Reign (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 4) (38 page)

He
could feel Kathleen pulling at his Fae side, and it was as if he could feel her
hands begin to mold his power into a different shape. She ripped through the
planes and began to reveal his other nature.

Help!

The
bushes moved, and a black form rushed from them screaming in fury, with a glowing
gold spear in her hand. Mina landed next to them and smacked the shaft of the spear
across Kathleen’s face.

Instantly,
Jared was released, and he fell backwards into the creek. His body ached, and
his soul felt like it was putty. His breathing felt ragged and his chest hurt.

He lifted
up his hand and saw that it was no longer a flesh tone, but a bright green hue.
Kathleen had started to change him already, in her terrible revenge. He rolled
over and splashed through the creek until he was standing among the boys,
looking as confused as them.

Mina, once
again wearing all black, faced the still Kathleen. Her hood had fallen down and
her brown hair spilled over her shoulders. She’d swung the spear around and had
the point directed at Kathleen’s heart. But instead of stabbing her, she
stopped and studied him.

“Are you
okay, Jared?”

He should
have been relieved that she was worried about him. In some ways, it made him
happy. In other ways it made him angry. What was she thinking? She’d taken her
focus off of the enemy.

“What are
you doing?” he yelled at her.

She
frowned at him. “Saving your life.”

“No,
you are being stupid.” He was about to point out her mistake, when Kathleen
used Mina’s distraction to knock her legs out from under her. Mina slipped and slammed
flat onto her back. Jared rolled his eyes and tried to step out of the creek to
help her, but he found he couldn’t.

He
couldn’t leave the water! His heart thudded loudly in his chest. He was
terrified.

Kathleen
had rolled on top of Mina and was using the spear shaft to choke her. Her throaty
cackle filled the night with evil delight as Mina gasped for breath.

“Flip her
off. Twist your body!”

Mina
gripped the spear and used her body weight to twist and knock Kathleen off.
They both rolled, and Mina did what she could to direct their momentum so they
rolled down toward the water.

With a
splash, they both landed in the creek. Kathleen crawled away into the water,
trying to lie down and soak up as much of the water as she could. But it also
put her within reach of all the vengeful boys. They grabbed her and lifted her
up out of the water. She couldn’t fight them all at once.

She tried
to touch one, and Jared could see one of the boy’s eyes go heavy-lidded. For a
moment, he thought for sure Kathleen would win.

Then another
boy knocked her hand down to protect his friend. She wiggled away from them but
found herself surrounded by a circle of her old beaus. Furious beaus.

“Please…please
help me,” Kathleen croaked out to Mina.

Mina
stood up and grabbed the gold spear. She whispered a word, and it changed
forms. It shrunk until it was the size of a small golden orb.

Jared
smiled wryly when he realized what Mina was doing.

“Here
catch this,” she called, tossing the golden ball Kathleen’s way.

Kathleen
caught the ball with one hand, mid air. The orb enveloped her hand and then her
arm. It slowly grew in circumference as it began to swallow her whole.

“No,
no,
no!”
she cried out, as the
ball-shaped Grimoire pulled her further and further in. The boys ran down the
creek bed, away from the strange glistening object. The wind picked up, and a
blinding bright light emanated from the ball. It opened up like a vortex, and
in an instant the Croanoak was gone.

Jared
stood there, supremely proud of Mina. She’d done it and hadn’t flinched in the
face of danger. She turned to him with a huge grin on her face, and he ached to
return it. But he couldn’t.

She’d been
sloppy, and sloppy gets you killed. Jared didn’t want Mina dead. Just the
thought of what could have happened made him bark at her angrily. “You almost
blew it!” He stormed to the edge of the creek bed and was happy to see that he
could leave it without any repercussions. His arm had turned back to normal.

Mina’s
smile slid from her face. “Yeah, well I wasn’t the one kissing frogs.”

“That
wasn’t a frog; that was a Croanoak,” he grumbled.

“Okay
fine, but I wasn’t the one making out with it.” She splashed into the middle of
the creek and picked up the golden ball. It slowly transformed from a ball into
the regular notebook-shaped Grimoire Mina preferred.

“I
wasn’t making out with it. I was trying to save the boys. If you’d come storming
in here the other day and caught her, they would still be frogs under her
spell.” He pointed toward the place where the boys had run down the creek. They
were playing in the water, kicking and splashing each other happily. Oblivious
to what had happened to them.

Jared
knew that their minds would come up with some reasonable explanation for why
they’d been missing for so long. The Fates would make sure it was all cleaned
up. They didn’t like the Story to leave any loose ends.

“How do
you know that they wouldn’t have turned back to normal? The Story has always
reset it before. Like it did with Claire and Nan and…Brody.” Mina spoke her old
boyfriend’s name softly, but not soft enough.

Jared
heard the longing in her voice, and he scowled. He just could not make himself
like the human boy. Brody wasn’t good enough for his Grimm.

Listen to me. I’m laying claim to Mina in
my own mind.

“I just know!”
he accidentally shouted at her. He hadn’t meant to say it like that.

Mina
blinked, taken aback. “Well, you seem to know everything then! Maybe you could
have helped me, told me what you knew about this quest instead of disappearing
for days, slacking off. After all, I have quests to finish in order to break
the curse on my family. You, on the other hand, seem not to care about the
quests or me! You’re a selfish jerk.” She spun and started walking down the
driveway.

He
smiled a little when she turned to the left and started heading in the wrong
direction. Her home was the other way. He sighed. He would have to go and pick
her up and take her home, but not until he was sure everything was cleaned up
here.

He only
had to wait for a minute, before Ever showed up out of the darkness. She was
back to wearing her Goth-punk look, and Jared admitted to himself that he liked
that better on her.

“I see
that you had no problem getting Mina back here tonight.” He turned and started
walking along the creek bed listening carefully.

“Yeah, it
was easy to sneak into her apartment and set all the timers to go off at eight
o’clock,” Ever said as she flew next to him, her feet never touching the
ground. “I mean, we are talking microwave, alarm clocks, wristwatch, the works.
I also hid all of her pajamas and normal clothes in the attic so all she was
left with were the black clothes you described to me that she wore the other
night. She was all ready to come barreling over here, so it didn’t take much
prodding.”

“And she
didn’t see you?”

Ever
scoffed and rolled her shoulders. “Duh, I told you. The gimp didn’t see me.”

Jared
heard the sound he was searching for. It was ten yards down the creek and away
from Kathleen’s house. He slowed his step and leaned down carefully. There in
the weeds, he heard it again. A pitiful and lonely croaking. All the other
bullfrogs were gone, and his call was the only one left in the night.

Quickly,
he snatched the bullfrog up out of the reeds and held him in his cupped hands.
Ever flew over to look at the frog and her face scrunched up. “What do you
have?”

“Uh, I
think your new roommate,” Jared chuckled sadly.

“Nope,
not gonna happen. I don’t keep pets.” Ever backed away and crossed her arms
over her chest, raising her chin in defiance.

“Ev—er!”
Jared pleaded.

The pixie
threw her hands up in the air. “Fine. Give him to me.” She pulled the frog out
of Jared’s hands and spoke to him directly. “I hope you like Cheetos and
hotdogs because I’m not about to start catching flies and digging up
earthworms.”

The bullfrog
just croaked happily at Ever. It seemed to perk up in her pretty little hands.

“And
another thing, you are sleeping on the couch. Got that! Not my bed, not my
drawers, not the couch.” She started to stroke the frog on the top of its head
and the frog closed its eyes happily. It didn’t take long for her to change her
mind about the bullfrog.

Jared
grabbed Ever’s arm as she was about to leave. “One last thing.”

She
turned and tapped her foot impatiently. “What, I need to get Froggy here home.
I can already feel him drying out.”

He
felt a small smile creep up at her intense need to protect the frog. “Uh, Ever,
his name is Tom…and thank you.”

“Don’t
mention it Jared, and I mean it. Don’t mention it…to anyone ever.”

He
observed Ever as she tucked Tom safely into her crossover bag, the whole while
giving him the lowdown on her magical motel room. How it was way bigger on the
inside, and no one could find it if they hadn’t been shown the place by her.
How she always had the Cartoon Network on and would agree to let him watch the
sports channels if he watched
The Grimm
Adventures of Billy and Mandy
with her. The bullfrog wiggled happily in her
pack, his head peeking out of the zipper. Ever shrugged her shoulders and her
wings began to flap. Off they went into the night.

Jared
watched them fly away for a few moments and then walked down the driveway and
stopped. He didn’t have long to wait before Mina came storming back down the
sidewalk toward him.

“Not one
word out of you, Mister!” she hissed angrily. It was pretty apparent that Mina
was flustered from traveling ten minutes in the wrong direction. “You are in
trouble.”

“Yes
Ma’am,” Jared chuckled and turned to walk with Mina. “You know it would be
faster if you let me drive you home.”

Mina
stopped and turned. “Well if that’s your way of saying you’re sorry for
slacking off and dating the frog lady, then apology accepted.”

Jared
laughed and walked over to his car. He opened the passenger door, “Grimm’s
first.”

The End.

A
sample chapter from

Vampire
Lies

Season
2 Book 1

By
RaShelle Workman

Once
upon a time there lived a vampire with wings and the genie who loved her…

Born of
the seven magics, Jasmine is different in every way, including the obnoxious
wings on her back courtesy of the original vampires. She wants to be normal, to
be a regular teenaged girl.

When a
gorgeous dark-haired boy named Laeddin shows up and promises to sneak her away
from all her problems and hide her in the human world, she agrees.

But an
evil lurks in her nightmares, a man with red eyes. It doesn’t take long for
Jasmine to realize that no matter how far she tries to run from who she is,
he’s only a dream away. He wants her. He needs her. He acts as though he loves
her.

It’s
becoming harder and harder to tell the difference between the path that’ll lead
to her happily ever after, and the path that’ll lead to her destruction as well
as all magic.

Chapter
1

Hours
before my life changed forever, my day began like any other. I woke, climbed
out of bed and stretched my wings, showered, dressed, and then flew out my
window to explore Sharra with my best friend.

We’d
already helped a fairy lift a particularity heavy caterpillar onto the branch
it intended to use as a home for its chrysalis. We also assisted an ogre in its
desperate quest to reach some juicy berries at the top of a rather large tree.
Now we were seated on the stone ledge at the top of my tower waiting for the
sun to rise.

“Jasmine.
Come inside. We have a lot to do today.” My mom stuck her head and shoulders
out my window. Her head turned from side to side as she searched the sky. She
wouldn’t find me though, because I sat directly above her.

I
sighed heavily. “Fine.”

My
mom gasped and craned her neck. “You scared the light right out of me.” She
clutched a hand to her neck.

“Sorry.”
I tried to sound genuine.
 

“Uh-huh.
Inside, please.”

But
instead of obeying, I spread my large black wings and shot into the sky,
enjoying the rose scented air.

“Young
lady.”

My
mom always called me that when I frustrated her. I turned to see the emotion on
her face so I could gauge just how upset she was, but she no longer stood in
the window. I smiled to myself.

Part
of the landscape was immersed in shadow. It was right before dawn, my favorite
time of day, when life stretched itself awake.

“Hurry
please,” my mom shouted from somewhere in my room.

I
pretended not to hear, flying further away from her and closer to the forest
behind the castle. Pixilettes busied themselves. They were in charge of the
seasons. Soon it would be autumn and they needed to gather seedlings to store
until the following spring.

“Will
you drink unicorn blood today?” Sabrina asked, her little pixilette wings
fluttering near my ear. She was dressed from head to toe in different tones of
purple. Her dress was the color of lilacs and her tiny shoes were the shade of
ripened plums. Lavender wings beat and fluttered at her back.

If
Sabrina weren’t my best friend, I would’ve told her it was none of her business
whose blood I drank. But she and I had been close for more than ten years. We
did everything together. Without her, I’d go crazy.

“I
don’t know.” I spun in a circle, enjoying the gentle breeze on my face. Unicorn
blood was my favorite, but I took what I was given based on offerings from the
different magics within Sharra.

Sabrina
shook. It freaked her out that I was a blood drinker.

“Don’t
worry. I’m sure your blood is much too sweet for my tastes.” I winked to let
her know I was teasing.
 

She
giggled nervously, the sound like tinkling bells. “I’m not worried,” she
replied. I could tell it was only a little lie. She glanced away, running her
tiny fingers through her violet hair that was the same color as my eyes.

I
waved off my irritation. There were plenty of vampires in Sharra. They all
drank blood, just like me, but only the blood of animals and the vampires never
killed them. It was one of the first laws the new Vampire Queen decreed when
she became ruler.

As
the only Original Vampire, I required more than the others. In order to grow
and thrive, I required the blood of magical creatures. It powered my magic and
kept me healthy.

Early
morning sunlight broke through the clouds, basking the land in orange and pink
hues. Warmth tickled my skin and I lifted my face toward the light.

“Can
you hang out today?” Sabrina asked, interrupting my thoughts.

 
“I’m sure I can.” I held out my hand.
Sabrina flew forward, landing on my palm. “I’ll find you—”

“Jasmine!”

I
jerked back at the sharpness in my mom’s voice, knocking over Sabrina. She
tumbled through the air for the briefest moment until she righted herself.

“Coming,
Snow
,” I retorted with sarcasm.

Sabrina
giggled. “You’re going to be in big trouble for that, princess.”

I
gulped, knowing my mom didn’t like it when I called her by her first name.
“Nah.” I lifted my chin. “But I’d better go.”

“Yeah,
you should.” She waved and then took off toward the forest.
 

I
watched her until she’d nearly reached the other pixilettes. Then I flew to my
window ledge, folded my wings at my back and jumped inside.

“Hey,
mom.” I rushed past her toward the bathroom.

Mom
was standing near my bed, her hands on her hips, looking ferociously beautiful.
Her sleek black hair was the exact color of mine. It was pulled back and in a
bun at the nape of her neck. She wore a bright yellow gown trimmed in red and
blue. On her head was a crown befitting the Vampire Queen.

“How
many times have I asked you not to call me Snow?” She followed me, her skirt
swishing with each step.

Ciana,
the vampire who’d helped raise me, sat in her rocking chair, knitting
something. She looked to be in her early twenties, but from stories she told me
of when she was human, she was probably three hundred, give or take a decade.
Ciana wore her long blonde hair in a bun on the crown of her head. Her dress
was long and looked confining. She owned the same dress in three colors, brown,
gray, and navy blue. The dress accentuated her tiny waist.

When
I was younger she was so full of life. We always had fun together doing little
things like chasing butterflies, planting crops, and digging up worms. Of
course I never ate the food, but my dad did and I’d enjoyed doing things for
him with Ciana.

In
the past few years, her demeanor had changed. She’d grown despondent. At first
I tried to make her happy, but nothing seemed to help, so I stopped. But she
was loyal, a rare find in Sharra, and I wouldn’t dismiss her.

I
shrugged. “It’s your name, isn’t it? You’re Snow White, the Vampire Queen.”

When
I was seated at a chair in front of the vanity, she came to stand behind me.
“Most importantly, I’m your mother.”

She
leaned down, our heads side by side and she squeezed my shoulders. Her eyes
sparkled with love. I studied our reflections, once again astonished by our
similarities. We both had black hair, though mine had a streak of teal in it;
and the shape of our faces and our high cheekbones were the same. Our lips had
the same sort of thickness and we were the same height.

There
were differences too. Her eyes were an unusual color, reflecting the various
hues within the spectrum of the seven magics while mine were always violet. My
skin was naturally tanner than hers. And then, of course, there was the huge
difference between us. I had wings, obnoxiously large wings that protruded from
my back like those of a giant black bird.

Although
they weren’t my parents in the traditional sense that I didn’t come from my
mother’s womb, I still considered them my mom and dad.

I
was born of a gem created by their blood and the combination of the seven
magics. My parents told me that their love for each other and their love for me
brought me from the gem.

Sometimes,
especially when I assisted my mom with the birth of an animal, it made me to
sad to realize I wasn’t born the same way, that I was different from every
other known creature. My mom and dad always tried their best to make me feel
wanted and loved, and most of the time I did. But sometimes I got lonely.

“There
are several meetings you must attend today so hurry, please. I want to make
sure you’ve fed before we start.”

“Okay.”
I dabbed some perfume Heathcliff brought for me from the human world. The smell
was warm and sweet and I loved it. Almost as much as I loved getting the
magazines and music that Uncle Sebastian gave me. It was always my favorite day
when one of my uncles or Professor Pops visited.

“Jasmine,”
my mom snapped.

I
put the lid back on the perfume and glanced at my mom. I wanted to ask her why
she didn’t trust me. Why she thought I would pounce on the first warm-blooded
creature I encountered. Sure, it’d been a problem when I was little. My hunger
would take over and more than once I sank my fangs into something or someone I
shouldn’t. But that’d been years ago. Couldn’t she see I was no longer a child
but a grown woman. In a few weeks I would turn sixteen. Could I use some blood?
Yes. Was I at the point where I’d pounce for it? Not even close. I squeezed
some lotion on my hands and rubbed it into my arms. My mom seemed to be getting
more and more impatient.
   

Zenny
appeared in the mirror and clapped his hands together. “My two most favorite
vampires.”

“Zenny.
Good morning.” My mom nodded a hello.

“Hey
Zen. Way to rock plaid and polka-dots.”

He
crossed his arms and popped a hip. “You know it.”

I
covered the smile trying to wriggle its way from my lips with my hand.

Zenny
always wore crazy outfits that somehow totally worked on him. Today he had on
navy blue and orange plaid pants. They were tight and stopped just above his
ankles. His shoes were orange as was his button down shirt, which was covered
in small navy polka dots. The collar was up and he wore a white t-shirt
underneath. His hair was cropped short and just as bright orange as his shoes.

“Zenny,
we don’t need your assistance today. I’ve already picked out her dress and her
makeup—”

I
glared, unhappy my mom thought it was okay to choose what I wore. “I want him
here. Why don’t
you
go? I’ll meet you
in the dining hall in a few minutes.”

Her
face fell. “Of course.”

Guilt
tore through my insides. I knew my mom meant well. And while it wasn’t her
intention to be annoying and bossy, she kind of was. All the time.

She
walked to the bathroom doorway and paused. “Please wear the dress I’ve chosen.
I’ve pulled it out and it’s waiting for you in your closet.”

I
bit back a retort. “I guess,” I said.

My
mom looked at me, her eyes sad and filled with frustration. My heart lurched. I
knew I was letting her down somehow. She came back and gently touched my wings.
“Why don’t you have Zenny help you fluff and clean these?” She ran her fingers
through the dark feathers, her touch soothing.

“Okay,”
I said, catching her gaze in the mirror. For the past few months we’d been at
such odds. It seemed no matter how I tried we didn’t click like we used to.
Lately she focused more on what I was required to do as the princess of Sharra
and less on what I needed as a teenage girl.
 

If
it weren’t for my uncles bringing me the latest news in the form of
entertainment magazines from the human world, I’d be miserable. It just felt
like my mom didn’t understand. I had needs, desires, goals… I wanted a life
outside the castle. Outside of Sharra. And my damn wings? Ugh. Why did I have
to be the only vampire in the entire world to have them? My life was difficult
and my mom just didn’t get it.

Meetings
were boring. Listening to the magical creatures of Sharra complain about how
so-and-so stole a piece of fruit off their land and asking my mom what she was
going to do about it was beyond tedious. I wanted to see a movie. I wanted to
go to high school. I wanted to go on dates, attend football games, and maybe
kiss a boy or two. I wanted the wings on my back to disappear. I wanted normal.

That
didn’t seem like too much to ask. But I was almost sixteen and my life was
passing me by.
  

It
wasn’t fair.

Both
my parents had attended regular high school. They lived an ordinary life for
years before coming to Sharra. Why couldn’t I be given the same consideration?