Fateful 2-Fractured

by

Cheri Schmidt

SMASHWORDS EDITION

* * * * *

PUBLISHED BY:

Cheri Schmidt on Smashwords

Copyright © 2011 by Cheri Schmidt

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This book is a work of
fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are products of
the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance
to actual events, locales or persons living or dead is entirely
coincidental.

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only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people.
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author.

* * * * *

Chapter 1

Sushi

Danielle’s trench coat fell into the hamper
with a heavy plopping sound. That was followed by her not quite so
damp socks, her rather wet leggings, her thick tunic sweater, which
was also damp, and finally her bra and panties. A shiver danced
through her body as she reached for the pink bathrobe draped over
the end of her bed and shoved her arms into its fluffy warmth.
Yanking the sash tight around her waist, she made her way to the
bathroom.

Returning from her morning classes left her
soaked despite having brought an umbrella, and wearing knee-high
boots. But she knew Ethan would be calling, and she knew he would
take her out tonight. While that thought appealed to her, going
back out into the English drizzle, without warming up first,
didn’t.

But she
would
venture back out into it, as this was the
only night they were allowed to go out on dates. Friday. Beon had
said it was because they could better be hidden in the crowds on
that night. She understood the reasons for the limitation, or what
Beon said the reasons were—something about civil war and her being
in the middle of it. Of course she thought perhaps he was being a
little melodramatic. She’d seen no signs of
war
for weeks.

Danielle poured bubble bath into the hot
water falling from the spout. The scent of honey and oatmeal heated
and rose to her nose. After removing her robe, she sank into the
steaming, foam-covered water, hissing as she lowered her body. The
bathwater was almost, but not quite too hot. Her nerves disagreed
until they got used to it. The goal was to warm herself to the
core, and this had been a successful way of dealing with the
uncomfortable climate in this damp city. These near-scorching baths
had become a habit for this American living in London.

Despite the weather, Danielle loved it here.
She loved living with her aunt, uncle, and cousin, Brianna. She
loved the new experiences, the British slang and the English style
food. She had suffered a certain degree of culture shock in the
beginning, then mythical creatures fell into the mix, and her whole
world changed. She’d learned about so much more than just art.
She’d learned about frightening things that go bump in the night
and enchanting things, such as fairies. Things she never dreamed
existed. Ethan, her boyfriend who happened to be an ex-vampire had
introduced her to a whole new world. A world that was sometimes
disturbing, and many times dangerous to her health, but certainly a
tad more exciting than just being an art student at Central St.
Martins.

Danielle sighed, and once she felt warm
enough, or rather hot enough, she rose from the suds, stepped onto
the bathmat, dried off, drew the robe back on, and made her way
back to her bedroom. She tugged on a pair of dry socks, then sat
down at her desk and checked over her homework schedule.

However, she wasn’t truly into it. Dragging
her sketchpad closer, Danielle began doodling in charcoal, not
really seeing what she was drawing. She was looking forward to
Ethan’s call and couldn’t focus on much else besides making certain
her phone was within easy reach while waiting for it to ring ...
and she answered the second it did.

“Evening, darling. How was your bath?” Ethan
replied in that British lilt of his. Danielle grinned because she
really quite loved how he drew out his a’s saying daaarling and
baaath.

“How do you know I had a bath?” she
asked.

“That’s what you did when I brought you home
after Lucas tried to take you.”

Danielle shivered at the memory. “Yeah, and
you’d given me the coldest ride of my life through the foggy
streets of London.”

Ethan laughed. “Sorry about that. Did the
soak warm you sufficiently?”

“Yes,” she said, but didn’t
say,
to the point of
sweating
. “So, are we going out tonight?”

“I’d love to. What would you like to
do?”

“How about a movie?”

He chuckled, and said, “We’ve been to a lot
of pictures lately and we never watch them.”

“I know. I love that!”

“You just like the fact that it’s dark and
no one bothers us.”

“And you like the popcorn.” He’d eaten the
entire tub of it before the movie started and then got a refill
every time.

Ethan made a sound of agreement, then
said, “I happen to like the activities
after
the popcorn more so.” Danielle could hear
the grin in his confession.

“What about the movie? Do you like that
too?” Danielle asked, completely knowing the answer.

“What movie?” Ethan replied, laughing
again.

“Okay, so it’s decided, we’re doing a movie
tonight.”

“Dinner first?” he offered.

“Sure.”

“Where would you like to go?”

“Anywhere.”

“All right, I’ll be there at five.”

“Great, see ya then!”

Danielle knew she needed to inform her guard
about their plans so he could follow. She went to the window,
brushed aside the lace curtain, and pulled it open. Leaning out on
her elbows, she peered into the lush, wet garden that appeared to
be empty of any life besides the greenery and insects. Danielle
knew otherwise.

“Hello,” she called softly. “Just so you
know, Ethan and I are going to a movie tonight. He’ll be here at
five.”

It wasn’t long before Cedric appeared as
though he’d materialized. She wondered where it was he stayed
hidden, but the question of what he did to pass the time was
answered when he slipped an iPod into his pocket and tipped his
face up toward hers. “Does this mean we have to watch you and Ethan
neck for two hours? Again? Whatever happened to Ethan’s gentleman
ways?”

“I don’t see what the big deal is.”

“Right,” he grumbled, kicking at something
in the grass.

“It’s not eighteen sixty, Cedric. I’d like
to be able to kiss my boyfriend and that’s the only chance we get
because no one will leave us alone. We’re always being guarded ...
and watched,” she complained, then added, “Unless we get into major
PDA—”

“Pardon?”

“Public displays of—”

“I know what that is. Again, I say Ethan’s
values have slipped. He doesn’t have a problem with that
either.”

Danielle felt her cheeks heat as she
flushed, knowing how true that was. “Fine. It’s me. I’m the one who
wants privacy.”

“Can’t you hang out here in your
bedroom?”

Danielle wanted to groan,
been there, tried that
, but said,
“My aunt and uncle don’t like it when I do that.”

“What about Ethan’s place?”

“Sophia.”

Apparently he knew Sophia well enough to
simply nod at that.

“At the theater it’s dark,” she muttered
while running her finger over a rough part of the paint on the
window sill.

“We can see you in the dark, Danielle.”

“But you do sit several rows back, and—”

“I get it,” he said, frowning. His hand was
back in his pocket and she wondered if he hoped to get back to
whatever it was he was watching on his iPod.

Wishing to remove the frown from his face,
Danielle offered with a smirk, “Do you have any movie
requests?”

The vampire just rolled his eyes and
moaned.

“If you don’t like it, Cedric, bring a
date.”

“Perhaps I will,” he replied as if it were a
threat.

“You have a girlfriend, don’t you?”

“Yes, her name is Anna.”

“Great! I’d love to meet her. Later then.”
She pulled her head back inside, slid the window shut, tugged her
curtain back into place and then moved to her closet to get
dressed.

She removed the robe, slipped into her bra
and panties and decided on jeans for the evening. She topped those
with a frilly white blouse. Danielle wore the color often, not just
because it happened to be her favorite, but because she knew Ethan
liked it on her. It reminded him of the past, he’d said.

Next she pulled her hair up into a loose
bun, and put on the pearl earrings and necklace from Ethan. They
were fancy, but she liked how they looked with jeans. She added
long socks and boots to fight off the soggy conditions.

After dressing, she freshened up her makeup,
and then waited in the living room for Ethan to arrive.

“Date with Ethan tonight?” asked Brianna as
she walked in and sat down next to Danielle.

“Yes.” Leaning back into the cushions, she
smiled at her cousin.

“Another picture?”

“Of course. I love movies,” she said
thinking about
other
things,
like Ethan’s lips.

“What picture are you going to see?”

“I haven’t a clue.”

“I heard that vampire picture was really
good,” Brianna suggested.

Danielle burst into a bout of giggles with a
snort. The image of her and Ethan in a movie theater, with real
vampires seated behind them, watching a movie about vampires
flashed through her head. And the thought seemed ridiculous and
kind of funny.

Brianna leaned away with a befuddled look on
her pretty face. “What is so funny?”

“Nothing.” She tried to tame the giggles. “I
just ... I don’t think a vampire movie is a good idea.”

“Why not?” Brianna raked fingers through her
dark chocolate locks. But even after brushing it back, the slick
strands slid forward to hang around her oval-shaped face. The
fringy new cut helped keep it out of her face, but it was as
straight as ever. Danielle envied that straightness.

“You know me, I don’t like scary movies,”
she said, attempting to control a curl that had slipped loose from
her up-do.

“Ah, true.”

Her eyes shifted to the clock, and
when she noted that it was one minute
past
five, she sprang to her feet, snatching her
coat and scarf. Ethan was never late, and she knew he was there if
it was past five. Why hadn’t he knocked yet?

“Where are you going now?”

“He’s here. See ya later, Bri.”

She heard Brianna’s muttered farewell as she
dashed for the door and swung it open to reveal Ethan standing
there with his hand raised, ready to knock. He began shaking his
head as his features rearranged into a becoming smile. “Impatient
again, are we?” he asked raising one golden eyebrow.

“You’re late!”

He checked his watch in horror, then his
expression changed again. “Danielle, are you kidding me? I don’t
think one minute counts.”

“Every minute counts ... for me,” she
whispered, wondering if perhaps she shouldn’t be saying such a
corny thing.

With lips shifting into another smile, Ethan
said, “Well, I shan’t have my darling disappointed. I’ll just have
to make it up to you then.”

Smiling at his romantic words, Danielle
watched as the sunset glistened through his golden hair, while a
cold breeze playfully tossed it around, making the strands wink and
shimmer. His penetrating sapphire eyes revealed his soul to her as
she met his gaze. Her soul mate, the man she knew before this life
began, the man she seemed to know better than she knew herself. He
was her personal Frog Prince, yet he was no longer a frog. The
prince stood before her now. Letting the smile slip, Danielle
mentally chastised herself for having more corny thoughts. What did
this guy do to her? Was she a little bit obsessed? That can’t be
healthy....

“I thought you were eager to get going,
Danielle.”

She blinked. “R-right, let’s go then. Why
are you just standing there?” She grasped a handful of his shirt
and towed him from the porch. She relished in the fact that she
could feel his solid pecks brushing against her knuckles. No, she
decided, she wasn’t too obsessed. It was that whole
I-knew-you-before-thing that sucked her in. And that couldn’t be
changed.