NIGHTS OF HALLOW

Perdita kept up to Sthena’s gaze as if trying to find any lie in his eyes, but what she saw was her reflection in his red eyes. Not even a single emotion could be detected.

She exhaled and finally looked away. ”You said the producer of the pills, Vetis Leander, is looking for me and my brother? And you mentioned something like the man wanted to use us and complete his experiment. I find it unbelievable, I mean why would he want to use us as his experiment?” Her gaze went back to look at him suspiciously.

”Are you saying all these to make me change my mind about leaving? Also, I know that you have a reason for helping us and providing your security, and that reason is something you want from me and my brother. No?” She further quizzed in a calm voice that slightly surprised Sthena.

Sthena slipped his hands into his trouser pocket still watching Perdita. He began to answer her questions, ”To answer your first question of why Vetis is looking for you is that those pills you two have been drinking are not used for what Mr. Malphus told you they’re used for.”

”What do you mean?” Perdita asked in confusion.

”What I mean is that those pills are not meant to turn you back into vampires. And one thing I know since my years of being on earth as a vampire is that, once turned into a vampire, there is no going back. That person will forever be a vampire.”

This got Perdita curious. With her face scrunched in confusion, she inquired for more clarification though she dreaded the real work of the pills. ”If the pills are not meant to turn a vampire into a human, then what are the pills made for.”

”They are blood pills.” Sthena dropped the news. The truth that had been hidden from Perdita and Marco for a long time.

”What? Blood pills? What is that?” She asked utterly confused at the new words she was hearing for the first time.

She have been occupied with thoughts of turning back into a human that she didn’t bother to find out more about what they turned into which was why she was finding everything amiss.

”Hmm,” Sthena hummed and said, ”The conversation has gone in another direction which I was planning to tell you another day, but since it has come up, I think it’s the best time for it.”

”Why don’t we sit and discuss this?”

”Sit?” Perdita looked around the place they were in. Where was the seat?

”Not here,” Sthena answered her unspoken question and stretched his hand for her to take.

”Where are we going? We can just walk to the place.” Perdita said knowing he was planning to teleport them.

”It will save us time, Perdita.” Sthena took a step forward while Perdita narrowed her eyes. She didn’t know that she had subconsciously begun to act normal with the king.

Her initial plan had been to give Sthena a cold shoulder but the little discovery he had told her made that thought fly away from her brain. The urge to know what he found out about them replaced her former thought.

Perdita stared at Sthena’s outstretched hand silently whispering for her to take the next step if she wanted to know more, and so did she when she took a step and placed her hand on Sthena’s palm that wrapped around hers.

Sthena smiled and drew her closer to him and his other hand wound around her back. Before Perdita could speak, Sthena had already teleported them out of the rooftop.

Sthena took her to the drawing room where he usually handled most of his works marking Perdita the third person who had the privilege to enter it.

”You know,” Perdita began with a subtle glare, ”You could have only taken my hand without holding me.”

”Where’s the fun if I did that?” The smile on Sthena’s face widened to show his perfect white teeth and the tips of his fangs he didn’t bother to hide.

”I wonder how your brain works,” Perdita mumbled under breath which Sthena still heard.

”Please sit, My Lady.” Sthena gestured to the couch in front of him while he took an armchair that was beside it.

”So, about the blood pills,” Sthena began to explain.

”Blood pill is something common in pureblooded vampires, and sometimes in average vampires too. They are pills made from human blood. Though they are not effective as when vampires drink human blood, it helps in curbing the thirst to drink blood for a while.”

”For a pureblooded vampire, it doesn’t really help because it only lasts for a few hours before the urge to drink blood becomes more potent. This was the reason why they became extinct. It had little or no effect on pureblooded vampires. But for an average or turned vampire, it could last them a few days when they take it together with alcohol or the blood of a cat.”

”Alcohol and cat blood were also used as food for vampires if they did not see human blood to drink. This was the reason why, when you and your brother took the pill together with the cat’s blood, it curbed your thirst for blood.”

”Did that mean Marco and I have been indirectly taking human blood?” Perdita asked in a low voice after Sthena’s explanation.

”Yes,” Sthena confirmed the answer she was dreading to hear. ”Vampires survive on blood, especially human blood.”

Perdita blinked letting the words of Sthena sink into her head. They have been taking blood pills. They had indirectly drunk human blood, and here they were vowing not to drink human blood.

They have been dreaming and thinking that they had never tasted human while they have been doing the same thing they vowed not to take for a decade.

This was a huge slap on their faces.

”This blood pill is not only made to curb a vampire’s thirst.” Perdita pointed out to which Sthena confirmed.

”That is correct. There’s a substance added to it that is very dangerous to vampires.” Sthena replied.

”Why? Why would someone create something like that?”

”You can say that he’s trying to achieve something by creating it, but that is not the problem you should worry about now. We still have a lot to uncover.”

Perdita felt uneasy hearing everything Sthena was telling her. This new discovery was making her worried. ”But Marco and I have been drinking the pills and we haven’t noticed anything strange in our body.” She said.

”I noticed that too, and my thought is that, it must be because of your body system. Since you were not originally humans, I think that whatever you are fought it off like how Marco’s body tried to fight the smell of exorcism ritual.”

”I’m... I’m worried and confused.” Perdita admitted.

”I understand,” Sthena nodded understandingly and assured her, ”You shouldn’t be worried. You’re in the castle and I am here so...” He drawled and stared at her.

”We have an upending question which I’m still waiting for the answer.”

”Question?” Perdita furrowed her brows before she realized what he was talking about. It was her decision of leaving or staying in the castle.

”Uhm...” Perdita cleared her throat still contemplating whether she should stay or not. If she weighed the two options, staying in the castle outweighed the thought of leaving.

Staying in the castle would guarantee their safety now she knew that someone who is obviously powerful is out there looking for them. She also knew that Sthena meant what he said that he would protect them. He always kept his promises.

Secondly, if they stayed, then she would be able to find out about who they originally were. Through the resources of the king, they were sure to arrive at a result.

Perdita looked up and met Sthena’s gaze that haven’t left her, ”I will still leave,” she began and a frown was quick to appear on Sthena’s face which was replaced by a grin when Perdita continued to speak.

”But that would be after I have my questions answered.”

”Great,” Sthena clapped, ”You made the right decision.” The decision he knew right from the beginning was going to be her answer considering how he had put the risk of her leaving the castle in front, which was indeed true if they left the castle.

”There’s something I would like to speak on,” Perdita spoke with an annoyed look. ”You have to stop the rumor going around the castle, Your Majesty.”

”Ah!” Sthena exclaimed in false surprise, ”Are we back on this topic again?” Perdita glared at him.

”Okay, I’ll stop the rumor only if you do one thing.”

Was this king seriously bargaining with her?

”What is it, Your Majesty?” Perdita asked already holding her breath at what Sthena will say.

Sthena leaned his back on the armchair, the smile faltered and was replaced by a serious look making Perdita more anxious to hear what he was going to say.

He said, ”I’ll stop the rumor of how you’re my woman if you stop calling me by my title.”

”No,” Perdita was quick to refuse. Calling him by his name was no different from the rumor. If the rumor stopped and she called him by his name, it also meant that they were very close for her to address him that way.

”Well...” Sthena drawled and stood up. ”You lost your chance to stop the rumor then.”

This sly and shameless vampire! Perdita gritted her teeth.

”Fine,” She stood up as well. ”I agree.”

Sthena flashed her a wide smile, ”Let’s try it, shall we? Say my name.”

”You’re unbelievable,” Perdita muttered under her breath. ”Sthena. Happy now?”

”Very much, My Lady.” Sthena chuckled, ”Allow me to introduce you to everyone so that what happened with my step family wouldn’t repeat itself.”

Perdita shook her head and followed him out of the drawing room before realizing what he had said. Stepfamily?