Royally Cursed, page 5
part #2 of Vampire Princess Series
“Yes. It is.”
He slammed a book shut and shifted it to a growing pile on his left. Then he took the top book from another stack of books to his right.
“Are you alright?”
He stopped what he was doing and looked at me.
“No. Are you?”
I shrugged uncomfortably. I knew I was on borrowed time. I didn’t know exactly when the hunger would come again. I only knew that it would come.
And it would be soon.
“I’m alright. For the moment.”
“This cannot continue.”
“I know. It’s too bad Maxim isn’t twice his size. Then again, if he was tiny, I could carry him around in a little lunch box…”
“This is serious, Sasha.”
“It must be, for you to use my given name.”
“Don’t sass me. I’m not making a joke. Your thirst is already out of control. I’ve never seen someone so blood crazed, except when woken from a hundred-year sleep. Even then it goes away after they are satiated.”
He rested his forearms on his desk, leaning forward.
“You are never satiated. If this blood lust is not tamed, we won’t have to worry about the New Leaders.”
“Really? Who will we be worried about then?”
“You.”
“Little ole me?”
I tried to make light of it, but I was scared. And seeing Caleb this concerned had turned my own fear up as high as it could go.
Yeah, I was pretty much panicking.
“If your hunger continues to grow, we will have to worry about the humans — the military — trying to destroy you.”
“The… what?”
“The Government, Sasha. Tanks. Grenade launchers. Bombs.”
I stepped backwards, my hand at my throat.
There I go again, clutching my pearls like Bernard.
“What do you think will happen if you go around slaughtering humans indiscriminately?”
“But I haven’t— I wouldn’t—”
“You will. You can barely control yourself as it is and it has shown no signs of slowing. We must find a cure.”
He closed his eyes and then opened them, the look on his face sending a tremor through me.
“Before your hunger becomes truly bottomless.”
Bottomless hunger… Nightfall, that sounded bad.
I was shaking but I forced myself to nod. I walked across the deep burgundy silk rug and sat in the chair across from him.
“So, where do I start?”
Caleb gave me a sad smile and handed me a book.
“Read.”
So I did.
We spent the rest of the day immersed in his collection of ancient texts. Even when Bernard arose near dusk, Caleb refused to take his turn to sleep. We begged him, telling him that we needed him well and whole. It was painful for a vamp to skip their time in the dark for so long.
It was not until the next morning that he finally returned to the basement to rest.
Chapter 11
I rubbed my shoulders, doing my best to slog through an ancient Latin text about our kind. It was one of hundreds of books that Caleb brought with us, toting them in old leather trunks from house to house.
Along with his favorite antiques and artwork, not to mention his elaborate rugs.
He did love his creature comforts.
And this was just the tip of the iceberg. He had several storage units in the US alone. All stuffed with more antiques and way more books. Along with the villa and an apartment in Paris.
Caleb did not mess around when it came to art and architecture. That was one of the reasons I felt so guilty all the time. I hated that he had to run because of me. I knew he didn’t mind moving, per se. He was brilliant at finding us a safe haven every few months, and managed the details effortlessly.
But every now and then we were forced to leave behind some of his stuff, relinquishing beautiful objects to the next tenants, or to flames if we covered our tracks in a more permanent manner.
It was wasteful. And that was the sort of thing that Caleb despised.
But he cared about keeping me alive even more. He’d dedicated himself to my life and the cause. I knew it was because he’d loved and respected my father, but it was more than that. He was pretty much a parent to me now, just like Bernard was.
I guess I’d been lucky in that regard. Even though I’d lost my mother before I had a chance to know her, I’d had extremely good back up in the parent department. My father had doted on me.
Most people had two parents, if they were lucky. I’d had four.
I closed the book, staring out the window.
We’d all been reading for a week with no progress. Maxim went out to feed frequently, and Bernard had restocked our supplies with a visit to a blood bank forty miles away.
And I was more or less on house arrest.
The whole ferocious hunger for human blood thing was really cramping my style. Not that I’d planned a summer full of keggers and partying at the quarry, but I had thought I’d be training in the woods at least.
Now they weren’t even letting me outside.
I opened the window, leaning out of it. A cool breeze came through, smelling faintly like the honeysuckle bushes around the house and the promise of rain. I inhaled deeply. I needed to get out, even if it was only for a run.
Tomorrow I’d go out. I’d drink and then leave. Just for a little bit. Or maybe Maxim could come with me, if it was early enough.
Or after dark.
Two short raps behind me made me smile.
I turned to see Maxim lounging in the doorway. As usual he looked darkly handsome and stylish in a clean white t-shirt that showed off his physique, skimming over his flat stomach but tight on his chiseled shoulders, thick with muscle. He wore worn in jeans that fit him flawlessly. I had no doubt they were outrageously expensive, just like everything else he wore.
He had a warm gleam in his eyes as they roved over me, especially my legs and shoulders, which were bare under my sleep shorts and camisole.
Maxim was kind of a letch, at least when it came to me.
Also as usual.
He’d taken to flirting with me shamelessly over the past week. He’d always teased me, but now it was more blatant. He kept popping in while I was reading to tell me I was beautiful and enchanting. He’d tried to kiss me at least once as a day as well.
I tried to be stern with him, but the truth was he was the only thing lightening the mood around here.
We hadn’t found one helpful thing in all of our reading.
So yeah, Maxim was being a gorgeous, ridiculously appealing pest, but I couldn’t bring myself to be angry with him.
This time, he wasn’t empty-handed. He had a large, brown paper take-out bag in one hand. I inhaled deeply, closing my eyes in pleasure at the smell.
“What is that?”
“You haven’t been outside in over a week.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, wanting to grab the bag out of his hands and devour whatever was inside. Not ladylike, but more expedient than talking.
“True.”
“And you are getting very cranky cooped up in here.”
I tossed my hair and gave him an arch look.
“Also true.”
“You can’t go out for pancakes. So, I brought the pancakes to you.”
He smiled at me so sweetly that all my earlier annoyance ran away from me. The little wrinkles at the sides of his eyes crinkled in a way that made me swoon a bit. His full lips curled into a smile. Not a smirk, for once. A real, genuine smile.
My heart fluttered.
Maxim was gorgeous, cultured, intelligent, aggravating and… sweet. Who knew?
He’d brought me pancakes.
Maxim was the best, I decided. My absolute favorite person at this moment. I also decided never to tell Bernard that.
It would just hurt his feelings.
But… pancakes. Yum.
A dark thought skittered across my brain and I pushed it away. I was well aware of the constant risk of hurting everyone’s feelings. Because even though I was drawn to Maxim, I still wasn’t over Dylan. I wasn’t sure if I would ever be.
I closed my eyes, trying to imagine what he was doing. I tried not to think about him every day, but somehow, he managed to creep into my thoughts.
I hoped he was having a good summer. He’d told me he hoped to lifeguard at the state park before heading to college. I didn’t even know where he was planning to go when we ended things.
Well, when I ended things.
It was an odd feeling, knowing that someone I loved and spent so much time with was out there. And I had zero knowledge of his life. Just like that, I was shut out.
That’s on you, Soph. You could have fought for him.
But the sneaky little voice in my mind popped up.
This is better for him anyway.
I could see him on a lifeguard chair, basking in the sun and keeping the people around him safe. He’d be good at that. And he’d definitely make all the local girls go out of their minds.
All the moms too. And the grannies. Dylan was a dish, plain and simple. And he deserved to be happy.
Maybe he already was happy. Hanging with his friends. Girls too most likely, if he was dating, I had no desire to know about it. In fact, I was pretty sure it would destroy me to know even the slightest detail.
That was one of the worst parts about it. I had zero right to be jealous. But I was. Jealous of an imaginary girlfriend, or girlfriends, who might not even exist.
I slid over on the window seat and patted the cushion beside me. I didn’t think cozying up on the bed was a good idea. I didn’t want to confuse Maxim.
Or me. I was in serious danger of getting confused as well.
He smelled so good when he sat down next to me. I gave him a look. He was sitting a little too close. He just smiled and opened the bag.
I moaned as the scent got stronger.
“What do you want first, sweet or savory?”
I bit my lip, staring at the ground. It was weird to have to rely on him. But we were finding that if I drank from him every few hours, I did not turn into a blood-crazed lunatic.
Not yet anyway.
“Blood and pancakes, yum.” He cocked an eyebrow and I exhaled noisily. “Not really.”
He just waited and I smiled sheepishly.
“Blood I guess.”
“Wrist or throat?”
I lifted his arm and pulled it to my lips. As much as I wanted to bite his neck, that could lead to other things. Things like kissing. I looked at him, waiting for permission. He nodded and I bit down, the blood rushing into my mouth.
His blood was delicious, even better than the few times I’d drank fresh human blood. It wasn’t warm though, and that was a nice feature of drinking from someone living, instead of a pouch or the, um, undead.
It was doing things to me as well. Bringing me closer to Maxim. It was satiating me for brief periods, but not completely. The hunger was always there, waiting for a chance to strike.
“You don’t have to stop.”
I had slowed my drinking and pulled back, shaking my head.
“This can’t go on forever, Maxim. It can’t be good for you.”
He grinned at me salaciously.
“Oh, I enjoy it.”
“Maxim!”
He grinned at the scandalized look on my face. I blushed hotly, wondering if he meant he was getting some sort of sexual gratification from this. Then he winked, making me sure he was in fact saying what I thought he was saying.
Uncertain of where to look, I stared at his wrist, watching as the wounds closed over and disappeared. I could still feel the warmth on my cheeks, and I knew he could see it too. The fact that someone experienced like Maxim could find my bite so arousing was strangely flattering.
Nightfall, this was embarrassing!
“Ready for pancakes?”
I nodded, forgetting my embarrassment in a flash. I was hungry. I mean, I was always hungry, but lately my hunger was growing. Not just for blood. I wanted food all the time too.
I hadn’t gained so much as a pound though, no matter how much I chowed down. I was still hoping for a few more inches of height, and maybe some more curvy parts, before my development ground to a halt, freezing me permanently in the ‘young adult’ phase of life.
Not that I was complaining about eternal youth and perfect health. But I still looked like a teen. I wanted to look like a woman someday. Or at least, a lot closer.
Maxim didn’t seem to mind, I thought, as he handed me the shiny aluminum take-out dish. I pulled free the paper top as he opened one of the plastic take-out syrup containers. I licked my lips as he emptied two and then three containers of gooey goodness onto the pancakes.
Then he got out the butter. He’d gone to my favorite spot. These were not mere diner pancakes. These were the real deal.
“Oh, yes!”
I was practically drooling as the smell of homemade butter washed over me. He handed me the plastic cutlery and I dug in, gobbling pancakes like a starving woman.
Which technically, I was.
“Umfff, these are really…” I chewed, closing my eyes in ecstasy. “…delicious.”
Maxim was smiling at me, his eyes on my lips. My sticky, syrup covered lips.
Oh no.
“I’d like a taste.”
I swallowed and held perfectly still as his fingers traced the edges of my jaw, turning me slowly to face him. I inhaled and blew the air out of my mouth nervously.
But then a crazy thing happened.
I kissed him.
I wish I could say I was just being expedient. That I knew that a pancake related kiss was inevitable, but that wasn’t true. I’d wanted to kiss him. So I did.
He murmured against my lips, letting his tongue dance over them. He was literally tasting me, no joke. I sighed as he pulled back, watching me with a bemused look on his face.
“Finish your pancakes.”
“Yes, sir.”
It didn’t take long, I’m slightly embarrassed to say. I really enjoyed sweets and made short work of the thick stack. I excused myself to wash up and then looked from Maxim to the bed.
“Go on, it’s fine.”
“I probably won’t sleep.”
It was true. Even when I got tired, which was rare, I was too desperate to find anything in the texts Caleb had assigned me to completely relax.
“Try. Maybe it will help.”
I nodded. He was right. I slept deeply after drinking from him, though the side effect of crazy dreams was something I didn’t particularly enjoy.
But if I could sleep, I figured I should.
I climbed into bed under Maxim’s watchful gaze. Finally, he rose, standing at the foot of the bed.
“I can sleep in here if you need me to.”
“No thank you, Maxim.”
“Goodnight, Princess.”
“Goodnight, Maxim.”
I muttered under my breath, knowing he could hear me as he closed the door.
“You pervert.”
A low chuckle from outside my door was the only answer.
Chapter 12
“I can… touch it?”
Caleb nodded.
“This is one facet of your talents that we have not been able to explore. Your other elemental abilities have been growing exponentially. Let’s see about this.”
“You won’t, um, kill it this time, will you?”
He shook his head.
“I will not, unless we are left without a choice.”
“You mean when we leave.”
He nodded and I stared at the plant. He’d gone to the big box home improvement store and gotten me the best thing ever, after pancakes of course.
He’d gotten me houseplants. Even a few sapling fruit trees. And I was allowed to touch them. Just to see what I could do.
“Are you sure? I can’t really see a practical application for this.”
“That remains to be seen.”
He folded his arms, waiting. Caleb was patient. He had to be after a thousand years on Earth. But his patience was not without limits.
I pushed my sleeves up, choosing one of the smaller plants. I could feel it — a steady hum of something. It was almost like electricity, but not as buzzy.
It almost sounded like… humming.
Kind of like an mp3 I’d heard once online. It was a recording of locusts rubbing their legs together. Thousands of them, chirping like crickets. To the naked ear it sounded like nothing.
But slowed down it turned into something else entirely.
Slowed down it sounded like a gospel choir.
I was drawn to the little spider plant. I could feel it pulling me closer. I wanted to be close to it.
And it wanted to be close to me.
The way I could feel human emotions? That not at all nifty and totally awkward skill? Yeah, it was working with the plant now.
This was it. I finally knew the name of my future cable TV show.
The Plant Whisperer
Sounds exciting, right? Talking to plants and finding out why a fern had dropped it’s leaves (answer: it hated the cat).
Not.
But this little spider plant was exciting. Its energy was so pure. I held up my hand, feeling something like a force field around it.
“It’s alive.”
Caleb crossed his arms over his gray cashmere sweater.
“Did you think I’d bring you a plastic plant?”
“No, I mean… it’s conscious. It has… feelings.”
Caleb was silent. I could feel his tension as I moved closer and closer to the pint-sized plant. I was nervous, unsure of what might happen. But the plant wasn’t afraid.
Somehow, that gave me courage.
Gently, I ran my fingertips along the flat side of one long, elegant leaf. I stepped back, letting my hand dangle above it. Waiting.
For about thirty second, nothing happened.
And then everything happened.
The humming sound increased, filling the air as the plant began to vibrate. I could see it trembling, almost as if it was a little child, eager to play. And then it exploded.
