Chapter 199 - What A Pity

This wasn't the last or the stupidest question they asked, but no matter my exasperation, I dutifully answered each of them to the best of my ability. All for my grandparent's understanding. Acceptance. I told them about witches' social structure, about covens, including mine, mentioned Ghost, the secrecy rules, explained about my mother's family.

It was around there somewhere that they finally wounded down.

"She never talked much about her family. Just told that they were estranged… She didn't like to remember it, your mother," my grandma shook her head sorrowfully. "We've met her sister, your aunt, in passing, and understood why. I didn't like her from the first glance, and if the rest were the same, then your father plucked a pearl out of manure. But witches?.. If they had all that magic, couldn't they have healed your mother, then?"

I had the same question, and thanks to Ghost, I knew the answer. "Possibly, but it would've been hard and not a guarantee. It's harder to heal other witches with magic because of how our abilities work. I think they just didn't care enough for that." I pursed my lips in bitterness. "They weren't a family for her, so no wonder she left."

"I still don't understand," my grandpa spoke. In search of comfort, he filled his plate with baked potatoes, but didn't eat a bit of them. "Diana, how did you learn about your… abilities, after all?"

I looked at JJ, who until now let me have the limelight. I avoided this question until now, but it appeared that this was time to tell our true story (and not that of a French immigrant I explained him to be).

My grandma followed my stare with her own gaze, sharp again. "And you don't look a smallest bit surprised or curious, young man. How long did you know about all that… magic?"

"Actually, that'd be longer than me, because, well, he introduced me to it. But he isn't a witch!" I told before they could ask. "He's… a vampire."

JJ smiled most amiably. "Yes. So not just longer than Diana, but," he turned to me and lifted his hand in mine, "by several centuries."

"V-vampire? You don't look at all like one!" my grandpa pointed a finger at JJ.

"That's because I mask myself with magic in order to not attract attention. This is how I look in truth." JJ gestured at his face.

I knew he dropped the glamour by the way my grandpa paled and clutched for his chest. Next to him, my grandma just gasped.

"Devil!" she breathed out. "Pure devil!"

"Yes, I was called that, too." JJ inclined his head, absolutely not offended, and raised his hands in a calming gesture. "I assure you both, I have no intention of harming you or your granddaughter. Truly!"

"That's true, grandpa, grandma. JJ is great! He's all like I told you he is, except, well, he's also a vampire. He's not a devil, demon, fiend, child of Satan or whatever, and he helps me a lot."

I had to tell the entire story of how we met after that. Not the entire story of what happened after—I knew my grandparents would be much calmer if they didn't know about Christina's attempts at our lives, or about Andrey, and Panda's story was her own, but I passed the gist of it.

Then, I moved to the latest events, explained about the demon and finally—about how I was going to go on TV with JJ. That was hard to put without dropping stuff that pointed at the risk to my life, but I managed.

I didn't want them to worry. I already saw that they were worried simply because of JJ. Apparently, my being a witch was nothing now—he was the latest big and scary thing, and I had to be protected from him.

"Now, I'm going to be on TV," I finished my long tale. "I hope you will be watching. I don't know which channel yet and when, but soon!"

That switched their attentions, just like I hoped. "Our granddaughter, on TV… Have you ever thought we'd see something like it, old man?"

"Not in my life! Who knew, right?" He smiled, finally, and put a bite of potatoes in his mouth. Still chewing, he added, "Diana, all this talking must've made you thirsty. Why don't I pour you some tea? And—" he looked at JJ, paused.

"I can't eat and drink anything except blood. I don't even feel the taste," he hurried to say. "Besides, I came quite full already, so you don't have to worry about me."

"That's terrible!" my grandpa shook his head. "Can't eat food? How could you live then? And can't drink, too? There won't be any strength in you without tea."

"I never tried it." JJ looked at the mug my grandpa was filling for me with a far-away look in his eyes. "It appeared in Europe long after I was made a vampire. Coffee came earlier, but it became popular much later than that, too."

I shifted closer to him and playfully poked him with an elbow. "You didn't miss much on coffee, at least. Tastes like pure bitterness and smells the part. I don't understand how people drink it at all."

"That's one relief." And it was mine, when JJ smiled at me with mirth again.

My grandma tsked. "Now that you told him that, my husband will have to pity you forever, and suffer that he can't cure all your woes by stuffing you with his cooking. And what do you even do with a guest you can feed? And you, Diana. Did you pick him because you knew you wouldn't need to cook for him?"

"Ehhhh…" was my best answer.

"Or are you feeding him with… with…" she mimed at her neck.

I blushed and fought a desire to hide behind JJ's back. Not that it was possible in this situation. "That was just once… And there's nothing bad about it, too. It's like donating blood. It goes right to those who need it."

"Diana!" But despite the outrage, there was a smile in the corners of my grandma's eyes.