My Vampire Twin

Chapter 54 - Halfling of a Halfling

Shawn's POV 

As we exited the conference room, I clutched Astrid's hand into mine and crossed my eyebrows, trying to think of how Philip got that book and why he has it. If Philip somehow knows how to get there then he must know a way to safely get in. Sapphire did say that the writer of the book somehow managed to observe the creatures without being spotted, if only we could sneak in without getting spotted like how the writer did, but he eventually got found out so we too would likely get caught.

I drew my hand up to my chin and crossed my eyebrows even more. Aside from getting in, how could we defeat those creatures? Only little information are known about them. The books only contain sketches and other details that describes the features of the creatures, but no known information are written on how to defeat them.

"Uh... Shawn?" Astrid breathed. I got snapped out of my own thoughts which made me look down to her. She looked at me with worried eyes and somehow mixed with a little bit of... pain? My eyes traveled down to her hand which made me realize the pressure of my grip.

I quickly drew my hand back and apologized non-stop while she clutched hers near her chest and smiled at me, shaking her head to tell me that it's alright.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked while we strolled down the hallway. We've been given permission to walk around the palace since the person that they're protecting from me is not present at the moment. But other than that, they think that we can think better if we're not locked up in the same room every single day since we came here, that was Sapphire's idea which all of them agreed to whole heartedly, except one of course.

Cyrus is still not comfortable with us being around. He still thinks that all of this is happening because of us. If we weren't here, then Celina wouldn't have transformed into that... uh... creature and will still be with them, like he said. But I wasn't really comfortable with him accusing us with what happened to her since that before we even came here, the nightmare was inside her which was his fault. But it isn't really necessary to blame each other in a time like this, we really should be helping each other out rather than blaming.

I took in a deep breath and shook my head once I remembered that I was talking to Astrid. "Nothing." I breathed.

She tugged on my arm, yanking me down which made me stop at my tracks and got pulled down, until we were eye to eye. She looked straight into my eyes with furrowed eyebrows as if she was staring right into my soul which made me feel uncomfortable.

I opened my mouth to speak but she beat me to the punch.

"You're thinking about the book and why Philip has it. You're thinking about the battle plan plus how Cyrus blames us for what happened to his sister." She said all at once which made my eyes widen and made me speechless.

But somehow I managed to utter something out. "How did you know?"

She giggled and loosened her grip on my arm, making me straighten out my body. "I can see the words in your eyes." She said and started walking again.

I watched her as she walked peacefully without even bothered of what she did. She saw words in my freaking eyes, was that even normal?! I mean, yes we live in a world of supernatural creatures and such but my sister being one of them!? How is that even possible?!

Before I even knew it, my mouth was hanging open. You know how I noticed? Because she turned around and started laughing! My own sister! Laughing at me! She's always looked up to me and given me respect, fully showing it to everybody but she is now laughing at me!

"Are you being possessed or something?!" I exclaimed but sadly, that made her laugh even more.

Clutching her stomach, she walked back to me, struggling to keep her self from falling because of how much she's laughing.

Fully contented on how much she's laughed her ass off, she wiped her tears away and took in a deep breath, hoping that it will be enough to calm her down.

"We have vampire blood Shawn." She said.

I was dumbfounded, how is this even possible? Both Mom and Dad are human! And how did she know this? I've never known this. How could I not know this? What the hell is wrong with the world?!

She giggled and took in another breath. "Mom's a Halfling Shawn." She said and crossed her eyebrows as if she was confused. "I guess you could say that we're Halfing of a Halfling?" She giggled as if it wasn't a big deal.

But wait a freaking second! How did she know?!

She raised an eyebrow at me and looked into my eyes. Oh no.

Giggling, she shook her head. "Father told me everything. I was old enough to understand the concept of how things worked so he told me. He couldn't tell you before because he knew that you already had a lot on your shoulders and you weren't exactly old enough to understand when you left the house." That is true. I only learned about the Hybrids or Halflings when Philip told me himself.

But wait!

"I didn't have to be old enough to understand that little information that he hid from me!" I exclaimed but she laughed.

Shaking her head, she wiped her tears away again. "I guess you can complain to him when you see him, but for now, just let it sink in. You were too pre-occupied with your first love that time." She giggled.

I crossed my eyebrows. I almost laughed. "What are you saying?"

"Is Celina not your first love Shawn?" She said in a hurtful tone while she clutched her chest and batted her eyes to make it more sarcastic. "Come on, it was obvious." She drew her hand back and rested it on her hips. "I didn't have to spend years with you two to figure it out Shawn. Anyone can see it in your eyes while you watch her train, worried of how she could hurt her self. How you gently brush her hair out of her face when she falls asleep when you two are resting under your tree. How her small gestures would make you smile non-stop which you would eventually hide by locking yourself in your room for hours." She breathed.

I slowly closed my eyes and threw my head back, waiting for her to laugh at me. But the silent went on for a few seconds which made me look at her again, only to see how she smiled at me with her eyes filled with adoration. "Shawn, you don't need to be embarrassed for loving someone." Slowly walking nearer, she placed her hand on my shoulder. "She became your family when ours got destroyed. She became your friend when yours turned their back on you. I asked Father why you wouldn't come back. He would just smile at me and simply say that I was too young to understand, that's why I came for you when I was old enough. I wanted to know why you never came home. I was upset at first, but when I saw and met her, in a blink of an eye, I finally understood."

I smiled to myself. I was that obvious. I already told Emily that but I want Celina to be here the next time that I say it. I don't want to say it again to someone that's not her, not even to my sister. This is too important for me.

"Shawn..." Astrid breathed once more. I looked at her, expecting to see her eyes filled with excitement but I saw something far from it. I saw realization.

Her eyes were wide open as she looked straight into mine. "If Philip has the book, there are also information about Tartarus in it. The creatures and its weaknesses, they are all there. The writer observed every activity inside Tartarus. If we could get that book, we can have a head start and have a safer plan than to just charge in without a plan. We can find their weaknesses and defeat them easily." Her hands clutched the sides of my arms. "We need to get that book Shawn. It's our only hope."

"We can't Astrid. You know what Philip did to you. We don't know what he'll do to you the next time he sees you. He's gotten what he needed. When he thinks that he has no more use of you, he can kill you for just going back there. It's too risky." I breathed, hoping to convince her. She does have a point, a very good one. But I can't risk her life. She can't risk her life.

She shook her head and sighed. "I want to help Shawn. You can't go back there on your own."

A sudden realization hit me as my eyes widen.  "I know..." I breathed. "But there is someone that I can take with me."