Hidden in the Immortals (Book #1)

Chapter 6

Suddenly not thirsty anymore, I turned around and went back inside Gabi's room. I think I just discovered why we only visited them on holidays; and if we did any other time of the year it was only for a few hours. I must've had some kind of shocked look on my face from the wide eyed, scared expression on Gabi's face. She shot up from the floor. "What happened? What's wrong?" She asked frantically. I assumed her reaction was due to believing we had found out something about Andres.

I sighed heavily. "I just heard our dads having a brother's quarrel." That was a bit of an understatement but I wasn't sure if I wanted Gabi to know that I was aware of Immortals and of our family being hunters. Having someone to talk to about this—especially someone in my family, was something I desperately needed though.

"About what?" She asked curiously. I opened the door and could still hear my dad and Uncle Romeo arguing in the kitchen, I heard my mom and Aunt Danielle chatting in the living room, and I could hear the shower running down the hall. I closed the door and turned around to face Gabi again.

I walked over to the bed and sat down; she sat down next to me. "I know about Immortals." I told her bluntly. She actually gasped in shock and backed away from me on the bed. "My mom told me, but my dad doesn't know that I know." I was not about to tell Gabi I was an Immortal; maybe ever. She still didn't say anything. She just stared at me in stunned silence. "A penny for your thoughts." I grinned after a few moments of silence.

She shook her head but the shocked expression remained on her face. "Your mom told you?!" Her voice was shrill and ear piercing. I nodded while shushing her. "It's just that our entire lives it's been drilled into us that we cannot utter a word about Immortals or hunting to you or Jana." She whispered, saying each word carefully. She looked down at her hands. "If we did, we'd be in huge trouble. They never really went into specifics about what they would do, but I really don't want to find out." Gabi looked back up at me. "I cannot believe your mom told you." She shook her head in disbelief. "Does Jana know?" She added.

I shook my head. "And I'm not allowed to tell her either. If dad found out mom told me, she said the best the thing he would do is make sure she's never involved in hunting again." She looked scared by my words. "Do you have any idea what else he would do?" I asked cautiously; unsure if I really wanted the answer to that.

She shrugged. "Your dad is very serious when it comes to hunting; far more serious than my dad is." She paused. "But no, I have no idea what he would do to your mom."

I nodded once at her answer. I guess I was kind of relieved to just remain ignorant on this particular subject. I knew my dad tortured Immortals horribly and that apparently he was serious enough about this to threaten my uncle that he could never see Jana and me again; but knowing what he would do to my mother, the woman he loved was something I was okay not knowing. I cleared my throat. "So," I began in a low voice. "How are you doing... with Andres and everything?"

She flinched as if she had forgotten about it for a second. Her eyes locked with mine and I could see nothing but fear and concern in them. "I'm so worried about him, Julianna." Her voice trembled and she closed her eyes. She pursed her lips and she opened her eyes again. "And it's not just because he's missing." She added.

I looked at her in surprise. "What else is there?" I couldn't think of a reason that could make Andres being missing any worse than what it was. "Did he have any one that had it out for him?" That was the only thing I could think of to make a bad situation worse.

She shook her head. "No, Andres is too nice." She paused and played with her fingers nervously. "Well, him being missing makes it worse, but for about a year Andres has been acting really different." She informed me in an anxious voice.