“You know Henri?” He asked.
I nodded. “Eldest Vampire. Eldest living person from a magical specie.”
He tutted and shook his head. “Not eldest living species. Just the Eldest Vampire. It was witch that turned him.”
I looked at him.
“The witch is still alive.” He laughed. “Crazy old thing. Over 4000 years old.”
“She was the first witch?” I asked.
“Oh no, she wasn’t.” He said. “She was the first witch to dabble in the dark arts. Every witch in her coven is long dead.”
“But she’s still alive…”
“Yes. With the help of Dark magic. She’s a cast-out. To dabble in the dark arts is an abomination amongst their kind. It takes part of your soul.”
“I’ve never heard of her.” I said.
“I know. She likes to remain a secret.” We entered a large room. “Sit.” He opened a mini bar that doubled as a refrigerator. Cool mist drifted out as he opened the bar.
I sat on a big couch and struggled to maintain my balance because of how soft it was. It was swallowing me and I just let myself be swallowed.
He came back holding two different bottles. I have drank more soft drinks and wine in these past few days with this pack than I have frank my entire life.
“Questions are written all over your eyes. Ask them.” He said opposite me on a more firmer seat.
“Witches are real?” I asked the first question that popped in my head.
“Of course. And they are not so hard to find in some places.” He drank from his bottle. “Places like Salem or New Orleans.”
“Wicked.” I breathed. “Is their magic like that of the Feys?”
He shook his head. “No. Feys are an evolved species from faeries. They tap from a nature. Their magic is pure.”
I wasn’t quite sure I understood but I nodded.
“Feys can’t do what Sofia did. That’s the name of the witch that turned Henri. Atleast as at the last time I heard of her, some few years back.” He said. “She changes her name and face at will. No one really knows how she looks like. No one except Henri.”
“Sofia… She changed Henri. Why?”
“No one really knows. Just random rumours flying about everywhere. Some say he was her son. Some say she was his wife. Or lover. She made him immortal. But being immortal comes with a price on both their ends. Blood thirst for Henri and a soul condemnation for Herself.”
“What of the other Elders?” I asked. I drank from bottle. The drink was far too sweet for my liking.
“Well, She turned Rosetta and Clyde, but not in the same manner she did with Henri. It was said that Henri brought in Rosetta as a wife, but to marry her, she had to become immortal… like him.”
“But you said Sofia was his wife.” I pointed out, getting all confused again.
“No, not me, chico. ‘They’. It is just a rumour. It might be fake or real. No one knows. But the idea of Her being Henri’s mother sounds more probable, don’t you think?”
I thought about it and nodded. That story sounded better. “What of Clyde? I don’t know him.”
“You wouldn’t. He was said to be Rosetta’s brother. The power that came with being a Vampire enthralled her so much she had to bring in her brother and because Henri loved her so much, he convinced Sofia to turn him.”
“What happened to Henri and Rosetta? Did they get married?” I drank again.
“Gods, no!” He laughed. “When one changes from Human to Vampire. Many things happen.”
“I know that.” I interrupted. “The senses become heightened.”
“Yes. Senses, emotions, and their feelings change. When Rosetta became a Vampire, her feelings for Henri changed along with her mortality. Their marriage didn’t go through. They broke apart.”
I felt sad for Henri. Even if I didn’t know him.
“Don’t feel sad for a Vampire, chico.” He said softly. “Pity shows through your eyes. Henri might seem kind and soft. But he’s a mean person. Take a look at what he did to Toby.”
I remembered Toby just then.
“What happened to him?”
“He was found in Iceland. In a deep ditch covered in ice. He was half frozen to death and a raving lunatic too. His wolf was the only thing keeping him marginally sane. The only thing audible that he could say was ‘Henri. Henri did it’. I accepted him into the pack and he is getting better. We all share his pain.”
I nodded.
“You’ve told me about just three Elders. What of the other two?”
He got up. “That is a story for another day, chico. Go and find your cousin. The day is getting old.”
I struggled to my feet and was about to drop the bottle on the table when he said, “There is no need to keep it here. Take it with you.”
I bowed in appreciation. “Thank you Alpha.”
He walked up me and said. “Today, I saw you as a kid that you are. When I showed you those cars I saw pure excitement. You were relaxed. Not all strung up and always watching for not only your back but also your cousin’s. I want to give you an advice, chico.”
I looked at him. He was not much taller than I was, so I did not need to crank up my neck too hard by looking up at him.
“Live slowly, boy. Enjoy your childhood and youth. Don’t spend it being more serious than you should, guarding some secret and protecting your cousin, who is a werewolf. Because when you finally realize anything, you’ll ask yourself where your childhood went because you might just find yourself to be 50 years old.
And never forget that you have Alpha blood running in your veins. Your mother was the daughter of an Alpha… and a powerful one at that. And the blood in she wolves are more concentrated than we, the males. You have your mother’s blood in you. You can start your own pack if you wish. You are that strong. Do you hear me?”
“Yes sir.” I nodded.
He turned and walked away. “Go.” He said.
I walked out of the room through a door I hadn’t noticed was there. My mind was reeling with the thoughts of becoming Alpha one day. I had never even thought of it one day.
I walked down a hallway, I then noticed that I must he getting quite familiar with the layout of the building because I found myself downstairs in no time without getting lost, not one time. Almost all the young people were back from school. I saw Elsa with Jake. She was laughing at something he had said.
They saw me coming and she sobered up. “Hey you.” She said.
“Hey yourself.” I replied.
“That’s no way to reply the greeting from a lady.”
“Where have you been?” Jake asked me.
“Talking with Alpha Andrés.” I replied.
“You were talking with my Dad? Don’t you find him extremely boring?”
“On the contrary, I don’t. I find him very interesting.”
Elsa rolled her eyes and looked at Jake. “Can you imagine spending hours talking with your Dad?”
Jake shook his head violently. “Hell No!” He laughed.
“Tell me Jason, what were you two talking about?” Elsa asked, turning to look at me.
“Many things. Vampires most especially.”
I saw Jake’s eyes widened and glaze over. He was remembering that night two weeks ago near the morteaux flower.
“Hey, are you okay?” Elsa nudged Jake.
He startled, like he was half asleep. “What? Yeah, yeah. I’m good.” His voice sounded detached.
“Are you sure? You don’t seem good to me. You seemed to just black out at the mention of Vampires. Your heart beat sped up and lessened at once too.” She turned to me. “What’s wrong with him?”
“We, um, have had a bad experience with Vampires.”
Jake nodded slowly. “Very bad.” He muttered in an automated voice.
“Tell me about it.” Elsa said. She sounded excited.
“Later, Maybe. Right now, he needs to lie down or something.” I said, nodding to Jake.
“Yeah.”
I got up and held Jake under his elbow. I pulled him to his feet and led him away.
“Do you know the way to your room?” Elsa called out.
I shook my head. She skipped over to meet us where we stood. “I’ll lead you. While you tell me what happened between you and Vampires. I’ve never met one.”
“I hope you never do.” I muttered under my breath.
“What are you talking about? I want to. I want an adventure.” Elsa said, pressing the open button to an elevator.
“An adventure” I gave a dry laugh. “Adventurers get killed. I read that in a book somewhere.”
“And yet, here you are. You’re not dead.” She said.
“I’m not an adventurer.” I said hotly.
“Yes you are.” Jake said weakly.
“Me? What? You… ” I was short of words. I let him go, expecting him to fall but he just kept on walking. “You might have forgotten but it was you who dragged me along on that first night…”
“I didn’t drag you along… I asked you to come… and you said yes.” Jake said.
“If not for me, you’d have been dead. A long while ago…” I almost yelled.
The elevator opened and we got in.
“What happened?” Elsa asked again.
“What happened was that we were attacked and almost killed by Vampires on the first day we stepped out of our Pack territory.” I said.
“You left out the part were you killed 5 of the Vampires, head butted a Fey and jumped down the watch tower.” Jake said. His leg seemed to give way because he collapsed back to rest on the levator wall. I went over to his side and supported him.
“You did all that?” Elsa asked.
“I might have.”
“You’re an Adventurer. You both!”
I groaned.
“When you’re escaping from here. Take me with you.” She said.
“Escaping? Wait, what?” I was shocked out of my wits. “We’re NOT escaping! We are going to wait until my uncle comes to pick us home.” I said, exasperated.
She seemed to quieten after that, to which I was grateful.
The elevator opened and we got out. I could find our way to the room now but I just let her lead us. We got inside and I plopped Jake down on a couch.
“I’ll get some ice.” Elsa said and ran out.
“What was that all about?” I asked Jake.
He groaned.
I tapped his cheek. “Hey buddy. What’s wrong with you?”
He groaned again and tried to sit up. “I still dream of that night, you know.” He said. His voice was weak. “I still have nightmares.”
This was news to me. “What do you see?”
He hesitated, then said. “You.”