“Drake,” I said, shocked.
“Yep. I came back for you, Jack.”
“What do you want?” I stepped back at the realization that coming out here alone was a bad idea.
“I want what the Mistress wants. And she wants you.” He reached out to grab me, but I sidestepped him.
I could’ve killed him, but the plan Zoe, Peter, Troy, Laeddin, Ariel and I had come up with demanded that we capture an Akuma. We wanted to talk to it.
Drake was the first one any of us had seen in two weeks. I didn’t know when I’d get the chance to see another and time was running out. If I could capture him and talk to him, maybe I could figure out how to stop the darkness. When the six of us had come up with the plan to capture the Akuma two weeks ago, it involved me making a wish.
“What does she want?” I asked, trying to stay calm. I needed to get the whole wish out before he disappeared. That had been what the enchanted ropes were for but I didn’t have mine.
Drake’s crazy smile fell slightly. “She wants to capture you. If she has you, the—”
I heard the whistle of a soaring blade too late. Drake’s head was severed from his body.
“No!” Drake disintegrated before my eyes. “Whoever is out there, you better show yourself. Right. This. Minute.” I was ticked. My one chance.
I heard footsteps in the crisp grass, but couldn’t see anyone, even with my vampire sight. Who or whatever it was kept coming.
“Show yourself,” I whispered, hoping I wasn’t losing my mind.
Christopher appeared.
“How the—”
He bowed. “I’ve come to feed you.” He spoke softly, almost reverently.
“I-I don’t— I can’t— Right now isn’t a good time.” The truth was I really wanted to feed. His blood rejuvenated my body like no other.
“You can. Here.” He lifted his wrist to his mouth.
“No,” I said. “Tomorrow.”
He bowed again and then disappeared.
“Jack! Jack.” Troy stuck his head out the window.
“I’m here,” I called, walking back to the house.
“What are you doing?” He jumped out the window and ran toward me.
“I saw someone watching my house. It was Drake,” I said.
“Did you capture him?” Troy looked hopeful.
I sighed heavily. “No. Someone severed his head before I had the chance to make my wish.”
“Dammit.”
“That’s exactly what I said.”
“Where did it happen?”
I took him over and showed him. He touched the ground where Drake had been standing. Picked up some dirt and sniffed it. Then he reached into the bushes and pulled out the blade. It was short and gleamed in the moonlight.
“If we don’t catch a break soon…” He let the words hang in the air. I knew what he meant. Time was running out.
“Let’s take this inside. Maybe Grand Pops can tell us something about the sword.”
I followed him around to the front.
When we walked in, Professor Pops was heading upstairs. “Where’d you two come from?”
Troy showed him the knife.
Professor Pops took it, studied it. “I’ll check my books tonight, but you two don’t need to be here for that. Go to your dance.”
Troy nodded. “Thanks, Pops.” They clapped each other on the back. He moved away from the stairs and headed for his office. “Oh, and Jasmine, you’ve got something on your face.” He touched his cheek.
“Oh, thank you, Mr. Henry.” Since he was my history teacher I’d grown accustomed to calling him that.
“Sure thing, my dear.” He went into the kitchen.
“Mind if I use your bathroom?”
“Nah, come on.” Troy waved as he took the stairs two at a time.
“Thanks,” I said when he turned on the bathroom light. “I can freshen up while you eat. I don’t want you to be hungry at the dance.”
He sidled up to me, wrapped his arms around my waist. His face was directly above mine. So close, I could smell his cologne and the minty freshness of his breath. “What about your hunger?” His voice was low and sexy.
“I’ll be fine,” I said, staring at his lips.
His head came down, his lips brushed against mine. Freshening up was forgotten. The dance, the Akuma… everything but his lips on mine left my mind. I ran my hands up his arms and into his hair. I loved his short hair, loved the feel of it between my fingers.
He pulled off his jacket and hung it on the bathroom doorknob before his lips were back on mine again. I had the briefest thought that his lips belonged there before he groaned, lifting me. I wrapped my legs around his waist. His lips pushed mine opened and he explored my mouth as he carried me across the hall and over to his bed. When he sat, the bed squeaked, and we looked at each other. I didn’t want to stop.
“I love kissing you,” he said and I knew he didn’t want to stop either. He lay back, pulling me on top of him.
I yanked at his tie and undid his shirt, longing to feel his skin next to mine, to taste his him on my lips. His blood in my mouth…
“Troy. Jasmine.”
Professor Pops stood in the doorway, his features contorted in irritation. “I have information about the knife.”
Troy swore. “Sorry,” he said the words against my ear.
My cheeks got hot. What followed were ten of the longest, most awkward seconds of my life as I untangled myself from Troy and readjusted my dress where it’d twisted. I quickly fixed it as he pulled on his jacket.
“I’ll meet you in my office,” Mr. Henry said and left.
Troy turned. “That was fun,” he said with a smile.
I blushed hotter. “Yeah, up until Professor Pops caught us.”
He chuckled. “Let’s go see what Pops found out.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
We walked in and Professor Pops looked up from where he’d been studying the knife.
“Have a seat.”
Troy took the one closest to the window and I took the one closest to the door.
“What’d you find?” Troy asked, leaning forward, picking up the knife.
“It’s old. Dated back to the Crusades.”
Troy handed over the knife.
“The craftsmanship is exquisite. Not many had the skill to make something like this.”
“Was this someone you knew?” Troy took the knife back, running his fingers along the sides of the blades.
“There is one who could have made it, but he’s long gone. Sharra put him to rest.”
I started at the sound of her name. “What’s his name?” I asked.
“Arthur Pendragon.” Professor Pops took the knife from Troy and placed it in the top drawer of his desk.
My body began to shake.
“What’s wrong?” Troy asked.
Professor Pops clasped his hands together. “Jasmine?”
“I saw Maleficent, who’s actually Sharra, awaken him from his crypt in the Cave of Lost Souls.”
“I see. It sounds like I need to get caught up.”
Between the two of us, we told him everything. When we finished, Professor Pops sat back. “I don’t know what Sharra is up to, but from experience I can tell you it will be worse than what you think you can imagine.”
“Great,” I said, feeling terrible.
“I’m sorry, but it isn’t. She regretted giving up her wings. She regretted making her people give them up. But by the time she realized the error of her ways it was too late. Not a single vampire existed with wings. Silindra, her sister, was the last and Sharra had her killed. I think it’s why she went mad.” While he spoke he kept his gaze fixed on me.
I shrank back, knowing I already regretted giving up my wings.
Professor Pops went on. “Only now there is you.”
I gritted my teeth, sick inside about what his words meant. To me. To Sharra. And to the whole world.
“I think she’s been planning this f
or quite some time. You gave her exactly what she wanted, Jasmine. And now that she has them back, she’ll do anything in her power to keep them.”
I wanted to lash out. Tell him he was wrong. Explain that even though he hadn’t said everything was my fault, I knew it was true. And I wanted to fix it. Somehow. If I could.
“Grand Pops,” Troy said when the tension in the room had grown thick enough to bite, “I don’t think there’s anything more we can do about this tonight. We are going to the dance. Don’t wait up.” He stood and pulled me up with him.
The professor nodded.
I followed Troy down the hall. Lost in my thoughts. Nearly drowning in guilt. If only I’d listened to Laeddin.
Sure I’d saved him, but at what cost? Now the whole world, and all of the other realms were in danger.
Troy helped me into the limo.
He sat down, keeping my hand in his. We didn’t speak and I was grateful. I needed time to collect my thoughts and figure out what I was going to do.
The Winter Formal was a grand affair for the Salem high students. It was held at the Ritz in Boston, a thirty-minute drive from our houses.
I stared out the window, keeping my focus on the dark water and the twinkling lights. It was beautiful. Quiet. Even peaceful.
Once we reached the Boston city limits, we were met by a National Guard security unit. Our limo driver rolled down his window and handed the uniformed man some papers.
“Open the back,” the soldier demanded.
Our driver got out and did as he was told.
The man in uniform stuck his head inside and gave us a smug glare. “You kids been drinking tonight?”
“No,” Troy answered. I could hear his pulse racing, his heart pumping wildly. I knew he wasn’t happy about being stopped.
“What about you?” the uniform asked.
“No,” I said, pulling my hand from Troy’s and glancing away.
“Should we do a breathalyzer? You seem a little unsure.” The guy looked like he wanted to climb into the limo with us to check.
“I haven’t been drinking.” I looked directly in his eyes this time, not wanting to be the cause of more trouble for Troy.
The uniformed guy searched the vehicle, probably looking for alcohol or drugs. “They’re clean. Let ‘em through.”
The driver shifted the limo into gear and began driving again. I should’ve been excited. I tried, but I kept seeing Maleficent flying around with my wings, kept hearing her laugh. She was ruining my night.
Troy took my hand back. Squeezed. But said nothing. That was one of the main reasons I liked him so much. He knew what I needed, usually before I did.
At the hotel entrance, the driver let us out.
“We’ll be done at midnight,” Troy said.
“Yes, sir.” The driver gave us a nod as he drove away.
Hand in hand we walked into the dance.
As soon as we walked in to the dance, my spirits lifted. Techno dance music was easily heard as soon as we opened the doors. The ballroom ceiling had snowflakes and icicles hanging from it. To one side was a winter wonderland, complete with fake snow, a large red sleigh, and a photographer.
Several dozen couples were on the dance floor, including Cameron and a girl I’d never seen before. That surprised me. I thought he was gay. He and the girl seemed to be close though. They had their heads together and were talking about something.
There was a DJ and lights and a buffet table filled with all sorts of yummy-looking treats.
“Let’s dance, Jack.” Troy walked us onto the floor. The song playing was from the 80’s. “Open Arms” by Journey, if my memory served. I put my arms around his neck and he put his arms around my waist. “The rest of the night is going to be about you and me and fun. Deal?”
I gave him a sweet smile. “I’d like that.” I rested my head against his chest as we swayed back and forth. When the song ended, another started. It was also a slow song, so we kept dancing.
After that one ended, we checked out the buffet table. Troy got himself a drink. He’d missed dinner and I knew he was hungry because he kept shoving cubes of cheese in his mouth.
“Sorry I made you miss dinner. What did the cook prepare?”
He chewed quickly and then swallowed. “It was Beef Provencal with twice baked potatoes topped with sautéed mushrooms. For dessert the chef made chocolate mousse with sugared raspberries and fresh whipped cream.”
I could practically see his mouth watering. “That sounds yummy,” I said even though it all tasted like ash to me now that I had my vampire powers back.
Troy laughed. “You’re a terrible liar.” He nuzzled my ear. “I know what you crave.”
I got weak in the knees and my stomach fluttered.
“I’d be careful with her if I were you.” It was Cameron. He stood beside Troy and picked up an olive.
“What do you mean?” Troy asked, facing Cameron. I felt the tension rolling off him. It melted my heart that he wanted to defend me. Not that I needed his help, but it was still sweet.
Cameron chewed on an olive. Swallowed. “Being friends with her equals if not death then disaster. Just watch it.” He walked away.
Troy started to go after him, but I held him back. “Don’t bother. I get why he’s scared. I would be too.”
He shook his head. “That doesn’t give him the right to be disrespectful.”
I put my hands on his face and smiled. “Wanna dance?”
“I would love to.”
We danced to slow songs and fast songs until a light sheen covered his forehead. Troy knew everybody and many of them interrupted us while we were dancing to say hi and just to chat. He introduced me to all of them. Some were really nice. Others weren’t. I tried not to focus on it since worrying wouldn’t do any good.
Even Zoe and Peter showed up for a little while and it was fun seeing my mom and dad so happy, so carefree. But it was short-lived. They ended up leaving probably an hour after they got there.
“Enjoy yourself,” my mom said right before she left.
I hugged her. “I will.”
Troy and I danced some more. We had our picture taken on the sleigh and then one where we stood under the mistletoe. They turned out really good. Troy really was movie star hot and the dress Sabrina created was amazing. We looked good together, he and I.
At exactly midnight my first official school dance ended.
I hugged Troy. “Thank you so much for asking me to go with you. It was as amazing as I hoped.”
He pulled my body close and I breathed him in.
“Thank you,” Troy said. “I’ve been to a few of these but I’ve never had more fun than tonight. Probably because you didn’t leave to go check your hair with your friends every five minutes.”
“Oh no. I totally forgot about that. How does my hair look?” I giggled at the look on his face.
He smiled. “Gorgeous, like the rest of you.”
“Thanks.”
He took my hand and we walked outside. Some of the couples were standing at the elevator. Apparently they had rooms. I didn’t want to contemplate what that meant. Troy was older, but I’d just experienced kissing and my first dance. No way was I near ready for what getting a room at a hotel implied.
Outside our limo driver waited his turn and then pulled up in front of us. He got out and held open the door.
“You still intend to go to the yacht?” the driver asked Troy.
Troy looked over. “You still want to watch the sun rise from the water?”
“Most definitely.”
“You heard the lady. Definitely.”
“Excellent, sir.”
He drove us to the pier where another National Guard unit checked us in and then waved us through.
At the edge of a long dock, the driver stopped. The yacht was white and lit up like a Christmas tree. Fog had rolled in making the lights on the yacht glow like dozens of phantoms. We got out. Troy thanked the driver and gave him a large tip.
/> The air was thick and salty. Waves lapped against the boat. Without my vampire vision I doubted I would’ve been able to see the ocean.
Troy and I walked down to where the captain and several crewmembers welcomed us as we came aboard.
“There’s shrimp cocktail in the dining area,” the captain, whose name was Nick Bordeaux, said.
“Thank you, Nick.” Troy took my hand.
The gesture put a smile on my lips. It seemed to be a thing with him, his need to be close. I didn’t mind. The truth was I liked it.
We walked along the deck, came to a long set of stairs and climbed. The dining area was luxurious, complete with a chandelier and at least a dozen tables surrounded by four times as many chairs.
My eyes were drawn to the gleaming bar. The back wall was covered in mirrors. Alcohol and various types of glasses lined glass shelves. Black leather barstools were tucked under a U-shaped counter. On either side of the counter were double swinging doors with round windows in each. I guessed the kitchen was back there.
Troy dashed over to the shrimp cocktail. “I’m starving,” he said, dunking an extra-large shrimp in cocktail sauce and tossing it in his mouth.
I smiled, watching him chew. The boy could eat.
The floor was a gleaming white and black leather sofas lined the windowed walls. A baby grand piano stood in one corner.
Troy ate more than half the shrimp before sighing, and patting his stomach. “Much better.”
“You full?”
“Yes.” He took a bottle of water chilling in an ice bucket, opened it and chugged it down. After tossing it in the trash, he took my hand. “Come on.”
We walked out of the dining area, down the stairs, and then along the side of the boat until we came to another set of stairs. This time they went down.
“Where we going?” I asked.
He opened a door and flipped on a light. It was a bedroom complete with a bed and four walls. “You wanna change?”
“Into what?”
“I have sweats. Those will be comfy.” He pulled open a drawer I hadn’t noticed because it was flush with the wall.
“Cool.”
He smiled, taking out a heather gray pair of sweatpants and a matching sweatshirt.
Vampire Wishes Books 1-2: Vampire Lies and Vampire Secrets Page 24
