“Lips red as rubies, hair dark as night. Drink your true love’s blood, become the Vampire, Snow White.”
Praise for the Blood and Snow series:
“The modern twist on the Snow White fairy tale was interesting and original, which isn't easy to find these days. Highly recommended.” Sarra Cannon, bestselling author of the Peachville High Demons series
“This book will definitely suck you in (no pun intended) instantly.” Anthony
"BLOOD AND SNOW draws you in from the very beginning and never let's you go, only to leave you anticipating more! Loved it. Can't wait for volume 2." Debbie Davis from Debbie's Inkspectations
"This is a fun, smart, and sexy read!" Elizabeth Mueller, award winning YA author of Darkspell
“I definitely look forward to more, and recommend this to anyone who likes a fairy tale with a twist.” Kay Glass
“If you enjoy vampires and fractured fairy tales you'll enjoy these quick reads!” Laura Pauling, author of the Circle of Spies series
“Best books that I have read!” Mercedez
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
“Home is where your heart can flourish.” My mom used to say that. And as Abernathy circled Professor Pops’ sprawling mansion, my heart clenched. After I told Professor Pops and the brothers what happened with Dorian, would they still consider me part of them?
From the air I could make out the little cottage-type house I’d lived in with my mom and dad, and then my dad and stepmother. It was minuscule compared to Professor Pops’ extensive grounds and house. Though it was dark, I was able to distinguish the tennis court, and putting green. Behind the house, which seemed somehow larger from the sky, lay a sculpted, manicured lawn, and a rectangle pool—lit, and giving off a cyan glow.
If I hadn’t left my mother in captivity in Mizu, and Dorian dead, I would’ve been excited. But I wasn’t. I was sick inside. Each time I thought about one of them, my mom or Dorian, my heart broke.
I leaned against Cindy. She, Gabe, and Abernathy were melancholy as well. None of us spoke. Too much had happened.
While I’d healed their wounds with the Seal, I’d told them about Dorian. About the Unknowns, and their belief that to break the Seal I had to die. I told them about Dorian, and what he’d done. That I tried to save him, but he vanished. I told them all of it, without an ounce of feeling, as though I was relating events that’d happened to someone else.
When I finished, it was obvious Gabe and Cindy were fractured. Broken, like I was.
Abernathy only nodded, and said, “The Unknowns are strange creatures. They see things much differently than we do.”
And that was it.
We flew the rest of the way home in silence.
Honestly, I was grateful. I didn’t know what to say, and I knew I’d have to tell Professor Pops, and the remainder of the brothers what happened, what I’d done. That because of me, Dorian was dead.
Dorian, I thought, wiping at fresh tears.
Abernathy’s wings pounded against the night sky. He landed gracefully on the back lawn. It was winter so the grass crunched and crackled under his weight, and the size of his paws.
Gabe slid off first, and helped Cindy down. He didn’t bother with me. Probably too upset about what happened. That I’d taken one of his brothers from him.
“I must speak with the other chayot leaders,” he said, giving Cindy a quick hug. “Let Professor Pops know I’m back, and safe. Please?” He glanced at me then, and I nodded.
Without the slightest noise, or even a flicker in the wind, he was gone.
Cindy said, “I should get home. My parents are probably freaking out.”
“Okay,” I whispered as I slid down.
Cindy patted my arm. “I’ll see you tomorrow. We’ll figure out a way to get your mom back.” She spoke the words, but I sensed her trepidation, her exhaustion. Though I knew without a doubt she’d help.
“Tomorrow,” I repeated, and tried to smile, but my lips wouldn’t cooperate. She jogged toward the house, and skirted it. I knew she was headed for her car, parked in front. As I watched her go, I wondered if it was wise to be close to the people I loved? Being near me seemed to cause them pain.
Abernathy let out a gust of smoke through his nostrils. “You mustn’t worry so much. Yes, your friends may suffer. And sometimes it’ll be your fault. But you should ask yourself this. Would they be happier knowing you went into danger alone? Would they feel safer?” He shook his head, making his golden mane swirl around his face.
I didn’t know how to respond. He was right. Of course. But it didn’t make me feel any better. Accept that you’re going to cause people pain. That’s what it felt like he was saying. How could I consent to that? The answer was simple. I couldn’t.
“There are a hundred questions swimming around in your vampire head. Ask them, so I may return to my home, and get some sleep.” He lay down, resting his chin against his front paws. Somber eyes bore into me.
Had I not wanted to put off talking to Pops and the brothers, I would’ve found an excuse to leave.
I snorted. “I do have questions,” I began, but stopped. At the edge of the woods, between my house and Professor Pops,’ stood Christopher. But that wasn’t what gave me pause? For the briefest moment, I thought he was Dorian.
My heart shattered all over again.
Gulping down my pain, I leaned against Abernathy.
A rumble, like a purr, came from deep within his body. “Stay strong. You still have much ahead of you.”
His words made me ill. It was true. I still had to find a way to save the seven magics, preferably without losing my life, as the Unknowns intended. I needed to rescue my mother. Tell Pops about Dorian, and figure out if I was meant to be the next Vampire Queen. Each thought weighed more heavily than the one before, until I wished I could disappear. Vanish into nothingness.
“He’s waiting. You should talk to him,” Abernathy said. I sensed a hitch in the dragon’s words. Whether it was the lilt or intonation, I didn’t know. The dragon knew way more than he shared. And there was something he wasn’t saying.
I studied my Hunter. The man I loved. He was handsome. Excessively so. And before that moment it hadn’t dawned on me how much Christopher and Dorian looked alike. They both had hazel eyes (at least before the Seal changed Christopher’s to a violet). Both had sandy colored hair. They were tall, tan, with well-defined bodies. They could’ve been fraternal twins. Brothers, at least.
Maybe it was because their personalities were so different. Where Christopher was serious, Dorian was more laid back, playful. But it was weird. Especially since Christopher still wore the clothes Dorian let him borrow.
“How long were we gone?” I asked Abernathy.
“A few days. They’ve all been worried. I told Pops you were visiting your mom, after I left you with her. So he knows, but that didn’t stop the concern.”
“Great.”
“Agreed. The Hunter freaked the most.” A question lay behind his words, but he went on, and I forgot to be worried. “He wanted me to fly him to you, but I told him no. Christopher isn’t too fond of me at the moment.” A soft chuckle escaped the dragon’s throat. “Go on. I’ll rest my eyes while I’m waiting.”
I stepped away, but thought of a question. “Aren’t you worried someone will see you?”
He’d already clos
ed his eyes, but opened one. “Do I look the least bit concerned, little vampire?”
“No, you really don’t. And I’m hoping it’s because you know what you’re doing and not because…” I trailed off. I didn’t want to call him crazy. That would be rude.
“I’m not crazy—well, at least no more than can be expected after six thousand plus years of life. I do possess a good deal of magic.” He closed his eye. “Trust me. The only reason you can see me is because I want you to.”
“Alright.” I moved briskly toward Christopher. The closer I got, the faster I went, until I was in his arms. My face buried in his neck. It was good to see him, to feel his body against mine, giving me a sense of security. My heartbeat quickened with happiness at having him near. And I was filled with an overwhelming urge to taste his blood. My fangs pricked the inside of my mouth.
“Don’t ever leave without telling me,” he said fiercely, his fingers winding through my hair.
“I’m sorry,” I responded, forcing away the tears stinging my lashes. The last time we were together, he’d asked me to go away with him. He’d wanted some time alone with me. I’d wanted that too, but I’d been nervous about what that alone time would mean. Without a doubt he wanted to take our relationship to the next level. But I still wasn’t ready.
“What’s the dragon still doing here? Doesn’t he have someplace to be? A nap to get to?” Christopher’s words were filled with bite, and I glanced at his face.
“I need to talk to him. He’s waiting until I’m done with you,” I said softly, trying to smile.
Christopher met my gaze, his eyes filled with longing. “If I have my way we’ll never be apart again.”
I hugged him. “I feel the same.” And I did. I was certain the only reason my heart wasn’t one hundred percent on board with Christopher was because of my sadness over losing Dorian. The feelings of love, when Dorian and I kissed, consumed me. As did my sorrow that he was gone.
“But,” Christopher asked.
“I need to speak with Abernathy. Alone.” I looked away, hoping he wouldn’t be upset, but determined to stand my ground. It wasn’t that I didn’t want him to know about the black gem. It was just I wanted to understand what it was first. It’d been created on the altar, from Dorian’s blood. And mine. If the gem was bad, good… whatever, I had to know what it meant before I told anyone else.
“Fine,” he replied after several long seconds. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I pulled him close, kissing his neck.
He cupped my face in his hands, brushing my cheeks with his thumbs. Electric shocks of desire and heat coursed through my body. “You can tell me anything, you know that right?”
I swallowed, nodded. “I will. Later.”
He pressed his lips to mine. A kiss filled with promises. When we separated, he sighed. “Tomorrow, Frosty,” he said, and brushed the tip of my nose with his finger.
Chapter 2
When I was sure Christopher was gone, I hurried back to Abernathy. He smacked his lips, and opened one eye. “Awww, young love.”
I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest. It wasn’t his place to say anything. I wasn’t completely confident in my feelings for Christopher. After Dorian’s kiss—the love that had surrounded me, filled me—they made my feelings for Christopher seem trivial.
Fake, my inner voice clucked.
“Love is dense,” Abernathy continued.
I snorted. “That’s romantic.”
A laugh resounded in his throat. “What I mean is, real love is more than what you see, what you feel, in the moment.”
“Really?” I said the word with thick sarcasm, but I was interested. It wasn’t like I’d ever had someone to talk to about love.
“Certainly,” he said, with a wink. “Think about a lush forest, rich with all manner of foliage. A person could spend eons discovering its secrets, and still not find them all. It’s the same with love. True love, anyway.” He gave me a pointed look. “Deep, abiding love is discovering something new and wondrous about the other person, even after spending a lifetime together.”
“I like that,” I said, but it made my mind wander back to Dorian, and our kiss. “What about true love’s kiss?” My face grew hot. I was embarrassed to be talking to a dragon about something that sounded so juvenile.
He laughed again, and it sounded like thunder. “You want to know if you will become human again, if you receive it?”
I nodded, blinking back tears. Juvenile or not, it had been in my thoughts, and I craved an answer.
“Hmmm.” His extended his wings, turned and looked at them. “Is that what you want? To become human—at least partially so—since you were never fully human to begin with.”
No, my inner voice shouted.
“It isn’t that.” I coughed, trying to work through my feelings. “It’s only,” I paused and forced myself to meet Abernathy’s gaze. “Pops, I mean Mr. Henry, said that if I kissed my true love, I would no longer be a…” I let my words trail off. It’d been so long, but I realized that when Pops told me about true love’s kiss, I’d still been a revenant. I hadn’t had any blood yet.
“Ah,” Abernathy smiled, and licked his teeth. “I understand.” He closed his eyes. “Adam is correct. In the very few times where a Chosen human kissed her true love, instead of consuming his heart, she became human, once again. The Mark, and all of the magical nonsense was forgotten. But none of them ever had the power of seven magics.” He opened his eyes, catching me off guard with his stare. “For you, I don’t believe it’s possible.”
I sighed, realizing I’d already known the answer.
“That’s what I figured.” I scanned the sky, searching among the brilliant stars for courage.
Abernathy clicked his claws against each other. “Enough of that. What do you really need to discuss with me?”
“It’s—” I paused, readjusting my inner turmoil. I hadn’t meant to bring that up. About the kiss. But I was glad I did. There was no going back to ordinary. Abernathy made that clear.
And why would you want to be ordinary anyway, my inner voice huffed.
Reaching a hand in my pocket, my fingers found the gem. Its smooth surface was slightly warm. I pulled it out, holding it up for Abernathy to see. The flecks of color glistened in the moonlight. “This,” I said timidly.
Abernathy shook his mane. “Unexpected,” he said slowly, his voice filled with wonder. “Where did you get that?”
I explained how it formed on the altar from my blood. And Dorian’s.
His voice so low I barely heard him, he asked, “Did you show the Hunter?”
I shook my head. “No. Only you.”
“Good.” Twin wisps of smoke plumed from his nostrils.
“Well, what it is?” I asked.
A palpable current of energy churned the chilly air. A snap, like a fierce worry, rolled off the dragon. Whatever the gem was, it didn’t fill Abernathy with joy, that was for sure.
“Between your fingers—that gem—it is the beginning and the end. I cannot tell you more. I will say this though. Keep it with you at all times. Understand?” He stood, and I had to tilt my head to see his face.
“I don’t. Why can’t you be more specific? Tell me what it is.” I stuck the gem back in my pocket. Afraid that having it out in the open was somehow wrong. Dangerous, even.
“If I’m more specific, then it’s possible others will know what you possess. Once the words have been spoken, they can’t be taken back.”
“Fine.” I tucked my hands in my back pockets. If he wouldn’t be forthcoming on the gem, maybe he’d be more helpful with plans to save my mother. “What about my mom? How are we going to get her out of Mizu?”
He lowered his head. “Quite simply, you aren’t.”
I started to protest, but he went on.
“You must confront the Vampire Queen, convince her she’s made a mistake, make her step down, and return magic to the other creatures. She must allow you to take over. When sh
e is no longer ruler, you can release those in captivity. Once those two things are done, the balance of the seven magics should be restored.” He paused, as though deep in thought, and I waited. “Killing her won’t solve anything. You must try to make her see the harm she’s doing, make her let you rule.”
I huffed. “Yeah, right. I’ll just show up in Sharra, and have a conversation with the Vampire Queen. She’ll be more than happy to step down, give back the magic she’s been collecting for more than six thousand years, and allow me to be queen.”
“Sarcasm is unbecoming,” Abernathy quipped.
“Stop kidding around. I need to save my mother, and then I can go after the Vampire Queen. So tell me all I need to know about Mizu Atlantica.” My bottom lip quivered at thoughts of what Devoran might be doing to her. “My mom… I can’t leave her there.”
Abernathy closed his eyes. “You know all you need to know of Mizu. It was created to protect magical creatures from Sharra. Once you’ve dethroned her, and her magic is no longer viable, Mizu will cease to matter, and those within will be returned to this realm. Simple as that.”
I gasped. “You promised. You swore an oath.” I was shocked. His words sounded like excuses, like what a lazy dragon might say.
He growled. It was soft, but menacing. I wondered if I’d crossed a line.
“I think it’s time I tell you a secret,” he said.
“What secret?” I threw my hands in the air, exasperated. The conversation with Abernathy wasn’t going anything like I expected. I thought he would tell me about the black gem. I hoped it was a way to stop the Vampire Queen, or better yet, a way to restore balance to magic. I thought it was the answer to all my problems.
Instead Abernathy made the gem out to be something sinister. I swallowed back a string of curse words that floated through my mind.
Abernathy let out a roar. Startled, I fell backward. My hands crunched against the hard, dead grass. A stream of fire went into the sky, and the air became thick with smoke and the stench of sulfur. It stung my nose. I had to wonder if magic was keeping that from view. It seemed unlikely.
Blood and Snow 12: Vampire Ever After? Page 1
