Chapter Eighteen
That night, Mr. Dayton watched the recording on his PC. Dax had burned it to a DVD for his father. Both vampires’ faces remained impassive together they watched Aradia shoot fire from her hands and not just walk, but dance on water.
“You are quite certain of this recording’s veracity?” Mr. Dayton asked when the screen went blank.
Dax nodded. “I am.”
Mr. Dayton knew Dax’s loyalty, and decided he was in earnest.
He said, “It is a difficult story to believe.”
In exasperation Dax said, “You don’t believe me. You suspect I’ve altered the recording. I guess I’ll just be on my bloody way.”
He turned to go, but his father clasped him on his shoulder. “I did not say I don’t believe you, son. No matter how difficult, I do believe your story.”
Dax smiled. “To be honest, I’m not sure I’d believe it if I had not seen it myself, even with the video.”
“You have no idea what this girl is?” his father asked. “Not even a suspicion?”
Dax shook his head. “No. Nobody does. Not even her closest friends.”
“What about her family?”
Dax shrugged his shoulders. “My guess is they know about her powers, yes, but I doubt even she knows what she truly is.”
“Hmmm,” is all Mr. Dayton said in response.
Mr. Dayton showed very little emotion, but Dax was able to note and read what little did show through. His adopted father knew something, Dax was sure of it. He was also sure that if his father wanted to share his suspicions, he would.
After a while in silence, Mr. Dayton finally spoke. His demeanor was such that it seemed he was merely thinking aloud, but Dax knew it was for his benefit. “This warrants investigation. I think I can learn what she is if I get a sample of her blood and confer with my friends at the hospital. Based on what I’ve seen and heard, I suspect her parents are too wary to take her there.”
He made a curious, “Hmm,” noise as he removed the DVD from his computer, then got up to leave.
“Oh, and Dax, do consult me if you learn anything else.”
“Of course, father.”
Mr. Dayton pulled out his cell phone to make a call as he left the room.
Dax grinned. His father was pleased.
He rose and made for the stairs on the way to his room. From behind him, Xan spoke, “I do hope you don't think that that is the end of it.”
Dax whipped around to stare at his brother.
“What do you mean, Xan?”
Xan shrugged and said, “Sure, Dad can have one of his hematologist buddies look into this chick, but her blood is not going to be enough to explain everything about her.”
“You doubt our father’s judgment?”
“Dax, have you ever heard the expression ‘news straight from the horse's mouth’?”
Dax nodded. “Of course. It’s a bloody stupid one. What are you on about, Xan?”
“My point is, if you really want to learn about this girl, you’ll need a better source than her blood.”
Dax played along. “What better source is there than her blood?”
“Her,” Xan responded with a wicked grin. “If you really want to know what this girl is all about, you should ask her.”
Dax snapped his fingers and said, "Fantastic idea. Tomorrow at school, maybe after English, I’ll saunter up to her and say, ‘Hello statue girl, would you please be so kind as to tell me what kind of hidden you are? Nobody seems to know. How is it you can do all the things I saw you do in the forest when I was spying on you? Don't forget to trust me and answer me truthfully!’"
"You’ll just have to give her a reason to trust you, then I doubt you’ll have trouble."
Dax raised an eyebrow.
His brother went on, "Look, it is obvious she’s interested in you. Give her what she obviously wants. Spend some time with her. Earn her trust. She's bound to tell you all kinds of interesting things about herself. There’s no crime if you’re curious about what she has to say. Girls want a guy who is interested."
Dax said, "You are suggesting I betray her trust, trick her."
Xan shrugged. "It's not trickery if she tells you stuff willingly."
"But I would still be pretending."
"Would you be? From what I can tell, you’re just as into her as she is to you. If you don't learn anything and don’t care to continue seeing her, tell her straight out that you're not interested. It will be true, and that will be the end of it."
“Xan, I’ve been watching her. I doubt she knows what she is.”
“Maybe not, but she knows at least some of what she can do. Mark my words well, for I won’t say this often. There is more to this girl than just her blood.”
Dax scowled and said sarcastically, "Gee Xan, maybe someday I’ll objectify women as easily as you."
"It is easy once you get the hang of it," said Xan smiling.
“You could rationalize staking our sisters if it suited your purposes.”
“If it suited my purposes, it would be only rational to do so. Just think on it.”
Dax’s only response was to turn back towards the stairs. He was tired, and the sun had worn on him. He locked and deadbolted his door then climbed into his coffin. He doubted sleep would come to him so late in the day, but he needed to replenish his strength regardless.
He bristled at his brother’s suggestion: seducing a girl to get at her secrets. Xan was coldhearted, even for a vampire. Still, the idea did indeed have some merit.
He thought back to the night of Jayce’s party when he watched Aradia dance with the werewolf. He remembered watching her long red hair swirling magically down her shoulders, glowing like molten steel. Her smile had been as wide and as perfect as an angel's, and her body was so pink and correctly proportioned. Most of all, he remembered hearing the music, seeing her body sway with the beat, and wanting her so badly.
He was no prude. He had been with many women since he had become a vampire, and he was not proud of all the circumstances. That was not what had offended him in Xan’s proposal. Out of all the women he had met in his long life, Aradia definitely fascinated him in a way no one else ever had. Dax wanted to believe it was just her secret which enticed him.