Book of the Hidden Page 2

  She slowly made her way across the room taking her seat beside him. She took a deep breath and asked, "How do you feel?"

  Still glancing around the room he answered, "fine.... Sore."

  "Yeah, you're body is changing....." Why did she say that?

  He stared at her in utter confusion. "What?"

  Vivian sighed again. "It's a long story....."

  "I have time.... I guess...." He looked about the room again, but instead of asking where he was or who she was he pushed against the bed sitting upright giving her his full attention.

  She felt awkward and tense, even more so than before because he had been asleep. "Seth-"

  "How do you know my name?"

  She glanced over at his wallet and he nodded in understanding. "Do you know what a lycanthrope is?" He shook his head. "It’s a werewolf. To get right to the point, that is what you are now." Once the words were out of her mouth she realized how much better they sounded in her mind.

  Seth laughed. "Werewolf.... Right."

  "Yes." She sat up straighter trying to show confidence. "I don't have to argue with you, because soon you'll know I'm right. A girl named Astrid - she's a werewolf too - she bit you back in that old shack. That scar - on your neck," she pointed, "you'll always have that."

  He touched his fingertips to the fresh pink scar on his neck. From an angle it looked like the Nike sign, a check mark almost. But she diverted her thoughts from that, and returned to him. Vivian leaned back in the chair crossing her legs more comfortably. If only she could be relaxed." But that will be the last scar you will have. Don't worry," she added. He looked in her eyes as though that would get the answers to all his questions. Knowing better, he spoke. "I don't believe any of this. As I said, you don't have to believe me. You'll see for yourself." Vivian shrugged her shoulders.

  Seth then swung his feet over onto the floor and stood. He towered over her for a moment before he walked toward the door. This guy was becoming a pain Vivian thought to herself. She twisted around in her chair and held out her hand in front of her. She loved the warm tingling feeling that made its way through her body. Vivian smirked when Seth tried to turn the door knob. Then jiggle it. Finally he hit the door weakly in frustration and headed for the window. But before he could take his second step, she averted her palm to the window and it shut with a loud snap like a fire cracker.

  His eyes widened, and jaw dropped slightly, but said nothing. He stood there for a long time in complete silence. Vivian parted her lips several times to say something, but nothing came to mind so she sat back in her chair again. Seth finally looked at her. His eyes met hers briefly before they dropped to the floor afraid. The fear he felt gave Vivian power. She wanted to rejoice but she shouldn't. What he was feeling now, all the confusion and fear, she had felt before. She had been there, and was going to treat him with kindness and understanding; just like what Maeve had done for her.

  "What are you?" His voice was deeply rough. It was obvious he was trying to keep his mouth from quivering. Many thoughts ran through her mind on how she should answer him. Should she tell him she was not human? That she had powers beyond mortals? That she was a freak? No... None of these seemed right. She would just say it, without hiding the truth. He was already in shock. "I'm a witch!" He gave a short, frightened laugh. "A witch?" Vivian stood walking slowly towards him. She looked him in his eyes. "Why do you choose not to believe me when you have just witnessed my powers? Yes, I am a witch. And you" She stepped closely to him. She could feel his hot breath brush against her face. "You are a lycanthrope. A werewolf!"

  Lips parted expectantly like in a trance, and Seth bent down. Her heart skipped a beat and she took a step back. The disappointed look on his face sent a hurtful pang through her.

  "It will be revealed to you." Her voice cracked and she coughed quietly. "It's almost daylight. We need to sleep." She turned away.

  He shook his head. "I'm not tired.

  Pulling back the blankets, Vivian slid under the covers. "You're more tired than you think," she reached for the lamp attempting to turn it off, when his hand clasped over hers.

  "I want to know more." His eyes were pleading.

  Smiling she laid her head back on the pillow. "When night comes again I promise I will. But now we sleep."

  Without any further argument he clicked the light off bathing them in darkness.

  From the next bed she heard it softly, but clearly. "Thank you for saving my life."

  *****

  The next day went by quickly. Neither of them left the room, and kept the "don't disturb" sign on the door. They kept the television on throughout the day. Seth insisted on changing the channel but Vivian kept the remote with her keeping it on the news. If anything strange happened she wanted to know. Neither one spoke about what happened the night before or about supernatural subjects. They spoke like old friends on vacation. The most rousing part of the day was when Seth attempted to steal the remote control. Vivian hopped on the bed keeping it out of reach. Seth would run after her, and she would run around the room once using her powers to hover the remote teasingly over his head. It was only when he tackled her around the waist making them both fall, Seth landing on top of her, then the remote plummeted to the floor. Vivian could feel her heart skip several beats. He blushed and lifted himself off of her pretending to watch the news.

  Later that night, Vivian tried to put aside the memory from earlier in the day along with her feelings as she stared at the moon shining brightly against the black sky, the stars scattered about like tiny jewels. Many nights Vivian sat under the stars like she was doing now. The night - it does something to people; it makes them think and do things they wouldn't normally think or do. It makes them more vulnerable , truthful and real. Maybe that was why Vivian liked the night; or maybe it was just that Vivian's “kind” was connected with it so much.

  She looked over, and saw Seth still sleeping. He lied in bed with the sheets and comforter tangled around his legs. His chest moved up and down slowly and rhythmically. She could tell by the movement of his eyelids he was dreaming.

  Guilt racked through her. His life was changed forever. Astrid had changed his life. Vivian was trying to protect the in-humans from the world. Now she felt the need to protect him as well. Who knows what the world would do to him if they ever found out.

  Vivian sat on the broken air vent under the window, her back against the wall. It was like a video that replayed itself relentlessly through her mind. An old memory Seth brought back last night.

  The face of the person was hidden in darkness. Vivian never saw who it was. It happened so fast. The bullet pierced her flesh and muscle. She heard the bang and felt the pain in her stomach, but didn’t believe it until she looked down. In the middle of her blue dress was a dark circle of warm, red blood. She sunk to the ground as her eyes closed and her mind became engulfed in the pain. She knew she was dying and wanted so badly to move, to tell someone that it was all ending for her and to say goodbye. But her body was cold like ice, everything was freezing when suddenly a warm feeling passed through her. She felt more alive and awake than ever. When she opened her eyes, two silver gleaming eyes looked down at her. Any other person would have been scared, but she wasn't. Instead she smiled. When she looked down again the blood was still there but the pain was gone.

  Vivian placed her hand over her stomach recalling the vision again in her mind. She was looking out the window but wasn't really seeing anything. Her mind flashed back to that night; back to that place. It wasn't that she enjoyed it, it was that she couldn't turn back; at least not at that moment.

  Soon enough though, she was jolted back to the motel room. Seth had gently laid a hand on her shoulder bringing her back to the present. She faked a smile and went back to look out the window while he took a seat across from her.

  "You know.... You never told me your name."

  She turned back to him, the corners of her mouth twitching into a smile. "It's Vivian."

  He grinned,
and stared out of the window with her. She was sure a lot was going through his mind, but what he said next she wasn’t prepared for.

  "I want no part of this. I want to go back to a normal life. If I was really changed into a werewolf, I can change back right?"

  Her heart sunk as she looked at the pained expression on his face, "Yes, but I don't know how." She looked back out the window.

  Seth sighed. "Who does know?"

  "I don’t know.... There are not many willing to know - much less even wanting to change back."

  "But.... There has to be someone... Somehow..."

  Looking away from the night she saw the desperate look upon his face. It was the same look she gave to Maeve many times regarding her fate. However, at the time she believed what Maeve said. Seth was still doubting her. She shook the thoughts away focusing back on Seth.

  "There's a book. It's the book of our kind. It will tell you how to reverse yourself back to human form."

  His smile widened. "Great! Where is it?"

  "With the rest." Vivian looked down, and picked a piece of lint off her jeans.

  "Rest?"

  She nodded. "Did you think you were the only one? There are many other creatures out there, hidden, much of the time. I left the book in my sisters’ possession."

  "When do we leave?" He asked with urgency? Vivian wanted to tell him to forget about the book and move on. Accept this creature within him the magical world connected. But she couldn't. After all, he deserved a choice.

  "Tonight! There's no need to wait." She slid off the air vent, stretching. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Seth looking at her inquisitively. "What's the matter" she asked? She raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

  He took a breath as though he was gaining the nerve to speak, but then closed his mouth shaking his head. His eyes wandered from her to a small lightening bug flying past the window.

  "Come on," she urged, "tell me."

  Seth looked away from the bug, to the floor. "How did it happen to you? How did the change occur?"

  Vivian was surprised. "Why do you want to know?"

  "Curious."

  She sighed, "it doesn't matter. I am what I am, and I accept it." She averted her thoughts, and felt her right jean pocket. The sharp bulge indicated her keys were there. She pulled them out clutching them in her hand.

  "But -"

  "Let’s go," she interrupted. Tonight was not the night to talk about her past. By next week he would be back to being human and none of it would matter.

  Vivian climbed back onto the air vent crouching to pull open the window. A burst of cold air hit her in the face. She didn't realize how hot her face had become.

  "Ummm... Shouldn't we go through the front door? Tell them we're leaving?" Seth looked at her shocked.

  "Do you have the money for this place?"

  He glanced nervously at the door as though expecting authorities to come bursting through it. Blinking, he turned back to the window. "No."

  "Okay then." She hopped out of the window. "You need to learn how to get along in this world now." She scowled, anger coursing through her veins.

  Seth climbed through, sitting on the window sill. "Why? I won't be like this for long" And he fell to his feet.

  Vivian looked down at the rock-filled ground. She dug a hole in it with the toe of her boot furiously. "Yeah...." She shrugged and closed the window, turning around to walk to her car.

  "What?" He followed behind her.

  She shook her head pulling her key out of her pocket. "Nothing. You're right. You won't be lycanthrope for long so never mind," pulling on the handle of the driver side and sinking into the seat.

  With the slam of the door he sat beside her. "Tell me what you meant by that. I want to know."

  She couldn't believe how vulnerable he was. Before the change she was just as vulnerable. Vivian shook her head, and started the engine. "You’ll know soon enough. Let's just go get the book. "You will have plenty of time to worry later she thought, and they drove off in silence.

  Chapter Three

  Welcome to the Underground

  Past the shacks and small communities of sleeping homes was a field that stretched back into a small forest. To anyone else it would look like any ordinary field of green, thick grass, and sprouting yellow wild flowers. But to Vivian it was home.

  “Ummm... Why did we stop?” Seth looked across her at the field.

  Vivian clutched the keys in her hand, the sharp edges digging into her palm. “We’re here.” Pulling on the latch, she stepped out of the jeep.

  He gave a short laugh. “Right!” he stared around, trying to find the joke in it all.

  “I’m serious” she said as she slammed the door.

  Seth furrowed his brows and looked around again. “Vivian.... It’s empty.”

  She allowed a smile to creep on her lips. “That’s what you think. Now, stop looking around and follow me.” Vivian turned around, and began walking out onto the field hearing the grunting sounds of Seth heaving himself over the door.

  No human knew that this field even existed and had not changed in more than five hundred years. If someone tried to cut the long grass, it would only grow back a few seconds later. This simple ordinary-looking field was the greatest enchantment of their kind. It kept her family hidden away from the rest of the world - away from humans, and those that hunted them. A cold shiver ran up Vivian’s spine at the thought and she shoved the stray idea from her mind. Looking around she realized that she was in the middle of the field. Seth stood beside her gazing around bewildered, yet with curiosity.

  “You ready?” Vivian looked up at him.

  His eyes wandered across the field expectantly, but she pushed aside a patch of grass to reveal a moss covered stone with a large sandstone door and a silver handle. She smiled running her hand over the door and turned to see Seth’s face, eyes wide in disbelief and a slightly dropped jaw.

  Turning the handle, the door creaked as she opened it, walking down the steps and into the darkness, Seth following close behind her. A few steps down, flaming torches burned in their brackets illuminating the walls and stairways. Soon, the air became stifling hot and a trickle of sweat beaded her forehead making its way down the side of her face.

  Once they were at the bottom of the stairs, they came to an arched oak door much different from the one outside. She turned to glance at Seth, then opened the door to a circular room filled with various colored cushioned chairs and couches. The temperature and atmosphere of the room suddenly changed and was dark and musty. It smelled like morning fog, but was cool and damp and Vivian wiped the remaining trickle of sweat that was still making its way down her cheek.

  People were everywhere talking but went immediately quiet when Seth and Vivian walked in. Eyes peered intently and curiously at them, causing a feeling of discomfort.

  A lean girl with very wavy light brown hair ran over from a red chair. Sometimes Vivian forgot that her sister and she didn’t look much alike, aside from the hair color and their hazel eyes. Jean was an inch taller than her and had the mannerisms associated with that of leadership and authority, characteristics Vivian had encouraged being she was a year younger, and felt was her responsibility being the little sister.

  “Jean!” Vivian said in a desperate tone, but her sister’s face did not change.

  “How dare you! You bring a human here?!” Jean looked at Seth out of the corner of her eye disapprovingly.

  Vivian grasped Jean’s arms and led the three of them upstairs through a cold, black, stone hallway and turned into an empty room shutting the door behind them. She was anxious to get away from the staring faces of the others. Pressing her back against the door she kept her head down gazing at the mud on her boots. She really didn’t want to make her sister mad.

  “Viv! Look at me!” Jean’s voice was harsh and raised, a tone above what she normally spoke and Vivian was forced to raise her head. “Now... What’s going on? Why would you ever bring a human here? Are you craz
y? Why?” She had taken a step forward peering down at her.

  Vivian took a deep breath. “I didn’t."

  “What? He’s standing right here, I see him!”

  “That’s not what I meant,” she said quickly. “He’s not human.”

  Jean stepped back gazing out of the corner of her eye at Seth. “I don’t understand.”

  “He’s a werewolf. I went by the old shack, and heard this fight going on. When I got there, I saw Astrid."

  “Astrid was there?” Jean asked startled.

  “Yeah, and I found Seth lying there. He’d been bitten and has already been through the change.”

  Her sister shook her head in disbelief. “Astrid.... That bitch!”

  “Jean!”

  “I’m sorry, but she should know the rules! We cannot change anyone. It’s in the book!”

  This captured Seth’s attention and he briefly considered grabbing her shoulder, but thought better of it. “The book? Really? You have it? Where is it? Can we see it?”

  As much as Vivian was mad at him, she couldn’t help but smile. It was like watching a little boys eyes light up at Christmas. Jean however, did not have the same reaction.

  She jabbed her thumb in his direction. “How does he know about the book?”

  “I told him” Vivian said cautiously.

  Jean crossed her arms. “Really Viv, do you tell everyone about us? Just go around shacks and rescue humans that have been transformed? What is wrong with you? I know we’re supposed to help humans, it’s been done for centuries, but this is too much.”