Seventh Mark (Part 1 +2) by W.J. May

you.”
    “He what?”
Caleb roared. His nostrils flared, and faster than I’d ever seen
anyone move, he flung the desk across the room. Papers flew
everywhere, as if trying to get away from him. “A boy? A damn boy
tried to intimidate my family? Impossible!” He glared at all three
of us on the couch. “Is this the first time?”
    My butt clung
to the couch beneath me and I leaned against Michael’s shoulder.
How could someone toss a desk like it was a book ? Forcing
courage, I made myself sit straight.
    Grace didn’t
even flinch at Caleb’s outburst. “Damon hit on me a while back and
got no where. He’s nothing, just a boy who’s jealous. He doesn’t
know anything. It’s a bloody game.” She glanced at me before
shifting back to Caleb. “He’s got a bit of a grudge and took it out
on Rouge at school when were we hanging out in the courtyard a
while back. He’s not worth it.”
    Caleb paced,
his hands clenched behind his back. “This boy threatened you?” He
turned and glowered at her, his eyes shone a brilliant blue. I
pressed myself closer to Michael as he continued, “And you did
nothing?”
    Sarah
interrupted, “He’s human?”
    Michael nodded.
“He’s young. Too young to be—”
    “He’s just an
idiot on a steroid rant.” Grace met Caleb’s stare and then
purposely turned to the overturned desk.
    Caleb’s angry
voice rang across the room. “Is there anything about this person
you do know? Who’s his family? His friends? Is he a serious
threat? What and why does he know? Something’s being missed. A
random nobody does get what the pendant represents. Does he need to
be eliminated?”
    Sarah touched
his shoulder. “We can’t get rid of him until we understand what he
knows. Who he’s with. Kill without questioning him and we
accomplish nothing. We must remove the threat–all of it.”
    She sounded
military. What kind of lives had each of them led? What had they
done in order to survive undetected to the human eye?
    Caleb stood
statue still. “Michael, find out about this idiot, and if he and
his little posse are any hindrance to us. Get rid of the girl,
she’s of no use.” He dismissed us with a wave of his hand and
stomped to his office, the slamming blood-red painted door
reverberating throughout the house. Some kind of crystal shattered
in the kitchen.
    Sarah touched
Michael’s shoulder. “I’ll talk to Caleb.” She kissed him on the top
of his head, and went into the office.
    “This isn’t
good,” Grace whispered, more to herself than us.
    “Michael,” I
said, my world crumbling and knowing I had to do what was right. “I
don’t want trouble with Caleb. He’s right, your family comes
first.” I reached and squeezed his hand before standing. “Take care
of what you need to. I’m going to head home.”
    He stayed
seated on the couch, looking confused.
    Grace jumped up
and ran to the hall. “Take my car.”
    I caught the
keys she tossed me automatically, like a robot, and watched her run
up the stairs. Michael sat still frozen on the couch. All of a
sudden my heart began tearing. He’s not going to fight for me.
There’s no such thing as a white knight. After everything I’d
learned, he hadn’t told me everything. I wasn’t supposed to be
here.
    I walked the
few steps back to him and leaned forward to lightly brush my
trembling lips against his cheek.
    He whispered in
my ear, “It’s not safe for you to be with us. I knew this was too
dangerous. I should never have talked to you that night you were
running. This is all my fault.” He gently traced my lips with a
finger. “I’ll try and come for you, but it’s better if you just
forget about us. Act like we never existed.”
    In dead
silence, I left the house. First there’s Grollics and now… It was too much for my little head to comprehend. Driving home I
realized I still had Michael’s Siorghra. I snorted. Well, at
least he’ll have to see me one more time.
    I couldn’t
shake the terrible sense of