Tainted Blood

by Sara Hubbard

  “Not killed?”

  He laughs out loud. “Of course not. Death is kinder. They’d want to cover us in silver and bury us in cement somewhere deep underground to spend an eternity contemplating what we did. Buried alive? Forever? Isn’t that a better revenge plan?”

  “That’s unthinkable.” I image how awful it would be: alone, scared, in the dark—I hate the dark—with no hope of being rescued? This is what they’d do to them? No wonder Alexander was so mad. But Sebastian? He talks about it casually, like he’s reading from a text. “Why aren’t you as worried as he is?”

  He’s quiet for several seconds, and when I think he won’t answer, he opens his mouth. “I knew you when you were whole. You were magnificent, and I believe you’re magnificent still. You just need a push.”

  He called me magnificent. No one has ever called me that before or anything even close. His chair creaks as he leans in closer to me and his breath is a light breeze on my ear lobe. My heart starts to thump so loud I feel the vibration in my chest. With a single hand, he slides his fingers over a lock of my hair, his fingers lightly brushing against my neck, and he pushes my hair back behind my shoulder. Without meaning to, I close my eyes and immediately regret it. I flash them open to meet his blazing eyes. But they’re not angry. They’re hungry, and not for blood.

  I swallow hard and fidget. The book slips from my hands. I jump at the hard slap it makes on the table. My cheeks flame, likely brighter than his eyes, and my aura is pastel pink with blue sparkles. I feel like a firework show, and I’m so glad he can’t see it.

  I snatch the book and focus on it, but he won’t allow it. Putting his cold hands on mine, he gently pries the book from my fingers and lays it on the table. He cups my chin and forces me to meet his eyes.

  “I’m not her.” I try to correct this heat and electricity inside me and around us. I want it to be unwelcome, but it’s not. Instead of wanting to push him away, I want to reach for him and draw him close.

  “You are Penelope. And I’ll prove it to you.”

  “How?”

  “We train.”

  “But you don’t know magic.”

  “No, I don’t. But I know how to fight.”

  “Fight a vampire? With fists and stuff? I might be magical, but I’m no match for a vampire physically. I’m not saying I couldn’t learn to fight because I think I could, but it won’t give me an advantage.”

  “You have no idea.” Lines crease his forehead. He strokes my cheek with his thumb. The mix of his cool flesh and the heat his touch generates makes my breath catch. “Your magic will make you strong in more ways than one. You’ll see.”

  It takes a moment to find my voice. “I hope so because I’m not convinced.”

  His lips form a tight line. “We have no idea how long it’ll take for him to die. Cassandra took a couple of hours. An elder could be days. During that time, you, Alex, and I are all fucked. We might be...fucked a little less if you have magic to fight him.”

  He slides his hand down my cheek to rest it on the table. Nervously, I scoot my chair a little farther away from him.

  “You need to let him bite you and then stake him,” Sebastian says, his tone commanding.

  “You never mentioned this before.”

  He stares at me blankly.

  “You both thought he’d kill me quickly enough that I couldn’t give you up.”

  “Alex did, yes. But I always planned on…fixing you…once I found out you were Penelope.”

  I glare at him, surprisingly wounded by the admission. I shouldn’t be, because I’m really nothing to him otherwise, but I can’t deny the way it knifes at my chest. “Before that, it didn’t matter, right? I was just another human sacrifice.”

  He hitches a shoulder, completely unbothered or unapologetic.

  “You’re an asshole.”

  “Yes, I am. Don’t pretend you don’t like it.”

  “Who’s pretending?” I open the spell book again. I read through a few spells while we sit in silence, but then I snap it shut. He’s smiling at me when I glance his way again. I roll my eyes.

  “Tell me more about her…Penelope.”

  His gaze drifts to the left as he goes quiet. After a moment of loud shifting in his chair, he finally relents. “The first time I met her was in the mid-sixteen hundreds. I was drinking alone in a tavern, but there were many others like me mingling with the humans that night, each of them looking for the next meal. The place was full. The Black Death was once again claiming hundreds of victims in London, and the people who were ‘healthy’ needed a drink to escape the reality of the people dying around them by the boatloads. Of course, it was never a plague, it was vampires like me draining humans to near death and causing panic because... I’m not sure why. Maybe to feel powerful?” He thinks about that then shakes it off. “She burst inside that wooden building, swords out and gleaming. She didn’t care who saw her or learned of our secret. She stood there, begging to be fought, and my kind can’t resist a challenge. She took out a dozen vampires that night.”

  “But not you?”

  He laughs and runs a finger along his chin. “She killed five young vampires in the time it took for me to finish my drink. I continued to watch—enraptured—as she killed another two. The things she could do with a sword... One slice and she took off two heads. Clean. She expected me to run, but I poured myself another drink instead.”

  I raise my eyebrows in surprise. This man doesn’t seem to know what’s good for him.

  “She asked me why I didn’t run or try to fight when she came to kill me, and I told her I was caught in her spell. She must be magic, of course.”

  I roll my eyes, imagining that coming off as a line even back in the sixteen hundreds.

  “She looked at me as you do now.” His voice drops, his tone softer. “You look just like her from the button nose and the single dimple in your right cheek to the three tiny freckles in a row on your throat.” His eyes dip, and I touch my neck, never having noticed them, and make a mental note to check that later.

  “She came at me. We fought, and she was surprised to find me stronger than the others she’d just slayed. In the end, she got the better of me, and I can’t say I minded all that much. She stood over me, feet on either side of my chest and knelt down to press a stake over my heart. The blade only just broke skin. Her face was all scrunched up in anger, the same face that you make when you’re both curious and annoyed, and then... ”

  I lean in closer. “And then?”

  “She just stopped. She leaned back on her heels and lowered the stake to her thigh. I never tried to kick her off or get the better of her. She just pushed herself up off the ground and said, ‘I’m done killing today.’ Then she jogged off.”

  My lips part, and I lose my ability to speak. I warm all over, and as my heart beats faster, my aura burns brighter.

  “If I come in close…” Slowly, he moves forward until his face is inches from mine. My breath catches, and my heart pumps even faster. Every nerve in my body is firing, signaling for my brain to run, to hold him, to touch him, to push him away. But all I can do is sit and wait. The suspense is killing me. “I can still smell the lavender she’d used in her bath water.”

  I close my eyes, lost in his words. This body yearns for him, and I can’t be sure if it’s who I used to be or who I am now. Does it matter? I can’t be sure, but part of me thinks it does. Whether I was Penelope or not, I don’t have her memories, so I can’t have her thoughts. She isn’t me, and I’m not her. Not really. The woman he cared for is gone. But dammit if I don’t want very badly to be kissed right now. I lick my lips and wait for him to close the distance. His breath washes over me, and his presence feels warm though he’s room temperature. I wait a long while, at least a minute, but when I’m sure the moment is gone, I finally open my eyes, and he’s no longer beside me. I exhale, disappointed and confused. I’m glad that he didn’t do what we both seemed to want but also devastated that he didn’t.

&nbs
p; * * *

  Hungrier than a bear after winter, I find the kitchen and root through the fridge. I make myself a mile-high sandwich with every meat known to man and a few pieces of lettuce to make it healthy. With one of my favorite books that I’ve borrowed from their library—The Time Traveler’s Wife—under my armpit, and my massive sandwich in both hands, I climb the stairs to my room. The moonlight streams in through the grand window at the top of the stairs, highlighting a path since the chandelier is off. The lights in the rooms at the bottom of the stairs glow softly, like they’re lit with only candles. There is a whooshing sound, my hair flutters, and Sebastian is at my side.

  “Would you like a shovel?”

  I bite a big piece of sandwich and smile with my lips awkwardly parted as I chew. Highly unattractive but you don’t comment on a lady’s eating. It’s just not nice. I swallow the massive bite and take a few more stairs.

  “I thought we were going to train?”

  He ignores me. “I’ve found us a nomad.”

  “Is that where you’ve been these last few hours? I almost starved to death in my room waiting for wolves to find me and rip apart my flesh.”

  “Why not vampires?”

  I glance at him and roll my eyes. “You were saying?” I take another bite and wipe the touch of mayonnaise that slides down my chin.

  “I found a nomad.”

  “Is that supposed to mean something to me?”

  “A nomad is a vampire without a master—either because their masters are dead or their masters granted them freedom. There are several within a few hours’ drive. We’ve crossed paths with some over the years, but they stay in their county, and we stay in ours…unless we’re passing through. There’s a really young one in Hants. I stalked him for a bit and found his home. We’ll drive over there once you finish your dead meat sandwich, and you can take him out.”

  Crumbs fall from my sandwich onto the expensive rug on the hardwood staircase. “Shit.” If Alexander had to clean it up himself, I wouldn’t care. I’d love for him to pick up after me, but the maids have been nice to me.

  “You know this vampire?”

  “Not well,” he confesses.

  “But you know him, and you want me to kill him?”

  He slides his hands into the pockets of his black pants. He wears a white shirt that only makes his skin seem paler. Still handsome, though, I think as I frown at him.

  “That’s what I said, isn’t it?” He looks at me like I’m simple.

  I glare at him.

  “I met him in a coffee shop a year or so ago. We both knew what the other was, and he came to sit with me. Sometimes, you just need to be around your own kind, you know?”

  I understand that, but that isn’t what I’m questioning him about.

  “We had coffee. We chatted. He paid the bill.”

  “He bought you coffee, and now you want to kill him? That’s cold, Sebastian, even for you.”

  At the top of the staircase, I turn toward my room. I wipe my hands on my leather pants, which stick to me like glue. What I wouldn’t give for jogging pants. In my room, I toss the book on the bed. He picks it up and looks at me with a single raised eyebrow.

  “Don’t judge me. You had it in your library and it’s either yours or Alexander’s.”

  “Probably one of the staff’s.” He tosses it back on the bed.

  I grin at him. “Sure, it is.” I scour the closet for something sensible. “Can I borrow a pair of your jeans?”

  “You’re not tall enough to bite my ankles. They’ll never fit you.”

  I grab a pillow from the bed and biff it at his head. He whips to the right and winks at me. “You’ll have to be faster than that.”

  “Cassandra’s closet is ridiculous. I need something comfortable to wear.”

  “Well, that will definitely entice the vampire to bite you.”

  After letting out a groan, I slide my pants down my legs, not even caring that I’m in the same pair of underwear I had on when he kidnapped me—though I hand cleaned them last night. I just can’t wear those constricting pants anymore. I chuck them at his head.

  “I like your commitment, but he’ll think you’re mad if you show up at his house in panties.”

  At this, I laugh because…well, it’s funny. There is something very amusing about his dry sense of humor. Why didn’t I see that before? “I need a pair of leggings and a tunic. Maybe we could go to my house, and I could pack a bag…” Though he doesn’t answer, I let the idea linger long enough for him to consider it. It’s clear that’s not going to happen, and though I don’t like it, it’s for the best.

  “I want you to force him to bite you and then stake him through the heart. This will be a good practice run for you. And it’ll show me where we need to focus on your training. You ever box, wrestle, take karate, anything like that?”

  “I ran track.”

  “Considering a vampire is faster than a cheetah, your running skills aren’t going to help you.”

  “Neither is punching a vampire who’s harder than stone.”

  He opens his mouth to speak but snaps it shut. Yes, vampire, I have a very good point. He’s not as smart as he thinks he is.

  “I saw Penelope fight. She couldn’t outrun them, but when she hit, she hit hard. I don’t know if it was the magic in her blood, but she wasn’t weak, and I don’t suspect you’ll be either.”

  “I guess we’ll find out.” I prop my hands on my hips. “So bite, then stake. Got it. Now, are you going to help me find some pants or not?”

  He releases a frustrated groan and leaves the room. I stare at the hallway through the open doorway and gently tap my fingers on my hips. Was that an ‘I’m done with this conversation,’ or did he go to get me some pants? Either way, I hope the maid doesn’t walk by. But I’m fairly certain she’s probably seen more weird things here than a human girl without pants.

  I wait a few minutes and then a few more. No Sebastian. Where did he go? I make for the door, but he swoops in quickly to block me. I slap his chest, surprised by his movements. Damn, I wish he’d stop that.

  He hands me a pair of black leggings. I light up like a ten-year-old on Christmas morning. Without thinking, I wrap my arms around his neck and squeeze him tight in gratitude like he’s given me a kidney. He goes rigid, and I remember myself quickly, but I don’t pull away just yet. It feels nicer than it should. His cool hands slowly touch my back, first so soft I’m not sure if I’m imagining it, but then he lowers them to my hips. His breath tickles my ear, and I inhale his scent. He smells outdoorsy, like cedar with a hint of musk.

  “I’m sorry,” I say.

  “A thank you would have been sufficient, though if you’re feeling really grateful I have an hour if you want to make use of the bed.”

  I push him away and scold him with a single glare. Leave it to him to turn a tender moment into something sexual. And wait…did he say an hour? My aura glows almost neon pink, and it’s blinding.

  I increase the space between us while he chuckles at my back. I sit on the plush bed and shove my feet through the pant legs of the leggings. Before I can stand, he kneels in front of me. His expression is serious as he reaches out and places a hand on either side of the bed, close enough for his thumbs to brush against the thin fabric of the pants. My stomach tingles, and I swallow hard. If he turns his smolder up a notch, I might not be able to refuse him right now. He’s growing on me in the worst way possible, in a way I shouldn’t even contemplate. A hunter and vampire? Could there be a worse pair?

  “Is there something you want to say?” I ask while regarding his hesitant big blue eyes.

  He thinks about it for a moment before standing and taking a few steps backward. Without a word, he shakes his head and I’m left wanting. Wishing more than anything that my magic allowed me to read minds.

  14

  “This is a test,” he says calmly. His aura flickers, those tiny red specks still dancing in his golden light. “You’re human, and he can kill y
ou. You can’t forget that.”

  “But I’ll be reborn,” I say, trying to make light of the situation. I shouldn’t because there is a sickness growing in the pit of my stomach when I think about what I have to do—what I’m meant to do.

  He doesn’t appreciate my humor. “You let him bite you, and you stake him. Don’t hesitate. You hesitate, and you die. You let him go, and you die. You—”

  “I get it. I get it. I’m dead in a million ways. I’ll stake him, okay? Try to have a little faith.”

  He seemed so confident earlier, and now he seems to doubt me. At first, I wonder if he’s rethought his position, but then I watch his aura and feel his emotions very clearly. Worry. For all his bad qualities, this one really endears him to me in a way that overshadows everything else.

  “I’ll be fine. I promise.” I try to sound confident, though he likely sees right through me.

  In order to make the vampire want me more, I put on a glittery tunic that’s form fitting and falls just below my butt. I wear my hair up. Sebastian says there is nothing more appetizing than a long, bare neck.

  We drive an hour or so outside of the city while he grills me on the plan. Over and over again. “How many times do we have to go over this?” I say, with a sigh. “I go up to this door and knock and pretend to be all vulnerable and innocent and tell him my car broke down, and can I please use his phone, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I can do this. The last time a vampire bit me, she pretty much collapsed, and then your friend had to carry her away.”

  “Yes. I remember.”

  “Sorry.”

  “This one is much younger than Cassandra. A good vampire to start with.”

  He stares at me with his crimson eyes, but I feel the heat of his anger more from his aura than his eyes. I think I like him better when he’s being an ass. Careful, cautious Sebastian is intense, and he makes me more nervous than I need to be.