I dressed in faded jeans, a red Ed Hardy tee shirt with a dragon slithering across the front, and my Converse. In the full-length mirror near my closet, I noticed several bruises on my neck and stepped closer for a better look. In the center of the bruises were twin marks closed over by scar tissue. It seemed I hadn't changed as much as I'd hoped. No one had been able to see marks after Christopher bit me the first time, but I wasn't so sure about these bruises. Going to my dresser, I pulled open the top drawer and took out a silk and cashmere scarf in baby blue. My dad and stepmother had given it to me for Christmas last year because they said it matched my eyes. After pulling off the tag, I wrapped it around my neck several times, so the bruises were hidden."Today is going to be a regular day," I grunted, catching my reflection in the full-length mirror beside my dresser. It couldn't get any weirder. I'd become a blood-drinking supernatural creature, for crying out loud. "U
"No prob, Snow," Heathcliff said. He went over and poured himself a cup of coffee.Gabe cleared his throat, and I turned my attention to him, taking a sip of tea."So you need to pick out a dress in the next couple of days and let Pops know," he said."If it's any consolation, we'll be wearing tuxes," Heathcliff said, irritated, reading the terrified look I was sure coated my face.I giggled at his agitation, swallowed some tea. "You'll look amazing in a tuxedo." I rotated to include Bart, Dorian, and Gabe. "You all will." I pulled the book closer and flipped through the pages. All of the dresses were beautiful, airy, and light. I couldn't imagine trying to move around in something so elegant.The guys crowded around, each commenting on which one they thought would suit me best. I cringed at wearing any of the dresses and considered speaking to Professor Pops. Gatsby jumped onto a chair and onto the counter, rubbing his body along one of my arms."Hey, boy. What do you think of al
My body teetered between conflicting emotions: excitement and sadness. Excitement because I'd see Christopher in a few minutes, though I had to call him Chace in school. And sadness because I still had feelings for Gabe. He'd promised he wouldn't leave. Memories of the night he'd stayed with me surfaced, weighing down my heart. I missed that Gabe. He hadn't exactly left, but he didn't want me anymore either. Sighing, I pulled open the front door to Salem Academy, home to more than sixteen hundred students, and realized I held my breath so I wouldn't smell blood. Slowly I exhaled and snuck a timid breath. A delicious blood-tinged aroma swirled with sweat and perfume. A symphony of hearts beat all around me, but I didn't have the slightest twinge of a craving. Something had changed. Was it the double dose of bloodlust tea, or drinking Christopher's blood? I'd have to ask him when we had a moment alone. If I could look him in the eyes without turning red.I made my way through
My insides quivered at his question. "No!" I mean our making out and blood swapping could be considered a date, I guess."Are you embarrassed by me, Snowflake?" Chace asked. "Don't call me that," I growled, smacking him on the arm. Only Gabe was allowed to call me that. Besides, what did he think was going on? Were we an item?"Whatever you command, my queen," he inclined his head slightly.Self-conscious, I searched the room and caught hold of Cindy's perceptive glare. "What the hell?" she mouthed.I shrugged and turned back to Chace. His words, "my queen," made me think of another question. I, technically, wouldn't be his queen. My body would, but her spirit would be inside mine. Right? I filed the question in the thickening folder labeled Seriously Wacky Stuff. "You need to stop."Chace laughed. "Fine. I will. For now." Then he winked. "Can I call you Frosty?"I lifted my brow. "You can call me Frosty when Hell freezes over, m-kay?" I gave him a sinister look but laughed too.
"Oh, well, they shouldn't care." I signaled them to come over, casually tightening my scarf. They nodded. A thought struck me, and I started to panic. "They don't know who you are, do they?" I hissed, keeping my eyes glued on the guys' movements."No. At least I don't think so." He shrugged. "But then they are Adam Henry's sons, so anything's possible." I heard what sounded like a note of awe in his words and wondered why.The guys picked up their food and headed over. I searched their faces, trying to discern whether they knew. I didn't think so. If they had, they probably would've been a lot more hostile."Hi, guys," I said, feeling suddenly nervous. Thankfully we were still in the lunchroom at school. If the guys wanted to punch out Chace, at least they wouldn't do it here. "Hey, Snow," Salvatore said."Heyah," Sebastian added, taking a huge bite of pizza. "Aren't you going to eat?"I glanced at the unappetizing salad sitting in front of me. "Not hungry," I responded, keeping m
I watched my classmates exit the commons area, doing my best to be okay with mine and Chace's history. The hunter was new to me but I wasn't to him. Pops said hunters marked us when we were young. Since Christopher/Chace marked me, how long had he been around? Or had he just recently returned to bite me? So many questions. None of them could be answered right now.Should I consider him a stalker? Not that I could call the police. And Pops was aware of him. He'd told me to be careful.As I walked over to dump my tray, I decided I had no idea what I was getting myself into with him.***The final three classes of the day were torture. Not because I wanted to drink the blood of my fellow classmates. No. I was agitated and couldn't stop thinking about Cindy, about revenant training, and about Christopher coming over. My thoughts made it hard to focus on schoolwork. I had a feeling if Professor Pops knew what I'd been doing, he'd be upset, or at least concerned. But he'd fallen in lov
I yelped, covering my head with my hands as my shoulders rose to my ears. Water dripped from my bangs onto my nose and cheeks. The air smelled wet and of peppermint. An eerie gloom gathered around the field in the form of fog."Coach, are we going in?" someone shouted."Yeah, coach, we can't run in this.""Are you men and women, or mice?" Coach roared over the rain, tipping his burgundy cap lower on his head.There was collective grumbling as we all made our way to the track.Christopher touched my arm lightly. "Catch me if you can, Frosty." He grinned and took off.I watched him, his fluid body moving in perfect strides.As I watched Chace run, it was like his feet barely skimmed the ground. Wiping the hair off my face, I started to run.One foot in front of the other. I could do this. This time I knew it. I sensed the changes. When I'd run in the past, my body would tense, my knees would freeze, and, according to Cindy, it looked like I had a board shoved up my derriere. It felt
I didn't think so.After several moments I heard him suck in a breath."What? What's wrong?" I asked, trying to turn my head so that I could see him.One of his large hands appeared. Something was pinched between his thumb and first finger. I squinted, and suddenly my eyes adjusted like the lens on a microscope. A tiny arrow, no bigger than a sliver. "What. Is. That?""It's a pixie's arrow. The tip has been dipped in a toxin. I need to make a poultice to draw out the poison. The ingredients are nearby, but I'll be out of sight.""Don't go," I cried.He ran his hands through my wet hair. "You'll be safe here. Only a creature whose heart is pure can pass through the enchantments I've put around this place." He came near so that I could see him. "You'll be fine," he added."Where are we?" I asked, changing the subject, trying to keep him with me a little longer.Christopher's eyebrows furrowed in a way I was beginning to understand meant he was anxious."We are in Sharra, the realm of th