Bleeding Tears, Crying Blood

Things remained calm for two more days. Cian did as he promised, never leaving his crypt, simply walking around the room to exercise his legs. Sofia had left the evening I had given her sword back to her. She had simply touched it and the owl then, after bidding me farewell, left the town, apparently satisfied that I hadn’t abused the sword she had entrusted with me. Wolfram remained in a bad temper with me. He would be as quiet as possible around me and often be quite blunt and it was because of this that I couldn’t approach him for so long. But when I finally told him my worries over Kenny, he put his pride aside and listened quietly.

“I have not felt anything of the Old World within him.” Wolfram said after he thought over my words. He leaned back in his chair, letting his eyes scowl at me with though from behind his glasses.

“I am certain it is there.” I pressed firmly.

His eyes remained fixed on me, even as he addressed White who sat on his desk. Whether or not Wolfram trusted White, he didn’t particularly like him. “Have you felt anything, White?”

White titled his head. “I haven’t.”

“Then how can you be so sure he is of the Old World, Alma? No one else can feel anything from him.”

I pressed my lips together hard. It was strange no one else could sense anything from Kenny but I was certain it was there. I was certain he was an immortal.

“I just am.” I responded.

Wolfram sighed and rubbed his eyes. “Well I’ll keep a close eye on him but don’t get too worked up about it. I have sensed nothing from him, threat or immortality.”

I simply nodded and scooped White up, not waiting to ask if he wanted to leave, and swept out of the study, the door closing firmly behind me.

“I am certain, White, I am certain there is something odd about Kenny.” I said softly as I made for the front door.

“And I trust you about it.” White said softly, shuffling on my shoulder so I could open up my parasol. “And Wolfram does also. He said he’ll keep a closer eye on him.”

“But neither of you believe my judgment. Not truly.” I commented.

White shuffled awkwardly. “I am usually able to sense an immortal, being in a toy doesn’t make a difference to me. I cannot sense anything from Kenny. Nothing. And I can’t see how you can.”

I froze in the doorway then, my eyes half closed with thought as I recalled Cian’s words and his instant recognition of White.

I can tell what things are, just like you can Alma.

I bit my lip. Cian had known what White was. Wolfram hadn’t. The dhampir were a sensitive creature. My eyes dulled as the doubt in vampiric nature strengthened. I had to be a dhampir to be able to sense what others can’t.

I shook my head, trying to shake the doubt, and, holding the parasol above my head, stepped down the broken steps and slowly made my way to the gardens. Rain faintly fell from the sky and grey clouds blocked out the sun. It didn’t help though. My head still throbbed horribly in pain. It had become worse over the last couple of days and the sunlight only seemed to make it worse. If I was standing indoors or the night was upon the world, my head would no longer hurt or the pain would at least have dulled to a faint tingle. I stared up at the dark sky, squinting my eyes and twirling the parasol absentmindedly. I didn’t understand why this started but I wanted it to stop.

I decided to sit in the one clean condo. It gave me shade from the light and rain. White remained perched on my shoulder while I sat on the steps, continuing to stare up at the sky. Leroy wasn’t here today. Both he and Kenny were at the shop, helping the friendly old man out.

For a moment I thought of home, of what my mother and father were doing, of what my cousins were up to. I wondered when I would be called back.

“Have you heard anything more of Gabor?” I asked softly.

White slipped down from my shoulder, deciding to sit in front of my instead. “I have not.” He replied glumly. “Gabor appears to have lost all interest in you.”

“But my father does not think so.”

“As any wise man would.” White commented. “Gabor was fighting for you so earnestly, Alma, and was determined to have you. For him to just back down when he had a fair chance of winning and then declare he doesn’t want you anymore is very suspicious. He is planning something and he is patient for his plan to unfold by itself.”

“So I will not be called for some time then.”

White shrugged. “It has been a couple of weeks since he stopped his claim. I would think a few more then your father would feel safe enough in bringing you back and away from safety.”

I sighed heavily. White stared up at me with the eyes you couldn’t see and rubbed his nose.

“Do you want to go back?”

“I do.”

“So you don’t want to find out about the dhampir and Cian?”

I hesitated. “I do but I also do not want to.”

White’s nose twitched. “As expected.”

I frowned. Suddenly the face of my mother, angry and scarred, popped in my head. If I were to be a dhampir, that woman who I believed to be my mother, the woman who my father adored, wouldn’t truly be who I thought she was. She wouldn’t be my mother. This small worry that had been whirling about in my mind for the last few days suddenly swelled on my tongue and I blurted it out.

“If I am a dhampir, does it not mean that my mother is not my real mother?”

I felt White’s surprise, like a small cool wave that flowed from him rapidly. “Of course she is.”

“But my mother is a vampire.” I said earnestly. “Cian said a dhampir is born from a witch and a vampire. If I were a dhampir, that means my mother must be a witch.”

“Your birth mother would be, yes. But your real mother is the woman who has raised you that last twenty years.” White said firmly. “You have nothing to fear in this, Alma. If anything, you being a dhampir will explain a lot about yourself.”

My frown deepened but I agreed with him. If I were to be a dhampir, it may explain why I could destroy Matter, why I still hadn’t matured and why I could sense things others couldn’t.

“Only good will come from Cian and you being a dhampir.” White pressed, letting a small stubby arm touch my knee in comfort. “Try not to worry. We will deal with this together.”

I smiled at him but only weakly. I didn’t understand completely why but his words both comforted me and saddened me. They were words that meant he cared for me and would look out for me. But they weren’t of a lover, only a friend. White was my dear friend, nothing else. Only a friend. And I couldn’t change that, no matter how hard I tried.

“We can go see Cian tonight if you want.” White said. “He can help soothe your fears a little.”

“Is he well?” I asked. I hadn’t been to see him since I had freed him. Fear of what he is, of what I could be, prevented me from doing so.

White nodded and scratched his long ear slowly. “He is walking better and his strength seems to be returning rapidly.” He said. “I also found out he never slept. Not once.”

My eyebrows raised at that. Older vampires often sleep for years at a time when life seem becomes a strain to them. When that strain becomes too much, even after long years of sleep, a vampire would give up life, just let it fade from them, and turn them to dust. For Cian to never sleep the long sleep was surprising, especially as he was trapped down there for so long.

“Did he explain why?”

“He simply said he didn’t want to miss Annie.”

I stared at him. Annie again. Cian’s mate. The woman who had locked him beneath that church all those years ago and not returned. All of what Cian did was because of her.

“I wonder where she is.” I mumbled.

“In all honesty, most likely she is dead and for a long time.” White said glumly. “For a vampire to lock away and leave their mate for so long is insane. They would crave them only after a few months.”

“Cian does not seem to act like she is.”

“The memory of her is the only thing keeping him going I think. He won’t admit she is dead until he has absolutely no choice.”

I didn’t want to be there when that happened. Cian appeared to adore Annie. For the moment he has to admit her death would be heart breaking. He would fall and I wasn’t confident that he would survive.

The rain began to fall in earnest now, falling hard against from the sky and hitting the roof of the condo in loud bursts. The air took a cold chill, making me shiver a little. White noticed and tapped my knee.

“Let’s go inside. You will be warmer there.”

I nodded and stood slowly, giving the sky one last glance, before I moved to pick up White. I couldn’t however. All of a sudden the pain in my head screamed, blossoming into a horrible mind-numbing throb that tore at my head. I heard White call to me, demanding what was happening, but the next thing I knew, I was on the floor, staring up at the grey sky, before a deep darkness took over my eyes.