“Not at all.” I certainly could understand why some of the brothers freaked. If I weren’t bitten I probably would be a basket case. As it was I kept meeting new supernatural beings and dealt with them as it happened, which reminded me of the beast I’d seen in my room last night.
“Have you ever seen a creature about this tall,” I marked my leg at the knee as I continued, “his entire body is brown, like mud. He sort of looks like a frog, but the eyes are more like those of a cat. Plus it can talk.”
Salvatore’s face paled. “You saw one?”
I nodded. “Last night. In my room.”
“Did you tell Professor Pops?” He seemed alarmed.
“No.”
He balked.
“What? A lot’s happened, and I forgot.”
He exhaled. “They are despicable creatures called gremlins.” He spat. “I’ve encountered one before. Evil, and vile, but easy to kill.” He walked past the pixies. “They can morph into anything, so we call them changelings. All are loyal to the Vampire Queen, but only a select few can see the creatures when they are in their true form.” He stopped in front of a small case. It was only about eight inches square. Inside was what looked like a moth; only it had two yellow eyes, like a cat. Salvatore pulled out the book, took it to the pedestal, and said, “Appendix D.”
The old pages flipped to the back on the book. When it stopped I gazed at the pictures. On the left page sat the gremlin in its true form, and on the facing page were pictures of a wasp, an elephant, a beautiful woman, and a small puppy. The one telltale feature was the eyes—in all its forms it retained the yellow eyes of a cat.
“What did it say to you?” Salvatore asked.
“Hmmm.” I paused, scared. Should I tell him?
You can trust him, my inner voice huffed.
“He seemed to be talking to someone else, and commented that I had magic.” I shrugged, peering into his dark chocolate eyes.
“We’d better tell Pops for sure. Come on.” He put the book back, and grabbed my hand, pulling me up the stairs.
My stomach tightened in knots. Kenmei would be here soon, if he wasn’t already, and I had a feeling our conversation would be about more than my fighting stance. I grabbed at the necklace, and felt its warmth enfold me.
Where are you, Christopher, I thought, wishing he was here.
Chapter 7
When Kenmei arrived, he took one look at me, and pulled me in Professor Pops’ office.
“You’ve changed, Shiryo-san,” he said as soon as the door closed behind him.
I gulped down my fear.
“Have I?”
“No sense playing coy, revenant.” His voice sounded harsh, his eyes hard with anger. “If you intend to survive another month you’ve got to trust Adam Henry, the brothers, and me.” He sat in the chair next to mine, and took my trembling hands. His eyes softened. “I can help, Shiryo-san. Talk to me.”
I nodded, pushing back threatening tears. Warmth spread from his hands into my skin. With my new abilities I listened for his heartbeat.
He didn’t have one, though I sensed his innate goodness.
“Start at the beginning.”
And I did. Told him everything. The more I talked, the more relieved I became. I hadn’t realized how much of a burden I carried, keeping all that happened, and there was a lot, a secret. As I spoke, Kenmei nodded occasionally, but kept quiet. He didn’t ask questions, as though he didn’t need to, and didn’t add interjections. He listened.
When I finished I pulled the pendant from beneath my shirt.
“This is the pendant Christopher left me,” I said, and added, “He told me not to take it off, as did Pava, the pixilette I saw in the library today.”
He released my hand, and took the gem between his fingers. It flared red, the essence permeating his fingers so they glowed. From the light of the pendant I watched his eyes fill with admiration. So close I could smell the spicy scent of my bloodlust tea on him, and guessed he still carried it on his person, somewhere within his royal blue robe.
After several minutes, he dropped the pendant, and sat back. “I’ll bet you believe you’ve lived a lifetime these past days,” he said quietly.
I nodded too overcome with emotion to answer.
Even quieter, he added, “Let’s see how you feel after you’ve lived a century, or two.” A sad smile, almost more of an echo of a smile formed on his lips. “After seven thousand years I’m tired, Shiryo-san.” His voice was filled with melancholy, his eyes glassed over, like he was far away, in another time.
I swallowed, unsure how to respond.
Clearing his throat, perked up. “Thank you for your honesty.”
“You’re welcome.” My fingers fidgeted in my lap.
“Christopher is right. No harm will come to you while you wear the pendant. It gives the possessor strong magic. Perhaps there is more to your Hunter then I first believed. He seems to care for you, otherwise he wouldn’t have parted with such great magic.”
“Oh?” I said, sitting up. For some reason his words made me feel better. Christopher cared for me.
My inner voice snorted.
“There is only one of these in all the world, Shiryo-san. May I tell you a story?”
“Of course,” I replied, knowing he would even if I didn’t want to hear it, but I totally did.
“When the world began, vampires ruled the world.”
I nodded. That piece of information I already knew. Professor Pops had shown them to me.
“Aw, so you’ve seen the pictures then, hear the story?”
I’d failed to mention the talk with Professor Pops. I’d forgotten. His words hadn’t seemed accusatory. “Yes. Professor Pops told me they lived before humans. I’ve seen the pictures. He told me how the Vampire Queen was the fairest, and about the war.”
“Excellent. Did he mention who the first vampire was?”
I racked my brain. “No, I don’t think so.”
The first vampire was a female by the name of Silindra. Before the rise of the one you know as the Vampire Queen, she was called Sharra, and she was Silindra’s closest friend, but she was so much more. Sharra are Silindra’s were twins. Sisters.”
I gasped.
Kenmei nodded in understanding. “Yes, that is why her realm is called Sharra. Now she is known only as the Vampire Queen, though she allows a select few to call her by her real name.” He waved his hand. “Before Sharra’s rise, Silindra ruled the Earth. She did so with kindness, equality. Her nature was such that everyone loved her, revered her, and even worshipped her above all other creatures.”
“Silindra.” I’d said her name without meaning too. When I did the gem began to glow.
“When the Vampire Queen started to gain followers, a male vampire named Gabriel, doing the bidding of Sharra, captured Silindra, and took her deep within the earth, where he tortured her for many days.” A darkness crossed Kenmei’s face, rippling pain.
I almost reached out to comfort him, but resisted, caressing the gem within my fingers.
Kenmei continued, “On the tenth day, when Silindra hovered between life and death, Gabriel raised a dagger above his head, preparing to slay her. But before he could, Silindra lifted a hand, and said…” Kenmei’s voice trailed off as though he’d been whisked away in the story, and couldn’t bear it any longer.
“What did she say?” I asked, my voice hoarse with emotion.
“She said one word,” he finally continued.
“Which was?”
“Wait.” His voice broke, and I leaned closer, thinking I’d misunderstood.
“Wait?”
His dark eyes captured mine, and held me. “You see, Shiryo-san, even near death, the love she harbored for all other creatures was foremost on her mind.”
At his words, my throat constricted with sadness. Such love, I couldn’t understand it.
“Gabriel paused, and asked, ‘What is it, Silindra?’
She begged him to allow her to place on
e of her tears in the golden gem around her neck, and after she died to give it to a pixilette named Ryden.
Gabriel’s heart softened, and he agreed.
What he didn’t realize was that the gem around her neck already contained five magical properties—the courageous soul of a dragon, the eternal sight of an elf, the healing horn of a unicorn, the strength of a troll, and the giving heart of a fairy.
Gabriel added her tear, stuffed the gem in his pocket, and killed Silindra. After he finished, he left Silindra’s body in the Earth, found the pixilette Ryden, and gave her the necklace, thus fulfilling his end of the bargain.
“Within moments of the gem being in Ryden’s possession, she used its magic to take the final component needed to seal the magic within the gem. The blood of the slaughterer. Gabriel’s blood. With all seven magical components contained, the gem changed from golden to red.”
I considered the pendant around my neck. Without a doubt I knew it was the same one Silindra had worn.
“It’s called The Seal of Gabriel because without his blood, the magic would’ve been lost.”
Kenmei’s words brought down the weight of the power I carried. “Why would she create this?”
“Ah, Shiryo-san. A very good question. She created that necklace for you.”
I looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “Impossible.”
“With everything that’s happened to you over the last several days, how can you say that?” He took my hand and squeezed. “The magic contained within the pendant is powerful, and anyone who understands magic can use it, increasing their power at least ten fold, but you… Shiryo-san, you can restore balance, bring peace back to Earth by destroying the Vampire Queen.”
I snorted. Very unladylike, I know. Super disrespectful too, but I wasn’t buying it. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”
He jumped from his seat, fury flashing in his eyes. Like the strike of a cobra he grabbed me by the collar, and lifted me in the air, so that my feet dangled. “No, Shiryo-san! Never in seven thousand years has the gem worked for others the way it works for you.” As if to prove his point a red ball of light shot from the pendant and into Kenmei. He dropped me as he went flying backward into the bookcase. Books tumbled onto his head, and he groaned. “Don’t you see?” He looked up, his face anxious.
Fear, hot and thick, filled my throat. “No, I don’t.” I ran to the door. “You’re crazy. Leave me alone.” I threw open the door, startling the seven brothers and Professor Pops, who hovered in the hallway.
They scared me, and I yelped before regaining my wrath. Methodically I found each set of eyes. Once I’d considered them, I said, “I don’t want to see any of you ever again. Stay away from me. All of you!” I stormed from the house, my body moving like the wind.
At home, I ran up to my room, and threw myself on my bed. Gatsby followed, and jumped up, nudging me with his furry forehead. Rolling over, I picked him up, and hugged him. He hissed, and let out a painful yowl. In the same instant I smelled burning flesh. I released him, and noticed the scorched fur surrounding a red welt on his side.
“I’m so sorry.” Furious tears poured from my eyes, and leaked into my ears. “I don’t want any of this. I didn’t ask for any of this.” Sitting up, I reached around and pulled the necklace off. Then chucked it at my dresser. I’d been aiming for the picture of Gabe, his gorgeous smile seemed to leer at me, but missed, and it smacked against a perfume bottle before skidding off the back of my dresser.
“Good riddance.” I flipped onto my stomach, and fell asleep.
Chapter 8
When my alarm went off the next morning, I noticed my mother’s blanket covered me. I knew I hadn’t set the alarm, which meant either dad or Vivianne had.
After I dressed, I went downstairs and noticed two significant items sitting on the counter. A cell phone, and a laptop. On top sat a note. Freakin notes! It said the phone was already programmed and they’d downloaded some necessary programs to the laptop. Then they said they went out to breakfast, and they hoped to see me after school.
“They are so present,” I scoffed, sarcastic, grabbing Gatsby’s food and water. I hadn’t seen him yet this morning and wondered if he was still mad. A pang of loneliness washed through me. The brothers wouldn’t be coming over today. I knew they’d abide my wishes. Christopher was gone. My dad had Viv, and I had…
Cindy!
Time to patch things up. Unlocking my new phone, I dialed her number.
“Who the hell is this?” she answered.
I laughed, enjoying the sound of her voice. “Guess who got a cell? Come on, guess?”
“Snow? Is that you?” I could hear her happy relief.
I sighed. “Yes, it’s me. Dad and Viv got me a laptop too. So no more track practice. Woohoo!”
“They must feel really guilty about something. What’d they do?”
I grabbed a water from the fridge, and opened it. As I drank an overwhelming need for blood scorched my throat. No. No. No. I grabbed a soy yogurt, pulled off the top, and put a spoonful in my mouth. The yogurt tasted ashy, but I ignored it. Act human. That’s what Pops said.
Another pang of guilt hit me.
“Snow, you still there?”
“Yep. So you still want to get together after school?”
“Hells to the yeah. We can hang at my place, if you like.”
The note my dad and stepmother said they wanted to see me tonight. “How about we hang out at my house?”
“Okay. Are you genki?”
I giggled. “What is gen-ki?”
She laughed. “Basically the word means happy.”
“Oh, well sure. It’s been a while since my dad’s been home. I’m glad he’s back” I didn’t tell her that I’d seen him all of half an hour the night before.
“Cool. So I’ll see you at school in a few.”
“Yep.”
After we hung up, she texted me.
U hav a cell. U so awesum!
There was a winky face after the exclamation point. I had no idea how to text. Plus, since I had to ride my bike I needed to hurry. Carefully placing the laptop, and phone between my math and chemistry books, I put my backpack on and rode to school on my purple Schwinn.
***
“Will you set the table, Snow?” Vivianne was at the sink, draining the spiral noodles. The chicken cacciatore already sat in a serving dish, as did a green salad, and some dinner rolls.
“Sure.” I took four plates from the cupboard, and set them on the counter.
“I’ll help, Viv,” Cindy added sneaking a caramelized onion drenched in red sauce. She pulled placemats from the drawer, and set them on the table. I followed her, setting the plates on top. In a low voice, she said, “What’s up with Viv and cooking? This is new.”
I shrugged. “Got me.”
Cindy pulled two wine glasses, and two regular glasses from the cupboard. “Viv, did you want me to open a bottle of wine?”
Vivianne put the noodles in a ceramic serving bowl, and took it over to the table. “That’s alright. I’ll get the wine.”
Cindy crinkled her nose. “Okay.”
I grabbed the silverware. Cindy folded the napkins. Just as we finished setting the table, my dad walked in.
“Hello beautiful ladies. Mind if I join you?” He wore crisp tan pants, and a white linen shirt, his thick hair combed just so. I discreetly check out Viv. She had on a red cashmere sweater, and gray pants. Cindy looked good too, in a black mini with black leggings, black boots that came to her knees, and a fuchsia cable sweater.
Viv said, “Of course, dear.” She gave him a sly smile, and I wondered what was going on with those two.
Cindy and I finished putting everything on the table. Once we were all seated, Viv uncorked a bottle of wine, and poured a glass for her and my dad.
While we ate, I couldn’t help thinking about school. The guys tried to talk to me at lunch, and after school, but I wasn’t giving them the opportunity.
Cindy
sat with me at lunch in a different section of the cafeteria. When she asked why we weren’t sitting with the guys, I told her it was so I could concentrate on learning how to text. Another reason was I didn’t want to see Cindy and Gabe together. At the moment, Cindy was my only friend and I didn’t want to be mad at her too.
She’d obviously given the guys my cell number though because I recognized their numbers. They called and texted throughout the day, but I ignored them, deleting their messages and texts without reading or listening.
You’re acting like a baby, my inner voice scolded.
I knew that was true, but I didn’t want anymore of the drama. I couldn’t be what they wanted. Me. Klutzy Snow White. I wasn’t super smart, nor was I incredibly pretty, like Cindy. I was average.
You are so much more than that, a male voice whispered in my mind. It sounded like Christopher, but I shook the thought away. He’d left. Without giving me a reason.
I wanted things to go back to the way they were. Sure people laughed at my clumsiness, made up jokes about me, but I didn’t mind. I knew where I fit in.
“Aren’t you going to eat?” Viv asked, interrupting my thoughts. Her eyes appeared sad, as though I hurt her feelings by not eating.
I glanced at the salad on my plate. Picking up my fork, I stabbed a cucumber, and shoved it in my mouth. “Thanks for dinner,” I said once I swallowed.
“Yes, thanks,” Cindy added. “The cacciatore is delicious.”
My dad grabbed Viv’s hand and squeezed. “You’ve outdone yourself dear.” He kissed her cheek. Then cleared his throat. “Snow, we have some news.”
I was in the process on putting another cucumber in my mouth, and stopped. “You do?” Anxiety twisted in my stomach.
He cleared his throat again. “Your mother and I have to leave for Tahiti tonight, right after dinner. There’s an emergency, and I’ve got to go help out.”
Blood and Snow Volumes 1-4: Blood and Snow, Revenant in Training, The Vampire Christopher, Blood Soaked Promises Page 15
