Embark on a thrilling journey with Dria as she grapples with newfound magical abilities, family secrets, and a destiny she never asked for. In "Her Kind," the line between myth and reality blurs as Dria navigates a world filled with danger, teenage...
The journey continued along the winding road, leading them further into the mountains. With each passing minute, the feeling of disorientation intensified as they circled the base of the mountain, steadily ascending to a higher altitude. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the car came to a halt, and a loud knock resonated through the vehicle. Dria jumped slightly at the sudden sound, her heart racing. Alucard rolled down the window, and Jared's head popped up.
"I'm going to go check the perimeter. Once I confirm everything's clear, we'll move into the house," Jared informed them before disappearing into the inky darkness.
"Have we arrived?" Marcelo's voice piped up from the back seat, his big brown eyes filled with anticipation. For a moment, Dria almost expected her father to reassure him, but that comforting presence had vanished, replaced by the biting chill of the night air that flowed through the open window.
"Well, does this mean I get my own room now?" Elliam asked.
"I don't know, Liam. You'll just have to see what happens," Dria replied gently, not wanting to shatter the little boy's hopeful expectations.
He nodded and returned to playing a thumb war with Marcelo. Alucard turned to Dria, his captivating blue eyes locking onto hers.
"Are you okay?" he asked, genuine concern etched on his face. "You seem a bit cold."
Dria smiled faintly. "I'm just a little chilly, I guess."
"Are you sure it's not a cold? You've been cold for three days now," Kane chimed in from the back, his playful tone lightening the mood. "You're the only one here who seems to have pneumonia."
Dria rolled her eyes at his remark and then turned her attention back to Alucard, who was grinning at her. It was a familiar, reassuring smile, one she'd missed.
"What can I say? I've got pneumonia, so I can't move most of my muscles. I can't help with the moving," she joked, a hint of warmth returning to her voice.
After a brief moment, Jared returned and informed them that everything was clear. They disembarked from the car, and the beam of their flashlights illuminated their path as they ventured toward an old house that lay ahead. It looked more like a farmhouse, akin to the type one might find next to a barn or in a secluded area with few neighboring houses. It appeared small from the outside, but Dria knew that inside it might be more spacious, possibly even containing a basement, a thought she disliked.
They met up with Katerina and Edrik, and all of them followed Jared. The sounds of their footsteps on the porch echoed around them as they gathered around the door, waiting for Jared to open it.
"You have the key, right?" Edrik asked from behind him.
Jared looked around the porch with the flashlight, muttering, "I know it's here somewhere," to himself. They heard him moving around, possibly shifting a flowerpot. "Ahh, here it is."
Marcelo cuddled closer to Dria as the breeze grew stronger around them. She turned to Kane to make sure he and Elliam were okay, and she saw Elliam huddled by Kane's side, his face practically buried in Kane's stomach.
The sight brought a small smile to Dria's face, and she turned back to Jared just in time to see him open the door.
They all quickly shuffled into the house, and immediately, they were met with warmth. Dria couldn't help but sigh in content. Alucard closed the door behind them as they all went deeper into the house. They seemed to be enjoying the warmth so much that they didn't even notice how Jared had disappeared until they heard him stomping his way downstairs.
"So, Jeremiah left us a few supplies and a note," they all huddled closer to him, with Marcelo still stuck at Dria's side.
"I hope that you have arrived at the house safe and sound, yes, even you, Alucard," Jacurd chuckled, looking up from the paper and smirking at Alucard. "Way to go, blue boy, got the uncle's approval," he joked, making Alucard roll his eyes. However, they all noticed the small smile on his lips.
"I'm hoping the thermostat is working fine as I know the cold is a bitch up here. I stocked up on firewood and stacked it up at the fireplace in the living room, but I advise you to only light it up during the day and use the thermostat at night for preservation and all. I'll leave that to you, Edrik; you know how we did it back home," Jared nodded at Edrik, who nodded back at him. He went back to reading the paper.
"I've already stocked up the fridge as much as I can, but I don't think it's going to last long. We have six boys in the house, so the food is going to go fast. I left some money in the tin can on the side of the fridge, but Jared, you have the card just in case. I advise you to go into the town about 16km south; take Alucard with you. He seems like the type not to draw much attention to himself," the last sentence made Edrik scoff, and Dria rolled her eyes as Jared continued with the letter.
"I would say travel into town once every two weeks, again, we don't want to draw attention. Hide the trucks in the barn behind the house, and use the horses to get around; it draws less attention to us. I'll leave the taking care of them to Alucard, as I heard he's pretty good with animals from a friend back in CleoWard. But don't worry, Wrex will help you. I will be in contact soon, be safe, Jeremiah." Jared looked up from the letter, his face scrunched up as he asked, "Who the heck is Wrex?"
"Let's hide the trucks, and we'll figure out that puzzle later," Alucard told Jared, who nodded with an eye roll.
The boys went outside, and soon enough, the sound of engines echoed as they drove past the house and into the backyard.
Katerina and Dria followed the sound, leading them through the kitchen and out through the back door. They watched with the twins as Edrik and Kane jumped out of the trucks and headed towards the barn doors. They tugged on the doors and realized they were locked. Edrik rounded the car that Jared was driving and grabbed the keys from Jared's hands. They unlocked the door and were immediately greeted with an aggressive welcome.
The sound of barking echoed in the open field, and everyone seemed to stop and stare at a beautiful, big Rottweiler. He stood strong and proud, barking at Edrik and Kane.
Katerina chuckled beside Dria. "I guess we now know who Wrex is."
