by Jan Dockter
“That, in fact, is exactly why I am here.” Dominique smiled at me like I’d just discovered a new element of magic. “The first thing any student should learn, even before they learn to hunt, is how to protect their own minds from intrusion. Vampires are highly developed predators. They have the upper hand in almost every situation, and many can even infiltrate minds, like I did when I entered the room. I’m going to spend a few days with you, teaching you how to keep your minds safe.” She motioned me to my chair, and I sank to the wooden seat with shaky legs.
Eldritch sat in the corner behind his desk, and I glanced at him when I felt his eyes on me. His face was unreadable as he watched me, but the scrutiny was enough to make my palms damp, and I fingered the pill in my pocket like a touchstone.
Signora Borgia explained the visual of mental blocks. She said we each had to have them ready at our command, without putting any thought into it. She also explained that when shields were automatic, but not cultivated and practiced, like mine, they were much easier to break down. To prevent this, she gave us instructions for building our strongest, best mental shields.
Class had gone almost an hour over before Eldritch finally released us. I was gathering my books and waiting for the crowd pressing out the door to thin so I could make my escape, when Dominique and Eldritch approached my desk.
Dominique addressed me. “Caroline, I would like to give you one extra bit of homework before you go. You are the only student in the class who can accomplish it, and I feel that it would be of use to you right away to have it.” I nodded, and she handed me a notebook. “This is my first spell book. I was your age when I started to exhibit talents, and I was obsessed with writing down everything I learned, because I had no one to teach me.” I looked at the ancient leather binding in awe. “It was a different time then, and I have no doubt you will surpass me in time, given some instruction and time to realize your strength.” She opened the vellum pages to a section marked with a red silk ribbon. “This spell will help you bring anyone back to themselves. If another controls them or if they are hysterical with fear or even rage this spell, done correctly, will bring them back to their rational mind.” I read the words silently, mouthing them as I did.
“I have used that spell to bring even vampires out of their blood fugue,” Eldritch added. His face was grave, but the resentment and irritation that usually marked our conversations was absent. “You are too fragile to be here, Caroline. I have always thought that, and my opinion hasn’t changed. However, with this, I think your chances of survival are greatly improved.”
“Thank you, professor,” I replied. “I hope that all my hard work helps too.” For a moment, I could have sworn I saw compassion in his eyes. In a flash, it was gone and his crusty demeanor was firmly in place.
“By hard work, I hope you mean you’re going straight back to your room to practice,” he drawled. He held the door open and gestured me through. I nodded my thanks to both him and the Signora, and escaped before he came up with anything more cutting to chase me out the door.
I jogged back to my dorm room, texting David on the way. He was thrilled that people were seeing my true abilities. All I felt was the crushing weight of more possible failures chasing me down as surely and physically as the undead we hunted.
He asked me to meet him outside, in the park that the society had built around the viaduct entrance. He also warned me to wear my sneakers. I pulled a scoop neck t-shirt over my head and added a light jacket that I tied around my waist. I’d learned after years of unplanned adventures with David that a twenty-minute walk could turn into hours of tailing random people for practice, or breaking into warehouses and running rooftops in the dark. Everything he did was to further his one goal: to carry on the family legacy as a Venatores Lamiae master-hunter. No one understood that better than I did, and he knew I was on his side, no matter how much trouble we got in after.
The air was cooler than I expected as I slipped out the back door through the viaduct, but this wasn’t exactly a shock for the Pacific Northwest. Our teachers gave us a curfew because we knew something the public around us didn’t; our knowledge made us targets. David (and Clayton, who was with him) had scouted around the back door and made sure it was clear and no one, inside or outside, had seen us leaving.
“Hey, Care-bear, the clouds are thick tonight. There’s no telling what he’s going to want us to do,” Clayton quipped. I nodded and hid my smile behind my hand as David rounded the corner. Even in the half light of the street lamp, I could see the flush that darkened his naturally olive skin. He held out a card to me, and I peered at it in the light.
“A fake ID?” I arched an eyebrow. “I’m not even going to ask how you got someone to make this.”
“Good strategy. You should do that more often,” he teased. “We’re going on vacation, to a resort with poolside bar service. I, for one, want to give these a trial run before we try them out of state.” I shrugged and slipped the fake driver’s license in the clear plastic pocket of my wallet, then zipped my real one into the change purse so I wouldn’t get confused and show the wrong one after a beer or two. After all, if I had two beers, that would take my lifetime grand total up to three. I wouldn’t bet that I could win any drinking contests, and I didn’t want to try.
The night seemed to take on a more ominous chill as I considered exactly how far south the night could go, but I kept my mouth shut. I wasn’t brave, but I wasn’t a snitch either. If I didn’t go and someone noticed the boys’ absence, I’d be the first person called to the Dean’s office.
David stayed close to home, but far enough that we didn’t run too much of a chance bumping into anyone we knew. My heart was in a vice as we stepped up to the door, knowing my stupid little girl face was going to give us away, and I hesitated at the steps. The bar was dingy and poorly lit even on the outside, just like the ones in the movies. A Bud Light sign in the window flickered and blinked from an electrical short, and when we walked in and showed our ID’s, the bouncer barely spared us a glance. We could’ve used our real ID’s and no one would’ve been the wiser. I filed the information away for later and let David lead us to a high-top table.
A pretty, blonde lady in a low-cut tank top and shorts that were far too short for comfort on wet, cold Seattle nights, appeared at my elbow, making me jump. She wasn’t there for me though, and soon, David had her swooning. I looked away, working to unclench my jaw and school my face into a more neutral expression than what I felt in the churning pit of my stomach. Perhaps his skill at mindless flirtation was a psychic talent, that he could make panties of any age drop, just by smiling. I watched the other patrons of the bar as the waitress took our orders and promised to be back soon. I even managed not to growl at her when she touched David on the arm before strutting away.
“Damn man, normally I love being your wingman, you know that. But now, it’s just getting depressing,” Clay complained. I giggled and shot Clay a wry smile. We both knew the truth, that he’d have given anything to be David, and I’d have given anything to be with him. He was right. It was depressing.
“So, Dominique Borgia hijacked my anthropology class today,” I blurted, eager to change the subject.
“No kidding. She doesn’t come around every year; you must have some talent in your class,” David mentioned, slamming his mouth shut as the waitress appeared right at his side with pints of dark amber beer for each of us. I didn’t answer, and Clay made an exasperated sound.
“Seriously, why am I friends with either of you. You’re giving me an inferiority complex!” He half-laughed as he spoke, but I saw the shadow that passed over his eyes.
“You’re friends with us, because you’re the fastest, strongest guy in your graduating class, and anyone with a quarter of a brain wants you at their back when stuff goes down,” I reminded him. “I broke my own record today, and you almost caught me, with a lead.” I glanced at David, encouraging him to help me make Clayton feel better, but he rolled his eyes, his mouth set in a
frown.
“Well, that’s true,” Clay mused. “If you hadn’t done the last three miles on a busted knee, I’d feel pretty good about myself.” Now it was Clay who rolled his eyes, but this time I giggled.
“Help me out here, David?” I asked. David didn’t say anything, and I peered over at him. His face had gone dark and angry. I knew he couldn’t stand that anyone, even Clayton, had performed better than him. I touched his hand and smiled. “You two are the best in your class. I wish I was graduating with you, and I didn’t have to wait another year,” I confessed. It was enough to salve his ego. The storm clouds cleared and he smiled at me.
“Sorry, Caroline. wish you were coming with us too.”
“I love you guys. I’ll miss you after graduation,” I replied. My heart beat like it could burst out of my chest, and I mentally cheered as I managed to keep my face calm. David seemed happier, but something had changed in the air, and after only one beer, the guys were as ready to sneak back into the compound as I was. David paid the bill, snickering to us as he showed us the name and phone number written on the back of his receipt. Clay sputtered and threw up his hands in mock dismay.
“Marry young, David, or I’ll never have a chance at a girl.” David was in better spirits as we split up to sneak in at our favorite spots, and I sighed and kicked a loose rock outside the vent I used to sneak back into my wing of the dormitory. Boys might be the death of me, I thought. But, I had Dominique’s present waiting for me.
With a satisfied smile, I dropped down into my room from the vent above my bed and picked up the little leather booklet Dominique had given me. The spell was simple enough, even though it was in Latin, for which I was grateful. My grasp of dead languages wasn’t as good as the ones I could Google translate if I got stuck.
I read the words three or four times, then sat at my desk with a small mirror in front of me and practiced my shields. With the three of us going away for Spring break, it couldn’t hurt to have some practice and extra protection. I stared into the mirror, then closed my eyes and visualized my new psychic shields.
Dominique had explained that mine was brittle, and more likely to shatter than it should have been, even though I’d had it so long. So, instead of brick, like the house I’d lived in before a vampire drained my parents before my eyes, I visualized smooth forged steel. Impenetrable and cold, it began far under the earth in my mind’s eye. I let it flow up out of the earth as though it grew naturally, so it was as much a part of nature as if it had been a tree or mountain. I pushed until I felt faint, stretching the wall up and over me until I could see it closed around me, like a tower or a bullet casing.
I opened my eyes and in doing so caught my reflection in the mirror. I was sweating, beads gathering on my upper lip and rivulets of the salty stuff dripping down the sides of my face. I sent up a prayer to whoever might be listening; that my life wouldn’t depend on this skill anytime soon, and turned off my desk lamp. I had one more day of classes before break and the vacation of a lifetime. Knowing David, I figured that meant I needed to sleep while I could.
Chapter 3
David held my hand as the plane took off and I tried to control my nervous twitching. I wasn’t sure if it was my first plane trip or his fingers intertwined with mine that was making me so nervous. Clay was across the aisle, and I sat between them, thinking I was less likely to panic if I wasn’t in a window seat. In my pocket was my emergency medicine cabinet, but I clung to David and focused on the pressure of his hand, while Clay distracted me from the shaking and bouncing with his easy conversation.
Even with their support, and a few trips to the lavatory to splash cold water on my face and practice my shielding, I was still a wobbly mess when we deplaned. I had to fight the urge to kiss the dirty concrete when my feet hit the ground. I felt for the pill in my pocket, grateful that I’d managed not to use it. It had been so long since I’d had to take anything for my anxiety and I was starting to think I might finally have the tools not to need them anymore.
We passed a trash bin on the way to the luggage carousels, and I dropped the pill inside of it. A wave of panic swept over me, but quickly passed, and when I caught up to the guys and our luggage, I was still smiling. Clayton got the keys to the rental car and before I knew it we were heading down a palm tree lined drive. We came to a large iron gate that closed in the exclusive resort we’d saved, begged, and borrowed to be able to afford.
David showed the guard our reservations and he opened the gates. The excitement in the Jeep was palpable. It only increased when the first hit of salty ocean air filled my lungs, and I was sure the bikinis that the guys found themselves surrounded by didn’t hurt their mood at all. We had a suite; the guys in one room on two queens, me in the lock off on a king. I teased them about the advantages of being the only girl, and they came back with a refusal to let me lock the door.
I laughed, but secretly I was happy it meant that neither of them would be bringing anyone back to their room; I was okay with that. David was the first in his swimsuit and he ordered me downstairs as soon as I had put my things away. Clayton paused in my doorway on his way out, his ultra-pale Irish skin making me smile.
“Hey, good job on that plane ride, miss anxiety,” he teased. “Proud of you.” I blushed as my grin split my face. I had ridden on an airplane, and done it without any medicine. I was in a new state, in a strange room, without an adult in sight to run to if things went south. My heart pounded and my hands shook as I pulled out the swimsuit that I had let Simi talk me into buying. It was the tiniest thing I’d ever seen, the hot pink fabric shaping to my chest in triangles so small I looked like I had a chest.
The bottoms weren’t much better so I wrapped my sarong around my hips and paced my room for ten minutes before working up the courage to go down to the pool with the guys. I put on the large brimmed hat I’d bought on impulse and left the room. Down the wide marble stairs at the salt water infinity pool I knew I’d find the guys, flirting with girls who thought they had money.
I saw them before they saw me, but David’s eyes followed me as I rounded the pool and sat down next to them. The look of sheer shock that flitted across his face thrilled me, but the one that followed made me grateful I was already sitting. His brown eyes went almost black as they filled with something I’d never seen from any man before. It was dark and possessive and so utterly masculine that my throat closed off and my face and neck crimsoned.
“Woah, Caroline,” Clayton blurted. “Like, damn, girl!” He gave a low whistle and I laughed and shook my head.
“I can always count on you to make me feel less nervous, Clay,” I laughed. “Thank God you’re here. I’d probably be depressed otherwise, when I got home and no one noticed me.” He arched his eyebrows at me.
“Fat chance, honey. Don’t worry, we won’t let anybody carry you off to be their sex slave.” I gasped and stammered.
“I’m going for a swim. You guys are really something else.” I poked Clayton in the ribs as I passed him, then handed him my hat as an afterthought. “You better have put on sunscreen, or the hunters are going to think we brought home our very own sun-roasted vampire by the time we leave.” David chuckled and tossed Clay the sun block that had been laying on the table between the chaise lounges. Clay complained that he had no one to apply it, but just as I held out my hand for the tube of lotion, David stepped between us.
I couldn’t see David’s face, but Clay’s went pale, then sunburn red, in an instant. His jaw clenched and his hands fisted at his sides, but like a flash, it was over, and I was left wondering if I’d imagined it. I would’ve written off his sudden change of mood if the guys hadn’t been clashing more frequently than I’d noticed before. I took David by the hand and pulled him to the side of the pool.
“Whatever is going on between you guys, you need to get it figured out, David,” I cautioned him. “Clayton and I are your friends. Don’t push us away.”
“Clayton and I, huh? It used to be you and me then him, rememb
er?”
“Not likely I’d forget, David. But, I made room for him, even though it made me jealous sometimes.” He scoffed. “No, really,” I continued, “You guys can talk about stuff and have things in common that make me feel left out. Whatever you think he’s done, or said, let it go. He’s your friend. He’d kill for you, dumbass.”
David rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. He nodded and waved to get Clay’s attention. I should’ve known that he was up to no good, because he agreed so quickly. But, it was still a complete shock when the ground disappeared from under my feet. I hit the water with a shriek and surfaced to the sight of both guys clutching their sides, laughing. I sank to the bottom and launched myself straight up like I was roof running, and grabbed David’s shoulder and Clay’s shorts. Their faces changed from mocking to shock as I pulled them into the water on top of me, submerging us all.
When we had recovered, we hung on the edge of the pool near the snack bar. It wasn’t long before we found another girl to make us a foursome and played chicken in the middle of the pool. I sat on David’s shoulders, and the redhead on Clay’s. Despite being in the water, it wasn’t long before I was completely parched, and asked David if he’d come with me to get drinks.