Chapter Nine – Ruby/Lilith POV

Ruby POV

I darted through the only town I truly knew from my own past. Of course, being a part of Jade showed me many more, but being my own person now, I returned to where I was familiar. I stopped in the center, glancing around. Wolfsbane Manor. No. That’s Lilith’s house. Straud mansion. No way. I knew better. I made my way over to a red house only a small distance beside Wolfsbane.

I knocked on the door. I wasn’t confident that I’d be accepted with open arms.

A petite woman in a yellow dress greeted me. Inna Cents. Yes, I was at the right place.

She stepped back, shocked. “R-Ruby. No. It can’t be.”

I put my head down. “Yes, it’s me.”

She rushed out and gave me a hug. “Oh God, where have you been? We all thought you died! If I had known, I would have never-” she stopped. “I’m just glad you found your way back to the hollow. Please, come in. We have company you may like to see.”

I nodded, walking in with Inna as she kept her arms around me, protectively. We sat on the couch and Lilith walked out. She acted surprised, but I could tell it was forced. She already knew.

“Ruby, where have you been all this time? Inna asked.

I shook my head. “I was dead. I did die back then. I was revived. I don’t know why.” Tears filled my eyes. “And I’ve ruined everything. Jade left Caleb tonight. Because of me. I tore them apart!” I put my head in my hands.

Lilith shook her head as well. “A lot of factors played a role in their separation. It wasn’t you.”

Inna looked up at Lilith. “What happened?”

Lilith sat down. “Okay, so I don’t know the full details, but Vlad still wants Kris to see him as a father, be the way they were. But if course, Kris doesn’t want that. He has seen the pain Vlad has put others through. Hell, Kris is the reason Vlad was dead! Vlad knew he wasn’t going to get his way, so he started reviving people from our pasta who could tear us apart. And it’s working. He revived Damien to go after Marco. He almost killed him. He also caused Jade and Marco to kiss in front of Morgyn and Caleb. That started a whole load of drama. He revived you, causing Caleb’s feelings to reawaken. By Jade, Morgyn and Caleb separating, Vlad got exactly what he wanted; to hurt those who hurt him.” She clenched her fist. “I don’t know his next move, and I’m scared to find out. I know he will try to move in on Kris or something. I can’t risk it. We finally have a life together.”

I sighed. “This is a mess.”

Inna glanced at Lilith nervously, but spoke to me. “Does Caleb know you’re here?”

I shook my head. “No, and I don’t want him to. He doesn’t come here, right? He won’t come looking?”

Inna shook her head. “I haven’t seen him in years. Even when he was living next door.”

“What happened? We used to be close?”

Inna looked away. “I…”

Lilith sighed. “After you died, Caleb tried to love again. He tried with Miss Hell, and then with Inna.” She clenched her teeth, nervous. “They were actually really good together. But he felt things getting too close and broke it off.”

“He’s been like a ghost since,” Inna said quietly. “I don’t know what I did. I loved him. I guess I still do.”

I gazed at her. “Wow. I had no idea. He never told Jade that.”

Lilith nodded. “It was a part of his past he wanted to forget.”

Inna hung her head and closed her eyes. “Nice to know I’m so forgettable.”

I rubbed her back. “For what it’s worth, I never forgot you.”

She smiled sadly. “Thanks.”

Vlad Bloodvein came into the living room as well. “Ruby, my lovely lovely girl. You can stay here as long as you’d like.”

I smiled. “Thanks.”

Elle also emerged, putting her arm around Vlad.

My face lit up. “You two are together now?”

Elle nodded happily. “It only took him two hundred years to realize it.”

I giggled. “I’m happy for you.”

“Thank you.” They spoke in unison.

We all talked well into the night hours. They were traditional vampires; staying up all night and sleeping all day. They didn’t feed on humans though, drinking from plasma packs like Caleb, Lilith and I did. So, semi-traditional.

“What do you plan to do about Vlad?” I finally asked Lilith.

She shrugged. “Honestly? We have no plan.”

I sighed and looked down. “This is such a mess. I’ve ruined everything. I was content in Jade’s mind, guiding her and talking to her there. I hadn’t been my own entity in almost one hundred years. Why did I get carried away with Caleb? I knew it was wrong. I shouldn’t have done it.”

Lilith raised an eyebrow. “Carried away?”

I swallowed hard. “Yes. I, uh, Jade left Caleb because she walked in on us…m-making love on the couch.”

She hung her head. “Ruby…”

“I know I shouldn’t have!” I exclaimed. “We have been so overjoyed to be reunited. He stayed with me every day in the hospital. Jade had found comfort in another, and I kept him company. But one thing led to another. I-I didn’t mean this. Any of it!”

Everyone was silent. I knew how this made me look, but I didn’t mean for this to happen. I should have stopped myself.

“I don’t want to see him again,” I said tearfully.

Inna rubbed my back as Lilith got up and walked outside. “Give her space. I’m sure she has more angst for Caleb than for you, my love.”

I nodded. “I have angst for myself…”

——————–

Lilith POV

I couldn’t believe what I had heard. “Caleb, what the hell?” Of course, I was thinking aloud. Caleb would get an earful from me later.

Kris walked up to me. “Hey, what’s going on?”

I hugged him and explained everything.

“Oh jeez,” he sighed. “I was afraid of that.”

I nodded. “Me too. They’re like magnets. No one can keep them apart. But poor Jade. She saw something she shouldn’t have.” I gazed at him. “Ruby doesn’t want to see Caleb again. But I know he will eventually ask me if I’ve seen her. I hate lying to him, but I know I will need to.”

He shook his head. “God, this is so crazy.”

“They were reckless,” I agreed.

We went back inside and pulled Ruby into the kitchen.

“Caleb will find you,” I warned.

She nodded.

I sighed. “I don’t think I’ll be able to stop him. You two always find each other.”

She nodded again. “I really messed their relationship up, didn’t I?”

“Not just you,” I replied. “There are a lot of factors at play here. And every time something goes wrong in their relationship, Vlad wins.”

“We need to do something about him.”

I nodded. “Yes. And Damien. He is working with Vlad.”

“We need Jade for that.” She said quietly.

I nodded again. “And Marco. He knows how Damien thinks. He could predict his moves to help us.”

My phone rang and a sense of dread came over me. I already knew who it was, and I wasn’t ready to talk to him.

“Hello?” I answered quietly.

“Hey, I really screwed up. Can I come over?”

I glanced at Ruby and then closed my eyes. “I’m not home right now.”

“Then I’ll meet you. Where are you?”

My eyes widened. “Uh, I mean, just meet me at home, I’m headed there now.”

“Okay?” He seemed skeptical.

“See you soon!” I exclaimed and hung up. I turned to Ruby. “Hide.”

She nodded obediently as Kris and I rushed home.

Caleb showed up shortly after. He pulled me into a hug. “I’ve screwed everything up. Lost Jade and Ruby, and I’m just…” he hung his head. “Stupid. So stupid.”

He wasn’t wrong. He had been incredibly stupid. He and Ruby both had. But I acted like I didn’t know. “What happened?”

He explained the same as Ruby had, hanging his head. “I didn’t expect it to go that way. It was a kiss. Nothing more, nothing less. But it just…” he trailed off.

I sighed. “Brother, I’m sorry, but that was stupid.”

“I know.”

“But,” I continued, “all of you have been reckless and stupid. You and Morgyn pushed Jade away. But instead of trying to push her way back in, she went to Marco. Marco didn’t stop this, though he should have. You should have controlled yourself with Ruby.”

“I know that too.” He sighed. “But I can’t find her now. She’s vanished, and I don’t know if she will ever come back.”

I swallowed hard. Kris put his arm around me.

“Don’t focus on that,” he said to Caleb reassuringly. “If it’s meant to be, you two will find a way back to each other. If it’s not…”

Caleb rolled his eyes. “Then I lost both of them.”

“And if Jade returns?”

He shook his head. “She won’t. I pushed her into the arms of another.”

Kris looked away. “This really is quite the predicament.”

I nodded slowly. “It is.” I glanced over at Inna’s house and saw Ruby in the doorway, watching us. I turned to Caleb again. “Why don’t you come inside?”

He agreed and we stepped into the manor.

Chapter Ten (click here)