Love of a Raven

Chapter 22: No Secrets Amongst Us

"What is your news, Garrick? Because it has to be something shocking that would have resulted in you three fighting." Father asks.

After my mother insisted on Damian that he stays with us for this family meeting, all of us migrated from the kitchen to our parlour. My parents were sitting on a couch with Lily on my father's lap. The twins share a love seat by my mother's left side. I sat on the lone chair that's facing the couch my parents were seated while Damian took his seat on the right armrest.

"I made a contract with someone." I announce bluntly, not wanting to stall. I kept my gaze focused on my parents' reactions to my news and noticed that they took it differently.

My mother is the one who has more of a reaction to my news by asking incoherent questions whereas my father simply raises a brow at me. Neither of them actually asked me directly for a while and I wanted to go check on my gateau au chocolat, but I knew that my parents would only yell at me for wanting to leave the family meeting. So, I watched them talk among each other without listening in. If what they were discussing about involved me, I would hear it soon enough.

"Garrick, how long do we pretend that we're not here listening to them? I'm getting kind of hungry." Damian whispers into my ear.

I simply shake my head at him and mutter to him, "I told you to go eat earlier. Now, sit tight and wait to be dismissed like a good demon."

"You are mean." Damian declares, but with sly smile on his lips to show his feelings weren't hurt.

"I lived with the twins. My way of being has harden a tad bit." I banter just as I heard someone clear their throat.

My eyes shift from Damian's hazel eyes to my father who was watching us in his stoic expression. I'm assuming he and Mother have finished their discussion and are prepared to ask me questions or possibly give me some advice on how to perform my duties in a contract.

"Garrick, does this mean that you're finally going to eat a soul?" Mother questions cautiously, knowing how sensitive that topic is for me.

Damian, on the other hand, releases a snort in attempt to conceal his laughter while I calmly respond, "Of course not. I didn't ask for his soul as compensation."

"You didn't?! Then, what are you receiving as recompense?!" Mother shrieks while the twins have a ghost of a smirk on their faces. I never understood why they find joy in my misery.

"That is none of your concern, Mother." I state and cross my arms, leaning back on the chair.

Before, I would have been afraid of talking back to either of my parents. Fearing of their wrath for disrespecting them as such. But, I know where the line is drawn and it's not over my contract. Both Damian and Mother have told me that when I form a contract, I don't have to disclose the details behind them. I plan to keep it that way, mostly because I don't want anyone to ask why I need a journalist.

"Pardon me?" Mother questions, her voice indicating that she is trying to keep her anger under control.

"I'm fairly certain I didn't mumble, Mother. You heard me quite clearly." I refute in the same passive manner as before.

"Garrick, watch your tone when speaking to your mother." Father warns while his eyes flicker to his dilated vampire ones. Blood red replacing his green hue.

"I haven't offended her. I'm simply stating my right to discretion of my contract with my contractor. I have no obligation to disclose any of my terms or my contractor's term to you or anyone else." I explain plainly without wavering.

This claim of mine brought on a look of bafflement from everyone. Everyone except Damian. He burst into a fit of good-hearted laughter until he fell off from the armrest he was sitting on to the floor where he continued to laugh. Lily began to giggle at Damian's behavior until Jasmine sent her a glare in her direction, quickly quieting her. However, I gave a glare of my own to Jasmine for that which in turn brought another glare in my direction from Aidan.