Chapter Ten: But Were as Cold as Ice

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”

—Anne Bradstreet

Shad was the first to react. He thrust me towards Ivan. “Go. Ivan you take Sarah and leave. As fast as you can. I’ll go and find Alice.”

“But—” I began to protest.

“Sarah,” Shad said urgently, “Remember—your safety is the most important thing.”

“I know. But what about Rachel? And you and Alice can’t possibly—”

“Susan and Lysander are on their way,” Ivan supplied. “I called them.”

Shad made eye contact with me. And for a moment all was still and safe. I saw the fear that most people overlooked. Shad may have built up a bad-boy image, and lived up to its expectations, but looking into his eyes then, I realised just how scared he could get. And that scared me.

I tried to smile, but Shad said, “Don’t. Just go and be safe.”

And then I was whisked away.

Though Ivan may have appeared to be skinny and almost spider-like, as I referred to him, he most certainly was not weak. I would never have been able to keep up with his speed as he half-carried, half-dragged me across the mall. His grip on my arm was a little hard, but we were both too tense and panicked to notice. Although, I wasn’t sure if Ivan could panic.

I thought we might go out the front, side, or back doors of the mall, but then realised it would be stupid because those would be the most obvious places to leave. But where Ivan headed next, surprised the heck out of me.

“A men’s clothing store? Ivan I really don’t think this is the time…”

“Don’t worry. You’ll see.”

And I trusted him.

I wondered what we must have looked like, Ivan and me. With Ivan dragging and carrying me across the store at top speed, grabbing random clothes off the racks and I, scared out of my mind, clutching onto him, I’m sure we must have raised eyebrows.

Ivan barrelled across the store, landing in one of the dressing rooms, so fast that I didn’t even have time to blink.

“That was quick,” I commented, rubbing my head a little.

Ivan actually smiled.

“Now what?” I asked, for we were crammed in the dressing room. Ivan took out a lock and bolted the door—though it already had a bar on it. Then he reached up towards the ceiling, opening the vent; his tall height allowing him to do so. He looked at me. “We’re going in there. I’ll hoist you up.”

I nodded.

But before Ivan could move, a woman’s voice from behind the door asked, “Is everything okay in there?”

Ivan grumbled out a yes. He then took hold of my arms and in one swift movement, pushed me into the vent. I let out a squeak and grunt as I landed, causing a thumping noise.

“Are you sure?” The woman asked suspiciously.

“Perfectly sure,” Ivan responded, now hoisting himself into the vent. But he faltered a little and landed with a quite obvious thump, on me. I yelped again.

“What’s going on in there!!” The woman demanded.

Ivan shut the vent and then got off me, curling up so we could see each other. It was much easier for me to manoeuvre in the space than it was for him.

“Follow me,” he whispered, and spun in the other direction, walking on his hands and knees. It was dark and damp and I could smell something bad. I tried not to think of all the dust and bugs that probably lay around me. I could hear thumping and humming from the fans and distant voices from the mall. The way was not long but it felt like eternity. I felt the panic in my stomach, like I’d eaten a rotten apple, and my palms were so sweaty that I was sliding as I crawled along. My fear of spiders and other unpleasant things got the best of me and I almost screamed when a spider-web attacked my face.

All of the sudden, Ivan stopped and I almost smashed into him. The hallway had ended and a chute lay before us. I caught sight of it below Ivan’s shoulder and saw that it was so deep it melted into the darkness.

“Now…we jump,” Ivan informed me.

“Jump?” I asked in disbelief.

“Yes.”

And before I could react—with the quickness of a cheetah—Ivan encased me in his arms and jumped forward.

Butterflies erupted in my stomach as we fell through the air. For a moment I forgot our situation and actually laughed aloud, for it felt like I was on a ride. And then it all stopped as we hit something soft. Rather, Ivan hit something soft, and I fell against Ivan. I scanned the room. It looked to be a garbage chute, but I couldn’t be sure. We were currently in a huge metal bin of foam.

Ivan stood up quickly, not the least bit disoriented from the fall. He must have been used to this. But then again, he was in the gang. I thought it was funny how I had to remind myself of these things. That Shad had a cold voice. That Alice killed people. It seemed to me that these were all normal people. Normal people in situations they hadn’t chose to be in. I wondered if Shad would have been different if he hadn’t been born a Sauveur. If he was just a normal person, would he still have approached me? Would we even be friends?

Ivan broke through my thoughts with an odd comment, coupled by an odd smile, “You’re cute.”

And I knew he meant it in a little-sister way.

He yet again, took hold of me and jumped us over the metal bin. I couldn’t help commenting. “You’re strong.”

Ivan let a small grin creep its way onto his face, but didn’t say anything. He let me down and then banged open a side door, running outside. I flowed in pursuit. Parked right in front of us was Ivan’s black car. The side-door was ajar; Ivan was already in the car; the engine on.

“How—?” I questioned as I got in.

“Susan,” Ivan replied, speeding off.

The car ride was somewhat awkward in the sense that I really did not know what to say. What did I talk about? I’d never been alone with Ivan before. It wasn’t that he scared or intimidated me—though he had at first glance—but more that I did not know him well enough to bring up a topic. I did not want to sound like Amber; flirty and anxious to know everything, but I did not want to give the impression of a hostile friend. I decided that I had pretty much proven my friendship with my comments during our speedy escape from the mall, and thus reverted to staring out the window and remaining silent.

My silence did not last for long.

I realised, very quickly, that Ivan was heading to my neighbourhood. I didn’t seem suspicious at first because he could have just been passing through or going somewhere near my apartment, but then he turned down the street where the four buildings were located and I couldn’t help asking, “Where are we going?”

“Frosty Meadoway number four.”

“You’re dropping me off at home?” Let alone how he knew where I lived.

“No,” Ivan reassured me, noticing my panic and utter amazement. “That would be stupid, as you probably know. No, we’re going to my apartment.”

That consoled me. For a second, before I thought, Ivan lives in my building too??

“Or Shad’s apartment, if you’d prefer to call it.”

I let out a sigh of relief. Of course. Shad had told me that he lived in my building, along with Ivan, Alice, and Vance. Suddenly a jolt of electricity passed through me that made my heart jump. I’d be going to Shad’s home. I would see where he slept, ate, and talked. Somehow, the idea that I’d be glimpsing so much into his personal life, made me nervous. Or excited. I really couldn’t tell.

Ivan drove into the underground parking—and though we were probably safe—hurriedly rushed out of the car towards the elevators. At least I thought that’s where we were going, as I was following Ivan. He headed towards the cement wall, close to the door leading to the elevators, and ran his hand along it until he found something and pressed his finger to it. To my surprise, a section of the wall, outlining a door, moved up to reveal a dark space. Ivan walked in, motioning for me to do the same. Once we were both inside, Ivan pressed something on the wall, and the cement came down. We were encased in total darkness for a moment before a virtual computer screen came up.

“Please state name,” a woman’s voice requested.

Ivan placed his right hand on the screen. “Ivan White and guest.”

A blue beam analysed Ivan’s eyes and a silver machine moved out of the darkness to snatch a strand of his hair.

“Confirmed Ivan White.”

Then the computer moved to me, doing the same thing.

“Confirmed guest.”

Then we were in darkness again and began moving up extremely quickly, as though we were in an elevator. We slowed to a stop when the darkness became light again as we entered a glass tube, situated in a small room. The front open and I followed Ivan out.

I looked around. We were at the entrance of what looked to be a loft. Although I didn’t even know our building had a loft, let alone one this nicely furnished. The room was of a gold colour, with expensive carvings around the ceiling. The floor was white marble and there was a closet, most likely holding shoes and coats. There was a potted plant at one end of the room, and a gold fountain at the other. On the wall in front was a sign reading ‘Welcome’ in gold cursive letters.

Ivan took off his shoes, and put them beside the potted plant, and I followed suit, not wanting to cause any trouble. I looked back and saw that the glass tube was the ‘door’ to the apartment. There were two buttons on the outside of the glass reading ‘Down’ and ‘Up’.

“Follow me,” Ivan said, and didn’t have to ask twice.

I followed Ivan into a red and gold decorated hallway which led into the main area of the loft. My jaw dropped, and I thought I heard a choir singing in the background. Two floors could be seen in the square area. There was a glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and two sets of red carpeted stairs wound their way up. Black iron railings adorned the stairs and the square of the upstairs. There were pictures on the walls, and art, sculptures, fake trees, and antique tables with potted plants. There were about five doors around me, most closed. Upstairs there were about ten doors.

Ivan smiled. “Don’t look so shocked Sarah. This is our temporary base. Not as good as our old one, but manageable.”

I wonder what their old one must have looked like!

“Ivan? Is that you?” A voice from one of the open doors on the main floor asked. I heard footsteps and a tall, lanky, blond haired man walked out of the second door to my left. Glasses covered his light blue eyes and they joined the smile on his lips when he caught sight of me with Ivan.

“Ahh…Sarah. Nice to meet you again.”

Though he looked only to be about twenty one, he sounded and acted much older. He also seemed very familiar, not just in looks but in mannerism and I remembered that he was Vance, Alice’s older brother.

“You too,” I said, extending my hand as it only felt right.

Vance nodded. “Alice called me,” he explained. “I was expecting you. Susan and Lysander left five minutes ago—” a cry suddenly interrupted him. “Opps. Anna must be finished.” A spark emitted in my stomach. I was going to meet Shad’s little sister! He turned to go back into the room. “Met you in the living room,” he tossed over his shoulder.

Ivan nodded and led me into one of the doors behind the stairs. The ‘living room’ consisted of pale yellow walls, with a fire place, high ceiling, a grand piano, couches, and a glass table. There was a window, with drapes, and a door leading to what appeared to be either a playroom or toy store. For a minute I was put off by something in the room and I realised, after I took a seat opposite Ivan on the couches, that it was the window. It was a cloudy, overcast day, almost a prediction of what was going to happen. But the window, though draped with thin white curtains, showed bright yellow sunlight pouring into the room. I stared at it, confused.

Ivan noticed my confusion and explained. “All the windows are fake. They’re just virtual images of what’s outside. Go take a look.”

Curious, I got up and moved the white drapes over. I gawked as I stared down. We were in a rich neighbourhood, a park with lavish gardens and a sparkling blue pond right below. Respectable children ran about as birds flew across a cloudless sky. If only my neighbourhood actually looked like that.

I turned back around. “But…why?” I asked Ivan perplexedly. “Why not just cover up the windows if you don’t want anyone to see inside?”

“One word,” Ivan told me. “Anna.”

At that moment, Vance walked in with possibly the cutest little girl I had ever seen, in his arms. The first thing I noticed was her head of soft glossy auburn hair, falling to her shoulders. She was thin—almost abnormally so, dressed in a light pink dress, white stockings and a white short-sleeved sweater. Vance put her down and she stood still, staring at me. She looked to be somewhere between two and three. She suddenly smiled and said in a soft, baby voice, “Sa-rah.”

My heart jilted for a second, and I was overcome with emotions. Shad must have shown her my picture. She walked over, slowly, and put her arms around my legs, looking up at me, beaming. “Hello.” It was then that I noticed how pale her skin was—almost a sickly pale, going on yellow. “You Derek’s friend! I love you!”

I smiled, feeling so warm inside. It was funny how a little child could make me feel so loved. “I love you too.” I reached down and picked her up. She was very light.

“Sa-rah,” she said again giggling. “I like going to the park. Do you like the park? Can we go there? Can we?”

All of the sudden, I wanted to hug her to me and start crying. I wanted to cry into her cheeks, just because she was so sweet and so protected and so innocent.

“I think Sarah’s tired now Anna. Why don’t we go put you down for a nap?” Vance broke into my bubble.

Anna smiled, “I take a nap now, Sa-rah!”

I handed her over to Vance, unable to say anything because I was afraid I’d start crying. I didn’t even know why I was feeling this way. I watched Vance carry Anna into her playroom, singing some children songs. I guessed he was her babysitter during the day. I thought to deter myself from becoming so emotional. Derek. Anna had called Shad Derek. But of course. Shad wouldn’t want his little sister calling him by his gang name.

“Do you understand?”

I looked up to see Ivan staring past me, at the windows. “What?”

“Everyone—especially Shad—wants to keep Anna from the gang wars and fights. He wants her to grow up easier than we did.”

I nodded. “Yes. I can see why.”

We were silent for a little bit.

“She reminds me of Illyana,” Ivan murmured absent-mindedly.

It was then that I decided to add bravery to my list of firsts for that day. And I was also curious. “Ivan…” I hesitated. His eyes snapped to mine. “What…what happened?”

Ivan raised an eyebrow, but somehow, I knew he understood what I was asking. He folded his hands. He sighed and nodded. “I was born into a family that did not accept its destiny,” he started, in a distant voice.

I sat on the couch again.

“My dad didn’t want to be part of his family. He didn’t like the idea of the mafia; killing people, stealing money—doing it in the name of so-called ‘good’. Good for the control and power the family would receive. My dad grew up with hate for his family and by the time he was eighteen, he’d already decided to run away. He moved to Russia and met my mom—Milena, got married, and had me and Illyana. I grew up in Russia. Me and Illyana didn’t know anything, but as a children I was trained in the martial arts and wrestling. One day, when I was ten, my dad’s brother visited us. Uncle Hades. He’d bullied and manipulated my dad as a kid. I don’t know exactly what happened, only that he threatened and terrorized my parents, making them move back here to help plan and kill.

“That was when I was told everything. I think it was for my protection. Or so I could help out. I don’t know. I don’t even think it was my parents’ choice. Uncle Hades told me everything. He also tried to influence me but found it not so easy. I was not convince and I like I said before, I’d been heavily trained in martial arts. I learned to detect many things that a lot of people ignore. That’s why we are so much ahead of the White gang. I can easily spy, manoeuvring through the shadows.

“Anyway, my dad caused a lot of trouble as he continued to reject the gang. He was called a traitor. My other uncles said he’d betray everyone—that he was secretly working for the other side, none of which was true. My dad just wanted a normal, honest life.”

Ivan took a breath. “It was then that I began helping the White gang. I helped fight, kill, steal money. And it was then that I met Alice.”

It was a game. And every time they met, the game continued. Who could

Ivan usually took a wall. Or a door. He made it easier for her. He wanted to make it easier for her.

Alice took a garbage bin. Or a pole. Not always effective at covering her, but somehow she knew he’d never hurt her. Ever.

They were assigned to each other. Rather, Alice had been told Ivan was her mission—capture or kill him. Ivan had decided that he’d go after Alice. He told Hades that she was hard to catch, and everyone agreed she was.

As the games escalated, they became funnier. Alice tried not to laugh, but sometimes a few giggles escaped. They made Ivan smile. They made him want to do other things too.

Once, Alice had been hurt during a fight that Ivan arrived late at. He’d run to the alley where she was. Hayden saw him.

“Here’s your chance! Shoot her!”

But Ivan couldn’t. He couldn’t do it. He wouldn’t do it.

Hayden kept yelling at him and Ivan kept staring at Alice. She stared back at him.

Then Hayden shot. And didn’t miss.

“No!” Ivan yelled. But it was drowned out by a girl’s voice.

Ivan flew into the shadows. It was Susan, Alice’s cousin. Ivan felt content. Susan would save her. She’d be okay.

But he wasn’t okay. Hayden informed Hades of what happened. Ivan’s punishment was not lenient.

Ivan paused for a second, and shifted his eyes from mine to the wall. It was odd, because whenever Ivan talked to anyone, he always made direct eye contact. “And then…one day…something happened. I was home alone with Illyana—me, sixteen, her, ten. Hades came knocking at our door, demanding to talk to my dad. I said he wasn’t home, but Hades insisted on waiting for him. I was gone from the room a minute. Just to get some food to shut Hades up. He was talking about the fucking gang again—now trying to lure Illyana into the same trap. With her fresh and innocent mind, he was sure to convince her of anything.

“When I came back…Hades was…touching Illyana in an extremely inappropriate place, telling her she’d ‘grown so much’.” Ivan stopped and resumed eye contact. My heart felt his pain. “You can imagine the anger and fury I felt when I saw that. My little sister. Manipulated, bullied, and…molested by my selfish, greasy-haired uncle, who couldn’t give a damn about her. I went crazy. I punched him. I punched him so hard, and so accurately that I killed him. One blow. It’s all it took.” There was a silence. “I realised, then, that they’d find out. The White gang would come after me—come after my family, just to get me. Torture and kill me. So I ran. My plan was for them to come after me. I knew they’d never find me since I’m good at laying low.

“What I didn’t plan was that they’d lock my family in the house and burn it. Just lit the house on fire and killed them—my parents and little sister…I didn’t even get to say good-bye.”

They killed his family, and they were looking for him. But funny enough, they weren’t looking so hard. They knew he was frighteningly strong—could kill them all in a second. So they’d gone after his weak spot. His family. Now they were waiting. Waiting to see if he’d turn up, disappear, or die.

Ivan followed their steps. Saw them crash houses, cars, weddings, all in the pursuit of money, power, and control.

Now he stood at the top of the tallest building in the city. The building that had caused so much of his troubles. He looked down. The city was so small, so insignificant below him. It didn’t matter anymore. There was nothing there—or in the world, for that matter—to convince him to keep living. Everything he’d ever lived for, everything that kept him going was gone.

“Ivan.”

He didn’t even turn around.

Well, almost everything.

He kept on staring down. “Everything…everything is dead. They killed all I had.”

“I know,” came the simple voice.

Ivan decided to look at her. He turned to face her.

Alice was all in white. She’d been at a wedding that Hayden had started a gang fight during. Her dress was white, her shoes were white, the gun in her hand was white, her necklace was white, her skin was white, her long hair was white-blond. And the sun from the evening sky, shone so brightly on her that it looked like she had a halo around her head. She looked like an angel.

And Ivan stood there, staring at her, trying to sort out his feelings, and why the white was making him feel red in his cheeks and white inside. Calming and safe.

Alice approached him slowly, not because she was afraid of him, or that he’d start backing up over the roof, but because she wanted to make a statement. She stopped in front of him, now also standing on the ledge. She took his hand in hers. He had to look down at her because she was so much shorter. She held the gun in her other hand, and dropped it, letting it fall to the street below. They watched its descent.

“It doesn’t have to be this way,” she said.

And he finally understood.

“So after that,” Ivan said, “I joined Shad’s gang—the resistance—with Alice, moved in with him, and been fighting ever since. Hayden and my darling family know I’m alive and that I’m working with Shad, but they just think I’m in a stupid little vengeance gang, rather than fighting with the resistance itself.”

He paused. I had no words to describe how I felt. I never knew Ivan carried such heavy baggage. It made my life seem normal. “So you see—I have a soft spot for Anna. I understand how Shad feels. And…even you remind me of Illyana. You were cousins, after all. She had your personality.”

I felt myself warming up immensely towards Ivan. I understood then, that I was right not to judge my new friends. They were real people, with real stories, just as I had believed. No one was a killing machine and no one was ‘scary’. It was bitterness and experiences that had affected Ivan’s personality.

“Sarah,” he began carefully, “I have four uncles and two aunts. My dad’s name was Tobias, and I killed his brother Hades. He had three other brothers—one, the leader their gang. His name was Joseph. He’s your father.”

“So obviously you are my cousin.”

“Yes.”

I put all the pieces together. “Hayden’s my cousin.”

Ivan tensed at the name, but nodded.

“And Kern. He’s your cousin too. But why didn’t he talk to you?”

“He’s either scared or been told I’m dead or to stay away from me.” He added, “Do you remember when Hayden showed up at school?”

“Yeah.” How could I forget?

“He was with a guy called Nigel. He’s your cousin too.”

“Wow, how many unknown cousins do I have?” I exclaimed.

Ivan cracked a smile. “That’s it. But yes, there’s a lot you weren’t told. And I think Kern’s been kept in the dark a lot too. His dad shared somewhat the same view as my father.”

“A lot makes sense now,” I admitted. I felt I needed to add, “I’m sorry about your family. My dad is just—”

Ivan interrupted. “Sarah, you have nothing to be sorry about. You didn’t choose this life, and you are not your father. Leave all the blame on him. It’s just like Alice says. It doesn’t have to be this way. That’s why we’re fighting.”

“But what now?” I asked, moving the conversation back to the beginning. “What are we doing here?”

“We’re waiting for Shad and everyone to come back. My job in this fight is to make sure you’re safe. Don’t worry,” he continued, when I opened my mouth to protest, “they have it under control. I’m not needed in every fight.”

I nodded. It made sense, though I still wondered why Shad had made Ivan take me to the loft, rather than Alice who—as Ivan had said—was ‘hard to catch’. “Ivan, you must know about the ‘property’ then. And our families’ control over it?”

Ivan nodded. “Yes. I’m very well educated about the company.”

“Company?”

“Yeah. The ‘property’ is a company,” Ivan informed me.

“What? But I thought it was land or something?” I was thoroughly confused now. So our families were just fighting over a simple company?

“That’s what you would think. But no. The property our families are killing and torturing each other for is a monopoly. I...thought you knew all this. Didn’t Shad explain it to you? The company controls every company, brand name, and store out there. Whoever powers the company, powers the world.”

Now my jaw was dropping. “What? Nobody told me this. Not even my dad.”

“Oh,” Ivan said remorsefully. “I guess I shouldn’t have told you…”

“No. It’s a good thing. I had no idea, and now it all makes sense. So whoever controls the company controls the world?” I asked him thoughtfully.

Ivan folded his hands. “That sounds about right. You didn’t think your dad would tear this city and country apart for nothing, did you?”

It still didn’t all make sense. “I thought monopolies were extinct?” My mind wandered back to the history lesson with Ms. Avery. Clearly they had disappeared.

Ivan shook his head. “I don’t know the whole story, but apparently this one’s been around since the dawn of time. Your dad calls it ‘God’. He told my dad our families are the angels and demons, because we’re both fighting for control of the world—which really only God has—and one family wants it for good reasons, the other for bad ones.”

“And of course, there’s that freaky thing where only our families can run the company because of some magical thing inside,” I mumbled.

“How fucked up does that sound?” Ivan chuckled, his bitterness coming through.

I pondered, “Would anything happen if a Sauveur and White had a child together? Would there still be that magic thing inside?”

Ivan shook his head. “Yeah, I think so. We all have it—it’s not like its black and white.”

But we both ventured into our thoughts, and I wondered if that meant things were changing since the sides were becoming interbred; with me and Shad and Alice and Ivan. I vaguely wondered if my dad knew who Alice was since Hayden had dated her. He seemed to believe in the ‘bloodlines’ staying pure. Then, perhaps nothing was to come of the sides ‘mixing’. We settled into a comfortable silence, upon which I heard Anna softly yawn and Vance murmur something to her.

I looked at my watch. Only twenty minutes had past since we arrived, and I didn’t think that we would be moving anytime soon. “How did you meet Susan and Lysander?” I asked, wanting to know how they fit into the equation.

“Susan is Shad and Alice’s cousin. That’s how I met her. She knew Lysander long before that. Apparently he was a family friend. I don’t know the whole story, but I do know that Lysander was bullied as a child. Sounds odd, I know. And here’s the even odder fact. Susan pitied him.”

Lysander huddled in the corner, hugging his enormous body to himself. He hopped that if he closed his eye

They kicked him. They punched him. They laughed and beat him.

And he stood there because he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t fight back because he thought he deserved it. Plus, he didn’t know how.

“Pussycat!”

“Fatty-cakes!”

“Lysander’s a girl name!”

“Fagot!”

He cried silent tears, hoping the next day they wouldn’t be so mean to him. But they were. They always were.

Susan Vesper did not feel pity. She did not feel emotions towards strangers. But something stirred in her, when she saw Ben kick Lysander. Kick, laugh, tease, punch, spit, humiliate him. It stirred such anger inside that she could not explain it to herself.

She felt disgusted with herself. How could she let her emotions get in the way? She was weak then! She hadn’t even felt this intense when Alice was bullied. She hated herself. Hated herself for wanting to help him, protect him.

But why didn’t he fight? Why? He was smart. He got the best marks in English. He was so strong. She’d seen him break a tree in half to save a little girl who’d tried to get her cat. She knew he had strength and potential. So why did he sit there, crying and mumbling?

Then one day, Susan had enough. She approached him. She made a pact with him because Susan did not deal on charity. She’d teach him how to fight—invite him over, let him use her gym. Teach him how to use a gun. Every weapon in existence. And he? Tutor her in English; her worst subject.

This pact not only lasted, but it bonded them. Forever.

“It’s odd,” Ivan finished thoughtfully. “It sounds so unlike Susan to want to help anybody. She hates the world. Lysander must have some magic up his sleeve.”

I smiled. “It’s not so weird. You and Alice aren’t exactly replicas of each other.”

Ivan seemed to consider this. “That’s true…”

We were suddenly interrupted by a bang and sounds of commotion.

Vance hurried into the room, closing Anna’s door. “They’re home.”

Ivan got up and I followed suit. We ran towards the glass door, but Shad met us halfway, in the main landing. Alice, Susan, and Lysander were still in the other room, but Shad was breathing deeply and looked frantic. His face broke into a huge smile of relief when his eyes found mine.

He approached me. “I thought—I wanted to make sure—”

I could not move my eyes from his. They were intense. They were passionate. They were the eyes of someone who feared they lost an extremely important person.

“You’re safe,” Shad whispered in my ear.

And then the world didn’t matter anymore. Not a thing mattered. For Shad had just pressed his lips to mine.

A/N: Sorry for taking ages to update, but I did edited the other chapters. Hope you liked this one. They 'finally' kissed.

REVIEW!!

Abby