Dragon Witch ✔️

9 - Blood Sucker

August 5, Wednesday

I really hope Kyton's not a mind reader. The only thing worse than my blood-sucking dreams from last night would be if he somehow saw them in my head. They're too embarrassing to share, even in a diary no one will ever read.

I planned on researching what's wrong with me today, but last night, Grandma said she wants me to help Kyton with chores. The housekeeper's not coming until tomorrow, so Kyton's still in charge of them. Maybe I can sneak some reading while he's busy cleaning.

***

Shuddering, I forced myself to look in the bathroom mirror. After my dreams from last night, I expected to see some ugly hag, but my reflection was disturbingly normal. My numerous freckles, blue eyes, and pointed canines were the same as always. No, that wasn't exactly right. There was a dark speck on one of my incisors.

I leaned forward and picked at it with my fingernail. When it came off, a blue spot stood out on my pale finger. A memory of sweet blood clouded my thoughts. Licking my lips, I contemplated getting more. It wouldn't be too hard. After all, a walking blood bank was living in the next room over.

What was the matter with me? I shouldn't be thinking like that. Shaking myself, I started the sink and splashed water in my mouth. My stomach protested. It wanted more blood, not water. Splashing wasn't enough to get rid of the taste. I pulled out my toothbrush and scrubbed my teeth until the bottom half of my face was covered in foam. The taste was still there. I brushed some more. I kept brushing until my gums started bleeding.

Slamming my toothbrush down on the counter, I forced myself to stop. It was just a memory of a taste. Brushing wouldn't clear it away. There had to be some cure for my problem, but I wouldn't find it in here. I could always try and look it up on the internet. Only, Grandma once told me that anyone who posted about magic on the internet was probably a total fake because "real" witches didn't mix technology and magic.

I snuck out of my room and down the hall to Grandma's lab. She had tons of books on potion making. The cure was probably in there somewhere. But if I didn't know exactly what cure I was looking for, I would probably never find it. Grandpa's magizoology study, on the other hand, had whole bookcases filled with medical textbooks. Grandma said a lot of them had lists of symptoms to help you find magical diseases when you didn't know their name.

Unfortunately, Grandpa's study was off limits. Even my grandparents didn't want me going in there, for some reason. If I had to guess, it was probably for the same reason why Grandpa made Kyton swear not to talk to me about magic. He must think I was a total dunce or something. What harm could I do in his study, knock over a few bookcases?

I knocked on the door, just in case he was already inside. It was only eight in the morning (and the middle of the summer), so I didn't think he would be up yet. Getting in and finding a book on blood-related diseases would be easy.

"What'cha doing?"

I spun around and snarled at Kyton. The noise made both of us pause. It was animal-like, and I made it without thinking.

Kyton eyed me like he'd just poked an angry bear. "Morning to you, too."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my speeding heart. "You scared me."

"I noticed." He opened his mouth again, but a door creaked behind me.

I turned around to see Grandpa standing in the doorway to his study. He stood a few inches shorter than me, but he always seemed taller. It was something about the way he stood--head up, spine straight, shoulders back. There was also a twinkle in his eye, something that bordered between reprimanding and mischievously curious.