by Marian Tee
It was exactly 12:35pm, according to Varthan, when we got back to the hotel. I could feel people staring at us as he helped me back on my feet. I was a bit wobbly at first, having maintained the same position for hours.
“I can’t believe I fell asleep.” And despite my incredulity, a yawn escaped me.
“You were tired,” he said, guiding me past the entrance doors. “It is understandable.”
“You should be tired, too.”
“My kind is stronger.”
I told myself that was more reassuring than frightening. He’s on my side. I had to remember that. I looked around, blinking, and was satisfied by the amount of light that greeted me. Yup, this was just the right amount of brightness I remembered. “You didn’t get lost?”
“Draugar never get lost, woman.”
“Okaaaay.” I smiled at how affronted Varthan sounded. I still had a hard time seeing, but I remembered enough of the hotel’s layout to find my way to the elevators. When we stepped in, I could still feel people staring at us. I guess that shouldn’t surprise me. He was a zombie, after all. Sure, Varthan had a fancy European name for it, but still. A zombie is a zombie is a zombie. He probably wasn’t much to look at even in his human shape.
“This is an odd vehicle,” he remarked.
I waited till I sensed we were alone inside the elevator before demanding, “You’re not serious, are you?” I laughed. “Of course you’re not serious.” But he was a zombie. That was weird enough, so why wouldn’t everything else about him be just as weird? “Are you?”
“You are speaking things I do not understand again, woman.”
“It’s an elevator. You can’t be seriously telling me you’ve never used an elevator?”
“It had not been invented in my time. I was born in the 12th century---”
“No way.” So that was why he spoke like my world history professor!
“I do not understand.”
“So you’re almost a thousand years old?” I demanded.
“A thousand?” Varthan was silent. “I suppose so, if that much time has indeed passed. It is no doubt why I am astonished at how different things are.”
“You don’t look more than twenty-five,” I accused.
“Draugar do not age.”
Lucky zombie. I wanted to ask more questions, but we had reached my floor by then. “We’re definitely talking about that later,” I whispered fervently before taking hold of his hand and dragging him with me.
“Dazzle!” a voice shrieked, making Varthan tense.
“Relax. It’s my friend. Everyone here’s on our side, so no need to get defensive and go on zombie mode, okay?” More and more, I was feeling back to my normal self, the fear from last night’s events receding.
“Oh my God, you look awful!” Dana moaned, touching my face tentatively. “Did you get mugged? Oh my God, did you get---”
“I’m fine, Dana. I just had an, umm, accident. It’s a long story, I’ll tell you about it later.”
“You better tell Tony,” Dana warned, relaxing at my soothing voice. “He’s been freaking out ever since he found out you’ve gone AWOL last night. And who’s the---”
“Varthan? This is my friend Dana. Dana, meet Varthan.” I waited with bated breath for Dana to freak out.
She didn’t.
Maybe, maybe he really didn’t look as bad as last night.
I looked at Dana’s direction. “Could you keep him company while I get ready for rehearsals?”
“I can’t.” What a sweetie. She even managed to sound genuinely regretful at the prospect of losing Varthan’s company. “I can’t afford to be late. You know that.”
“Even better! Take him with you. Have him sit in the corner. I’ll meet up with you in thirty minutes, tops.”
“Are you sure?”
“You cannot leave my side, woman!” Varthan intruded, catching on.
“Relax. I’m safe here and I’ll be just as safe on my way there. I promise. Trust me. Besides, it’s broad daylight and I’ll have company with me. What can they do?”
“But you are blind.”
“I’m not. Almost. And I won’t be later. I’ve got contacts in my room so I’m going to have a fresh pair of eyes in minutes. I’ll take every precaution.”
“I do not approve of this decision of yours, woman.”
“Ooh,” Dana reacted, shamelessly eavesdropping. “Are you two in that kind of relationship now?”
“No,” I snapped, coloring. No offense to Varthan, but did Dana really think I’d fall that easily for someone I just met – human or not human? I had nothing against his zombie-ness or whatever. But I barely knew him and in my books, I had to know beyond a guy’s first name and non-human status before we started dating.
I focused on Varthan. “Just trust me this once, okay?” I knew it was like I was taking a risk with Dana’s life. There was always a chance he could turn into a carnivorous zombie. But somehow, I trusted him. Not completely, but enough to know that he wouldn’t eye my friend as brunch.
“I do not like this, woman. I have already made a compromise earlier---”
“Make this the last compromise you’ll agree to. Please?”
But Dana was already whisking him away.
The first thing I did in the privacy of my room was slap on the lenses. Then I screeched when I saw my reflection. My face was like a mosaic of blood and dirt, there were multi-colored bruises on my neck, and no amount of detergent could ever resuscitate my clothes. Bye-bye, favorite jacket. Bye-bye, frilly shirt. Bye-bye, Levis. But thank God my favorite Chucks were still okay.
I grabbed my phone from the desk and went online to Google Draugar. I hoped nothing sensible would come up, but deep down inside I knew better. And when I saw how even freaking Wikipedia had a page on them, I knew I was knocking my head against the wall.
I opened multiple tabs and skimmed the pages, feeling worse and worse with every tidbit of information I accessed. The word ‘zombie’ crept up more times than I wanted. They also said Draugar was a myth. But I knew better, too.
****
Varthan had gone, Dana told me when I reached rehearsals and got through Tony’s twenty-minute ranting. I didn’t say a word in protest, knowing he was more concerned than angry.
“He says he wants to acalimate or something like that,” Dana explained. She was one of the best girl hip-hop dancers in the world, but she had zero interest in building her vocabulary to adult level.
“Acclimate,” I corrected absently. If Varthan the Zombie was really almost a thousand years old, I couldn’t blame him for wanting a more up close and personal understanding of the 21st century. I just hoped he was researching for entertainment and not so he could build a zombie army and take over the city.
“Anyway, he says he’ll meet you backstage. I pulled in some favors and got a pass for him.” She turned to me, eyes wide with admiration. “How did you hook up with someone that hot, Dazzle?”
I gave her a weird look. “You could drop the act, you know.”
She tossed her carrot-colored hair over her shoulder. “It’s not an act. I’m loyal to Bryce, of course, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have fun looking.”
Oh, yeah, Bryce. That cleared up things for me and I laughed. “Fine. I won’t tell Bryce so you can look your fill.” Bryce was Dana’s long-term boyfriend. He was a breaker like me, hot on the dance floor, shy off it, and a bit on the plain side.
Dana, on the other hand, was eye-catching whether she was making the moves or not. If she could be attracted to someone like Bryce, maybe a zombie like Varthan had a chance.
There wasn’t much time to chat. It was the final rehearsals for the last leg of Hailey Vine’s European tour. Everyone wanted to finish things with a bang. But most of all, we wanted to go home. The past six months had been fun, but it would be nice to be back on American soil.
At 8pm, the concert officially began. I was slated for the second song. I took my time primping, knowing from experience how hars
h the audience could be. You could be doing headstands and windmills and they’d still notice if you were wearing the wrong mascara.
My hair, long, black, and straight, had been twisted into wild curls for tonight’s gig. My makeup made the most of my green eyes and full lips; it also effectively concealed the bruises on my neck, arms, and legs. I wore a black leather brassiere, skimpy boy shorts, and knee-high boots. All I needed was a whip and I could have posed for a porn magazine.
“Oh my God!” Dana squealed as she ran out of the stage, flushed with excitement. She wore a different costume: a white figure hugging one-piece suit unbuttoned nearly to her waist that showed more than a hint of her red glittery bra.
“What is it?” I asked, catching hold of her so she would stop jumping around like an Energizer rabbit.
“Varthan’s in the first row! He’s changed his clothes and---” She pretended to fan herself. “Hot. Really hot. He’s drawn almost as much stares as Hailey has, believe me.”
Hot. Zombie. It just didn’t make sense.
Dana seemed to notice my amazement and she shook her head. “What’s wrong with you? You don’t think he’s hot?”
“I…guess we have different tastes in guys.” Like, mine made sense and hers...didn’t?
She sniffed. “I don’t understand why you’re not gushing over him.” Her eyes narrowed. “Unless you’ve got a thing with Qui---”
I hastily covered her mouth, fearful of someone overhearing. “I told you not to talk about that,” I hissed. And that was six-foot-one, dark-haired, brown-eyed, with a killer smile. His name was Quinn Chase, awarded World’s Best Hip-Hop Male Dancer last year, and my long-time (secret) crush.
Dana pulled my hand away and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.”
I heard my cue and gave her one last warning look. “Remember: no talking about that. Don’t even think about his name.”
Chapter Four
The first time I had performed live with this kind of crowd was in Berlin; that had been five and a half months ago, and it was the first leg of Hailey’s concert. I had come a long way since then. Sure, I was still nervous, but now I got to enjoy the experience, too. There was just something enlivening when you were dancing your heart out and thousands of people were cheering you on.
Well, okay, they were really cheering for Hailey, but I was sure they noticed us, too.
I hit the last step of our set then struck a pose while the b-boys strutted their stuff. Remembering Dana’s words, I scanned the crowd for Varthan but couldn’t find anyone familiar. Then again, it was hard to see against all those blazing lights.
The concert lasted for two hours and afterwards, the backstage was filled with cheers. Champagne and booze flowed endlessly and everyone was exchanging hugs and kisses, some more than that. I hugged my fellow breakdancers, tears stinging my eyes because this had been my first official job as a professional dancer. I was glad I had made it to the end without any major blunders.
“Dazzle.”
Mmm…that sounded familiar. I turned, searching the crowd.
“Dazzle.” Exasperated this time. “I’m right here, woman.”
No freaking way!
My gaze went back, slowly this time. I stilled. Gulped. Stared.
He was tall – I always knew that, but he seemed even taller and more powerful now that I had seen how, umm, buffed he was. Seriously – he made the B-boys I hung out with – and they were ripped, too – look emasculated. His to-die-for Armani suit covered him from head to toe, but it was such an amazing fit it only made him look hotter.
My eyes lifted to his face. Lilac eyes. How was that possible? And golden blond hair, thick, shiny, the kind that made him glow like an angel under the glittering lights of the concert venue.
“Varthan?” I just had to be sure it was him.
He smirked but his voice was gently chiding when he spoke. “I did tell you what you saw was not my original form, did I not?”
Showoff. That was what I wanted to say but couldn’t because my throat still wasn’t working properly. Hawt. Hawt, hawt, hawt! I had never been tempted to make out with a guy – any guy – before, but Varthan was just so hot he made me want to haul him to the nearest broom closet and finally get a taste of that unique kind of pleasure only sex is supposedly capable of giving.
He nodded towards the stage. “I have watched you perform.” His gaze traveled over my appearance and I tried not to fidget when he lingered on the parts where I exposed more skin than was normal.
I had a feeling he was waiting for me to speak.
Well, he could wait forever.
Who knew zombies could be this hot?
“Dazzle?”
“Yeah?” I mumbled, my gaze skittering away from his. A zombie. He had been a freaking zombie. And now he looked more than hot enough to give Prince William a run for his money. If this was the work of cosmetic surgery, I was going to sell my soul right this minute and turn myself into Blake Lively.
He bent forward.
My breath caught. Was he going to kiss me?
He patted my head with an approving smile.
Oh.
“You have done well, woman. Congratulations.”
I was not disappointed. I was not. “Umm, thank you.”
His smile vanished and his tone became serious. “You have done your job. I have done what I have promised. Now, it is your turn.” His lilac eyes had a teasing light to it when he offered his hand and said, “We must leave for Zombie Island.”
I blinked. “But I have to go home. My stepmom---”
“We can do that after. Your life is still in danger and the only way to save it is for us to go to where the Goddess lives.”
****
“Woman.” Varthan was exasperated. “It is still me.” We sat across each other, the only passengers of a private jet belonging to Elsine Corporation.
Varthan had acclimated all right, and he had done it with panache.
“I know.” I squirmed in my seat and restlessly played with my seatbelt, pulling then letting it snap back and doing it over and over. He was right, of course. He was still the same. I shouldn’t be tongue-tied, but I was. I knew it was shallow of me, but I couldn’t help it. Talking to a zombie? It made my heart go wild with fear. Talking to a zombie who turned out to be a gorgeous god? My heart still went wild, but for a very different reason.
“You must be comfortable with me,” he commanded.
That made me smile. Did he think he only had to issue a command and it would be done? “I’m trying,” I told him honestly. “But it’s not something you can just order and expect to happen.” I changed the subject hurriedly before he could ask me why I couldn’t be comfortable with him. “Tell me more about yourself. You were born in the 12th century, right? What was your life like back then? When you were human, I mean.”
“I was a warrior.”
He said it so simply it made me want to smile. No modern Joe could call himself a warrior these days. Soldier, killer, secret agent, sure. But a warrior? Not even Rambo could say that with a straight face. “What kind of warrior? Like a knight? A crusader? Or---” What was the polite term for mercenary anyway?
“I am from Scandinavia,” he said like that explained it all.
And because I was a nerd, it actually did. “A Viking,” I breathed, impressed to death.
He rolled his eyes. “It is nothing out of the ordinary, woman.”
“Dazzle.”
“Skat.”
“That’s even worse.” I was unable to control my blush. If someone as good-looking as Varthan called you ‘treasure’, you’d blush, too. I changed the subject again. “What’s being a Draugar like? I know you’re immortal, you turn into a zombie, you’re super strong and all…anything else I have to know?”
I considered him thoughtfully. “Better yet, maybe you could tell me how a human being turns into a Draugar. You told me something about the Goddess making a choice, right?”
“You have an excellent memory, skat.
”
“Just one of my extraordinary abilities as a nerd,” I quipped.
He shook his head. “You are more than that.”
That shocked me. “A few hours ago, you didn’t know what an elevator was and now, you know what a nerd is?”
“I, too, have an extraordinary, nerdy ability of assimilating facts.”
I made a face. “Very funny.”
“Would it be easier for you to believe me if I told you I was able to understand your world by spending half the day watching 90210, Survivor, and The Simpsons?”