The Soul Thief

Chapter 29

The first thing I was aware of as consciousness returned was the fact I lay in a bed. Crisp sheets rustling against my skin as my breathing had it steadily rising and falling. The second thing was that somewhere close to my head there was a hum of a machine. A soft rhythmic bleeping accompanied it and that alone was almost enough to lull me back to comfortable unconsciousness once more.

Blinking once, I winced at the stark, bright whiteness and lights in the room. "You're awake!" A voice somewhere to my left said as I blinked again and tried to bring the world into focus, "Oh yeah, one second, let me get the lights."

There was movement and the next time I opened my eyes, it wasn't quite so blinding. "How are you feeling?"

My head turned painfully slowly to allow me to take in the slight form waiting patiently at my side and bring them into focus. "Nancy?"

She forced a smile. "The one and only. You had us all worried for a bit there."

I struggled to pull myself into a sitting position, wincing as I put pressure on my cut hand. A cursory glance confirmed it had been bandaged up as Nancy hurried to arrange the pillows comfortably around me.

"How long have I been out?" I asked, my voice an awkward croak from lack of use.

"Four days. We've made sure there was always someone with you the whole time. I didn't want you to wake up alone and freak out." Her voice wobbled at the end and tears filled her eyes. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you. I should have stayed with you."

The tears began to slip unchecked down her cheeks as I watched her with alarm, "It's ok. I'm fine. You were there for me when no one else was and that counts for something." I reassured her.

"So you forgive me?" She asked hopefully.

I shook my head. "There's nothing to forgive."

Her arms wrapped around me in a tight hug that had my aching body protesting, but I didn't fight it. I would never admit it out loud, but I needed that hug more than I realised.

"No, if anyone should be apologising, it's me." A quiet voice said from the door frame.

I looked up at Enzo as he approached. "Hey."

"Hey." His lips turned up into a smile he clearly didn't quite feel. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I found out I'm not human and ate a couple of souls whilst fighting a vampire." I replied dryly.

His laugh was genuine this time. "So, an average day, then?"

"Seems like it around here."

His gaze dropped as he played with some bits of paper in his hands. "I think I need to apologise for how I treated you. I know sorry isn't enough considering the way I behaved, so I decided to do some digging into your past whilst you were out and... I found some things if you're up to hearing about it?"

I opened my mouth. Was I ready? We had just gone from apologising to discussing my genetics in under ten seconds, and my mind was reeling.

"I... well, there's no time like the present, I guess." I gulped back my nerves and sat up a little straighter.

Enzo nodded, a grim expression on his face as though he wasn't exactly relishing sharing the news he was about to. "They had already worked out roughly who your mother might be, but my mother was able to find her and her family using your energy signature. I don't know if you know, but your mother was killed in an attack years ago. They never found you, but they presumed you were dead as well."

My eyes closed for a moment. I had always suspected it. The memories from that time were fuzzy as I had waited for her to come home and eventually accepted she wasn't going to. Even back then, I had known that she would never leave me if she had a choice.