I nodded, pushing back threatening tears. Warmth spread from his hands into my skin. With my new abilities I listened for his heartbeat.
He didn’t have one, though I sensed his innate goodness.
“Start at the beginning.”
And I did. Told him everything. The more I talked, the more relieved I became. I hadn’t realized how much of a burden I carried, keeping all that happened—and there was a lot—a secret. As I spoke Kenmei nodded occasionally, but kept quiet. He didn’t ask questions, as though he didn’t need to, and didn’t interject. He listened.
When I finished I pulled the pendant from beneath my shirt.
“This is the pendant Christopher left me,” I said, and added, “He told me not to take it off, as did Pava, the pixilette I saw in the library today.”
He released my hand and took the gem between his fingers. It flared red, the essence permeating his fingers so they glowed. From the light of the pendant I watched his eyes fill with admiration, so close I could smell the spicy scent of my bloodlust tea on him, and guessed he still carried it on his person, somewhere within his royal blue robe.
After several minutes he dropped the pendant and sat back. “I’ll bet you believe you’ve lived a lifetime these past days,” he said quietly.
I nodded, too overcome with emotion to answer.
Even quieter, he added, “Let’s see how you feel after you’ve lived a century or two.” A sad smile, almost more of an echo of a smile, formed on his lips. “After seven thousand years I’m tired, Shiryo-san.” His voice was filled with melancholy, his eyes glassed over like he was far away in another time.
I swallowed, unsure how to respond.
Clearing his throat, he perked up. “Thank you for your honesty.”
“You’re welcome.” My fingers fidgeted in my lap.
“Christopher is right. No harm will come to you while you wear the pendant. It gives the possessor strong magic. Perhaps there is more to your Hunter then I first believed. He seems to care for you, otherwise he wouldn’t have parted with such great magic.”
“Oh?” I asked, sitting up. For some reason his words made me feel better. Christopher cared for me.
My inner voice snorted.
“There is only one of these in all the world, Shiryo-san. May I tell you a story?”
“Of course,” I replied, knowing he would even if I didn’t want to hear it, but I totally did.
“When the world began, vampires ruled the world.” I nodded. That piece of information I already knew. Professor Pops had shown them to me. “Ah, so you’ve seen the pictures then, heard the story?”
I’d failed to mention the talk with Professor Pops. I’d forgotten. His words hadn’t seemed accusatory. “Yes. Professor Pops told me they lived before humans. I’ve seen the pictures. He told me how the Vampire Queen was the fairest, and about the war.”
“Excellent. Did he mention who the first vampire was?”
I racked my brain. “No, I don’t think so.”
“The first vampire was a female by the name of Silindra. Before the rise of the one you know as the Vampire Queen, she was called Sharra and she was Silindra’s closest friend, but she was so much more. Sharra and Silindra were twins. Sisters.”
I gasped.
Kenmei nodded in understanding. “Yes, that is why her realm is called Sharra. Now she is known only as the Vampire Queen, though she allows a select few to call her by her real name.” He waved his hand. “Before Sharra’s rise, Silindra ruled the Earth. She did so with kindness, equality. Her nature was such that everyone loved her, revered her, and even worshipped her above all other creatures.”
“Silindra.” I’d said her name without meaning to. When I did the gem began to glow.
“When the Vampire Queen started to gain followers a male vampire named Gabriel, doing the bidding of Sharra, captured Silindra and took her deep within the earth where he tortured her for many days.” A darkness crossed Kenmei’s face, rippling pain.
I almost reached out to comfort him but resisted, caressing the gem within my fingers.
Kenmei continued, “On the tenth day, when Silindra hovered between life and death, Gabriel raised a dagger above his head, preparing to slay her. But before he could Silindra lifted a hand and said…” Kenmei’s voice trailed off as though he’d been whisked away in the story and couldn’t bear it any longer.
“What did she say?” I asked, my voice hoarse with emotion.
“She said one word,” he finally continued.
“Which was?”
“Wait.” His voice broke and I leaned closer, thinking I’d misunderstood.
“Wait?”
His dark eyes captured mine and held me. “You see, Shiryo-san, even near death the love she harbored for all other creatures was foremost on her mind.”
At his words my throat constricted with sadness. Such love, I couldn’t understand it.
“Gabriel paused, and asked, ‘What is it, Silindra?’ She begged him to allow her to place one of her tears in the golden gem around her neck, and after she died to give it to a pixilette named Ryden. Gabriel’s heart softened, and he agreed. What he didn’t realize was that the gem around her neck already contained five magical properties—the courageous soul of a dragon, the eternal sight of an elf, the healing horn of a unicorn, the strength of a troll, and the giving heart of a fairy. Gabriel added her tear, stuffed the gem in his pocket, and killed Silindra. After he finished, he left Silindra’s body in the Earth, found the pixilette Ryden, and gave her the necklace, thus fulfilling his end of the bargain.
“Within moments of the gem being in Ryden’s possession, she used its magic to take the final component needed to seal the magic within the gem—the blood of the slaughterer, Gabriel’s blood. With all seven magical components contained, the gem changed from golden to red.”
I considered the pendant around my neck. Without a doubt I knew it was the same one Silindra had worn.
“It’s called The Seal of Gabriel, because without his blood the magic would’ve been lost.”
Kenmei’s words brought down the weight of the power I carried. “Why would she create this?”
“Ah, Shiryo-san. A very good question. She created that necklace for you.”
I looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “Impossible.”
“With everything that’s happened to you over the last several days, how can you say that?” He took my hand and squeezed. “The magic contained within the pendant is powerful, and anyone who understands magic can use it, increasing their power at least ten fold, but you… Shiryo-san, you can restore balance, bring peace back to Earth by destroying the Vampire Queen.”
I snorted. Very unladylike, I know. Super disrespectful too, but I wasn’t buying it. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”
He jumped from his seat, fury flashing in his eyes. Like the strike of a cobra he grabbed me by the collar and lifted me in the air so that my feet dangled. “No, Shiryo-san! Never in seven thousand years has the gem worked for others the way it works for you.” As if to prove his point a red ball of light shot from the pendant and into Kenmei. He dropped me and went flying backward into the bookcase. Books tumbled onto his head and he groaned. “Don’t you see?” He looked up, his face anxious.
Fear, hot and thick, filled my throat. “No, I don’t.” I ran to the door. “You’re crazy. Leave me alone.” I threw open the door, startling the seven brothers and Professor Pops, who hovered in the hallway.
They scared me, and I yelped before regaining my wrath. Methodically I found each set of eyes. Once I’d considered them, I said, “I don’t want to see any of you ever again. Stay away from me, all of you!” I stormed from the house, my body moving like the wind.
At home I ran up to my room and threw myself on my bed. Gatsby followed and jumped up, nudging me with his furry forehead. Rolling over, I picked him up and hugged him. He hissed and let out a painful yowl. In the same instant I smelled burning flesh. I released him and not
iced the scorched fur surrounding a red welt on his side.
“I’m so sorry.” Furious tears poured from my eyes and leaked into my ears. “I don’t want any of this. I didn’t ask for any of this.” Sitting up, I reached around and pulled the necklace off, then chucked it at my dresser. I’d been aiming for the picture of Gabe—his gorgeous smile seemed to leer at me—but missed, and it smacked against a perfume bottle before skidding off the back of my dresser.
“Good riddance.” I flipped onto my stomach and fell asleep.
Chapter 8
When my alarm went off the next morning I noticed my mother’s blanket covered me. I knew I hadn’t set the alarm, which meant either Dad or Vivianne had.
After I dressed I went downstairs and noticed two significant items sitting on the counter: a cell phone and a laptop. On top sat a note. Freakin’ notes! It said the phone was already programmed and they’d downloaded some necessary programs to the laptop. Then they said they’d gone out to breakfast and they hoped to see me after school.
“They are so present,” I scoffed, sarcastic, before grabbing Gatsby’s food and water. I hadn’t seen him yet this morning and wondered if he was still mad. A pang of loneliness washed through me. The brothers wouldn’t be coming over today. I knew they’d bide by my wishes. Christopher was gone. My dad had Viv, and I had…
Cindy!
Time to patch things up. Unlocking my new phone, I dialed her number.
“Who the hell is this?” she answered.
I laughed, enjoying the sound of her voice. “Guess who got a cell? Come on, guess.”
“Snow? Is that you?” I could hear her happy relief.
I sighed. “Yes, it’s me. Dad and Viv got me a laptop too, so no more track practice. Woohoo!”
“They must feel really guilty about something. What’d they do?”
I grabbed a water from the fridge and opened it. As I drank, an overwhelming need for blood scorched my throat. No. No. No. I grabbed a soy yogurt, pulled off the top, and put a spoonful in my mouth. The yogurt tasted ashy, but I ignored it. Act human. That’s what Pops said.
Another pang of guilt hit me.
“Snow, you still there?”
“Yep. So you still want to get together after school?”
“Hells to the yeah. We can hang at my place if you want.”
The note my dad and stepmother left said they wanted to see me tonight. “How about we hang out at my house?”
“Okay. Are you genki?”
I giggled. “What is gen-ki?”
She laughed. “Basically the word means happy.”
“Oh, well sure. It’s been a while since my dad’s been home. I’m glad he’s back.” I didn’t tell her that I’d seen him all of half an hour the night before.
“Cool. So I’ll see you at school in a few.”
“Yep.”
After we hung up, she texted me.
U hav a cell. U so awesum!
There was a winky face after the exclamation point. I had no idea how to text on my pretty new phone, but I figured it was probably easy. I’d go through it later. Plus, since I had to ride my bike, I needed to hurry. Carefully placing the laptop and phone between my math and chemistry books, I put my backpack on and rode to school on my purple Schwinn.
“Will you set the table, Snow?” Vivianne was at the sink, draining the spiral noodles. The chicken cacciatore already sat in a serving dish, as did a green salad and some dinner rolls.
“Sure.” I took four plates from the cupboard and set them on the counter.
“I’ll help, Viv,” Cindy added, sneaking a caramelized onion drenched in red sauce. She pulled placemats from the drawer and set them on the table. I followed her, setting the plates on top. In a low voice she said, “What’s up with Viv and cooking? This is new.”
I shrugged. “Got me.”
Cindy pulled two wine glasses and two regular glasses from the cupboard. “Viv, did you want me to open a bottle of wine?”
Vivianne put the noodles in a ceramic serving bowl and took it over to the table. “That’s alright. I’ll get the wine.”
Cindy crinkled her nose. “Okay.”
I grabbed the silverware. Cindy folded the napkins. Just as we finished setting the table, my dad walked in.
“Hello beautiful ladies. Mind if I join you?” He wore crisp tan pants and a white linen shirt, his thick hair combed just so. I discreetly checked out Viv. She had on a red cashmere sweater and gray pants. Cindy looked good too, in a black mini with black leggings, black boots that came to her knees, and a fuchsia cable-knit sweater.
Viv said, “Of course, dear.” She gave him a sly smile, and I wondered what was going on with those two.
Cindy and I finished putting everything on the table. Once we were all seated, Viv uncorked a bottle of wine and poured a glass for her and my dad.
While we ate, I couldn’t help thinking about school. The guys tried to talk to me at lunch and after school, but I wasn’t giving them the opportunity.
Cindy sat with me at lunch in a different section of the cafeteria. When she asked why we weren’t sitting with the guys, I told her it was so I could concentrate on learning how to text. Another reason was I didn’t want to see Cindy and Gabe together. At the moment Cindy was my only friend, and I didn’t want to be mad at her too.
She’d obviously given the guys my cell number though because I recognized their numbers. They called and texted throughout the day but I ignored them, deleting their messages and texts without reading or listening.
You’re acting like a baby, my inner voice scolded.
I knew that was true, but I didn’t want any more of the drama. I couldn’t be what they wanted. Me. Klutzy Snow White. I wasn’t super smart, nor was I incredibly pretty, like Cindy. I was average.
You are so much more than that, a male voice whispered in my mind. It sounded like Christopher, but I shook the thought away. He’d left without giving me a reason.
I wanted things to go back to the way they were. Sure, people laughed at my clumsiness and made up jokes about me, but I didn’t mind. I knew where I fit in.
“Aren’t you going to eat?” Viv asked, interrupting my thoughts. Her eyes appeared sad, as though I hurt her feelings by not eating.
I glanced at the salad on my plate. Picking up my fork, I stabbed a cucumber and shoved it in my mouth. “Thanks for dinner,” I said once I swallowed.
“Yes, thanks,” Cindy added. “The cacciatore is delicious.”
My dad grabbed Viv’s hand and squeezed. “You’ve outdone yourself, dear.” He kissed her cheek, then cleared his throat. “Snow, we have some news.”
I was in the process on putting another cucumber in my mouth and stopped. “You do?” Anxiety twisted in my stomach.
He cleared his throat again. “Your mother and I have to leave for Tahiti tonight, right after dinner. There’s an emergency and I’ve got to go help out.”
I dropped my fork. “But you just got here. I-I haven’t even had a chance to spend time with you.” I glared at Viv. “And she is not my mother.” Grabbing my plate I pushed back my chair and placed the plate in the sink.
“Snow,” my dad said, shocked.
Why didn’t he ever ask me to go with him? I could homeschool, or he could get me a tutor. “Can I come with you?” I asked, working to control my trembling bottom lip.
Cindy gasped. “Don’t leave me.” Tears made her eyes shiny. I hadn’t thought about how my going would affect her, but I had a feeling she’d be fine.
“What about school?” Viv asked.
My dad stood and came over. He placed a hand on each of my shoulders and I dove into him, hugging him tight. “Dad, I need you. Please take me.” I knew I sounded like a child, but I couldn’t help myself. He was my dad and all the family I had. I didn’t want him to leave me again. He returned my hug briefly before pushing me back.
I saw the worry in his eyes and the way his forehead scrunched together. “Snow, I can’t. You have your schoo
l here, your life. I won’t take you from the only place you’ve ever known.” His words sounded sincere, but I felt him bristle. He didn’t want me around. I listened to the rapid beating of his heart, smelled the fear overpowering his aftershave. Didn’t he love me anymore? A part of me wanted to shout that my life could be wherever he was if he would just love me, treat me like his daughter—but I stepped back. My shoulders slumped and I thought I might fall over. Small, warm hands wrapped around my shoulders.
“I’ll take good care of her.” Cindy’s words were filled to brimming with protection and something else.
Magic, my inner voice whispered.
No way, I thought as the fountain of tears I kept fighting poured out.
I heard Vivianne heave an annoyed sigh. “I guess dinner is over.”
Had I not been so heartbroken I might’ve flashed my fangs and shown Viv that dinner, at least for me, had just begun. Instead I pulled away from Cindy and ran upstairs. Gatsby and Cindy followed.
Chapter 9
Cindy closed the door and whispered, “Man, your stepmother can be kind of a bitch.”
“I know, right?” I sat on my bed and pulled my pillow into my arms. A part of me always believed Viv liked Cindy more than me and I thought Cindy liked Viv. Her relationship with her mom and dad was good, but they were older and Cindy was their youngest, so her parents didn’t do much by way of relating.
A naughty gleam lit Cindy’s face. “I could cast a spell, cover her face in boils. What do you think?” She sat down next to me, pushing a strand of hair away from my wet cheek.
I laughed. “Might be fun,” I said noncommittally.
She went over and picked up her backpack. After she’d sat again, she unzipped her backpack and removed a small book. As soon as I saw it the air in the room changed. It hummed as though alive. The book possessed some serious energy.
It appeared to be bound by a leather cord. Most of the jacket was covered in a rusty red material. Cindy held it out and nodded for me to take it.
“What is this?” I asked, feeling hesitant. Creepy or weird didn’t fully describe the book. Bizarre was close. In the center of the cover was an eye. It looked real, like a lizard’s. A scaly face in a combination of violets and reds surrounded the eye. “Can the eye… see me?”