by brett hicks
Casey narrowed her eyes at me and blandly said, “Right, since they are usually so welcoming to my species.. I’d rather room with someone I am pretty sure isn’t planning to stake me in my sleep.”
I nodded sagely at that.
“Ah yes, that does make more sense. I make no promises, but I don’t typically carry stakes, so we should be good.”
She snorted and she slapped my shoulder playfully.
“Who knows, you might even have some fun.”
Fun at the faerey and supernatural boarding school, right?
“Fun would be a nice change.”
Casey walked over to a black leather couch and she sunk back into the soft leather. She patted the sofa in invitation.
“Come on, one good thing about faerey school, they get good cable here. Let’s see what we can find on TV.”
I shrugged and I walked over and sank into the buttery-soft leather. The couch was more than just comfortable and it was very welcome after the day I’d had.
“Damn, this thing probably costs more than I’ve spent in my entire life on clothes.”
Casey snorted and rolled her eyes and nodded towards what I assumed must be my room.
“If what I saw was anything to go by, then that is not saying much. Did they open a tomboy’s R US where you lived?”
I twitched my nose and huffed out in faux-insult.
“Ha ha, you’re a very funny vampire. We can’t all walk around looking like cover models. Besides, you don’t want to try to get the dirt out of those silky fabrics you’re wearing.”
Casey shrugged and waved in a vague gesture.
“I just don’t do anything that might soil my clothing.”
I muttered to myself, “Now you really sound like my friend, Jazzy.”
Casey frowned and asked, “Who is Jazzy?”
I quickly explained who my best friend was and how they sounded and acted similarly. Casey seemed to be perfectly fine with my comparison. Then again, Jazzy was a pretty hot and sophisticated chick for our age.
Her lips twitched into a smug smile.
“At least you’re not comparing me to a cat-lady.”
I snorted and rolled my eyes.
“Please, like anyone our age has become a cat-lady yet!”
Casey gave me a pearly grin.
“You’ve just not met any of the Cait Sidhe yet or you wouldn’t say that, Amy.”
I frowned and cocked a brow in question.
“Are they the cat-faerey-shifter-things?”
She chuckled in a burst of laughter and clutched her stomach. She flailed a limp limb in the air as she laughed deeper now.
“I swear, this is just too much fun! You are more amusing than a trip to the circus.”
“Why the hell would a vampire go to the circus? Our lives are enough like a damn side-show act as it is.”
She paused and nodded slightly.
“Can’t exactly disagree with that logic, but I used to love to go with my brother. Clowns freak him out so I would beg to go to the circus just to watch him squirm!”
I chuckled and shook my head slowly in disbelief.
“Honestly, my brother the vampire was afraid of clowns! Still is to my knowledge.”
“Does your brother go to school here?”
She shook her head “no.”
“Mitchel is over one-hundred now, so he’s been out of school for a long time.”
I frowned deeply and tilted my head to the side in confusion.
“Why such a huge age difference?”
She nipped at her lip and shrugged.
“That’s not uncommon with any supernatural or faerey species. Our fertility is much less frequent, so we do not have children very often. Human women ovulate once a month, but we can go decades between ovulation.”
“Huh…”
I said and I suddenly realized that this meant most supernaturals probably had a lot of flings without worrying about anything.
“So, no birth control for us huh?”
She blinked and shook her head.
“That stuff doesn’t work on any of our anatomies. Faereys, vampires, lupine, and all other variety are way too powerful for drugs to affect us. We also don’t get STDs.”
“Wow, talk about the health benefits!”
Casey shrugged.
“Yeah, well when’s the last time humans had to worry about being literally stabbed in the back in high school? The trade-off is the vicious culture and the plethora of natural apex predators all sharing the same space.”
“True, I guess that does make sense when you put it like that. But, why are the various species so aggressive? I get why the lupine are a bit animatic in their behavior, but why are the Sidhe so damn stuffy and… yah know…”
She raised a questioning brow.
“Bitchy?”
I nodded in confirmation.
“That’s certainly a word for it.”
I muttered loudly enough to be heard and Casey snorted. I looked down again and I spotted the dark-brown and red of blood staining my jeans and winced slightly.
“I need to take a bath and get changed.”
Casey nodded and she wagged her hands with a flourish.
“As you wish, princess!”
I scowled at her and pointed an accusing finger.
“Don’t make me open up the vamp joke book.”
She grinned cheerily and said, “You have a whole book of vamp jokes?”
I chuckled and shook my head.
“No, but I’m compiling one now that I am living with a vampire. Any good ones you think I should hear?”
Casey shrugged and said, “Donno, just don’t use a bunch of ‘suck’ jokes, that suck.”
I rolled my eyes and snorted lightly.
“You’re incorrigible, Casey.”
Casey beamed a smile as if I had just fed the highest praise to her species. Part of me wondered if that might possibly be true in some regards. In the time I have known her she made friends after I broke her desk and then she evicted my previous roommate.
“Okay, I’m going to take a bath and get ready for bed, it’s late as hell.”
Casey snorted and muttered something about my age or maturity level, I was not listening as I turned and headed for the bathroom.
***
I was pleased to discover that we already had soaps and shampoo stocked in the room. I sunk into the water and I felt the full weight of my taxing day rush at me full-force. The crushing weight of all I had seen, learned and felt in the past twenty-four hours was nearly crippling.
I began to sob thickly as I absently scrubbed my skin with the soap. I felt the impact of all the words and deeds of the day on my flesh and mind. Everything from waking up in my own bed, breakfast with my dad and then the attack at the soccer stadium all came flooding into me.
I felt like I had suddenly become an invalid I was so inconsolable and wholly out of my mind with grief, grief for the loss of my humanity.
Sobs wracked my body and I felt the needle-like pain of fear all across every square inch of my flesh.
Sometimes knowing was enough to crush a soul, just knowing what was at play. Knowing what was truly wrong with the world and the real threats to your life. I was barely fifteen now and I already had enemies that wanted me dead! This fact alone sent my mind into a tail-spin of terror and grief.
Then there was the matter of my daddy not being the loving father I had always believed him to be. He was a ruthless faerey lord of some repute and I was just a bastard child of some human fling in his whimsical long life.
A girl could cry for much less and not feel ashamed of herself for drowning in her grief. This girl had much sorrow and much regret filling her life.
I made a promise to myself in this tub. I would do my crying now, but I would go to bed and then wake up to stare down my faerey-sized demons. I would not flinch or run away from my life.
Fifteen:
By the time I woke up and showered, and then had a light b
reakfast, I felt much improved. Though, I had nearly forgotten to weave a new glamour over my eyes before Casey peeked out of her room, bleary-eyed. Whatever my father’s lies might be, he did not seem to be joking in the least about hiding my eyes. I would utilize all these new books in this very well stocked faerey library to figure out what was special about having red eyes.
Not to mention that I had seen through my father’s mist illusions in his classroom. This was a feat that no one else in my glamour class was able to manage.
On odd-days, we had basic classes. We had math, science, world history, and English. Basically, two days a week, we were a normal—and I use that term loosely—high school.
Francesca was bug-eyed as I walked into the classroom for the morning math class—morning being more like twelve PM. Several of her friends sneered at me and I noticed watchful lupine eyes around the room. Several of the pack lupines were in my class. They didn’t seem to think much more of me than any other faerey, from what I saw in their behavior, but they kept eyes on me. They seemed to eye the winter Sidhe of the class with caution and barely disguised hate.
Jace must have said something to these watchful wolves. I didn’t know what his deal was or what this might cost me in the long run, but I was grateful. Not that I was planning to thank the damn giant alpha lupine again!
Casey was off on a mission to track down something sweet. She swore that her body ran on blood and chocolate. Considering she was of the female persuasion, I was inclined to believe her. It had not gone unnoticed that Casey had been glued to my side until she saw the watch-wolves. We just met a day ago and I could already tell she was a genuine loyal friend. I guess that sort of comes with the turf of being treated like a leper by most people.
I saw someone move behind me and then take a seat on my left side. I was busy pondering if Casey was really planning to share her precious loot with me when I heard a silky male tone beside me.
“Such a vision you are this morning, Miss Edwards.”
I quirked a brow into my hairline at the over-the-top flattery directed at me by one Dylan Weatherbee. He smiled a brilliant ivory smile and I noticed several of my watch-wolves tense and shift their bodies closer to us.
Interesting, they were literally told to attack anyone they perceived as a threat to me.
I still had zero clues what Jace’s game was, but I felt safer.
“Didn’t they teach you to keep your flattery believable, or do all English boys shoot for the moon?”
I asked in what was more my typical sassy tone—points for Amy for maintaining her sanity! (Says the girl who just referred to herself in third-person!)
Dylan chortled in amusement and his eyes swept over me. I was wearing my typical ensemble, skinny jeans and a The Doors t-shirt, with black and white sneakers. I was just your typical high school age girl, well I think I have better taste in music than most, but that’s beside the point.
I did note his gaze kept traveling to my left side. I tugged my shirt down to cover my belly properly. I wasn’t much for belly-shirts, this one just shrunk in the dryer.
“Word is that you were attacked last night and injured. Justin—one of your attackers—is still in our clinic. I heard that you were taken by the lupine pack alpha-to-be. You look very well for a girl who had a hole in her side last night.”
His tone was soft, but I saw the glimmer of intrigue in his eyes. He was a faerey and had grown up as such. Dylan might have some fleeting attraction for me, but I wasn’t foolish enough to believe his motives were devoid of alternative motivators.
I tried to lie and deny all knowledge of what he was talking about, but my words died in my throat. I groaned internally.
Faerey, so now I can’t tell a damn lie!
I reminded myself and I shrugged and chose not to say anything at all. That was the easiest way to manage what I shared, or overshared. I was worried that anything I said would go straight back to Francesca, or some other malicious faerey.
“How are you really, because I know that lupine cannot heal faerey wounds? I also know that Jace called a doctor, but then canceled the call shortly after. Tell me what happened to you last night, Amy?”
What is this guy, the pointy-eared CIA?! Or would it be MI6 here?
I shrugged and casually said, “I’m fine, as you can see, no wounds.”
I slapped my side hard enough to prove that there was no knife wound hiding in plain sight. Dylan seemed like he wanted to ask more, but Casey dumped what must have been the haul of a lifetime onto my desk.
“Did you rob a damn Krispy Kream?”
She chuckled and Dylan looked lost. I waved in a vague gesture to him.
“It’s a doughnut chain in America.”
His lips formed an O shape and I snatched a bear claw quickly as if I feared Casey might pick that one. She snorted in amusement and rolled her eyes.
“Please, give a girl some credit here, I got two of them—and I got a few chocolate éclairs, too.”
I sighed and I patted her hand playfully and then I batted my eyelashes.
“Marry me, sugar!”
She raised a questioning brow.
“Was that meant for me, or that bear claw you’re fondling?”
I gave her a mock-innocent look—the one every girl perfects on their poor fathers.
“Can’t I mean both of you?”
Casey chuckled and snatched the other bear claw and took a big bite. She made a loud moaning sound that instantly caused all the males around us to whip their heads in our direction.
“Want your change?”
She asked and I shook my head.
“Consider it a tip for classroom delivery service. Besides, I’m thinking something Asian for lunch today, so we might as well just keep our money in one place, right?”
Casey nodded in agreement.
“Far warning though, if you try to steal my spring rolls, then you will end up with a fork in the hand.”
I grinned.
“Consider me warned.”
Casey explained to me that vampires do eat food, a lot of it, like all shape-shifters. Blood is just an extra type of nourishment needed on a regular basis. She tried to explain all the nuances to me, but I honestly lost track. Vampires are pretty complicated and they should come with an instruction manual.
I caught the two watch-wolves eyeing the pastries with unveiled lust. I flagged them both over.
“Hey, you two want some doughnuts? As you can see, this crazy vampy friend of mine robbed a huge doughnut shop.”
Casey hissed at me, but it didn’t sound menacing at all.
“Stop telling everyone that or it’s going to be floating all over campus by the end of the night!”
I shrugged and waved her off with my half-eaten bear claw.
“It’s fine since when do either of us care what these tea-drinkers think!”
I saw a few scowls at that remark and I blushed lightly. I might have over-stepped on that comment, just a little!
The lupine descended on the doughnuts like, well a couple of starving wolves. They both bobbed their head at us, no thanking a faerey, but they looked happy enough to translate the bobs as thanks without collecting some stupid debt. Dylan seemed tense while the watch-wolves were nearby.
“What are your names?”
I asked, curious since they were watching me and I didn’t even know that much. The lanky brown haired one with the feral amber eyes spoke in a teen-squeaky voice.
“I’m Hollister, this is Mack.”
I waved my nearly devoured bear claw in greeting.
“Nice to meet you both, I’m Amy and this is Casey.”
I nodded to my vampire friend beside me. The lupine seemed to have enough manners in them to ignore that fact that my friend was a vampire. They each greeted her politely; I guess no wolf bites the hand that feeds them doughnuts.
I looked to Dylan and I pointed to our trove of sugary loot.
“Want one?”
He shrugged and he reac
hed over and fished out one of the chocolate with sprinkles. All the boys seemed to sense which particular treats Casey and I were trying to hoard for ourselves. A smart boy will never come between a girl and her sugar rush!
The watch-wolves Hollister and Mack were very careful about what they said to me, but they seemed decent enough. I decided that I liked them by the time our teacher stepped in and eyed our remaining loot quizzically. Apparently, it was not at all uncommon for people to bring food to class, but my desk was a veritable doughnut buffet.
“Remind me to specify some limit next time, or the entire class is going to expect us to cater for them.”
I muttered to Casey and she snorted.
“Hey, I was hungry! You don’t send a vampire to get sweets on an empty stomach!”
I nodded and bit my lip to keep from grinning at her.
“If it’s okay with you Miss Edwards, I am going to begin my lesson.”
I waved my hand in a ridiculous gesture and said, “Yes, you may begin now.”
Several people snorted or chuckled in amusement.
I can’t help my sassy mouth, I am a natural extrovert. My teachers usually love me or loathe me, no in-betweens.
***
I should have been surprised that both Jace and Dylan both came to sit with us at lunch. I really shouldn’t have expected it, but somehow I just knew they would. Classes had been much too smooth this morning, so of course, a lupine and faerey rivalry at lunch would have to be the logical progression of my day!
My life was beginning to look more like “chaos theory” by the moment! Neither guy’s interest in being around me was clear. I couldn’t really trust either of them any further than I could throw them!
Jace didn’t make small talk, but then again he hadn’t been one for small talk when we were nearly alone. He reminded me that tomorrow morning he was starting my training. He was giving me until then, due to the fact that I was going to show up for tryouts for the football team. Thankfully, this school is more than large enough to have organized athletics for girls and boys alike. Not that I minded playing on the boy’s team, they could use the damn blow to their egos!
Casey said that she was going to come out to the stadium this time. I think she felt guilty that I was attacked while she was waiting for the sun to set. I tried to tell her in a round-about way that it wasn’t her fault. She pretended to be ignorant to my meaning.
