Elora is 9
Elora
“þive it back!” I jumped up, knowing it was no use. Theo was a whole tree taller than me. He was also a superhuman who was
stronger and faster than literally everyone else.
Well, maybe not Felix. Giving up, I crossed my arms and squinted my eyes at him in an attempt to look intimidating.
Theo gave me a pointed look. “You may have your book back once you’ve finished your homework,” he declared.
“I don’t like doing the numbers,” I pouted. I always got frustrated and felt like crying when it came to math. My fourth-grade teacher said it was good to learn math and that we’d use it throughout the rest of our lives. Well, I had never used it outside of homework and school, and I didn’t plan to either.
Sticking out my lower lip, I tried to give Theo my best puppy dog eyes. “Please?”
He put his hands on his knees, copying my expression as he crouched down to my height. “That only works on Duke, sweetheart,” he smirked, pointing to the living room where my schoolwork was. “Go.”
I stomped all the way to the living room. “Math is stupid. Division is dumb. Why can’t numbers just stay the same–” I stopped muttering when I saw Felix leave his office and glower in my direction.
My body tensed as he stared angrily at me. Uh oh–this wasn’t good. “Is there a reason you’re being so loud?” He practically growled.
“Um, no,” I whispered, folding my hands in front of myself while I kept my gaze on my shoes. I didn’t think Felix liked me very much, but I loved him even if he did scare me to no end. I loved all my vampire friends.
“Then stop stomping and muttering,” he scolded. “Do what you’re told, Elora.”
I nodded, rushing away to the living room after whispering my apologies to Felix. In no time, I was knelt at the coffee table and doing my equations like a good girl.
Three of my friends leave every few months, and the longest any of them had been away was a year. Unfortunately for me, Duke, Dane, and Quin had been gone the past two weeks.
I missed Duke, he was my best friend, but the guys are returning today at some point. Duke was also easier on me than everyone else.
Eugene usually helped me with homework, but he didn’t need to today. I did my math with little to no issues. It was all thanks to him anyway. In the past, he always taught me the best way to solve problems, all while calling schoolwork fun.
The front door opened, and Duke, Dane, and Quin walked in carrying their luggage. I instantly shot up and ran over to them, nearly tackling them with hugs. “You’re back!”
“Hey, kiddo,” Quin greeted me as he patted my back and walked away.
Duke picked me up, placing me on his hip. “How were they?” He questioned. He had told me to keep an eye on everyone while he was gone.
“Nothing to report,” I stated with a smile. “Theo stole my book, though.
Can you get it back?”
Dane joined Duke’s side as we wandered into the kitchen. “Why would he do that?” The latter gave me a sharp look.
“I have no idea,” I looked away while I lied through my teeth. “Maybe he’s crazy.”
“Sure,” Duke replied with an eye roll while carrying me into the kitchen. Once there, he sat me on a stool at the kitchen island.
“Maybe I’m crazy?” Theo repeated with a piercing glance. Oops. Vampire super hearing would always be my downfall.
“It was just an observation,” I spoke innocently, resting my head on my fist. “Who steals a book from a child?”
Theo leaned on the counter across from me, “Someone who doesn’t want you to grow up stupid. You’ll thank me one day.”
I gasped dramatically while pointing at him. “Name-calling!”
“Wait till you’re older,” Theo smirked, and I could’ve sworn I saw mischief in his gaze. “I’ll teach you the really fun words–”
“Enough!” Duke interrupted, looking between us before resting his eyes on Theo. “For God’s sake–are you really arguing with a nine-year-old? Why did you take the book?”
“She wasn’t doing her homework,” Theo tattled as he straightened his posture.
Glancing sheepishly at Duke, I found his attention already on me. “It’s done! I finished it,” I defended quickly in response to his stern stare.
“School is important, Elora,” Duke scolded. “You can’t procrastinate like that. You’ll form bad habits.”
“I don’t even know what that means,” I confessed with a nonchalant shrug.
It’s already happening!” Theo teased with a smug look. “She’s growing up stupid.”
“I’m not stupid!” I whined. I’d stomp my foot as well if it wasn’t seated already.
Duke glared at Theo, who looked way too happy with himself. “No, you’re not stupid. Ignore Theo; he’s sick in the head–”
“Told you he’s crazy,” I giggled before hopping off my stool to make a snack. Grabbing the milk, my favorite brand of cereal, and a bowl, I went to open the drawer to find a spoon. The drawer was cluttered with silverware, but no spoon was in sight.
“Fine,” Theo relented before explaining the definition of procrastination. “It’s putting something off until the last minute. Like not doing your homework until the morning before school.”
Accepting Theo’s response, I dug through the drawer, wondering how it was possible we didn’t have the one eating utensil I needed. There had to be one in there!
“So, Duke procrastinated coming home, so I’d be stuck with you to take care of me?” I looked over my shoulder, ready for Duke to scold me and tell me I was wrong. Sometimes it was fun getting on his nerves.
“Owie!” I cried when my hand hit something sharp. The knife did even more damage when I suddenly yanked my arm back, and I couldn’t stop the tears welling in my eyes at the pain.
I’d never been good around blood, getting queasy every time I encountered it. The blood oozing from my palm like a fountain wasn’t helping at all. I could already feel nausea creeping in.
Noticing how quiet it was, I turned around. I was nervous and slightly scared to see everyone in the kitchen. I hadn’t even heard them come in, but my vampires have always been stealthy.
Seeing Lucifer’s bright red eyes and fangs poking out from his open mouth made me tense. I looked at the others and saw they all looked identical except Dane. Duke looked at war with himself as though he was in pain just at the sight of my crimson hand.
Dane was at my side in a flash, ushering me to the sink. He turned the tap on cold and held my hand under it. I couldn’t help but recoil as I watched my blood run down the drain.
“Hold your hand there. You’re going to need stitches,” he instructed but made no move to let go of my hand while he focused on the guys behind us. I knew they were vampires and drank blood, but they’d never hurt me.
Or would they? No–I was sure they wouldn’t. It didn’t make their expressions any less scary. Dane worked at the hospital, meaning he was better than the rest of our friends around blood. That didn’t mean I liked seeing them like this.
“You should be more careful, Elora,” Lucifer stated as he left the kitchen. I widened my eyes in shock. He never spoke, especially not to me. I’m lucky if he even says one sentence to me a month.
That’s also the first time he’s ever called me by my name.
I watched the blood circling the drain and couldn’t help except feel guilty. It’s not like I meant to cut myself. Plus, it really hurt too.
Duke appeared next to me, looking normal again. “It’s okay–accidents happen,” he comforted me and rubbed my arm.
“Don’t let her move her hand from the faucet,” Dane spoke after looking at Duke for a second or two. “I’ll be right back.” A moment later, he was gone.
Taking ahold of my hand, Duke firmly held it under the water. “I can hold it there myself, you know,” I mumbled, still feeling vulnerable.
“I know you can,” Duke answered, still gripping my wrist. I knitted my eyebrows together, realizing why they were so insistent on this. They wanted the sight and smell of my blood to disappear down the drain as soon as possible.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured, feeling tears collect on my eyelashes. I really should have been more careful, like Lucifer said.
“You’re going to have a scar on your hand now,” Duke sighed. “It’s okay, though. I just wish you didn’t hurt yourself.” He seemed upset; he probably blamed himself.
There was the sound of commotion behind me, and I tried to look, but Duke was quick to grab my head with his free hand. Instead, he forced me to keep facing the sink. “Wha–”
“Just–look how big your flowers are growing! Pretty, huh?” He pointed to the flower pot on the windowsill.
I nodded, noticing how they’d gotten bigger. Glancing up, I felt my heart sink at what I saw in the reflection of the window. The knife that had cut my hand–the same blade that had been drenched in my blood–was now clean.
Felix and Eugene were holding Quin back, struggling to drag him out of the room. He looked mad, utterly deranged. His eyes were bright red, and he looked murderous.
Eugene firmly placed his hand over Quin’s mouth, drowning out anything he was trying to say. He was also being restrained by Felix, who was holding his arms tightly to his sides. That was all I saw before they left the kitchen.
Once they were gone, I looked down at my palm only to see the blood still pouring out. I couldn’t tell if it was from my newfound fear of Quin or the sight of my blood, but my vision began to waver. “I don’t feel so good, Duke,” I slurred and blinked slowly as I stared at the now-reddened sink.
Duke wrapped his arm around my ribs, holding me tightly. “Don’t look at the blood. Look at the flowers,” he soothed.
It was too late. I tried to focus on the flowers, but my wound caught me in a trance. My vision became blurry, and I felt my weight give out before I fell asleep in Duke’s arms.
Felix
“Quin, get it together!” Eugene yelled, pinning him to the ground in my study. I stood at the door, ready to block him if he broke away.
This was precisely why I didn’t want a human in this house, much less a clumsy child who didn’t understand how severe a cut could be. If Quin had gotten to her, he would’ve killed her. And what if Dane and Duke hadn’t been home? Dane was the only one with enough self-control to help Elora.
I was ashamed of myself for even thinking about hurting that little girl. The second I smelled blood, my mind was clouded by it. Elora had lived with us for five years, and I was shocked that she hadn’t hurt herself sooner. That didn’t change how sweet her blood smelled or how tempting it was.
I couldn’t blame Quin for licking the knife, but I also knew he knew better. He was fully aware that tasting her blood would drive him insane. Now that he’d had a drop of her blood, he’d likely always crave it.
Before long, Quin stopped thrashing and took several deep breaths. His fangs retracted, and his eyes darkened–both signs he was coming down from his frenzy. Eugene waited for a few ticks before getting off of him to sit at his side on the floor.
Leaning against the wall, I sighed and pondered what would happen now. Duke didn’t allow her to see Quin, probably because she’d be scared of him. It was a good idea on his part and not surprising due to his caring and nurturing nature.
That’s why I was so dismayed to see that even he was so drawn to her blood. Duke fought it with everything in him, but he would’ve drank from her, too, if given a chance.
“Fuck!” Quin slammed his fist on the floor as he raged and rubbed his hands over his face. There was no doubt in my mind that the guilt over what he’d done was setting in. Eugene reached out to touch his shoulder, but Quin pushed him away.
“I fucked up,” he stated as he stood and ran a hand through his hair. “That’s all there is to it.”
“It could have been much worse. Luckily it wasn’t. Take it as a victory,” I dismissed before walking out of the room. The kitchen had gone quiet, and my interest was piqued.
I know Dane hesitated to leave Duke with her as he got the medical supplies to stitch her hand.
Strolling into the kitchen, I caught sight of Duke holding an unconscious Elora upright atop the counter. The water was still running over her hand while Dane stitched her up.
“Did she really lose that much blood?” I questioned. The cut hadn’t looked deep enough for her to pass out.
Duke blinked up at me, then looked back at her hand that was being fixed. “No. She’s always been uncomfortable around blood, you know that,” he replied.
Her sensitivity to blood had completely slipped my mind. When she was in first grade, some clumsy peer of hers had cut his knees on the playground. The sight of his blood alone was enough for Elora to vomit. Duke had to bring her home early that day. I suppose it’s good she only fainted.
“How’s Quin?” Dane implored.
“Beating himself up,” I said, thinking the answer was obvious.
Duke kept his attention on her; he looked like a hurt puppy. I rolled my eyes. That girl had him wrapped around her little finger.
“It should have never happened,” he thought aloud. Guilt was written all over his face. “When she runs, I stop her before she trips. When she climbs a tree, I catch her when she inevitably slips.
“Hell–she wasn’t allowed to go down the stairs by herself until she was seven. I don’t even let her cut her own food.”
“This isn’t your fault,” Dane comforted Duke with a gentle smile while he finished stitching Elora’s hand. “She’s a kid. Freak accidents like this happen more than you think. The only reason this hasn’t happened sooner is because you baby her. Kids are clumsy. You said it best–accidents happen.”
Duke shook his head, preferring to wallow rather than see reason. “I could have hurt her. When it happened, I didn’t see Elora. I just saw a blood bag.” There was a pause before he continued with a snarl. “I should have booked it like Theo did the second she cut herself.”
I glanced around the kitchen, noticing Theo wasn’t anywhere to be seen.
He must have left after Dane washed the blood away.
Part of me wanted to tell everyone how right I was, to rub my successful premonitions in my friends’ faces. I’d voiced how much of a bad
idea having a fragile human in our house was. However, I knew my gloating wouldn’t help.
What was the point of bragging? It wasn’t like we could send her away. No, everyone was too attached, as was she. It would be too cruel. We just had to hold out until she turned eighteen. Nine more years to go, and they’d fly by; that always seemed to happen when you didn’t age.
Leaning against the counter, I attempted to soothe my friend as well. “Duke, she’s okay. You didn’t hurt her–no one did. Quin didn’t even get close to her. Besides, when this happens again–and it will–we’ll know how to handle it.”
Dane wrapped her hand in gauze rather expertly. “Good as new,” he winked at Duke, patting him on his back while taking his leave.
I watched as Duke scooped her up, holding her close, protectively, as he carried her to her room.
