Cordellus claimed at the beginning of our journey to have friends, and that these friends were to the east.
Considering I don't have much of a choice, I allow the man to lead.
I have no ties to the paranormal world after all. Hell, I have no bond to the human world either. All I had was a liaison agent — who had tried to tell me the situation was dire by calling me Kade instead of Jeremy — and a house which I obviously could no longer go to.
The small village we are currently in is rather odd if I can say so myself. There is barely anyone around. And we are at a time where I would expect more of a crowd.
"You're as observant as over," my vampire partner decides to comment.
"As I should be," I tell him in a tone that ought to remind him I am an assassin – or at least I used to be. I am after all dead to the organization for the time being.
We have been in the car for quite a few hours. Truth be told, I am now in need to stretch my limbs a little bit.
"Be ready to meet some peculiar people," Cordellus tells me in earnest, completely dismissing my thoughts and needs.
"Define peculiar, old man," I retort teasingly, "You're not exactly normal yourself."
"By human standards, sure I'm not," he quips. "But let's just say that they are even more unique."
"Funny way of putting it," I commented with an eye-roll.
"Oh, you shush!" He says half playfully, half seriously.
I give him the stink eye but don't engage him further.
"Max," he calls out suddenly. "You should know by now that you can't creep up on me."
"I wasn't even trying," a man's voice rings out from nearby, and I repress the urge to turn around to look.
"Of course you weren't," Coredellus all but coos in a taunting tone, "Just like Sam isn't trying either."
"Damn!" A woman's voice follows, "I told you it was a foolish plan, Max!"
"We never seem to win against you," Max says, admitting defeat it would seem, approaching the car from the left.
"We'll get you next time," Sam says in a determined tone of voice.
"I'll be looking forward to it," Coredllus says, a smile stretching his lips.
"You made a new friend?" Max asks, surprise coating his words.
"A human one at that," Sam lets out, sounding just as shocked.
Max and Sam both have deep green eyes and wear their black hair short. They also have similar facial traits, and I wonder briefly if they are related, or twins even.
"Meet Jeremy," Cordellus says with a shrug and a nonchalance I wasn't feeling.
It has been years since I last interacted so much with so many people at once voluntarily.
"Hello," I say in greetings.
"Did he rope you into some sort of adventure?" Sam asks at once, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.
"Did he force you to come along somehow?" Max goes on, an eyebrow jutted in question.
"Yo, children, that is no way to welcome a guest," Cordellus reprimands.
"A guest?" Max asks, bewildered, eyes wide.
"As in he came willingly?" Sam is rather skeptical it would seem. She soon whispers, addressing me, "You blink once if you have been coerced, and twice if you came willingly."
I chuckle at that and turn to Cordellus, saying, "They are indeed unique."
"Not sure whether you're being sarcastic or sincere," Max comments, eyes narrowed.
"And what would that change exactly?" I ask in a curious tone of voice.
"It would make the difference between thanking you and killing you," Sam explains matter-of-factly.
"Maximillian," Cordellus calls out and the twenty-looking man visibly grimaces a little, "Samantha," he goes on, and the girl casts her eyes down. "Your mother and I taught you better than this," Cordellus lets out in a soft chiding. "Is that any way to treat a guest?"
First, he calls them children, and now he evokes education… Are these twins his kids by any chance? Isn't he a vampire? I thought vampires couldn't procreate.
But then again, a week ago, I didn't even believe in the existence of vampires… Ergo, what do I really know?
"We're sorry, uncle Cordellus," Sam and Max chorus apologetically.
"It's not me you should be apologizing to," he tells them, giving me a side glance.
"It's okay," I tell them, dismissing the issue altogether.
"How about you call your mother for me?" He then asks.
"She is on her way."
The woman who arrives doens't look a year older than them… Could she really be their mother? I don't breathe a word despite my confusion.
I truly am new to this world, I realize as Cordellus and I leave the car.
The woman, who goes by the name Alexandra, basically inspects me from head to toe before saying, "The guest sure has cold eyes."
"He's a trained assassin," Cordellus says matter-of-factly.
She lets out a stunned "Oh," before taking me in again, this time somehow differently.
Having never had such a conversation, I feel awkward but try to appear cool and collected.
"Your friends are my friends, brother," she then declares, a smile stretching her lips.
"Brother?" I echo after her incredulously, the word slipping past my lips before I could help myself.
"Cordellus and I go way back," she assures me, her eyes growing tender and nostalgic.
"How long has it been since our last get-together, Alexandra?" Cordellus then asks, offering her a smile.
"Too long," she pouts. "I am upset that you would even keep such distance from us."
I look between them in confusion and can tell at once that they aren't blood related.
"We're friends, Jeremy," Cordellus tells me, no doubt to sate my curiosity. "We've been friends for at least 5 decades… Isn't that right, Alexandra?"
She nods, "It feels even longer than that though."
"I know right," he chuckles.
I feel like an awkward stranger who's watching from the sidelines, and can only wish this trip won't be in vain.