by Tarisa Marie
“Another drink then?” I ask. This he is up for and follows me back to the bar.
I have another shot and he has like five and I wonder how it is that he is still standing. I guess 300 years of drinking has made his alcohol tolerance near infinite.
I look out into the crowd looking for Geoff. I don’t see him there’s too many people.
“Crap,” Damon says. “I just made eye contact with someone.”
I squint at him confused.
“It’s almost impossible not to in this place there’s like thousand people.” I reassure him its fine. As if anyone is going to care that he looked at them.
When he doesn’t reply I look over at him and see that woman has her face only centimeters from his.
“Hey pretty boy. Why don’t we get out of here?” She says or at least I think that’s what she says.
He smiles at her. “I’m sorry, dear, but I’m married,” he replies while showing her his left hand. On it is a ring I never noticed before, a silver band with a small blue sapphire in the center. What is with him and sapphires?
“Oh come on…” she teases and grabs his butt.
I choke back a laugh and turn my gaze elsewhere.
“Hey girl, wanna dance?” A deep voice asks from behind me. I turn to meet the brown eyes of a young man about the age of 25. He’s tall probably 6’2” and has dark hair and unusually light skin. Must be Swiss or something I shrug.
“Sure,” I say with a quick glance behind me at Damon. He looks at me and I swear I see sadness in his eyes as I walk away with a stranger. But I mean he is getting groped by some random woman, I’m just going to dance.
Once we are on the dancefloor the man grabs my hand and whirls me around. Surprised by this I nearly trip over my own feet.
“Not too graceful are you?” He laughs.
“No not really, I guess,” I answer embarrassed.
He grins. “That’s okay. I can be for the both of us.”
He whirls me around again with a laugh and then gets closer to me, his lips only a second away from mine and his body pressing against my own. We dance for a while until my legs get sore and he starts being a little too inappropriate for my taste. As I’m about to walk away from him he grabs elbow and pulls me back around.
“Wait.” He shouts over the music. “You want to come home with me.”
Uh no. I certainly don’t want to go home with this pig. I scowl at him and try to shake him off. I look down at where his hand is clasped around my arm and see a familiar ring on his ring finger. It looks just like Damon’s. The familiar sense of glamour surrounds me but I feel it like I did when Damon used it against Geoff and my aunt not when he used it against me. Reality sets in and so does realization. I try to take a step back but he holds my tightly.
“You want to come home with me.” He tries again.
“What are you?” I ask venomously. Then all of a sudden Damon is between us.
“Stay away from her, she’s mine.” Damon hisses vehemently and the other man quickly disappears into the crowd.
Damon turns to me. “What did you say the name of this club was called?” he asks to ear in a quick whisper.
“Pulse.” I answer slowly.
“We have to find Geoff.” He whispers angrily.
“Uh why?” I ask him.
“We’re in a fae club. I don’t know how I didn’t notice before. I guess I drank too much to keep my guard up.”
My gut drops but I don’t have time to think. He pulls my cellphone out and tells me to call Geoff. The two of us leave the club so we can hear and I dial Geoff. He doesn’t answer. I text him and tell him to meet us outside of the club.
“All my friends come here all the time. Are you sure?” I ask. “What do you even mean?”
He motions for me to be quiet and takes the cell phone. He types something on it and hands it back to me.
On a blank message he types, “Don’t talk. This is a fae club. The fae who choose to live on earth rather than our world have clubs and bars dedicated to the feeding of the fae that live off others energy. This is one of them. They’re not supposed to kill humans but it’s still not a safe place for us to be. Accidents happen and I don’t like you being here in plain sight. Especially not with me. Someone will make the connection.”
I nod. Uh yeah. Can’t argue with him there. I don’t want to die tonight or get raped by some random fae. No thank you. “That guy I was dancing with?” I question with the phone and hand it back.
He types quick and angry and hands the phone back. This time it says, “Vampire. Blood sucker. I can’t believe I didn’t notice what this was before we walked in. Guess I need to lay off on the vodka and pay more attention. I’m sorry.”
“If no one gets hurt then why are you freaking out?” I type and return it to him once again.
He replies once more with the phone and hands it back. “Because sometimes people do get hurt. I just got you back and I already risked your life, that’s why. I’m an idiot.”
I stare at him awkwardly. He really does love me. It’s strange, having someone love you when they’re just a stranger to you. I kind of feel bad.
“Geoff texted me back, he’s on his way out,” I say out loud putting my phone back in my pocket.
Damon nods silently and sighs.
Soon enough Geoff waddles out of the club smiling like an idiot. He’s obviously wasted. Happy to see him safe and smiling I run up to him and hug him.
“Hey guys this is Anna.” Geoff awkwardly motions to a small brunette girl behind him.
I immediately check for a ring. Nothing. Good.
Damon looks over at her and glares. “Get out of here you leech,” he says.
To my surprise the girl turns around and runs away. She was fae?
“Hey! What the hell, man?! Anna come back, he’s joking!” Geoff cries down the street.
Anna doesn’t come back.
“Dude, I was gonna get laid tonight!” Geoff scolds Damon.
Damon doesn’t so much as look at us he just begins walking down the street.
“Where’s he going?” Geoff whispers.
I shrug. “No clue.”
We follow Damon a few blocks over to another club where he motions for us to go inside.
“I’m sorry Geoff but you can do better than that sleaze, I’ll be your wingman.” Damon apologizes.
Geoff’s face lights up and he rushes into the club in front of Damon and me.
Damon follows him grinning at his ridiculous excitement.
“I remember my first 21 and over club.” I joke.
After only a few minutes Geoff disappears again and it’s just Damon and I.
“I have a question,” I shout over the music.
“Sure.”
“Why didn’t Anna have a ring?” I ask him.
“Who?” Damon asks confused.
Has he already forgotten? “The girl Geoff brought out of the club.”
“A ring? Why would she have a ring?” He asks.
“Well the guy I was dancing with had a blue ring, just like you have. I thought it was like a thing.” I say not sure how to describe it.
“What? He did? Just like mine?” He questions suddenly serious.
“Yes. Exactly.”
“No way,” he says blankly.
“Yes way…” I reply dubiously.
“Are you sure?” He asks.
“Positive.”
“Shit.” Damon curses and grabs my hand turning it over palm up.
Confused I reactively try and yank it away but he holds it too tight.
“What the hell?!” I exclaim.
He looks up at me and glares shooting glamour at me. It hits me like a wrecking ball. “Don’t move.” He says.
Suddenly I find myself unable to move. “Let me go!” I shout at him.
He looks to be examining my hand. I give up fighting knowing that I can’t win.
“You’re marked…” he says almost so quiet I can’t hear him.
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“What?” I ask not sure if I heard him correctly.
“The guy you were dancing with…he was Prince. He marked you as his.”
I can’t tell what emotion is in his voice only that it’s one I’ve not yet heard from him.
“What does that mean?” I ask him slowly.
“Uh well it could mean that he doesn’t want anyone to eat you…Or it could mean that only he wants to eat you…or it could mean that he wants to turn you into a vampire.” He says gaging my reaction.
I don’t even know what to say. I stand there staring blankly into his eyes.
“Does that mean that you’re a prince?” I ask him finally making the connection.
His blank expression turns into a wicked grin. He doesn’t even have to answer my question. “Good job, Princess. It also means it’s your lucky day.”
“Don’t call me that, I’m not five. How is a vampire wanting to eat me or turn me into a freak make my day lucky?” I ask.
“I can’t erase the mark but I can overwrite it. I’m not calling you that because you’re little. I’m calling you that because you are a princess.” He grasps my hand in his tightly for a moment and the releases it.
I feel my brows merge in confusion then remember what he said about my parents being royal and what not. Technically, I guess, that makes me a queen. I nearly faint.
“There. Now you’re mine.” He says with a grin and points to a little red crescent on my palm. I can barely see it in the dark.
“So…now you’re gonna eat me?” I ask him.
“I might…watch out.” He jokes with a wink. “No I will not eat you.”
“What is the point of marking if you can just do that?” I wonder.
“Well only kings, queens, princes and princesses can mark. I am stronger than him so I can write overtop of it.” He explains.
“Okay so how did you know you were stronger than him?” I ask him.
He laughs without humor. “Because, Laytah, I am not a prince, I am a king.”
I feel my eyes bulge from their sockets. A king? “So wait, there’s more than one king?” I ask confused.
“I should’ve explained this better when I was telling you about your uncle. He is not the only king of the fae. There are four Kingdoms. Your family’s is the Ruby Court. It has always been the largest by area and also the strongest because of all the powerful fae in it. I am king of the Sapphire Court which is the largest by population it includes all of the made fae though many of them choose to live on earth instead of in our world they still must adhere to the Sapphire laws. Then there are two smaller Courts: the Emerald which is the smallest and is mostly made up of the lesser fae, let’s just say that it’s not somewhere you would willingly go; and the Diamond which is the second largest and mostly made up of non-magic fae, they are allies with everyone and are very kind. But it’s only a matter of time before the Ruby Court decides to expand and takes down the other Court’s Kingdoms starting with the weakest. The Kingdoms how they are now are set up to give peace. But Jadorn only wants power and is willing to break the boundaries and truces and treaties to get it.”
Just as I’m getting lost and confused by Damon’s words we are finally interrupted by my vibrating cell phone and I hastily answer it without looking at the caller ID.
“Hello?” I answer loudly over the music while pressing the volume all the way up so I can hear the speaker.
“Laytah? Oh my god is that you? Fuck. Fuck. Okay, I don’t know where I am. I went back to the other club to find Anna and I did but then I don’t know…I must’ve blacked out. Anyways I’m bleeding badly. I think someone knifed me. I think I got stabbed in the neck. I can’t call an ambulance because I don’t know where the hell I am. I’m getting dizzy. There’s blood everywhere!” Geoff calls through the phone on a terrified rant. He isn’t one to get scared easily.
Damon grabs my phone from me and says something to Geoff before hanging up and handing me my phone. My heart pounds in my chest and I pray that he’s okay. Then Geoff grabs my hand and suddenly we are in a dark room.
“What the hell?” I say shocked by the sudden change in scenery. I’ll never get used to this whole popping in and out of places. “How did you know where to go?” I ask him.
“Be quiet, I don’t sense anyone here besides Geoff but you never know. I followed his cellphone energy...” He says.
“You can do that?” I whisper.
“Yes, but it’s difficult because there are so many different pathways you know with everyone having a phone. He’s this way.” Damon says guiding me in the dark.
“How are you not tripping every five seconds?!” I demand while tripping over every particle of dust.
“I can see in the dark, silly girl. I have super sight and super hearing how did you think I knew Geoff was in trouble? I heard him on the phone.”
I’d assumed it was the look of worry and panic on my face.
“You think Anna did this?” I ask him.
“I don’t know. I thought I scared her off but apparently she went back to the club. You didn’t notice a ring on her you said?”
“No.”
“Everyone has a gem ring signifying their Kingdom. My usual ring is larger than this one, I am wearing a prince ring as a disguise. Prince rings look like the one I’m wearing now, regular people from the Court wear an even smaller one. It’s law to wear them. She’s obviously one of my people, obviously turned but I think she may be unaligned maybe new and doesn’t know the rules. It rarely happens but it does.” He says quickly. “If that’s the case, then she’s dangerous. Geoff could’ve been bitten but not healed afterwards as is the law.”
I try not to freak out.
“If we get to him before he bleeds out then he will be fine. I will heal him.” He reassures me only I’m not reassured.
“And if not?” I ask him.
“Then we’ll deal with that when we get to it.”
That doesn’t sound good.
“Help! Someone!” Geoff cries from down the hall a ways.
I want to scream out to him but I keep my mouth shut just in case. I’m so glad to hear him still conscious. That’s a good sign.
“It’s us, Geoff. Turn your phone flashlight on, he’s right in front of us, Laytah.” Damon whispers and I pull it out and shine it at the wall.
Finally I see him crouched in the corner of the room on the floor. He’s sitting in a puddle of his own blood. He’s not the only one in the room. There are four other young men slouched limply against the walls bloody and pale as hell. With the light now on Geoff notices this and pales significantly more.
I hold back a scream and try to keep my stomach from emptying on to the floor.
Damon cusses and rushes to Geoff’s side as his head lolls to the side. Damon examines his neck. “Look away, Laytah.” He says while rolling up one of his sleeves. “You won’t want to see this.”
Is he kidding? I can’t look away! My cousin is dying! What is he gonna do? Wipe the blood off? I mean what is there to see that’s worse than four dead guys and my almost dead cousin? I don’t look away. By now my cousin is passed out completely and looks as dead as the other guys.
I take my eyes off of Geoff and look back to Damon whose back is to me. I watch as he bites into his wrist with a disgusting crunch and shoves it into Geoff’s mouth. I choke back another gag but it catches up to me this time and I barf all over the floor. I should’ve looked away.
Damon slowly stands up right and turns to me. “I told you to turn away, you idiot.” He says shaking his head angrily.
“What in the hell are you doing?” I demand while barfing again.
“It’s how we heal other people, Laytah, our blood. Our magic is in our blood.”
I wipe my mouth with my sleeve and gawk at my cousin who is still limply still slouching.
“Is he going to okay?” I ask Damon.
He shrugs. “To tell you the truth, I don’t know, he should be awake already.”
Then
we are in the bathroom of my apartment in Philly. Geoff is lying in the bathtub, I am sitting beside the toilet and Damon is grabbing towels out of the cupboard.
“Jesus Christ, will you stop doing that? At least warn me before you zap us somewhere it makes my stomach churn. We’re not all superhuman.” I scold.
“That’s why I put you by the toilet,” he says like it’s obvious.
I stand up no longer sick, just worried about Geoff.
“Is he breathing?” I ask.
“Yes, but his heart is very weak. He was bitten very badly.”
“Is there anything we can do?” I ask him.
“Get this blood off of him quickly so I can see if there’s another bite mark. He shouldn’t be bleeding this much.”
I turn the shower on overhead and grab a towel. “You can’t just magically make it disappear?” I ask him sarcastically.
“No, I can’t do everything.”
“So you can hop between worlds and continents in seconds but you can’t wipe blood off of someone somehow?”
“No.” he replies irritated.
I grab a towel and soak it under the water before wiping at my cousins skin with it.
“Maybe we should get him to a hospital?” I ask panicking because of all the blood.
“No, he won’t make it that far. We have to find the other bite, there must be another.”
Damon bites his wrist again, which was somehow already healed up and shoves it to Geoff’s neck. It heals almost instantly. Then he sticks it to his mouth.
Now I am too far in shock about my cousin bleeding to death to care about the nastiness of Damon making my cousin gulp down his blood.
Finally after what seems like forever I find the other bite on his thigh.
“Whoever did this slashed open two of body’s main arteries? If we would’ve been a minute later to that warehouse that we found him in, he would’ve been dead.”
“So he’s going to make it then?” I ask Damon again.
“I don’t know, it’s hard to say. Depends how much Venom is in his system.”
“Venom?!” I ask horrified.
“When vampires bite sometimes they release venom to incapacitate their pray like snake does. It’s against the law to do it but if it was Anna and she is new then she may have done it uncontrollably. It’s also used in making new vampires but you need a lot. That is highly unlikely in this case.”