Fever Ch. 04

Tavis:

“Journal, it's me Tavis again, and you'll never guess what's happened now.” I stated into my tape recorder. “Olivia got me in trouble again tonight. Mom and Stefan was waiting for us when we got back to the house. However, her getting me in trouble has nothing to do with the fact that I'm stuck on house arrest for the next two weeks. It's her mouth and how she likes to run it all the time.

She never knows when to shut up. I keep telling Olivia that mom doesn't like it when she talk back when she's on a rampage. Silence is a must when our mom is upset but she doesn't have any respect for boundaries or rules. I wish that she did and I think maybe, just maybe if she had any semblance of fear regarding those in authority, she and Stefan would get along, but Olivia's not like that. She feels that if she doesn't like you, she doesn't have to respect you.

This is the one thing I hate most about her, it causes her to over look people, especially those who are in a position to help her...” Immediately, my thoughts drifted to the female I'd seen the other night. I could could remember everything about her, from the fresh scent of her soap, to the combat boots she'd been wearing when we met. As I thought about her, I recalled her smile and felt my heart beat pick up in speed. “Journal...”

I began again, revealing my thoughts, “The lady from the other night has the most beautiful smile I've seen in my life. I still can't believe that she was so nice, especially not knowing me. She, a young teenage girl was willing to wait with me for my sister. That's as cool as it gets. My sister's friends would have all ran for cover. Anyhow, I want to know more about her and it's my wish that I see her again.

I don't know what it is about her that intrigues me so, but I feel as though I need to know her, like I have to know all there is about her. I wish I could see her right now. I want to know her favorite color, the place she wants to see most in the world. I want to know her secrets, know her inside and out.” As I continued speaking in the tape recorder, I felt warmth burst in my chest and butterflies in my stomach.

There was so much I wanted to know, so little answered. As I cleared my throat, I spoke into the tape recorder. “I want to know of her family, what it was like in Africa, and why her parents moved here.” I sighed, knowing already there was no way a girl her age would be interested in someone like me. I wasn't even out of high school yet.

As my thoughts continue to roam about, I realized that even fantasizing about a girl her age was just ludicrous. Especially when she could do much better than a ten year old. I growled in frustration and spoke into the tape recorder, “I wish I was older, then maybe, just maybe I'd stand a chance, but seeing as how I'm only ten, soon to be eleven, I doubt this will even go anywhere. She's just too old and probably prefer someone who's more adapted into puberty.”

Sighing, I pushed the stop button on the device and listened as it clicked to a stop. There was no use in dwelling on what a boy was too young to have. The weird part was that I didn't feel like a boy. I felt more mature than my ten years. I knew that I was psychologically developed like a fifteen year old. That's what my doctor said. Mom took me out of concern for both my increasing knowledge and disdain for kids my age.

The doctor told her that some kids were more psychologically advanced than others and that hers just happened to fit that bill, especially with my aptitude being so high. So, in essence I struggled a lot with being older mentally than I was physically. Yes, I had the energy of most children my age, but I spent it more on building my IQ and working out than I did anything else. Normally, I would love that, but working on a school project while you're confined to your room didn't see to appealing. I couldn't leave if I wanted to and this drove me nuts.

~ ~
Olivia
Four days, sixteen hours and twenty three minutes into me being confined to this damn room and I feel as though I'm going to explode. Why? Because one thing I hate more than anything is being sent to my room, put on lock down because of my mouth. Ok, granted, it may not have been my position to say anything, but seriously, my mom and her stupid rules were exhausting.

There wasn't a rule that she didn't have when it involved us going outside. You'd think vampires would be more relaxing about their offspring, seeing as how they are undead and supposed to be able to know where you were at all times, but just the fact that we'd been gone a half an hour and she and Stefan hadn't had any contact with us since we went up to the ware house, she had to go and have a conniption fit involving this little fiasco. I could see if we were gone for an hour or maybe even two hours with no contact, but thirty minutes? We are grounded for two weeks over thirty minutes?

How insane is that? I let out a squeal and threw the book I'd been reading down on my magenta colored quilt. For those of you who don't know what magenta is, it's like a dark pink on the borderline of purple but never quite reaching there. Magenta is the color I use when I need to think. I'm an avid fan of using colors to express the various moods I find myself in, so since I was in a tense mood, needing something to calm me down, I'd taken off the red comforter and replaced it with the serenity yielding Magenta colored comforter.

“This isn't fair!” I groaned, still irritated over the situation at hand. As I sat there thinking, I couldn't help but let my mind reflect back on the meeting I'd had with Dennis...or was it Daryn...or Devin? I don't know. I couldn't remember his name. It started with a D, this I was sure of. Anyhow, I thought about how he'd discussed the history of the hunters with me. I thought about how he had explained that a hunter was born a hunter and it occurred to me that since I was a hunter, that meant Tavis was one as well.

The question I felt compelled to ask was why did he feel wary of the building, while I felt as if I needed to be there, that I had to explore it. Tavis wasn't normally afraid, but he did have a cautious bone every now and again.

However, I couldn't understand what made him feel afraid. He wasn't anything other than human and according to Dominic- no that's not his name either, anyway, maybe I should just call him D-man since I can't remember him, or maybe...I grinned softly, thinking in my head, I should call him Taylor?

Yeah, that's what I'll call him. He looks like a Taylor with his fine self. So...according to Taylor, humans are not harmed upon those grounds and hunters feel a special drawing to the place. As I cleared my throat, I wondered if it was possible that Tavis was not genetically foreordained to hunt like I was, or maybe something repelled him, made him afraid of the building?

Flickering my tongue over the roof of my mouth, I allowed my thoughts to drift at the possibilities until I was brought back to my reality, that although Tavis found it uninteresting, I found the idea of being a hunter exhilarating, something I knew I wanted to try.

However, because I was grounded for two weeks, I wouldn't be able to go back. The thought was stifled as I conjured up an idea. What if I went during the day, just a couple of hours at a time, so I could learn what I needed to learn and then be back before mom, Stefan and Jr. awake.

Getting up, I grab my book bag out of my closet and put my body suit and weapons inside, careful to sheath them before doing so. As I'm going around, rambling, there's a knock on the door. I quickly put my bag next to the lamp stand and flop back onto the bed, its springs creaking in testament to my weight. “Come in.” I stated. The door knob twisted and Tavis came in, making his way to my bed. “Olive Oil, how are you holding up?” Under normal circumstances I would expect him to care if I was alive and well, because he's that kind of kid.

He's the reason I've been able to live in this house as long as I have. He's not only my brother, but he's the only one I really feel close too, but this, however, was not the usual. Especially when he was the one on house arrest. He usually avoided me like the plague. I narrowed my brows in suspicion, “What's the sucking face for?”

He cleared his throat, “ I'm not sucking face.” The sour tone in his voice and the slight change in facial features told me otherwise. “I just want to see how you're doing. I noticed you actually stopped kicking the walls a good fifteen minutes ago and out of dire curiosity, decided to come and see why?”

I folded my arms across my chest. God, sometimes it felt like Tavis was the oldest and I was the youngest. Clearing my throat I could feel the irritation began to creep up my spine. Having a know it all sibling who was mostly right, was too agitating. “I decided that kicking the wall really didn't make me feel better.”
He smiled, “That's progress.”
I glared at him. Pest. “Other than to psycho analyze me yet again, why are you here?”
“Well, I needed some advice about something.” He stated. I raised a brow. Since when?
He looked away from me, “Well, you're a girl and I would expect at being thirteen you would know what it's like to have boys like you right?”

I shrugged my shoulders. I had my fare share of boys crushing on me, but I wasn't really interested. They were too stupid and boring for my taste. They were all too much into girls with big boobs and although I had a pretty face, I wasn't as well endowed as the other girls my age. They would all seem to find me attractive at first, but I'd always loose to the girl with the bigger chest. This I hated.

My mom said that it's not a bad thing to have small breasts but honestly, she hadn't seen the girls that came into Chicago Heights Middle School. I hated that place and the sooner I graduated, the better off I would be. There was always some girl there waiting to beat on some other girl. I'd found myself in a couple of tiffs, but they'd been quickly dismantled. One thing about me is I'm not afraid of anybody or anything. I don't know why, but it's like I have no sense of fear. You'd think I would but I've never had that feeling of danger.

Sometimes I think I crave it, try to find it, which is why I drug Tavis to that ware house. Still there, though, I felt a powerful adrenaline rush instead of fear.

“Why are you asking me that? What, you have a girl you like or something?” I asked, my gaze flickering over his face. I watched as a soft glow gathered in his face, particularly making the light in his eyes glossy. “Who is she?” I asked. I was still trying to decide what girl in his class would even think he was remotely interesting. A fifth grader who only talked math and science and read things about foreign countries would not interest a regular girl.
“Well...I'm not sure of her name yet.” He stated.
“So she's older?” I interjected, trying to figure out if this girl really existed. Was he making it up?
“Well, yes, but I haven't gotten her name yet.”
I narrowed my eyes, “You're ten Tavis. Trust me the girl's not interested.”
Tavis furrowed his brows, “Dang Olivia, I haven't even asked my question yet and you're shooting me down already?”
“Tavis, be realistic, you're only ten. Why would an older girl be interested in a ten year old?”
“I'm going to be eleven next month.” He stated his tone clipped.
“I know, but that's what...close enough to a twelve or thirteen year old and a thirteen year old will be way too mature for you.”

I watched his dark eyes flash immediate fury. “Too mature? Trust me Olivia, none of the snot nosed girls your age would ever have a chance with me, not even when I myself reach your age. That's none of your business, her age.” After that statement, he went to leave the room, pausing at the door, “When you leave, I hope you're back before the parents wake up because if not and they ask where you are, I will tell them.”
“I'm not going anywhere.” I fibbed.
“Then why is your bag packed and why are you wearing a coat?”
I pulled my thick coat against my chest, “It is cold in here. I stated.”
“That's an odd statement considering the thermostat says seventy.”
I grabbed a pillow and threw it at him, “Get out and besides, you don't know where I'm going.”
“The ware house.”

I felt the heat rise in my cheeks. How did he know?

“Because little sister, I know you.” At the mention of me as his little sister I felt an anger began in my chest. He opened the door and made a quick exit, his body language exhibiting no form of regret. The idea of being the little sister always infuriated me, because I knew that Tavis was more mature in his mindset than I was, but I was the oldest biologically and for him to call me the little sister was infuriating. It set to insult that insecurity I had and this he knew.
~ ~
Falomi. That was his birth given name, but he was known to Ayanna as father. Although he'd reached his destination a good five days ago, he had yet to enter and carry out the task he'd sworn himself to doing, because unlike Ayanna, he worried about Caduceus getting a hold of his daughter. To loose his wife Candace was hard; to wonder the earth, always hurting, always suffering for the one that no other could take the place of, wishing for a love that could never again be obtained made him bleed tears.

His heart ached so horribly that he wasn't sure if killing Caduceus would take away that pain, but he was sure that an eye for an eye, was justifiable in a situation like this. He still could not rid fate's night out of his own head; how he'd awoken to the horrible screams of his wife. Oh how it had nearly pounded the heart right out of his chest to hear the shrill scream she'd given off while he attempted to intervene. It nearly killed him when he awoke to find his daughter holding her mother, crying; her blood in a pooling mass around her.

A murder of Caduceus would definitely be in order, but what he did not care for was the demise of his daughter. He did not wish to leave her without knowing that she was alright. He did not wish to suffer her a terrible fate because if there was anything he knew about Caduceus, it was that he wasn't just a harping walking ball of conquest, but he was shrewd, decisive and calculating. To attempt an attack as this one would definitely gamble the one chance at freedom Ayanna had.

Without him or a mate, she would indeed be fair game not just for Caduceus but for anyone who wanted her for the taking. Although Ayanna was fierce, unafraid, unwavering and even, a great fighter, she still was no match for a vampire who'd been rising since the decline of the Roman Empire. Although he hoped for death, it was not what he wanted for little Ayanna. She had so much more to rise to, to experience. So much that she'd neglected due to a fueling hatred of Caduceus.

As he neared the gates, he wavered a final decision. Was his daughter's life worth risking over a feud that began many moons ago? Was his life worth risking over a hatred that had rotted out the very core of his existence? Anger, heartache, confusion, love, depression, all of these emotions were a fever that coursed through his veins. Not only his but his daughter's as well, even fear, he smelled at the mention of Caduceus.

Ayanna was terrified of him, but he knew that the fight in her would never die out, not until she herself was able to gain her freedom. Was this however, the way to take it? Just as he'd decided to fall away from the gates, a tingling sensation on the back of his neck caused him to turn around and as he did, he was greeted by Caduceus. Not a minute longer he'd been rendered unconscious.

~ ~
Caduceus:

After I'd used an ancient method, chloroform to disable my opponent, I took him down into the cellar where I'd prepared a special area just for him. Like clock work, Falomi was and always would be a deep thinker, a man who used his mind and strategy to deploy any activity he participated in. So, it came as no surprise when he did make it to my home, but what I imagined more or less was for him to just barge in on rage and be captured that way. To my amazement he remained civilized and seemed to be contemplating on his actions outside my gate as I watched, I realized that I was being taken along a different course of action and that It would be quite effortless seizing him.

He'd been in the cellar a good 12 hours before I finally went to observe his mindset. Flickering the red light on above the stair case, the basement was flooded with a red fluorescent, illuminating my path. Although I didn't need the light, red was the color I'd chosen. Red represented passion, instability, wild, unsteady, it often times drove home the image of fear I represented.

Although I wasn't the most feared vampire in the land, I was indeed one of its most fierce. I guess you could say Falomi was full of surprises. I'd thought he'd be impossibly angry when I stepped foot into the cellar, but to my chagrin he was standing there propped up against one of the wine barrels I used for tracking inventory. When I reached the bottom landing, he spoke, “You're not getting my daughter.”

I laughed, “You've never been one for formalities have you, Falomi?” He turned loathe filled eyes upon me, not saying a word, just staring, his jaw clenched and face a hard mask of hate. “I'll have you to know that you're the one who was trespassing.”
“You're still not getting my daughter, Caduceus.”
“I'd expected far more vengeance than a conversation.” I stated, my tine amused but dry.
“Sorry to disappoint.” He stated.
“It's too bad. I wonder what Candace would have thought of her valiant of a husband, ignoring retribution.”

Falomi's mouth closed tight and he glanced around. “This is quite a basement you got here.” He stated, implying the massive area of space. I'd had the walls knocked out to increase the area and had little holding areas for many purposes. “What is it that you do again?” He inquired staring around. Knowing that it would not matter whether or not I told him, I stated, “Entrepreneur.”

“Businessman. These days it seems as if everyone is going for business.”
“Doesn't it?” I agreed.
“So, what's the point of holding me down here, Caduceus?”
“We both know that as soon as word gets out, Ayanna will be here.”
“And...”
“A fair trade.”
“That's what you're keeping me for? A fair trade?”
“Ayanna will do anything for dear old dad. After all, you are her father.”
Falomi did not dispute, he knew this was true.
“I will try to make your stay as pleasurable as possible.” I stated, inhaling sharply.

There was no need to harm someone who posed no threat. Turing around, I made my way up the stairs. What puzzled me the more was the fact that he did not fight, he did not come to get revenge, he did not come to best me and if that's the case, then what indeed was his purpose?
~ ~

Ayanna:

I awoke that night with a throbbing headache. I'd finally managed to dose off after one o'clock that afternoon to my chagrin. It has only been a week since my father went to Caduceus and although I sensed through our bond that he was being restricted, I flickered my gaze on the old grand father clock in the living room.

Normally I slept in the cellar but I'd dosed off listening to the soulful sounds of Sade. She was a favorite entertainer of mine and although her sound was beautiful, it was enough to make me sleepy, even if I'd been stressed out.

I glanced down at the empty champagne bottle I'd managed to consume and understood why my head was hurting so bad. Liquids were great for my kind, but unfortunately, I had a tendency to over due it with Zinfandel. Zinfandel was a sweet brand of wine that not only tickled the palate, but fulfilled any type of sweet taste buds a vampire such as myself may have.