Aren't territories a werewolf thing?

9. Meeting

After calling my mom, assuring her that I was okay and making up a lie as to why I got abruptly cut off, I refocus on the two people in my company. Wonder what happens now. I look to Amorisa.

"I would like to meet this Brandon of yours. Let us go." Oh lord.

When we arrive, Brandon is up in a tree, ready to spring. I should have thought of that. We have been alone so long that more than one set of foot steps would put him on edge. "Everything's fine," I tell him. He looks at me questioningly but still jumps down from his perch.

Brandon scrutinizes Amorisa and Kaide, looking them up and down. "Who are you?" he asks abruptly. I can't stop the small smile that encroaches upon my face.

Amorisa's eyebrows shoot upwards. "I see why you guys get along so well. You're both rude."

Brandon and I share a look and we both smirk. "Only to people we don't know," he answers.

"Or people that attack us," I reply pointedly. At that, Brandon's head whips around to me.

"They attacked you?" Oh crap. I should not have said that. His whole body tenses and his fists clench. The glare he's giving our two guests right now, has even me scared. If looks could kill...

I quickly back up. "Yes but it was a misunderstanding. I'll explain later. Now, calm down." I give him a stern look. Him angry will not help us in the slightest. He takes a deep breath and unclenches his fists but his shoulders are still tense.

"Okay. Enough chitchat. Brandon, I am Amorisa Lamon. I am the Amir of Kaimu." At our puzzled looks, she continues. "It's sort of like the leader. So that's why this is my territory. I'm in charge of all the vampires in Kaimu." Okay. Interesting. "I came here to investigate all these disappearances that I have now learnt are because of you." She fixes him with a piercing stare. Brandon gulps. Well. This is uncomfortable.

"So you now decide to come investigating? It's been a few months now." My statement causes her to look at me. Awkward moment over.

"As Amir, I have a lot of responsibilities." But she didn't have to come herself. She could have sent someone else with Kaide. And even if not, wouldn't lots of dead humans be at the top of her priority list? There's something she's not telling us.

I fix her with a hard stare of my own. "What aren't you telling us, Amorisa?" Everyone turns to look at me. Brandon looks confused. Kaide looks shocked. No one challenges Amorisa, it seems. And the Amir herself looks surprisingly pleased.

"You're perceptive. I think I'm starting to like you, Janelle." I nod my head thanks. That's good to know. But I won't be sidetracked. There is a painful silence after her statement though. She doesn't continue. Bitch can't be serious. I raise an eyebrow. We continue to stare at each other challengingly, until she sighs and decides to speak. Good. We could have been there all day; I'm a pretty stubborn person, you know. "There have been rumors circulating about this forest. Pedro Martinez, probably the most powerful vampire of all time, was said to be living in here. No one interacts with Pedro unless he summons you. Therefore, nobody wanted to enter the forest."

"Including you."

She grinds her teeth. "Yes. Including me. But as the number of missing persons rose, I had to investigate. As Amir, I'm expected to."

This time, Brandon speaks. "So you think Pedro is the one who turned us into vampires?"

"Yes. I believe so. It is puzzling though. Pedro has never turned anyone in his sixty-five years of existence. So I don't know why he would turn the two of you."

"Wait, sixty-five? Then that can't be him. The guy we saw looked about thirty. And you guys are all scared of an old man? I know sixty-five isn't that old. But really?"

For a few seconds Amorisa looks at me, practically screaming 'How stupid can you be?'

Then the silence breaks. "Don't insult Pedro Martinez," Kaide tells me in a warning tone. Um, okay. What am I missing?

"Don't talk to her like that," Brandon says in an equally warning tone, while stepping closer to me. At the same time, Amorisa gets closer to Kaide. Jesus, help me. Everyone needs to calm down. I touch Brandon's arm, trying to get him to look at me. When he does, I shake my head no. "Why?" he grinds out through clenched teeth.

"These are seasoned vampires, Brandon. We need to tread carefully." What the hell. Now, I have that warning tone. Only one left to use it is Amorisa.

'We could take them.'

"No. We can't." At this, Brandon looks at me quizzically. What could- Hold the phone. He didn't say that out loud...

But I still heard it as clearly as if he did. Oh. My. God. Brandon can project his thoughts!

I probably look like a fish right now, jaw dropped, eyes wide. I quickly fix my facial expression. Brandon is still looking at me, wondering how I answered his thoughts. "Later." I don't trust these people yet. They are physically stronger than us but now we both have an advantage. No need to enlighten them.

I refocus on Amorisa. She has her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What happened just now? Between you two?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it." She looks at me for a few more seconds then she lets it go. She probably knows I'm lying. But thank god she doesn't push it.

"Okay. Right. Back to business. I keep forgetting how clueless you guys are. Vampires age slowly because we don't have that constant flow of human blood through our veins. So even though Pedro looks about thirty, he has been alive for sixty-five years, a vampire for forty-four of them. He is very greatly respected. That's why Kaide warned you not to insult him. If he and his confidantes hear, they will pay you a visit and you will regret insulting him after."

Oh. Well let me just scan the area. Nope. No lurking vampires here. Hopefully, Kaide and Amorisa will keep their mouths shut.

"I think that's enough questions for now. Kaide. Brandon. Let's go. Janelle, you may come along if you wish."

"What? First of all, let's go? Go where? Secondly, why would we go anywhere with you two?"

"You do realize that your friend Brandon is now a criminal and not only of the human kind. I have to take him back to the Official Vampire Headquarters of Kaimu so that he can be interrogated and his fate can be decided. I thought that since you guys have become so close, you would want to accompany him."

"Wait, what?! How am I a criminal?" And here is where I mentally facepalm. He's been killing so much that he forgot it's illegal, well, human-illegal. And I guess that no murdering is in the vampire rulebook too.

We all shoot Brandon a flat look. "You've been killing people. Or have you forgotten?" At this, he at least has the decency to look sheepish.

"Oh yeah."

"Right. So as I was saying. Let's go." The Amir seems to be getting a little impatient. Brandon looks in my direction.

'Should I go?' he thinks to me. I laugh out loud.

"It's not like you have a choice."

***********

Hey ppl!!! =) Hope you guys liked the chapter. A few things have been discovered but new mysteries have been revealed :)

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