Blood and Snow 5: Prey and Magic (2 page)

But I wasn’t satisfied. I
wanted
more.
I needed to be numb.
Quickly I moved to Ashley. Lifting her into my arms, she stirred.

“Kevin.” Her eyes fluttered opened and then widened momentarily.

“It’s okay, Ashley.” Her pupils dilated, and I knew she was mine to do with as I pleased. “Let me see your neck.”

She lifted her head,
exposing her milky flesh. When my fangs sank into her neck,
she gasped, and grabbed my head, pulling me closer. I drank greedily, until her arms went lax.

Eleven.

Twelve.

I had to push the ten-count limit. It was hard enough to stop at twelve. Releasing Ashley, I laid her on the blanket next to Kevin.
They seemed so peaceful.
The bite marks would heal quickly, the venom
I released with my
bite like a liquid cure.
All that would remain would be a bruise. Ashley and Kevin wouldn’t remember me either, but I would remember them.

“You’re very good. Most of the
Marked
don’t have the
strength
to pull back before a human die
s.”

Chapter 3

I backed up
at the sound of her voice,
all of the newfound powe
r and grace I recently obtained
vanished.
Did she know what I was? What I’d done? She must. She said I was Marked. That meant she had to know something. Her face was hidden in the shadow of a large hood. Gingerly standing, I wiped sand off my pants, moving in front of the unconscious bodies.

“
Wh
-what?” That was all I could eek out. It felt like some of the sand from the beach had been poured down my throat.

“Don’t be demure, Snow White.” She took a step forward. The moonlight caught her blood red lips. They were curled into a smile.

In that moment, I knew that before me stood the Vampire Qu
een. “I’m not. I wasn’t. I mean
I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She laughed, low and creepy
.
F
licking the hood off he
r head, exposing her jet-black hair
, she sighed.
“Of course you do.”

For some reason, knowing who she was—the Vampire Queen—made me relax.
Made me feel more human, and less of a monster. It was as though a heavy
burden
lifted from my soul.
She wouldn’t judge me. With her I had nothing to fear. At least not
right now
.

I felt drawn to her. If anyone understood what I’d done to Gabe, and what I’d just done to the humans, it was
her
. Moving
closer
, I said, “You’re right. I do.”

At my words she placed an icy cold hand around my wrist. “Come, I have
much
to show you.”

“Okay,” I responded, though I didn’t need to. We were already in her realm. Sharra. Inside
the castle, in
the room Christopher and I spent the night
together
.
My hand went to my
throat;
searching aimlessly for the necklace he’d left me. The one I’d
tossed away like garbage
. The one I was
told was meant to
destroy the Vampire Queen, and restore balance.
I shivered. Afraid.
The
room looked exactly the same.
The lush,
golden
bedding, even the magical mirror.
F
ragrant air filled my lungs.
This is where I belong
, I thought.

The Vampire Queen
released my w
rist. “Why don’t you freshen up?
”
She
indicated a bathroom I hadn’t noticed before.

“Are you leaving?” I’d been alone for several days.
Maybe even weeks.
I wasn’t sure, but it felt like an eternity. Her presence seemed to chase away the memories, the guilt.

“As soon as you’ve
cleaned
up I’ll be back. I promise.” She walked to the door, and was gone.

I went into the bathroom, which was as big as my house, and sat on a golden chair
in front of a gilded mirror.
The
reflection
staring back
was scary, and I flinched. My short, black hair was tangled and matted. Dirt streaked
my face. My clothes were dingy and caked with… blood, and other things I didn’t want to think about.

“How long have I been gone?”

“In Sharra, the Winter Solstice has begun. In the world of humans, it is the fifth day of November.” The voice was deep, and resonated within my chest. It seemed to come from the proximity of the mirror. I was too tired to freak out. Leaning forward, I searched for a body to go with the voice.

“My name is
Zenny
. I reside in all of the mirrors within the castle.” A
s he spoke, a funny looking man
with lemon yellow hair,
and
skin the color of a
copper pot strolled across the middle of the mirror. He wore
forest green and navy blue checkered pants, a red
shirt, a white vest, and white shoes. I would’ve thought he was a clown, except for the seriousness of his features. Deep grooves etched cr
eases between his eyebrows. His honey
eyes were alight with a stern demeanor.

“Oh. That means
it’s been two weeks since I left
.”
I bit back a sob as memories of all of my loved ones broke through the wall I’d built up against my pain, guilt, and sorrow. Swallowing, I forced the wall back together with my anger, and lust for blood, allowing those feelings to reign in the forefront of my mind.

Zenny
sniffed
, bringing me out of my reverie
. “I
would guess
three months by the smell of you. Peel off those clothes, and throw them into the fire.” The hearth on my right suddenly roared to life. “When you’ve disposed of them, step into the shower, and I’ll send
F
ina
and Trina to assist you in scrubbing off all the debris.” He sniffed again.

“No thank you,
Zenny
.” I
untied
my shoelaces.
I can take care of myself
. I don’t need
F
ina
and…
Treeny
.”

“Trina, dear. And I think you should reconsider.” He walked across my reflection to my left cheek, licked his thumb, and pretended to wipe off a dirt streak.

“Funny,” I said, sarcastic.

He wrinkled his nose. “I’m not trying to be funny. Really, you’re a mess.”

“Fine, I get it. Now can you leave, s
o I can
shower
in peace?
”

“Humph,” he snorted and walked to the edge of the mirror.

Before he was gone, I remember
ed my manners. “Thank you,
Zenny
.”

He turned to me, his face ablaze with happiness. “
Of course,
Snow
.” Then he was gone. 

Chapter 4

I quickly stripped, doing as
Zenny
commanded, and tossed my clothes into the fire. Stepping into the
steaming
shower, I grabbed some lemon-scented soap and
scrubbed
.
My invisible wall melted, and t
houghts of Gabe, Professor Pops, the brothers, Cindy, my dad, stepmother, and Gatsby (hopefully someone fed the poor thing) filled my mind, and stung my heart. Had Professor Pops held a funeral for Gabe?
Images of Professor Pops and the brothers all dressed in dark suits, white s
hirts, and a tie mocked me. The
brothers walked somberly, three on each side of Gabe’s
cherry wood
casket, toward Professor Pops, and the gravesite where they would lower his cold, dead body into the ground.

Tears, hot with hurt and devastation, trickled down my cheeks. “What have I done?” Unable to keep myself standing, I curled into a ball on the shower floor and that’s where I stayed.

I wondered if my dad looked
for me?
If he knew what I’d done, probably not.
Did anyone even care?
They shouldn’t. I’d committed the ultimate sin.
K
illed. Murdered an amazing person.
I didn’t deserve anyone’s
love
,
or support. I deserved to die. That’s what
it said
in the Bible.
An eye for an eye.
If anyone was searching
for me, it was prob
ably to find a way to punish me
.
I shouldn’t have run. I should’ve stayed and suffered the consequences for my actions.

I still couldn’t believe it. A part of me wanted to
pretend
he still lived. That somehow he survived my vicious attack, and
was only
wounded.

Was it possible?

How could I find out without returning?

Should I go back?

A wave of determinatio
n washed over me. I would go home
. Face the consequences. If that meant death, then so be it. Standing, I quickly washed my hair, stepped out of the shower, and dried myself off. Now that I’d decided, I was in a hurry.

But how will you get back, my inner voice chided.

I wrapped myself in the large red bath towel and
fell into the golden chair. A
pearlized
brush with soft white bristles appeared near my right hand. Absently, I picked it up and
brushed
the tangles from my hair.

How would I get back? In the past, when
I came to Sharra, I went
back without trying. Someone or something always pulled me between the two realms.

“
Zenny
,” I said quietly.

I waited.

He shuffled to the side of the mirror. “What is your wish?”

I tightened the towel closer around my body. “How do I get back to the human world?”

He balked. “You can’t leave. The Queen won’t allow it. She’s brought you here for a reason. You have to stay.”

I nodded, showing him I understood. Of course he was loyal to her. Gulping down my fear, I said, “That’s fine, I won’t go anywhere until she allows it. But,
if
the time comes, how do I leave?”

His eyes grew big, and he bowed deeply. “My Queen,” he whispered, and scurried out of the mirror.

I turned. The Queen was at the door, wearing a pair of
holey black
jeans and a
black
t-shirt with the words, ‘love bi
tes’ scrawled in red across her chest. She wore no makeup.  Her hair hung on either side of her head in braids. On her feet were red converse. She looked young, as though she were my age.

“Oh,” I said, brushing my bangs off my face. “I’m not ready.”

“I can see that.” She smiled. It was less cruel than us
ual, almost innocent. Unclasping
her hands, she raised them and spread them in front of her, as though she were greeting someone or offering something. Clothes, and a red pair of Converse just like hers, appeared on the counter next to the brush. “Put those on. I’ll wait.” She closed the door.

“Hurry,”
Zenny
whispered from the edge of the mirror. “The Queen does not like to be kept waiting.”

“Alright. Disappear, first.”

After he left, I tossed the towel on the counter, and put on the clothes. A red bra and matching undies, a plain red shirt, black jeans, red socks, and the Converse.

I hesitantly opened the door. She was next to a large window, seemingly lost in thought. “I’m ready,” I said softly.

She appraised me with her eyes, and then headed to the door leading out of the room. “Excellent. Let’s go.”

I followed, curious about what her plans were. Also I was glad I
for the distraction
from my heavy guilt
. Besides the sooner she showed me whatever she wanted to show me, the sooner I could get back.

Chapter 5

I trailed on her heels as we passed through
a sunroom, down a set of steep stairs, through a large sitting room filled with extravagant
chandeliers,
furniture, thick draperies, and a red grand piano. Seated in some of the chairs were… creatures. Vampires
, I guessed
.
All of them were female. Dressed in clothing from every century. Some wore dresses with tight bodice’s and large skirts, others were dressed
like the Vampire Queen and I. A
ll of the
m
looked young—perfect skin, perfectly coifed hair, and red, red lips.