Chapter 26

       For quite a long time, she looked at Dan with astonishment. They have learnt about the Shadow Coalition and the Council in History classes, but she had the impression, that all the information was cut down. She opened and closed her mouth several times, not knowing what to say. And he seemed to be amused by the whole situation.

-       But how? Who? What? – She finally stammered.

-       Among preternatural creatures are those, who want to take advantage of the gates opened by the authorities. – He leaned peacefully against the table and spoke, staring at her. – Darius started it all. He’s over one thousand-years old vampire. In new laws he saw a chance for beings like him. He rejected blood as, contrary to what they say, it’s not necessary for vampires to survive. He’s active during the day – the conviction, that vampires can be met only at night, and during the day they fall into a deep sleep in their coffins, is also a myth.

-       I’ve noticed. – She said sarcastically. – It wasn’t difficult, especially when during the day you pass by a bloodsucker every few minutes.

-       You develop your talents quickly. – He noted with a bit of admiration. – When exactly did you discover your gift?

-       A little over five months ago. – She answered. – I try very hard. Besides, Sean and Isabela train us since few years.

-       Isabela? – He sounded intrigued.

-       Our grandmother from the mother’s side. A witch. – It was weird, but she was completely calm and self-possessed. – She told us, that she’d been feeling it for a long time. That’s why some time ago she started to give us lectures about herbs, crystals, she taught us simple spells. She attached considerable importance to meditation, which was supposed to help us to develop self-control. Sean trained us physically. We jogged a lot, to increase our strength, we practiced martial arts, using white weapons. He ran us out at the gym. – She smiled involuntarily at this memory. – I still have it.

-       What’s that? – He observed that extremely intriguing girl. She didn’t put much attention to her physical appearance, and she probably wasn’t aware of the fact, that she’s beautiful in her own way. ‘And her eyes!’ He thought. He had never seen irises of such color.

-       I still wake up before sunrise and I bleed myself dry before the morning coffee. – She answered without noticing that Dan was watching her carefully. – And though I could give myself a break now, it remains me about home and helps to keep mental balance. – She gave him exhaustive answer.

-       And what disturbs that balance so much? – He leaned more towards her.

       Abashed she noticed that her interlocutor was intensely staring at her. It made her hot, her pulse speeded up rapidly. There was something in his eyes, which told her to be more cautious. ‘I’ve got to be on guard!’ She reminded herself. ‘He’s a predator.’ She swallowed hard and took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart. ‘He probably heard it anyway, dumbass!’ She rebuked herself.

-       You don’t discover such a gift every day. – She said quietly. – It took us few days to master the flow of thoughts and emotions. It turns out, that boys my age think about sex a lot. – She felt she blushed. – It’s a bit embarrassing to know what your brother thinks about the waitress from the club, where you spend a lot of time. – She tried not to look into his eyes.

       ‘She doesn’t even realize of her power of attraction!’ He thought in astonishment. ‘She’s sexy and attractive with those pink cheeks.’ He felt a sudden surge of desire, but quickly came to grips with it. ‘It’s still a child!’ He condemned himself in mind. ‘What the fuck is wrong with you, Robins?!’ He asked himself.

-       Coming back to the point. – He took up tread that had been interrupted to distract himself from thoughts that gave him images of her gypsy, athletic body. – Paul, as many other hunters, has cooperated with Shadow Coalition. Their job was to protect people and members of the coalition against the Great Council and its assassins.

-       Assassins? – She inquired. ‘Wasn’t that term connected with the Coalition?’ It crossed her mind.

-       Ruthless individuals, guys to do dirty work. – He explained patiently. – And I’m not saying only about preternatural beings. Among them are also people, who want to change. They not only chase for hunters, but also commit common crimes – stealing, beating, rapes, murders. The Coalition and hunters’ goal is to stop them, bring to the courts or do away with them, if the law fails.

-       And both, my mother and Paul were hunters who belonged to the Coalition? – She wanted to make sure she follows.

-       Precisely. They were a threat, so they had to be eliminated. I’ve heard that The Coalition is trying to locate the executors, unsuccessfully.

-       Why did Sean never tell us? – She said to herself. When he answered, she realized, she had uttered her thought aloud.

-       Maybe he gives you time to make your own decision. Coalition membership is not just a distinction, but responsibility as well. – He stood up and walked over to the coffee machine to add coffee to his empty mug. – If you try to find them, you probably won’t succeed. But if you’re good enough, they’ll find you and will want to recruit you.

-       You’re serious. – She watched Dan with half-open mouth.

-       And how do you think hunters get there? – He smiled at her surprised look. – We, supernatural creatures, have a choice and easy access to the whole organization. Of course, first you have to take a little sniff and prove that you don’t want to harm the Coalition. – He sat down opposite Jay again and looked her in the eye. – You’re valuable, because of your ancestry, so if not Sean, then someone would have kept an eye on you. Your friend probably decided to watch over you from a closer distance. I take care of the Thomsons, but keeping out of the way.

-       Is it your duty? – She asked intrigued. – Your partner died and you’re given the task to look after his family? What for?

-       They would give them someone anyway. – He could sense a tone of rebellion in her voice. – It’s just like the families of fallen soldiers, we offer help, but invisible. I undertook this task, because Paul was my friend. – He stopped for a moment. He combed his thick hair with his hand and sight heavily. – I know what’s on your mind now. You wonder if there’s a possibility that Sean took care of you out of pity. You should know that if it was true, he would rather stay in hiding. Meanwhile, he moved in and raised you, maybe not as a father, but elder brother.

       She felt like an idiot. For a moment she let herself think, that Sean took care of them out of guilt and duty. ‘Maybe at the beginning,’ she thought, ‘but for all these years, he hasn’t given us the impression that we’re a burden to him.’ She smiled slightly and her eyes lit up.

-       He belongs to family. – She said out loud. – He became its member the same day he met Isabo. And he’ll always be someone important for us.

       He looked in those amazing eyes in the color of the ocean and he got the impression, that if he only wanted to he could break through all the barriers and read in that girl as in the open book. ‘But mystery seems to be more attractive.’ He smiled at his thoughts.

-       You love him. – He stated and observed Jay lifting her eyebrow. – The question is, if it’s love sister to brother, or you’ve fell in love with him.

-       What?! – She was indignant, but could felt the blush fill her cheeks. ‘Why do I talk about such things with a complete stranger?’ – Sean is like a brother for me! – She quickly mastered herself. – A great brother. The best you can imagine. – She almost whispered, watching through the widow.

       For an endless moment they sat in complete silence, buried in their own thoughts.

-       I’ll go now. – She said suddenly, breaking down the silence. She rose from the chair and reached out to say goodbye. – Thank you for giving me your time. And for honesty.

-       I hope that I helped you, at least a bit. – He shook her hand. He felt a sudden flow of power that surprised him. ‘This girl has so amazing reserves of energy!’ He thought. ‘Though she hasn’t discovered all her gifts yet. It would be a real pleasure to watch her bloom and develop her abilities.’ He wished he could see this.

-       You don’t even know how much. – She let go of his hand, embarrassed by prolonged embrace and strange look in his eyes. – Thanks again.

-       You’re welcome. – He controlled himself quickly. – If you’d like to talk, you know where to find me. – In the hall, he took a piece of paper and a pen from the table, then wrote something down on it. – That’s my number and e-mail address. Just in case. – He added, seeing surprise on her face.

-       Thanks. – She said simply, but put the card in the back pocket of her jeans.

       He led her to the door and watched as she ran lightly to her car. ‘She has very shapely legs and hips! And damn sexy round ass!’ He smiled to himself, but quickly pushed away images of her naked body. ‘It’s just a kid, Robins!’ He told himself off.

       He watched her leaving car long after it disappeared from his eyes. He felt, that it would be impossible to return to the aborted work on the kitchen for Mrs. Higgins. He patted the cat sitting at his feet. Something didn’t let him stay still. He felt inexplicable need to move forward. He came inside, put on his favorite Adidas shoes and run out of the house heading for the cliffs. 

***

       After she left Dan Robins’ house, Jay drove straight to the motel she and Mel were staying at. Her friend was still in a shopping spree, so she had some time to herself. She went to a small, but nice and cozy bathroom to take a shower. She even didn’t realize how tensed her muscles were until she stepped under the boiling hot stream. She just stood there, allowing water to relax her whole body.

       ‘That was really weird!’ Jay admitted. When she was leaving his possession, she could feel his gaze on her. It was by no means scary, but shivers run down her spine. She felt strange excitement then. She was not able to explain it. Her stomach clenched in anticipation and she could tell it was right. ‘But why?’ She thought. At few moments she could sense his physical attraction, but the weirdest thing was that she was not surprised. More. She expected that!

       ‘He has beautiful eyes.’ It crossed Jay’s mind. ‘Their intense green resembles forest moss. So vivid and juicy!’ She closed her eyes and saw deep green eyes. The smell of wood and sawdust hit her nostrils. She trembled. She had a feeling that Dan is standing just in front of her. So close. At her fingertips. A strange shiver ran through her body. She shook her head quickly and cut the water off.

       ‘What the fuck is wrong with me?!’ Jay thought angrily. ‘You already have problems with one guy! You don’t need more complications and drama!’ She reminded herself. But she was aware that it was not only about physical attraction. ‘My hormones definitely need some therapy or drugs!’ She thought sarcastically. There was something else that was bothering her.

       For some reason she knew that one day she will meet Dan Robins again. And for some reason she was looking forward to it, which gave her goose bumps. ‘That’s interesting!’ She thought intrigued. ‘And fucking creepy!’ She added.

       She left for bedroom and looked at the clock. It was almost eight in the evening. Because Mel wrote her a short message that she will meet her by the club at about half past eight, she had to speed up. She quickly put on some shorts, sleeveless shirt and light sandals. She had no time to dry her hair, so she just combed it with her fingers. She put some lip gloss, grabbed her bag and run out to meet her friend.