"Hey! Wait, Ell…," but I was already in his mirror realm.
"I can't believe you would be so naïve as to use yourself as bait for the Warlock Prince! Do you have a death wish, or are you just that stupid?" Elliot shouted. Stung by his words, I could do little more than stare at him as my lower lip began to tremble. I hated being yelled at like that. It always made me feel like I was six years old and about to be punished by my grandfather. I hated that feeling.
You will not cry…you will not cry! I told myself, but then the anger came.
"Who do you think you are to talk to me like that? For your information, I was helping the Bruer Coven and I was never in any real danger. Daray is out there stealing powers again and I sure as hell am not going to let him do to anyone else what he did to his cousin!" Elliot came towards me and grabbed my forearms, shaking me twice before I kneed him where the sun don't shine and the vampires frolic.
"Don't you ever, ever grab me like that!" Elliot disappeared into the swirling mists always surrounding us in this place. I looked around me, only to feel hot breath against my neck.
"If you hadn't been rescued by that blonde boy you were dancing with you would've been killed." I twisted away from Elliot, my breath coming out in huffs.
"What? Are you following me, now?" I asked. Elliot's eyes lowered before he drew himself up, the picture of righteous indignation.
"I've taken measures to keep the night-creatures who would otherwise contact you at bay."
"Which means you’ve been doing what, exactly?"
"I've been protecting you."
“You didn’t answer my question.” Elliot looked annoyed as he held me in a grip so tight that I could scarcely breathe.
"When I first saw that you were being followed. I had to ensure your safety."
“And so you put a mystical lo-jack on me?” He tilted his head, confused.
“I acquired a bodyguard to protect you.”
“And?”
“And he is not doing his job, I see.” I wanted to be mad at him for being so secretive, but that pink bow, lacy dress, girly part of me felt like hugging him for being so caring. That and the fact that I was sleep deprived told me to not think about it, that I had enough to worry about.
"If you're not going to give me details, then I need to go home. I want to get some sleep. I have an Algebra test tomorrow that I haven't even begun to study for, and I'm too tired for this conversation. As for the vampires, I’ve got Gemma shoving garlic pills at me and filling my purse with holy water. Not to mention my fire-shifting ability, so stop worrying." Elliot held me to him and sighed.
"I don't think that's a possibility," he said. "I care about you too much."
His words cut off any I could think to say. I cared about him too, in fact, I was shocked with the knowledge that I actually loved him. I looked into his eyes, the color of pine needles.
I love you I love you I love you my heart sang, and though every fiber of my being wanted to tell him so all I said was, "Goodnight, Elliot."
Chapter Fifteen
GEMMA
Sneaking out of my house had been no trouble, not that I recommend it or anything. On second thought, if you and yours are being stalked by vampires you should definitely sneak out in search of holy water and other vamp combustibles. I felt better having talked to Ascher about my dream even if I didn't tell her everything. Just knowing that she had something to protect herself with made me feel better. I'd also talked mom into wearing her gold cross that she always kept in her jewelry box. I’m pretty sure she thought I was born-again or something.
As I approached the doors of the church, silent in my chunky black boots due to my new stealth-cat mode, I took a deep breath and pulled on the handle. My leather gloves squeaked as the door creaked open and I broke into a jubilant, yet respectful, happy dance of joy. No breaking and entering for me! It was still a little warm for the gloves, but they completed my look. I was wearing black leggings, a black turtleneck sweater and a black skull cap.
Patting my knapsack with the two empty liter bottles of Evian inside, I stepped inside the church and felt better almost immediately. My family had never been particularly religious. I mean, we'd been baptized and had first communion and stuff, but we'd never been all gung-ho about it. Still, something about the somber atmosphere radiating from the walls calmed me. Taking a moment to shove some communion wafers into the front pocket of my jeans, my eyes caught the sight of burning candles.
I lit a candle for Ascher and my mom, asking for their protection from all the supernatural bad guys before moving on to the large bowls of water next to the entryway. The bottles made glug-glug noises as they filled, sending some water splashing over the sides. I was busy thinking of excuses in case a priest asked just what it was I was doing.
When I'd filled the last bottle, I pulled my hand out of the water and felt the ring Nana Bruer had given me shiver against my skin.
"Thirsty?" I jumped, but didn't scream. Yay for me. I spun and threw the uncapped bottle of holy water straight at Savian's chest.
"Oh, oh the pain," Savian said in a complete deadpan. He reached forward and grabbed me by the wrist, using my momentum to spin me into him in a dance move straight out of my nightmares. I felt his cheek brush against mine, making his blonde hair fall over my face as he nuzzled by neck. He smelled like chocolate, don't ask me why.
"It's a school night. Shouldn't you be in bed?"
"Shouldn't you be, like, bursting into flames or something?"
"Nonsense. All you've done, is ruin a perfectly fine suede jacket.”
"Well, good." He spun me out again and then grabbed me by the waist so we were facing each other. I was dancing with him. I couldn't stop myself. Trying not to look into his eyes was harder than it sounds. They were a dark blue like nothing I’d ever seen before and something inside me wished I could look into them forever.
"So, what brought about this stint in suede assault?" Savian asked.
"Oh, I don’t know. Because you are a bloodsucking scumbag who haunts my dreams and threatens my sister?"
"Gemma, you've been dreaming about me, I'm flattered." He smiled, showing the tips of his fangs. "Is it possible you're attracted to me?"
Oh, Gawd, yes!
"Sure, in a strictly homicidal sort of way."
"Witty little witch. That's what I like about you Gemma, you'll never get boring. I can imagine spending hundreds of years with you and still never quite knowing what it is you're going to say." The tips of his fangs grazed my neck and I shivered.
Wake up, Gemma. He's using some sort of vampire mind control on you!
I slammed the heel of my boot into his ankle before spinning to knee him in the groin. Not bothering to pick up the, apparently useless holy water, I ran outside.
I'm pretty sure the distance I ran in such a small amount of time should qualify me for some kind of medal. Keys in hand, I tried to open the car door, but I was shaking too violently. Something snatched the keys away, but I already knew who it was. I turned around, swinging, but Savian used his forearm to pin me against the car like a bug. Like a damn bug.
Like a damn, stupid, brunette bug who went out alone at night even though she's being chased by vampires.
"That wasn't very nice," Savian said, all cordial and calm.
"Uh, I’m sorry?" He released me, but didn't step away.
"You'll come to me sooner or later, Gemma. I am Master Vampire of Chicago and you'll need someone like me on you're side."
"Yeah, like that'll happen…"
"You consider me evil because of what I am, but, as you saw, holy water has no effect on me. Can I be truly evil then?"
"I'm gonna say, yeah."
"You're always invited into my protection, you need but to ask."
"I'd rather take my chances with the beasties that go bump in the night."
"There is such a thing as the lesser of two evils, Gemma." I opened my mouth to ask what he was talking about, but he just, sort of, faded into t
he shadows of the night.
"Last word vamp."
Chapter Sixteen
ASCHER
"Can you girls meet us up at the bookstore tomorrow afternoon?" Nana Bruer asked.
"Yeah, that shouldn't be a problem," I said.
"Wonderful, I want to prepare you for Wednesday night's Circle and… oh, Heck! I've got to go, honey, I've got a potion foaming on the stove." I flipped my cell phone closed and looked at Gemma who was staring pensively at the red light in front of us. Her knuckles whitened as she gripped the steering wheel.
"Mrs. Bruer said that…"
"I heard. Enhanced hearing, remember?" I tucked my cell phone into my messenger bag and untangled my blonde curls from the sterling cross Gemma had made me wear.
"Do you have your stakes and athame?" She asked. I bit my lip.
"If we're being followed I'll be chock full of garlic and ready with, what is this?”
“I scraped the powder out of an old make-up compact and filled it with pieces of communion wafers,” Gemma said. I rolled my eyes.
“Where did you get stakes anyway?"
"I borrowed some scrap pieces of wood from the shop class at school."
"You mean you stole them," I said. Gemma balked and rolled her eyes at me.
"Um, hello, two teenage girls being chased by vampires. I think our fight against evil outweighs my scrap snatching. So just use what I give you and keep your questions to yourself." Grimacing, I fingered my seatbelt wanting to get away from the argument I felt brewing.
"Geez, Gemma. I was just teasing you," I said. Gemma pulled the car into the school parking lot and drove until we found one of the few empty spaces left. I saw Denise was waiting for me in our regular spot and that, for once, Dax wasn't hanging all over her. I waved goodbye to Gemma and jogged over to Denise, taking a moment to adjust my messenger bag and keep it from banging into my hip. My brown boot heels clacked against the pavement as I approached Denise who handed me a Styrofoam cup.
"Regular coffee. Extra milk, no sugar," she said. Grateful, I took the cup and tested the temperature of the liquid against my lips before taking two gulps.
"Bless you. That'll keep me from passing out during first period," I said. Denise and I started walking towards the entrance and I saw Gemma meet up with her boyfriend Matt O'Shaunessy. Matt was a cool enough guy, but I still didn't know him well enough to decide if I liked him.
"Ascher, hell-o-o," Denise said.
"I'm sorry. Did you say something?"
"Yeah. I asked if you got much sleep last night, but I think you just answered my question." I shrugged.
"Listen, Ascher. I just wanted to apologize for Friday night. So you didn't like Petrel, so what? I shouldn't have been so bitchy about it."
"Your peace offering of coffee pleases me, so I’ll forgive you,” I said in a wacky voice.
"I've got to go pick something out for my mom's birthday after school today. Do you want to come with me to the mall? We could shop and then have dinner and stuff."
"Sure, that sounds like fun."
"I know, right? And we need some girl-time too."
Yeah, like without your vamp butt-kissing boyfriend.
Someone grabbed Denise from behind and lifted her off her feet. It was Dax. Speak of the devil.
"Hey babe. Did you miss me?" Dax asked. Denise giggled and I gagged.
"I'll see you later, Denise," I said.
"Oh, Ascher. Leaving so soon?" Dax crooned.
Only if you’re staying so long.
"Yeah, I'll meet you at the parking lot after school, Denise. Thanks for the coffee."
"We'll miss you, Ascher," Dax called after me. I sneered and looked around me.
Where was a bodyguard when you needed one?
Chapter Seventeen
GEMMA
After my encounter with Savian last night, I'd been anxious to read the vampire books Nana Bruer had leant me. I took a library pass from my harried-looking study hall teacher and found a private area in the library to sit down. Skimming through the contents of the book, “The Master Vampire,” I thumbed my way to the chapter entitled, “Powers of the Master Vampire.” I jotted notes in my chemistry notebook as I read:
The preternatural powers of the Master Vampire include the ability to withstand indirect sunlight for limited periods of time, shadowshifting or turning into mist, and the making of other vampires. Other powers include the tying of servants, hypnosis, extreme strength, and enhanced senses. In rare cases, Master Vampires possess the ability to shapeshift into the form of an animal, sometimes even taking on the visage of a human. Some Master Vampires can also dreamshift, or enter the dream realm and manipulate the dream patterns of the sleeping.
“How right you are,” I whispered. The next chapter was entitled, “Protecting Oneself From a Master Vampire.”
The best way to protect yourself from Master Vampires is to avoid them.
I felt like writing 'no, duh' in the margin of the book.
If you find that the Master Vampire is hunting you, the best thing to do is avoid facing him in combat other than the use of defensive maneuvering.
Hmmm…apparently kicking Savian wasn't such a good idea. Enjoyable and wickedly fun, yes, but not a good idea. I went on to the next entry, “Destroying the Master Vampire.”
Virtually unkillable, the destruction of a Master Vampire should only be attempted by a level three Vampire Hunter due to the difficulty of the task. Destruction of the Master Vampire can be achieved by cutting off the head, driving a wooden stake through the hear, or fully incinerating. Any combination of the aforementioned methods will also work. Silver, garlic, sunlight, holy water and other religious paraphernalia will only work on lesser vampires.
"Found that out," I said.
"Hey, Gemma," Matt leaned over me to see what I was writing, but I covered it up with my hands. "Ooh, top secret stuff, huh? Listen, I was thinking of catching a movie after school and I thought that…"
"Yes!"
"…you'd wanna go…"
"Yes!" Matt gave me a strange look.
"You okay, Gemma?"
"Yeah, I'm just… I have a lot of homework and I think I'm a little over-caffeinated."
"I know how that is. Well, I'll pick you up in front of the quad after school, okay?"
"Yeah, okay. See you then." I watched as Matt walked away, made sure no one else was around and then turned my attention to my reading.
Chapter Eighteen
ASCHER
I'd spent much of the morning mulling over the fact that my best friend was dating a vampire servant, I was being followed by some unknown mystical beings, and I couldn't do anything to stop either problem. Not to mention the fact that the Homecoming Dance was fast approaching and I was, yet again, the dateless freak.
My thoughts kept returning to Elliot and our fight the night before. Thinking of Elliot had made me uncomfortably numb like the possibility of an actual break-up on top of everything else was too much for me. What I needed was a distraction, something fun to occupy my thoughts, and Honors biology and the anatomy of the grasshopper was so not it.
It was all I could do to keep from leaping out of my chair an into an impromptu jig when I heard the last bell of the day ring. I caught up with Denise in front of the school and we headed to the mall.
***
"I could get her a beaded curtain for the doorway to her office," Denise said. We stood in the center of Hippie Chick, an alternative clothing store.
"That's an idea.” I lifted a small white Goddess-figure candle, pressing my thumb into the waxy belly of the full-figured icon. A small section of the store was dedicated to candles, incense and the like.
"I think I'm gonna get one of those," Denise said. I startled and looked away from the tiny figure to the ocean blue eyes of my best friend.
"Uh, a Goddess candle?" I asked. Denise grabbed the candle from me and shoved it into the woven shopping bag supplied by the store.
"Yeah, whatever. I mean,
if it burns, it burns, you know?" Denise reached past me and snatched a pair of red taper candles, a thick black pillar candle, and a white knobbed candle with wax swirls decorating the outside. "I am a witch after all."
"What?” Denise laughed and slid her hand over my shoulder.
"Chill, Ascher. I'm kidding. Geez, you should have seen your face. Like I really think I'm a witch. C'mon. I'm not one of those freaky Emo kids that, like, embrace the dark or whatever." Denise reached for a cream-colored, ruffled skirt and pulled it against her waist to measure its length.
"That was so not funny," I said, biting back the less diplomatic words that wanted to wedge their way into the conversation.
"I know, I know. You like all that hoodoo-voodoo stuff. I didn't mean anything by it, Asch. Will you watch my stuff while I try this on?" Denise hurried away before I could give a response and I stared after her, feeling my face flush in annoyance.
She has no way of knowing about you—it's not as if she were trying to hurt you feelings.
Picking up a green, glass-encased candle with the zodiac sign Virgo—my sign, I turned the candle to read the inscription.
"Marked by intelligence, beauty and a nurturing quality," I read. "The sign of Virgo is an Earth sign which derives…"
"Huh. I would have pegged you as more of a fire sign." I recognized Daray's voice as it whispered in my ear, his arms encircling me, his hands grasping my wrists to keep me from using my power on him. I could feel his breath on my neck as he spoke. "You seem surprised to see me Ascher. Your probably wondering where your bodyguards are- it's after dark and they've gone back to their masters."
"Daray, I…"
"Shhh. Just listen." Daray transferred both of my wrists into one of his hands and reached for something. Light glinted from a flat surface and I cried out as I recognized a white-handled knife in his grasp. "I'm sorry, Ascher, but it's necessary.”
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