CHAPTER 11

Blankets in the Back

I turn back to face a black shirt. My eyes trail slowly to meet Eric's face. He towers over me with a smirk smeared smooth across his face. His voice is deep and quiet; just a murmur to Victoria's distant ears.

"You and I both know she cheated to get here."

My stomach drops.

He couldn't mean it. She wouldn't do that.

Would she?

My breath catches. He takes me in with disinterest, affirming every conviction I had. I step back to keep my balance, haunted by his expression.

I need to step away.

I turn abruptly to the hallway, eager to leave this conflict. My chest constricts, and my hands shake.

Breathe.

Maybe it's not what I think. I can't just assume things.

Then I see Eric's expression again. His face says it all.

There has to be some truth to it for him to look at me with such a knowing gaze, or he wouldn't have even mentioned it!

I stare at the ground, resisting the urge to scream, cry, or do anything that would make me feel better.

I've had enough of this. There is only so much that one can handle in their life before snapping. Something must be done, or this nightmare will only get worse. I need to keep an level head though. The old Godric was sure to teach me that.

I peek my head through the first door I come across, repeating the process with every open door.

Nothing.

The only room I haven't checked has the door shut. If I knock, it could be Isabel, and I can't have her asking why I'm looking for Godric.

Eric's face comes to mind, and all anger comes back like a wave crashing in a storm. I stalk to the door and raise my hand to knock, just as the door opens.

Godric stands in the doorway expectantly. A smug look colors his face.

"We need to talk." I keep my voice even and low, perceiving his every reaction.

"Why do you deserve any time with me?"

My eyebrows hit the ceiling.

"Why do you deserve anything? You have done nothing, but hurt me and toy with my feelings." I seethe to him between grit teeth. My finger is suddenly poking his chest at the end of each sentence, forcing him to take a step back every time.

To think this would have been a calm and easy conversation, but no, he had to go and blow it to the extreme.

"I have been there for you at your worst, I went against every instinct to be with you, I tried leaving you, and you wouldn't let me. I deserve to at least know the truth! How long have you been with her? When were you going to tell me? Were you ever going to tell me?"

Now fully inside the room, I slam the door behind me and lock it. He needed to address this.

I cross my arms over my chest, waiting for his response.

His face is vacant. Void of any emotion.

Like I haven't seen that before.

"Aren't you going to say something? I loved you, and now I find that you could have been very well cheating on me this whole time. On top of that, you've turned into this pretentious, self-righteous asshole, and that's going to stop right here." I plant my feet and cross my arms, eager to stand my ground.

His eyes narrow and he takes a step forward, leaning aggressively. "You enter my domain, steal from me, and still have the audacity to insult me after I have saved your life? You are an ungrateful servant unworthy of my time;" He takes another step forward, being just a step away from me. "you don't even know what love is."

Time seems to stop in that moment. He's so close, but his energy is so different. He isn't the same man I love. I remember the exact moment I realized what love was.

When he asked to claim me. That's when I knew I loved him. That's when I decided I couldn't be with anyone else.

I speak my words softly, grievous of the man I once loved.

"What makes you think you do?"

Then there's Eric's face. To think he might have been with Victoria on that same night. Did the man I love ever exist?

"So all those nights you were out on business, was it to sleep with her? And what of our nights together? What am I to you? A toy to fiddle with just to toss aside when you're bored?!" My voice is straining to get these words out.

His hand flies to my throat, pressing me against the door. Tears press themselves against my eyes. He doesn't speak, he's only studying me. There's a curious look behind his eyes, like there's a misunderstanding in his head.

"And you won't even tell me. How long have you been with her? Did she know about me?"

He squeezes for a second before relaxing his grip. I slap his hand from my throat and shove him away from me. He takes a step back from the force. He seems so confused, like something finally isn't making sense.

"You were never with me!" He shouts at first, but trails off in his words. "Stop lying to me."

A pounding starts at the door.

"Godric, are you ok? Why are you yelling?" Her sweet voice calls through the door.

"Is she what caused this?" I point to the door, referring to the girl behind it. Victoria tries to open the door, with no luck. I don't want to believe she could be the cause behind this, but with the way he's been treating me since we've reconnected… The man I loved would never treat anyone like that.

"Why have you insisted on keeping me here?" My face is strained and warm, and my chest swells in an aching pain.

Godric is eyeing the door and myself back to back, like a deer caught in the headlights. This, coming from the all-powerful two thousand year old vampire sheriff.

"What? Did you think we wouldn't find out? I'll be more than happy to ask her myself." Tears are falling freely now, contradicting my empty threat.

"I- I don't know." He rushes to get the words out.

"You don't know?! How could you-!" My words catch in my throat.

Maybe he really doesn't remember? Seeing him now, so vulnerable, is like seeing the old Godric.

I don't know what to think. I can't think, I don't know who this man is.

His face is void, except for the slight wrinkle on his forehead. He's so confused, so lost and he has no idea what I'm talking about. If he knew anything about this, he would have protested by now.

I tug at my long hair, needing something, anything, to stop this frustration!

"ARGH YOU'RE SO AGGRAVATING!" I turn my back to him, unable to look at him anymore.

My hand flies to the bridge of my nose, pinching my face back to its normal state.

Deep breaths, Gen, deep breaths.

"It's okay. I'm just really stressed by all this, okay?" I turn back to him standing there. Immobile. Like a deaf child trying to understand his parents yelling.

Seeing him like this hurts me.

I sigh and wrap my arms around his torso, pulling his head on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry. You spoke of this side of you quite often, but I could never believe it." My heart hurts. He can't remember. He doesn't know what happened, I shouldn't have blamed him for this, this should have never happened.

A tear slides down my cheek, and I can't help but hold him closer.

"I'm sorry." I repeat, letting my words sink in. "You don't deserve this. I'm going to fix this, okay?" He's stiff in my embrace. I probably seem crazy to him if I didn't before.

Victoria continues to knock relentlessly on the door, growing slightly more aggressive with each knock.

"I'll take care of her."

I release him and stride hurriedly to unlock the door. Before Victoria can slip in, I shut the door behind me.

"He needs a moment." I tell her, unquestionable authority in my voice.

"But he-"

"He needs a moment." I lean over her, using the small height difference to my advantage.

Like a mouse, she scurries off.

I just stood there. This demon just yelled at me, and I stood there.

I expected to be yelled at, but not to stand there and take it.

Why didn't I punish her insubordination?

I had such a wide range of emotion passing through me. First this sudden anger, I was so angry! And I couldn't understand what had caused it! I was stomping around the room like a child!

Then this hesitation. A slight nervousness, just to be angry again! I was so angry!

I opened the door to find the demon, just as predicted.

Then she wants to talk to me? That was my first mistake, I should have never opened that door in that state of mind. I should have waited, and told Eric to try again. It went from angry to something more than angry. To have that woman repeatedly poke me, with her finger, and shout at me the whole time? That made me angrier.

Then she tells me she loved me! Who is this woman to tell me such nonsense?!

My rapid pacing comes to a halt.

Then she embraced me.

Her warm arms encased my cold body, holding me with such passion.

Two thousand years, and I've still haven't discovered how the female mind works.

I need to calm down.

There's a knock at the door.

"Master, I sense a great frustration from you. Did she not comply?" He is speaking in his native language. He thinks there is someone listening.

Frustration. That is the word. That is what it means to be so angry without just cause.

I have not felt such things for centuries… What is the meaning of this?

The girl's threat comes to mind. The she-devil must have cursed me, who knows what kind of powers she possesses? I need to be weary of her, I can't let her frustra-

"Master?"

I forgot my child stands behind the door.

"I need you to spy on Genevieve." I'm quick to cover my deep thoughts. Our manipulation worked, but I shouldn't have been affected. She shouldn't have gotten in my head in such a way.

He's silent before answering. Is he hesitating?

"Yes sir. Is there a particular piece of information you're looking for?"

So loyal. Such a good progeny.

I open the door to reveal my son, already kneeling.

"Tell me everything you find, my child."

I stand aside, allowing him entrance.

"And just what do you think you're doing?"

I'm caught red handed reaching for a specific book located on a particularly high shelf, just out of reach. My hand flies to my chest, and I turn, startled, to see Godric's son.

"Oh Eric, don't scare me like that! What are you doing in Godric's office anyways?" His eyebrows raise. As a fist flies to my hip.

"Funny, I was going to ask the same thing." He saunters to me like a cat on the prowl. His demeanor is that of a mischievous lion, ready to play with his food.

I place my foot on the closest shelf edge and reach for the book once more, successfully grabbing the leather binding. I propel myself from the bookcase, and away from Eric. I hold the book tightly to my chest, meeting Eric's eyes head on.

"I got what I came for, so I'll be leaving now." I step to the door, unwilling to turn from Eric.

He takes an aggressive step towards me, his tall frame hunching over slightly.

"Taking from the master, that doesn't sound very smart. Do you have a death wish?"

I take another step back, now choosing to hide the book behind me.

"It's not stealing if I'm the one who gave it to him. He doesn't appreciate it now anyways." My eyes avert for a millisecond, but that was all the time Eric needed to swoop in for the kill.

Eric has a firm hand on my wrist, and the book held open at his eye level. He moves so quickly, that I don't even realize this until it's too late.

"This species is capable of learning anything, as they are graced with higher knowledge and capabilities, including, but not limited to… A book on the species of Angels. Just why would you require such a thing?"

I'm too embarrassed to say anything. He doesn't need to know what it was for, he really shouldn't even know that it's there. Eric raises a single flawless brow, refusing to release me until I come up with a satiable answer.

"How about a deal?" He offers after a moment of expecting.

He leaves, and back in a flash, the book in his right hand and his left hand encases a small object.

"You tell me what you can about your memories with Godric, and I'll reward you for your time." He flips his hand over to reveal a small vial with a familiar red substance.

My eyes grow wide and my heart stops in place. I don't even take the time to think about it, I already have my hand out.

"Deal."

Can I – Aliana Baraz