His eyes were glued at her. He was trying to comprehend her reaction. She didn't blink, she was just starting at him with blank mind. This was too much for her to process. Gordon, Azar and Orion were standing in front of her in their true forms ; Dark eyes, clothes soaked in blood and their fangs revealed. It was too hard for her to believe. This took a toll on her and she passed out.
Orion ran to her, carried her in his arms and went off with his car. Gordon and Azar stayed there to have a look in the house if they find any evidence or clue about why those vampires kidnapped Xia. Orion reached his house, he carried Xia in his arms and rushed towards the entrance and he saw Xia's parents sitting with his parents in the drawing hall. He stopped there and looked at his father, Xia's father turned and saw him standing there with unconscious Xia in his arms.
"What happened to her?," Chris ran to see his daughter.
"Why she is unconscious?," her mother asked worriedly.
Orion was standing there not knowing what to say to her parents, how to make them feel better so he decided to keep quiet.
John came in between to handle the situation, "Let me explain this. Please calm down. She needs a doctor right now," he said to Xia's parents.
He was trying to make the situation better but her parents were perturbed about her. Last thing they knew were Xia was in the party with her friends and then her mother got a text from her saying she is staying with Tora for the night. They were confused why Steinkuhlers invited them for breakfast, regardless the kind of past they had.
"Orion take her to the guest room. I have already called for the doctor, he should be here any minute." John said.
"It's all your fault. Your family only brings troubles to my family. Why don't you people just leave us alone?," Chris said in anger.
Orion fasten his pace towards the guest room. One maid came running and opened the door of the room. Orion carefully placed her on the bed. She was looking so peaceful and calm. He knew the situation is not as it seems. He was so anxious, the whole way in the car he was trying to talk to her and tell her to hold on and everything is going to be fine. He was trying to keep his anger in check, this was his fault, because of him she is suffering. She is just a normal girl who deserves a normal life but because of him she could have died today. Even after killing her kidnappers he wasn't feeling good. His guts were telling him something much bigger than this is about to happen and Xia will be in danger.
Doctor arrived to check her and asked Orion to leave the room.
He saw Gordon and Azar standing in the hallway.
"Found anything?," Orion asked.
"No. We could have if you haven't ripped their hearts out," Azar said with grim expression.
"So you're saying I should have spared them just to ask few questions?," Orion thundered.
"Maybe it was mere a simple case of kidnapping for feeding. Because we didn't found anything unusual," Gordon said trying to cut the tension.
"Right now we should be more concerned about Xia," he added.
"I think she saw us," Orion stated.
There was silence for few seconds between them. Gordon was thinking how he will explain Xia whatever happened there. She was his best friend and he definitely didn't wanted to lose her and on the other hand Orion was also wondering what he will say to her though they didn't have any kind of relationship but still it felt a bad idea if she hated him. He never cared what others think of him but now he was concerned about what this girl will think of him.
"Will see that afterwards. Let's have a drink I think we all need it," Azar suggested breaking the silence.
They were sitting in Azar's room when John arrived there.
"Congratulations, The Band of Brothers. The girl is fine now. Her parents took her home," John said.
"That's a relief," Azar replied.
"Anyone want to fill me in about what actually happened?," John asked the boys.
Azar told him everything about how it was some Vampires who kidnapped her and they didn't find any clue that can led them any further for investigation.
Gordon excused himself as he had to go to his house his parents were worried for him.
"May I talk to you for a second," Orion asked his father getting up from his seat.
"Of course. Let's take a walk," John said.
They were walking in the corridor, sun was hiding behind the clouds and orange colour was spreading in the sky.
"Do you know her parents? I mean the way you guys were behaving it was like you all were familiar with each other," Orion asked.
"Well! It's a long story," John chuckled.
" I guess I have all the time in the world," Orion replied.
"Why I am having the feeling that you have something for that girl?," John teased his son.
"Dad! Don't try to change the subject," Orion got annoyed.
John told him about the history both families shared. He told him Xia's family is a royal clan of mermaids. Vampires used to control creatures of land and mermaids used to have power in the water. But then some disputes break out among both the communities to get on the top and be powerful so that one can control every creature on land and water. It led to massacres and many dreadful incidents. Situation was getting out of hands and no one was able to control all this.
So elders decided to have a truce between Vampires and Mermaids kingdom to stop this unnecessary bloodshed and violence. In that truce, a marriage proposal was made between your uncle and Xia's aunt.
"You mean Azar's dad?," Orion was shocked. He never knew about all this. Most importantly about Xia. He noticed that Xia was different from others but never imagined in this way.
"Yes," John smiled.
"Then why they had all the cold vibes ?," Orion asked.
"There is more to it," he replied. He told him the marriage proposal was accepted, as your uncle and her aunt were already in love with each other. Arrangements was going on smoothly for the wedding. Finally the day arrived and they got married. There is a ritual of getting blessings from the old white witch, they have been guiding our family from centuries.
When they went to the witch for taking blessings, she told them a prophecy has been made that this marriage will only lead to destruction of our family and no one will be happy from it as the foundation of this marriage was greed and hunger for power. Of course, your uncle didn't pay any heed to that and told everyone to relax. We all ignored it and carried on with our lives. There we made a grave mistake because those witches are never wrong. We shouldn't have ignored that. The prophecy came true, someone murdered your Grandparents and aunt when Azar was just six months old. Your uncle was so devastated. He claimed that some people who were against the truce did this. Xia's family blamed our family for this. This led to great tension between the two families. Now the truce was broken, it again lead to a war like situation. Your uncle wanted vengeance but he never had any evidences. He got so obsessed with this that he lost his mind. In the end he died too when Azar was six.
"So this is the story," John said.
"I see," Orion replied.
"Does Azar knows about this?," Orion asked.
"Maybe," John answered.
"Dad, what did you tell them about the incident?," Orion asked.
"That she was kidnapped. I tried to explain them it has nothing to do with us but they didn't believe," John answered. And now when they'll get to know that vampires were involved in this, I'm sure they will blame us," he added.
When Orion and Azar were little kids they have been told that his mother fall sick and died. Nobody told them the truth but now the truth is here. He was feeling bad for his brother. He was close to Azar from childhood. Azar was always there whenever he needed him. It never felt that Azar is not his real brother.
The truth about Xia was more shocking for Orion. He was having hard time digesting. He was wondering how come Gordon didn't know about this. But now the truth is here, he needed to talk to her. He needed to talk to her about what happened and about the dreams he is having. He never discussed this with anybody but since the day they met he is dreaming about her. Earlier her face was not clear, but when she told him that she was the one that saved him, his dreams became more clear. He wondered if she is having the same dreams.