Chapter 3 #3
“We don’t have to be like anyone. Humans can develop trade relationships with the supernaturals, benefiting both sides,” I said and picked up my latte.
“I thought you were not supposed to have food or drinks here,” Tammy said.
I scoffed. “I’m careful. Here’s something for you to think about since you’re so fascinated by immortality. Only a vampire can create another vampire, so history must begin with a single vampire—”
“Oh, this is going to be good. I hope you get to the hot parts soon.” Tammy laughed, and I threw my pen at her with my free hand. She dodged it, giggling, and the pen rolled somewhere on the floor.
“A young adventurer, a human, fell in love with the wrong girl, a maiden who was also liked by the sun god Apollo. But gods were not supposed to mingle with humans, you see. Apollo was bitter, and so if he couldn’t have the girl, then no one else could—”
“Jerk,” Tammy interrupted again, and after I gave her a serious look, she made a zipping motion over her mouth.
“Apollo cursed the young man, so from that day forward, sunlight would burn his skin, and because the young man was a hunter, the god cursed him so he couldn’t touch silver, like silver arrows.
The young adventurer lived in the shadows and only came out at night.
The god took pity on him one day and gave him immortality—”
“Ah-ha…” Tammy mouthed, “Sorry” and waved at me to continue.
“That’s why I can’t watch any movies with you. Anyway, the girl still went with the cursed man, but she got old eventually, while the cursed man stayed young forever. They couldn’t have kids.
“On her deathbed, the god came back and told him that her mortal body would die anyway, but the man could drink her blood, killing her in the process, and her blood mixed with his could create another eternal life for any who drank of it. The woman agreed to it because her blood would transfer and create a legacy, and the man drank her blood, killing her. He was the first vampire who created the first clan of many vampires.”
I paused to study Tammy’s face but couldn’t tell where her thoughts took her. “Do you get it now? Immortality was a curse.”
Tammy put her elbows on her knees and leaned forward. “Well, I wouldn’t want an immortal life at night only. It’ll suck big time.”
I let out a heavy sigh. Of course, that was what she focused on.
“That no longer applies to vampires. They, just like humans, evolved over the centuries. They’ve adapted to light now. They’ve got other abilities, too. They can interbreed with others, just not other vampires. Other gods meddled in their fates, too.”
The real vampires in our realm could breathe and didn’t need to be invited into someone’s home.
The male vampires could impregnate human women and create hybrids while female vampires, frozen in time, couldn’t give birth.
These creatures were different from the vampires I had read about in my mythology books.
It’d be better if my best friend was never to know the real vampires.
Tammy’s red lips stretched to their fullest. “Wow. You make them sound so real.”
I cleared my throat. I’d gotten carried away.
She lowered her voice to ask, “Do you think Dracula is real?”
I gave her my most irritated look and added a face-palm. “Of course not, Tammy. It’s a character from a book.”
She stood and said, “I want to be one of Dracula’s harem girls. Can you imagine sex with him?”
“I don’t want to.” I massaged my temples. “But did I answer your question about calligraphy? I’ll do it. If you want anything else on the invitations, text me.”
Best to change the topic before my bestie spent the next thirty minutes discussing bloody sex positions with vampires.
Tammy picked up her purse from the floor. “You can totally start a small business with the calligraphy on the side. I can help you.”
“I’d love that.”
Since elementary school, I’ve loved writing letters and tracing them in cursive.
Back then, my cousin Layla constantly glued herself to me and would “accidentally” bump her elbows into my arms, making a mess of my writing.
Although she and I were blood-related, she only pretended to be my friend in front of other people.
But when it was only the two of us, her true intentions were obvious.
She wanted me dead.
I practiced calligraphy for many hours to teach myself patience—first, for survival purposes. I needed the patience to deal with a bully cousin with a long blonde ponytail and pink cheeks who my parents and everyone else in the kingdom adored.
But then calligraphy became my therapy.
“Okay, dude. I’m heading back to the cafe. Thanks for spending the break with me,” Tammy said, crossing to the door. “And thank you for making an exception and coming with me to the club tonight. It means a lot to me.”
She sent me an air kiss and shut the door behind her.
As long as I wasn’t triggered at the club, I should be okay among fake vampires.
Smiling, I picked up my leather bag and took out the magic book. I ran my fingers all over it as if it were my most precious thing. It sure felt like it.
Finally, I could study the book in more detail. I flipped it back and forth, exploring the slight dips in the spine. I ran the tip of my index finger over the edge of the front cover.
The material was old, but the book held, not letting me open it. I turned it over and examined the back cover. The bottom left corner was slightly bent and curled.
I straightened the top layer of the old cover to reveal a drawing. A symbol. I sucked in a shuddery breath, and my heart jumped behind its cage.
I gazed at the petals I’d inked with a waterproof calligraphy pen on the skin of my hand this morning.
Earlier, the heavy weight in my chest had disappeared with the first sip of a delicious latte and a nice chat with my bestie. But now it was back, and a storm brewed in my heart.
The symbol drawn in the left corner of the magic book consisted of the petals of a daisy flower with a circle around it.
The same symbol as the daisy wheel birthmark on my inner left thigh.