Restless Waves

Chapter 49

Rowan and Michael glanced at each other.

"Are we at the right house?" Rowan mumbled.

"Yes," Jack said, tapping the ends of his fingers together. He was looking at Kaerius, who Jack shouldn't be able to see. "I told you I could help."

"You... You..." The surprise had shocked Rowan into silence.

"Are you a vampire?" Michael asked, and Jack only smiled and stepped aside.

"Come in."

Kaerius tried to step forward, but Michael and Rowan both lifted a hand to his chest to stop him.

"Not until you explain who you are and what you're doing in a vampire's home," Michael said, and Jack's features softened until he seemed amused.

"You're touching a Thalassic Mortal."

Michael yanked his hand back from Kaerius immediately.

"Don't worry, sea creatures were never a threat to you. You were led to believe that, so you'd think you had to live alone forever."

Rowan looked Jack up and down. The geeky boy who liked nobody and cared more about doing his work than being kind, the boy who knew too much about the supernatural world, the boy who Rowan thought was just obsessed with vampires.

"What's going on?" Rowan asked, and Jack looked a little guilty.

"Come in, and I'll explain everything." Jack pointed down the hall. Nobody moved. "You need to hurry. My parents have been out all day. I'm lucky you've come when they weren't home because they can't know that I'm talking with Solar's."

Michael and Rowan glanced at each other again. Their look wasn't readable to Jack, but their hard stare was always a way of telling each other to stay alert and to keep an eye on their weapons.

Michael entered the house first, then Kaerius, then Rowan. They stood awkwardly in the hallway until Jack led them to the kitchen, which had a door to the garden. "If my parents come home, you can escape out the back," Jack said as Rowan looked around the room.

Rowan wasn't sure why he expected a vampire's home to look like a goth's dream. Still, he was surprised that his house looked like every other standard home. Vampires want to fit in too, Rowan thought. With a hunter like Mandy around, he didn't blame them from keeping out of sight.

Kaerius sat at the table, but Rowan couldn't relax. He was on alert. He hovered behind Kaerius, so he was close enough to protect him if Jack couldn't be trusted.

"Are you a vampire?" Rowan asked.

"Who's this?" Jack looked at Kaerius with a raised brow and a smirk.

Kaerius pushed his chair back until it bumped into Rowan. "I soulmate of Royal," he said proudly. "I Kaerius. Strong creature of sea." Kaerius crossed his arms and stared intensely at Jack until he looked away. Even Rowan couldn't hide a pleased little smile.

"Ah, soulmates," Jack said with a nod. "I thought I sensed a bond." Jack then sat up straight and linked his fingers. "I'm not quite a vampire." He purposefully avoided Michael's gaze. "My mum's a vampire, but my dad's a fairy."

"How have I been able to see you all this time?" Rowan tried searching for anything that made Jack different from the rest. He looked human. Supernatural features were just like disabilities; not all were visible.

"You're supernatural Royalty. The bond with the sea creature finally awoke that. Also, I'm part fairy. I can make anyone see me if I want." Jack then sighed, and said, "Um... my dad's the fairy who cursed your parents."