Darkly Sweet

by Juliann Whicker

  He laughed, low, the sound a caress to my senses. I opened my eyes wide to stare at him. He watched the red blood well from his hand before he bent his head and covered it with his lips.

  I turned away, rubbing my chest. He made it look good, like a wolf licking his wounds, which reminded me of him licking my fingers. I never should have let that happen. My fingers tingled even though I knew perfectly well that he’d be just as happy licking me as he would be breaking a bone.

  “Here.” He held a handkerchief over my shoulder, like he wasn’t worried about being bitten again. I stared at the fluttering white fabric, at the embroidered heart slashed through the center. A broken heart. He was giving me a broken heart. I wiped off my face with his handkerchief, smearing it with my subtle and natural looking makeup along with the dirt and leaves. And the snot. I had a lot of snot and blew my nose shamelessly. Loud and repeatedly.

  “Is this yours?”

  I turned my head to glare at him over my swollen nose.

  He picked up my lollipop covered in leaves and dirt, rolled the stick in his fingers, and stuck it in his mouth.

  I gasped. “That’s filthy.”

  He shrugged and tongued it into his cheek while he smiled at me, showing his teeth.

  “Not as filthy as you are. This one isn’t as bad as the last one I stole from you. Why don’t you eat the delicious ones? Are you afraid that you’ll get so sweet I won’t be able to resist sinking my teeth into you?”

  I reached out and snagged the lollipop out of his mouth and stuck it into mine. It tasted strange.

  He smiled a sharp smile at me while my eyes widened because I hadn’t quite thought it through, his taste on my tongue, a hint of blood and black cherry. He tasted so good.

  I pulled out the lollipop and stared at it like it had betrayed me. “You even taste like black cherry.”

  “Did I ruin the flavor for you? You prefer bitter herbs and dirt?”

  I sighed and put the lollipop back in my mouth while I slumped over my knees. “You should go.”

  He leaned forward mimicking me, and I noticed that his hand had stopped bleeding and seemed to have a much smaller cut than I’d expected. “Do you know which direction school is? You’re halfway to town and it’s going to be dinnertime soon.

  Something hungry is going to eat you if you don’t gobble him up first.”

  I shrugged. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Maybe you will. You don’t exactly seem fine, but I’m sure that’s just the dirt smeared across your face and your ripped jacket. Where are your shoes?”

  I nodded at the bag and he grabbed it before I could stop him. Not like I tried. I felt kind of numb and kind of horrible in spite of the lollipop. He stood up and slung the bag over his shoulder. I half expected him to leave me there, but he put out a hand expectantly, his green eyes gazing at me until I put my hand in his and let him pull me to my feet.

  I stood there, past numbness while he brushed leaves off me, kind of careful, pulling his hands back any time he saw a flash of Señor Mort. When he bent down to brush off my legs, hands sliding over my bare skin, I stepped back quickly.

  “It’s okay.”

  “I think you scraped your knee, and it was looking so good.”

  “Do you think so?” I sounded more skeptical than flirtatious. I couldn’t remember what I was supposed to sound like.

  He looked up at me, for a moment caught his bottom lip in his teeth before he flashed his toothy white grin. “Your legs are the first thing I noticed about you, or maybe your hair. You know that you have incredible legs. That’s why you wear such short skirts and bounce so it flips up just enough to drive every male here insane.”

  I blinked at him. “You’re blaming your insanity on my legs? You should break them, smash my face in, make me a little less attractive so you don’t notice me so much.” Like he’d smashed Barry.

  He raised an eyebrow like I’d suggested something seductive. “Yeah? Unfortunately, I’m not into hurting girls, at least not physically. I’m perverted that way, sexist too. You do make it sound fun.”

  I shook my head and ran a hand through my hair, pulling out leaves and sticks. “Fun, fun!” I smiled brightly at him and flipped my skirt. “What else is there besides fun?” I sounded completely hysterical. I didn’t care.

  He raised an eyebrow. “Rolling around in the woods with a weasel? Screaming at ghosts? Who is Poppy?”

  I stepped away from him but he took a step closer and his legs were longer.

  “Poppy?” I could barely whisper her name and my stomach twisted into a knot.

  His green eyes narrowed and he studied me with that look, the one that saw too much I was trying to hide. “You were saying that name. You don’t remember?”

  I nodded while my head spun and I twirled the lollipop over my tongue. Finally, I pulled it out and smiled at him. “Poppy was my cat. She was my best friend but then she died. I’m still super sad about it. This is the anniversary of her death so I came to the woods to have a good cry.”

  He stared at me for a long time before he cocked his head. “You’re pretty passionate about a cat.”

  I pulled my hair back so he could see Señor Mort’s nose behind my neck. “Animals make more sense to me than people. If you think that I’m attached to Señor Mort, you should have met Poppy. We used to have tea parties in trees and sing. Did you know that cats can sing? They can dance, too.” I turned, looking around me in the woods for the first time. “Where are we? Where is the school?”

  “This way.” He grabbed my hand and started pulling me around.

  I winced when I stepped on a sharp stick that poked through my sock.

  He glanced at me his eyes gleaming. “I’m not going to carry you, so don’t ask.”

  I said through gritted teeth, “my hand is too heavy for you too.”

  He grinned at me. “It’s not your weight that would bother me, but your red-headed guardian who would probably bite me on my nose. I’m very attached to the pattern of freckles I already have.”

  I should have killed him for what he did to Barry. I wanted to, but I also wanted to sit down in the dirt and cry some more, and I wanted to hold his hand because in spite of how horrible he was, how much I hated him, my heart hurt a little bit less with his hand around mine.

  We kept walking until we stepped around a tree, and I pulled up short. The sun was sinking but in that evening light, rays shone across a small clearing, hitting a waterfall and turning the spray into drops of gold. Two enormous trees stood guard on the end of the clearing, arms twined together over the waterfall while green jewels of rich moss dripped from their brown and silver branches.

  It looked like a fairy tale and I half expected fairies to dart around us, or a talking wolf or something. I glanced at Drake with a slight smile I couldn’t repress. He was my talking wolf.

  He raised an eyebrow, waiting.

  I couldn’t stop myself. I wanted to fall into the fantasy, talk to Drake like he was one of my imaginary forest friends, wanted to hear him say something clever and slightly cutting. I should have sucked on my lollipop and gotten back to Rosewood as fast as possible, but the evening in the clearing was too much for my stupidly overwhelmed self to ignore.

  “This is an enchanted forest, and you are the wolf. I need to build my gingerbread cottage with lollipop windows and gumdrop roof to keep you out.”

  His eyebrow quirked. “This wolf only nibbles on witches. I can see you living in a candy house, but not gobbling up children.”

  I smiled sweetly. “You haven’t seen me when I’m really hungry.”

  He widened his eyes in pretended horror before he shook his head. “Are you so hungry now? Am I in terrible danger?”

  I stepped close to him until I was standing on his boots. He was wearing kind of sturdy clothing, leather jacket and pants. I felt very underdressed and tried to step away from him, but he slid his hand over my back, holding me in place, my sock covered feet balanced on his steel covered toes. />
  I stared at him and my breath caught. His eyes sparked green in the light from the setting sun while his burning hair tumbled over his pale forehead. I reached up and

  brushed his hair back, the silken strands in my fingers feeling like fire, the strands burning into me.

  I stared into his eyes while his hand tightened against my back and I swayed against him. It would be the easiest thing in the world to fall into him and never resurface. Fall like Poppy…

  I twisted out of his grip and walked quickly in the direction we’d been headed. He hadn’t been looking at me like he really saw me, saw everything about me and liked me, not covered in leaves and smeared makeup from my tantrum. My tantrum. If there was anything worse than throwing up in front of him, it was crying, screaming, completely losing it.

  Drake kept up with me easily, and when I glanced at him had a slight smile, no sign of blatant disgust. “You’re running away like you’re afraid, but of what? You’re not afraid of a wolf, are you? I promise, I’m very well mannered. I wear hats to tea parties and everything. If you make friends with weasels, you should be perfectly comfortable around wolves.”

  I swallowed. “I’m afraid that you’re going to tell Jackson all about how pathetic I am, crying like a little girl in the woods, like you told him about me throwing up in the parking lot.”

  “Jackson?” He laughed, derisive, cruel laughter. “I don’t talk to Jackson. Is that what you were talking about on the green before you sealed yourself into the tower?

  Throwing up? He really has no idea what to do with a woman. And you’re trying to impress him? Why would you ever care what he thinks?”

  I gritted my teeth and kept pushing forward in spite of the fact that every step made my whole body ache. “I don’t care what Jackson thinks. He’s possibly the most vile creature I’ve ever met, like you without any charm.”

  He barked a short laugh. “You think I’m charming? More charming than Jackson anyway. That’s practically a compliment. Jackson has charm when he uses it. Something about you rubs him all wrong. I wonder what that is. Maybe because you don’t need anyone or anything else. Maybe because you don’t look at him and want him. Maybe because you don’t need anyone’s approval and he’ll never have enough.”

  I shrugged. “I haven’t wasted any time thinking about what his issues are. I’m not his therapist.”

  He laughed. “I see. What about me, have you wasted any time trying to figure me out?”

  I glanced at him and then stared straight ahead. His hand tightened on mine and I chewed on my bottom lip. “You’ve made it impossible to ignore you.”

  “I’ve left you alone for two whole days. Have you thought about me since the tower when I rescued you so heroically?”

  I sucked hard on my lollipop. I didn’t want to think about that, to think about how easy it was to be with him, to forget what he was. Barry. Yeah. I tried to hold the image of Barry’s pain-filled smile, but Drake was right at the end of my hand and I couldn’t think about anything besides him.

  “I have thought about you.”

  He looked surprised for a moment and then smug. “Of course you have. You’ve been wondering if I taste as good as your weasel says I do. Am I in danger? Are you going to grab me and taste me finally settling the question once and for all?”

  I laughed; I couldn’t help it. Sometimes it seemed like he was as ridiculous as I could be. “Of course, you’re in danger. If I were to kiss you right now, Señor Mort would probably sink his teeth into your ceratoid artery until you bled to death. Jealousy, you know.”

  His laugh rumbled low as he smiled and swung my hand. “You have no idea how tempting that is. Death by weasel? Can you imagine my epitaph?”

  I rolled my eyes and turned away from him. “You are so confusing.”

  “Am I? I’m not the one with a weasel boyfriend she likes to roll around in the woods with.”

  “I have a thing for redheads.”

  “Really?” He drew the word out like he was tasting it on his tongue.

  “And beady eyes.”

  He laughed. “And sharp teeth?”

  “Of course.” I shook my head. “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with you.”

  “I’m sure you’d figure it out after some experimentation.” He waggled his eyebrows and I giggled.

  “You’re ridiculous. Are you really in Chemistry club?”

  He lifted his chin and said in a snobbish voice. “I’ll have you know that I’m the captain of the Chemistry Club. If you wanted to join you’d have to either blackmail or bribe me to let you in.”

  “I can’t see you responding very positively to blackmail, and what kind of bribe would sway you? All I have to offer is death by weasel. It’s just as well that I can’t stand Chemistry.”

  I stepped away from him, but he just followed me until he was walking very close, my hand in his. “What don’t you like about Chemistry?”

  My heart pounded in ridiculous awareness of him, our chemistry. Of course it was nice to feel something besides the sadness, except that was exactly what had ruined Poppy. I shook my head. “The names are so hard to remember, all those poly…”

  “Monpnitrates like fake popcorn butter?”

  I licked my lips while I tried to remember what I had or hadn’t said to him about it on my first ramble. “Exactly.” I tried so hard not to notice him walking beside me, his hand still in mine, strong, slightly calloused, warm. When we stepped out of the woods beside a road, I didn’t even notice the thinning trees or hear the sound of cars until we were beside the pavement.

  A long black limo was parked in the grass, the driver standing beside the open back door as if waiting for us.

  I turned to Drake. “This isn’t the school.”

  He smirked at me. “The Captain of the Chemistry club can’t just abandon his subjects. There should be food in the limo. Drink a lot of water because you’re dehydrated from all your crying. Also wash your face before you get to school. Not everyone finds dirt and leaves as attractive as I do.”

  He lifted my hand to his lips, kissed it and then turned, heading back into the woods.

  I took one step after him before I shook my head and watched him disappear beneath the branches.

  “Miss Lane? Mr. Huntsman gave me specific instructions. If you feel nauseous let me know and I’ll pull over at once.”

  I walked over to the driver, studied him for a minute then ducked inside.

  When I got back to school, I felt better. I was fine riding in the back of the limo, and after eating way too much food, I felt a lot more stable. I washed my face with a napkin in a bottle of water after I drank three of them. I fed Señor Mort samples of all the dishes and he didn’t drop dead, so I probably wouldn’t either, at least not from the food. The shame on the other hand might very well kill me.

  Of all the people I wanted to find me curled in a ball in the woods sniveling, Drake was the last one on earth. And what in the world did the Captain of the Chemistry club do? He must have seen me having my breakdown, called the limo, and then taken me to it.

  It had been really nice. He must be setting me up for an elaborately cruel and humiliating joke. I shrugged as I stepped out of the car. I walked slowly to my room, stroking Señor Mort as I walked beneath the pillars of the school until I got to Lilac Stories.

  Professor Vale stood in her black leather clothing, nostril pierced and hair spiked a lot like Viney’s, but she didn’t wear any makeup. “Penny, have you eaten?”

  I blinked at her then glanced to the side where Viney and Zach stood, Viney’s arms crossed and a petulant scowl on her face.

  “I did. What’s going on?”

  My room was still without a door, but it was empty now, cleaned out and a handful of maintenance workers were painting the room white. I was supposed to work all weekend, catch up with my orders, but with everything destroyed, there would be no way. I kind of slumped down while Professor Vale gestured to a room two doors down from my former domain.


  “You’ll stay there until your room is repaired. The wall has to be reinforced after the mysterious felons blew the door.” She glared at Zach for some reason while he shifted uncomfortably but managed to give me a slight smile.

  “Are you okay?”

  I smiled back and nodded. “I’m fine.”

  Professor Vale snorted loudly and scowled at me. “You’ll lie better after you’ve gotten a good night’s sleep. I’m the new dorm mother. Apparently, you need one. Take a bath and get to bed. I’ve bothered to fill the tub for you.”

  She whirled around, a flurry of energy as she went to my room, barking orders at the men who flinched at her voice. I edged over to Viney and Zach before I whispered,

  “What does that mean, that she’s going to be the dorm mother?”

  Viney fairly spat. “It means that she’s settling in here permanently so she can spy on us for Blackheart. This is all your fault!”

  Zach nudged Viney and glanced over where Professor Vale stood. “It’s not her fault.

  If you’d been watching out for her then we wouldn’t need a dorm mother. I agree, though. People can’t do this and get away with it.”

  “People?” Viney leaned forward, poking Zach with her bony finger. “Do you know who did it?”

  He shrugged and stepped away from her. “No. Do you?”

  She scowled at him before whirling around and went into her room, slamming the door behind her.

  Zach sighed then shook his head slightly while he looked after her. I stared at him for a few seconds before I turned and went to my temporary room. I nearly fell asleep in the tub after I washed my hair. I got out, wrapped my hair in a towel and curled up in the spare bed, piling the white bedding on top of me. I barely noticed Señor Mort snuggling into my neck before I was dreaming.

  Chapter 16

  Mage

  After I left Penny Lane with the limo, I rejoined my fellow Chemists in the woods where we played long games of steal the flag and not get blown up. I headed back to the school in the dark, fingering my soot stained chin before I threw back my head and howled.