Catalyst (23 page)

             
She reached her finger to his face again, agonizingly slow. She touched the end of his nose with one finger and we all held our breath and waited. Then Daniel gru
nted and his face turned red fro
m strain. He fell to the ground in a forward drop and didn't even try to catch himself as his face and head smashed into the floor. Lillian was there in a second and looked up at Lily curiously.

             
"Lily," I said and bent down to look at her. "Why did you do that to him?
" I asked softly.
"
I thought you said he wasn't bad."

             
"Just wait," she said and giggled a little like I was being silly. I was being terrified is what I was. I glanced up at Max and Ryan
,
but all they could do was watch, fascinated. Then Daniel's coughing subsided slowly
. He began to take deep breaths as he rolled over to his back. And when he did, we all gasped in horror.

             
And shock.

             
And relief.

             
Not only was Daniel's stomach healed of all traces of his wound, but his skin was a normal human healthy color and his black eyes had softened into a silver. He sat up and look
ed at her. He looked so human, it was unreal. I mean
he still had i
nsane
ly
dark hair
and all. You could tell he was a Lighter, no doubt, but you could also tell there was something different about him. And when he spoke, his voice was wrapped with richness and gratitude.

             
"Thank you, little one."

             
"You're welcome, Daniel."

             
"How did you know my given name?"
he said on a breath.

             
"I
just do,
"
she answered calmly. The air was crackly with tension.

             
"
Lily, what did you do?" Ryan asked in awe.

             
"Nothing," Max said with surety. "She didn't do that, he healed himself like all Lighters do. Maybe it took a little longer than normal. It was
just
a coincidence."

             
"I don't agree, brother," Ryan said as his eyes bounced between Daniel and Lily. "I think
our Lily
has made herself a new friend."

             
"Yeah!" Lily said loudly and grabbed Daniel's hand. "Do you know how to play Spoons?"

             
"Uh…."

             
"Lily, we need to talk
to Daniel and it's your naptime,
"
I interrupted.

             
After some persuasion, I got her to go to bed with the promise that Daniel would be there we she woke. When I came out of her room,
Lillian and Daniel were speaking in low tones as Ryan and Max glared at each other and spoke in Keeper form. I sat between Elli
e
and Lillian.

             
"Please, stay," Lillian was saying
as they sat opposite each other on the couches
. "Max is just protective. He'll come around like the rest of them."

             
"I will not be the wedge in your line. You need to be a collected unit, together, as one. I will only make you weak in their indecision of what to do with me."
             

             
"Did you not see what just happened?" she asked a little h
y
sterically. "Lily just healed you!
" She glanced at me and then back to him. "We didn’t know she could do th
at, but she did
. She even said it,
she said…she saw you in there, w
hich means she
knew you were a good person
. Stay. That's the best way to be redeemed."

             
"Why do wish for me to stay so badly?" he asked softly and inched forward as if to hear her response better.

             
Max stormed off behind us in a blur and Ryan huffed, causing Ellie to look at him. He looked over and waved away our gazes. "He'll be fine. Just needs to cool off. For Daniel to show up the first day that the others left is just…bad timing. Sorry," he said to Daniel and I smiled at him hoping to convey my thanks. He was trying with Daniel, just as Merrick had.

             
Of course oblivious Ryan had no clue what my smile was for.

             
"What?"

             
I shook my head at him and turned to see Elli
e
watching me. She didn't
seem
mad, but she didn't exactly look happy either. I smiled at her t
oo, and she kind of returned it
before getting up and making her way to Ryan.
He smiled at her
in an
I'm completely
oblivious
kind of way.

             
But even I could see as they walked away together
that
Ryan would not the one making the first move in that relationship.
Hmm. Maybe Ryan needed a little nudge.

Menace

Chapter 16
- Malachi

             
So…the humans, after all the incentives I'd given, all the rules put into place and punishments outlined, were still rebelling.

             
"Whatever happened to following the crown to thy death?" I asked no one in particular. "Whatever happened to the good of the many outweigh the good of the few? Don't they know it's not good for the ones we find when they rebel like this? Don't they know it's the other ones that suffer?"
             
I looked down into her sweet, oval, pale, human face. She was begging me silently with her eyes. She was so desperate I could practically taste it in the air. I narrowed my eyes at her and she whimpered, looking away.

             
"Please, my…
L
ord," she said awkwardly and I almost wanted to laugh. She didn't actually believe that nor did she
want to call me by that name. S
he was just trying to save her own neck, no matter how futile the effort.

             
"Quiet," I said gently. See, humans were programmed to respond to certain tones and implications. Regardless of what word was said, if it was said in the right way, the humans guard would automatically be lowered.
I could feel her rapidly beating pulse under my fingertips slowing.
She wasn't conceding to her death. No…no. She was tricking herself into believing that there was a way out. I waited for it.
Wait for it….wait for it….

             
"My Lord,
I'll do anything you want."

             
There it is!!! I smiled to myself, boasting a skill I'd always possessed, letting my disgust for the human's predictability slide for a moment.

             
"Yes, I agree that you would."

             
"I'll…I can be your girl if you like," she croaked and it sounded like she gagged on the words.

             
"Oh," I laughed, "don't sound so thrilled about it."

             
"I'll do anything-"

             
"Silence."

             
I looked to one of the many minions running the mansion and held my hand out. I did so much fret about getting my hands bloody
on her already bloody body
. In this century, it was impossible to find a good shirt. I'd ruined many a cuff with blood splatters.
So I placed the robe that the minion gave me, placing it on myself in a flourish. I raised my palm and let her see my light showing through. She
gawked at it silently, wide eyed and even though she knew this would be the instrument of her death, she was fascinated.

             
"Beautiful isn't it?
" I murmured
and glanced at my palm. So ordinary, so plain, yet so utterly vicious in its stealth.

             
"
What is that? What are you?
You're going to kill me
?"
she whispered her questions in a hollow rush.

             
"Why not?"

             
"I'm not a rebel!
Please. I didn't do anything wrong."

             
"Moot," I said evenly.
"I have to set an example. Sadly, you are just the means to the end
. Sorry," I said and laughed at
how stupid and insignificant
that word
sounded.

             
I
pulled her to me, placing her in
my arms gently;
the trembling in her body giving me my own shivers of delight. I lay my hand on her chest
,
but her words stopped me.

             
"Why? Why do I have to die?"

             
"Because I follow tradition," I told her and smiled. "Call me sentimental."

             
Then
I pulled her life force to me. M
y palm tingled as she jerked
and screamed
,
but was unable to
evade me. I held tight and let it flow into me. I sighed and even heard myself moan. I licked my lips and savored the human's life. She filled me. Some humans were different than others for some reason. They tasted and felt different as they entered my body. This human was exceptionally delectable.

             
All too soon, she was on empty and I was full
…for the moment.

             
I dropped her ashen, dead body to the floor and immediately disrobed. It was a hot maroon thing that was very ceremonial, but necessary. I took a deep breath, my lungs pulsing with new life. I threw the robe to a minion. It clung to his
back as he leaned do
wn
to remove
her body from the room.

             
I swiped my hands through my hair and stopped mid-swipe. I cursed loudly and one of the minions came to bow at my feet
as he said, "What is it that you require, sir
?"

             
"I got
her
blood on my sleeve," I
sulked and rem
o
v
ed the shirt.
Human blood was disgusting
and after my boys took care of the humans in inte
rrogation, then they were given to me
. And they were always wet and bloody. Maybe I should rethink the arrangement.

             
"
I'll get you another, a clean one."

             
"You do that."
             

             
He ran off. Literally, he ran. My good little minion. I turned to the other two who were left in the room.

             
"Well, I'm already soiled. Bring in another."

             
As they dragged in another human, a male who we
pt more than the female had,
I rubbed my chest against my hands in anticipation.

             
One of the humans asked me if I was a vampire once. I had laughed at him and his stupidity. I told him
that
I was not a vampire. He asked what the difference between the two was. I explained that a vampire could get his fill, and that I was a never ending basin. His eyes were round as lemons and it made me smile. He didn't scream when
I took his life like the other
s. It was as if he understood there was no stopping his end.

             
No, I was not a vampire. And I wasn't after a measly meal. I was after all that there was on this planet. And I was
going
to have it all.
             

Perpetual Misunderstanding

Chapter 17 -
Lillian