He gave me a bright smile. “I wondered how long it would take for you to figure it out.”
“You’re an idiot. What if I’d bitten someone? Did you ever thing about that?” I huffed. “Human blood tastes amazing, better than unicorn blood even.”
He got serious. “I just wanted to make sure you could be satiated without blood from the seven magics.”
“Well, I appreciate the thought. But there is no magic in human blood. It’s kind of like those Pixy Stix you told me about the other night. You said they were like sugar crack, but that you couldn’t survive on them. Human blood is like that for me. The taste is highly desirable, but it won’t sustain me, at least not for long.”
“Well you can’t blame a genie for trying.” He turned on the radio and we rode home without talking. When we got inside, Laeddin sat down on a stool. “Do you have any homework?”
“Yeah, I do. And I’d better get to it. That girl you saw me talking to?”
“Okay.” He bit into an apple.
“She invited me to a party.”
“Tonight?” He chewed, swallowed and took another bite.
“Yes, tonight. I won’t be gone long, but I do want to check it out. My first party invitation. I can’t miss that.” I was so excited I practically bounced, my earlier trepidation forgotten.
Laeddin searched my face. “I guess.” He turned and picked up a newspaper and started flipping through it. “Have you heard about the dead guy?”
I was halfway up the stairs and I paused. “Yes.”
“Stay out of the woods. Deal?”
I continued up the stairs and walked down the hall to the room that used to be my mom’s. I let Laeddin sleep in my grandfather’s old room.
“Deal?” he said louder.
“Yes, it’s a deal.” I closed the door and fell back on my bed. Even after hours of meetings as the princess in Sharra, high school was still more challenging. I ran over the events of the day in my mind. It’d been very emotional but I’d survived, even made at least two new friends—Abby and Cam. I thought again about Sydney and what she’d said to Drake. What did they intend to do tonight? Some kind of initiation?
I opened the piece of paper. Sydney’s handwriting was neat but loopy. Some of her words were hard to decipher. She’d drawn a map though. I thought I could figure it out. It didn’t look that far from my house.
Chapter 16
I’d been walking for ten minutes. I wasn’t winded and I could see fine in the dark, but I was tired of getting around on two legs. I wanted to fly. The thought shocked me. I’d always believed I’d be perfectly happy without my wings. Happier even.
I shrugged the thought away. I needed to give myself more time to get used to life without them. I could do that.
At the end of the road was the forest, the one I’d promised Laeddin I would stay out of. I supposed I shouldn’t have been surprised. Sometimes Sabrina and I would do things the grown-ups told us not to do. Nothing too serious. It was the way of children, I guess, to rebel against the wisdom of time.
I thought that if there were a party, I would’ve heard it by now. But the forest was so quiet. The night was still. There wasn’t even the sound of insects. In the distance I could hear cars rushing by and the flicker of a streetlight, its hum sounding as it went off and on.
If Sydney and her friends were waiting within, not even my vampire hearing could discern where they were. I focused on a different sense. Breathing in, I searched for the aroma, the scent of their blood.
There was none. Not even that of animals. How was that possible? Unless they’d changed their minds about the party. Was I early? I checked the note. It said nine o’clock. It was only ten minutes after.
I walked to the edge of the forest. There was a large boulder near what appeared to be a trail. I sat on the rock, cautious of the rough edges. It wouldn’t hurt to wait until ten. I could do that.
The sky was lit up with so many stars. I searched for the constellations I’d seen from the night sky in Sharra. The placement was different. Still beautiful though. The wind blew gently, rattling the leaves still hanging on to their branches. I watched them turn and sway.
Until a shadow appeared on the trail. I gasped, surprised. He stood with his feet apart. I looked closer. A red glimmering seemed to emanate from the area where his eyes should be.
“Hello?” I called.
The man took a step forward. “Come closer, little one. I can’t see your face.”
His voice was low and carried along like a ghost. I was almost surprised when I heard it. “Nah.” I climbed off the boulder. “I’m going to go home.”
Before I could move, he was there. Behind me. There was a blade at my neck. With him so near, I could smell his sweat, the stench of his breath, even the steel of the blade. I realized the reason I hadn’t recognized he was there was that his scent was off. Like there was oil in his veins instead of blood.
“You picked the perfect night to die.”
He pressed the sharp edge of the knife against my throat.
It pricked lightly, but it didn’t hurt. It just angered me. I put my hand over his. “I’m not the one doing the dying tonight.” I grabbed his fingers and twisted, pulling his fingers from the blade.
He let out a curse and tried to grab me with his other hand. I twisted from his grasp and shoved the edge of my palm upward into his chin. His head flipped back with a crack. I turned to get away but he was on me again.
“You can’t leave, little one. You’re too much fun to play with.”
I growled and head butted him, fighting back a grin of satisfaction as I felt the back of my head connect with his nose.
He screamed at the pain and then started to laugh. “You aren’t a human child.” It was a statement not a question.
I faced him. “What are you?”
“This body is human, but his soul is no longer of this world. I’ve taken it over. My name is Izu. I am a demura. And this forest is my hunting ground.”
I bent low, sliding into a fighting stance. I had no idea what a demura was, but he should know that I was not his prey. Opening my mouth, I released my fangs. The man’s blood smelled rotten. No way I would drink from him, but my fangs were razor sharp and made a great weapon.
“Izu, you picked the wrong girl to attack.” I lunged. As soon as I landed on his back, there was a high-pitched squeal and then dark energy emerged from the man’s body. I watched it curl and coil into a shape with horns before it wisped upward.
“You haven’t seen the last of me, vampire. Prepare yourself for suffering.” The demura disappeared into the thickness of the forest.
With the ghost-like creature gone, the empty corpse dropped like a rock in a pond, taking me with it. In seconds the body shriveled, the skin, muscle, and soft tissue disintegrated, leaving only the man’s bones.
Shuddering, I untangled myself. The dry bones clacked together like a musical instrument. “Creepy,” I whispered, standing up and brushing off my pants.
The sounds of the forest slowly returned. Crickets. Little animals rooting around in the dirt. An owl hooting in a tree near the edge of the forest. Whatever the demura was, it was gone for now.
And the poor dead man. I needed to tell someone. I ran back to the house, up the stairs, and threw open Laeddin’s bedroom door.
He sat up with a start. “What is it?” He blinked, bleary-eyed. “Was the party fun?”
“Well,” I began, my breathing coming rapidly. “If that’s how human parties really are, I don’t want to go to another.”
He pulled off the covers and sat on the edge of the bed. It was then that I noticed he wasn’t wearing a shirt and his pajama pants were white with navy stripes.
Moonlight shone through the windows. It seemed strange to me that the curtains were open instead of closed. I wondered how he slept with all the light. But the light made his body gleam. And his blood? Spicy sweetness with a tang of copper. My fangs were still out, which made the smell even more
delicious. My mouth watered. It took every ounce of effort not to jump on him and sink my fangs into the pulse at his neck.
“What happened,” he asked, seemingly oblivious to my thirst. He patted the spot next to him on the bed.
I retracted my fangs and closed my mouth. Then sat. He rubbed his jaw and I heard the scratchiness from his unshaven beard.
“Jasmine?” Laeddin really looked at me. “What is it?” He scooted closer.
I tried to hold my breath but his scent had me drooling. I covered my nose and my mouth, but still smelled him. Standing, I ran to my room, and slammed the door. It was like I was five again and couldn’t control myself. I knew I couldn’t have his blood, but the fire burning in my throat didn’t care.
“Jasmine?” There was a knock on the door.
“It’s nothing. I’m fine.” I could smell his blood through the door.
“Can I come in?” His voice took on a softer tone.
“Nooooo.” I ran to my bed, grabbed one of my pillows, and flung myself on it.
Laeddin sighed but didn’t walk away. “I’m opening the door,” he said softly. He poked his head in. “Hey, tell me what’s wrong.”
“Everything.” I turned away.
The bed sank and I knew Laeddin had sat down. He put a hand on my shoulder but I shrugged it off.
“Jasmine?” There was exasperation laced within his concern.
“It’s your blood. How am I supposed to talk to you when all I want to do is sink my fangs into your neck and drink and drink and drink.” My voice was quiet and shaky.
“Ahhhh, now I understand.” He pulled me so that I was leaning against his chest.
“Are you trying to torture me?” I turned so that my lips nearly touched his jaw. It wouldn’t take much to overpower him, grab hold of his neck and drink his blood.
“No, Jasmine. I would never do that.” There was a hint of humor in his voice.
I wanted to show him he shouldn’t be teasing a vampire, especially one such as me. My fangs came out again and grazed his neck. Blood came to the surface. It smelled so good I was almost in a frenzy.
Laeddin pulled away. “Hey.” His face and tone were angry.
I stood, my breathing ragged. “Hey yourself, Laeddin.” I licked the blood on my tooth. My eyes rolled back at the sensation and flavor. It was infused with a different type of magic than I’d ever experienced. Having tasted all seven of the magics, I searched to find which one his tasted most like. It was as though all seven existed inside him at once. I wondered what the genie’s origins were, which reminded me of the demura called Iza.
Laeddin touched his neck at the place I’d grazed. Then looked at it. “How dare you?” He was angry, furious. His chest rose and fell heavily.
“I could say the same to you. You knew I wanted your blood. I just told you again how much it called to me.” I covered my mouth, took a deep breath, and removed my hand. “Yet, you kept pushing. I needed you to see that I could take it if I wanted.”
Laeddin swore. “Okay. You’re right. I’ll keep my distance… Unless you want to use your last two wishes?”
I swallowed and gave a quick shake of my head. I didn’t want him to leave. If anything, after tasting his blood, I wanted him to stay even more. Why couldn’t he just let me have a little? I was about to ask him, but he left the room before I had the chance.
“Whatever.” I slammed the door shut. Between the demura attack and Laeddin flipping out, I was done. Sydney had told me to dress warm. Had she set me up? Did she and Drake know what was in the woods? Or were they just hoping that whatever was out there would kill me? Living in the human world was confusing. I thought it would be so simple.
I snorted. Definitely not simple.
Tomorrow at school I would confront Sydney.
Tonight though I needed the air and the sky. I changed out of my jeans, sweater, and jacket and into a pair of black PJs with teal polka dots. I loved the feel of silky material against my skin. Then I washed my face and brushed my hair. Finally I went to the window, threw back the curtains, and opened it. Night sounds filled the silence and I relaxed for the first time all day.
From the window I could see the house next door. It was enormous. Lights illuminated the entire edge of the roof. I wondered what Mr. Henry was doing and if any of my uncles were still up.
I went to my closet to decide what I would wear tomorrow. I decided on a pair of skinny jeans, red heels, and a white and red ruffled tank with a small red sweater. I was kind of short so I really liked the heels. Plus they were patent leather and shiny.
I turned around and stifled a scream. A gray cat was perched at the foot of my bed. Its front paws were crossed and it was watching me.
“Where did you come from?” I glanced over at the window. “Did you get in through my window?”
It licked its nose.
“Well, you need to go.” I walked over and moved to pick the cat up. A rumble came from its chest. “Are you purring?” I kneeled in front of it. “Don’t do that.” My heart softened for the kitty. “Fine.” It moved closer. I reached out and scratched it between the ears. “If you’re going to stay, you need a name.” The cat rubbed its head against my hand. “Let’s see… How about Clifford?”
The cat yowled.
“Okay, no.” The cat rolled onto its back. I scratched its belly. It purred. “How about Isabel?”
It seemed to understand because he yowled again.
“Okay. Okay.” I laughed. It rolled further onto its back. “Ohhh, you’re a boy cat.” He rolled onto his stomach. “Fine no more girl names. How about Jasper?”
He shook his head.
“Weird. I swear you know what I’m saying.”
He blinked.
“Frank? Isaac? Bill?”
He settled down more firmly on the bed and covered his eyes with his paws. I leaned back, resting my heels on the backs of my legs. “How about I just call you Cat?”
“Gatsby. My name is Gatsby, child.”
The words left the cat’s mouth and I understood him perfectly. That wasn’t normal in the human world. “You spoke?” I backed away, afraid of what else he might be able to do.
“If I hadn’t said something you never would’ve guessed.” He licked his paw.
“Probably not,” I agreed. “Now that I know you can talk, why don’t you tell me why you’re in my room?” I climbed on the bed and under the covers. Whatever surprise I’d first felt quickly vanished.
“This was my room long before it was yours, vampire.” He blinked.
An O formed on my lips. “You were my mom’s cat. I remember now. But that was a long time ago. You must be…” I did the math in my head.
Before I could say the total, he interrupted. “I don’t age like normal cats.” He hopped off the bed and walked over to the window. “I know why you’re here and while I don’t agree with your choices, I understand them. I’ll be around.” He hopped onto the sill and jumped. I dashed to the window thinking that surely he couldn’t survive the fall, but Gatsby was gone.
Alone, I went to my desk, and flipped open the laptop Laeddin had provided as part of normal human experience. I turned it on and pulled up the internet. I typed in the word DEMURA. The only listing that came up was about a Japanese guy who was a karate master. That told me nothing. Neither did PARANORMAL MIST and DEMON MIST. The clock on the nightstand next to my bed said school started in four hours. I needed to get some sleep.
Yawning, I turned out the light and climbed under the covers.
Chapter 17
I rolled over and opened my eyes. It was still dark outside. Wind blew the curtains like teal butterflies in the breeze. My vision became blurry and the bedroom disappeared.
“What’s happening?” I was spinning and falling through different colored rings of light.
Down.
Down.
Down.
My body hit bottom with a thud. A moan escaped my lips as I rolled onto my knees and then stood. “Hello?”
I turned slowly trying to let my eyes adjust to the utter darkness. As a vampire my vision was exceptional, but wherever I was, it was of no use. “Hello?” I shouted.
From a distance I could hear something beating against the air. It seemed to be getting closer. Fear turned my stomach and made my throat dry.
“Where am I?”
The beating stopped. “Hello, Jasmine.”
“Who’s there?” I squinted, hoping that would help me to see better.
“I am your betrothed.” His voice sounded close.
I reached out to touch him, but only air passed through my fingers.
“No you aren’t. I am promised to no one. Tell me who or what you really are?”
“It pains me to realize you don’t recognize my voice. We’ve spoken together so many times.”
His voice did echo of familiarity, but I couldn’t place where I’d heard it before. “Show yourself.”
A deep laugh rumbled all around me. “Of course I could, but where would be the fun in that? Why don’t you take a guess?”
Fear laced with anger bubbled within my body. “Why don’t you come closer first?” If I can get my hands on him, I can overpower him, and drain him dry, I thought.
“Tsk-Tsk, vampire. Those thoughts aren’t very becoming.”
I froze. He could read my thoughts. Had I still possessed the magic of the seven I would’ve been able to block his tactics.
“Very true, but thanks to the genie, I can hear every thought that goes through your pretty little head.”
I growled in frustration and dove forward, hoping I could tackle him to the ground with the element of surprise. My arms grabbed air and I face planted.
“How very graceful. I’ll remember that move. Perhaps I can put it to good use.”
“You can’t do anything to me or with me or for me! I don’t know you and I don’t want to know you!” My chest heaved with furious frustration. “Now send me back to my bedroom.”
“Do you mean the one in Sharra? Or the one that used to be Snow White’s? Choose wisely, dear Jasmine.”
Vampire Lies (Blood and Snow Season Book 1) Page 8