Chapter 5: Stranger
611 Words
Chapter 5: Stranger
“ The world is not fair, and often fools, cowards,
and liars hide in high places ” — Bryant H. McGill.
We didn ’ t hear him when he entered. When we spot him, we already find him standing by the closed door.
The man is tall, thin, and pale. His skin color leans more toward the ashen-grey shade, which indicates just how old he is. But it that’s not obvious enough, there’s a more glaring featuring of his silver-white hair, which is showing an early sign of balding.
His face is wrinkled with hard features. He has barely visible eyebrows, big and long nose, thin and shriveled lips, and a pair of wide ears. He looks well, considering his ancient age.
He stands firm in all black; button up shirt, dark pants, long coat and a pair of leather shoes. The clothes are branded, giving off signs of his archristrocasy.
Somehow, I have a feeling that he ’ s much older than my parents.
When he strides across the room, he carries this certain dignified and elegant air that echoes through every step he takes. His steps are long, accompanied by those thin legs of his.
Something about his presence is commanding. Even despite my parents ’ authority for this coven, his presence still overrides them by a long shot.
Yet, despite all this, I can tell that he’s looking at me with amusement, which twinkles in those icy blue eyes of his. Perhaps it is not everyday that a child such as me dares to speak up to her parents. Then again, not all parents are vampire elders like mine are.
He turns to my parents and talks directly to them, “ Let the girl speak. I ’ m sure whatever it is she has in mind can ’ t make our situation more dire than it already is. ”
My parents look like they want to protest, but eventually give up in the end. Mother is not so subtle in making her displeasure witnessed by me, though.
Once we have that, the old man shifts his attention toward me, tilting his head ever so slight in such a collective and elegant manner, while still maintaining a perfect posture. “ And who do we have here. It ’ s little Amira, is it? ”
“Elder Thomas,” I curtsy politely, recognizing his face from the many portraits in our vast library. I don’t usually like courtesy —something about the act just feels insincere to me—but for him, I’ll make an exception.
The old man is a powerful coven leader. If I manage to sway him to my favor, I might just be able to go through this night without being scolded to death.
“ You recognize me? Smart girl. ” His lips curve upward just a little bit when he smirks. “ You might not know this, but we ’ ve met each other once before, and that was when you were still a baby. ”
“ Really? Must have slipped my mind, ” I joke, smiling in return.
The elder lets out a low chuckle. “ And she jokes, too. ”
“ I don ’ t mean to interrupt, ” but Mum does anyway, “ It ’ s good to see you again, Thomas, but if we ’ re gonna hear my daughter out, then we might as well spend time doing that. My head ’ s throbbing, and I ’ d like to end this evening as soon as possible. ”
“ Why of course, Miranda, ” Elder Thomas says sympathetically, “ Or maybe you should just retire for the night. Me and your husband shall hear what your daughter will have to say. ”
“ And let her splutter more ridiculousness to the two of you while I ’ m away? Not a chance. We ’ re concluding this now, ” Mother says in her all too familiar final tone.
Okay, here I go.
- Writer
