Magic, Academies & Vampires: A LitRPG Adventure by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B0DQV99JXQ
Publisher: Benjamin Kerei
Published: 2024-12-17T00:00:00+00:00

Well after midnight, Kathrine and I wandered through the empty boulevard under the glowing canopy. Kathrine was carrying bags filled with dozens of gifts. When the merchants had found out we were in town to celebrate her passing her exams and that they were holding her up, they had run into their shops to get her something. She’d received beauty products, jewellery, textbooks, cushions, blankets, and a large assortment of fudge, laughing with them as they gave her another bag to carry.

When Kathrine began to smell stressed, I turned to her. “What are thinking about, Sweetheart?”

“The merchants.”

“What about them?”

“The fact that they weren’t afraid of you.”

“Why does that surprise you?”

“It doesn’t surprise me, but it’s made me realise I can’t see you the way they see you. They look at you and see a good man. Someone who did something very dangerous to keep them safe. No matter how hard I try, I can’t see that when I look at you.”

“That’s hardly a fair comparison. For starters, you know what I am.”

“So does Luke, but he’s not afraid of you.”

I turned to her. “What gave you that impression?”

Kathrine sighed. “You two are always together.”

“Part of the reason he spends so much time with me is because he’s watching to see if I’ll break character. He’s afraid that everything I show him is a façade. A sick little game I’m playing to torment him. He might not be as afraid of me in the way you are, but he only trusts me slightly more than you do.”

“He’s never mentioned that to me.”

“That’s because he doesn’t know he’s doing it, which is what happens when you don’t confront your emotions.”

Kathrine frowned. “Do I do that?”

“No. You have a healthy level of self-reflection. You’ll eventually work through your problems.”

“But Luke won’t.”

“Not without a little prompting, which I’m happy to give him. It’s what dads are for, after all.”

Kathrine sighed.

“Is something else bothering you?”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing if it’s bothering you.”

“It’s selfish.”

“Then it’s probably better to get it off your chest.”

“Luke said the moment you learned I was here, you wanted to set out to find me. Is that true?”

I smiled. “Hearing that you and your mother were here was one of the most exciting moments of my life.”

Her lips began to quiver, her heartrate sped up, and her voice turned shaky, as a wave of negative emotion crashed over her. “Why didn’t Mum feel that way?”

I could hear the rejection in her voice, the pain and the grief. I very much wanted to put my arm around my little girl’s shoulder and comfort her, but that would have the opposite effect on her.

“Luke told her where I was when he found her, but she’s never written to me. She’s never tried to find me. She’s never shown a hint of interest.” Tears began to flow. “Why doesn’t she want me?”

There weren’t many secrets I was willing to keep for my children, but this was one I had kept from them. Though it wasn’t one I was willing to keep if it made Kathrine think her mother didn’t love her or want her.

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