A part of her was upset with him, that he had the audacity to talk to her so calmly, about her own life and how it all was changing right before her eyes. But, at the same time, his voice was so soothing. She hated being overpowered by mere words.
“Okay,” she hissed, crossing her arms, like an upset child.
“Your father, Roman Miles, was one of us,” he continued, “a vampire. Your mother knew this, but they decided to keep it from her parents.”
“Did my mom become a vampire, too?” she asked, still not sure whether or not she could believe this story, but at least, she was willing to listen to it all.
“You promised not to interrupt,” he shook his head. “But, no. She gave him her permission to make her into one, but he didn’t want to. Still, he loved your mother, and you are the result of their love. Now, you probably want to ask me if you are a vampire, but no. You are not. You are something in between. You are less than a vampire, but more than a human. A Halfling, if that makes any sense,” he added almost silently. “Tradition dictates that all vampires and Halflings need to attend Ridgeview Academy for at least two years, during which they would be introduced to the nature of their being, if they haven’t been introduced already. Your parents both knew this, and they had contacted me earlier, to arrange everything. Unfortunately, the accident happened, and your grandparents couldn’t have known that these arrangements had been made for you prior to this. So, we needed to get you here, but without them knowing.”
“So, where do they think I am?” Eva wondered.
“Your dad’s sister has already contacted them, with all the necessary papers about you being in her custody, and your parents arranging this around the time you were born. The date and seal will prove this,” he explained.
“Then, why did they think I would be staying with them?”
“Your aunt had… unplanned business to take care of, so she couldn’t arrive or contact them earlier. But, rest assured, they will get all the paperwork and you are, of course, free to call them whenever you want to. They just can’t visit you. You get to visit them at the end of every school year, like all the other students.”
“But, wait a minute…”
Suddenly, Eva remembered something, and her heart burned with hope.
“If my dad was a vampire, then…” she couldn’t even finish what she wanted to say.
If she was wrong, she would be heartbroken, now that her hopes were up once more. She found it difficult to even voice her question.
“He may have survived the crash?” he said it aloud, instead of her. “I am very sorry to disappoint you, but the car exploded with both of them still in it. They were reduced to ashes. Not even a vampire can survive that.”
She lowered her gaze. She felt almost as if she was going through the whole thing again, being told that her parents would never come back home. It hurt like nothing before, and she doubted whether the pain would ever go away.
“So, what happens now?” Eva asked, feeling tears coming on, so she wanted to end this conversation and hide in her room for the time being.
“Well, this is your school now. We are your family, even if you don’t see us as such yet. I have made sure to put you in the same room as someone in a similar situation, so you might feel better surrounded by people who understand your plight. If you wish to call your grandparents, you are free to do so right now.”
He took out a cell phone from his desk drawer and offered it to her, without any further say.
“Talk for as long as you’d like.”
She eyed the phone, then him again. She wanted nothing more than to talk to them, but she was afraid that just hearing her grandma’s voice would reduce her to tears. She wanted to wake up from this nightmare, in her soft, comfy bed, run to the kitchen and hug them both. But, she knew that was impossible.
Quickly and without thinking, she took the phone and dialed the number. She eyed Principal Rannulf, but he obviously had no intention of leaving his office, nor did he offer her to go out and have some privacy during her call. It rang a few times before grandma finally picked up.
“Yes?”
Eva smiled just at hearing her voice.
“Grandma?” she whispered, right into the receiver.
“Eva?” her grandma was shocked to hear her. “Where are you, sweetheart? What’s happening?”
“Everything is okay, grandma,” Eva tried to reassure her, even though she herself wasn’t sure of anything anymore. “I’m with Auntie Hilda. I mean, I was with her, but I’m at the new school already.”
“New school?” her grandma wondered, “I thought you’d be staying with us, but then I wake up, Hilda is here and you’re gone. I am so worried ab
out you, sweetheart.”
“Don’t be, grandma, everything is okay,” Eva repeated. “Auntie explained everything.”
“Yes, she told us about the arrangement. I’m just wondering how no one informed us earlier…”