Is it love: Peter Bartholy

Chapter 3 - Part 1

Zeva Pov

The next day, I decided to take advantage of some of my free time to investigate the Bartholy family.

After going around the mansion. It took me a long time, their place is HUGE. But I noticed that there are only two mirrors in the whole house. One in my room, the other in the bathroom reserved for me. Not even one in Lories room. A simple decorative choice or a precaution to take account of, with me moving in here? I couldn't be sure, but my suspicions grew.

I'm sure something is going on in this family...

Lorie's in her room. I scream her name and ask her to join me in the dining room. I hear her mumble a moment, say she won't come, grumbling over and over ...but finally her curiosity takes hold of her and I see her coming down the steps. Her pretty pink pigtails bouncing at every step.

Lorie - "What?"

Obviously she is sulking.

"Look what I've prepared for you!"

I show her a beautiful sweet pink cake, with small flowers decorated all around it. It took me a long time to make, but I'm pretty happy with the result. Any normal child would only want one thing: devour it.

I watch the girl's reaction with attention. She looks at the cake, visibly surprised, then puts on her usual pout.

Lorie - "Your cake sucks, and I don't like it. I don't want it!"

She's about to leave but I grab her hand. I'm surprised by her icy skin, as cold as snow. I went down to her level and tried to coax her.

"Lorie, I took so long baking it, to please you ... don't you even want to taste it?"

Once again her eyes swing between the cake and me. And there, to my surprise, she starts to cry. Big tears run down her little doll cheeks.

"Lorie, what's happening? Did I do something wrong?"

Half panicked I try to calm her down. Well, what's up with her? Did I say something I shouldn't have? I mean who gets upset for getting a cake? Her tears attract her older brother Nicolae's attention, who runs to the dining room panicked.

Nicolae - "What's going on?"

He approaches his little sister and takes her in his arms.

Nicolae - " Shh, Shh ... All right, why are you crying, Lorie?"

The little girl sniffles and suddenly points at me. And I feel myself freeze on the spot.

Lorie - "It's her fault. She wants me to eat a beautiful cake when I can't! It's so pretty, Nicolae! I want it, I want it, I want it!"

Nicolae, usually so measured, widens his eyes at the sight of the cake that's sitting on the large dining room table. He quickly goes back to seeming aloof.

Nicolae - "I'm deeply sorry, but Lorie has a special physical condition that keeps her from being able to eat that kind of cake. "

He then goes from looking at Lorie to looking at me and a small smile crosses his face.

Nicolae - "However, I thank you for wanting to please her."

Without another word he takes the little girl in his arms and leaves the room. I stand there still in semi shock as I processed everything. A physical condition which would explain why in the two weeks Lorie has swallowed absolutely nothing? I glanced down the corridor where Nicolae had gone down. Does he take me for a dummy or what?

Thinking about it, I realized that a confrontation would be useless. The Bartholy brothers wouldn't do anything but deny everything, finding excuses for their bizarre behavior. I now know that the word "normal" isn't part of the vocabulary of this family.

I myself have strange powers, which I've never been able to control, and I can feel that the supernatural is as intertwined with the Bartholy's lives as it is with mine.

I'll have to be weary of them. But it wasn't really scared. They may be vampires, but for now, I'm still alive. So They can't be so bad! I reasoned with myself but a small part of me was nagging at me. It's just that you never know. After all, they may have hired me to serve as a future snack!

As I walk back to my room, I run into Peter on the stairs. I remember his behavior in Mythology, which was also very suspicious. Before I knew it the question just flies out of my mouth.

"Peter, why did you leave the mythology class so quickly yesterday? Maybe the subject made you feel uncomfortable?"

Peter watches me without saying anything. His special look is lost in mine and I forget my question for a moment. He responds casually.

Peter - "The subject wasn't interesting."

Caught in those eyes, Peter may be a vampire, but I feel deep inside that he's different from his brothers. This difference attracts me, makes me want to know more, to discover more about him. Without being able to stop myself, my thoughts escape me.

"I'd like to know more about you, Peter."

He raises his eyebrows, visibly surprised by what I just said.

Peter - "Aren't you interested in Drogo or Nicolae, why would you want to learn more about me? There's nothing interesting to know about my life."

It was like he compared himself to the bad boy Drogo or the gentleman Nicolae. He didn't seem to realise just how special he was.

"You really are different from your brothers, and it's that contrast that makes me want to know you more."

His green eyes start to shine. He seems disconcerted as if my interest seemed totally incongruous to him.

Peter - "You're an enigma to me. You're not like other girls."

"And how are other girls?"

Peter stares at me, and I can't take my eyes off his magnetic eyes. He slowly approaches his face to mine, as if to provoke me.

Peter - "Usually girls go for the bad boy Drogo or the gentleman Nicolae. Usually, I don't interest them."

His voice is soft, sweet, throbbing ... I don't know how he does it. He's in front of me, but I hear him as if he had just whispered in my ear. The power he seems to wield over me is troubling to say the least.

His angelic face, a few inches from mine, makes me lose my nerves. I wish he would bite me! He watches me for a moment, and I feel his woody smell, so masculine, enveloping my senses. After giving me a cold look, he turns his back on me and begins to move away.

Peter - "You're not ready for what's waiting for you here. If I were you I'd leave before it's too late ..."

Upon these enigmatic and disturbing words, he abandons me on the stairs, leaving me alone and completely overwhelmed. Like ful on automation, I go to my room, slightly confused. Could the angelic and introverted appearance of the handsome Peter actually hide a tortured being?

Making sure the door was closed I quickly undressed into my pajamas. I lie in my bed, in a ball under my blanket, completely lost, the words of the young man looping in my head. Am I ready for what's waiting for me? Despite everything I couldn't help but feel something inside me, telling me I was ready for this. I'm sure of it. Whatever happens, I'll know how to cope.

But what's waiting for me exactly?