Chapter 3
When we finally stopped it was in a village filled with various people, all Europeans. Connor got out first and walks determinedly straight towards an older house. He ignored me.
"Don't mind him. He has a family to worry about, unlike us three." Jessica touched my arm.
"Oh…" That comment drew my mind back to my drunkard mother. She won't have me to hold her hair while she pukes or tuck her into bed. She won't have me to console her on the rare occasion she's sober and thinking about my father.
"What's wrong?"
I blinked twice and looked away from Jessica, "just thinking about my mom."
"Oh. Why did you…"
"I was kinda forced to by a group of," I said a few colorful insults and cuss words.
"Oh. Well, come on I'll take you to my place." She smiled at me and lead me over to a small house.
The house was furnished with lavish carpets and comfortable looking chairs and sofas. My eyes drooped just seeing the biggest sofa with fluffy cushions and pillows and a big soft blanket.
Jessica saw me staring at the couch and a look of mocking enjoyment crossed her face, "Everyone loves the couch."
I shook my head and turned to look at her, "do you have any other clothes I could borrow? These are kind of dirty… and…" I looked at the stains.
"Yeah sure, go upstairs into the first room on the left and wait in there, also thats the guest room. You can stay there."
"Thank you." I walked up the stairs and into the room.
Jessica appeared in the doorway holding a folded up shirt and pants. I took them and after she left, changed quickly. Now I wore a pair of black some what loose jeans and a bright blue t-shirt.
Jessica knocked and walked in not waiting for my answer, "Come on Vic and Sejiluan want to talk to you."
I walked down stairs trailing behind Jessica and saw both of the boys in their full profile. Sejiluan stood moderately tall and built like a swimmer, muscles, not big obnoxious ones (steroid users), he had wavy brown hair that fell in wisps down to the nape of his neck and was cut just above his brown eyes. Vic on the other hand, has dark hair and eyes that I had trouble describing their color and sheen. He had the same body profile and stood about as high as Sejiluan. They both just stood watching us.
Awkward much?
"So uh," I looked at them, "what's up?"
"What is your full name Cassandra?" Sejiluan cut right to the chase.
"Cassandra Nicole Kasai Greens? Is that important?"
"You were right Vic, she is familiar." Jessica sighed and turned gently banging her head on the wall, "of course! Just after her brother's death."
"How did you know about that?" I stared at her. I honestly hope I wasn't being stalked by creepy people from over the atlantic ocean, not to mention I'd never met any of them before.
"He was one of us," Vic looked at the wall, "and damned good one."
"He was following after your father," Jessica continued, "almost killed that jerk Vladimir but the vampire pulled out one of his tricks and…" she trailed off.
"And?"
"And we ended up finding his body with chunks of mouth sized flesh missing from almost everywhere on his body and his head… he head wasn't there."
My breath caught. My dad had died when I was very, very, young and about three years ago my brother had followed suite, disappearing. I felt myself begin shuddering, tears threatening to break down the barrier I had stowed in my mind since dad left. I gulped down the lump in my throat and let my emotions flow through my brain and out. In and out. In and out. In and out Cassandra thats all you have to do.
"What about my father?"
"He was killed by one of Vlad's closest assassins. Another vampire but not a pureblood. His name is Dison."
"Oh…" I weaved through my mind in order to figure out what I should or should not ask, "So Vladimir? A… a…" I couldn't bring myself to say the word and aknowledge it was was true that those things existed and so far by what I've seen, they aren't exactly as lovey dovey as Edward. But the one I'd seen would be happy to be a bit of a… well a pervert.
"Yes they do exist, and yes we are the people who hunt and kill them, no they do not die from garlic, they don't sparkle, they can enter houses, but they can die from almost any type of silver weapon. Also, if you fall in love with one it's most likely you'll end up dead or being used as a toy until you wish you were dead. In other words, the books are all wrong." Sejiluan grinned at me.
"I don't read vampire stories. They always seemed too cliche."
"Smart girl," Sejiluan grinned at me again and then turned towards the doorway, "subject change, Connor's here."
That Connor guy walked in. He looked at us and then at Jessica, "New mission."
"I'll stay here with Cassandra." Jessica looked at him defiantly.
"Jess not this again," Connor looked annoyed. Again?
"You don't control me. Go do your mission I'll watch Cassandra," Jessica looked at him, "isn't it urgent? Go go go!"
She shoved the three of them out and slammed the door.
I eyed her, "you aren't going?"
"No. Connor thinks hes the leader of the group sometimes its good to remind him he doesn't control us." she smiled slightly.
"You like annoying him?"
"A lot." She didn't offer an explanation.
"Oh."
"Well then is there some other things you need or want to know about..."
"What are you people?"
"You mean the three idiotic teenage boys and me?" I nodded, "we're slayers. We spend our lives killing the heartless creatures and trying to kill the older, pureblood ones. So far only one of our ranks have killed a pureblood."
"Who?"
"Your brother killed the pureblood known as Rosetta Le Fae. She had established control on several cities and was spreading. She could control someone with a skin to skin touch. That compared with her vampirism and her regretfully amazing looks made her extremely dangerous. Your brother got fake captured and in the night while she was," Jessica paused and I saw her searching for a word, "playing with him, he killed her. Quick and quiet."
"Are all vampires perverts?"
Jessica barked out a laugh, "as far as we've seen yes."
"Why?"
"I have a few theories but I honestly don't know."
"What are they?"
Jessica paused, "side effect to feeding, boredom, living a few hundred years, something implanted deep in their culture or rotted brains or something."
"Aren't most vampires from the age where doing that wasn't proper?"
"Yes."
"So shouldn't they think that would be stupid or disgraceful or something?"
"Not all vampires are that Virtuous Cassandra, most try to stay with the times. Also, you would get bored of being cooped up somewhere with out any manner of amusement but books, wouldn't you?"
"They have TVs, gameboys, DSI, playstation, MP3 players,"
"Vampires and technology don't go together."
"Why?"
"You are so american. First you have to know, when they feed, they aren't just drinking blood. They are taking the life energy inside of it. Its this life energy that allows them to be stronger, faster and live longer. No they aren't immortal but they live for a few millennia so they basically are. Life energy when built up has its own physical, psychic and scientific tole. In other words, it messes with radio waves and electricity."
"Damn..."
"That's what we've come up with at least."
"Still. Damn."
"If you are wondering, we do have plants at many pureblood shelters, I guess you could say. They inform us all they can without being caught. I've gone on a spy mission before and I can tell you it is hard."
"Why are you a slayer?"
"That is hard to answer," she sighed, "your brother was one because your father was and he had a bond with Connor. Vic and Sejiluan were raised from birth in the mindset of hunting so they were roughly shoved in the direction of slayer. I... I want to find the vampire that killed my family. I was to pin it to a wall and kill it. I want to make it regret every life its ever taken. The best way to do that is to get information. I get that information from being a slayer."
"Oh..." I thought for a second, "Connor?"
"His father was a slayer. He has two younger sisters and his mother, when his father was killed in battle he started taking care of his family. His father has trained him some but he got most of it from a pro slayer from America."
"My father..."
"Yes. Your father trained both Connor and your brother to become slayers."
"Were you close to Jack?" Jack is my brother's name.
"No. I hardly knew him."
"What about my dad?"
"Adam? Like your brother, I didn't know him too well."
Adam Jason Nathanael Greens was my father. Before this whole mess I knew him as a business man. My brother, Jack Kenton Michael Greens, was always traveling with my father. My mom and I assumed he was just going to be apprenticing to my dad to learn about his work.
"So, you guys all hate vampires and pretty much want to destroy them. That totally works."
"You shouldn't judge."
"I'm not judging!"
"Whatever," Jessica stood and walked back into the room I classified as kitchen/ dining room, "I'll make food."
After a few hours of eating and talking and yawning I finally settled myself to bed.
Vampires. Vampires and vampire hunters and my dad and Jack knew about it. Mom is probably drunk to drunk passed out somewhere. Vampires are real.
I sighed and rolled over. Closing my eyes I allowed myself to sleep. And to dream.
Morning came in sheets of pink, orange, and yellow. I heard talking down stairs and after attempting to brush my hair settled into just letting it fall in normal messy sheets. At least its not an aphro.
I walked downstairs and say Jessica talking with Vic on the godly couch and Connor about to yell at Sejiluan. I stepped down the stair and everyone fell silent staring at me.
"Should I wait upstairs?"
"Its fine Cassandra. I made bacon." I walked down smelling the salty heavenly bacon smell.
Jessica passed me a plate and I took it, unable to keep myself from drooling. Digging into the plate I heard Vic start talking to Connor and Sejiluan plopped down next to me.
I sat after finishing the plate and was silent and awkward. Jessica took my now empty plate and brought it back into the kitchen. I once again sat silently.
"So Cassie, enjoying discovering the secret world of blood sucking demons?"
"Oh yes Seji, very pleasant." I looked at Sejiluan, pouring sarcasm tinted with annoyance at being called "Cassie" into my voice.
Jessica let out a snort and kept up her cleaning of the dishes. I fell silent again.
Connor stood something buzzing in his pocket. He pulled it out and his face flattened,emotionless, "mission. Hacking required Jessica you, Vic and Sejiluan go. I'll stay and make sure the girl doesn't get killed or kidnapped."
"The girl has a name." I muttered. Jessica looked at Connor than to Vic and nodded. The three of them left and Connor and I sat in perfect unperturbed silence. Yay.
"So..." I trailed off attempting to strike up a conversation but the awkward silence returned.
"I'm sorry I've been... Not exactly the nicest with you lately."
That's an understatement.
"It's fine I'm used to that type of prejudice, bias, shunning from jerk faced pride-blinded boys."
"You dont have to make it seem that bad." He eyed me. I saw his face tint with anger. Jessica was right. It is fun to annoy him.
I stood and then sat down again, trying to determine what to do. He said seemed just as awkward as I felt.
"Well um. Do you mind if I explore the town?"
"Be back before nightfall." Connor seemed glad I was leaving.
I walked out feeling my temper rapidly growing. What the hell is his problem?! Why does he hate me?
I wandered until I found a beautiful fountain with pure blue water pouring from the top. It was so perfect it looked like a diamond. I stood staring for a few movements until I caught a flicker of light brown and pink. I looked down and saw a little girl. She had light brown hair held into pigtails by two light pink ribbons and she was wearing a blue overall dress and a pink T-shirt.
"Hi!" Her cute voice shrilled, "you are Cassandra." She pronounced my name in distinct syllables.
"Um, how do you know me?" I looked down at her still prancing around my legs.
"Connor doesn't stop talking about you," so she's his little sister, Connor talks about me? The little girl contained talking, "and he says you're just as beautiful as he remembers and that since you two met he's always thought of you. He keeps talking about how perfect you are, you are really pretty."
"Wait. What?"
"Kelly! You weren't supposed to tell her that!" Another girl came running over and clapped a hand over the younger one's (Kelly's) mouth. I studied the new comer.
She was older than Kelly. My guess for her was ten, Kelley five. In contrast to both Connor and Kelly she had blond hair that was held back in two braids. She wore an outfit identical to Kelly's.
"Oops." Kelly giggled.
I kneels to face the two of them, "now why do I have to do to get you two to tell me?"
The older girl giggled.
"Play with us! Right Lillie?"
"Yeah!" Lily grinned at me.
"Ok what do you want to play?
The two girls looked at each other than in unison said, "truth or dare!"
I sighed. I guess. It won't kill me.
"Truth. I answered a few hours later. Like usual they misheard me to say "dare."
"You should put on a poofy dress!" Kelly grinned at me then ran into the bowls of her closet. She came out with a princess dress and threw it at me. Lily giggled. I sighed and complied. Lillie looked at me, "this is getting boring Kelly. Let's play princess."
I took off the dress as Lily and Kelly started explaining the rules. I looked outside and saw the sun was setting.
"I'm sorry girls , I've got to go. Its getting late."
"Come play with us again!" They begged grabbing my clothes and "please please please"ing. I nodded in agreement and left the house, the girls, an the tall blonde haired woman, Katherine, (Connor's mom) behind.
I walked, increasingly aware of the setting sun. I quickened my pace and reached Jessica's house just as the final rays of sun fell below the horizon.
I glanced around and pushed the door open. I stepped inside the firelit living room and saw Connor standing the same place he had been. It was kind of awkward actually.
"And, where were you?"
"I was walking. Like I told you." I glanced at him.
"You're lying."
"No I'm not."
"I've been interrogating prisoners since I was ten." he eyed me then shrugged, "fine. Don't tell me."
I didn't look at him. I just walked upstairs and plopped down on the bed. And I drifted to a dreamy sleep.