Eternal Redemption - Book Two ✔

Chapter 9

Getting dressed was a quiet affair – Nox busied himself and I was left to gather up my new old clothes and I made a point to remember to find some new ones sooner rather than later. I hastily put the tattered shirt and pants back on, suddenly not wanting to be naked in front of him anymore. I understood what he'd meant, but that didn't mean that the words hadn't hurt, which was ridiculous because we were not a couple of any sorts – he was my maker and I his, what was it...? Progeny.

"All done," I said tying the knot on my left worn-out shoe. I walked away from the bed folding my hands behind my back and waited for him to lead the way. Nox gave me a sideway glance and with nothing but a court nod, he went and held the door open for me. I slipped through and it was like he was purposely trying not to touch me. I didn't know what to make of that. I didn't understand why he was behaving like this, but I did know better than to try and talk to him about it. He would no doubt shut me down like before and I couldn't handle that, not right now. My body felt different somehow, almost more delicate in a way, which was rather ridiculous seeing as I was supposed to be a feared predator.

Maybe Nox was right, I thought to myself as we left the Blood Hotel and continued down the street. We needed to focus on my father. At the thought of possibly seeing him again after all these years, a strange sensation floated through my body. It was like a mix of anticipation and dread. What could I expect of him, what should I expect of him? He never came looking for my mother and me. He just vanished.

Poof.

Gone.

I knew now that my strange, blue energy had come from him and I was hoping that, when we found him, he would be able to explain to me what it was exactly. If we were in fact the only ones with these abilities. Except, of course, from Shax now, though I was hoping he would be dealt with as soon as I was strong enough to take him on.

We walked through the bustling streets of Seattle and it was as if this city just came to life at night. Men and women were calling from small shops located at the bottom of the tall buildings lining the streets, announcing what they were selling, which appeared to be everything from clothes to food and it seemed oddly normal and not at all out of place. I'd never bought anything myself, just taking whatever I could find and use, but I wouldn't dare do that here. Humans and vampires mingled on the sidewalks and I noticed many flashing bracelets and these people were usually accompanied by a red-eyed person.

A few times I even saw a car drive by, the windows all darkened and impossible to see through, but the driver must have been able to as the car kept a straight line down the street. I knew vampires would be behind those windows, probably with a human. I watched one disappear around the corner behind us, but before I had a chance to turn my head back around my eyes locked with a pair of piercing green eyes and I thought I was seeing things that weren't there. The pair of eyes stared at me, seemingly by accident, but I was unable to look away and I held their gaze. I was rooted at the spot and glad I didn't need breathing to live because my chest was clenched so tightly around my heart, squeezing, though there was nothing left to squeeze. I felt like I was eleven again, alone, staring at a scrawny boy standing in the doorway to my current hideout. We'd been so young, but forced to grow up so quickly.

The eyes across the street belonged to a young man, though I could tell he was older than me, perhaps mid-twenties. His brown hair curled slightly around his ears. He was taller too, with dark stubbles across his chin. But it looked like him, though I knew it couldn't be. He was dead.

A hand closed around my wrist and I blinked.

"Emily," Nox said curiously. The man was walking away now. But I couldn't let him leave. No, I needed to talk to him.

"Did you see...?" My voice faltered.

"See what?"

"But he's dead," I watched the man turn a corner.

"You killed him, I saw you. I have to..." and without even looking at Nox I wrenched free from his grasp and ran after the man. Turning the corner, I spotted him up ahead in a small alley and feeling Nox following me I quickened my steps, not quite using my vamp speed as I didn't want to frighten the man.

"Hey! Wait!" I called, causing several people to look at me, thinking I meant them. The man's steps slowed and I knew that was my chance. I ran up behind him and reached for his arm, forcing him to stop and turn to face me. His familiar face stabbed my insides in the most gruesome way possible.

"Dennis?" My voice barely a whisper. I knew it couldn't be, but this man in front of me was the spitting image of my best friend.

His eyes narrowed and I noticed his jaw clenching repeatedly before twisting into a polite smile.

"Miss, my name is Grant. I think you have the wrong person." He turned to leave, but I saw it; in his eyes, I saw the recognition of Dennis' name.

"No," I said, gripping him tighter so that he couldn't walk away. He looked down at my hand clenched around his upper arm, then back at me. I could tell he already knew what I was.

"Your eyes," he breathed just as I felt Nox come up behind me. Grant's eyes met his for a fleeting moment before they turned to the ground, his head lowering slightly.

"Emily, what is going on? Who is this?" Nox was trying to stay neutral in his voice, but I could tell I had unnerved him by suddenly running off. I decided to ignore Nox, not really sure what was going on myself.

"You know Dennis. How? How do you look so much like him?" The demand and eager was evident in my voice, but I had to know. Grant must have seen it displayed so clearly on my face, but he hesitated and glanced at Nox still towering behind me. With my hand still securely wrapped around his arm, I turned from Grant to Nox, my eyes pleading.

"Nox, please. Can I have a moment?"

I saw his struggle to leave me alone, especially after what happened the last time that he left me by myself.

"Just wait for me by the corner." His reluctance to leave me gripped me, but he finally nodded once and walked back towards the main street. I watched him go, almost agonizingly slow until he was at the corner. I didn't know if he could still hear us, but I was hoping he would respect my privacy enough that he wouldn't listen, or if he did, then at least pretend that he hadn't heard anything.

Grant tugged against my iron grip and I faced him again and just from those few moments of not looking at him, my heart seemed to crack open again at the sight of him.

"Dennis and Johan. I know you know them." At the mention of Dennis' little brother whom Nox, on that fateful night we'd met, had so carelessly thrown into the hands of Chin, a cruel and bloodthirsty vampire that had spared no time killing him, Grant's jaws clenched and his eyes became vacant for a small second. I stepped closer, slacking my grip on his arm. "Please, would you please tell me."

"How do you know them? Are they with you?" His eyes automatically shot up and gazed around the alley, as if expecting them to be standing close by.

"They're not here," I said softly, finally trusting myself to remove my hand from his arm. "I spent years with them though, travelling."

Grant stared at me almost incomprehensibly, as if not quite believing me.

"You look so much like Dennis. How can that be?" I asked again. I wanted, no needed to know this. Grant's mouth turned upwards into a crooked smile that was almost identically with Dennis'.

"They always said that when we were growing up, how we could have been twins if I wasn't seven years older."

Everything stilled around me; all voices and sounds faded away until all that was left was a small buzzing in my ear.

"Dennis and Johan are my younger brothers." His green eyes lit up in sudden excitement. "Do you know where they are? I haven't seen them in forever, almost ten years, I think."

At that moment, I didn't know why people had always said that vampires were these cold and heartless monsters whose only intentions were to kill and drink your blood. My insides were being torn apart, my heart shattering in tiny pieces. It was like losing them all over again. I couldn't bear it. I didn't want to cry; not wanting to frighten Grant with my bloody tears. I fought to keep them at bay.

"They're dead."