Adorned By Her

**Chapter 17 HYBRID VAMPIRE & THE TURNING

CADENCE POV

We are studying in the library for finals week when Eloise reminds me to find my parents whereabouts from the address given in the inherited alchemy book. I had forgotten what the address was and check to see if I could find it in the book. I see that the written address is 73 Lavender Drive, Kensington, New York. "Did you find it?" she asks me. "Yes, let's get in my car and drive there," I reply dryly. I wasn't necessarily looking forward to meeting my biological parents because they didn't raise me nor were they there for my birth of flames I think sarcastically that time. What a cliche, sad birth story. We drive about fifteen miles until we reach the next town. Eloise leans back in the carseat and holds my hand. I gaze at her longingly through the rearview mirror. After about ten more minutes, we finally arrive to the destination. It is a nice-looking pink house with a freshly mowed lawn and a barking dog at the front. The dog's breed was a labrador retriever and I am excited to pet him when our eyes meet.

I felt like my heart was going to jump right out of my chest. My heartbeat became louder and louder as I ran with Eloise to the house. This must be them, I think meticulously. The place only we knew was here. I knock on the door three times, but no one seems to appear. We wait five minutes, about to turn away, when all at once an old couple greets us. The golden retriever barks loudly, wagging its tail and returns to its owners. Apparently, my parents owned a pet, I think to myself.

The woman had a matching face to mine and I have a semblance of hers. The man as well, I had an eerily similar resemblance to. These are truly my real parents standing here in front of me, I think with hope. It was a little creepy because I had just met the male equivalent of my twin."Hello, welcome to the Javellion, oh sorry, should I mention that your mother kept her maiden name, you're probably more comfortable with, Madlock's humble abode." The two are inseparable and are hugging each other tightly when they lead me inside their home.

"Please, have a seat and I'll get you some coffee," my father says heartily. "And have some lemon bars, I made them myself," my mother responds warmly. "Thank you, but no offense, we have come here for some business," Eloise says coldly. "Eloise, calm down, we just met my parents. Be nice..." my voice trails off before Eloise squeezes my hand tightly like she is about to enter an arm wrestling championship for vampires. She doesn't look one bit satisfied.

"Ok, but I want to know. Why did you leave your daughter at birth and why does she keep saying birth in flames like it's some lame prophecy. I want answers now." she hastily disregards my parent's warm welcoming and asks them to cut to the chase. Mom smiles a bit and brightens up surprisingly. She nods and waves for us to come to the living room. "Look here, it is a photograph of when your father and I got married an-"

Eloise expresses concern and ignorantly cuts her off saying, "Can we just skip to the part where you tell us about Cadence's awakening as an alchemist?" Sighing roughly, my father slams the coffee down onto the table, having it splash onto my hand and burning it. Geez, what is it with me and getting burn marks on my body, I think a little humorously. He has an equally unpleasant look on his face and responds quickly saying, "Now you listen here you little vampire wench, I am not one to be disrespected. Who do you think you are anyways? We will tell the story when it comes. But first we wanted to have the pleasure of meeting you. Now, tell me, what is your name?"

Eloise speaks softly this time. "I apologize for the impolite behavior, my name is Eloise. And I am Cadence's blood master as part of the Vanguard Society of the Houndsmen vampire order. We are dati-" but before she could complete that sentence I brush her off. "Eloise, there's a time and place for everything. I don't think that I'm ready to tell my parents these things," I whisper into her ear hurriedly.

"Ok, I understand," she says. Dad looks at Eloise and then at me as if he caught on already. "So, you two are best friends, huh?" he nods and smiles this time, his temper cooling off. "Just as the prophecy reads huh honey," he looks at mom and she grins a wider smile this time too. "What are you talking about? What prophecy? There's only one in this whole entire book." I place the alchemy book on the table and dad reaches for it. Mom and dad look at each other, nod, and then agree to wrap up the welcoming and tell us the juicy details.