Court of Frost and Embers (The Pair Bond Chronicles Book 1)

by Leeann M. Shane

  I glanced at him sideways as he opened the double glass front doors. “You left me.”

  He turned to me. “What?”

  “When those two vampires hurt me in the forest and brought me here, I begged you not to, but you left me anyway. Why?”

  Regret didn’t look good on his face. I’d bet it wasn’t an emotion he was used to feeling. Otherwise, he would have hidden it better.

  “You were bleeding, Emmie. Having me there wouldn’t have helped you. Me leaving was better for you.”

  “Yeah, but I didn’t know that. All I knew was that I was in pain, and I was scared, and you did the one thing I didn’t need. And that was leave. Everyone leaves. Maybe I was stupid to expect anything different from you.”

  He gaped at me. Not in astonishment; he was at a loss.

  “He would have killed you,” an unfamiliar voice said, their southern accent thick like honey. “Get over it, you needy human.”

  I turned to find a stunning woman coming out of the trees. She was tall, lithe, and so beautiful she made me blink repeatedly. Her eyes were the lightest shade of lavender, almost periwinkle. Her hair was the color of butterscotch and she wore jeans and a white parka with fur around the hood. When she brushed past me, her gait fluid and measured, the scent of roses and vanilla trailed after her. Fear traveled over me in a wave.

  Maxell glared murderously at her back.

  “Who’s that?”

  “Jessamine. Stay away from her. She’s just mad because her husband is a weak, pathetic monster and got what he deserved.”

  She turned around and was in his face so quickly, I yelped, stumbling back into the wall. Maxell didn’t flinch. “You’re lucky I respect Masters, or I’d tear your little girlfriend’s throat out so fast, she’d never get to tell you she hates you for herself.”

  Before Maxell could respond, Masters was there. He stepped between them. He wore a tan, tweed three-piece suit, and shiny black shoes. As handsome and scary as always. Within the mansion, Reowna stood, wearing a beige silk dress. She waved her fingers at me in a silent greeting, face amused as she watched the interaction.

  I turned back to them.

  “Jessamine, not now. Warde made his bed. If you’d like to lie with him in it, be my guest.”

  Her face became outraged. “Why are you choosing this invalid over me? I’ve been a part of this family a lot longer than he has.” She tossed Maxell a dirty look. “Everything was fine until he showed up. I should have left you where I found you.”

  Maxell snorted. “Oh, yeah, I wanted this. I wanted to get attacked by a blood-thirsty monster on a school trip and lose everything!” He shouted at her face.

  “Maxell, please,” Masters said, shoving at his chest. “Jessamine, I haven’t chosen anyone over anyone. I choose what’s best for the family, and Warde and Kline didn’t heed that. They’re not welcome until they’re ready to change. Until then, you either do what’s best for all of us, or join them.”

  She was so mad, I could have sworn bones cracked in her hands under the pressure of her fists. The only indication she felt the pain at all was a small twitch in her left eye. “You leave me no choice,” she seethed. “You know how I feel.” She turned, giving me a look so sinister, a ripple of fear traveled over me. “With the company you’ve been keeping lately, I probably should leave.” She dashed back into the forest so quickly, I felt the brush of her wind drift on my face.

  Masters sighed long and windy, patting Maxell’s chest. “Do not mind her. You do the same.” He gave me a wink and then motioned for us to follow him. “Let’s come inside. Reowna made scones and hot chocolate.”

  Maxell shook his fury off and nodded at me when I didn’t move, staring at him in question.

  “Hello, dear,” Reowna greeted, wrapping me into a tight hug. I groaned, feeling my spine crack. She dropped me immediately. “My apologies. I forget how frail humans can be.”

  I rubbed my back, my head spinning. Maxell walked ahead through the open corridor and I followed all three vampires into the kitchen, where the long stretching table that could have easily sat ten was laid out with a feast. All of that couldn’t possibly be for me, could it? My stomach twisted with nerves.

  “I made chocolate, blueberry, cranberry, and orange vanilla scones, and I paired it with a Belgian hot chocolate. Oh and since protein is key to the human diet, I made scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, and bacon. Eat up, dear.” Reowna set down four plates in front of me, towering with scones and food. I nearly fainted.

  A set of cold, soft lips hovered near my ear. “Eat what you can,” Maxell whispered, eyes glowing with humor as he held out the chair for me.

  “But first, drink this.” Masters set down a tall glass full of a bright blue liquid. “All of it.”

  “What is it?” I asked warily.

  “It’s a fever elixir. I made it myself. I’ve never met a pair bond where one half remained human. Since the night Maxell met you, I’ve spent endless hours researching, and I’ve managed to come up with very little,” he revealed miserably, as if he wasn’t used to coming up empty. “But what I did manage to find is that the moment you touch, you transfer your body essence. Maxell absorbed your body heat and you absorbed his lack thereof. It isn’t fatal, but it can be. There was a journal I tracked down of a late king in the regional year 1066. He was a vampire, and he managed to spare his pair bond. However their connection was so strong that the longer they maintained contact, and she remained human, the colder she became. Her heart froze in her chest before the king could turn her.”

  Maxell gaped at him, outrage and fear lighting his face. “That’s got to be fake.”

  Masters shrugged one shoulder. He obviously didn’t think it was fake. “There are other stories. Of male human pair bonds turning into ice-structures. Where do you think the statue of David by Michelangelo comes from? That isn’t a statue carved out of marble. That is a man who is frozen in time. Love frozen in time.”

  Maxell and I shared a look. It was the first time we were both leery and confused at the same time.

  “Who was his pair bond?” Maxell asked.

  “Eat.” Reowna pushed my plate closer to me.

  I grabbed a scone and chewed dutifully. Flavor burst in my mouth. Tangy oranges and sweet vanilla crumpled delicately on my tongue. “Wow, these are good.”

  Reowna beamed, and the room seemed to get brighter.

  “There’s no way of telling,” Masters continued. “Drink,” he ordered, nudging the glass of blue liquid closer to my hand. “This elixir will regulate your body temperature. You might need multiple doses. I will supply them for you.”

  I wasn’t sure why he was doing this. “Is it expensive to make? Because it’s okay. I can take care of myself.” It seemed like a humongous gesture on his part and I wasn’t sure why he was making it at all.

  He gave me the oddest look. It was one of surprise and also one of defiance. “If not me, then who?” he answered simply. “Drink, Emmie.”

  I tossed the liquid back, finding that it tasted overwhelmingly of grapes and something else. Something bitter and toe-curling-ly disgusting. The taste reminded me of rotten moldy plants; I barely managed the impulse to spit it out. I made a face, washing it down with the best tasting hot chocolate I’d ever had.

  “The artificial grape flavor didn’t mask the taste of the windmint, did it?” he guessed, smile knowing.

  “What’s windmint?” I managed to get out, shoving the glass of awful blue liquid away.

  “It’s an herb. It’s not of this planet. It comes from the fae realm and costs a pretty penny.” He watched me intently.

  I choked on my scone. “Fae realm? As in fairy? Fairies are real, too?” The word fairy unleashed in my mind, right beside vampires. Both creatures shared a look, one glimmering, the other dark, and for some strange reason, I could see the fairy a lot easier than I could the dark figure beside it. It almost felt… right. I shook my head and focused.

  “I suppose just about anything can
be real.” Masters was as cool as an immortal cucumber. “Your complexion is already back to normal.”

  “I’ll take your word for it.” I rubbed my temples. There were too many words in my head as it was. Too many fantasies colliding with my reality—a reality I hadn’t known was so normal until it wasn’t.

  “We’ll leave you two to it then.” Masters and Reowna rose fluidly, leaving without further conversation.

  “What are you thinking?” Maxell asked, causing me to look at him.

  “I’m trying not to think at all, actually.” I chewed roughly on the end of a chocolate scone. “Where did they go?”

  “They’re probably going after Jessamine. Masters talks a good game, but he isn’t himself when we’re fractured.”

  “What happened?”

  “You did.”

  “Me? What’d I do?”

  He picked up a cranberry scone and crushed the entire thing to dust by closing his fist around it. Juice from the cranberries dripped from within the powder, staining his hand in garish red liquid. “Kline and Warde are the idiots who attacked you the other day. Kline is Reowna’s brother. Jessamine and Warde are pair bonded. Warde’s a new vampire, though. He’s only been with the Parkes for a decade. Part of being a part of this family is the promise you make not to consume human blood. It’s the only rule you can’t break. Kline stays for his sister. Warde stays for Jessamine, but neither enjoy this lifestyle. If it were up to them, they’d be free. Living off human blood without consequence or guilt. Love keeps them prisoner, not their morals. Jessamine is a bitter, resentful demon. She abstains from human blood purely because she doesn’t enjoy her weakness to it. Warde does it to stay with her. Kline does it to stay with Reowna. It was only a matter of time before they cracked. It’s not my fault and it damn sure isn’t yours. Okay?” he said softly, gazing at me. “None of this is your fault.”

  I nodded, hating how guilty that made me feel. I didn’t want to break up a family. A family of vampires at that. “Why is it so important not to drink human blood? I mean I get why, but I’m human. Isn’t it in your nature now? To hunt?” He’d said as much.

  He continued to watch me, unblinking, hood down and expression open. I got the impression that he’d answer anything I asked him right now. I had to tread carefully. I didn’t want to be greedy.

  “After Masters drained Reowna and he had to turn her, he couldn’t face himself. Faced with his doomed side, he made a choice not to ever be that way again. First, he relied on blood depots and later on blood banks. During the second world war, that method wasn’t as easy nor was it feasible. They switched to hunting large game. Animal blood worked for as long as it took Masters to develop a form of synthetic blood. It’s still not perfect, but it’s life changing. We don’t have to take human life to sustain our own.”

  The way he explained it made it sound so wistful and hopeful. For all his dangerous talk, he didn’t want to kill anyone. I felt a strange surge of warmth for Masters. If he hadn’t sacrificed so much, then Maxell wouldn’t have any hope left to cling to.

  “Not everyone enjoys this alternative, though. Vampires have existed for almost as long as humans. Most have no problem drinking human blood. They enjoy it. They’d do anything to keep their lives the same, including taking ours. We have to be careful.”

  He was good at avoiding what happened to him. He’d screamed it in front of Jessamine but made sure to completely gloss over it when talking to me. I wondered why. “Who attacked you on the school trip?”

  His eyes, which had been unmoving on mine until now, looked away. “A vampire passing through.” His tone was grave. “We’d gone on a hike and she lured me away from the others. She pretended to be injured. I was so stupid. I saw a pretty girl in danger and thought I could save her. Turns out she wasn’t a girl. She was a vampire. She overpowered me so fast, I never stood a chance. She fed on me, Emmie, for what felt like forever. She kept me weak and lethargic and drained me completely dry.” He paused, taking the moment to swallow hard. “Jessamine found me. I barely had a heartbeat. I reminded her of herself, I guess. Her story is similar, except my vampire didn’t force herself upon me the way hers did.” He cringed. “She brought me back to Masters, and he turned me. Reowna sensed my place in their life was fate, but only after he turned me. The same way she sensed yours.” He returned his gaze to mine. “That’s why Masters helps you. One, because it’s who he is. But mostly because it wasn’t a mistake that he found me a few weeks before I found you.”

  Unsure how to follow his admission, I shoved a chunk of chocolate scone into my mouth.

  He leaned back, which was the moment I realized he wasn’t breathing. He was completely still, mechanical—he was trying not to inhale.

  “Is it uncomfortable holding your breath?”

  “I don’t require oxygen. The impulses to breathe will probably always be there. My sense of smell is heavily tied into my ability to protect myself. I can smell things I could never smell before. I can smell danger a mile away. But I don’t need to protect myself around you, so trading smell for self-control makes more sense when I’m with you.”

  “Because you want to drink my blood,” I confirmed, watching his face.

  He didn’t even blink. “Because I want to drink your blood.”

  “I had Masters’.”

  “I’m aware.” Now he smiled. A small crack of his lips. It made my chest tighten. “You handled it well. I’m proud. How many humans can say they consumed vampire blood and didn’t bat an eye?”

  “Not many, I hope.”

  He smirked. “No, probably not many.”

  “Are there a lot of vampires in the world?”

  “I don’t know. Masters said there has been an increase in vampires around this area. He doesn’t know why. Could be because it’s rainy. As long as it’s overcast and there isn’t much sun, we can go outside. If we can go outside, then we can have somewhat of a life.”

  “What happens when you go out into the sun?”

  He tilted his head to the side, a contemplative look lifting his expression. “I’ve been told it’s unpleasant. To avoid it at all costs. Call me crazy, but it’s been one of the things I miss the most. Which is insane, considering I’ve lived in Port Inlet my entire life. I hardly ever saw the sun as it was. But I miss it,” he whispered urgently, his eyes boring into mine. “You smell like it, you know? You smell like the sun. Like all the best parts of it.”

  For some reason, I found myself fighting tears. I swallowed hard, masking the reflex with a drink of hot chocolate. “I miss the sun, too.”

  “Want to go see it?” he asked, his voice thick with all the disbelieving shock he knew I’d feel.

  I reared back. “No, are you serious? No. Even I know vampires can’t go out into the sun. No, Maxell.”

  He grinned at me. And it was like the sun. I had a feeling it was more beautiful. His teeth were perfectly straight and white, and it made a light enter his eyes. “Let’s go. You and me. Let’s go see the sun together.” He pushed away from the table and stood up, graceful and thoughtful. When I didn’t move, his grin grew. “Have you not eaten enough?”

  I gaped at him. “Yes.”

  “Then what’s the hold up? Come on.” He held out his hand to me.

  It would be criminal for me not to take it. “What if you get hurt?”

  “I’ll heal.” He shrugged, like it was no big deal at all that his life would undoubtedly be in danger.

  “And there’s no way I can convince you not to go?”

  “Nope. None.” He wiggled his fingers. “Come chase the sun with me, Emmie.”

  Despite my concerns, I set my hand in his. The chill of him kissed the heat of me. It created this low-level of fire and ice that did strange things to my heart and stomach, like turning them both into massive butterflies. They flapped their wings, sending a rush of headiness over me. He managed to lead me outside and back into his car before I’d even realized I’d moved at all.

  He drove thr
ough town. Which was the time I realized how completely tinted his windows were. Not an ounce of daylight penetrated the darkened glass, and I’d bet every scone on Reowna’s table that not a soul could see inside. When he drove past the high school, his fists tightened around the steering wheel. I watched him carefully; he didn’t even look its way.

  “Everyone misses you,” I muttered quietly. “You’re actually supposed to be in all my classes except last period.”

  He glanced at me fleetingly, expression unreadable before turning his gaze back on the road. “How would you know that?”

  “All the teachers called your name for rollcall on the first day of school.”

  He took a second to answer. “What’s last period?”

  “Italian.”

  He blinked at the road, hitting me with a surprising smile. “Already took it freshman and sophomore year. I was planning on starting Spanish this year.”

  His smile was so boyish and… normal. Like I was getting to see the Maxell before. “How ironic.”

  He nodded at the road. “Who told you about me?”

  I bit my lip.

  “I’m curious, is all.”

  “Misty.”

  He glared a little at the road. “Of course, she did.”

  “You were there, weren’t you? You were at her house that night. You followed me home. What were you doing there?”

  “I was… saying goodbye.”

  “To Samantha?”

  “Mhm,” he muttered, speeding up the moment we made it out of town. He took the winding, wet roads without regard.

  “Why? If you don’t mind me asking.” Maybe I was prying, but I tried to ignore the impulse to shut up on the topic, because it obviously meant something to him to say goodbye to his longtime girlfriend. I wondered what it meant that he said goodbye the night right before we “met.”

  If getting attacked by your teenaged vampire pair bond was the same as meeting. I made a mental note to catalogue that line of questioning for later.

  “You know why, Emmie.”