“One could say so.”
“What did you think I could do to you?”
“Before we went out…I wasn’t afraid of anything. Heights, bullies, the occasional spider. Nothing. My life was pretty perfect and I had an outstanding childhood. No tragedy. No pain. No loss. I barely even scrapped a knee. But that night changed everything. I was in love with you to no end and I was sure that someday we would get married, have children and tour the world together. But…that night…you were different. And it was the first time I was truly scared of something. The way you kissed me, so dominantly, so powerfully, I nearly ran away. Perhaps I should have.”
“Then why did you stay?”
“Because I was a fool, and perhaps I still am. No matter how evil your deeds are to the men you lure into your basement, they still love and adore you, even after their transformation. Your zombie friends hanging around are a testament to that.”
“I do this out of necessity – survival. Not because I want to.”
“It shows that you are quite selfish.”
“Or maybe you misunderstand a Siren’s need for survival. I don’t plan on dying young, Noah.”
“And that is what made me forgive you tonight. I understood why you did it…but that didn’t mean I was going to come back here bowing to you. Though I want to pursue a relationship with you, I will still be very cautious.”
“As will I,” I said.
“Then you are considering my proposal?”
“I’m thinking about it…but back to your fear of me…you’re a vampire. I’m the one that should be afraid.”
“Don’t let my appearance deceive you. I am the same Noah. Though certain…appetites have been intensified.”
Though his eyes didn’t move, I could feel him staring my body up and down, taking in the acidic smell of my blood, his fangs tingling at the sight of my soft and vulnerable skin, my veins pulsing, calling for him to rip through them and enjoy their sustenance. His lips involuntarily trembled and I felt my throat go dry again. Forget the hypnosis. Should I be worried that one day he was going to dive into me like a lion devouring a wildebeest?
“Unless, of course,” Noah continued. “You have feelings for one of your zombies.”
“Oh, no,” I said quickly. “They’re just friends.”
“I would hope so. They are dead.”
“Look who’s talking.”
“I guess you got me there,” he shied away from my gaze and turned around to face the wall. “So when do you want to have our date?”
“I didn’t even agree yet.”
“Your body already has,” he said confidently. I snickered.
“That’s completely different, and you know it. What you desire to do, and what your heart and mind tells you are two distinct things. As a vampire, you should know that more than anyone.”
“That I do,” he said, turning around and smiling. “Well…I must go and feed, unfortunately…but, I do have one more question, and I promised I wouldn’t hypnotize you so I would be real grateful if you answered it willingly.”
“Since you asked so nice and elaborately, go ahead.”
“I realize that you have men hear your songs so you can see what they turn into, so you can make a decision of what to become when it’s time…but, if you don’t know what’s in the lyrics in the first place, how will you know which song to sing when it’s time?”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Say you want to become a vampire like me. What do you do?”
“Oh, I see now,” I said, shifting my eyes to the left. Noah patiently waited for my response. “It’s simple. If I want to become a vampire…I sing your song – to myself in the mirror.”
“I understand.”
“Then…if you wish, you could join me as a stalker of the night.”
“I could,” I said flatly. “If I wanted – but I don’t care for the word ‘stalker’.”
“But you want to see what else there is out there, don’t you?”
“I still have two years. I don’t want to become something and then come to find out that there are other, better transformations I could have experienced. As of right now, I’m hoping for one that turns me human.”
“And these songs are permanent? Can’t you just have me hear all the music one by one and learn their contents in one night?”
“No…” I whispered. “That would kill you. Your body wouldn’t be able to take it. That’s what happened to -”
“- One of your exes?”
“Yes,” I said solemnly. “And I don’t care how strong you think you are. You’re not doing that to yourself.”
“As long as you know the offer still stands.”
“And it won’t be taken up.”
“Then the last order of business we have before I go is when we’re to have our date. How about at the Day Owl bowling alley tomorrow night? At nine? I hear their galactic bowling is to die for.”
“I have school the next morning, but I guess I could stay up a little bit.”
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow, Alexandra,” he said deliciously. Before I could breathe, he rushed forward, held me in his arms, and pressed my lips against his tenderly, letting my body go numb from the sensation. I felt him smile, and then he was gone. As if I had been alone all along.
I wiped my lips and rushed to the Lyric room, quickly counting to ensure all the music was there and then threw on the dead bolts. I usually left the door unlocked like an idiot, but with the men of my past appearing suddenly into my life; it would be wise to keep my treasures under lock and key, including the house.
When I was finished, I went upstairs and made sure to lock the basement door behind me as well. When I turned around, Elliot was behind me, sitting up against a wall.
“Where’s Henry?”
“He left. You know how emotional he can get.”
“I hope he’s not too angry with me.”
“Don’t fret,” he said solemnly. “We’re all in love with you, remember?”
“Noah was here,” I stated flatly. Elliot sat up the best he could to attention.
“Where? Don’t tell me he was downstairs with you alone!”
“He appeared out of nowhere.”
“And are you okay?”
“Very,” I said. “Um…actually I have a date with him tomorrow night.”
“Ugh,” Elliot groaned. “I knew this would happen. Tell me, what else transpired in that dark room?”
“Nothing much. He did kiss me though.”
“Of course he did. Why didn’t you call for help?”
“I don’t know…he did hypnotize me for a bit.”
“WHAT? And this is not a cause for alarm?”
“It was just to learn more about me and the music. He needed answers.”
“Oh is that all? Tell me something. When you and Noah were dating, what was he like?”
“Very sweet and kind. He wasn’t a jerk like you or passionate like Henry. He just wanted to be with me. To hold my hand and talk about a future together. If it wasn’t for the fact I was on the verge of death, I would probably still be with him.”
“And what was he like tonight?”
“Seductive,” I said, nodding at my words. “Yep. Very seductive and sensual. But I figure that’s because he’s a vampire.”
“No, Alexandra. That isn’t it at all. If there’s one thing I noticed about the men you’ve changed, including myself, it’s that they retain their personalities. If he is being seductive, it’s for a motive, I assure you. Tell me now, what appeals to you most in a man?”
“Why do you want to know?” I eyed him suspiciously.
“WHAT APPEALS TO YOU MOST?”
“Power,” I declared. “All the men I lure into that basement fall head over heels for me and not one has fought back. I understand they’re infatuated, but it disgusts me that we’re barely a week into the relationship and they’re willing to do everything I say. It’s all so easy and boring.”
&
nbsp; “Yes, we’re all simpletons...but listen, Alexandra. Noah is using you. Somehow, he figured out that power is what you crave in a man, and he is acting accordingly. Think carefully, when he first became a vampire, was he the confident man you met today?”
“No, he was terrified. I think he cried a little before he ran off.”
“Precisely, because that is who he is. The fact that he decided to show up out of nowhere has bothered me greatly. Why now? Sure, it could be love, but if so, he wouldn’t have waited so long. Love, after all, is very painful when it’s unrequited. Therefore, the only explanation is that he wants something, and there you are, swooning and aweing over his masculinity while he is playing you like a fiddle. Why did he leave so suddenly?”
“He said he had to feed.”
“No…if his love was so intense, he would have stayed with you all night. He left, because he got the information he wanted.”
“But why? What would he do with my music or knowing what I am?”
“I’m not sure. Perhaps he doesn’t need to know himself. After all, he’s traveled the world and met many people. You said yourself your mother left you when you were young. She did not die. She left. And who’s to say your mother was the only Siren out there. Imagine, Alexandria, if Noah found another. One that knows how to properly use the music. One who could tell him how to change back into the man he was. That would mean he just confirmed his salvation tonight, and you are in incredible danger.”
I contemplated his words, thinking of the way Noah made me feel, the questions he asked, the way he left so abruptly once he got his information, and the kiss I received, to ensure I kept coming…Elliot was right. There was more going on than I cared to admit.
“Hurry up and get on my back,” I said. “I have to check downstairs!”
“Right,” he said as I picked him up and slung the harness straps over my shoulders. “The subject of my legs didn’t get brought up, did it?”
“Didn’t think of asking.”
“You were too busy melting,” he said as I rushed to the Lyric room. I unlocked the dead bolts and pushed open the heavy steel door with all my might. And once we were inside, I nearly fainted.
The music was all gone.
Still, I glanced at my watch, the timer counting down steadily. I had a couple weeks left before I needed another victim or else I was doomed. Elliot whistled as he reached out and brushed a hand across a dusty wooden shelf.
“Someone was quite busy,” he said. “But what I’m wondering is how he could have gotten in here without us hearing him.”
“Maybe he can walk through walls,” I muttered. I felt like crying.
I had a lot of work to do and no time to get it done. If Noah was behind the break-in, then he had already thought up various scenarios I would come up with to get him back. And there was no guarantee that I could get every sheet of music either. He could be selling them for all I knew.
“Alexandra, over here,” Elliot replied, pointing to a bottom shelf. I looked down and saw one sheet of paper, but the writing was certainly in English. I examined the note:
Change of plans, Alexandra.
I’ll see you at school tomorrow.
End of lunch, behind the gymnasium.
If you don’t show, bad things will happen.
- Noah
“What do we do now?” Elliot asked as I thrust the note to the floor. I reached out and pulled a loose brick from the back wall and reached in, pulling out three large, wooden stakes.
“That’s easy, El,” I said as I examined each one carefully. “We go hunting.”
Elliot chuckled as I handed him one.
“Alexandra, I’ll have you know that hunting is a zombie’s favorite hobby.”
“Then get ready, my backpack, we have a vampire to slay.”
I was sure that I could take Noah by surprise. If he truly was the nervous boy from before, and not the seductive predator he appeared to be, then I had the advantage. All I had to do was put a stake through his heart before he caught wind of my attack. Simple enough, right?
But of course, like the rest of my life, things weren’t going to go the way I planned.
For even with all my determination to put down the vampire, I didn’t yet know that the next day...I was going to meet Lucas.
TRACK 4 – Ransom
“First of all we want to thank Alexandra for taking time out of her busy schedule to join us today.” Margaret ended her condescending compliment with a fake smile and the other girls clapped excitedly. I closed my eyes and rolled them from the cover of my lids.
“I’m so glad you made it,” Crystal replied, patting the large pink binder in front of her, filled with colorful tabs and scribbled on papers. I sighed as I heard my stomach growl. I really couldn’t deal with this right now. I had to grab some imitation chicken nuggets to get my strength up and then use said strength to plunge a stake through my ex-boyfriend before he started serenading the entire school. And it all had to happen within the next half hour. The end of lunch? When was that exactly?
“We have a ton of stuff to talk about,” Theresa replied, flinging back her perfect black hair. No lie. It actually bounced when she turned her head, just like in the commercials. She might have been born with that natural bounce, but my money was on Maybelline. :P
“If we’re going to decorate the cafeteria in time for the dance, we have to kick it into high gear,” Margaret said. The girls nodded profusely, but it was then that I noticed the glazed eyed boy sitting next to Crystal, staring at Theresa like she was one of those 3-D pictures you had to gaze at for a while before the real picture revealed itself.
“Who is this?” I asked, pointing at him. He reached up from across the table and slapped my finger away. I scowled at him like he had bit me.
“That’s Justin,” Margaret said matter-of-factly, shaking her head.
“Where am I?” Justin asked, closing his eyes. He took a deep sigh, reached up and pulled his ski cap over his eyes. “It’s too bright in here.”
“He just sat here one day,” Margaret explained. “And we were going to tell him to leave but he started giving some really good ideas. I think of him as an integral part of this committee.”
“Geez, what did I miss while I was gone?”
“You weren’t gone,” Crystal giggled. “You were just busy. With the boys from what I hear.”
“Yeah,” Theresa said. “And sending them running in the process.” She turned to me. “What do you do to them anyways? Not that I wanted any of them. They were kind of beneath my league, but the way they transfer out after dating you…I have to know what it is about you. I can make sure I don’t do the same thing.”
“I have chronic bad breath,” I lied, with a big smile. I noticed that everyone took a scoot back on their seat except Justin who leaned in further and began tapping a tune on the table.
“We’re told to only serve punch at the dance,” he said abruptly, still with his eyes closed and his speech a little slurred. “But if we bring some soda secretly, we can charge for it like it was liquor. It can be a fundraiser. We can take the money…” he paused to reel his head back like he had caught a whiff of my imaginary bad breath. “We take the money…and we use it for our next project.”
“O to the M to the G!” Margaret exclaimed, pointing at Crystal to write his idea down in the holy binder. “That is an awesome idea! Justin, you never cease to amaze me!”
“I want chicken nuggets,” he muttered, opening his eyes and giving a weak smile. Crystal wrote down Justin’s idea on a neon green sticky note and then got up to retrieve his treat.
“Okay, what else do we have to talk about here?” I asked, glaring at the clock. Twenty minutes until lunch was over. “I actually have somewhere to be.”
“Where do you have to go now?” Theresa asked. Based on the angry pout on Margaret’s face, I could tell she was curious to know as well.
“I have to meet up with someone.”
“A boy?”
“It matters because he’s not going to last, Alex. They never do. What’s been your longest relationship? A couple weeks?”
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business,” I said, sticking up my nose and looking to Margaret. “After all, a lady doesn’t pry into another’s love life.”
“You can pry,” she replied back. “Just when it gets too explicit in detail, that is when it’s proper to back away from the conversation.”
“In that case, allow me to tell you what Noah and I did –“I slapped my hand to my mouth. It’s official. I needed to buy a muzzle ASAP.
“Is that his name?” Theresa asked, tilting her head and giving me a leery smirk. “The Noah that went here?”
“He’s a vampire,” Justin yawned. All of us, especially me, glared at him with wide eyes. He yawned and rubbed his chest slowly, as if he was getting ready to take a nap.
“I don’t remember this Noah,” Margaret replied.
“Oh, he’s cute,” Theresa replied, pulling out a small violet purse from her lap and reaching inside for some lipstick and rouse. “If you’re meeting up with him, I would like to come along.”
“You can’t,” I pleaded, my voice beginning to crack. “We’re…doing stuff.”
“Oh stop your lies,” Theresa laughed. “We all know you haven’t even been kissed.”
“That’s not true,” I said, staring up at the ceiling. Maybe it had been a while. I didn’t have to be so quick to devour my victim’s souls...I could always enjoy the moment. I don’t know. The last thing I wanted to do was get attached.
“Dude, I’m telling you. He’s a vampire.”
“Justin, go back to sleep,” Margaret demanded.
“Well, he sure had me hypnotized,” Theresa laughed. Before I realized what I was doing, I grabbed the sides of her face and examined her eyes for signs of hypnosis. Once I came to and realized she was joking, I gave her a big fake smile and let the private bubble come back up between us.
“Alex is certainly on something,” Margaret muttered, looking around her. “Where is Crystal? She should have been back by now.”
“I’ll go look for her!” I shouted, jumping up to my feet. Because the seats were fastened to the floor, the chair didn’t move, and I ended up slamming my knees into the tabletop. I winced, and silently screamed, but I didn’t let it stop me from shuffling away from them.
My Immortal Playlist (The Siren Collection #1) Page 5