Laeddin looked away.
“Come on. What kind of genie are you?”
Laeddin chuckled. “It has to do with your wish. What you asked for.” He took the apple and bit into it. “Delicious.”
I crossed my arms. “So what? Do I need to wish that I’m no longer a vampire?”
He threw the apple’s core in the trash. “You could, but I don’t think you should.” He looked away. “I mean it isn’t my place to tell you how to wish or what to wish for.” Laeddin bowed low at the waist. “I am simply your humble servant.”
I placed a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t bow to me.” Laeddin’s scrutiny seemed to tear into my soul. “You aren’t my servant. We’re going to be friends.” I patted his cheek, ignoring my pangs of desire. I wanted us to be more than friends.
Laeddin took my hand. “I appreciate that’s what you might think, but the truth is, until your three wishes are granted, I am your servant.”
I gave an exasperated sigh.
“I like you too. But if you knew anything about genies, you’d know we can’t consider ourselves equal when one does the wishing.” He pointed at me. “And the other,” he smacked a hand against his chest, “must grant it.”
I went to the bar stool and slumped over, resting my head in my hands. “Why should you be my servant…” I shrugged. “Or whatever, if I didn’t call upon you… or something.” It was confusing. “Wasn’t I supposed to rub a lamp? Where is your lamp?”
Laeddin sat beside me. “The cave you and Sabrina often visited. That was the inside of my lamp. Basically from the moment you found it, I’ve been your servant. I was just worried about showing myself to you.
“Why me and not Sabrina?”
“Simple. You brought Sabrina into the cave. You found the cave. It’s been you for a long time.”
“Oh,” I said, lifting my head and looking at him. “And I shouldn’t wish to no longer be a vampire?”
He shook his head, a strange emotion flitting across his face. “No, please don’t do that.”
I bit my bottom lip. “Okay. So, I guess I’m wingless and I can’t do any magic, but I still have to drink blood?” That was upsetting. There was nothing ordinary about a girl with the need for a liquid diet.
“Now you get it.”
“I guess,” I said, straightening up. I had my wish. I’d figure out the blood situation later. “So what are the fruits and veggies for? Just part of the typical teenager show?” I asked, giggling not unlike a little girl.
Seven
“Well that.” He paused and patted his stomach. “And I’m a vegetarian. You’ll need to feed your servant, don’t you think?” He bowed low.
I giggled. “How very manly of you.” Then I got serious. “So you’re going to stay around? You won’t leave me in this house alone?”
Laeddin picked up my hands. “Correct.”
My fingers found the tattoos and I traced them with my fingers. That seemed to make him nervous. He gently pulled away, taking another bite of apple. “But you’re only allowed to boss me around when you have friends over. And then only within reason.” Laeddin smirked. “Treat me like family.”
“Fine,” I said. That reminded me. “Do you know where my mom’s dad and stepmother are? They won’t come back to the house while we’re here, will they?” Part of me was excited by the prospect of seeing my grandfather. My mom hadn’t told me much about him, but I still wanted to meet him.
Laeddin’s face fell. “Didn’t you know? Your grandfather died a couple of years ago. It was very sudden. The doctors couldn’t figure out what happened.”
“Oh.” Sadness ripped at my heart. “My mom didn’t tell me. I wonder if she knows.”
“She does. She arranged for his funeral and took care of the other necessities required. She kept the house but recently put in on the market. We’ve officially purchased it. So it now belongs to you.” He went to the front room and touched a green and white For Sale sign leaning near the door.
“Okay,” I said, feeling bad that my mom never mentioned such a sad moment in her life. She must’ve felt something at the loss of her father. I knew it would break my heart to lose my dad. “And my grandfather’s wife?”
“Soon after your grandfather’s death, Vivianne disappeared. No one has seen or heard from her for months.”
I got off the stool and went to the stairs. “You know where she is though, right?”
He shook his head. “I can’t see her. I’m not sure what happened to her. It’s as though she vanished.”
“That’s weird.” I started climbing the stairs to see what was on the second floor. Laeddin followed.
The house smelled of Laeddin, like warm spices and zesty orange. I inhaled deeply. When I reached the top of the stairs I looked over the railing, down into the living room.
“It is very weird,” he agreed.
“Should I be worried?” I glanced back, waiting for his answer.
“I don’t think so. She never really liked your mom or this place, so it’s highly unlikely, if she is still alive, that she’ll return here.”
I nodded. “You’re probably right.”
“Of course I am. Besides we own the property now. She’d be trespassing.” He moved to the first closed door and pushed it open.
“Okay,” I said, stepping around him and into the bedroom. It was big. I guessed it was my grandfather’s and his wife’s room. It was nice.
“I want to see my mom’s old room,” I said, continuing down the hall. When I came to the only other bedroom door, I froze. The door was closed, but I knew that it had to have been my mom’s. Suddenly I felt like I was spying. She hadn’t shared a lot about living in the house or living in the human world. It reminded me that I didn’t even know what her favorite color was.
“You going in?” Laeddin asked.
I turned the handle and pushed open the door. Purple. Every inch of the room was covered in purple. “I never would’ve guessed,” I said, stepping inside.
“Me either,” Laeddin agreed walking over to the dresser.
I followed him and leaned in, checking out the pictures pinned to the corkboard above. There were photos of all seven of Professor Pops’ adopted sons, including my father, Dorian; as well as my aunt Cindy and my mom. Even though my mom still looked the same, she seemed younger in the pictures. She dressed like a tomboy. Her hair was short and she wore no makeup. “Wow.” I took down a picture of Cindy and my mom.
“Yeah,” Laeddin added.
“My mom looks so young.” I glanced at Laeddin. His closeness took my breath away.
“She’s lovely.”
For some reason his comment made me jealous. “I guess.” I put the picture back and pulled open the top drawer. It was empty, as was the next. I went to the closet and pulled it open. It was empty too. “What am I going to do about clothes?”
Laeddin smiled. “Well,” he walked into the bathroom. I followed. “I could just snap my fingers and you’d have more clothes than you knew what to do with.” He caught and held my eyes in the mirror.
“Yes, I suppose,” I said.
“Or,” he turned and leaned down so that his cheek touched mine, his lips next to my ear. “We could go shopping.” His breath tickled my neck and I shivered.
I grinned so big I thought my cheeks would break.
“You cold?” he asked. But I felt him smile. He knew the effect he was having.
“No,” I said turning slightly so that I could see his eyes. My bottom lip brushed against his and a bolt of electricity shot through my body. “Oh,” I gasped.
He touched my lip with his fingers. “Shopping?” he asked.
Heat touched every part of my body. I couldn’t speak. So I nodded.
“Excellent.”
Eight
Laeddin took us to a place in New York City called Bloomingdales. We had a sales person help us. I had a bit of a freak out when I saw my back in the three-way mirrors in the dressing room.
Okay, a b
ig freak out.
“What’s wrong?” Laeddin asked, popping in to the dressing room with me. I screamed again, quickly sliding the sleeves of the dress up so the front of my body was covered.
His eyes roamed over my body quickly before focusing on my face.
“Look at my back,” I said, turning it toward him.
His eyes got dark, like emeralds, and he licked his lips. I was mesmerized by the action.
“I—wings are tattooed onto my back.” I tore my gaze from his face and focused on the reflection of my back in the mirror. The wings were outlined in black and filled in along the edges. I knew tattoos were a thing in the human world, but I never thought I’d get one.
“May I?” Laeddin asked, reaching out to touch my back.
My heart raced so hard and so fast, it was hard to hear anything. “Sure.” I bit my bottom lip.
His touch was gentle. He traced one of the wings. I closed my eyes, sinking into the incredible feeling racing through my body.
“They are trapped within,” he said, interrupting my thoughts.
I opened my eyes. “Will they stay away?” I stood and moved so that I was inches from him. He grasped my shoulders and tipped his head.
We were going to kiss. I sensed it, knew it the way I knew which way was up. I lifted my face to meet him halfway. My first kiss, I thought.
I knew I should close my eyes. I’d seen pictures of couples kissing, but I was too fascinated with the way Laeddin moved. The length of his dark lashes and how they cast shadows on his cheeks, the slight dimple in his chin, his mysterious scent, and his warm breath.
Millimeters away. He was so close. I wondered how it would feel, if it would change me.
Someone knocked on the door. “How’s it going, Jasmine?”
I squealed and jumped out of Laeddin’s grasp. “Fine,” I said, but my voice sounded strange.
“Did you need a different size?”
Laeddin smirked.
My face turned bright red, like rich blood. “I’m not sure yet. Hang on.”
I heard her step closer to the door.
Laeddin moved so that he could whisper in my ear. “I’m going.”
He kissed my cheek and then vanished.
I checked my cheek in the mirror. I expected to see a mark where his lips touched. The spot burned, but there was nothing.
“Jasmine?” the clerk said again, knocking with more urgency on the door. I peeked my head out and handed her one of the dresses I’d taken in. “I’d like to try this one in a different color.”
She took it, happy to have something to do. “I’ll see what I can find.”
“Thank you.”
When she was gone, I tried on a tan mini skirt that came to the middle of my thighs and a powder blue button up shirt. I turned back and forth, liking the look. Then I tried on a couple of different pairs of jeans, more shirts, some sweaters, and a couple of different dresses. They all looked great.
By the time the sales girl came back, I was ready for more. “What do you think?” she asked, showing me the dress. It was a pastel purple and matched my eyes.
“I like it.” I took it from her.
“And what about the others? Anything you like?” She gave me a stern look.
“I love all of it.”
“Good. If you want to give them to me, I’ll begin wrapping them up.”
“Sure.” I took the clothes and handed them to her.
“Anything you don’t want?” she asked.
I shook my head. From the corner of my eye, I caught Laeddin watching our exchange. He had his hands in his pockets and was smiling. “Nope.”
“Very good.”
“And I’m going to need shoes. And underthings. And socks, and tights… and coats, and jackets too.”
She followed my gaze and saw Laeddin. “You’re very lucky. He’s so gorgeous.”
“I know,” I admitted and then blushed.
Over the next several days, Laeddin took on the role of tour guide. He showed me around Salem. He took me into Boston, where we walked the streets, until he surprised me with a movie. It was a romance called Across the Ages about a girl who travelled through time and ended up falling in love. There were several cringe-worthy moments. Like when the main character kissed the male lead. It was soft and passionate and romantic and my cheeks went hot.
When the movie was over I could tell Laeddin was relieved, but I wanted to see it again. So we did. He was very thoughtful. I had so much fun spending time with him. He didn’t talk much about himself though. Mostly we talked about me, and my life.
Laeddin also prepared the documents I would need for school. It was mainly just him snapping his fingers, but since Salem high could call and check on the information listed in the transcripts, he had to make sure certain things I didn’t care to understand were in order.
Sunday night, he took me to a symphony. It was our last night together before I was to start school. All he did was snap his finger and he went from wearing jeans and a t-shirt to a black tux with a white shirt.
“You look so handsome,” I whispered. It’d taken me an hour to do my makeup and my hair just right and then to get dressed.
I’d chosen a black dress with loose ruffles in the skirt. What I loved most was that the under part of the ruffles were teal, so when I moved, a pop of color would show. The bodice was tight and sleeveless. A small teal flower was pinned on the right side of my waist. I’d chosen black pumps with a red bottom, but Laeddin changed them to teal. I’d curled my hair and pinned it in a loose bun on the right side, then put a sparkling comb at the top to secure it in place.
“Well you look beautiful.” Laeddin rested his hands on my waist. His warm skin radiated the scent of his blood. I’d noticed that the more time I spent with him, the more appealing his blood became.
“Thank you.” He used his magic and we were suddenly seated in the theater. No one even noticed when we just popped in. It was as though we’d been there all along.
When everyone was seated, the conductor came out and spoke to us about the program. Then they began to play… and for the next hour I was lost in the beautiful sounds of the music.
Nine
On Monday morning, I woke with a mixture of excitement and apprehension swirling in my belly. The sun was just starting to rise and my first inclination was to fly because Sabrina would be waiting at my window.
Except she wouldn’t be this morning.
My emotions floated to the surface. I needed Sabrina. She was my friend. I jumped out of bed and ran to the window, pushing it open. Birds chirped their song. Small animals rummaged in the trees that lined the back yard. A deer lifted its head and bounded away.
My throat burned at the sight of the doe. I needed blood. It’d been more than a week since my last breakfast in Sharra and I couldn’t ignore my hunger any longer.
“Where’s a unicorn when you need one?” I whispered fiercely, turning from the window, surprised by how sad I felt. I missed my best friend. Having Laeddin was great, but I was had to be careful of my attraction to him. Or his blood, my mind whispered. Whatever the reason, I couldn’t totally relax. Hiding out in the human world would be so much more fun if Sabrina was with me.
Laeddin and I discussed bringing her. We’d talked and talked about it. But it wouldn’t work. Sabrina was small. Her presence would be noticed.
I took a deep breath. I’d chosen this. Normal. High school. It would get better once I found some human friends and started doing typical stuff.
“Focus, Jasmine.” I went into the bathroom. Laeddin had changed the color scheme in there as well as my bedroom from purple to my favorite colors, which were teal and black.
The style was contemporary. A fresh jasmine flower sat in a pot on the counter near the sink and I leaned in to smell it. After my shower, I fixed my hair. The teal streak that had been in my hair for as long as I could remember was no longer there. I kept turning back and forth in the mirror trying to decide whether I liked mys
elf better with or without it.
I decided it didn’t matter. I left my hair down, curling the ends that hung to my waist with a hot iron. It took me a while to figure it out and I ended up burning two of my fingers. I realized I couldn’t do magic, but I was still a vampire. That meant I could still heal quickly. I kept my makeup simple, using neutral colors that enhanced my violet eyes, and applied neutral lip-gloss.
I’d picked out my outfit the night before, a tan skirt with five-inch heels in the same color and a powder blue button down shirt. I put on a matching lacy blue bra and undies. The bathroom seemed lonely without Zenny. Usually he was around to give me compliments and help me choose makeup colors, hairstyles, and the clothes I would wear. I missed him too.
But I reminded myself that he wasn’t part of my normal life.
I focused on my shoes. They were the favorite part of my outfit. The shoes had a peekaboo toe and a bow at the ankle. Completely adorable.
When I finished, I went down to the kitchen. I needed blood, but wasn’t sure how to get it.
Laeddin was there, leaning against the counter, eating an orange. He was dressed in dark jeans and a green t-shirt. His feet were bare and his black hair was still wet.
I wasn’t sure whether it was the orange or him that I craved more. But he made the orange look so delicious, especially with the juice dripping off his lips. I wanted regular food. I thought about wishing for it, but he’d already told me he didn’t want to change who I was and I didn’t want to waste a wish.
“Morning,” he said, pushing off the counter.
I suddenly felt shy. “Hi,” I replied.
“Ready for school?” He opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, twisted off the lid, and took a long drink. I was mesmerized by his movements. He smelled like ecstasy. It could’ve been his skin or his blood. I wanted to lick at the vein pulsing at his neck, sink my teeth in, and find out. I had a feeling his blood would be as spicy as his scent.
He recognized that I was watching and stopped drinking, placing the lid back on the bottle. I licked my lips. Thirsty.
Vampire Wishes Books 1-2: Vampire Lies and Vampire Secrets Page 4
