Shadows

The Istrati household - my new home

Once back at the Istrati household, Dante got a few of the servants to take my luggage and the box up to my room. I thanked them before following Dante into the living room, where he would gather the family so I could inform them of what I had learned.

  I didn’t have to wait long either, within moments they had all arrived. Armand and Anna walked arm in arm to sit down in the sofa opposite me, Anna smiled at me with a warm and bubbly grin yet Armand’s face remained stern his eyes wandering all over my body, sending shivers along my spine. Dimitri stood in the doorway, Darius sat down in one of the armchairs and slung his legs over the one side whilst Dante sat next to me and grabbed my sweaty, shaking hand.

“Go on child, tell us what you have learned” Armand requested. Nodding my head in answer, I shifted to font of my seat and began to explain.

“We went back to place I used to call home” I squeezed Dante’s hand “They informed me that I am adopted. The woman who is my birth mother, thought it be safer for me if I grew up in the care of humans. My father was Human but my mother was a Vampire” they all shared a gasp and stricken expressions. I don’t think even they were expecting to hear that.

“You’re a Dhampir!?” Armand exclaimed “But how do you control the bloodlust?”

“They also told me that I had therapy at a young age after an incident with a friend. The result was that I no longer craved blood but am repulsed by it, and I don’t remember a single thing about my childhood”

“Being a dhampir, you don’t need blood in order to survive, it just gives you added strength” Dante whispered in my ear

“This is most intriguing” Armand muttered. I glanced over to Dimitri who was still in the same position, his face was stern and his eyes were cold. I hoped he wasn’t angry at me. “ Did they tell you anything else?” I shook my head, not wanting them to learn about the box she had left me. That was private and valuable to me, I wasn’t about to let just anyone nose and poke around in it.

  Once all information was digested, we were all dismissed. As I rose, Dante looped an arm around my shoulder and smiled, his Jade eyes somehow always gave me reassurance and courage… even when I thought he was an utter arsehole! I smiled weakly back at him before returning my attention to that in front of me, I just wanted to go up to my room and shut everything away. I still hadn’t digested that I was adopted let alone that I was a bloody Dhampir, but maybe I didn’t need to… I had always known I was different back there.

“Are you ok Vicki?”

“I’m fine, just thinking that’s all”

“Penny for your thoughts?” he chuckled

“Once we are in my room I’ll tell you ok?” he said nothing back. As soon as we were out of the way of the others, and near the main hall he swooped me up and began to carry me. “Put me down!” I screamed whilst laughing, he shook his head and began to spin whilst holding me in his arms. The next thing I knew we were in my room and totally out of breath, he laid me down on the bed but continued to hover above me, our foreheads met and our eyes never left one another. It was strange, I should have tried to escape on day one, yet I stayed. I should have hated them all, yet I felt welcomed and loved. I should have been dinner, yet I was a guest.

  He rolled over the top of me and lay down next to me, our eyes still fixed upon the other. He reached over and brushed a hair away that was dangling in front of my eyes, I shuffled closer to him and felt my heart jump and almost burst out of my chest, noticing this he gave me a smirk, tugging at his bottom lip with one of his fangs… cute.

“You are so beautiful” he muttered

“Not too shabby yourself” I joked, the smile from my face soon faltered when I knew that I had to tell him about things that swirled around in my mind “Now, I was going to tell you something wasn’t I?” he propped himself up on one elbow, a frown slowly began to creep its way across his forehead.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to” he raised a brow “You do know that right?” I turned my head to face the ceiling, trying to hide the fact I was blushing again

“I know, but I want to”  he used to flats of his hand to trace along my cheek

“Well then shoot”

“I was thinking, I’m a dhampir right? But how come I can’t do the things you all do?”

“What? Drain blood?” he laughed “Vicki, you won’t have the abilities that a full blood has anyway, not unless you become a full vampire. You are part human so therefore you still have a beating heart. You are still technically ALIVE”

“What can I do then? What’s different?”

“You have heightened senses. You should crave blood but thanks to that… therapy as they call it, you don’t”

“I thought Dhampirs become hunters?”

“Those who do not wish to accept and loathe. Yes.” I felt relieved at that last part. I didn’t want anyone to be hunters in any form in my family. Not after what happened to Seth… no way would I want that.

“What about reading each other’s thoughts? How come you guys still can’t tap into my mind?”

“That, I do not know. I have asked father countless of times and yet even he is unsure, now that he knows what you are I shall ask him again tonight, maybe then he can give me an answer” I glanced over to him, he ran a hand through his already messy hair and sighed.

“Sorry” I muttered

“For what?”

“For being such a burden to you and your family” he said nothing in reply, I closed my eyes and sighed. When I opened them I jumped to see Dante hovering above me once more… ok maybe I wasn’t used to that kind of appearance.

“Don’t say that”

“It’s true isn’t it?”

“No” he said flatly “You are not and never will be a burden… at first I thought you a chore yes, but all that changed when these feelings creeped up on me. My family and Seth liked you from the start, it’s really quite remarkable. You will never be a burden. Don’t ever class yourself as that ok?” I shook my head at him.

“Candice said sooner or later you would kill me” he tensed, I ignored it and pressed on “Is that true? I don’t want all of this to be some fancy charade or ill wake up one morning and It all be a dream”

“Ignore that Bitch” he scowled

“She was right though wasn’t she?”

“I told her that once, when you invaded my room” he chuckled “Which was classy by the way, but she twisted it. I can never kill someone without them pleading or a damn good cause” I reached up and cupped his face with my two hands, making him stare at me.

 “Ok, I believe you” The smile that filled my face was equally matched by his, he rolled over once more but this time I turned to him and snuggled down to his chest “But you will have to help me unpack most of his crap at some point.

   I eventually managed to get him off his arse and to help me unpack whatever we brought. He made a few comments on my underwear, even pretended to shove some under his shirt, commenting that he would have to save these for later. I snatched them off him and punched his chest, it didn’t hurt him obviously but he pretend to fly back as though I had the strength of a god.

“Get up you goof!” I laughed as I watched him scramble along the floor

“My chest, my poor, poor chest” he mocked

“Go on! Out!” I laughed, pointing my finger toward the door “I shall never get anything done with you here” he pouted at me at first, which quickly changed back into that school boy smirk as he made his way out of the door. Shaking my head at his little show just a moment ago I slowly began to unpack my clothes. Some of them I had totally forgotten I even had. I decided to read my mother’s letter again, the tears began to fall as I read ‘… on that night I found out I was pregnant with you… my little gift… the one thing I actually did right. And I had to give you away.’ This woman truly cared for me and was forced to give me up. All because of those hunters and slayers. I understood the pain that Seth felt, I may not have known my parents but knowing it was those bastards fault… it made me sick. It made me hurt. It made me want revenge.