Fractured
by
Cheri Schmidt
SMASHWORDS EDITION
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PUBLISHED BY:
Cheri Schmidt on Smashwords
Copyright © 2011 by Cheri Schmidt
Smashwords Edition License Notes
This book is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
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Chapter 1
Sushi
Danielle’s trench coat fell into the hamper with a heavy plopping sound. That was followed by her not quite so damp socks, her rather wet leggings, her thick tunic sweater, which was also damp, and finally her bra and panties. A shiver danced through her body as she reached for the pink bathrobe draped over the end of her bed and shoved her arms into its fluffy warmth. Yanking the sash tight around her waist, she made her way to the bathroom.
Returning from her morning classes left her soaked despite having brought an umbrella, and wearing knee-high boots. But she knew Ethan would be calling, and she knew he would take her out tonight. While that thought appealed to her, going back out into the English drizzle, without warming up first, didn’t.
But she would venture back out into it, as this was the only night they were allowed to go out on dates. Friday. Beon had said it was because they could better be hidden in the crowds on that night. She understood the reasons for the limitation, or what Beon said the reasons were—something about civil war and her being in the middle of it. Of course she thought perhaps he was being a little melodramatic. She’d seen no signs of war for weeks.
Danielle poured bubble bath into the hot water falling from the spout. The scent of honey and oatmeal heated and rose to her nose. After removing her robe, she sank into the steaming, foam-covered water, hissing as she lowered her body. The bathwater was almost, but not quite too hot. Her nerves disagreed until they got used to it. The goal was to warm herself to the core, and this had been a successful way of dealing with the uncomfortable climate in this damp city. These near-scorching baths had become a habit for this American living in London.
Despite the weather, Danielle loved it here. She loved living with her aunt, uncle, and cousin, Brianna. She loved the new experiences, the British slang and the English style food. She had suffered a certain degree of culture shock in the beginning, then mythical creatures fell into the mix, and her whole world changed. She’d learned about so much more than just art. She’d learned about frightening things that go bump in the night and enchanting things, such as fairies. Things she never dreamed existed. Ethan, her boyfriend who happened to be an ex-vampire had introduced her to a whole new world. A world that was sometimes disturbing, and many times dangerous to her health, but certainly a tad more exciting than just being an art student at Central St. Martins.
Danielle sighed, and once she felt warm enough, or rather hot enough, she rose from the suds, stepped onto the bathmat, dried off, drew the robe back on, and made her way back to her bedroom. She tugged on a pair of dry socks, then sat down at her desk and checked over her homework schedule.
However, she wasn’t truly into it. Dragging her sketchpad closer, Danielle began doodling in charcoal, not really seeing what she was drawing. She was looking forward to Ethan’s call and couldn’t focus on much else besides making certain her phone was within easy reach while waiting for it to ring ... and she answered the second it did.
“Evening, darling. How was your bath?” Ethan replied in that British lilt of his. Danielle grinned because she really quite loved how he drew out his a’s saying daaarling and baaath.
“How do you know I had a bath?” she asked.
“That’s what you did when I brought you home after Lucas tried to take you.”
Danielle shivered at the memory. “Yeah, and you’d given me the coldest ride of my life through the foggy streets of London.”
Ethan laughed. “Sorry about that. Did the soak warm you sufficiently?”
“Yes,” she said, but didn’t say, to the point of sweating. “So, are we going out tonight?”
“I’d love to. What would you like to do?”
“How about a movie?”
He chuckled, and said, “We’ve been to a lot of pictures lately and we never watch them.”
“I know. I love that!”
“You just like the fact that it’s dark and no one bothers us.”
“And you like the popcorn.” He’d eaten the entire tub of it before the movie started and then got a refill every time.
Ethan made a sound of agreement, then said, “I happen to like the activities after the popcorn more so.” Danielle could hear the grin in his confession.
“What about the movie? Do you like that too?” Danielle asked, completely knowing the answer.
“What movie?” Ethan replied, laughing again.
“Okay, so it’s decided, we’re doing a movie tonight.”
“Dinner first?” he offered.
“Sure.”
“Where would you like to go?”
“Anywhere.”
“All right, I’ll be there at five.”
“Great, see ya then!”
Danielle knew she needed to inform her guard about their plans so he could follow. She went to the window, brushed aside the lace curtain, and pulled it open. Leaning out on her elbows, she peered into the lush, wet garden that appeared to be empty of any life besides the greenery and insects. Danielle knew otherwise.
“Hello,” she called softly. “Just so you know, Ethan and I are going to a movie tonight. He’ll be here at five.”
It wasn’t long before Cedric appeared as though he’d materialized. She wondered where it was he stayed hidden, but the question of what he did to pass the time was answered when he slipped an iPod into his pocket and tipped his face up toward hers. “Does this mean we have to watch you and Ethan neck for two hours? Again? Whatever happened to Ethan’s gentleman ways?”
“I don’t see what the big deal is.”
“Right,” he grumbled, kicking at something in the grass.
“It’s not eighteen sixty, Cedric. I’d like to be able to kiss my boyfriend and that’s the only chance we get because no one will leave us alone. We’re always being guarded ... and watched,” she complained, then added, “Unless we get into major PDA—”
“Pardon?”
“Public displays of—”
“I know what that is. Again, I say Ethan’s values have slipped. He doesn’t have a problem with that either.”
Danielle felt her cheeks heat as she flushed, knowing how true that was. “Fine. It’s me. I’m the one who wants privacy.”
“Can’t you hang out here in your bedroom?”
Danielle wanted to groan, been there, tried that, but said, “My aunt and uncle don’t like it when I do that.”
“What about Ethan’s place?”
“Sophia.”
Apparently he knew Sophia well enough to simply nod at that.
“At the theater it’s dark,” she muttered while running her finger over a rough part of the paint on the window sill.
“We can see you in the dark, Danielle.”
“But you do sit several rows back, and�
�”
“I get it,” he said, frowning. His hand was back in his pocket and she wondered if he hoped to get back to whatever it was he was watching on his iPod.
Wishing to remove the frown from his face, Danielle offered with a smirk, “Do you have any movie requests?”
The vampire just rolled his eyes and moaned.
“If you don’t like it, Cedric, bring a date.”
“Perhaps I will,” he replied as if it were a threat.
“You have a girlfriend, don’t you?”
“Yes, her name is Anna.”
“Great! I’d love to meet her. Later then.” She pulled her head back inside, slid the window shut, tugged her curtain back into place and then moved to her closet to get dressed.
She removed the robe, slipped into her bra and panties and decided on jeans for the evening. She topped those with a frilly white blouse. Danielle wore the color often, not just because it happened to be her favorite, but because she knew Ethan liked it on her. It reminded him of the past, he’d said.
Next she pulled her hair up into a loose bun, and put on the pearl earrings and necklace from Ethan. They were fancy, but she liked how they looked with jeans. She added long socks and boots to fight off the soggy conditions.
After dressing, she freshened up her makeup, and then waited in the living room for Ethan to arrive.
“Date with Ethan tonight?” asked Brianna as she walked in and sat down next to Danielle.
“Yes.” Leaning back into the cushions, she smiled at her cousin.
“Another picture?”
“Of course. I love movies,” she said thinking about other things, like Ethan’s lips.
“What picture are you going to see?”
“I haven’t a clue.”
“I heard that vampire picture was really good,” Brianna suggested.
Danielle burst into a bout of giggles with a snort. The image of her and Ethan in a movie theater, with real vampires seated behind them, watching a movie about vampires flashed through her head. And the thought seemed ridiculous and kind of funny.
Brianna leaned away with a befuddled look on her pretty face. “What is so funny?”
“Nothing.” She tried to tame the giggles. “I just ... I don’t think a vampire movie is a good idea.”
“Why not?” Brianna raked fingers through her dark chocolate locks. But even after brushing it back, the slick strands slid forward to hang around her oval-shaped face. The fringy new cut helped keep it out of her face, but it was as straight as ever. Danielle envied that straightness.
“You know me, I don’t like scary movies,” she said, attempting to control a curl that had slipped loose from her up-do.
“Ah, true.”
Her eyes shifted to the clock, and when she noted that it was one minute past five, she sprang to her feet, snatching her coat and scarf. Ethan was never late, and she knew he was there if it was past five. Why hadn’t he knocked yet?
“Where are you going now?”
“He’s here. See ya later, Bri.”
She heard Brianna’s muttered farewell as she dashed for the door and swung it open to reveal Ethan standing there with his hand raised, ready to knock. He began shaking his head as his features rearranged into a becoming smile. “Impatient again, are we?” he asked raising one golden eyebrow.
“You’re late!”
He checked his watch in horror, then his expression changed again. “Danielle, are you kidding me? I don’t think one minute counts.”
“Every minute counts ... for me,” she whispered, wondering if perhaps she shouldn’t be saying such a corny thing.
With lips shifting into another smile, Ethan said, “Well, I shan’t have my darling disappointed. I’ll just have to make it up to you then.”
Smiling at his romantic words, Danielle watched as the sunset glistened through his golden hair, while a cold breeze playfully tossed it around, making the strands wink and shimmer. His penetrating sapphire eyes revealed his soul to her as she met his gaze. Her soul mate, the man she knew before this life began, the man she seemed to know better than she knew herself. He was her personal Frog Prince, yet he was no longer a frog. The prince stood before her now. Letting the smile slip, Danielle mentally chastised herself for having more corny thoughts. What did this guy do to her? Was she a little bit obsessed? That can’t be healthy....
“I thought you were eager to get going, Danielle.”
She blinked. “R-right, let’s go then. Why are you just standing there?” She grasped a handful of his shirt and towed him from the porch. She relished in the fact that she could feel his solid pecks brushing against her knuckles. No, she decided, she wasn’t too obsessed. It was that whole I-knew-you-before-thing that sucked her in. And that couldn’t be changed.
“By the way, you look absolutely lovely tonight,” he said as she dragged him along by his shirt.
“You too ... I mean you look very handsome, but I always think you do,” she replied, noticing his outfit now. He wore jeans, topped with an un-tucked white shirt and a brown sport jacket over that.
Ethan chuckled when they got to the car and she started smoothing out the wrinkles she’d created in the fabric of his button-down.
He held the door of his freshly washed and polished Jaguar open for her. England had been experiencing a lot of rain lately, which was actually normal. And because of that, it had been difficult for Ethan to keep his car so reflective. “When did you wash this?”
“Today.”
“But it rained for most of the day.”
“And now it’s clear.”
“For what, like two hours?”
He shrugged his shoulders.
Danielle couldn’t help but appreciate the fact that it was so shiny it looked as though it might actually start dripping black paint at any moment. “Well, I hope it doesn’t chuck it down again soon.”
Ethan laughed. “Where did you learn ‘chuck it down’?”
“Bri. Who else?”
“Of course.”
Settling into the leather seat, Danielle watched Ethan as he shut her door, still grinning and shaking his head as he then moved around to the driver’s side.
As soon as he was seated, he leaned toward her, took her chin into his fingers and fanned his breath across her face. Danielle closed her eyes and drew it gratefully into her lungs, thinking, okay, maybe I am a tad obsessed.
“That’s for being late. It will never happen again, my lady,” he said softly.
She opened her eyes. “Mmmm ... still yummy. It’s been a while since your transformation. I can’t believe you haven’t lost that amazing vampire breath yet.”
“Beon and I have a theory about that,” Ethan said while he shifted gears and directed his Jag down the street.
“Let’s hear it.”
“Well, vampire venom changes the physiology much more drastically, making the transformation a longer, more—uncomfortable process,” he began.
“Okay. So….”
“So basically, when I told you to bite me—that sacrifice is what satisfied the demands of the prophecy, and getting your mortal saliva into my bloodstream is what reversed the curse, but not much else. It doesn’t change the physiology as much, so it’s a shorter and a less complicated change.”
Apparently Ethan could tell by the blank look on her face that she hadn’t grasped his meaning, so he took a breath and explained further. “The things that a vampire needs to hunt their prey are removed: the hypnotic eyes, the heightened hearing, eyesight and sense of smell, the craving for blood, the superhuman powers, and the magic in the breath.” He frowned. “You know you’d be a puddle in my lap right now if I’d done what I just did before.”
“Yeah,” she agreed, remembering her shock the first time she’d smelled him, how even that had snatched away her ability to walk in a straight line.
“I miss that,” he said solemnly.
“What?” Watching his expression more closely now, Danielle wondered how much of
being a vampire he missed.
“Watching you be so mesmerized, so enchanted. By me.”
Drawing a deep breath to take in his scent which still permeated everything around him, Danielle smirked back at him. “I’m still entranced. The smell of you gets me even now, even after your change. Why is that still the same?”
“The magic of it is gone.”
“There’s still magic for me.”
“Only because you’re in love with me.” When that earned him a surprised scowl for making it sound so one-sided, he added, “We’re in love silly. We knew each other before. It’s so much deeper than cursed magic now.”
Soul deep. “Nice save.”
A smile of victory dimpled his cheeks as he went on, “As I was saying, I still smell the same because it would be too much of a change for the saliva to fix. It doesn’t work as aggressively as the venom and it doesn’t need to to reverse the spell. It only reverses the things necessary to remove the curse and nothing more.”
“But you’re still really strong.” She remembered how far he’d carried her dead weight without showing any signs of weakening.
“But I can’t jump three stories in a single bound, and I can’t smack away a flying lamppost as if it were nothing more than a small branch. I can bleed now. I could die.”
She wondered if that was something he worried about now, his death, but asked, “So since it wasn’t such an extreme transformation, many things remain the same?”
“That’s right.”
“Interesting,” she said, but thought that it was kind of gross to think about saliva in his bloodstream ... her saliva. Oh well, she supposed they swapped that every time they kissed anyway.
Danielle leaned closer to Ethan, slid her fingers into his hair and then nuzzled against his shoulder, inhaling. “So, you get to stay this way? Hmm. That’s nice.” But several questions whirled through her head. Would he still live longer than her? Could he regret letting her bite him taking away all of the physical benefits he had before? How did he know he could bleed? Has he cut himself? All questions she didn’t dare ask right now, fearing the answers. Danielle remained silent and watched the city lights streak past the windows of the car.
Fateful 2-Fractured Page 1
