What does she mean by half-breed? And I don’t want the book.
“Do you know where the book is?” Eric asks.
“No, and if I did, I wouldn’t tell you,” she says coldly.
Eric’s face etches with disappointment. This was a waste of time to come here. This old woman is rude. What the hell is with her calling me a half-breed?
“Thanks, Meagan,” Eric says.
“Sarah, I need to talk to you,” Meagan says. Eric frowns and continues to remain in the couch.
“Leave, now. Demon!” Meagan’s tone is ice-cold. Reluctantly, Eric leaves the room and I hear the front door slam. She leans back in her sturdy chair and smoothes out her silver hair.
“You really don’t know what you are?” she asks nonchalantly.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” I say. Her eyes move back and forth as she studies me.
“Ava Clemons and Jasper Clemons.”
“You knew my parents?” I ask in a surprise voice.
“No, but I know of them,” she states. I never knew my biological father. He and my mother split before I was born. I’ve never heard from him, and if I ever see him, I’ll ask him why he left. How can a man abandon his wife and kids? He’s a deadbeat.
“Your mom put that key around your neck so you can protect it.” I don’t know how to respond so I listen to the water dripping from the faucet in the kitchen.
“Your mother was a black mage; meaning she performed dark magic. Your father is a human,” I gasp at her words. I don’t want to hear more of her lies. Balling up my fist, I begin to grind my teeth.
“You’re lying,” I whisper.
She gives a humorless laugh.
“Why would a normal woman have a magic key? You’re in denial, half-breed.”
“The man she married is a black mage, Tom Luther.”
I shake my head. She has to be messing with me. This can’t be real, this can’t be real. I’m normal.
“That’s why your mother left you and Jessie alone, because she didn’t want you to get involved with the magic world.”
“Shut up, you lying old hag!”
She is full of shit, and she knows it.
“You don’t believe me? Go to Tom, and ask him for your mom’s journals,” she says.
Anger surges through me as I storm out of the house. Eric is already sitting in the driver seat. Slamming the car door, hot tears slide down my cheeks. She can’t be telling the truth. The more I think about what Meagan said, the angrier I become. I fold my arms across my chest. My mother was not a witch; she is just trying to get me worked up. But what if she is right? I do have the key. No, my mother would have told me, right? There’s a tug-o-war going on in my brain, and I want to go to sleep and forget this trip ever happened. Eric looks at me with concern.
“What’s wrong?” Eric wipes my tears away with the pad of his thumb.
I shake my head then glance out the window.
Eric drives down the dirt road, and I close my eyes, trying to forget the conversation I had with Meagan.
My legs are draped over Eric’s lap as we sit in our hotel bed. We are staying at Le Pavillon Hotel. It’s in the heart of New Orleans. I turn on the television and try to forget what Meagan said. Every time I think about it I get so angry; not with her, but with my mother. If she was a black mage, she could have told me. No matter how hard I try to forget about my mom, she comes back into my life. Eric kisses my neck, but I am not in the mood for sex.
“You want to go out since it’s our last night here?” Eric says between kisses.
“Nah, I’d rather watch reruns of King of the Hill,” I answer.
“Sarah, what’s wrong?” he asks, gazing into my eyes.
I don’t want to repeat what Meagan said, if I do, it makes me think what she said is true.
I tuck my legs under my butt.
“She kept calling me a half-breed because I’m half human and half black mage.” It sounds stupid when I say it out loud. Eric rubs my shoulder.
“Do you think it’s true?” I ask.
“It’s possible. Actually, it wouldn’t surprise me,” he pauses for a minute. “If you are a half-breed, would you want to practice magic?”
I can’t picture myself waving a wand around like Harry Potter. I’m sorry, but that’s what I think of when I hear the word witch.
“I don’t know, Eric.”
What the witch said is hard for me to accept. I can accept that Eric is a ghoul, and I can accept that other paranormal creatures exist, but me being something other than a human? I can’t accept that. I won’t. I’m not going to tell Eric about the witch saying my mom wants me to protect the key. Who the hell would she want me to protect it from anyway?
“Would you be okay with that? If I was a dark witch?”
He stares at me for a few minutes too long, and anxiety creeps in on me.
“Why wouldn’t I be? You are who you are; I don’t want to change what you are,” he says. His words warm my heart, and I love him ten times more for saying that. Even though I don’t believe what Meagan says, I love the fact that Eric likes me for who I am no matter what.
“What are we going to do about the box?” I ask. Eric strokes my right arm.
“We’re going to break down the wards guarding the Dark Light Organization.”
Credits pop up on the television screen.
“I will need you to help me. I would need a witch to break down the wards,” he says with a smirk on his face.
“We don’t know if Meagan is telling the truth.” I hear the unevenness in my tone. To be honest, I don’t want to find out. I want to stay in my own bubble and believe I am a normal human being.
I don’t want to talk about witches anymore, so I change the subject.
“Can humans turn into vampires?”
“Vampires can use their venom to change a human, but most vampires don’t; they just feed off of a human until there is no blood left in the body.”
“Do vampires have super powers like ghouls?”
“Some do and some don’t. Why? Are you interested in replacing me with one?” He jokes as his crimson eyes light up.
“No, thank you; it’s unattractive to have sex with something that is dead.”
He nuzzles my neck and I feel him breathing on my neck, turning me on.
“Good,” he murmurs as he kisses his way down to my breast.
I kick off my shoes the minute I open my bedroom door. It feels good to be back at the mansion. I am worn out and exhausted from the trip to New Orleans. I want a stiff drink to calm my nerves and forget meeting Meagan. One of the servants strides in, nabbing my dirty clothes. I flop on the bed, grab my phone from the nightstand, and begin checking my e-mail. The transaction for the medical equipment has been confirmed, and the items will be here next month. Good. The only thing going right in my life is helping the ghouls with their health system. I receive an e-mail from Vanessa. I hit the open button.
Sarah
How you been, bitch? My birthday is this Saturday, and you need to be here to celebrate. I’m not taking no for an answer. I want to catch a movie and go out to eat. Nothing too extravagant.
XOXO
Vanessa.
I press my palm to my forehead. How in the hell did I forget my best friend’s birthday? I forgot her birthday is the second of November. I’ve been so caught up in the supernatural world that I forgot to keep up with Vanessa and what she is doing. I call Eric and his voicemail picks up. Hitting the end button, I decide to see if the potion that Clayton gave me works. I close my eyes and concentrate. I picture him in my mind and repeat, Eric. Eric. Eric. I open my eyes, and Eric stands in front of me with a towel hanging on his hips. I try to bite back my laughter.
“Why did you summon me, Sarah?” he frowns.
“I’m sorry. I wanted to know if Clayton’s potion actually works,” I say sweetly.
“You’re only supposed to use that for an emergency.” A hint of annoyance enters in his voice.
“Sorry.” My eyes sweep to his chiseled chest and the cut between his hips and legs. I try to keep my hormones in check by looking away.
“Vanessa wants me to go to the movies for her birthday on Saturday.”
Eric removes the towel and begins to rub it over his wet hair. I blush staring at his erection.
“No. It’s dangerous this time of the year.” He dries his arms.
“I need to see her; I’ve never missed her birthday,” I whine.
Eric goes to the drawer and pulls out a pair of boxers. Sometimes, he leaves his stuff in here.
“Sarah, I can’t risk you getting hurt,” he says, yanking his boxers on.
“Have you gotten her a birthday present, yet?”
I shake my head as I lean against the wall, and he stands over me. I can smell his Old Spice Fiji body wash.
“We can go to West Hollywood on Wednesday. Vampires won’t be there because they migrate to colder and wetter environments,” he continues. “If you really want time with her, we can come back on Sunday.”
“Really?” I jump for joy. I need to have a normal life, or at least it will feel normal to me.
He nods his head.
“Tell her it’s her birthday gift from you.” I clap my hands together and go to the computer to send Vanessa the e-mail. Eric pays for our flight. She shoots me a message.
I can’t wait, this will be the best birthday ever.
Wednesday arrives faster than expected, and I am overly excited about my stay with Eric and Nessa; my two favorite people. We meet her at the Sunset Marquis Hotel, one of the luxury hotels in West Hollywood. I spot Vanessa, she is wearing a blue dress with white flowers. Sunglasses sit on the bridge of her nose.
She doesn’t look like the cheerful, outgoing girl I know. Instead, she appears to have lost thirty pounds, and her skin is white as snow. Even her usually shiny, brown hair looks dull. What happened to her? Worry creeps into my chest. She looks horrible. Eric is at the front desk getting our rooms.
“Are you okay, Nessa?” I ask out of concern.
“Yea.”
“Are you sure? Do you want me to check you out?”
“Please. Sarah, I’m fine.”
We stroll to the counter, and all I can think about is Vanessa’s health. Eric gives the front desk clerk his credit card and picks up our bags. When he sees Vanessa, shock colors his face. I think he is as taken aback as I am about Nessa’s appearance.
He clears his throat.
“It is good to see you, Vanessa,” he says as he studies her from head to toe. He’s never seen a sick human before.
Vanessa rolls her eyes and ignores Eric.
“Which room are we staying in?” she asks me.
“The top floor,” Eric answers. We follow him to the elevator, and I remain quiet, studying Vanessa’s behavior. She seems to be a little off. Normally, she would be drilling me with questions about what I’m doing, but she seems like she is in another world. I wish she would talk to me about what is going on with her. The elevator comes to a stop, and the doors whistle open. Eric presses his keycard to the plate on the door, and the green light flickers. He pushes it open. The penthouse looks elegant. The walls are a beige color, and a flat screen hangs on the wall above the fireplace. Eric gives us a tour of the penthouse and it has a kitchen with granite countertops, and a stainless steel fridge, fully stocked with food. He shows Vanessa to her room.
She closes the door behind her, as Eric and I walk to our room. I flop on the bed as Eric unpacks our bags. What I learned about Eric is he is a neat freak and likes to have his stuff in a particular place. I am the total opposite. I like to leave my clothes on the floor or when I take off my shirt I will throw it on the couch. I watch him go to the bathroom and line up my feminine products on the right side of the counter; he then lines up his manly stuff on the left. He marches back into the room, and changes into a pair of swim shorts. My mind drifts to Vanessa and I can’t help but worry about her. Eric sits next to me on the bed.
“Let’s get in the jacuzzi,” he says with a boyish grin.
“Cool, I’ll invite Nessa.” Maybe I can help her out of her slump. After all, it is her birthday week. I rummage through the suitcase and find the bikini that Eric bought me. I remove my clothes, put on the bikini, and slide on a pair of denim shorts. Eric throws a towel at me.
I stroll to Nessa’s room and knock on the door.
“Vanessa, are you up?”
She doesn’t respond, so I turn the doorknob and slowly swing it open.
Vanessa lies on the bed, with only her pink lace underwear on. She has two bite marks on her inner thighs. What the hell? On her dresser, I see medicine resembling iron pills. I pick the package up and examine it. Maybe they are experimental drugs that haven’t released on the market yet. I set the package down, pull the blanket over Vanessa’s body, and walk out of the room. I stroll to the living area and Eric stands by the door.
“She’s asleep,” I tell Eric as he leads me outside to a hot tub next to our private pool. The city lights twinkle and you can hear car horns blowing. The weather is warm. I dip my body into the steaming water as Eric holds my hand. I straddle his lap and kiss the bridge of his nose. It feels good to get away from the island, away from the paranormal world. Eric kisses the side of my neck, sending shivers down my spine.
“I’m worried about Vanessa. She has these red pil—”
Eric places his index finger on my lips.
“You’re tense, you need to relax. Your human friend will be okay.”
“I don’t think you understand; humans don’t have healing abilities like ghouls.”
The thought of losing Vanessa causes my chest to tighten. She is my sister. We might not share the same blood but I consider her family.
“That’s not a human disease she has,” Eric says.
“What did you say?” I ask him, what does he mean by not a human disease?
“Nothing, let’s enjoy this time together.” He nibbles on my neck, and I melt into his embrace. I feel him tugging on my top, loosening the strings. He removes my top and tosses it aside. My nipples harden, and his shaft grows between my legs as he flashes me a boyish grin. Instantly, desire blossoms in the pit of my stomach. Eric unfastens his drawstring on his boxers.
“What are you doing? Someone will see us!” I glance around making sure no one is watching from the adjoining buildings.
“Let’s give them a show,” he winks seductively.
We make love under the moonlight.
The sun lights up the room, blinding me. Eric lies naked on top of the covers, his face buried in the fluffy white pillow. I roll out of bed, shower, and put on a pair of black shorts and a white tank top. I am going to take advantage of the sun this week. Living in a place where the sun comes out every three months can cause you to look as pale as a vampire. When I stroll into the kitchen, I smell bacon, eggs, and grits in the air. Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off plays from the stereo in the living room. Vanessa dances in the kitchen. She wears a tank top with tiny shorts. She pops bacon in her mouth, and it reminds me of when we were in college.
She has color to her skin, and her brown hair doesn’t look dull.
Did I miss something here? I prop myself on the counter and she turns around, almost dropping the skillet on the floor.
“I’m sorry to wake you,” she says as she sets the skillet on the counter. I grab the remote from the breakfast nook and turn down the music.
“Are you okay, Vanessa?”
She gives me a cheerful smile.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
I am confused. Last night, she was distant, and didn’t want to talk to me; now, she is smiling like she hit the lottery.
“Those red pills I found must be magical because last night you weren’t yourself,” I say, grabbing a strip of bacon, popping it in my mouth. She freezes for a second, then grabs three plates from the cabinet, setting them on the table.
“Are you going to tell me
what those pills are?” I move to the breakfast nook.
Eric strides in wearing a pair of dark jeans, and a white shirt that hugs his biceps. He gives me a kiss on the forehead.
“You didn’t wake me,” he chides.
“You looked happy sleeping,” I say sweetly. He opens the fridge, grabs a carton of orange juice and pours himself a tall glass.
I eat in silence, and Vanessa barely touches her food. After I finish eating, I place my plate in the sink.
“Jack and Mac are here; I’ll be out with them for the day,” he says.
“You invited them?” I ask.
“Yeah, I don’t want to be stuck with you females,” he jokes.
“I’ll text you,” Eric says.
Vanessa and I head to the spa after breakfast. We choose the Sunset Marquis package, which consists of massage, manicures, and pedicures. We chitchat about life, and I tell her that Eric and I are living together. She informs me that she and Adam broke up two weeks ago. Vanessa says he was asking her to do stuff that she didn’t want to do. To me, he sounds crazy and controlling. She says she still loves him. Did he get her hooked on those red pills? I would ask, but I don’t want to ruin our time together. By the time our spa day is over, it is dinner time and I’m famished. We stroll to Cavatinala, a restaurant in the hotel. The place is crawling with people. We sit at the bar. I order a rum and coke and the seared scallops with no mushrooms. I can’t eat them; I’m allergic. Vanessa orders herself the sea bass and a beer. The restaurant is noisy; I can barely hear the music playing in the background.
I drink my coke, letting the bubbles burn my throat.
“Do you love Eric?” Vanessa’s question throws me off. She looks down at the table before meeting my eyes.
“Yeah,” I blurt out, surprising myself. Wow, I never thought I would admit that out loud. I never put a label on what we are, because I don’t know if I’m serious about him. Often, I hear him refer to me as his mate. I don’t have a problem with it; it’s just that I don’t want to move so fast in case things don’t work out. I’m happy with him, and I can’t think of a time when I actually felt this way before. We’re in a good place, and I want to keep it that way. But other things drift to my mind. I can’t start a family with him. I can’t see myself being a queen of his race. Especially because Eric wants to rebuild his kingdom. Our relationship will come to an end as soon as we find the Zenith book. There are so many problems that come along with being with Eric. Love isn’t easy, but it shouldn’t be this complicated. I hate the fact that I’m falling in love with him. I hate the fact that once this is over with, I will be just a memory to him, and he will live for thousands of years. I don’t know if Eric loves me; he hasn’t mentioned anything about bonding. According to Dr. Edward, when a male bonds with a female, they are with them for the rest of their lives; that’s why it’s rare for males to do it. They live so long that settling down doesn’t occur to them. My love for Eric makes me realize I want marriage. I want to be everything to a guy. I didn’t know true love could do that to you. Vanessa snaps her fingers at me.
Ghoul Kisses Page 12
