Blood and Snow 8: Telltale Kisses

by Workman, RaShelle

  “Heathcliff, Daniel, Bart, and, well all of the guys, think I should kiss you. They believe if you receive a kiss from your true love, you’ll wake. Once I thought maybe I was that guy. Not anymore though. Still, I’m willing to try. It hurts to see you this way. So… I’m going to kiss you.” …

  Chapter 6

  After the King and Queen and their court continued toward their destination, Ryden, Gabriel, and I made good time getting home. We arrived at the castle swiftly, and parted ways. Ryden said she needed to get cleaned up. I wanted to do that as well. It’d been too long since I bathed. Gabriel went to report to Sharra that I’d been found and all was well.

  When I entered my room two male humans greeted me. Neither wore clothing on their top half, and their trousers hung low on their hips.

  “Well kept humans,” I muttered, taking my fill of them. No doubt they were a gift from my sister, and I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. I’d be doing more than that soon enough—when I proved to her once and for all I was and would always remain ruler of the vampires—when I possessed the power of all magics inside the gem Abernathy gave me. That would be soon. I still needed the essence of a vampire, and the blood of a Hunter.

  I wondered if I would have to slay my sister to retrieve her essence. I knew it couldn’t be just any vampire. I also pondered which Hunter I would need to obtain blood from.

  When I was done with the humans, I sent them away, and had my servants bathe me. Stepping from the water, they wrapped me in thick fabrics, rubbing my furry skin dry. Once they were finished, I went to my favorite golden chair, allowing my servants to brush and groom.

  Zenny, the little imp Abernathy created for Sharra and I when we were young peeked at me from one side of the oval, gilded mirror hanging on the wall. His lemon yellow hair swirled like frosting over his head.

  “Hello, Zenny. Have you missed me?”

  He gave a deep bow and I hid a laugh behind a hand. His plaid and bright colored clothing always provoked my amusement. “Of course. Did you do anything fun while you were away?”

  I thought about all that occurred since I went to see the dragon. “I wouldn’t use the word ‘fun,’ but it’s been interesting.”

  He leaned over, and beckoned me to come closer. “I need to tell you something—in private.” He sniffed his nose haughtily at the human vampires working through my sapphire blue hair, and snarled fur.

  “Get out,” I said, waving the girls away. I didn’t care that only half my long hair was combed or that my fur still looked matted. I groomed myself for my sister anyway. She was always making comments about my appearance. I thought she was too vain for her own good. Always wearing fancy clothes, and peculiar shoes on her feet.

  When they were gone, I leaned in. “What’s going on, Zenny?”

  I heard Snow White say, I’ve met Zenny. He looks the same.

  I didn’t respond to her, but waited for Zenny. The little imp was sweet, but I wondered where his loyalties lay—with my sister or me. I would know soon enough.

  “I adore both you and Sharra,” Zenny began, running a hand over his tiny copper-colored face. “But you are the Queen, and I feel obligated to tell you I think Sharra is planning something to dethrone you.” His light brown eyes darted from side to side; as though he were worried someone would hear.

  “Go on,” I prodded, a thick worry forming in my gut.

  “I heard her talking to Gabriel about making sure you were permanently gone before they began the war.”

  “What? What war? Sharra doesn’t have the courage to go against me.” But I thought of the way she’d suddenly seemed so bold when speaking to our non-parents, and the worry changed to dread. And Gabriel? Surely he was on my side. If she were planning something, he would only be pretending to do what she asked. Right?

  “Sharra intends to take your place as ruler of the vampires. Her magic has become so strong, Silindra. It’s troubling.”

  Anger burned away my dread. “Don’t you dare worry about me. My sister doesn’t have the guts. And if she does, she’ll soon learn she has no idea who she’s messing with.” I wrapped my fingers around the gem hanging at my throat. “Are you sure she was speaking to Gabriel?”

  “Yes,” he nodded, his boofy hair bopping in earnest.

  Was he truly conspiring with Sharra? Had Gabriel betrayed me? I remembered our times together, and couldn’t believe it. I would find him and ask. If what Zenny said was true, Gabriel would die.

  Leaving my bedchamber, I moved swiftly through the sitting room toward a set of stairs leading into the kitchen.

  I’ve been here before, Snow exclaimed.

  “Silindra, I was just coming to find you.” Ryden landed on my shoulder and nestled up to my ear. “Something is going on. I’m not sure what. Two of Sharra’s Hunters broke the bond Sharra held over them, and the chayot are rumored to be coming out of hiding to go against her.”

  What the hell is going on?

  The end is coming, Silindra. I’m so sorry. I sensed an acceptance come over Snow White. I longed to ask her what she knew. I had the feeling it was important, but I needed to talk to Ryden, and I needed to find Gabriel.

  “Ryden, we need to talk.” I went back to my room, and sat on the edge of my bed. Ryden flew from my shoulder so I could see her.

  “I have so much to tell you, but no time to do it,” I began, feeling frantic.

  “I’m listening.”

  I grabbed the gem dangling at my neck. “See this?”

  She nodded.

  “I’ve been collecting magic. Abernathy said I need seven elements. So far I’ve retrieved five: a piece of Abernathy’s soul, the eternal sight of the elf, the strength of the troll, the healing horn of a unicorn, and the giving heart of a fairy.”

  She nodded again, her gauzy wings and daffodil hair moving as one.

  “I still need two more magics. The essence of a vampire, and the blood of a Hunter.” I clenched my hands together, trying not to believe what Zenny said about Gabriel. “I’m not sure how to collect those, but I’m working on it. The thing is...” I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. It was becoming clear I would need to kill my sister to win. And, if that’s what it took, I would. “If something happens to me—”

  “Nothing will,” Ryden interrupted, wringing her hands.

  “I know, but if it does, I need you to promise me something.”

  “What?” She flew around with nervous worry. “I need some watermelon juice to calm my nerves. You shouldn’t talk like this.”

  I held out my hand, hoping she would land. Thankfully, she did. But started pacing around my palm and up and down my fingers. It tickled. And I smiled.

  “Just promise me you’ll take this back to Abernathy. Can you do that?”

  She stopped and put her hands on her hips. “You’re asking me to willfully enter the cave of that dragon?”

  “If necessary.”

  She took in a long, shuddering breath. “Fine, I’ll do it. But nothing, and I mean nothing better happen to you. Understand?”

  I laughed. “I understand, my friend.”

  … “You’ve got to get up. Spring is almost here. I don’t understand how you’re still sleeping after eighteen months. I brought you some of your bloodlust tea even though I know it’s a waste. I’d offer you my blood if I thought that would assist you in waking. Anything to help.

  “Even a kiss…

  “I should’ve known kissing you wouldn’t do any good. I love you, Snow, but we both recognize our love is more along the lines of brother and sister than that of lovers. Oh well. I tried.” …

  Chapter 7

  Gabriel knocked on my door, and walked in. He glanced at Ryden as he placed a light kiss on my lips. “I need to talk to you—alone.”

  “I was just leaving,” Ryden sniffed, rolling her eyes.

  After she was gone, I asked, “What is it? Everything okay with you? You seem… out of sorts.” I studied his face, searching for a telltale sign that what Snow Whi
te and Zenny said was true.

  Gabriel grinned, and my insides turned to mush. “Of course. I just wanted some alone time with you. Ryden is always around lately. Plus, I have a surprise.” He knelt in front of me, grabbing my hands, lifting his face. I planted a kiss on his glorious lips. Gabriel wrapped his fingers in my hair, deepening the kiss, entwining his tongue with mine. My body responded with a deep hum. No way could he be plotting against me. He said he loved me.

  After several long minutes, he pulled back, standing. “That wasn’t your surprise. Come on.” His eyes twinkled and I couldn’t resist.

  I followed him past the sitting room filled with uninteresting human vampires and down several sets of stairs to the cellar.

  Snow White seemed skittish. She kept ‘oh’ing and ‘ah’ing until I was ready to scream.

  The happy giddiness I’d felt from his kisses, and the way he looked at me wore off, and a nervous anger replaced them. When we reached the cellar, I said, “Is this necessary? What kind of surprise is down here?”

  “Trust me,” he smiled.

  Did I trust him? He’d never given me a reason not to. Always the perfect gentlemen. Kind. Sweet. Caring. He would never harm me. But the feeling, the one that told me to slaughter the deceiving bastard, kept getting stronger.

  The cellar held endless barrels of wine mixed with blood. The sweet aromas, along with the smell of old wood, and dry earth did little to settle my nerves.

  Maybe he’s got a new wine to show me? I thought, hoping that was it.

  He didn’t stop when the wine barrels ended, but continued down a damp corridor. Blue pixilette light lit the walls, giving Gabriel an odd hue. When we reached another door leading to another set of stairs going deeper into the earth, I stopped.

  “Seriously, Gabriel. What do you have to show me that would require us to go way down here? You know I’m not a fan of being this deep in the earth.”

  “Not too much further,” he said.

  There’s still time to kill him, I thought, knowing I would if I had to. He was strong, but he was only human vampire, while I was an Original. I followed him, working to make my breathing and my steps sounds confident, relaxed. But the odd feeling in my stomach grew.

  We walked past the dried meats, kept to entertain our non-vampire guests and arrived at another set of downward spiraling steps.

  “I’m not going any further until you tell me what is going on,” I finally said, flexing my wings, preparing for whatever he might try to do.

  He stepped back to me, and kissed me intensely. I hadn’t expected that. My passions overtook all other emotions, and I clung to him, longing for all of him. He released my lips, and gave me a sensuous look.

  “You know we don’t have to go so far to hide our affections. My…” My head became foggy. I felt tired.”

  “Close your eyes, my Queen. It’s for the best.”

  I did as he said, because my lids were too heavy to do otherwise, but not before I noticed a wisp of malevolent evil cross his features.

  … “Oh, man. I can’t believe Professor Pops and the guys talked me into this. They’re confident one of us is your true love. Remember those times we used to sleep out on the tramp? I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately. Even then, I thought you were beautiful. And I do love you, but I’m not in love with you. In fact I’m in love with a girl by the name of Jaycee. Okay, she isn’t just a girl. She’s part chayot, and I only met her through Gabe, but man, she takes my breath away. She’s strong, willful, kind of a total pain in the ass, but she’s also kind, giving. She’s awesome—”

  “Stop whining like a baby, and kiss her, Daniel. I’m next.”

  “Salvatore, get out. This is my time with, Snow.”

  “Fine, but hurry up.”

  “Okay, so here goes…”

  “Yeah, nothing. But I’m not surprised. You know, I’m just going to say this. You don’t need some stupid dude to kiss you to wake up. You know that, right? I mean, sure, we all love you, but I hope you love yourself enough to know that you’re way better than all of us combined. This isn’t a fairytale, this is real life, and you’re way cooler than any princess from some animated movie. So do yourself a favor, and wake the hell up.” …

  Chapter 8

  I woke in a lazy fashion, remembering the way my body felt after my slumber at Devoran’s. Though I didn’t need it, I quickly understood the benefits. With a yawn, I tried to sit up, but realized my hands were bound above my head.

  That’s when I remembered Gabriel.

  He’d kissed me, poisoned me somehow, and I was laying stomach down on a slab of sparkling granite. The ropes he’d bound my hands in were stronger than any material I’d ever encountered. I tried to lift my wings, knowing the edges could cut through anything. But my wings were bound tightly, as were my feet.

  Lifting my arms, I turned my head, trying to locate Gabriel.

  “You’re awake,” he said, though his words sounded harsher than any I’d heard leave Gabriel’s mouth when he spoke to me.

  “How dare you tie me up? Release me this instant, and I might let you live.”

  “As Sharra’s personal assassin, I wouldn’t be very good at my job if I freed you, now would I?”

  Sharra’s assassin?

  Snow White was breathing heavily, hyperventilating. It’s happening. I can’t believe it’s happening.

  Her frantic panic calmed me for some reason.

  “You know the word assassin comes from the fact that to be one—an assassin—you have to be double the ass, right?”

  Gabriel chuckled. “You always were quite clever.” He knelt so I could see his face. “Here’s how this is going to go. As per Sharra’s instructions, I’m going to kill you. But first, I’m going to torture you.”

  Angry, I tried to yank myself out of the ties. “If Sharra wants to torture and kill me, then tell her to come down and do it herself. I want to see her face.”

  “The torture is all me, Silindra. Sharra wanted me to end your life quickly, but how would that be any fun?”

  I growled, tugging the ropes.

  “Don’t bother trying to escape. You’re secured with ropes dipped in dragon’s blood and sealed with the healing power of a unicorn. Only I can free you, and I never will. Know that.” He whipped the back of my legs with something sharp. I felt the ends cut into my thighs.

  “But why do you want to torture me? What did I do?”

  “The torture is for all the times you rubbed your disgustingly hairy body against mine. Put your rough, gigantic hands on me, and touched me in ways no man should be touched by an animal like you.”

  I was shocked. My body didn’t possess a heart, but I felt something inside me break, shatter into a million pieces. “You-you never loved me?” I whispered. Obviously the answer was no, but I had to ask. It didn’t help that Snow White was crying.

  “How could I love you? You’re a freak,” he shouted whipping my legs again.

  His words infuriated me. I was the first living magical creature. The way I looked, the way I acted, every part of me was precisely right. “You’re the freak,” I shouted. “You live only because the blood of a vampire flows in your veins. Don’t ever think you’re better than me. You’re nothing but a whipping boy, a slave to the real master. If not me, then my sister.”

  He hit my wings this time, and I felt whatever was on the ends tear into them. Then his face was next to mine. “You were born first. That is true. But that doesn’t make you better. It makes you old. It makes you inadequate. You refuse to see what is right in front of you. Evolution is the answer to eternal life. Instead of choosing to progress, like the rest of the vampires, you stayed like this.” He yanked on my hair. “In an ugly, good for nothing body. You could’ve been so much more. You’re sister wanted that for you. Now it’s too late.”

  I spit in his face. With the back of his hand, he wiped away my saliva.

  And began hacking off my wings.

  The cry that burst from my throat wa
s a sound unlike any I’ve ever heard. There was pain, of course, but it was more than that. It was the knowledge that I would die, the last of my kind, and there was nothing I could do about it.

  … “Hey, girl. It’s me, Sebastian. Gosh, this is embarrassing. I’ve had a crush on you for the longest time. When Gabe said he was in love with you, and that you two were going out, for the first time ever, I wanted to fight one of my brother’s—for real. Like literally kick his too skinny butt. But then I saw the way you looked at him, and I realized my feelings didn’t matter. You cared about Gabe, and I couldn’t stand in the way of you two.

  “Not any more. That jerk-face-no-good-wannabe-chayot-leader can shove it where the sun don’t shine. Besides, now that he’s dating Cindy, he can’t say a word about how I feel toward you.

  “I love you, Snow. You hear me? And I know a few of the guys have tried to kiss you, so I figure, what the heck, I’m going to try it too.

  “Snow, did you feel that? All the love I poured into my kiss?

  “I guess not. I’m such an idiot.” …

  Chapter 9

  Silindra, are you awake? I’m still here, inside. Silindra! It’s me, Snow White. Can you hear me?

  I could hear her, but for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what she was talking about. Who was she?

  “I don’t get it,” I said. My mouth felt like it’d been stuffed with cloth.

  “There’s nothing to get, Silindra. Well, except I’m going to kill you now. Is there anything you’d like to say to me before I sever your ugly head from your dreadful body?” His face was next to mine, but my eyes were blurry. It looked like there were four of him, then two, then six.

  Tell him he needs to promise you something. Tell him he needs to place one of your tears in the gem, and then take it to Ryden. You hear me, Silindra. Tell him!

  The strange voice was shouting inside my head, but I heard myself whisper the request.