Read Online The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Twelfth Grade Kills by Heather Brewer - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Heather Brewer
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through the kitchen. He paused when he saw them in the living room. Otis was frozen in place, his disbelieving eyes locked on Tomas.
The wondering silence stretched on forever.
Otis didn’t move, didn’t even blink. Then the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
Tomas darted a glance at Vlad before turning awkwardly back to his brother. “Otis ... it’s ... it’s so good to see you.”
Otis stood there, silent as stone. Then he set his jaw and went back out the door, slamming it behind him. After a single heartbeat, Tomas followed.
Two heartbeats after that, Vlad strode out the door, determined not to be left behind.
Even though he knew that he hadn’t been invited to this conversation.
When he finally caught up to Otis, Tomas reached out, grabbed Otis by the sleeve. “Otis, stop. Let me explain.”
Seemingly against his own good sense, Otis stopped and looked back at his brother. “Explain what? Explain why Vlad has spent almost a decade without a father? Explain why you chose to let him feel guilty of your death all this time? How about you explain why the hell you decided to come back now, and why, rather than just coming out of the shadows, you’ve let that poor kid walk around here thinking he was crazy for seeing you that night in the clearing? Well, you’re clearly alive. You’re clearly back in Vlad’s life and I’m sure everything will be just great from now on. What more is there to explain?”
Vlad winced. He’d always known his uncle to be straightforward with his opinion, but those remarks were meant to burn. To bleed, even.
Tomas looked like he’d been slapped. “Perhaps why I left in the first place?”
Otis sighed. “I am in no mood for fairy tales, Tomas.”
Vlad looked at his uncle. “Did it ever occur to you that he might be telling the truth? You’ve already judged him, Otis. Without even hearing a word about why he was gone. Why not listen? Or are you afraid that you might do the unthinkable and forgive him?”
Otis held Vlad’s gaze wordlessly and Vlad didn’t need to ask why he wasn’t speaking. Otis was quiet because he knew that Vlad was right. And Vlad was right because he was afraid of the same thing, that he might forgive his father for causing him so much pain if he listened soundly to Tomas’s excuses. Only he was willing to work past it.
Tomas pursed his lips, looking more than a little berated, frustrated, and embarrassed. What’s more, the look in his eyes said that he knew he’d wronged Otis, had wronged everyone, and he wanted to make amends. “The truth, then. The complete and utter truth, which is all I’d intended to give you, Otis. They were going to kill me. They were going to kill me and kidnap Vlad, turning him to their own hateful purposes if I came into contact with him. With my absence, Vlad had a chance. I distracted them with mind control and confused them with glyphs. I led them away from my son so that he would have a chance at a fulfilling life, a normal life. If I hadn’t fled, who knows what might have happened? His blood might have been spilled all over the playground.”
Otis dropped his eyes to the ground and his voice became lower, quieter, overflowing with disappointment. “That’s why you left, but why did you stay gone? Why did you stay silent all these years? You could’ve reached out. Through me. Through Vikas. But you did nothing. You abandoned your own son.”
“To protect him!”
“To protect yourself.”
Vlad’s jaw hit the ground, shocked. “Otis...”
Tomas looked hurt. “What are you saying, Otis?”
“I’m saying you’re a coward.” Otis slanted his eyes, his words turning bitter. “You left him, Tomas. When your son needed you the most, you left him. Don’t deny it. And don’t you deny it either, Vladimir. He left. When things got rough, he left. Just to protect himself. He’s selfish. He’s always been selfish.”
The air was thick with tension. Vlad reached up and squeezed Otis’s
The wondering silence stretched on forever.
Otis didn’t move, didn’t even blink. Then the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
Tomas darted a glance at Vlad before turning awkwardly back to his brother. “Otis ... it’s ... it’s so good to see you.”
Otis stood there, silent as stone. Then he set his jaw and went back out the door, slamming it behind him. After a single heartbeat, Tomas followed.
Two heartbeats after that, Vlad strode out the door, determined not to be left behind.
Even though he knew that he hadn’t been invited to this conversation.
When he finally caught up to Otis, Tomas reached out, grabbed Otis by the sleeve. “Otis, stop. Let me explain.”
Seemingly against his own good sense, Otis stopped and looked back at his brother. “Explain what? Explain why Vlad has spent almost a decade without a father? Explain why you chose to let him feel guilty of your death all this time? How about you explain why the hell you decided to come back now, and why, rather than just coming out of the shadows, you’ve let that poor kid walk around here thinking he was crazy for seeing you that night in the clearing? Well, you’re clearly alive. You’re clearly back in Vlad’s life and I’m sure everything will be just great from now on. What more is there to explain?”
Vlad winced. He’d always known his uncle to be straightforward with his opinion, but those remarks were meant to burn. To bleed, even.
Tomas looked like he’d been slapped. “Perhaps why I left in the first place?”
Otis sighed. “I am in no mood for fairy tales, Tomas.”
Vlad looked at his uncle. “Did it ever occur to you that he might be telling the truth? You’ve already judged him, Otis. Without even hearing a word about why he was gone. Why not listen? Or are you afraid that you might do the unthinkable and forgive him?”
Otis held Vlad’s gaze wordlessly and Vlad didn’t need to ask why he wasn’t speaking. Otis was quiet because he knew that Vlad was right. And Vlad was right because he was afraid of the same thing, that he might forgive his father for causing him so much pain if he listened soundly to Tomas’s excuses. Only he was willing to work past it.
Tomas pursed his lips, looking more than a little berated, frustrated, and embarrassed. What’s more, the look in his eyes said that he knew he’d wronged Otis, had wronged everyone, and he wanted to make amends. “The truth, then. The complete and utter truth, which is all I’d intended to give you, Otis. They were going to kill me. They were going to kill me and kidnap Vlad, turning him to their own hateful purposes if I came into contact with him. With my absence, Vlad had a chance. I distracted them with mind control and confused them with glyphs. I led them away from my son so that he would have a chance at a fulfilling life, a normal life. If I hadn’t fled, who knows what might have happened? His blood might have been spilled all over the playground.”
Otis dropped his eyes to the ground and his voice became lower, quieter, overflowing with disappointment. “That’s why you left, but why did you stay gone? Why did you stay silent all these years? You could’ve reached out. Through me. Through Vikas. But you did nothing. You abandoned your own son.”
“To protect him!”
“To protect yourself.”
Vlad’s jaw hit the ground, shocked. “Otis...”
Tomas looked hurt. “What are you saying, Otis?”
“I’m saying you’re a coward.” Otis slanted his eyes, his words turning bitter. “You left him, Tomas. When your son needed you the most, you left him. Don’t deny it. And don’t you deny it either, Vladimir. He left. When things got rough, he left. Just to protect himself. He’s selfish. He’s always been selfish.”
The air was thick with tension. Vlad reached up and squeezed Otis’s
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