“Snow,” my dad said, shocked.
Why didn’t he ever ask me to go with him? I could homeschool, or he could get me a tutor. “Can I come with you?” I asked, working to control my trembling bottom lip.
Cindy gasped. “Don’t leave me.” Tears made her eyes shiny. I hadn’t thought about how my going would affect her, but she had Gabe and the guys. She’d be fine.
“What about school?” Viv asked, her voice to syrupy.
My dad stood and came over. He placed a hand on each of my shoulders and I dove into him, hugging him tight. “Dad, I need you. Please take me with you.” I knew I sounded like a child, but I couldn’t help myself. He was my dad and all the family I had left. I didn’t want him to leave me again. He returned my hug briefly before pushing me back.
I saw the worry in his eyes and the way his forehead scrunched together. “Snow, I can’t. You have your school here, your life. I won’t take you from the only place you’ve ever known.” His words sounded sincere, but I felt him bristle. He didn’t want me around. I listened to the rapid beating of his heart, smelled the fear overpowering his aftershave. Didn’t he love me anymore? A part of me wanted to shout that my life could be wherever he was if he would just love me, treat me like his daughter—but I stepped back. My shoulders slumped and I thought I might fall over. Small, warm hands wrapped around my shoulders.
“I’ll take good care of her.” Cindy’s words were filled to the brim with protection and something else I was starting to recognize.
Magic, I thought, but pushed that aside, working to stop the tears falling onto my cheeks. At this point I had no shame.
I heard Vivianne heave an annoyed sigh. “I guess dinner is over.”
Had I not been so heartbroken I might’ve flashed my fangs and shown Viv that dinner, at least for me, had just begun. Instead I pulled away from Cindy and ran upstairs. That was why they’d bought me the laptop and phone. They thought they could buy my happiness and my forgiveness. I hated them both!
Chapter 39
Cindy closed the door as Gatsby jumped up on my bed. “Man, your stepmother can be kind of a bitch.”
“I know, right?” I sat on my bed and pulled my pillow into my arms. A part of me always believed Viv liked Cindy more than me and I thought Cindy liked Viv. Her relationship with her mom and dad was good, but they were older, and Cindy was their youngest, so her parents didn’t do much by way of relating.
A naughty gleam lit Cindy’s face. “I could cast a spell, cover her face in boils. What do you think?” She sat down next to me, pushing a strand of hair away from my wet cheek.
I laughed. “Might be fun,” I said noncommittally, not really feeling it.
She picked up her backpack before sitting beside me, crossing her legs. Unzipping the front pocket, she removed a book. As soon as I saw it the air in the room changed. It hummed as though alive. The book possessed some serious energy. “I’m not kidding. I totally will.”
My attention remained on the book. Bound by a leather cord, most of the jacket was covered in a rusty red material. Cindy held it out and nodded for me to take it. “What is this?” I asked, feeling hesitant. Creepy or weird didn’t fully describe the tome. Bizarre was close. In the center of the cover was an eye. It looked real, like a lizard’s. A scaly face in a combination of violets and reds surrounded the eye. It blinked then seemed to focus on me. “Can the eye… see me?”
Cindy laughed. “Probably. The book is known as the Eye of Abernathy, the first and most powerful dragon ever to have lived on Earth.”
“A dragon?” I rubbed my thumbs over the edges of the cover, staying clear of the eye. Soft, sleek, and smooth like a lizard’s skin. “What’s inside?”
Cindy gave me one of her famous looks. This one saying, Duh! “Abernathy’s spells. This is the oldest, most powerful book on the planet and it’s mine now.”
I snorted, though I could feel the book’s power. “Really? Why do you have it?” Immediately after the words left my mouth, I regretted them.
“Harsh,” she said, hurt.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it the way it came out.” I scooted closer and hit her knee with mine. I didn’t know how to ask her where the book came from or when she got it. Something told me the book was related to the pendant. I was still ignoring that part of my new life and didn’t want to tell Cindy any of it, so I waited.
Cindy took the book from me and slowly started turning pages. A sweet stench rose from them, like dried flowers. “Remember the other day, when I left school?” Her voice was soft, filled with wonder.
“Yes. You scared me. The guys said it was about a guy but I didn’t believe them.” Dorian had also alluded to more. I hoped she’d tell me the truth.
“Sorry.” She looked at me, sorrow on her face. I smacked her knee with mine again. It was no big deal now that I knew she was safe. “Anyway, my mother’s aunt showed up at school, and said we needed to talk.”
“Oh?” I didn’t know much about Cindy’s family.
“Yeah, it was weird. She said…” her voice trailed off. “Don’t freak out, okay? Promise?”
“How can I freak out if I don’t even know what you’re going to tell me?” My pulse quickened anyway.
Cindy laughed nervously and brushed her hair off her neck. “It’s just…” She drew in a deep breath. “You know how I’m a descendent of the Towne sisters?”
“Yeah,” I said slowly.
“Well apparently they really were witches, and powerful ones too.” She crossed her legs.
“I thought we decided if the sisters were real witches, they would’ve kicked some serious townspeople butt and escaped, or at least turned the accusers into frogs.” That was the story Cindy and I told each other since second grade when we first found out she was a descendant. Our teacher, Miss Field, taught us about the Salem Witch Trials and the Salem Hysteria in social studies. We knew most of the craziness happened in the town now known as Danvers, not in Salem, but the name stuck anyway.
Cindy cleared her throat. “It turns out when the town accused them, the sisters made a pact to fake their own deaths, if necessary, and allow the townspeople to think they died so they could move on and live their lives elsewhere. My aunt says she believes they may still be alive.”
“Wait, so did they hurt those people? Make them crazy?”
Cindy huffed. “Of course not. They were too important, their magic too special for such inconsequential nonsense.” The words sounded rehearsed. “The sisters used their magic more subtly, for a greater cause.”
“Oh, okay.” My mind went back to Kenmei’s words. He’d said the pendant never worked for anyone the way it worked for me and now I was curious what the greater cause was.
“The book is passed down to the next closest female descendant in their sixteenth year. She doesn’t have any daughters, so she gave it to me.” Cindy’s hand stopped flipping pages and I read the words across the top.
“Locator spell,” I said aloud.
“Yes, it’s so cool. If you lose anything, even a person, you can use this spell to find it or them.”
For some reason the fact she chose that particular spell made the little hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. What did she hope to find? Was it the Seal of Gabriel? I’d lost it while she was at my house. I swallowed back that question. It couldn’t be. “R-Really?” I closed my eyes and quickly opened them. I certainly didn’t want the responsibility of the necklace, but every bone in my body told me it would be bad, very bad, if Cindy got her hands on it. Tomorrow I’d give it to Professor Pops. Surely there was another marked who could restore balance and destroy the vampire queen.
“Want to help me give the spell a shot?” Cindy pulled a candle from her backpack.
“Um, yes. Okay,” I said, only slightly worried about what might happen. No part of me doubted her words. I sensed the book’s power. If she said she could do a spell, I believed her. I wondered briefly if that was what Dorian meant at school earlier. Did the gu
ys know something about the sisters? About Cindy’s family? About the Eye of Abernathy?
“What should we try to locate?” Cindy asked, smiling.
Before I answered, Viv poked her head in. Her eyes zeroed in on the candle and the spell book simultaneously. “We’re leaving, Snow. You should come down and say good-bye to your father.”
Anger—at her, at my dad, at Professor Pops and the brothers, at Kenmei, and even at Cindy—overwhelmed my body. I felt my canines grow and, without thought, I ripped open the door and grabbed Viv, her neck and shoulder exposed.
Viv gasped. “What evil is this? Put me down this instant!”
That’s right, I thought. I’m not some little kid you can push around anymore. As suddenly as I thought the words, darkness began to creep through my mind. I shook it off, releasing her. “Fine,” I said, pushing past her. I glanced back at Cindy. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth hung open.
I tried to smile, but nothing happened, and I went down to say goodbye. Once they were gone, I went back upstairs.
Cindy had returned the book to her bag and was waiting. “I should go,” she said.
“Fine. Leave,” I growled. She looked at me like she felt sorry for me but didn’t say more. When I heard the door shut, I flung myself back on my bed, ramming the pillow over my head. I just wanted it all to go away.
A soft voice chanted sounds in a strange language and peace enveloped me. I snuggled into my covers and closed my eyes.
“Sleep, young one,” the voice said. “You’re almost ready.”
Chapter 40
When I came to, I felt different. Stronger. More relaxed with what I was—a revenant and nothing more. Sure, my dad left as had Cindy and I’d pushed away the people most important to me, namely my seven best friends and their adoptive father, Professor Pops. But whatever. I could handle the situation. I just wanted to feel like myself again. A normal teenager.
Certainly not some deliverer for the supernatural.
The gem wasn’t created for me by one of the original vampires because she knew she would be killed. That was impossible. I refused to believe that in a sea of billions, the gem was meant for me. “No way!”
It was morning and I was determined to go about my life as though I were just another teenager. I got ready and studied myself in my mirror. “Normal.” The only thing left to do was return the Seal of Gabriel to Professor Pops. He could deal with it. Reaching behind my lavender dresser I searched for it but couldn’t reach. So, I pulled the dresser away from the wall. I found a few dust bunnies and a pencil, but the necklace wasn’t there.
“What the hell?” I went over in my mind exactly how I’d thrown it. For sure the chain hit a perfume bottle. I shifted all five of the pretty bottles, their scents mingling in the air as I moved them. Then, thinking maybe I was mistaken, I rummaged around in my closet, checked under my bed, in my covers, and behind my window curtains. By the time I finished I was sweaty and still empty-handed. “Ugh! Where could it be?” Had Cindy taken it? It seemed the most likely solution. She hadn’t come over to be my friend again. She was a witch and she knew about the necklace. Kenmei said it would bring power. That had been what she was after.
The realization hurt and my anger grew by the second. I found my phone and texted her. Did u take my necklace? I went to hit send but changed my mind. If she wanted it, she could have it. I would be normal. I wanted nothing more to do with vampires and the supernatural. I was out.
Hurriedly I ran downstairs, fed Gatsby, and got on my bike. It was getting easier to pedal. Easier to move, period. With each turn of the wheels, as I moved closer to the academy, my worry for the necklace dissipated. With the necklace was gone, and that meant I wasn’t accountable for ending the vampire queen and restoring balance. Right?
See, everything leaves you, I thought and shrugged. “Good.”
Chapter 41
The next few days were pretty normal. I went to the school, did my homework, fed my cat, watched reality TV, and pretended I wasn’t craving blood so bad my stomach permanently hurt. I also did a pretty good job ignoring the brothers as well as Cindy’s phone calls and texts. But on Monday morning of the following week, I woke thinking I was going to die.
Blood! Blood! Blood!
The word pounded through my body over and over like a frenzied crowd at a fight club. I went downstairs, desperate for food, and saw a package sitting on the counter with a damn note. Remember, twice a day. That was all it said.
By the smell I knew it contained my bloodlust tea. Peeling back the wrapping, I quickly made myself a double dose and drank it with relief. The hunger was still there, but now it was bearable. I knew it’d come from Professor Pops. I thought about thanking him but couldn’t bring myself to dial his number. Just speaking with him would pull me back into that life and I didn’t want it anymore.
At least I had Cindy. I texted her before school and it was like there had never been an awkward moment between us. After school, we drove to Warehouse Video and got a coffee and talked.
“I’m sorry,” I said first, staring into the steaming cup.
“I’m sorry too.” She reached for my hand and I squeezed.
“That’s cool about you being a witch,” I said quietly, lifting my eyes to watch her expression.
“Thanks.” She took a sip of her drink. “Want to tell me about you?”
I swallowed back a desire to tell her about everything. I just couldn’t. I wasn’t ready. It was bad enough the guys knew. I didn’t want her to know too. “It’s a lot,” I said.
“Worse than being a witch?” She lifted one perfectly formed brow.
“Maybe.” I told her about liking Gabe and maybe Dorian and how my feelings were weird toward all of the brothers, which was why I needed some space from them. She listened and offered great advice. Chatting with her was wonderful. It was also fun to hang out while she performed her magic. Sometimes she would do it on me. Like one day I went to school with a red streak in my hair, the next a yellow one. She became a pro at changing her nail polish and even “painted” mine red once during lunch.
Finally, almost a month later, Cindy gave me the push I needed to make up with the guys. She drove past my house and pulled into Professor Pops’ driveway. After putting the car in park, she shushed all of my lame excuses. “Look, it’s like a bandage. Just rip the sucker off. It might hurt, but only for a few seconds.”
I wanted to be upset, but all seven of the guys and Professor Pops immediately came outside and were waving and smiling like goofballs, like they’d been waiting for me. I couldn’t leave them hanging any longer. I didn’t want to.
“You’re right,” I agreed, and got out of her car.
Chapter 42
Our reunion went better than expected. Hanging out with them again felt like putting on my favorite shoes. They were comfortable. Even Gabe seemed less tense than before my meltdown. After several hours of chatting, dinner, and a movie screening of the latest Marvel movie in their oversized theater room, Gabe suggested some training.
“You want to take a revenant on at midnight? You’re brave.” I playfully punched him in the arm and rose from the supple leather couch. He’d sat next to me when the movie started. At first it was awkward but, as the movie progressed and we laughed at our favorite parts together, I relaxed and so did he.
“Training is an excellent idea, Snow. Not for too long, though. After an hour you should head home and get some rest. We’ll be here in the morning for some breakfast, if you’d like.” Professor Pops’ eyes twinkled with happiness and I was sure my expression matched his.
I’d been away from eight of my most favorite people on the planet for far too long. “I’d like that.”
Gabe stood and I followed him down the stairs. When we entered the Museum of the Supernatural, it was like coming home. I’d missed the place more than I realized. After Gabe unlocked the door to the training room, I followed him in.
He grabbed the longer sword, the katana, and the shorte
r one—I couldn’t remember what it was called—and handed them to me. “Ready?” he asked as he crouched and started to circle.
“Bring it, Gabriel.” I’d started to laugh, but the noise caught in my throat as I said his full name, and I froze as thoughts and memories filled my mind. Before I shut him out, Professor Pops had tried to tell me about Gabe. My talk with Kenmei, his story about Silindra and the vampire who’d killed her. His name had been Gabriel too. It couldn’t mean anything, right? I shook my head. That they shared the same name was a complete coincidence. It had to be. Gabe wasn’t a hunter. I was sure of that.
Gabe smacked me on the arm with the flat of his blade. “Concentrate, Snowflake. These weapons aren’t pretend. They’re real.”
I jumped. “Right.” I copied his stance, feeling my body find its position as I moved with a grace I hadn’t realized I possessed.
Even Gabe was impressed. He raised an eyebrow. “Have you been practicing?”
I shook my head. “Maybe,” I lied, just to throw him off. We circled a few more times and then he lunged. I blocked the blow and spun around.
“Aren’t you Little Miss Kickass!” He smirked.
“You know it,” I responded, smirking back.
After that we were a blur of blades, an orchestra of clanging metal, breathing, and synchronized heartbeats. We moved in time to music of our own creation. Sweat mingled with the warmth of his skin, the delicious bouquet of his blood.
He tripped me and I fell, landing on my butt. Before I could react, he took my swords and put them away. When he finished, he came over and stuck out a hand. I grabbed hold. He yanked, but I had a better idea. I yanked back, hard. Surprised, he fell down toward me but caught himself before our bodies touched.
“Nice move,” he said with a smile, trapping me under him, his arms on either side of my shoulders.
I was mesmerized by his bright green eyes. They danced with a happiness I hadn’t seen in weeks, not since that night in my bedroom. Our faces were close, and I kept checking out his lips, so soft and full. What had changed? Why was he being friendly again? I didn’t have time for an internal debate because his lips were suddenly on mine.
Blood and Snow: Snow White Reimagined with Vampires and Magic (Seven Magics Academy Book 1) Page 17
