Romance Fan Fiction / Original Stories Fan Fiction / Fables/Fairytales Fan Fiction ❯ The Blood That Ties ❯ Memories ( Chapter 9 )

Author's Note: I apologize for the gap in updates with my last chapter. But look! I'm making up for it! YAY!

The Blood That Ties

 

With all the talk of her late family, getting through the next week proved to be especially difficult for Gabrielle. Her entire body seemed to feel heavy, almost as if she was dragging around the bodies of those who had perished before her. Her mind was still buzzing with thoughts of the past, things that she should have forgotten, things she should be working on, and most of all, what she could do to make her family proud.

 

It was an all too real reality that there was no hope in hell of her family returning. No longer did Gabrielle hold a glimmer of hope that they had been spared, despite what she had seen with her own eyes. All she could do to make herself useful now, would be to avenge them, and do whatever she could in the Order to achieve that.

 

Even if she had study under a murderer.

 

Oh yes, Gabrielle did not brush that fact aside. Even if the story was exaggerated, Gabrielle had been brave enough to question the subject with a few other inhabitants, learning that there was some grain of truth in Jean's dramatic story.

 

Needless to say, it made lessons with Emeris just a tad more awkward than usual.

 

The useless bickering was still there, as well as the unwanted jabs from the icy brunette. However, Gabrielle had learned to bite her tongue when the boy began to show signs of severe irritation. No need getting herself killed over the fact someone had inserted an arrogant stick up the boy's backside. Instead, she chose to turn her anger to inanimate objects, which usually resulted in more than a few books becoming battered and abused.

 

Groaning softly in her dazed state, Gabrielle forced her body onto its side, starring and the Hello Kitty alarm clock Andrea had found during one of her rogue missions outside of the Order. Seven O'clock at night, Emeris would be expecting her soon.

 

“Son uv a beetch...” Gabrielle muffled into the fleece pillow, forcing her body to peel away from the comforting warmth of the bed. Even if she was a nocturnal fledgling, she was still a teenager, a mourning one at that, sleep was critical.

 

“Not that I can go sleeping my life away...”

 

Dragging her body to its feet, Gabrielle moved numbly over to the oak wardrobe that stood adjacent to her bed. Pulling back the doors, Gabrielle found a small smile on her lips and the few articles of clothing hung neatly on the wooden hangers. Gabrielle came into the order with nothing but the clothes on her back. Andrea and the other members of Jean's close knit group had given her so many things that they considered being a `necessity' that she was utterly speechless. She had so much to thank them for, and yet it had been four days since she made the effort to see them last.

 

She couldn't help it; she hardly had the motivation to do anything lately.

 

Picking out a pair of black jeans, Gabrielle quickly sorted through the jumbled mess of shirts to find the newest blue tank top she had acquired from Andrea. She would need to move quicker than the snail's pace she was going if she didn't want Emeris banging on her door.

 

~*~

 

Gabrielle practically threw herself out of her room, tugging her arm awkwardly through a sleeve in her black sweater while trying to lock her door at the same time. She managed to drop the key twice before successfully pulling on her sweater, taking a moment to pull herself out of her dazed state, and shoved the key into the lock.

 

Now the bigger challenge; finding her way to Emeris's room.

 

Anyone who had knew Gabrielle back when she was the lesser known daughter of the CEO of Harrison Industries, knew that the young red head could not find her way out of a paper bag unless she had a guide. Direction was not her strong point to say the least, especially when it had been over a week since she had been outside. This in conjuncture with her current dazed state did not make for the best of situations to be trying to find her way to Emeris's room alone for the first time. At least her family would be amused; they always thought it was an admirable characteristic in her.

 

“Uh...Damn...” That triggered it. Back to thinking about her family. Back to throwing herself into a dream world in which her family was still alive, simply watching her from afar and amusing themselves with her minor hardships. Her eyes were locked on the floor just beyond her feet, though with the far away gaze in her eyes, it was clear she wasn't seeing anything. She was gone, lost within her own dreams and fantasies, her mind keeping her captive in a world far away than where she was currently wandering to.

 

It was a miracle that she managed not to walk into a wall or door, though she seemed to pull herself just enough out of her world to avoid such obvious obstacles. But, no matter how often she pulled herself out of that world, in a blink of an eye she would return to a world of memory. A world in which only the events of that fateful day replayed in her mind.

 

~*~

 

“Gaby! Gaby! Slow down!”

 

“No way Sis! You speed up!” Cried out a red haired girl, zigzagging her way through the rose bushes that created an illusion of a maze, diving under bushes with gaps large enough to slide her thin frame through.

 

“Jesus Gabrielle! What did you eat for breakfast? Jet fuel?” Called out a raven haired female, taking more care and time with moving her body through the last gap her sister had disappeared into, turning back to assist a much smaller girl through the same hole.

 

“Something like it! Come on you guys this way!” Gabrielle flashed a brilliant smile back towards the stumbling duo that trailed behind her, adjusting her red vest as she leaned against the base of a tree, gazing deeper into the darker depths of the forest.

 

“...You have...Some nerve...Running out on your history teacher...Like that...” Panted the taller raven haired girl, leaning over to rest her hands on her knees as she fought for breath. The likewise but shorter girl chose to collapse between the two, giggling like a woman possessed.

 

“Oh Katrina, haven't you realized she don't care what they think of her anymore? Mom and Dad already warned them about Gabrielle's tendencies!” The younger girl fought to stay between bouts of laughter, her blue eyes sparkling as she gazed up at the two older sisters.

 

“Oh hush Cassidy; you're just as bad some times.” Katrina hissed, though this time her stern face broke out into the smallest of smiles. Though, it didn't stop her from tapping the laughing girl on the head with a tad more force than necessary.

 

A trio of secretive smiles, a series of giggles, and the three girls all ended up huddled at the base of the cherry blossom tree gazing down into the sudden drop that signalled the end of their property. The last few rays of sun tried to hide themselves within the leaves of the vast trees that created a canopy over the rest of the forest.

 

“It's so pretty...” Commented Cassidy, daring to shift an inch close to the slope that dove down into the depths of the colourful forest.

 

“It's so intriguing...” Smiled Gabrielle, and gripped the hand of her younger sister as she squinted her eyes, trying to see what lay beyond the deepest depths of the forest.

 

“It's so dangerous!” Shouted Katrina, shaking her head. “I don't understand why you two are so interested in things outside our backyard!” She tried to scold them, being the oldest sister, but her eyes deceived her as she too gazed into the depths of the forest.

 

“Don't you ever wonder, Kat?” Gabrielle moved closer to the edge even dared to swing her legs over the ledge and onto the slope. “I mean we're cooped up in that house all day, with lessons, studies, entertaining guests, amusing suitors...Don't you ever wonder how the rest of the world looks?”

 

“Sometimes. But my fantasies don't involve running into the depths of a bloody forest!”

 

“Yes, but there's a beach on the other side. And you know who goes to the beach? Normal children.” Gabrielle smirked mischievously at her older sister, causing the younger of the trio of erupt into giggles again.

 

“Gaby! We've been to the beach! Remember our trip to Florida? I caught that pretty starfish...And you got a horrible sunburn!” Pointing a cruel finger at the red head, the girl of twelve broke out into laughter again, this time being joined by Katrina.

 

“...Yeah...But Kat was at the opera I believe, with father, keeping up appearances.” Gabrielle stuck her tongue out at said sister. “So technically no, the three of us have never done anything together.”

 

“Except fight.”

 

Another shared look of mischief between the three sisters, a secret knowledge of how it seemed that the three girls could only been found in the same room if they were quarrelling. It was destined to be like that. The three were always so busy with lessons, studying, tutoring, and exploiting their talents. The only time they could let the stress of being prim and proper go was to attack one another.

 

“Very true...But!” Gabrielle started, clearing her voice and shifting onto her feet, as to make more of a spectacle of herself. “Mother and father are busy with paperwork! The tutors are too frightened of angering them to tell them that they lost us, and we're all together...Why don't we go! Act like children for once!”

 

“Oh Kat...Couldn't we?” Cassidy leaned against the sterner sister of the trio, fluttering her long eyelashes in hopes to sway her decision.

 

“Certainly not. I mean Gabrielle what are you thinking? There are a thousand and one things that could kill us in there!” Katrina tried to appear disgusted by the idea, turning away from the two. “It would be completely irresponsible for us to go in there!”

 

“That makes for a better adventure now, doesn't it?” Gabrielle smirked at her sister's back, winking to Cassidy. Cassidy herself was trying to stifle another series of giggles threatening to burst forth.

 

Gabrielle gazed down the slope, and without waiting for another argument from the elder sister, leapt down from the ledge, using the slope to propel herself into the forest, a giggling child following soon behind. This left the eldest of the trio to turn back in horror as the mischievousness of her family.

 

“Oh Gabrielle! Your adventures have a way of getting us into trouble...”

 

~*~

 

`Your adventures have a way of getting us into trouble...'

 

Wasn't that the truth...?

 

Before Gabrielle could muse on her memories any longer, a sudden collision jolted her out of her own private world.

 

Even though the contact was gentle, the shock was a violent impact in and of itself. Gabrielle found herself being thrown back into reality, which was an impact similar to that of jumping out of an airplane without a parachute...Just minus the dying bit.

 

“Bloody hell!”

 

Gabrielle hissed and gripped the back of her head, spinning around on her heel to glare as the corner of the wall, as if it was its own fault for inflicting pain upon her.

 

“Son of a—“She would of continued with a pre planned string of curses. But, Gabrielle was quick to notice several other things, simultaneously. One; She had also crashed into a person, and turning back from the corner, she realized that the one and only Emeris stood within half a foot of her. Two; She was crying.

 

Neither was acceptable.

 

The brunette raised an eyebrow in confusion at her; almost a look of mild concern and Gabrielle hurried to wipe her eyes free of tears, moving away from the boy until he was just within arm's length again.

 

“Oh joy, it's you. And here I thought I had gotten myself so lost I would never see you again.”

 

What could of been deciphered as a look of concern, quickly turned into a scowl that Gabrielle knew all too well. At least there was one constant in her life now; her and Emeris would always be on eggshells with each other, no matter the situation.

 

“Funny, I was trying to be nice and find you. You're late.”

 

“Bite me.”

 

“I believe you're the vampire here. Biting isn't my thing.”

 

It was painfully obvious that neither of the two was happy about the current arrangement. On top of whatever other schedule Emeris had, they would spend up to six hours a night trying to invoke some knowledge into Gabrielle...Fighting and bickering every inch of the way. Why the Abbot would force his pride and joy to be the mentor of someone he seemed to detest so much, was beyond her.

 

Not that Gabrielle was one to sit and take that. If Emeris wanted to hate her without reasonable cause, for something she could not control, so be it. He had no idea what he was getting himself into.

 

Unfortunately, there that debt to him for saving her life hanging in the background, but that would be dealt with accordingly.

 

“I can tell after all is said and done, we're going to be the best of friends after this...” Gabrielle muttered under her breath, following Emeris like a good lap dog would.

 

“Oh, of course we will!” Not only did Emeris hear her, but he chose to retort. His tone almost perky as he shot her a wickedly menacing gaze. “We'll be ever such good friends!”

 

Gabrielle glared by instinct, realization the sudden soft accent the boy now had was meant to mimic her own. A soft growl was emitted from the base of her throat; this was not the time to be fighting, not when Gabrielle was already on edge.

 

Emeris almost seemed to sense this, and his usual scowl turned to a shit-eating grin. In a swift movement, the boy wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling a now shocked Gabrielle close to him.

 

“Don't you think so? We'll share stories, go shopping, and paint each other's nails. It will be, like, Amazing!” His overly perky and high-pitched tone was reflective of that of the tones Gabrielle would save for getting under Emeris's skin.

 

But when the tables were turned, and the one doing it was usually sullen and angry... It was bloody creepy.

 

Gabrielle froze under the boy's touch. Usually their banters only stand verbal, this was the first time anything remotely physical happened between them since when she fed from him. It was not something she was expecting, not something anyone in the Order would expect. Unless, she had finally broken the damned jerk, and cause him to lose all of his remaining marbles. However, a quick glance at the boy's face revealed the same scowl in his eyes that was there moments before.

 

So he wanted to turn this into a game?

 

He had no idea who he was messing with.

 

If he wanted to play a game, see who would back down first, he would have to play harder than this. Not when Gabrielle still had feminine assets to play off of.

 

Spinning around in the awkward embrace they seemed to find themselves in, Gabrielle took a took breath and threw her dignity out the window, wrapping her arms around Emeris's neck in a haphazard fashion. Emeris seemed to pale immediately, his body stiffened, and even Gabrielle could feel the muscles in his neck tense up.

 

“You're right Emeris...I can't wait for our new friendship!” The words started soft and seductive, but ended with bite just like any other jab she had thrown at the boy during her stay at the Order.

 

This time however, the results were much more entertaining.

 

“You're not used to having a girl this close to you, huh?” As if proving her point, Emeris's usually stoic face turned many impressive shades of red, his mouth opening and closing uselessly, soundlessly, trying to word a comeback that would win him this round.

 

Essentially, he was stupefied.

 

Gabrielle; One. Emeris; Nill.

 

“Not fair...” Emeris could only mutter after Gabrielle had removed herself from him, taking her victory in silence as she moved to continue their journey to his room. “Way not fair.”

 

Gabrielle would of smiled, she would of rubbed it in his face and never let him hear the end of it. Risking pissing him off the deep end, the whole shebang. Under any normal conditions, she would of been a bitch about this, her pride swelled to the point it was dangerous.

 

But she had smelled it. His blood. Just as strong as the day she met him.

 

This was not good.

 

She needed to get away from him.

 

“Emeris don't be such a sore loser.” He was in the same spot that she had left him, muttering under his breath, trying to scowl away his remaining blush. At the sound of her comment, his head snapped up, and a glare became evident.

 

“Pardon me, Princess. Most of the women here would rather stab me, repeatedly, than do what you just did. So forgive me for being a little surprised. I'm not exactly used to that kind of...Response...”

 

Gabrielle couldn't help but roll her eyes at his answer, turning her back to him once again. That was a big surprise.

 

“Well if you treat them like you do me, and if you hate them for stupid reasons like you do me. I don't fucking blame them.” A few deep breaths and the warning signs of her thirst began to ebb away into her anger. At the very least, it allowed her to get back in his space and knock him down another peg if need be. Which was timed very well, considering Emeris soon gripped her shoulder roughly and spun her around to face him.

 

“Get this through your thick head, Princess. I don't hate you. If I hated you, don't you think I'd be fighting the Abbot tooth and nail to get you out of my sight? I'd try to sabotage your studies and make you think the sun was your best friend? Don't you think I would of placed a curse on you if I hated you? I'm sure you've heard all the stories now. If I didn't want to deal with you, I wouldn't have to! You just have this wonderful talent of touching on the worst possible subjects with me!”

 

It was Gabrielle's turn to be shocked.

 

...He didn't hate her?

 

Hardly seemed like it...But he did have a point...

 

Nevertheless, something he said, maybe the way that he shouted at her, maybe the hard grip he had on her shoulder, or maybe it was just the combination of everything plus the scent of his blood. But she couldn't handle it anymore. As her body trembled, and a soft sniffle escaped her, she knew she had to get away.

 

“Take the night off, I'm not up to your bullshit tonight.” Her own snap seemed to come as big of a shock to Emeris as it did to herself. His hand disappeared from her shoulder, and for a split second his face reflected slight signs of concern, until his icy mask went back into place.

 

“No, you're not blowing off lessons because you apparently have some emotional issues.” Well, if Gabrielle wasn't pissed before, that did it.

 

“Excuse me?! I'm sorry; I don't believe I started that sentence with `If it would please your Highness'” Gabrielle hissed lowly, her teeth gritted. “Last time I had `emotional issues' I ended up tossing you halfway across the room, so maybe it would be best for you to get the fuck out of my face.”

 

A strangled cry spurted forth from her lips, and Gabrielle forced herself to pull back from him again, this time her hands covering most of her face. Her head was spinning once again, her throat on fire, her mouth watering. None of it was good, and she no longer knew how to deal with it, or Emeris for that matter.

 

Thankfully she didn't have to.

 

The edges of her vision began to darken, the sound of Emeris's retort becoming slurred and almost entirely blocked out. It seemed as if the whole corridor became dead silent.

 

And then all was dark.