5.27 Sprawled Out on the Cold Floor [Charlotte]

Charlotte jolted up, throwing Jeff’s arm off of her. “What the heck?” Jeff asked, still drowsy from sleep. “What’s wrong?”

 

“You don’t hear that?” Charlotte asked, straining her ears to hear the commotion.

 

“No, I don’t.” He shook his head.

 

Charlotte jumped from the bed and headed straight for the door. “It’s coming from my dad’s office. For some reason, I can’t make out the voices. I just hear…a rumble.”

 

“You can hear whats happening three floors down?” Jeff tilted his head. “Nevermind, don’t answer that. Not human.”

 

“Exactly,” She said. “Stay here, I need to go see whats up.”

 

“Wait.” He grabbed her arm. “You’re not doing anything alone anymore. Tell me what you think is going on, and we can formulate some sort of plan.”

“You’re being difficult,” She said. “Time is wasting and my dad could be in trouble.”

 

“If theres trouble,” Jeff began. “You rushing into it isn’t going to help. You’ll just get hurt. A few extra seconds will make a huge difference. You’re powerful, but you’re too brash. You rush into things. Look how good that’s been going for you.”

 

“Shut up.” She scowled. “I rush into things because sitting back has never paid off for me. I can’t wait for my family to fall apart. I just can’t.”

 

Charlotte tried to push her way passed Jeff. But, he grabbed hold of her arm. “Since you don’t want to come up with a plan, I will.”

 

“Stay up here,” She said firmly. “He’s down there. Altiere. He will hurt you. He’ll hurt you to get to me, and that will put Adeline in danger and everyone else. So just stay up here.”

 

“Altiere?” Jeff asked in shock. “How? So fast? We just got you back.”

 

“Well, this isn’t some movie. Moonlight Falls runs on their terms.” She leaned over to Jeff and kissed his cheek. “Promise you won’t follow me.”

 

“I can’t promise that,” Jeff said. “Not after what happened to you already. This is your fault for making me love you. I can’t back down.”

“My dads are there,” Charlotte said carefully. “And Adeline, Millie…” She shut her eyes to try to clear up her senses. “Those two time travelers, as well. There’s enough man power.”

 

“I…” Jeff ran his hand through his hair. “Can’t really compete with a vampire, can I?”

 

Charlotte shook her head. “No, you can’t. Physically, I mean. But, you can do something. Keep watch for the other women. I don’t think they’d leave Altiere on his own. If they’re here, figure out a way to let us know. Don’t get yourself caught.”

 

“I won’t worry you,” He said quietly. But I won’t watch you die either.

 

“Stay alert, got it?” She pressed her body against his quickly and kissed him with all the passion she could muster. “You’re too good to me. I don’t know why.”

 

She didn’t wait for an answer. She ran down the stairs as quickly as she could, not hearing Jeff’s final words to her. “Because I love you, idiot.”

 

He didn’t like this one bit. His life had never been easy, but it didn’t compare to what the Grays were going through. Trouble seemed to follow them wherever they went. He thought to his brother in law, Caleb Gray. Who had apparently, traveled to another dimension to marry his sister. Trouble seemed really prevelant to him. Now, Jeff found himself messing with supernaturals. Once again, he felt out of control of the situation and it killed him inside. Knowing, he could lose another person who had meant the world to him.

“You idiot,” Altiere said. “You thought you could win this war? A little freeze spell did little to deter me. In fact, it only made me furious.”

 

Alistair stood tall. He would not let the man interfere in his daughters’ life any longer. “Is this fight going to happen now? Because I’m more than prepared.”

 

“Are you?” He asked, amused. “I don’t see any elves or witches besides yourselves here to help. You couldn’t even get the fae and werewolves to back you up. You cannot defeat me now. You cannot defeat me ever.”

 

“Dad…” Charlotte’s voice sounded pained. “Leave him alone you son of a bitch!”

 

“Don’t,” Decaln said, outstretching an arm in front of her. “You’ll get hurt.”

 

“Ade?” Millie whispered. “What do we do now?”

 

“We watch,” Adeline muttered. “But keep your guard up. I don’t like this any more than you do.”

 

“I don’t care. You shouldn’t either, dad is in trouble!” She tried to push passed Declan who had an iron grip around her.

“You should listen to him, dear.” Altiere’s voice was sinister. “He knows whats best for you. And for your sisters and your father.”

 

“Leave my daughter the hell alone,” Alistair spat at Altiere. “Don’t you dare taunt her.”

 

“Jeff is human, and he’s done everything he could to help out, but you haven’t done anything,” She told Declan coldly. “Anything, to try and stop this from happening. Instead, you’re holding me back. Who the hell cares about what happens to me? Let me stop him before he takes Adeline.”

 

“Everyone knows but her, huh?” Altiere’s smile only grew wider.

 

“Know what?” Charlotte demanded.

 

Alistair scowled at the male who was holding his daughter back. “Leave her out of this.”

 

“Oh no, I must tell her. She asked so nicely!” Altiere exclaimed.

 

“What is going on?” Charlotte demanded once again.

Declan made no move to stop Altiere from telling, and Alistair knew in that moment that the relationship between him and Declan was irreperable. “Oh my goodness…” Charlotte heard Adeline’s explanation in her head. Her sister told her everything. “You asshole.”

 

She forcefully pulled herself away from the man who was now a stranger to her. “Tell me that’s a lie. Tell me that you didn’t lead us on for all of those years.”

 

“I love you and your sisters,” Declan said.

 

Charlotte didn’t want to hear it. She didn’t want to know anymore than what Adeline had told her of her father’s deceit. “You’re a traitor. All this time…you’re a despicable human being. You deserved to lose your powers.” She took a step back from him. Her mom. Her step dad. She couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. “One human in.” She thought of Jeff. “One human out. I’m glad we have him, and not you.”

 

“I always approved of that boy,” Declan said.

 

She felt her body go cold. Of course he did. A human couldn’t stand in the way of Altiere. She thought back to the talk she had with Declan when she first met Jeff. He told her that he thought negatively of Alistair until the group porject forced them to work together. Thats when they fell in love. Then her and Jeff…were they different? She didn’t want to believe that he would betray her, but she hadn’t exactly the best representation of loving relationships in her life.

 

“Enough talk.” With a swift movement of his hand, a blast shot from his palm and threw Charlotte to the floor.

Charlotte let out a small scream of agony, and Millie jumped forward. “No!” Alistair raced to his daughter. He looked around him, Adeline was standing in a defensive stance.

 

“I sent Lorie and Leia upstairs to safety,” Adeline transmitted to his mind. “Don’t do anything dangerous.”

 

“I’ll give you whatever you want,” Alistair said. “Don’t hurt them anymore.”

 

“Dad, please!” Millie begged, looking at Declan. “Please do something. Stop this now.”

 

“Do what you want to the rest of them,” Declan said. “But don’t hurt my daughter.” He looked at Millie. “Leave her alone.”

 

“No,” Altiere said coldly, sending a blast in her direction as well. Alistair tried to jump in front, missing by a few inches, sending both of them toppling over.

 

“This power…” Declan shut his eyes. The power was born from hatred. Declan’s hatred for what he became. Aria’s hatred of her daughter. Charlotte’s hatred of him. Declan’s hatred for hurting his own blood… “Why are you hurting my daughter?”

“Not your family, but your daughter.” Adeline stared calmly at the motionless bodies on the floor. They were still breathing, she could sense it. Altiere didn’t kill them, though he was capable of it. As the Gray family sttod now, individually, even herself, they couldn’t fight him. This way, with them knocked out, they couldn’t interfere with her negotiations. She would end this right here, right now. They’d all try to stop her, but her life was made to sacrifice and she had to stop this. She looked coldly at the man who had just denounced himself as her father. “Only blood matters to you?”

 

“I didn’t even want children,” Declan said. “I didn’t want Millie or Astra to begin with. Lucas…he did this to me. I’m not that heartless, I don’t want to see my blood perish.”

 

“I could possibly understand that,” Altiere said. “If you want to take her along with us, I could allow it. We’d get the other one from that human world as well. They’d have to be turned to vampires, but I’d allow them to stay.”

 

“Stop,” Adeline said. “Leave them alone. Millie and Astra are Grays. Declan isn’t. Hes a terrible piece of garbage…” She glared at him. “A despicable human being as Charlotte said.”

 

“I did what I had to survive,” Declan said. “You weren’t alive when Damian had his so called revolution. My whole family was killed. My parents slaughtered…”

 

“You lied about that to?” Adeline asked incredulously. “Unbelievable.”

“It’s a rough world out there, and instead of joining the man who has promised you salvation, you’re trying to defend a family who will only lead you down a path of destruction…” Declan said.

 

“You lived with us for years!” Adeline was now shouting. “Over twenty years you lived with my father. You’ve seen how wonderful we are, and loving. We accepted you, we gave you everything you could have ever asked for…” She allowed her voice to trail off. “Let’s end this. Altiere, I’ll go with you.”

 

He looked amused. “Oh no, your little speech has inspired a change of plans. I rather not keep you against your will. Stay with the Grays. Be a destroyer, and I will laugh as your family tumbles down into oblivion. I do not need you Adelien, you would have helped, but you are disposable. Remember that. You mean nothing to my plan.”

 

Adeline watched as Declan and Altiere walked up the stairs and out of the Gray household. Forever, she hoped. Kneeling by her family, she admnistered the best cure she could, finally resovling to call her grandparents for help.

“Ready to go?” Altiere stared at the bodies on the floor.

 

“Of course,” Aria said. “I was hoping for no resistance, but the idiot humans all had something to say. The boy was the funniest. He had the nerve to yell at me for being a terrible mother.”

 

“Dear,” Altiere began. “You are a terrible mother.”
“As am I,” Cora interjected. “Because I am going to leave my daughters sprawled out on the cold floor.”

 

“They’ll all wake up, eventually,” Altiere said. “But they’ll think twice about interfering anymore.”

 

“And Adeline?” Aria asked. “What about her?”

 

“Change of plans, I much rather watch her delusions plummet her into a downward spiral.” Altiere shrugged. “Don’t be so quiet, Declan. We’ll come back for your bloodline if you’d like.”

 

“No,” Declan murmured. “Leave her here. Her decision has been made clear.”

 

“Very well, we can always find you new children to raise, you’re young yet.” Altiere ruffled his hair. “Let us go, theres someone we have to see to discuss our next plan of action.”

 

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Next update will be an Astra one, stay tuned!