Page 36 of Vampire Bite

Lucas shrugged, his jaw tightening. “Hard to say. Could be trauma. Could be something else.”

The boy tugged on my sleeve again, this time more urgently. I looked back at him, and he gestured wildly toward the table. I followed his gaze and spotted a notepad and pencil lying there, almost hidden beneath a stack of old newspapers.

“Do you want to write something?” I asked, my voice soft.

He nodded quickly, his movements a little frantic. I got up, grabbed the notepad and pencil, and handed them to him. He positioned the pad on his knees, gripping the pencil tightly in his small hand.

Lucas and I exchanged a glance as the boy bent over the paper, his tongue sticking out slightly as he concentrated.

The sound of the pencil scratching against the paper filled the quiet room. I watched, my heart racing, as he wrote in small, shaky letters. When he finally stopped, he handed me the pad.

On it, in uneven handwriting, was a single word: Evan.

I smiled softly. “Is that your name?” I asked.

He nodded, his expression tentative, like he wasn’t sure how we’d react.

“It’s a good name,” I said warmly, handing the pad back to him. “Nice to meet you, Evan.”His lips twitched into a shysmile, and he started writing again. This time, it took longer. The letters came slower, his hand shaking slightly with effort.

When he finished, he handed the pad back to me. I read the next words aloud:

I’m human. My parents are gone.

The air seemed to leave the room all at once. I felt Lucas tense beside me, the weight of those words hitting both of us like a blow.

I swallowed hard and looked at Evan, who was watching me with wide, expectant eyes. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered.

He nodded, his shoulders hunching as he pulled the pad back to him. He wrote a little more this time, the words spilling out faster now.

They took me. I ran away. I don’t know where I am.

I glanced at Lucas, my throat tightening. His expression was unreadable, but his hands were gripping the armrests of his chair so tightly his knuckles had turned white.

I reached out and gently placed a hand on Evan’s arm. “You’re safe now,” I said, my voice firm despite the lump in my throat. “We’ll figure this out, okay? You’re not alone anymore.”

Evan stared at me for a moment before nodding, his small hand curling around mine.

Lucas stood then, his towering presence suddenly feeling less intimidating as he leaned down toward Evan. “We’ll take care of you,” he said quietly, his voice softer than I’d ever heard it.

Evan looked up at him, his expression cautious but hopeful, and for the first time since we’d found him, I saw a flicker of trust in his eyes.

Some time later, Evan decided that he would join others for lunch. Lucas and I were the overseers who usually had lunch last, so it gave us a good chance to observe Evan’s behavior in a group. From what we could see, he was happy to be here, tobelong. He looked more at ease now, though he still glanced up nervously whenever anyone moved too quickly.

Lucas and I stood off to the side, keeping an eye on everything. He leaned casually against the wall, but I could see the tension in his shoulders.

“So, are you going to tell me how you did it?” he asked quietly, his voice cutting through the noise.

“Did what?” I echoed, but I knew exactly what he was referring to.

He hesitated for a moment, his gaze fixed on Evan before it shifted back to me. “How did you heal him? The boy.”

I froze, my hands tightening around the edge of the tray I was holding. “I… I don’t really know,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

Lucas tilted his head, studying me. “You don’t know? Annika, that’s not something that just happens.”

I glanced around the room, ensuring no one was close enough to overhear us. “I’m telling you the truth,” I said, stepping closer so I wouldn’t have to raise my voice. “It’s… it’s like this tingling sensation in my hands. It’s not painful, but it’s intense. And then I just… I feel this pull, like I have to touch whatever it is that needs healing.”

He straightened, his eyes narrowing. “Have you always been able to do this?”

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