In Vendetta House (The Vendetta Series #1)

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

«Jesse,» I hiss into his head. It is a strange feeling to talk without talking.

«Oh, so now you're the one initiating our lovely mind conversations? You know, it's always been so lonely without another telepath around.»

«Shut up. This is important.»

«In case you haven't noticed, this man's take on human and demon interaction is very important also. It's just so damn interesting and alluring and engaging and fascinating and captivating-»

«Dude!»

«What?»

«Look at the stage. Where Dr. Hood is standing in particular. Do you notice anything... strange?»

I see Jesse's eyebrows crinkle in thought, a dimple appearing between them in confusion. His eyes scrutinize the area but he somehow still hasn't seen what I have. I would ask Sasha but she looks asleep and I don't want to risk speaking out loud in case I am heard.

«Okay, enlighten me, princess. What am I looking at?»

«His shadow, Jesse! Dr. Hood doesn't have a shadow!»

At my sudden frustrated outburst, Jesse looks at the ground beneath Dr. Hood. There was a long-casted shadow when Aunt Nelly was still standing there, so it's not the angle of the light. There is obviously a missing darkened space on the floor

I hear a small intake of breath. I turn my head slowly, as naturally as possible in case someone is watching this exchange. Jesse did say he is always being watched.

People are clapping once again. We weren't even listening to whatever was being said. Jesse's widened eyes meet mine, and just as I feel a message coming in, the lights overhead our long table turn onto its full brightness and the kids begin to get up. Eric raises his head, his posture during the speech similar to Sasha's sleepy state. He takes one look at our ghastly faces. "Whoa, please don't tell me there are any spirits here. Please."

I am straining my neck at the stage again, desperately double-checking his shadow for a reasonable explanation. As Dr. Hood walks off the stage, it's clear there is absolutely nothing around him whatsoever. Jesse is denying there are spirits nearby, insisting to Eric's skeptical face that it's nothing. Sasha has woken to the commotion of people moving, her bright pink nails drowsily undoing tangles in her hair.

"Oh thank god it's over. Let's get some proper food."

She gives up on her bird's nest hair and drags me towards the line. Jesse shakes his head subtly but vigorously at me as I begin to leave, indicating not to say anything to Sasha. I nod once, and let Eric engross him in hyper conversation. From the look on Jesse's face, he isn't listening to a word and is instead deep in thought.

It's probably nothing. Dr. Hood probably does have a shadow. Or maybe all Cambions don't have shadows. Do I still have a shadow?

I look back. Yeah, I have a shadow. But I don't even know if Dr. Hood is a Cambion or human.

"It's pizza day!" Sasha suddenly chirps, incredibly close to my ear. I cringe a little from the sudden pitched sound. Sasha and Eric have such optimistic personalities, while Jesse seems more like the brooding, easily annoyable type. With Eric being his roommate, and Sasha being one of Eric's friends, I wonder how Jesse puts up with all the frenzy.

"Is there barbecue sauce option on the pizzas instead of ketchup?" I ask, momentarily forgetting my inner contemplating.

"Do you have some kind of barbecue sauce fetish?" Sasha says with a horrified expression. "Who makes pizza with barbecue instead of ketchup?"