Fear and Blood

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Rome walked back into the living room. Her parents and her twin brothers turned to look at her as she entered, all wearing the same serious expressions on their faces. Taking a deep breath, she sat down in one of the chairs facing them, feeling somewhat like she was on trial. She took a deep breath and sat down.

“What are you doing here Rome?” Her father asked. Green eyes, identical to hers, displayed the worry he felt for his only daughter. “You were meant to catch the train to our house on the cost in three days. We all thought you were still in the city.”

“I'm sorry,” Rome said, looking down at her hands, which she were folded in her lap. “I had to leave earlier than I expected. Ly, the man who I brought here, he needed my help and I couldn't just leave him.”

“Explain to us who this man is and why he ended up in our house with a gunshot wound to the shoulder,” Rome's mother, Mae, said sternly, giving her daughter a look that said she expected something really impressive or there would be serious consequences.

“His name is Ly Korben,” Rome began, accidentally using Ly's false last name but not bothering to correct herself. Her father had once been a vampire hunter, so she suspected he had heard the name Aleron before and she didn't want her family to know who Ly really was, not yet anyway. “He's my ancient history tutor at uni.”

“This is no time to try to be funny,” Rome's mother snapped. Mae Armida was usually calm and slow to anger. She hadn't even scolded the twins when they had broken three windows playing soccer in the house. Usually knowing that she was disappointed was enough to make any of her four children feel extremely guilty, but when her voice was this stern the family, even her husband, knew it was time to retreat. “A man almost bled to death in our kitchen and you expect us to believe he's just some boy from university?”

Rome cringed and began to tell her family the entire story, leaving out the part about Ly being the most powerful vampire in the country and the fact that, only hours ago, she had come face to face with a murderer. All she really told them was that Ly was framed for a crime he didn't commit and was shot trying to get away.

Mae looked furious, but there was little yelling at her daughter could do and there was no way she could turn away an injured person when they needed her help as much as Ly did. Clayton's face was as calm and composed as ever, though his eyes were slightly narrowed, indicating that he knew there was more to the story than Rome was letting on.

“I don't know what you were thinking Rome,” Mae said softly, shaking her head. “You know you shouldn't bring people here. This is a safe house for our family. No-one else is meant to know about it. You put us all in danger by bringing him here.”

“I'm really sorry,” Rome apologised again, only just realising her hands were shaking. A few hours ago she had almost been caught by the police, driving around a wanted man, but explaining this situation to her family was worse somehow. “I was hoping that this would end before any of you got involved. All Ly needs is a place to stay while he recovers, then he'll be out of here. I promise.”

“Well I guess we don't really have a choice,” Clayton said, leaning back in his chair but keeping his eyes fixed on Rome. “The boy can stay until he recovers, but you're to make sure he doesn't talk to anyone about this. We've been running from my hunters club for too long and I will not have this family put in danger because of that boy.”

Rome breathed a sigh of relief, though her hands wouldn't stop shaking. “Thanks dad. I can't tell you how much of a favour you're doing him. He really needs people he can trust right now and I didn't know anyone else who would help.”