by Chloe Adler
He sat down and patted the seat next to him. "Move here with me? So we can talk quieter?"
Yeah, right.
I shook my head no and remained in the upright chair, crossing my legs to let him know I was not open for business. I expected him to leave, which would make me sad but not surprised.
He leaned forward on his knees, reaching out to slide his glass of port over.
"Chrys, Chrys, Chrys . . ." he said in that dreamy voice.
I was grateful that most of those old vampire movies were fake and he couldn't glamour me.
Before vampires had come out in the open, before Distant Edge, humans had thought vampires were these fictional creatures with amazing powers and absurd weaknesses. Like not going out in sunlight. Turns out they can, they just prefer not to. And sometimes in films and TV, they were portrayed as mind readers or shifters. As if a vampire could shift into a bat. Ha. Some shifters could, if that was their small animal shift, but not vampires. Further confusing things, some vampires did have bats as familiars, but not all of them. I'd always kinda wanted a familiar--
"Chrys?"
Carter was staring at me. Whoops.
"Lost in thought?" he asked. "I like that in a woman."
"I was thinking about old vampire lore," I said. Why lie?
"Yes?" He leaned forward again and drained his glass. "And?"
"Where do you think it came from?" I asked him, following suit and draining my teacup.
"Well . . ." He intertwined his fingers and laid his chin on them. "I always thought that early vampires must have started some of the rumors." He chuckled. "The ones that are beneficial to us and would scare the humans. What's your take?"
"My sisters have different theories. My mother won't speak of it but I've always thought that confused humans merged all of our abilities into those of one creature. You must have noticed the vampire-slash-werewolf fad."
"Can't turn on a cable channel and not see an incorrect portrayal, that's for sure." Carter's eyes practically glowed in the dim living room lighting. He quirked his head toward the couch seat next to him and then patted the seat again. "I bet there's a lot you don't even know about us."
He was right. Intrigued, I set my teacup down on the table and moved next to him, turning to face him slightly. "Like what?" I practically whispered. Sitting this close to him was strangely dizzying, and I had to reach out to steady myself.
He leaned his lovely face closer. The beard stubble looked good on him, a shadow darkening the lower half of his perfectly chiseled jawline. And his scent. I breathed in something intoxicatingly dangerous, that combination of sweet-musky vetiver mixed with the earthy comfort of coffee beans.
"May I put my hand on your leg?" he asked me, blinking around those burnt-umber orbs.
I was completely caught off guard. He'd asked to touch me? Wow. How thoughtful. I couldn't deny that I wanted him to touch me. Was it was a good idea? But what could it hurt? I nodded my consent, not trusting my own voice to come out without cracking. His hand brushed my leg, over my jeans and then rested, quite amicably, upon my knee. He didn't rub or tease. I was pleased and smiled up at him to let him know I was okay with the movement. He visibly swallowed, closing his eyes and then, with them still closed, he said, "Do you know what happens when a vampire bites a person during orgasm?"
I jumped a little in my seat, gasping, but his hand remained and his eyes stayed closed. That gave me a little more confidence. I did not want him to see me flushing. I shook my head before realizing that he couldn't see me. I cleared my throat. "No."
"I want to respect where you are, Chrys. Do you believe that?" Whoa. I guess he'd taken Jared's speech to heart.
"Yes," I answered timidly.
"I also want to be honest about my interest in you. My intentions. Hopes. Thoughts. Can I be?"
He still hadn't opened his eyes and I tentatively ran a hand in front of them to see if he was cheating. He didn't flinch.
"Please," I croaked.
"I . . ." He took a very deep breath and let it out slowly. "I watched you come the other night."
"What?" I gasped, pushing his hand off me. His eyes stayed closed and his hand dropped to his lap.
"Can you hear me out? If you decide you don't want anything to do with me after I explain, I promise you that I will leave and never bother you again. Deal?"
It felt like worms were crawling all over me and I wanted to leap up, screaming, but I held myself still instead, in silence.
"The last thing I want is to upset you," he said. "Will you take a leap of faith and hear me out? Or, if you can't speak at this moment, will you close your eyes?"
I closed them and in an instant, his face was there, floating in front of my closed eyelids.
Is this a vampire super power I didn't know about? I asked him mentally, too shocked to bring up the other night.
Not all vampires can do it, but I can and so can you.
What do you mean?
There has to be a connection between two people and as far as I know, they both have to be Signum. I've done it before.
His voice was the same, running over me like deliciously warm water, heating me up. He floated in front of me, his entire body wavering like a hologram. Having a mental connection with him excited me. Was he my touchstone?
"So I can astrally visit people?" I asked him, my eyes popping open.
He was still sitting next to me, eyes closed, hands in his lap. We had a connection? What kind of connection? He had witnessed me playing with myself?
Or had it been him, controlling my hands?
I had to know. I dropped my lids again. Instantly, he reappeared.
Did you . . . Was it you . . . touching me the other night? Somehow it was easier to speak to his apparition than to him. Even though I knew he was physically next to me.
Yes, he nodded, it was me. Everything you thought you imagined. I was there, and Chrys, before you get angry or embarrassed, I have to tell you that it was the most beautiful, sensual, sexy thing I've ever witnessed.
That made me beam. Watching and helping me achieve my first orgasm was sexier than when he'd had sex with Burgundy? Cha-ching. Oh, Carter. The thought escaped before I could stop it. Could he hear all my thoughts or only what I wanted him to?
I opened my eyes to find him smiling at me in a way I'd never been smiled at before. There was admiration in his eyes. They were warm and open, still sparkling with a hint of mischief.
"May I show you?" he asked me, very quietly.
"Show me what?"
"Show you what a bite can do during an orgasm."
I reddened. There was no stopping the flush that heated my face but Carter just held my eyes.
"I've already been there with you. I've seen you, your body. It's full and ripe, so beautiful. But if you're not ready for that, I understand. It's important to me that you want it. I will wait for that as long as it takes."
I squirmed on the couch. His words were heating me up. They slipped out of his mouth like warm chocolate. I couldn't speak but I could nod, barely. I wanted him. There was no denying it.
"How about we just kiss? Nothing else."
Oh, yes. I nodded briskly.
He leaned in, and unable to stop myself, I threw my arms around his shoulders and pulled him toward me. Our lips met. Warmth traveled down the front of my body, like the heat of the sun rising over a frozen lake.
My mouth opened to let his tongue in. My body melted into his. The kiss was long and deep as he gently placed his arms around me, holding the back of my head just below my ponytail. I wanted the kiss to last. I wanted this feeling to last, so I pushed into him even harder.
The softness of his tongue surprised me. There was an intensity to the kiss, something different from what he'd offered in my vision of him. This kiss was deeper, more fervent. His tongue played inside my mouth, intertwining with my own, seeking. Then backing out to nibble firmly on my lips. His fangs were sharp but they didn't pierce my skin as they grazed my soft, m
oist flesh.
There were no jarring motions, no clashing of teeth or nose mashing--all of the things I had thought a kiss was supposed to be about and had spent so many years worrying about, dreading even. Carter was not like the desperate jock who'd tried to get into my pants in high school, the only other kiss I could compare it to. Besides the one from the Carter of my dreams.
A deep sigh escaped from my chest as he wrapped his hand around the rubber band in my hair and pulled. My hair fell around my shoulders and I was suddenly self-conscious. I hated the way it looked down. My hands moved instinctively toward it, breaking the kiss. Carter's face was at my ear, nibbling gently and whispering.
"Let me see you, Chrys. Please."
I froze like a deer on asphalt about to be rammed by a semi.
Carter pulled back, holding onto my arms as he did so.
"Beautiful," he breathed and the look in his eyes told me he was not lying.
I rammed my face back into his for more. "Don't stop," I hissed and he complied.
Chapter Seven
The next day, Iphi and I were in my kitchen, cleaning.
"I want to hear everything," she squealed at me, a dish rag in her hand. The flour she was trying to wipe up had hardened from the night before because of me. I'd tried to splash water on my face after Carter left, but I'd missed, such a tizzy I'd been in. How could that man--vampire--turn my brain off completely?
"There's nothing to tell," I quickly lied.
"You're lying," Iphi shot back just as quickly.
I sighed. "We kissed, that's it."
"Ohh!" Iphi dropped the rag and clasped her hands together. "That's a big deal." Her round eyes expanded into saucers, like the eyes of a Japanese anime character.
"It's not," I contradicted, shaking my head for emphasis.
Iphi walked over to me, gingerly stepping over the mess on the floor, and stood next to me until I was forced to look at her.
"Chrys? Can I ask you something?"
Crap. "What?"
"How many people have you kissed?"
I folded my arms across my chest and jutted out my chin. Not her too. "You sound like Sadie."
"Maybe," she said, not sounding worried or upset that I had compared her to our sister. "But I think I'm coming from a different place when I ask that."
"Yeah, a less judgmental place," I said with my arms still crossed.
"Sadie cares, it just comes out as judgmental. But I'm not going to fall into the trap of defending Sadie right now just so you can change the subject when you're uncomfortable."
"I hate how well you know me."
"No you don't." Iphi's gaze was kind as she offered me a little smile.
Pulling out a heavy wooden chair at the kitchen table, I motioned for Iphi to sit down and dragged another one next to her for myself.
"You know I'm a virgin, right?" I asked her. It was the first time I had been ready to speak about it with anyone in my family.
She nodded but thankfully said nothing.
"Well it's more than that," I said, looking away. This was really uncomfortable.
"More than being a virgin?" she asked.
"Yes, I'm practically a nun." I laughed. I was so embarrassed but I needed to just spill it in one go. "I've kissed one other guy besides Carter, but it barely counts, it was in high school. That's it."
Iphi nodded, her eyes still soft.
"I don't want to talk about it, it's embarrassing for me, especially having Sadie as a sister."
Iphi leaned toward me and took my hands in hers. I tried to pull away but she grasped them tighter.
"Please, Iphi." I looked down at my hands in hers and again tried to pull free.
She ignored my protests. Spark. How could a pipsqueak be so strong?
"We're not all like Sadie, and that's okay." She let go of my hands just in time.
Fizzle. I took a long, deep breath and closed my eyes. "Well, most people aren't twenty-five and on the complete opposite end of the spectrum," I growled.
She ignored my frustration. "True, but our family isn't like most families. Even other witch families. I like to think of us as . . . special." She offered me one of her genuine smiles, all of her perfectly proportioned teeth showing. That broke me.
"Like special-needs special?" I said, laughing.
"You know what I mean."
"I do." I leaned back in the chair. "What about you?"
"What about me?" She tilted her head down to peer at me through her ridiculously long lashes.
"Are you a virgin?" I'd never asked Iphi this question before. We'd never spoken about sex.
"What do you think?" she hedged.
"Well . . . You're only eighteen and I've never heard you talk about dating so I would assume yes."
Burgundy appeared in the doorway. "Are you two going to sit at the table and gab or clean up that huge mess that you created?" She was pointing a red-lacquered finger at me.
I looked at her in annoyance. Iphi stood up, grabbed the towel and started wiping again.
My little sister turned around after the vampire left, her hands on her hips, and exclaimed, "Bossy much?"
"I know, right?" I rolled my eyes.
"Well you did leave this mess overnight."
"Can we please just spell it clean? With the two of us, we could cast . . ."
"We should save our magic for what's really important."
"Really? You did not learn that from Mom."
"No, from my circus sisters. Plus I find it meditative and . . ."
"And?"
"If you create a mess, you should clean it up the hard way. Otherwise you'll never learn and just be a spoiled witch."
I stuck my tongue out at her. "That part sounds like Mom."
"Maybe. So . . . is Carter a good kisser?" she said slyly.
"Iphi."
"No details on that one? He really is handsome." She spun around to face me. "Oh, you're turning red."
I shook my head at her and busied myself so that she wouldn't keep commenting on my obvious discomfort.
Iphi returned to her cleaning. "I love that my big sis is finally getting her feet wet." She giggled.
"Please don't tell Sadie or Mom." My voice sounded unusually high in my ears.
Iphi turned to look at me. "I would never do that."
"What if they use their crystal balls to spy on me? You know Aurelia is capable of doing that."
"Which is exactly why"--Iphi crossed over to me and motioned to the table--"we need to get your powers under control. Sit," she commanded.
That sweet little girl sure could be bossy when she wanted to. I did as I was told. She disappeared into the living room for a minute and returned with her bag, which she began unloading on the kitchen table.
"Eye of newt," she said as she pulled out a glass jar filled with a brownish-looking herb and placed it on the table.
I laughed.
"Puppy dog tails," she said, placing the next jar on the table. It was filled with dried flowers.
"Iphi." I was still laughing.
"Vampire blood." She giggled, placing another jar down. This one actually did look like it contained blood. The liquid was thick and dark brown.
"Really?" I asked. Had Aurelia taught us spells that used vampire blood?
"No," she shook her head, grinning slyly, "not really." She didn't offer any further explanation and kept piling different-sized jars on the table until it looked like an apothecary shop.
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Not yet." Iphi busily removed all of the lids. Then she gathered some cheesecloth from her bag and began placing pinches of herbs in the center. Sometime she used several pinches. I watched, fascinated.
"Where did you learn how to do all of this?" I asked, a little worried. Our mother had been somewhat tight-lipped when it came to teaching us more advanced magic. She had imparted only what she deemed truly necessary, and that just to me and my younger sister, never to Sadie.
"Ryder's m
om," Iphi said and I looked up in surprise.
"Really?"
"Yeah." Iphi kept adding to the pile, head bowed. "Well, both her and his sister . . ."
"Octavia," I finished for her.
I didn't know Ryder's mom--Katherine--or his sister very well. They had both been kidnapped by the Scrim at the same time Dad had been. A painful twinge clutched at my insides. I could barely think of that time. It was too fresh, only six months ago. Last June.
Iphi looked up at me, maybe sensing my pain.
"Oh, Chrys," she said, her mouth a tight line, her dimples visible.
She crossed over to me and reached out, stopping before she touched me. Her head quirked, her hand frozen mid-movement.
A sigh escaped as I looked away, not wanting her to see the tears that were seeping forth.
"We all miss him." Her voice was small. Smaller than normal and tinged with sorrow.
"I know," I said, "but we'd just gotten him back, Iph. It's not fair."
"He left a hero."
She was right, of course. We'd grown up thinking he'd died a traitor. Was he dead now? I couldn't speak again without starting to cry, so I said nothing.
"Hey," she said gently, bringing me back. "Let's get to work."
I sat, licking my lips. They stung, a burning sensation. Roughened by Carter's shadow. That lit me back up a little.
Iphi sat across from me and started crushing up the herbs at the center of the poultice. "This is a spell for control. I can't say for sure that it will work, or it may work sometimes but not others. Still . . . you have nothing to lose, right?"
Wiping my cheeks, I nodded briskly. "Agreed."
"First we cast our circle. I brought my athame and five consecrated candles." She pulled more items out of her bag, which seemed bottomless, and placed them on the table.
I arranged the white candles in the form of a pentacle surrounding the herbs.
"I'm going to cast the spell using the herbs and then place them into an amulet for you to wear. As long as you have it on, you should be able to control your powers. That's the plan anyway."
"But you know I don't have an actual amulet anymore." Neither did Iphi. We'd both given them away to a couple of Iphi's friends in circus school. I dreaded the day Aurelia finally noticed we weren't wearing them anymore.
