Vampire Secrets: Book 2 (Blood and Snow Season Two) (2 page)

“Yeah, you said that already,” I returned, not looking at him. My whole body shook with anger and some fear. When Maleficent ripped away my wings she took so much more, including my super abilities to hear and see better than humans. My strength was gone too. Everything that made me, me was
missing.

I was just a shell of the creature I’d been before. I didn’t need to drink blood either. Couldn’t even smell it.

Drake laughed and slapped me on the back. I jerked like he’d just branded me with a fiery poker. The black tattoo on my back had turned red and scarred. “Freak.”

“Ms. Ry
der, may I speak with you, please?” The classroom had nearly cleared and I had a straight shot of Professor Pops. He wasn’t focused on me, but on Drake.

Drake straightened, readjusted his book, and continued down the aisle. When he was at the door, he glanced back and made the motion that I should hang myself.

“Mr. Smythe, one more like that and you’ll have detention with me all week.”

Drake gasped, his eyes bugging out of his head. I understood why. Professor Pops wasn’t facing Drake but me. I wanted to laugh at the look on stupid Drake Symthe’s face, but I didn’t.

“What’s it going to be?” Professor Pops asked when Drake didn’t leave.

“But you don’t run detention,” Drake said.

Slowly Professor Pops faced him. “Mr. Smythe, I’ll make a special exception for you.”

Drake ran from the room.

“Did you want to come over for dinner tonight? I believe Troy is making his famous steak and potatoes.”

At the thought of steak my mouth watered. Troy was an excellent cook—
at least when it came to his steak. It was really all he cooked.

“Hmmm, sounds good.”

“Actually Pops I won’t be home until late tonight. I’m going out with Peter and Zoe.” Troy walked in, his backpack over his shoulder. Peter and Zoe were right behind him.

My heart immediately lifted when I saw thos
e two. I wasn’t sure why I responded to them the way I did, but I really liked them. They were friendly, kind-hearted, and fun.

Zoe had short red
hair, a gazillion freckles and grass green eyes. Peter was tan with dark hair and eyes that almost looked black, except when the light hit them just right. Then they were like water in oil, their color shifting from one end of the rainbow to the other. They were cool and reminded me a little of my dad’s eyes. I’d said as much to him one night. Peter had laughed and said that was awesome.

When I became
fully conscious after my deal with Maleficent, Peter and Zoe’s faces had been the first two I saw. Laeddin said the two of them somehow knew Professor Pops, that they understood about the supernatural, and that they wanted to help. I didn’t know what they were, if they were anything, and I didn’t care. Though, since Zoe constantly wore peppermint like I used to, I guessed she had to be a vampire.

They’d become
permanent fixtures in my house as well as Professor Pops’ and I didn’t want it any other way. I adored them even if I knew nothing about them. In fact, even after a month of spending nearly every day with them, I still had no idea where they lived.

All I knew about them was that that they’d recently
moved here from out of the country and that his dad and her mom were foreign diplomats. The government moved their families around together, which is why Peter and Zoe had become boyfriend and girlfriend. It seemed super lucky to me. I couldn’t imagine one without the other. They didn’t look anything alike but they fit. And the chemistry between them? It was so strong, so powerful. I didn’t need to have vampire powers to feel it.

“What are you guys doing?” I asked, trying not to sound sad that they hadn’t thought to invite me.

Peter and Zoe gave each other a look, one that said they were having a conversation without using their mouths. Troy coughed. “Well, we’re going to—”

“Why don’t you take Jasmine with you?” Professor Pops said.

Zoe gasped. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Professor Pops. She hasn’t completely healed yet.”

Peter and Troy nodded in agreement.

“It’s okay, Professor Pops. If they don’t want me to go with them, I don’t have to.” An ache twisted my heart. It hurt not to be included. Even if I did appreciate why they didn’t want me to go. I wasn’t healed, but without my wings I didn’t think I ever would be. I had to find a way to accept my new life.

Laeddin had suggested I tell my parents, see if there was a way they could help, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. They would be so disappointed with my decisions. They wouldn’t understand.

“I think it would be a great idea. Tonight is supposed to be a recon mission, right?”

They nodded as one. Zoe’s face seemed to be getting paler by the second. Even her freckles appeared lighter.
Peter shrugged like he was okay with it and Troy? Well he just looked the way I felt, like an empty husk. I wanted to find out what was wrong, but there hadn’t been an opportunity yet.

Professor Pops cleared his throat
. He began organizing and gathering the papers on his desk. “She needs to know what’s going on. You can’t keep if from her any longer.” He glared at Peter and Zoe. Peter shuffled his feet, uncomfortable. Zoe lifted her chin. Professor Pops turned his stony glare on me. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the many centuries I’ve been alive it’s that secrets don’t protect, they don’t save, or shield.” He shook his head. “When secrets come out, and trust me, they will, they serve only to hurt, hinder, and create bigger problems.” He put his briefcase on the desk, flipped the metal clasps, and opened it. An aroma of fresh wood immediately hit my nose. It was a good smell. Reminded me of Professor Pops.

I watched him tuck several stacks of
papers inside and then the lid shut.

I swallowed down the lump in my throat
knowing he was right. And the truth was I missed my parents terribly, but I wasn’t ready to face them yet. Better they didn’t know where I was. When they found out all hell would break loose.

I also missed Sabrina.
So, so much. If I went back to Sharra and told my parents then I could see her, even if it would be briefly since I’d probably be grounded for life or worse, put on troll duty.

“Fine,” Zoe said. “You can come.”

I shook my head, fiddling with the frayed edges of my history book. “Really, I don’t want to put you guys out. Go do whatever it is you’re going to do without me. I was thinking I’d watch a movie with Laeddin tonight.

At the mention of Laeddin, Peter’s features became hard. “No. We’d love to have you hang with us.”

“Yes, we need a fourth,” Troy added.

“Excellent,” Professor Pops said,
moving past us, and then standing at the door, indicating we should leave. Troy got there first. “I won’t be around this weekend.” His steely eyes found Troy’s. I watched as something I couldn’t understand passed between them. “I’ve got a few things to do, but I’ll be back on Monday.”

Troy’s shoulders slumped. “I understand.”

“Good.” He grasped Troy’s arm. “Can you stay behind a moment? I need to speak with you privately.”

Troy ran a hand through his hair. “Sure.”

“See you Monday, Zoe, Peter, Jasmine.” He winked at each of us as
we walked out the door, then shut it behind us.

The three of us walked down the hall. The school was mostly empty.
Debris littered the floor. White poster board covered in glitter and red, white, and black paint adorned the walls, announcing the coming Winter Formal. The theme was: A Sky Full of Enchanted Stars.

Peter kicked a piece of wadded up paper and caught it in his free hand.

“How was school today?” Peter asked, tossing the paper into the trash.

“Fine,” I said.

“You feeling any more like yourself?” Zoe asked.

I kept my eyes on the floor, blinking a few times so that I wouldn’t cry. It meant a lot that they cared. Cameron wasn’t around as much. Not since Abby died and I’d left school without telling him and then been out for a few weeks.
I got it. I did. But I missed him.

As if on cue, he appeared on the stairs from the second floor.

“Hey, Cam,” I hollered.

He turned and smiled. Today he wore his curly black hair cropped super short, like he’d just gotten it
cut. His brown eyes were sad against his handsome face, but his clothes were as fashion forward as ever. He wore pink jeans with a black button down shirt and black and pink suede shoes. “Hey, Jack.” The diamond studs he wore on his ears sparkled in the light from the window as he turned back around and kept walking. But his smile gave me hope.

“Can I catch up with you two at Pops
’ house later?”

“Okay. We’re leaving at seven,” Zoe said, her lips pursed tightly. 

“I’ll be there,” I responded and then ran after Cam. I needed to talk to him. No time like the present to make things right. “Cam,” I hollered when he reached the bottom step and kept walking. “Wait a sec.”

He didn’t stop and my heart sank. Cam hadn’t forgiven me. In fact, it seemed like he didn’t care at all. But I couldn’t stop trying.

“Cam,” I shouted again.

He seemed to walk faster. T
wo could play at that game. When he went out the front doors, I started running. I pushed open the door and paused, looking in both directions to see which way he went.

He was at th
e curb and getting into a suped-up red and black Camaro. Just before he slammed the door, his eyes met mine. They were angry but mostly sad.

“Ugh,” I shouted,
as he drove away, pounding my fists against my thighs and stomping one booted foot.

“Damn, freak. What’d
those jeans ever do to you?” Drake snickered as he and his friend walked over.

I tried to push past them down the steps, but Drake grabbed the edge of my American
Eagle tee shirt and held on. My history book fell, spilling papers everywhere.

“Don’t walk away from me, freak. Didn’t your freak parents ever teach you that’s rude?”

I gulped down my fear. There was no one around, no one to help, and I no longer had my vampire strength. “What do you want?” I asked through clenched teeth, trying not to let the fact that I was scared show.

He sneered
. “What do we want from the freak, Sam?”

The guy with him that I guessed
was Sam ran his hands down the front of my shirt, grabbing the loops of my jeans. “I think the freak should keep us company. She may be weird but she’s got a kick ass body.”

Drake huffed. “Yeah, no. Why don’t you go get your car and pull it around to the front while I stay here with
her?”

“Sure thing, man.” Sam went down the steps and took a left toward the student parking lot. When he was out of sight, Drake gave me a once over.

“I know what you are. You’re disgusting and shouldn’t be in this realm.” Spit from his mouth hit my cheek while he spoke.

I wiped it away. “What do you mean?” I asked, even though I somehow knew he knew what I was. Even though it was impossible.

He wrapped my tee shirt around his fist, pulling me closer. “I know you’re a vampire. I can smell it on you.”

That surprised me. “Like right now you can?”

“Yes, you reek.”

I don’t know why but
knowing that he knew made me happy. “Really? So what are you, then?”

His face got close to mine and I could smell his breath. It was a
gross mixture of Mountain Dew and something else. I wasn’t sure what. “I’m a chayot, Jack. Ever heard of us?”

I gasped. “Whoa. My uncle Gabe used to be the leader of the chayot.”

“You know Gabe?” He leaned back a little shocked.

I shrugged. “We aren’t close. He lives in a different realm now, but yeah, like I said, he’s my uncle.”

Drake snorted. “Your uncle is an idiot. Anyone who would give up leadership of the chayot and turn away from his calling deserves eternal…”

He was interrupted by the appearance of an elfin woman. I felt my heart lurch at seeing her.
In the human realm.

Midnight blue
smoke swirled around her momentarily and then dissipated. She had blue-gray skin, ebony eyes, and long straight navy blue hair. Her clothes were steel leather. Black leather straps crisscrossed between her breasts, supporting what I guessed was a double sword harness from the look of the two sword handles that poked out behind either side of her head.

“Where
did you come from?” Drake yelped. Even I heard the fear in his voice.

“The elven realm,
” she said, stepping forward so that she and Drake were toe to toe. She was as tall as he was, nearly six feet. Drake moved back, but she took hold of the front of his shirt, giving him a vicious glare. “You are chayot though not a good one. Evil flows through your veins.” She inhaled deeply through her nose, her eyes narrowed into two slits. “I can see it.”

Drake’s mouth gaped open like a broken breadbox. “I don’t—” His face began to turn red. It looked like she was suffocating him. Yeah, I wasn’t a fan of Drake, but I didn’t want him to die.