Chapter 24
Mr Ari and Elena were sitting tired at a table, sighing for the umpteenth time, as their ears ached because of the incessant and uncomfortable dialogue between Karlheinz and the Glass Lady, who still kept smiling, but the wrinkles around her eyes showed the annoyance she was feeling.
- Have they always been like that? - Elena asked as she watched them converse intensely, perplexed.
- From the rumours I've heard, it seems they've been bickering since the Glass Lady was in the cradle.
- Do they have a huge age gap? – she asked, this time curiously.
- If you keep in mind that Karlheinz - Mr Ari grimaced – is more than two thousand years old and the Glass Lady is considered among those closer to his age...
Elena's eyes widened, while she recorded in her mind his words and numbers with three or four zeros floated in confusion.
In the meantime, Mary and the others had arrived and, hearing those familiar voices from the front door, she realized that they had a very bad timing; Reiji, recognizing his father's calm and authoritative voice (with the typical mocking undertone), wondered how much time had passed since the last time he had heard him discuss so animatedly.
Shuu had taken on a deeply annoyed expression (like most of his brothers), while the Mukamis had either raised an eyebrow or tilted their head, confused by the two titans politely sniping at each other; as soon as they reached the hall where Mr Ari had greeted them with a "What bad timing", they thought they would have rather dealt with the hunters a little longer.
Of course, the Sakamaki brothers would have preferred anything else than facing Karlheinz; Ayato, Kanato and Laito showed the most annoyed expressions, whereas Subaru, on the contrary to what someone would have expected, was observing the Glass Lady, surprised by her ability to stand up to his father.
- Mother – Mark murmured to get her attention.
- Not now, my dear son, I'm talking - the woman replied quickly, pausing the discussion after excusing herself to the Vampire King and relaxing a little as she saw her son.
The young man exchanged glances with the twin, in front of the curious vampires, and tried again to call his mother.
- Mother…
- Mark, it's not polite... – the Glass Lady turned again to him, after having apologized for the interruption with Karlheinz, facing a pair of puppy eyes.
The corners of her mouth lowered slightly, still cracking a smile, and her eyes narrowed.
Mark blinked, his sweet gaze standing against her strict one.
His mother sighed, smiling a little amused and at the same time severe.
- Just because you aren't wrong that it wouldn't be good to go on, but I won't tolerate this attitude of your otherwise, my dear son, you're not a spoiled child. Karl, - she turned back to the vampire, who smiled a little disappointed not to be able to linger longer in that pleasant conversation - I'm sorry, we must end it here.
That "I'm sorry" sounds so bad, Mary thought perplexed, high fiving her brother and at the same time stroking Shuu's hand, who had just wrapped his arms around her shoulders to rest head against hers, sleepy.
The Glass Lady approached them, smiling reassuringly.
- Mark has already told me that you are all in excellent health, even if... – she observed Yui intensely, a flash of concern in her aquamarine irises - My dear, you seem quite exhausted. Why don't you ask Mrs Elena to give you something to relax, please?
The girl blinked, blushing slightly, and nodded her head, as Ayato wrapped an arm around her waist, leading her to said woman, grumbling something like "See, Chichinashi, I told you that you looked strange!".
- Mary, my lavender flower, I think the Reaper has had a bad effect on her... - the woman stated, looking at her daughter who nodded.
- I hadn't noticed, but it is likely that Yui, since she's just become a vampire, couldn't hold up the vibrations that the Reaper radiates...
- What are you talking about? - Reiji asked, preceding Ruki, both of them interested in the subject, whereas Shuu yawned, the other Sakamaki brothers assumed confused expressions and the Mukami listened curiously; in the meantime Yui and Ayato had joined them back, the first sipping a tea and the second frowning.
- Reapers are demonic creatures that love to infest the human world in particular, even though they are originally from the Demon World - Karlheinz explained, approaching them; the Sakamakis' discomfort was obvious, not used to such confidence - Among their various features, they also have the ability to emit energy flows that interact with the nervous system, causing tiredness, nausea or any other symptom that causes discomfort or weakens the target. They have more effect on human beings and thus Eve, as she was human once, has suffered from it.
Karlheinz was smiling and looking with indecipherable eyes at the biological and foster sons, one by one; they couldn't explain why they were feeling strange shivers.
And Ruki, Shuu, Reiji, Laito and Azusa did notice the bitter expression that the Glass Lady had shown when he had pronounced the name "Eve".
Yui kept her head bent over the cup and murmured, unheard by everyone:
- I don't like being so weak... - her voice only reached Ayato's ears, who squeezed her side with his hand, and Mark's, who smiled as he was elaborating a secret plan in his mind.
- Back to us - the Glass Lady spoke again, interrupting the sudden silence, making Theo to startle - As I had already mentioned, the hunters have given you some big problems... and there is nothing left but to leave this city, as others will arrive very soon, probably.
The vampires didn't widen their eyes in surprise: they knew that sooner or later they would have to move elsewhere, for whatever reason; the only thing that had surprised them was the discovery of the unhealthy projects that the hunters had developed to make themselves stronger and able to fight vampires, demons, magicians or hybrids.
Although Ayato, or Kanato, or Subaru, or Yuuma, hardly admitted it, everyone had come to a conclusion: with those hunters either you were going to die or you were prepared to face them, considering all their possible and unlikely trump cards; it didn't matter how much strong they were, they had to study strategies and use themselves "tricks" to win.
Shuu snorted bored, clutching at Mary, and mumbled how much it bothered him, as Reiji gritted his teeth saying that for once he agreed with his brother; Laito chuckled and wondered where they would have been sent to and if he would have meet some beautiful ladies, Kanato smiled disturbingly that such "young ladies" could have been added to his collection of dolls; Subaru and Kou looked at the latter in disgust, whereas Azusa tugged at Yuuma's, absorbed in his thoughts, as if he was looking for something he had forgotten in his memory. Ayato murmured that it wouldn't have bothered him as long as he was with Yui, sure no one was listening to him; she lifted her raspberry-coloured eyes on him and smiled, making him blush and stutter embarrassed that he had said nothing.
Karlheinz carefully watched the eldest son and the girl, then the other son pouting at Yui; the corner of his mouth bent into a smug smile, glared at by the Glass Lady, as she was also stared at by Ruki, whose mind had been working for quite a while on some hypotheses...
- Glass Lady, I suppose you intend to send them to our town - Morten suggested, caressing a little plant on a table and ignoring Mr Ari's mumbled reproach, as a second later he had to retract his fingers so that they wouldn't get chomped off by that plant.
- Exactly, Morten-kun. Yes, Mary, my dear daughter, it's time for you to come back home - the woman stressed, staring intently at her daughter who had been about to argue, looking down slightly frustrated.
I don't feel like coming back there yet...
Shuu, feeling the discomfort of his beloved, rubbed her shoulder with his fingers, making his father smile even more, satisfied that his plans were proceeding for the best.
Creepy, was the thought of all the vampires in noticing Karlheinz's expression.
He cleared his throat and added:
- I have already asked some familiars to transfer your most indispensable personal effects - at this word Laito clicked his tongue, sure that much of his stuff had simply been discarded in the trash (you can well imagine what) - in the house where you will be staying at temporarily.
- I hope you weren't referring to me with "familiar" – Mr Ari muttered, refraining from calling him with some not so decent epithets, then turning to the vampires - I personally went to your houses to collect what might be useful during the journey in some suitcase and got each of you a clean change of clothes to wear before leaving... and as I see I did a good job, so I hope you'll forgive my indiscretion - he concluded, looking at them from top to bottom: their clothes were torn, dirty and worn. Before they could even open their mouths, not clear whether to protest or to thank him, Mr Ari had already turned away and locked himself in a room after showing where the shower was.
- You'll leave tonight with a train going to Hachinohe, where... you'll be guided by Mary - the Glass Lady briefly summarized, smiling at her daughter who blinked perplexed and then jumped and looked at the twin and the two friends.
- We're not going together?! – she snapped, as Theo giggled massaging the back of his neck, Mark lowered his head in an apologetic gesture and Morten, snorting, sank his index finger on her forehead.
- Look, we're going to hinder some hunter, we're not going on holiday! You're gonna be all comfortable on the train, while we're gonna save our ass from getting kicked!
Mary curled her lips, pouting, unable to protest, and let Shuu whisper in her ear that it would have been better this way: they could have spent all the time to sleep quietly; the brothers looked at him not surprised, Kou raised an eyebrow and Ruki rubbed his nose bridge, muttering something under his breath, as Azusa kept on trying to draw Yuuma's attention, who couldn't remember that thing that seemed so much important yet.
The Glass Lady smiled at the vampires and elegantly bowed her head, bidding them farewell and wishing them a safe journey, and informed them that she and Karlheinz would have gone to the Demon World to resolve particular sensitive issues: they wouldn't have been reachable for a while of time. The woman and the vampire exchanged a knowing look (someone would have sworn to have seen a hint of annoyance in her) and they left whispering to each other, towards the exit.
Silence fell, and everyone looked at each other, then dropped their eyes on Elena, who had remained aloof to observe them; she blushed and quickly set off for a table to rummage through an inner drawer, pulling out two glass bottles and approaching Mary to deliver them to her.
- You do know what are these, don't you?
Mary sighed and nodded, turning the two objects between her fingers; Elena smiled bitterly and turned to the three boys who were awaiting orders from her, as she had been instructed to direct their intervention in that city.
- Let's proceed with the mission: Morten, inspects from above; Mark, listen to their conversations; Theo, interfere with their means of communication and displacement.
The three nodded and, after bidding Mary and the vampires farewell, took their leave.
- We'll see each other in the hospital, Mary-chan - he smiled and disappeared into a cloud of green steam, the girl moving it away from her by waving her hand, annoyed.
Mr Ari had left the room and had stopped to look at them, annoyed.
- Well? Get ready and scram as soon as possible!
We're in a good mood today, huh?, Mary thought, not listening to the irritated or resentful comments of some vampires.
- I LEFT THAT DAMNED HAMSTER IN THE GARDEN! – Yuuma suddenly yelled, making everyone jump out of surprise, except for Mary who looked at him, blinking impassively, and pointed at her own hair.
- Actually, it has always been here...
And the same hamster came out of her hair, under the wide opened eyes (and mouths) of them all.
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
