The first thing I learned about life in the house was that it was always quiet. It had so many rooms and very few people living there, so it was almost natural that silence enveloped it like a glove. The walls were so thick that even if someone spoke in the room next to you, you wouldn’t hear them. Surprisingly, I found I liked it. It was as if I was the only person in the world, and I could do as I pleased.

However, it wasn’t as if its inhabitants never talked. It turns out Myrnah never stops talking once she feels comfortable. I’ll hear her talking at top speed in a language I couldn’t identify, and Jannosh’s quieter, slower response as they walk down the staircase. The two of them were always together, if whatever they were doing allowed it. From spending time with them, I found out quickly just how much Jannosh adored her; his light violet eyes would light up whenever she entered the room, and he would always have an indulgent smile on his face as she began talking loud and fast about whatever she had on her mind.

As for Apollo, he came and went like the sun on a cloudy day. He would wander into the cavernous kitchen, where Myrnah was forcing me to try different kinds of food she was making (not that I was complaining – I can’t cook to save my life) and make light conversation for a little bit, his eyes always attentive and alert to our responses. Then, suddenly, his eyes would glaze over and he would drift back out of the room mumbling something about a new idea. Myrnah didn’t seem fazed by it at all, but I was pretty curious.

I decided to ask her one day about it. “What ideas is he always talking about?”

“What?” Myrnah paused in holding out a bread roll she just baked. I leaned across the rest of the way to take it from her.

“Like, he’s always leaving cause he has a ‘new idea’. Is he an inventor or something?”

Myrnah laughed; it was high, girlish kind of laugh that was strangely unsurprising from someone who looked her age. “No, no; Sir Ambrosia is a writer. He writes poems and stories and such.”

“Really?” This was new information to me. I thought back to the one time I’d been in his room; there had in fact been a sprawling mess of notes stuck up on his wall. Maybe those were the results of one of his ideas. The thought made me nostalgic for a moment; my father was kind of similar, except in no way were his ideas anywhere near an art form. His ideas were just ideas on how to lose more money.

Myrnah nodded, peeking into the giant oven to check on her rolls. “Oh yes, he writes to magazines and journals and such. They always accept his writings.” She almost sounded proud, like she was a mother doting on her son. I realized that she was, in a way.

“Seriously? What magazines? Maybe I’ve heard of him.” The thought was half-hearted. The only magazines I used to read were fashion magazines and gossip columns – I seriously doubt those were the kinds of editors Apollo was interested in writing to.

“No, no. Sir Ambrosia does not send in his own name; his pen name is Alec Bearington. He cannot use his own name if he wishes to remain a secret.”

“A secret?” I repeated in confusion.

Myrnah glanced at me quickly from her position beside the counter. Sunlight streamed in from the window in front of her; the light made her eyes look especially bright and unnerving. “Well, no one can know too much about Sir Ambrosia. He does not like too many people knowing him; he says it is better if they don’t get close.”

I pondered this for a moment, munching on the bread roll she’d given me. It was heavenly. “Why did he tell me so easily? Isn’t he letting me get close by letting me live with him?”

Myrnah suddenly couldn’t meet my eyes. “I don’t know why he let you stay here. In fact, I was surprised he brought you back here when you were hurt. No one knows about his house except the three of us.”

This shocked me. “Only the three of you? And me now, I guess? But how can people not know this is here?”

Myrnah pulled out the baking sheet from the oven; it clattered on the counter as she dropped it to give me a sharp look. “Lilah, we are literally in the middle of nowhere. The nearest dwelling is seventeen miles away, and the highway is even further than that. The top of Apollo’s desires is to remain isolated.”

If I was a cartoon character, I’d have to pick my jaw back up from the floor. We were that far away from everyone? And here I was thinking I could just hitchhike my way out of here like there was nothing to it. The realization had a plethora of emotions rising up in me; relief, because the isolation meant total safety from the likes of Ted Roscoe, and unease, because if it really was more dangerous here like Apollo said, I had zero chances of getting out. The fact that I’d lived by the forest my entire life meant nothing; if I got stuck lost in it, I would surely die.

“Does that scare you?” Myrnah was watching me from the corner of her eye as she pulled bread rolls from the sheet and plopped them into a basket.

“No…” I was pulled from my reverie at her voice. She looked away quickly when my eyes met hers. I was reminded of Apollo’s careful movements, and Jannosh’s stealthy glances. It made me realize something.

“Are you all afraid of me??” I gasped suddenly.

Myrnah was silent, and she wouldn’t meet my eyes. I took it as a yes.

“But why?”

“Lilah…”

“You have no reason to, I’m just a human – “

“Exactly.” Myrnah turned her whole body to face me – she almost looked hostile. “You are the first human contact Apollo has had in a very, very long time. He does not know how to act around you, and he’s afraid you’ll see him as a monster. However, Jannosh and I have more contact than he does – we know how destructive and greedy they can be, and we are afraid of the changes you will cause here.”

It was like a slap to the face. Did she just call me destructive and greedy? “But I’m not here to change anything – “

“That does not matter. With all change comes more change – you cannot cut down a tree without the whole forest becoming altered. Things here have already changed, and they will never be the same.” Her eyes were blazing, and I felt the stirrings of fear in my heart that I had felt the first time I’d seen her.

“Why did he let me stay then?” My voice was soft, almost a whisper as I looked away from her. Did none of them even want me here?

I heard her approaching footsteps before I realized what she was doing. I was suddenly caught up in an embrace from the other woman; I was shocked to find her skin was cool, as if she didn’t have a body temperature. Despite this, I found that it was surprisingly comfortable in her arms.

“I did not mean to sound so harsh.” Her voice was much gentler than it was before. “It’s just your arrival has got everyone on their wits end. When good things arrive, bad things always follow.”

I chose to ignore the foreboding part of her statement as my own arms went around her. “So I’m a good thing?”

“A very good thing.” I could hear the smile in her voice.  It felt nice being hugged by her. Having been motherless for seventeen of the eighteen years I’d been alive had been hard, and pretty lonely.

Myrnah patted my back before pulling away, her red eyes encouraging. “Now, can you bring this bread up to Sir Ambrosia? He must be hungry.”

I stood up from the stool I’d been sitting on by the kitchen island and took the basket from her, the confusion thick on my face. “Apollo… eats?” I wasn’t sure how to phrase my question. Was there blood baked into these? My stomach turned at the thought. I’d eaten one of those.

Myrnah’s eyes sparkled in amusement. “Just bring them up. I’m sure he’d prefer explaining his situation to you.”

“Alright.” I was still confused – and a little queasy – but I headed out of the kitchen anyways.  It’d be better the more I understood; if I was living with a vampire, I might as well know as much as I can about them.

I didn’t have to ask Myrnah where he was. Apollo was almost always in his room, and if he wasn’t, he was seeking out the company of me or Jannosh or Myrnah. Admittedly, it was more often the latter two he preferred spending time with, with was understandable. They were all obviously close, and I was the emotional runaway that had barged in on the idyllic life they lead here.

I knocked on his door. “Hey, Apollo? Myrnah told me to bring these bread rolls up to you – “

Suddenly, the door was ripped open and I was pulled into the room. I gasped as the basket was ripped from my hands, and I was pulled into Apollo’s chest. He was smiling, his eyes bright and distant again, as if he was caught up in another one of his new ideas.

“Let me try something?” He asked me.

I was suddenly aware of how close I was standing to him; our chests touched, and I could feel his cool breath fanning across my face. He was quite taller than me, but if I tippy toed I could reach those amazing lips of his…

I gulped. “Try what?”

He didn’t answer, instead, he took my right hand in his left, and his other hand went to my waist. Every part of me was attentive to all the contact we were making; I could feel a blush raging in my cheeks.

“Just follow my lead.” He told me as he began dancing.

Now, the thing about me was that I can’t dance at all. Sure, I can play sports and other normal stuff (I was on the swim team and softball team in high school), but once you stick me on a dance floor, I turn into the most awkward person ever. And that didn’t change at all dancing here, with Apollo. I felt even more awkward realizing that he was amazing at dancing; all his movements were graceful and certain. That awkwardness was brought to spectacular heights by the second realization that his eyes were on my movements.

I wanted to climb into a hole and die.

“Apollo…” I started uncomfortably the second time I stepped on his feet.

“Shhh.” His voice was vague as he continued watching my steps.

“But-“

Suddenly, he bent me back in a dip. I was so surprised that I didn’t have time to feel awkward; my movements were perfect. My hair brushed the wooden floor, and my eyes were locked on Apollo’s as he looked down at me.

“Fantastic.” He murmured, pulling me up again. I almost fainted when his hand left my waist to gently brush a few stray hairs from my face; his touch was as blazing hot as the night he found me.

“Apollo – “

And just like that, he was gone. I stood there flabbergasted as he crossed the room to his desk, proceeded to sit down, and begin writing furiously.

“I’m writing a scene that takes place in a ballroom.“ His voice was dreamlike as he wrote. It was as if he was talking to himself instead of to me, which I began to think was actually the case. “And a couple finds each other on the dance floor, and the dance that commences is so perfect and the attention the two of them have on each other is so intent, that everyone else stops to watch…”

I clear my throat. “My dancing was far from perfect, Apollo.” My voice is apologetic.

He turns to look at me, and for the first time since I’ve entered the room, he seems to actually see me. He smiles reassuringly at me. “Your dancing was magnificent, Lilah.  I needed to act out what I was imagining in order to get it right, and it’s as if you were a gift from heaven – you came at the exact time I was mourning the fact I didn’t have a dance partner!”

I laughed. “I didn’t come up because I was drawn by how much you needed me, Myrnah sent up some bread rolls.” Secretly, though, I was glad I came at that time. Despite how bad I was dancing – and trust me, I was, no matter how “magnificent” Apollo insists I am – I enjoyed dancing with him. A lot.

He turned to look at the basket he grabbed from me. “Yes! I love Myrnah’s bread rolls – in fact, I love all her cooking. I wouldn’t know how I would survive without her.” He beamed as he grabbed a roll.

I watched closely as he proceeded to begin eating. After about the third bite, he seemed to realize I was watching before becoming self-conscious.

“Lilah?”

I looked away hastily. Even without looking at him or hearing him, I could feel him approaching until he was beside me.

“You’re wondering how I can eat food, aren’t you?” His voice was angry or defensive like I expected it to. Instead, he just sounded really tired, which in a way was worst.

I nodded fractionally, still not looking at him.

He laughed softly. “It’s simple. I’m half human.”

My head whipped around to look at him, but he was walking away again. The lamps on the wall made his shadow look long and foreboding as he went to sit at his desk. He didn’t look at me; his eyes were glued to the notes in the wall, as if he’d completely forgotten about me.

I stayed rooted to the spot, staring at him. Half human? My head couldn’t wrap around the idea; all the traditional myths and stories I’d heard as a child didn’t include half human vampires. I was beginning to realize that whatever assumptions I had about this secret world; I barely knew anything at all.

“You’re free to ask whatever you like.” Apollo said, his voice still soft.

My steps were quiet as I went to sit behind him on his bed. I had a feeling I was violating his space in some way by doing so, but I knew I couldn’t look him in the eye with all the questions I had. His bed smelt like him, and I had an irrational urge to stretch like a cat and fall asleep.

“How is it possible?”

His body was still. “My mother fell in love with a vampire. My father didn’t think it was possible either.”

I contemplated this as I continued to look at the back of his head. Light from the lamps glossed over his hair like glass. “Is your… is your mother still alive?”

He shook his head. “She died a long time ago.”

It was there again, that slight inflection in his voice, as if he was implying something different. I cocked my head. “How old are you, Apollo?”

“I was born just after the Battle of Alamana.” He said promptly. The historical event drew a blank in my head, but he expanded. “April 25, 1861.”

I inhaled sharply. He was silent as I did the math in my head; Apollo was 191 years old. I struggled to process this; he didn’t look a day older than twenty! How was someone so old so perfect?

Apollo shifted in his seat so I could see a profile of his face. “Does that scare you?”

“Why does everyone keep assuming I’m always scared?” I burst out irritably.

Apollo burst out laughing; it was musical and perfect and shockingly loud for his usual caliber. “Lilah, you’re living in a house full of monsters in the middle of the forest; I assumed the normal reaction would be to be afraid.”

Even in the dim light, his eyes sparkled. I smiled at him. “So far, it seems like you all are more afraid of me than the other way around.”

He chuckled. “I’m not going to deny that,” He turned to face me fully, his web of notes forgotten, “We’ve all had – hmm – regrettable encounters with humans.”

“Do you remember your mother?” I asked abruptly.

“Well, yes.” Apollo looked at me intently. “I’m quite a lot like her, except her hair was wildly curly and she wasn’t half as quiet. People could hear her coming from miles away.”

His eyes were slightly sad as he thought about her. I didn’t say anything; something told me Apollo would keep talking without my interaction.

“She was the loveliest woman in her hometown, Zante. Her parents were always looking around for her future husband because they had the first choice; with her beauty and heritage, she could have anyone she wanted. However, she was impatient with the likes of becoming a good wife – my mother was always outside, by the sea, doing whatever she liked without a whim in the world.” He laughed again, and it sounded bitter. “And that’s where Callidora Castellanos met Abaddon Ambrosia.”

He almost spat out the second name; I flinched at the amount of hate I heard in his voice. Apollo couldn’t see me anymore, his eyes were dark and lost and brooding as he stared passed me at the curtained window.

“Is that your father?” I asked timidly.

“Yes.” His answer was curt. “My father is a wretched, unfeeling, manipulating monster who saw a young woman fascinated by his beauty and took advantage. Two months after they met, he whisked my mother away and a year later, me and my sister were born.”

“Your sister?!”

Apollo nodded vaguely, his eyes still looking into the past. “My twin, Astera. After we were born, my father took off for months at a time, leaving my mother completely alone with two babies in the heart of the mountains. I obviously can’t remember to the time when I was just an infant, but it must have been such a devastatingly lonely and depressing time for her.”

My mind was racing as I took this in. “What – “

“My mother died when we were 15.” His voice was almost a whisper now. “I can remember that very clearly.”

“How did she die?” I asked, a feeling of dread pooling in my stomach.

Apollo’s eyes snapped to mine suddenly; my presence was remembered. His following smile was hard, almost terrible. “That’s a story I prefer not to share.”

I nodded weakly.

“But anyways,” His face became soft and open again in the space of a second, “Since I’m half human, I can eat food. It also means I don’t have to go… feed, as often. As you can see, I’m nothing like the Dracula made famous in American films.” He smiled gently at me, his eyes beseeching mine.

I smiled back at him timidly. “I see.”

A silence fell, but it wasn’t an awkward one. My head was still reeling at the information I’d taken in, but there was a comfort I felt with Apollo that I hadn’t felt before. The realization had me smiling wider.

Apollo tilted his head as he looked at me. “Are you really not afraid of me?”

“Not at all.” I turned my nose up at him; my usual indignation flaring up again. “You don’t scare me in the slightest.”

His eyes sparkled in amusement, and he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees as he looked at me. “Is that the case? Prove it.”

“Prove it?” My voice faltered.

He nodded, his expression suddenly devilish. It was achingly handsome, but I immediately became suspicious.

“What do you mean – “

Suddenly, I was on my back. I stared up at bewilderment at Apollo; he was on top of me, but he was still being amazingly careful. His body touched mine but I didn’t feel any of his weight as he leaned on his elbows. His face was centimeters from mine, and I became almost dizzy by the scent of him.

“Apollo – “ I could feel my cheeks reddening. Every time he took a breath, our chests touched.

He suddenly dipped so his lips were at my throat. My heart stopped.

“Are you afraid yet?” He breathed; the exhale raised goose bumps all over my body.

His question hit home. I was trapped under a vampire, with his lips alarmingly close to my neck. No wonder my heart was beating so rapidly, right?

I knew extremely well that wasn’t the reason.

“No.” I breathed back.

“Really now.” I almost passed out at how sweet he smelled. “What a shame…”

And then his lips touched my skin.

My heart sped up again and every inch of my body stilled. I was waiting for it, waiting for his control to snap, waiting for the pain…

But it never came. Apollo chuckled against my skin before moving away. My body missed his presence the second he left, and I stared up at him in utter bewilderment.