Letters to Romeo. Chapter 180 - Not Everything Is As It Seems

Chapter 180 - Not Everything Is As It Seems

lanie stared at Simon, his question heavily weighing around her neck as if one word would decide if she would be killed or if she would continue to live. Simon started to walk towards her, reducing the distance between them before he stood right in front of her.

"Why didn't you tell them what I really am?" he questioned her. His bright green eyes staring into her black ones.

It took a mont for lanie to stand her ground, and she replied, "You had saved my life, and I repaid it by saving yours. It was nothing more or less than that."

"So you wanted to repay your debt. Was it unbearable for you to know that a vampire saved you?" Simon's questions continued.

"What are you doing here?" she questioned him back.

"I ca here to see how you are doing. It seed like you ran away from your ho like a little bunny, and I thought it was better to co and see if you would like to share the recent things that you found out. Isn't that why you are here?" his eyes burned into hers, the subtle smile on his lips barely changed even for a second. It was as if he had practised it over the years, and right now, lanie could only tell that Simon had more than enough ti to practice it.

"You don't have to show your kind self towards . As you can see, I am doing perfectly fine," stated lanie. "If you could step away from now."

"Why so fast? We have barely even started speaking. It must have been the wound on my arm that gave away last night. Not to ntion, you even ca to check on , it is only right I do the sa for you," stated Simon, his eyes shifted from her eyes to look at her neck. She saw the way his Adam's apple bobbed up and down as if he could imagine the taste of her blood running in her veins before a smirk appeared on his face as if he had done it just to scare her. "One would be curious, but I guess yesterday was a little too much of a crash course for you on vampire's existence."

"How many of you are there?" demanded lanie in a whisper.

"Why? Do you want to tell your parents? Or maybe your future boyfriend?" Their conversation with one question after another, without getting an answer from each other.

Previous night, Simon had got his arm covered when they reached the Davis' house, and he knew he was safe from lanie's curious and questioning eyes. But what he hadn't expected was for him to react to sothing he must have eaten or drank yesterday, to throw up blood into the glass. But the more curious thing here was that lanie had switched their drinks.

"Maybe it would be best for you if you would leave this place and maybe this town and university. So that people don't co hunting for you," lanie didn't lower her gaze, and she continued to stare at him.

"Are you threatening , princess?" a chuckle escaped from Simon's lips, the corner of his lips pulling wide, and he said, "Don't you know I have more strength and speed compared to everyone else under this roof. It will take less than a blink of an eye for to snap that pretty little neck of yours."

lanie glared at Simon, hate coming to fill in her eyes.

"But don't worry, I am not here to harm you. If I wanted to, I would have done it while you were cutely sleeping in your bed. All curled up and warm in the bed, drooling on your pillow," he described it for her, and lanie's eyes narrowed.

He wasn't in her room last night, was he? She could feel dread filling up in her, thought lanie in her mind.

"What do you want, Simon?" lanie directly asked him one more ti, and he took another step towards, for her to take one step backwards before her back hit the wall.

Simon placed his hand on one side of the wall, and he said, "I am just here to observe. Like I said, I have no interest in killing you. I will keep you alive. But I cannot keep my word if you go running your mouth to people on what you know about . Okay?"

How was she supposed to respond to it?

She had co here to share this particular piece of information with Conner because he was the closest person around, and he knew about the vampire's existence.

Before lanie could reply, Conner appeared in the living room and noticed the way his best friend and Simon stood near each other. For the briefest mont, a look of displeasure passed through his features. He liked both of them, but for so odd reason, he didn't like Simon being that close to lanie. Brushing the thought away, he greeted Simon,

"Hey man. You stayed at l's?"

Simon let go of his hand on the wall while lanie quickly stepped away from the vampire. She went to Conner's side as if her being there would protect her best friend, but at the end of it all, she was only a human.

"Yes, I did. Mr. and Mrs. Davis were kind enough to ask to stay in their house for the night. How are you doing, Conner?" questioned Simon, putting his polite mask back on his face, and lanie noticed how seamless the transition was.

Conner shook his head and sighed, "I am not sure if he will make it or not. The way he and l's father spoke earlier, it seed like a severe problem and hard to fix."

"You don't mind if I take a look at him, do you?" Simon asked his permission, and Conner shook his head once again. "Thanks."

lanie had a guarded look on her face, and her eyes darted from Simon to Conner while they went to where Conner's father was fast asleep. "I will be outside," she whispered, placing her hand on Conner's arm.

In the anti, Simon took a closer look at the human, and he said, "Rogue vampires, sotis using their ash, can help in reducing or stopping the rapid transition."

"Transition?" questioned Conner, and Simon humd.

They stepped out of the room so that they wouldn't disturb the injured man, and Simon said, "Though I wouldn't guarantee that it is one hundred percent effective. But using the sa rogue vampire's ash, who infected him, it is worth testing."

"Then we go to the forest and find it," Conner was quick to jump on the search train, but Simon held a grim-looking expression on his face. "What is it?"

"Maybe finding the ash will be hard. Considering the wind might have blown it away or it might have been cleaned by the other hunters," replied Simon.

"How are the others not aware of this redy?" Conner wanted to save his father from his sufferings. He couldn't bear seeing his father in this state, where he was throwing up black blood. Not to ntion, the hunters… they were ready to kill his father in fear that he would turn into a vampire too.

"Most of the hunters aren't aware of how so things work, and it isn't necessary that the solution is always effective. But it is always worth a try," ntioned Simon, and Conner nodded his understanding.

"I will talk to Mr. Davis and see what he thinks about it. Maybe we can get sothing there," replied Conner.

"Yes, I would tell it is better to head there so that we don't lose the ash of the rogue vampires," and before Conner could leave the place, he placed his hand on Simon's shoulder.

"I don't know how to thank you for your help, but it is good to know that you are on our side," a small smile appeared and disappeared from Conner's lips, and he left. While the smile on Simon's lips continued to stay calm and collected.

Simon checked Conner's father again before he stepped out of place and made his way to the kitchen, where lanie was working on making scrambled eggs. "Seems like you are quite ready to take up the role of his wife here," he comnted, and lanie's gaze raised.

"Where is Conner?" she questioned him, her eyes falling behind him.

"He's gone to et your father for your hand in marriage. I just told him about the undying love you have been having towards him," remarked Simon, and lanie sent a quiet glare over the obvious lie. Noticing how she didn't look ruffled, he said, "We plan to take a small walk in the forest after your wonderful breakfast. What are you cooking for ?"

"This is not for you. It is for Conner," said lanie, and when Simon's hand went to reach for one of the bread that she toasted, her hand was quick to swat it away from there, like he was a housefly. But Simon surprised her by catching hold of her wrist, and she pulled her hand hard away from his grasp, which he let go right away. "Are you going to tell what you are doing here in a hunter's house?"

"Maybe once I know why you switched our glass of juice. Not to ntion, we shared an indirect kiss, did you know that?" questioned Simon.

"Don't break Conner's trust, Simon. Leave him out of whatever psychopathic tendency you carry with yourself," stated lanie, and she continued. "I think it will be better for you and , and everyone else that you go back to wherever you ca from. Count whatever happened to be even."

"Where I ca from?" Simon pushed the piece of red fringe that was longer on one side than the other backwards. "That would be sothing difficult to do. But I don't want to," his smile would have been infectious if lanie was a stranger to him.

While Simon kept an eye on the human, who knew about who he was, back in the Winters residence, Julie stood with her back leaned against the wall.

Julie had a deep frown on her face, her mouth occasionally coming to rub her forehead or covering her mouth. The people whom Donovan had contacted to take Aunt Sarah's body and preserve were yet to arrive, and the tension in the air around her grew.

Roman stood in the sa room as her, watching her before he made his way to where Donovan was in one of the rooms that consisted of light looking weapons which could be easily passed to be sothing any regular human would use. But these sharpened stakes were clear indication that the woman had prepared the room for quick use.

"Is your ripper form acting up?" questioned Donovan to Roman, whilst his back faced the younger vampire. "Threatening to snap Julie's neck…"

"It was the easiest way to get him to speak. Knowing the close bond and love he has towards her," remarked Roman, his face expressionless as usual. "What got into you that you thought killing the woman was the quickest solution."

"It was the way she ca at ," Donovan raised his hand with a stake in his hand. He turned around to et Roman's eyes that had turned red, and he said, "I was defending myself. You didn't expect to stand there and do nothing now, did you? Also I heard these humans have these weird gadgets that alert another person from far away. I am surprised that neither of us could tell that she was working for the hunters."

"She isn't as involved as the others, but seems more like an inforr," said Roman and Donovan nodded.

"I guess that was how it is. What do you plan to do with dear old Uncle Thomas?"

Roman turned to look in the direction he had co in, "Keep him around until the effects of Silverwater die down. You heard her."

"And if it doesn't?" questioned Donovan, raising his eyebrows. "He seems quite hurt over his wife's death.

Roman's eyes narrowed, "It could have been avoided if you could just keep your blood thirsty self away from her. For an Elder vampire you lack control. Did yesterday's Silverwater drain too much of your will power and pride? The woman is Julie's aunt, a direct relative."

This ti, Donovan narrowed his eyes, and he said, "It was either her or you guys. And I chose you both."

And though Donovan said that, Roman could tell that if the ti ever proposed where the Elder vampire had to save either him or Julie, the man would save him and would rather let Julie die.

"Don't hurt him now. Can I expect that from you?" asked Roman, and Donovan gave him a nod.

"I told you, I wouldn't hurt him," said Donovan, a faint smile appearing on his lips, and Roman didn't trust the man one bit.

"If you didn't kill her, we would have been able to get so answers from her. If she's told Julie's father about her, but that is lost," said Roman with a slight furrow in his eyes.

"If the man isn't here, isn't it obvious that they haven't been in contact with each other?" asked Donovan, and by his words, Roman turned around before going through Aunt Sarah's phone.

"What are you looking at?" asked Julie, coming forward and taking a look at the phone.

"Seeing if your father has tried to contact her. Any number that looks familiar?" he asked her, and Julie went through the ssages and call list before she shook her head.

"I don't think they belong to my father. So are unsaved numbers," replied Julie before giving the phone back to him. "Do you think it is possible for them to have been in contact?"

"Probably not. At least I believe not. Hunters have their own society and groups of people, and they don't mingle with the others. Because there is always a possibility of infiltration of vampires, morms, or other creatures," explained Roman, and he put the phone in his pocket.

Julie stayed quiet for so ti, deep in thoughts, before she spoke, "And what if he has been in touch with her? There has been sothing that has been bothering ."

"What is it?"

"Uncle said he and aunt never told father about studying in Veteris, but what if soone else tells him? Like the neighbors know I study there," her brown eyes stared into his red ones.

"I will take care of it," upon his words, Julie gave him a nod. But before he could walk out of the house to go and compel the people around, he said to her, "I am sorry for what I said in there."

Julie knew exactly about what Roman was talking about, and she gave him a nod again. But she didn't go to speak more on it.

Roman left her side while Julie took brave steps to walk to the couch where her aunt continued to sit on the couch. Last evening, when Aunt Sarah was speaking to Donovan about her, sowhere she had hoped that her aunt was taking her side and she didn't dislike her as much as she thought she was being disliked.

But this happened right after she woke up. She didn't even get ti to speak, but now that she thought about it, what was she supposed to speak about?

That she had found out about her being related to the hunters? Or that Aunt Sarah was only protecting her family and was thinking the best for her family like everyone else in the room.

Coming to stand next to the woman, Julie raised her hand that lightly shook. In the intention to close Aunt Sarah's eyes that had been left open, when she touched the person's forehead, she felt sothing zap between the skin contact. Julie's surroundings started to lt, and change. Suddenly she stood in the balcony of Uncle and Aunt Sarah's room, where Aunt Sarah was on the phone.

"They want us to mix that Silverwater with everything? What is that going to do?" questioned Aunt Sarah. ".... And what do I do if I do have vampires in the house?... No, my husband doesn't know about it and I prefer it that way… I kept the stakes ready as you asked to. I would like you to take it with you as I do not wish to be part of this… No, I don't care. My family won't be walking that path, it ended with my parents."

"Who is the call from?"

Julie turned and noticed Uncle Thomas co to where his wife stood.

"Just a friend who wants to go to a party," replied Aunt Sarah, putting the phone away.

"You can go if you want. Joel is going to camp and you might find it to be refreshing. I will manage it fine," said Uncle Thomas but Aunt Sarah shook her head.

"You know I don't like those get together. I am good here," she smiled and she asked, "Did you hear from Julie?"

Uncle Thomas shook his head, "She didn't call , and her phone is unreachable. Why do you ask? You aren't still holding her where she's her father's daughter, are you? I think it is quite silly of you to even think that. The poor child needs soone motherly, and you treating her that way, is only going to create distance."

"I do it because you are too soft on her," replied Aunt Sarah, her lips setting into a grim line before she said, "She's too soft and looks like she doesn't know the right from the wrong."

"She's a young lady now. I am sure she will manage fine. She did survive, didn't she?" sighed Uncle Thomas and he said, "You'll be nice to her, won't you?"

"I'll try," replied Aunt Sarah, and Julie stood there watching her uncle and aunt step back inside the room, leaving her alone.

When Julie pulled her hand away from Aunt's Sarah's face, where she had closed the woman's eyes, she stared hard at the person. A sadness coming to fill her chest as she stepped away.