Bloodcurse

Shock

(This chapter is written from Seth's perspective. Enjoy!)

Having Adam by my side makes all of this feel a little bit less ominous, but I still think by the end of today I'm either going to wake up from the craziest dream I've ever had, or I'm going to be on a bus that takes me far, far away from this small town...

I'm a vampire. A vampire with a family of vampires. What in the world is even happening right now?

Don't get me wrong, it's unbelievable and insane and I'm having a lot of trouble coming to terms with just the word 'vampire', but... suddenly a lot of things have started making sense to me. The visions, mostly. The dreams, my weird intuitions, my strong reaction to smells... oh, and the holy water thing. The more I think about it, the more plausible the silver container theory becomes.

Besides, I don't think Adam would have lied about this. He's the smartest guy I know, and if he believes it, then I'd probably be an idiot not to. That's not to say that I don't make my own decisions, though. Right now, I'm hoping for a halfway civil conversation with... Edward. Jesus Christ, that's an unfortunate name. Who am I to talk, though?

Kamil. The more I repeat the name in my head the stranger it sounds, but I can't deny that it kind of works. Only learning my true name at eighteen is a hard pill to swallow, but at least it's not something like Thaddeus or Zachariah.

I briefly wonder what time it is as I follow Adam - Jozef? - through one hallway after another. There haven't been any windows so far to give me an idea of how long I was out, and as the minutes we spend just walking pile up, I have to marvel at just how big this house is. Usually, I make do with either a motel room or a sleeping bag, so this is... um, wow. Incredible. Everything here is held in the same dark shade of red, and the furniture looks like it knows it's better than me. I don't even think I disagree...

At last, we arrive in front of a set of double doors, and Adam exhales heavily as he places a hand on my back. "Ready?"

My heart hammers in my chest, my face feels like it's burning up and my mouth is so dry it could rival the actual Sahara. "Yeah, let's go."

Adam opens the right door after knocking twice, and we enter into the most extravagant display of wealth I've ever seen. There are paintings in frames that on their own probably cost more than an entire house, a Persian rug that shows no trace of ever having been walked on, and a marble fireplace. Real marble. Inside it, a fire crackles soothingly, and I struggle to tear my gaze away from it to finally face who I've come here for in the first place.

Sitting behind a grand wooden desk, in an armchair upholstered with green leather, my alleged father shows me a smile I've come to know and dislike a little already. "My two sons, finally reunited. What a joyous occasion."

Adam shoots me a sideways glance that basically screams 'I told you', then moves farther inside the spacious office. "Don't freak him out. He only just got here."

Edward's smile lengthens. His face reminds me of a bald eagle's; his bones are sharp, the hollows of his cheeks pronounced in the warm, dim light, and his deep-set eyes inspect me unblinkingly from underneath thick, black brows. The most eerie thing, however, is how thoroughly white his skin is. There isn't a single hint of color, which is strange considering Adam and I have a tan, olive complexion. Must have been Mom's side of the family... he shares Adam's dark hair and pale eyes, though. I try not to think about the night in the movie theater, and what happened in the restroom.

So far, I'm still the odd one out - especially height-wise. Even sitting down, Edward's presence alone is towering, and Adam may not be  quite as tall as him, but I'm still standing at a good few inches shorter than him. How come everyone around me is huge? It's annoying to constantly have to crane my neck up to talk to people... well, I guess I shouldn't have stopped growing at five-foot-four, then.