Aimee

"But that is impossible." I said trying to convince myself that I wasn't a freak. Her words shocked me so much that I had no idea whether to be elated or depressed. Like who in the world wanted to be something unheard of, an abomination? But on the brighter side, I was a sort of solution the vampires needed. While we all processed her words, Philip began to heave like he was dying and I guess he was because the venom had all gathered in his chest and was about to attack his heart any moment.

The girl sauntered towards me and nodded, I stretched out an arm and she sliced through it.

That scalpel wasn't ordinary because I felt excruciating pain, fuck, it was hell.

"To prevent you from healing fast," she rushed out seeing my pain. "Should I go ahead?" I had instinctively pushed her away.

Deep breaths Emelda.

I gave a nod.

She carried on. My blood flowed out and Ralyne rushed to get a cup to pour it in. She then knelt beside a now dying Philip to pour it in his mouth.

The moment it touched his tongue, he spat it all out. He still couldn't keep blood down.

"He can't keep the blood down!" Ralyne was really scared now, Philip was turning blue.

The girl pushed us out of the way with her tiny force. "Well he has to," she forced more blood in his mouth and held his mouth close with her hands. Philip's body jerked, he was really fighting the blood.

The pandemonium in the room was crazy, so I did something.

I picked up the scalpel she dropped, and stabbed him in the chest. Right where the venom was. I dipped and tore the skin open and man, the skin was so tough most probably due to the venom. I was going for the original method, bleed him out. The venom began to flow out together with blood. I took my still bleeding hand and placed it over the torn bleeding skin and let my blood drip into it. The venom sizzled, like my blood was burning it.

Philip began to calm down a bit, his colour wasn't so blue anymore. I kept on pouring my blood onto his wounded flesh until almost everything had disappeared. He stopped choking.

I may have attacked the visible venom but some must have slipped to other parts of the body and maybe his heart. He still needed to drink my blood. So the healer poured the remaining blood in his mouth which he swallowed willingly. He panted more gently now. He was finally healing.

I sighed in relief.

Ralyne began to cry. And in the next moment Aideen rushed in. She must have called him in between the hysteria.

That was my cue to leave so I stepped out of the house. I walked in the deep snow and went behind the house. I had gotten a load of information about myself I still needed to process and it was hard to accept it. Did Tiberius always know? Was that why he told me to never mention it? How about my strength, agility and senses, were they also because I'd been in mermaid waters? I had so many questions but there was no one to answer.

No one can be that strong just from touching mermaid waters.

What?

I whipped around. It was the healer girl. She smiled.

How are you in my head?

I asked. No one had ever been strong enough to penetrate my thoughts but I'd been capable of doing just that for as long as I could remember.

I'm a healer, it comes with the gift.

I felt her smile.

She continued, you're a pure breed vampire. I can sense it, your gifts have nothing to do with merfolk save for the scales.

I didn't know how to feel seeing that she seemed to know about me than I did. But I sighed. At least I was purely vampire.

She shook her head gently.

But I do sense magic in your blood. Ancient magic. If I didn't know better, I'd say you're an old one.

I frowned.

Old one? Only the council members were old.

"Emelda," I turned. "There you are, I was wondering where you ran off to." Tiberius came in our direction cutting off my connection with.. I didn't know her name.

"What's your name by the way?" I turned to ask her amongst my imbalance. 

She smiled. "Aimee."

"Well Aimee, thanks a lot for your help today. I'll walk you off." Tiberius offered but she refused.

"Don't bother, I'll find my own way," she then faced me, "we'll meet again Emelda." Her smile was chilling, like she had underlying meaning to her words. And I trusted my guts never to trust her.

I watched as her silhouette faded in the same direction she came from. The evolving silence came with a feeling of loneliness. In the company of Tiberius I couldn't deny the hollow feeling gnawing at my chest. He must have sensed it cause he pulled me into a cold hug. His hand patting my hair tenderly. It was rare, I almost never got this emotional with Tiberius. I always saw him as a sensei, yes he raised me but he was still my teacher and master in my eyes and maybe a little part of me, the young girl in me, considered him a father. He had raised me after all.

"Come let's get you home." Tiberius led the way. I dragged behind him, slowly, kicking snow and dirt with my boots. My flesh was still healing so it stung a bit but I didn't mind.

My inner turmoil wasn't about to settle but I could push it away, for it wasn't the time to feel all that. Surprises were coming my way, I could tell judging from Aimee bumping into my life. And from the look of things, they weren't good ones. Oh well, nothing new.

Oh, did I mention I hate surprises?