Beautiful Monster 2 (Beautiful Monster #2)(41)
Author: Bella Forrest

Hey. Got time to talk?

After a few minutes and in between texts to Sarah, he responded.

For you? Anything. Want me to bring food? Where are you?

I smiled, sitting up. Perhaps a good meal, or a weird meal, with two close friends was exactly what I needed. I confirmed with Sarah that she was free, and then texted Drago back, giving him my father’s address.

Be there in 20 minutes was the response.

I smiled, feeling better already and went to my closet, where there were still some clothes. No matter what the situation was, I still had friends that I could be close to, that could make me laugh no matter what. A night out with Sarah and Drago was just what I needed.

My phone beeped again and I went over to check it, assuming it was one of them. But instead, it was Liam.

Emergency Party Scene rehearsal in Red Theater, 6 am

That was all it said. I didn’t think that my heart could pound any louder after today, but it leaped into my throat.

And yet, at the same time, I didn’t want to go. The days of rushing to Liam’s side to fix yet another issue of a world I wasn’t apart of was over. After the show, I was pretty sure I would be leaving school and not coming back.

Why?

I’ll tell you when you get here.

I sighed, rolling my eyes. Typical Liam. And yet, Liam never made a mountain out of a molehill. If it was serious, it was serious. It seemed like he sent a mass text to everyone, so I simply replied ok and went back to getting dressed. I wasn’t going to let him ruin my evening, not with so few evenings left.

Chapter 18: Liam

I paced the stage at 1 pm as the others arrived. When Connor had told me that the other vampires wanted to speak with me, I assumed it had to do with the plan, and so I decided to arrange for a whole cast meeting. I knew that Amy had to film Ranger, so I arranged a breakfast meeting when most of them would be coming out of their transformations with the rising sun.

Amy came in first with Sarah, and neither girl looked like they had slept much. The scent of death wafting from Amy grew stronger every day, and from the look on her face today, I knew she had learned something about it. It just about killed me to not ask her how she was feeling, or what was wrong. Once upon a time, I could practically read Amy’s mind, but now times were different. I felt like I couldn’t trust her anymore. I knew all about Drago from the summer Gatsby tour, and even though I knew she was probably telling the truth, I couldn’t help but wonder if that compromising picture was more than she claimed it was.

After all, I remembered clearly being her age, being young and free and off on my first tour. And I remembered all the girls I bedded during that tour. I knew how the media could be, of course, but I also knew that each article had at least some semblance of truth in it. They had the picture as proof. I wasn’t accusing Amy of sleeping around. I knew that she wouldn’t, not with a human in any case. But she had been so far away from me, and we were such different people that I wondered if she was looking for a way out that summer. And in a way, I thought she deserved it. This boy was human, in nearly the same place in his life, working side by side with her every day. I pictured them staying together at night, no last minute kiss goodbye as the sun set, no transformation. It made me angry, and yet, I couldn’t help but feel like I deserved to be betrayed. Amy deserved a better future than being with a vampire, a creature of darkness, when she represented light and life. Perhaps she and I being apart was for the best. So why did I feel so angry at this other man in the picture with her?

Everyone filed in by 1:15, which made me smirk. They had coffee cups and paper plates in hand as they juggled their backpacks. I thought about how well they were adapting to student life. They certainly looked like students, slurping coffee at 1 pm in the afternoon as if they had just woken up.

“So, here I am,” I said, holding out my arms as everyone sat down. “A few of you asked to meet, so I figured you had questions that we could all sort out.”

“Actually.” Steven stood up, clearing his throat and looking around sheepishly. The others gave him an encouraging nod. “Liam, is it true you were visited by the elders?”

“Yes.” I shrugged. “It’s sorted out now, don’t worry about it.”

“You were visited by the elders?” Amy called out, raising an eyebrow.

Once upon a time, she was privy to all information at the school. But not being on speaking terms with the headmaster kind of killed that idea. She knew all about the elders, since I had told her once.

“Yes. But it’s taken care of.” I met her eyes.

I didn’t need to tell her that they had nearly ripped my head off for her knowing about vampires, and I didn’t need to tell her how we got around it. What I really wanted to do was wrap her in my arms and keep her safe and take care of her. Even now, she looked exhausted.

“Liam, there is one thing we fear more than Selene and respect more than our sire and that is the Elders,” Steve said in a trembling voice. “Many of us feel that the elders’ visit has rained disapproval on this plan. And we cannot kill Selene but live our lives in fear of the elders.”

“What?” I glanced to Connor, who was taking it all in.

Connor raised his voice. “As Liam has said, the elders visit had nothing to do with our plan. They were here for Liam and Liam alone.”

“Then why is Liam not dead?”

“Because it was taken care of, as I said.” I really didn’t want to tell them, but it looked like they were giving me no choice. “Who feels this way?”

A group of them shuffled together towards Steve, and I realized that by ‘many of us’ he meant every single vampire except for Connor.

“Liam is the leader of this coven,” Connor snapped. “You will obey him!”

But the others clearly did not feel that way. Sighing, I rose to my feet.

“The elders visited me for violating the vampire law of secrecy. Two mortals knew of our existence, and they were clearly not happy about it. But we came to an agreement.”

“How?” Steve demanded. “The penalty for violating the law of secrecy is death.”

“By invoking the law of deliverance,” Connor supplied. “The humans Liam had informed smelt of death. They will not carry our secret for long.”

I locked eyes with Amy, and I don’t think I had ever seen such fury than what she carried then. She would have slapped me if I was closer. I could see her hands trembling. Without speaking a word, she rose and took Sarah with her, stomping out of the theater and slamming the door so hard behind her I was worried it might break.