There was horror in the eyes of Suzan's siblings. Her oldest brother stood to say something but his father waved him down. He slowly sat down, confusion and anger flowing across his face.
Her parents turned back to her and smiled at her. Her mother spoke first.
"There is something that we should have told you many years ago but I was too scared. Your father was always ready for you to know and he felt it was vitally important for you to know."
Tears weld up in her eyes.
"But I was selfish and he waited for me."
Her father continued when it was clear that her mother could not.
"forgive your mother. We love you so much and she felt that if you knew the truth you would not love us anymore or, at the very least, you wouldn't love us the same."
Suzan's heart tightened and twisted at the same time. She innately knew what her father was about to say.
He looked at all of his children.
"We originate from magic welders. Both of my fifth great grandparents were powerful welders and they helped the ancient vampires to push back the liars. For this my family was cursed. Once we deem a place our home within our hearts and soul if we wonder too far we become deathly ill. It was said that this was done to stop us from being much help to the ancient vampires and isolate us for easy collection when the liars needed an infusion of magic into their ranks."
He paused and looked to Suzan as his children digested the information.
"I could never wield magic. And this usually makes the curse stronger within us.
"But my sister. My sister started wielding when she was six. My mother was proud and my father was terrified. We were all naive."
He paused and looked distant as if he were reminiscing. His expression became sad and Suzan's heart broke a little. She wanted to reach forward and embrace her father but her mother beat her too it and Dylan squeezed her hand to bring her back to the moment.
"Your father and I both loved his sister deeply. The Liars came and took her on the night of her twelfth birthday. The entire town searched for her. Three of her brothers were killed and her father begged us to stop looking."
"It broke my father to give up on my sister. He died soon after and my mother became the hard woman you know. I think she refuses to die."
He looked at Suzan and Dylan with happiness deep in his eyes.
"If you feel you can give her peace I beg you to go to her and tell her it will be okay. You may even be able to take her to the west. She wields magic a little and she can withstand our bloodline curse, if it affects her at all.
"But I am stalling. We thought our sister was dead then, on what would have been her twentieth birthday a rider on a deep purple panar came to us in the night. I was out sitting in the night air because this is my habit and the rider, an ancient handed you to me and told me the end of my sister's story."
He took a deep breath and everyone sat in silence patiently waiting.
"The ancient was a beautiful female with ethereal features. I had not seen an ancient like that before and it was startling to see her as she sat beside me and pulled her hood back.
"She had vibrant amethyst eyes and deep purple straight hair. As beautiful as she was when she turned to show the other half of her face I could not help but look on in shock. I am surprised that I did not yell out. The entire right side of her face was etched with deep burns that had actually turned purple at the edges of the dead layers of skin.
"She told me that my sister had been held with her and many other magic wielding humans and ancient vampires. She told me that my sister fell in love with an ancient named Casar."
Suzan made note of Dylan's tightened grip at the name of Casar.
"I was told that this Casar is your father so you are half ancient and half human."
Her father sighed.
"He was murdered, drained, and his blood drunk all in front of your mother. The beautiful ancient told me that was the day she decided she would kill all of the liats and escape. She was five months pregnant with you. It took her a lot of hard work but she steadily became stronger and stronger.
"When they found out you were inside of her they planned on taking you into their ranks and this made her work even harder.
"From what I was told her gifts grew and she may have been able to divine her death. The necklace around your neck was passed down to her and your grandmother says it holds a bit of my sister's soul.
"The ancient did not tell me much more. Only that my sister fought and died more valiantly than any ancient she had ever known. But she did tell me her name and told me to tell you so that you would know. I never saw her again after she brought you to us. She said her name was Terese.'
All went quiet again. After some time her mother spoke.
"You will always be my daughter Suzan. Always and I am so sorry that I did not allow your father to tell you sooner."
Tears streamed down her face as she looked to Dylan. She got on her knees and lowered her head to the floor.
"Please protect my children. Please."
Dylan lowered himself to the floor to help her stand. "We are now family. You do not need to ask this."
"And you are the only parents I have ever known. I am glad to understand my origins and understand why I am so different but you are my parents and these are my siblings."
Everyone was a bit disoriented but they were also smiling. They did not want Suzan to think she was ever unloved.
She looked at Dylan and he nodded.
"All of your children are young so they may not have decided on their homes. We can take whoever wants to go west with us."
"And I will work to break this curse. Once I leave the area I will see how it effects me and then I will work to reverse its effects."
Dylan nodded as she spoke. "I would like to speak to your grandmother as well. Attia is on our way west it will not be too much of a detour."
"Thank you" Suzan and her father spoke as one.
The eldest brother cleared his throat. "If dad is in danger than I will stay here."
"It is your choice but I will leave protection wards up for you."
"Suzan shook her head. I can hide mine. Ancient vampire protections are too well known and easily identified."
They all looked at her in surprise. She pursed her lips. None of them knew how strong or practiced she was.
They stayed with her family that night. Her sister and her youngest brother were going to go west with them. Her brother was upset that he was being forced to go but both Suzan and Dylan could sense the magic within him and none of them wanted to risk him.
The family gave a farewell feast and Dylan and his guards, Elsbeth and Marlon, watched her cast protection spells over the entire village and then extra layers over her family's lands and buildings.
All three watched in awe as the spells disappeared from view but their innate senses knew something was there.
They all left early in the morning, before the sun rose. They decided to travel by train for the first leg of the trip to Attia and then by panar to the next large city before Dylan's west estate where they would take his armored vehicles the remainder of the way.
They had four sleeper cars and shared a large common room and a private dining car that was just for them. It was beyond extravagant for her little brother and sister.
It was the first time Suzan and her siblings had ever ridden on a train so the experience was almost overwhelming.
All they could do was smile crazily out the windows blissfully looking at the scenery.
Suzan continually touched the amulet around her neck.
"It is an interesting piece."
Elsbeth was quickly becoming Suzan's bestfriend. She hesitated to touch the amulet and allowed her hand to rest just above it and silently felt the thrum of the power emanating from within.
Suzan absent-mindedly nodded as she thought about the amulet and how it felt on her skin. She learned a long time ago that it was more comfortable against her skin and seemed to itch or burn her skin when it laid atop her clothes.
The four of them, Elsbeth, Marlon, Dylan, and her, sat on a large plush sofa that took up a corner of the common room.
"I always knew that there was something special about it. To be honest I actually think it has been directing me all this time, when it comes to how I practice magic I mean."
She looked at Dylan.
"Did you know my biological father?"
"I know of him. He was a great ancient lost in the war centuries ago. To think he was held captive for centuries is pretty hard to believe.'
"More like impossible." Marlon shrugged. "Any of us would go crazy if held captive for more than two days."
"He is right." Elsbeth looked at Suzan and then answered the question lingering in her eyes.
"We can not be away from nature for long. We can starve but before that we could possibly lose our sanity."
Suzan nodded. "I understand that. I become very cranky if I can not walk barefoot through dew covered grass at least three times a week."
All three of the ancient vampires nodded in understanding at this.
"When I have time I want to see if I can understand this amulet. I would like to speak with Sara."
Dylan found himself looking at the amulet.
"Perhaps your grandmother can help you with that."
When they reached Attia her grandmother was waiting for them at the station with a broad smile on her face.
Suzan's parents had said they would send her a message but to see her there waiting for them like this was startling.
Especially with the broad smile on her face.
She briskly walked towards them giving everyone hugs in turn, her eyes never leaving Dylan.
When she got to Suzan she smiled even more broadly.
"Come here my beautiful half bred. Give your dear old granny a hug."