CHAPTER 12

"How was DC Nate?" Jade wanted to know? They were at their usual lunch table. All six of them, Nate, Benson, Jade, Melanie, Amanda and Bianca.

"Umm… DC was great." He replied and that was it. They had expected him to give a more detailed account and he was fully aware of this but still chose to keep the details of his trip to himself. Besides, what was he going to tell them, no way he was gonna tell them about Farian. No one made any effort to ask more of the matter, Nate's body language had clearly told them he didn't want to speak more of the matter.

In truth, DC had been somewhat productive, he had found quite a lot about Farian. He read the countless theories of how Farian had come into existence. He read of how he had created an army that eventually turned against him and had put him to sleep for centuries. He read of all the wars and battles Farian had been in. All the evils he had allegedly committed throughout his existence.

"Damn!" He had exclaimed after reading of how he once slayed four thousand humans.

"What?" Cassie, his cousin, had asked. She had tagged along to his trips to the library.

"Here," Nate had handed her the book and pointed to her a section which she read out loud.

"…in 1704, it is believed that the great night crawler extirpated more than four thousand humans at the Ahr Valley in Germany in a…" Her voice faded away as horror grew on her innocent face.

"Oh my God Nate!" She exclaimed as her grip of the book loosened and the book feel on the study table. "Are you sure you want to be hanging around such a… such a thing?" She asked, her voice very low, disgust very evident in her tone.

"It's not like I want to, I don't have a choice." He told her taking up the book.

"He killed four freaking thousand people Nate and God-knows how many more!" She told him.

"I know Cassie but-" 

"No talking in the library." One of the library attenders warned them.

" Sorry." Cassie whispered to her and stretched out for the book directly in front of her.

On their drive home, Cassie couldn't stop trying to convince her cousin why it was suicide hanging around Farian.

"You think I don't know that?" He asked. "Cassie that's why I'm here in the first place, trying to figure out who he is." He informed her. "I am fully aware of how dangerous he is or can be, I think I'll have better survival chances-" She cut in.

"There are no better survival chances with someone that ruthless!" She said almost shouting. "You read it yoursef Nate. The guy is a monster." 

"And what do you want me to do Cassie? Huh? Hide?"

"I didn't say that. I just… I don't know." She broke off and fell silent for a long while.

"Don't worry about me Cassie, I prom-" She cut in.

"How can you tell me that. He is a cold-blooded murderer for crying out loud!" She warned.

" I know what he is capable of-"

"Do you though?" She threw at him. He didn't reply. He just exhaled deeply and looked out the window.

He felt like he had learnt so much about Farian in all those books at the Library but a voice at the back of his head told him that was just a tip of the iceberg. He felt there was so much more to Farian than what was documented. 

Later at the dinner table, everyone could almost feel the tension between Cassie and Nate.

"Everything okay baby?" Cassie's mom asked looking at her daughter then at Nate. Cassie didn't reply immediately, she first turned to Nate and held him in his eyes.

"Yeah, everything is okay mom." She replied.

"Nate…" His uncle called and Nate looked up from his plate.

"Yes."

"Everything okay buddy?"

"Yes," he added a forced smile to his reply. Dough exchanged looks with his wife but didn't say anything to the kids. It was obvious that something was up but chose not to ask about it, assuming it was kids being kids.

 ****

Dough, his wife and Cassie had dropped him at the airport the following day. Logan apparently had 'a thing' and couldn't make it.

"You be safe out there buddy," Dough told him.

"I sure will be." He said in response before giving his aunt a hug.

"Thanks for having me auntie."

"Nonsense." She told him with a chuckle. "It was nice having you over."

Nate gave her a warm smile. "Don't be a stranger." She added.

"I won't." He promised. 

"We'll be in the car," Dough said and left the two alone.

Cassie looked at him silently for almost a minute. He could see the worry and concern in her eyes. And he understood her fully. If he was in her shoes, he for sure would be feeling the same. 

"Cassie, I know how you feel about all this, I promi-" She didn't let him finish. She moved in and threw her hands around him in one quick motion. He didn't say anything else after that. He hugged her back in silence.

"Just be careful around him, okay?" She finally spoke pulling out of the hug. He could see she was trying to hold her tears back, and she was doing a spectacular job. "And if there is anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to call. I'm here for you for whatever, whenever."

"Thank you Cassie." He told her with a smile.

He took his bags and walked away, leaving Cassie to watch him. When he was about to disappear into the building, he turned back to find her still standing there. He waved at her then proceeded in.