Today he wore a green long sleeved button down shirt and a tan pair of slacks and his blond hair was longer than I’d ever seen it. He kept flipping it out of his eyes. They weren’t red at the moment. They were hooded and... “Are you hungry?” I asked casually, not really thinking about it.
Christopher scooted closer. “Are you offering, Jasmine?” His fangs grew, scraping his bottom lip.
Was I? “Sure,” I said. What would it hurt?
“Oh, Jasmine.” He came forward, his focus on my neck.
I tilted my head to the side, moving my hair out of the way with my hand. His hands tenderly gripped my arms and he sank his fangs into my neck. I immediately gasped as a bolt of sexual desire shot through my body. I fell back on the bed, taking Chris with me. He adjusted himself so that he wasn’t squishing my body. My hands roamed his chest and I unbuttoned his shirt, pushing it off. Christopher helped, without moving his fangs from my throat.
After several minutes, he removed his mouth from my neck. His eyes roamed my face. A drop of my blood stained one side of his mouth. “Feel better?” I whispered.
“I feel amazing, Jasmine.”
I blushed, wondering if he knew he was the first to drink my blood. I had a feeling he did.
“Your turn.” Christopher rolled on his side, tilting his head so I had easy access to the vein on his neck. In the past I’d only drank from his wrist. Tonight would be different. I positioned myself above him. My fangs grew. I gave him a curious look, wondering if he minded. “Please, Jasmine.”
I sank my fangs into his throbbing throat and sucked. I tasted my blood mingled with his. It was amazing. Incredible. Delicious. It was all I could focus on. And I wanted more.
Chris wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling our bodies close. In that moment, with his body and blood mingling with mine, there was no one and no place else I wanted. Ever.
Everything made sense…
I was a monster. A vampire. And most important of all, I was Christopher’s and he was mine.
Chapter 13
I was flying again and I carefully settled into the dream. Vision. Whatever it was. This time I knew I was inside Maleficent’s mind so I kept quiet, hoping she wouldn’t notice I was there.
“It’s easy to tell when you’re with me, vampire.” She clucked her tongue. “Now I just need to get a hold of your body.” She laughed into the cool night air. “The dragon you were with was a surprise. I’d believed Abernathy was the last of his kind.”
I ignored her, scanning our surroundings through Maleficent’s eyes. I needed to know where we were. The terrain was familiar. Not Sharra but Salem.
She circled Professor Pops’ yacht.
Troy leaned against the railing, staring out at the dark water.
I wondered what he was thinking.
He seemed to sense Maleficent even if he couldn’t see her. “Get out of here.” His features were confident as though he believed he could physically remove her if it came to that.
“Hello, son.” Professor Pops climbed the steps and walked over to Troy.
“What’s this?” Maleficent asked. “One of my Hunters.”
She flew us in closer. But Pops sensed us. He looked directly at us, and his eyes seemed to pierce through the air.
Maleficent shuddered. I remember you, her mind hissed.
“I have news and needed to share it right away,” Professor Pops said when Troy turned.
“What is it?”
“Cole.” Professor Pops clapped Troy on the shoulder. “I know where he is.”
That perked Troy up. He seemed to immediately forget what he’d been brooding over, his attention totally on Professor Pops and Cole. “You do? Where? Let’s go get him.”
“That’s why I came. Your father has agreed to let you come, but we must leave immediately. With the darkness spreading, I want Cole home sooner rather than later. And the realm he’s in?” Professor Pops shook his head. “I’m worried about him.”
“I’m ready now.” Troy walked toward the stairs.
“Did you want to say good-bye to Jasmine?” Professor Pops asked.
Troy’s face softened. “I hurt her. I didn’t mean to, but I…” He shook his head. “It’s better if I give her some space. She’ll understand. Let’s go.”
Troy, my heart whispered over and over.
“All right, son. Let’s go get your brother back.” He followed Troy down the stairs.
“That boy is truly amazing. If only he were the tiniest bit malevolent,” Maleficent said, flying us away from the yacht and moving inland.
I didn’t respond, pondering what Maleficent said. Guilt filled my heart. Sorrow too. I’d jumped to the poorest possible conclusion with Troy. And it made the whole thing worse that it took someone as evil as Maleficent to display the error of my ways.
Maleficent landed on one of the lower spires of the gothic church inside the Harmony Grove Cemetery. She turned in a circle, searching.
“Ah, there they are.” She focused on a group sitting on the ground in a circle. They were kids from school. Each had a lit candle sitting in front of them. They were holding hands.
“It’s so much fun to watch the wicked work. Especially when they have no idea what they’re doing.”
Fear spread like a thick blanket over my insides. “What are you going to do?”
“Watch, dear Jasmine. See what your wings, your magic, and my vision can do.”
She landed in the center of the circle, a big smile on her face. “Hello, my pets.”
“Jesus. Mary. And Joseph.” One of the girls said, crossing herself.
I realized it was the girl who’d gone to the Winter Formal with Cameron.
“Witch,” another said, standing. It was Cameron.
I wanted to shout at him to run.
“Oh, you know this one,” Maleficent said aloud even though she was speaking to me. She lifted Cameron off the ground by his neck.
“Who are you?” Cameron choked out.
“I am she whom you called while performing your ritual.” She flicked her finger and made the flame on the candles flare up. “I am your Mistress.”
There were seven who’d been sitting in the circle. Two stood and tried to run.
“Bup. Bup. Bup. Stay. Enjoy the fruits of your labors.” Without touching them, the boy and girl turned back around and sat in the circle. They seemed to be fighting the movements, but Maleficent’s magic was stronger than their fear.
“How can we serve you?” Another girl asked. Her clear brown eyes were terrified.
Maleficent cackled. “Oh, you humans are much too easy.” She took a deep breath and blew yellow smoke into Cameron’s face. His eyes rolled back in his head and his body went limp. Then she twirled in a slow circle, blowing the smoke at each of the remaining six.
They crumpled to the ground.
“Are they dead?” I was horrified, praying they weren’t dead.
“That depends on your idea of death.”
Their bodies disintegrated.
Maleficent pulled a silky red pouch from beneath her robes. The rope that held the bag shut looked like pixilette hair. She pulled the top of the bag open and took a pinch of deep red powder and sprinkled it over the soil where the bodies had been. As she scattered the powder she spoke in a language I’d never heard before.
At first nothing happened. After several minutes I wondered if Maleficent had lost her mind. The ground was covered with red powder and her red pouch was totally empty.
“Maleficent?” I asked, trying to gauge the soundness of her faculties.
“Patience,” she answered.
She stood back.
The bodies of the kids from school began to reappear.
“What the hell?”
Maleficent cackled as she started to dance. The waltz, I think. Watching the bodies reform was like watching a flower grow in fast forward. The skeletons emerged first, the bones growing and connecting. Next came the muscles, veins, and skin. Then their insides seemed to fill
up. With what, I didn’t know.
Cameron’s eyes opened first. They were black. And he smelled like vanilla potpourri.
“Oh Cameron.”
“Don’t worry, unwanted vampire. You’ll see him again really soon.”
***
“Jasmine.”
A tiny voice broke through the darkness and woke me.
My eyes blinked opened.
Sabrina was flying directly above my face.
“Hey,” I said rolling onto my side.
“Laeddin is up already and he’s downstairs wearing a path in the living room floor.”
Last night came back in a rush.
Sabrina made an amazing dress.
Dancing with Troy.
Kissing Troy.
Going to the yacht.
Kissing Troy some more.
Laeddin appearing.
Hearing the story of the sacred crown.
Troy’s words.
Coming home.
Letting Christopher drink from me, and I him… those thoughts sent my stomach fluttering. The experience had been amazing.
And then there was the vision and what I’d experienced with Maleficent.
“Cameron!”
I threw off the covers, sending Sabrina tumbling backward. “Sorry.”
“Don’t worry.” She shook her head and flew back over.
I held out a hand and she landed on it. I leaned in and kissed the top of her head. “I’m so happy you’re here.”
“Me too,” she said, flying over to the window.
I went into the bathroom. Sabrina followed. “I need a shower. Be out in a few, Kay?”
“Oh, fine. I’m going outside. I need some fresh air.” Sabrina flew out the window.
I closed the door and took a hurried shower then dressed in jeans, a red tee shirt, and red Country Outfitter ankle boots. My hair was still wet and since I wanted to hurry, I did a low, side braid and tied it off with a red bow. Then I put on some lip-gloss and went downstairs.
Laeddin was in the kitchen eating an apple.
“Hi.” I sat on a barstool. He looked better. Showered and shaved. He’d changed too. He wore clean jeans and a black button up shirt, the long sleeves rolled past the elbows. His hair was still slightly wet. He didn’t say anything when I came in. Just kept chewing. “What time did you want to leave? Are we flying by magic carpet?” I wouldn’t mind that. Flying with him when we’d gone to his realm had been amazing.
Before he could answer, someone knocked on the door. I pulled it open and hid a groan. It was Officers Gand and Vick.
“Should I start setting places for you at the table?”
Officer Gand ignored my question. “Mind if we come in? We have a few questions.”
I pushed the door wide. “Not at all.” As I closed the door I noticed a military truck parked out front.
“Laeddin?” I pointed toward the driveway. He glanced out the window over the kitchen sink. I knew he’d seen the truck by the way his jaw clamped tight, but he didn’t say anything. Just nodded.
I faced the officers. “Did you bring back-up?”
Officer Gand smiled. “They were there when we arrived.”
He and officer Vick went over to the couch. Officer Vick pulled out his notepad and paper.
“Tell us about Cameron Anderson.”
I sat in the oversized high back next to the glass cabinets. “He’s a good guy. I met him my first day of school. He showed me around. Helped me find my way.”
Officer Gand gave officer Vick a look. It sent my heart into my stomach. I knew they were asking about him because he was missing. As were six others.
“Right. And what about his date last night, a Gemi Felix?”
“I saw Cameron with her at the dance, but I didn’t know her.”
Officer Vick gritted his teeth. “What about Ashley Hood?”
“I don’t know who that is.” I felt bad. I wished there was a way to tell them what’d happened. But I knew without a doubt that if they didn’t think I was a crazed teenager making stuff up they would think I’d killed them.
“David West. Steven Pollock. Hannah Coolridge. Trisha Zamora.”
Each name felt like a knife in my heart. Their parents. Their families would be devastated. “No. Sorry. I’m new to the school and don’t know a lot of people.”
“When’s the last time you saw Cameron?” Officer Vick asked.
“At the dance. Last night.” I clasped my hands together.
“What time was that?” Officer Gand continued.
“The dance ended right at midnight. I saw him and a girl get into a limo. I’m guessing that was Gemi, but I don’t know for sure. Then they drove away.” I swallowed, not thinking too much about the lie I had to tell. Looking directly in Officer Gand’s eyes I continued, “I haven’t seen them since.” I leaned forward. “Are they okay?”
“We don’t know. They’re missing.” His eyes pierced through me.
“They are teenagers and they went to a dance. Jasmine saw them at midnight. It’s barely eight in the morning. What makes you think they’re missing and not just holed up in a hotel room sleeping off last night’s fun?” Laeddin asked, coming to stand next to my chair.
I appreciated his support.
“You have a point. And normally we wouldn’t be worried. Except a groundskeeper found three purses with IDs inside and seven candles at the Harmony Grove Cemetery early this morning.” Officer Vick’s mouth formed a hard line.
“After calling the kids’ parents and checking nearby hotels, we’ve verified they are in fact missing.
“That’s terrible,” I whispered.
“Yes, Jasmine. It is,” Officer Vick agreed.
“Any idea where they might’ve gone.”
I shook my head. I honestly didn’t know. “No. I don’t.”
Officer Vick sighed heavily. “For some reason I don’t believe you.”
“Are you accusing her of something?” Laeddin growled out.
“No sir. Of course not,” Officer Gand said.
“But we will find out what happened and when we do, if it’s discovered you had anything to do with it,” Officer Vick pointed his pen, “we’ll be sure to punish you to the full extent of the law.”
Laeddin walked over to the door and yanked it open. “I’m going to have to ask you gentlemen to kindly… Get. Out.”
The policemen went to the door. Officer Vick stomped down the stairs and to his car.
Officer Gand hesitated. “We just want to know what’s going on and for some reason your name keeps coming up.” He gave Laeddin a pointed look. “Sorry for any inconvenience.”
“Fine,” Laeddin said curtly.
We watched the officers drive away.
“Why do you think the National Guard is sitting in our front yard?”
Chapter 14
Laeddin went out to speak with the uniformed men sitting in the truck. They didn’t say much except there was some “suspicious activity” in the area and advising us to “stay inside unless leaving was absolutely necessary”. That was all the information they gave us.
I told Laeddin the truth about seeing the kids in the Harmony Grove Cemetery and I explained about Maleficent. “What are we going to do?” I asked when he didn’t say anything.
“You said she spoke and sprinkled red powder over the spots where they’d been?” Laeddin finally asked.
“Yes.” I thought about what I’d seen and remembered another bit of information. “Also, before they disappeared, she blew yellow smoke in their faces.”
“That sounds like something Maleficent would do. She’s always had a thing for the dramatic.” He pulled a water bottle from the refrigerator and drank. When he finished, he said, “I think you’re right about Sharra and Maleficent being combined somehow.” Laeddin walked upstairs. I didn’t know where he was going but I followed.
When we reached his bedroom Laeddin opened the door and went inside. “When you talk to her, who do you hear? Malefi
cent or Sharra?”
“I hear Sharra,” I said, unable to stop myself from checking out his room. It was neat as a pin and had been changed recently. It looked like his genie bottle after he’d revealed it. That felt like a lifetime ago.
“Interesting.” He picked up an old book from off a bedside table. “We need to start searching for the pieces of the crown, but first I’m going to make a trip back to my realm. I’m pretty sure I know exactly where to look for the spell she’s placed on those kids.”
“What good will that do?” I asked, upset he was leaving. Again.
“Usually the book will explain how to cast the spell, what it does, and how to reverse it.”
“You think we can reverse the spell on Cameron and the others?” I forced myself not to hope.
“Perhaps. I’m going to check the histories. Find out. Okay?” He touched my shoulder kindly. “I’ll be back soon and then we’ll go by carpet to Connecticut.” He smiled sweetly.
“I guess.” I sighed. “Please hurry.”
“I will.”
With the snap of his fingers, Laeddin was gone.
I spun in a quick circle, knowing I should leave his room. His bed was made, the white comforter thick and billowy. The four-poster bed had mosquito netting draped across it, like a circus tent. Only the netting was white and easy to see through.
Without really thinking about what I was doing, I pushed back one of the curtains and climbed on his bed. His pillows smelled like him—oranges and exotic spices. I lay back, staring up at the ceiling.
My mind drifted. I went over what Laeddin had said. About the crown and how it could create life. I thought about what that meant. Generating new life from my DNA. Designing vampires like me. They would possess all seven magics and have wings. I wouldn’t be alone. No longer a freak. No longer different.
I remembered the look on Troy’s face when he heard. He’d been horrified. Terrified. Was I really that scary? Would dozens of Original Vampires really be that bad? I tried to look at it from his point of view.
They would possess a great deal of power, be nearly impossible to contain or kill or control.
And what if they chose evil? If Maleficent got a hold of a vampire like I was and used it to do her bidding…
Vampire Secrets: Book 2 (Blood and Snow Season Two) Page 12