Chapter 1
It was 5 am when there was a rather noisy knock on a teenage boy's window.
Elijah Huxley's eyes flickered open but for a moment he stayed rigid in the bottom bunk of his bunkbeds, the black and purple checkered duvet pulled over his nose. There was a low snore from his father's bedroom which was just separated by a thin, painted pale lilac wall and a creak as Nicolay adjusted himself in his four-poster. It had been a long night for Elijah; he had developed insomnia a few months ago and normally only got a few hours of sleep so this wasn't helping. Irritation surged through him as he thought I had just got sleep! Another knock, even louder this time, startled him. He groaned, blinking drowsily, and glanced at the clock glowing in his low nightstand. 5:03 am. What would anyone want at this time? Resentfully, he flung the covers off of himself and rolled out of bed. The beige carpet pile squeaked under his bare feet.
On the opposing wall of the bunk beds, there was a small, circular window placed just above his chest of drawers. Because it seemed large enough for a slender person to force themselves through, it had always been locked on Nicolay Huxley's, his father, orders. A bulky padlock was latched on to it five months ago from now. The harsh man didn't want anyone sneaking in. Well, Elijah was a rather reckless boy and always had been, ever since he was old enough to crawl. The boy had a real knack for lockpicking. His mother, Kaitlyn Huxley, had taught him pretty much everything he'd need to know before she had perished in a car accident. He knew how to speak 20 different languages, how to ski, snowboard, surf, rock climb, play football, basketball, volleyball, handball, baseball, tennis, hockey, skate, ride a bicycle or motorbike and swim in deep waters. Those were only a few of the things he could do. But the most important was lockpick. It was his talent, one he showed off and bragged about at high school. Honestly, it's a pretty bad thing to boast about. It's pretty much like saying, "Guess what: I broke into a bank today by lock-picking! No joke, I did! Isn't it awesome?"
Elijah walked to the casement, leaning in close. The rain splattering the window seized his attention and unease formed itself in the pit of his stomach. Whoever was out there, sitting on the outdoor windowsill was getting soaked. !He squinted through the thick, hazy dusk and spotted a silhouette of a hand rapping its knuckles against the window. There was a distant voice saying his name every 10ish seconds. "I'll be a mo'!" he hissed from his side of the glass. "Just shut up, please!" The person by some means appeared to hear him and stopped knocking or yelling at him faintly. Exhaling deeply, the teenager rushed over to his bunk beds and knelt by the bottom bunk, peering beneath. In the crowded, dusty world of under it filled with boxes of junk and old, too tight clothes he did not like anymore, a piece of metal covered in dust glimmered, catching his eye. It was twisted in a sort of wonky lightning bolt shape, rust patching its pointed tips. As he grabbed it, the metal felt cold against his flesh, thrusting a stab of nervous excitement into his blood. He straightened up and returned to the window, turning the padlock over in his fingers. The bulky thing was one of the ones with a keyhole carved in it. Perfect, he thought.
Whoever was sitting on the window sill getting drenched knocked again, this time quieter. Nicolay seemed to hear that though; he gave an irritated grunt and there was another creak. Elijah took a deep breath before, using all his strength, bending the crooked lightning bolt. This did very little, only curving the end of it a few centimetres to the right but it was enough. He jabbed it into the keyhole and slowly turned it. There was a scraping sound as he did so and, after a few seconds of rotating it left and right, a metallic click made him jump. Stepping back, he retrieved the metal and watched as the casement was wrenched open from the outside. Moonlight spilt onto his chest and shoulders.
Elijah was thirteen and five months, already well built, with a dark, tall body of an athlete. He had a slim, freckled face consisting of serious, striking hazelnut eyes, a tight salmon mouth, a scant, uneven nose (which had been broken in the past), naturally blushing cheeks, chopped, messy curls the colour of flames and fine red-haired eyebrows that were arched high. In the dim illumination, you could see he was wearing a loose blue Adidas t-shirt and light brown shorts that reached his knees. The lips thinned as two grimey trainers settled on the shiny black surface. Suddenly, it dawned on him. "Ty?" He mumbled, astounded.
The boy slipped through the window effortlessly and crouched down on the chest of drawers. Tyler Sharma looked a little over fourteen, with a short mop of tangled blue-black hair that dipped into his disobedient azure eyes. His face was slender and very pale, sweat mingling with dirt on his forehead. Very few freckles riddled his mud-smeared nose and a thin, painful-looking scar shined on his arm. “Hello there!" He greeted, as though this were something casual that everyone did. A smirk unfurled across his face as his best friend looked him up and down, mouth slightly agape. This revealed two pointy canines, poking out over his lower lip. Like Elijah, he also had talent, not a very hidden one. It was the gift of stealth. Being a vampire, this came naturally and would be something worthy of bragging about but... he usually said something along the lines of "Guess what! I snuck into their house and the parents never found out. No joke, I did! Isn't it awesome?" Here's your answer: no.
Tyler hopped down from the drawers, making room for another pair of dirty shoes, this time light brown flats. There was a soft groan and a young girl was suddenly standing next to him. Her name was-
"Sab?"
-Sabrina Sharma, Tyler's sister. Her sheet of glossy bluish-black hair flowed behind her, sopping wet and the light green orbs she possessed blinked at the dazed teen theatrically, mimicking his habit. At that moment, he noticed they were dressed in matching black jumpsuits which blended in with the night. That was why he couldn't see their clothes while they were squatting on the sill outside. She had a wan, boyish face like her brother and as she smiled sweetly, her sharp vampire teeth showed.
Elijah swore viciously. "Oh, Nah! No! It's too early for this!" He rubbed his temples in a feeble attempt to keep himself from falling asleep on the spot. For the first time in five months, he felt exhausted. A longing urge nagged at him and he had to restrain himself from flopping onto his bed. Instead, he stumbled over to the bottom bunk and sat down heavily, resting his chin on his hands, elbows digging into his thighs. "Why are you even here?!"
Sabrina strolled over and put an arm around his shoulder, remaining on her feet as her brother settled next to him, looking pitiful. "Well, Eli..." She seemed to hesitate, glancing at Tyler. He nodded his approval. "Well, it's not very important. But we thought we'd come to you. You're the only one who can calm them, as we only aggravate them."
It was rather a cliche really, making him feel embarrassed. He thought the sentence sounded like something out of a movie. Cringe! "'Mm? Who are you talking about exactly?"
"Jamie and Duncan," Tyler said, sounding miserable. "They've fallen out, again!"
Elijah blinked, then cursed under his breath. "Really? Heck! What's happened this time?"
The ravenette grimaced, looking fixedly at the wall behind his best friend instead of his face.
"C'mon, spill it, Ty!" He was rather impatient, lack of sleep made him unpredictable. At one moment, he could be happy and smiling. You blink and he's hurling plates at people. His temper was limited and it took very little for it to snap.
"The-their parents are missing, okay?!" Sabrina whisper-yelled anxiously.
There was a long, painful silence as Elijah gaped. The only thing puncturing it was a grunt that came for Nicolay's bedroom. He could feel the sweat bead on his forehead. The twins' parents... missing and possibly dead? It didn't seem to work in his mind, as though Kallie and Jordan Sawer were immortal. Sadly, being a half-blooded vampire doesn't make you unable to perish, neither does being pure-blood.
"What?" He asked stupidly.
"Mhm." Sabrina had taken over the conversation and waited till his frustration had subsided completely before continuing. A creak echoed into the room. "For some reason, they seem to blame each other for it-"
"It's very strange," Tyler said quietly. Triumph mingled with the fear in his eyes as he half-glanced at his sister. "Because they usually are inseparable! Now, they've gone their separate ways."
The ginger grimaced uneasily. "What do you mean by that?"
"Jamie's rented a beach house not far from here and Duncan is at Royal Resort, which is a grand hotel on Winstin Road." Some grunt from the other side of the wall made him leap about a mile.
A sigh left his lips as they gazed at him hopefully. "And you want me to help-"
"Help them make up again, yes," Sabrina murmured. Even she couldn't disguise the desperation in her voice. "Now, will you?"
A brief silence passed and he rose to his feet, tousling his hair. He walked over to a window, small and circular like the last, that was just beside a framed painting of the streets of New York City, his dream home. It overlooked the street below. From the second floor casement, you could see the grimy black Mercedes-Benz C-Class parked in the driveway. His father's car. A thought popped into his head and a mischievous gleam suddenly shined in his eyes. It was like the satisfying feeling of completing a puzzle. Brazen surged through him. "I've got an idea!" He cried, ignoring the angry snore. And with that, Elijah eased open the bedroom door and set off down the hallway, leaving the siblings feeling nervous and excited at the same time.
“So..."
It was only minutes later and they were all downstairs, in the grand lounge. A fire, that they had lit themselves, sizzled in the base of the chimney, giving off a pleasant friendliness. The room was very big, filled with four armchairs, which two teenagers sat in.
Elijah was kneeling in the one closest to fireplace. His serious hazel eyes looked brighter than they actually were and his messy curls had a new, striking sheen. He had changed his clothes, now wearing warm, dark-grey Nike hoodie and fashionable navy blue jeans. As he heard a incredulous female voice speaking, he gazed at the flames as though he saw a ghost appear in it. A stubborn look was plastered to his face, one that his bestfriends easily recognised.
Tyler was skulking in the doorway of the space, occasionally giving nods, "Yeah"s, "Nah"s and "I agree"s. Most of his face was shrouded in the shadow, giving the fire was the only light, but you could see his daring azure eyes shining through the darkness. His very pale face almost looked dark. He also wore something different, clothed in a close-fitting green sweatshirt and CAMO sweatpants. The only thought that clouded his mind was "What's his plan? Tell us already!” Honestly, you can’t blame the boy.
His sister, Sabrina, was leaning against a magnificent bookshelf, scanning spines of fiction fantasy and nonfiction educational books as she listened to the one-sided conversation. To Tyler's envy, she had been told the risky plan that Elijah had came up with. She now wore a woollen white sweater and baggy grey leggings. Her bluish black hair was tied back in a tight bun with a red velvet scrunchie. A particular book seemed to catch her attention. She held it in her hands, looking intently at the cover. It's title was "How to work cars for beginners" and it had a large picture of a red BMW on the front. Maybe this will help was her only thought she studied the book, flicking through pages.
Lastly, a girl sat, her legs crossed, in the armchair near Sabrina, which was angled towards the bookshelf. Long tresses of silky blonde hair were tied back in a low, messy ponytail and her striking dark-brown eyes were framed by silver glasses. Underneath her blue and white checkered shawl, she wore a simple black v-neck and pocketed brown trousers matching her eyes. A doubtful expression was glued to her tawny face, much like the one on Elijah's. "So..." She repeated slowly, as though it were hard to say the word. "You wanna to steal papa's Mercedes?" Glancing at her painted lilac nails, she arched a blonde eyebrow.
Tyler gasped comically. Meanwhile, Elijah groaned. If he hadn't been in this situation, he probably would've laughed. His head ached and hands felt numb as he took his chilled glass of Coke and tasted it. He had swiped the leftover cup from the fridge, not bothering to even check what it was. “Sis, please, hear me out.”
Her brow lowered slightly and the pale lips pursed in a thoughtful, considering way. “Alright, fine," Athena said after a few moments. "Explain. And make it quick, it's nearly seven. Papa will be awake soon and he won't-" she waggled a finger menacingly -" like that we're up. Neither will he like that you two brats are here!" Her voice was dripping disgust, making the siblings cringe.
Sabrina glanced at the clock hanging on the wall, rather astonished. The girl was telling the truth. Its hands said six-fifty. She didn't really know what to make of the stealing a Mercedes thing. Well, it isn't really stealing if you give it back undamaged, right...?
Or she hoped undamaged.
Borrowing, think of it as borrowing, she told herself. Yet she couldn't help but feel they were doing something ileagal, which was the technically true, like robbing a bank. For the first time in ages, she spoke. "I will take it upon myself to assist in explaining." The strange accent made Athena shudder. A frown slithered across her face as Elijah grabbed his drink again and sipped before speaking.
"Well." Was that a trace of anxiety his sister was hearing in his quiet, serious voice? "The twins's parents are missing-"
Athena gasped.
"And possibly... d-dead."
Now by the fireplace, haulling a couple logs into the flame's grasp, Sabrina scowled, her nose wrinkling. She hated the word 'death'. Like, who wouldn't? Her brother thinned his lips and looked away, staring at the stained, wooden floor. He tried not to look sad, putting on a grim sort of grimace, but his eyes showed it all. Upset and nearly embarrassed. When no-one spoke, Elijah continued.
"From what I've been told, they've been holding each other responsible for this." He sighed, his hand brushing absently through his fiery curls. "Both of them have went their separate ways, leaving the house unoccupied."
"Do not tell me we're breaking into their house!" Athena butted in. She half-glanced at Tyler, who groaned under her gaze.
The ginger blinked and said, "No, 'Course not. We're not using Tyler here, please chill!" There was long silence, in which Sabrina slyly stole control and there was sleepy grunt from above, from Nicolay's room. They had forgotten about the father and unease creeped up on all of them.
"Well, Eli has an idea. His plan is that we-"
"-Steal the Mercedes, yes, we all know-"
"-Mhm! Then find the twins-"
"-Where the heck even are they?-"
"-Jamie's in a beach house and Duncan's in some hotel named... Royal place thingy. Well-"
"-I-"
"Please shut up and let her speak!" Elijah yelled - earning the reward of a snore - at his sister, who pouted angrily but obeyed.
"Thank you." Even Sabrina couldn't disguise the relief in her voice. "So, steal the Mercedes, pick up the twins and... go on a road trip!"
It was Tyler and Athena's turn to blink. Their faces looked perplexed, eyes baffled, mouths nearly hanging open. "What? This is no time for a trip, guys!" They hissed in unison.
Facepalming, Elijah stood up. He strolled calmly over to Sabrina and took the book from her outstretched hands, eyeing the cover thoughtfully. The vehicle still gleamed on the front, a classic middle-aged man in the driver's seat, smiling toothily as though he'd won the lottery. Even though his blood boiled, he had an expressionless look on his face. The hazel eyes seemed calm and, for once, a frown wasn't plastered to his mouth. Thumbing through a small quantity of it, he lifted his head and returned to his seat, the book laid open on a specific page. His words dripped gentle persuasion when he spoke, a type of voice that everyone in the room knew well, even himself.
"Mates! I said that they had ascribed each other for it, yes?" He didn't wait for an answer, pressing on a nanosecond after his question. This was a sign he was close to the verge of losing his patience. "And I want t o piece the friendship... brother-ship together again, mm? So I want to organise a road trip and invite them on it! Sweet talk is the key. It would work perfectly. Eventually, they'd have to talk sooner or later and they'll be unable to be separated in minutes, like before."
"Wait... Eli?" Sabrina piped up, her voice nervous. "You said we'll take the car? But..." She paused. "None of us have a drivers license. Legally, we cannot drive. Even Jamie doesn't have one and he's eighteen in three weeks!"
Tyler gave her a reproachful glare - thinking it was a barbed comment towards Jamie - as the ginger swallowed dryly; he had been expecting this. It was a big problem, blocking the road to success. Why couldn't Jamie have taken the test when he had the chance, instead of turning it down like it was a heavy burden? "Yes, I know." Mixed anxiety and irritation seeped into his voice now. "We've done worse than that, right? Like-"
"Sneaking into the former headmaster's office? Smuggling sweets into class? Shoplifting some gum from a cheap market?" Athena asked bitterly. "It was pretty pathetic. No one ever suspected us: four little kiddies going about their day. But stealing a car, even worse: papa's car? Nah, Nah, Nah!"
Anger ignited behind his eyes, blazing like the flames behind him. He never realised he was on his feet till he got a nervous glance from his best friends. "C'mon," He coaxed, trying to conceal his extreme annoyance. After all, it was his sister. Even if he was adopted by Nicolay. His voice was unusually quiet and calm, another warning indication. "It would only be for a couple of hours, just to keep them both together for a while. Besides, you'll have fun, I swear!" The promise was genuine, but only would be for a while.
Athena's face was blank for a few seconds, her eyes vacant, eyebrows furrowed. She appeared to be in deep thought. The clock on the wall ticked, its face now showing twenty minutes till eight. Forty minutes had passed and the teenagers had never noticed. Their anxiety was growing slowly but surely, making it only the thing they could think about. Honestly, she wanted to go. It sounded luring, a road trip. He was probably right, she'd probably have the time of her life. Singing along with the radio and talking with friends, at the same time racing down the road, the wind blowing their hair. A grimace unfurled across her face as her brother gazed at her hopefully. "Okay, fine. Only for a couple of hours, remember, about four hours!"
Elijah grinned, his hazel eyes flashing with amusement.
“But, I’ve got a compromise,” Athena declared in an important voice.
“Yes? What's the catch, eh?”
“You’re driving!” The scowl disappeared and a faint smirk appeared.
He glanced down at the book in his lap, memorizing the page’s number. He would need it. 87. It was the page that said all about driving he vehicle. His grin twitched and lessened as he thought about steering a Mercedes. "D-deal.”
***
The road trip was fixed to be two weeks from then. Exactly seven days had passed since their meeting. Today was a warm summer morning with birds soaring in the lovely soft orange sky, chirping happily and trees danced in the light breeze. A large, grey structure with plain double-doors and feel windows stood in the middle of the school's playground tarmac. Hawkes HighSchool was its name. Inside, in a math class, Professor Donavan was calling out names on the register as students chatted loudly to each other, ignoring the new substitute. Elijah was included in these teenagers.
He was dressed in school uniform: a white polo-shirt with a dark jacket, baggy black trousers, sporty light-brown trainers and a striped red and black which, while Mr Donovan wasn’t looking, ripped off his collar and stuffed into his pocket. His backpack was slung over the edge of his chair, gently bumping into the back every few seconds. The summer holidays had ended only a day ago and no-one was paying any attention on the very first day of year eight. Somewhere in his heart, there was a small amount of pity. He was leaning over his desk, towards the person in front of him, who had turned his seat around to face him and was talking quietly.
Tyler spun a pen absently in his right hand as he spoke, looking slightly nervous. “So, Monday, right? The road t- I mean hangout?” To any other person, this would sound completely normal. So would road trip but everyone wanted to take extra precautions. Elijah nodded.
“Alice Hopkirk?” The substitute was still reciting names, although no-one was answering when they heard theirs. In fact, they were playing a joke on the poor bloke.
“Think I’m here?”A girl with black braids of hair murmured, raising a hand and waving vaguely. Her name was Jessica Tarry and her voice always made her sound like she was asking a question.
“Mim Sallow?”
“Buenas tardes, catedratico.” Rosa Doughty (who fluently spoke Spanish although she was Russian) chuckled under her breath. “Good afternoon, professor.”
“Mike Rowley?”
“Sir!” A mute boy called Eric Hanlon signed on his hands, grinning. The real Mike Rowley glared but stayed quiet with faint amusement in his cold grey eyes.
I think you get the trick now. When the professor finally read out the last name (Tyler said he was Elijah Huxley), the chatter finally died down since they had ran out of things to talk about.
