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“Killed? Okay, you can’t say something like that and just think that this conversation is over. I need you to explain,” Amelia demanded.
Something was happening inside her mind, some kind of veil lifting. Emotions of confusion, disbelief, outright fear, and anxiety flooded her all at once.
“Remember to stay calm,” Her mother urged.
“Calm? You want me to be calm?” Amelia pulled herself back onto the bed as her mother tried to catch her gaze. “And no more messing with my head!” She said as she realized her mind was clearing from whatever her mother had done earlier.
“Oh my God,” Amelia whispered.
“You’re fighting it. Don’t do this Amelia. Please try and stay calm. Please . . .” Her mother pleaded with her.
“You’re a . . . And you’re in charge somehow. And I’m special, because why? Why can I fight through the mind control or hypnosis or whatever? Why did you kill my father?” She rambled off all her questions in a fit of verbal anxiety.
“And you give me two days. Two whole days to come to terms with all this? Two days to process, and then what? I turn into one of you?” Amelia began raising her voice as she got up from the bed, pacing in front of the window.
“You’re crazy,” She said pointing at her mother, who sat calmly while listening. “And vampires or Garkain, or whatever aren’t real. Look, I don’t have any money, and I’m not interested in becoming your best friend. If this is some kind of reality show, you got me good. I don’t know what you want from me, but I don’t believe you, and I’m leaving.”
Amelia began to walk toward the closet to grab her things as her mother struggled to calm her down.
“We are called Garkain. We’re very much real, and everything I’m telling you is the truth I swear! Please, Amelia. Look, look,” Her mother begged as she opened her mouth. Amelia watched as two sharp canines grew from behind her original teeth.
“Holy shit,” She gasped as she kept moving toward the closet and the bathroom, putting as much space as she could between this woman and herself.
“You’re special and you can fight my influence because your father was a Larougo. A lycanthrope. You’re both Amelia,” Her mother said pausing. Letting her have a minute to process.
“That’s why he was killed, that’s why you were sent away, and that’s why you’re so damned special!” Her mother said frantically, tears coming into her eyes.
Amelia stopped. She believed her. Kind of. To be honest, at this point she didn’t know what the hell to believe.
“I fell in love. Not the mating rituals of the Colony, but actual love. When you were born, the Larougo pack considered the same fate for you as for your father.
“Yes, I am someone inside the Colony. Your great-great-grandfather is one of the original Garkain who fled Europe in 1788. I am a Duchess, and you are a Countess. You are Garkain royalty. And it’s only because of that, that I was able to strike a bargain.
“I let you go. They made me let you go. I left you at that hospital in Houston to save your life! To prove that without knowing what you were, you would live a normal life. And once you’d proven that, you would be brought back home. We searched for years in the beginning. But for all the money and the gifts we had, we couldn’t find you. Not until the DNA test.
“But we needed to know who you were. As a person without any knowledge of our kind. Do you understand?”
“No, I don’t.” Amelia’s eyes narrowed in anger at her mother on the bed. “It all sounds crazy. Like you’re delusional and you need to see a psychiatrist,” Amelia shot back at her mother, more than a little leery of her.
“What more do I have to do to convince you? I’ve shown you my skin, the way it changes in the light. I’ve shown you my teeth, which I think you’d agree aren’t normal. The only thing I have left is to show you the Colony in person, to let you talk to others. Like Trevor and the man you saw jogging today.
“Yes, we drink blood. But we never take a human life. It’s forbidden. A cause for culling. And we have no idea what will happen if you choose to Unbind. The Larougo can resist our influence, that’s why you’re reacting to all of this now. All of a sudden. Please, Amelia, calm down. You fought your way through it, and this is all hitting you at once.”
“I don’t want to calm down. Do you think a normal person is just supposed to just accept all of this? I come here, expecting to find out where I came from. Why I was tossed away. And then I meet you, who hypnotizes me or whatever, and I’m supposed to be ok with that? Then I’m told I’m part vampire, part werewolf bloodline, and I’m supposed to be cool with that too? What else is there? Can I shoot laser beams out of my eyes or see through walls?”
Amelia was having difficulty breathing, her chest heaving as she hyperventilated. This was all terrifying, and unbelievable, but true. That’s the one thing she couldn’t deny. It was all true. Her mother had proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt. She wasn’t normal. Her mother was far, far from normal.
She took a few deep breaths, processing what to say next, as her mother patiently waited on the bed. “Don’t do that mind thing to me again. Promise me that,” Amelia demanded.
“I promise. Not unless you ask me to.”
“Okay. Okay.” Amelia repeated, still making sense of everything.
“I believe you. I believe what you're telling me and what you showed me, but I have some questions of my own. About me. There’s always been something different about me. I’ve always known it. That’s one of the biggest reasons I wanted to meet you. So you could explain why I am the way I am. So, just give it to me straight.”
“I have so far, haven’t I?” Her mother asked, making a good point.
“You already explained the sun thing. That’s why I can never tan, right?” Her mother nodded in response. “I can smell things, like things that no one else can, and see really well in the dark. I’m guessing that part comes from my father?”
“I would dare to guess that you’re correct. But we really are only speculating at this point.”
“And the hearing thing?”
“Hearing noises far away, and being sensitive to loud noises? Jumpy even.”
“Also a Larougo trait, but a Garkain one too.” Her mother kept patiently answering her.
“Why are you dodging my questions? Why can’t you give me a straight answer?” Amelia asked.
“Because my dear girl, you are the first child of a Larougo and Garkain that’s been allowed to survive in our Colony,” Her mother said with gravity.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that you weren’t supposed to be allowed to live. And as far as what to expect or the questions you have, no one can answer them here, because the answer is, we simply don’t know.”
“This is all so confusing. My head is spinning,” Amelia said, dropping into one of the overstuffed chairs by the kitchen. “So what happens now?” She asked, terrified of what could possibly be coming next.
“Now, you get some rest. If you’d like, I can stay in the living space, on the pull out couch,” Her mother said gently.
“Yeah. I mean, yes, please. I’m kind of freaking out just a little,” Amelia snapped.
“Not a problem at all. I’ll be in the other room if you need anything. Just wake me up and let me know.”
“Wait don’t . . . Garkain stay up all night, or need a coffin or something?” Amelia shyly asked.
Her mother laughed loudly, making Amelia smile. “Oh my darling girl, you watch too many movies! Get some sleep. I’ll take care of breakfast, and we’ll both treat ourselves to a day at the spa. How does that sound?”
Amelia was calming down now, a little. “Sounds pretty good actually.”
She kicked off her shoes, and changed into her comfy nightclothes in the closet, as she heard her mother pulling out the bed in the living room.
She pulled back the soft sheets and sunk into the big bed, willing her mind to turn off, to stop thinking. It had been one hell of a day, to say the least. And from what her mother said, things were about to get even stranger. If that were even possible.
It wasn’t a shock that sleep was hard to find. Between the time difference and all the crazy thoughts running through her head, she couldn’t shut her mind off, no matter how hard she tried. At some point though, she must have slept for a bit at least.
The next morning Amelia awoke to the smell of coffee and something else. In a sleepy haze, she stumbled into the full kitchen, seeing an assortment of breakfast items. Her mouth watered as her eyes glanced over the offerings. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, and coffee. God, did she need some coffee.
She sat at the table, pilling her plate high and digging in, looking for Phoebe, who wasn’t in the living room when she passed by a minute ago.
She heard the door to the restroom open and glanced over to see her mother fresh from the shower, and in new clothes. She must have had someone bring them, Amelia thought. Trevor probably.
She stopped mid-chew, stuck for how to start the conversation. She simply stared at her mother, until she finally spoke.
“How did you sleep?” Phoebe asked like today was going to be a normal day, even though the air itself was laden with awkwardness. She was trying to put Amelia more at ease around her, or at least more at ease than she was last night.
“Terribly. My head was spinning all night. Strange dreams. But that’s not unusual for me.”
“What kind of dreams?” Her mother asked, attempting to keep the light conversation going.
Amelia chuckled. “Actually, I had a dream about being stuck inside a rock.” She blushed. “People having sex. Just random things.”
“Well, that is interesting,” Her mother replied, pouring herself a cup of coffee, but offering nothing else about her dreams, thank goodness.
“Aren’t you hungry?” Amelia asked, pilling her plate high with all the tasty offerings as her stomach grumbled in anticipation.
“I already ate. Room service was delicious,” She smiled.
“Seriously?” Amelia gaped.
“She’s fine. Our saliva has a natural coagulant, the bite seals right up. If you do decide to Unbind, you’re going to have to learn how to feed. You can eat regular food too, but it’s not what your new body will need,” she said, picking up her cup of coffee and sipping it, then adding a bit more sugar.
“You make this all seem so normal,” Amelia said, chewing on a bite of an omelet.
“It is mostly, once you get used to it. Not at first. At first, it’s a bit of a learning curve. But after a while, you’ll learn how to adapt and blend in. Live a semi-normal life. Learning how to use the gift is probably the trickiest part.”
“What different kinds of gifts are there? I mean, besides being able to influence people?” Amelia asked.
“Well, our senses are all very keen already as humans, which is typical of anyone from the bloodline, as you already know. But once you Unbind, your mind can expand in ways it never could before. So, for us, as empaths, we can read other’s emotions pretty well. So, once you Unbind, you can ‘modify’ those feelings. Reach inside their minds and make them feel the way you want or need them to, within reason at least.
“Other people have a psychic gift from birth, and once Unbound, they can look into people’s subconscious to see what they’re thinking, some can see into the future. We’re all tuned in to nature, so within reason, we can coexist with it on a different level.
“I am curious to see what your gift will be, but I’m pretty sure you’ll be close to me. Which is wonderful, and I can teach you how to use it. Your brother and sister are both empaths as well.”
“Oh my God, I completely forgot about them. That’s terrible of me, isn’t it? We’ve just had so much to talk about, that it slipped my mind entirely. When do I get to meet them?” Amelia asked.
“They live here in the city if you’d like for us all to have lunch? Or we can wait until the Celebration. I don’t want to overexpose you anymore than I already have. Especially after yesterday. I realize now that was too much too soon.”
“No, it’s fine. I just wish you’d been straight with me instead of influencing me. I don’t like being taken advantage of or being made a fool of. Trust is a very big thing with me,” Amelia said, making that clear.
“I understand completely. I’m the same. How about we finish breakfast, then head down to the spa? I have us an appointment for a four-hour pampering session, which means we’ll be finishing up just about lunchtime. I’ll text Robert and Michelle to meet us in the lobby at the same restaurant,” She said, already pulling out her phone.
“If that’s okay with you . . .” Her mother verified, glancing at Amelia for her permission.
“Yes, absolutely. And tell them I’m in on the whole deal, so no hypnotism from them either,” Amelia said.
“They haven’t Unbound yet. Being of the royal bloodline, all siblings must Unbind at the same time. We were waiting for you my darling,” She smiled across the table, then typed away on her phone.
Amelia suddenly felt pressured. “You’ve continually said it’s my choice, right? What if I say no? What happens to them?”
Her mother sighed. “If you decide against the ritual, you’ll be shunned from the Colony. Your memory will be erased, and you will find yourself back home in the States wondering where two weeks of your life went. They will Unbind together and assume their roles. We won’t bother you again. I promise. But I do hope that you decide to join us, for what it’s worth,” She reached across the table patting her daughter’s hand in that comforting way she had yesterday at lunch.
Their trip to the spa was, as her mother had promised, heavenly. But her mind refused to stay quiet. Anxiety about lunch, the questions she longed to ask, and the fear over meeting her brother and sister for the first time occupied her thoughts, as she was rubbed and scrubbed.
As they dressed in the changing room, she noticed the time, nearly noon.
“Tell me about Michelle and Robert,” Amelia said, as they started out of the spa. She’d like to know more about them before meeting them. Make a good first impression.
“After getting to know you, I’d say you’re a lot alike. You and Michelle especially. The way you talk, your mannerisms and expressions. And you’ll be surprised by how much you two look alike.”
Amelia was even more excited and anxious to meet them now. Growing up she never had a brother or sister until she was adopted as a foster-child, and even then, it wasn’t the same thing.
They walked past the front desk and into the restaurant for the second time in two days. Amelia just as nervous as she was yesterday, meeting her mother for the first time. Now, she was about to meet the other part of her family.
This time, however, the restaurant was busy. Either her mother had orchestrated it to be empty for their first visit, or it just happened to be a slow day yesterday. She assumed it was the former.
Amelia scanned the room, looking by the windows first. She didn’t see anyone that looked familiar, then turning her head, she spotted a woman about her age, that she recognized instantly.
Like mother, like daughters, she thought. Although they were from separate biological fathers, their mother’s genes created a striking resemblance. Michelle stood, noticing Amelia as well. Robert hung back in his seat, seeming a little irritated, as he briefly looked up from his phone.
“I can’t believe you’re finally here,” Michelle said, reaching out and pulling Amelia in for a tight hug. “We have so much to talk about!” Amelia politely tried to extricate herself, without appearing rude. She just wasn’t much of a hugger.
“Believe me, I have a lot of questions,” Amelia said, awkwardly waiting to be introduced to her sullen brother in the corner.
“This is Robert,” Michelle said. “He’s in a mood. Which is typical. Just ignore him. I do.”
Amelia decided that she was going to get along with Michelle just fine, and she was grateful to have another person to talk to besides her mother, who came off as far more serious than Michelle, who exuded a bubbly personality that Amelia would normally find annoying. But for some reason it fit Michelle perfectly.
“I am not in a mood,” Robert bickered with his sister, “I’m hungry. We’ve been waiting here for over an hour because Michelle has to be early to everything,” He said, smirking at his sister, then extending his hand and shaking Amelia’s. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you,” He said, again shooting his sister a look.
“I’m sorry, I thought I told you both we were meeting at noon,” their mother stepped in, taking a seat.
Amelia and Michelle sat beside each other, across from their brooding brother. “You did.” Michelle said matter of factly. “But, we, sorry, I, didn’t want to be late in case you both happened to be early,” She said smiling.
“Well, we’re all here now, and we can finally order,” Robert said, raising his hand for their waiter.
“I’m starving too. And I think I’ll have the burger I had yesterday,” Amelia said, smiling at Robert, trying to get on his good side, if he had one.
“Do you crave meat sometimes?” Michelle asked, leaning over toward Amelia.
“I do. How did you know?” Amelia asked.
“It’s a Garkain thing. Even when you’re still Bound, it’s like our bodies crave iron all the time. We’re big meat-eaters. It could be a Larougo thing too. I’m so excited to see what happens when you Unbind,” Michelle said with that same bubbly exuberance, while trying to keep her voice low. She was full of energy this morning, or maybe this was how she always was, Amelia thought.
“Michelle, that’s entirely up to Amelia. She’s just been introduced to the idea of the Colony and Unbinding. You’ve both grown up with all of this. Let her adjust. Yesterday was a crash course, which was difficult for her,” Their mother jumped in.
“Of course, I just mean, if she decides to. I’m curious to see what happens, that’s all,” Michelle explained. “You’re one of a kind, Amelia. When we’re done here, do you want to go hang out, grab some coffee?” Michelle asked.
“I’d love to,” Amelia said, accepting the invitation. She realized this could be an opportunity to get to know her better, and to ask some questions that she and Michelle could keep private. She also realized that her mother was right. They were very much alike, except for Michelle’s energy level. The feeling of kinship was undeniable, the banter flowing easily through lunch, as Robert stayed to himself.
“Amelia, I do have some things to take care of before we head out tomorrow, but I will see you later. In the meantime, you and Michelle enjoy your time together,” Their mother said.
She and Robert both left, leaving the girls to have the rest of the afternoon for themselves. “So, what do you want to do?” Michelle asked.
“Talk, honestly.”
“You got it. I’ll tell you everything you want to know and answer any questions you have. I can’t even imagine what’s going on in your head right now,” she said with a grin.
“You have no idea!”