Unraveling Selena by Marisa Maichel (black female authors TXT) 📕

Why was he jealous of me? I would always come first in my father’s life. I had thought that Faolan had accepted that, and wondered if he didn’t like me for some reason.

Father read my mind, and he turned and glared at Faolan.

“I’m okay-“ I started to say, before it felt like my head really did split open. I grimaced and fell back into my father’s arms.

“Something’s wrong,” Father said. “I need Ethan here as soon as possible. Alexa! Call Ethan Potter!”

“You got an Alexa?” I asked, wincing as my head throbbed. It felt like my skull was squishing my brain.

“I’m glad I did,” he said.

“I thought you of all people would know those things are mind-control devices.”

“Oh, hush. It was a gift.”

“From who?”

“None of your business.”

“Speaking of which, I noticed a new Lamborghini in the driveway,” Alexander said. “Explain, Mordecai.”

“Shut up, Alexander. My son is more important right now.”

“He would have been mine if you hadn’t interfered!”

“Shut up again.”

They would have thrown themselves at each other if I wasn’t more important. I whined as my head continued to ache and throb. I sat up, feeling like my neck was severed from my spine.

Father picked me up and took me to my bedroom, where he took my boots off and settled me under the covers.

“I…Rosita Bleedfellows is still after a marriage,” Father said. “I don’t know what we’re going to do.”

“I’m not going to marry her.”

“Oh no, I know you’re not. But I might have to, just to shut her up.”

“Why can’t we just kill her?”

“You know we can’t do that. Anyway, the Council wants to track the creation and destruction of as many vampires as possible.”

“Hang the Council!”

“Son, you know better than that. They’re responsible for keeping the vampire citizens in line while we are occupied elsewhere.”

“They’re power-hungry monsters bent on world domination.”

“I know, and we have to fix that. Your grandfather is going to have to be in Denmark for a while. Your cousin Louis is going with him. I know why Soren isn’t going; he’s obsessed with Mitra, that cute Native girl with the short hair.”

“Romeo’s interested in her, and she seems more interested in him.”

“Girls like scars, son. However, girls also like big arms like your uncle’s got. So who knows? Anyway, it’s not our business right now, we have too many other things to take care of. Rest, my son. Rest.”

I felt my eyelids getting sleepy. When I realized that he was using hypnotism on me again, I tried to smack him, but missed.

There was so much to think about.

Marius, and his obsession with Sarah.

Coffee, her well-being and how it affected Sarah.

Faolan’s rivalry with me over Father.

The Council, and their ridiculous idea of cataloging vampires.

Rosita Bleedfellows and her obsession with my family and power.

Grandfather’s mental health and his support.

My own detoriating health.

Suzanne Moon and Emma Greene realizing that we were responsible for the death of Michael Nales.

I fell into unconsciousness seconds later.

I was being pursued. By a slayer, or another vampire, I didn’t know. I needed to keep moving, to get away. My heart felt heavy in my chest, unbeating and cold. Why did natural-born vampires have hearts, anyway? We had no need for them, at least as far as I could tell. Then I remembered Father talking about how having a heart was still important for vampires and our need for blood. Keeping the life force moving, even after death.

I was born dead, so why did I care? I turned and saw tons of steel thorns surrounding me on every side. I realized I was running from Destiny. I turned and saw her. She was beautiful, one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. She had flowing blond hair and bright blue eyes, skin like pasteurized milk.

And then I was reaching the ocean, I kept running until I was under water completely. I couldn’t breathe. I was drowning in my own guilt and sorrow, my own mistakes. I saw Sarah ahead of me, wearing a gorgeous white wedding dress. She was clawing toward the surface, then she turned and saw me.

“We’re sharing a dream,” she said, and I realized it was true. We were sharing a dream. Our connection was growing stronger, our destiny closer than ever.

I produced a large diamond gold ring from my pocket.

“Marry me?” I asked, and before she could answer, her own humanity pulled her closer to her death, closer to the ocean floor. Her doubts and insecurities about us and her future were killing us, as was my guilt and depression.

“Will you marry me?” I repeated. She paused.

“Yes.” And then she was pulled toward the floor and drowned.

Another dream.

“If I do die, I owe you a ‘pology,” said the birdlike reptilian creature. I didn’t know what he was talking about, then I turned and saw Rosita Bleedfellows.

“You’ll die anyway,” she said, throwing a knife and hitting the creature’s heart. I heard the faint pop as blood spilled out of his chest. “I will be an Emerson, even if I have to kill one of them.”

I had to warn Father.

Father! Father!

Reese?!

I showed him the dream. He was quiet for a moment.

Thank you for showing me this. It seems I also owe someone an apology.

Father?

It’ll be all right, Reese. I promise.

My sleep became dreamless after that.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I woke up, I felt refreshed, if a bit apprehensive. My father came into my room and read my dreams. He was intrigued by the one with me drowning. It scared him. If I was sure of one thing that my dreams told me, it was that time was running out for me and Sarah. I had to turn her, and soon. But I couldn’t force her into this life.

I laid with my back against my bed, unsure about everything else. I closed my eyes and tried to think about something else. The War of 1812. This year’s Holiday Ball. Rumor was that Father had procured a group of angels for the music. That was unlikely, as angels and vampires don’t usually get along.

A group of sirens was more likely, despite the dangers. I had nearly been entranced by a siren once. Their voices are so high-pitched, humans don’t usually hear them, unless the siren lowers her voice on purpose. Dogs hear them, and so do other animals with sensitive hearing. They were like mermaids in that they were from the same sea-dwelling family, but unlike mermaids, sirens were transparent and ugly.

Mermaids had the ability to shift their features to resemble beautiful women, and some could even walk on land, albeit with great pain and suffering. A mermaid’s true features came out only when she was among other mermaids or when she was about to feed. Gills, webbed fingers, long, beautiful tails, fin-like ears. Frightening, as they had qualms about feeding on land creatures, including humans.

I thought about my dream with Sarah. I had to call her. She got to her phone first.

“Did you have the ocean dream?” she asked, sounding frightened.

“Yes, I did,” I said. “Are you all right?”

“I…I don’t know. I’m scared, Reese. Coffee might die, my mother’s dead, and Marina is overprotective of me. I need to throw up, but I can’t. I don’t know if I want to become a vampire, I don’t know if it’s worth it. I need to explore my fairy side and get some answers. I realized something: it was my dad who had the fairy blood, not my mom. Fairies can’t lie, right? My dad always told the truth, no matter how painful it was or how much trouble it got him into. Also, he avoided iron at all costs. We never had it around the house. Also, fairies can’t drink alcohol, right? My dad never drank.”

“That makes sense, and it’s certainly worth looking into.”

“Do you not believe me?”

“How could you say that? Of course I believe you. We’ll get this sorted out, I promise. Meanwhile, both you and Sabine are invited to this year’s Holiday Ball.”

“Why wasn’t she invited last year?”

“Last year, she had Alicia and the rest of your family. This year-“

“That doesn’t make any sense! My mom was a terrible mother. She barely bought us the necessities, let alone gifts. I had to pay for everything. I was forced to steal for my wants and needs.”

“Nobody forced you to steal, Sarah. And please don’t get upset. That’s not what I’m trying to do.”

“I can’t help it! I’m tempted to steal again. I need the satisfaction. I need…something. I refuse to smoke cigarettes, they stink. Maybe I will, though. I need to break up with you, but I can’t! I love you too much, and your mother and Alexander might not help us anymore. I’ll kill myself if I do that. But at the same time, I don’t want to break up with you. Like I said, I love you too much.” I heard light crying. “I need…something. Some sort of satisfaction. I’m being forced into this destiny, a destiny I don’t want.” More crying.

“I may be pretty and popular, but I’m twisted and depressed. I’ve gained weight, weight I don’t want. I constantly worry about Cirino. God, I’m a bad mother. I barely see him, unless we’re all together. I’m the co-captain on the cheerleading squad. I’m the best dancer in dance class. I can draw, sing, and paint. I need something more.”

“You should write a book,” I joked.

“Maybe I will. It will be the best damn book ever, And I play videogames. How many girls like me play videogames? A surprising amount, actually, it’s not just the nerds and the uglies that play videogames. As for the book, it will be about a girl who dies of a broken heart.”

“Sarah, don’t say that. Maybe you should get a new hobby. You used to like designing clothes. Maybe you should get the needle out again.”

“I’m not allowed near needles. I…I cut myself with them.”

“You…cut yourself?”

“Yes. Next time you take my clothes off, look at my breasts. Of course, you look at my breasts, anyway.”

“Oh, baby.” My heart shattered.

“My mother left a shit ton of debt. Marina and Alexander took care of it, but I still feel like I owe them something.”

“Sweetheart, they would tell you that you owe them nothing. You’re overworking yourself. You need a break.” I had an idea. Girls like spa days, right?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I pulled up to the driveway, where Sarah had pulled up her shirt and was showing Sabine and Selena. I noticed a glint of gold around her belly button.

“I got a belly ring,” she proudly told me as I got out of the car. She pulled up her shirt, and I admired the gold ring with a diamond center.

“It’s pretty damn great,” I told her.

“Yeah. Hey, listen, I’m sorry about the other day. I was in a bad mood.”

“Oh, hon, you have nothing to be sorry for. You’re going through a lot, more than most people do. So you got a belly ring?”

“Yeah. And I’m getting a nose ring next Saturday. Maybe an eyebrow ring.”

“Have fun with that,” I said.

“Oh, I will. And my ears need to be re-pierced. I’m thinking about getting a tattoo next. Maybe of a rose. You say I smell like gardenias, so maybe a gardenia.”

“Your scent is more than gardenias,” I said, my voice becoming deeper and huskier. She blushed and smiled at her feet.

“And I decided to take up crocheting,” she said. “Marina is teaching me how. And I got a new job. Instead of working at Pon’s, even though the tips are great, I’m working as a waitress again. I’ll be working at that restaurant we went to one time; you know, with the jerk waiter who switched our meals?”

“That’s a high-end restaurant,” I said.

“I know, and the tips will be even better. Alexander told me that if I wanted to pay him and Marina back, I was allowed to, but it isn’t required, and I can change my mind at any