Chapter 68 CHAPTER 68
Chapter 68 CHAPTER 68
A month later
“Can you close the curtains?”
I was seating in the light in the kitchen, the kitchen light from the sliding door shining just a bit too bright.
I just woke up from a two hour sleep and these days, that’s an achievement for me. My pulse felt slower than usual, a dull, distant beat under the thin skin of my throat.
I sat at the long wooden table, fingers wrapped around a mug of tea that had gone lukewarm.
Selena stood at the counter, cutting fruit with precise motions. She’s been visiting a lot, for no reason. I dislike uninvited guests, i’ve been telling her but she’s not taking the hint.
“The curtains?” I asked her referring to the bright sun coming through the glass.
“You can’t even get up to close your own curtains? Besides, you need the vitamin c you’ve been looking a little too pale lately.” She said side-eyeing me.
“Wait, what? I look perfectly fine, i’ve just been feeling under the weather.” I said inspecting my now long thin arm.
My skin had taken on a pale cast that made the veins at my wrists stand out like thin blue threads.
Even the morning sun through the window seemed to slide off me instead of warming.
“Hey, I came as soon as I could.” Alex’s voice called at the door and he walked in with his suitcase that he left with two days ago.
“What do you mean you came as soon as you could? You are not suppose to come back until tomorrow from your work trip.”I said as he engulfed me in a hug.
“I cut it short your Mom said you are not feeling well.” I waved him off giving my mom the judging look.
“I’m okay, I just haven’t been sleeping well. It’s really nothing.” He took my hand and made me lay on the couch and he started inspecting me.
“You are really not okay, your heart rate is high and your body is awfully pale.” He said staring at me with a concerned look.
“Alex i’m fine, stop hovering me. I’ve just been a little stressed thats all, I mean you would be too if you went through all the things i’ve been through.” I said sitting up and going back to seat on the table grabbing my cup in hand.
“I don’t understand why you are fighting when all I am trying to do is help.” Alex said, sighing.
“I don’t need help!” I said my voice raised a little. “Well, okay. I’m sorry.”
The knife tapped steadily against the board, Selena silently watching the exchange of words. Selena glanced over once, then again, longer this time.
“Are you pregnant?”
The question landed clean and direct. I set the mug down harder than intended. The ceramic clicked against the wood.
“Don’t be absurd, no.” The word came out louder than the quiet kitchen required. My spine straightened against the chair back.
We haven’t been using protection but there is no way i’m pregnant. I took my appearance on more time. The pale skin of my arms looked almost translucent under the sleeve of my shirt.
Selena’s knife stilled. She wiped her hands on a cloth. Before either of us spoke again the front door opened.
Footsteps crossed the entryway measured, unhurried.
A man entered the kitchen, older, silver at the temples, carrying a worn leather bag that smelled of dried herbs and something , like crushed mint and iron.
Selena’s spiritual daughter’s contact, the one she had mentioned weeks ago when the power in my blood still felt restless.
He did not waste time with greetings. “I take it this is her?” He asked looked at Selena who nodded slowly, I sighed pinching the bridge of my nose.
“You refuse to not intervene, huh?” She didn’t answer me, I turned to look at Alex who was alerting, standing in a guarded position looking at the man with a stern look.
The man’s eyes moved over my face, then down to my arms. “May I?”
I nodded once, unwillingly. He stepped closer, his cool fingers brushed the fabric of my sleeve and pushed it up without hesitation.
The air of the kitchen touched the exposed skin of my upper arm, in a way I didn’t experience when Alex rolled my sleeve earlier.
There, clear against the unnatural pallor, sat a set of teeth marks healed enough to no longer bleed, but still raised and distinct, the imprint of canines pressed deep into the flesh.
The man exhaled once through his nose. The sound was quiet, but it filled the space between us.
Selena and Alex remained quiet but I could feel their silent shock. Who did this to me? What does it mean for me?
My own breathing stayed even, though the pulse at my throat had begun to tick a fraction faster against the thin skin. The metallic taste on my tongue sharpened.
No one spoke for several long seconds. The teeth marks stared up from my arm, how could I have not noticed that before.
“How can we stop it from spreading further into my body?” I asked the man staring at him in the eye waiting for him to determine my future.
“It’s too late, this bite mark is a few days old so the poison has already complete infiltrated your blood.” The strange man said giving me a strange look.
”What? Do you think I bit my own arm to get that?” I asked, glaring at him.
“Ayla,” Selena said in a warning tone, I turned to look at her. “What? he is giving me a very suspicious look.”
“I just wanted to ask if you perhaps know what happened? Do you remember anything that happened during the night? Maybe you had a bad dream or something.” He asked, I shook my head.
”If I dreamed of anything bad or someone biting my arm, I think I would remember.” I said glaring him one more time before he broke eye contact and looked at Selena.