“What don’t you want me to find?” he asked, planting a swift kiss on my mouth.
Gatsby made an appearance and started howling, winding between Christopher’s legs and then mine.
“Make yourself useful and feed my cat,” I said in mock irritation. He quirked a brow. “Just don’t go in my room.”
“Fine. No snooping.” He swatted my butt. “Hurry. The sooner you get there, the sooner you’ll be back.”
I yelped, my cheeks hot. “Dude.” I left, running at lightning speed over to Professor Pops’ house without tripping once.
When I knocked on the door to Professor Pops’ house, Daniel answered immediately. “Bout time, Snow. Gabe’s been chomping at the bit.”
“Gabe?” I said. Fear raced through me. “I-I thought Dorian was training me today.”
“Change of plans. You better get down there.”
“Right, thanks, Daniel.” I hurried past him, jogging down the stairs, past the Museum of the Supernatural and into the room filled with weapons. Gabe’s angry gaze found mine and slammed my feet to a stop.
“Where were you?” he demanded.
“Hey, chill, bossy pants. I’m here now,” I said, releasing some nervous energy.
His expression softened. “Sorry. I was worried.” He held the longer sword—what had Professor Pops called it? A katana?—in one hand. Then came around and stood extra close so that his body hugged mine. “Let’s begin.” He took my right hand and placed the sword in it. I bit my cheek, suddenly nervous.
He doesn’t want you. He doesn’t want you. He doesn’t want you. The words sounded over and over in my mind.
“Your heart is beating so fast. Are you… craving my blood?” His face was so close to mine; I could feel his five o’clock shadow, not to mention the pounding of his pulse. And I realized he was scared.
Of me.
That knowledge hurt.
“No, I’m nervous about being so close to the blade,” I lied.
He swallowed, a loud gulping of his fear. Why choose to train me if he was afraid? Gabe might as well shove that pointy stake into my heart. Stepping away, I turned. “How about you demonstrate the correct way to hold it and I’ll copy you?”
I watched his jaws clench. He nodded. “Spread your feet shoulder’s width apart.”
I did as he said.
“Now bend your knees.”
As I bent them, he walked over and set the sword on the counter, then came over to me.
Yeah, it’s still just me. Your best friend. Sheesh! “Like this?” I asked, scowling.
He pressed a hand against one of my butt cheeks. “Tuck that under and hold in your lower abdomen.”
I tried to do as he said, but it felt weird. What was up with two guys touching my butt within a few minutes.
“Come on, Snow. It’s not that difficult,” he said, his voice harsh.
Anger snapped to attention and bloomed like a rose in my chest. Why was he being so rude? “I’ve never done anything like this before, so forgive me if I’m not a pro in two point five seconds, Gabriel.”
“Well, hello there, Snowflake.” He smirked, and I realized he’d been goading me on purpose.
He picked up his sword and took another off the wall, handing it to me. I took it and glared.
“During battle anger is good, necessary in fact, but it must be controlled.” He’d started to circle me, and my senses heightened. I copied the way he held his blade and followed him. “If you can learn to control your anger, you’ll be a force to reckon with.”
I snorted. “What about tripping over my feet?”
He stopped. “C’mon, Snow. This is serious. You’ve got to be prepared. The hunter is working to make sure you become the next queen. And others,” he waved his unarmed hand upward, “are planning your demise. Either way, your life could end soon—unless you fight for it.”
The poisonous arrow Christopher pulled from my leg crossed my thoughts. Gabe was right. “Ugh. Fine,” I snapped. “Stop chitchatting and show me what to do!”
Chapter 30
After an hour and a half of training I finally started to get the hang of how to stand with my butt and stomach tucked in. I figured out how to hold the blade correctly—not too tight, not too soft—and how to move with more agility. I didn’t stumble or cut myself once. Even Gabe had been impressed.
By the time we finished, Gabe lightened up, and though the training was intense I felt like, on a personal level, he and I were better. Maybe back to being friends.
“Good job, Snowflake,” he said, placing the blades on the wall. “You surprise me.”
“Gee, thanks,” I replied, my voice thick with sarcasm, but the compliment made me lightheaded.
He tossed a white hand towel at me. I caught it and patted my forehead. The front of Gabe’s grey shirt clung to his flat stomach. His arms and neck glistened with sweat. I’d worked just as hard as he had, but I hardly perspired. You’re a revenant now, that’s why. For some reason the thought made me smile. Yes. I. Am!
Gabe lifted a brow, questioning my sudden silly grin. He draped the towel around his neck and hung on. Even sweaty he was handsome. “I’ve got to hit the books, so I’ll see you tomorrow.”
My smile deflated. “Oh, okay. Later.”
As he walked by, he patted my arm.
Great, we’re back to awkward. I followed him out and Gabe locked the door. “I’ll be by to take you to school in the morning,” he said, sounding odd. I wanted to shake him, forcefully require him to get over his weirdness and bring back my best friend. Instead I waved to his retreating back.
After he left, I browsed around the Museum of the Supernatural, casually checking out each creature, but I’d already decided which one I wanted to research first.
The hunter.
I hadn’t forgotten the look on Christopher’s face when he saw the carved bear. It’d been a mixture of excitement, fear, and joy. That had to mean something, didn’t it? I wanted to see if the answers to my questions, including why finding something belonging to Christopher before he’d turned, could be valuable.
I opened the drawer next to the statue of the hunter vampire, pulled out the book, and placed it on the strange podium in the center of the room. “Chapter one,” I said, and the pages flipped until they reached the correct page. On the facing page was a full-color picture of a young man. He looked to be of Asian descent, with deep olive skin, black eyes, and long black hair. He posed regally in a navy-blue robe decorated with intricate designs. He seemed familiar. Something about the eyes. Under the picture was a caption: Kenmei Yamata.
“Kenmei,” I murmured, and started to read.
Before the time of man, vampires ruled the earth. They lived in harmony with all creatures both great and small: the trolls, and the goblins, the pixies, and the pixilettes. The dragons of the air and of the sea. The griffin and the mermaid. The elf and the dwarf. After a thousand years, one vampire rose up from the rest, her magic more powerful than all others. She was beautiful, the most beautiful in the land. Creatures fell at her feet to worship her. She was also greedy, hungry for power, her heart filled with enmity for all. She subjected others to her authority and became the vampire queen.
But there were those who resisted, and war broke out. Both sides suffered abundant losses. In the end the vampire queen and her followers were forced into hiding.
Then came the time of man.
Discovering their usefulness, the queen created the first hunter.
“Kenmei was the first hunter,” I whispered, remembering the conversation between Professor Pops, Kenmei, and me.
“That’s right,” Professor Pops said, and I jumped. I hadn’t heard him come in.
Recovering, I closed the book. “So, vampires lived before humans?” I asked, swallowing. “They didn’t start out human?”
“If by human you mean like we are now, then no.” He shook his head, moving closer to the book. “Appendix A,” he said. The book quietly flipped toward the back, its p
ages stirring the air with the smell of old paper. When it stopped, I unconsciously recoiled from the pictures on the page, finding it difficult to grasp what I saw.
“What are those things?” I finally asked. The creatures had dark and hairy bodies. Their arms and legs were the same length, similar in proportion to an ape. Large pointy claws extended from their appendages, and spreading from their backs were sets of glittering web-like wings. That wasn’t even the oddest part. Their heads were human, covered in smooth skin the color of a baby fawn.
Cherubic, I thought. The faces of angels. Each one seemed more attractive, more exquisite than the one before. The eye colors ranged from blue, to violet, to yellow, to orange. The hair growing from their heads matched their eye color, as did their lips.
“Those, Snow, are what vampires looked like in the beginning.”
“They’re creepy, yet somehow… regal. It’s weird.” I crossed my arms, desperate to hold in my emotions.
Professor Pops chuckled, and the warmth of his laugh calmed me. “I understand.” He placed a hand on my shoulder. “That’s enough for today. Why don’t you head on home? Gabe said you did well during training.”
“He did?” Maybe he was more comfortable with me than I thought.
“Yes, he did. Now get some rest and I’ll see you after school tomorrow.”
“Okay. Plus, I’ve got a lot of homework to do.” Christopher flashed across my mind and my legs turned to mush. Jogging toward the bottom of the stairs, I stopped before going up. “See ya, Professor Pops.”
“Actually, one more thing.”
“Yes,” I said, turning. Maybe he decided to share more.
His countenance changed to sadness, or maybe concern. “As your protector, I’m here for you. No matter what. You understand that, right?”
Did he somehow know what I was doing with my hunter? I hoped not. How humiliating. I didn’t want to discuss that—my feelings—with him or anyone else.
Thankful for the low lighting in the room, I gulped. “Yes, thank you. It’s good to hear the words. I’ll remember.”
His tense face calmed. “Good.” He rubbed his fingers against his jawline, making a scratching sound. “And…” he paused, and I stopped breathing. Did he expect us to talk now? I couldn’t. No way.
But I didn’t need to worry. His features softened and whatever he’d been about to say died before he spoke. “Have you had a chance to look through the book of dresses I sent over with the boys? Did you notice the red one near the back? That’s the one I’d pick for you.”
Confused, I racked my brain a moment until I followed. He was talking about my birthday party. I hadn’t spotted a red dress, but then I hadn’t gone through the entire book yet. I wanted to tell him the red dress would be perfect just to get the whole ordeal over with. I did not understand fashion. But, if Cindy found out I’d had an exclusive book full of couture dresses and hadn’t let her look through it? My life would be over.
“Near the back?” I repeated, placing a foot on the bottom step.
“That’s right.”
“I’ll be sure to check it out and let you know in the next couple of days. Will that be okay?”
“Of course.” Professor Pops waved me away and I took the remaining stairs two at a time.
On my way out of the house I said good-bye to five of the seven brothers. Dorian and Gabe weren’t around, which reminded me that I hadn’t heard from Cindy since chemistry. I really hoped she was okay.
In the brisk night air, I glanced at the stars, each one so bright, like the moon. Inhaling, I tried to calm myself. The thought of being alone with Christopher did things to me—to my heart and low in my belly. I crossed through our yards, hurrying through the thick trees and brush. When I reached the stairs leading up to my back porch, I noticed several lights in the house turned on—upstairs, too. He’d snooped.
My heart skipped several beats as I flung the door open. “I’m back, Chri—” For a moment, I think my heart stopped. Sitting at the dining room table were my dad and stepmother.
“Hello, dear,” my stepmother said, a cruel smile lifting her lips. “Surprise.”
Chapter 31
“Dad. Vivianne. You’re home.” I wanted to rush over and hug my dad, but my stepmother’s scowl held me in place. Where was Christopher? Had he heard them come home and left? I hoped so.
“Hi, Snow-Angel,” Dad said slowly, clearing his throat. He looked good, more in shape, though he still dressed like an undercover TV cop—Hawaiian shirt, cargo shorts, and socks with sandals. He was tan with natural blond streaks in his otherwise dark hair. His face crinkled near his eyes from smiling. He and my stepmother sat across the dining table from each other, dozens of bags piled between them. Apparently, there’d been shopping on their trip.
Gatsby darted from under the table and wound around my legs, yowling for his dinner.
“Don’t you feed him? He’s too skinny,” Vivianne said. She wore a pair of white shorts and a light blue tank. One tanned leg was crossed over the other, and her wedge-sandaled foot bounced rhythmically. She was a lot younger than my dad, closer to my age than his. Not a single wrinkle marred her perfect complexion. Each platinum blond hair on her head rested in place.
“Of course I do. Twice a day, every day.” I grabbed Gatsby’s kibble from under the sink and poured some into his bowl, then refilled his water. Finished, I went over to my dad, who had risen from the table and shuffled his feet awkwardly near the counter. “How was your trip?” I asked, hugging him and inhaling his sandalwood aftershave. The scent filled me with comfort and reminded me of a time before my stepmother entered the picture.
Vivianne placed a hand on my shoulder. “Good. We’re only here a short time. Then it’s back to work.” She hooked a finger in my shirt. “Why do you insist on wearing boy clothes?” She’d said boy as though it tasted like acid on her tongue.
I pulled away. “They’re comfortable.”
She balked, walking over to the table. As she dug through the bags, I eyed my dad. “You have to leave again so soon?”
“Not for a few weeks. By the time we go, you’ll be sick of us.” He hugged me again and I held him tightly.
Our house didn’t show it, but my dad was sort of a business mogul. Cindy said our family had more money than God. I’d done an Internet search on my dad once and discovered he owned a private jet, kept a building in Boston, and owned more than a dozen vacation resorts all over the world. But I’d never seen his offices, been to one of his resorts, flown on one of his planes, or, well… felt rich. Dad didn’t act like a wealthy man. Didn’t dress like one either.
Even though our house was small and hidden by trees, it had been built in a pretentious neighborhood in the early eighteen hundreds. The smallest on the block, most people around us, like Professor Pops, had purchased the land, torn down what stood on it and rebuilt, which meant that mansions surrounded our little house.
And then there was my stepmother’s strange love of all things fairytale. The décor inside our house could be mistaken for a gift shop rather than a multimillionaire tycoon’s residence.
Dad had been around more before my mom died. Now he rarely stayed home longer than a few weeks at a time.
“I could never get sick of you. I miss you when you’re gone,” I whispered. No doubt I’d be sick of Vivianne, but certainly not my dad. I loved him. When he was around, I felt content and happy. Hugging him tighter, I swallowed a sigh.
Vivianne cleared her throat. “How’s track going? Won any races yet?” Her expression was one of amusement and I bit back a retort.
“Not yet, maybe soon.” I shrugged. My dad and stepmother weren’t around enough to know if I’d grown less klutzy, so I had no problem letting them believe that their insistence that I be on the track team was paying off.
“Really? You’ve figured out how to put one foot in front of the other without tripping?” she asked, giving my body a once over.
“I—” I didn’t know how to respond
. It wasn’t like I could spill about becoming a revenant. Viv especially would freak and talk my dad into sending me to an asylum. Don’t get me wrong. Dad had a backbone. For some reason, though, he always bent to her will.
“Leave her be,” my dad growled, his eyes flashing with anger. I would’ve cheered except he immediately turned contrite. “I’m sure Snow is doing a fine job in track. Aren’t you, Snow-Angel?”
I brushed my bangs out of my eyes. “It’s getting better,” I replied, nodding to my dad.
“Happy birthday, Snow.”
Her words surprised me. It wasn’t my birthday for a while still. “Thanks,” I said, glancing at my dad again. His smile was tight.
Viv held a formal lavender dress in her hands. I had no idea what the materials were called, but the spaghetti strapped bodice was shiny, and the bottom half reminded me of a fluffy lavender cloud. The dress sparkled as though diamonds frolicked within the layers. A large grin spread over her face. “What do you think?”
Tentatively I stepped forward, touching the little lavender rose belt cinched around the waist. “It’s beautiful.” I didn’t want to overly encourage Viv. “Where am I going to wear this?”
She huffed, exasperated. “Mr. Henry told us about the birthday party he’s planned for you.” She turned and walked back to the table. From a bag she pulled out something wrapped in tissue paper. “Hold this,” she said, handing my dad the dress. After he took it, Viv carefully removed the white paper, producing a stunning mask, decorated in glittering beads of lilac, teal, and fuchsia the same shades as several soft-looking feathers that protruded from one side. The beading around the eyes was black. “Mr. Henry said the party theme was a masked ball.” She touched a delicate feather. “This mask is from Milan and cost more than most people make in a year.”
My dad grumbled, uncomfortable. He didn’t like to talk about money.
“You’ll look lovely. The black beading will bring out your stunning blue eyes,” Viv added, ignoring him.
Blood and Snow: Snow White Reimagined with Vampires and Magic (Seven Magics Academy Book 1) Page 13
