Ch. 3

Before I can even think of Dad being upset, I rush down the stairs, my bare feet padding loudly on the wooden floors. That must be Cara, his sister that he’s raving about at me every time. No, this can’t be. I know how important she is for him.

“Caleb!” I pause briefly to look at the grief-stricken face of Theodore, and I nod my head to him as a greeting, though I doubt this is the kind of situation that calls for any salutation.

I catch Caleb’s eyes and he locks gazes with me. Sorrow. I can only see sorrow. I’ve never seen him so distraught before. My heart immediately goes out to him, and I can feel my eyes starting to pool with tears, even if I have no idea what is happening. I continue walking until I reach his side. I try to ignore the stern expression on Dad’s face on my periphery or the aghast look of the woman as she looks at me up and down as if seeing a ghost for the first time. Well, I guess I may look like a ghost with my pale and almost translucent skin, my messy red hair, and my freakish hazel eyes. And she is really seeing me for the first time. That makes her the sixth person to know I exist. 

“Gareth, help us,” Theodore says. 

Caleb seems to come out from a haze when he heard Theodore’s voice. He breaks his stare at me as his eyes flicker to Dad.

“Please save my sister,” Caleb says, his voice breaking at each word.

Dad glances miserably at the boy lying lifeless on the couch, and he looks back at the baby in Caleb’s arms. “What happened?”

“She was crying, and then she stopped. When I looked at her, she was not moving or breathing anymore.” Caleb is trembling beside me, and I can feel he’s trying his best not to cry. I brush my hand on his back. He glances at me, his voice hoarse. “Did I—did I do something wrong, Sam? I should have checked on her when she first cried.” 

My heart is breaking and it takes all of me to find my voice. “No, it’s not your fault,” I say, shaking my head. 

Dad approaches Caleb and the baby in his arms. He does a quick check for its breathing and its pulse. He takes a deep breath and rakes his hand through his hair. “She’s gone too.”

I can feel Caleb tensing, bracing himself as if he has not yet accepted the fact that his sister is gone until my dad said so. 

“It can’t be,” Caleb says.

Theodore places a hand on Caleb’s shoulder. He shakes his head and gets the baby from him. Caleb hesitates for a moment, not wanting to let go of his sister, before giving her to Theodore.

“Why did they die?” the woman interrupts. I almost forgot she is still around. Slumped beside her child, all hope is gone on her face.

“I do not know,” Dad says, looking sympathetically at her.

“Where’s Miranda, by the way?” Dad turns to Theodore.

“At home, still shocked. I told her it’s better for her to stay.”

“My boy and your baby are not the only ones.” The woman sneers; this time, her voice echoes with bitterness. We all stare at her, her gaze piercing through mine.

Dad moves in front of me, blocking her stare. “What do you mean?” 

I feel Caleb’s hand gripping my upper arm, trying to move me away. I do not budge.

“A series of sudden deaths among the young and the old have been happening since last week. No humans were affected. Only those with the Children’s blood.”

I see Dad tense.

“Caleb, bring Sam up,” Theodore says.

Caleb tugs on my arm. “No,” I say, confusion dawning on me, and my mind cannot catch up with what the woman is saying. I step in front of Dad to see her clearly. 

“I don’t understand,” I say. “What bloods? What do you mean no humans were affected?” I glance at the boy beside her and at Theodore’s baby. Weren’t they humans?

The lips of the woman curl up sinisterly. It’s as if the woman who’s bawling for her son just a while ago and the woman facing me now are two different persons. The transformation is disturbing and unbelievable, even if her face never really changes. She suddenly looks menacing, cunning, and deadly. It takes all of me to not run and hide in my room.

“My dear,” she stands up, prowling toward me. “How… naïve.” 

“That’s enough,” Dad says. “Caleb, bring Samantha to her room.”

Caleb grabs me by the arm and pulls me away this time. “Let’s go, Sam.”  

But the woman isn’t finished yet. She blocks our way. “You must be the reason why our people are dying. You should have been gone a long time ago!”

“Enough!” Dad shouts.

I gape at her; shock and confusion must be painted on my face.

“Of course, he didn’t tell you,” the woman continues to say, ignoring Dad. “I bet he didn’t tell you he isn’t exactly a normal human too? Or you are the bride of the dark—”

I hear a loud thud, and the next thing I know, she is on the floor, unconscious. Theodore had hit her in the back, hard. Dad’s expression is unfathomable. 

Despite my reluctance, Caleb drags me away from them, lifting me up in his arms. 

...* * *...

To say that I am confused, shocked, and feel like my sanity is falling apart is an understatement. None of it makes sense. Caleb brings me to my room, closing the door quietly. He lays me down gently on the bed. We stare at each other for a long time, not speaking or moving. I should ask him what it all means. And despite the confusion, strangeness, and questions running through my mind, another thought makes its way into my head. This is the first time Caleb has been in my room. 

Another thought passes: why haven’t I noticed before that his eyes are the deepest blue I’ve ever seen? It’s almost like the color of the ocean at night. Navy black.

He brushes my hair with his fingers, and I still. Every part of me brims with anticipation. 

He dips his head toward me. For a moment, I think he will kiss me, but he settles on my neck, as his arms wrap around me tightly.

And then, he cries. 

Quietly. 

Too quiet. 

Not even a sound or a gasp. 

The only signs are the tears I can feel raining on my neck and the racking of his body against me as he sobs. He clutches me so tight, it hurts. Not because it hurts physically, but because it’s as if he’s passing to me all the grief and pain he feels, pouring every sorrow into my little body. I hold on to him, wrapping my arms around his back, and stroking his hair after. I want to say something that will console him, but I can’t think of anything, so I keep quiet and match his silent grief.

After a while, his sobs lessen until he calms down. I brush my fingers through his hair and whisper, “I’m sorry.”

I can feel him shaking his head, and then I gasp. He starts raining kisses on my neck. 

Nibbling, biting kisses. His hands moving all over my body. 

“Caleb,” I say breathlessly. A part of me is fearful, as this is the first time he has kissed me anywhere. A part of me warms to the idea, as he is someone I would not mind kissing or being with, but a stronger part of me knows that he’s acting like this now because he’s upset about his sister’s death. 

He’s looking for a distraction to ease the pain. And right now, I am a good distraction to him. I don’t want to be just that. 

I force him to look at me. And I know I’m right. His eyes are all sadness, and tears are still raining down his cheeks. I wipe away his tears, and this action seems to crush him even more. He grabs my hand away from his face and puts it on my side. He brings his forehead to mine. “Please,” he says. “Let me kiss you.”

My heart pounds wildly, and I feel like it will burst out of me. His words are seeping into every crack of my heart that craves affection. And as much as I hate to be just a distraction, I find myself nodding. He places his hands on both sides of my face and gazes deeply into my eyes.

Then, he kisses me hard, hungrily, lustfully. 

He kisses me in every way he can, devouring each of my breaths. 

And all I can think of is how his sorrow wraps beautifully with each kiss, like a parting gift. And how his kisses don’t feel like a search for distraction—but a search for me, the me that always hides and fears—and how slowly, unexpectedly, I can feel my heart breaking silently. 

Because he kisses me like he’ll never be able to kiss me again. 

He kisses me like this is our first and last.

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