by Myers, J. L.
Somehow able to move again, I averted my eyes. But it was already too late. I could hear the heavy steps of hunting boots closing in on me. A hard lump crawled up my throat and my heart-rate increased. The potency of his fiery scent soared. It invaded my lungs and made my mouth water. He was close, way too close. With a throat-constricting gulp, I tried and failed to force my lust for his blood back down. Then I blinked up to meet his curious gaze.
“Hi. You’re new.” His tone was steady, maybe even friendly. Yet there was visible conflict in his eyes.
“Uh huh,” I replied, as a telltale tingle ran along my gums. No, please. Not now. I could practically taste the hot sweetness of his blood on my tongue and hear the irregular beat of his strong pulse. A sequence of events flashed manically through my mind. I saw myself leaping over the desk in one swift move and sinking my now fully extended fangs into his neck. Control yourself! I pinned my lips together, concealing my fangs. My nails dug into the cushioned seat, acting as an anchor to stop me from acting out the deadly fantasy still reeling through my mind. For a second I longed for the nasal tube stashed back in the car.
“I’m Ty Malau,” he said, iridescent eyes narrowing at me.
Uncomfortable silence thickened the air as he watched me, waiting for a polite introduction. It was clear he had no plan to let me be until I spoke. So I looked away, covering my fanged mouth with one hand. Through my barricading fingers, I managed to croak out, “Amelia Athobry-Lamont.”
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Amelia,” Ty said.
My eyes shot back to his smiling face. Finally? There hadn’t been any kind of emphasis on the word, but something about it, or maybe even the sentence he’d used it in, bothered me. Was I reading too much into this? Something about him seemed so inexplicably familiar. But for the life of me, I couldn’t place him.
Ty motioned to the spare seat beside me with a scarred hand. “Mind if I sit?”
My tongue floated in a pool of expectant saliva and my hands began to tremble. They were still clutching the cushioned chair for dear life. The threat of release was growing. Please, just leave me alone. I knew if he didn’t walk away soon, I would lose all control. Ty shifted his weight from one leg to the other. I could almost feel the growth of anxiety rippling in waves off his body. Shit! I mentally slapped myself. I’m staring at him like he’s something to eat. Look away, dammit! With great strain, I forced my eyes away from his perfectly symmetrical features, and down onto my iPod, wishing again for Kendrick.
A quiet grunt emerged from Ty’s throat. “Never mind….”
His retreat to the other side of the classroom dulled the overwhelming punch of his blood. With his scent around me fading and my fangs retracting, I allowed my lungs to breathe again. The short, testing breaths relieved some of the involuntary reactions to his proximity. I could still smell his blood, as well as the other students. But I took a sliver of comfort from the fact that I had managed to control myself, just enough not to turn this room into a bloody massacre…yet.
The classroom chatter had resumed. It seemed almost everyone had been watching Ty and me with bated breath, and now it was all they could talk about.
I plugged my earbuds back in and dropped my head against my bag. My eyes squeezed shut. “You’ll be fine,” Dorian had promised. A silent laugh vibrated my chest. Yeah right!
~
The remainder of the morning, with constant and at times agonizing restraint, had so far passed without any bloodshed. Every moment around humans, I felt on the precipice of crumbling. Always, the sinister plotting of how to take one of them down without repercussion played at my thoughts. Reprieve seemed unattainable, until my first double art class before lunch.
The art center was a separate and small building. It was located down a quiet path shrouded by a thicket of sassafras trees, and isolated from the main building. Its seclusion and smaller class headcount disturbed me. There’d be fewer witnesses if I lost it, less mess to clean up. It would take more control than I thought I could muster, to keep my mind from planning someone’s bloody demise.
Preparing for a doubled forty-five minute game of ‘ignore and don’t kill’, I walked stiffly through the open door into class. A girl with pixie-like features and sleek fiery-red hair bopped in front of me. My mouth clamped shut, holding my breath.
The girl’s face beamed as she swayed on her much-too-high-for-school stiletto heels. “Hi, you must be Amelia. I’m Vanessa.”
Her bubbly personality floored me. So far she was the only person—apart from the mysterious and tempting Ty—to introduce herself to me. The memory of him tugged at me from within, our entire interaction imprinted on my mind. I could remember every detail of his appearance and the few words he’d said to me. Still, I was no closer to placing him.
Now this girl was watching me, waiting on a reply while I stood reminiscing. “Uh, hi,” I said with caution.
Vanessa motioned to the back of the classroom, where two vacant easels waited. They were the only two left available. “Come on, I saved you a seat.”
With a smile, she turned and led the way past the other students already seated. A broad beam of warm sunlight streamed through the wall, made entirely of glass panels. The light encompassed the two vacant easels and a single paint rack positioned between them. Not nearly a good enough barrier to separate her from me.
The sun’s rays cast a distinct line across the polished cement floor. I paused at its edge, staring blankly past Vanessa and into the lush fernery beyond the glass. Sunlight was supposed to burn vampires. Well, all turned vampires, from what I had been told.
Yesterday I even witnessed it. I had been in the front passenger seat of Mom’s Mercedes SUV, bewildered by the huge mansion before us. The day was overcast, wind-blown clouds sheltering what should have been a pastel-blue sky. Mom slid from the car while Dorian and I stared. Was this monstrous structure really our new home?
Then the clouds shifted. A sizzling and gag-worthy stink of burning flesh reached us. Mom swore—something she rarely did—and dove into the back seat, tugging the door shut behind her. The UV resistant tint provided refuge from the sun’s escaping rays.
“Mom!” I cried, twisting in my seat. “Are you okay?”
Dorian’s arm shot out, collecting her hand and pulling it forward. “Shit!”
A bubbling welt of scorched flesh covered her forearm. “Language, Dorian,” Mom chastised. “And I’ll be fine.” She pulled her hand from Dorian’s. Instantly the redness began to soothe, the bubbled skin smoothing until her arm was totally unblemished.
I turned back to the dashboard, dropping my head into my hands. “Tell me again,” I said, hating the quake of my voice. “Tell me how you’re affected by the sun, when we’re not?”
Mom had gone over this subject many times at the cabin, but I was still unsettled by her explanation. The story just didn’t add up.
Mom flattened her blouse and sighed. “I was turned as an adult. However, it seems the circumstances in which you were both infected has provided immunity.” She edged forward, her posture straight as she rested a firm hand on each of our shoulders. “Now, this is the last time I will repeat myself.”
Back in the classroom, Vanessa had taken her spot and was waiting, watching me with a mixture of what looked like impatience and anticipation.
Shaking the memory from my mind, I stepped into the light. The curve in Vanessa’s smile twitched, her piercing blue eyes blinking.
“Welcome, Amelia.” The sudden voice caused Vanessa to jump, knocking her knee against the paint rack. A thin woman in paint-spattered overalls and a paintbrush holding her hair back in a bun, stood at the front of the classroom. “I’m Mrs. Ruby.” She looked to Vanessa. “Vanessa, would you please explain the project options to Amelia?”
Vanessa nodded, shifting her eyes back to me. Her face was painted with a perfect and what I thought was a faked smile. There goes my paranoia, again.
“So, we have two options,” she said. “Create
a portrait of what we see ourselves becoming in ten years, or reveal our hidden selves. The side we keep secret from the world.”
The image of me devouring a blood-baggie that morning, with greedy drops of crimson escaping the corner of my mouth, intruded on my thoughts. Not pretty. Bile threatened to rise up at the back of my throat. I swallowed in an attempt to push it back down. Then I grasped a tube of paint from the rack to mask my discomfort. “Sounds interesting…”
Vanessa leaned closer, eyes sparkling. “So, what do you see yourself becoming in ten years?”
I clung tighter to the paint tube. The lid popped and a squirt of green shot at the ground. A murderer, I thought. Though I doubted ten years would pass before I did finally lose control. “Um…” Needing to evade her watching eyes, I snatched paper towel from the rack to clean up the mess. I searched my mind for a normal response, before hesitating and coming up blank. “I really don’t know.”
Vanessa crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, what about the second option? Got any deep dark secrets I should know about?”
Yes. I’m a vampire and drink blood, I thought, but had the better sense to respond with. “Nope… What about you?”
I attempted to keep my voice level, even though I was lying through my teeth. Teeth? I did a double take, running my tongue over my teeth. They were completely level and human. My fangs aren’t extended? And that’s when it hit me, or should I say, didn’t hit me. I couldn’t scent her blood.
My eyes shot up to Vanessa, who shrugged. “Well, I am kinda a fashion Nazi, which sucks for me. Unlike almost every kid at this school, I’m on a scholarship. Even with a part-time job I’m reduced to shopping online.”
“Where do you work?” I looked her over while sniffing the air. Diamanté-studded stretch jeans and a fitted, red-leather jacket. No scent.
“Nowhere, really. It’s more of an errand-based gig.” As I kept staring, a frown pinched Vanessa’s brow. “What?” A look of horror transformed her expression. “Oh my God, don’t tell me I have body odor!”
Wiping the primal look from my face, I shook my head. “No. Sorry.” I held up my hand that still clung to the paper towel smeared with green paint. “It’s the paints,” I said, drilling my brain for a normal excuse. “They, uh…smell the same as the ones from our old school. Kind of like toe-jams and toothpaste.”
“Oh, good,” she said, voice hesitant, “as long as you can’t smell me.”
Forcing a smile, I began squeezing different paints onto a pallet. I should have been figuring out what I planned on painting. I should have been doing anything and everything to appear normal. But my mind was elsewhere. Yes, I felt relieved to have met someone I didn’t want to drain, to drink from until they were lifeless in my arms. Still I couldn’t get my head around her lack of scent. Who was this girl?
“Hey,” Vanessa said, breaking my train of thought. “What’s your mobile number?” When I frowned, wondering why on earth she’d want my number, she said, “You do have one, don’t you? I mean next to lip gloss, it’s the one accessory a girl can’t live without.”
Puzzled, and trying not to stare at her heavily-glossed lips, I pulled my iPhone from my jeans and handed it over. It was personalized with a Three Days Grace case.
Vanessa snatched the phone and dialed from it. Then she pulled her own mobile, sporting a cover speckled with diamantes, from her jacket pocket. It chimed and her fingers glided over the glass screen. “All done,” she said handing mine back. “I texted you my number too.”
“Oh, thanks.” The phone chimed and I stuffed it back into my pocket. The interaction left me feeling even more confused. She’s just being friendly, I tried to convince myself. But my suspicion didn’t agree.
After that I stared at my blank canvas for what felt like forever. I was trying to force myself to think about the project, but my mind kept wondering about the unusual girl sitting beside me. When the bell rang, I realized my efforts had been useless. I had spent the entire class staring at my canvas and tapping a dry paintbrush against my thigh.
Vanessa rose to her feet and looked down at me. “Got any plans for lunch?”
“Uh, no,” I replied. Where she was going with this?
“Great! You can sit with us.”
Eat in a cafeteria full of humans? Yeah, that’ll end well. “I can’t,” I said quickly, thinking up a lie. “Math quiz tomorrow. I need to study.”
“Study can wait.” Vanessa strung her arm through mine and yanked me forward. “Besides, I’m not taking no for an answer. Oh and don’t worry, my friends don’t bite,” she said flashing me a wicked grin, “unless provoked.”
CHAPTER FOUR
“This is a bad idea,” I mumbled, low enough that no one would hear.
The cafeteria was packed with warm-blooded students, totally unaware of the living monster walking amongst them. They smelt so damn delicious. I thought of the opaque bottle filled with blood and hidden inside my locker, and groaned. Vanessa led the way to the buffet line. As we neared I almost sighed. The smells of hot and cold food muddied their human blood.
Once our trays were filled, I followed after Vanessa. The scent of food declined while the punch of their blood soared. My hands clung to the flimsy plastic for dear life. She headed for the back wall of the long hall, which was entirely made of glass panels. The transparent barrier offered a scenic view of the almost empty courtyard. Frosty wind brewed beyond the glass, billowing through the barrier of greenery. The space was decked out with just a few park benches. They were all unoccupied, except for one. Dorian sat in jeans and a hooded sweater. He was waiting for me after my pleas in Math that morning for a human-free lunch zone. But he wasn’t alone. Cindy—at least I think that was her name—from Math class was standing by the bench, tugging her cardigan tighter around her. She was smiling that I’m so into you, please ask me out, smile. Clearly Dorian hadn’t wasted any time.
Despite his company, I desperately wanted to go to him, or to at least motion him inside for backup. Except his head was turned to Cindy, resting against his hand with his fingers raked through his hair. Turn around, dammit! In a matter of seconds I’d be introduced to Vanessa’s friends and be expected to eat with them. I needed him here, not out there chatting up his first soon-to-be ex-girlfriend. With his quick reflexes, only he could restrain me if did turn from Jekyll to Hyde.
Dorian’s attention remained unwavering, and too soon we were closing in on a table where a lone boy in a black leather jacket waited. The boy’s head was dropped, satin-black hair obscuring his features. For a second, I almost felt relieved that I would only have to contend with one other human. Vanessa, though I didn’t understand it, wasn’t a temptation. So refraining from killing just one of them didn’t seem completely impossible.
As we neared the boy, my relief vanished, faster than a vacuum sucking up smoke. The potent smell of his blood hit me like a semi. The scent, so fiery, was one I could not ignore or confuse. My breath caught in my throat and my heart began beating wildly beneath my ribs.
Ty cocked his head to the side. His eyebrows rose as Vanessa dumped her tray beside him. “You brought company?” He didn’t sound impressed by any means, though he didn’t sound entirely displeased, either.
Vanessa flicked her red tresses over her shoulder and dropped into the seat beside him. “You’re welcome.” Without further word or gesture, she began digging into her risotto.
Ty’s eyes traveled from her to me, where I stood frozen in shock by the smell of his mouth-watering blood. “So,” he said, a calculated smile curving his full lips. “Are you going to sit, or do you prefer to eat…standing?”
His piercing gaze churned up butterflies within my stomach. I envisioned myself, hunched over my prey in the forest, fangs sunken into fur-covered flesh while I fed. Blood drained from my porcelain cheeks. Don’t just stand there, move!
Feeling as though my body was thawing from the inside out, I slowly lowered my tray to the table opposite Vanessa. Ty’s green and honey-
glazed eyes were fixed on me with intense, gauging focus. My hands began to tremble. Was he trying to figure me out?
The tremble of my hands cascaded down to my legs as I slid the cushioned chair back. Its legs offered up a screech of iron across blue-checkered tiles. I cringed and rushed to sit, hairs across my arms lifting in anticipation of stares all around. But in my hasty movement, my foot connected with the leg of the chair, and then I was falling.
A clumsy vampire? Go figure.
Due to Caius’s concoction that held off our vampirism, my agility was still more human than vampire, and my new reflexes took a second to kick in. I caught myself, butt slamming into the seat and face burning with mortification. I had to pull myself together. A few deep breaths through my mouth aired some of Ty’s scent from my nostrils. The rate of my pounding heart began to decrease. Though nothing, it seemed, could cull the sickening butterflies that still churned up my stomach. When I finally dared to look up, I caught Ty’s gaze fixed on me. An amused smile lit his angular face.
“So, Amelia,” Vanessa interrupted, breaking the silent tension.
The sudden sound of her voice caused my body to jerk. I had been so consumed by Ty and the way he was watching me that I had completely forgotten she was sitting right in front of me. “Uh, yeah?”
Vanessa arched back in her seat, shrugging out of her red-leather jacket. “Ty mentioned that you’re in his psychology class. Though,” she added, looking like the cat that caught the canary. “He was quite disappointed when you shunned him.”
My jaw hit the ground and my eyes darted to Ty. In the same millisecond he jutted out an elbow to collect Vanessa’s side. The reflex was so fast it almost seemed to blur. “Damn, you’ve got a big mouth.”
Ty was disappointed? As my head spun, wondering if Vanessa was talking trash, or just trying to bait me, a figure sauntered up to our table.
“Thanks for the invite,” Dorian said in a tone more amused than annoyed. “I thought we were having lunch…outside.”