A/N: Okay I took a bit to update. I'm sorry. ): My ribs got dislocated, and still are, and it hurts to sit down for too long. D: So, here you go. Chapter one. Enjoy.

Libera Moi
Chapter 1: My Hero… Is a Jerk.

Once again, I was being shoved around. Did this boy own any manners at all? He grumbled something unintelligible behind me, his hand barely touching my back as he led me through dark lit hallways.

I would tell you exactly where I am, and what the place looked like… but it was pitch black when we arrived here in the white car. All I had seen were windows upon windows, lit with a single candle in each. Judging by the amount of windows, I guessed that this place was a very large Victorian house.

I felt a slight smile tug at my lips. I'd always loved these sorts of houses.

"Can you move any faster?" the boy behind me demanded, his voice coming out as an impatient growl.

I stiffened slightly. "Excuse me?" I demanded, stopping in my tracks and looking back at him. My right eyebrow was raised incredulously above my liquid copper eye, my mouth set into a snarl.

The boy laughed. "You're going slower than my drunken aunt. Believe me, that woman is slow," he hissed out, trying to shove me forward once again, but I stood still.

"You listen here," I began in a low growl, "I don't know who you are, but there's no need to be shoving people around. I was practically running! Excuse me for being drenched and frozen. I could have saved myself back there."

His face was blank, and I hid the smug look that tried it's hardest to escape me. I'd surprised him, my thoughts laughed inside of my head.

Shaking his head, he unfroze. "Danny, Danny Jayce," he murmured. "And excuse me, but I highly doubt you would have been able to handle yourself against three grown men. You're what, ten? Twelve at most?" he growled with a wicked sneer.

I felt my face heat up with absolute hatred for him just then. Why was he such a jerk? I can handle myself very well in a fight, actually, my thoughts grumbled.

I stomped a foot, just then realizing I'd been barefoot since I left the store. "For your information, Danny, I'm seventeen. I'm not a child," I grumbled and turned my back to him, stalking down the hall.

Soft foot steps behind me told me that Danny was following me, and I didn't like it.

"Hold up, you missed your turn – uh…" he trailed off, grabbing my arm tightly in his warm hand.

I looked up at him with a glare. "Yes?" I asked; my voice filled with venom. I didn't know if he could see my face in the darkness, but if he could, he didn't show it. I had the meanest glare pasted across my face, directed right at him.

Under any other circumstance, I'd made people fidget and feel uncomfortable under it. Danny, on the other hand, seemed immune.

He smiled a crooked smile at me, and I willed myself to look away. "I never caught your name," he said with a slight chuckle. I ignored how my knees wanted to buckle underneath my weight when he spoke, when he laughed, and especially when he smiled at me.

I took a deep breath. "The name's Lauren. Call me by it, and you're dead," my voice was as cold as the dead when I spoke to him, and I turned my back to him once again.

As soon as I was about fifteen feet away from him, he began laughing.

I whirled around, unable to take it anymore. "What?" I nearly yelled.

Danny laughed more. "Lauren, you seem to have missed a turn. The room you'll be staying in is back here, next to mine," he said easily and disappeared into a doorway.

I stood there in shock. Had I just made a complete fool out of myself, or was it Danny who'd done it for me? I didn't understand this.

Shaking my head, I made my way to the only door near his. Of course, it was black while his was a forest green color.

I studied it for a moment, noticing the crystal door knob. It wasn't just any ordinary door knob, really. It had Agate for lucky protection, Aquamarine for luck in getting rid of worries, Crystal for getting through the day, Amethyst to increase luck in psychic powers, and Tourmalated Quartz for all the luck you can get.

This room as been blessed, I thought to myself in wonder. Whoever stayed in this room, was just plain lucky; literally.

I quickly opened the door, letting the scents find their way to me. I hadn't realized how much I'd missed burning incense until a waft of burnt jasmine came my way. I let out a content sigh, and again remembered that I was soaked to the bone.

Racking my brain as I approached the mirror, I tried to remember a spell for a new outfit that would last, or maybe one that would dry me. I touched my index finger to my temple, all of my spells fleeing my mind. I was much too exhausted.

I looked down at the vanity and dresser, and seen a cream colored, intricate card. In calligraphy, it said:

Dearest Lauren, I'm sorry about these circumstances. I wish to meet with you when you awake in the morning, for a cup of tea. There are sleeping garments in the wardrobe and also some everyday wear in there too. I hope everything fits you nicely! Goodnight, my dear.
Love, Your Aunt Sade Girt

Wait, I had an aunt? I scratched my head. Her surname wasn't even the slightest bit familiar to me, as mine was Blakely. I shook my head; my brain was too tired to keep up with the events that had happened earlier, and it couldn't even begin to process the fact that I had an aunt, when I'd been orphaned when I was four.

I closed the ruby red curtains and locked the door, and stripped out of my crimson sundress and undergarments, and made my way to the wardrobe. I didn't need any peeping Tom's to see my get dressed, and I surely didn't want Danny to intrude either.

I felt my anger start to rise at just the thought of him. He irked me in many ways, some that I wasn't even sure of. I closed my eyes and took a deep, calming breath, hoping it would help.

I swung open the doors to the wardrobe, and found some comfortable looking skinny legged pants, that were made out of sweat pant material. They looked warm, and I was frozen. I tossed them onto the queen sized bed that was to the right of me, covered in many pillows in all shades of red, and a big, black blanket on top.

With a smile, I looked back to the clothing. I found an oversized t-shirt, looked down to the bottom drawers. I assumed that that was wear the undergarments were. Or, at least I hoped that's where they were at.

I crossed my fingers and pulled it open; yep, just as I had thought. I grinned as I picked out a bra and some underwear, and got myself dressed.

Instantly warm from the dry clothing, I decided it was time to crawl into bed. It didn't take too much convincing to get sleep to come to me, and with one last thought, I was out.

I came to say goodnight, Lauren, Danny's liquid sapphire eyes stared into mine, even though they were closed. This would have struck me as odd, if I weren't already half asleep.

"Mm, night," I whispered, rolling onto my other side and pulling the black blanket around me.

I stared into the vanity mirror, straight into my copper eyes. They went from generation to generation; all of the Blakely women had copper eyes that seemed to glow, even in the darkest of places. They also had raven black hair that fell to the middle of their backs, easily. It didn't take long at all for it to grow, either.

I let out a sigh and pulled on a pair of blue jeans and a light grey tank top. I wasn't looking forward to meeting my aunt Sade anytime soon, but I knew that she would be expecting me. It was already ten in the morning, and she had said bright and early.

I don't know about you, but I've never been one for the whole bright and early thing. I was more of a night owl, actually.

Sade was waiting in the parlor on the first floor, sitting in a nice leather chair as she sipped at tea and read what I could only assume was a romance novel. No, she didn't dress all gothic-like or fancy. She had on plain black jeans with a loose fitting soft purple shirt.

Now, what does the parlor look like, you ask? Well, like a normal person's "den" as some may call it. It had a nice fire place, a book shelf, and a glass coffee table sitting in the middle of the room, tying everything together, along with the chair and couch.

I smiled. She indeed had the copper eyes. I could see them from across the room, even if her eyes were half shut as she looked down at her book. She didn't look old, either. She looked to be in her mid thirties at the latest.

"Ah, Laura," she grinned. "My, my, you have grown into a wonderful young lady since I've seen you last," she cooed, flashing her white smile.

I felt my cheeks get hot; nobody had ever given me this much attention, and I knew that this wasn't even much.

I looked down at my bare feet. "Uh t-thanks," I murmured, standing there awkwardly.

Sade must have sensed my uneasiness, because she motioned for me to sit on the suede couch that was across from her.

"Please, take a seat. I imagine you've got many questions for me," her eyes looked amused, and her tone was happy.

I gave her a curious look and took a seat on the couch, sitting on the edge. "Why haven't I heard of you before?" I blurted out unthinkingly, and covered my mouth. I could tell that my face must have turned to a deep crimson color, because Sade just laughed.

"Your mother and I were twins, but I was never around. I lived with our father, your grandfather, for years. I hadn't even known that my sister died up until recently, and that's when I began looking for you. I couldn't have my only niece roaming the streets," she chided, sitting back further in her chair.

I shook my head. "N-no, my mother d-didn't die. She just left," I murmured, shock written across my face.

Sade shook her head, and then her focus ranged beyond me, a smirk on her lips.

I turned around hesitantly, only to see Danny Jayce standing behind me, leaning against the doorway. I tried not to scowl at him, but all of my attempts proved to be an epic failure as soon as he'd opened his mouth.

"What is she still doing here?" he growled, folding his arms across his chest. His black fringe covered his eyes; ones that I could only guess were as blue as the oceans. I didn't recall how I knew this; it was one of those… gut feelings.

Sade openly gaped at him. "Manners, young man! You are a guest in my house, therefore you shall treat my family with respect!" she hissed, authority radiating through the air and space around her.

I watched as Danny flinched slightly, but other than that showed no sign of any sort of emotion. He crinkled his nose, reminding me of a rabbit.

"I've been staying here for three years now, I don't think that qualifies as a guest anymore," he huffed out, his arms tensing underneath his black, skin tight under armor shirt.

I didn't trust myself to look down any further than his shoulders, so I just stared at his hair, clenching my fists.

A sort of growling noise echoed through the room, sounding like it came from Sade. A small crack, like glass breaking, and the sound of liquid dripping on the floor should have been enough to make me look behind me… but the look of horror and surprise on Danny's face had me frozen in my spot.