Chapter Thirteen

  The manor was quiet as the three left its gates. Kaeo followed the two maids out, her hands gripping the bag of fertilizer tightly. In the back pocket of her shorts sat a phone and what looked like a charger cord. She was nervous, unsure if her plan would work. Earlier that day she had realized keeping Lea’s phone would be a risk, so she decided to bury it with the flowers.

  Volunteering in the garden wasn’t out of the ordinary for the teenager, she loved nature. Her mother went to school for agriculture and she taught the fifteen-year-old everything she knew. Digging in the dirt and planting flowers brought her comfort in times like these. It made her reminisce about her days at home and reminded her of the joy she felt. It pained her to use what her mother lovingly taught her to commit a crime.

  But she couldn’t let Lea be found by anyone. She had nightmares about the police knocking on her door with a search warrant in their hands. She would wake up in a cold sweat, her stomach rumbling from lack of food, and cry for hours. The murders were eroding her mental health in ways she hadn’t really thought about. She imagined their faces, judging her as she got down on her knees and began to dig into the earth.

  No one would know she had been involved. All she had to do was hide in evidence she had. Her clothes had been bloody, along with her shoes so she washed them and hid her shoes under her bed. She was scared to throw them away in case the police found them and the blood had soaked into the insides so washing wouldn’t help at all. Lea’s clothing she planned to bury the next time they gardened, hopefully under a tree or shrub.

  The shovel picked up mountains of dirt as she dug as deep as possible. Kaeo’s mind was tormented by the news reports on the radio and social media. People had started search parties for Lea, fearing she had been sex trafficked or coerced into helping harm her parents. The search parties had combed through a good chunk of the town and even looked near her family’s orchard.

  This was why she had to make sure no one would find the phone. She tried to break it by throwing it against the wall a couple of times and only managed to crack the screen. Before that, she was relieved to find it didn’t have a lock and felt her stomach drop. She wasn’t foolish enough to use the older teen’s apps but she saw the messages.

  Her body trembled as she saw notifications appear in the hundreds. People were asking for Lea to reply and called her over a thousand times. Others accused whoever had the phone of being a pedophile who targets teenage girls from middle-class families. There were so many accusations, Kaeo felt like they had been directed at her. She wasn’t a predator or a serial killer, but everyone would think she was if they knew she was hiding evidence.

  It took a while for it to fully hit her, but when it finally did the impact was hard. Technically speaking, Kaeo had kidnapped the seventeen-year-old. She did it for the right reasons but she was a criminal now. And this led to her realizing she had to destroy everything she took with the seventeen-year-old for their safety. She dropped the phone into the ground, making sure to turn it off before leaving the house, along with its charger.

  It sunk deep into the ground, buried under the muddy earth. She felt like a weight was lifted off of her shoulders seeing it slowly disappear. From what she could see, the maids had already started planting flowers into their holes. Not wanting to draw attention to what she was actually doing, she buried a small plant into hers. It was harder because of how deep it was, but she managed it.

  Kaeo reflected on the past few days and everything that would happen now that the evidence was gone. She had buried everything, even her own feelings on the matter. But now she had to focus on protecting Lea and herself from any other consequences they may face. To distract herself, she tried to listen to what the maids had been talking about since they left.

  “We should make poppy seeds for the cake, Aya.” One of the two maids said, carefully picking some berries from the garden the family had amassed.

  The garden was huge, spilling into the orchard and forest that surrounded the manor. Most of it was man-made, planted by staff and family members over the years. The rest came before the family moved to the house, leftovers from the wildlife that used to roam on their grounds. They were careful to dispose of any plant life that was dangerous to humans as they built the manor. Along with this, pathways and bridges were crafted to transverse the large area.

  As a child visiting, Kaeo had thought that the garden was the only safe part of her family’s property. Beautiful oak benches were nestled between large bouquets made of peonies and daffodils. Over your head, you’d be able to relax knowing that wildlife was kept out through various precautions. The gates were built with animals in mind instead of human intruders.

  This allowed you to watch them from afar, safe on a bench or standing on a bridge made of durable material that kept you above water. Beneath you, koi would swim around playfully with one another in a breathtaking display of color. As a child, she felt like she had walked into a fairytale. All she needed was a gorgeous gown and a crown crafted out of roses to complete the fantasy.

  “Poppy for a coffee cake?” Aya said with a sour look on her face. “I think we should stick to something easy and delicious like a red velvet cake.”

  “Red velvet for a party so late in this season?” Eliza, the other maid scoffed, offended at such a suggestion. “Poppy fits the flavors of a cup of coffee, not red velvet.”

  Kaeo wilted as she realized what they were arguing about. Her family had planned events to flaunt their wealth for years. This came in the form of charity balls, dinners celebrating donations they had made, etc. The fifteen-year-old assumed that because of the predicament they were in, the party would be canceled. She felt sickened realizing that they were still going to have it.

  "Then we might as well make something more traditional," Aya argued, sounding offended by the older maids' condescending tone. This was when Kaeo decided to interrupt the conversation before the two got physical.

  "I think we can have both cakes at the party. The guests can choose which cake they want then they arrive." Both women seemed to like the idea, even though Kaeo found it to be a rather obvious compromise.

  Now knowing the party was still happening, her anxiety had returned to full force. How was she going to face all those people, knowing she had a missing person in her basement? What if someone wandered and found the room Lea was in? Would they have to kill everyone or worse? Her head spun as she struggled to figure out what to do with this new information.

  There was no way her aunt would let her miss the party, either. Their reputation was something she loved and if one of her nieces bailed there would be gossip. Momo was already going to bail and her other cousins present were toddlers. She had to go even if the idea of dancing in a ten thousand dollar dress, laughing with the wealthy as she held someone’s life in her hands revolted her.

  “Mistress, that’s a splendid idea!” Aya cried a little too enthusiastically.

  Eliza tsked, staring at the young girl quizzically. “Will you help us prepare both cakes the evening before?” She still appeared hesitant to try out the idea, but she didn’t risk objecting.

  Kaeo was unsure whether not to lie or answer truthfully. She could cook a decent pan of stir fry but most things she made ended up burnt or on fire. Baking was fairly easier to do, she found it more fun so she put in more effort when doing it. But this was not a step-by-step type of deal. All the cooks in the house with the help of maids created all their meals from scratch.

  The task sounded daunting but it might be a good excuse to use for avoiding the party. Her auntie would have a stroke if she saw her cooking and cleaning in designer heels. Plus, it could help take her mind off of things. Spending twelve hours cooking and cleaning was better than what had been doing the past week. She smiled having made her decision and answered with the truth.

  “I’d love to help,” Kaeo replied, earning herself an approving hum from the old maid. “When should I go to the kitchen to help?”

  “Well, the party is next weekend so please be ready by Saturday morning. You can come with me and the cooks to grab some things for the surplus.” Eliza said looking the girl up and down before adding. “And wear something that you won’t mind getting dirty.”

  “Eliza! You have to watch how you talk to our Mistress. Watch your tongue for once.” Aya mumbled urgently once they heard Eliza’s tone. Her hands were nervously playing with the gardening gloves she had briefly taken off.

  Kaeo flushed, the older woman was serious about her work. “It’s alright Aya, I will make sure to dress properly next time.”

  She was dressed a bit out of place for gardening. It was nice to finally have someone treat her like a human being instead of a princess or goddess. She could tell beneath the woman’s harsh words, she was grateful. If she had refused to help the woman would just have to take it since the fifteen-year-old had more power over her. Kaeo could tell the maid to jump off of a bridge and she’d have to obey her.

  “Thank you, Mistress.” The old maid made sure to address her properly after hearing the warning. Soon both women suggested they go inside for brunch and the fifteen-year-old agreed.

***

  When they entered the house, Kaeo felt the energy shift. Anxiety brewed in her chest as they rounded a corner and were met with her aunt. The woman wasn’t intimidated by her appearance, more so by her personality. If you didn’t know her very well you might say she’s a sweet woman. But Kaeo knew her too well to fall for the illusion. Her snake-like eyes met the child’s and a shiver went down her spine. There was nowhere she could go, running was foolish to even consider. The maids were enraptured by her, bowing her heads almost as if they were in a trance.

  Her body was heavy, keeping her from moving any further once she was in the woman’s sight. She hated it, the weird and invasive influence her aunt had over her body. It crawled into her subconscious, nearly nestling in if she hadn’t closed her eyes and looked away. Their kind had a pull that drew humans near them, but it was limited to females. You used it unconsciously most of the time but her auntie was skilled enough to maintain some control over it.

  She used it against Kaeo more than she liked. It felt gross like someone was groping her. The teenager tried to walk past but when she took a step she felt her. Some invisible hand wrapped around her leg, daring her to move a step forward. It licked at her skin, searing her inwardly. Another gripped her arms which were already in bad shape from not eating. This also added to the control over her body, she didn’t have much energy to fight back.

  “I would like to speak to my niece privately, darlings.” Her aunt’s voice was reminiscent of honey but it tasted bitter on the teenager’s tongue. The maids fell for it, but she didn’t.

  Kaeo was violated. She wanted to fight back but this was the way things were. Her mother had used the same pull against her the last time they were face to face. It hurt, her entire body was aching to a point she thought she’d break. This was her punishment for scheming and trying to do the right thing. If she had been human she’d be screaming already, but her voice was gone.

  It wasn’t mind control or hypnosis. You were being pumped with smells and sensations no human had ever tasted or enjoyed before. Imagine eating a bowl of some frozen dessert, topped with chocolates you’ve never even heard of. Your mind is overwhelmed with the new tastes and flavors, you can’t even comprehend how it tastes so good. When you finish the dessert, you are left with a desire to eat it again. This desire soon forms into an infection in your mind, making the memory of the treatment greater than it ever really was.

  The honey of her aunt’s voice stuck to the walls of her mind like glue. Kaeo grit her teeth as she watched the woman sigh, her pull ending within minutes of it starting. Her gaze softened once she saw how hurt Kaeo looked. The fifteen-year-old felt dizzy, a headache coming on from what had happened.

  “I spoke to your mother and she isn’t happy with what you’ve done,” Her aunt gestured for her to come closer but she remained where she was. “She was disappointed finding out you repeated your mistakes here.”

  “She would’ve killed herself if I didn't convince you to let me imprint on her. Imprinting will save her, then mom will get over it.” Kaeo was shaking as she tried to convince herself she meant what she was saying.

  “Are you sure you didn’t want that girl because she reminds you of her?” The words made her choke up, her eyes widening in shock. Her mother had told her no one would know, so how could her aunt say such bold words?

  “I understand having a crush I was your age once. But I don’t understand lying to me about why exactly you saved her. I get you to feel for humans and you hate what your cousin did to her. But Momo has threatened other girls before and we’ve met newborns countless times. However, it seems odd that a newborn that looks exactly like that human is the one you save.” Kaeo had covered her face with her hands, trembling as she tried to deny what was being said.

  “I know you wanted to protect her family from her hunger. I just wish you had thought it through. You will be stuck with her for life Kaeo. Your mother is hurt knowing that you are following in the footsteps of your father. Saving a newborn and binding her to you for eternity isn’t going to make your mother forgive you.” The older woman continued as Kaeo stared in shock, silently denying the truth. “You felt hunger when you met that girl. You want to consume her because that’s what our kind does. So you took her and now she can never rejoin humanity.”

  “I tried to help.” Kaeo looked away out a nearby window, she felt so selfish. “I did feel hungry seeing her and she did remind me of the human girl I had a crush on. But I just wanted to help, I didn’t know her family was dead when I went to her house. I didn’t know mom would be angry.”

  “I’m not angry at you, I’m just warning you about your future. I feel some pride in what you’ve done. You do remind me of myself when I was your age.” A smile blossomed on her aunt’s face as she reminisced about her past. “I wouldn’t have allowed you to take her if I was upset. I have done something similar as a teenager, though the newborn I stole didn’t have an entire country looking for them.”

  Her heart pounded in her chest as she processed the conversation. She wanted to cry but that would only feed into her selfishness. Lea did remind her of someone from a long time ago. And that did play a part in why she had nightmares after meeting her. Because she never intended to meet the girl her cousin had nearly fought. They happened to be at the same bookstore trying to buy the same book.

  And then they started talking to one another. Lea was open to her, it was hard not to feel something that wasn’t even there. She heard her hopes, her dreams in that small time they spent together and Kaeo felt every word. She was so lonely and finally, she had met someone who really understood her in this foreign country.

  Only for her to be a ticking time clock. Learning from Zachary what Lea’s future would truly be broke her. A possible friend was going to die and she had the power to intervene. Someone who could be a piece of humanity to her for the next few months was dying. It hurt to read Zachary’s book and learn the gravity of Lea’s situation. Before, she never really cared to learn about newborns and their transformations.

  Now that she knew how horrific they truly were, she had to stop it. Standing in front of her aunt she began to rationalize what she had done. Lea would be her friend forever and be saved from a life of pain and suffering. But that suffering would be caused by the constant reminder of her family’s fate. A fate she had failed to stop due to being so weak and careless.

   “I’m sorry, auntie.” Kaeo whimpered, her voice weakened by her thoughts.

  “It’s fine. I wish you had disposed of the bodies before running to me but you are a child. And since you’re a child, I will be teaching you how to properly care for your pet.” Hearing her aunt refer to the other teen that way made her ill. “Your mother accused me of not being able to take care of you. She disrespected me and cursed on my brother’s grave. Because you got a pet with my permission and not hers.”

  She nearly apologized again. Her mother was hurt and lashing out because of her. Kaeo felt like a horrible child hearing all of this. She didn’t think her mother would be angry if she heard about the hand Lea had been dealt. The seventeen-year-old didn’t seem to be the type to willingly give their body up to a creature akin to a demon. But her mother was told about Lea and was still furious.

  “I will be watching over anything you do with that girl, Kaeo. She’s family now so I have to make sure she’s worth being with you. And if you can’t handle her, I will. I have no problem using my skills to punish her severely if you fail to train her. Do you understand me?” And just like that, any sympathy her aunt had offered was gone. Nodding, she hoped that the woman wouldn’t hurt Lea too badly for her mistakes.