More than Magic: Semester Aboard (46 page)

I followed him back out of the pavilion and
along the wooden path. The corner of the pavilion, where the
kitchen was, was enclosed. We walked around behind it and, sure
enough, there was a wooden staircase. Thomas was halfway down
it.

"How was your morning?" he asked.

"It was good," I said. "How was yours?"

"Not too bad. Grab some lunch and come on
up."

TS and I went back into the pavilion and
loaded up some plates from the buffet, then went back to the stairs
to find Thomas. There wasn't really an upstairs, but a balcony that
ran around the entire roof of the pavilion. It seemed like hardly
anyone knew about it, only a few of the tables were taken. Thomas,
TS, and I sat down at a table surrounded by empty ones. There were
half a dozen macaws in a nearby tree, just a few feet higher than
we were. It was like eating lunch up in the canopy. We traded
stories about the wildlife we had seen on our hike. I studied
Thomas and TS while we ate. They both looked like normal, human
guys in college. I was starting to get used to the odd fact that
neither was human, but the thought that they were both more than
twice my age was still sinking in. Now I had to get used to the
idea that TS could sense everything that Thomas felt. I watched
them talk and eat, looking for some sign of their bond, but didn't
see one. When lunch was over we were divided into new groups for
another hike. I was disappointed when we ended up in different
groups. Thomas handed me their key and told me to meet them at
their cabin when I got back.

My group took a boat across the river for
another hike. It was nearly sunset when we returned to the lodge.
The other group had already arrived and most of them were in the
dining pavilion for dinner. I went to Thomas and TS' cabin first
like Thomas had said. I walked into the small bedroom and stopped
in my tracks; Thomas was already feeding. He was sitting on the
bed, just behind TS' shoulder, with his face buried against TS'
neck. There was something about the way they were sitting that was
so classic-vampire-drinking-blood that I got a small chill. There
was something just a bit eerie about watching Thomas feed that
hadn't struck me when it had been my own neck and I hadn't been
able to watch. TS had his eyes squeezed shut and looked abnormally
pale. I had only been there for a few seconds when Thomas shifted
his weight. To my surprise, TS reached up and put a hand on the
back of Thomas' head, preventing him from moving.

"You aren't done, mate," TS whispered.

Thomas moved TS' hand and leaned away. I was
able to see the two large punctures in TS' neck. Blood started
trickling out of them and I knew he hadn't given Thomas time to
heal them.

"Yes, I am," Thomas said.

"I'm sick of having this argument every time
you feed. You're still hungry."

"You know I hate doing this to you," Thomas
snarled.

"And you know I don't care!"

They glared at each other for several tense
seconds. Then Thomas sighed and returned to TS' neck. It looked
like TS had convinced him to keep feeding. I wasn't sure what they
had been arguing about until TS grew even paler and started
breathing noticeably harder. All at once, TS went limp. For a
moment I wondered just how much more blood Thomas was going to
take, but I realized that he was licking the wound closed. He'd
stopped feeding the moment TS had passed out. As he gently eased TS
onto the bed I could see that the holes in TS' neck were already
almost scarred over.

"Sorry you had to see that," Thomas said
softly. I realized that he was talking to me.

I sat down on the other bed. "It's ok." I
didn't think he really had anything to apologize for. "Does he
always make you do that?"

Thomas smiled, but still didn't look very
happy about the situation. "He usually gets his way. It's just a
token argument at this point."

"I thought that if you're his soul-packmate
then you'd pretty much have to get your way."

He sighed. "If I wanted I could push it. But
I've never taken advantage of that and I never will. Either way
I..." he hesitated and hung his head. "I need the blood. There
isn't much sense in arguing."

"Do you need more blood?"

Thomas nodded reluctantly.

"Ok." I brushed my hair off of my neck and
moved to sit next to him.

"Oh! No, no," he said quickly. "I didn't
mean...um...I'm fine right now."

His protest was just a little too fast.
"There isn't much sense in arguing," I said, wishing I could mimic
voices like Dani.

Thomas laughed weakly. "I'm fine.
Really."

I tried a different tactic. "How will TS feel
if he wakes up and you're still hungry?"

Thomas' jaw nearly dropped. "That's...not
fair." He actually smiled. "But convincing." Then he heaved a sigh
and moved closer to me. "You're sure?"

"Yes." I tilted my head away from him,
exposing my neck.

This time I let him numb my neck and start
feeding without interrupting. I was fairly certain that he was
much, much closer to me than he had been to TS. Then again, it
could have just been my imagination. I still couldn't believe I had
gone and fallen for Thomas. I was starting to feel just a bit
light-headed when he pulled away.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"Anytime. I mean it."

Thomas studied me for a moment and then
smiled. "Thank you. That's...well I guess you have a better
understanding now of just how much that means." I nodded. "Right,"
he said, standing. "I'm going to go get both of you something to
drink. Do you think you'll be ok?"

"Yeah."

"Don't stand up for a few minutes. I'll be
right back."

A couple of minutes after Thomas left TS
groaned and his eyes fluttered open.

"Are you ok?" I asked.

"Grand. He fed from you too, then?"

I nodded.

"Good. Thank you." TS rolled onto his side
and half-moaned half-growled. "Gonna have a wicked headache until
sunset."

"When is sunset?"

"Just a few minutes. Maybe eight?" I hadn't
expected such a precise answer. Before I could ask if he could
actually sense the coming sunset he spoke again. "I hope that isn't
a smoothie."

The door creaked open and Thomas answered
from the porch. "It is, sorry."

TS growled and slowly sat up. Thomas handed
both of us a cup and sat down on the other bed. I sipped mine
slowly. I was really tired when I finished it. I lay down,
intending to just rest for a while. When I woke up I realized that,
not only had I been tucked into a bed, it was morning.

Chapter 26

The plan was to spend the first part of the
day relaxing at the lodge and recovering from our whirlwind trip
around Peru. After lunch we'd get back on the boats and go to the
airport. During breakfast a very embarrassed guide told us that one
of the boats wasn't working. In order to get us all back to the
airport in time the boat would have to take half of us back to town
right after breakfast. They split us up and half of us quickly
packed for the trip. Thomas and I were together, but TS ended up in
the second group. The guide driving the boat practically flew down
the river. He had to drop us off and then go straight back, get the
second group, and bring them back in time to make our flight. Since
we were losing the extra time at the lodge our guides arranged for
a complimentary lunch in town. We'd also get a chance to explore
and shop.

I ended up going shopping with Kaitlyn and
some other girls on the trip. I took advantage of my unexpected
extra money from MES and bought a few extra souvenirs and gifts.
Lunch was served outside by the river. I ate with Thomas and
listened in amusement as he talked with everyone at the table like
a normal college student. Toward the end of the meal he grew quiet
and I noticed that he looked a bit paler than usual. I was about to
ask if he was all right when he flung himself away from the table,
dropped to his knees on the grass, and vomited. Everyone jumped up
in concern. It took a few minutes for Thomas to convince them that
he was fine and just wasn't feeling well. At last, he settled down
in the shade under a tree.

"Are you ok?" I demanded as soon as we were
alone.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I was just a little
nauseous."

Everyone else in our group may have bought
that, but I didn't. I sat down next to him and lowered my voice,
just in case. "You told me that magics hardly get sick at all! Now
you expect me to believe that vampires spontaneously get sick
enough to throw up?"

He looked at me with an unreadable
expression. "Well, I'm fine now."

It was obvious that he was hiding something.
The most logical answer I could think of was that it was from the
lack of blood. He had just eaten a bunch of food; maybe he was
having trouble keeping it down when he was low on blood. "Do you
need more blood?" I asked.

"No, I'm ok and I've got something worked out
for tonight." That time he sounded honest. I wanted to push for an
answer to why he had gotten sick, but before I could he flopped
over onto his back and draped an arm over his eyes.

"Thomas?"

"Don't worry, I'm alright. I just need a
minute."

I sat there in concern as time ticked by.
Thomas made no move to get up. I was relieved when the boat with
the other half of our group arrived. TS would be able to help. I
gasped in dismay; poor TS must have sensed Thomas throwing up! TS
had probably been upset that Thomas was sick and he wasn't able to
be with him. I expected him to race from the boat to us, but
instead he took his time. When he reached us he dropped down into
the grass next to Thomas without a word. I was surprised, and a
little confused, that he hadn't taken the time to ask his
soul-packmate if he was all right.

"I bloody hate boats," TS groaned. He looked
pale and I wasn't sure if it was from seasickness or because he was
feeling Thomas' nausea.

"If the first thing you do when we get back
on the ship is anything other than taking your potion I'm going to
shove the entire bottle down your throat," Thomas said.

"I'll take it, don't worry." TS raised his
head and looked at Thomas in concern. "Are you alright?"

"I'll live."

Now I was really confused. It almost seemed
like Thomas was sick because TS was, not the other way around. But
TS had said that soul-pack bonds didn't work like that. A few
minutes later they both sat up at the same moment and both looked
better.

"Feeling better?" I asked.

"Much," Thomas said.

He was. We walked back to the rest of the
group and Thomas seemed perfectly fine. Once the idea that Thomas
had thrown up because TS was seasick hit me I couldn't shake it.
The more I thought about it the more sense it made. I couldn't
think of a reason that they'd have lied to me about it, but I was
sure that they had. I considered asking TS about it, but felt a
little awkward knowing he'd be compelled to tell me the truth. I'd
prefer if they were just honest about it in the first place. It
didn't matter; we were in close quarters with non-magics all the
way to the airport and on the plane. Our first chance alone was
when we were walking together through the airport to the bus.

"Teth, relax," Thomas said suddenly. "We'll
get on the ship before sunset."

"I know," TS grumbled.

TS didn't seem at all uneasy to me. Was
Thomas able to sense it or had they just known each other long
enough that Thomas could tell? Before I could put too much thought
into it their words sank in.

"What happens at sunset?" I asked, thinking
of the threat still lurking on the ship.

"It's a full moon tonight," TS said.

Then we were packed onto the bus. Now I had
something else to worry about. I couldn't help but picture TS in
his wolf form, the long fangs and the sharp claws, not to mention
the sheer size of him. The memory of him clearing an entire
stairway in one bound and closing his jaws around Nathaniel's neck
flashed through my head. If real werewolves turned into monsters
during the full moon I couldn't imagine how we'd control him. I
remembered that TS had told me he couldn't hurt his soul-packmate.
Maybe Thomas would be able to keep him restrained until the sun
came up.

After my bags were checked and my ID was
swiped I walked slowly down the hall, hesitant to get on the ship
alone. To my relief, I spotted TS waiting for me by the stairs.

"Let's go," he said when I joined him.

"Aren't we going to wait for Thomas?"

TS shook his head. "He's got to deal with
some business and then go..." He hesitated and looked around. "He's
going to go get dinner."

"What sort of business?"

"Tell you in a tick." We didn't linger in the
hall, but went straight to our room. As soon as the door was shut
TS elaborated. "Mark can't stay on the ship, it's too risky to have
him around this many people until his turning is over. And...well,
the ship isn't exactly the safest place to be right now. Tom's
making some arrangements for him."

I nodded. We made our way into the room and I
tossed my bag onto my bed. "What are we going to do tonight?"

"Do?"

"You said it's a full moon," I said.

At that moment Dani walked in from the living
room. "Hey, hey. How was the Amazon?"

"It was grand," TS said. "Where's
Charlie?"

"A professor caught him and started talking,
he'll be back soon. Am I still picking up Tom later?"

"I think so. I'll let you know if anything
changes."

"Fair enough. I still have to grab Mariana
too. Don't think her trip is back yet."

I excused myself and went to the bathroom.
When I returned TS was unpacking and Dani was flipping through a
textbook humming to himself. I started to unpack too. I had a few
things put away when I glanced outside and saw that the sun was
almost all the way set.