The Vampire Christopher (8 page)

That I
understood
.
I’d done the same thing when Christopher first bit me.

Seconds later, they withdrew, and the first spoke. “Rise!”

Christopher
eyes opened
, and I inhaled.
They glowed red.

“We must go,” the first commanded
, taking one of his hands
.
Right then
I knew who
, or what
she was—that Vampire Queen.

A
confounded look clouded
Christopher’s
features
, but he
nodded, and th
ey all vanished into the night.

I expected to be pulled along after him, but
that didn’t happen
. My
ghostly
body
remained
near the blood
. The
Vampire Queen, the other two women—probably Worker vampires—left
. And I
remained
.
Alone.

For some reason,
kusala
and
akusala
, those strange words Christopher
spoke
to me last night, came to mind. Had those boys been evil, and the Vampire Queen good?

Did she really save him? Sure he still walked.
But
,
at what cost?
Had he become an empty shell?
A plaything for the queen?

No! He was much more. He cared about me, didn’t he? Frustrated, I
crossed
my arms, wondering why I was still
t
here.
I was about to take my misty carcass back to Christopher’s house when I noticed something strange
within
Christopher’s blood.

The
wooden bear he’d carved.

Hovering so that my nose almost touched the
statue
, I peered at it closely. It was
stunning
, so precise. Right down to its claws, and the pupils.

I had to
have it. Deep down, I knew that
was the reason
I witnessed
what
happened. Christopher needed
the carving
for some reason.
I reached with one hand, and grabbed
for it
.
My fingers went right through
. I tried again. Again. Again.
And, again.

“Ugh, please. What do I need to do?” I pleaded.

A
tiny thought budded in my heart. R
elax.

I snorted, and tried again, with both hands this time.
My hands floated through.

“
Awwwww
!” I’d never been so frustrated in all my life.

Relax.

“Fine.” I breathed in through my nose, held it a
second
, and let it out through my mouth.

Relax.

I breathed in, he
ld
, and blew
out.

The muscles in my shoulders loosened. T
ension left my stomach.

I reached for the carved bear,
the
buttery wood stained red with Christopher’s blood, and
…
picked it up.

“Yes!”

A light,
irritating tapping
repeated
between my eyebrows, near the bridge of my nose.

“Snow, Snow White. You can move now.
We have removed the toxins
.”

Arianna.
I was back in Sharra.

“Christopher,” I gasped, and stood
, searching urgently for him. I needed to see
him for myself
.

A flurry of pixilettes
pulsated
around me
, my quick movements startling them
. Breathing heavily, I stepped forward, and a wave of nausea
rocked
my body
, making me dizzy.

“Easy, Fr
osty.”
Warm hands encircled my waist
, and
his
soft chuckle tickled my ear. “I’m here.”

I sank into him, pushing down a fearful
moan
.
My Hunter, Chace, Christopher…
My mind still clung to the awful experience I’d just witnessed. “I saw you,” I said, my voice hushed.

“Saw me?” he repeated
, touching his fingers to my forehead
.

I turned in his arms, and put
a hand
on his neck. The ache for his blood burned in my th
roat. “I watched you fight those awful boys, and one shot you.” His
hands tightened
.
I continued. “I watched you
become
a v
ampire.”

He
winced
, and pushed my head against his chest. “Shush. You’ve had a traumatizing day.”

I forced my head up. “No. Don’t shush me. I’m telling you I saw… her. The queen. She’s the one who changed you.” I wasn’t sure how I knew, but the fact remained, there was
n’t a doubt in my mind I’d
seen the face of the Vampire Queen.

He shook his head dismissively, his gorgeous hazel eyes hooded, and his lips pursed in a smirk.

His attitude angered me, aroused me. I wanted him, his blood, the way the queen
took
it. And before I could think further, I lunged at
him;
sinking my
now extended,
needle sharp
teeth
into his warm, inviting throat.

He moaned, his arms encircling me more tightly.

Chapter 9

“W
e can discuss it later. Right now you’re supposed to be at Adam Henry’s.” Christopher
said
.
My face was
cupped
between his hands. He kissed me gently, and continued, “I’ll wait here
until
you get back. Okay?”

I nodded
. “You’d better
,” I returned.

We were standing in my kitchen. My body was back to normal, and my lust for blood satisfied.

“It’ll be my turn when you get back,” he said, his voice low, husky
, his thumbs stroking my neck.
My stomach quivered in anticipation.

“I’d like that.” I turned to
leave, but remembered the wooden bear. Opening my hand, I was slightly shocked to see I still had it. Most of it was covered it burgundy, almost black.
His d
ried blood.

“What are you doing? Why aren’t you—” He stopped and
inhaled
. “Where did you get that?”

I turned
. “I told you I was there.”

He crumbled, sagging to his knees. “How?”

I kneeled in front of him. “I don’t know how,
or why, or even
where I was, only that you were there, and after she and the others left with you, I picked this up.
”
I held my hand out.
“For you.”
He took it between his first finger, and his thumb.

“Thank you,” he sa
id, his eyes watery. Seconds later, he’d pulled me into an embrace,
his arms crushing me to him. “You ha
ve no idea what this means
,” he whispered against my hair.

The force of his words, the ache, and urgency, caused me to tremble. “You’re welcome, Christopher.”

As quickly as he hugged me he released me.

“Go. We have a lot to talk about when you get back.” He stood, and pulled me with him.

“Okay, but… stay down here. No snooping.” I didn’t want him to see my child’s room.

“What don’t you want
me to find
?” he asked, planting a swift kiss on my mouth
.

Gatsby made an appearance, and started howling, winding between Christopher’s legs, and then mine.

“
Make yourself useful, and feed my cat,” I said in mock irritation. He quirked a brow, and I added, “
Just
don’t go in my room
.”

“Fine. No snoopin
g.” He swatted my butt. “Hurry
.
The sooner
you
get there, the sooner you’ll be back.
”

I yelped, my cheeks
hot
.
“Alright.” I
left, running at lightning speed over to Prof
essor Pops’ house without tripping
once.

Oh yeah, better than ever, I thought happily.

***

When I knocked on the door
to Professor Pops’ house
, Daniel answered immediately. “Bout time, Snow. Gabe’s been chomping at the bit.”

“Gabe?” I questioned, my voice not my own as fear clutched my chest. “I-I thought Dorian was training me today?”

“Change of plans. You better get down there.”

“Right, thanks Daniel.” I hurried past him, j
ogging down the stairs, past
the Museum of the Supernatural
, and into the room filled with weapons. Gabe’s angry gaze found mine, and slammed my feet to a stop.

“Where were you
?”

“Hey, chill
,
bossy pants. I’m here now.” I giggled, releasing some nervous energy.

His expression
softened. “Sorry. I was worried.” He held the longer sword
—what had Professor Pops called it—a katana,
in one hand.
Gabe came around, and stood extra close, so that his body hugged mine.
“Let’s begin.”
He took my right hand and placed the
sword in
it.
I bit my
cheek
, nervous about his nearness.

He doesn’t want you. He doesn’t want you
. He
doesn’t
want you
, my inner voice chanted
, rudely
.

“Your heart is beating so fast. Ar
e
you
…
craving my blood?”
His face was so close to mine; I could
feel his five o’clock shadow
, not to mention the increased beating of his heart.
And I realized
he was scared.

Of me.

That knowledge hurt.

“No, I’m
nervous ab
out being so close to the blade
,” I lied
.

He swallowed, a loud gulping of his fear.
Why
choose
to train
me if he was afraid?

Gabe might as well shove that pointy thing in your heart, my inner voice quipped snootily.

For once I agreed whole-heartedly.

Stepping away
, I turned. “How about you demonstrate
the correct way to
hold it and I’ll copy you?”

I watched
his
jaws clench
. He nodded. “Spread your feet shoulder’s width apart.”

I did as he said.

“Now bend your knees.”

As I bent them, he walked over and set the sword on the counter, then
came over to me
.

Yeah, it’s just me.
Your best friend.
Sheesh!
Scowling, I said, “Like this?”

He smacked me on the butt. “Tuck that under, and hold in your lower abdomen.”

I tried to do as he said, but it felt weird.

“Come on, Snow
. It’s not that difficult,” he growled.

Anger snapped to attention and bloomed like a rose in my chest. How dare he be so rude? “I’ve never done anything like this before, so forgive me if I’m not a pro in two point five seconds,
Gabriel
.”

“Well, hello there, Snowflake.” He smirked, and I
realized
he was
goading me.

He picked up his sword, and took another off the wall, handing it to me. I took it, and glared.

“During battle, anger is good, necessary in fact, but it must be controlled.” He’d started
to circle me, and
my senses heighten
ed
. I copied the way he held his blade, and followed him. “If you can learn to control your anger, you’ll be a force to reckon with.”

I snorted. “What about tripping over my feet?”