by K. M. Shea
Her scaly skin felt oddly textured. “Hi, Corona. It’s good to see you.”
When she released me, Orion spoke as Doggy flung himself at me. “I see the clouds have cleared from your skies.”
“Dad, would you please be quiet!” Perseus moaned. “You’re so embarrassing!”
I laughed at the teenager and smiled at Orion. “Thanks, Orion.”
“Welcome home, Morgan,” he said, offering his hand. I took it, and we shook before a wilted Asahi appeared at my side.
“Morgan? Are you okay?” he said, his golden eyes larger than usual as he hunched his shoulders around his neck.
I smiled, melting a little, and threw an arm across the High Elf’s shoulders. “I’m fine, Asahi,” I assured him.
“Really?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry—it’s my fault you got kidnapped. If you weren’t my tutor—” he started before I interrupted him.
“No, Asahi, it wasn’t your fault at all. It was stupid Hunter who made the decision to kidnap me. Not you. Besides, if my life is a little more interesting just because I’m your teacher, I’m okay with that,” I said, surprising myself when I realized it was true.
“Really?” Asahi asked, perking up.
“Yep,” I nodded.
Asahi hugged me. “Thanks, Morgan,” he said before abruptly releasing me. “Oh, Aysel is back!”
My jaw dropped. “Already?”
“Yes. He got here about five minutes before you,” he said, motioning to the circle of what I assumed to be MBRC administration staff members.
As though on cue, an irritated-looking Aysel stepped out of the hodge-podge of bodies, brushing himself off as a crease in his forehead deepened with irritation. He looked up and met my gaze, and the forehead creases and wrinkles disappeared.
I slowly walked across the chamber, stopping a few feet away from him.
“I’m sorry we didn’t bring you with,” I said in a small voice.
“It is just as well you didn’t. Besides, I hear you didn’t have much of a choice,” Aysel wryly said, his lips twitching as he stared at me.
I nodded and licked my lips. “I’m glad you got back.”
Aysel hesitated. “And I am glad you are safe.”
My stomach was twisting oddly, and I found it difficult to swallow. “Oh, screw it,” I muttered before reaching out to hug the stuffy High Elf.
I was pretty surprised (and horrified) with my own actions, but Aysel shocked me to my core when his arms closed around me. His hug was warm and pretty gentle. He actually placed a hand on the back of my head.
At that exact moment, there was a thump followed by a crack. I removed my face from Aysel’s robes and stared at the source of the sound.
It was Devin, coming out of the entrance hallway of the MBRC, his teeth clenched in anger with four guys trailing behind him. Hanging off his arms were two gorgeous fairies with pouty lips and thick hair.
In front of him was a black, leather brief case that was splayed out and popped open, almost like he had thrown it in anger.
“WHAT THE HELL!?” he shouted. “I finish the Seelie-Unseelie court parley early, amend the Antarctic Dragon agreement, call for an emergency release of the Fairy Council and rush here on a plane only to find you in the arms of AYSEL MOONSPELL?”
“Devin?” I asked, stepping away from Aysel. “What are you doing here?”
“MADELINE!” Devin shouted, ignoring me while shaking off his groupies. “I told you to keep her on a leash around those two brats!” he said, motioning at Aysel and Asahi.
“I did!” Madeline complained. “I can’t help it if she bonded with Aysel in captivity! Besides, I decided she’s too precious to be your friend. I’m divorcing you from her on her behalf.”
“You backstabbing blood sucker!” Devin declared.
“Womanizing pervert!” Madeline shot back. “You actually dared to bring other women with you when you came to see her?”
“It was supposed to make her jealous!” Devin shouted before kicking the briefcase across the room.
It slid to a stop a few feet away from me, which allowed me to see its contents.
It was stuffed to the brim with informational readouts about the Chicago goblins and my kidnapping. Most of the papers had hand-scrawled notes on it, and many of them were crumpled. There were also handwritten notes that nastily ripped on Devin for daring to call a recess in the Fairy Council for the sake of one of his girlfriends.
I looked up at the Pooka, who was still bellowing in Madeline’s face. “If you hate men so much, why didn’t you keep her from them?”
“And risk being unfriended by Morgan? Never!” Madeline scoffed.
“Drop out!” Devin scoffed. I noticed that in spite of the fire in his words, he had dark circles under his eyes, and his clothes were rumpled beyond all recognition.
He really had rushed here.
“And now because of the whole kidnapping thing, everyone in the council knows that I fancy her!” Devin groaned.
“I thought that would have been obvious the way you allowed Administrator Moonspell to hustle you out of here in exchange for allowing Morgan to regain her memories,” Madeline dryly said.
“NO! It wasn’t! I managed to fool them all and con them into thinking she was just a stupid girl to me, and then SHE GETS KIDNAPPED!” Devin shouted.
“He didn’t take the news well,” one of the guys behind him attested. “Councilmember Windstorm threatened to put a stick of soap in his mouth.”
I walked up to Devin, whose back was to me as he argued with Madeline.
“Did you even help her at all, you useless vampire?” Devin growled.
“A lot more than you did,” Madeline snorted.
“Devin,” I said.
“WHAT?!” the Pooka shouted, spinning around to face me.
I took a deep breath and stood on my tip toes to hug him. I linked my hands around his neck and squeezed. “Thanks,” I said.
Devin went rock-still for a moment before he moved. He picked me up so I was propped against his shoulder and my feet hung in the air. “You should have called or something,” he complained.
“My battery was dead. Besides, I didn’t know you had a cell phone.”
Devin was stubbornly silent before speaking. “You only need me, no one else.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s a lie if I ever heard one,” I snorted. You see, unlike most girls, I am not deceived by pretty words. (For the most part.) And I still hadn’t forgotten how Devin had strolled in here with a gorgeous fairy on either arm. (I suppose I should thank him: I might have been in possible danger if he wasn’t such a notorious playboy.)
“Just be quiet, and let me have this moment!” Devin complained.
I obliged and allowed Devin a few seconds of silence. “That’s better,” he said, setting me down.
I let him go and spun around when I heard Madeline gasp. “Of all the nerve!”
Strolling out of the crowd of administrator staff was Hunter with two bodyguard goblins. He carried a scroll—his signed contract most likely—and looked rather satisfied as he led his men through the chamber.
“Hello, Morgan. I’m glad you’re alright. I’ll see you in school tomorrow?” he said with a friendly smile.
I narrowed my eyes at the handsome goblin. “I haven’t forgotten that you were going to keep me against my will, Hunter.”
“Of course not. But I’ll still see you tomorrow. We sit next to each other in math,” he reminded me, ignoring Devin’s growls and Aysel’s glares with a pleasant smile.
“Hunter,” I said as Devin tensed next to me. “If you want to remain friends, you had better not try anything funny.”
“Or else?” Hunter asked.
“Or else I’m going to tell Fran you want to be on student council. And no one on that committee can remain invisible very long, even if they want to,” I threatened.
Rather than frown at me, Hunter grinned. “That sounds like a matc
h point. Very well, Morgan, no funny business. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Logan left your things with the sunshine elf over there during your touching reunion with his brother,” he said before sailing out of the room, his goblins shuffling behind him.
“I really don’t like that guy,” Frey said.
“Really? I think he’s cute,” Esmeralda said.
Madeline starred at her friend with horror. “You must be joking.”
“No. I’m just shallow,” the bronze vampire shrugged.
“Can I go home now?” I asked, feeling weary to the bone.
“Absolutely,” Asahi nodded, handing me my purse and jacket. “My father sends his apologies for this terrible experience.”
“He’s not here?” I asked, peering around the room. I had assumed he would be here to observe the recovery of his son.
“No,” Asahi said, shaking his head.
“Oh,” I blinked, feeling bad for the Moonspell twins.
“Come on, doll,” Devin said, tossing an arm over my shoulders. “I’ll buy your train ticket home.”
“That sounds wonderful,” I agreed.
21
The End?
In the end, Frey, Dave, Madeline, and Devin escorted me home. Frey and Dave went their separate ways at the train station, but Madeline and Devin took me to my house.
“Here we are,” I said, sighing with pure pleasure as I stared at my family home. It had never before looked so picturesque and beautiful to my eyes.
“Now, remember,” Madeline said, shivering in her coat as the setting sun cast red hues on her light-colored hair. “Frey said your family was hypnotized to think you were off visiting a relative, so all you need to do is say that you enjoyed your stay, and life will proceed normally.”
“I remember,” I nodded. My eyes were drooping, and my stomach was growling. All I wanted to do was eat dinner and take a bath. “Good night, guys,” I said, starting up the sidewalk.
“Morgan, wait,” Devin said. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket and growled. “Here,” he said, thrusting a slim, white cell phone at me.
I blinked. “What is it?”
“It’s an MM phone. Take it,” he barked.
I took the contraption in my hands and flipped it over. The phone was designed like a smart phone. But instead of having a keypad or screen, the only thing that adorned its surface was a mirror. “It’s a…phone?” I asked.
“MM stands for Magic Mirror. You can make calls by telling the phone who you want to call. The mirror closest to the individual will pop up with your image, allowing you to see them and them to see you. It’s magic-powered, so the battery won’t die. Use it to call me—or for emergencies,” Devin gruffly said.
I stared at the odd-looking phone. “I didn’t know magical beings had such advanced technology,” I said.
“We don’t. Only Fairy Council members are supposed to have these. I had a techy friend of mine whip one up Friday night while I was still in the negotiation meetings,” Devin said.
“Thanks, Devin, I don’t know what to say,” I said, staring at the phone.
Devin placed a hand on my head and pressed my forehead into his shoulder. “This is fine,” he said.
Behind him Madeline snorted, “Player.”
Behind her someone asked, “…Morgan?”
I peered around Devin and Madeline to see a stricken Fran standing on the sidewalk wearing a winter coat, hat, and gloves. Her eyes were red and swollen, and her face was puffy. She had obviously been crying.
“Hey, Fran,” I said, mustering a smile. “What’s up?”
“I, I,” she paused, her gaze flickering back and forth between myself, Devin, and Madeline. Her eyes showed a faint trace of recognition when she saw Devin, but she looked hurt when she saw Madeline. “You really are mad at me, aren’t you?” she whispered.
“I’m sorry, what?” I asked, feeling stupid.
“About dating Brett. I promise I’ll break up with him, Morgan! I shouldn’t have gone out with him. I’m such a bad friend, doing that even though I knew you liked him! I looked for you everywhere after school, but you left early, and then I figured I would drop by when you were finished with work so we could hang out and talk about it, but your parents told me you were visiting your Aunt Erma in Toledo, but you hate your Aunt Erma, so I knew it had to be a lie, and now I see that you have new friends and—,” she abruptly cut off, sniffing as she blinked back tears. “I’ll go,” she croaked.
“Fran, wait,” I called after her. “I want you to meet these guys. They’re my friends from work. Madeline, Devin, this is Fran: my best friend in the whole world,” I said, strolling up to Fran so I could give her a side hug.
Madeline reacted beautifully. “Hello, Fran. Morgan has told me so much about you. I’ve wanted to meet you,” she said.
Of course she had. The idea of meeting a member of my school’s student council mesmerized the blonde vampire.
“So, you’re the one that’s been with my little doll at school. Thank you for watching her,” Devin said with his most dazzling smile.
“Pompous playboy,” Madeline muttered, looking off in the horizon.
“I’m going to ignore that, wretched twit,” Devin smiled.
“You’re not mad at me?” Fran whispered as Devin and Madeline glared at each other.
“Not at all. I’ve just been visiting Aunt Erma, and my cell phone died, so I am really tired,” I promised. It was close enough. Staying with the goblins was more fun than a weekend with Aunt Erma, but the wreckage was about the same.
“So, you’re the hot garden boy,” Fran said, her eyes inspecting Devin from head to toe before she shook her head. “He’s no good, Morgan. You can tell the guy is a total player.”
“I beg your pardon?” Devin sputtered.
“HAH-HAH! I knew I would like you, Fran!” Madeline crowed.
I had to smile as I watched my best friend interact with my new friends. It felt oddly right, to watch the magical parts of my life interact with the normal parts of my life.
I hadn’t yet achieved a balance between the two, and the trouble with Hunter was still weighing on my mind. But for now, this was good.
But, I still can’t totally forgive Dave for blowing my world apart. DO YOU HEAR THAT, DAVE?!
The End
For more information about the MBRC series please visit kmshea.com
Afterword
Thank you for reading Vampires Drink Tomato Juice, I hope you enjoyed Morgan’s story! If you want to read more of my work, sign up for my newsletter to receive my free K. M. Shea Starter Pack ebook.
It contains:
A King Arthur and Her Knights prequel short story
A Red Rope of Fate prequel short story
An original fairy tale, Princess Snow and Queen Ruby
My newsletter is released every month, and contains information about contests, new freebies—like short stories and extra scenes—free books, and reader opinion polls.
Thank you for your support and encouragement. I am proud to say I have the best readers. Therefore, it is my dearest wish that Morgan and her friends made you laugh and warmed your heart. Thank you.
Other books by K. M. Shea
Life Reader
Princess Ahira
Timeless Fairy Tales
Beauty and the Beast
The Wild Swans
Cinderella
Rumpelstiltskin
The Little Selkie
Puss in Boots
Swan Lake
Sleeping Beauty
Frog Prince
12 Dancing Princesses
The Snow Queen:
Heart of Ice
Sacrifice
Snowflakes: A Snow Queen Short Story Collection
The Elves of Lessa:
Red Rope of Fate
King Arthur and Her Knights:
Enthroned
Enchanted
Embittered
Embark
Enli
ghten
Endeavor
Endings
Three pack 1 (Enthroned, Enchanted, Embittered)
Three pack 2 (Embark, Enlighten, Endeavor)
Robyn Hood:
A Girl’s Tale
Fight for Freedom
The Magical Beings’ Rehabilitation Center:
Vampires Drink Tomato Juice
Goblins Wear Suits
The Lost Files of the MBRC
Second Age of Retha: Written under pen name A. M. Sohma
The Luckless
The Desperate Quest
About the Author
K. M. Shea is a fantasy-romance author who never quite grew out of adventure books or fairy tales, and still searches closets in hopes of stumbling into Narnia. She is addicted to sweet romances, witty characters, and happy endings. She also writes LitRPG and GameLit under the pen name, A. M. Sohma.
For more information about the MBRC series visit
www.kmshea.com