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Chapter 37
After the brief moment of awkwardness, we went down to business. I started by telling Chester everything I knew and Liyana’s involvement, which he found disconcerting but he let it go, for now. By the time we’re finished, both of us were standing, fumbling with our own thoughts, absent-mindedly staring at each other with a vacant look on our faces.
“We need to find that stone.” He finally said, straightening himself as he brushed off his jacket, which aristocratically shadowed his silk shirt underneath down to the plain woolen pants he was wearing.
I shook my head with a defiant air, “No, not now, we cannot put Emma in danger. Until they make their move, that’s when we strike.”
Chester’s forehead cringed into a frown; “Don’t tell me, you expect the stone to miraculously appear in front of you, when time comes. We’ll all be dead,” he exclaimed, crossing his arms in a defensive gesture.
I sighed and combed through my hair, slamming the table in frustration. The oak creaked which made Chester yelp. He closed on me and, squeezed my shoulder. “Calm down,” he said. I was hearing sense at least, taking in deep breaths. My tongue brushed over the sharp tips of my fangs, not bothering to retract them.
With a hefty sigh he asked, “How long have you not been in public, my boy?”
“I don’t really know, Chester. Why are you asking me all this.” I groaned impatiently, biting my lower lip, feeling the slight sting as my fangs sunk into them. It healed within seconds. I resorted to look at him from the corner of my eye, not wanting to burden myself more with that worried look of his. Of course, that would be easier if he wasn’t smiling instead.
“Come, why don’t I bring you around Rome, lad. You poor thing, haven’t seen much of the world,” he teased. I wanted to say no on point but something made me reconsider. Having to deal with all this is really taking a toll on me. It won’t hurt to at least take one day off, will it?
My answer came when forty minutes later; we’re in the Rover, hurtling towards the heart of Rome. Jaden sat in the front seat with Chester as he navigated the beast of a car, with Emma and I strapped in the back. Her head was rested on my shoulder with me half hugging her.
The journey was quiet with only slight whispers between me and her.
“I got a track of my parents,” she mumbled making me raise a questioning eyebrow at her. There was a relieved smile on her face, one that I haven’t seen since for months. I couldn’t believe three months could alter so much of her life. Come to think of it, it could all be my fault.
“That’s great. Where are they?” I asked, brushing her hair which have grown significantly since I first laid eyes on her. They smelled great with the same strawberry yogurt shampoo she always used.
Taking out her transparent cell, she tapped the screen until a virtual map came up with two red pins, indicating the location of two people. They were labeled Howard Connor and Brenda Lee Connor, her parents. By the looks of it, they were stationed in some part of Africa, near the main capitol.
“Both of them were selected by the NSA to check out a breach in the South part of Africa. The office wanted to make it as confidential as they can. That’s why they never contacted me. You should’ve seen the security team with them, they’re like the size of a bulldozer,” she improvised her point by literally casting weird hand gestures of a hippo which made me laugh. It was too cute, not to.
She suddenly snapped and glared at me. I just rose up my hand in an apologetic manner as streetlights whizzed passed. “So, how did you get hold of them then?” I asked trying to change the topic.
Emma just shrugged and relaxed herself; “Actually they contacted me, as a favor from the White House. Guess someone tipped the president off about the agencies doing things behind his back again. He didn’t like that, almost had them on the first flight back to the States but the NSA pleaded. Ah well, It was great talking to them after so long, showed them a picture of you too,” she punched my arm, “My mom swooned but my dad not so much,” she chuckled at the thought, a radiant sound that arrested my muscles, turning me on.
“Well, I am a ladies man.” I cooed, brushing my lips against her neck.
She gasped at the sudden move but let me do it, her heartbeat accelerating with every tantalizing kiss down her neck. She hooked on to me, trying to make the moment last which I was all in for but rationality got the best of me. With a frustrated sigh, I tore away, taking in deep breathes as I felt my fangs already protruding. Despite having fed, my stomach was still rumbling, the burning in my throat still urging me to bite into her, savoring her blood. The monster in me roared but I pushed it back, into his cage once more.
When I was sure I calmed down, I looked over at her with that pouting face of hers. I rolled my eyes and pulled her into a hug. “Not now, my dear. We have an audience.” I whispered into her ear, looking at the tinted visor that separated us from the front. It was made for privacy but no one ever mentioned that it was sound proof.
Both of us sat in silence until the car came to a stop, in an underground parking lot.
I was the first to get down, helping Emma down as Jaden and Chester came around. “Where are we?” I asked, looking across the large expanse of cars.
“We’re at Harrods, ol’ boy,” he answered.
I waited for the punch line, which never came. I combed my fingers through my hair, one arm around Emma’s shoulder. “Three months without going public and you bring me shopping. Seriously, I can’t even…” I cut off, shaking my head.
“Come on, it won’t be so bad. Plus, we need to get your wardrobe updated.” Emma urged.
Naturally, I gave in.
“Fine.” I grumbled, tugging her along, as we headed for the elevator.
“Don’t get hungry now.” Jaden teased from behind. I just ignored him, which was the best reply someone like me could give. “Remember, there’s a lot of people in there, with blood beating through their veins,” he said in a dramatic tone.
Before he knew it, I had my hand wrapped around his neck. He froze as I glared at him, “Stop talking.” I growled and let go of him. He gasped for air and I turned around to face Emma’s disapproving stare.
“What, he annoys me.” I whined.
She just punched me on the arm and walked off ahead with Chester. Behind me Jaden caught up, throwing a string of curse words at me. I just raised a finger to shut him. “Shut it. She’s angry at both of us already as it is.” I said in an undertone.
Surprisingly, he gave in. “Yeah. Girls. Never will we ever understand them,” he said.
I just looked at him from the corner of my eye, nodding in agreement.
It was weird that we actually agreed on something. Really unnerving.
To make situations worst, he was dead on right. Handling a small bunch of human is one thing but when the door of the elevator dinged open, a wave of human scent hit me and physically knocked me up against the steel wall.
“Dustin, hey, are you alright?” Emma asked, worried at my sudden reaction. I just shook it off, adjusting myself before gesturing to her that I was okay. Which wasn’t much of a lie as it is the truth.
Keeping my fangs in check, we wadded through store after store, with Jaden and Emma pausing at some to try out things and laughing at each other’s ridiculous outfits. I just sat and try not to breath as I look at the two friends, the nausea came and went but the thirst was still there, waiting for me to break anytime. I didn’t let it, as we exited Macy’s.
Chester was nowhere to be seen, probably engrossed in some antique store. Emma hand her arms sling around mine as we passed by stores. The place was filled to the brim, with people. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, ten floors of retail glory covered in a Moroccan theme, bathed in a sea of gold and green.
People, kids, women, men, families, passed by me, talking, shouting, screaming even, everything hitting my sense dead on. My head swam a little, I tried shutting out the noise but they just rose to an unbearable level. I tried to tell Emma about it but she was too busy bickering with Jaden. I was losing them, I was losing myself.
As we neared Harrods main store, the crowd thickened, I lost my grip and wavered as people pushed by me. I stopped in my tracks, my head spinning now, my vision blurring. I can’t breathe, my lungs screaming for air but I refused its request.
The demon inside me, rattled at it cage, threatening to tear out of it confinement. It took every ounce of me to make it stay put, to put it down. My ears rang with a high pitch note; faces swam around me, concern stricken ones that floated in and out of my periphery. Emma and the rest were gone and I was on my own. I felt my body move, but I wasn’t too sure about that. I couldn’t feel a thing, my whole body going into a panic attack.
It was not until a voice called out that I started to get a hold of myself. “Dear boy, are you okay?” the voice asked. It sounded like a woman with that tinge of worry in them.
When I regained much of myself, I found that I was on the ground right outside the exit at the far end of the mall. How the hell did I get here?
“Boy? Can you hear me? What’s your name? Hello?” the lady said, with a careful tone and I looked up at her. A genuinely worried look greeted me, with those pair of grey eyes that exuded warmth. She was in her forties I guess, with her thinning brunette hair that flowed down to her neck.
This time I managed to at least get my name out, well, sputtering is the more appropriate word but it made her noticeably relax. “You got me a little worried there, looked like you’re going into a panic attack or something.” Which wasn’t much of a lie but she didn’t need to know that.
“I am fine. Thank you.” I answered stiffly, still trying to recollect my own thoughts. There weren’t many people in this part of the mall, only the ones that was looking for the washroom, which gave me some extent of space to breathe.
“Are you sure? I can bring you to the hospital if you want,” she insisted but I was quick to decline. The veins in her jugular are getting too tempting to resist and sure as hell, I don’t want to hurt a kind heart like her. I knew I could kill when I am like this…better not risk it.
Finally, after reassuring her, she helped me up to my feet. “Well, at least let me stay until you have your friends get you,” she said and I couldn’t deny her that. Pulling out my cell, I called Chester. After vaguely telling him where I am, I hung up and leaned up against the wall.
“Thank you, em…”
“Grace,” she cut in.
I smiled, “Thank you, Grace, for your concern. I didn’t mean to trouble you like this.”
“No, no.” she interjected. “I was just on my way to meet my husband. You were literally choking on air when I saw you. It’ll be cruel of me just to leave you here. You could’ve died”
“Well, I am truly moved.” I said, putting on the usual charm. My brain was more or less in control of itself but I wasn’t sure of my legs just yet.
Grace seem to look at me with a sort of fascination, her eyes gleaming with curiosity, “You know,” she finally spoke. “You’re one of those rare vampires are you?”
My muscles tensed at those words, my face unable to hide my obvious surprise. How did this lady know what I am? We were barely distinguishable from a human. She was quick to pick up on that and let off a chuckle. “Don’t be so shocked, I could smell a vampire a mile away, trust me.”
I was completely dumbfounded, my usual calm façade slowly melting away, replaced by a barrel of uncertainty. Surely, no human could stand being this near to a vampire, especially when they are strangers. I felt my canines elongating themselves from my gums and I flashed them for her to see. Her reaction was not what I expected.
Instead of running away screaming, she stood where she was, eyeing them with no hint of fear. “Fairly impressive,” she said, “But I’ve seen bigger.”
Now, I am really confused. “Aren’t you scared of us?” I cringe my forehead into a frown, my arms crossed on my chest. This is one weird female.
She just shrugged as if it was no big issue. “You’ll get used to it when your husband’s a vampire too.”
My jaw dropped.