by J. D. Brown
I shrugged. “I get it; no hurting the humans, no feeding from the source, no using our powers out in the open, etcetera.”
No doing what Jalmari and Leena did to me.
I cradled my chin in my palms and pouted. Everything about being a vampyre seemed hypocritical.
Jesu slid his fingers over my shoulder. My breath hitched as the lust came reeling back.
“Hey,” he said. “Would you like to go for a swim?”
I slowly pulled away from his touch and tried to stay calm. “Do we have swimming suits?”
“There might be a pair in our closets.”
“Let’s find out.” I stood and went to my room, glad to put some distance between us. Sure enough, some rummaging around in the drawers uncovered a tiny baby-pink bikini. I cringed and thought of stuffing it in the wastebasket.
Who’s the sexist that picked my wardrobe?
“Looks like we do,” Jesu yelled from his room.
I groaned and debated telling him I didn’t know how to swim, but he’d probably insist on teaching me, and then I’d make a bigger idiot of myself for lying. Sighing, I went to the bathroom and searched the cabinets until I found a razor. I quickly shaved my legs and underarms, and then changed into the bikini, all while avoiding my reflection in the Hollywood dressing room sized mirror.
I pivoted into the room and snatched a plain white skirt and a blue flower print tank top, and yanked them over the bikini. I dared a quick glance in the mirror and tried not to be mortified. The girly clothes, paired with my petite stature, made me look like I was thirteen.
Whatever, we’re just going for a swim. The exercise might do some good.
I grabbed a towel and then exited the room, closing the sliding panel behind me. Jesu waited by the suite door, sporting a pair of red trunks and a black T-shirt.
So not fair.
We walked in silence along the hall to the elevator and descended to the third floor. As the doors slid open, an atomic mushroom cloud of chlorine assaulted my nasal cavity. Gasping, I stumbled backward until my spine hit the elevator wall. My hands gripped at my chest and my eyes burned as I desperately tried to suck in oxygen.
“Breathe through your mouth.” Jesu kept a finger pressed against the elevator button to hold the doors open while I composed myself.
“Is it even safe to swim in that much chlorine?” I protested.
“It smells worse than it is.” Jesu placed a hand on the small of my back and led me forward, down the hall, to a wooden door with a glass windowpane. The word schwimmbad was stenciled across the glass in block letters.
A single glance through the window proved the pool room was empty. The door was unlocked and we let ourselves in. Like the rest of the hotel, only a few soft tea lights embedded in the high ceiling lit the dim room with a hazy glow. The large swimming pool sat nestled in the center of the room with a low diving board over the far end. The crystalline liquid sloshed lazily against the edges. Gold ribbons of light reflected off the water’s surface and glittered elegantly across the blue walls, flowing as the tiny waves rose and fell like a living pulse.
Jesu’s movement broke my trance as he went to one of the plastic lounge chairs and set his towel on it. He crossed his arms over his chest and pulled his shirt over his head. My breath hitched at the sight of his lean back muscles flexing, pulling his pale blue skin taut over his spine, curving down into the mounds hidden under his shorts. I glanced away and mentally checked myself. I was certain the bloodlust was gone by now, the chlorine having burned through the last of it.
I watched from the corner of my vision as he walked to the edge of the pool and stepped one foot onto the water’s surface. The lapping waves froze solid under his bare toes and heel. He continued to walk out to the center of the pool, his frozen steps instantly melting behind him. I scoffed and placed my hands on my hips.
“Don’t tell me you’re not going to get in the water.”
He faced me and grinned. “I will eventually. Join me.”
Heat rose to my cheeks and I glanced at the floor. I still didn’t want to be seen in the bikini, but that’s stupid, right? Jesu’s seen me in my underwear a few times, and it was quite possible he’d seen me naked too, even though he’d sworn he hadn’t. I inhaled a deep breath and slid the skirt down my hips, then pulled off the tank top. My feet crept to the edge of the pool and then stopped. A sly smile twisted my lips as I floated over the water’s surface and joined Jesu in the middle.
He chuckled. “I did not think you would do it.”
“You’re not the only one with tricks,” I teased.
His sideways smile looked bashful as he glanced at my hands and then wrapped his fingers around mine. Before I could ask, he lifted my hands and draped them against his shoulders. His palms came to rest on my waist and he pulled me gently to the right, in a small circle.
I laughed. “We’re dancing?”
His grin dimpled his cheek. “Yes.”
“There’s no music.”
“So?”
I couldn’t argue. Nor did I want to. We twirled across the water’s surface, his feet making soft pitter-patters as mine silently hovered just above. The ribbons of golden light shimmered across the planes of Jesu’s chest, wrapped around his biceps, and sparkled across his deep green eyes. His muscles flexed under my palms as he led me toward the end of the pool, near the diving board, then around to the other end.
It was easy to let my troubles melt away in this fantasy room, surrounded by liquid blue darkness and glittering gold, dancing over water as if in a dream. A serene fog numbed my mind and I rested my head against Jesu’s chest, facing his neck so I could inhale the sweetened scent of him instead of the chlorine.
His hands adjusted to the increased closeness of our bodies by sliding a little tighter around my waist. As if by reflex, my own hands gripped his shoulders a little harder. His even breath and rhythmic pulse played against my ear, and I could swear his heart thumped at the exact same moment as the water sloshed at my toes. Even my own pulse seemed to adjust to the calming vibrations of the room.
It’s like we’re one.
“Ema?” Jesu’s raspy tone carried a trace of hesitation. “Are you still under the effects of the blood?”
I blinked, taken aback by his question, and considered it. But I wasn’t fidgety or wanting to kill anyone. “No… why?”
“No reason.”
We continued to dance, but I couldn’t focus. Why would he ask about the bloodlust? Did I do something wrong? I mentally ran through all the movements I’d made. Maybe he was timing me to see how long the effects lasted? Maybe he was taking notes for training purposes. It wasn’t until I lifted my head to glance at him that I realized we’d stopped dancing a moment ago. We stood over the center of the pool, exactly where we began, holding each other.
His gaze locked on mine. I opened my mouth to ask what we were doing, but my breath caught as his hand came to rest on my cheek. He wet his lips and leaned forward until his nose brushed against mine. His mouth hesitated just over my lips, our breath pooling together. My muscles tensed as realization struck. Suddenly, every bone in my body felt like lead and I dropped like an anvil into the water.
Chlorine filled my lungs as the swimming pool swallowed me whole. Instinct kicked my legs, but I was too disoriented to tell which way the surface was. A pair of strong arms wrapped around my middle, yanked me through the water, and flung me over the tiled edge. I rolled away from the pool and coughed up what tasted like cigarette ashes and bleach. My lungs burned as they desperately gasped for air in between sputters.
“Are you all right?” Jesu asked.
I nodded, still trying to heave in oxygen. He helped me sit up and then peeled strands of drenched hair away from my face.
“Sorry I did not catch you. You seemed to be doing fine flying on your own.”
I could only stare at him in disbelief. Droplets fell from the tips of his black eyelashes and ran along his angular cheeks to the corners o
f his lips.
“Jesu, did you… were you about to kiss me?”
The pale blue undertones of his complexion brightened and he glanced at his lap. “Ah… yes.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “I wanted to.”
“But, why?”
He faced me and his cheek dimpled in a small smile. “I think it is obvious.”
I glanced around, making sure we were still the only ones in the room. “We can’t be together like that, Jesu.”
His smile fell. “Why not?”
“You know why not.”
He chewed his lip and then ran a hand over his hair and sighed. “Humor me.”
My gaze narrowed. He knew exactly why not, why did he have to hear me say it? My voice lowered to a whisper. “We’re related.”
He chuckled. “Not really.”
My brow arched. “Oh?”
“We share one ancestor.” He shrugged. “No big deal.”
“He’s your father! I’m practically your niece.”
Jesu rolled his eyes. “Ema, you are hardly my niece. There are at least twenty generations between us.”
“Yet I still turned into a vampyre, didn’t I?”
He shook his head. “That gene came from your father, who is not related to my father.”
“My mother’s genes sure helped. All my powers come from European clans.” I was shouting. I bit my lip to stop. I didn’t understand why we were arguing about this. Jesu was the one who told me I was related to Apollyon in the first place—that made us family. I wasn’t thrilled about it either. I had made a complete ass of myself, throwing myself at Jesu every time the bloodlust overcame me, but he had always warded me off.
So what the heck made it different now? A dance around a swimming pool? No, nothing would make it different. Like it or not, we shared DNA. I hugged my knees to my chest. “I’m sorry, Jesu, but we just… can’t.”
He was still for a long moment, then he scooted over to the edge of the pool and slid into the water. Splashing followed as he swam to the deep end and then started swimming width-wise in short fast laps.
Well I’m not going to sit here and feel sorry for myself.
I went to the folding chair and pulled on my clothes. Then I took one of the keycards from Jesu’s shirt pocket and marched out the door.
Chapter 3
I tapped my toes impatiently while waiting for the elevator. It finally dinged and the doors slid open, bringing me face to face with a young vampire waiting to get off. She looked eighteen years old, but stood two inches taller than me in chunky black biker boots, forest green capris pants, and a leather vest with the zipper pulled up only halfway; displaying plenty of ample cleavage with no sign of a bra.
Her brow arched in regard to my staring. I managed to shut my jaw as she stepped out of the elevator, her waist-length hair flowing in her wake. She looked me up and down, then spoke in a soft French accent.
“You must be Prince Jesu’s guest.”
“How… how do you know?”
She tapped a manicured fingernail against a small golden dragon ring pinned to her vest.
“Oh, you work here.”
She nodded as she circled me. Her gaze came around again, and she studied my face. My shoulders hunched forward and I scowled. You made your point, lady. Staring is rude.
“Well… nice meeting you.” I stepped around her and pressed the elevator button again, cursing myself for not boarding when I had the chance.
“I’ve met you before.”
The unexpected statement spurred me to spin around and face her. “What?”
“Where have I seen you?”
I looked her up and down. There was something exotic in her angular features and bowtie lips. Her almond-shaped eyes looked a few shades closer to rust-orange than gold. It was silly to think I might have known her. She was undoubtedly a vampire given the pallor of her skin, the unreal color of her irises, and the scent of predator wafting from every pore on her body. I didn’t need to see her fangs. I doubted she was really eighteen, too.
“No.” I shook my head. “You must have me confused with someone else.”
Her eyes widened and a thought flashed across her features. “Hmm.”
I faced the elevator. Open up already.
“I am a vampire trainer. I can help you.”
My brow quirked, but I kept my gaze locked on the steel double doors. “I know you’re a vampire.”
She scoffed. “I mean that I train vampires… to fight.”
My breath caught. How could she know I needed that kind of help? “I’m all right, thank you.”
“Bien sûr,” she nodded, “Of course. But, if you change your mind, class starts at nine o’clock in zee gymnasium below the lobby.”
The elevator opened. I stepped inside and quickly pressed button number seven, careful to avoid her gaze as I did so. I didn’t relax until the doors shut and the structure lifted. Something about that girl gave me goose bumps. In a way, I was glad for the distraction. I wasn’t as ruffled as I’d been after Jesu’s little scene, and I certainly didn’t want to think about what it meant just yet. So instead, I entertained the idea of training with the teenage vampire. I could really use the professional help.
Back in the suite, I tossed the keycard on the counter and then searched the bathroom until I found some hotel brand shampoo, conditioner, and a bar of soap. I sat all three on the edge of the bathtub. I started the faucet and plugged the drain, stripped, and then dipped my feet into the rising water. I realized from my slip in the swimming pool that my body was still too numb to gauge temperature, but I still had the memory of taking a hot relaxing bath. I phased my toes. A plume of black smoke appeared under the water, where my toes were a second ago.
Lukewarm.
I sighed, knowing it didn’t matter, and unphased my toes. I washed and rinsed myself, then wrapped a clean terry cloth towel around my torso. Even though I couldn’t feel the sensation of heat or water, the scent of jasmine and aloe was enough to calm my nerves and bring a smile to my face.
Much better than smelling like chlorine.
Yet my high spirits were thwarted by the skirts and rows of flower print in the closet. Groaning, I settled on a red camisole and a black mini skirt with tiny roses. At least the colors were dark, but I wasn’t about to take much more of this. I hung the towel over a bed post then picked up the telephone. My finger hovered over the keypad, not sure how to dial the lobby. After a moment, the dial tone turned into a ring and Kirstin the receptionist answered.
“Hi Kirstin, this is Ema from room seven-fourteen. Can I possibly order some clothes and a pair of sneakers?”
“Of course, vat kind would you like?”
I wasn’t sure if they had American brands in Berlin, so I figured I had better be descriptive. “Boot-cut blue jeans size four, plain cotton T-shirts in any color except pink in medium, and black canvas sneakers size seven.”
I could hear the scratch of pencil against paper on the other end, followed by a moment of hesitation. “Do you know vat European sizes you are?”
“Ah, no sorry. I’m not familiar with European sizes.”
“Dat is all right, I vill have dee clerk convert dee sizes.”
“Thank you.” I placed the phone back in the cradle. At the same time, the suite door rattled and then swung opened. I quickly went to my bedroom door and slid the Oriental pane open. Chlorine scent wrinkled my nose as Jesu entered the hall, leaving a trail of little puddles behind him. He kept his head bowed as he marched straight into his room and then slammed the panel shut.
I winced. Did my rejection hurt him that badly? It was easy to forget Jesu’s age. Laws against incest weren’t really enforced until the nineteenth century and European royalty was especially used to marrying their cousins to keep the crown in the family. I cringed at the thought. I couldn’t date an uncle, even if Jesu didn’t really feel like my uncle. Heck, he didn’t even feel like a step-uncle. How could he? We’d only met a few
months ago, under very unconventional terms. Still, being anything more than friends was too complicated. I just hoped it wouldn’t be awkward between us. I needed his help, and right now I needed to ask him about the vampire trainer.
Pipes moaned softly overhead as a spray of water hit a hard surface and I realized that Jesu was taking a shower. In my mind’s eye, I saw every bead of water explode on contact over his sculpted shoulders, running the length of his chest, and falling from his washboard abs—just like they had after he’d pulled me out of the swimming pool.
Damn it.
Thanks to enhanced vampyre vision, that image committed itself to my memory. I shook myself and then glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand. It read 7:45, plenty of time to go for a walk and talk to Jesu later, when he was dressed.
I went to the kitchen, grabbed my keycard, and left. My hand hovered over the buttons in the elevator, not sure where I wanted to go. Finally, I decided to head to the lobby to ask Kirstin when I could expect my order.
Moments later, the elevator doors slid open and a salty metallic scent shot through the air. My senses kicked into ultra-high gear. Every fiber of my being tingled to life and I shuddered in longing. A single thought sliced through the forefront of my mind. Human blood.
A girl, about ten years old, sat behind the large reception desk, kicking her legs to the beat pouring from her earphones. Delicate hands gripped the edge of the desk and she spun herself around in the leather chair. Her golden hair spread like a fan in the air, and another wave of her scent hit me. I inhaled deeply. My eyelids fluttered and my fingers arched. I exhaled, my whole body trembling with the need to taste this little creature’s life.
In a blink, I stood in front of her, behind the desk. She gasped as little hands slapped over her mouth. I reached out and took a lock of her hair between my fingers. She smelled like baby powder and flesh—and something else, something faintly predatory buried deep within her veins, but still present. I wrinkled my nose.
“Mama!”
Kirstin poked her head from around the corner of the opposite hall. When she noticed me, she ran in a flash to the girl’s side and yanked her out of the chair. She positioned herself in front of the girl and sneered. “May I help you?”