I sat across from Sylvia near the fireplace, with Edith on the floor between us playing with her favorite doll. She studied my sister with a look that I couldn't quite place. She wasn't scared or angry. Confused, perhaps? Pensive? Either way, she deserved an explanation.
"To be perfectly honest," Sylvia finally spoke, looking to me, "things actually make a bit more sense to me now."
This shocked me. "They do?"
"Well, in a way." She shrugged, smiling sweetly at Edith as she showed off her doll. "You'll have to fill in the blanks for me, though."
I cleared my throat, took a deep breath, and dove right in. "I won't treat you like you're stupid, I'm sure you've put two and two together."
She nodded. "The quick healing wound and Edith's incredible strength were a bit of a giveaway."
"I gathered as much." I frowned at Sylvia, still confused. "Okay, I'm sorry, but how in the hell are you being so calm about this?" She looked thoughtful for a moment, then just shrugged. "You mean you're not freaked out by this? Not even in the slightest?"
A small chuckle bubbled from her lips. "Well, I think I already did all the freaking out I was going to that night. Plus, if I were in any real danger, I'd have been dead long before now." She leaned closer to me, giving me a playful wink. "Not mention, the supernatural has always made me feel right at home."
Dammit! That was just a wink! Why was I feeling like it was the cutest thing I had ever seen?
I smiled nervously, clearing my throat again. "Well, then. I guess I should thank you for making this surprisingly easy for me."
"I like to help when I can." She remarked simply.
"Well, Edith is younger than I am, in both senses of the word. She's only been a vampire for little over a decade. I, on the other hand, have had a lot longer to live with it."
I saw her eyes light up with an almost child-like wonder. "How old are you?" She quickly covered her mouth, suddenly embarrassed at her outburst. "I'm sorry! Is that a rude question?"
I couldn't stifle my laugh; even Edith let out a little giggle. "No, it's quite alright. As of December, I will be celebrating my 265th birthday."
"Oh, you're a December baby, too? That's so –" I saw her eyes widen again. "265? You've been alive for 265 years?"
"I wear it well, don't I?" It was my turn to wink at her and she dropped her gaze.
Even through her dark complexion, I could see the deep red forming in her cheeks. Now, that was the cutest thing I had ever seen. I heard my little sister giggle again.
"Sylvie likes Brother." She whispered to herself.
"So, why would you choose here of all places to live?" Sylvia gestured around her.
My smile fell sharply. "It's unassuming. We're safe here."
"From?" Sylvia arched a brow.
"Much of my kind are like Edie and I." I started with difficulty, staring into the flames. "We feed from people, yes, but we don't kill them. Sadly, there are those select few of us who are monsters in every sense of the word."
I turned my gaze to Edith, sorrow filling me once again. "Our parents were the reason why Edie is the way she is. They destroyed her mind, thought to make her into a mindless killer, solely for their own amusement."
"How could they do something like that to such a sweet girl?" Sylvia gasped in disgust.
"Not everyone is blessed with the conscience that you and I apparently share."
"So, you think they're still after you?"
"We haven't had any sign of them for 10 years, so I'm guessing they've become bored with us."
"But to err on the side of caution, you came here."
I shrugged. "They wouldn't have expected us to come to the city. We both always loved being out in the wide-open spaces of the world."
"That I can definitely vibe with." She sighed. "How we ended up here, I still haven't guessed."
"You have family here? Are you close with them?"
She turned from me, but not quick enough to hide the sadness in her eyes. "Not exactly," she answered quietly.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to open any old wounds." I swear I wanted to rip out my tongue and stomp on it.
She gave me a small chuckle before finally looking at me. "It's fine. You didn't know." She let out a heavy sigh and continued. "Dad ran out on us when I was little, Mom died last year, and I haven't seen my sister since the funeral." She shrugged, wearing a sad smile. "I honestly don't know if she or my father are even still alive."
"That's terrible."
"That's life." She retorted. We sat in a bit of an awkward silence then. After what felt like an eternity, the clock chimed the hour. "Damn, it's ten already?" She frowned. "I should probably get going."
I heard Edie whine as she stood to her feet and pulled Sylvia into a hug. "Sylvie no go!" She begged, laying her head on Sylvia's shoulder.
"Edith, she has her own house." I tried to pry her arms from around Sylvia, but her grip was like a vise. "You have to let her go now."
"Sylvie come back?"
Sylvia wore a sympathetic smile as she gave Edith a gentle pat on the head. "You'll have to ask your brother about that. After all, he makes the rules here, not me."
Edith looked at me with those eyes that she knew I couldn't say no to. However, this one would take a little more convincing.
"No offense, Sylvia, but I don't know if that's a good idea." I searched her face for any indication of anger but found none. "It might not be safe for you to be around us."
"Not fair!" This time, Edith's whine was mixed with a growl. I saw Sylvia tense slightly as she looked to me for help.
"Edie, please," I began cautiously. "I just want to keep Sylvie safe, that's all."
"We keep her safe." She growled. "Sylvie need family." She pointed to herself and to me.
My little sister never ceased to amaze me. "You want Sylvie to join our family?" I asked before I could stop myself.
"Brother like Sylvie. Sylvie like Brother." She stated simply. "Sylvie our family now."
I lifted my gaze to Sylvia, who looked just as shocked, and slightly embarrassed, as I did. Of course, I did find Sylvia intriguing, but I didn't know if I could say I liked her. I was enjoying her company, that much I was willing to admit.
"Fine." I said, knowing I had been defeated. "Sylvia –"
"Sylvie!" Edith hissed.
"Sylvie," I rolled my eyes, "we would love it if you came to visit us again."
"Tomorrow!" Edith interjected, giving Sylvia the puppy dog eyes this time. "Please, Sylvie?"
"Well, I'm still off work for a few more days." She chuckled, giving Edith another pat on the head. "Okay, I'll be here tomorrow."
With an ecstatic squeal, Edith let go and skipped out of the living room. We both let out a chuckle and shook our heads.
"Some family, huh?" She joked.
"One of a kind."
Sylvia smiled up at me and I found myself staring into those deep chocolate pools. I could already tell I was getting myself into trouble. For the first time in my life, though, I couldn't care less.