Daisy Sun: Chapter Six- A Solid Face

Chapter Six: A Solid Face1

The entire morning was spent with them, and they seemed perfectly patient answering my never ending questions, that the roundabout was more like an interrogation than a conversation. I felt I needed to know every bit of thing that they knew, and I blew by with my questions, one after another, not allowing for any moment of thought between myself. I didn’t want to think what they were telling me over, because, in all honesty, I hadn’t the brain power to accept the truth with feelings of shock and awe. 2

Josephine and Tobias did most of the talking despite personally wanting to hear something from Theo. He didn’t seem all too interested, and would unexpectedly walk out of the room, or single himself out. I figured perhaps it was doing the routine over and over again that caused him to resent being anywhere near the information being shed to me. However his face was always guarded, and I could never truly see what he was feeling without hearing the tone of his voice. His voice said everything to me, and when he was quiet, it bothered me. 3

Tobias seemed very entertained throughout the entire day, in my presence. He loved reading my change in expressions, and he loved knowing more answers than Josephine. She seemed to come off as offensive in his eagerness in answering my questions, that they began unloading words at the same time, and I could hardly process anything when they spoke so fast. So many hours consisted of repeated answers, until in the end I found myself overwhelmed. 4

In conclusion, I summed up everything I knew…5

Werewolves and Vampires were equally powerful to one another, and Josephine stressed this over and over again. The entire myth of on going war throughout centuries was completely fabricated, save for one that occurred in the 17th century, but that only spanned across 50 years -- which was nothing in immortality years. They were the bloodiest, but Josephine and Tobias were equally reluctant to explain to me the details of what had occurred, only saying that there was a “falling out” in alliances between a covenant and a werewolf pact. I wasn’t entirely keen on asking further anyways, knowing I had plenty of time in the future to do so. 6

I dusted off the information I already had on the two races, digging far back into my past to recover myths that I had seen in books and movies. It surprised me how dead on some of the information was, and how far off others were as well. 7

“Vampires are immortal, but when they thirst, they age.” Josephine explained, hurrying before Tobias intruded. “Blood rejuvenates them, makes them 5 times stronger than they were in their first life. As they get older, one can reach up to 20 times stronger than their first life, but much of the power depends on the vampire who changed them.”8

“Tell her the good stuff.” Tobias interrupted, sighing with annoyance. “You want to hear something really cool, Daisy, a positive to us if we cross paths with a disobedient one?”9

I simply stared at him and waited.10

“Sure they have extraordinary speed, agility and reflexes, but they’re absolutely powerless without blood. If they hungered to the point where their body goes dry, they dry up from the outside as well, making them appear as if they’re aging. It can go to the point where they are so thirsty and dry, that they can’t function or move. This eventually leads them into a state of semi-consciousness, which means they’re aware of everything that goes on around them, but they’re too immobilized to react.”11

“So think of about it for a second.” Josephine hurried in, with a quick smile. “If a vampire were to commit some atrocious act that is against the counsel’s rules, what do you think would happen to them?”12

“The counsel would kill them right?” I asked, feeling it was the only answer I had on me.13

“Well, sure, they could do that, but that is far too generous. They’ll do something different…”14

“Which is?”15

“Think about it. No blood, no energy.”16

I thought a moment, trying to piece together what she was saying until it hit me, and I felt like a fool for not understanding it.17

“They lock them away.” I said.18

“Exactly.”19

“Like in a coffin?”20

Tobias chuckled. “Well, they’re tomb-like I suppose. They put them in for however long they’re sentenced for.”21

“And when they’re finished their sentence?”22

“They’re let go, with restrictions of course.”23

“Wow.” I nearly whispered, trying to imagine being helpless for years and years on end, in a tomb someplace isolated. “I would literally go mad.”24

“Oh yes, that’s happened.” Josephine murmured under her breath, but she was quick to turn away in stead of offering any sort of explanation. 25

“So do they dream?” I said, filled with curiosity.26

“Not really.” Tobias answered. “More like reminisce. Their first life usually weighs down heavily on their mind. When they feel that weak, it really gives them their old humanity. It’s almost a state of sleep, but I doubt they could achieve that. Time goes by very slowly in there. Very. Slowly.”27

I couldn’t imagine. 28

“But other than that,” Josephine chimed in, “they share plenty of the same qualities as we do. They have the same acute hearing, and the same night vision-”29

“We’re better though.” Tobias interrupted, smirking. “I can’t imagine living off of blood.”30

“Of course you can’t imagine. You’re not one of them.” Josephine retorted, rolling her eyes. 31

Before they began bickering, I stepped in, armed with another question.32

“So wait.” I said, taking my time. “How about the most obvious thing about vampires that everyone on the face of this earth already recognizes in them when this one word hits their ears?”33

“What word is that?” Tobias asked, wondering.34

“The sun.”35

I watched their expressions change into an even humorous one, and they exchanged glances, apparently entertained by my lack of knowledge. 36

“They don’t burst into flames.” Josephine said.37

“And they don’t turn into ashes.” Tobias added.38

“So nothing happens to them?” I replied.39

“Well sure. The sun makes them more susceptible to thirst. It dries them up really fast. You don’t want to see the look of one aging from 20 to 100 in a matter of seconds. Pretty gruesome stuff.”40

Josephine chuckled. “They fall limp when the sun hits them. I actually find it funny.”41

“They dry.” I simply said, stunned. “Then how do you kill one?”42

Tobias shrugged. “Remove the head, I suppose.”43

They both laughed as I stared at them with horror. They spoke it like there was absolutely nothing disturbing about removing the head of a vampire. I suddenly felt it was needed to ask the next question, no matter how much I wanted to restrain myself, it just collapsed out of my parted lips,44

“Have any of you ever… killed… one?” 45

They quieted for a moment, more intent upon studying my face than answering the question. Josephine turned away when I tried to make eye contact with her, as if I was going to judge her or something. Tobias was calmer, and still enlightened. 46

“We have, Daisy.” He admitted. “Only when it was absolutely necessary though. When they’re a threat, then yeah, we have to take them out.”47

“And is it hard?” I was shocked with the steadiness in my tone. I was still so at ease, not as terrified by this than I was by the headless vampire method.48

“Some are difficult, but the ones we’ve killed were young. Less strong than the elders. More unwise.”49

I couldn’t help but wonder if killing a vampire was as bad as killing a human being. Yet to compare the death of two living creatures from completely difference races was flawed in itself, because my perception towards humanity was more intact. I had more feeling, and I imagined I always would have more feeling, towards humans than I would for vampires. To me, the word vampire was equivalent to the word monster. I decided quite easily that I would not, could not, feel for the hunter.50

“And what about you?” I said, feeling pleasantly satisfied with by knowledge on vampires. “What’s so great about you guys?”51

Tobias appeared more eager to answer, and surprisingly, Josephine sat back and let him. She had a tiny smile on her face as he began.52

“Well,” he started, barely searching for words to say, “we can’t bruise because of constant regeneration of our physical tissue, and that prevents us from aging, giving us abilities to heal from life threatening wounds at an exceptional pace. We have great sense of smell, hearing, and vision. When we concentrate hard enough, we can distinguish people just by their scent, so we’re great at tracking.”53

“But only if we’re strong enough.” Josephine pointed out. “We have an unimaginable appetite that needs to be filled entirely, otherwise we’re sagging wolves.”54

“Yeah, but we don’t eat constantly. Just once or twice a week, but that’s only if we don’t morph frequently. When we do, it requires much more energy and much more rest.”55

“Rest for how long?” I asked.56

“Sometimes a few days on end of sleep. Understandably, we become exceptionally tired after we change back. We also have a horrible dehydration problem. We’re nearly thirsty all the time.”57

“And you can change whenever you want? Or do you have to be under a moon?” 58

Tobias laughed lightly. “We can change whenever we want, though it’s safer for us if it were during the night time. We don’t want to risk being seen.”59

“No one will be able to see you change any time of the day here.”60

“True, but my alliance is in the city, so that’s more different than here. Cornwell Hills is a paradise for wolves. You don’t see a person for miles on end.”61

“Yeah. That’s true.” Josephine chuckled in agreement. 62

I gave a nod. “Okay. So, since no one’s here other than us, would I be able to see you change for myself?” 63

Tobias hesitated, giving Josephine half second look before shaking his head quickly.64

“No, you can’t see us, Daisy. It’s much too dangerous for you. When we change, it’s awfully painful, and for the few seconds that we do, we often go a little crazy.”65

“Some of us can think through our actions.” Josephine said. “The rest of us…well, our rationality is thrown out the window until we’re finished our transformation.”66

“And none of you are able to think it through?” I asked again, hurrying. I was surprised at my eagerness in the thought of seeing them change. It no longer scared me, rather it excited me.67

“We might be able to.” Tobias answered, softly. “But I personally don’t want to make that risk. It takes a lot of willpower. So what’s the point in taking all that precaution for a change that hardly takes a few seconds?”68

I frowned, considerably disappointed. 69

“Are you upset about that?” He then asked, as his eyebrows shot up.70

“A little.” I admitted.71

“You were terrified just by the sight of me last night. How on earth are you going to function watching me turn into one?”72

“That was different.” I quickly replied.73

“And how was that different?”74

“Because I didn’t know whether you were good or bad. I felt you were going to kill me.”75

He paused. “You felt it?”76

“Yeah. I felt it.”77

He looked over at Josephine, awaiting an explanation he for once didn’t know.78

She shrugged. “Rare Bloods develop certain gifts, depending on the strengths of the previous vampire that infected them.”79

“And in her case?”80

“I suppose that she can feel danger when it’s coming.”81

I knitted my eyebrows together in confusion. “The warm heat that I was feeling from him was danger?”82

Josephine shrugged again. “You’re going to need to sort out your traits for yourself, Daisy. You’ll see changes, inevitably, and you’ll spot some strengths you never had in store before. That’s a positive in being what you are.”83

“Yeah, well apparently I’m still weak.” I mumbled.84

Tobias chuckled. “Yeah, you are. Helpless and weak.”85

I frowned once more. I found it utterly unfair that when it came to my change, I had no supernatural abilities like they did. I couldn’t soar in the sky like vampires, or run at lightning bolt speeds like werewolves. My hearing was still the same, as well as my sight. I hadn’t improved at all in the strength department, and still had mega balance issues ever since the night of my bite. I couldn’t even heal from wounds the way they did, which wasn’t as horrifying in my case considering I didn’t have to have my head removed to die. 86

“How do you get killed?” I asked. 87

“Typically the same way vampires do.” Josephine answered. “Removing the head, or the heart. Or severe head wounds. Those are ones we don’t easily recover from.”88

“And you changed the same way they did. Through an infection?”89

Tobias nodded. “We were bitten. Only with our bites, we don’t have any other choice the way you did. We change whether we like it or not. There’s no opportunity to escape that.”90

“We all have a bite mark on our bodies.” Josephine added. “That helps us distinguish one another if we cross paths. I suppose what I would like to tell you, Daisy, besides what we are, we’re still more in touch with our human sides emotionally. When we change, you see, we don’t recall much of our first lives. The change effects our memories strongly, especially in the beginning. As the years progress though, we get random flashes of who we were before all this.”91

“Vampires remember everything.” Tobias said, slightly offensive in his tone. “Which is a load of crap considering they rarely have the emotions you possess, therefore they end up barely caring for the memories they once had. While we search for ours, they push away theirs.” 92

Now that was a load of crap. Another wave of detest washed over me towards the monsters. It was so typical of them being vain and ungrateful that I found this perception to be very similar to that of the world’s. 93

They really didn’t have much else to tell me, and I didn’t have anything else to ask. I decided I would sum up all the questions that would hit me later on to interrogate them with when they were together. They seemed both happy and disappointed when there was nothing left to talk about, and they dispersed from me to their own doings faster than I would have liked. 94

The rest of the day I spent on my own, until Theo showed up out of the blue later on in the night. He persuaded Josephine and Tobias in going out to do the guarding while he rested, stressing he was out there all day doing absolutely nothing. Though he said he was tired, he looked alert and fully awake as it was. He spent a considerable amount of time in the kitchen, sorting out the foods they were low on that needed restocking. 95

Much to my surprise he made me another sandwich and called me in, setting the plate onto the table. It was large and thick, packed with turkey breast and vegetables. Though it looked good, I hadn’t really found myself hungry anymore. Out of generosity I sat and took a few bites, all the while keeping my eyes intently on him. He moved about, putting things away, apparently trying to occupy his time as much as possible. When there was absolutely nothing left to do, he wavered, awkwardly, and turned to look at me. With the quiet, I couldn’t read his face nor determine the mood he was in through his voice. 96

It was strange looking into his eyes; they were too deep for me to keep hold of any sort of concentration. I looked away every few seconds, trying to come off as casual as possible, but apart of me ached for the profound blueness that sparkled from his face. I could still feel his stare, and his hesitant movements. Why were things so peculiar when we were always left alone?97

“So how was your day?” I found myself asking, hoping to break the silence that was discomforting. 98

“Long.” He simply answered, in his low voice.99

I hinted annoyance in it, and wondered what was wrong. 100

“How about yours?” He asked in return, out of kindness than interest. 101

“Informative.” I said, pausing to see if he would reply. When he didn’t, I continued. “Tobias and Josephine are really dedicated to telling me everything that I need to know. Personally, I thought they would hide a few things, as if I wasn’t going to take everything by surprise again, but they didn’t. They were really straightforward.”102

“But aren’t you?” 103

I looked up at him quickly. “Am I what?”104

“Surprised.” The blue dug into my brown. “I’ve never come across someone who’s handled it as quickly and easily as you. You make it seem easy to swallow compared to the others.”105

I scoffed. “No, it hasn’t been easy at all.”106

“But you believe every bit of it?”107

“Sadly, yeah, I do. After seeing Tobias in that form last night…” My voice trailed off. 108

After seeing him in that form, no matter how hard I tried to push away the image, it still stuck there, in the back of my thoughts. Whatever they had to say, I believed. Seeing him that way made me believe everything. 109

I couldn’t even hear his footsteps making their way across the hardwood floor. I tried not to be startled when he was a foot away, pulling out the chair next to me. When he sat down, I felt my heart jump and tighten the way it did when he saved me. I had never been close to him like this, in a conversational sort of way. I noticed usually how far he would get from me, keeping a fair distance, as if he was preventing himself from lunging at me. Yet here he was, sitting close to me, watching me eat and feel self conscious about myself. The friendly atmosphere that radiated out of him was instantly soothing, and it didn’t make the situation as awkward as it was when he was standing.110

“You should have been there though.” I said softly, keeping my glare towards my half eaten sandwich.111

“Been where?” He asked.112

“With Josephine and Tobias when they were telling me everything.”113

“What’s the point in that? I already know what they told you. It’s the same thing as always.” He shot back, roughly.114

I picked at the edges of my sandwich, clearly unhappy with his response. I didn’t reply. 115

He spotted my change in feeling more quickly than I anticipated, making me feel downright readable.116

“In all honesty,” He suddenly added, softly. “I don’t like to be reminded of what I am.”117

It was hard not to look at him when he was saying this. The blue appeared significantly brighter at a closer view, and his skin was much darker than I thought it was before. The brown in his hair shined under the kitchen light, hitting his cheekbones and perfectly sculpted arms. He was, without a doubt, unavoidably attractive. 118

“What’s wrong with what you are?” I sounded, very faintly. 119

“Nothing exactly.” He murmured, and then shrugged. “Being there with Josephine and Tobias would have just reminded me of who I was when I wasn’t…well, this.”120

“But I thought you didn’t have much a memory when it came to your first life.” I said.121

“I’ve collected a lot of memories throughout the years. I know everything about my human life.” 122

This instantly made me curious to want to know more about him personally.123

“How old are you?” I asked. 124

He turned away slightly, looking down at my food. His eyes were harder now, and his expression remained unreadable. 125

“Old enough.” He simply said. 126

That wasn’t good enough for me.127

“How old is that?”128

“I don’t think it matters.” He quickly retorted, continuing to shift his gaze away from me.129

“Okay, well, how old were you when you changed then? That can’t be half as bad in answering.”130

“19.” He replied, still intensifying his bitter tone.131

I didn’t say anything in return for a while. I forced myself to turn to my food, yet I could not hide my silent contentment towards the age he changed. Physically, he had the body of a 19 year old, though spiritually… Well, I shuddered at the idea of him living for an unimaginable measure of time. Did that mean he was so much older in comparison to me that he considered me a child? The way he acted towards me certainly did not indicate he thought of me that way. 132

“So.” I finally said, catching a glimpse of him. His eyes turned to me, instantly grave. “I guess since you have a problem talking about being what you are, we should talk about lighter things.”133

This surprised him. I suppose he thought I was going to continue on with my questions, which gave way for the grave expression. It changed immediately though, into a lighter one, almost in a relieved way. 134

“Like what?” He asked, curiosity crowding his voice.135

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Anything. I mean, to you I’m still a human, right?”136

“Yeah.” 137

“Yeah,” I rolled my eyes, “so then do the things you’ve wanted to do with a human that you haven’t had the chance to with your werewolf pals. I’m sure you’re tired of them.”138

I wasn’t sure how he would respond to this, it did seem rather random of me. It was also out of line for me to point out what he may or may not be feeling, yet it was all out of humour, and I was hoping he was aware of it. 139

Much to my delight, he burst into a smile, flashing hard, white teeth, aligned perfectly. It radiated his face, making his eyes sparkle even more. 140

“I haven’t been able to do much of the things I’ve wanted to do in a while, to tell you the truth.” He said, as if admitting a great wrong.141

“Why not?”142

“I don’t know. Just been a little lonely I suppose.”143

I tried smiling, but inside his answer depressed me. I wasn’t sure what was wrong with him internally. It seemed to me he was constantly fighting within himself, always unsure of his decisions. 144

“Well I can change that.” I hurried in after my short pang. “I need to forget about…everything. It’d be nice to have fun, if that’s what you’re up to.”145

His eyebrows shot up. “If that’s what I’m up to? I know Cornwell Hills inside and out. I know what’s fun in this place, and what fun is to me, may not be fun to you at all.”146

I gasped, mockingly. “And why is that?”147

“You’re a city girl.”148

“Yeah, and your point?”149

He scoffed. “You’re in wilderness hell, Daisy.” 150

I laughed, feeling high spirited suddenly. “I can adjust to any changes.”151

“Like this change?”152

I quickly nodded. “Yeah. Like this change.”153

His smile slowly left his face, leaving me to study a suddenly thoughtful one. He looked bothered by my answer, almost saddened by it. It was difficult for him to keep eye level with me.154

“Does it hurt?” He suddenly asked, throwing me off guard.155

“Does what hurt?” I replied, pretending I was unaware of what he meant.156

“Leaving it all behind? Just like that, everything’s changed for you. Doesn’t that hurt?”157

I tried to smile but my lips weighed down, muddled by my mixture of emotions.158

“When I think about it, it does.” I admitted. “I don’t want to think about it though. It feels like I haven’t seen any of them in forever. I suppose it’s for the best though, right?”159

“How is it for the best?”160

I shrugged. “I wouldn’t have been fair to them. I already made their lives a living hell. Maybe not being there would prevent any of the mistakes I would have made in the future.”161

He frowned. “Mistakes are apart of life. Plus, your family should love you despite of the damages you might have caused. It’s only human to forgive.”162

“Yeah, well that was their weakness. Forgiveness. Something they never stopped accomplishing.”163

He was quiet, clearly unsure of what to say next, or purposely allowing the silence to overlap our conversation. My mind ached in the efforts in pushing away their faces. I did it well, almost learning to be stronger each time. I would have to keep practicing, and I would have to keep accepting my fate no matter how off key it was to everything I knew. 164

“Anyways,” I nearly yelled out, “on to more brighter, less depressing things…”165

He eyed me, forcing a chuckle. “Okay…”166

“You need to have some real fun in store for me, Theo.”167

“Would you like me to write out a to-do list.”168

“If that’s what it’s going to take to brighten up my day.”169

“It’ll be one hell of an adventure.”170

I chuckled. “It better be. What will we do?”171

“Nothing tonight.”172

My jaw dropped. “What? Why?”173

“You need to sleep.”174

“That’s not fair.”175

He heaved a shrug. “Since when has anything been fair to you lately?”176

I was going to hand him a smart ass reply, but I bit my tongue. He was right. However, I did not want to sleep at all. I felt bizarrely energetic; my limbs were yearning for some activity, not the rest that lingered in the bedroom upstairs. 177

I looked down at my plate, still clouded in disappointment, as I finished my final two bites. He continued to stare at me, almost looking fascinated. I noticed a hidden smile there on his face, as if he was satisfied by something I had done. 178

When I finished, I shoved my plate towards him, trying to be as furious as possible, only it came out more pathetic than intended. He smirked and grabbed the plate. As he got out of the seat, I felt another pang in my chest, suddenly regretting giving him the plate that drove him away from the table. I expected him to wash it, but instead, he slammed it into the sink. I heard a clink sound, and wondered whether he had broken it or not, but he didn’t give it a second glance. 179

“Way to be sensitive.” I mumbled, under my breath, knowing full well he had heard me.180

He continued on with his smirking, until Josephine entered the kitchen suddenly, looking bored and glum. She hurried to the fridge, producing with it a few bottles of ice cold water, huddling them to her chest as Theo purposely blocked her.181

“Get out of the way.” She demanded. “Tobias and I are dying of thirst.”182

“Lick up the leaves. I’m sure there’s plenty of moist there.” Theo replied, smiling wider.183

“Very funny, but I’m not going to be standing around the house all day. I don’t know how you do it.”184

“It takes serious commitment.” 185

“It takes serious patience. Now move.”186

She simply shoved right into him, surprising me with her effortless strength. He hardly moved an inch, but he pushed to the side anyways, looking already bored with her.187

“You can’t change tonight.” He said, stiffly. 188

She stopped and turned to him. “Why not?”189

“You need to reserve as much strength as possible. You never know who’s going to be coming by.” 190

She frowned but didn’t reply in return, already knowing he was absolutely right. She walked right out of the kitchen, shooting me a small, forced smile before she was out. I watched her disappear into the darkness of the corridor, as silent as always. His eyes were already on me when I turned back to look at him. I wanted to say something, but I realized I had lost all desire to do so. I suppose it was the thought that something might be stopping by that prevented me from doing so, for I knew if something were to occur, he had to be there with Josephine and Tobias. 191

I stood up from my seat and let out a long exhale.192

“I guess I’ll head up now then, and get the night over with.” I simply said.193

He paused and then gave a nod. “Alright. Have a good night.”194

It took me a long moment to actually move myself, away from his gaze. It took effort in getting out of his presence, its comforting mood calmed me down to such an extent that getting out of it hit me hard. I dragged myself up the steps, hearing the thunderous creaks I produced, knowing all their ears would be able to hear them.195

When I entered my room and reluctantly crashed into my bed, I focused on closing my eyes and letting time pass. It was all pointless, for my eyes eventually shot open and stared out the window that let in long, cool breezes. I tried pushing away the thoughts, but they returned to me, a hundred times stronger each time. I wondered what my family were doing as I laid there, still and at ease. Were they sleeping too? Or were they up and thinking about me? 196

The sadness weighed down my heart. Each beat was slow and painful. I focused on the tiny details of the room, trying to find ways not to cry. Eventually, the windowsill’s strong border designs helped put my mind at ease until I fell into a light slumber. 197

The next morning I was disappointed to awake to a rainy day. Thunder echoed in the distance, and lightning bolts flashed, as the rain hit the trees and the roof of the cottage, slashing the windows like a wave from an ocean. It was like this for hours. My hopes of doing something outdoors with Theo was now a crumpled desire. Though I knew there were plenty of days to come with doing that, I had a longing to do it now. So I hoped it would slow as I sat beside the windows, studying its speed intently. 198

“Don’t be so let down, Daisy.” Theo told me before he set foot out into the rain. “I’m sure there’ll be other days to enjoy the forest’s unglamorous ways.”199

I turned to scowl at him, but he was already out the door. So he could get out and I couldn’t? I hammered Josephine this question numerously, until her ears ached and her eyes rolled.200

“Theo has to secure the perimeters.” She told me.201

“Yeah, like anyone’s going to come.” I replied sarcastically with a scoff. 202

“You can never be too sure.”203

“It’s not that bad outside. One can easily take an innocent stroll-”204

“You know you’re already starting to be annoying.” She interrupted, trying to hide a smile.205

“Yeah, well, I’ve always been known for getting on people’s nerves.”206

When she didn’t reply, I continued,207

“Look, can you at least get me out of these clothes and into something more decent and up to date? I feel like a 19th century townsperson in this gown.”208

She chuckled. “It’s an early 19th century piece for your information, and I happen to adore it on you. Some people would pay a fortune to have something like this custom made for them.”209

“Yeah, I highly doubt that.”210

Nonetheless she led me to the drawers of my bedroom, which were stacked with clothing much to my surprise. I hadn’t realized there were clothes there all along, but only because I wasn’t snoopy nor curious enough to care. 211

“They may not all fit you. We’ll have to update on that a little bit on if you’re still around. Just go through these, I suppose you’ll find something decent.”212

So I scurried her out of the room to look through the items myself. All the while her words were coursing through my brain, filling me with confusion. If I’m still around? What did that mean exactly? I had absolutely no clue, but I was too fixed on my clothing to give it anymore thought.213

They ranged from all sorts of generations; it gave me the chills just touching them. I couldn’t imagine what age they came from, but some were so retro, and others were so dainty with age. I did manage to find decent shirts to wear, though they were plain and tight. There were also socks laying about, unrolled. I was more than happy to locate a pair of jeans beneath more gowns, sun dresses and rainbow shorts. I hurried to take off my gown, feeling considerably satisfied in no longer wearing it. I hurried on the white shirt, stretching it as I put it on, and then turned to my jeans. This was an entirely different matter to concern over. As I lifted them, I felt exceedingly intimidated by its size, knowing full well my body shape would be unable to squeeze into it. It was unfair that whoever owned this --likely to be Josephine-- was so tiny, and even more unfair that she had to rub it in my face to even dare slide it into the drawer in the first place. 214

It was a hopeless cause, yet I tried anyways. I put a leg in, and then another, taking as much time as possible. Inch by inch, I forced it on, feeling my thighs tighten in discomfort and my stomach pain in suffocation. I tried stretching it from the sides, but the fabric wouldn’t budge. Fortunately it was on, though it felt more awkward than it looked. I moved my legs in them as much as possible before finding some level of comfortable movement. 215

I then rummaged through the drawers some more, in hopes of finding one particular item I knew I couldn’t live without. A hoodie. I messed up the clothes until I came across a faded purple zip up, with its hood neatly tucked into it. I rushed to put it on, feeling excited that I found something decent to wear. When I finished I rushed back out and stormed some open closet spaces, searching for shoes. Luckily I found a pair of runners, and slipped them on, despite them being a little big on me. 216

Without anymore thought, I dashed down the hardwood stairs, almost slipping at the second last step and headed towards the screen door in the living room. I hoped, as I walked, Josephine wouldn’t interrupt me and prevent me from leaving the cottage. I was happy that she did not. 217

The rain was still hard, but not as rough like before. The wind died down a notch, hitting my face coolly when I stepped out. I slowed my pace on the slippery deck, half concerned that I might slip, whilst my other half hoped Josephine and Tobias would not hear me. The ground was soft, and mushy, sinking the bottoms of my shoes into the Earth. I struggled walking, feeling my feet soak with the rain, and fearing my shoe might fly off. 218

The clouds above were dark and menacing, showing no signs of breaking apart, nor allowing the hidden sun to pour its shine through the crevices. The forest looked vacant and still, casting off a very unwelcome feeling. I was not an ounce tempted to go in. 219

I walked to the edges of the cottage, aiming to circle it. Empty flower pots and overflowing soil made it difficult to keep up an even speed. The bushes were prickly and harsh, and the mud continued to dirty the edges of my jeans and shoes. Before making it to the next side of the cottage, a hand suddenly tugged my hood back, wheeling me behind as well. I gasped as the hood fell over my head. I looked up, startled and too tense to move, to find Theo staring down at me with strange eyes. He was so tall that plenty of the raindrops that had once engulfed my back were now falling upon his, keeping me protected by its coolness.220

“What do you think you’re doing?” He asked, though he didn’t appear to care for an answer.221

“I’m bored.” I simply answered, knowing it wasn’t a good enough reply. 222

He made a tsk sound under his breath and walked ahead of me. I rushed to keep up with his pace, though it felt like I was running more than anything. We walked along the sides of the house until we were in the front yard, where there was at least 200 feet of empty space. The forest thinned a bit, revealing a wide enough trail for cars to pass through. 223

“You should go inside.” I heard Theo say, but it was barely audible to my ears, so I pretended not to have heard him. 224

He stopped and turned to look at me. I stopped too, four or so feet away. I didn’t want to feel his height against mine, it was too much for my neck to strain. 225

“Daisy, you’ll catch a cold.” He said, much louder. 226

I sneered. “You think a cold’s going to do anything to me? Are you kidding me? That’s your defence in keeping me inside?”227

His face darkened, revealing a firm line in his closed lips. He stayed in his spot but turned his head to look about. I followed his gaze, trying to see if I could match my senses to his. Silence ensued once more, until the rain sounded like bricks against concrete and the thunder roared like a hundred racing 18 wheelers on a busy highway. The sounds crashed and lingered in my ear drums, until the noise and silence blending together felt outlandishly comforting.228

“Josephine and Tobias are inside.” I heard him say, though his eyes were still not on me. 229

“I know that.” I replied, trying to distinguish his mood. 230

“They’re not as busy as me, you know. Their company is better than mine.”231

I raised an eyebrow. “You’re busy? Doing what? Walking around the house over and over again? Is this your hobby?”232

His eyes flickered to mine, and, much to my dislike, he didn’t appear at all amused by my humour. I realized I would probably be upset or annoyed by myself as well. Feeling like I made a fool out of myself for showing up in the first place, I gave him a stern nod and turned around. I began walking back, struggling more than I could take with the mud and its quicksand qualities. 233

“You don’t have to go.” I heard him call out.234

However, I continued on, cursing underneath my breath for even bothering to step out. I knew I had to listen to my brain more than my inner wants, because it would only lead me to embarrassing situations where I realized just how unwanted I was. 235

I hadn’t noticed he was behind me until he came up a few feet away, by my side. 236

“I said you don’t have to go.” There was irritation in his tone, and it irritated me in return.237

“No, I can see when I’m not wanted.” I mumbled back.238

“What?” He asked, despite hearing me just fine. 239

I stopped and looked up at his suddenly puzzled face. 240

“I was bored, and I wanted to talk to you. Don’t ask me why, because I don’t know why, but I just did. And I can clearly see that you don’t want to, so I’m going to stop trying and get back inside before I catch a ’cold’.” 241

It took me a few seconds to turn away, only because his face had immediately brightened. His fight against a smile only added fuel to the fire inside me, and I finally managed to walk, angry at his reaction. 242

“Alright, Daisy. I’m sorry.” He said, though he stood in the same spot. “I just don’t see myself as worthwhile company.”243

I stopped again and looked at him. My vision was lightly blurred by the rain hitting me, and this was only because my head was shooting up to meet his face. His eyes were still so bright, even in the daytime and in the midst of all rain. 244

“So what does that mean?” I replied, putting a hand in one of my pockets. 245

“Well,” He looked thoughtful, “it means that I do want you around, but I’m afraid of how lousy of a conversationalist I’ll be to you.” 246

“And why are you so lousy at it?”247

He began inching his way closer to me, filling in the space between us.248

“Because I’m the odd one out in this alliance. Because I’m always out here when Rare Bloods are in there.” He motioned his head to the cottage, as he continued a step closer. “And because I’m intimidating.”249

He was getting more closer than I thought, but I hadn’t noticed it because I was so intent on deepening my eyes into his. 250

“You think you’re intimidating?” I asked, softly, yet it was filled with hesitation.251

“Yeah.”252

“Why?”253

“Because,” he began, less than a foot away from me, “I’m a big. Macho. Werewolf.”254

“Yeah?”255

“Yeah.” He nodded. “And you’re a human.”256

It was strange how the rain and the thunder combined had suddenly drowned out around me, and the only thing that hit my ears louder was his tender, kind voice. His close proximity to me continued to make me hesitant and weak. I did my best to keep composure, though I knew it was easily seen. I was just unsure of how he was taking in my reaction. Of course having such “acute” hearing, he was probably able to hear the nerves that were darting around my body. Or the squeezing of my heart. Or the uneven rhythms of my breaths. 257

I wavered and took a heavy step back, shooting a smile at him as I forced casualness into our focus. 258

“I’m not a human.” I said to him, cheerfully. “I’m what you call a Rare Blood…” I chuckled and raised my arms in confusion. “Where that name comes from, I have no clue. I’m not even interested in the origin of the word.”259

He broke into a smile and allowed me to space us apart once more. 260

“I actually thought the same thing when I first heard the name too.” He admitted. “I thought I was delirious. Like everything was just a dream. At one point I was so keen on finding ways to hurt myself, hoping it would trigger some sort of message to my brain to help wake me up, that I dug up as much ways to test it out. But no matter how many tall buildings I fell off of, no matter how many times I put myself on the line in battles,” He heaved a shrug, “I never woke up.”261

Inquisitiveness filled my mind. 262

“Battles?” I repeated, taking in more steps so that he would see I wanted to walk. 263

He swayed momentarily, and then caught my gist, and began following. 264

“Yeah, battles.” He told me, nodding repetitively. 265

“Like between you and the Vamps?”266

“Yeah.”267

“But I thought you and them are on an even line, and that there’s no danger, but peace-”268

“It wasn’t always like that.” He interrupted. “Don’t you remember Josephine telling you about the ongoing war that lasted 50 odd years?” 269

I gulped, heavily. “But I thought…”270

“Thought what?”271

“Well…I thought she said that happened in the 17th century.” 272

He didn’t reply, but he turned his gaze away from me and to the backyard that now stretched before us. I tried to hide the shock by reasoning with the truth as best as I could. However, the only thing that seemed certain to come out of me was,273

“Wow, you’re really old.”274

I regretted the words as I said them! His face reddened, and turned hard at the same time. If there was a time he wanted to get away, it was now. 275

“Yeah.” He muttered, hard. “I’m a freak, I know.”276

Confusion filled my face as I began shaking my head as quickly as I could. 277

“No, that’s not what I meant, Theo.” I told him, as convincingly as I could, for it really was what I was thinking. “Why should you care how old you are? I mean, you’re an immortal after all. Right?”278

“I don’t like that word.” He shot back, still unable to look at me. 279

“Neither do I.” I agreed. “If anything, I’m the one feeling like the bizarre, misplaced weirdo.”280

“What? How?”281

“Because I’m the youngest! I mean, gosh, you must think I’m some sort of child.” I sighed heavily. “And after all those long arguments I shared with my parents about how I was a grown adult… Gosh, they seem so pathetic next to you.”282

To my delight he laughed softly in return. 283

“No.” He said. “I don’t think you’re a child, but… you are considerably young.”284

Now I felt my face redden and turn away. 285

“Don’t get me wrong,” he quickly added, noticing my expression, “I don’t have a problem with that at all. You just have a lot to learn, that’s all. You’re new at life still.”286

“My brain kills with all the memories I have right now. I wonder how much you have.” 287

He shrugged. “A lot.”288

“Does it ever confuse you?”289

“No. I don’t think memories have a limit, they just keep storing away. However my past’s not…” He exhaled. “There’s plenty I purposely shaded out. I manage to stack up on the good things.”290

I smiled. “All those years must have collected some real good memories then.”291

He looked at me strangely, and uneasily. 292

“Not really.” He finally managed to utter.293

I didn’t want to head back down a road of awkwardness with the sad stuff, so I danced about his answer in as many easy going ways as possible. 294

“I better not be shaded out.” I told him, with a soft laugh. “I better be way up there…” My hand stretched as high as I could -- even though I felt silly, it seemed okay. 295

“You are.” He replied, not as amused as me. His voice was positively serious, and it ruined my chances of a cheery conversation. 296

I fought hard again to try enlightening the mood no matter how difficult it was to keep up with his mood swings. In easy time I managed to adjust to his hard, angry filled answers which immediately then sidetracked to soft, kind ones. He reminded me of myself, the way my mood often danced about from one corner to the next. His talking was so human, so easily relateable, that I quickly forgot the werewolf in him. 297

Our conversation for a while was meaningless; the things that were spoken were of no importance, just meandering topics formed during little talk. I think it was more of each other’s presence that kept us together more than anything. The silence wasn’t as awkward as it had been before, and I was quick to feeling a level of comfort with him the way I did with my friends back home. 298

He was exceptionally interested in my life --or what it had been before all this happened. Numerous times I had to fight back the lump in my throat, but I was fortunate enough that he didn’t stick to the topic of my family. I didn’t say much, there was far too much restraint on my side to be willing to open up. He was perfectly okay with it. I suppose I just needed time, however there wasn’t the need to unload. I didn’t feel I had to do it to let go.299

We walked along the yard and even wandered into the forest, all the while his eyes darted towards mine and then around him randomly. It was extremely wet when we trailed in, the canopy I found myself under dripped of rain, hitting the mixture of trees around. One minute I came upon an oak and maple tree, and the next I spotted a spruce standing tall and vast. The forest felt so ancient, no doubt keeping hidden the worldly unknown secret of Theo and his people. 300

Time flew by at a pace I was unable to keep up with. Before I knew it the sky darkened even more, and the rain settled into a light drizzle. The sky still held many clouds in the coming night, but they spaced apart and revealed patches of stars. By this time, Theo made us turn back, following some unknown trail towards the yard. I hadn’t even realized how far in we had gotten, but despite feeling cold and drowsy from the rain and its arcane muddy puddles, I didn’t want to return just yet. I felt so restored in Theo’s presence, as if I was exactly the way I had been when none of this fell upon me. My sarcasm, my excitement, my typical annoying behaviour rushed back to me after its fateful absence.301

“Can I ask you something?” Theo asked in a thoughtful tone, suddenly breaking the silence.302

My eyes struggled to look at him, but they returned to my feet just as fast. It was difficult to maneouvre through the mess the storm had left behind without slipping. He was a few feet ahead of me, stalling every moment to wait for me, yet his eyes didn’t look towards mine anymore as he spoke.303

“Sure you can.” I answered, forcefully through gritted teeth. The mud was an annoyance I couldn’t calm over.304

“Back home…” His eyes turned to take in my expression, though it was short of anything. “Did you leave anyone behind?”305

My face formed into confusion.306

“Like who? My family and friends?”307

He paused to answer, and quickened his steps from me.308

“Not really.” I heard him say. “I meant someone… you know, closer.” 309

I instantly realized what he meant, and wondered why he would bring up such a thing. I could tell in his movements he regretted asking it, but he was still eager in knowing. I hesitated, trying to think back on all my friends, especially Ben. I did recall, though it seemed such a distant memory, of feeling some sort of connection with him. Whatever I felt, however, had evaporated, leaving behind not even an imprint in my heart.310

“No.” I found myself saying. “I had no one.”311

I felt his stare on me, studying my expression as if trying to decipher what I was thinking. Silence washed over us once more, but only momentarily. I was quick to change subjects.312

“Are we close to the cottage?”313

I waited, forcing a smile in case he was still feeling regretful, but I heard no answer. I looked up, surprised to find him standing still. His back was against me, but his face was turned to the right, staring very deeply towards something I couldn’t see. Following his gaze, I couldn’t help but feel a knot of fear, but it only lasted a short moment, for I then realized I had nothing to fear with him around. I took a few more steps until I was right beside him. My curiosity continued to grow as he then looked behind, and then around. 314

“What’s wrong?” I muttered, lost in all his glances. 315

Without an answer, he grabbed a hold of my arm and began steering me forward in a quickened pace. Alarmed, I tried spacing my legs apart, keeping up without falling straight on my face. His grip was soft, yet really firm; I doubted I could get out of it. 316

“Theo, what is it?” I demanded now, feeling the own edge in my tone. 317

“Nothing.” He mumbled. “We just need to hurry.”318

“That’s not true.” I retorted. “Is someone coming?”319

Even with his face moving all about, I could still hear the frown that buckled down his face.320

“Yeah, someone’s coming.” I heard him say.321

“Who?”322

“I don’t know.” There was impatience driving his voice, and I decided I wouldn’t reply. 323

We walked so fast, the trees around me were a blur of green and brown. My breath gave out, and my legs pained, tightening against the jeans; as soon as he figured I was tired, he began dragging me. Within minutes, I could see the opening up ahead, and the roof of the cottage caught my view first. There were movements, or maybe it was my eyes playing tricks on me, but I thought I saw a figure walking along the yard. It was too quick of a movement to take in at once, so I was unsure who it was. 324

“Please slow down.” I managed to say, feeling myself trip several times.325

His arm kept me from hitting the ground, as his hand switched from around my arm to my waist. His whole arm wrapped around it, almost trying to pick me up. I rose a few inches, confused and beyond alarmed, as he pushed me towards his chest. Whatever was coming, I figured it wasn’t good at all. My heart thumped noisily, no doubt he could hear it against his own chest, as my eyes tried looking around. 326

We edged out the forest and began walking the yard. He practically threw me down, strong enough to keep me stable, and motioned me to the cottage.327

“Get in there, to Josephine. Hurry.”328

His words were a blaze; I couldn’t comprehend the meaning of them in time to react quick enough. My legs shuddered, and my brain oozed in confusion, as dizziness overcame me. After a few seconds, I mustered the strength to turn to the cottage, feeling the need to run to the deck. However, not even three steps forward, Theo’s arm grabbed a hold of mine -- an urgent motion that drove me back.329

“Wait.”330

By now something else entirely swarmed my chest. It was almost an ice cold feeling mixed with an immediate fire, burning from the inside of my skin. It washed over me from head to toe, leaving me in rampant tingles. Theo shoved me behind him so hard that I nearly fell backwards if it weren’t for the shirt he wore. I grabbed onto it to pull myself back up, swaying until I positioned myself straight. I stood behind him, completely blocked off by any view of what was in front of him. I already knew there was something there. I felt it -- the presence that kicked in, but there was no warmth like before. No cloud of danger hit me the way it had when Tobias had arrived. 331

Theo’s tense muscles immediately relaxed, pulling his shoulders back down from his defensive stance. My heart still battered against my chest, as the whirls of ice cold and fire continued to dance about my insides. I wasn’t sure what was going on with me. My emotions were flying everywhere; one minute I felt fear, the next it was relief. I heard Theo let out a deep breath, as he took a step forward. I grabbed onto his shirt again, scared he would leave me. He stopped, knowing my level of fear. 332

“I didn’t know it was you.” He said, steadying his voice. “I thought it was a Vamp, but didn’t stop to think you would be here so soon.”333

There was a snapping sound ahead, as if branches were broken. My head moved, slowly, to Theo’s left side, taking in a few inches of the view before me. I caught a dark jacket and moving legs. I quickly hid back behind him, taking in deep breaths in order to soothe my heart. Another presence followed, interrupting the mixture of cold and hot in me. And then two others. 334

Theo slowly took a few steps forward, as if he were giving me reassurance that everything was alright. As soon as he did so, I felt the cover of protection come off. I was unusually bare now, staring at the things that had been hidden away. My eyes did not drift to the dark figure who stood alone on the side of the yard. They were on Ruth’s. She was beside Niles and somebody else. They all looked tired, but Ruth the most. She breathed in and out, as if she were out of breath, and I didn’t have to think about it long to know why that was. 335

“Where’s Josephine and Tobias?” Were her first words.336

“In there.” Theo answered quickly, motioning to the cottage. 337

“Everyone inside then.” 338

At once they all moved forward, towards the cottage. I felt the weight of Ruth’s intimidation fall upon me right away, especially when her gaze reached mine before she stepped onto the deck. It brought on an uncomfortable feeling, especially when the unknown figure beside her turned to give me a peculiar stare as well. All their stares said a thousand words, and none I could configure. The only kindness I spotted from my distance was that of Niles. His face was stern but a forced smile appeared, just for me to take in. Theo wasn’t looking at any of them, his body was turned to the stranger that was still back, alone. They both exchanged expressions, ones that I understood to be of some connection. They didn’t say a word though, however Theo’s face washed over with relief, for he let out a long exhale and finally turned to me. 339

“Let’s get inside.” He told me, in a whisper. 340

I wanted to look at him and answer, but my eyes flickered back to the stranger who was now eyeing me. Even in the darkness I could detail the hardness on the lines of his face. 341

A solid face, I thought quickly.342

A strange coldness overtook the fire inside me, as if blowing out the candle that had ignited my soul. Theo took hold of my arm and gently steered me forward, until my eyes were forced to look down at the wet ground. 343

The lights in the cottage turned on, suddenly coming alive with the amount of life cramming into its small space. 344