Ghoul Kisses

by J. M Stoneback

  Vanessa comes back to the table, and we chat for a few more minutes. She tells us that Adam wants to meet with her after work. We walk Vanessa to her car, and she gives me a hug as she says goodbye to Eric.

  I step into the car, strapping on my seatbelt. Eric’s words still play in my mind, as I lean my head back onto the leather seat. I turn on the radio to drown out my thoughts as we head to the mansion.

  For the last few weeks, I’ve been feeling a bit guilty for trying to enjoy life because of Jessie. When Jessie gave me her liver and did not survive, it left a hole in my heart. It’s not fair that I can move on with my life and forget about her. Every time I think about that day, I hear Mom’s voice in my mind, making me want to crawl into a hole and never return. The more time I spend with Eric and think about the future, the more I distance myself from him. Last night, I told him Dr. Edwards wanted me to stay late and go over the health assessment. Instead of having dinner with him, I hung out at the greenhouse reading a novel. I feel shitty for lying, but I couldn’t tell him the truth; he seems happy.

  It’s the middle of October and the weather is mostly rainy and cold. Eric informs me that I can’t go out much because of the weather. Vampires prey on humans on rainy days, which sucks, because I want to go to the store and shop for myself rather than having the servants do it.

  After work, Eric sends me a text message to meet him in the computer room. I change from my work clothes into a long gray sweater and black sweat pants. I don’t feel like getting all dolled up. Eric greets me at the door, and plants a kiss on the palm of my hand.

  He motions me to sit on his lap. The computer room has five monitors mounted to the wall and one keyboard on the glass table. Does he really need five screens to look at the same thing?

  Jack, who is in front of one of the monitors, taps on the screen. A picture of the girl from the spa pops up; her eyes are completely black. Do vampires look like this in their true form? That is the same way Pete looked when he went loco on me. Jack leans back in the chair, clasping his hand on the back of his head.

  “Her name is Rachael,” Jack says. “I don’t know who she works for, but I can find out.”

  “Do you know what coven she lives in?” Eric asks with concern.

  My mind races to what happened at the spa. What was the name of the coven she said she was from? Think, Sarah, Think.

  “It starts with an H,” I say out loud.

  “What did you say?” Eric asks, raising a brow.

  “When I was at the spa, she was with another vampire speaking about the box. I can’t remember what she said, but she mentioned a coven starting with an H. Hudson, I believe.”

  Jack and Eric both look at me.

  “Why didn’t you say anything at the time, Sarah?” Eric’s tone is laced with annoyance. The frown on his face tells me that he is furious with me. Uh oh! I was so conflicted about my feelings for Eric that it slipped my mind.

  “I wasn’t thinking at the time. I’m sorry,” I answer.

  “I will go pack my bag, because we are taking a trip to Austria,” Jack says as he stands up from the chair.

  “Contact Mac and tell him he needs to come,” Eric orders Jack. Eric lifts me off his lap. He doesn’t say two words as we walk back to his room. He grabs a suitcase from the closet and begins folding his clothes neatly. I don’t want to be away from Eric despite me keeping my distance from him. The thought of him leaving makes my stomach churn.

  “I’m going to pack too.” I murmur.

  “You’re not going,” he snaps, his voice firm.

  “Why not? I thought I was helping you find the book.” I don’t want to stay confined to these walls. I want to do something. As much as I like living in the mansion, it can get boring. Besides, I can use some adventure to keep my mind off of Jessie.

  “Things have changed between us. I’m not going to risk you getting hurt,” he says through clenched teeth.

  “What about our deal, Eric? I can help!”

  “The deal is off.” He brushes his lips against my knuckles, trying to calm me down. I snatch my hand away, then turn on my heels and walk to my room. What has gotten into him? I am a big girl. I can take care of myself. And the deal shouldn’t change because we are having sex. Ugh! I throw myself on my bed and listen to the rain beat against the window. Several moments later, Eric opens the door with a duffle bag over his shoulder. I bury my face in my pillow. I hope he is not here to tell me goodbye, because he is not getting it out of me. The mattress dips, and he strokes my back. I wish he wouldn’t touch me like that; it makes me want to tear his clothes off and screw him.

  “I’m about to leave. I’ll see you in a few days,” he says. I can hear him breathing heavily. Please don’t go without me. I want to say the words, but they die on my tongue. I continue to lay my head on the pillow. The tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife. He leans in and gives me a kiss on the forehead. My cheeks flush. Three days without lying next to him is going to kill me.

  I hear the door shut, and I exhale. I should run after Eric, tell him to have a safe trip, wrap my arms around him, and run my hands through his dark hair. Instead, I let my ego get the best of me.

  I don’t want to sit in my room all day, so I decide to go to the entertainment room, which is located on the third floor. Odessa lounges on the navy blue love seat watching an old black and white film. I sit next to her. Why is Eric obsessed with finding this magical book? If I want answers, Odessa will give them to me.

  “Sarah, it’s good to see you,” she says cheerfully.

  “What are you watching?”

  “The Goal Rush,” she answers without taking her eyes off the screen.

  “Why does Eric need the z-u- you- call- it book? Why is it important to him?”

  She exhales, her gray eyes meet mine.

  “You mean the Zenith book. He wants to kill all the vampires, starting with the Hudson covens.”

  She fiddles with the necklace around her neck.

  “Why did the vampires enslave ghouls?

  “Because we stopped preying on humans. They needed blood, and we needed raw meat. So we did business with them. We sold them blood in exchange for raw meat. Vampires and ghouls were outnumbering the humans, so Eric’s father ordered all ghouls to prey on animal meat.” She pauses for a minute and I can see the memories flashing through her mind. “We went to war with the vamps because they were enslaving ghouls for their blood. We lost the war and decided to live among humans.” I don’t know what to say about that. I can’t imagine all the bloodshed that came from being at war. Or how they were forced to live among us. It sounds like a hideous era to live in.

  ‘What are the vampires doing? Are they living among humans, too?”

  “Some are, but most decided to live among their coven. There are six covens total.”

  “Who are the vampires enslaving now?” She looks at me with apologetic eyes.

  “Humans,” she says, returning her eyes to the screen.

  I hit the light switch in the library on my way in. I want to learn more about the Zenith book. After all, I have the key. Where should I start first? It is so big in here, I don’t know where to begin. I stroll to the magic section. There are books on different types of magic and how to use it. I grab the book titled Magic Book Encyclopedia and sit at the glass table. Dust covers the book, so I take my right hand and wipe it away. The book is made out of leather, and some of the pages are wrinkled. I search the table of contents and turn to page 1,023. The word Zenith is at the top of the page in bold letters. I begin to read.

  The Zenith book is the most powerful spell book in existence. If a witch obtains it, he or she will be able to change time, kill people, bring back the dead, and rewrite the past. The Zenith book is the first magic book to be written. It was created in 304 B.C. The book was written by three powerful witches, Cecil, Ruth, Cornelius.

  There are three pictures of the witches at the bottom of the page. Cornelius has bright red hair, green eyes, and p
ale skin. Cecil has short black hair cut into a pixie style, dark brown eyes, and dark skin. When I see Ruth’s picture, I am startled. The woman looks exactly like my mother; the same black curly hair, hazel eyes, and tanned skin. I trace my index finger over her name. Ruth was born July 5, 1889. And, her death date is unknown. I continue to study the picture. There is no way in hell that could be my mother. Could it? A few months ago, I didn’t know ghouls, vampires, and witches existed. I was having a normal life before Eric rescued me from Pete. And speaking of Pete, how did he know I had the key? The only person who knows I have it—is Nessa. My mind flashes back to the night I was attacked. He asked me about it, and I thought he was talking about my house key. Was my mom into magic and she knew about the key? I snort a humorless laugh. That is not possible. She was always on business trips with Tom—the billionaire investor who owns most of the apartments and clubs in New York City.

  I close the book, tuck it under my left arm, and head to my room. I debate whether or not to call Tom. I haven’t spoken to him since my mom’s funeral. He could tell me why my mom had the key and how she received it.

  But I don’t want to open that door because it will open up old wounds. Plus, I never really had a relationship with Tom. I have two or three memories of him. I eye the phone sitting on my nightstand. Slowly, I pick it up and punch in the number that I still know from memory. I pace the floor nervously. The phone rings. On the third ring, a woman picks up.

  “Hello.”

  “Can I speak to Tom. Tom Luther?” My mom died a year ago, and he already replaced her. Asshole.

  “Who is this?” she asks.

  “Sarah… Clemons.”

  “Hold on, please.”

  Five seconds later, Tom picks up the phone.

  “Hey, my stepchild.” I hate it when he calls me that. His voice is still the same; cold and unemotional. He knows everything about my mom. This is the man who stole my mom from me and kept her from being a parent. All the pain comes back to me. The feelings of abandonment and wanting assurance that my mom cared for me. The hurt I felt when she missed my birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and other holidays that a child would want their parent there for. The empty promises: saying she would be home but never showing up.

  “Sarah, are you there?” Tom interrupts my train of thoughts.

  I still don’t respond. I just listen as he calls my name.

  “Are you hurt? I know you are still on the phone; I can hear you breathing.” I picture him in his black business suit, his auburn hair cut low to the scalp, and his empty black eyes.

  I hit the end button on my phone. I can’t ask Tom why my mom had this key, because if I do, I might not like the answer. Some doors are not worth opening.

  I spend my day working at the clinic. I put a brace on a ghoul’s right leg, and help deliver a baby. I try to keep myself busy to avoid thinking about Eric. He hasn’t contacted me since our blowout, and I find myself wanting to send him a message, but my pride won’t let me. After I chart the health assessments in the computer, I walk to my room and check a few e-mails. Vanessa hasn’t sent me a message since the night she met Eric. I send her a quick e-mail.

  Nessa

  Are you okay?

  She is probably busy and will message me when she is ready. I place the headphones over my ears and listen to Drake, trying to drown out my inner thoughts. Hours later, I feel someone shaking me, my eyes flutter open and the light in the room blinds me. Odessa stands over me. I sit up, removing the headphones from my ears.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask through a yawn. I’m surprised I fell asleep. She leans against the bedrail.

  “You want to go out tonight?” she asks through a smile.

  “Where do you want to go?” I look at the digital clock on the wall. I’ve been sleeping for almost three hours; it’s eight o’clock in the evening.

  “Kate, Mae, and I want to go to a local bar on the island.”

  Ugh, Mae. I don’t want to deal with her, but I need to leave the mansion to keep my mind off of Eric. I have been thinking about him nonstop, and I miss him like crazy. I miss his touch, the warmth of his body, and his Old Spice scent. Does he miss me too? Probably not, because he hasn’t texted me.

  “You look like you could use a drink,” she says.

  “Okay, I’ll go.”

  Phat 12 Island Broiler is crowded with people. The host shows us to the bar, and I sit between Odessa and Kate. Mae sits on the opposite side of Kate, which suits me just fine. The three of them are dressed in all black, and I stick out like a sore thumb because I wear tight jeans, a hot pink sweater, and a pair of flats. I order myself a Rum Punch from the bar. Kate and Mae could pass off as identical twins but Kate’s hair is purple, and Mae’s hair is white. That is the only way I can tell who is who. Looking at Mae makes me envy her because she was with Eric for centuries and I can’t give him that. I can give him maybe eighty years before I kick the bucket. Glancing at Kate’s wrist, I notice a nasty scar. It’s round and looks like a nail hole. I nudge her with my arm, and she turns to face me.

  “What happened to your wrist?” I ask, trying not to sound rude. She begins to rub the scar; her expression tinged with sadness.

  She looks down at the wooden floors as if she is ashamed.

  “I was a sex slave to the Enya coven.” I almost spill my drink at her words.

  “What?”

  She nods.

  “Yeah, they captured me, and I was used as a whore,” I didn’t mean to bring up old wounds. I rub her arm.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t—”

  “It’s okay; it was over a century ago.”

  “Mac saved me and brought me to King Eric so I could be safe,” she says. I can’t imagine going through what she went through. It must be hard for her to live with such memories. I excuse myself from the table and head to the ladies’ room. When I finish using the toilet, I turn on the faucet and wash my hands.

  “You know, it’s just a matter of time before he leaves you.” I look up, and Mae leans against the granite counter.

  I roll my eyes at her.

  “He has a pattern, Sarah.”

  “When he is bored, he moves on. That’s why he goes through so many women.” This bitch is getting on my last nerves.

  “Then he makes his way back to me, and I’m back in his arms,” she says snidely.

  “That’s pathetic, Mae. You must not have any self-respect to allow a man to use you as a doormat.” I give her a withering look. “Just because he doesn’t want you, doesn’t mean you have to take your anger out on me. I get it, Mae, you’re hurt, but move on. It’s not attractive to look desperate.”

  Her face flushes with anger.

  “You think you can change him?” Ice sparkles from her hand.

  “No one can change unless they want to.”

  “Watch your back. Eric is not capable of love,” she says before leaving. It takes everything in me not to kick her ass. I will not let her destroy my relationship with Eric. If he wanted to be with her, he would. I dry my hands on a paper towel and lean against the granite counter.

  When I turn around, Pete is standing by the door. I feel my legs give out as my heart pounds in my chest. Fear grips me tight. He takes a step closer, and I take a step back until my back is pressed against the wall.

  “How did you find me?” I choke out, my voice trembling. He grips my chin, and I struggle under his cold fingers. I want to vomit.

  “Where is the key?” he demands. I thought vampires weren’t allowed on the island. He bangs my head against the wall, and I see stars. Pain radiates through my skull.

  “I don’t have it,” I lie.

  “Did you give it to Eric?”

  How does he know about Eric? Slowly, I survey the room trying to find a weapon. “I haven’t fed in a long time,” he says, his hand still gripping my chin. I hear him unzip his pants. I try to wiggle my way out of his grip, but his nails dig into my chin.

  I eye the vase on the counter. Pete’s ey
es turn pitch black, and fangs extend from his mouth. He scrapes his teeth against my neck, making my skin crawl. Feeling his erection on my inner thigh, bile rises in my throat. I kick him in the balls, grab the vase, and slam it down onto his head.

  “You bitch!” he yells as I rush to the door. Tears stream down my face as I fumble to scream for help. Odessa sees the horror in my eyes and pulls me into a tight hug.

  “What happened?” she asks with concern.

  “Pete… he attacked in the bathroom.” I have never been so terrified in my life. She lets me go. She and Kate go to the bathroom. With shaking hands, I type in Eric’s name and hit the green call button. It goes straight to voicemail.

  “Please… call me… it’s about Pete,” I say between sobs and hit the end button. Glancing at Mae, she has a smirk on her face. She must be getting a kick out of me being hurt. Sick Bitch. What kind of person doesn’t have any empathy for someone who has been harmed?

  Kate and Odessa come back to the bar.

  “There is no sign of Pete. He must have climbed out the window,” Odessa croons, ushering me toward the door.

  My hands shake as we enter the mansion. I want to go to my room and pull the covers over my head, but Odessa motions me to the living room. I take a seat on the sofa, swaddling my arms around my legs. I rest my chin on my knees.

  “How did Pete get on the Island? I thought it was protected by magic.” My voice is uneven and hoarse from crying.

  “The mansion is protected by magic, not the island,” Odessa answers. Right now, I could use a nap. I’m exhausted from all this bullshit. I curl up in a tight ball. Kate whips out her phone and places it to her ear.

  “Hello, Mac. Where are you? Where is Eric? He needs to call his mate. No, Pete attacked her. Yea, she’s fine.” She glances at me.

  “Hurry up and get home. I love you, too,” Kate hangs up the phone.