Page 43 of Love Bites
Collin is a healthy young boy,he wrote in conclusion.His parents' deaths have rattled him, but fortunately, he shows no signs of awakening.
No sign of awakening? What was that supposed to mean? I felt a trickle of cold sweat in the back of my neck. What the hell had Dad been hiding from us?
I glanced at Talon, who watched me impassively, and then at Luke. "Does your folder say shit like this too?"
Luke only nodded, expression tight.
I flipped the pages to the back of the folder.Collin told me that he is gay. I have suspected this for a long time. It is a burden many of us must bear. I have tried to tell him that he cannot continue with this behavior. He did not understand. Maybe it is time to tell him the truth.
"What the hell?" I stared at the words on the page in front of me, painfully reminded of the argument that had broken out between Dad and me the day before he died. My hand shook as I set the folder down. "Did you read this?" I turned to Talon. "What did he mean by the truth? Did you find anything else?" Because this really wasn't explaining anything.
"There was a notebook," Talon said. "It told me what you are." He glanced at Luke, who averted his gaze. "What you both are."
"Spill it," I demanded, even as my stomach turned to knots. Talon didn't look like someone who was about to deliver happy news.
"You're descended from dhampires."
"I'm descended from vampires?"
"Not vampires. Dhampires. There's a difference." Talon sat on the edge of the couch.
"They're like... hybrids," Luke said, gesturing with his hands in a way that made it clear he didn't really understand it either.
"The lore calls them human / vampire hybrids," Talon elaborated, "but that's not the full truth either."
"Then what is the full truth?" I nearly snapped because I was feeling sick and none of what anyone was saying made any sense. How could I be a vampire hybrid? My parents hadn't been vampires. Never mind that I didn't remember my parents, I was pretty sure of that.
"The first dhampires were born from a union between a witch and a vampire," Talon explained. "Regular humans can't bear vampire children."
"Makes sense," Luke said, even though the frown lines on his forehead said that he could wrap his head around all this just about as well as I could.
"Dhampires were powerful creatures," Talon continued. "Day-walking vampires super powered by witchcraft."
"And you're saying I'm one of those creatures?" I asked, raising my voice a little because how could Talon just stand there and calmly proclaim that I was part monster when I’d been a totally normal human all my life. Sure, I’d agreed to believe him that I might be alittledifferent, but I couldn’t just believe that I had vampire blood running through my veins.
Even if I had fangs.
"You're a descendent," Talon clarified. "As I understand it, dhampires suffered the fate of many hybrids and ended up being shunned by both witches and vampires. They intermixed with humans, diluting their bloodlines and their powers. And then vampires started hunting them down, eradicating most of them. There aren't many left now who will even show the mark."
I clutched my arm before I could even think about it. What kind of story was that? "So what you're saying is that we're watered down versions of... dhampires?" I licked my teeth, the one tangible proof I had that there might be some truth to all this. But even if I accepted this tale as gospel, it still left too many questions unanswered. "Why do vampires want us dead? I'm not a powerful creature, neither are my siblings. Does the mere idea of our existence offend you guys somehow? I didn't ask to be born like this."
"I know you didn't. I do not know why my people feel the need to kill anyone who bears marks like yours, but they do."
"Vampires want to kill us?" Luke cowered, staring at his wrist. He wore a wristband that hid his birthmark. Dad had given it to him a long time ago. He basically never took it off. I'd almost forgotten what his skin looked like underneath it.
I laid an arm around my little brother's shoulders and pulled him to me. "We'll be okay." I glared at Talon as if it was his fault that my baby brother got scared, even if I'd been the one to bring the topic up.
"Why do you have fangs?" Luke asked.
“That’s what I would like to know.” If my dhampire heritage or whatever had lain dormant all this time, what had changed now? I looked at Talon. He bit his lower lip, which made my stomach clench. I'd never seen himnervousbefore.
"It's connected to the reason your father didn't want you to take male lovers," he said.
“What’s that got to do with anything?”
"Remember how I said regular humans couldn't procreate with vampires?"
I stared blankly at him.
