by G. K. DeRosa
“Yeah, it is kinda crazy, right? When I first started here, I spent half my days just people watching. I lived in a small town in New York, and I’d never really met many supes before coming.” My rapid-fire pulse slowed at the easy and familiar topic.
“Me too. I grew up in the Valley in Los Angeles. There were always tons of rumors even before the big reveal, but I’d never believed in any of that stuff.” He paused at the end of the hall. “So where to?”
“Oh, right. Umm, have you eaten dinner yet? We can grab something from the banquet hall and go to the Friday night movie at the quad. Professor Arcana creates a big bubble over the entire lawn that melts all the snow and protects us from the cold. It’s pretty cool actually.”
He pulled a metal flask from the back pocket of his jeans and lifted it to my eyelevel. He shook it and liquid sloshed around inside. “I’ve got my dinner right here, but we can grab something for you.” His dark eyes glimmered, and my stomach roiled as I realized what was inside.
“Nah, I think I’m good.” I swallowed down the bout of nausea and led him down the stairs.
He flashed me a sheepish smile. “Sorry, but I have to feed pretty consistently to keep my urges down. Scarlett assures me it’ll get better with time.”
“I’m sure it will. All the vampires I’ve met here at the academy seem pretty controlled.”
We turned the corner to the main hall, and my skin prickled. Before looking up, I already knew who was approaching. His musky, sandalwood scent drifted over me as his footsteps neared. Don’t look up. Don’t look up.
An unexpected high-pitched giggle forced my gaze up. Wrapped around Ryder’s arm was the bubbly sex-demon, Ms. Mikalson. I grabbed Desmond’s hand and tried to make a break in the opposite direction, but Ryder’s growly voice halted me in my steps.
“Luna, wait.”
Ugh. I spun back, taking Des along with me.
“What’s up?” I hoped that sounded more put together out loud than it had in my head.
His dark gaze lowered to my fingers still entwined with Desmond’s, and a low rumble vibrated his chest through his tight black tee. “Where are you going?”
I arched a brow. “To the quad to watch a movie.” I narrowed my eyes at the woman draped on his arm. “Where are you going?”
He stiffened and turned to Ms. Mikalson. “Vena, can you give me a minute with Luna?” Then he turned to Desmond, those dark eyes impossibly black and scary. “You too, kid.”
“Sure, I’ll just go stand over there.” He pointed at the door to the quad and sauntered over. “Don’t take too long; I love the cheesy commercials before the movie.” He winked, and I couldn’t help the small smile curving my lips. They were my favorite part too.
Ryder’s dark gaze bored into me, his jaw twitching before he finally spoke. “So you’re dating a vampire now?”
“I’m not ‘dating’ anyone. We’re just going to a movie.” It wasn’t a total lie, but I didn’t have to explain myself to him anyway. I wrapped my arms across my chest and ground my teeth. I could do dark and broody too. “So that’s what you wanted to talk to me about?”
He raked his hand through his hair, and a few unruly black locks tumbled over his forehead. “No. I hadn’t seen you since yesterday with Garrix. I was worried when Cillian told me you left with him and…” His eyes locked on my chest. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. And I’m sorry I ran out on you after everything. I appreciated you being there for me, you know, protecting me and stuff.”
A shadow of a smile crossed his sexy lips. “I told you I always would, and I meant it.” He glanced over at Desmond who leaned lazily against the wall. “Even from douchey vampires.”
My fist struck out before I could stop it, colliding with his steel cut abs. I tried not to wince as I pulled back, and he chuckled.
Taking my hand, he flipped it over in his, gently assessing. “I don’t think you broke anything, but you should know better than to try something like that.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” I eyed Ms. Mikalson, or Vena, who had her gaze fixed on us. “You better go; your date is shooting me the death eye.”
“It’s not like that—”
I snatched my hand away from him and darted off before he could finish.
“You were right, the protective weather bubble is pretty cool.” Desmond stared up at the night sky, a glimmer of the golden orb surrounding us flickering in the distance. “The movie on the other hand…” He rolled his eyes before grinning.
“Sorry. I had no idea it was going to be a total chick flick. I usually don’t go for that sappy romantic stuff either.”
We followed the crowd back into the main hall, bumping elbows with fae, shifters, sirens, and who knew what else. I’d stopped my obsessive compulsion of trying to figure out what kind of supe each one was without looking at their pins this semester. I was one of them now—or at least that’s what I tried to convince myself. Desmond’s hand fit comfortably at the small of my back, and we weaved through the masses in an easy silence.
We hadn’t had much of a chance to talk during the movie, but overall it had been a decent date.
“Want to come back to the vamp floor?” he asked, placing a little pressure on my back. “We can hang out in the common area, or I can show you my room.”
I’d never been to the third floor where the vampires lived, and I was kind of curious to see it. “Sure.”
His face lit up in a cute smile, and he led the way up the spiraling staircase. With the exception of the different color banner stretched across the hallway—crimson instead of the dragon’s navy—it looked just like my old floor. It wasn’t anywhere near as fancy as the Fae one I now lived on.
We passed a few dozen open doors on either side of us and ended up in the vamp lounge. It looked like half of the floor’s inhabitants were sprawled across the couches. All eyes landed on me as we walked in. I’d never been in a room with so many vampires before. A chill snaked up my spine as dozens of pairs of crimson-hued irises fixed on me.
Lowering my gaze, I followed Des deeper into the large space, hoping they’d all forget about the novelty of the human girl. A group of guys stood in the far corner playing a game that involved shooting darts and then shooting shots of blood. Bleh. Some horror movie was on the widescreen TV, and a shrill scream from the fleeing female victim made me jump as we passed.
“Geez!” My hand flew to my chest.
Desmond spun around, a glimmer of concern in his dark irises. “Are you not comfortable here?”
“Um, no, it’s not that,” I hedged, lifting my gaze over Desmond’s shoulder to avoid his eyes. Big mistake. They landed on a couple hooking up on the couch, only they weren’t just making out. They were biting each other and from the moans of pleasure sneaking out of them, they were definitely enjoying it.
Des whirled around when he saw my face blanche. Following my line of sight, he chuckled. “Oh yeah, don’t mind Remmie and Ginger. They’re constantly at it out here.” He paused, his brows furrowing when I couldn’t stop staring. “Have you never seen vampires blood share before?”
I swallowed hard. “No.”
I must have still had my deer-in-headlights face on because he took my hand and tugged me out of the common area. “Come on, let’s go to my room. I don’t want you passing out in front of everyone.”
Heat seeped up my neck and flushed my cheeks. I swept my hair forward hoping to hide behind the blonde curtain. “I’m totally fine, I swear.” I’d been involved in this supernatural world longer than he had, and I didn’t want him thinking I was a total supe prude.
“It’s okay. It’ll be quieter in my room anyway, and we can talk. My roommate’s out for the night with his girlfriend.”
When he opened the door to his dorm, it was nothing like what I’d pictured. I was sure I’d find black silk bedding, Marilyn Manson posters and bottles of blood lining the shelves. Now who was being racist? Instead, it was a typical boyish sp
ace with some clothes strewn across the floor, unmade beds and a massive gaming system set up in the entertainment console under the TV.
Besides the hot dark demon vibe Desmond had going, he kind of reminded me of my friend Jay from back home.
“Sorry it’s kind of a mess. I didn’t plan on bringing you back to my room tonight. That’s usually more of a third date thing.” His eyes sparkled under the dim light, and the deep red lining his irises pulsated a little brighter.
I arched a brow but couldn’t help the smile that came with it. “Third date, huh? You’re pretty confident.”
Grabbing two bottles of beer from a mini-fridge in the corner, he sank down into the couch in front of the TV and motioned for me to sit beside him. “I’m not going to lie, when I was a human, the girls loved me.” He popped the cap off with his fang and handed it to me with a smirk.
“Cocky, much?” I laughed as I accepted the beer and dropped down next to him.
“It’s not being cocky if it’s true.”
And I believed him. Des was a good-looking guy, and he definitely had game. Add in the whole mysterious vampire thing, and it only intensified his attractiveness. But he wasn’t Ryder.
I shoved the annoying thought to the back of my mind, refusing to think about my off-limits instructor tonight. He was probably back in his room doing who knows what to that sexy she-demon. Bleh. Of all the women he could date, why did it have to be a succubus?
My chest tightened, and a bubble of anger swirled inside. I took a sip of the crisp beer and chugged about half the bottle before coming back up for air.
“I’m glad you still like the human stuff. I met a warlock who smuggles it in for me. Sometimes you just need a Corona.”
I took another big gulp. “Too bad you don’t have any limes.”
“Next time.” He leaned in closer, catching me by surprise. His mouth was only a few inches from mine, and I lowered the bottle from my lips. His tongue darted out, sliding over his fangs. “So can I be your first?”
I nearly choked, spluttering an incoherent, “What?” Did I have supe virgin stamped across my forehead?
“I’m guessing you’ve never kissed a vampire. I was hoping I’d be your first.” That teasing grin reappeared and as much as I wanted to be insulted by his brashness, I couldn’t.
Plus the beer had already gone to my head after downing an entire bottle in minutes. And maybe it was time to cash in my v-card—the vampire one, anyway.
I inched closer and Desmond erased the distance between us in a blur. His lips were soft and gentle at first, but as he wrapped his fingers behind my neck he deepened the kiss.
Closing my eyes, I just wanted to get lost in the moment. I wanted to forget about the person I really wished I was kissing and not be so torn up about him all the time. If I shut my eyes just right, I could almost pretend it was Ryder—the dark hair and onyx eyes, similarly sculpted cheekbones. Only when I kissed Des, I didn’t feel much of anything inside. I was simply going through the motions.
A sharp prick on my lip sent my eyes jolting open, and my messed up thoughts scrambling away. A briny, metallic taste dribbled into my mouth and I shot up, shoving Desmond off me. Only I never actually touched him.
Chapter 8
Dark purple energy shot from my palms and sent Desmond flying across the room. I gasped, staring at my hands as if they belonged to a stranger. Beyond my splayed fingers, I caught my date landing in a heap of tangled arms and legs after skidding down the far wall of his dorm.
“Oh sh—shnickers!” I jumped up and ran over to him, my heart battering my ribs. He was out cold. “Crap, crap, crap.” His chest still rose and fell so I hadn’t killed him, but whatever shot out of my fingers knocked a vampire senseless.
I crouched beside him still staring at my hands. “Now what?” I grumbled to myself. I felt bad leaving him there like that, but I also didn’t want to sit here and wait for him to wake up. Plus, it was almost curfew.
I waited for a few more agonizing minutes as anxiety spilled through my body. Shouldn’t he be awake by now?
“Des, Desmond, wake up!” I smacked his face a few times, and his skin was like ice. This can’t be good.
I grabbed my phone from my pocket and texted Scarlett. Maybe she’d know some way to wake him. Her necromancy skills could come in handy right now since she did have control over the dead.
No response. I waited another few minutes then dialed her number, but still no answer. Dammit.
I scrolled through my phone to figure out whom to call. I refused to contact the one person I wanted to more than anyone. I’d rather sit here all night than interrupt his date with the sexy succubus.
I’d bet a certain know-it-all Fae would know what to do. Before putting too much thought into it, I let my fingers fly over my call list until I found his name.
Drake answered on the second ring and showed up at Desmond’s door five minutes later. He’d been so quick I assumed he’d still been up when I called. The messy bedhead and sleepy face on the other side of the door confirmed otherwise when he arrived.
“I’m really sorry for waking you.”
Drake ran a hand through his disheveled hair and stared down at the body on the floor. “What in all the realms did you do, human?”
“I don’t know.”
He stepped over Desmond’s limp form and seared me with those icy lilac eyes. “Tell me exactly what happened.”
I did as he said, contemplating leaving the kissing and biting part out, but his inquisitive gaze had already settled on my swollen lip. He smirked but didn’t comment as I rushed over that part. “And then bam, he was on the other side of the room, out cold.”
Drake crouched beside Desmond and wrinkled his forehead. “Well, he’s alive, so it’s not that. I think your power just got him good.”
“But he’s a vampire… shouldn’t he be healing by now?”
He shrugged. “Ryder said you’d be strong when your abilities finally showed up. I guess he was right.”
I paced in front of Desmond’s motionless body, anxiety eating away at my insides. “You’re really not helping.”
He stood and wrapped his hand around my shoulder. “Just go back to your room, Luna. He’ll wake up in the morning with a bad headache at worst. If you’re lucky, he won’t even remember what happened. I know you don’t want people knowing who your warlock father is, but if that’s the kind of magic you’re going to be throwing out there, you need to get a handle on it.”
“He said the spell he used to remove the mark could unblock my power,” I spat before my brain could hold back.
“Your father said that?”
I nodded. I almost slipped about the skinwalking stuff too, but I wasn’t ready to divulge all my freakish new abilities.
“You do know that warlock magic is different than what the other wicca use right?”
“Yeah, my bio dad kind of mentioned it yesterday.”
“It would be helpful to know which familial line he came from in order to figure out the source of your magic. Witch magic comes from the earth, from the elements, similar to faery magic. But warlocks… theirs derives from a darker place. Depending on the amount of demon blood in their ancestral line, it could range tremendously. The original term warlock was a derogatory slur for male witches, but over the course of the centuries the terms warlock and male witch have been used interchangeably. But they’re not the same.”
I remembered Cillian giving me a similar explanation when I’d first arrived to Darkhen. At the time, it was all a big blur.
He glanced down at Desmond once again, his brows furrowed. “Raine is strong. She comes from a very long line of elemental witches, but I’ve never seen her energy put a vamp out like that.”
“So what are you saying?”
“I’m saying we need to find out more about your darkblood. With the proper training, you could be stronger than us all.”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek since my lip was already torn up. Why’d
I say yes to this stupid date in the first place?
“There you are, Drake.” A wild auburn mane poked through the door, Raine’s green eyes blazing. “I rolled over, and you were gone. Why didn’t you answer my texts?”
I knew they were hooking up!
Drake’s porcelain cheeks flushed, and he lowered his gaze to the floor as he pulled out his phone. “It was on silent.”
“What happened in here?” Her gaze bounced from me to my busted lip to Desmond sprawled on the floor.
“Luna’s powers are manifesting more quickly than expected,” said Drake. “I came by to make sure he was okay.”
“This random vampire?” She toed at his still form with her fuzzy slipper.
“Raine!” I hissed. “I knocked him out cold and I was worried, that’s all.”
“He’s a vampire; he’ll be fine.” She ran her hand through her hair and huffed. “I’m going back to bed. Are you coming or what, Drake?”
“I’ll be there in a minute. I need to finish something with Luna.”
Her eyes widened, and for a second I thought they’d throw actual daggers at me. “Seriously?”
“Raine,” he snarled.
She slapped her hands on her hips and spun away. I covered my mouth with my hand to keep the pleased giggle from spilling out. Raine may have been acting a little nicer lately, but I still couldn’t help but enjoy when she was put in her place.
As soon as her angry footsteps fell away, I turned to Drake, waggling my eyebrows. “So, you and Raine?”
“Stop it. I already told you it’s nothing.” He wagged his finger at me and smirked. “And anyway, I didn’t question your late night encounter with the new vampire.”
“Touché.”
“I’m sure Ryder’s thrilled.”
I shot him a narrowed glare.
Drake’s arm slid across my shoulders, and he tugged me into his side. I almost froze at the uncharacteristically sweet gesture. “Come on, I’ll walk you back to your room.”
With one last lingering glance at Desmond, I followed him out. I hoped Drake was right, and he wouldn’t remember what happened in the morning. So embarrassing.