Chapter 8 — SUN BURNT

SATURDAY

Dawn’s house was just a block away from ours. Easy for me to get there and back without anyone noticing. Our part of town was directly connected to the other human populated areas. Seeing her again yesterday had triggered the need I had for her. The need for her warmth and nice scent. The same scent that turned me to an animal.

I had been perched by the window since we returned home. Waiting to see if she'd pass by again but I was sure she knew better than to do so. Jhan came home late yesterday but left early for a patrol this morning, and Jereum had walked Leya to school—something he started doing after she helped him with the wounds he sustained from the tyrants, he and Leya were actually beginning to get along quite often.

Leya's cover up was enough to deceive Tia to thinking I was fully over my likeness for Dawn. I couldn't thank the little vampire girl enough for what she has done for me, she had even once told me that I was her senior brother because I always made her feel safe... That, I did not understand. But I always found myself wondering what was behind her story, little Leya all alone.

I couldn't help it anymore. I needed to talk to Dawn one way or the other. Everyone was out and if I couldn't let Dawn come to my house, I would go to hers. I grabbed my jacket and skipped down gha stairs. Locking the door behind me and stowing the key in my pocket. I wasn't even sure about what I was doing but it was either I was very foolish or I was just too confident.

I had kept the sacred towel handy just in case and I sped walked down the streets.

I heaved before holding my breath as I slipped behind their picket fence. A familiar feeling of nausea came over m but I pushed it down with all the strength I had.

Three knocks against the hard door and I waited patiently. I was about knocking again when the door was harshly pulled open. I looked a short chubby man with a heavy sun tan. He had a thick robe fastened around his bulging mid and a chewing stick that stuck out of his lips.

He looked up at me, an inscrutable expression, that I mutually shared, on his face.

"And who are you?" His voice was deep and commanding. If this man was Dawn's father they shared no resemblance.

"Honey—oh, it's just Dawn's friend."

Dawn's mother appeared beside her husband, a warm smile on her face as she placed a hand on her husband's shoulder. The man eyed me carefully and I tried on a small smile but it fell as I noticed Dawn's presence behind her parents.

"Dawn dear—there you are. Your friend is here."

Her mother retreated along with her husband. The man had managed a grunt in reply to my greeting.

I looked at Dawn. Her lips were slightly parted but all the fear of being asked away vanished when she turned around and said the words, "Follow me."

I walked behind her, spotting her father with a newspaper in his hands on one of the parlour chairs.

We walked in silence until we got into her room. Her dog growled and scampered out if the room on seeing me. Dawn locked the door before she stood in front of a mirror above the cabinet, pulling down the neck of her sweater and observing the injuries on her neck.

I looked at her, heavily ladden with guilt. The bruises were almost gone now, her skin was healing and returning back to its bright colour.

"Dawn I—"

"What are you?" She asked, her voice even.

I couldn't look at her, even as she turned around and focused her gaze on my face. I didn't have an answer to her question. 'A demon maybe... A vampire.'

"You know, when I saw you like... That. I couldn't believe what I was you became. Your eyes were evil, your teeth stuck out from under your lips. I-I..." I knew she was tearing up even if I couldn't look at her. "I couldn't believe that was what I was kissing."

"And then when that other one showed up. You told him to kill me—"

"That was just to gain his trust. I would never hurt you."

I took a step towards her but she put her hand out. Clearly indicating that I left space between us.

"You haven't answered my question... What are you?" She asked again.

I remembered when I had asked Tia a similar question. She resulted to showing instead of telling me. At then I thought it had been a dumb way to answer the question but now I realize it was actually because she had accepted her nature to a point in which she didn't care if she got hurt by the sun. She just wanted to show me what we were.

I looked at the silver medals that hung from the walls. The metal must have polished with great care as it reflected any little light that shun on it.

I walked to it, I could feel her curious stare on my back as I grabbed the metal and yanked it from wall. At first nothing, but as I kept my grip tight on the medal the heat from the burn started.

I grunted, falling to my knees as the silver seemed to steal away my strength from me. The heat spread like a snake, slithering it way up my arm and to my neck creating a pattern of burnt skin and exposed flesh. I felt her warmth beside me as she snatched the medal from my hand.

The burning stopped immediately and I fell onto my side. My heartbeat was a steady gallop, I had not expected silver to have such a terrible effect on me. Not only did it burn my skin but it also stole away my strength.

"You're a..." Her voice trailed off and I watched her eyes drift to the healing lines of red exposed skin on my neck.

I pushed myself from the ground, getting onto my knees and allowing my head to hang as I heaved out painfully before locking my breath again.

"Look Dawn... You're in danger. You can't tell anyone about this. About us. "You cannot tell anyone of me or my family," I said finally, ignoring her question.

"Family?" She asked.

"Yes, family."

"They are more?"

"Of course."

“How many? Like the whole street or—" she asked.

“Too many,” I said, remembering the tyrants. “And a lot of them aren’t as friendly as I am.”

She was dumbfounded.

"So that girl that came over the other day...?” She asked and I didn't answer.

"Oh my God," She said.

"Part of this whole town is vampire populated, stay indoors and avoid walking at night," I told her.

I just wanted to be with her—to keep her safe. Whenever I did as much as think about her I felt more alive, like there a warm flame burning in my chest that gave me life.

“That also includes telling anyone about me or about the encounter you had in the forest. They'll kill you if they find out!"

I took my face to meet hers. She bent down in front of me, eyes boring into mine.

"Who's 'they'?" she asked. I she already knew enough, it was best I told her all about it now. It was the only way she'd know what to do in case am adjudicator showed up on the threshold of her house.

I told her about everything. The higher court. The vampires that lived in clans in the neighbouring blocks. Tia, Leya, Jhan and Jereum. I told her about my acceptance into the blood, about the tyrants that attacked Jereum, about the way I was locked in that attic do two months and about how I had not known any one of my clan members till two months ago when I woke up with amnesia.

With every word I said only brought on more and more shock and fear that gripped her tightly like that vampire had gripped her neck.

I was sure that I was ripping her mind into a thousand pieces and then sewing the pieces all back together. I told her about the mind's-eye and about Supremes, and the living vampires that were dubbed as abnormals.

I kept my voice low as I told her about the consequences of my actions. That I could be killed for even talking to her and that she and her whole family could be put in danger if she said a word.

Once I was done talking, I could see the new understanding she had of the world she lived. The realization that took over her and molded a new cast that was set over her skin. I was looking at a new person, and she was looking at me through new eyes.

She wrapped her arms around her knees as she crouched beside me. We were both leaning against her bed frame. I kept my eyes on the purple rug, it covered most of the floor of the room.

I felt her gaze on me. There was a strangeness to the silence, one we both didn't want to break. She knew what I was, she knew I was dangerous.

The sun was rising now. The part of town was mostly always cloudy. It only made sense that this was the perfect place for the higher court to set up one of their headquarters.

"Now that—"

"So you—"

We cut each other off, exchanging a quick glance before she continued.

"So you aren't gonna..." She rolled back her lips, revealing her teeth.

"What? No!"

"You haven't killed someone have you?" She glanced at me nervously, as if I would lash out on her.

"No, I mean... Not yet probably."

"What?!"

"What?"

"So you would kill someone?"

"No. I won't, I don't want to..."

"Then how would you survive—I can't believe I'm having this conversation..." She whispered the last sentence to herself, pressing the heel of her palms to her eyes.

"This is ridiculous... I don't know why I'm not scared, why I'm still here... With you."

"It's okay if you don't want to... Help me anymore—"

"By help do you mean kiss?" she said it with a small smile.

"I don't know... I don't know what you should do. This is dangerous Dawn."

She looked at me carefully, I had just told her what she probably didn't want to hear.

"Are you dangerous Kaldar...?"

It was the first time she had said my name since. But didn’t have an answer to her question

"You saved me from that... Other vampire. You risked it all just for me."

I locked gazes with her for a short moment before turning my head away.

"Why won't you look me in the eye?"

She was asking me the same question I had asked her the first time we were together like this, in her room

But I still kept my gaze on the ground.

"Oh come on Kaldar, don't tell me your amnesia washed away your mutual sense of reasoning?"

I chuckled although I fully understood what she meant.

"Because whenever I do I feel like doing this..."

It was the first time I had kissed her so slowly because I wanted the moment to last. But she just back suddenly.

"What?"

"Don't you have... Fangs?"

I rolled back my lips, my canines were always elongated. They were abnormally long for a human but got even longer whenever I got hungry, or angry.

"How didn't I see that before?"

I shrugged. "I'm a great hider."

She leaned in again, crossing her legs over my thighs like how she did in the car. She pressed her lips against mine, gentle.

I slipped my hands under the turtle neck she wore. Her skin was warm and smooth.

"You're cold..." she whispered.

"Uh huh..." I pressed my lips to hers and she chuckled under her breath.

"I noticed it before but..."

I kissed the spot of her neck right under her chin.

"...I didn't think there would be such a reason behind you temperature."

"Thought it was the cold?"

She laughed lightly before looking down at me, she was kneeling, legs at either side of my own.

"Kaldar I..." Her gaze dropped.

"You don't want it to be like this?"

"Well, it can't be like this. You barely even have a life... Let me help you."

"How do you want to do that?"

"If I can find our enough about your mother maybe I can help you find her."

"But how would you find anything? It's not like you can just—"

"—walk into a hospital and ask for your information? Yes, I can. My mum has worked in several hospitals, she has connections with them. I could ask her to help."

I couldn't believe what she was offering to do for me. It was just like I had said before, it's either she was foolish, or very kind and in love. And I think I got my answer.

"Look Dawn, I don't want you to get involved with any of this. It's dangerous. Leave it to me. Nobody can know about us, you understand?" I made sure I made myself very clear.

"I can't promise you anything..." She said.

"I can live with that..."

She leaned in again but the intense yellow rays of the sun broke through the curtains and singed part of my face. She gasped loudly before quickly getting to her feet.

I looked peered through the window, the sun was starting to rise.

"I need to go!" I didn't waste any more time before I was at the window.

"But I'll be back..." I knew she must have smiled at that.

I leaped out of the window, the golden rays of the sun kissing the skin of my neck.