by J. N. Colon
“You can’t use my blood to make the poison! I’m not human at all anymore. It won’t work.”
The dead hunter leader ignored me and continued to stare transfixidly at my blood flowing into the tube. “Your blood is so duplicitous. Two sides of the same coin. A death sentence and yet life’s elixir.” His calloused fingers stroked the hair from my face, spawning goose bumps across my skin and sick shivers down my spine.
A door banged open and shuffling echoed until a familiar yet unfamiliar figure stood near the edge of the table, glowering down at me.
“Mac!” I yelled, but the only response I got was a vicious growl.
His hair was severely disheveled and clotted with dirt. More grime smeared his face, traveling down to his torn clothes. The whites of his jade eyes were filled with brilliant red veins. Another growl snaked out his mouth, his lips curling back to reveal bloodstained teeth.
A hand fisted inside me ripping my organs out. “Mac!” I cried, my voice cracking with emotion. He was an undead vampire creature.
He stumbled forward, his teeth snapping toward my neck.
William put and hand on his chest and forced him back. “No, no prince. You can’t have her. Her blood is poison. It will kill you.”
My eyes snapped opened and I found myself in my bed, staring up at the canopy. My hand automatically reached out for Demy before I remembered he wouldn’t be back from visiting his parents until this evening.
The dream replayed in my mind over and over again, excitement thrumming through my body. It was a prophetic dream. I was certain. William for whatever reason was giving me a message. Or maybe it wasn’t William at all. It was just the way my screwy dreams worked.
I snatched my phone off my bedside table, noting it was just after 5am. Oh well. Emmaline wouldn’t mind when I tell her my news.
After relaying my theory to Emmaline I tossed my phone aside, suddenly realizing I felt that electric sizzle up and down my spine telling me Mac was near. My brow furrowed and lips pursed. Maybe he was simply passing by my door in the hall. Very slowly.
Maybe I could catch him. I’d need him today whether he liked it or not.
I scrambled out of my bed only to get tripped by something, crashing onto a large heap on my floor.
“Oomph.” A groggy voice emanated from the wriggling form under me.
I peered down to see a pair of half-lidded jade eyes and messy black hair obscuring a devilishly handsome face. Covers were twisted around his shirtless body, bearing some of his shredded pale flesh. “Mac?” I asked, confusion evident in my tone.
His sleepy scowl looked more adorable than anything. “Rubi, I know you want me and all, but jumping on me in my bed is not going to get you there.” His massive hands gripped my hips to slide me off.
I scoffed, stalling his movement. “Look around genius. You’re in my room on the floor. I tripped over you.”
His brow furrowed as he gazed around, taking in the inside of my bedroom. “What the hell am I doing here?”
I shrugged, holding back a grin. Was Mac’s subconscious starting to remember I was his mate? “Well, I’m glad you’re here because it saves me the trouble.” I reluctantly slid off him, sitting up and brushing snarled locks from my face. Even though it was an accident, we hadn’t been that close in months and it was making my heart race.
Mac followed, pulling himself up into a sitting position and resting back on his hands. His hair was sticking up every which way and those kissable lips twisted into a pout. “What are you talking about?”
Focus Rubi! Gees you act like you’ve never seen him wake up before.
I shook myself, literally, to keep my thoughts from traveling to naughty places. “We need to meet Emmaline at the lab at Highland now.”
His eyes flickered toward the clock on my bedside table, his expression turning incredulous. “It’s barely 5am… on a Sunday!”
I rolled my eyes. “What else do you have to do?” I stood, leaving Mac slumped on my floor.
“But why?”
“I had a psychic dream. I think.”
My skin crawled as if it were alive, sitting on a table next to Mac again in the lab. I glanced around half expecting William’s ghost to pop out the corner.
“Will you stop squirming,” Mac said, his voice irritated yet I saw a flicker of amusement in his eyes.
Great. He was entertained by my discomfort.
“I can’t help it,” I hissed. “I told you I don’t like labs.”
He shrugged. “You’re the one who wanted to come here.”
“I didn’t want to. It was necessary.” I poked his shoulder. “And don’t tell me you wouldn’t feel the least bit unsettled sitting in a freaking coffin even if you don’t remember being dead.”
Mac grunted and looked away a little less smug.
“You really think that’s what your dream meant?” Emmaline asked, biting her lip as she made notes on a clipboard.
“I’m not sure, but it’s worth a shot.” William’s words flowed through my mind again, only coming to one conclusion. “He said my blood meant death and also life. He told the undead Mac my blood—more importantly my vampire blood—would end him. What if my vampire blood is the key to the cure or maybe my blood mixed with Mac’s?”
“Doesn’t that seem farfetched?” He rubbed his bottom lip as if trying to mask his expression. “Maybe you’re just trying to think of a way so you don’t have to feel guilty for the poison.” He shrugged.
My eyes narrowed on him and jaw clenched. “No. It’s not farfetched Mac.” I ignored his grumbles and turned my attention back to Emmaline—the one with actual smarts. “Mac was full of my vampire blood before he died. And then he searched me out half out of his mind and bit me, ingesting more of my blood. And bam!” I clapped my hands together for dramatic effect. “He’s alive again and back to normal.” My gaze flickered to him. “Well, almost normal. Alive at least.”
“Yeah without any memories,” he remarked. “Maybe your blood screwed me up.”
“No, no.” Emmaline put a delicate hand in the space between us, halting another argument. “Rubi might be on to something.” She flipped through her notes, biting the end of her pin. “I thought there might be some kind of connection with Rubi.” Her azure eyes landed on Mac. “You are the only one to have Rubi’s vampire blood. There could be something to that.”
“See.” I couldn’t resist the urge to stick my tongue out at Mac.
He countered by trying to grab it.
“All right. I need some more of your blood Rubi.” Emmaline was in front of me, holding a massive needle that reminded me of the one William had in my dream.
I jumped and knocked into Mac. “Hey! A little warning when needles are involved Emma. You know how I feel about that.”
She held one hand in the air and sucked her teeth. “Sorry. I forgot.”
I rubbed a hand over my heart, recalling the pain I felt when William jabbed the syringe into it.
Her azure eyes blinked innocently. “I’m not going to shove it in your heart Rubi. Who do you think I am?” She pointed to the soft inside fold of my elbow.
“I know.” A grimace curled my lips regardless. “William got it from my heart in the dream.” A shiver rolled over my spine. “It hurt.”
Mac’s gaze was heavy on me, lines creasing his forehead. “Can you get hurt in your dreams?”
I shrugged. “I’m usually fine after I wake up—at least physically.” I gulped thinking about the prospect, finding it terrifying. “I hope not.”
“I’ll need another sample from you as well Mac,” Emmaline said, sliding the needle into my arm, causing me to wince. “I’ll want test the effects of Rubi’s blood on you now and on your body before your resurrection.”
“Wait.” He blinked as if he heard her wrong. “You took samples of my blood after I died?”
“Ahh. Emmaline.” My face twisted into a grimace. “That’s kind of gross.”
A deep flush spread across her pale chee
ks. “I had to. We needed to study it in hopes of finding a cure.” She deposited the syringe filled with my blood and grabbed an empty one, stepping in front of Mac. “I have Hudson’s too.”
“Yeah that was weird having her do that to my body while I watched.”
I jumped at the unexpected voice, grabbing my chest to slow my racing heart. “You scared the hell out of me.”
An apologetic smile crossed his face. “Sorry Princess Rubi. I thought you were used to it by now. I’ll try to be noisier.”
I waved a dismissive hand in the air. “It’s okay.”
Mac’s brows were deeply knit. “Who are you talking to?”
“Hudson,” I answered, looking at Emmaline. “He said he was watching when you took his blood.”
Emmaline grimaced. “Sorry,” she said, speaking to the air.
Hudson shrugged. “At least she can compare my sample sans Rubi blood with Mac’s Rubi laced sample.”
I relayed his message to her as she drew Mac’s blood.
She nodded. “I have done that, but nothing specific has stuck out.” She put the syringe down on the table next to mine. “But maybe now after I examine your full vampire blood closely, something will reveal itself.”
“Let’s hope,” I whispered.
Chapter 24
“Are you freaking kidding me Rubi,” Demy hissed, his expression murderous and eyes flashing with anger. “That’s who’s been torturing you?”
“Yeah.”
“And you’re just now telling me?”
I tossed my hands in the air in frustration. “I just found out.”
Demy returned home about an hour ago and instantly began grilling me on what happened while he was gone. I knew I couldn’t avoid telling him about finding out the three vengeful ghosts were really Melody, Professor Riley, and Headmaster Morgan, but I hadn’t planned on just blurting it out. I wanted to do it gently so I didn’t have this reaction.
That’s what those violet eyes were capable of doing to me, especially when he arched that damn studded brow.
Demy crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Have you told Whitmore or Miranda yet?”
I shook my head.
He grabbed my arm and pulled me out the room. “You’re going to right now princess. You should have told them about your tormenters before then and maybe Whit would have been a little more stern with the council on your behalf. None of this is your fault.”
“Okay,” I mumbled under my breath. “I get it.”
We found Whitmore, Miranda, and Mac in the kitchen. Miranda was baking brownies while Mac and Whitmore sat at the island, tasting them.
“Hello Rubi, Demy.” Whitmore’s gray eyes surveyed us, specifically Demy’s serious expression. “What’s going on?”
Demy drew a stool out for me, motioning for me to sit. “Rubi has something she’d like to share.”
Three pairs of curious eyes landed on me, making my cheeks flush. “Well, it’s about some ghosts that have been haunting me recently.” I fidgeted in my seat.
“More like torturing,” Demy added.
“Torturing?” Miranda left the oven and sidled up next to her husband.
I bit my lip and nodded before delving into the hole messy, ripped from a horror movie story. Miranda’s face paled considerably when I described the bugs forced into my mouth. Whitmore wasn’t looking too well either, pushing away his plate of brownies. Even Mac looked a little green. Halloween was just as bad. I couldn’t bear to look at Mac then.
When I was finished Miranda put her arms around me, her light jasmine scent soothing me. “I am so sorry you had to go through all that.” Her voice was thick with emotion. “It sounds awful.”
“Why didn’t you tell us sooner?” Whitmore asked, his eyes glittering with guilt. “I wouldn’t have let…” His words trailed off, the guilt deepening.
“I know what the council thinks of me,” I admitted. “I may have over heard.”
Miranda clucked her teeth and turned her jade eyes on her husband. “Whitmore you need to set them straight. And we need to find out who’s behind this.”
Whitmore nodded. “I should have suspected something like this Rubi. I am so sorry. I’ll clear everything up with the council.”
I nodded. “Thanks Whit.”
“So, someone sicked three ghosts on you to make you look crazy?” Mac asked.
“Yep,” I answered, finally meeting his jade eyes.
He didn’t say anything else. He simply stared pensively into the distance.
***
I popped another peperoni in my mouth, licking my fingers and doing a little dance. I couldn’t sleep so I decided to make some kind of meaty concoction. Ever since I decided to quit letting Mac walk all over me and make me feel like crap, my appetite was back with a vengeance. My tummy was pissed I’d been depriving it.
I rubbed it. “Sorry. I’ll be better. Don’t hate me anymore.” I grabbed another stick of spicy beef jerky, ripping the end off with gusto.
I hadn’t seen my three tormenters in any form ever since I discovered who they really were. It was nice not having to look over my shoulder for them or blood and bugs.
Scents of meat and spices filled the kitchen as I stirred a pan of ground Italian sausage, sizzles echoing through the room. An electric spark hit my spine and I glanced up to find a sleepy looking Mac staring at me, rubbing his eyes and yawning.
“What in the hell are you doing?” His voice was thick with sleep. “I can smell food all the way in my room.” He yawned again.
I shrugged. “I was hungry.”
“So you decided to make a freaking feast for ten?”
My lips pursed and I glanced around at all the food before me. “Not ten. Four. Five tops. Depending on how much I eat.”
Mac scoffed and leaned against the counter in the corner. “You? Please. You’re like 5’1” and barely a hundred pounds. You couldn’t eat one tenth of all the food I see lying around.”
A laugh tumbled out my mouth. “Trust me. I can.”
Mac’s gaze narrowed as he eyed the counters. “It looks like a bunch of meat.”
“It is.” I ripped off another piece of beef jerky with my teeth. “I like meat.” I turned around so he could see the writing on the back of my purple hoodie that read, I like meat.
“Hmm. I’d have to see it to believe it.” He motioned toward the food and stepped closer. “What is all this? What are you making?”
I stirred the Italian sausage with a wooden spoon. “A meat lovers pizza casserole.” My mouth watered just thinking about it. “I’m cooking Italian sausage now.” I motioned with the spoon toward the other bowls on the counter. “I got some hamburger meat, some sautéed ham cubes, some pepperoni, and…”
The timer for the oven went off and I bent down, retrieving a sizzling pan of bacon. “Bacon!” I said, grabbing a mat with one hand and tossing it on the island before setting the pan on it.
I went back to the sausage and continued stirring, snatching a peperoni with my free hand.
“That is seriously overkill Rubi.” Mac reached over and tried to steal a peperoni.
I smacked his hand away.
“Hey. You ate some.”
“I’m the chef. I can do whatever I want.” A smirk curled my lips.
“Ah, come on.” He motioned around us. “I think there’s more than enough.”
I turned the eye off and brought the pan over to the sink where the strainer was. “You were just making fun of my food and now you want some?”
“The smell is making me hungry. And there’s enough for me.”
I narrowed my eyes in thought. “Fine. I guess you can have some.” He reached for a peperoni again, but I smacked his hand. “When I’m done. I have to make sure there is enough meat.”
Mac groaned and leaned against the counter. “I never knew a girl could be such a carnivore.”
“Now you do.”
“Sasha only eats salads I think.”
I snickered. “Mo
re meat for me then.” I pointed to two jars of tomato sauce. “Open those and pour them on those noodles in that bowl.”
Surprisingly Mac complied without a snarky remark or even a grimace. “So, where’s your Russian lover?”
Never mind. He just had to open his big mouth and ruin it.
I grabbed a pan off the counter and stuck it next to the bowl he was mixing. “Where’s your wanna be princess?”
Mac’s lips twitched, threatening a smile. “Touché.”
A chill tickled down my back, signaling a ghost. I tensed suddenly, catching Mac’s attention.
“What?”
“Ghost.” My eyes glanced around the room, not seeing anyone.
Mac’s shoulders drew back as he his gaze peered through the kitchen. “Bad one?”
“Awe, look at you two getting along. Sort of.” Madison appeared sitting on the island, kicking her legs back and forth.
A sigh drifted out my mouth and my body relaxed. “Ugh. It’s just Madison. Where the hell have you been?”
“Gees. Nice to see you too Rubi.” She smoothed her hair away from her face. “I do have other things to do than watch you mope over him all day.” She cocked her head to the side. “Although things seemed different than the last time I checked in.”
“You usually look less pissed when she’s around,” Mac commented, squinting at the spot I was looking as if trying to see her. “I thought you said she was good.”
I crossed my arms against my chest, a seed of suspicion growing in my gut. “She keeps disappearing for long periods of time, which means she’s probably up to something.”
Madison gasped and grabbed her chest. “How could you not trust me Rubi after all I’ve done for you?” She winked a dark eye. “Declan says hi.”
My head reeled back in shock. “Declan? How are you talking to him? And why?”
“Declan?” Mac repeated. “Who the hell is Declan?”
I glanced at him. “Er, no one. Mostly.”
Madison wiggled her eyebrows. “Oh. He seems jealous.”
The secret conversation I had with him in the store flashed through my mind. He was convinced the hunters killed Mac for a reason. I stepped forward. “Damn it Madison. Don’t play games with me.”
