Dad?

Despite all the excitement she had felt yesterday at the prospect of starting college, Kerry woke up sick. Her head felt like it had been slammed against the wall multiple times, and she was very nauseous. She managed to make it to the bathroom before throwing up into the toilet. Silas must have heard her frantic movements from downstairs because he was beside her in minutes. He placed a hand on her shoulder as she struggled to catch her breath.

"What happened?" he asked worriedly. Kerry shrugged as she pushed herself to her feet. She swayed slightly due to how lightheaded she felt. Silas supported her.

"I don't know, it must be something I ate. I feel like my stomach is a fucking war zone. Maybe I should go to a hospital or something."

She didn’t think it was anything serious. It could just be a reaction from the eight-hour flight yesterday, or maybe she had eaten more than she should have. But she didn’t want Silas to keep fussing over her for the rest of the day.

Silas hummed in agreement. His hand trailed over to lay flat on her stomach, as if his simple touch could make the discomfort go away. He froze soon after, his gentle rubbing motion stopping midway. Kerry gave him a confused look. There was a distant look on his face, mixed with confusion and doubt, but he gave her a smile.

"There’s no need to see a doctor now. I’m sure it’s nothing. Do you still want to go to school?"

"If possible, then yes."

"Alright, get ready. I’ll make you breakfast."

Kerry thanked him and then went on to brush her teeth. She was glad to be getting rid of the disgusting taste of bile from her mouth. She took a warm shower and then picked out a comfortable outfit to wear for her first day. She hurried downstairs and made a beeline for the kitchen. The smell of bacon and eggs made her stomach grumble. Silas greeted her with a smile and gestured for her to take a seat. He had made enough to feed both of them, which was weird. She was almost forced to ask him if there was someone else joining them for breakfast, but she held back her words.

Maybe he had only cooked this much because she had thrown up everything she had last night. Kerry didn’t think she could finish it, but the delicious taste of the food had her shoving it into her mouth. Surprisingly, there was nothing left on the table when she was done. Silas had been watching her quietly the whole time. He pushed a mug containing a thick red liquid in front of her.

"Try this."

"What is this?" Kerry eyed the contents of the mug. It smelled very sweet, like melted sugary candy. But the appearance was a bit unsettling. "It looks like blood."

Silas tensed, but he recovered so quickly that Kerry barely took notice. "It’s a Halloween treat, made to look like that. Go on, it should make you feel better."

Kerry didn’t ask any more questions. If Silas said it would make her feel better, then she believed him. The red liquid was cool and sugary against her tongue. She couldn’t help the moan that escaped her as she chugged down the contents. God, it was one of the best things she had ever had. She licked her lips, wiping away the traces of red on her skin. "That was good. Did you get more?"

"Yeah." The distant look in his gaze melted away, and Kerry was a bit startled to see the excitement and joy radiating off of him. If she didn’t know better, she would think he had won a lottery or something. He had such weird mood swings sometimes. "I’ll get you as much as you want. But now, let’s get you to school."

He got up from his seat and reached out to her, pulling her along with him. Kerry giggled when he placed small kisses all over her face. Together they walked out of the house and toward his car. Kerry was just glad they didn’t run into a certain neighbor today.

---

"I’ll come pick you up later, baby. Be safe."

"I’ll be fine." Kerry leaned forward to place a kiss on her boyfriend’s lips before getting out of the car. She waved him goodbye as he drove away. There were more people than she had expected. Thankfully, everyone just went about their business. Kerry held her bag closer against her side as she walked into the large building. She looked down at her printed timetable. It was 9:24, and her first class was only fifteen minutes away. She knew she wouldn’t be able to find her lecture hall in time unless she asked for directions.

She looked around with wary eyes. Only when she spotted someone who looked very friendly did she decide to approach. It was a cute girl with short black hair tied in a ponytail. She wore large glasses and was dressed in a baggy T-shirt and jeans.

"Hey," Kerry greeted her, trying her best to sound as polite as possible. She was never really a fan of socializing with other people. It was why she had only one friend in high school, and even that friend had ended up stabbing her in the back.

Plus, she had a lot to hide. She didn’t wish to risk the chance of getting close to someone only to have them digging some dirt on her. She and her boyfriend had moved to Hawaii mostly to live a normal life, which Elthen couldn’t give them. If someone found out about their stepsibling relationship, it would only lead to hate and disgust. And if avoiding people meant that she could keep that secret, then so be it. But she did need help right now.

"Hey, girl, what’s up?" The dark-haired girl gave Kerry a kind smile as she put the book she had been reading into her bag.

"I need help finding my Biology class. Do you maybe know where it is?"

"Well, yeah, that’s the class I’m having too. Come, let’s go together."

"Thanks."

Kerry followed after her. Ruby—as she had introduced herself—was a very cheerful person. On their walk to class, she told Kerry about herself. She came from New York and was only here because she wanted to be closer to her real family. Apparently, both her parents had been teenagers and had given her up for adoption after she was born.

The family who raised her had agreed to let her reconnect with her real parents, but only on the condition that she came back to New York when she was done. Kerry only smiled at her as she told her story. She felt a bit guilty because she couldn’t be as honest with Ruby as she would have liked. She only told the girl about her stay at Elthon, her stepfather, and her brother. She kept the whole incest and vampire thing to herself. That wasn’t something you told just anyone.

The class was already filled up with people when they got there, but they both managed to secure a seat at the far end of the room, beside a window that had a great view of the school gardens. It didn’t take long before the Biology professor showed up. Kerry was too far back to make out his figure clearly, but as he introduced himself, she swore that his voice sounded familiar. She couldn’t help straining her neck to catch a proper glimpse of him.

"What’s wrong?" Ruby asked, noticing the determined expression on her face.

"Nothing, it’s just that the professor’s voice sounds a bit familiar. He might be someone I know."

"Oh, do you want to go closer to take a look?"

"Nah, I’ll see him at the end of the class."

Ruby nodded and went back to jotting down stuff on her notepad. Kerry knew it was probably wise to also write down some information, but she was feeling a bit uncomfortable. Despite the heavy breakfast she had just hours prior, she still felt hungry. A kind of biting hunger that made her feel like she might pass out if she didn’t get something in her. What the heck? Usually, she wasn’t the kind of person who had much interest in food. She ate when she was hungry and could go hours without needing more. She hadn’t even done anything remotely tiring that might have drained her energy.

"Hey, the professor is coming this way. Here’s your chance to confirm your suspicion."

Kerry was momentarily distracted from her hunger. She looked up to see that Ruby was right. The man with the familiar voice was making his way to the back of the room. She caught a glimpse of his brown hair and eyes before he turned his back to her, paying all his attention to a blonde girl who had likely called for his attention. Kerry could hardly bring herself to believe it, but there was no doubt that she hadn’t imagined it.

"Dad?" she gasped in shock. Her voice was barely above a whisper—not even Ruby, who was beside her, had heard it. But the professor turned to look at Kerry with wide eyes, the shock in them matching her own. And Kerry knew that no matter how many years had passed, she wouldn’t be able to forget what her father looked like. This was him, she was certain!