by J. N. Colon
Don’t trip Rubi. Don’t trip.
He blocked my way from stepping off the last step. I sighed. “What?”
“Aren’t you a little old to be trick or treating?” His mocking tone wasn’t as harsh as usual as if it were an afterthought. And there was no derision in his eyes as they slowly traveled down my body and back up again, causing a flush to spread over my skin.
“I’m going to the dance,” I answered, attempting to keep my voice neutral. I couldn’t let him know his reaction was getting to me. “Don’t act like you’re not.”
His brow arched. “I didn’t think you’d wear something like this.” He motioned up and down, his finger purposely brushing over the corset.
My heart fluttered and I knew by the smirk on his face he heard it. “You don’t know me that well, remember?”
He tried to block my path again, his eyes were focusing on the star shaped scar close to my heart. “How’d you get that?”
“I was staked with silver, but it missed the heart.”
His head tilted. “Shouldn’t it have healed without a scar?”
“I wasn’t a vampire then. I was only five and Whitmore had just given me blood because I was sick. A hunter saw me and assumed I was one. She hesitated and missed the heart.”
His head reeled back. “You were only five?”
I nodded.
“What happened?”
“Whitmore killed her.” I didn’t bring up that it was Madison’s mother. “That’s the night we met.”
His expression held no recognition of the memory or story. Instead without warning his finger reached out and touched the scar with his finger, tracing the lines.
My breath caught and skin exploded in a deep flush as my pulse hammered. This was the first time Mac purposely touched me since returning from the dead. It sparked a deep ache within me. It was both wonderful and painful at the same time—because he was only teasing.
With more strength than I ever thought myself capable of I wrapped my fingers around his hand, drawing it away. “I have to go,” I whispered, staring into his eyes in challenge.
Mac let me step around him without a fight, but I felt his eyes on the back of my head until I disappeared around the corner.
The gym was decorated much like it had been my first dance at Highland Academy. Witches, ghosts, bats, and spiders hung around the room with orange, black, red, green, and purple balloons. People crowded the dance floor and hung out around large tables filled with food and beverages. A Halloween song was pumping loudly through the speakers.
“Do you have any idea how hot you look?” Demy asked, handing me a cup of red punch. He had no qualms about coming even though he wasn’t a student. He was dressed as a pirate, a black patch over his eye, displaying the one with the piercing. A bandana covered most of his inky black hair while loose shirt was tucked into a pair of boots. He looked adorable and sexy at the same time.
“Yeah, yeah you’ve said it a few times.”
“Did Mac see you?” He wiggled his brow. “I bet you got a reaction out of him this time.”
I attempted to suppress a smile remembering the way his eyes popped out his head. “Maybe.” I sipped my cup, frowning when I tasted liquor. “Who spiked the punch?”
“Me of course.” Darci strolled up, wearing something similar to Demy’s outfit without the pirate patch and bandana. Fake blood dripped from his mouth and his skin was painted a sallow color while dark circles bruised beneath his eyes.
My brow furrowed. “I thought you were going to be Romeo.”
A grin curled his lips as he lifted a small empty vile that hung around his neck on a necklace. “I am… after I took the poison.” He lifted his arms wide. “I’m dead Romeo.”
Marci shimmied forward, rolling her eyes at her twin. “You’re so witty Zombeo.”
My gaze lingered over her, taking in the tight, corseted red wine dress with bustle on the back. Her hair was in an elaborate updo and lips a brilliant shade of crimson. Fake vampire bites donned her neck.
Demy’s studded brow lifted. “What are you supposed to be?”
She fluttered her lashes. “I’m Mena.”
He still wore a confused expression as did I. Who the French toast was Mena?
Darci chuckled, earning him a smack on the chest from Marci.
She scoffed in disbelief. “I’m Mena from Dracula. Duh!”
“Oh.” I bit my lip. “Sorry. Never read it.”
“But you do know what I’m talking about right?” she asked, her tone laced with mock offense.
“Totally.” Sort of. I mean I know who Dracula was.
Demy sipped his spiked punch. “Weird movie.”
Darci cheersed him. “Don’t mind her. She’s just nostalgic for the Victorian era.”
Demy pursed his lips. “Girls in long tight dresses with their boobs pushed up.” His eyes flickered over toward me, specifically my chest. “Oh yeah. I could like it.”
I grimaced and punched him in the arm. “You’re disgusting, you know that?”
A slight grin played on his lips, lighting his eyes. “You still love me anyway.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s debatable.”
Darci stuck out a long pale hand, his nails painted black. “Care to dance with a dead, Juliet-less Romeo?”
“No way.” Demy stepped in between us, elbowing Darci out of the way. “I already called dibs on Rubi. You know that.”
“Demy!” I growled. “Don’t be stupid.”
He gave Darci a shrug. “I’m not. Darci knows I’m the only one that gets to keep you warm until Mac gets his head right.”
Darci was giving me a wry grin. “I thought I’d try.”
“Ugh! Did you guys actually talk about this?” I asked, squirming in Demy gasp as he drew me toward the dance floor.
“Of course princess. Him and every other guy that has a taste for you.” He laughed at my horrified expression.
We squeezed onto the dance floor, dancing to a fast song until it turned slow. Demy grabbed my arms, wrapping them around his neck and gripped my hips, pulling me against his body.
“Now this is more like it.” A crooked smile curled his lips as he stared down at me.
I shook my head unable to hide my grin. “You’re impossible.”
He winked. “You know you love me.”
I nodded. “Unfortunately.”
His one visible violet eye stared into me, giving me goose bumps from the intensity. My fangs ached a little, missing the feel of sinking into his neck. I hadn’t fed from him since Mac returned or kissed him. I couldn’t pretend like I didn’t miss both of those things, but doing them now felt like cheating even if Mac didn’t want me.
Electricity suddenly zipped across my spine and my head shifted, finding Mac standing a few feet away at a food table. My mouth turned dry and heart rattled in my chest at his appearance. He was wearing a black pinstripe suit and a matching fedora with a green tie—the exact thing he wore at my first Halloween dance at Highland.
Did he know that? Was he starting to remember?
That hope was quickly shattered when Sasha appeared, dressed in as an ethereal fairy, clutching his arm and smiling up at him.
I felt like I had been slapped in the face, a hot sting reverberating through my body. Noticing my sudden distress Demy followed my line of vision, seeing the pair. His jaw clenched hard and I felt growls rumbling through his chest.
“That asshole,” he hissed, his nostrils flaring. “Why is he here with her?” When Demy made a move toward them I grabbed his arm, halting him.
“No Demy. Just leave it alone. I don’t want to start anything here.”
He ripped the patch from his face. “You can’t let him treat you like this Rubi. You deserve better. His memory loss is no reason for him to act like a grade A prick.”
“I know Demy, but I don’t want any more drama in front of people. They already talk enough.” I pleaded with my eyes for him to understand.
Finally a
fter several more moments of the stare off Demy sighed and rubbed his temples. “Fine,” he growled. “For now.”
“Thanks.” I swallowed hard, feeling the tears nearing. “I need to go to the bathroom. I’ll be back.”
He nodded. “I’ll be waiting for you.”
After stalling in the bathroom for ten minutes I finally gathered the strength to leave, trudging down the hall lethargically. This night two years ago Mac had saved me and stayed in my room. Now he was with someone else.
I looked down at my rings, twirling them around with my thumb, the diamond glinting in the dim light. My chest ached painfully and ribs seemed to crush my heart. It would hurt less if I got staked.
“Awe, does the poor baby needs a tissue to dry her eyes?”
I gasped, looking around for Dana’s ghost. A splash of crimson hit my shoulder, sending cold trepidation through my veins. I bit my lip to keep it from trembling and reluctantly looked up, air getting caught in my throat. Dana was hanging upside down from the ceiling, a gash on her head dripping blood.
She spread her arms wide and floated down, landing silently on her feet. “I wish I could cry again, but you took care of that, did you?”
I backed up as she stepped forward. “I didn’t kill you.” My voice quivered right along with my body. “I-It was the hunters.”
Dana scoffed, shifting the strand of wet raven hair stuck to her sallow face. “Hunters were merely the tool.” She pointed a long, boney finger. “You are the murderer.”
Instead of hitting the wall like I suspected I bumped into something squishy and yelped, strings of slimy sticking to my back as I inched away. Bronson was there, his mouth a wide, grisly smile.
My breathing was ragged and I could feel my heart working so hard I was afraid I’d go into cardiac arrest—if that was possible for a vampire.
A hard hand gripped my ankle, shooting pain up my leg. I tried unsuccessfully to kick Robert off, but his slimy grasp was surprisingly firm.
“Get off!” I hissed. “I didn’t kill you.”
He simply grinned up at me, drool dripping down his mouth.
A tickly sensation crawled over my back and I reluctantly looked to see a giant centipede crawling into my hair. I squealed and tried to shake it off, but it kept tangling in my strands.
“It’s not real,” I said, closing my eyes and waiting for it all to disappear. “It’s not real.”
“Oh princess,” Dana laughed. “It’s real.”
Millions of tiny legs crawled over my skin, tickling and prickling my flesh. The sound of crunchy exoskeletons echoed loudly in my ears.
“It’s not real. Not real. Not real.” I kept repeating the mantra to only feel more of them weighing me down as my body trembled in disgust and fear.
“Oh it’s real princess. Everything is real on Halloween.”
Her words slammed into me like a sledgehammer, stealing my breath. My eyes snapped opened to see a multitude of creepy crawler covering my entire body. They were real?
Oh god. They were real! I was covered in bugs!
Chapter 21
A blood curdling scream tore out my mouth as I sprinted for the gym to find Demy or Daedalus or Rufus. Anyone to help me. Bugs fell to the floor, crunching beneath my boots and making me slip.
I burst through the doors, ripping the bugs from my arms and shouting at the top of my lungs. The music screeched to a halt and my panic was the only noise in the place. Groups of students and teachers were staring at me, wide-eyed and mouth opened in shock.
Unfortunately it wasn’t the horrified shock I was expecting at seeing me covered in bugs. It was more like holy-shit-she-was-bat-shit-crazy shock.
I glanced down to my quaking body… and the bugs were completely gone. My cheeks burned red and lungs ceased to work. Mortification was choking me and making my vision blurry. Or those may have been the tears.
Whispering laughter came from behind me. Dana was leaning against the wall, putting her finger to her cracking, bleeding mouth. “Shush.” Her bloody smile sent shivers down my spine. “Happy Halloween.”
Oh man. They did this to me on purpose.
I turned back around to find everyone still gawking at me. I did the only thing I could manage. I turned heel and ran away.
My head was buried on the musty red chaise in the secret room Mac and I shared so many memories in, tears soaking the fabric. I had originally stumbled upon the attic room, wandering through Hampton hall. Dusty boxes towered over me, forming aisles while imperfect furniture—not good enough to be displayed—was pushed into corners. A small gilded window spilled moonlight through the darkened room. I didn’t bother lighting the candles that still lingered on the chipped wood table collecting dust and grime. They hadn’t been lit since the last time Mac and I had been here—before he died.
My throat clogged with emotion and more tears trickled out my eyes, staining my cheeks. A fist of agony knotted in my chest, making it difficult to breath. I could only imagine what Mac thought of me now after seeing my freak out in front of nearly the entire school. He and Sasha were probably having a ball laughing at my expense.
How could he be here with her? How could he not feel one ounce of our connection. Did it simply die for him when he did, not bothering to return from the grave?
I recognized the approaching scent and heard the heartbeat as a figure slowly inched in to the room as if I were a skittish animal. He sat down next to me, fingers running through my hair. “Princess. Tell me what’s going on.” His voice was gentle and laced with that Russian accent I loved.
“Nothing.” My lie didn’t sound so convincing coming through a sob.
Demy clucked his teeth. “Stop lying. I know something has been going on with you for a while Rubi. I just didn’t want to press you. You’ve been going through so much lately, but enough is enough. Tell me,” he demanded.
A sigh slipped out my mouth and I picked my head up, meeting his worried gaze. He brushed my tears away with his thumbs. “I’m being haunted.” I scoffed at the insufficient word. “Tormented,” I corrected. “By the spirits of three vampires that the hunters killed with the poison made from my human-ish blood.”
His brows knit as he rubbed my shoulder. “How bad is it?”
“Bad.”
I spilled my guts to Demy about everything, when it started, who the ghosts were, and all the things they’d done to me. His face was twisted in horror when I told him about the bugs in my mouth and then just now all over me. He grabbed me and held me tight against his chest as if he could shield me from every terrible memory. I only wish he could.
“I’m so sorry you had to go through this alone,” he whispered, stroking my hair. “If I could trade places with you I would.”
“I know.” I sniffled. “I wish there was something I could do to make them stop hating me.”
Demy pulled back, his violet eyes intense. “What if someone is forcing these spirits to do this? It just seems so intense, so vicious. There must be another reason.”
I had thought of that sort of and was about to say as much when electricity crackled over my spine and Mac walked in—with Sasha in tow, clutching his hand.
He abruptly stopped when he saw me, a scowl crossing his face. “What are you doing here?”
Agony sliced open my chest, spilling pain through every part of my body. Mac was able to find this spot—and he brought another girl!
“You brought her here?” Demy hissed, his eyes glowing unnaturally bright and tremors of anger racking his body.
“This was our place,” I whispered, my voice quivering with emotion.
Mac tossed his free hand in the air, his jaw clenched. “I can’t remember that!”
Demy shot to his feet. “Yeah well she can!”
“And yet you’re here.” A cruel smile curled Mac’s lips.
“That’s different,” I argued. “Demy’s…”
“You’re little Russian lover. I get it.” He leered at me, his jade eyes tracing over my cleavage.
“She must be really good in bed because that’s the only reason I’d be with her.”
Demy was a blur, speeding toward Mac and punching him in the face.
Sasha squealed and stumbled back, knocking over one of the leaning towers of boxes with a loud crash.
“I’ve had enough of your shit,” Demy growled. “The real you would have kicked your own ass a dozen times by now.” He motioned a trembling fist toward me. “You don’t deserve her.”
Mac licked blood from his lip. “I obviously don’t want her.”
His words were salt on my open wounds, ripping my heart to pieces. This was the guy I was supposed to be with forever. The same guy who’d saved me a dozen times. The guy who disobeyed the king and ran away to visit me when they separated us. The same guy who fought to keep us together despite the consequences. The same guy who swore to protect me at five years old.
But that was just it. This wasn’t the same guy no matter how much I wanted him to be. That guy was either gone or buried deep within him. I couldn’t and wouldn’t force him to be something he wasn’t. Mac didn’t like to be forced into things and the same was apparent for this new version of him.
Maybe he would get his memory back. Maybe he wouldn’t. Maybe he’d quit pushing me away or even fall in love with me again.
Maybe not.
But one thing was for sure. I was done being his pathetic, unwanted mate. I was still the princess whether or not he wanted me. We were already bonded.
I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and marched toward them, grabbing Demy by the shoulder. “Come on. Let’s go Demy.” I yanked my diamond engagement ring off and threw it at Mac’s chest, it bouncing violently on the floor. “I’m done. Do whatever the hell you want. You’ll find out who your real friends are.” My eyes flickered over to Sasha. “And your enemies.” It was mostly her parents I was thinking of, but clearly she was guilty by association or some kind of stupid pawn. “I just hope it won’t be too late.”
Mac couldn’t hide the shock from his expression. I guess he never expected me to dump him.