Scorned (16 page)

Thunk!

I’d fallen off the bed. Roman was saying
something, but I couldn’t concentrate on the words. He wasn’t
making any sense.

“LeKrista?!” My aunt must have heard me hit
the floor. It was chaos. Roman and Perdita screamed in my head, my
aunt and uncle panicked in my bedroom, and I was caught in the
middle with no way to make it stop. I heard myself whimper,
attempting to make contact with someone, and then pain. Something
snapped inside my brain, I felt it as well as heard it. A sharp
pain split my head in two and spread until I thought my brain would
explode.

“
I’m sorry, my sweet.”
It was Roman’s
voice in my head now, sweet and smooth with that accent of his. The
shouting had stopped.

I had stopped seizing and I couldn’t feel
Perdita.

“
I don’t want to go to the hospital,”
I told Roman.
“Can you wake me up?”

My eyes fluttered open a moment later, but I
had to close them against the brilliance of the lights in the room.
I groaned and clenched my eyes as tight as I could.

“LeKrista?” my aunt asked. “Oh, my god!
LeKrista, what happened?”

I shook my head gently. I didn’t know what
to tell her, so I tried not to tell her anything. As long as I
didn’t have to lie any more than necessary, because heaven knows
I’d done plenty of that in the last three weeks.

“Would you like me to run you a bath with
Epson salts?”

I nodded. Wasn’t like it could hurt, right?
Anything to not have to deal with the muscle pain.

“
LeKrista. Would you like for me to see
what I can do for you? I fear causing another seizure.”

“
You can try."
What would it matter
if I died? If Perdita knew how to get to me so thoroughly, I was a
goner anyway.

I let my aunt help me to the bath, but I
insisted she go back to bed once I was comfortably settled in.

“Are you sure, Kris?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” I told her sharply at the
use of my hated nickname. “I’m fine. I’ll call if I need help.”

“Alright.”

Roman woke me when he knocked on the
bathroom door.

“LeKrista? Are you decent?”

“No,” I told him firmly. “No, I’m in the
bathtub.”

You idiot.

I wanted to add that last part, but I
refrained. He’d just saved my life. Again. I could hold off on the
name calling for a day or two. Maybe.

“LeKrista, I think I’ve come up with a safer
solution. One that may require less risk. If I were to transfer my
healing into the water, perhaps you could absorb it second hand,
yes?”

It was a good plan, there was just one
catch. “But, I’m naked.”

“Yes, well. I’ll close my eyes.” The humor
in his voice was unmistakable and infuriating.

“Bastard,” I muttered under my breath. He
heard me anyway.

“LeKrista, when did your language become so
filthy?”

“When you made my boyfriend leave me.”

“I did nothing, LeKrista.” And the
accusation in his voice was clear.

“Just fix me, so you can go.” The humor left
Roman as quick as lightning strikes.

“Cover yourself, LeKrista.” His accent grew
thicker with his anger and I threw my arms across my chest and
crossed my legs as best I could.

Roman stepped around the corner of the wall
dressed in a pressed pair of blue jeans and a black long-sleeved,
v-neck shirt. It fit him snugly so I could see the outline of every
muscle in his upper body. I couldn’t help but stare. I like
muscles.

Dear God in heaven.

“You’re sick, Roman. You know that?” He’d
purposefully dressed this way so I would be attracted. He’d just
shown me that. The grin that spread across his perfect teeth,
lifting his full lips up into a smile that showed more fang than
he’d ever shown before, proved just how cruel he could be. The
scary part wasn’t the fangs, however. It was how sexy those fangs
actually looked with the entire package. He wanted me and I thought
he was sexy. Yeah, I was pretty much screwed.

Pierce!

Roman knelt by the tub and rolled his
sleeves up slowly before he plunged them into the semi-warm water.
He touched my leg deliberately and I scowled. “Please, Roman. No
more games. Please?” I was begging pitifully, but I meant it. I
just wanted to feel better. I was so tired.

Roman nodded. “My apologies.”

The water began to froth and bubble. Slowly
at first, until it grew into a makeshift hot tub. It wasn’t long
before I was asleep, again, which wasn't too surprising. As I
slept, I dreamed, but not images stirred by my own subconscious.
Roman was projecting. Images from his life and experience swam
around in my head. Beautiful places that no longer existed, places
I would have loved to see and experience for myself, but he woke me
way too soon.

“LeKrista, my sweet.”

“What?” I moaned groggily. I did not want to
be awake.

“At the risk of you being angry...” This
couldn’t be good. “I’ve wrapped you in your robe and put you to
bed.”

I looked around. “You saw me naked?” I
asked, feeling very embarrassed.

“I looked as little as possible.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you did. Just go, please.
I’m tired.”

“As you like. I will...keep an eye on you
though? I do not want Perdita bothering you again.”

I didn’t argue, not because I didn’t want
to, but I didn’t want Perdita bothering me again either. “You’re
going to hang around or you’re going to keep surveillance in my
head?” I asked.

That made him chuckle. “I will go home,” was
all he said before he kissed me on the forehead. I could have done
without that. I frowned and said crude things in my head, hoping he
was listening. He just laughed and shook his head before he walked
out the door.

I lay back on my bed and waited, but as
tired as I was, I couldn’t make myself fall asleep.

“
Are you alright, LeKrista?”
Roman
asked in my mind. I growled audibly and wished I had a way to lock
him out.
“Why are you angry with me?”

Was he kidding? I didn’t answer right away,
because I didn’t have anything nice to say. When I did answer, I
tried to keep my explanations short.
“My mind is private. You’re
not supposed to be in here.”
I felt him chuckle at the back of
my mind.
“Besides, you promised you wouldn’t snoop.”

“
I’m not snooping.”

“
You’re lurking. It’s the same
difference, especially if I don’t know you’re there. It’s not fair
and it’s not right. You have instant access to my most private
thoughts and, need I remind you, the ability to kill me at will. As
does Perdita. So you’ll forgive me if I’m not so comfortable with
you swimming through my brain.”
So much for keeping it
short.

“
You’re right,”
Roman said after a
moment.
“You are right and I apologize for making light of it. I
didn’t pay attention to how scared you are. I will fix this problem
by morning.”

“
And you’ll get out of my head?”
I
wanted to know.

“
Yes, as you wish. But I can help you
sleep, first. If you’d like.”

I didn’t notice when Roman slid my mind into
sleep. Again I dreamed of places that I could never see but for
Roman’s projections and I woke up serene until I realized that he’d
been in my head all night. But the damn vampire didn’t give me a
chance to get angry. The doorbell rang not thirty seconds later. I
was careful getting out of bed and slipped into some clothes as
quickly as I could, but I wasn’t as sore as I thought I’d be.
Roman’s “osmosis bath” had actually worked.

“Hi, I’m a friend of LeKrista’s.”

I walked around the corner to find Tate
standing in the door talking to my aunt. I stopped dead in my
tracks. All I could see under her Red Riding Hood style cape was
her pale white face and pink eyes. She turned to me and smiled. Her
dainty features lit up and she stepped over the threshold without
being invited in. “There you are. Just wake up?”

I nodded as she tossed back her cape and I
was shocked again at how starkly her burgundy-red hair stood out
against her porcelain white skin. She came over to me and wrapped
me in a tight hug like we’d been friends forever.

“So good to see you!”

I couldn’t help smiling. I liked her, even
if she was associated with Roman and a little on the eccentric
side.

“Beautiful weather, isn’t it?” Tate asked.
“Grab a jacket and let’s go for a walk, yeah?”

Over Tate’s shoulder my aunt stared
rudely.

“Yeah, wow it has been too long!” I said,
playing along and Tate’s eyes lit up even more. She followed me to
my room. “You’ll have to forgive my aunt,” I said.

Tate waved it off. “I’m used to the looks,
as you can imagine. Oh how cute!”

My dog bounded in and put his front paws on
Tate’s stomach. He’s always been partial to women. His tongue
lolled to one side and he looked like he was grinning. He was
shaggy right now and his thick, curly black fur made him look like
he was ten pounds heavier than he really was.

“That’s Bermides. Don’t ask. I made it up a
long time ago.”

Tate chuckled. “I’d love to hear that story
one day. Ready?”

I finished tying my shoe and nodded. “Yup.
Come on Bermy.”

“That is so cute!” I hooked his leash and
the dog came outside with us on our walk.

“What did Roman tell you?” I asked Tate when
we were alone.

“He told me about Lucretious and Perdita,”
she answered. “He also said that you’re under his protection.”

“Yeah, well,” I said bitterly, “that only
seems to matter if the other vampires feel like abiding by the
rules.”

Tate didn’t argue. “There’s more,” she said,
“that he hasn’t told you. He thought it might be better coming from
me since... Well...”

“What?” I asked. “How could it possibly be
worse than vampires in my head trying to kill me?”

“There may be a way for you to protect
yourself. No, let me rephrase that. There is a way for you to
protect yourself, but you have to be willing.”

That sounded ominous. “I’m not becoming a
vampire.”

Tate laughed at that like she hadn’t heard a
joke so funny in her life. I just frowned at her until she was
done. “I’m sorry,” she finally said as she caught her breath. “I
don’t mean to laugh.”

“Yes, you do.”

“Yes, I do, but not like that. I wasn’t
suggesting that you become a vampire, though,” and she was
completely serious now, “it’s not too far off as a guess.”

“Fantastic. Just give it to me quick and
straight. Get it over with.”

“Roman thinks you have Mage potential,” she
complied. “It’s why Lucretious targeted you in the first place. You
have the same potential as Vivian.”

“You know about Vivian?” I asked.

“No, but Roman said you would.”

I nodded. “Am I hearing you right? You said
Mage. Like, the same kind from fiction novels?”

“Yeah. Just like vampires.”

I didn’t have anything to say to that. I
nodded again and turned as a car drove up the street and pulled
into the driveway. “That for you?”

“Yeah. Listen, think about it.” Tate handed
me a card that read Vamp-Lightenment in red Gothic lettering and a
website. “You can find me online just about anytime and there are
others who can help find out if what Roman thinks is true, okay?
Even if you decide not to take that road, get online and talk to me
anyway, kay?”

Tate gave me a huge smile. “Yeah, I’ll find
you. Oh, where can I get one of those capes?”

She grinned. “I’ll get you one.” She climbed
into the black sedan and they drove off. I nudged Bermy with my
foot. “It’s cold,” I told him and we went back into the house.

I don’t know if it was a weird side effect
from Roman’s healing or simply because of the magnitude of the
seizure the night before, but I slept most of the day. My body
wasn’t sore like it usually is after a seizure, but I was
ridiculously tired. Bermides knew there was something wrong and was
cuddled next to me every time I woke up. I don’t think he moved
once. By midnight, I was wide awake, so I went to my computer and
punched in the website Tate gave me.

The title across the top of the page read
“Live! Chat with vampire experts now!” I clicked the “Enter” link
and went inside the web page.

“
Are you seeking Vamp-Lightenment?”
it read
. “We have what you need. Chat with licensed vampire
experts now!”
I didn’t know there was such a thing.
“Questions, comments, or something in between? We’ve got the
people who can give you the answers. Just want to chat live with
sexy vampire men and women?”
Not really.
“We’ve got those
too! Choose your type!”

I assumed “type” was supposed to be witty
repartee about blood. Ha ha. I got it. It wasn’t that funny. I
clicked on the link to the chat for “questions, comments, and
everything else” and was immediately ushered into a chat room.
There were three other people in it, one of which being Tate. The
other two were men. I chose a screen name, StaciDoll, and joined
the chat.

Tate: Welcome to the chat, StaciDoll. How
can we be of assistance?

Will: Cute name, Staci. Do you look like a
doll?

SirMarxALot: You wanna slip into a private
chat, Staci?

Tate: Cut it out, Marx. You scare everyone
away.

SirMarxALot: Not me. People love me.

Tate: Yeah, you think so. Don’t mind him,
Staci. He’s just annoying. How can we alleviate the boredom?

It had been a while since I’d been in a
chat, but I didn’t think I would have trouble keeping up in here.
It was pretty slow.

StaciDoll: Hi, Tate. It’s LeKrista.

Tate: Oh, hey! Glad you decided to join us.
Ignore Will and Marx. The full moon is close and they’re feeling
antsy.