Rose's P.O.V
I sighed and laid down sideways on the sofa, crossing my legs. I had no idea what to think about Fallon and Joe Draganov anymore.
First of all, the fact that their last names weren't actually 'Davidson' was a relief since it didn't really match their mysterious, brooding attitude as much as their real names.
But then we found out that they were demons. Half vampire, half demon. And capable of hell.
"He broke out after that," he had continued, avoiding eye contact with everyone. "He started slaughtering everyone, including half the town. He was true killer."
I had watched as he absently rubbed the area between his upper arm and shoulder, staring at nothing in particular. Then my eyes widened as something had flashed before my eyes.
It was him, in a dirty cell, rubbing that exact same area. Wasn't he just talking about that moment?
Then that can't be him, that must be...Stoyan?
I blinked and furrowed my eye brows, staring at Fallon as I tried to figure him out. A black dragon tattoo had formed on the area he had rubbed. The exact same one I saw about two hours ago on his arm.
I blinked presently, still staring at him. I started playing with my long hair, slinging it over one shoulder.
"Angelo survived, though," Joe continued. We had watched him too as the same tattoo formed onto his own shoulder, spiking a contrast with his pale skin. "But he didn't have the curse, which meant Stoyan's son survived and continued to pass it on until us."
"And we're the first brothers in the Draganov bloodline to have the same curse," Fallon muttered.
Fallon's black eyes landed on mine. I tensed, for a good reason, but didn't let my uneasiness show. Instead of holding his emotionless stare, I let my gaze settle onto his tattoo again. It was big and occupied the outer half of his broad, muscular upper arm. It was thin, though, and somehow very detailed. It actually looked pretty good on him.
"The rings keep our demon sides at bay. Stoyan didn't have one, it was said that he died after massacring basically the entire town full of innocent lives. They say someone managed to kill him but," Joe paused and rubbed his forehead in exasperation. He sighed. "It looks like he's back from the dead. And what's worse is the fact that he looks exactly like my brother."
One problem after another. I mentally face-palmed.
"Why do your rings glow?" Was one of the questions I had asked them. Fallon answered me.
"To alert us of another nearby demon. I thought it was Joe at first, but then he told me he had seen Stoyan. Alive."
"So that's what you are," Nate started, eyes darting towards me. "Vampire-demon hybrids."
Nate, the only other person in the room besides us, finally left for a few moments after hearing a thud from upstairs. I had chosen not to say anything to Fallon when he was present, mostly because he was strict about promises and me starting a conversation with the person I promised to stay away from did not seem like I was keeping it.
We didn't move or say anything, until I suddenly remembered something. Thinking back to earlier tonight, I recalled the moment when I was being chased. And then I heard one last monstrous sound before whoever it was had stopped chasing me.
Then I ran into Fallon, who had blood stained elongated fangs. My eyes widened in realisation before flicking back to his.
"You," I pointed to him with my forefinger, "—were the one who stopped it." He frowned at me but remained silent. "I was being chased tonight after the crash, but then I heard some kind of bloody noise and suddenly the footsteps stopped. Then I found you, standing there with blood all over your mouth. You said it wasn't the newbie vampires' blood. You were the one who saved me."
He still said nothing, but his silence confirmed all I needed to know. I felt grateful towards him, actually finding him sweet in his own murderous way. How could I hate him?
"So now Stoyan's still alive and he looks exactly like you? You got to admit, that's pretty unreal."
Silence.
"What, you can't speak anymore?"
Silence.
"Fallon, talk to me."
Silence.
Frustrated, I pushed myself up from the couch and glared at him. "Did you forget how to speak or something?"
Silence.
"Damn it, answer me!"
Still silence.
I grit my teeth, completely frustrated. "Oh, so now you're mute? All of a sudden you can't talk anymore because what, you finally told us what you are? You're too ashamed of it?"
He turned around.
Oh no, you don't.
"Hey!" In an instant, I was right behind him. He had stopped but his back was still facing me. "Here I am; trying to make a conversation and suddenly you don't want to talk anymore? For what, Fallon Draganov? At least have the decency to give me a legit reason."
He paused for a moment, then resumed walking away.
I huffed in exasperation. "You are such an a**. Just a few moments ago you were telling us a story about your doppelganger and now you're completely incapable of speaking?" He ignored me, so I chose different tactics. A smirk tugged at the corner of my lip. "You were right when you said Nate made me promise to stay away from you."
He stopped again.
Bingo.
"He was right when he said you were dangerous. According to your story, Rosetta was killed because she fell for a demon who lost control. It was a very risky move of her. I suppose I should thank Nate for this; he is after all just protecting me from potential death. And he is pretty hot."
I saw his fist clench. I couldn't wipe the smirk off my face no matter how hard I tried. "Of course Diana already claimed him, sort of anyway. So I guess I'll just have to go for Matt. I mean he's sweet, protective, and insanely good looking. The perfect boyfriend."
"Enough," he snapped.
"I've known him for like half a century. He's always been there. I mean, it could work."
"Forgive me if I feel a little surprised at your ignorance to the fact that you are signing your friend's death wish." Fallon suddenly spun around, a dark look plastered on his face. "What are you trying to achieve?"
"If making you jealous is what it takes for you to speak up, then so be it." He tilted his head to the side, watching me carefully. I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. Then I watched as a smirk settled itself on his lips.
"Are you that desperate to capture my attention? I must say I'm rather...Flattered." I sent him a death-glare. "Admit it Rose, you feel something towards me. An undeniable connection."
I paused for a moment. "You know what? I liked it better when you were giving me the silent treatment."
"Do you honestly believe I haven't noticed your behavior towards me? How you'd flush up at our proximity, avoid my gaze."
"Honestly, Fallon—"
"Little things tell you a lot," he trailed on slowly, holding my gaze easily.
"Are you that incorrigible in trying to win me over?"
"Yes." I frowned at his immediate answer that he gave me almost before I even completed my question. "You can trust me on this or not but I need you, for the exact same reason Stoyan needed Rosetta. And despite your promise, willing or not, you will be mine."
I chewed on the inside of my mouth, trying to look like I was not affected by his words when on the inside my stomach was doing somersaults. It was proving to be impossible to keep that promise.
"Talk about obsessed," I mused. That's when someone peeked their head into the room.
"Hey." It was Diana. "I think we finally managed to suck some information out of the witch. You guys gonna come?"
"We'll be right there," I assured her, giving her a smile. She grinned back.
"A little warning, though. Be careful with what you say, she hates vampires."
"I noticed," Fallon told her. Diana stuck her tongue at him, earning a chuckle from me, before she disappeared again.
I looked back at Fallon. "Any more things you're hiding from us?"
His eyes flashed as he turned half-way to leave. "You think I'm going to tell you?"
"Actually yes, considering you want us to trust you. And keeping a hell of a lot secrets is just making you all the more untrustworthy."
He stared at me with a blank look. "Frankly, I don't care if you trust me or not."
I glared at him, then started thinking as he continued out the room. If he's going to be vague about it then I'll find out on my own.
I recalled what he was saying.
"Son of Alexandria Draganova."
Why would he use his mother's name? Unless...
My eyes widened and I stumbled to catch up with him.
"Wait!" He turned around to face me, eyes impatient. "During your introduction a while ago, you said 'son of Alexandria Draganova'. Why didn't you use your father's name?"
He blinked and clenched his jaw. "Because she's a variable." I frowned.
Huh?
"What?"
He closed his eyes and sighed through his nose. "My mother died during childbirth, when she was having me."
All sounds seemed to stop and I looked at him in disbelief. "...Then, how is Joe alive? He's your brother..." I trailed off when I saw his look.
"That's the thing: he didn't come from the same woman as I did. He's my half brother."
I let that sink in for a few moments, then I gaped at him. "Does Joe know?" I asked softly.
He nodded once after a few seconds.
My eye brows sunk. I hadn't expected that.
"So you got this curse from your father," I concluded. His visibly stiffened.
"I don't have to stay here," he growled. I blinked in surprise as he started walking away again.
"Hey—" I put my hand on his shoulder, but then he spun around and grabbed a hold of my upper arms. His eyes started changing to the exact same state Joe's were an hour prior.
His iris turned bright crimson, seeming to light up the room. His eye-whites had formed completely black with a foggy purple tint at the bottom, fading into a sickly shade of violet lines running down under his eyes.
But unlike Joe, his skin started changing as well. It took on a shade of death; blue.
Some patches of decomposed flesh opened up in various areas: on his cheek, a line on his forehead, even on his chest, legs and arms. His aura changed too, now he not only radiated power and danger, but also death and evil.
My eyes widened and I almost jumped back a foot at his change, but couldn't even if I did because of his iron grip on me. To say I wasn't scared would be a lie.
"Do not talk about him," he demanded.
Looks like I hit a nerve.
I didn't say anything but stared at his demonic state. It was horrific and terrifying. After ten more seconds in his bone-crushing grip, he released it.
I stumbled back a foot, looking back at him.
"Go ahead," he said lowly. His eyes narrowed threateningly. "Run."
I clenched my fists tightly. "No."
"You know you want to, Rose. It would be that easy. What's stopping you?"
I still remained silent, unmoving.
"Go!" He snapped fiercely, causing my heart to take a wild leap.
But instead I appeared right in his face, barely an inch away. "I can't run," I growled slowly. His eyes narrowed as he stared down at me, returning my angry glare. "I will not."
He stared at me in disbelief.
"Admit it, Fallon: admit that you're a selfish, irritating, demon who doesn't know a single thing about loving a woman, who kills for his own entertainment and doesn't regret it and is completely messed up because of some unknown reason you are still keeping from me!"
He slowly shook his head at me. "What are you doing to me?"
"Say it," I demanded firmly. He turned around and I could see his skin changing back to normal; his disguise settling back into place. "Say it, Fallon!"
"What do you want me to tell you?" He growled back, spinning around once again to face me. His black eyes bore into mine. "That I'm a monster? A horrible demon-vampire hybrid who thought he lost all hope centuries ago?
"Or that I used to be an innocent little boy who had all his dreams crushed by a single man that treated me like dirt and rejected me as his son several times over? The same man who blamed me for the death of my mother during child birth and haunted me for years, made me believe it was my fault, made me wish I was dead."
My mouth was hanging open in disbelief. What...?
"I wasn't always like this. I used to be full of life, enthusiasm, all kinds of childish dreams. But then he broke me: my own father."
I stared at him with a mixture of emotions; sympathy, shock, realisation, anger, horror and dread. That's why he was so touchy when I brought him up.
"Never in my life have I feared anyone as much as him." I was speechless. I had no idea his secrets were the big.
As I looked into his eyes, I could spot fear. Absolutely genuine terror.
I never thought he was capable of being scared. He was broken at a young age. Nobody ever becomes the way he is now unless something makes them that way.
"Oh my God..." I whispered.
I was silently just staring at him. He had been keeping several things from us, but I hadn't believed them to be this dark.
"That's the truth. Can you truly handle it, Rosie? Still think I'm a selfish, irritating monster?" Before I knew it, I was slowly backing away from him like he was some kind of abomination. His eyes followed my every movement, now void of any emotion.
I didn't know what to think at that moment, my mind was going in overdrive.
But only one thing, one order engraved itself onto my brain:
Run.