He appeared within the stall, so close to me I could immediately smell his spicy sweet blood. “What is this place?” He crinkled his nose.
I took the end of my braid and brought it to my nose. “This is a bathroom at school.”
“It’s barbaric.” He leaned back. “And crowded.”
I took a deep breath through my nose. Peppermint. I only smell peppermint, I chanted internally. “I just wanted to tell you that I’m going to a friend’s house after school.”
Laeddin glared. “You brought me into this smelly bathroom to tell me that?”
My insides shot with pain. Why was he acting so mean? “It’s called consideration. I didn’t want you to drive all the way to the school so that I could tell you that I was going home with someone else.”
“I appreciate your thoughtfulness, Jasmine.” He gave me a look of complete disdain. “Just think, if you would’ve given me the same respect before biting me, our conversation might be less abrupt.”
“You’re a jerk. If you hadn’t flaunted your delicious blood, I wouldn’t have grazed.” I pushed my finger into his chest. “Grazed your neck.” I flipped the collar of his shirt in irritation. “And get a cell phone so that in the future I can call or text you.”
“Call? Text?”
“Yes, it’s all part of the human experience. Get yourself an O-phone and figure it out.”
The door to the bathroom opened.
“Go,” I mouthed.
His eyes flickered to the colorful hat I held in my other hand. He lifted a brow in question.
“It’s nothing.”
He vanished.
I flushed the toilet and opened the stall door. A girl was applying mascara. “Hey.” I turned on a sink and washed my hands.
She just smiled.
Chapter 20
Abby was waiting by the front door, just as we’d talked about. “Jack, you ready to go?”
I bounced up and down on the balls of my feet. “Yep.” I pushed open the front doors.
Drake rushed past us, knocking Abby over.
“Rude.” I smacked him in the chest. He flew back and smacked into a group of students, knocking them over too.
“What the hell, freak?” Drake’s face was a mixture of shock and anger. Blood leaked from his eyebrow. The salty and coppery aroma snuck up on me and pounced. My fangs fought to break free, the sharp tips grazing my bottom lip. I wanted him, his blood. I dove onto Drake and licked the blood.
“Dude?” Drake grabbed my arms and pushed me back. He looked scared and a little intrigued. “What kind of crazy are you?’ He smirked. “I can work with that.”
I scrambled to my feet. Abby gave me a strange stare. Did she think I was crazy too? Probably.
But she stuck out her hand. “Help me up.”
I pulled her to her feet. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Agreed.” She ran down the steps and I followed.
***
I had homework. So did Abby, but we ignored it. Instead we were lying on our stomachs. Side by side on Abby’s king-sized bed, we watched the fourth episode of The Vampire Diaries on her laptop.
Her room was decorated in pink, white, and black, and the wall across from the bed was wallpapered in cherry blossoms. A large window with a cushioned seat under it was on one side. On the other was a built-in desk with bookshelves along the sides and across the top. Her bedspread and carpet were white and decorative pillows in pink and black covered her bed. A walk-in closet was to the left of the door and a bathroom was on the right. Against the wall with the cherry blossom paper sat a dresser with a large screened TV hanging from the wall.
Between us was a bag of candy. It was long and red and had cartoonish pictures of cherries on the front. It smelled nothing like cherries.
“Want one?” Abby asked, holding one of the red ropes out.
I wrinkled my nose. “No. Thanks.”
“Okay, more for me.” She took a bite and returned her focus to the show.
It was weird, watching a TV show about vampires. The rules of the show were complicated and strange. In my world, there was magic, and vampires called the Originals, but that was where the similarity between truth and fiction ended. Probably the most distressing knowledge was that none of the vampires in the show had wings.
Maybe I really am a freak, I thought unhappily.
“You really like this?” I gave her a sideways glance. It was obvious she did. Her body tensed and she hung on every word.
“Don’t you?” She was incredulous. “It’s got everything. Hot guys. Unrequited love. Vampires.” She paused the show. “I mean vampires and kissing vampires and drama and angst and more drama. It’s like the best show ever.” She seemed serious. “Sometimes I close my eyes and pretend I’m Nina and Damon bites my neck and drinks from me.” Her eyes danced with joy. “It seems so sensual, like the bond would be so powerful.”
Who was I to disagree? “So far, it seems pretty good.”
Abby got off the bed.
“Where are you going?” I hoped she wasn’t upset that I didn’t have her passion for the show.
“I need a drink. You want one?” She walked to the door and paused, waiting for my answer.
I did want a drink. Of blood. Rich and thick and nourishing. I casually wondered what Abby would think if she found out I was a vampire, that like her favorite show, she had a friend who loved the dark and the taste of blood. Immediately I knew it would scare her. I also knew that if I turned down a drink, she’d start to get suspicious.
“Water, if you’ve got it.”
She nodded, visibly relaxing. I hadn’t realized how tense she’d been. “Sure. I’ll be right back.”
By agreeing to a human drink I’d relaxed her, but my stress began to build. I’d never had water, never tasted human food. In Sharra, my dad usually ate a blueberry bagel with strawberry cream cheese, his “go to” breakfast, although sometimes he’d switch it up and have pancakes or eggs and bacon. Whatever he ate, he was normally done before I ever came down for my breakfast. What if I took a drink of the water and it burned or tasted terrible or made me puke? Could I pretend to drink it? The answer worried me. I waited nervously, considering my options if something strange happened.
It seemed to be taking Abby a long time to return and I started to worry. Using my unique hearing, I listened. Outside I heard birds, the sounds of small animals rummaging, insects buzzing and burrowing, a spider spinning her web, and a large family of rabbits. I turned my focus inside. There was breathing, though it was erratic. Was she scared?
I quickly left the bedroom and went in search of Abby. Her home was large, but easily maneuverable. I made my way downstairs to the kitchen, figuring that was where she would’ve gone for a drink. She wasn’t there. But the refrigerator door hung open. That sent up a warning sign.
“Abby.” I closed the fridge, walked out of the kitchen and turned down a small hallway. There were three closed doors. One on the left, one straight ahead, and one on the right. I pulled the one on the left open first. The room contained a washer and dryer. There were cupboards, a counter, and a sink. An ironing board and other laundry things. But Abby wasn’t inside.
I opened the door straight ahead. It was a garage. It was dark, but I could see easily enough. She wasn’t there.
I went to open the door on the right, but it was locked.
“Abby,” I called again.
“I’m almost done, Jack. Sheesh, you scared me.”
My fears immediately calmed. “Sorry.” I paused. “Did you want me to grab the drinks?”
“That’d be great. I’ll be right there.”
“K, what do you want?”
“A soda. They’re in the fridge.”
That reminded me that the refrigerator door had been left open. “You sure you’re alright?”
She didn’t answer right away. That made me nervous. “Abby.”
A low growl. “Give me some privacy. Jeez,” she barked.
“So
rry,” I said again, feeling embarrassed. I went back to the kitchen, grabbed a soda and a bottle of water, and then walked back upstairs to her bedroom.
I decided to see what the water tasted like while Abby was out of the room. Opening the bottle, I brought the liquid to my lips and took a sip. It wasn’t bad, kind of refreshing. I took another. As the liquid went down my throat, it coated and sunk into my stomach. It wasn’t filling or satisfying, but at least it didn’t hurt.
That was good to know. I would start drinking water at lunch. Putting the lid back on the bottle I was about to place it on the bed to wait when I heard a loud thump.
“That’s it.”
I ran downstairs, past the living room and dining room, and into the kitchen. “Abby,” I called.
She turned the corner. Her body looked the same, but I knew immediately there was something different, an odd bend in her body. Worse though, was the smell. Abby’s blood, while it hadn’t been as appealing as some of the other humans, now smelled rotten.
A sick feeling consumed my body. It was the same smell as the body of the man in the forest.
“That’s right, Abby is gone.” A cruel smile lifted Abby’s lips. It looked wrong on her kind face.
My heart broke. “Abby was a good person.” An uncontrollable rage built and filled my body. I hadn’t known Abby long, but I considered her a friend. That this demura named Iza had killed her and taken her soul made my heart ache with fury and sadness.
“Whether she was good or not is of no value to me. I required her body so I took it.”
It seemed childish, but I asked anyway. “Why her? There are millions of humans in this world. Why choose her?” I wasn’t prepared for the depth of emotion permeating my being at losing Abby. It was made worse that I had to witness the demura using her appendages and speaking with her voice.
“I promised you pain. Over the centuries I’ve learned it’s far more effective to harm those that my victim cares for if I want them to suffer. It makes the game so much more enjoyable.”
“But what am I to you? I thought the forest was your hunting ground.”
“When you entered my forest you became my prey. It doesn’t matter that you aren’t still in the forest.” Abby’s body swayed back and forth as though moving to a rhythm I couldn’t hear.
“Tell me what you want.”
He crossed his arms and I nearly cried because he was doing it in Abby’s body.
“That’s easy. I want to continue doing what I’ve been doing for centuries. Making all creatures miserable, feeding on souls, destroying lives. Just the basics.” He leaned against the doorframe, crossing one leg over the other. “So you’re going to have to get out of my way.”
“I can’t do that.” My fangs came out. I couldn’t stand by and let any more people become corpses because of the demura. And although I didn’t know anything about the creature, there was no way I would let it walk around using Abby’s body. Just as with the man in the forest, I attacked it. This time it didn’t release her body, but used Abby’s body to attack back. He wrapped Abby’s arms around me and began to squeeze.
“You think you can’t be hurt, don’t you?”
I smirked. “That’s right. You can’t hurt me.”
In response he squeezed tighter. And shocker! I felt it. Like really felt it. The demura squeezed so tight that one of my ribs popped.
I screamed. Pain, worse than any I’d ever experienced, cut through my body. It hurt so badly.
The demura didn’t stop. Three more ribs broke. My body was shutting down, the pain beyond excruciating.
If the demura continued, my body would give up. The only way to recuperate was blood and a lot of it.
“See, you aren’t as invincible as you thought.” Spittle landed on my cheek. I forced myself not to look away. He didn’t deserve my fear.
The smell surrounding Abby’s body was putrid, but if I didn’t drink I would surely die. So I did the unthinkable. I sunk my teeth into her flesh. Blood immediately poured into my mouth and down my throat. My body responded immediately to the blood. My ribs snapped back into place. I continued to drink, sensing Abby’s body dying. It broke my heart, but there was no other way.
When her body was nearly dry, the demura let out a high-pitched squeal, and released itself from Abby, becoming mist once again. It floated upward and disappeared through the ceiling.
I disentangled myself from Abby and although I was devastated my friend was dead, I breathed a sigh of relief that that thing was no longer inside her. Sitting on the floor next to her, I placed her head in my lap. Her once warm eyes were lifeless and her body hung limp, like an empty balloon.
For the first time in my life I cried. Large tears rolled down my cheeks. They weren’t like normal tears, but red with blood.
“Laeddin! Laeddin!” I shrieked his name until my throat was raw.
He appeared with apparent disgust that I had bothered him again. Until he really looked at me and at my dead friend.
“I wish for you to bring her back to life. Please. I wish it. I wish it.” I rocked back and forth, my hands cupping her face. Red tears fell on her face and dripped down her cheeks so it looked like she cried too.
Laeddin’s contempt quickly turned to sympathy. “What’s happened?” he asked, kneeling next to me.
I told him everything. About my first meeting the demura, and what happened this time, and then finished up with how I drank Abby’s blood to save myself. “It’s so awful,” I cried, wishing I could take it back.
“I know, Jasmine. I’m so sorry.” His fingers stroked my hair. It felt good. I didn’t want to feel anything but awful so I pushed him away.
“Bring her back to life, please. She didn’t deserve this.”
He sighed. “I know. She most certainly didn’t. But I can’t bring her back. For one thing it’s against the rules an—”
“Break the damn rules, Laeddin. Please.” I hugged her close. “Please.”
He patted my shoulder. “What do you think she’d be if I brought her back? Everything that made Abby, Abby is no longer there.”
I knew he was right. With every ounce of myself I knew it. But I didn’t want to believe. I wasn’t ready to let her go.
A noise rumbled from the garage and I realized in horror that it was opening. Someone was home. The panic must’ve shown on my face. Laeddin gripped my arms. In the blink of an eye we were no longer in Abby’s kitchen, but ours.
“My backpack,” I cried. “It’s still in her room.”
“I’ll get it.” He vanished and reappeared carrying my backpack within seconds.
“Did…” I swallowed. Part of me didn’t want to know, but the biggest part of me needed to hear his answer. “Did someone find her?”
Laeddin rubbed a hand over his face. “Yes.” He spoke the word so quietly.
Chapter 21
That night I dreamed of the man claiming to be my betrothed again. He spoke of what it would be like to be married, how many children he wished to have, and where we would live. He spoke of Sharra, the creatures there, and about how I drank Abby’s blood. I’d been humiliated by his words, but he kept talking anyway, explaining that what I’d done had been a survival instinct. He continued that I should be grateful I possessed such a predisposition. Otherwise I would be dead. I didn’t want to agree, but a tiny part of my brain appreciated the support. Most strangely, he spoke of my wings and how exquisite they were. I hated to admit that while he talked the same part of my brain that appreciated his words also cherished them. And just like last time, right before I woke, he took me in his arms and kissed me.
When my alarm went off I wasn’t as afraid of the man in my nightmare as I’d been the first time. I quickly got ready for school and went down to breakfast. Even though I’d drunk Abby nearly dry the day before I was famished.
There was blood in a glass just as there had been the last two days. I drank it quickly, silently wishing it was any blood but human. Even troll would be better. It w
as what I deserved.
Laeddin hadn’t come down yet and I was grateful. Although he’d seemed less angry when he went to bed last night, he still wasn’t the same guy I’d first met in the cave.
It seemed like a lifetime ago that I’d made my wish to be normal. It hadn’t even been a week. It was only Wednesday.
“Are you ready to go?” Laeddin asked, coming into the kitchen. He took an orange from the fridge. His scent swirled past my nose like the tail of a kite.
I quickly took a sprig of peppermint and put it in behind my ear. That helped a little, but not nearly enough. I didn’t understand why his blood smelled so much better than any I’d ever encountered.
“Yes,” I said, swinging my backpack onto my shoulder.
Laeddin took my hand. “If you don’t want to go, it’s okay.”
I gave him a wary look.
“Everyone knows about Abby. I believe your friend Cam even texted you last night.”
“Oh!” I took my phone from my backpack. I’d forgotten about it, too wrapped up in my own sorrow.
He’d sent five different texts.
Did you hear about Abby? Call me.
Jack, I need to talk.
Abby is dead. Please text back.
They are saying her blood was drained from her body.
OMG. Jack, you aren’t dead too, are you?
“I’d better text back.”
I was new to the texting thing, but I typed my message out and sent it.
I’m so sorry, Cam. I didn’t know her long, but I considered her my friend. Are you going to be at school?
He quickly texted back.
Thank God you’re safe. I can’t go to school. I’m too sad. Want to come over? We can be sad together.
I read Cam’s text to Laeddin. “What do you think? Should I go over?”
Laeddin shrugged. He freaking shrugged. I’d never wanted to punch the genie so badly.
“Well, gee, thanks for your help.”
Vampire Lies (Blood and Snow Season Book 1) Page 10
