The Mark of the Moon

18 | The Mermaid in Elision

For the past few days, I noticed that Andros was proud of himself and would tend to tease everyone. If he heard me right now, he might have bragged about it for a week.

"He will be fine, right?" Taylor asked me. I nodded at him in reply.

"He will be. He needs to master using this power so he won't always faint when he uses it in daylight." I advised.

"Do you know someone who uses the same powers as him?"

"No. He's the only one I know who can travel through shadows. He's more powerful when the moon is out." I replied, pushing an index finger on the vampire's forehead. Suddenly, I could feel the tension in his body flowing through his mind.

For such a laid-back person, he sure had many thoughts kept inside him. I thought to myself.

"Give him time to rest. He will be back." I assured one more time to the two who kept looking at the vampire as if he was going to die if they removed their gaze at him.

An hour has passed and I have transferred Andros to the guest bedroom where he still slept like the dead. His skin color was coming back to his natural pale tone and his body began to recuperate the less he was exposed to sunlight. The entire room was dark, no sunlight peeking from the windows. A single floor lamp was lit near him, providing a warm glow against his pale skin. I looked at Krian who sat beside him, her whole body huddled on my large old dark red wing chair and a black blanket wrapped around her. She watched the vampire in silence and I could sense regret radiating off her.

I knew the girl was guilty for what they did. Taylor told me about what happened and even though it was not her fault, she blamed herself for being careless and weak.

"Young girl, you are beating yourself over nothing. Andros knew the consequences of his actions. Like me, he is your guardian. He did what was right. He will be fine." I spoke to her and all I received was her soft cries. The squeak of the whiteboard joined the noise she made. I watched her write on it for a moment before raising the board for me to read.

If only I was stronger, I could have fought the man or even ran away from him without Andros' help. She wrote on the board, her fingers clutching on the sides of it with a slight tremble of her hands.

I sighed at her remorse. She was a tough nut to crack; believing in what she had set in mind. Right now, her thinking she was weak was not helpful to her and to the group.

"Do you want to be stronger?" I started a conversation and she eagerly nodded at me.

"Very well. I will train you as soon as possible. I'll start with your stamina and endurance. Your diet in the US has ruined your werewolf capabilities." I commented and she began to write her reply.

I don't even know if I am a werewolf. I do not show signs like my brother does. She replied on the board. I stood up from my seat and went to her side.

"May I hold your hand for a moment?" I asked for permission. She stared at me, looking for something I did not know about.

"I will not harm you, Krian. I was a warrior who could sense even the soul of a creature. I will only see if you are well." I promised her. She nodded in return, putting her board on her lap before facing me completely.

Taking a deep breath, I held her soft small hand. I closed my eyes and my consciousness fell in sync with her.

I have not done any soul searching for years. Having to do this again made me feel like I was going to enter a state of shock. The feeling of entering one's soul rushed over me and I braced for the harsh feeling I always got whenever I did this. Instead, I felt tranquility before another wave of emotions came to me. I felt her heart racing, a rush of anxiety and fear flowing within her.