Chapter 6 ~ Closing in on the secret

This was not how Isabel had imagined the beginning of this night. Disoriented, because she had been brutally torn out of her day death, she tried to keep her eyes open. The sun would not set for half an hour! So, why, in Jesus' name, was she awake?

Exactly at that moment she felt again the power that was the reason for it – it had been Godric and he was calling her again! Something bad must have happened, for he had never done anything like this in all the years since she had been serving under him. With a suppressed groan, she rose from her temporary bed and dressed as quickly as her heavy limbs would allow. Shortly thereafter, she left the room and followed Godric's call, which reliably led her towards the pool room, which was located in the rear inner part of the mansion.

A feeling of unease spread through her as she approached her destination, but her thoughts were still too lazy to draw the right conclusions. Cursing her still too young age, which did not allow her to completely shake off the call of the sun, she stumbled towards the room. How could she help Godric with his problem if she was still wandering around like a zombie for the next 26 minutes?

Come on! That little bit of sunshine is not going to stop me!

Inhaling and exhaling deeply, she struggled on and finally stumbled into the bluish shimmering indoor pool room.

At the scene that opened before her eyes, her brain seemed to go back to a state of complete rigidity. She had expected everything, but not that she would find her sheriff – her completely wet sheriff – bent over the scantily clad and also wet Ava. And even less that the shy and innocent child was about to pull his mouth to her lips.

"What happened, Godric?"

Godric seemed to have heard her question despite his obvious focus on Ava's lips, for Isabel saw his body tense up and free itself from Ava with a quick movement. In the blink of an eye, he was standing next to her and while Isabel tried to put her thoughts in order, she heard a low hissing that sounded clearly angry but also pained. Confused, she alternately looked at Godric and the young girl who was about to slowly stand up and turning to face the two vampires.

"Godric? What is going on here?"

He blinked a few times, as if he had just woken up from some kind of sleep or trance, but his voice was firm and his tone as calm as ever.

"Well, I think we are a little closer to unveiling our guest's secret. Look at her eyes, Isabel."

"Her- Oh, wow."

She had seldom seen such clear ice crystal blue eyes. It gave Ava a whole new expression! Next to her, she heard her sheriff snort and turned to him again, but without taking her eyes off the girl entirely.

"'Oh, wow'? Isabel, what kind of comment is that? You are not usually so short-spoken while sharing your opinions."

"Sorry, Sheriff, but I do not usually get woken up early if the night has not started yet..."

"Ah, yes. I guess that is why."

Godric sounded amused, but Isabel realized his attention was entirely focused on Ava. Isabel knew it might not be her concern, but last night her sheriff had made it clear that he expected her to pay the utmost attention. And so she decided to ask the question that was normally off limit to ask.

"How long before sundown do you normally awake, Godric?"

She whispered her question so softly that Ava should not hear it. And it was a simple question. But the knowledge behind it could be dangerous. Isabel did not really believe he would answer it honestly. Sure, they had known each other for several centuries by now and she was not only his second in command, but also one of the few confidants with whom he liked to share the nights without exception and not, as in Stan's case, to keep an eye on him. But he would not reveal such a secret voluntarily, especially not in front of a human whose secret they had not yet discovered and where they were not completely sure that she had a refined hearing.

"Had I not awaken at the time I did, she would either have drowned or been something else entirely by now," Godric replied at an equally imperceptible volume.

And… okay, that was cryptic and completely what Isabel had expected. But she did not get a chance to think about it any further because Godric kept talking. Only this time he addressed the young girl still standing in front of them with a strange expression on her face like she could not decide whether to cry or be angry.

"How have you forced your will on me, Ava? And why did you want to kiss me? What is the point of this behavior?"

Isabel saw a frown spread across the girl's face. Her mouth opened as if she was beginning to speak, but then her lips closed again without saying a word and the expression in her eyes changed. It was as if another spirit was diving into her, for at that very moment her whole posture changed. If her body tension had been free of any uncertainty before, now her shoulders fell forward and she embraced herself with her arms. Fascinated, Isabel watched as Ava tried to make herself smaller and was about to walk towards her to calm her down when Godric mutely told her with a clear gesture that he would conduct the conversation and that she should only act as a witness.

"Who are you?"

Crystal blue eyes focused on Godric's face and the frowning increased.

"But- I'm Ava. I already told you that, didn't I?"

"You see, that I cannot believe. The girl Ava I met is not acting on libidinous impulses."

"I… What? What did I do?"

Clearly shaking with nervousness, the girl's eyes wandered briefly across the water lazily drifting in the pool. Isabel saw a thought forming in the girl, and that it was not a pleasant one. She paled and began to tremble more. Then she looked at the sheriff again and almost had a pleading look in her eyes.

"Please, what have I done?"

Her voice sounded miserable and Isabel felt pity for the girl again.

"You don't remember?" the question slipped out of her mouth, but Isabel immediately stopped again and looked at Godric, who stood motionless with his hands entwined behind his back. Just a second later he slowly began to walk the few steps towards her. Clearly inside the human's comfort zone he stopped and kept looking at her still slightly trembling body. But the fact that the girl did not flinch and backed away spoke for the trust she had in him. But how would the conversation continue? Isabel was aware that Godric expected and would get all the answers that night. One way or another. She only hoped Ava would tell them on her own. Yesterday's Ava would have, but this undeniable change worried Isabel...

"After you regained consciousness, you tried to kiss me, little one."

The girl's eyes widened at his words and filled with an expression that screamed of guilt.

"I... I'm sorry! That was more than inappropriate, ancient one. Please forgive me..." she murmured at the end and hung her head.

Then she did something that Isabel had absolutely not expected and although he did not let on, she knew Godric well enough to know that he was surprised too. Ava lowered herself on her knees in a slow movement and raised her arms with her palms facing up in the universal gesture of submission of a supernatural being to a vampire. What exactly had happened in the past hours? Furthermore, she had called him ancient one!

Had it been able to do so, Isabel's heart would certainly have thundered with excitement and curiosity. But outwardly, she was calm and composed as always, waiting patiently to see what her sheriff would do next. To her amazement, he knelt down in front of the girl and grabbed her right wrist with his left hand.

"Apology accepted."

Then the characteristic sound of his fangs pushing out of his gums could be heard in the silence of the wide pool room and without further ado he bent over her forearm. For a brief moment Ava's face distorted as her skin was pierced and Godric's sharp fangs bored into her. Endless seconds passed. Isabel caught herself counting in her head and automatically looking for signs of weakness in Ava's body language to intervene if necessary. Because, to be honest, Dallas' second in command was very concerned about the girl at that moment. Her scent had changed as well. If it had been like that of a normal human the previous day, it was now like a refreshing breeze that was intensely alluring. Isabel was glad that despite the short time she had known the little one, she clearly had maternal feelings for the girl and was therefore well in control. But the question here was whether Godric could resist her? A few minutes ago he had seemed to be in a kind of trance and Isabel did not even want to imagine how tempting her blood must taste according to her scent!

But as always her worry was not necessary – she had never seen Godric lose his countenance since she knew him and it was no different that night. With a barely visible movement, he licked briefly over the bite wounds to stop the bleeding and then just looked at Ava again.

"Isabel," he interrupted her observation in a low, calm voice. "Join us."

"Of course."

Her feet carried her quickly to them and she settled down beside them unceremoniously. She noticed that Godric was still holding Ava's hand, even though it was now resting in his hand on his knee.

"Now then, tell us about yourself, Ava."

"Yeah, uhm… what exactly do you want to know? I-I don't really know where to start..."

From her voice, Isabel could tell that she was nervous. But whether it was because of the story itself or because of the changes since last night remained to be seen.

"What would happen if you went back into the water now? What has awakened in you?"

"I… I have no answer for your first question. But I think... well, it seems my heritage has awakened..."

Hearing that, several questions burned on Isabel's tongue, but she had not forgotten Godric's instruction. And so, whether she wanted to or not, she held herself back.

"Explain it. What heritage are you talking about?"

Isabel heard a quiet sigh from the girl, but then Ava began to slowly tell her tale.