The next day I sat at a table on the sidewalk waiting for my mother to show. The coffee shop was crowded and people rushed past the building. Blake sat a few tables away with his men while Tyler sat on my right side gripping my hand to calm my rising panic. What if she didn't show or this ended badly and not just for myself?
"Breathe," Tyler whispered in my ear as I nodded.
"There she is," I sighed waving at her. She sat across from me freezing once our eyes locked. I saw the surprise but she masked the expression so fast I almost missed it.
"How are you doing Ashley?" She asked with a grin.
"I'm great," I paused debating how to continue the conversation. I couldn't tell her too much in case she didn't know but I also needed to get to the bottom of this. "I had a question regarding Tyler. Did you know he was alive?" I saw the struggle she was having as she thought over what to say.
"Yes I knew," she said after a moment.
"Why didn't you say anything?" I asked the hurt flashing through my icy eyes. She could have spared me the agony of loss but chose not to tell me the truth. The worst part was she had no regret over allowing me to think Tyler died.
"Because I," she paused before her eyes drifted over to the other people sitting outside the coffee shop. I watched as her blue eyes lingered on the vampires longer than the rest of the people. "You brought your coven with you?" My eyes widened as she just told me what I suspected. She knew about vampires and hunters. I didn't bother answering her question and instead asked one of my own.
"Mom, you knew what I was when you invited me into the house? Did Dad know?" I asked tears pooling in my eyes. She lied to my face and pretended I was completely normal.
"Yes I knew that your heart no longer beat and no your father is living in an unaware bliss that I could never have. I had hoped you would have been more fortunate not knowing of the darkness in the world but it took you anyway," she said pain in her eyes. "I tried to protect you by influencing Mr. Walsh to have Tyler break it off but that wasn't enough to keep you away from vampires."
"Were you going to turn me in?" I asked as she shook her head.
"I wanted to but the more we talked I began to realize you were my daughter and I couldn't turn you in to the very people who would kill you," she whispered as Tyler rubbed circles on my hand. "I am confused by your appearance Ash. Your eyes are blue but I know that isn't possible."
"I'm in between vampire and human because hunters tried to kill me," I said to her. "I need to know about our family history the complete magical side of it."
"Okay," she said with a sigh. "We are the descendants of the very first hunters. We started the whole thing. Our blood is different because our ancestors drank Holy water daily and somehow that made our blood change so vampires couldn't influence us though hunters no longer drink Holy water. The properties of Holy water altered our blood in ways I can't even begin to understand."
"That must be why the Holy water affected me so much. That explains why the Holy water stayed in my system so long after being injected," I whispered mostly to Tyler.
"Maybe the change is why the stake didn't kill you. There was a dormant gene waiting to be activated and all it took was the amount of Holy water and the will to live," Tyler said softly as my mother stared at me.
"Does you sister know?" My mother asked as I looked at her.
"Not by my choice but yes she does. The hunters outed me in hopes of swaying her to hurt me," I said firmly.
"How are you sitting here right now if the hunters attacked you?" She questioned as Tyler squeezed my hand.
"When I was stabbed I killed several hunters and knocked the rest unconscious and Tyler carried my limp form away from the building," I said calmly holding back the memory from the horrible night.
"So they are trying to find you right now?" She asked as I nodded.
"That's why we picked a public location to meet in case you were followed," Tyler said softly.
"What are you planning? Hiding forever isn't a stable life. One day the hunters will find you and you won't be ready," she whispered as I looked into Tyler's eyes. I wanted the stability of a home but unless I was fully human or agreed to murder vampires without a good reason, I couldn't have a place to live permanently.
"I don't see another option Mom," I said simply.
"Join our ranks Ash and you can be free," she said as I shook my head.
"I won't hurt innocent people," I snapped as she flinched.
"They aren't innocent," she said as I glared at her.
"They are like me," I said without hesitation.
"No they aren't. You are so close to human I think the hunters will help you but you have to help us," she pleaded for me to give in to her demands but I couldn't.
"I would rather end every hunter than hurt a vampire without a reason. If the vampire is killing people fine kill them but not every vampire is a killer," I said harshly as my mother's soft gaze turned hard and angry.
"You are just like the vampires you know, a monstrous abomination," she growled at me as pain ripped through me. My own mother couldn't see past my vampiric side. Tears coated my cheeks as she got to her feet. "Stay away from me and stay away from Nikki!" I watched as she stormed away leaving us at the coffee shop.