Chapter 3

The mall, the corner stone of many a teen's life was a mystery to Katherine. She had been to various department stores over the years with the sisters to get the normal sundries but she had never been to a mall with or without a purpose. Today she was here with her Uncle to get a few things but also to see a movie and do some people watching. Specifically to watch for people who didn't look so much like normal people to her. Just pulling into the parking lot she thought she had spotted her first couple of non-humans but it turns out there was a restaurant where people jousted to entertain the diners.

George told her, "Those guys are just working knight-shift."

Katherine just rolled her eyes and hurried to get into the mall. The midday sun was never her favorite, she was more of a star gazer. The huge shopping center wasn't crowded like it would be over the weekend but with school out for the summer there were plenty of teens there to form crowds near the popular stores and food courts. Pushing through these groups Kat would inevitably bump into a few people, George noticed how they shivered after the touch as if ice had run down their spines. His contacts let him see small dark trailers temporarily connect Kat and the bumped. It was hard to tell if her enthusiasm was from the unexpected shopping trip or the energy he thought she was accidentally leaching from the crowd.

Kat may not of felt the hours spent wandering the great oval around which the stores were arranged but George was feeling it in his ankles and lower back. He wasn't exactly an old man but 50 wasn't far away and his chosen career had given him quite a few injuries to complain about. They had seen a few non-humans and Kat was getting much better at being able to focus on their true nature and not be fooled by the glamors that cloaked most things. It was nice to see his niece excited and smiling, she was much too serious and quiet most of the time. Not that the hunter had spent much time with her over the years, mostly leaving it to the nuns to care for her, but he had seen her on her birthdays and this last week with him had given him some insight into her nature.

"So how are you feeling, Kat? Tired ready to call it a day?" George asked already knowing the answer.

"Are you kidding this is great! We can't go home yet. You could rest here while I look around, right?" Kat asked at the pace of a six year old on a sugar binge.

"Whoa there, slow up Katherine Maria. Do you realize how hyper you are right now? And you haven't eaten anything since we left the house this morning."

"I'm just excited Uncle George, its not like I've had a lot of chances to do this before,"

"Well, I promise we'll do it again but I think its time to go, unless you think you could sit still through a movie?" he asked one eyebrow raised.

"No, I couldn't sit right now."

"We'll talk when we get home, hon," George said trying to think of a way to discuss Kat's uniqueness.

The house was silent when they arrived, even though Birdy was getting used to Kat she still tried to be out of the way as much as possible when Kat was home. Dinner simmered in a Crockpot on the counter, a note saying that Birdy was off to visit her sisters for a few days. The smell of chicken dumplings wafted through the house causing both of their stomachs to growl. Any conversation was put off in favor of getting dinner served and eaten. All too soon shadows were lengthening and the meal was done. George waved for Katherine to leave the dishes for a minute and stay at he table while he started to take the contacts from his eyes, after a moments thought he left them in his eyes.

"Man these things give me a headache. I guess that's as good a place as any to start. Kat have you wondered why I need inscribed lenses to see the same things you see with just a little effort?"

"Not really, I guess I've been too busy to wonder,"

"There's not really a good way to say this, you're not totally human," George said and the waited for a response. It was several minutes of stillness before he got one.

"Uh, am I going to sprout feathers or something?" Katherine asked on the verge of tears.

"No, but you need to be careful of touching people and how long you do it. I'm pretty sure you're at least part vetala, a kind of vampire from India."

"What the heck?!" even now she couldn't overcome years of catholic school and curse effectively." My Father was a vampire?" She had only just got used to the fact that the things that went bump in the night were real. Now Uncle George was telling her that she was one of those things? He couldn't be right though she traveled around in the sun even if she did burn easy. She ate normal food, for goodness sake she went to a Catholic school ran by nuns. She had prayed the rosary for peace in the world last Sunday.

"I never met your father, Kat. Your mother she was the vampire. I don't think they're common even in India so I don't know everything about them."

"You are wrong Uncle George. I have never drank blood ever. Even the nondenominational bloodsuckers in the Twilight movie weren't that human."

"There's more than one kind of bird in the sky and there is more than one kind of vampire in the other world. A vampire as far as I know is any non-human who feeds on humans to live. Hold my hand for a minute and then slowly take it away while focusing on the space between them."

"No, I won't put up with this foolishness." Kat said in strong quiet voice unconsciously mimicking the nuns who guided her till now.

"Katherine Maria Sebastian! Sit your ass down and do as I say!" George growled slamming his hand flat on the table. Tendons stood out in his forearm like he was going to push the table into the floor, the tension also made many of the scars on his hand and arm stand out clearly.

Kat did as she was told, as slowly as she could. She could feel herself become warmer and more cheerful despite the anxiety that the situation was causing, it was like drinking a really good cup of hot chocolate after being out in the cold for a day. George had to remind Kat to take her hand away. Startled she did pull it away remembering at the last moment to watch the junction of their hands. There it was a dark gray connection, almost black, stretching and thinning till it snapped in the middle when their hands were about three inches apart. With the break the warm hot chocolate feeling left Katherine, she was again feeling energetic if also a little guilty for having taken something vital from her Uncle.