Chapter 16.
The world stops for a moment.
"They…you're…my…our…family, created strigoi?" he gives a small nod.
I lean back in my chair trying to comprehend what he has just told me. "How, how did they create them?" I can't stop myself from stuttering. If this, my family, created strigoi I can understand why the Moroi world would want them wiped out.
"It's complicated. A mix of spells and black magic and the like." He says. Well, isn't this a turn of events. A few days ago I was from a non-royal 'common' family that no one knew or cared about. Now, not only am I from a family that used witchcraft instead of elemental magic, but they were killed and the events hidden from history by the very people who sort to destroy the ones who first created strigoi. My head reels and I feel faint.
"I think I need a drink" I say. I can feel my heart beating in my ears, the world spins and I can't concentrate on a single detail. Danahi gets up and heads to the bathroom, returning with a cup half filled with water. I sip cautiously as the world returns to normal, or as normal as it can be.
After a few moments I gather my bearings and look to Danahi who keeps glancing at his watch.
"Somewhere you need to be?" I say nonchalantly. He looks up to me and his face wears his usual smirk.
"Yeah. I have to check in with my sources about the book" he gives me a knowing look. I'm not sure I want to know who his 'Sources' are.
After reassuring him that I'm okay, he quickly and quietly leaves the room.
I sink into my chair as far as I can and turn back to the computer. I don't know whether I should reply to Dads email or not. It might avoid him being curious about why I thought I was adopted. On second thought he might be even more curious and pressing if I don't reply. I don't need him showing up at the school with Danahi here.
I stare at my father's words for a few moments before I start to type.
'I was just wondering. I couldn't help but thinking how I look nothing like you or mum and I just thought I should ask.'
I press send. Again, it short and straight to the point and with any luck he won't reply and the conversation will be over. To my complete surprise I get a reply moments later.
'Well that's understandable. You look more like my brother then me. The resemblance is uncanny.'
My dad is actually having a conversation with me? More to the point, I look like his brother? I didn't even know he had a brother. If I look like him, could he be a part of the Nesahla too?
'I didn't know you had a brother. I've never met him and mum doesn't mention him either.'
This is probably the first time I've ever had a full conversation with my father in years. It continues to surprise me when he replies again.
"That's because he passed away a few months after you were born. He was killed by strigoi. Your resemblance to him threw me off for years which is why I haven't bothered talking about him. You both had the same colour hair and eyes. Though I would say the only trait you didn't get from him was the birthmark."
The way he talks about his sibling, makes me think he resents me for looking like him.
'What sort of birthmark?'
I don't have any sort of birthmark. Neither does my father from what I know.
'He had a birthmark on his shoulder shaped like an E. I have one similar, though I was surprised when you were born without one.
Your mother says hi and I apologise I can't talk further, I have to work.'
My dad has a birthmark on his shoulder? Somewhere in the back on my mind I feel like I should know or remember something about the mark but I cant put my finger on it.
Well for once my father actually had a normal conversation with me. It sort of makes sense now why I felt like he resented me for something. I look like his brother.
After realising its almost time for class, I race around to getting my books packed.
It's hard with all this information going through my head. I quickly scrub my teeth and give an aggressive brush to my hair and shove it up in a bun, though a few tendrils escape and hang down the back on my neck and face. I put on my black jeans and a blue top then head out to find Max. I don't run into him until class, which gave me a bit more time to be alone and actually process everything that has happened, this is definitely not the kind of information I'll be sharing with Max, or with anyone else for that matter.
When I walk into class, Max is sitting a few rows back with his head tilted down, trying to finish some homework. I gaze at him from the door, not quite ready to interrupt him. He looks good today. His hair is tussled and damp, his eyebrows are burrowed in thought. He has his hand to his head, massaging his temples and his lips are pursed. He looks adorable. Vaguely I'm aware of a slight fluttering in my stomach as I stare at him. I miss him. I mean what we do now is amazing, but we can't guarantee that it will stay like that forever. Eventually he might find someone else's. The though makes my eyes burn and an ache forms in my chest.
I sigh and head up to sit next to him. He doesn't look up until I sit down. He definitely was concentrating. He looks at me weirdly, like he is panicked for some reason.
"Oh hey, I didn't see you come in." he rushes the words. What's wrong with him?
"Yeah you were fairly invested in your homework" I give a slight laugh. He doesn't smile back or anything. His eyes flit between mine and he looks back down at his work.
"Yeah, um sorry,"
"Hey, what's wrong, are you ok?" I put my hand on his shoulder and he tenses for a moment.
"Yeah, just a lot of stuff going through my mind." He says.
Throughout our classes, he continues to be distracted. I don't know what's going on with him and this worries me. Usually he would tell me or it would just go away but he seems to be getting more stressed as the day goes on.
After our last class I can't take it anymore. We are heading to my room and I turn to him. He is wringing his hands like he does when he is nervous.
"Ok, what's wrong? And don't say nothing. Your fiddling with your hands, you have hardly spoken all day and you didn't eat." Even though we had managed a visit to the feeders, he didn't have much and seemed uninterested for the whole time. He usually manages to get down a weeks' worth of food but not today.
He stares at me for a few moments, then to my surprise, he steps forwards and take my head in his hands and kisses me. Softly at first. He looks back at me and searches in my eyes, his are alight with some sort of longing and nervous energy. He still holds my head and his thumb strokes my cheek. I feel the little fluttering again and I blush. When I do, he gives a small smile. Well at least I've had some sort of victory.
"Max, what's wrong" I say softly.
He takes his time answering me. He's hesitating. When he does, he rushes out the words, like they can't come out fast enough or he just wants it to be over quickly.
"I want you to be my girlfriend again Vienna. I miss you and I don't want to risk the chance of losing you." He says.
I stand there, pretty surprised, considering he never gave any sort of hints to this. Where did it come from? I search his face, he looks completely sincere. The fluttering continues in my stomach but I think of the thoughts I had earlier today. That I didn't want to lose him either, that the thought of him being someone else's made my heart ache.
I reach for his hand, lace my fingers between his and squeeze. He glances down and then looks back to me.
"Of course I will." I quickly stand on my tip toes to hug him. He breathes a sigh of relief and he puts his arms around my waist tightly. I've missed that. I close my eyes for a moment and allow myself a second in complete comfort. We stand like that for a few more moments before he releases me and grabs my hand again and kisses it.
"Thank you" he whispers. We hug again but this time I rest my head on his chest, just below his shoulder.
We head back to my room and curl up with a movie, although neither of us are focusing on what we put on, its just all noise in the background right now. I lay on Max's chest and listen to his heart beat, I feel the rise and fall of his chest as he breathes. His fingers comb through my hair relaxing me, I've needed this after this mornings bombshell of information. Eventually the calm completely takes me over it and I succumb to sleep.
I wake in the middles of the night, completely wrapped up and safe in Max's arms. I smile up at his cute, peaceful face. I close my eyes again and try to find the nights peace but it's interrupted when I hear a soft knock at the door. I sit up slowly, so as not to wake Max up. It's probably Danahi and I do not need Max pressing me with questions. I feel a slight pang of guilt at not telling Max what's going on but I push it down as I try to climb out of bed.
The knocks continue until I open the door and I find Danahi standing in front of me but not as his usual self. He goes to rush into my room but when he sees Max, his eyes widen in surprise and he slinks back out slowly and I follow him.
"What the hell are you doing here? It's late!" it's only when we fully step out in the hall and shut the door, do I notice his face. His eyes are dark and circles fill the skin under them, he keeps glancing around the hall, like he doesn't want people to see him.
"I needed to talk to you. I wouldn't have interrupted if I knew you were with your boyfriend." He says, still glancing around. "Have you told him? Did you tell him anything?" he almost sounds frantic. What could make him frantic?
"No, of course I haven't, why? What's going on?"
"You have to make sure no one finds out Vienna. This is important. I know you think you can trust him and he might not tell anyone, but it's not worth risking your life to tell him. He can't know. No one can." He's staring at me desperately. What's wrong with him?
"Danahi, what's wrong?" I say seriously. He takes a step back when I say his name.
"We have a problem."
"What sort of problem?" I say slowly. This doesn't sound good.
"One of my sources, who is getting the book, overheard some rumours." He whispers.
"What sort of rumours?" I tense.
"Someone, another Nesahla, I don't know who, was discovered and killed."