“That sounds a little better,” I agree.
Rita claps her hands together. “Brilliant, so what next?” She looks to Finn and Gabriel now.
“We sleep, we need all the rest we can get if we’re going to go through with this tomorrow,” Gabriel answers. Finn seems lost in thought, already making plans in his head for this big rescue mission. My hands go clammy with sweat as I think of how I will be playing a
fundamental part in it.
“Yeah, I’m wrecked,” Alvie agrees, rising from his seat. I notice him nod ever so slightly to Gabriel, whose eyes widen a little and then he gets up too. Well, well, I wonder what those two will be up to tonight.
When they’ve left Rita begins waving her hands in front of Finn’s face. “Hello, earth to Finn,” she calls to summon him back to the present.
He blinks a few times and then scowls. “I’m trying to think here, Rita.” His voice is low and harsh, marred by stress.
“Jeez, sorry, I just wanted to tell you that you’ll need to get something of Rebecca’s and something of Pamphrock’s for Tegan to bring with her into the party tomorrow. The dowsing rod won’t work otherwise.”
Finn rubs a hand over his jaw, where two days worth of stubble has grown. I try not to think about how good it looks on him. Me and my hormones.
“Sure, I can do that,” he says, and then he too gets up and leaves the room. A moment later I hear him make his way up the stairs. I grab Wolf and begin giving his fur a ruffle, he loves it when I massage his neck. I wonder if Finn would agree to letting me bring him back to Manchester with me. I’ve grown so fond of this strangely wise dog. Before I can stop him, he rises up on his hind legs and gives me a big, slobbery lick on the cheek.
Rita laughs, highly amused. I wipe my cheek dry with the hem of my t-shirt.
“Do that again and you can sleep outside tonight,” I warn him, but I can’t help giggling. Rita’s laugh is infectious. Two seconds later, Finn comes elephant footing it down the stairs and storms into the kitchen. His bright blue eyes cut right into me.
“Tegan! Would you care to explain why there’s a strange girl asleep in the guest room?”
I gulp. Shit, I forgot all about Amanda. “Um, she’s my friend. She’s sort of in a bad way at the moment, I was wondering if it would be okay for her to stay here for a while.” I nervously run my hand through my hair.
“No, it’s not okay,” Finn grits out. “If you hadn’t noticed, we have barely enough room for everyone as it is, not to mention there’s a bit of a crisis going on at the moment. You really are a magnet for misfits, Tegan.” Finn’s eyes touch momentarily on Rita, who eyes him right back in challenge. I grin when he’s the one to look away first.
“Look, the girl upstairs, her name’s Amanda. She was one of my closest friends before I moved away, but while I was gone she got involved with a vampire and became addicted to his bite. It’s sort of my fault that she came into contact with this vamp in the first place, so I need to help her. Please, Finn.” I walk over to him and put my hand on his bare arm. His eyes soften ever so slightly. Perhaps because of the fact that Amanda is the victim of a vampire.
Finn lets out a long sigh. “Fine, she can stay. I’ll sleep on a futon in the living room for the time being.”
I give him the biggest smile ever and hug him tightly. “Thank you so much, this means a lot Finn, I won’t forget it.”
When I pull back to look at him he’s staring at me strangely. Too intense, and his eyes are hooded. He leans in and whispers, “I know a way for you to thank me.” I bristle all over. In a good way. What is wrong with me? My subconscious is like, Finn and Ethan, get a hold of yourself woman.
Rita brushes past us then, her eyebrows raised in sceptical amusement. “You could cut that sexual tension with a knife, my friends,” she calls cheerily as she climbs the stairs.
Finn has a satisfied smile on his face. I jump away from him, making an incoherent nervous mumble and then dash upstairs to sleep in with Amanda. She’s still dead to the world. I duck under the covers, put my arm around her, and drift off almost immediately.
The next day is a complete rush. Finn’s been in and out of the house all day, going back and forth, making sure all of the plans are in place for tonight. This is what is going to happen. I’m going to go to the party with Ethan, taking the willow bark dowsing rod with me in my bag. Some time after we arrive I’ll slip away, pretending I need to use the bathroom, when I’ll really be going to search for Rebecca, Pamphrock, and the rest of the captured slayers.
Once I’ve located them, I’ll text Finn to let him know where exactly they are. At this point my job will be done, and Finn will enter the mansion with Rita, Alvie, Gabriel and several hand picked new slayer recruits.
Finn has the entire mansion all mapped out on his computer, so he knows the most efficient points of entry. It will all depend on where the prisoners are being kept what point of entry they will use. Should they run into any vampires, Rita will be on hand with one of her confusion spells.
It all seems rather air tight, so I really can’t explain why I feel so trapped, like I can’t breathe. I don’t want to do this. I want to be back in Manchester, because even though my life had been lonely there, at least I didn’t have to walk right into the hornet’s nest, so to speak. And that is exactly what I will be doing tonight. I try to ignore the pain in my heart at the thought of Ethan discovering my betrayal.
I steel myself, and try to remember that Ethan deserves to be betrayed for what he allowed happen to Amanda. I spend most of the day nursing her, which is an absolute nightmare because she keeps fighting me. Begging me to let her go and see Lucas at the club. I’m almost at the point of resorting to tying her up to keep her from leaving the house. It’s for her own good in the long run. She needs to go cold turkey.
In the end I give her some food and some sleeping tablets before going to get ready for my big night of doom. My brain is screaming at me inside my head, telling me not to go, that I’ll only get caught.
I pull the fanciest dress I own out of my suitcase. It’s a cream lacy number, in keeping with the fashion of the 1920’s. I style my hair to match, in wet look set waves a la an actress in an old black and white movie. I finish the look with smoky eyes, red lips and black velvet heels, then I’m all ready to go. I grab my handbag and check on Amanda before I head downstairs, she’s still asleep. Hopefully the pills will keep her knocked out until I get back.
The kitchen and living room downstairs are packed with people, all milling about to prepare for the rescue mission. There are lots of slayers I don’t recognise. Alongside Finn, Rita, Alvie, Gabriel and of course Wolf. The dog is sitting in the corner of the room, eyeing the strangers intently.
“Woah, you look hot,” Alvie exclaims, fanning himself dramatically with a mischievous grin.