Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Chapter 30

Sensing my mood and correctly understanding that I wished to be left alone, Seymour goes ahead and joins Alarcos. Thus, they continue running, teasing each other, and shoving each other playfully.

How can they be so carefree when the highest authority in the vampire society wants us dead? But, then again, they can't just stop having fun every time our lives are threatened, which seems to be all the time.

After all, they aren't like me, they don't think in the same way. They don't have the mind of a hunter. This is both my gift and my curse, but it's all I have.

Snapping myself from my thoughts, I can see that the others have stopped near the row of different sized houses and they are looking at something intently. I speed up, curiosity winning over all my other instincts. When I reach them, all that I can feel is a disappointment.

If that dingy house, which looks as if it's about to crumble down, is the place Cecilia and Tobias found, I am utterly disappointed in their taste. That broken house on the haunted island, we resided in for a while seems like a villa in comparison.

"Is this it?" I ask, with disgust.

"I know it doesn't look like much on the outside. However, the previous owners kept the inside quite homey, and we get the fully furnished house with multiple rooms," Cecilia says with pride.

"Why did you choose this particular house? What makes it so special?" I ask, attempting to make my voice sound a bit more neutral.

"It was built on an ancient burial ground. Besides, the previous owners moved out because they believed the house was haunted. I don't think it is, but the burial ground underneath should make it more difficult for the others to find us." Tobias says.

"I see," I say.

The truth is that while I understand the logic behind their actions, I am disappointed by the state of disrepair that the house seems to be in. It's definitely not what I expected, not in the least.

"Besides, we will still have our own rooms. Well, Tobias and I will share a room, but the rest of you will have your privacy." Cecilia says.

"How long are you planning for us to stay here?" Seymour asks, noting my struggles not to say something that I would regret.

"As long as it takes. At least, until we figure out where to look for the Healers or the answers we need. It will do us good to slow down for a bit and to think through what the best course of action is." Tobias says.

"What about the Vampire Council? They won't just give up. They never do." Alarcos says.

"We'll discuss that as well, but why don't we just go inside for now and check the place out?" Tobias asks.

"Sure," I agree just to avoid saying anything rash.

After all, everything and everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt. Though, I must say that as we step over the threshold, my expectations are low.

Surprisingly enough, the interior does look much better than the exterior, but not as good as Tobias and Cecilia seem to think. Still, it looks clean, and the energy that I am picking up on is comforting, supernatural. That's the most important thing to me, to feel that unique flow of energy that connects all the supernatural beings into one.

We all choose our rooms quickly, and I decide to withdraw in mine to gather my thoughts. We've had a couple of long days, and even my vampire endurance isn't enough to keep my energy levels up.

However, my moment of tranquility is interrupted by a scream of horror. On instinct, I am out of the door before the shriek has the chance to end. 

"What is it?" I ask Cecilia, the source of the ear-bleeding sound, in a matter of seconds.

"I just saw a snake slithering behind our bed," she says as if it's the worst thing possible.

"Cecilia, we are chased by vicious vampires, and this is what you decide to scream about?" I ask as Cecilia snuggles in Tobias' arms.

"I've always been terrified of snakes," she admits sheepishly.

I feel like my life is getting more and more ridiculous with each passing day. I mean a VAMPIRE who is afraid of snakes? How foolish can one be? 

"Cecilia, serpents aren't dangerous to vampires, they can't harm us. The worst thing that can happen is that the snake dies tasting our blood." I say, trying to be as patient as I can be in the given circumstances.

"I know, but the snakes are so slithery and disgusting. I can't stand the sight of them," Cecilia says.

I roll my eyes in exaggeration. The girl is being ridiculous. She is afraid of an animal that is much smaller and less lethal than her.

I might have laughed then and there if I hadn't seen it, my Achilles' heel. The one sight that made me instantly understand how Cecilia felt, a rat.

Before I could scream in horror, like a coward that I am when it comes to rats, Seymour swept in and killed the rat on stop. Clearly, he still remembered what happened when we were together, and I saw a rat.

"Thanks!" I say quietly.

"No problem. I am happy to help," Seymour says, flashing me one of his best smiles.

"We sure are a strange bunch. We think we can take on the whole Vampire Council, and we can't even handle such weak creatures such as snakes and rats." I say, trying to mask how utterly disgusted I am by the encounter.

"Well, since we are all here, we might as well start thinking about our next move," Alarcos says, entering the room.

He clears the table, which is situated in the middle of the room and scatters all the books we have gotten from the Healer's place on it.

I am not in the mood for a reading session right about now, but it does seem like the most practical thing to do at the moment. Thus, I grab the book closest to me and immerse myself in reading.

With my limited knowledge of the healing processes that I have from my hunting days, I can barely understand what the book is talking about. All I know is that it's like an instruction manual for future Healers, not so useful four our search.

If someone had told me that I would be sitting here, reading books, instead of eliminating the threat that the Vampire Council posed, I would have killed them instantly.

Nevertheless, here I am, laboring over a book in the vain hope of finding the answers we need and finally being able to do something about it, physically.

One can always hope.