章 76: A Chat With A Vampire

So many similarities shared with one another, yet on total opposites of the spectrum. These two sisters couldn't be further apart if they tried.

If it were Adalia standing there before me she'd have greeted me back with a quietly said 'How do you do?'. But no, Amelia preferred herself discreet and blunt, scowling away in silence.

Seeing that pushed away all thoughts of buttered toast to the back of my mind. Lost my appetite. Sad.

"Well, I'd tell you to go make yourself at home," I said, taking a step towards her. "But it seems to me that you already did."

Indeed like a centerpiece drawing all focus towards it, she stood there, prominently, her long flowing raven black hair as opposed to her sister's calming grey blowing with the breeze of an open window.

"My sister," she demanded again, her glare like a permanent imprint that couldn't be removed. "Where is she?"

"Relax," I told her. "She's with the others. In the city, I think."

Amelia clenched her jaw, her fangs slightly poking through thinning lips. "She's not supposed to be outside."

"Adalia's fine."

"Eleven in the morning," She retorted. "It is unhealthy for her. She should be asleep."

I scoffed. "So should you."

"I'm different."

"She wanted to."

"Oh, did she?" She responded dubiously, her sharpened fingers folding into her palms. "Why is that now, I wonder?"

Yikes. I almost forgot about her violent tendencies. Someone is in desperate need of anger management.

"Can you calm down? Your sister is just helping out around here, alright? We ain't keeping her chained up in a room somewhere, feeding her dog bowls full of blood and poking her with a stick. She's… doing things, she's - y'know… what do people call it - living?"

Convincing the unconvinced was like throwing a glass of water into a blazing fire. Needless to say, in her eyes, I was still pretty sus.

"If she frenzies..."

"She knows her limit," I interjected, growing tired of this pointless back and forth. "As do I. Why not have a little faith, hm? We've been doing pretty well so far."

Provoking Adalia's more volatile half wasn't something I'd wholeheartedly recommend doing, but in this case, I could hardly care less what happens now.

And what indeed happened now was nothing short of surprising - Amelia actually conceded.

"Fine," She spun away from me, arms crossed, the expression on her face still very much disgruntled. "So where did they go?"

"No clue."

'What?"

"Yep," I shrugged my shoulders. "But I'll know where they will be. Supposed to meet up with them by 1."

"Meet up? Them?" Amelia glanced sideways at me, her brows furrowed, and eyes gleaming with intrigue. "What are you all up to?"

Why does everything that spouts out of her frowning lips always have to sound so accusatory? Why, is it illegal to have an outing nowadays? Gonna send me in chains to the executioner's block, Amelia?

"Long story short, I'm going out to have fun with Ash. Remember Ash, the Elf you abducted? Yeah, we're gonna try and forget all the trouble you caused… and your sister along with Ria is helping accomplish that."

Surface level explanations were all that she needed to hear. Didn't really feel like narrating my life story to her.

"The Elf? You're going out with the Elf?"

It surprised me to hear a semblance of emotion that didn't anger in her voice. It also dismayed me to hear that that emotion she did show was of utter disbelief.

"Yes," I said, eyeing her close eye on me. "That a problem?"

"A date, then?"

Well then… She's every bit as keen-eyed as her sister, isn't she?

"You can call it that, I suppose," I said.

Expectations forged through previous experiences had me bracing for disapproval, for disdain. Dating the Elf, how sacrilegious of me, how despicable an act… seeing her squint at me with such a peculiar look, I was ready and waiting to face her scorn.

"Good for you, then," she said, her gaze straying elsewhere again. "Good for you both."

Thought I heard wrongly the first time she said it, then I thought she had to be speaking an entirely different language on the second. I was that adamant about her indifference because from what I have seen and heard so far, her not caring one bit was the same thing as her approving this venture with Ash.

Which would be insane, 'cause you know… Elf bad.

"I suppose that's why you're dressed so bizarrely?" She asked, getting all snobbish all the sudden.

"Huh? Ah - oh yeah," I nodded my head, nearly forgetting my change of attire. "Got myself dressed nicely for the occasion."

Was under the impression that her comment on my clothes was a one-off topic that would have been dropped instantly in favor of more relevant subjects at hand.

That wasn't the case. Amelia kept one eye intently focused, surveying close to every square inch of my body. Didn't get why she was so hung up on some blazer and jeans combo, then I remembered what Ria had said to me in regards to vampires and their unmatched insight on style and glamour.

Seems I did learn something from your lessons after all.

Just as Adalia did back in the clothing store, Amelia's assessment needed only a few moments for a verdict to be reached, and judging by the slight shake of her head and the frown of her lips… she had very mixed opinions with her sister's selections.

"You don't approve?" I asked.

"Not particularly, no," She said in an air of apathy, despite displaying so much interest before, "Tacky at best. Your sense of fashion leaves much to be desired. If it were up to me, I would have - "

"Your sister picked it out actually."

"Oh, is… is that so?" I saw her eyes blink a few times in rapid succession. "Well, in spite of it, it still looks very good - You look good… very much."

I'm sensing some bias around here.

Amelia walked up to me for a closer inspection before she abruptly stopped in her tracks, took a whiff, and immediately retreated a good distance away. "And the odor… mmm... my sister picked it, yes? Well, ah… you smell… you smell absolutely uh..."

"Actually Ria picked the smell."

"Oh," Her expression reverted back to disinterest. "Then you smell absolutely revolting."

"Thanks."

Yeah, someone's playing favourites alright.

Whimsically, I let my eyes wander, and caught sight of the living room clock just as it struck the last of the double digits. Noon has commenced, and any chances for a quick meal has been dashed.

Thanks, Amelia.

"I need to get going," I told her, my pace an urgent march to the front door. "You gonna leave now or do I have to worry about being burglarized here?"

Her trademark scowl befell my gaze once again, her arms crossed, heaving a small sigh. "I came to visit my sister, and she isn't even here."

"So? You're free to visit her again any other time."

"Not for quite some time," She said, another sigh sounding. "There are obligations I have to fulfill. Unfinished business… I still need to find - "

"Terestra, yeah?"

"Not Terestra, no," She shook her head. "I do not know yet who exactly am I looking for, but I'll find them… it's only a matter of time, I'm sure."

"Not Terestra?" I spun back towards her, that feeling of urgency overruled by a surge of curiosity. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but is that not what you and your sister have been striving for this entire time? I died cause of it."

"Unnecessary now," She waved a hand. " You claim to be involved with her, did you not?"

"You're looking at her firstborn child. Pretty sure that makes me more than just involved, don't you think?"

"And she's not in the state?"

"No, she's out in the country…" I pulled a frown, growing more intrigued by the second. "Where you going with this?"

Shouldn't have asked that, shouldn't have gone ahead and indulged my ever-burning curiosity. That question was a trap, a deep pitfall with mystery and mystic as its lure, alluring eager-eyed individuals such as myself into a hole neverending.

Sucks that I was such easy bait.

It was still only 12, I have plenty of time still, and also plenty more questions for the words she next spoke out.

"There's a growing presence lurking about the place. A powerful imposing aura. It's what drew me here to your town in the first place. There's someone with a presence to match Terestra's lurking somewhere in your city."