18. There's always a problem Part 1

“Each side starts with 16 pieces—”

“Eight pawns, two bishops, two knights, two rooks, a queen and her king.” I leaned over. “I know this already. Show me something I don’t know about.”

“But have you ever played it?” Hector asked, his eyes gleaming in that malicious way that sent shivers down my back. “You know your side, but not your enemies’ side.”

I looked back down at the figures.

“Here you are, Adonis hasn’t arrived?” Callisto walked into the room and took a seat next to me.

“Darcy left a while ago, since Seth arrived back from his trip. Should I call him?” Hector pulled his phone out. I’m engrossed in the small red chess figures; I don’t feel Callisto’s arm snaking around my waist.

I yelp as he pulls me on his lap, making me forget about my chess game.

“Have you had breakfast already?” he asked, taking a sniff of my neck.

I recoiled a bit away from him. “Yes.”

Callisto’s fathomless eyes landed on me. I squeezed my legs, aware of the tension between us.

We still were not on the best terms and I could see he was trying to get closer again, but every time he did, I couldn’t help feeling too conscious of myself and my looks.

After my incident with Seth back at the house, I spent the last weeks in the lab. All that time, while I was unconscious, Darcy took good care of me and even managed to heal the wound on my neck.

The same one Callisto caused.

I could see it bothered him. His eyes would occasionally drift towards it since a scar remained where he bit me.

Smart of Darcy to heal me while I was out. He knew I wouldn’t agree with his decision although they were for my own good.

I mean I have enough scars to feel bothered by an extra one, but this was Darcy who we were talking about.

I feel his eyes still on me when that familiar itch starts on my neck.

“Adonis is here,” I commented, touching the area of the itch.

The door to the room opened on time as Darcy, Seth and Adonis appeared. Both Seth and Darcy seemed distracted in their own conversations while Adonis' eyes clashed with mine, making the itch on my neck ease that calming sensation I was starting to get used to.

“About time you guys came back,” Hector chuckled as he gave Seth a friendly handshake.

I stared at him curiously.

Seth looked like himself, nothing seemed out of place like when Hector arrived. His clothes were neat, his hair wet. It seems he cleaned himself up before coming over.

“Well, now that we are all back together, should we start with updates?” Darcy suggested.

Another vampire appeared from another door, carrying a decanter of blood and six glasses.

I keep part of my attention on the tray.

“How was the trip? Did you get the answers we need?” Callisto spoke from behind me.

Adonis was standing near the enormous glass window. His arms crossed over his chest.

I spared him a glance; aware he was staring back. “I got them, but,” he looked at Callisto.

I peered over my shoulder. “You know if you want me gone, I don’t mind leaving.”

He takes my hand and kisses the back of it. That smile that could make anyone fall for him spreads across his face.

I don’t know if it’s the connection or merely my imagination that tells me he wants me here and wants me to listen to what they must explain. But I didn’t argue back for the first time.

“Go ahead,” Callisto nods towards Adonis.

“Richard told me where to find Yophiel’s old documents, also who was the one who created the gene inside us. Especially the one inside her, since she is patient zero or, like Richard called her, the progenitor.”

I gently disentangled myself from Callisto and walked over to the window where Adonis was standing.

“You visited my father?” I questioned.

He narrowed his eyes. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Phi,” Callisto warns from his seat.

“I think we should address the other issue first, Callisto,” Darcy speaks this time. In a blur of motion, he was by my side, pulling me to a chair.

He gently smiles then crouches down.

“Address what?” Hector asked this time. He was now standing next to Darcy.

I know I said it before but I was not planning to admit all this yet, especially since things keep happening around me with no answer.

“Why did you go to my father?” I ignored the other men and focused on Adonis.

He no longer stood near the windows. Now he was next to Callisto, who seemed troubled.

“Is Phiphi sick?” Seth asked for the first time since entering the room.

He really was the quite one of the group. Always reclusive from the rest, even though he was around them most of the time.

“Not sick, Seth,” Darcy responded. “Let’s say our dear and beautiful one here showed an ability.”

“An ability to what?” Adonis asked, getting closer.

“To make Darcy shut his filthy mouth,” Callisto responded. Darcy snarled at that which made me chuckle a bit.

All five men stared at me.

I won’t say what happened before didn’t surprise me. It did. The evidence that I wasn’t completely human was shown with each passing day.

I’m not sure how I feel about that. Not when I have no answers and all I can see is more problems than solutions.

“Wait, what do you mean by our Princesa showed an ability? I need a good explanation for this,” Hector massaged his temple.

My eyes veered to Callisto, who stood still. Nothing crossed his face which made it harder for me to read him.

“It’s easy or are you so dumb you can’t understand Darcy’s words?” Seth said from where he was serving himself a glass of blood. “An ability means power. As the powers we have, right?”

Darcy chuckled. “Exactly.”

“Do you know what caused it?” Adonis asked, moving to a chair. “I ask because it wouldn’t happen if you guys didn’t do anything to her.”

Are we going to start by pointing out who is to blame? Because I’m not into this.

There’s no one at fault, but mine.

I’m the odd one here. The weird one. Let’s not forget I already look horrible. Adding more to the pile of trash I carry isn’t to be surprised.

I half turned to face him. “Don’t start pointing fingers.”

“Yophiel,” Callisto hissed. “Remember, calm down.”

He was right.

I looked down at my trembling hands, then decided to close my eyes. When I open my eyes, I feel the weird feeling inside me has eased. Like it’s been sated.

Darcy goes over a quick explanation of how I had fainted due to emotional stress, and how Callisto and he learned of my first two connections.

That surprised Adonis. Not that I blamed him, there was so much he was not aware of, and I had kept a few things to myself.

“So, you came up with a plan?” Hector frowned as he grabbed the glass of blood Adonis was handing him.

I still looked at the three empty glasses.

“Why is there an extra glass?” I can’t help asking.

All of them turned to the tray.

There’s a reason why there’s an extra glass there.

“They must have gotten confused,” Darcy frowned.

“Confused,” Seth scoffed. “None of our servants has ever gotten confused. You better have an explanation that doesn’t sound so lame.”

He’s right.

“Darcy?” I stared down at him. He sighs and stands.

“I really don’t know. I ordered our dose of blood; I don’t understand why there’s an extra glass. It’s not like Yophiel drinks blood.”

“Not yet,” Seth whispered so softly that he thought I didn’t hear it, but I did.

I lifted my chin. “Not yet?”

“Ignore him Yophiel,” Adonis glares at the fellow. “He doesn’t know what he is saying.”

The feeling in my chest starts again. A hum that becomes a thump.

I grabbed the front of Darcy’s shirt, forced him to me. “You better start speaking before I snap.”

I felt a hand on my arm, tugging hard until I let go of him.

“Drusilla, my love, please.” Adonis whispered, as he pressed me against his chest.

I open my mouth, but the feeling calms down somehow. It feels like I ran a marathon and I barely moved from my spot.

My body trembled.

“Now you, see? When she gets riled, and her emotions get out of control, she turns into a different person. That’s what happened before that made her compel me. Now,” he turns to me. “You wanted to know why Adonis visited your father then allow me to answer you. We need to know what’s wrong with you, we know you are like us but you have symptoms as if you already turned.

“Although I advised Callisto to move to the next phase which he is so opposed to. I, no, we need to do everything we can to keep you safe not only from us, but from yourself,” Darcy explained as he fixed his shirt.

He seemed a bit annoyed, even angrier.

This was too much for me, but he was right, something was wrong. Very, very wrong with me.

“Your plan?” Callisto asked as he moved behind and pulled me away until we were on the sofa.

He made me sit next to him. His arm was secured around my waist. There was a small tension around the room that made me think a lot.

“OK, about the plan. I decided it was best to keep our Yophiel busy, distracted. In other words,” Darcy took a seat next to Hector, who remained silent, watching me.

“I’m not yours, or anyone’s,” I hissed angrily. Callisto's arm grounded around me. His fingers squeezed me like a reminder to keep my emotions at bay, but how could I when they all said things that bothered me?

They did not understand that.

I stood, staggering out of Callisto’s grasp.

Everyone glanced at me, eyebrows raised.

“I’m fine,” I sighed.

I needed a moment.

“Continue,” Callisto orders, to which Darcy nods.

“This plan will help us all interact. Not only will we get to spend time with Yophiel but we will also learn how things work when we are around her,” Darcy cleared his throat and grabbed his tablet that was near Seth. “And since we want her to protect herself, I also added tasks for her to accomplish, and that’s where we start. Hector, you will help her exercise. I know you guys met at the gym, so why not do some exercise and training together? I have a schedule which you will find helpful and won’t mess with your duties.”

Darcy taps something and a sound like a bell ring around the room.

Hector pulled out his phone and started scrolling through it.

“Callisto will be teaching Yophiel some fighting techniques and how to manage the bloodlines in the underground training area. She had already visited the place earlier so she has seen it.”

“Why him and not me?” Hector asked.

There was a moment of silence.

“He is the best fighter here,” Seth finally broke the tension around the room. “He knows how vampires attack.”

I could argue that my lack of expertise is to blame for all this, but I do agree with Hector. If he was going to be my trainer at the gym, why not do everything else?

For one moment, I planned to argue that but decided otherwise when I noticed the stare that Callisto was giving me.

“I will be teaching her some knowledge about vampires and how our system works. What we do in the labs.”

“Yeah, leave that to Darcy, he is the most intelligent one here when it comes to science,” Hector gruffly laughed.

“Adonis, you’re good with weapons and you’re taking care of most of the compounds for the moment. It would help her to get to see how we work and what we do with humans. Maybe the idea that we treat them harshly disappears from her little mind.” Darcy's words make me scowl.

“But don’t take her anywhere without my permission,” Callisto throws a warning not to just Adonis but everyone else in the room.

Surely that means he will let them know if he takes me out, right?

“That leaves Seth,” Darcy looks at the only person who isn’t paying us attention and instead is focused on his blood.

I shiver as he flicks a look at me. His silver eyes were cold and empty.

My shivers run full throttle across my skin.

“What’s my duty?” his voice is soft but there’s something lurking in the way he speaks.

“For now, you will help Yophiel study. There are many things she needs to learn, especially in the library.”

“Library?” I turned to Darcy. “There’s one here?”

“There are many things that you haven’t seen,” Callisto responded.

“Yeah, many things,” Darcy gets up and sips his blood. A red smudge was left on his upper lip.

“Is he seriously doing just that?” I asked with concern. Spending time alone with Seth wasn’t something I was looking for.

“Yes, he will accompany you most of the time, since his duties are the least of all of us,” Darcy smirks.

“Has the bastard finished with everything?” Hector asked, getting up and stretching. “I swear, of all of us, he is the least one with work. You should help me.”

Seth gave a long look at Hector, who rolled his eyes. “What? You know it’s true, we have a lot of work and you’re always lazing around.”

“It’s not laziness. You should try to worry less about your looks with that awful maggot face you have and focus more on stabilizing your compounds. I’ve done my job, and don’t need to worry about anything. Unless Callisto has an order,” Seth stands, then makes his way to the door.

He stops a few feet away from the door and turns to look at me.

He stares me down. “I’ll see you later.”

The swooshing sound echoes in the silent room where we all stand idly watching.

“Did he really complete his work?” Hector asked again. “I mean the man has 33 compounds under his control, and you said not all of them have been updated.”

“His are,” Darcy responded and turned to his tablet. “I have to run a check on the weapons brought by Seth.” Then he turned to me and caressed my face. “We are starting your routine tomorrow. Hector will be the first one to pick you up.”

With that, he kisses my cheek and leaves.

“Don’t I get a schedule or something?” I questioned.

Callisto walks over and hugs my shoulder. “It’s already in your room. For right now, we will be staying here since we are all busy with stuff and coming and going from the house to the lab doesn’t work since we spend most of the time here.”

He searches for my expression.

“Then can I occasionally get a walk out of this building?”

His grin is quick. “Anything you want.”

That leaves me thinking.