Salvation's Kiss (Tales Of Mython Book 1)

by Kathryn Jayne

  “Counter-vampirism?” he echoed in a whisper. Jack clasped his hand across his mouth, his eyes darting to Tess as if to question how much he could have overheard. “How could you hope to accomplish such a thing?”

  “We were speaking hypothetically,” Tess interjected, casting a berating look towards her friend. Conrad was part of their group, but there was still a lot about his friends he didn’t know.

  “Of hypothetically contaminating water?” Conrad pressed.

  “If there was a cure, would this not be the best delivery method?” Tess proposed. “It was discussed in Jack’s ethics and philosophy class today. You can’t think we were serious.”

  “I suppose, but—” Conrad began, shedding his thin jacket to reveal one of his almost sculpted short-sleeved t-shirts.

  “How are you not cold?” Jack questioned, smoothly changing the topic, pulling his own jacket tighter as if to emphasise his point.

  “Hot-blooded, I guess.” As he answered, a warm sensation enveloped him, its familiarity now more like a soft embrace than the discomfort he had once felt. Raising his vision towards the door he felt the smile illuminating his features as he watched Ashley skilfully balance two trays, while using her elbow to push the door wider. Just as he stood to help, a female student rose, holding the door and earning herself a smile he wished he’d been the recipient of.

  As usual, the tray contained a number of hot drinks which she distributed to the small group in attendance. In the few months he had been here, Conrad had quickly realised this was a ritual that not only he looked forward to, even the lecturer enjoyed this regular treat courtesy of their student. Ashley made the best hot chocolate he had tasted, and everyone seemed to agree as they thanked her for their boon.

  “Why is it that the school cafeteria allows you to use their supplies?” Conrad questioned, eyeing the metal cups suspiciously. It was a thought that had been playing on his mind, but he had never thought to ask. He placed it to his lips, breathing in its scent before taking his first sip.

  “My supplies, their utensils,” she corrected, with a playful wave of her finger.

  “Have you not noticed? She doesn’t leave with the rest of us,” Jack commented, as Ashley took her seat beside Tess after depositing the final cup in the place where the lecturer would stand. “She stays behind after hours to help clean in exchange for use of the kitchen.”

  “You really can’t be trusted with secrets, can you?” Ashley sighed, turning her reflective eyes towards the ceiling. Conrad had seen first-hand how they altered slightly in shade depending on her mood. The light shade they adopted now suggested she was more amused than annoyed. “Until I can replace my cooker, it’s helping me out more than them. Besides, it saves me waiting around for my shift, and everyone is feeling the recent strain of absences.” Ashley lifted her cup, not quite managing to disguise her yawn. He felt his lips twitch, thinking the fact she had tried was adorable.

  As they settled down to the lecture, Conrad felt his vision being drawn towards the vampires. They were eyeing him with an all-too-familiar contempt; their kind were often wary of his. Then again, this group seemed to show the same kind of animosity towards the few other preternatural beings in attendance. Oddly, he thought, they didn’t appear to hold any contempt towards Ashley. They even graced her with a smile as they accepted their drinks. Then again, although part of him wanted to believe she was something more than human, he wasn’t sure if she was anything more than enchanting, and their lack of reaction served only to confirm what his senses told him. She was human, normal—except for those witch eyes, he added to himself.

  “You can tell, can’t you?” Ashley whispered, nudging him lightly with her elbow. He hadn’t realised he’d been staring. In his last academy he had always had to be alert, especially around preternaturals more prone towards violence. One of the young men blew him a kiss, causing a fit of chuckles from his friends. “How?”

  “Maybe the same way you can?” he ventured, quirking an eyebrow in the hope to tease some information from her. He hadn’t missed the way her eyes altered when she recognised someone who wasn’t human. There was no judgement, no prejudice, just recognition. He wondered how a human could sense something so intricate. Most preternaturals were aware of others, but identifying the species was something few could do, and a trait he was thankful for.

  “Hey, Ash,” Tess interrupted. “Dad got some comp tickets to the movies, wanna come?”

  “That would be amazing.” Tapping on her phone, she brought up her shift rota. “How’s tomorrow? I have the day off.”

  “Lies,” Jack hissed, comically feigning heart pain.

  “You know I never work spring equilux,” she said, and there was something in the way her vision shifted to her drink that he couldn’t quite place.

  “Equilux? I never pegged you as superstitious,” Conrad said, glancing at the date on his watch, double-checking it. With so much happening over the last few months, he had missed the approach of the Spring Equinox. It had slipped his mind completely until she reminded him that the time of equal night and day was almost upon them. He glanced at her again. Few humans attached any relevance to the genuine time of equality. Most didn’t even realise the equinox was not it.

  “Are we going back your place after?” Jack posed. “Sleepover?”

  “Of course! Don’t we always?” She glanced towards Conrad, as if weighing her thoughts. “You’re welcome to join us if you don’t mind the couch.”

  Conrad wasn’t sure what movie they had just watched. Sitting beside Ashley had been his first mistake. The scent of her hair had tormented him, the sweet honey aroma more appetising than any of the snacks they had purchased. He had never seen her with her hair down or straightened before. The way it cascaded down her back like a waterfall of liquid fire, shimmering in the light of the film, begged him to reach out and touch its silky texture. While her gaze remained transfixed on the screen, her expressions altered with whatever occurred, her emotions on display, unfiltered for all to see.

  Occasionally, she would turn towards him, giving him the most brilliant smile, often as his fingers brushed hers within the popcorn bucket he had brought for her. The way she glanced at him made him want to shuffle closer and execute one of those clichéd moves from the old-fashioned films, allowing him to embrace her. He had almost done it, but every time he worked up the courage he reminded himself of his past. If he were to hold her, he knew he would want more, need more. To try to change their friendship would be to risk himself again. The part telling him it was worth the chance just to feel her lips upon his, to explore the ever-present tether, was growing louder, more difficult to ignore. But even with the best intentions, they could never be. His very nature meant they could never be together. His love would consume her.

  “So, what is it about the equilux that sees Miss Workaholic take a day off?” Conrad broached, breaking his thoughts away from the torturous adoration as he fell into step beside Tess to filter into the foyer. He turned to Ashley, noticing her steps had frozen as her eyes caught a glimpse of a stranger across the foyer. Something akin to reluctance seemed to flash across her features, gone in the blink of an eye to be replaced by an empty smile, lacking its normal warmth. Conrad studied the figure for a moment. Vampire, his senses warned, typically handsome, with dark curls fell to his shoulders emphasising his jawline. His eyes held something like longing as he looked towards them, towards Ashley, he realised.

  “Taking a bet?” Jack interrupted. Ashley glanced around before nodding and disappearing amidst the crowd.

  “What? Did I miss something?” Conrad glanced around, his vision panning the surroundings until his sight rested on her warm aura. He froze, his heart lurching as she saw her grasp the back of the vampire’s head, pulling him down into a sensual kiss. In that instant, it was as if his world turned to grey. He watched as the figure’s arms wrapped around her possessively, his slender fingers threading themselves in her hair in the same way he had longed to. He glanc
ed away, a hand to his chest as he struggled to breathe and kept his vision anywhere but there as the seconds seems to stretch into hours. “Bathroom?” he questioned weakly, as his wandering gaze encountered Tess, earning him a curious look.

  “Just over there.” She gestured towards an alcove to the left of the stairs that led down from the screens they had just exited.

  “Thanks.” His legs could barely move him quickly enough through the crowd. The door swung shut with silent swish. Breathlessly, he placed his hands in the sink, breathing deeply before scooping his palms beneath the tap, trying to wash away the disappointment he knew he had no right to feel with the ice-cold water. He had spent so much time with the small group that he had failed to consider Ashley might have a boyfriend. The realisation struck him harder than he had expected. It should have been a relief that she was taken, as now he had another reason to deny what his soul cried for. A reason not to ask if she would consider sharing dessert again one evening, alone—an invitation that had been on the tip of his tongue more times than he could count. It was a blessing she worked so much that the opportunity had never arisen, that she was in another’s arms. It would save him the hurt that was sure to follow this detestable infatuation. Yet the pain of seeing her in arms that weren’t his felt far worse than any past betrayal.

  He thought he had settled for admiring her, for refusing the yearnings and protecting himself, but the image of her kissing that vampire plagued him. Why did his heart and his other-self keep insisting they could make it work despite the fact she was only human? He felt as if he lived in a state of consent contradiction, needing her so desperately he would risk anything, while needing to protect himself from the rejection that was sure to follow. Massaging his chest slightly, he tried to return his breathing to normal. He should be happy, relieved. So why did he feel that the very breath had been stolen from his lungs? He glared at himself in the tarnished mirror, startling as he realised he was not alone.

  “You okay?” Jack stood watching him, a look of genuine concern etched deeply into his brow.

  “Yeah, just a little light-headed. I think the heat in there got to me.” Conrad dipped his hands in the water again, allowing its freshness to wash over him as he attempted to gather himself, guard his treacherous emotions.

  “Tell me about it. I know it’s still officially winter for a few days yet, but it was like a sauna.” Jack fanned himself, blowing out an uncomfortable breath before coming to stand with him beside the sink.

  “So, is Ashley’s boyfriend coming tonight?” he ventured, using the paper towel to cover the disappointment he knew was visible.

  “Sorry?”

  “The guy she was with a moment ago.”

  As a look of realisation crossed Jack’s face, Conrad realised, in that moment, that his friend had seen right through him. Perhaps it was the slight tremble in his voice that had given him away, or the telling look he hadn’t managed to conceal.

  “Oh, you…” He glanced towards the door, as if his vision could penetrate the barrier to focus upon their friend.

  “Please don’t say anything.”

  Jack pushed a hand through his hair, flustered, fidgeting slightly as his gaze turned to meet Conrad’s directly. “Look, Ashley… well, it’s… complicated.”

  “What about her isn’t?” He forced a smile. If there was one word he could have used to sum her up, that would have been it, if only for the reason that she made him feel so confused. She was his complication, one he couldn’t seem to work past.

  “You’re still coming back with us, right?” Jack must have sensed his hesitation, his discomfort.

  “I—”

  “Please. There’s some things she needs to tell you, important things that have no place beyond our circle. Just give her—”

  “Jack, Conrad, you guys in there?” Tess’s panicked voice echoed alongside the pounding on the door. “Jack, get out here now. Ash collapsed!”

  Conrad’s heart began to pound. His feet seemed frozen in place but all he wanted to do was to run to her.

  “Shit.” Jack glanced towards Conrad. “I gotta—” he gestured towards the door. “Damn it,” he cursed, dashing from the bathroom. It was a few moments before he could follow, and he froze again as he saw her, his beautiful source of anguish. She sat upon the vibrant carpet, her skin deathly pale, her gaze fixed blankly ahead while Tess fussed around her, stroking her hair, speaking softly while Jack attempted to dispel the crowd.

  “It’s okay, she’s my sister,” Jack announced, his arms waving as if to shoo everyone away. “Diabetic. She’ll be fine.” He tossed his keys to Tess. “Grab the car,” he commanded, before moving to sit beside Ashley. He broke off a piece of chocolate from a bar stashed within his coat pocket before placing it in her hands and guiding it towards her lips. “Come on, sis,” he almost growled as Ashley sat there looking dazed. When she didn’t respond, he passed a hand through his light-brown hair quickly, his glare enough to dispel the remaining people who were still lingering, whispering. Red lights illuminated the outside of the cinema and before Conrad had time to register what he was doing Ashley was cradled in his arms.

  “I’ll carry her to the car,” he said, before any objections could be voiced. His stomach churned as she nuzzled her head against his chest. He frowned as Jack held the door. There was a little too much familiarity with her friends’ actions to sit well with him, and the story they had just woven was an obvious lie. The question was, why. Why would they leave her in this state when the best place for her would be in hospital, being checked over? People didn’t just collapse for no good reason.

  He glanced around, questioning why her boyfriend had abandoned her, a protective annoyance creeping over him as he wondered if his sudden disappearance was because he was to blame. He pushed the thought of him away, the image of her locked in his embrace, as her warmth against his chest caused his own temperature to rise, and he heard a whispered warning as clear as if it had been in his ear. ‘Mine.’ He paused, hoping the voice had only been within his mind and not escaping his lips.

  Jack grabbed the door, ushering them quickly into his car. Conrad glanced behind them, expecting to see her boyfriend make another appearance, but was more than a little relieved when he didn’t. Although such a realisation sent him into turmoil. How could someone just slink into the shadows, leaving the person they cared for to fend for themselves? Even if he was a psychic vampire, if he had taken too much—losing himself in the moment as was so easy to do in her presence—it was his responsibility to make sure she was safe. That had to be it, the reason her friends knew what to do, why they seemed so well versed and unfazed. It was far from the first time this had happened. It could even explain his absence. If he were to be caught causing such damage, the P.T.F or Blue Coats would need to step in.

  “Ash, you with us?” Tess called back over her shoulder. When she didn’t respond, Jack opened the glove compartment of the car, rummaging through before pulling out a small tube.

  “Get her to drink this.” He tossed it back to Conrad, who pulled at the tab, placing the liquid to her lips. She seemed to suckle instinctively, swallowing the sugary gel.

  “What was that back there?” Conrad asked, squeezing the remaining fluid into Ashley’s mouth before glancing at the label—an isotonic energy gel, a quick way to replenish energy. He was liking this less and less. “I’ve seen her eat. No way this is diabetes. Is it something to do with that vampire back there?” He failed to hide the bite in his voice, but hoped, by proving he already knew what her boyfriend was, it would encourage them to be honest with him.

  “Yes. But now’s not the time,” Tess called back.

  “Clearly you’re too familiar with this. Don’t you see he could be doing lasting damage? Why won’t you let someone look at her? Report him? Something?” Suddenly, her constant exhaustion made sense. She wasn’t just overworked. Her boyfriend was slowly killing her and for some reason everyone was turning a blind eye.

  “Trust m
e, hospital is the last place she wants to be, especially tonight,” Jack added, seeming to angle himself towards Conrad in an attempt to stop his foot pressing on the imaginary brake.

  “What’s tonight?”

  “The worst day ever, twice,” Ashley whispered, blinking slowly as her confusion seemed to wane. Conrad wondered what she meant, putting it down to the lingering confusion. “How bad?” she croaked, her hand moving slowly to squeeze Conrad’s leg in what he thought was intended as a comforting gesture. “Sorry,” she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear.

  “Small crowd, no familiar faces.”

  Ashley nodded, relief seeming to transform her tired face from worry to relaxation. She closed her eyes shuffling slightly to lean her head on Conrad’s shoulder.

  “I owe you an explanation… but can we leave it for tonight and just watch some movies and order pizza?”

  “One condition,” Conrad whispered, lifting his arm so she could rest more comfortably. “The takeaway’s on me.” He looked at his arm cradled around her, wondering why he was doing this to himself… why he was savouring this moment of closeness and the soft fragrance of her hair, while knowing it could never be. He relished the feeling of her warmth against him as her breathing slowed and allowed his own head to fall back to gaze towards the car’s roof despairingly. She would be his undoing, of this he was certain.