“Why do you only pick truth?”
Mallory began playing with his gloves.
“Why do you only pick Dare!?” she countered.
“How about this,” he said, hoping this next move would allow him to win, “you answer a Truth of mine and I’ll do a Dare. Deal?”
“I — wait a moment.”
Mallory pondered on the idea a bit.
“We don’t have much time,” warned Jayce. “Somebody probably called security. It’s now or never.”
“Fine,” Mallory giggled. “Truth!”
“What’s your biggest fear?”
It was too revealing. Mallory didn’t want to boldface lie to Jayce ever again, so it was hard to get an answer from her. Jayce pressured her, even when she began to walk away — reminding her that he won if she couldn’t answer. He thought he had his way.
“Being lonely for the rest of my life,” she suddenly answered. “Your turn.”
“Swear it.”
“I swear it.”
“Swear on this date that you’re being honest.”
“I swear on this date that was the truth, dear. Your turn.”
Jayce was kicking himself. Her answer explained why she was so charismatic — despite the shell that protected portions of her past.
“I dare you to switch clothes with me,” she chuckled. Jayce looked around.
“No way.”
“Right here, right now,” she continued.
“There’s no way,” he admitted. “I lose.”
“Come on,” she pestered. “I promise it’ll be the last thing. We’ll tie if you do it!” Jayce studied the many faces already studying them back for Mallory’s actions. Any of them could’ve been Sperns. What if The Enterprise was taking notes on all of this? He could feel his insides churn.
“Mallory, there’s no way.”
The princess leaned on his chest and grabbed his wrists.
“There is a way. I believe in you. Please, Jayce, do this one Dare and we’re finished.”
It took another moment to register, but Jayce caved in. It would be the last challenge, so screw it. He needed that wand more than anything in the world, and disappointing her could give her an excuse to say he “wasn’t worthy.”
The collective gasps they caused as they stripped to their undergarments and switched clothes was priceless. A few whistles were heard, though nobody could tell whether they were for Jayce or Mallory. Both were candidates for such praise — in one way or another.
“There,” Jayce sighed, struggling to walk in her ankle boots and clothes that were too tight on him. “You happy?”
“Let’s walk,” she said. He didn’t have a choice in the matter, because she grabbed her glove he was wearing and pulled him forward.
The Mall began with a less than satisfying confrontation with Myron Banks. Jayce struggled to understand how and why things could change so fast in the city he once knew. But Mallory’s fun personality kept him distracted. How much could you think about Myron and The Enterprise when you were walking around in an outfit very reminiscent of the late, great singer Prince? And with the clothes being wet from Mallory’s dive into the fountain, Jayce was really out of his zone. But if this is what it took, then this is what it took. He just hoped he didn’t catch true feelings for Mallory after this experience. His war would be very troubling to handle with someone bearing a personality like hers. Love was already too hard to protect.
18
The Parlor
Mallory insisted they stop by a massage parlor. It didn’t take long for Jayce to fall under her persistence. The thought of walking around in these embarrassing clothes any longer was out of the question.
“If we do it,” he added, “then we have to change. No questions asked.”
“Deal.”
Mallory made matters worse by telling the lady at the counter that they were together and wanted a “couples massage.” It was even worse when they had to take showers. Though they were separated, Jayce felt as if Mallory, or worse — The Enterprise — was keeping an eye on him. That was the quickest shower he ever took.
Afterward, they met each other in the massage room with only towels on. They both blushed. Even with the many bruises inflicted upon her skin — which was much paler on the skin she usually covered — Jayce thought she looked alluring. He was surprised that the parlor was basically a full-on spa, but he put his head down and went with the flow. Mallory was trying to fight her own nerves by talking to Jayce about random topics, but he barely said anything to her. She tried to tug his towel down for ignoring her, so Jayce was relieved when their massage therapists arrived.
Even though another towel was placed to cover their entire back, Jayce couldn’t do it. He excused himself, placed his clothes on, and left the parlor despite the three ladies’ wishes. He would never admit it, but he was beginning to get . . . excited. Horny was the right word, but he slapped that word out of his vocabulary after storming out. He didn’t know whether it was the massage or Mallory, but he didn’t want to find out.
While Mallory was apologizing to the massage therapists, her therapist pointed something out.
“Y-Your bruises,” she shook, “they’re gone. And you’re clothes — they’re dry.”
The therapist wanted Mallory to take a look in the mirror, but the princess wouldn’t dare.
“No thank you,” she smiled. She took out all of the change she collected on her journey and set it on the table. “Good day!”
19
The Fountain
“I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable,” Mallory blushed when she met up with Jayce. It was hard to find him as he had retraced their steps and found himself sitting on the edge of the coin fountain. Mallory sat at first, but upon seeing that she lacked a reflection like Jayce, she stood up.
“Do you know why people throw coins in fountains like these?” Jayce asked her.
“To waste more of their belongings?” Mallory guessed. Jayce sneered at the answer, but the princess was being serious.
“No,” he continued. “People as far back as coins and fountains themselves used to throw stuff in to send prayers and wishes to their gods. It was their payment.”
“Why would gods want these measly coins?”
“They weren’t always coins, but you do have a point.”
There was an awkward silence between the two. Jayce found himself lingering into her eyes too often, so he switched the topic.
“Want to make a wish?”
“Of course,” she beamed. “But I gave the clerics back there all my coins.” Jayce didn’t know what she meant by clerics at first but put two and two together soon enough. He was going to give her a penny but decided on a quarter instead.
“Make a wish,” he said.
Mallory wiggled her gloves into Jayce’s bare palms.
“Together. On bats.”
Jayce was confused, but it became evident what the princess meant.
“B . . . A . . . T . . . S. Bats!”
Mallory dropped the coin in, while Jayce flipped his. He took a while to open his eyes. Mallory leaned over the water to stare at her quarter in wonder. The human boy looked back and forth between the water and the princess. Her lack of a reflection was scary, yet interesting.
“What’d you wish for?” Jayce wondered.
“Isn’t it supposed to be a secret?”
“It can be.”
“If I tell you mine, will you share yours?”
“Deal.”
Mallory sat back down and looked Jayce directly in his blue eyes.
“I wished for you to be my Dhampir,” she blushed. “Then our souls will be linked for eternity.”
Jayce didn’t have a good feeling about eternity.
“Does this bite have any lingering effects besides neck pain?”
“No, dear,” Mallory hoped. “After the initial pain, it will be the greatest, most sensational moment you’ll ever have the privilege of experiencing.” She squeezed
his palm. “Your turn. What was your wish?”
“I made a wish to God to be chosen as Earth’s mightiest guardian,” he smirked. “A wish to be so powerful that no evil would dare face me without regretting their decision. And I made a promise that if I was granted this power, then I’d be loyal and strive to make the world a better place.”
“Lame,” Mallory giggled. “But, I will admit, if you become a real wizard then you’ll be much stronger than the average human. And with practice, you’ll have the ingredients to be stronger than most Goths — maybe even Lincoln.”
Although this talk about power made him blush, Jayce stuck to his guns.
“Don’t get your hopes up. I’m still thinking about the whole Dhampir thing.”
“You’ll come around,” Mallory winked.
“Excuse me,” a lady said to the pair. She was sniffling and wiping her eyes constantly. “You two made a wish?”
“We sure did,” Mallory confirmed. “Would you like to make one?”
The lady began gently sobbing as she waved her hands.
“No, no. I don’t want to anger the Universe anymore.”
“You can never make too many wishes,” Mallory informed her. She stood and hugged the woman.
“Take a look in the water,” the woman asked of Mallory. She tapped Jayce. “You too.”
The pair looked into the fountain.
“What do you see?” the woman continued.
“Coins dying in this contaminated water,” said Jayce.
“Opportunity,” Mallory smiled. The woman scooted Jayce over to sit next to Mallory.
“Do you see my son?” the lady asked. She positioned herself nervously again, this time grabbing the princess’s arms. “He’s got dark hair, large, brown eyes, and a smile crafted by God.” Mallory felt terrible shaking her head. “Go on,” the woman continued, “look again.”
The woman was left empty-handed. Mallory and Jayce saw nothing in the water that resembled a boy, or human, at all. The woman bowed at their feet and ran off in tears. If only Mallory remembered Tommy’s story . . .
20
The Movie
Next on Mallory’s list of activities was seeing a movie. If Jayce loved anything about the mall it was its movie theater. From the time his parents took him to see The Dark Knight to the time he traveled alone to watch Avengers: Age of Ultron, Jayce felt more comfortable within the confines of a loud, flashy auditorium — popcorn on his lap, and a soft drink by his side. He usually never drank soda (most weren’t as vegan-friendly as he liked) and didn’t trust the popcorn they served, but he would always make an exception for the experience of watching films. Jayce wished it were the 16th instead of the 13th. He wasn’t expecting much from January or February when it came to movies — as they were dump months — but he was looking forward to seeing Black Panther.
So when Jayce asked Mallory, “Which one do you want to see?” and she replied, “This one!” Jayce nearly had a heart attack. It was Fifty Shades Freed.
“Absolutely not,” he protested.
“Why not? It looks sexy!”
“Just because something looks sexy doesn’t mean it’s good.”
“Pay for it, silly. You know you want to see it.”
Jayce didn’t, and he made this very clear to Mallory. However, he paid for tickets in the end.
The 16th!? Why Black Panther — why?
Fifty Shades Freed it was . . .
Jayce insisted that the pair sat in the far, upper-right corner of the theater. It was much more crowded than he expected for a movie like this. The popularity of the book series scared him once before, so he should’ve expected this outcome.
Just before the movie began, Jayce had a question. It had been pestering him the entire time, but after the pre-movie commercials aired, he was busy teaching Mallory not to jump up and shout in glee at every upcoming movie release.
“Do you ever have any regrets about coming here?” he asked the princess.
“No,” she smiled. “I love spending time with you.”
“I meant Earth, in general. The Human World, as you call it.”
It took a moment for the question to register. The answer took another while to sink in.
“I do,” she admitted. “I’ll never forgive myself for Brenden and Rebecca. Nobody deserves to die.” Mallory’s joy fell to a new low. She played with her hands and sunk lower in her seat.
“Forget about it,” said Jayce. Without hesitation, he wrapped his arm around Mallory’s shoulders. “Let’s just talk about fun stuff for now on. Deal?”
The princess nodded with a blush.
He took the words right out of my thoughts! Can he read my mind? Already?
Mallory used the movie as a chance to touch Jayce. Throughout the movie, she kept her arm slung over his seat to play with the tip of his ear and gently caress his neck. He did the same on a few occasions, in which he played with her hair. Their connection was getting deeper.
After the movie was over, Jayce was the first to leave the theater. He departed so quickly that he was forced to wait a couple minutes for Mallory to exit.
“Utter trash,” he muttered as they began walking.
“Oh, shut up,” Mallory countered. “You just don’t appreciate art.”
Jayce was stunned.
“Art? You call that—” He paused. “I forgot — you don’t even have movies where you’re from.”
“Excuse you,” she corrected. “I’ve seen lots of movies, thank you very much.”
“How’s that even possible?”
“Kassandra.”
“Who?”
“Our Fairy Godmother. She gifted me with a foreign film for each of my birthdays. And maybe a little extra. Don’t tell anybody though — it taught me everything I needed to know before coming.”
“And you mean foreign as in the Human World?”
Mallory nodded.
“Well, that could explain why you’re such a character.”
Mallory blushed again.
“Either way,” Jayce continued, “that movie was wet garbage.”
“Turn off your brain and use your heart,” said Mallory. “Art makes more sense that way.”
“What did you take from that ‘movie’ then?”
“It was about a struggle,” she went on. “A struggle between the future and the past. Ana and Christian were trying to move on with their love but Jack had to be a jerk and try to ruin it.”
“Black Panther is an example of true meaning,” said Jayce. “Do you understand how important it’s going to be? It’s a science fiction epic with a predominantly minority cast and a budget of two hundred million dollars. This is unheard of. Wakanda will go down as the most important African-American fantasy setting of all-time. Fifty Shades did nothing for the industry besides destroy a predictably terrible trilogy.”
“I don’t know what you mean by African-American, but Wakanda reminds me of home.”
“Myron was African-American.”
“So, humans with dark skin?”
“Basically.”
Jayce shook his head in disbelief. He couldn’t believe she was that naive of human culture.
“Wakanda reminds me of a place called Galicia. It’s where Jett and Malik are from.”
“Who?”
“Jett and—” Mallory paused. “Wait — you haven’t met them yet, have you?”
“No.”
“I could’ve sworn you saw Jett at the party for Ms. Abby. . .”
“I was in my room the whole time.”
“I forgot,” Mallory remembered, slapping her head. “Well — they’re Werewolves. Famous ones, too.”
“Interesting,” Jayce concluded. Nothing was normal about hearing that a Spern — who was likely murderous — visited his home and put everything he loved in danger.
8:00 p.m.
Four more hours. If Mallory didn’t snowball their relationship into a true friendship, or more, then it would be a piece of cake for Jayce. The Dea
th’s Dawn would be in his hands soon enough.
21
The Reading
Jayce noticed that Myron and his Enterprise grunts had left the Food Court. He was relieved, as it gave him an opportunity to look through the many stores surrounding the Court for food. The popcorn didn’t help his appetite.
While Mallory babbled about how their fun was subsiding her hunger, the pair were flanked by a self-proclaimed “psychic” who swore her tarot card readings would change their lives. Jayce refused, but Mallory’s insistence had them whisked away to a Food Court table before they ordered anything.
Jayce believed the psychic reader to be wasting time. She took fifteen minutes to study three cards she had Jayce choose from her tarot deck, and then another fifteen for Mallory’s cards. The pair agreed to get a reading that predicted their future rather than their present.
Jayce’s first card showed a young man in armor with a raised sword riding a white horse into battle, his second card showed a religious figure of some sort sitting before two priests in a church, and his third card showed a hand coming out of a cloud holding a golden circle with a five-pointed star within the circle. The first two cards were upside down. The female psychic widened her eyes. She gently touched the first card.
“The Knight of Swords . . .” the psychic said. “Reversed.” Jayce rolled his eyes. The dramatic way she said it had no effect on his belief of her so-called “powers.” “The Knight of Swords usually represents rushed decisions that are handled through strong communication. But your future is reversed. Your decisions will be scattered. You will disregard your consequences, and pay the price every now and then.”
Mallory bumped into Jayce.
“Sounds just like you,” she grinned. “Told you it works.”
The reading legitimately changed Jayce’s views. Not fully, but it was enough to grab his attention.
“Are you a Spern?” he asked the psychic.
Dhampir Page 21