CHAPTER
NINE

Blue lights and sirens flared in the night. Helaena, wrapped in one of the police blankets, stood in shock. A blank expression on her features as the world around her seemed to move in slow motion. She hadn't expected this, no one had. It was all just fun and games.

Until it wasn't.

When Helaena had woken up from her drunken slumber, she had realized who else had happened to arrive at Suki's home. Karris had shown up alongside Ruth and Henry. Helaena did her best to keep her distance from what she could remember.

That was until Karris made a comment. Then a fight broke out and Karris was forced to leave. Helaena didn't remember much after that, not until Ruth found the body and began screaming. Then, the screaming stopped. No one dared leave the home.

So, they called Charlie.

Helaena remembered walking out of the house. Her eyes settled on the two bodies as the police began to cover them up. Her chest tightened as she felt bile rise up from the back of her throat. What had happened to Ruth? Helaena really didn't give a damn that Karris was dead but Ruth was unexpected.

"Helaena," Charlie's voice broke her out of her thoughts as she continued to stare at the covered bodies, "I need you to work with me here."

Helaena looked at her father but she couldn't form words. She was in a sort of shock as she looked back at the scene. Ignoring the pulsating pain that resided within her head which only worsened with the flashing lights and sirens.

"Mr. Swan?" The voice of Thomas Tozier called out as he tried to get through to the other cops.

"Let him through," Charlie made the motion, letting the boy come in hopes that he'd be able to calm Helaena down or at least get her to talk.

After all, someone had to. Matteo was being sobriety tested while Suki was crying hysterically on one of the crops. Henry had yet to even have a reaction which was quite unnerving to most.

Thomas' arms were wrapped around Helaena. The girl failed to reciprocate as her mind raced around trying to figure out what had happened. Part of her was worried that she had been the one to do something and her mind just be hazy and not remember it, after all, she had felt as if she was losing herself.

But she didn't think she was capable of murder. She knew she could do some harm but death was not something she could see herself bringing on. It was something that she experienced too much of at an awfully young age.

Helaena's head slowly fell against Thomas' chest as she continued to stare at the dead. The girl's chest hurt as if someone was sitting on top of it.

"Helaena," Thomas's fingers were running through her hair as an attempt to soothe her, "Helaena, everything's okay."

Okay? Helaena's head was beyond racing at this point. Two people who were with us momentarily are dead. No one knows what happened and I feel like I'm losing my mind. Part of Helaena was apprehensive about what this meant for her group of friends, and she was worried for Tommy. For Suki. For Matteo.

"Helaena, is there anything that you can recall?" Thomas asked softly, trying to be gentle and patient with her, out of fear she were to break at any given moment.

Helaena shook her head as she managed to pull herself away from him, "No. One minute, everything's fine and the next... the next she's screaming. Then silence," Helaena sucked in a breath before looking at Thomas, something went through her head which caused her to whisper, "It's them."

Thomas looked caught off guard by her statement before he slowly began to understand what she meant, even if the girl herself didn't, "I know," Thomas kept a hold on Helaena as he called out to Charlie, "An animal. She remembers some sort of animal. Why don't I take her to my house, just for the time being? She's in shock and my parents wouldn't mind."

The offer was given to Charlie and it took him a few minutes to finally agree. Not too sure about letting his daughter go before deciding it would be best for her to be with someone who could calm her down. Someone she trusted.  Though, Helaena was sure that Thomas was going through what happened on their calls.

And she wasn't sure how she felt about that. She was never sure how she felt about it.

"Come on," Thomas held onto the girl, trying to help guide her away from the crime scene.

Helaena gave the boy a look as she took in a deep breath. So much was happening. She was worried most of this had something to do with what she was looking into - what she had discovered. She wasn't yet certain of this but that didn't stop her from thinking of such. In the moment that she actually felt she had control of her own mind.

She got into Tanner's car, she'd come back and get her own vehicle eventually. Moving the blanket so that she could strap herself in as she looked forward. She felt the shift of the car as Thomas got in and copied her actions before getting ready for the two to leave.

"Are we actually going to your house?" Helaena found herself asking as she looked over at Thomas, "Or are we going somewhere else."

"My house," Thomas spoke, but something about it made Helaena quirk an eyebrow.

"Something sounds different about that," Helaena's look was soft as she leaned back, closing her eyes momentarily before opening them once more and looking over at her friend as he drove.

Thomas' hand was gripping the steering wheel tightly, she could see how it was indenting from his harsh grip, he continued to stare at the road ahead as he sighed, "Because it is different. It's good you've gotten control right now, or, you aren't as upset."

"I'm in shock, Tommy," Helaena's tone had a hint of harshness behind it as she shook her head, "For someone who claims to have went through this exact situation you sure are helpful," She muttered as she let her gaze fall to her lap, pieces of her hair blocking her face.

"I'm fearing for your safety, that's why I haven't said anything and I avoid it, Laena," Thomas gave her a firm look before looking at the road once again, "Things are going to be different."

"They already are," Helaena lifted her head up once again as she shook her head, "Things are changing. I can't handle it. I can't handle myself and I need you. I need someone," she almost sounded desperate as she spoke.

And then, the two embarked in silence. No one said anything for the rest of the ride. Helaena didn't know what to say, after all, her mind had finally stopped. Gone silent. Something she always thought would happen, but only after she had died.

Thomas made no effort to say anything either. By the way, he held himself, Helaena knew that he was preparing himself for something. Possibly some sort of speech, Thomas had never been good at giving those. Helaena always had to help him figure out how to say something and write. But this was different. Roles were reversed in a sort of manner. Not one that either particularly liked.

The redhead wasn't sure what to do or say. She had no clue where they were, traveling far from where she knew that Thomas' house was, which confused her. Where were they going? Did his parents even know? Then Helaena started to piece things together within her mind.

But she couldn't be right. His parents were alive, she'd met them before. This was all rather silly. The entire situation. Mad. Helaena simply shook her head as she watched the woods of Forks pass by her. That was until the motion stopped. And in front of them sat an older home. It was small, and clearly had been there for a long time.

"Come on," Thomas spoke as he got out of the car, not looking deterred at all as he sighed.

Helaena simply followed after him as she got out of his car, "Where are we?"

"My home," Thomas answered as he looked back at Helaena, "I know you're going to have a lot of questions but be patient, please. This is going to be a lot to go over and I'm worried there's things you can't know."

"Why can't I know?" Helaena asked as she looked at him, "You keep mentioning it, but if you can mention it why can't I actually know?" She asked with an eyebrow raised.

Thomas sighed as he opened the door and allowed her in as he cut in the light, "It's not the right time for you to know yet. Everything happens very specifically, I need you to understand that," Thomas shut the door behind the girl.

"Tommy," Helaena began to grow rather annoyed again, "Why can't I have any explanation? Things are happening."

Thomas turned to look at the girl, clearly trying to make himself forget what was starting, "All I can tell you know is that monsters are coming. Monsters that have been waiting for this moment, for you. It's going to get worse and you're going to become more irritable and more... more someone else. Don't let it define you. It's not time yet," Thomas tried to sound reassuring but the weight of his words caused a look of distress to cover Helaena's face.

"This happened to you as well," Helaena remembered and almost reminded him as she tilted her head, "How do your parents feel about all of this?" She questioned, hoping for an answer that wouldn't be a lie.

Thomas debated his answers within his head, trying to fabricate something so that he could at least appease Helaena's mind; she knew it, "We're a lot alike in many ways, Helaena. It wasn't some accident, our friendship. It was meant to happen and it did. Not even death would halt it."

Helaena looked uneased by his words, her eyes narrowing as she clutched onto the blanket harder as she added a bit more distance between herself and Thomas, "That doesn't sound too... too good. I'm not sure I understand what you mean," Helaena tried to get a clearer explanation to hopefully ease her worries.

"There's nothing to ease the fear. I felt the same way when this happened to me. You will find out in time, what we are. What they are. I promise you that now, no one you know means any harm," Thomas' movements were quick as he placed his hand in her shoulder causing her to tense up, "The years we've been around..."

"How long," her voice was quiet as the question slipped past her lips, "We grew up together. We're around the same age. You..."

"It wasn't real," Thomas looked ashamed as he spoke, causing Helaena to pull back from him, "It was an allusion conjured to protect me. It's what allowed me to fool everyone..."

"No," the girl scoffed at his words, this was ludicrous.

"Helaena, I've been around for a very long time," Thomas was trying to be calm about it as he looked at her, "Everything you know now about my life, it isn't a lie. My parents, they are my parents but not from this era. Not from this time."

The girl felt the anger bubbling within her as he continued to speak. She had almost completely drew herself back from him. Part of her felt betrayed, her childhood had been a lie after all. Her friend... may have actually been her friend but everything was a lie.

"That's... that's not possible," Helaena tried to dismiss it while she scoffed, "Why are you lying to me, Tommy?" She could feel the grip she held on herself loosening.

"You've got to listen to me," Thomas tried to be stern in the nicest way possible, "I never meant to lie to you. I had too. They knew it when they had you."

"Who knew it," Helaena felt hot tears pricking her waterline as she began to shake from anger, "Thomas."

He looked guilty. Helaena for a moment thought that he wasn't going to speak again. By the way he was presenting himself, it seemed as if he was scared too. He knew he betrayed her trust. Helaena knew what she hadn't known all along. It was all fake.

"Dammit, Thomas! Speak!" Helaena yelled before she faltered back.

"Your parents," Thomas spoke as he looked at the girl, "Your parents knew! The moment they took the artifact! The moment they had you!" Thomas found himself matching Helaena's energy, "I promised. Promised you'd be okay. Promised you'd find out when it started!"

Helaena shook her head as she pointed a finger at him, "Everything that's happened? You - they..." Helaena couldn't find it in herself to continue as she looked at him, "I don't even know you."

"You do," Thomas looked at her as he shoved one of the tables harshly causing whatever decorated it to hit the floor, "Ruth's dead. Karris is dead. It's started, Rhaenyra. Whether you like it or not. Things are going to be discovered."

Helaena felt a piercing pain through her head. Placing her hand to her temple before she looked at Thomas. Donatello. Rhaenyra. Alessandro. The names that had been repeating in her mind.

"l'ascesa della triade degli dei, it's true isn't it, Donatello?" Helaena found herself asking as her eyes narrowed, not even realizing the name that had slipped from her lips until seeing Thomas' expression.

"I think you know the answer to that," His expression looked defeated, almost as if he failed at protecting her from what he needed too.

Everything was real. The cold ones. l'ascesa della triade degli dei. Myths. Monsters. Helaena knew she was going to die one day. She would move on to whatever came after death, but now? She'd be damned for eternity.

"The man who attacked me," Helaena asked as she looked at Thomas, not giving him enough time to look away so that she knew if he was lying or not, "He wasn't human. He was a monster."

"He was," Thomas answered slowly as he looked at her.

"I have his necklace," Helaena spoke as she felt nothing but anger and disappointment, "There's a symbol on it. One I know that you've seen. One that you are going to identify," Helaena gave him a firm look before running her hands through her hair, "But that's not important at this very second. No one, and I mean no one, knows of this conversation. Of what I've learned, understand?"

Thomas began to move around the room, not quicker than usual but not a slow pace as he fiddled with the rings on his fingers, "What about the Cullen's? They need to-"

"No," Helaena looked back at her best friend, "Not even them. Not Alice. Not Jasper. Not anyone."

Thomas' gaze met that of Helaena's as he sighed, before giving in, "I understand. What are you going to do?" Thomas now found himself curious.

"I'm going to sort this all out in my mind. Act as if nothing changed," Helaena adjusted her posture, "Try to figure out more about the deaths and help my father out in preparing for my sister. Finish off the project of Jasper and I's that he has abandoned."

"He hasn't abandoned... he's worried," Thomas shook his head as he stopped to look at the girl, "Your safety is the main priority of everyone. Whether you want us or not, we are your protection until the time that you become the protector."

Helaena closed her eyes momentarily as she sighed to herself, the moment he referred to was one that made her worry, "Until the time of my death," She knew what he meant, she had done her research on the matters, "If it is to protect me, then why does everyone stay away from me and keep me in the dark? Isn't that dangerous?"

Thomas sighed knowing that they were going to be into this topic for a while, even if the conversation were to send soon, "We stay away from you because we worry about harming you, just as Jasper is now. Despite the emotional pain you might feel you aren't in any physical pain. It was decided that the darkness was better than the light, it was believed if you didn't know then maybe they didn't."

"They being... my attacker?" Helaena found herself questioning as she looked at Thomas, "Look, I'm slowly getting ahold of myself. I'm trying not to lash out, not to listen to my head. But when this is affecting me - the way that it is... I feel as if I should've known."

She was trying to sound logical. Not as if she wanted to force this all out. She was just scared because she began to get to a point where she couldn't recognize herself. Where others couldn't recognize her. It was almost as if something changed a matter of hours, which it did, within her. And that's what scared her.

If she could change in that little time as drastically as she did, what else could happen?

"I know, and I'm sorry," that was all Thomas could offer her as comfort, "As soon as we realized that they were after you... we were scared and by that point all of this had already begun. We were in a way, too late."

"I'm still alive and I plan on living as long as I can hold on," Helaena stated as she looked at Thomas, "Now, I'm sure that isn't as long as I had believed before. Once you realized they were after me, what changed? How close you were? Because you all became distant."

"You pushed some of us away too," Thomas reminded her as he shook his head, "What changed is defense. We had to get ready. We had to be ready. Once they stepped on our turf, we had to be ready at any point to protect not only you, but the town."

"And two members of this town are dead," Helaena noted as she looked at him, "I don't believe it was the same person who attacked me."

"Neither do I," Thomas spoke as he looked at her, "It was too sporadic. They might've caught your scent but I doubt that. They were just open game."

And it seemed that open game was all that they'd all be, as open season had begun.