The Vampire’s Servant
Chapter 151

(Friday Morning)

As we wrapped up breakfast, there was a spring in my step. Everything had started falling together after Wednesday night. It was all beginning to work out.

Emmalyn did another reading focusing on the spell Fenton cast on the Master of the territory. She got the name of it, even though the counter to it was obscured. It was called Fixation.

She said this curse starts by burrowing into the subconscious of the target and ferreting out the things that mean the most to the target. Then it starts reaching out and making them paranoid or nervous about losing what they value. She said it was never meant to kill, but it often drove vampires to heights of insanity that they would endanger themselves.

On top of that, the curse had tendrils that would stretch out from its victim and attack those closest. It would make people behave in ways they wouldn't. It made them lose trust in their Master. I wondered if it was why Gray had started acting so jealous of Victor. Things with us were much better now, but I was really scared for a while.

The most important thing we found out was that it was not only tied to the title, but to Fenton's life. As long as the spell was active, Fenton was alive. Not the other way around. Killing him was impossible without breaking the spell first.

On Thursday, Emmalyn did a reading on me. She said I was fully in the grip of the curse. She could see it fading from Victor. When he woke last night, he acted like himself. We wouldn't free him until after the wards were down and we knew he wouldn't relapse. There was a tentative plan for Sunday night.

I couldn't wait to have him back. Though, it was unfortunate that he wouldn't be as safe as he was in the cell. He could be fed easily and couldn't be hurt by the sun or the curse. I wanted him to always be safe.

Fenton had been even grumpier because of Emmalyn's casting runes. It got worse when Gray brought home a laser pointer. Apparently, the cat part of his brain was a little stronger than the witch side of his brain. Fenton was not as amused as the rest of us. I pulled out the ward map and took it to the living room. Gray helped me get it set up. We were assigning teams of two to each ward. Val had finished his information gathering and we found some lucky bits of news on the three wards that were in recently developed

areas.

The first was in the event room of an apartment complex's club house. Val and Harmony charmed the manager into announcing a magic show for the children there. Val had been practicing Brian's summoning spell and bought a whole lot of candy that he was going to summon before doing his final trick, breaking the ward.

When it broke, there would be a bright flash of light. Talia would be his guard and would use her speed to make it look like she appeared in the bright flash.

Preston found that Rosario, the vampires, and the werewolves could be taught a spell to subdue a witch. We worked on it daily. It meant we didn't need to get more people.

The second was in a house that was currently for sale. Trent had one of the real estate agents in the pack get the code for the key box. Cam and Harmony would be going there.

Sean and Rosario were headed to the woods. Samuel and Preston were going to the theater. Amelia and Finn would go to the woods as well. Brian was taking the spot nearest his family home. Brandon would go with him. Emmalyn and Travis were headed to an alley in town. Gray and I got the last house in the newly developed areas.

We were really lucky, because we already had an invitation. That was why we were doing it tonight. The third ward was in a room in Melissa's house.

The decision that Gray and I would be the ones to go was a simple one. She would've followed Val around like a lost puppy. She would've gotten too close to Harmony as well and tried to pull her around so everyone could see that Harmony was there. Sean wouldn't go near her, not that Rosario would permit it anyway. And no one else had a reason to be there.

They were either adults or strangers. Having Gray there would mean that I was protected, and he was known for going to a lot of parties before he met me. He would know how to get us away from everyone else.

-

When Brian arrived, I started telling everyone where they would be assigned, if they didn't already know. I introduced Brian to Brandon. They were curt and businesslike with each other. Emmalyn had been the same with Travis. I was surprised that the men had offered their help, but so very grateful.

Sean and Brian didn't talk to each other. It hurt my heart that they were like this, but I knew I couldn't get involved. I didn't know anything about relationships like theirs. I just hoped that they could get to a better place soon. "What do you want us to do when we're finished? Just go home, or what?" Brian asked.

"I'd like everyone to meet here afterward. Just so I can make sure everyone got their part done safely. Would you be okay with that? I just need to know that everyone's safe." I replied.

He raised an eyebrow at me. Gray put a hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him.

"Did I say something wrong?" I asked.

"I think we've found the fixation the spell has on you." Gray answered.

"We've all been watching you and listening to you, Echo." Val said. "You're obsessed with saving people and people being safe. You call to check up on us if you haven't seen us for a while. You're always talking about people being safe." "Even your focus on the curse has been with the bent of saving Victor, saving everyone, keeping people safe. These are all things you've been repeating over and over." Talia said. "We were comparing notes."

"I didn't even realize it, angel. I thought it was because you loved Victor more. I didn't even consider that it could be the curse. I'm so sorry, Echo." Gray whispered, squeezing my shoulder.

"I'm always worried people aren't safe. This is just me being myself. It's not the curse." I chuckled. "Having everyone check in isn't being obsessed with safety. It's just a good idea to make sure everyone completes their task safely." "Echo. You started cutting Gray's meat at dinner last night, and you did it at breakfast too. You ordered a curfew last night and wanted everyone in before full dark. You're acting like an overprotective parent." Harmony insisted. "You got out of bed to check on everyone late last night. I thought you might have had an idea on the spell, but you just wandered up and down the hall popping into people's rooms." Gray said.

I blushed. "I just wanted to make sure everyone was...."

"Safe?" Val asked.

I sighed. "You know, if you guys want to focus on that, fine. It's not the worst thing to be obsessed with. I want everyone to meet back here after the wards are broken. Take the day to get ready. I know that everyone has to go to school for their yearbook thing, but I want you back home right after. We head out at seven-thirty. That should be dark enough for Finn."

They all nodded and went off to do their own things. There was still a little time before Victor would go to sleep. I went to the basement and opened the feeding door. "Victor?" I called out.

"Echo, my princess. How is everything going?" He asked.

"We're breaking the wards on the two biggest parts of the curse tonight. Fenton's being an ass, more than normal. He knows something is happening, but not when." I said. "You're going with Gray, right? I only trust him to protect you. No one else." Victor replied.

"Of course she is, Victor." Gray answered from the stairs. "Still feel like tearing my head off?"

"Just a little. It's definitely a good idea to wait until the end of the weekend. With how the urge has been dissipating, we can all be together again soon." Victor said.

"Angel, you shouldn't be down here. We need to keep up appearances for Fenton so he doesn't cause problems with the curse. Come on. Victor needs to get ready to sleep." Gray urged.

I reached my hand into the cell and Victor took it. He kissed it gently and squeezed it. He let me go and I closed the door before going to Gray.

He took my hand and pulled me along behind him. When we got to the top of the stairs, Gray took me in his arms and held me for a little while. I felt a lot better now. Just having an intelligible conversation with Victor was enough to make me feel a million times better.

All we had left to do today, was try to get Fenton to talk about the last spell and go to pick up and sign yearbooks. As soon as the sun set we would start removing the wards. It was just about making it to then without going crazy with nerves or boredom.

Harmony finished the last bits of my makeup. She took a step back and looked me up and down. A grin spread across her face.

"You look like a teenage girl out for a night of fun." She giggled.

I pulled at the hem of the short dress she'd put me in. It was dark red and left most of my body bare. The straps at the top were basically strings. The back was cut all the way below my hips. And the front was so low cut that my chest was almost fully on display. It was tight and clung to my skin. That made the skirt feel like it was riding up when I walked. It didn't even reach mid-thigh. She put me in the highest pair of heels I owned.

"This doesn't feel right. Can't I just wear one of the black dresses Bellamy got me?" I asked.

"No. They're all too serious. You're a teenage girl fresh out of high school and having fun. No one is going to be dressed like they're going to a funeral. Lots of girls will be dressed like this. You'll stand out if you wear anything more conservative." Harmony insisted. "Come on. You'll love the reaction from Gray."

"You think he'll like this?" I asked.

"He'll hate it. It'll keep him on his toes. Come on." She said, pulling me out of my room.

We went to the stairs and I clung to the bannister as I made my way down carefully. Gray was staring at me. I blushed and fidgeted with the skirt.

"No. Go change." He said, pointing up the stairs.

"Gray. This is gonna be how most the girls will be dressed and you know it." Harmony scoffed.

"Harmony, you can't actually be thinking of sending Echo out like that. Guys will be all over her." Val told her.

"Gray will be there to scare them away. Come on, Val. She looks hot." She sighed.

"I don't want anyone looking at my mate in that... that... cloth. That's barely even a dress!"

There was a low whistle from the stairs. I looked up to see Rosario and Sean coming down. Rosario was the one who whistled.

"Damn, Echo. You look like you should be dancing in a music video." Rosario grinned.

"You don't look comfortable." Sean said.

"Everyone is fighting about my dress." I told them.

"She looks fine." Rosario stated.

"How would you feel if Sean was going to a party in just a pair of spandex shorts that left nothing to the imagination?! I don't want her going out like that! Victor would agree. Go change." Gray ordered.

"It's only five minutes before we leave! It'll take her that long just to get up the stairs in those heels. I think you should just quit fighting it and let her go out like that." Harmony insisted.

Gray walked over and scooped me up. He carried me down to the basement and opened the viewing slit in the door. He turned on the light and positioned me a distance away.

"Victor. Tell Echo she can't go out like this." Gray said.

I saw Victor's violet eyes in the slit. They trailed up and down my body slowly. He looked into my eyes heatedly.

"I don't want you going anywhere looking like that." Victor answered in a gruff strained voice.

"See. I told you Victor wouldn't approve."

"I don't want to be in this outfit either. But we need to fly under the radar. Will most of the girls there be dressed like this?" I asked.

"Well, yeah, but there will be some who aren't."

"And they'll be ignored. I can't be ignored. There can't be girls hanging all over you and they will be if you show up to that party without someone they see as an actual rival. Harmony told me how it works. Let's go. You're going to have to carry me back up. I can't do stairs well in these." I stated firmly.

"Watch out for her, Grayson. If anyone manhandles her, I want you to teach them about touching what doesn't belong to them." Victor growled.

"I definitely will." Gray said, picking me up.

There were a few more comments as everyone met up. We were giving everyone twenty minutes to get where they needed to go. There was another thirty minutes between arriving and when we'd be doing the ward breaking. This was to give those of us who had cover stories time.

We all set alarms on our phones to let us know when to start. Gray took me to his truck and helped me up into it. The skirt rode up to my hip and he groaned in frustration, trying not to touch me inappropriately. At least tonight could be amusing.