by Terry Spear
“Anyone who could save me from an ancient vampire is clearly brilliant, Marissa.”
I smiled at Dominic when he turned back to give me a grin. He almost always said the right words.
“Yes, Miss Kate?” the teacher asked.
“Would the mind spell work on vampires?”
Snickers filled the room.
I could have killed Kate on the spot, though we’d been best friends since kindergarten.
Kate folded her arms, and the teacher smiled. “We’re not in a fantasy class, dear. But hypothetically, yes, if the vampire was human.”
But I wasn’t sure the teacher was right. How would she know what a vampire was capable of? “But how would we know?” I asked, then wondered if I’d gone mad for posing the question out loud. Of course my only thought was if Dominic and I could use it on Lynetta, maybe we’d stand a chance to destroy her. The teacher waited for more of an explanation of my question. “I mean, since vampires have never been proven to be real, how would we know if we could wipe their minds of their thoughts, even for an instant?”
“Bring one to class tomorrow and we can test our theory.”
Several kids laughed, except, of course, for Kate, Dominic, and me.
I glanced at Kate who glowered at Dominic, giving him the evil eye. Had she bribed Joshua to ask me to the dance like Dominic suspected? She’d be dead meat.
Kate turned to me and frowned.
“If there are no further questions, we’ll begin the spell. Oh, though I probably don’t need to mention this to you, the spell will not work on witches or warlocks, except in the instance where you can use it on yourself. So if you want your mother to forget to serve calf’s liver for supper, it won’t work.”
Several groaned at the mention of eating liver.
I wondered though, did Kate think she could cast the spell on Dominic? Or was it a way of her warning us that she knew he was a…Prince of Darkness?
“Once we memorize the spell, who will we get to test it on?” Kate asked.
“I have lined up some human volunteers to take part in our practice today.” Mrs. Robertson motioned to the doorway. Twelve men and five women walked into class. “I’m afraid I’m one person short, not realizing I’d have a new student. Now, these ladies and gentlemen will tell you what’s bothering them, and you’ll clear their mind of their worries. Depending on how strong your spell-casting ability is, they can lose their memories of the concern anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.”
Turning to the purple chalkboard, she scribbled the spell on it. “Now, choose a human volunteer to work with, and when everyone’s finished, we’ll see how well you did.”
Chairs scraped along the linoleum floor. But instead of Kate targeting a human, she headed straight for Dominic.
I tried to intercept her, but the teacher said, “It’s all right, Kate. If anyone is unsuccessful with the spell, we’ll give Dominic a try.”
“As a new student, wouldn’t it be better if he was given a chance to try first? I’ll give up my volunteer to let him go first.”
“Well, certainly. That’s thoughtful of you, dear.”
Thoughtful, my foot. Kate knew Dominic was a vampire. Not a warlock. She was certain he’d fail. My blood absolutely sizzled with annoyance.
Dominic bowed his head slightly to Kate. A slim smile crept across his face. He turned to one of the men while I took my place in front of one of the women. I tried to concentrate on asking my volunteer what she was worrying about so I could rid her of the concern, while trying to ignore Dominic’s work beside me. I needed first to clear my worry, but I doubted the spell would work on me, as anxious as I felt.
The tall, gangly woman, wearing a long black dress, towered over me by a good six inches. Her black hair was pulled severely back in a bun, and she appeared pale, except for the bright red lipstick coating her thin lips. She definitely looked like an older Goth. She studied me for a moment, then said only for my ears, “My concern, witch, is that you will not suffer enough at my master’s command.”
Instantly, my skin chilled as if I’d been immersed in an icy pool of water. The blood rushed in my ears, I forgot the spell, and the bones in my legs dissolved.
Everything after that seemed to happen all at once.
A throaty hiss escaped Dominic’s lips, Kate gasped, and my female volunteer lunged at me with a wickedly sharp dagger.
Chapter 9
DOMINIC
I couldn’t help myself, Prince of Darkness that I was. Marissa was mine to protect, as I was hers. When I heard the whispered words of one of Lynetta’s human hosts threatening Marissa, I couldn’t control my vampiric reaction. The hiss escaped my lips before I could stop it. Kate heard, so did the host and Marissa. Luckily, everyone else was too far away and preoccupied, the warlocks and witches working their own calming spells while their human volunteers waited patiently for the results.
As soon as I swung around to face the threat, the female blood host thrust a ten-inch blade at Marissa’s heart. Both Marissa and I grabbed the host’s arm with vampiric speed and jerked it upward. The host screamed, the teacher screamed, Kate screamed, and the dagger flew into the air.
With her hand to her breast, Mrs. Robertson said, “Please be careful with the volunteer, dears. It’s only a simulation.”
It was no more a simulation than my kissing Marissa had been the night before. My mind raged with fury, and I had to fight the urge to tear the woman’s throat out while I fought to keep my already extended canines concealed. The overwhelming desire to use them while countermanding that urge was giving me a painful crick in the jaw.
Marissa, on the other hand, quickly worked her spell on the woman, clearing her thoughts of what she had in mind to do to Marissa.
Kate seemed to be intent on doing the same to the female host. Maybe they could wipe her mind of everything, forever. I gave a tight smile and helped them. With the three of us clearing the woman’s mind, perhaps we’d take care of one of Lynetta’s playthings for the time being.
The teacher spoke to me, her tone saccharine sweet. “Did you finish with your volunteer, Mr. Dominic?”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said, hoping I’d managed to do the spell properly before Marissa’s assailant had garnered my attention.
I turned to the man I had worked with and silently commanded him to take Lynetta’s blood host to the bus station, buy a ticket for her and send her to New York City. The host could wander around there for a good long while, trying to figure out what was up.
Lynetta would have lost one of the minions who was doing her evil bidding.
When the man took the woman’s arm and led her from the room, the teacher smiled. “Well, they seemed pleased. I’m sorry we didn’t have anyone for you to work on, Miss Kate.”
Kate exchanged glances with Marissa and me. “I think I can do the spell all right.”
I would love to read Kate’s mind. She seemed to ponder what had happened, and I believe she had come to the conclusion I was not totally bad after all.
When the rest of the students finished their spells and the bell rang for our next class, she dogged Marissa’s and my steps out the door.
“Okay, tell me the truth, you two. I want to know everything.” Kate grabbed Marissa’s arm and mine and pulled us out of the students’ path.
“The truth is we’re going steady,” Marissa said, her eyes narrowed.
My stomach tightened while we waited for Kate’s response, which I was sure would be explosive.
“When did this happen? While he was biting you into submission?” Her teeth clenched, Kate pointed at the fading bite marks on Marissa’s neck.
Again, I felt guilty about having left any sign of what I’d done on Marissa’s tender skin.
Crossing her arms, Marissa chuckled. “He can’t control me, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Kate groaned out loud. “Are you hearing yourself?”
I was pretty sure I’d convinced Marissa to be mine,
but now with Kate’s interrogation of her and the anger she exhibited, my surety was slipping.
“Yes, Kate. He needs my help. And I’m going to give it to him.” Marissa seemed bound and determined to stick by my side, thank heavens.
“He needs a mistress for all eternity, and you’re the one, right? Until he sees a cuter girl, and then she’s the one? How many centuries has this gone on? How many has he kissed into submission and heaven knows what else?”
Marissa laughed.
Her girlfriend had accused me of all kinds of hideous things, and my steady laughed?
“Well, truthfully, Kate, I think the only terrible thing he has done was give the last girl a kiss—”
“The one before that,” I reminded her. “You were the last one I kissed, and it was not a terrible thing.”
Marissa grinned at me. “Yes, my mistake. The girl he kissed before me was a vampire—Lynetta. She looks about the same age as us, but I think she’s much older.”
“Three hundred years,” I supplied, wondering how I could have gotten tangled up with a woman that old.
Kate’s mouth dropped open as she stared at me, her eyes emerald daggers, her cheeks crimson. “You can’t ask Marissa to help you. You’ll get her killed. What was this business with the human moments ago?” She waved wildly at the classroom behind us.
“That was one of Lynetta’s human blood hosts. She feeds off them, but doesn’t share her blood with them. They remain tied to her, but not turned. She uses them to do her bidding while she sleeps,” I explained.
Kate folded her arms and scowled at me. “Great. So now these hosts will come after Marissa and try to kill her? Break up with Marissa! Let the vamp know you have no interest in her, and she’ll leave Marissa alone. If you care about Marissa as much as you seem to…”
“He can’t, Kate.” Marissa touched her shoulder. “He needs my help. If I don’t kill the vamp, she’ll turn him for good.”
Kate stared at Marissa. “Kill her? You have to kill her?”
Marissa nodded.
Turning to face me again, Kate said, “You’re only partially a…a—”
“Prince of Darkness,” I offered with a slight bow.
“That’s why you can be out in the sunlight.”
“On a cloudy day,” Marissa corrected.
Kate sternly wrinkled her brow. “You didn’t stay with Marissa all last night, did you?”
I wasn’t prepared for that question. And I was sure Marissa would want to deny the truth of the matter. But when she spoke, I was shocked to hear her say what she did.
“Kate, I have never lied to you before and I don’t intend to now. But you must believe me when I say that Dominic and I are bound to each other. Whether it’s fate or whatever, it doesn’t matter. The fact is Lynetta tried to take more of his blood last night, and I had to beat her off with a garden stake.” Kate flinched, but Marissa continued. “Between that, using a release spell, and Dominic’s struggles, we managed to break free from her and enter the safety of my house. He couldn’t have left last night, not with her hungering outside for his blood.”
“Instead, he took some of yours?” Again, Kate looked at the telltale bites on Marissa’s throat.
I could tell by the bitterness in Kate’s voice that she wasn’t pleased with me, or how I had endangered her friend’s life. But for now I kept quiet, letting Marissa explain, as Kate had been her friend for years, not mine. I hoped beyond hope Kate would understand. As much as I desired to protect Marissa from everyone and everything, I had to give her some control over her life that I’m sure she felt she’d lost when I stepped into it.
“He had to, or grow weaker. Tonight when she returns for him—”
Kate threw her hands up in the air in exasperation and groaned again. “I can’t believe this.” She fisted her hands on her hips. “You can’t plan to keep him at your house again tonight.”
“I can’t allow her to be alone,” I interjected.
“Marissa can come to my house.”
“No,” Marissa said firmly. “I can’t endanger you and your family, too.”
Kate paced back and forth on the walk, pausing when the warning bell rang for the beginning of the next class. She turned to Marissa. “I’m sleeping over with you.”
Kate surprised the heck out of me. Marissa had a true and loyal friend in her and my admiration for Kate rose.
Marissa’s eyes widened. “No,” she whispered. “You can’t, Kate. Lynetta will come after you, too.”
Kate smiled a sort of evil grin. “I already helped you to wipe the mind of one of her hosts. I can do it again. Besides, you’ve helped me get out of some tough binds with guys…” She glanced at me as if I were in that category, then faced Marissa again. “So I owe you.”
“But Lynetta’s evil to the core. I—”
“Either you let me in on this…or I’ll let it slip to my parents that you have a guy staying at your house. They’ll tell your aunt. She’ll tell your parents. You know how that’ll turn out.” Kate slipped her arm through Marissa’s and walked her toward the potions class. “Deal?” She glanced back at me.
“The more the merrier,” I said, figuring we hadn’t any choice. And maybe, just maybe, one more witch could help us.
Wouldn’t Lynetta be surprised?
Marissa shook her head. “I don’t want her involved! It’s not safe for her. Well, for any of us, but we can’t help what we have to do. She still has a choice.”
“Agreed.”
“You do realize,” I said, attempting to dissuade Kate for Marissa’s peace of mind, “we’ll have to destroy Lynetta?”
Kate’s lips turned up. “Yeah, well when a girl tries to steal another’s soul mate, I’d say it’s a fair proposition.”
Marissa stared wordlessly. Then she frowned. “You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”
“Well, I imagine when drop-dead gorgeous kissed you last night, you didn’t either.” Kate looked back at me and winked.
Women. If I live a thousand years, I will never be able to figure them out. First, she hated my guts, and now, I was drop-dead gorgeous?
When we walked into potions class, a grizzled old male teacher motioned to tables where beakers and jars of ingredients sat. “You’re late,” he said abruptly, bushy white brows knitted in a scowl. Gnarled fingers combed through the white beard extending to his knees. He didn’t even seem to notice I was new to class.
“You’re late,” he repeated, and we hurried to take the only three unoccupied seats at the front of the class.
Marissa turned to me. “He spits when he speaks. Loose dentures. Everyone avoids sitting up front.”
I wrinkled my nose. She stifled a laugh.
The teacher said, “Everyone was to have ingredients for the sleeping potion.”
“Invisibility potion, Mr. Thornton,” Kate reminded him.
He stared at her for a moment, cleared his throat, then nodded. “Yes, right, the invisibility potion. You learned the procedure last week, but now that you have your ingredients, you can put it to practice. The test is open book.”
Marissa looked at me, concern etched in the wrinkle of her brow. “I don’t have enough ingredients for both of us.”
“I don’t need the potion to turn invisible.”
“Right. We can just make something up.”
Marissa opened her book and began to slip her ingredients into the bottle. Kate glanced at me, then realizing I didn’t have anything to put in mine, shoved some roots, a grassy-looking substance, a vial of yellow liquid and three mushrooms to me.
Surprised, but immeasurably pleased, I bowed my head to her, wordlessly thanking her. After adding the proper amounts to the beaker, I handed the rest back to her with my profound gratitude.
“Partners in crime,” she whispered and gave me a wry smile.
I realized then, somehow I’d won Marissa’s best friend over, too, which could only help our situation at this point.
After adding
boiling water to the mixture, stirring and shaking the ingredients until they dissolved into a fine liquid, we were to test the potion on ourselves. I raised the cooled beaker to my lips, but couldn’t force myself to drink the obnoxious-smelling potion, bittersweet and slightly acidic. I pretended to drink it, then set the beaker on the table. With a motion of my hand, I vanished. Then so did Marissa.
“Can you sense me here beside you, Marissa?”
“You’re invisible.”
I felt the warmth of her body, smelled the perfume scenting her, and listened to the subtle increase in the beat of her heart. I would have reached out and pulled her to me, but I wanted her to learn how to find me on her own when she was invisible.
“Yes, I’m invisible, but can you feel my presence? Shut your eyes and use your sixth sense to locate me.”
She drew closer, her breath touching my cheek, her heart beating faster. I moved my lips to hers and smiled when her mouth turned up.
“I sense you are very close, Dominic.”
“Hmmm, yes, you have great sensory perception.”
I kissed her like I had the night before, building up the passion, gently at first. She hummed her pleasure when I kissed her eyelids, her cheeks, then worked down to her lips.
Suddenly, clapping filled the room.
Chapter 10
MARISSA
With our lips locked together, my eyes popped open. Dominic and I were fully visible. My cheeks burned—well, so did my whole body, all the way down to my sneaker-covered toes.
Mr. Thornton stared at us for a moment, then his gray cheeks stained cherry and he coughed. “Now you can see where the invisibility potion can come in handy. Only next time, you might want to make it a might more powerful to make the experience last longer.”
I glanced at Kate, expecting to see disapproval. But instead she smiled at me. Did she now understand? For once in my life, a guy cared about me, and only about me. It warmed me through and through.
“Yeah,” she said, “I’d say he’s a keeper, girl.”
“That’s what I thought.” I grinned at her, totally thrilled she seemed to like him too, and wanted the best for me.
