Patrick stood now, clasping hands tightly together as if whatever news he was about to deliver wasn’t going to be good news; which it probably wouldn’t be.
“We must alert The Coven,” he spoke gravely.
“The Coven?” I asked confused. I had never heard of any coven.
“They’re vampire hunters,” Jonathon said, his arms crossed over his chest, an irritated expression on his sculptural face.
“Vampire hunters,” I gasped astonished. Why would we be contacting vampire hunters when the Pulmers were…well…vampires?
“They’ve been around for as long as we have. As long as we exist they exist,” Jonathon added simply a disgusted look still on his face.
“I must be misunderstanding something. If they hunt vampires why are you going to talk to them? Won’t they kill you?” I asked completely puzzled.
Patrick stepped forward, a crease in his forehead. “Well, the deal made many millennia ago, was that vampire hunters are not allowed to kill civilized vampires; like ourselves. They are only allowed to hunt and kill sadistic vampires that are harming human kind,” Patrick finished his tone still grave. I processed this information and stored it away.
“Are these vampire hunters, werewolves?” I asked; my voice timid.
“There’s no such thing as werewolves,” said Jonathon. All the other vampires sent him a peculiar look I didn’t understand.
“Really? Then what are they?” I asked.
“Human,” said Patrick. I was completely taken aback.
“Human? Just regular people?” I asked shocked.
“Well, yes and no. They are humans, just regular people, but they are also something more. Their endurance is stronger than the normal humans, they can run faster, and their reflexes are faster than normal humans. And of course, they’ve developed their own skills for killing us that they pass down from generation to generation. It is believed that they are the offspring of humans and angels.” The thought of anyone, especially a human, killing a vampire sent a shiver down my spine and to think that they might be part angel? This was getting weirder and weirder. “I think we’ve discussed this enough for the night. We have a plan now but we are going to have to be prepared for a fight at any moment
. Tomorrow’s plan of action is to alert The Coven and any vampires in this vicinity. Everyone should be preparing. I know Selena won’t go down without a fight and there’s power in numbers. Goodnight everyone,” said Patrick leaving the room a studious expression on his face and I could tell he was still coming up with plans. He’d probably disappear to his office and spend hours coming up with different defensive and offensive tactics.
The others stood as well and dispersed. I watched Amelia hurry after her husband.
Jonathon was still standing there, his hand over his mouth, and a contemplative expression on his face. I felt like I should leave him alone to his inner battles and not disturb him but as I turned to leave I felt his cold hand wrap around my wrist.
“Where are you running off to?” he asked in a husky voice, his Italian accent coming out thicker. I shrugged my shoulders. I had no response to his question. I was probably only going to meander aimlessly through the house, no way was I entering that room again, and he didn’t need to know that.
He put his large, slender, cold hands against either side of my face. He leaned his forehead against mine. My green eyes looked up into his silver ones.
“Principessa,” He began; his cool sweet scented breath blowing in my face, making me dizzy. “Everything will be fine. I will not let anything happen to you.”
“I know. But there’s so much more we could lose besides me,” I said hoarsely.
“Principessa, you are the most important thing in my life,” he hissed trying to get me to see reason.
“So, are you saying that you’d let your whole family die if it meant keeping me?” I asked. He was silent. “I told you there’s more to lose than just me.”
“There’s everything to lose. And principessa you are that everything,” he cried.
“No, I am not, Jonathon. There are more people in this world than just me. If she kills me she’ll stop targeting your family and there will only be one causality and not many,” I said. I had thought this through. I would not go down without a fight but I was resolved to die if it meant saving those I loved.
“I won’t lose you,” he said; his voice stern.
“You might,” I said in a whisper. I’d rather die and have my death prevent another’s death. But nothing ever goes according to plan. And nothing about Selena ever went according to plan. Jonathon’s thumbs rubbed my cheeks in calming circles. His cold lips touched my forehead in a small kiss.
My eyes closed from tiredness.
“Let’s get you to bed, principessa,” Jonathon said; a small chuckle in his throat. We went up the steps; Jonathon went up at a normal gate while I bumbled along like a drunk. I had burned up all my energy preparing to tell the vampires about Selena and her latest note.
Jonathon led me to my bedroom and I froze.