Page 6 of The Healer and the Vampire
"The truth, I'm asking for the truth. Tell me why you came here to the Indigo, what you did for that man, and tell me what you are." He spoke calmly and casually, but Conrad could easily sense the tension just below the surface.
His presence had ruffled them, and they needed to understand who he was and what kind of threat he presented. Conrad was beginning to get it, and his fear eased off, but just a little. Conrad stayed silent as he tried to put together a suitable explanation in his mind, but everything made him look shady and dangerous.
He didn’t know what to tell him that wouldn’t get him killed. They were all trying to be nicer, but he knew that death was still on the table because death was always on the table with the supernatural.
"We know your name is Conrad Lowe, you're nineteen, and you're from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. We also know that you and your brother Patrick have, for the past few years, presented yourselves as fortune tellers of some sort and have developed a small, local following. You also have other family membersinvolved, an aunt and cousins. It sounds very much like you've been running a scam." That was a lot of information, and Conrad was a little shocked that they could gather so much with just a video image of him.
They were very careful and stayed away from social media. Their means of marketing was strictly word of mouth, and that was why they had a small, local following. How did this guy get so much on him?
"I broke up the band," Conrad said, knowing that his sarcasm was probably misplaced but unable to stop himself. Remi did not comment, and as the silence stretched longer and more painful, Conrad succumbed to the need to talk.
"I left and headed north, looking for a place to settle. We all went our separate ways."
"What was the reason for this breakup?"
"We decided the scam, as you call it, had run its course, and we all wanted different things." That wasn't exactly true, but it was true for Conrad.
CHAPTER FOUR
Remi did not know what to make of this man; he seemed harmless, and yet most of what he told him was lies or misrepresentations. Why lie if you have nothing to hide? "Is it a scam or are you genuinely healing people?" Conrad stared at him again with that look of fear that was really unsettling. He didn't like scaring the man, it left him feeling guilty, which was weird.
"If you let me go, I promise I'll leave town." Conrad leaned forward, and so did Remi. When he touched the man's back to calm him earlier in the garage, he noticed a wave of possessiveness wash over him. Now, as they sat together in such close proximity, Remi began to notice everything about the man. His blonde hair long and wavy, so striking, his brown eyes so soulful and vulnerable, and those lips full and red and asking to be tasted.
"You healed that man. Are you a healer?" Remi asked bluntly. He watched Conrad's face go through a series of expressions from shock to confusion to fear. He didn't know what to say. Remi wanted to ease his fears, but that was impossible at the present time. "We need to know if you are a danger to us." He stated very clearly.
"You're a vampire, can't you just read my mind and know who and what I am?" Conrad asked. "If you do, you will see that I am no threat to you or any of the supernatural beings present in Eastport."
Mind reading was not done without cause, and Remi would need the approval of his Master unless the subject consented to such. "You're giving me permission to read your thoughts and memories?" He asked for clarification, and Conrad nodded. Remi reached out, and after a tense second or two where Conrad appeared unsure, he nodded and leaned forward.
Remi placed his hand on the side of Conrad's head with his thumb and index fingers resting on his orbital bone and forehead, respectively. Conrad closed his eyes at first, but then opened them and stared at Remi.
The power of that gaze caught Remi by surprise, as did his inability to get through. He could see nothing, read nothing, and the harder he tried, the more blocked he became. "Are you blocking me?" He asked, knowing full well that there was no way he could block a vampire mind sweep, especially since he's human.
"I don't know how." He said calmly as he continued to lock with Remi's gaze. "There was a vampire back home who ran one of the local clubs. He had no trouble reading my mind and finding out I was underage, and then he immediately tossed me out of his establishment.” Conrad took a deep breath and then added. “The problem here isn’t me, it’s you.”
Remi took a long breath, filling his lungs, and held it while analyzing the young man who sat before him, and gradually the truth became embarrassingly obvious. He had a habit of letting his mind control everything, letting it take over and suppressing all else, especially when he was solving a puzzle.He should have known he should have put the pieces together quicker.
Remi should have opened himself more to the situation right from the beginning. That realization brought with it a flood of emotions that were strong and difficult to restrain, but he managed, and now everything had changed. Conrad Lowe had now become the most important person in Remi's life. He saw him clearly now; the details were still fuzzy, but the facts were clear.
"You're a healer." Remi began, reached out, and took hold of Conrad's hand. "You let the others believe you're a fake so as to not have them ask too much of you. That was smart." Remi noticed the delicate smile that graced Conrad's lips, and it made him happy.
"Something is different?" Conrad voiced and let his eyes travel over Remi's face. "What has changed? Something has changed between us."
“I know who you are.” Remi squeezed his hand. “You’re running from your brother, Patrick. You’re tired of the scam and you’re ready to start a new life.” At that moment, Alpha Henrik walked into the interrogation and stood beside Remi. He’d been watching from the adjacent room.
He placed his hand on Remi's shoulder. "What's going on, Remi?"
“He is my beloved, sir. The healer is my beloved.” He clarified. Silence fell for a couple of minutes as everyone in the room contemplated that statement. He could also feel the speculation from beyond the mirror.
Remi released Conrad's hand and stood. "He's not a threat, sir, but he is in some kind of trouble."
“How do you know this?” The Alpha asked.
"Fate brought him to me," Remi said, and he looked at Conrad with new eyes. "Conrad is a genuine healer. I don't know the extent of his skill, but his authenticity has come through clearly to me. He's not a magic or a sorcerer his abilities are natural." Conrad kept looking from one to the other, not sure of what was happening, and the upheaval of his mind and emotions was being relayed to Remi. The bond was barely there, but still the emotional load was heavy.
Conrad's eyes widened, and his lips parted on a comment that never came. "Take him to the conference room upstairs and get him something to eat." Alpha Henrik ordered. "We'll talk later." He said to Remi and then added, "Congratulations, Remi," before leaving.
“Thank you.” He responded and then turned his attention to Conrad.
