Page 1 of Pieces of Halves

Chapter One

JACOB

he shop is bustling with people at the center of the vampire city, Sarkup, as I search for some jerked beef and a few fresh fruits. I’m hitting a dead end. Looking for my mother is proving to be a challenge. She’s been out of my life for twenty-six years. I knew it would be hard to find her, but this is frustrating. All I need is to look her in the eyes, ask her why, and understand what is happening with my power. Simple. She abandoned us – I don’t want her back.

The only images I have of her are from pictures my father tried to hide from me. He said she was dead, but I don’t believe that. She was a demon, and those live for hundreds of yearsand are difficult to kill. It doesn’t make any sense for her to die without any explanation.

Sometimes, I wonder how our meeting would go.Hello, mother. Why did you leave your newborn? Do you mind telling me about these headaches that come on occasionally, making me feel like death would be better? How about Tengu, my demon companion? What do you know about him?

As much as I imagine meeting her, I can’t figure out how I would feel when I lay eyes on her. Would I be glad to finally meet her, or would rage fill me from the years of pain? Ever since I found evidence that she may be alive, an unpleasant sensation of hate has been building towards her.

Maybe she had a good reason.A part of me craves to believe.Or maybe my father would still be alive if she didn’t leave.Sighing, I focus on deciding between dried beef and fish.

I found a few letters in my mother’s things from witches Rosa and Teresa. Witches are petty, but they know a lot. The problem is that they like to hide, and they blend in very well with humans. The first thing I need to do is find them.

It has been a few weeks since I left Louvide in search of the woman who gave me birth. I have covered a decent amount of distance, but finding the witches is a challenge. A vampire city is a good place to ask questions. The problem is that vampires like to kill at the first opportunity they get. If they suspect that I am poking around, I will be a target.

Searching for information is a fine balance of appearing curious but harmless.

The bell above the door of the shop jingles occasionally as people come in and out. There’s a wide variety of selections; everything ranging from fresh fruit to clothing, making it the perfect place to restock and observe the interaction of peoplewhen vampires are around. Sometimes, humans are privy to things that vampires are not aware of.

I wander around the market when a tall blonde beauty catches my attention. Mesmerized, I watch her from the corner of my eye. Her features are soft and delicate. She is clearly not one of the townsfolk. Maybe royalty of sorts. Even though she is wearing a simple dress that has a few stains on it, it is obvious she doesn’t know manual labor; her skin appears too soft and clean.

What got me curious were her attempts to steal some fruit. Her ability to stay stealthy is not great; she keeps peering over her shoulder, making her look suspicious. I smile when she places something in her pocket and nervously looks around.

She is overthinking everything. When stealing, it’s important to appear as though one is doing nothing wrong.

Her eyes go wide when she looks somewhere past me, and her chest suddenly rises heavily. Moving my eyes from her, I find a couple of bulky men marching through the old wooden doors and scanning the space.

Hm. Interesting.

Using my ability as a halfling – half demon and half human, I focus on them. My power and strength are genetic anomalies. It’s a way the universe creates balance. Most of the time, when a human and a demon have a child, nothing happens – the baby is human. On rare occasions, when a baby from the two is born, it’s almost as strong as a God. I happen to be that rare occasion.

Vampires.My heartbeat quickens at the discovery. It shouldn’t be shocking to find them among the humans here, but why are they following her?

The girl moves a little to hide herself with some hats and clothing, but she is being too obvious with her constant jerky motions. At this rate, they will find her in no time. Sighing, I think of what the best course of action would be. She needs saving, that is certain. Damn my hero complex. It won’t let me sleep at night if I don’t do anything.

No harm will come if I help an innocent woman hide from some asshole vamps. Casually making my way towards her, I stand behind her, my chest pressing against her back. She jumps and stiffens. In the large mirror in front of us, her pale face drains of color, and her green eyes widen. A hint of guilt creeps into my chest for scaring her like this. Maybe I could’ve done this a little more tactfully.

“When hiding or running, it is important to blend in.” I take a hat from the shelf next to me and place it on top of her head. She lifts her head and looks at me from the mirror, her delicate brows coming together. Her eyes are the type of light green that makes me want to stare, and her pink, plump lips remind me of fresh raspberries. “Never look back too often and always observe casually.” I take a dress from a nearby hanger and align it with her body. “And always know when the right time to slip out and sneak away is.” I lock my eyes on hers again.

She doesn’t say anything, just stares at me from under the straw rim of the floppy hat. Her body shivers against my chest. That’s understandable; she is on the run, and I am a stranger. A massive one compared to her.

The two vamps walk around the market, searching, but between me blocking her from their sight and the hat covering her face, they won’t spot her. In the crowded space, no one seems to give the bulky men a second glance, but I watch them from the corner of my eye.

“I see two looking for you. Are there more?” I ask her, take the dress away, and replace it with a different one – the fabric is blue with white flowers on it.

“Probably two more outside,” she whispers, her voice shaky.

“Okay. We can work with that,” I state, and take off her hat to replace it with a white one that has a large blue bow. The edge of the hat flops over her eyes, so she tilts her head to look at me. Big, green eyes. Mesmerizing and beautiful. “They say that these are in style right now.” I wink at her.

“Are they now?” she asks as her brows go together.

There is uncertainty in her gaze. Something tugs at my chest, and I hope she chooses to trust me.

“When they turn, we will casually stroll towards the doors. We run when I say so. Okay?” I ask and slide my fingers through hers.

I did it out of necessity, so she follows, but the softness of her skin against mine sends a thrilling sensation through my veins. Her body stills at the contact, but her grip on my hand tightens more than I expect, and she nods.

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