Forbidden

by Amy Miles

  Sadie was fun, she was bubbly and her enthusiasm had drawn Roseline out from her depressed funk. Would it be so bad to have one friend? And what about William? If she could keep him at bay, wouldn’t it be nice to have a guy friend again? Oh how she longed to speak to Fane. She missed him dearly but she’d made the decision to sever all ties with him. And as heart wrenching as that decision was, she had to stick with it. His life depended on her self control.

  As they crossed a large patch of black ice that led to the parking lot, the siblings laughter began to warm a part of her soul that she’d hadn’t felt since her sister Adela had been taken from her. Sadie, with her crazy clothes and boisterous attitude, reminded Roseline so much of her rebellious younger sister that she simply couldn’t pull away.

  “Nice car,” Roseline nodded approvingly as William stopped in front of a brand spanking new SUV. William grinned, his lips noticeably darkening against the cold. A twinge of guilt stabbed at Roseline.

  “It was a birthday present,” William said proudly, motioning towards his blacked out Escalade which was covered with a light sheen of freezing rain. His teeth began to clatter together. “Sadie got a mustang.”

  Roseline didn’t have any clue what kind of car that was, but judging by the gleam in Sadie’s eyes, it must have been exactly what she’d wanted. “Your parents are very generous. I’m sure they felt you’d earned such an extravagant gift.”

  The automatic door lock sounded and Sadie shoved Roseline into the backseat, laughing. “There you go again. If I didn’t know any better I’d think you were my parent’s age! I’m gonna have to teach you how to talk.”

  Roseline was surprised at how much she actually liked that idea. “That would be lovely,” she nodded.

  “And after that you can join us for tea and crumpets,” William cackled, slipping into the drivers seat. He frantically rubbed his hands together to defrost them before slipping the key into the ignition. The engine roared to life. Freezing air burst from the vents, bring forth a few choice words from William as he rushed to turn them off.

  “She’s not British you idiot! She’s from Romania.”

  William glanced back over his shoulder as he backed the car out of the narrow space. The rear windshield was almost completely glazed over. “Really? Could’ve fooled me. Either way I think it’s pretty hot!”

  Sadie groaned, shaking her head. Roseline smiled, enjoying their playful banter. If her brother Petru had still been alive, he would have loved William. Glancing out the window, Roseline secretly wiped a newly formed tear from her eye. Her heart ached for the brother and sister she’d lost so long ago.

  “So where do you live?” William asked, glancing at Roseline in the rearview mirror. He frowned when he noticed her sullen face.

  “On Raven’s Court.”

  William nudged his car out into the long line of traffic. “Is that is Wildwood Estates?”

  Roseline pushed the faded memories of her family away, locking them back into her heart where she kept them. Safe. Untouched by Vladimir’s wickedness.

  “Um, yeah. I think so,” Roseline responded, managing a somewhat genuine smile. The home she’d rented wasn’t extravagant by any means. It was a simple two story bungalow in a nice, older neighborhood. She’d been lucky to find the daughter of a recently deceased man putting out the for rent sign in the front yard as she walked past two days ago. Although the woman had been a bit hesitant about renting to a teenage girl with a false passport, her fears were easily calmed when Roseline produced enough money to pay the entire years rent up front.

  Sure she could have afforded to buy a mansion, but what was the point? Roseline had no one to share it with and she was trying to keep off the grid. And that meant giving up a few of life’s usual comforts.

  As William concentrated on his driving, Sadie decided it was get to know the new girl time. Roseline was pleased to find that her morose moment had gone completely unnoticed by Sadie. “So how do you like our weather?” she asked, pointing out the front windshield at the icy mix that’d been falling most of the day.

  “It’s ok I guess. I was kinda surprised that it was so cold this early in the year. I thought you guys didn’t hit winter until December.”

  Sadie nodded. “Freak storm I guess. Supposed to clear up a bit tonight though. Speaking of tonight…you going to the game?”

  Roseline couldn’t help but notice William’s eyes locked onto her through the rearview mirror. His hands tensed on the wheel as he waited in anticipation for her answer.

  There was really only one answer she should give. A flat, no questions asked, no. But her heart had a jump on her brain as she responded only halfheartedly. “I don’t know. I’m pretty tired…and football isn’t really my thing.”

  “Oh come on,” Sadie groaned, yanking on Roseline’s arm. “It’ll be fun. Now I have someone to actually go with.” Oh, how Sadie reminded Roseline of her sister! Same pout, same whine and same irresistible plea. She could instantly feel her resolve melting.

  “Hey,” William cried, pretending to be wounded by Sadie’s words. “I go with you!”

  “Yeah but all you do is check out girls,” Sadie growled, looking tragically put out. “It’s so annoying to not have a girlfriend!”

  Roseline’s eye brow rose in surprise. Sadie laughed. “Oh come on. Look at me! I’m not exactly captain of the cheer leading squad!”

  That was certainly true. Popular crowd or not, Roseline had assumed Sadie had other friends. On the other hand, she could easily see why Sadie wouldn’t be a lot of people’s cup of tea. But then again neither was Roseline. She hadn’t had a close female friend for over three centuries. And as much as Fane had tried to fill the void, he simply couldn’t replace a girl’s friendship.

  Roseline’s sigh was barely audible but Sadie must have been watching for some sign of weakness. “I guess I’m all you’ve got too huh?”

  Roseline masked her sadness, smiling warmly. “I think you’re perfect.” She was shocked to find she truly mean it. Oh this was bad! Already Roseline was breaking all of the rules she’d set for herself, but for some reason she couldn’t bring herself to care. She wanted to be free, yes, but she also wanted to experience the life that’d been stolen from her. And boy was Sadie full of life!

  Sadie’s eyes widened, shocked but pleased. William chuckled, braking at a red light. “So I guess that means you’ll be around from time to time. Maybe you two should have a sleep over or something,” he grinned mischievously. “You could paint each other’s nails, have a pillow fight and talk about how amazing I am.” William ducked Sadie’s slap seconds before it hit.

  Sinking back into the seat, Roseline grinned, watching the siblings duke it out. She was enjoying herself so much that she was surprised moments later when she recognized her house fly by. “Oh! Go back. It was that one two doors back.”

  William threw his vehicle into reverse, his tires sliding on the ice as he backed down to her house. Sadie and William exchanged a confused glance. “This is it?”

  Roseline nodded, grabbing her backpack off the seat. “Yep. It’s just temporary until my mom can find a better house. It was the only thing we could rent on short notice.”

  Sadie nodded, still looking troubled as she noticed the peeling paint and badly sloping front steps. The faded shutters hung at an odd angle, banging loudly against the wall. Instead of commenting, she whirled around, grasping Roseline’s hand. “So…tonight?”

  Despite herself, Roseline laughed. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so alive. Sadie might be a bit of an oddball, but her enthusiasm was definitely contagious. “Oh alright,” Roseline conceded.

  “Great!” Sadie squealed, clapping her hands. William grinned; looking pretty darn pleased too. “So we’ll pick you up at seven?”

  Roseline nodded, ducking out of William’s coat. “Thanks for that,” she called as she hopped out of the car and ran to her front door. Roseline paused as Sadie stuck her head out through the window.


  “And make sure you wear something warm! It’s gonna be freezing tonight!”

  ***

  Gabriel Marston bounced on numb toes, his gaze darting around the crowd. It was a full house. Not a big surprise since it was the homecoming game against their biggest rivals, the Stanton Greyhounds. It looked like everyone in town had come out to see the game.

  But Rosewood’s team captain and star quarterback couldn’t concentrate to save his life. Not since he’d noticed her. The girl with amazing aqua eyes and skin as pale as snow. Gabriel had noticed her the moment he’d exited the locker room but she’d disappeared into the crowd before he could reach her.

  He couldn’t explain what it was about the girl that’d called to him so fiercely. Obviously she was gorgeous…but it went beyond that. As cheesy as he knew it sounded, Gabriel felt like something buried in his chest had flamed to life. The pull towards her was so magnetic that it took all his strength to put one foot in front of the other to head out onto the field and away from the stands.

  “Dude? Are you ok?” Gabriel’s best friend Connor Bennett asked, clasping his arm. His charcoal hair was plastered to his forehead, slicked down from the falling rain. “You seem a bit tense.”

  “It’s just nerves,” Oliver West snickered, yanking his chest pads into position under his jersey. “Gabe’s worried about the scouts.”

  Gabriel snorted, shaking his head. “You guys know I couldn’t care less about getting into Notre Dame. It’s just...” he trailed off, knowing he was about to sound crazy. “There was this girl…” he shoved Conner out of the way to continue his search.

  Conner and Oliver rolled their eyes at each other. Gabriel was well known for his taste in women, despite the fact that he was dating the hottest girl at Rosewood Prep.

  “Dude, Claire will kill you if she hears you’re checking out another chick.” It was no secret that Oliver still had the hots for Claire Scofield, but she hadn’t given him the time of day since Gabriel stepped foot into Rosewood.

  Gabriel ignored his friend, stretching up on his tip toes. She had to be there. Everyone else was. “Where is she?” he whispered.

  Oliver turned on the bench, scanning the crowd as well. “What’s she look like?” His sudden peak of interest annoyed Gabriel but he let it go. Instead he glanced at the stream of fans pouring in from the south side of the stadium.

  “Do you even know if she goes to our school?” Conner asked, bending to tie the laces on his shoes. His hands burned from the cold, shaking as he tried to hold the tiny laces still. He blew out a breath; it hung in the air, visible to the eye.

  Gabriel’s heart sank. Maybe he was looking at the wrong side. What if she didn’t even go to Rosewood? Just as he was about to give up, he spotted her. His chest warmed, pushing every hint of cold from his mind. He stopped bouncing; his eyes locked onto the gorgeous girl.

  “Find her?” Conner asked, standing as he noticed the strange stillness that’d fallen over his friend. His handsome features were taut as his hazel eyes scanned the crowd for Gabriel’s missing beauty.

  “Sixteen rows up, all the way down at the south end. It looks like she’s sitting by Sadie.”

  Oliver nearly swallowed his chewing gum. “Sadie Hughes? That freak show I dated a few years ago?”

  Gabriel nodded, ignoring the worried glances his friends shared behind his back. He didn’t stop to worry about Sadie’s geekdom or the fact that by even thinking of associating with her his reputation would be sorely tarnished. “She’s in that blue coat.”

  His friends cupped their hands around their eyes, blocking out the glare of the overhead lights glinting off the rainy drizzle. Conner whistled, nodding his head appreciatively. “Man you’ve got good taste! That girl is smokin’ hot!”

  Oliver scowled. “So what,” he replied tersely, arms tightly crossed over his chest pads. “She’s gorgeous, no doubt about that, but she’s off limits.” Gabriel turned towards his friend, biting his tongue against his protests. “Sorry dude but you gotta face it. You’re with Claire.”

  Conner winced. “Yeah but Claire’s got nothing on that girl! I mean, look at her,” he cried, nearly drooling all over himself. “Dude if you don’t go for her I will!”

  Oliver’s eyes narrowed with anger. “Trust me, she’s a real witch.”

  Gabriel nearly lost his balance. “You’ve talked to her? At school?”

  With a shrug, Oliver turned his back on the girl. “Yeah. I mighta said hi or something.”

  Conner stared at his friend, lips curling into an amused grin. “She turned you down didn’t she?”

  Oliver growled, chucking his helmet onto the ground as he got in Conner’s face. “I turned her down,” he roared, spittle flying from his lips. “I could have that girl any day I wanted,” he cried, enraged.

  Conner shrugged, but the humorous light didn’t disappear from his eyes. He started to torture his friend some more when Gabriel spoke up. “Oliver’s right. I’m with Claire.” He turned with a sigh, pulling his friends towards the field. “But that doesn’t mean she’s fair game you two! I called dibs.”

  “Oh man, no way!” Conner retorted. “That’s so not cool.” He instantly backed down under Gabriel’s stern glare. He threw up his hands. “Fine. But I think its wrong man.”

  “Now, let’s forget the girl and win this game,” Gabriel called as the count down clock buzzer sounded. He jogged alongside his friends, determined not to think of those amazing eyes again until after the game was over. But that was easier said than done.

  Chapter 2

  The next two weeks flew by pretty quick for Roseline. She settled into a normal routine. Sadie and William picked her up every morning, spent lunch with her and happily shared a ride home in the afternoons. Their quick wit, hilarious practical jokes and overall jovial attitude kept Roseline from missing home too much.

  In fact, she was shocked when Sadie mentioned how much time had passed at lunch. “So…you’ve survived hell week times two. How does it feel to officially no longer be the new student?”

  Roseline frowned, confused. “There’s a newer student than me?”

  “Yep,” William nodded, struggling to swallow a massive bite of his greasy sausage pizza. “Nicolae arrived yesterday. Mom and dad went to pick him up at the airport. We didn’t even get to meet the kid before school today. Kinda weird if you ask me.”

  “Weird? Are you kidding?” Sadie squealed, bouncing on the edge of her seat. “I’m stoked! I’ve got a super hot foreign exchange student staying in my home for the whole semester. What could be weird about that?”

  Roseline grinned. “Not that you’re excited or anything.”

  “Darn right I am!” Sadie pounded on the table. A few people cast curious glances her way but she remained oblivious. “I’ve got dibs on the hottie!”

  “And which hottie would be you referring to?” a meek voice called from just behind Sadie. She whirled around, her expectant smile drooping.

  “Oh no,” she groaned. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

  As Roseline glanced at the tall boy standing behind Sadie, every muscle in her body locked down. The fight or flight response kicked into overdrive as her mind screamed at her to make a decision.

  Standing before her was a boy with startling green eyes and a thick Romanian accent. She’d seen him before. He was the boy that’d been at the bus stop in Brasov the day she’d escaped from home. The one that’d watched her intently as she rushed away. It couldn’t be a coincidence.

  The boy stumbled over his feet as he hurried into a chair between Sadie and William. He pushed the twisted metal rimmed glasses back up his shiny nose and turned his full attention on Sadie. “Nicolae Dalma, at your service.”

  “Oh man,” Sadie grumbled, pulling away from the offered hand. She leaned towards William. “Can we send him back?”

  William glanced at the pimple faced weasel he’d be sharing his home with. “Unfortunately I think mom might frown on that idea.”

  “Figures,�
� Sadie mumbled, scooting her seat as far away from Nicolae as she could.

  His eyes swept past William, widening with shock and a hint of apprehension when he noticed Roseline. He took in her pale flawless skin, startling aqua eyes and rigid manner. “And you are?” he forced himself to ask politely.

  “Leaving. Come on Sadie,” Roseline called, her voice trembling slightly as she slung her bag over her shoulder, leaving a nearly fully tray of food behind her. She didn’t even wait for Sadie to follow her before she rushed out of the dining hall.

  Sadie paused on the other side of the swinging doors, a hand thrown tragically over her forehead. “I’m doomed! This was supposed to be my year,” she groaned, turning her face away. “My dreams of a hot live-in boyfriend are ruined.”

  Roseline clamped her hands tightly on her bag strap, stilling the tremor that threatened to overtake her. He recognized her. She knew he had. But did he actually know who she was? Surely he’d heard stories of her kind. But could he possibly know her exact identity?

  “Where are you going?” Sadie called as Roseline stumbled down the hall.

  “Bathroom,” she managed to say just before she ducked inside the reeking bleach soaked room. The smells that inundated her did little to still her stomach. She threw open the handicapped stall door and embraced the porcelain throne. When all of the contents of her stomach had been forcefully expelled, Roseline sat with her head back against the tile wall.

  The bell rang, voices came and went as the next period began and still Roseline sat. What did she care about skipping class? It wasn’t like these pathetic teachers could teach her anything she didn’t already know. She’d lived through the wars, gone to the parties, studied her way through the entire library at Bran castle. Oh yes, Roseline was well educated. Impeccably so.

  A couple hours passed, and when she could no longer stand the eye burning chemical smell, Roseline slipped from the bathroom. It was the middle of the fifth period. She knew she should probably go to class, just so she could explain herself to Sadie, but she dreaded meeting Mr. Robert’s leering gaze.