Children of Van Helsing

Chapter Forty-six - Surprise

Regina

I didn't know what he did, but the worst pain wasn't because of his teeth in my neck. It was like he had penetrated my mind - the room disappeared and I ended up in a traumatic world, my worst nightmares, my worst feared, all around me, tearing me apart. I saw my sisters, dead in a corner, I saw Lily and Ian, with ripped open throats, I saw hundreds of spirits chasing me. I saw Mickael, reaching for me, and there was nobody there to help me. I was all alone.

The delusionary nightmares stopped as soon as he had stopped biting me and I fell back on the couch, panting, tears in my eyes. Nicholas calmly wiped his mouth and straightened his shirt, as if nothing had happened. He looked sophisticated and relaxed. Like a true gentleman.

But he sure as hell wasn't one.

"What..." I managed to say.

He raised his eyebrows, as if didn't know what I was talking about, and then he smiled, realising what I was talking about.

"Oh, you wonder what happened?"

I nodded, trembling over my entire body. He moved towards me on the couch - probably to have a conversation in an easier way - but I moved away, nearly fell over the armrest and slid of the couch, on the floor. I quickly crawled backwards a bit and stayed put, tensed, waiting for him to move or speak. He sighed.

"Alright, we'll talk like this." He said, quickly inspecting his mouth in a mirror on the other side of the room. There wasn't any blood left on it, so he continued. "You see, I used to have close connections with sirens..."

"Sirens?" I interrupted him, still out of breath.

He frowned. "Yes. You don't know about them?" I shook my head. "That does not surprise me, they look human, so you wouldn't notice if you met one. Then again, they are not the creatures you hunt, so it doesn't really matter."

"But what..."

His smile managed to shut me up. "Patience, Regina. Patience is a virtue. I hadn't finished yet. As I was saying, I used to have close connections with sirens and one, particularly lovely, I might add, granted me the ability of showing one's worst fears when I bite him or her. I found it very... Useful."
"I think a better word is 'horrible'." I said panting.

He threw his head back and laughed. "You truly are a remarkable woman! I'm glad my brother kept you alive."

Thank you?

I decided not to come up with some witty answer which would most likely get me killed and just got up unstably, using the wall behind me. Nicholas just watched in silence - his look made me uncomfortable.

"So now what?" I asked as calmly as I could.

He shrugged - a gesture which didn't really suit him. "I wouldn't know. Not much, I suppose. We'll be leaving soon, so all there is to do is wait." He smiled at me. "Dull, isn't it?"

"Terribly." I mumbled sarcastically.

There it was again, that smile, which looked so friendly, but set me off more than it should. I just didn't know whether he was smiling because he found me amusing, or if he was planning on something. I couldn't read him.

"Would you like something to drink?" He suddenly asked.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"I asked if you wanted something to drink."

"I don't... know."

He shrugged again. "Suit yourself. Don't blame me if you get thirsty later on."