Read Online Destiny (Absent Shadows Trilogy Book 1) by S.M. Spencer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: S.M. Spencer
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stared in amazement at the transformation, then pulled back a little, and changed my focus from his eyes, to his whole face. His skin suddenly appeared to be almost translucent, with a grey tinge to it.
‘There are some things we can’t hide, like the fact that we don’t cast a shadow. But we are able to create a visual illusion—our eyes, our skin—so that we look like what you would expect a “normal” human to look like. The illusion is a bit hard to keep up when we’re young, but the older we get, the easier it becomes until the illusion is there without us having to think about it. I had to force the illusion to drop just now, so that you could see the real me.’
‘How did you do that?’ I didn’t really believe he was actually a vampire, yet if he wasn’t how had he just turned his eyes red, and drained the colour from his face?
‘I told you. It’s what we are. That’s how we look.’
The sadness returned; in his voice, and on his face. I forced myself to look away from him, to try to think clearly.
‘Okay. So, you’re a vampire. Let’s just say for a moment that’s true, not that I ‘m saying I believe you … but if it is true … how can you be outside in the daytime? We went to the football game, we’ve walked all around Sydney today … aren’t you meant to, like, shrivel up or explode or something if a sunbeam touches you?’
I tried to remember movies I’d seen. What did those vampires look like? How did they die?
‘It’s not like that. We do stay out of the sun, partly because we don’t cast shadows, but also because the young vampires can easily get distracted and drop their illusion. So, as a precaution, we avoid daylight and bright lights. And then of course there are the vampire hunters. They can spot us quite easily if we’re out in the open—particularly in daylight.’
‘Oh, yes, of course … the “vampire hunters” …’ I said, dragging out the words.
‘Yes, vampire hunters,’ he replied, ignoring my sarcasm. ‘They keep the vampire population down. They’re our only natural enemy, and the illusion doesn’t work on them.’
I wanted to believe Sam, no matter what he said, but it was getting harder, not easier, by the minute.
‘So, they can see you anytime?’
‘Yes, they can see us, and they can smell us. They are the protectors of humans, but the last thing they want to do is to create a scene, so when they spot a vampire they simply keep an eye on him, or her, and follow them until they can get them alone. Then they destroy them.’
I turned to look at him again, and his eyes and face were back to normal. I sighed. ‘I see. And you and Tom have somehow evaded these vampire hunters … for how many years now?’
‘Tom and I have survived here because we are careful. That’s why I was angry when Tom invited you girls to the football. We try to avoid big crowds. Things can happen … things can get out of control.’ He paused, and when he continued his voice was a bit louder. ‘Tom was really getting into that game—yelling and carrying on. I could tell the guy on the other side of him was getting agitated. If that guy had started a fight … well, Tom is very strong, and if that guy had gotten aggressive, I’m not sure if Tom would have been able to control himself.’
So it wasn’t me that he was avoiding … he simply didn’t want to go to the game and wasn’t happy with Tom for suggesting it. I knew this was a stupid thing to be thinking about right now, but the thought was there nonetheless, and it made me happy. Sam hadn’t been avoiding me after all.
‘Tom and I avoid confrontation. We don’t do anything in the open that would give us away, and we don’t kill humans. Well, not often anyway.’
‘You don’t kill humans? Aren’t vampires meant to drink human blood? How can you not kill them?’
He seemed to be trying to choose his words carefully. ‘There are other ways,’ he said.
‘Other ways? What, like, robbing a
‘There are some things we can’t hide, like the fact that we don’t cast a shadow. But we are able to create a visual illusion—our eyes, our skin—so that we look like what you would expect a “normal” human to look like. The illusion is a bit hard to keep up when we’re young, but the older we get, the easier it becomes until the illusion is there without us having to think about it. I had to force the illusion to drop just now, so that you could see the real me.’
‘How did you do that?’ I didn’t really believe he was actually a vampire, yet if he wasn’t how had he just turned his eyes red, and drained the colour from his face?
‘I told you. It’s what we are. That’s how we look.’
The sadness returned; in his voice, and on his face. I forced myself to look away from him, to try to think clearly.
‘Okay. So, you’re a vampire. Let’s just say for a moment that’s true, not that I ‘m saying I believe you … but if it is true … how can you be outside in the daytime? We went to the football game, we’ve walked all around Sydney today … aren’t you meant to, like, shrivel up or explode or something if a sunbeam touches you?’
I tried to remember movies I’d seen. What did those vampires look like? How did they die?
‘It’s not like that. We do stay out of the sun, partly because we don’t cast shadows, but also because the young vampires can easily get distracted and drop their illusion. So, as a precaution, we avoid daylight and bright lights. And then of course there are the vampire hunters. They can spot us quite easily if we’re out in the open—particularly in daylight.’
‘Oh, yes, of course … the “vampire hunters” …’ I said, dragging out the words.
‘Yes, vampire hunters,’ he replied, ignoring my sarcasm. ‘They keep the vampire population down. They’re our only natural enemy, and the illusion doesn’t work on them.’
I wanted to believe Sam, no matter what he said, but it was getting harder, not easier, by the minute.
‘So, they can see you anytime?’
‘Yes, they can see us, and they can smell us. They are the protectors of humans, but the last thing they want to do is to create a scene, so when they spot a vampire they simply keep an eye on him, or her, and follow them until they can get them alone. Then they destroy them.’
I turned to look at him again, and his eyes and face were back to normal. I sighed. ‘I see. And you and Tom have somehow evaded these vampire hunters … for how many years now?’
‘Tom and I have survived here because we are careful. That’s why I was angry when Tom invited you girls to the football. We try to avoid big crowds. Things can happen … things can get out of control.’ He paused, and when he continued his voice was a bit louder. ‘Tom was really getting into that game—yelling and carrying on. I could tell the guy on the other side of him was getting agitated. If that guy had started a fight … well, Tom is very strong, and if that guy had gotten aggressive, I’m not sure if Tom would have been able to control himself.’
So it wasn’t me that he was avoiding … he simply didn’t want to go to the game and wasn’t happy with Tom for suggesting it. I knew this was a stupid thing to be thinking about right now, but the thought was there nonetheless, and it made me happy. Sam hadn’t been avoiding me after all.
‘Tom and I avoid confrontation. We don’t do anything in the open that would give us away, and we don’t kill humans. Well, not often anyway.’
‘You don’t kill humans? Aren’t vampires meant to drink human blood? How can you not kill them?’
He seemed to be trying to choose his words carefully. ‘There are other ways,’ he said.
‘Other ways? What, like, robbing a
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