He gulped, and his heart picked up speed.
“Nervous?” I asked, a smidge glad.
“A little,” he admitted, but saw he would hold true to his word. I placed my hands on his appealing neck and pulled him down, much the same way I’d handled Christopher not too many minutes ago. Tentative, at first, I touched my lips to his neck. He let out a groan. Whether it was from fear or pleasure I didn’t know, and in the next moment I didn’t care. My fangs grew, pricking his neck.
And the door flung opened. Dorian tucked me into his chest. “Just a minute,” he said, his voice heavy.
I quivered in fury at being interrupted, but I didn’t want anyone to see my fangs so I took a deep breath, inhaling the delicious guy smell that was the handsome Dorian. My fangs retracted. Peeking up, I searched Dorian’s eyes. A tight smile sat on his lips. I smiled back before gazing around him, at who’d so rudely interrupted.
“What the hell is going on, Snow?” Complete shock packed her face, and I laughed.
“Hey, Cin,” I said with choked amusement. It wasn’t that I found the situation funny so much as I had all of this anxiety stored up, and it was finally coming out.
Dorian recovered, and swung around. “I was making sure she was okay. Our Snow needed a hug, that’s all.” He regarded me. “You’re good, right?”
“Yes, thank you, Dorian.” I closed my lips, trying to hold in the laughter, but that didn’t help. My conscious gnawed with guilt. I’d kissed Christopher, and nearly drank Dorian’s blood. But I liked Gabe.
Hussy, my mind screamed.
Dorian escaped the bathroom without a backward glance.
Cindy huffed, and stopped her foot. “What’s gotten into you?” She walked to the mirror, and checked her reflection.
I faced her, my image still taller. “Oh, Cin. It’s a long, crazy story.”
She gave me the eye, the one that questioned my motives, the one that got right to the center of me. “I want to hear all about it. First, Mr. Wallace wanted me to tell you you’re supposed to go to the office for a tardy slip. He said you’re not allowed in class without it. I’ve got to get back.” She ran her hands through her ponytail. “Chace seemed concerned. He even took off after you did. For a minute there I thought you were in his arms.” She let out a sigh. “See you in a few. Au revoir,” she added as the door closed behind her.
I straightened my shirt, and picked up my backpack. Cindy’s strong perfume lingered, and it dawned on me. Cindy’s blood hadn’t inspired even a little bit of hunger. “Huh.”
In the office I called Professor Pops, and explained in brief details what’d happened—the way my fangs grew, and how I’d gone to the other realm where the Hunter, Christopher, bit me again. I left out Dorian offering himself. The confession would be pointless, and I didn’t want what he’d done getting back to Gabe, or the other brothers.
Professor Pops spoke with the school’s secretary, excusing me from the rest of my classes.
He picked me up in the front, his distinguished face lined with worry. In the cup holder between the seats sat a carafe. “Bloodlust tea?” I guessed as I buckled my seatbelt.
“Drink up. I made a double dose in the hopes that will help.”
I took a sip, and grimaced. It was strong, but I finished. When I placed the empty container back in the holder, Professor Pops mumbled his approval.
After clearing his throat, he said. “I’ve heard of the Hunter, Christopher. He is very good at what he does. I’m sorry I must say this, but at this point, propriety be damned.” He gave me a quick look, probably to determine my level of shame.
“What is it?”
“He’s skilled in the art of seduction. From what I understand, he also has an unlimited lust for power. He wants to be the Vampire Queen’s second.”
At hearing his words I didn’t blush, but became angry. Well, more hurt. I guess I wanted to believe Christopher reacted to me the way he did, not because it was his job, but because he felt something for me. Ugh, I groaned. I would not be that girl!
Professor Pops pulled into the driveway. After I followed him into the house, and sat at a barstool in the kitchen, he said, “Your revenant abilities are developing a lot faster than most. And I think I know why.” As he spoke he peeled a banana, and tossed it into a blender. Then he pulled some soy milk from the refrigerator, and some ice from the freezer, and put them in the blender.
He turned it on, the noise drowning out everything running through my head. Several seconds later, he turned the blender off, and poured the smoothie into a tall glass.
“Here you go,” he said, handing it to me.
“Thank you.” I sipped. It was delicious.
He handed me a napkin. After I wiped my mouth, I asked, “Why?”
He took a deep breath. “First answer this question. Did you crave Cindy’s blood? Or another female’s blood at any time this morning?”
I thought a moment. “No, I didn’t.”
Professor Pops blew out. “Your best friends are seven guys, young men who are desirable, and who find you desirable.”
At those words I blushed. “Nu-uh,” I said.
He patted my hand. “You may try to hide it, Snow, but you are very, very beautiful. Truly one of the fairest in the land,” he added, his face softening.
My face felt like it was on fire. “What does that, or the fact that my best friends are guys have to do with anything?”
He waited until I got it. “Not every teenage girl is in a situation like yours. Seven young men vying for her attention.”
“We’re just friends though,” I said, taking another drink of my smoothie, thankful I had something to do.
“True, but I believe every one of them would gladly be your boyfriend, if you allowed him. I noticed the way you and Gabe are together. There’s something going on with you two.”
I stared into the drink. “I wanted something, but ever since my bite, and the note this morning, he’s been different.” I took another gulp, worried I should mention what Christopher said, but I couldn’t bring myself to blurt it out.
Professor Pops sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. It seemed he’d aged a hundred years in the past few days. “I’ve been training the boys since I adopted them. Gabe, though he’s younger was actually my first.”
I nodded, remembering the day I rode my new bike along Professor Pops circular driveway and fell off. Before I could start to cry, Gabe ran out, all legs and arms, and thick curly hair, and helped me up. ‘You’ll be okay,’ he’d said, brushing off my knees. ‘Shake it off.’
“They’ve been learning, though they didn’t know it, how to kill vampires, and anything else that comes after you.”
I lifted my glass to take a drink and stiffened. “Why would anything else be after me?”
Professor Pops came around, and stuck out his hand. “Come with me. I need to show you something.”
I set down the glass and rose, hesitantly placing my hand in his. “What?” I asked, my nervousness easy to hear.
“You’ll see. I’ll give you your first vampire slaying lesson.”
I snorted. “Don’t I just stake him through the heart with a wooden stick?”
“Afraid not, Snow.” He led me down a set of stairs, into the basement. Opening the door to the storage room, he walked over to the furnace, and pressed a button. The wall behind it swung opened, revealing another set of steps leading down. “Come,” he said.
I hesitated. It was dark, and smelled muggy, like dirt, and wet cement.
“You’ll be fine.” He released my hand, flipped on a light, and started down.
I trailed him cautiously. When we reached the bottom, there was another door. He pulled a key from around his neck, and put it into the lock. I heard the click, and he turned the knob. Cool air, like from a walk-in freezer, whooshed out and struck us. I inhaled.
“It’s cold,” I said, stating the obvious.
He flipped on another light, and stepped into the room.
I followed, and immediately wished I hadn’t.
Chapter 7
My legs turned to jelly, and my first instinct was to bolt back up the stairs.
“Snow, it’s okay. Think about the Harvard Museum of Natural History. They have skeletons, and animals stuffed to make them look real. The same applies here. Think of this as a Museum for the Supernatural.” He’d rushed over and seized my arm, helping me stand. What I really wanted was to take a brillo pad to my brain.
As much as I wanted to run away, I wanted to move in for a closer look even more. Sort of like when you see a car accident on the road. You feel revolted and drawn to it at the same time. That’s how I felt.
The room reminded me of a gallery with so much to see I wasn’t sure where to begin. Scanning the room, I went from one fairytale beast to another.
“Why? What? How did you get these down here?”
He chuckled. “It was easy. I’m a professor of religion at Harvard. I’m always studying strange phenomena. Or miracles, if you’d prefer.”
“Makes sense,” I said, moving toward a creature that looked like a tiny angel. Its feathery white wings pinned opened to a corkboard. Its skin sparkled like glitter. It wore a white tunic, and white sandals that laced up its very human looking legs. Hair was long, and blond with streaks of red.
“A Downy fairy,” Professor Pops said, coming over, and bending so that his face was even with mine. “She died more than five hundred years ago. I haven’t seen another like her.”
I searched his face, having noted the sadness in his voice. “If you haven’t seen another like her, how do you know she’s a Downy fairy?”
“Very perceptive you are, young one.”
I snickered at the Yoda impersonation.
“She died in the service of our cause. I was there when it happened.”
“Oh,” I mouthed. Then said, “I’m sorry Professor Pops.”
“It’s alright. I’ve had many years to mourn her loss. She was a good friend, a valiant warrior, and she died for what she believed in. It was honorable.”
“How did she die?” I asked, intrigued.
“That is a story for another time,” he said, straightening. Underneath the platform where the corkboard stood was a drawer. Professor Pops touched a knob, and the latch released. Inside was a leather-bound book. He reached in and pulled it out. In the center of the room stood a thick, plastic-looking music stand. Professor Pops walked over, and set the book on it. Then he waved me over. When I stood in front of the book, the first page turned, on its own. “You must never touch any of the pages. Touching them will increase their speed of deterioration.”
“Then how?” I began.
Professor Pops said, “Chapter one.” The pages instantly flicked to the page that said, Chapter One. “Page one-hundred-thirty-six.” Immediately, the pages flipped until it reached said page.
“Wow,” I uttered.
“Exactly. Inside this book is everything you’ll ever want to know about fairies, including the Downy fairy.” He motioned around the room. “Under or beside each creature is a book that will teach you what you need to know, plus how to kill them.
I couldn’t help the shiver that ran the length of my body. I didn’t want to kill anything.
“But some creatures are good, right?” I asked, nervous.
“Every creature can be good or evil. Just like with humans, they have their freedom to choose.”
“Got it.” But it was creepy. At least a dozen make-believe creatures were enclosed in glass, on pedestals, or standing. There was a werewolf, a little sprite, a large troll, a black unicorn, and an enormous dragon. All of them intriguing, and I wanted to study them. Most compelling was a very human looking guy with glowing red eyes.
“A Hunter,” I said, enthralled.
“That’s right,” Professor Pops agreed, placing the leather book back in the drawer under the Downy fairy. “Follow me,” he said, moving over to another door, and unlocking it. He went inside. It was small compared to the room we’d come from. Filled with weapons. Professor Pops walked over to a pointy wooden stake. “You mentioned staking a vampire.”
He picked the stick up and handed it to me. It was heavier than I imagined.
“Yes. Just jab it in the heart, right?”
Professor Pops chortled. “These work if you have the element of surprise, or if you’re skilled at hand to hand combat. But, tell me, could you stake Christopher?” His face was serious.
The idea repulsed me. I’d sooner stake myself. That shocked me. “N-No,” I said, as comprehension filled my mind. “Are you saying he’s got me under a spell, or something?” Irritation started to build, but I pushed it down. Professor Pops had said Christopher was a master manipulator.
“It’s what I would’ve done.” Professor Pops took a long, thin sword from where it sat on the wall. He pulled off its sheath, revealing its glimmering metal. Even from a few feet away, it looked sharp.
I stepped toward him and the sword. “So, how do I kill vampires?” I honestly didn’t think I’d be able to do it, but we were in the weapons room. It seemed he wanted to share.
“Hopefully you won’t ever have to. But a male vampire, must lose his head to be killed.” He placed the knife at his neck. A sliver of blood trickled. When he moved it away, the slight cut healed instantaneously.
“And a Worker?” I asked.
“Females can be killed two ways. By a stake to the heart, or the sun. Like I said though, they normally don’t leave the hive.”
“Wait, so what happens if her head is cut off?” I imagined a writhing body searching for its head.
“The body will find its head, and it can be reattached.” He shrugged. “It’s rather disgusting to watch, but a fact, nonetheless.”
“Yeah, that’s gross.” I stepped away, heading over to the stake. “What about a Hunter?”
He brought up his pointer finger, and shook. “Hunters are more difficult because they possess a portion of the Queen’s magic, which protects them from the sun, and gives them the power of persuasion.”
“Great,” I mumbled.
“The only way to kill a Hunter is by removing his heart. It beats thanks to the Queen’s magic, so it must be cut from the body, and separated from the other organs.”
“That’s gross,” I muttered.
“It is, truly. And once the Queen has marked him, she gives him a portion of her magic. That allows him to walk in the light, to change the color of his eyes, even shift his appearance slightly.”
“Wow. Can the Queen be eliminated by sunlight?”
“No. Her magic protects her.”
I took a deep breath. “How can she be killed then?”
“If you can get through the fifty-thousand Workers, and the five thousand drones…” He trailed off. “Honestly, we aren’t sure, but we believe she can be killed during the moments she’s shedding her old body, and claiming the new one. We think that’s when she’s at her most vulnerable.”
“You think? You believe? I must say, Professor, I’m not filled with confidence. I have one chance in fifty-five thousand. Those odds are seriously stacked. And not in my favor.” I walked over to a gun. It appeared to be made of solid silver. “For werewolves,” I asked, changing the subject as I wrapped my brain around what I was up against.
He shook his head, placing the sword back on the wall, and picking up the gun. “This is for unicorns. A shot between the eyes will kill it.”
“I didn’t realize unicorns were hard to kill,” I said, taking a step back.
“Unicorns are magical creatures, Snow. They can’t die easily. There aren’t many of them left, and most are in the service of the Vampire Queen.”
My throat went dry. “But they don’t want me dead, right? If they work for her, then they’ll want to keep my body safe.”
“That isn’t necessarily true. We’ve heard rumors of dissentions within her hive. Some believe the Queen is too old, and should step down. Others have stolen magic
from other creatures, and are trying to usurp her. Many believe if all of the Marked, and Chosen are killed off, she’ll die.” He set the gun down, and crossed his arms.
“Is that true? Would she die?” I walked over to some miscellaneous weapons. A club, an axe, smaller knives, a spiky looking ball with a chain attached to the end.
“In theory, yes, she would die.”
“Couldn’t she take any body? Why does it have to be the fairest? If it came down to it, if she has the magic, couldn’t she use a dog, or a bee, or any living thing as her host?”
I turned when he didn’t respond right away.
He appeared thoughtful. “Technically, yes, she could, but she’s grown accustomed to humans. And in choosing an animal or an insect she would lose the power she so desperately demands. In the time I spent in her service, her hunger for power was quite apparent. I believe she’d rather die than be diminished to something other than what she is, what she’s become.”
“Okay, so say those who want her power do kill all of the Marked, and the Chosen, can’t the Hunters mark more?”
“Of course, but they have chosen the best of the best in this generation. If she has to choose a lesser human, her power will diminish. It isn’t only about what’s appealing on the outside. Just as important is what’s on the inside. The purer the person’s soul, the better.”
It made some sense. I couldn’t help but wonder if Cindy had been chosen as well. Her beauty certainly far outweighed mine. Shrugging it off, I said, “So, those who want the Queen’s power will come after me.”
Chapter 8
He nodded. “Yes, that is why you must train. That is why it’s important you become familiar with all of the creatures in that room,” he pointed out the doorway, “and learn how to defend yourself. A war is coming, Snow. I know you didn’t ask for it, and it seems unfair, but you’re involved. And from what I can tell, the Queen has put special emphasis on you.”
A devastating weight seemed to sit on my shoulders. The word, ‘war,’ felt too big. Too overwhelming. “Do you think the others know the Vampire Queen has singled me out?”
Revenant in Training (Blood and Snow series) Page 3
