Ch. 54

“Nutcases”

I sit there as Zanir tells Iamys and Oana almost everything, much to my surprise. The fact he is indeed fae, who is mortal now, that he is a vampire or was, he is actually over 300 years old, about how he is part of one of the vampiric clans, that there is actually more than one in the endless forest, then he tells them that about the night we meet, about how we are connected, and I see Oana’s face drop.

“So you are telling us you like…” Iamys has moved back to the chair he sat in earlier and Oana followed suit. Her eyes moving back and forth across the floor, lost in all the information she has been just given. “You drank blood?”

“I used to…” Zanir is now leaning on the side of the wall of the hallway across from the couch I sit against. His eyes glance in my direction after facing Oana and Iamys, and their glances following soon after.

“No, absolutely not. I bit him first.” I realize as the words fall out of my mouth how they sounded better in my head. “I mean, I took his power before getting eaten like a damn meal.”

“Bat are one of my favorite treats.” Zanir says and I feel my face scowl.

“No, because you aren’t a ghoul or a feeder.” Oana say in a matter-of-fact tone. How much does she know about vampires…what the fuck is a ghoul?

“As much as I would like you to humor us with the daily lives of vampires, I know if you plan on getting any…” Oana says and her mouth quirks ever so slightly. Witch. “of your powers back, Zeva is going to have you spill all your secrets. Not to mention I have heard how ruthless vampires are even with their own kind…”

Zanir moves his face toward Oana, and a wicked grin moves across his teeth, fangs hidden… “My clan is my own, but the others I don’t mind ratting them out to a powerful shifter Queen.” Zanir folds his arms across his chest.

Oana matches Zanir’s grin, almost more wicked and cheekier than I have seen from her before. “So, tell us what you were truly doing in the endless forest that night and why fate Moirai, the three deities of destiny, Clotho, Lacheesis and Atropos, chose to have you two meet that night, one of the only times Mihaela was free out of the grips of her Mother…”

Zanir eyes flicker with orange for a moment and he says, “Clever witch you are. Found plenty of information in all that fae research, didn’t you?”

Oana watches Zanir studying him, studying the creature who moved around the world for longer than I can even imagine, studying a creature who has powers we don’t even truly know, studying the creature who would drink blood and drain the life force from others…I guess we are more similar than I thought…

Zanir speaks again and I realize how low his voice has gotten. “You also understand how rare some of that information is…how some may kill for it…”

I feel like I am missing something, as if Oana and Zanir are having a conversation that is coded for something I do not quite understand. This better not be about this whole fae mate shit. I swear to Nyx…or was it about something else. Oana has more knowledge than I realized.

A witch and a vampire in the same room, feels like something out of a book. I mean I guess so does a shifter with a witch or vampire, shit.

Oana does not reply, but her expression changes to a softer one, more like her normal self. The orange flames in Zanir’s eyes are overtaken with that cerulean exposing stare.

“I was in the endless to meet with Muma Padurii. She rules the endless forest. She has information about where and how her creatures are changing. Someone I care about went missing and I went out to find information. Information Muma Padurii may help with.” Zanir shifts his feet. “I am not big of gods, goddess or deities, but they seem to have a wicked sense of humor.”

I dislike you, too.

I watch Zanir chuckle slightly. No more distaste? I can remove that scowl from your face with another if you like.

That heat starts at my toes once more, but I snapped back to Oana when she asks.

“When were you turned?” Oana is studying Zanir. It is different then when Zanir looks at me that way. Oana is piecing together a puzzle, but I am not sure of what.

“Almost two hundred years ago, soon after my mother died.” Zanir has is arms still crossed over his chest, but I noticed one his hand sinks toward his pocket…where he keeps a clove of mint because it reminds him of his mother…

“Two hundred years ago…So you were a living fae before? How long?”

“Yes.” Zanir shift his weight again and stands straighter. “Roughly a hundred years. I traveled with my father selling goods all over the world. My mother and sister stayed in Espa, Highvale to be exact. Just to be clear vampires are not undead, well most aren’t. Much like fae, their life span is greater and longer than any mere humans. Fae have a weakness to cold iron, and when in enchanted with…” Zanir looks at me with a sly grin.

I’m not taking notes…yet…

His smiles grows and I feel Oana staring in my direction. I look toward the floor. The heat I felt earlier is replace with a distant coldness that reminds me to much of Kiza…

“Can be deadly. Vampires can be harmed in the same ways and then some.”

“Staking through the heart, burning, sunlight…” Oana starts and then stops.

Taking notes now…

“Although I am not a pure blooded fae.” Zanir rolls his shoulder. “My mother was fae, my father was in fact human.”

My eyes widen in the faint torch light, the candles are probably near their end given how late or early it may be.

“Does the orange light in your eyes, come from your mother?” Oana asks. How much does she know that I do not? She has so many questions that were either mere thoughts to me or never crossed my mind.

Zanir watches Oana, his eyes moving across the feature of her face…I feel something ping in my stomach and something rising within me.

“Clever one you are, but yes, my mother was a light fae. Her light shone through her eyes, her cerulean eyes.”

Iamys finally speaks, and I almost forgot he was even still sitting in the chair across from Oana. “I still get over you drank like…blood.”

“It not that bad.” I say while quirking my mouth to the side. Iamys face falls to me in what looks like horror. “Chill. Got to feed the beast sometimes…” I let out a small laugh…realizing what I am admitting.

“She is not wrong. As long as you get past the cooper, iron, taste. Most spells call for it.” Oana says waving her scarred palm and smiling at me.   

“Well, I will be having nightmares tonight.” Iamys says kicking off his boots. “Zanir, you can have the couch for the last few hours of the night., but just know I will be surrendering you if either of these two nutcases need a blood sacrifice.”