anniversary.

The one who claims can only have one of two bonds.

The one who claims will either control or set the Rising Starr free.

If the rising Starr is set free, the Rising Starr will become who they choose to be.

If the Rising Starr is not set free the child will do what it is bidden.

The Starr itself is the one

 

“’The Starr itself is the one’ that what?” I asked perplexed.

“Unfortunately, we don’t know.  That’s the part that was ripped out,” Jeff replied.

I looked at the papers with frustration.  There had to be a way to get rid of this curse. I looked at James clearly frustrated that there were no answers obvious in the manuscript like I had hoped.

“We’ll figure it out Anna,” James said quietly.

“Wait a second.  You think this is about you?” Jeff’s eyes widened.

“Stay out of it Jeff, you know nothing and you didn’t tell us anything. Got it?” James looked at Jeff imploring him to keep their secret.  Jeff nodded as he eyeing me suspiciously.

“James, we had better get going.  We have a few other stops to make before we have to get back home.” I piped up.

“Thanks Jeff.  You’ve helped us out a lot.” James shook Jeff’s hand.

“Thank you, Jeff,” I said quietly as Jeff escorted us back to the front loby.  James and Jeff exchanged a few more words and then we left to get something to eat.

We went to the Olive Garden restaurant for lunch and James started as soon as the waitress had brought us our drinks.

“Anna you really need to speak with one of the twins.  You are breaking their hearts.  You know Lizzy would never lie to you.  Please, at least call her.”

I looked at him appraisingly and I finally nodded, realizing he was right.  None of this was Lizzy’s fault.

“I’ll call Lizzy after I have something to eat, Okay?” I looked at the menu without really seeing it, since I really wasn’t that hungry.

“Thank you, Anna.  I don’t like to see you hurting like this,” James said looking at me tenderly.

“I’ll be okay, I’m just a silly teenager with emotions that are out of control,” I said flatly.

“That’s not true and you know it.  Stop being a fool.  Admit that you’re hurting and deal with this head on like you do with everything else.  This jealousy is not very becoming, you know. You’re better than that,” James replied angrily.

“Maybe, maybe not,” I said meeting his angry gaze evenly.  “I’ve done a good job of messing things up haven’t I?  I opened myself up and fell in love and now I’m questioning whether that was a good idea or not.  I have a copy of the legend and it doesn’t really help me because there’s a piece missing and I only have a month and a half to figure out how to stay free. I’m starting to wonder if it’s even worth it to try and stay free, or just end things so that no one has to worry about it anymore, or perhaps I should just give in.  I really don’t know what to do, so if I get a bit emotional and irrational I think I’m entitled.” I glared at him.

“Okay I give in.  You are right, you do have a lot on your plate but please don’t shut me or your friends out.  We can help you get through this, and you have to know that we won’t lose you without a fight,” he stated, his eyes softening.

I smiled and shook my head.  He was effectively chiselling away at the wall I put up and he was doing a good job of it too.  I looked at him appraisingly as I was about to ask him a very serious favour.

“You are the one person I hope I can trust with my life.”

“What do you mean Anna?” James asked somewhat caught off guard at my bold statement.

“James, if things go badly, I need YOU to stop me.  You are the only one who can do it,” I said seriously.

“It won’t come to that, Anna,” James said horrified at my implication.

“You don’t know that,” I responded quietly.  “I need you to promise me,”  He knew I was right.  He sighed in defeat and nodded.  It made me feel a lot better knowing that if things went badly I could count on him to end my life if necessary.

We ate in silence and headed back to the hotel when we were done.  I needed to call Lizzy and see how things were.  I knew I was going to get an earful, but I wanted to know how Alex was even if it hurt me to find out the answer.

I picked up my cell phone and turned it on for the first time in three days.  There were several messages from Alex, Lizzy, Cassy, Will and Katie, all of them pleading with me to call.  The last message from Alex almost broke me.  His voice was so hoarse with pain I could barely stand it; I looked at James suddenly fearful.  Now I was afraid to call.  I didn’t know what to say; I was still hurt, even if I had misunderstood the situation.  James nodded in encouragement and looking at him seemed to strengthen me.  I dialled Lizzy’s number as I was too much of a coward to call Alex first.  She picked up on the first ring.

“Anna, where are you?”

“Hello to you too. We just left the Smithsonian an hour or so ago,” I replied.

“We were so worried!  We thought you took off again but Alex said you were with James, but James wouldn’t tell Alex where you were going.  We just imagined the worst, of course,” Lizzy said with relief.

“I need some time away, Lizzy.  I’m sure you of all people can understand that I’m not sure I want to come back earlier than planned.  I don’t know what to do.  I’m angry, hurt, frustrated, and I feel betrayed.  I may not understand what Alex and Sasha’s relationship is, or was, but I can’t get that image out of my head Lizzy.  The one place I felt safe and loved has been spoiled by the image of them kissing,” I blurted out, fighting back the tears with every breath.

“I get it Anna, but you need to know that Alex hasn’t come out of his room since you left.  He won’t eat or sleep and he just sits and stares at your picture.  He’s absolutely devastated that he hurt you and I can tell you for sure that Sasha won’t ever come here again after what Alex did to her.  She’s lucky her throat is still intact.  I’ve never seen him act like that before!  It took George, Will AND Stephan to stop him from killing her.” Her voice became quiet and very serious.  “He never lets that side out, Anna.  As you know he hides his vampire nature amazingly well.  I think he terrified her.” She laughed dryly.  I shuddered as I listened to Lizzy’s story imagining the horror of Alex losing control.

“What did she want anyway?” I asked.

“She gave him some information on your family’s dealings in Europe but ultimately she came here to get him.  She clearly wanted him, but after the way she treated you and tricked him she’s lucky she’s alive.  Her ability as a seductress is very impressive and she is extremely hard to resist since that is her specialty.  Most vampires can seduce anyone, but she is what we call a siren.  Only someone truly committed to another can resist her allure,” Lizzy replied earnestly.

“I see. And what did she say about my family?” I asked quietly my emotions in completed turmoil.

“That they will stop at nothing, and even if you manage to slip through their fingers they’ll find a way to get to you.  Their ruthlessness is renowned and they are looking for your weaknesses, so they can exploit you.  If Sasha goes to them they’ll know your big weakness and try to use it against you.” She was worried, I could hear it in her voice.

“What Sasha doesn’t know is that all of you are my weakness.  Every single one of you, and James could be used against me.  I would be helpless to stop it.” I was thinking of what would happen if any of them fell into my father’s hands.  My imagination was far too wild for my own good.

“Anna, please come home.  My brother needs you.  He’s punishing himself for you leaving.  Please, I beg you, come home and at least speak to him in person, or at least call him.  Let him explain everything to you. Please, please, Anna…..for me?” she pleaded.

“I can’t promise you anything Lizzy except that I’ll think about it.  Is his cell turned on or off?” I questioned.

“It’s on I think, but I don’t know if he’ll answer it; I’ve tried.  But still, please try, because he will likely pick up if he knows it’s you.  I’m worried about him, he wasn’t even close to being this bad when Sasha left him years ago.  You’ve only been gone for three days.  I would hate to think what would happen if he actually lost you.” Her voice trembled with emotion.

“All right, I’ll try to call him, but I won’t promise you anything Lizzy.  I’m not sure what to say,” I said quietly.

“Just listen.  That’s all you have to do,” she pleaded.

“Okay, I’ll listen,” I said feeling defeated.  James had done a good job at pulling down my walls and Lizzy knew how to get to me as well.  Alex would most likely be able to walk all over me if he wanted and I think Lizzy knew that.

After I got off the phone with Lizzy I sat and stared at Alex’s number trying to decide whether or not to press send.  The minutes slowly ticked by as I contemplated dialling.  I knew that as soon as I heard his voice I would melt.  Finding my resolve I decided I had better get this over with.  I hit the send button and heard Alex answer almost immediately.

“Anna” His voice was hoarse and quiet.

“Yes, it’s me,” I said flatly. I was really on guard and my anger still simmered in the background.

“I’m so sorry.  I didn’t mean to hurt you.” The anguish in his voice was clear.

“I know. I just spoke with Lizzy.  You need to take care of yourself, Alex. You’re being ridiculous. Stop wasting time and get back to business,” I snapped, probably a little too harshly as I could feel him wince.

“Are you coming home?” he asked hopefully.

“I haven’t decided that yet.  We’ll be leaving here in a few days.  Beyond that I’ll have to wait and see,” I replied dryly.

“Anna, please! I want you to come home.  I need you to come home. I’ll do anything,” he pleaded in a whisper.

“Alex, I think you’ve done enough.  I’ll be there when I’m ready and not before.  I’m feeling very hurt and betrayed by you.  Even if it was a misunderstanding, I can’t help the way I feel and I have to work this out on my own.  I do need to know one thing though,” I trailed off.

“I’ll tell you whatever you want,” he croaked emotionally.

“Is there anyone else I should know about, or was she the only one?” I asked seriously.

“She was the only one.  I haven’t really looked at any women until I saw you.  And I definitely have not looked at anyone since I found you.  I only want you, Anna, I mean that,” His voice cracked with emotion.

“I have to go, Alex.” I didn’t want to talk anymore, my heart twisted in pain with every word he said and I was having a hard time maintaining my cool.

“Don’t go yet.  Please,” he almost begged.

“I have to.  James and I have things to do and so do you.  So, stop pining and get to work!  My father is planning things and I need to know what they are.  I’m doing my part, so you had better be doing yours.  When we do come home James will be expecting a full report,” I retorted probably a little harshly again.  I didn’t like to hurt him, but I couldn’t listen to the agony in his voice anymore.

“Okay. I have to go,” I said, my voice softening slightly.

“Bye Alex.” I hung up the phone before he could say another word. Tears streamed silently down my cheeks and I sat staring out the window deep in thought for a long while before James finally spoke.

“Are you all right Anna?” he asked quietly as he put a supportive arm around my shoulders.

I glanced up into his concerned face and nodded.  I sighed, my emotions in turmoil, but we had to get down to business.

“We need to go to Manhattan next.  I have to speak with Stacy, she may remember something.” I was determined not to let my feelings for Alex get in the way of completing the task at hand.  This was my life here and if I didn’t find some answers I might not even have a future to worry about.

“When do you want to leave?” he asked.

“In the morning, I need to think.  I know I’ve seen this writing before, but I don’t remember where.” I was getting frustrated with my inability to recall where I’ve seen the text.

“Why Stacy?  Have you even contacted her recently?” he asked.

“She was close to my mother.  No I haven’t spoken to her, but I’ve been keeping tabs on her.  I know she’ll be surprised when she sees me.” I contemplated the patterns on the floor and started to pace.

“All right kid.  In the morning we’ll go to Manhattan.  What about Alex?” he asked gently.

“I don’t know.  I wasn’t prepared to face something like this.  I’m torn James.  Can I honestly trust him after seeing him kiss her like that, even if she did coerce him into it for my benefit?  The one place I loved to be with him is now spoiled by that image.” I looked into his understanding eyes sadly.

“I think Alex is a pretty stand up guy.  If Lizzy said it was a set up I believe her.  I know that Sasha did quite a number on him years ago and she almost convinced him to leave his sister.  She was trying very hard to break that bond.  I think that’s what she does and she’s not happy unless she can break up relationships. That’s why Lizzy dislikes her so much.” James looked thoughtful as he explained this to me.

“Lizzy called her a ‘Siren’,” I said flatly.

“Alex and Lizzy know the truth.  That’s what they do.  So, don’t worry about how he feels about you, just trust that the truth will outshine the deception.” He looked fatherly as he gave me advice.

“I’ll do my best,” I sighed.  I knew how I felt about Alex, that hadn’t changed.

“I need to get some clothes still.  I’m going out, I’ll see you in a few hours and I promise I’ll leave the cell phone on.  The mall is just across the street so I shouldn’t be gone long.”  I said as I grabbed my wallet, a hotel key, and cell phone and headed out the door without looking back.  

When I got to the mall I wandered aimlessly in and out of stores.  I found a few tops and jeans at one store and I went to Victoria Secret to get the rest of the stuff I needed, then headed back to the hotel.  My head was no better than when I left.  I was still conflicted; I wanted to be with Alex but could I trust him?  I just didn’t know.

“Did you find everything you needed?” James asked as I entered the room.  I nodded.

“I think we better get some rest, we have a lot of driving to do tomorrow and I want to be well rested before I confront Stacy.” I walked into the bathroom to get ready for bed effectively ending any conversation before it even got started.

Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Uninvited guest

 

Upon entering the food tent we found there was an unexpected surprise for Alex.  He stopped suddenly and stared at a young woman with long rich chestnut hair and a fabulous figure.  She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, but her eyes gave away her true nature.  They were a bright aquamarine colour that appraised Alex appreciatively.

“’Appy birthday, Alex” she cooed with a sexy French accent. When she spoke it was like listening to a beautiful melody, she was mesmerizing and exuded cool, sexy confidence.

“Sasha.  It’s nice to see you again.  Why are you here?” he questioned his eyes narrowing slightly.

“Can’t an old friend stop by to say ‘allo?  Such bad manners Alex.  Oo’s your petite amie?” she asked critically looking me over.  Her expression showed exactly what she thought of me; I was insignificant.  I felt my belly tighten and a hot ball of anger forming, but I also began to worry at that moment, and I wasn’t sure why.  Alex was as rigid as a board and I could tell he wasn’t at all happy.

“Anna, this is Sasha De la O.  She’s an old acquaintance from France. Sasha, this is Anna my girlfriend,” Alex said, pulling me beside him possessively as he looked coldly at her.

“I vould’ardly call us acquaintances Alex, ve vere much more zan zat,” she smirked as I stiffened.  I suddenly lost my appetite and I could feel the colour drain from my face.

“Come now Alex, ve’ave tings to discuss.  Your little toy vill’ave to vait,” she said smugly as she turned and sauntered away, her hips swaying seductively.  Oh, she was good.  I felt like a little girl compared to her.

“Anna, I’m so sorry.  She’s always been rude especially when she doesn’t get what she wants,” Alex glared after her, anger seething in his voice.

I looked into his eyes for a second. “You go on, I’ll be okay.” I said smiling with a confidence I didn’t feel.  Alex looked at me worriedly.

“Anna, she and I….” He started to say, but I put my fingers on his lips to stop him.

“You don’t have to explain now. Go see what she wants, I’ll be with the others,” I turned quickly so that he couldn’t see the fear in my eyes and walked out of the tent, my head held high.  I heard Sasha’s tickling laugh as I left. 

“That was very rude Sasha, and uncalled for,” I overheard Alex snap as he glared at her.

“A vee bit sensitive ees she? Too bad,” she said nonchalantly.  “Ve’ave business to attend to and I do not deal vith’er kind,” I had heard enough.  I stalked off to find Lizzy before I completely lost my mind.

I found Lizzy talking to Cassy and Tisha.  They were by the pool bar having a friendly debate about who the cutest guy on the basketball team was.

“Lizzy, can I ask you a question?” I asked as I tried to control the myriad of emotions I was feeling.

“Sure what is it?” she looked at me, her expression changing to concern as she looked at my face.

“Who is Sasha De la O and what is she to your brother?” I blurted out.

“She and Alex dated a long time ago.  Why do you ask?” she glanced at Cassy and then to me worriedly.

“Because she’s here and he’s with her now.  Something about business to attend to, and she was really rude,” I answered anxiously.

“She’s here?  Where?” Lizzy demanded scanning the area.

“In the food tent,” I said pointing.

“Stay here, I’ll be right back.” She looked pissed, even with the far away look she always got when she and Alex communicated.  She slammed into her brother’s head to find out what was going on.

“Cassy, please, what’s going on?” I begged.

“Alex should be the one to explain this,” she said quietly. “Come on lets go for a walk.”  I nodded and followed her away from the mass of people.  She waited till we were alone before she began.

“Did Alex tell you that he had dated before?” she asked looking down at the ground as we walked.

“Yes, he said he had a bit more experience than I did,” I replied quietly. Cassy nodded slowly.

“Alex met Sasha about a hundred years ago and they were inseparable for about twenty years.  He really cared about her, possibly even loved her but she took off with another vampire when she got bored of him.  That’s what she does.  She’ll draw you in, and then walk away, stomping on your heart without a care.  Alex was a mess for years.  Actually, until he saw you, Anna.  You brought him out of his shell and he’s happy for the first time in decades.  Lizzy is pissed because she doesn’t want Sasha to ruin his happiness, and you don’t want to get Lizzy mad.  Trust me.  She’s vicious,” she said searching my face for a reaction.

“But why come back now?  What could she possibly want?” I looked at her with troubled eyes my voice shaking.

“I don’t know, Anna, all we can do is wait.” she said quietly.  I nodded, sighing.

“Does this mean she’ll be staying here?” I asked trying not to let my emotions show.

“It’s a possibility,” she answered carefully. Cassy could tell I was becoming extremely emotional.

“I see.” I looked at my feet trying not to think too hard.

“Anna, don’t worry.  Alex cares for you now so Sasha shouldn’t be able to use her abilities on him.  At least I don’t think she’ll be able to,” she said anxiously.

I nodded slowly still looking at the ground.  My heart was squeezing so tightly in my chest I could barely breathe as Cassy led me into the secret garden for some privacy and quiet, but that turned out to be a huge mistake. Sasha and Alex were standing by the fountain talking, his back was to us, and he had his hand on her cheek.  Sasha saw us and leaned forward to kiss him passionately and he responded to her advance.  I froze in place clutching my chest as I felt my heart twist in agony.  It felt like it had shattered into a thousand pieces and I spun around and ran, my eyes blurred by tears.

“Anna! Stop!” Cassy screamed running after me.  I ignored her as I headed straight for the trees on the other side of the lawn.  Once I was out of sight I concentrated, putting my pain behind me.  I needed to move faster; like the wind.  I felt the energy moving around me and it spun faster and faster propelling me forward. My only thought was that I had to get away, away from the image of Alex and Sasha kissing, away from everything and everyone.  My feet carried me to the clearing where James and I used to practise because it was a place where I had been happy.  Even though I had stopped moving, the energy around me did not. It whirled around me creating a barrier between me and the rest of the world.  My aching heart was torn into shreds as the image of Alex responding to Sasha flooded my mind yet again. Leaves and grass swirled in the air around me as I stood in the centre of the clearing, dejected.  My body started shaking violently as rejection sank in.  How could I compete with Sasha?  She was everything I wasn’t.  I looked up to the sky and saw nothing but darkness, and I could feel the darkness getting closer, closing in on me, surrounding me entirely.  This was my nightmare.  Alone and afraid with no one to guide me through.  I couldn’t see the light, I couldn’t see any light and it felt like my heart had shrivelled up and died.  I screamed and fell to the ground, tears streaming down my cheeks.

“Anna!” I heard someone call.  I could hear them; but they were far away and I didn’t really care.  I was alone in my misery.

“Anna, please, Anna.” Through my haze of pain |I recognized James’ voice and I sat up slowly.  The energy was still swirling around me effectively making a barrier that muted sounds and protected me.  James trotted into the clearing and stopped in shock as his gaze landed on me. He took in the image of me surrounded by a whirling vortex of energy and he clearly saw the tortured expression on my face.

“Anna, calm down, please.  Let me talk to you.  Please, Anna.  You know I won’t hurt you.  Please let me in,” James pleaded with me, his eyes filled with sadness.  I turned away from him.  The wall was already in place, my emotions were being locked away and I didn’t want to feel anymore. When I looked back at him I felt nothing, I was dead inside, and an icy calmness engulfed me.

“Anna don’t shut me out.  You’re like a daughter to me, please don’t shut down like you did when you got here.  Don’t do it.  He loves you Anna, I love you.” James’ voice was heartbroken as he tried to reach me through my wall.  I looked at him with eyes that were flat and devoid of any emotion.

“I can have no attachments.  I will move back in with you until this is over,” I said emotionlessly.

“Anna, you don’t have to do that.  Sasha was trying to goad you.  She wanted to hurt you because she wants what she can’t have.  Lizzy and Alex have been searching for you all night along with me and the others.  Please Anna, just talk to Alex and let him explain.” he said quietly looking at me lovingly, and hopefully.

“I do not want an explanation. I just want to be left alone.  I was foolish to hope that I could be with him.  She has something I don’t have and never will,” I clipped flatly.

“Anna that was a long time ago, he doesn’t feel that way about her anymore.  Sasha is old history.” James was pleading with me to understand.

“Then why did he kiss her back?  I was there long enough to see that,” I stated coldly.  My eyes remained dry as I had no more tears left.  The swirl of energy around me started to fade as the deadly calmness engulfed me creating an internal barrier that would protect me.  I slowly rose and walked towards James.  I concentrated on the cell phone that was attached to his belt and it flew into my hands in an instant.  I taped the keys rapidly and returned it to James without a second thought.  I looked at him my face expressionless, my tone business like and curt.

“We will leave for the Smithsonian in the morning.  We have research to do.  I do not have time for silly emotions and games with beautiful vampires who have powers that I cannot compete with.  I have already booked the flight for you and I.  We need to leave in a few hours for Toronto.” I moved quickly grabbing James’ arm to lead him back to his house.

“Are you going to talk to him Anna?” he asked quietly.

“I have nothing to say to him.” My voice was flat as I looked straight ahead while we ran back to his place.

I went to have a quick shower after we entered James’ house.  I had a few sets of clothes and toiletries that I had left here in case of an emergency.  Lucky for me I wouldn’t have to go back to Alex’s place to get my clothes.  I heard James on the phone as I was getting dressed.

“Yes she’s here.  No I don’t think that’s a good idea, Alex, she’s completely shut off,” his voice was sad.

“No, it’s like when she first arrived, when she didn’t let anyone in, only worse.  I think her heart is broken and she won’t listen, not to me or anyone.  She thinks you still love Sasha.”  There was a pause and James’ voice became short with anger.

“I know you don’t, but she saw you kiss her back.  How could you do that to her?” He scowled at the phone as I approached looking at him tapping my watch.  We had to leave.

“No, we’re leaving in a few minutes.  No, I don’t know when we’ll be back.  I don’t think I can tell you that Alex.” I looked at James flatly. “Because, she’s standing right in front of me Alex.”

“No, she doesn’t want to talk to you and I don’t have to ask her.  I can tell by the expression on her face,” he said eyeing me worriedly.

“I will.  Take care Alex.  I’ll call you when I get back.” He hung up the phone and turned to me.

“You should talk to him Anna, he’s a mess.” James looked at me beseechingly.

“We have no time, it’ll have to wait.  We have a flight to catch,” I said flatly as I grabbed my duffle bag and walked out the door to the car.