Michael Belmont and the Heir of Van Helsing (The Adventures of Michael Belmont) (8 page)

Michael turned back to his father.
 
Something had been bothering him lately and he was glad for the chance to talk to him alone.
 
“Hey Dad, why didn’t Mom ever tell us that her father was still alive?”

Mark stopped what he was doing and gazed up at his son with a look that suggested even the mention of his wife’s father made his skin crawl.

“Well,” he said with a sigh, “I know you’ve probably figured out by now that your mother didn’t have the happiest childhood.”
 
He shook his head.
 
“Before she was your age, she’d already experienced more pain than a lot of people do their entire lives.”

He finished getting the fryer set up, and shook the snow from a lawn chair, taking a seat by the fire.

“Let me ask you something, son.
 
When we were at your mom’s old house the other day, were you scared by what happened?”

Michael was a bit surprised by the question.

“Yeah, of course I was.”

“Well, just imagine living with that kind of fear and anxiety every day of your life.
 
Imagine being there as a small, helpless child, with nobody around to protect you or offer you any help.”

Michael’s heart sank and his eyes began to water.
 
He’d never imagined that his mother, who was so loving and kind, had come from such a horrible place.

His father got up and poured some peanut oil into the fryer, then turned it on.
 
“My mother used to have a saying.
 
Well, actually she had a lot of sayings.
 
I never understood some of them until I got a little older.”
 
He looked up at his son and grinned.
 
“Anyway, she used to say ‘If pain were water then the world would drown.’”

Michael gazed down at the snow-covered ground, thinking about his grandmother’s words.
 
He knew that he had been a pretty lucky boy.
 
He had a family that loved him, and a nice home to live in, and although his life wasn’t perfect, he knew that there were many people in the world who weren’t nearly as blessed as he was.

“Before we went back there,” his father continued, “your mom hadn’t seen her father for twenty years.
 
In fact, she never intended to see him again, but losing that amulet had been bothering her ever since he snatched it away.
 
And last year, with everything that happened at the necropolis of Anubis, well, she’s been practically obsessed with getting that amulet back.”

Michael understood why his mother had wanted the thing back so badly.
 
He wanted answers about their family just like she did.
 
“She wanted it back so badly,” he said, “that she was even willing to face her father again to get it.”

“Yes, but as much as she’s always wanted answers to explain why people in her family can shape-shift, I think more than anything she now wants to find those answers for you and Abby.”

“Us?
 
But she said she wasn’t even sure we’d have the ability to change.”

His father began to place a few pieces of turkey into the fryer.
 
“Well, that’s a small possibility, but from everything I’ve learned about shape-shifters, I’d say it’s almost a certainty that you’ve inherited the ability.”

Michael had already spent a lot of time thinking about this, and though he was excited by the possibilities of being able to change his form, he was worried that he would change into a rabbit or an inchworm, or possibly even a cockroach.
 
He shuddered.
 
What if he turned in to some horrible, bloodthirsty bear like his grandfather?
 
What if whatever he turned out to be was something evil?
 
And yet- his uncle Link was a wolf and he was nice enough.
 
A bit weird sometimes, but nice.

Michael’s father gave him a reassuring smile.
 
He could tell what his son was thinking.
 
“Don’t worry about it.
 
Whatever will be, will be.
 
The decisions you make and the person you are on the inside is what matters, not what you look like on the outside.”

Michael nodded.
 
Lately he’d been wondering if his father would think about him and Abby as being somehow less human once they were able to change form.

“Dad, did you know mom was a shape-shifter when you married her?”

“The first time I saw your mother she was staring down at me and my friends from the branch of a tree.
 
A few minutes later I saw her change into the most beautiful young woman I had ever, and will ever see in my life.
 
I loved her from the moment I met her, and that love has only gotten stronger over time.”
 
He got up and stood with his back to the fire, carefully stretching his arms so he wouldn’t disturb his injured chest.
 
“The fact that your mother is a shape-shifter is an amazing and fascinating thing to me,” he continued.
 
“But it honestly means nothing to me in regards to my love for her.
 
I wouldn’t love her any more if she didn’t have her ability.
 
And having her ability doesn’t make me love her any less.
 
I just…love her.
 
And I always will.”

Michael felt like a weight had been lifted.

“Now go into the kitchen and fetch me a platter.
 
Some of this turkey is almost done.
 
I’ll give you a dollar if it’s not the best stuff you’ve ever tasted.”

It was January 13
th
, the night before Abigail’s tenth birthday.
 
Since she was going to have some friends over for a sleepover that night, Elizabeth offered to take the family out a day early to celebrate.
 
They went to the Blue Danube, the restaurant owned by Mihnea Anghelescu, the man Elizabeth recently started dating.

Michael didn’t like the idea of Elizabeth dating some restaurant owner; he believed she belonged with his uncle, Lincoln.
 
He’d already made up his mind that he wasn’t going to have a very good time.

They arrived at the restaurant and walked inside.
 
It was an inviting and elegant place.
 
There were a lot of patrons seated at the tables, and classical music could be heard playing behind the chatter.
 
Michael instantly recognized the piece as part of the Brandenburg Concertos.

After a moment, a pretty waitress with curly blonde hair escorted them to their table, and they each took a seat.

“Well, this is charming,” said Rachel enthusiastically.
 
Elizabeth smiled back excitedly.

Mark folded his napkin and placed it on his lap.
 
“Yeah, this place is really something else.
 
Rachel tells me that the chef came from a three Michelin star restaurant?”

Elizabeth nodded.
 
“I’ve never tasted food like this before.
 
You’re really going to love it.”

None of this impressed Michael.
 
He’d made up his mind that this Mihnea guy wasn’t any good for Elizabeth, and he didn’t care how good his food was.
 
He suddenly thought of Liam, and felt proud that he, unlike his best friend, could not be bribed by something as trivial as a good meal.

The waitress came back to take their drink orders.
 
Abigail picked up the wine list and began to examine her options.

Her mother whipped it away.
 
“Are you kidding me?” she asked in annoyance.
 
“The four of us will have water with lemon please,” she told the waitress.

“Mr. Anghelescu has been tied up in the back, but he wanted to let you know that he’ll be joining you shortly.”

“Thanks,” said Elizabeth with a smile.
 
The waitress winked at Michael and left.

“Anghelsecu?” asked Mark.
 
“So Mihnea is from…Romania, is that correct?”

“Yes,” Elizabeth told him.
 
“He was born in Romania, but has been living in New York for the past twenty years.”

“And you’ve been dating him for about a month now?”

“I met him the night after you returned from Colorado, so, yes.
 
It’s been about a month.”

“What brought him to Arizona?” asked Rachel.

“I think he just wanted a change of scenery.
 
He was looking for the perfect spot to open up his restaurant and for some reason decided Prescott was the right fit.”

“Sounds a little suspicious to me,” Michael said to Elizabeth, but she ignored him.

Abigail gave him a sharp kick underneath the table.
 
“Mind your manners!”

“Ouch!” he hissed at her.
 
He was about to retaliate when a familiar face caught his attention.
 
“Hey, it’s Uncle Link.”

Link had already caught sight of them and was walking toward the table.
 
A scruffy, dark haired boy followed along behind him.

Elizabeth looked at him and frowned.
 
“What is
he
doing here?”
 
Mark and Rachel politely greeted him as he approached the table.

“Have you got room for two more?” Link asked them, not waiting for an answer before planting himself in a chair.

Elizabeth glared at him, and then she looked at the boy with a loving smile.
 
“Hello, Raymond, how have you been?”

“Great,” he answered enthusiastically and pulled a chair up next to Michael.
 
Abigail looked at him apprehensively.
 
Although Raymond had helped her and Michael escape from the MacFarlane clan the previous summer, she’d always felt a little nervous around him.
 
As much as she tried to overcome it, she just couldn’t seem to be okay with having a werewolf around.
 
Raymond never seemed to notice, but Michael did.
 
He knew his sister well and saw how she clammed up whenever the boy was near.

“So tell me,” Link said to Elizabeth in a sweetened voice, “where’s this new boyfriend of yours?”

“He’ll be along momentarily.
 
And he isn’t my boyfriend…not yet anyway,” she added with a smirk.

Link squinted his eyes angrily, but didn’t respond.

“Here he is now.”
 
Elizabeth glowered at Link, warning him to behave.

“Ahh, hello, Elizabeth,” Mihnea said, placing his hand on her shoulder.
 
“I’m so glad you could bring your friends along tonight.”

She introduced them all in turn.
 
Michael gave Mihnea a firm handshake, but he didn’t smile.
 
Link was surprisingly friendly.

After introductions were made, Mihnea sat down to join them.
 
“So how do you like the restaurant?” he asked them.

“Oh, it’s absolutely gorgeous,” Rachel told him, and Mark nodded his head in agreement.

“It’s a very warm atmosphere,” Link told him genuinely.
 
“Really makes you feel relaxed and at home.”

Elizabeth eyed him suspiciously.
 
She’d expected Link to be downright rude, and his behavior caught her off guard.
 
He had to be up to something.

“Have you all ordered yet?” asked Mihnea.

“No, we wanted to wait for you,” Elizabeth told him with a grin.

“Oh, how kind of you.”
 
He motioned to the waitress to come over, and they all gave their orders.
 
Michael didn’t like the way Mihnea spoke to this pretty, blonde woman.
 
It seemed a little too friendly in his opinion, not that Elizabeth seemed to notice.

“So what are you up to when you aren’t opening restaurants?” Rachel asked him.

Mihnea laughed.
 
“Well, as you can imagine, this business keeps me extremely busy, but I find time to relax.
 
I actually consider myself quite the amateur magician.”

“Well, that’s interesting,” Mark said, taking a sip of water.
 
“Got any tricks you can show us.”

“Sure,” he responded, leaning over to Abigail and pulling a quarter from her ear.

Michael laughed, not so much from the trick, but from the irritated look on his sister’s face.
 
She obviously didn’t like being used as a prop.

“Oh come on, you can do better than that,” Elizabeth challenged him.

“All right, well, I am fairly proficient at hypnosis- suggestion and the like.”

“Really?” said Link with a smirk.
 
“This should be good.”

“Does that mean you’re volunteering?” Elizabeth asked him.

“Me?” He raised an eyebrow at her.
 
Then turned to face Mihnea.
 
“Sure, why not.
 
Do your worst, Houdini.”

“I’ve heard you can’t hypnotize someone who doesn’t
want
to be hypnotized?” Mark asked him.
 
“Is that true?”

Mihnea smiled.
 
“For most, yes it is true.
 
But I know aspects of the art that many do not.”

“Ooh, sounds intriguing.” Rachel rubbed her hands together excitedly.

“Hey Link, do you want to be hypnotized?” Mark asked him.

“What do
you
think genius?”

Mark laughed at him, shaking his head.
 
He nudged his wife.
 
“There’s the Link we all know and love.”

“Lincoln,” Mihnea said casually, “why don’t you run into the kitchen and fetch me a glass of water?”

Link got up and walked away toward the kitchen.
 
He came back a minute later with a glass of water, handed it to Mihnea, and sat back down in his chair.