Chapter 17 WE ARE AS LIGHT AS THE WIND.

ONE WEEK LATER. FRIDAY
A week had passed since I star gazed was with Dawn. The early light of dawn in the morning reminded me of her and I cherished every moment we shared, reliving it over and over again in my head.
I felt myself becoming more and more attached to Tia and sometimes she'd even caught me staring at her from across the room, I'd quickly avert my eyes but that didn't take away the awkwardness that came with it. Today was like every other day—boring. I slept through the entire day in my attic-room and woke up at seven in the evening.
I had made sure that Leya went to school in the morning again, even suggesting to walk her but she refused and walked off by herself. Jhan drove her and dropped her off when she'd agree but the girl liked her alone time. And accordingly to what she told me, she knew a shortcut to her school, which was basically climbing over a few buildings, allowing her to skip over three blocks then dropping down in a dead end.
I suddenly realized the hunger pangs that were slowly building up in my tummy and the urge for blood sprung to life in me. I got downstairs and spotted Tia on her regular spot on the sofa, reading the familiar novel about a billionaire who sold his properties for some girl.
She noticed my presence and put the book—that had captivated her interest—down on the sofa.
"Sleep well?" She asked, and I dumped my weight beside her.
"Yeah," I muttered, 'it feels more like a chore now."
And it was true, sleeping felt more like an unwilling activity now, and if I didn't close my eyes and force myself to sleep, I would end up staring up at the attic roofing for as long as would lay there.
"You don't look too good Kaldar," She said. She always had a softer tone when she talked to me.
"Is anything wrong?" She asked.
I remembered the slight crave to drink blood and the urge magnified tenfold.
"I'm hungry Tia," I said sharply.
She looked carefully at me, like she could tell if I was lying or not.
"Check the flask in the kitchen?"
"Yeah, looks like Jhan wants me to learn how to hunt," I suggested, but I knew that wasn't the case. He'd probably bring back a flask loaded once he returned.
"Human or—"
"No no, I don't wanna kill anyone..."
"Weak," Jereum sneered from behind us. He was at the bottom of the stairs. He wore pure silver boots, a brown jacket and black jeans.
"I'm going on a patrol around the blocks..." He was already heading for the door when Leya walked in, a big lollipop in her mouth that made her cheek puff out.
"How do you even eat that disgusting thing?" Jereum asked in disgust. The smell of the lollipop immediately filled the room.
"Throw it away!" He commanded.
Leya only looked at Jereum, before suddenly dashing up the stairs, very fast. I almost laughed.
He shook his head to either side slowly, looking up the stairs.
"I'll be back tomorrow morning." He walked through the narrow corridor and out of the door.
Tia turned her eyes back to me, "Let's go get you someone...err... something to eat." She smiled nervously.
"Let's go to that East valley place," I suggested, there seemed to be some wild life there.
"Hmm, I don't really know Kaldar, the higher court—"
"Oh, come on, we won't be long," I urged.
She looked at me carefully, and for a moment I thought she'll press on the matter but she did not.
"Okay, but we won't be long," She repeated and I nodded in agreeance.
"Leya! Be back in an hour," She shouted.
"Ohhhhhkay!" Leya shouted back.
"Let's go." She walked towards the back door and I followed behind her. We got out and into the small garden Leya had been tending to, the air here always seemed to smell fresher as if the shrubs were somehow purifying it.
The air outside was cool as usual.
"Why didn't we take the front door?"
"Don't wanna draw suspicion…"
"Suspicion? From who?" I asked, keeping my voice low.
"Him." She peered around the corner of the house and peered as well. We looked at a man that was sitting outside a small house across the street.
"The neighbour?" I asked, "But he is just a human," I whispered.
"He's been watching us lately," Tia said, "Jhan said he'll peer into his mind and figure out what's his problem but Jhan hasn't really been at home lately."
And indeed, the man was sitting on a bench in front of his bungalow, a devious look on his face. He looked like he would be in his fifties but still looked rather agile. He wore a black singlet and black pants. No shoes.
There was something about his look that made goose bumps rise on my skin of my neck, and that also made me question his humanity. First of all his head was almost bowed, just enough for his eyes to peer out and look straight at us.
"Let's just go," Tia said, and she pulled me by my arm so we walked behind the house and the other houses until we got a safe distance away and then onto the main road.
We walked down the streets, and I saw a few people who wore thick coats and jackets to cover from the cold air. Tia wore a crop top, as usual, with black joggers and white sneakers. We got to the corner of the street and in the distance, merging with the skyline; I could see tree tops form a horizon.
"Let's run," She said suddenly, as if she had been bottling the thought and waiting for the right moment to say it out.
"Run?" I asked her.
"Of course run, no one will see us," She said tugging at my hand.
I looked to right side of the street, a few people walked by, minding their business but I wasn't sure they would pay no attention to us if they saw two people running at over sixty kilometers per hour.
"But there are—"
"Look." She pointed at a lamp pole. But I saw nothing.
"Look closer..." She whispered. I peered at the pole and very slowly a shadowy figure began to appear, lolling against the pole. I couldn't believe my eyes, but as soon as I noticed it, I spotted two more vampires under perfect camouflage.
"They are the watchers, vampires who use their mind's-eye to manipulate our minds and camouflage. They also use it to read and erase the memories of humans who might suspect anything suspicious..." She said, "You couldn't even see them."
I remembered that Jhan had told me about certain vampires that used the mind's-eye to keep our identity a secret. I looked at the figures, they looked ghostly.
"Let's run," She said again.
"Okay," I said nervously.
I contracted the muscles in my legs, trying to warm up. I huffed out and breathed in heavily three times. I had expected to feel some kind of spark, like I felt when I fought the tyrants. But after a few more sighs I still felt nothing. I just felt normal.
"I don't think I can," I admitted.
"Why not?" She asked, looking a bit disappointed.
"I don't feel any—"
"Spark?" She asked.
"Yeah, that. I felt it when I fight those tyrants and I don't seem to be able to control it."
She looked at me for a moment as if examining me, trying to figure out the cause of the problem.
"Focus on how you felt the time you fought the tyrants," She said, "can you do that?"
"Yeah, sure." I closed my eyes and focused on the spark. I tried as hard as I could bring it to life but nothing. Then I remembered the face of the woman that flashed through my mind and the zeal it brought to me. Slowly but rising fast I felt a tickle along my spine then my brain felt like thousand volts of current had just been sent through it.
I signed in bliss and opened my eyes. Tia was smiling.
"Are you ready?" She asked.
"Yeah..." I sighed.
"Okay, catch me if you can..." I heard a loud crack ripple through the air and in gush of wind, she was gone, but I could spot her a long distance ahead.
I smiled and shook my head to either side before moving my feet, and when I did, they were as light as the wind.