Royally Cursed, page 7
part #2 of Vampire Princess Series
He looked freshly showered and handsome, as usual. Meanwhile I looked like a dirty basement hag. Not that I had the energy to worry about that.
But still. Ugh.
He offered me his wrist without a word. I wish I could say I was coy about it, but I wasn’t. I sank my fangs into him like a savage. Maxim’s body bent as I pulled his arm.
I was stronger than even him now. And Maxim was very, very strong.
I knew they wouldn’t let me drink long so I drank quickly, greedily slurping as much as I could. I felt like an animal, acting on instinct alone. I knew in the back of my mind that Maxim would not pull away. Thankfully Bernard and Caleb were there to make him, yanking him away from me before he collapsed.
I stared at the three of them, blood coating my mouth.
I felt less than human.
Less than Vampire.
I felt like an animal.
“Leave me alone.”
I turned away, curling into myself. I couldn’t bear the way they were looking at me. They left but I could still hear them, even as they spoke in soft whispers upstairs.
It was impossible to keep secrets from a vamp in earshot, even one as crusty as me.
Maxim was arguing with Caleb. I could feel his anger, as well as hear it in his deep voice. Just like I’d felt his despair when I’d sent him away at the beginning of the summer.
Just like I could feel his love for me.
Even now, he seemed to find me more than a little bit appealing, even with the witch hair and whole veins turning black thing. Not hot.
I made a face to myself, feeling like a crazy person. I was the one girl in the world who didn’t want anyone falling in love with her. Now instead of one problem, I had two.
Three, if you counted Dylan.
Four, if you counted the whole ‘save the world from evil Vampires’ thing.
I lay there, huddled into a ball and stared into space.
“Can’t you find better accommodations for her? Her room?”
“Too many exits. It’s too risky.”
“This is abominable.”
I had to agree with him. Maxim was standing up for me. I felt a trickle of warmth at the thought.
But I knew Caleb was right. If I couldn’t get my thirst under control, who knows what I might do.
Maybe something I couldn’t live with.
And my bedroom had windows. I could jump out of them easily. I had jumped out of them.
I sat in silence, ignoring the stack of books and the iPod Bernard had brought me. The house was still quiet hours later when I saw the spider lowering itself inches from my face.
I don’t know why it was coming so close to me. I hadn’t moved in so long that it may have thought I was just another stack of boxes. Or maybe it just smelled the dried blood stuck to my face.
I reached out and let it settle on my hand. I tilted my head, trying to tell it what to do. I had no idea if I could control it but I was kind of hoping I could. I wanted it to bite me, to feel something other than the thirst and this terrible feeling that I would never be alright again. Never be free. I wanted to see how it felt to be Maxim. To be the blood bag. To feel how it felt to be a human victim.
After a moment it did bite down, its fangs sinking into my flesh. But it didn’t count on my souped up blood.
For a second nothing happened. And then the small spider started to vibrate.
With a horrendous shriek, it exploded. Not into pieces. It exploded in size.
It’s eight eyes blinked at me as I stared at the foot wide spider on my lap. Well, technically it was four feet wide, if you counted the diameter of all eight legs.
It wasn’t just a giant spider.
It was glowing, like the plants and trees I’d touched.
It’s pincers worked feverishly, staring at me.
For a moment I wondered if it would try and eat me.
And then I realized it wasn’t attacking for a reason. It wasn’t looking at me like food at all. It was expectant, and somehow almost eager to please. Like a dog waiting for you to throw a stick.
It was awaiting orders.
“Sasha!”
Caleb was by my side in an instant, before he saw the monstrosity before him. He recoiled, looking at the creature with a horrified expression.
“What have you done?”
I bit my lip and gave him an innocent look. But inside I was cringing a little. I hadn’t thought this through at all.
“Oops?”
Bernard and Maxim must have been hunting local game, because they smelled like the woods when they showed up a few minutes later. Maxim must have sensed something. They raced back inside.
I envied their freedom so much it hurt.
The spider came closer, settling into my lap. Idly, I stroked it’s head. It was oddly silky. A purple color pulsed beneath my hand.
“Nightfall! What is that thing?”
I almost smiled at the horrified look on Bernard’s face. His hand fluttered against his chest, in the universal symbol for clutching his pearls.
“I touched it.”
“You— what?”
“This is my new pet. Um… Spidey.”
“Charming, Sophie.”
Caleb had an eyebrow raised. Bernard looked disturbed. But I saw a glimmer of a smile on Maxim’s handsome face, though he certainly didn’t look like he wanted to cuddle with Spidey either.
“You know what I think?”
“What?”
“It could be the start of an army.”
Chapter 15
Everyone kept their distance for the next few days. Caleb was still hard at work reading. Bernard brought me food but gave Spidey a wide berth. Everyone but Maxim, who came to sit with me, warily staring at the glowing white web Spidey was busy building in a nearby corner.
The web stretched from ceiling to floor and wall to wall. It was beautiful, reminding me of the spires of an ancient cathedral. The intricate web glistened with dew, which considering everything else, was probably poisonous.
I thought it pretty much rocked.
“That thing is an abomination.”
“I know.” I smiled at him, feeling like I was losing my mind. “But so am I.”
“No, you are not. Never say that again.”
Maxim’s eyes flashed dangerously. He was furious. But more than that, he was worried.
He was afraid he was losing me. That I was disappearing. I knew how he felt. I missed the old me, too.
“Tell that to my dreams.”
“Are they back? What do you dream of?”
“War. Destruction. Murder. The night it all happened.” I gave him a dark smile. “You know, the usual stuff.”
I closed my eyes. I was exhausted. The hunger was draining me, but it was more than that.
My dreams were getting worse as well.
I was dreaming about the past more and more. But I was also seeing possible outcomes of the future. Like, watching my guardians be put to death by the New Leaders while I watched, unable to do a thing to stop it.
In the dreams, many of my powers seemed to be gone. I was chained, not surprising, since I was chained up while I slept. But it was more than that.
In the dreams I felt almost human. Weak and helpless.
Useless against the supernatural.
Oddly enough, Spidey was the only thing that seemed to comfort me. I would wake from another dream, another blood soaked battle where I was unable to fight, unable to protect the ones I loved, and the spider would be nearby. It would be watching me, one leg touching me gently. Or even curled up at my feet.
The thing was practically acting like a cat.
I smiled at it absently, wondering if it was going to start to purr.
Nightfall knew I needed the comfort.
In every dream, I watched the people I love get destroyed. In every dream, I was helpless. In every dream, the New Leaders won.
Over and over and over again.
It was the dream that never ended.
There was no way we could go to battle with me in this condition. It was as good as over. I wondered if it was a casting, if they had a Fae witch. Or it was unique to my heritage.
Either way I knew one thing for certain. I had to beat this, whatever was causing it. I had to end this curse. And that’s what it was.
Last night, Caleb had found something in his books at last. An Angel who had been turned into a Vampire, thousands and thousands of years ago. The Angel was beautiful of course, and already ancient. He had made a spectacular Vampire.
At first.
But year after year, it’s thirst had grown.
It had to be destroyed, its hunger had grown so monstrous.
Of course, I was born half-human, not an Angel or Fae who had been turned. But Caleb just shook his head when I brought up that little fact. I had to concede his point.
A hybrid was a hybrid.
And cursed was cursed.
“I want to find a way to make you more comfortable while we figure this out.”
I laughed, realizing I sounded a little bit nuts. I was starting to lose it, no two ways about it.
“There’s nothing to figure out. I’m toast.”
“Princess…”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Sasha, please.”
I exhaled, curling up into a ball. I heard the spider clamber over to me, hunching its body as close as it could get to me. It lifted one leg, touching my shoulder with it. The crazy looking thing was trying to comfort me.
What can I say?
I had a way with animals.
Maxim tried again, tried to talk to me, keep me company. He brought down a deck of cards and even found some old board games in a closet. I couldn’t motivate myself to even sit up and roll the dice.
Eventually he went away and I dozed.
When I woke up, a centipede was cautiously climbing up my leg. I smiled at it. I wasn’t just the plant whisperer.
I was the insect whisperer.
Without formulating an actual thought, I reached out and brushed my finger over the slender legs. It froze, and I could feel it looking at me. I knew that centipedes were smart, compared to other bugs. Maybe the smartest insects there were.
Well, other than the bees.
I watched a lot of nature programs. And I’d read an entire set of encyclopedias when I was seven. I loved seeing all the crazy stuff that mother nature had come up with. Maybe because it made me feel a little less like a freak.
But I’d never seen anything like what happened next.
Each of the creature’s many legs started to shiver while staying in one place. Faster and faster, until it was a blur, even to my eyes. Then it curled up into a ball and expanded. A lot.
Just like Spidey.
Ploop. It landed on the floor next to my leg. It shook itself, looking around. Then it stared at me.
“You have a new friend! Isn’t that nice?”
Spidey looked at the enormous centipede. It was five feet long, with more legs than you could count. It was pure white. Once it was big, I could see its face clearly.
It was pretty cute. And I could have sworn it was smiling.
“I don’t have to even think about what to name you.”
I heard the front door slam and footsteps racing through the house. Hushed whispers from upstairs. And then a slower, more dignified procession down the basement stairs.
Bernard looked at Centi and made a gagging sound.
“Nightfall, Sophie. Did you have to?”
I gave Bernard a crooked grin.
“Yep.”
But no one was smiling. Maxim looked worried. And Caleb’s angular face was drawn.
Bernard cleared his throat.
“We have a bigger problem.”
“What is it?”
“There is a young man travelling up the road. It’s only a matter of time before he comes to our door.”
“Salesman?”
Bernard shook his head. It was almost as if he was afraid to tell me. In a flash of insight, I knew the one thing that would make him do that.
Dylan. It had to be. And we couldn’t just send him away because he couldn’t be glamoured.
“No. He… appears to be going from house to house and asking for someone.”
“Who?” I asked. Even though I knew the answer.
He looked at Caleb and Maxim, then back at me. He took a deep breath in, which was funny because Vampires didn’t actually breathe. It was more of a habit than anything.
He finally looked at me, his eyes full of worry.
“He’s looking for you.”
Chapter 16
Everything changed in a heartbeat.
Dylan was here. He was here. Not here in the house, but outside. Close. Looking for me.
He hadn’t given up on me after all.
I felt a longing so intense it drove away the hopelessness of the situation for a few seconds. I wanted to see him so badly it hurt. But I wanted to drink him even more.
It was too dangerous. He had to leave. Now.
I was still chained up.
I was still in the basement.
I was still a danger to everyone on Earth, but specifically to Dylan, Karen, and any of their kind.
I listened to the arguing going on upstairs, idly stroking my two new pets. I knew it was gruesome, but they really did make me feel better.
Centi and Spidey acted almost like dogs and cats.
Just, you know, not as furry or adorable.
I scratched beneath Centi’s head and he twisted, angling for a better chin rub.
“Well, you are kind of cute, I guess.” It rustled its legs making a happy purring sound before curling up with its head on my lap. See? Just like a cat. “What are we going to feed you, eh?”
Footsteps on the stairs interrupted my thoughts.
Caleb was back again. Bernard was close on his heels. Maxim stayed away. I could feel him.
He was jealous.
“Sasha. You are sure this Dylan cannot be glamoured?”
“Uh huh.”
He turned to Bernard, speaking low and urgently.
“Perhaps this is a stroke of luck. We can blindfold the boy, then keep him here for her to feed on—”
“Absolutely not. It’s too risky!”
I rustled my chains, grabbing their attention.
“Yeah, and also no for a thousand other reasons.”
Caleb crossed his arms over his chest.
“Please, enlighten us.”
I sighed and stretched.
“Dylan is a person. He’s not a cow or a pig. He is not food. And I’m starting to think that no one should be chained up and forced to suffer.”
I gave them a wry smile.
“Well, except me. I probably deserve it.” I leaned in, trying to convince them. “Anyway, even if you bring him here, I won’t drink from him. I will die before I hurt him. He doesn’t deserve it. He’s not a piece of meat. I could kill him.”
“Sophie, if we bring him here, he has to die.”
I shook my head in disgust.
“No. I refuse to let you kill him.”
“You can’t stop us.”
“No? What if I make sure that I end as well? Is that sufficient incentive for you to let him go?”
Caleb closed his eyes, clearly praying to Nightfall for patience.
“There’s something I didn’t tell you, Sophie.”
“What?”
“The cursed one…”
I stilled, almost holding my breath. I felt a kinship with the long ago half breed. He was cursed. Like I was.
“Well?”
I tried to sound blasé, like I wasn’t terrified of Caleb’s answer.
But I was terrified.
Nightfall, I was.
“It hungered for its own kind.”
My jaw dropped. That was the last thing I was expecting to hear.
Werewolves? Sure. Trolls? Okay. But the fact that I wanted vamp blood as much as human blood kinda blew my mind.
“What?”
“That why you are satiated by Maxim. And why you crave the Fae blood as much.”
“Fae? What are you saying?”
Caleb’s eyes burned in their intensity. Maxim turned away. And Bernard looked like he might weep.
“Sasha. My Princess. My guiding star. You are not what you think you are.” I held my breath as Caleb swallowed. “You are only a quarter human.”
“Exsqueeze me?”
“I long suspected it, but this proves it. Your mother was human, yes. But she was also half Angel.”
“I’m… an Angel?”
His lips quirked, as if I had just said something funny. But none of this was funny. Not to me.
“Not exactly.”
“Okay, a bloodthirsty-muder-Angel.”
He tilted his head to the side, considering.
“Closer.”
“So you think if I drink from Dyl — or any of his kind — the curse will be lifted?”
He nodded once.
“There’s a chance. It might be our only chance to save you. And the Kingdom of Night.”
I bit my lip, thinking through the endless possible outcomes,
“Even if we do this….” I sighed, looking away. “I’m still not going to agree to killing him. If you can get him to donate a pint, I’d try that. But I’m not going to let him be collateral damage in this.”
I shook my head.
“It’s not right, and you know it. No matter what the cause is… it’s not right.”
Bernard cleared his throat.
“Maybe there’s a better way.”
Caleb raised an eyebrow, giving the muscle bound Vampire a dubious look.
“What’s that Bernard?”
“Maybe we bring him here. Let him in. No chains. No blindfold. No, um…”
“No murder?”
He nodded, turning his eyes to me. Bernard was full of love. He understood how I felt about Dylan. He knew I would never allow him to be harmed for my sake.
Not even for my Kingdom.
“The boy loves you, Sophie. Tell us the truth. Do you think he can be trusted?”
“Yes. I trust him.”
“But, are you sure? Do you think he can handle this?”
He made a sweeping gesture with his arm, encompassing the basement. I glanced to my pets, always hovering nearby.
