Forbidden (Fallen 2)

made me put my hand to my chest.

Finally, he turned away from me. His back faced me, his shoulders still shuddering in anger. Being relinquished from his gaze I took the time to look at the others.

Amelia looked horrified but patient and understanding, Patrick looked like he was trying to invent some sort of plan, Joseph looked like he was in some sort of disillusion, Mason looked like he wanted to tempt more information from my lips, Danny looked enchanted by what I had said, while Diana looked soaked in fury, and Jonathon of course, was in a fiery state.

Jonathon began to slowly regain control of himself. He didn’t usually have much of a temper, this was the first time I had seen him behave like this, and I hated that I was the cause.

“We have to leave,” he said simply, turning to Patrick.

“Leave?” Patrick asked, obviously this was not part of the plan he was coming up with.

“As soon as possible. We have to get her away from here,” He spoke to Patrick, his back still facing me, as if he couldn’t bear the sight of me.

“I don’t believe that leaving now is the right thing to do, Jonathon. If we do that then we are just playing right into her little game. We have to be one step ahead of her. The best way to get to her is to ignore her,” Patrick didn’t get a chance to finish what he was going to say because Jonathon interrupted with a loud growl. “Let me finish Jonathon,” Patrick said in a stern voice and a glare in Jonathon’s direction. Jonathon crossed his arms over his chest. “Obviously we need to keep watch on Kylie but we don’t need to do anything drastic. That’s what Selena wants us to do. We can’t play into her twisted little game, Jonathon, and you know it.”

“You’re right, I suppose. But after graduation we leave. At least Kylie and I do,” He said looking at me again. The anger had melted out of his warm silver eyes, now worry and love, for me, filled his eyes. Instantly calm spread throughout my stiff body. I felt my joints begin to loosen and relax for the first time since I had begun to tell them about Selena.

“Jonathon, where you go we go. You’re not in this alone. If the situation were reversed I know you’d do the same,” spoke his brother Joseph.

“This isn’t your battle. I don’t expect you to fight it,” said Jonathon pacing and angrily running his hands through his hair. His hair, which was normally perfect, now stood up in a disarray around his head like he stuck a finger in an electrical socket.

“I know. But I’m your brother and that’s what family does. We look out for one another,” said Seph.

“She’s not after you though,” he said referring to his whole family, “And she won’t care who all she kills in the process to get to Kylie and me.” He looked each of his family members in the eye.

“Jonathon, just shut up. We’re with you. Get that through your thick skull,” said Diana, jokingly but there was a hint of moroseness around the light hearted comment.

“Fine,” he grunted. “How long have you known?” asked Jonathon, resigned now, turning to me.

“Since my father’s funeral,” I whispered, remembering back to the note that had confirmed my greatest fear, that Selena wasn’t dead. Jonathon absorbed the new information and I feared his rare anger may return again. He nodded his head but didn’t make any sort of comment.

The others faces were now tight and stressed. I felt so immensely sad that I was the cause of all this.

They would all be better off if I left and never came back, I thought morosely to myself.

No, we wouldn’t be, rang Jonathon’s voice in my mind.

Yes you would be, I sent back.

Do you not comprehend how much they love you? Even Mason would lay his life on the line to save you. You have brought more joy to this family, to your family, than you can even realize. You don’t see the affect you have on people. Poor Isaac is absolutely mesmerized by you. You’re so loved not just by me but by everyone around you, he said in my mind with absolute sincerity.

How do you know? I sent back. I felt him mentally roll his eyes.

Kylie, I’m a vampire. I know everything. He said.

Well, when you put it that way… I said back with a sarcastic undertone. His mental chuckle chimed like musical bells in my head and I couldn’t help but give a small smile even in these dire circumstances.

Patrick’s voice interrupted the mental conversation going on between me and Jonathon.

“Alright, Jonathon,” he sighed; looking resigned but determined, “We’ll do it your way. After graduation we leave. All of us. Hopefully we can lead her away on a wild goose chase and she’ll decide her efforts are futile.”

“She won’t ever stop, Patrick,” Jonathon said some anger returning, “The only way to stop her is to kill her,” Jonathon continued his voice now coming out in a hiss as his teeth had elongated to sharp points again.

“Hopefully that will not be necessary. If we are lucky maybe she will expire on her own,” said Patrick looking wary.

Jonathon growled a feral sound that made me flinch as if it was directed at me; Patrick stood his ground not batting an eyelash. “I didn’t finish the job last time. I thought I did but I was mistaken. And now she’s back and even more determined than last time. If she gets another chance to take Kylie’s life she will succeed. The only way to stop her is to kill her,” Jonathon said; pain in his eyes at his failure to take care of the problem his self.

“You may be right but we will have to hope that it doesn’t come to a fight. A fight means causalities and I don’t want to lose my family,” Patrick spoke; glancing around at the others, me included, his words left a somber air around the room. I didn’t like the thought of losing any one in my family; in my new family. I had already lost my mother and father and I couldn’t bear to lose someone from my new family.