I meant, please explain to me how being a Tao Sue makes you a different vampire than the Pijawikas.”
Mirko laughed. “Zao Duh. Zao like ‘Tao,’ but with a ‘Z,’ and Duh as in ‘do.’ Zao Duhs are considered low-class Pijawikas. The difference is Pijawikas are born. Zao Duhs are made.”
“Wait...my mom said you can’t be bitten and turned into a vampire.” Was he trying to confuse me?
“She’s right,” Mirko said. “The process is a lot more complicated than that. The point is there are two species. You are part Pijawikan, the vampires that are born. I’m Zao Duh. I was made.” His eyes locked on mine as he spoke.
I felt awkward with his gaze on me, and my cheek twitched.
Mirko smiled. “I affect you, don’t I?” He’d seen the minuscule movement from my jaw. It was as if he was attuned to me.
I didn’t know what to say. He already knew he unsettled me. What else did he know about me?
“Right, we get how cool you are, but let’s get back to vampires, please,” Jaren said. I wiggled my toes within my sneakers, relieved he was taking Mirko’s focus off of me.
“Not trying to be cool. It’s just true,” Mirko said. He gave me one last look, testing me, and then looked away.
“How is being a freak at all cool?” I murmured.
Mirko’s hearing must have been exceptional because he replied, “Well, little Slatki, you’re going to have to strengthen your freak side if you have any thread of hope you’ll make it out of this situation alive.” He stared at me, eyes piercing. They were firm and no longer held his teasing squint.
“What do you mean? Why do I have to do that? Aren’t you supposed to keep me alive?” This sucked. What was the point of the whole running-across-country thing if he wasn’t going to protect me? And no way was I going to become even more like that guy I killed. I shuddered thinking about it.
Kaitlynn grabbed my hand, giving me something to ground me.
“What I mean is that you are up against a Pijawika that has lived for hundreds of years longer then you have. Whoever it is, they’re smart and desperate. Desperate—because they tried to take you when you weren’t alone. This person also has an almost endless supply of money and lackeys to come after you. They’re going to be smarter, older, stronger, richer, faster, and basically all around more in every area that counts in getting to you. So, maybe if you were a little bit more prepared,” Mirko said putting his thumb and index finger about an inch apart, “your chances would make me feel a lot better.”
Wow. If his aim was to scare me, he’d succeeded. I wanted to get up, walk down the aisle to the bathroom I’d noticed earlier, and lock myself in there for the rest of the flight. Maybe even forever because I was doomed to die. There was no way I would survive this. And if I did, it’d be by becoming one of those… things .
Kaitlynn’s eyes grew hard when my face drained of all color. “You don’t have to be such a jerk. She just had her life ripped out from under her, and here you are prancing in to supposedly save the day, but instead you’re telling her she’s going to die, anyway. What good is she going to be if she loses her mind?” She moved closer and linked her arm around mine to comfort me.
“Pardon me,” Mirko retorted. “But we don’t have time to tiptoe around Slatki’s feelings. She has to buck up, and she has to buck up now. I’m not saying I’m going to stand aside and let somebody get to her. I told Garwin I would die protecting her, and I’m always good on my word. All I meant was that my job would be a hell of a lot easier if Slatki could kick some ass, too.”
Jaren spoke. “I’m pretty sure she can handle her own if it comes down to it. She did take one of you out when she needed to, and I saw this dude. He was pretty wicked.”
Mirko smiled. His eyes grazed over me.
Jaren shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and cleared his throat.
“Did the guy you
Mirko laughed. “Zao Duh. Zao like ‘Tao,’ but with a ‘Z,’ and Duh as in ‘do.’ Zao Duhs are considered low-class Pijawikas. The difference is Pijawikas are born. Zao Duhs are made.”
“Wait...my mom said you can’t be bitten and turned into a vampire.” Was he trying to confuse me?
“She’s right,” Mirko said. “The process is a lot more complicated than that. The point is there are two species. You are part Pijawikan, the vampires that are born. I’m Zao Duh. I was made.” His eyes locked on mine as he spoke.
I felt awkward with his gaze on me, and my cheek twitched.
Mirko smiled. “I affect you, don’t I?” He’d seen the minuscule movement from my jaw. It was as if he was attuned to me.
I didn’t know what to say. He already knew he unsettled me. What else did he know about me?
“Right, we get how cool you are, but let’s get back to vampires, please,” Jaren said. I wiggled my toes within my sneakers, relieved he was taking Mirko’s focus off of me.
“Not trying to be cool. It’s just true,” Mirko said. He gave me one last look, testing me, and then looked away.
“How is being a freak at all cool?” I murmured.
Mirko’s hearing must have been exceptional because he replied, “Well, little Slatki, you’re going to have to strengthen your freak side if you have any thread of hope you’ll make it out of this situation alive.” He stared at me, eyes piercing. They were firm and no longer held his teasing squint.
“What do you mean? Why do I have to do that? Aren’t you supposed to keep me alive?” This sucked. What was the point of the whole running-across-country thing if he wasn’t going to protect me? And no way was I going to become even more like that guy I killed. I shuddered thinking about it.
Kaitlynn grabbed my hand, giving me something to ground me.
“What I mean is that you are up against a Pijawika that has lived for hundreds of years longer then you have. Whoever it is, they’re smart and desperate. Desperate—because they tried to take you when you weren’t alone. This person also has an almost endless supply of money and lackeys to come after you. They’re going to be smarter, older, stronger, richer, faster, and basically all around more in every area that counts in getting to you. So, maybe if you were a little bit more prepared,” Mirko said putting his thumb and index finger about an inch apart, “your chances would make me feel a lot better.”
Wow. If his aim was to scare me, he’d succeeded. I wanted to get up, walk down the aisle to the bathroom I’d noticed earlier, and lock myself in there for the rest of the flight. Maybe even forever because I was doomed to die. There was no way I would survive this. And if I did, it’d be by becoming one of those… things .
Kaitlynn’s eyes grew hard when my face drained of all color. “You don’t have to be such a jerk. She just had her life ripped out from under her, and here you are prancing in to supposedly save the day, but instead you’re telling her she’s going to die, anyway. What good is she going to be if she loses her mind?” She moved closer and linked her arm around mine to comfort me.
“Pardon me,” Mirko retorted. “But we don’t have time to tiptoe around Slatki’s feelings. She has to buck up, and she has to buck up now. I’m not saying I’m going to stand aside and let somebody get to her. I told Garwin I would die protecting her, and I’m always good on my word. All I meant was that my job would be a hell of a lot easier if Slatki could kick some ass, too.”
Jaren spoke. “I’m pretty sure she can handle her own if it comes down to it. She did take one of you out when she needed to, and I saw this dude. He was pretty wicked.”
Mirko smiled. His eyes grazed over me.
Jaren shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and cleared his throat.
“Did the guy you
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