Chapter 8

Lilia wakes up the next day but takes a few seconds before opening her eyes. She has a hard time believing that yesterday night was not a dream. But then she feels Brent's shallow and comfortable breathing right next to her ear. She turns around, opening her eyes and feeling like small explosions are happening in her chest. The shuffling wakes up Brent. He looks at her and smiles. She smiles back. 

"Had a good sleep?" he asks in a soft voice.

"The best!". She kisses him lightly on the lips.

They spend a few more minutes snuggled together and then Brent asks in a serious tone, "So, what have you thought?"

"About what?"

"About us..."

"I told you, Brent, I like you. A Lot. I want to be with you and I don't care if you are a vampire or a zombie!" 

He gives a shaky laugh and then begins, "But.."

"No buts or ifs or maybes," Lilia replies firmly, cutting him off.

"Okay Okay... so how do you plan to tell the others?"

"We'll tell them in a few days. Let me first get used to the feeling that I have such a gorgeous boyfriend."

"I am your boyfriend now?" Brent asks teasingly 

"Aren't you?" Lilia raises her eyebrows.

"If you say so, ma'am!" He makes a slight bowing gesture.

Lilia laughs, "I do." 

*

A few minutes later, Brent leaves Lilia's room to freshen up and change, feeling dazed and not being able to believe what had happened in the last couple of hours. He hadn't felt so happy in a long time. Eternity, it wears you off. After a hundred years, there are only a few things that truly make you feel alive. For the last few years, he had found a new aim, a new zeal to do something good for the people around him. He had found solace in the resistance that they had been trying to put up against Carl. Now, his mind turns to the mission again. After last week, it had become even more urgent to find out what the second ingredient for the ritual was.

He quickly changes and heads downstairs.

*

Tyrus is sitting on the sofa in front of the fireplace.

"Morning," he says when he sees Brent.

"Morning"

He sees Brent cross the hall and go through the door leading to the basement. They kept their blood bags there. A few minutes later, he comes back up.

"Where's D?"

"He's coming. I have something to discuss. Sit down."

Brent sits down as Damion walks into the hall.

"Hi, guys! Let's get started!"

"So, last night I found something," says Tyrus, "I have been able to trace down a few hybrids that live in the nearby town and I thought I might go and have a chat with them, you know, get to know them. Just casually. Not in a way that they think I'm up to something, but to know where they stand."

"That's a good idea. I will come with you," says Brent.

"Nah, it's okay. I can manage this alone. Not like there is any danger. Plus, I think all of us need to work in different directions. We don't have much time. I just wanted to inform you guys about what I'd be doing today."

"You're right. I got news about a pack of werewolves living in hiding in the western upper hills of the forest. If they are in hiding, they are obviously not with Carl and if they are not with him then we've got a chance."

"How did you even manage to find that out?" Brent asks, surprised and impressed.

"My charm with ladies," Damion says winking.

Brent smiles, shaking his head and says, "I'm again planning to go to the club downtown. Although it's been days and I haven't come across anything worthwhile, it's the only nearby daytime haunt of the vampires who can't walk out in the sun and I'm just hoping that today would be the day. It is the only place to find any sort of relevant information because vampires, unlike werewolves, work alone." He sighs.

"We are bound to find something sooner or later," Damion says, placing a hand on Brent's shoulder.

"You're right, and anyway, it's the best we can do for now."

"Once we get to know what the second ingredient is," Damion continues, “ we are going to take it out of the picture straight away and it will all be over..."

"What recipe are you cooking? Maybe I can tell you the second ingredient."

All three of them turn around to see Lilia Walking toward them smiling.

She stops beside Brent and Tyrus notices her giving Brent a glowing look and then turning to Damion, "So?"

Damion smiles, "Well...I know you are a brilliant cook, but this seems a little out of your hands."

She raises her eyebrows and says, "When are you guys going to tell me about your mission in detail?"

"What do you want to know?" asks Brent

"Everything."

All three of them exchange looks.

"Oh come on!" Lilia says pouting slightly.

"Fine! We will tell you tonight. Now we have got to go." Tyrus says.

"Okay!" She smiles widely.

All three of them get up and start walking toward the door.

"Brent, can I talk to you for a second." Lilia looks at him. 

Tyrus notices Brent look at her inquiringly and then turns to leave.

He steps out of the house but deliberately walks slowly trying to use his hybrid hearing senses to listen in on their conversation. He sees Damion leave on his bike. He knows that he ought not to listen in on other people's conversations, but today morning he had gone to Brent's room and the door was ajar and he was not there. He had assumed that maybe he went out early, as he often does. But then he had seen him coming down the stairs which only meant that he was in Lilia's room. But why, and that too so early in the morning? Moreover, none of them mentioned anything about it in the morning. He knew it could be something trivial and not worth mentioning, but somehow he didn't feel so.

"What?" he hears Brent whisper.

"Just this.", says Lilia

There is silence. Tyrus strains his ears to hear more. Was she showing him something? Then, he hears soft noises, it felt like, but no that can't be. It sounded like they were kissing.

"That's it," Lilia says.

Then, he hears footsteps and quickly leaves the place with a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach that he could not explain.