Unraveling Sarah Cresley by Marisa Maichel (best classic novels .TXT) 📖

asked me after a few minutes.

"Because I don't like sports," I said honestly.

"You should try out. I bet it would make your father proud."

"My father doesn't need anything else to be proud of me for," I said, a little more rudely than I'd intended. She said nothing else and went over to bother someone else.

When Gym was over, I quickly showered and changed. I met my father in the classroom.

"Hey," he said, "Were you rude to Mrs. Kleeworth?"

I told him what she had said.

"I know she can be a pest sometimes, but try to be a little nicer," he said. I rolled my eyes and gave him a frosty look. "Come on, don't look at me like that. Why are you so testy?"

"Did you know that you're mentioned on a website?"

"I'm mentioned on several websites. You have to be more specific."

"I saw your name and description on a website featuring different vampires."

"Yes, well, I'm a prince. And a vampire. Stop giving me that look. I didn't think it would be that big of a deal."

"Well, it is."

"Reese, it's no secret that vampires exist. You don't even need permission to tell someone that the vampire race exists. No point in stopping people from revealing who we are. For the last time, stop giving me that look. This really isn't a safe place to discuss this, anyway. Let's go home, and we'll talk about it there."

CHAPTER TWENTY - HEARTBEAT

Father and I discussed it further in the car. I was not to worry, he had everything under control. If I was still worried about something or frightened, I was to come to him, and he would take care of it. I was to watch my temper and keep it in check. I was not to be rude to anyone else, and I was not to draw more attention to myself. I was to keep my nose clean and my head down, and keep cool. If I saw Alexander again, I was to come home right away.

Father and Uncle Soren had spread their scents around, marking the territory. Guards were stationed around the house. If I felt threatened and Father was not around, I was to find Dimitri, Janna, Spencer, or Toby. Guards would protect us in rotations so they could sleep and eat.

When I got home, I went straight up to the library and tried to find records. It was the second place Father would have put any records if there was any. The first place would be his bedroom, but I was not going in there. I went up to my room and plopped onto the bed. Tomorrow was the last day before winter break, and then we would start getting ready for Denmark. Well, my winter break started before everyone else's. Father used the excuse of having relatives overseas.

I went to bed early. I was too tired to think anymore.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day had a grey sky and a mild chance of snow. I was still tired and wanted to skip. Father turned on the bedroom light, however, pulled the covers off, and turned me over.

"Wake up, son. Don't give me that look. I know you're exhausted, but you need to do this."

"Father, can't I skip?"

"Oh...oh, all right. I tell your teachers that you fell ill and you'll do your exams at home. Do you want to take the rest of the week off? It's just one more week before winter break."

"Yes, I need a break."

"If you insist. I'll even tell them that you 'broke' down." He chuckled at his own joke. "You're so grouchy all the time now. I never had this much attitude when I was your age."

"Don't let him fool you, Reese!" Uncle Soren called up. "He sassed Father all the time!"

"Both of you did!" Grandfather retorted. "And you still do!"

"It's only healthy!" Louis added his two cents in. "Sometimes parents need to see how wrong they are!"

"You shush, you ungrateful child!" Uncle Soren cried.

"You shut up!"

"Don't tell your father to shut up!"

"I'm three hundred and forty two years old, I do what I want!"

"All of you shut up!" Father cried. "You're not helping!"

I heard Janna ask Dimitri if it was always like this. He stated that oftentimes it was worse. My father ignored them, and kissed my forehead.

"Try to sleep," he said. "You've been so exhuasted lately." He tucked me back into bed and nuzzled my chin with his nose. "Eat something, too. If you decide to hunt, take one of the family with you."

"I'll take him hunting, Uncle Mordecai!"

"Thank you, Louis, but I'd feel better if Soren or your grandfather took him," Father replied. Uncle Soren chuckled.

"He's right, Louis. Your hunting skills, frankly, suck. You always end up killing the meal on accident."

"Not much different from you when you first began hunting!" Grandfather piped up.

"Father, he's been hunting since the 1600s!"

"You've been hunting since you were sixteen! You're almost three thousand years old now!"

"I learned hunting from you!"

"Soren, you taught Louis and me how to hunt!" Father snipped.

"Boys, quit bickering now."

"He started it!"

"No, Father started it!"

"Don't bring me into this!"

I swear, it's like living with a bunch of thirteen year olds sometimes. Anyway, Father gave me another forehead kiss, then went to work as a teacher. I went back to sleep immediately.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was almost one in the afternoon when I finally woke up again. I pulled on a pair of pajama pants with red skulls on them, and went downstairs for a snack. I heated up some A positive (always good when you wake up after a long sleep) and drank it slowly. Grandfather came downstairs.

"Finally awake, are you?" he said. "Your father's right. You have been exhausted." He felt my forehead. "You're not ill, are you?"

"I don't think so," I replied. There are few diseases that can affect vampires, but there are a few that are unknown to humans that can make us sick. Werewolf bites, certain poisons, mad vampire disease. Werewolf bites are the most common, seconded by mad vampire disease, which can be transmitted from vampire to vampire or vampire to human via bite or by drinking affected vampire blood. Fang discoloration, gauntness, increased tear production, milky irises, hallucinations.

Most vampires or humans that get mad vampire disease die from suicide. Werewolf bites are the most reviled, because more vampires believe in werewolves than mad vampire disease. I have seen vampires with mad vampire disease, and it is not pretty. I was only seven when I saw my first one, which my father thought was far too young, but Grandfather and Uncle Soren insisted on introducing me to the very real dangers of the vampire world at an early age.

There are many things about being a vampire that I wish I could change. However, there are some good things too. Most of us are quite beautiful. Look at my father and Louis. We can live forever, which is both a blessing and a curse. Many of us have acquired millions of monetary assats over the years. Some of us choose to live in poverty, yes. However, it is hard for some of us to find paid work because of our diet.

Some vampires can't be around a certain gender or certain groups of people because of the way their blood smells. For example, some people who are allergic to a certain food or exclude certain food may have blood that smells and tastes good, but doesn't provide the correct nutrition. We need blood from all different diets if we are to remain powerful.

Some humans willingly give us their blood. Some do it because it amuses them, or they enjoy the "high", or enjoy feeling weak or using weakness as an excuse. Others do it because it arouses them, or they simply like to know that they're doing a good deed.

Anyway, Grandfather gave me a look that said that he didn't quite believe me.

"When did you start feeling so tired?"

"Probably around the same time that Father let me drink from him."

"Pardon?"

"A few weeks ago, Father insisted that I drink from his wrist because he was worried about me. Is that a problem?"

"Yes, it's a problem. Vampires are never to drink from each other unless they have consented and it is absolutely necessary. It is one of our main laws. He knows that."

"Is he in trouble?"

"I will ask him about it. If he did it for a stupid reason, then yes, he's in trouble. Also, I'd like to run a few tests on you with your permission, Reese."

"What will it entail?"

"Ah, it's a secret for now. Go watch TV or read for a bit while I text him." I decided to take my grandfather's advice and turned on the TV in the living room. I watched old cartoons for about half an hour until Louis came in and switched it to extreme snowboarding. I gave him a dirty look, and he gave me the finger. I shook my head in exasperation. I love Louis, he's the closest thing I have to an older brother, but he's so full of himself and so aggravating.

Uncle Soren snatched the clicker out of Louis' hand and turned to the news. Louis glared at him and started playing on his phone.

"Reese, have you been dieting?" Uncle Soren suddenly asked me.

"Not on purpose, but I have been losing a lot of weight lately," I told him.

"He looks almost gaunt," Louis noted. "Even skinnier than usual." I gave him the finger .

"Boys," Uncle Soren chided. "Be nice. Reese, have you eaten today?"

"Yes, I ate something as soon as I got up," I said. Grandfather and Uncle Soren looked at each other.

"I spoke to Mordecai. He said that he's been looking weak and losing weight for a while now, even before he began speaking with Sarah."

"She probably doesn't notice it because she never noticed him before that night," Louis said. I frowned.

"Louis," Uncle Soren said.

"Father," Louis sassed. "I don't like your attitude."

"I don't like yours," Uncle Soren snapped.

"Louis, don't speak to your father like that. Soren, control your temper," Grandfather commanded. "Reese, what exactly did you eat this morning and how much?"

"I heated up a glass of A positive," I said.

"That makes sense. It's because of his insistence on drinking bagged blood," Louis spoke up.

"I don't think it's that," Grandfather told him. "I think he may have an illness that none of us can see or smell."

"Don't tell Uncle Mordecai that. He'll freak out."

"He already knows my suspicions. He's coming home as soon as he can. He needed to get some equipment for his new store office and a chemistry set. With your permission, Reese, I'd like to take a sample of your blood. I need you to eat until you're completely full, then I will wait for two hours before I take a sample. It may be your white blood cells."

"It's always white blood cells," Louis said in a lighthearted tone, then ducked his head as Uncle Soren and Grandfather glared at him.

"I will contact a team of scientists and we will figure it out. For now, Reese, I want you to rest as much as possible, and eat fresh blood for a while until we figure out exactly what is going on."

I laid across the couch and put my feet on Uncle Soren's lap. He grinned at me and rubbed my legs.

"Oh, sure, when the baby does it, it's cute, but when I do it, I'm a pest," Louis said sarcastically. We ignored him.

"When he was a baby, you couldn't get enough of him," Grandfather reminded Louis.

"That was before he became a goth," Louis said.

"I will shave your head," I threatened him.My cousin looked horrified. I decided to change the subject, even though I was having fun teasing him. "Where's Shadowfang?"

"He's...oh, speak of the handsome devil." Louis grinned like a proud parent as Shadowfang jumped onto the table and dropped a dead snake. "What a clever boy, did you catch that all by yourself?" Louis cooed. Shadowfang gave him a scathing look and started cleaning his face.

"It's a gift for Reese,"