(46) Trevor Wallace – Dhampir

Daniel springs to his feet. Glares at me. “You’re out of you fricking mind. Hell, he taught me how to…how to…” I see comprehension in his eyes.

“Taught you all those myths about Vampyres while pretending to train you.” I stare back at him. “You said he’s a bagger. Did you ever see him doing that?”

“Well, no. He always said it was better if we didn’t. That it made him appear more human, and since we were his family he wanted things to seem as normal as possible. But he had a small fridge in the basement where he kept it. I know because I snuck a look one time, when he left it unlocked.”

“Probably unlocked for that very reason. I bet you were almost out of your teens when that happened.”

He nods. Unhappily. “But why train me and send me out on my own, if he's as bad as you think he is.”

“Because he knows you know what you are. Better to play the good father to keep you from seeing what he doesn’t want you to. I’m betting that, to you, this is all a big adventure. Kind of Dhampir cops and robbers. And I’ll also bet he reinforced that idea in your head. Not coercion, because no Vampyre can do that to one of us, but just nice little father son talks about how your job is to rid the world of his kind but that you should realize that most Vampyres are really nice guys at heart.”

“Well.” He blows out a long breath. “Yeah he did sort of say that. A lot actually.”

I spread my hands. “There you go. Programmed not to do what you were born to do. Or not to do it right. Well you’re going to learn how to do it the way it should be done.”

He changes the subject. Sort of. “Why did those Vampyres toy with me?”

“Not sure. But first best guess is, it was you father who set you up to kill the one you call the capo de capo. Now he wants you to back off by throwing a scare into you. He may be a bastard but you’re still his son.”

“But wouldn’t the other Vampyres wonder about it’s being me that killed him. I mean if my father takes over?”

I shrug. “They probably put it down to dumb luck. Has he suggested you leave town?”

“No. But then I haven’t seen him in ages. Not since I moved out. Which.” He frowns. “Which was his suggestion. Damn it!”

“Finally getting the whole picture. Sorry kid but that’s what the bastards are like. They’ll manipulate anyone to get what they want.” I glance at my watch. Witching hour. “How bout we go hunting?”

He nods. It’s obvious that he’s torn. But… I get up.

His mouth tightens. Angry now. “Come on, I’ll show you that club. I think it’s one of the bastards’ hang-outs.”

Good. He’s finally getting in the right mind set. I smile. Let him lead me out of his place.