Rose
"Please, Mrs Toran. We need you to tell us," Lissa pleaded. "Why did you adopt a dhampir?" She was getting frustrated. We'd been asking her over and over again to no avail. We didn't want to use compulsion, but it may be necessary. I was surprised that I hadn't spoken yet.
"I did it to protect her. I've already told you," Mrs Toran said sharply, her eyes still filled with tears at the hole Amy had left behind. That girl didn't realise the mess she made in her wake. Taking after her sister, obviously.
"How? Please tell us. For research. To help other families like you."
"I found myself in this building and these strange people were there. They had flower tattoos." I recognised them as the Alchemists. I was friends with one. Sort of. "They explained basically about Moroi and said we could adopt these dhampirs."
"That's it? They just let you take these dhampirs?"
"No. They injected us with this thing. I don't know what it was. But every time I try to tell anyone but my former husband about it, it won't let me." A compulsion spell. Very clever.
"Can I see it?" Mrs Toran held out her arm and there was a small dot in her elbow crease that shouldn't have been there. Lissa stroked it and then scribbled something down in her elegant script on the notepad. "Where could we find your former husband?"
"He lives on the other side of the village. Number 32 Main Road. Unless he's moved. But I doubt he has." The door sprung open to reveal Amy looking outraged.
"We're going to see Dad?" she exclaimed.
"I thought you'd be happy," I muttered.
"Happy? He's an idiot! I hate him! I haven't seen him in years!"
"Well, now you're going to."
"Oh, this is just great. I thought we were going on holiday, but instead we're going to find my flippin' father. Brilliant." She folded up her arms and flopped back onto the sofa.
"Amy, this might just help us," Lissa explained. "Thank you, Mrs Toran. We really must go now."
"No!" Mrs Toran cried. "Don't leave me, Amy!"
"Mum, I'll come back," Amy told her, patting her back. It was like role reversal. Dimitri, who had been silent the whole time, was eager for us to go. I saw him silently shuffle Christian and Lewis out of the front door. "We'll be back really soon."
"Okay." We left the house and walked back to the hotel. Amy said we could walk to her father's house, but the Moroi wouldn't make it in this heat. Instead, we got the car.
"Nice to see your mother again?" I asked Amy.
"No," she grumbled. "She's not gonna let go."
"She just loves you."
"Yeah." She seemed tense about going to her father's, but really, how bad could it be? He was just a human guy, right? Maybe we could get some more information out of him so that we could enjoy the rest of our time here. I'd heard that London had some nice shopping, and a trip to the beach might be nice. With plenty of sun cream, of course.
We pulled up to a small bungalow. Obviously Amy's father lived alone. The sun cast shadows across the front lawn, giving it a slightly eerie look. Amy shuddered.
"Is this it?" Dimitri asked her.
"Yeah. Sadly."
"Well, we'll wait out here for a moment. I wouldn't be surprised if your dad wants some alone time." She steeled herself and wandered up the driveway, trainers slapping against the ground ominously. My own words came back to me.
How bad could it be? Quickly, I warned Dimitri. Good thing, too.
So, who do you guys think Amy looks like? Review please!
