Bound (The Grandor Descendant Series Book 3) (46 page)

Chapter 23- Soul Mates

A few days after Ryder’s funeral, Ari, Ragon, Chris, Lea and Jamie returned to the Pasteur Institute. Though the last thing that Ari wanted to think about were her end of semester exams, she could hardly put them off, not after everything she had been through to continue her studies. When they arrived at the campus, there was a distinctly different atmosphere amongst Cruor halls. The halls were deserted and silent. Only the vampires who had not been addicted to blood candy remained, but even most of them seemed to be leaving.

“The Ancients are dead,” said April, her suitcase in her hand as she scrambled down the grand staircase.

“But why are you leaving?” asked Ari, after her and Ragon had pretending to be surprised on hearing that the oldest and most powerful vampires in the world were dead.

“It’s not just me,” said April, her eyes falling on another pair of vampires who, like her, were pulling heavy suitcases out of the halls. “Now that they are gone, no one knows what to do… who’s in power? We don’t know what happened.”

“But I still don’t understand why you’re leaving?” said Ari, her eyebrows furrowed.

“Whatever killed them must be seriously powerful,” said April, her face drawn and tense. “No one wants to get on their wrong side.”

After that Ragon and Ari had said good bye to April, and moved quickly up to Ragon’s room on the second level.

“Guess I should pack,” said Ragon, smiling lightly as he looked in wonder at Ari.

“What… why?”

“Didn’t you hear?” he said, moving over to her and taking her by the hand. “There is someone around here with the power to kill the Ancients. I hope I don’t do anything to get on their bad side.”

Ari laughed, unable to stop herself and then fell into Ragon’s arms.

“I love you,” she said, looking up at him adoringly. 

“I know,” he replied, and Ari punched him in the arm before he added, “almost as much as I love you.”

Ari let a small smile creep across her face and then she lent down and kissed him. Suddenly there was a knock at the door and Ragon, glaring across the room, reluctantly got up to answer it.

“Jamie,” said Ari, racing over to her brother and hugging him hard.

Though they had only been separated for a few hours since they had arrived back at the Pasteur Institute, Ari couldn’t help but feel relieved to see him.

“What, no hug for me?” said Chris, pushing past Jamie and holding out his arms for Ari.

Ari glanced once at Ragon and then fell into Chris’s arms.

“We just thought we would let you know that we are going to the campus club,” said Chris.

“I’m starving,” added Jamie, rubbing his hands together gleefully.

Ari looked over at Ragon, who seemed to guess what she was thinking and said, “Want some company?”

As the four of them walked over to the campus club, Ari couldn’t help but feel a swell of happiness. Yes they had lost people; yes nothing would replace them or bring them back, but for the first time in a long time, she felt almost normal. She had her brother, she had Ragon and she had her friends. Sure she should be studying for her exams but how could she put off celebrating after what was essentially a lifetime of hiding from the Ancients. No she was free… free to enjoy her life with the people she loved.

When the group reached the entrance to the bar, Ari showed her I.D card to the bouncer then held her arm out expectantly, waiting for the stamp which normally followed.

“Is there something wrong with your arm?” asked Jamie, staring down at her in confusion.

Ari shrugged and walked with a spring in her step, into the club. No longer was there a vampire waiting to brand the unsuspecting students with a stamp that identified them as mortal.

“Who wants a drink?” asked Jamie, and Ari eyed him sceptically. “Of alcohol,” he added, seeing the concerned look on Ari’s face.

“Rum and coke,” she said, beaming up at him.

When the group past the dance floor, Ari was pleasantly surprised to see Lea, though her eyes narrowed when she realised that she was dancing next to Pip. But even seeing the boy who had cheated in cards and won her phone, was not enough to throw off Ari’s glorious mood.

“I’ll be right back,” said Chris, glaring at Pip, as he walked over to where the pair danced.

Leaving Chris at the dance floor, Ragon, Ari and Jamie moved to a free pool table.

“I’m not very good,” said Ari, watching as Ragon put some coins into the machine and waited for the red and yellow balls to appear.

Ragon ignored her, racking up the balls and handing the cue to her, before whispering under his breath, “You’re not good. You are amazing.”

Jamie, who had been standing near the table, let a small laugh reverberate around the room. When Ari and Ragon stared at him, he held up his hands, trying desperately to stifle his laughter.

“Sorry,” he said, now turning to face Ragon, “I just can’t believe that any sister of mine would fall for such a cheesy line.”

Ragon looked as if he were going to protest, but then walked over to him casually and whispered something in his ear. Jamie stood back, looking at Ragon in surprise and then nodded his head.

“What’s going on?” asked Ari, taking her shot and failing to sink any of the balls. “In case you both forgot, but my hearing is regular old human style.”

“You’ll see,” said Ragon, before watching a group of girls walk past Jamie giggling, as they eyed him up and down.

“What’s their problem?” asked Jamie, staring at the girl’s retreating backs. “Do I have something in my fangs?”

Ari stared at him incredulously for a moment and then realised that for his entire life, Jamie had been kept under lock and key with the Ancients.

“Ragon,” she said, turning to face him as she watched him sink a ball expertly into the opposite hole, “do you think you could explain to my clueless brother about the birds and the bees?”

Ragon smiled, showing off his perfectly white teeth, while Jamie stared back at him plainly.

“Just remember not to bite down,” said Ragon, handing the pool stick to Ari.

Jamie nodded slowly, his face a little dazed, and then walked off in the same direction as the girls.

“Don’t bite down?” Ari said, rolling her eyes, “Seriously?”

“Trust me,” said Ragon, sweeping over to her and kissing her, “that’s all he needs to remember. I have been holding his hands for the past few days… he’s ready to be out and about by himself for the night.”

Just then Ari heard someone yelling and she pulled away from Ragon, searching for the source of the disturbance.

“I don’t see what the big deal is,” said Lea, and Ari watched as Chris followed close behind her as they walked past their pool table. 

“Do I really have to spell it out to you?” yelled Chris, pulling Lea to a stop.

“We were just dancing. There is no rule that says I can’t dance with someone,” said Lea. “Besides, it’s not like I have a boyfri-”

But before Lea could finish her sentence, Chris had leaned in close and kissed her.

Ari held her breath, watching the two with mingled surprise before Ragon clapped loudly and said, “It’s about time.”

Chris, who was still kissing Lea passionately, gave Ragon the thumbs up and Ragon smiled at him, for what Ari thought was possibly the first time ever.  

“Come with me,” whispered Ragon, leaning in close to Ari’s ear and brushing it with his cold lips.  

Ari looked back at their half-finished game of pool and shrugged, instantly following Ragon out of the club.

The pair walked back towards Cruor halls in silence. Ari was still reeling after what she had seen happen with Chris and Lea. Not that she was really surprised. She had noticed the way that Chris had started looking at Lea, a look which Lea had returned enthusiastically. Still, there really wasn’t a more bizarre couple, except of course for herself and Ragon, and maybe Clyde and Riley. Hell, who was she kidding? The entire coven was composed of odd couple. At her side, Ari watched as Ragon fumbled with his hands in his pockets.

“Lost something?” she asked, looking at him with concern.

Just then a loud crack sounded from the heavens and rain began to pour down.

“I hope not,” said Ragon, glancing at her strangely, before increasing his pace, clearly trying to get them out of the rain.

“Slow down,” said Ari, jogging to keep up with him. “What’s the rush?”

Ragon sighed, staring from Cruor halls and then back at Ari, an obvious look of indecision in his face.

“I don’t think I can wait any longer,” he said, as small droplets of water cascaded down his face.

“Huh?”

Slowly he reached for her hand, and Ari felt the familiar flutter of butterflies deep down in her stomach that seemed to awaken every time he touched her.

“What is it?” asked Ari, shivering slightly as the rain soaked through her coat.

She could tell from the desperate look on his face that something was wrong. Ragon’s eyes were darting across her body, apparently searching it for something. At the same time he was shifting his weight nervously, and for the first time since she had known Ragon, she felt as if he were almost mortal.

“I wanted to wait until we were inside,” he said, glancing around the darkened university campus, “but this almost feels right here. I first revealed myself to you late at night at a university after all.”

“You’re starting to scare me,” she said, speaking a little louder than necessary, trying to be heard over the pouring rain. “Don’t tell me after all this time that you aren’t really a vampire?”

“Ari you know how much I love you… your my soul mate,” he said, his hand once again in his pocket.

“Is everything ok?”

“Please just let me finish,” he said, pulling unnaturally at his collar, as if it were too tight.

Suddenly he took a deep breath, moving to stand behind Ari as he wrapped his hands around her. Despite the cold and the rain, Ragon’s hard body felt almost warm to the touch.

“You know, I think it was Plato who coined the phrase soul mates. He wrote that soul mates were originally four armed and two faced, but that Zeus felt threatened by them and so he split them, condemning them to wander the world in search of each other,” he said, now moving to face Ari as he traced his lips along her forehead, catching the tiny droplets of water that had gathered there in his mouth.