Birthrights (15 page)

"There's water on both sides of the road, a river and
a swamp here, this little bit of land isn't going to stop them. And
from the looks of it, some of them aren't Water Fey," Caislyn
answered as the girls ran towards Seth, who looked up in time to
see several Fey coming from the tree line.

Energy balls flared at them landing only a few feet
from the trio. Seth stepped in front of the girls. "Go, I'll take
care of them. Just get home. You'll be safe there."

Caislyn and Jaxon looked at each other. Caislyn ran
up to Seth. "No time to be macho vamp guy, come on," as she grabbed
his other arm and tugged. Seth didn't budge. It was like Caislyn
was tugging on a cement wall.

"I don't think there's time to run anymore, Caislyn.
Know any good spells?" Jaxon asked as she looked around them at the
Fey.

Caislyn left Seth's side to stand by Jaxon. "Okay
Jax. This is the time for you to practice your element control.
Think fire!"

Jaxon looked wide eyed at her friend. "You don't
believe in practice runs do you? Just throw me to the wolves, err,
Fey."

"Anytime Jax, would be great," Caislyn said dryly as
they watched Seth run up to battle a couple of Fey. He had moved
too fast to really see more than just a blur but it was obvious by
the Fey's reaction that they had not expected him to help the
girls.

Jaxon concentrated. She held up her hand and pictured
fire forming in a ball but nothing was happening. "I don't know how
Caislyn. Nothing is happening." The girls kept ducking as energy
blasts were being thrown at them. The Fey weren't moving to far
away from the edge of the trees and swamp which was a good thing
for the girls as the distance was affecting their aim.

"Concentrate Jax. Here, I have a lighter." Caislyn
flicked the lighter several times to no avail. "Okay, maybe I
don't."

Jaxon looked at her friend. "See even the lighter
didn't want to make a flame, what made you think I could?"

Caislyn shrugged as she ducked out of the way of
another ball. "It was worth a shot right?" She ran up and stood
beside Jaxon. Caislyn started chanting words not quite familiar to
Jaxon but the wind started to pick up, blowing towards the Fey.
Jaxon figured that her friend was trying to keep their energy balls
from reaching them. Jaxon suddenly felt fatigued and looked up to
see Seth flying through the air from being hit by a blast of
energy. He landed hard at their feet and slid a ways. She bent down
to him, "Are you okay?"

The few Fey remaining started to walk towards them,
gathering all their energy together. "Crap," Caislyn said as she
grabbed at Jaxon and Seth "We've got to go. The further from the
woods and water, the weaker they will be.

Seth replied as he stood, "My truck, its parked over
there."

As the trio turned to run, Caislyn saw Jaxon had
weakened and grabbed her hand to help her. Jaxon smiled, "What I
wouldn't do to have a huge shield right now."

Caislyn and Jaxon felt a tingle run through them and
a barely visible energy barrier formed in front of them.

The girls, stood staring at the shield speechless.
The Fey weren't quite as surprised as they launched their energy
blast towards them. Seth, who had stopped running when the shield
appeared, started towards the girls when the blast hit them. The
girls had ducked but their shield repelled the blast firing it back
at the Fey.

Seth turned to retrieve the truck. He pulled up
behind the girls "Come on," he yelled, "get in!"

Jaxon and Caislyn looked at their shield and
then at the Fey who were coming in for another attack. "How did we
do this?" Jaxon asked, "And can we move? Will it move with us?"

"There's only one way to find out," Caislyn replied.
She let go of Jaxon's hand and started running for the Black
Escalade. The shield disappeared immediately and Jaxon started
running as well.

The girls jumped in the truck as the first ball of
energy was thrown at them. Seth punched the gas and the Escalade's
tired threw gravel and dust as the truck pulled out of the
lot. The trio sat in silence as they drove the few blocks back
to the girls' apartment. As Seth pulled up by the curb in front of
the bookstore, Jaxon realized that no one had told him where to
go.

"Hey wait, how did you know to come here?"

Seth turned off the truck and looked in the rear view
mirror to Jaxon. "This is where you live, isn't it?"

Caislyn got out of the truck and waved her hand to
open the bookstore doors. She was exhausted and still worried that
they were being chased. She was already thinking ahead about what
kind of spells she could do to reinforce the wards on the
apartment. Her father had never shown her how, but his spell was in
the family's Grimoire. It would take time and she wasn't sure how
much they had before they were attacked again. "Come on guys, we
have a lot to do and its safer inside," she said as the wards sang
her special sound as she passed through the doorway.

Jaxon climbed out of the Escalade, still scowling at
Seth as they headed towards the store.

"How did you know I lived here? And what were you
doing at the causeway? Are you following me?"

"In a way, yes, I guess you could say I am." Seth
answered as he passed through the doorway and the wards gave off
the chimes signaling that a vampire had entered the store.

Jaxon stopped right before she stepped through. "What
sound was that?"

"What? The wards? That's the sound my father gave for
vampires." Caislyn answered nonchalantly as she walked towards the
back of the store to the stairs.

Jaxon's eyes grew wide, "You're a vampire? Oh my God!
I should have known.  I have the worst luck! That so explains
everything!" she exclaimed as she entered the store behind her two
companions.

The wards chimed Jaxon's special sound and both Seth
and Caislyn stopped. Seth raised his brows in response. 

Caislyn walked slowly back towards Jaxon, looking
from Seth to her friend. "Of course he's a vamp, Jaxon. We knew
that," she said as she contemplated the sound of Jaxon's wards.

"We did not know anything like that. I was not aware.
But it just figures!" Jaxon stated giving Seth an accusing look.
She put her hands on her hips and was about to give Seth a load of
her opinions, when she noticed the look on Caislyn's face."Why are
you looking at me like that?"

Caislyn tilted her head as she looked back from Jaxon
to the doorway. "Go back out, Jaxon. I want to hear what the wards
do for you again."

Jaxon dropped her arms to her side and walked back
through the door. "I thought it was safer inside? Why are you
sending me back out?"

"You can come back in. I just want to hear the wards
again." Caislyn said as she listened more closely to the
chimes.

Jaxon came back into the store. "I'm locking the door
this time. I don't feel like fighting anything else today." She
glanced at Seth, "You, on the other hand, may not be so lucky. I
should throw you out."

Seth answered with a brief look at Jaxon but was more
interested in Caislyn's findings. "You heard the similarities
didn't you? But its not the same."

Caislyn looked at him, not sure whether or not he was
to be trusted. "Yes. I heard the similarities and yes, it is
different at the same time." She looked away and started for the
stairs.

"But you don't know why do you?" Seth followed.

Jaxon stood watching the two of them talk as if she
wasn't there. "Um, hello? Anyone want to tell me what's going on?
What similarities? What's different?" Her questions seemed to fall
on deaf ears as Caislyn and Seth started up towards the
apartment.

"Where do you think you're going Seth? I don't
remember inviting you to the apartment!" Jaxon said as she pushed
her way in front of Seth on the stairs and raced up after Caislyn.
"What similarities and differences are you guys talking about? Did
you figure out what my sound is?"

"I think so, but we will talk about it later."
Caislyn said as she entered the apartment.

Jaxon stood in the doorway facing Seth with her hands
crossed, a victorious smile adorning her face. "You can't come in
unless you're invited."

Seth raised an eyebrow and sighed his dismissal. "You
watch far too many movies." He pushed passed Jaxon into the
apartment.

"Hey! I still don't remember inviting you up here.
So, regardless if you can come in or not, its still rude!"

Caislyn giggled at her friend as she went into the
kitchen to make tea. They all needed something soothing after the
days events. Her mind was racing with everything she had learned
today and she still had to reinforce the wards. It was going to be
a long night. But first, she must deal with Seth and figure out his
agenda. Vampires always had agendas.

Caislyn brought tea into the living room and set it
on the coffee table, then took a seat on the couch. Jaxon joined
her and both girls preceded to watch the vampire as he looked
around the apartment.

"Why did you bring him a cup? He drinks blood not
tea." Jaxon said making a face as the thought of drinking blood
crossed her mind, "and I'm not donating!"

"He can drink tea if he chooses," Caislyn said noting
the confusion on her friend's face. "Vampires aren't like what
you've read in books or seen in the movies. Not really. There are
some similarities but not many. Its true that they drink blood but
they can have other things as well. They have reflections and
crosses don't harm them. Holy water, well it's just water. They
aren't 'evil' per say. They have free-will just like the rest of
us."

Jaxon looked suspiciously over at Seth, "Oh. Well,
then by all means, have some tea. I hope she spiked yours with
something vicious." Jaxon said giving a sarcastic smile.

Seth sat down in the chair beside the couch and
reached for his cup of tea. "I trust Caislyn would do no such thing
to someone who just helped save your lives."

Jax gaffed "Save our lives? Ha! You were stalking me!
I do not credit you for saving my life and I swear if you keep
following me, I'll..."

"I was not stalking you," Seth said quietly as he
sipped his tea and decided a change of subject was necessary. "So
why do the wards for her sound so similar to mine?"

Caislyn sipped her tea trying to figure out the best
way to answer without giving Seth too much information but she knew
Jaxon was going to freak out when she told her.

"My ward does not sound like yours. You're
delusional. You must have hit your head when the water things threw
you around like a rag doll." Jaxon remarked. "Tell him Caislyn.
He's delusional."

Caislyn sighed trying to figure out how to break the
news to her dear friend. "I can't, Jax."

"You can't what? Tell him he's delusional? Sure you
can! You won't hurt his feelings, he's a delusional stalker
vampire! No feelings there, you can bet on that!" Jaxon said
drinking more of her tea.

Seth sneered "I do have feelings. I'm not a robot.
And you really need to stop watching horror flicks. They corrupt
your mind with stereotypes." He winked at her which just infuriated
her more before he continued on. "How would you like me to start
making comments about warts and pointy hats and brooms?"

Jaxon rolled her eyes and slumped back on the
couch.

Caislyn stood up and walked across the room to her
wall of sketches. She was looking for the ones that she had drawn
of the fight Jaxon had with Rick.

"Jaxon, do you remember looking at the sketches of
the fight I drew? Remember asking how you could move so fast? And
how you healed so quickly?"

Jaxon nodded, still eying Seth skeptically.

"I think I figured out why," Caislyn said as she took
the pictures from the wall. "You’re a vampire.

"The hell I am!" Jaxon stood from the couch. "Caislyn
you can't be serious! Why would you think that?"

Caislyn brought the sketches back to the couch and
sat down at the far end away from Jaxon. She knew Jaxon wasn't in
control of her powers most especially when she was emotional and
she was definitely emotional right now.

"The wards definitely had a vampire sound, Jaxon.
There's no hiding from that."

"Well, they are wrong! Period. I am not a vampire. I
go out in the sun! I don't sleep in a coffin! Oh, I even like
garlic! I eat it all the time!" Jaxon got up and started to pace
around the living room. Her mind was whirling with the accusation
that her friend had just made. Several candles came to life and
their flames flickered with the emotions that Jaxon was giving
off.

Seth snorted his derision. "Vampires can eat garlic.
We sleep in beds. We can even go out in the sun, it just isn't very
comfortable."

Jaxon stopped pacing, "Why? Do you sparkle?"

Seth looked at her perplexed, "Do I what?"

"Do you sparkle? When you go out in the sun?"

Caislyn burst out laughing. "No Jaxon, they don't
sparkle! Remember when I said forget the books?"

"I was just checking! So why is it so uncomfortable
then?" Jaxon asked.

Seth rolled his eyes. "Because we are allergic to the
sun's rays. We have extremely sensitive skin and sunburn very
quickly. Which will lead to blistering and worse. It happens within
minutes usually, but we do not turn to dust if we step into
sunlight. We do not sleep in coffins, unless someone has a strange
fetish. I have a very comfortable water bed, thank you. And I like
garlic as well, especially in spaghetti."

Jaxon began pacing again.

Caislyn however, cocked an eyebrow up as she looked
at Seth with a grin, "still living in the 1980s? I haven't heard of
anyone with a water bed since I was a kid." 

Seth shrugged, "I like it, so sue me." 

Caislyn knew that her friend was trying to work
through the information and find a way to deny it, otherwise she
would have joined in with the teasing. "Jaxon, my father created
the wards. The magic doesn't lie."