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Now
Silver told Theresa about her world as one would tell a child a bedtime story. It was similar to the way she herself had first heard it so many years ago, but it didn’t feel as morbid. There was no sense of impending doom this time, at least not at that exact moment.
“How did humans learn how to kill vampires and vamphyrs in the first place?” Theresa asked after they got to the third discovery. She was just as responsive as a child, her mind absorbing everything like a sponge as she stared with rapt attention.
“Trial and error,” Silver told her. “They hunted them for decades and eventually got the gist of how it works.”
“Which is...?”
Her answer was true but brief, leaving out the gory details. “Take away the heart or the brain. For vampires, exposure to the sun works, too, but the most effective way, although it’s also the most difficult, is to kill the vamphyr.”
“Why is that more effective?”
“Because when his magic dies, anyone who was born from it also goes.”
Theresa gasped. “So if you kill a vamphyr, everyone he ever created dies with him?”
“Not exactly. Death only takes those who were literally born from his line of magic—in the biological sense.”
“And what happens to those who were born human and got turned later?”
“They lose their powers and change back. It’s the closest thing we have to a cure.”
Silver could feel Adam’s eyes on her in the rearview mirror. She wasn’t sure if he already knew this or not, as she hadn’t learned it until after she escaped. For now, she stayed focused on Theresa.
“What happened next?” the girl asked.
“The fourth discovery was that vampires of both genders could also reproduce with humans. They couldn’t procreate with each other, or even with a lord, but it worked with the human servants they fell for.”
“Fell for?” Theresa repeated incredulously. “But they treated them like shit.”
Silver gave a non-committal shrug. “Yeah, but not necessarily because they hated humans. Some vampires felt it was their duty to preserve these frail creatures.”
There was no word for that kind of bias, but Silver equated it to something that resembled racism but with an attitude that was more similar to misogyny. It meant that the ‘stronger’ or ‘magically advanced’ races—vamphyrs and vampires—believed that the ‘weaker’ or ‘primitive’ races—everyone else, except skinwalkers—existed purely to serve them. They also considered that humans specifically, as the weakest of all species, were under their charge and care.
“Besides,” Silver went on, “at the time, vampires grew up human during childhood. It wasn’t hard for some of them to grow fond of the servants who took care of them, even if they inherited their father’s twisted superiority complex.”
“Were they the same as vampires born from a lord?”
She nodded. “In every way except their father’s race.”
“I thought so. They would’ve been called something different if they weren’t the same. So what’s the fifth discovery?”
“Well, there is some debate as to which one came first, the fourth or fifth discovery. They happened around the same time.”
Theresa frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Some estates have rules for vampires about healing their feeders after drinking from them. After all, they eventually have to return humans to the world intact to maintain their secrecy. Vamphyrs can heal with their magic, but vampires have to use their own blood for that. It has healing properties, and when a human drinks it, it restores them back to perfect health. But if the human body reaches a point where there is more vampire blood inside it than human blood, they turn into a vampire.”
“Ooh, so kind of like second generation vampires?”
“Third generation, technically,” Silver corrected. “First generations are the direct children of a vamphyr, and the second generations are born from a vampire-human union. A human who is turned is considered third generation vampire. And again, save for the way they came to the world, the same rules apply when it comes to feeding, weaknesses, and abilities. After that, the remaining two discoveries were made on purpose.”
“Werewolves and hybrids?” Theresa guessed.
“Yup. Vamphyrs were hoping that the fifth discovery would apply to them, too, but you know how that turned out.”
“Yeah.” She sighed sadly then paused for a moment, thinking of her next question. “Do werewolves get treated better than humans because they’re supernatural?”
“Not exactly. I mean, they don’t work as feeders; their blood doesn’t have the same effect as human blood. But they’re still looked down on the same as humans.”
“But why?”
Silver was uncomfortable answering this question, but she had promised full disclosure. “Because of their appearance. Vampiric races can pass for human, but werewolves are the only creatures that look monstrous when they’re in touch with their supernatural side.”
At first, many lords either killed their accidental werewolves or threw them out for humans to mistreat. Eventually, though, they realized werewolves could fill the gaps in the vampires’ security. These days, when they were intentionally created and allowed to live at an estate, werewolves filled similar roles to vampires but during the daytime.
“Also,” Silver added, “like vampires, they can only have kids with humans, but the difference is that their children remain human their whole life.”
Theresa unsurprisingly rolled her eyes at this. “Can nobody procreate within their own race?”
Silver grinned, for once sharing her sentiment. “Evolution failed them in that matter.”
This caused Theresa to giggle in a way that reinforced the illusion of telling a bedtime story, which encouraged Silver to join in. It was strange that she would find so much comfort in such a small human act. Even Adam was smiling in the front seat. Neither of them had heard laughter this innocent in years. Silver rejoiced in the sound, trying to commit it to memory for the darker days that were sure to come.
After that, she proceeded to recount the supernatural advantages that werewolves had, such as having a lifespan twice as long as humans and never getting sick, as well as their distinctive features, like the gold rings around their eyes.
“By the way, how did skinwalkers react when werewolves were given their species name?” Theresa wondered.
“They were offended at first, but then they were glad that it shifted focus away from them. Skinwalkers used to be persecuted by humans, too, but since they can turn into actual wolves, it was easier for them to avoid being found. And then werewolves came into existence, and they were more easily recognizable.”
Theresa scowled. “Skinwalkers sound just as awful as vamphyrs.”
“Hey, they are actually really good people,” Silver objected. “They just don’t like how arrogant vamphyrs are. The friends I’m sending you to are skinwalkers.”
The human’s eyes widened with interest. “Really? What are they like?”
Silver didn’t want to get sidetracked, so she simply said, “You’ll like them, they’re nice.”
Even Quinn, she added to herself. The skinwalker was tough to get close to, but Silver trusted them with her life.
“So that leaves hybrids as the seventh discovery,” she continued the story. “It’s pretty easy to guess how that happened, right?”
Theresa nodded slowly, closing her eyes for a moment. “Vampires wanted to see if they could turn werewolves into vampires, too.”
A foreign feeling spread through Silver, which seemed to make her heart swell. Theresa really was a child in more ways than one, but for the first time since she met the girl, Silver saw her nature as the endearing quality that it was. Even as a human, she was more singular than anyone Silver had ever met. No evil could touch her innocence. Silver envied her for it. She swore to herself that she would preserve that innocence no matter the cost.
“That’s right,” she confirmed Theresa’s guess.
“So how are they different from werewolves?”
An opportunity presented itself just then, giving Silver the chance to tease Adam under the pretense of including him in the conversation. Theresa’s playfulness was rubbing off on her, so she didn’t hesitate.
“Why don’t you go straight to the source for that one?”
Her face lighting up like a Christmas tree, Theresa lifted her head slightly to look at Adam. “Heyyy hybrid,” she said, drawing out her words for comedic effect.
The look on Adam’s face as he tried to hold in his amusement was enough to send Silver into a fit of laughter. “What do you want to know?”
“Recite the differences between hybrids and werewolves, please and thank you,” she requested in a pretentiously posh voice.
Silver wasn’t sure why Theresa would pick this particular voice impression. Perhaps she was simply enjoying the freedom to act her age and was making the most of it with the most random and spontaneous decisions.
“Hybrids are somewhere in the middle between vampires and werewolves,” Adam explained with the patience of a good teacher.
Upon hearing that, Theresa’s gaze briefly shifted to the front seat, where Shauna was still peacefully unconscious. Silver noticed the momentary flash of curiosity in her eyes, but she didn’t acknowledge it. It wasn’t time to open that drawer in her mind yet.
“I can shift into a less monstrous-looking version of werewolves,” Adam carried on obliviously. “My eyes are also ringed in silver, not gold, as you noticed. It’s usually easier to hide, so we can blend in better among humans.”
“Can I see you shift sometime?” Theresa entreated.
Silver expected him to refuse, or at least make up an excuse as to why he couldn’t, but she was taken aback when he agreed.
Then, Theresa fired the next few questions at him in rapid succession. “Do you also have superhuman strength and speed and senses and all that?”
“We do,” Adam confirmed, “but not in human form, like I told you before.”
“And you’re stronger than werewolves but not as strong as vampires?”
“Correct.”
“Do you feed on human blood?”
“Yes, but we can survive without it.”
“Do you burn in the sun?”
“No.”
“Do you sparkle?”
“God no.”
“Do you sleep in a coffin?”
They laughed again. They should have expected this line of questioning. Silver had to admit, she was enjoying watching Theresa grill someone else for a change. Her interaction with Adam bordered on an interrogation, but he seemed to take it with good humor.
“No,” he answered the question. “No one sleeps in coffins; we sleep in regular beds.”
“Ah, so all the races sleep? Huh. I thought maybe being supernatural meant that you didn’t need to. Do you maybe need to sleep less?”
“Depends on the race,” he told her. “Vamphyrs can survive on four hours every day, which they divide between two hours at dawn and two hours at twilight. That way, they can stay active throughout most of the day and night. Werewolves rest like humans, but vampires have a varied sleep cycle of six-to-ten hours, depending on the season, and they obviously sleep during the day.”
“What about hybrids?” she went back to the original point.
Adam shrugged. “The most we can sleep in one go is five hours, but we can function on less.”
Theresa glanced up at Silver. “What about you?”
“Depends on how depleted my powers are,” she said. “I don’t sleep at all if I’m near full power, but I once passed out for two whole days from using too much magic.”
“Ah, that must be why you slept for so long that first night...”
Her voice drifted off faintly, tired from the craziness of the past couple of days. When she shifted to adjust her position, she winced slightly, visibly still in pain from her leg.
Surprisingly, Silver found herself looking forward to the next question, though she wouldn’t have faulted Theresa if the latter decided to stop and get some rest.
“When hybrids feed on humans,” the girl finally said, “do you also have that mind connection thing where they’ll hear your thoughts and you can mind control them?”
“I guess, yeah.”
“What do you mean you guess?”
“I mean, I’ve never tried.”
The statement surprised Silver almost as much as his offhanded manner of saying it. She had no idea Adam had never tasted human blood.
“What, really?” Theresa exclaimed, equally taken aback. “Why not?”
He shrugged, clearly not wanting to talk about it. “I’m just not interested. But other hybrids I used to know said they do.”
“Wait, so why do hybrids drink blood if they don’t need to?”
“It makes us stronger in human form.”
Silver wondered how he managed to stay as strong as he was in human form if he had never tasted blood. His fighting skills suggested that he took his training more seriously than he needed to had he just fed on human blood.
“Is that why vampires are stronger than hybrids?” Theresa concluded. “Because they survive only on blood?”
“I suppose,” Adam said. “I haven’t thought about it much. Hybrids are so rare; I don’t know of any that tried to survive solely on blood to know what the effects would be.”
“Best not to find out, I guess.” She paused to yawn for a moment, but apparently, she wasn’t out of questions yet. “So how else are you different from vampires?”
“For starters, I’m not immortal,” he said. “I can live longer than all the non-immortal races, but I do age. There’s also the fact that I don’t burn in the sun, and whatever children I may have with humans will be fully human.”
Theresa tsk-ed with disdain. “Okay, again, this reproduction thing makes no sense. And it’s completely unfair to us humans! Everyone needs us either for food or babies. And they still think we rank lower?”
Adam nodded somberly.
“That’s the sad truth,” Silver replied. “We pretend that humans are disposable because they’re less durable, but in reality, none of our races would exist without you.”
“Don’t say we,” Theresa defended them. “You guys aren’t like that; you’re cool.”
That statement was both amusing and flattering.
“You know, I’m surprised you haven’t asked about how everyone ranks in terms of authority.”
Theresa waved her hand dismissively. “I can deduce that part on my own.” With the same hand, she mimed moving up a proverbial food chain. “Humans, werewolves, hybrids, vampires, vamphyrs. Right?”
“Not exactly,” Silver said, biting her lip to keep from laughing. “You got the human and vamphyr parts right, but not the others.”
“Really? Then, what’s the rank like?”
“Obviously, it starts with the vamphyrs at the top, but vampires have their own mini-hierarchy. There are more than just three generations of vampires, you know.”
The girl’s eyes practically bulged out of their sockets. “What? There are?”
“Oh yes. I mean, they are so many ways for vampires to come into existence. They could be born from a vamphyr, from other vampires who were born, or from vampires who were turned. They could also be turned by vampires who were born or vampires who were turned.”
Theresa frowned and blinked several times. “Wha—? Huh? Slow down. Say that again?”
Silver chuckled for a second. “Basically, the idea is that the further away you are from being related by magic and biology to the Lord in charge, the lower you rank among vampires. But of course, you still rank higher than werewolves, hybrids, and humans.”
“Is that the rest of the ranking order?” Theresa guessed.
“Yup.”
If hybrids were immortal, they might have ranked right after vamphyrs. After all, they lacked the weaknesses of common vampires, and their rigorous training made them capable of taking the latter on in a fight.
Theresa’s enthusiasm was growing more and more dim as her exhaustion set in. She was now covering her face with her hands as she stifled another yawn. “That makes even less sense. At least tell me they’re not also looked down on like werewolves?”
Glancing at the rearview mirror, Silver exchanged a hesitant look with Adam. The silence made Theresa lift her arm and stare up at her.
If werewolves had it bad, hybrids had it worse. So far, only Master Drake had been bold and powerful enough to create a hybrid army and get away with it. Except perhaps whoever created the hybrids that Remi was working for.
Nope. Not opening that drawer just yet.
Before Silver could start to formulate an answer, Theresa gave a sad sigh and mumbled, “I guess that answers that.” She closed her eyes and pressed her lips together, shaking her head as if she was holding back from cussing. “So I guess you were the eighth discovery, huh?”
“What?” Silver said, surprised.
“You’re the only one of your kind,” she mumbled mid-yawn. She was getting really sleepy now, and her voice came out croaky. “You used to be human, Shiloh. Whatever was done to turn you, it’s never been done before, or there’d be more of you. Ergo, you’re the eighth discovery. If you ask me, that’s the greatest one yet. Someday, someone will figure it out too and make more like you. You’re the best of all the species put together.”
Her words came out all jumbled until they trailed off at the end of her monologue, and her eyes didn’t open again.
Her honesty was palpable. Silver was touched by the girl’s high regard, but it was also unexpected. Despite the fact that Silver almost killed her, Theresa still admired her. That knowledge was enough to forgive the use of her old name.
Before long, Theresa was softly snoring in her arms. Silver pulled a stray lock of blonde hair away from the sleeping girl’s face and smoothed it down gently.
“Sleep tight, Reese,” she whispered.
