Author's Note: Okay I haven't posted a chapter for three days. But I have plentiful excuses, believe me. Two of those days I was gone ALL DAY LONG, and the day I wasn't gone was a day spent entirely preparing for and executing my graduation party. Whee. No more delays, I promise.

Contained in Stasis
Chapter 10

I expected the following days to pass slow and miserably. Instead, my life - such as it was - became a pattern. Each night upon waking, I would accompany either Mikael or Cassandra into the world and feed. Then we would return home, and perhaps we would talk with Bregha and Drayson about any number of things, or I would curl up in a chair and read one of my picture books. Books were a remnant of my own life that I was glad to keep.

This sort of routine existence was dangerous, especially in my grieved state. But it happened all the same. When they came for me, I was glad of a little change.

Cassandra and I had returned from a quick night of hunting. She went inside the house for a little conversation - something she didn't recieve from me anymore. I remained on the porch and sat down on the swing. It was a bleak night. The sky was overcast with clouds. I stared up and them and started to think.

It had been a while since my droning mind had been interrupted by any substantial thoughts. That too was a nice change, until I thought of Grandma. Guilt flooded me, but I was used to it by now, and I didn't cry. I knew I was solely responsible for her fate at the teeth of the vampires, but I could do nothing about it. I didn't like to be so helpless. Maybe if I were a little older, a little stronger, I could get revenge. But I would never be older or stronger than I was now. I would stay in this wimpy ten year old body until either I was eaten or I died of despair. There was only one way to became stronger and...

I shook my head. Eating other vampires was forbidden. I wouldn't break the rules.

“But they broke the rules,” I said out loud to myself. “It would just be punishing them.”

I shook my head again. No. There was no way I could accomplish it, even if I were willing to do it. I dismissed the thought completely and retreated to the house.

When the scene first met my eyes, I blinked, disbelieving. Bregha stood over the wooden table, black cloaking rippling like blood. Cassandra was pushed into the table's edge, half cowering and half defiant, staring up at him. Mikael and Drayson were off to either side of them, frozen in shock.

Bregha was hurt. I could see it in his face, though nowhere could I see a wound or even a scratch. He was also angry at Cassandra for something. It was radiating off of him like heat. I didn't realize at first that I could feel his anger as if it were my own. I could feel only concern for Cassandra.

“Hey, leave her alone!” I shouted. I ran up to them and pushed him away. He was far too heavy for me to move on my own, but he was passive to my hands and stepped away. I put my arms around Cassandra and looked up at her anxiously. She seemed to be ignoring me, though she stepped away somewhat from the table. She watched Bregha wordlessly. I looked over at him to see that he had turned away and was going downstairs. I couldn't see his face.

When he was gone I said wordlessly in my head, What happened? I didn't know if Cassandra would hear me or not.

She looked down at me with a weary expression and replied silently, I said the wrong thing, and I hurt him. She shook her head. I'm so stupid. She pulled my arms away from her and stalked out the door, into the night.

I looked at Mikael and Drayson, both of whom were looking at me somberly and with more than a little irritation.

“What?” I asked. “I thought he was going to hurt her.”

“Stay out of it,” Drayson said. “Really.”

I scowled. “Fine. I'll just stay out of everything.” I spun and followed Cassandra out the door.

I couldn't find her; she could always go faster than me. Eventually I gave up searching. But I found my own solace in the night.