Closing the door, I called Snow using magic. "Mirror, mirror, made of glass, find me Snow White, do as I ask."Immediately I was able to see into Snow's bedroom. The vampire queen's husband stood, naked, his derriere turned toward the mirror.I cleared my throat, looking away. Dorian was handsome, but he was also like a brother to me, and there was something so wrong about ogling him. He yelped. "Son of a - Snow, the damn mirror's for you." He dashed into the bathroom, mumbling something like, "Why can't mirrors just be used the way they were intended?"I fought back a snicker.Snow appeared in nothing but a towel. "Hey, Cindy. Long time no chat." She laughed, tucking the bath sheet more tightly around her."What the hell do you two do all day? Are you even handling the queenly stuff? What about the school?" I huffed. "Or do you spend all your time in this room? Doing - I mean damn." I shook my head, only a little jealous. Okay, a lot. Snow snorted. "We're newlyweds, Cin." She glan
Leo came up behind me and touched my shoulder. I shrank away, repelled at having someone other than Gabe touch my body. I was still mad at Gabe, but I didn't love him any less. I couldn't shake the fact that Leo might be lying. Stupid boys."Is it true? The glass lyre is a person?" I asked the question but already knew the answer. Gabe had no reason to lie about that.Leo went over to my bed and sat. He stared ahead, not looking at anything. "I hoped to wait until we found it - him or her or whatever."I was frustrated. "Well, which is it? An it, him, or a her?" The words came out clipped, sarcastic - my way of dealing with things I didn't understand or was afraid of. Also, I was tired and needed this day to be over. So tired. A spell from The Eye of Abernathy flitted off my lips. "Bohemia coverith irreavilth." That would keep us invisible to anyone who came into the room. I should've done that in the first place instead of asking Snow if we could stay at her old house next to
When I reached the top of the stairs, I gave Leo a sideways glance and knew I couldn't go. "Can I meet you later?" I didn't know where he would go, and at that moment I didn't care. It was apparent Gabe still wanted to talk.Leo scrunched his brows together. "I thought you were through with him." He threw his hands in the air, frustration oozing from his pores. "Please," I added."Sure. Whatever." Leo walked out of the kitchen, and I heard the front door slam.Professor Pops came up the stairs and cleared his throat. "I've got some work to get done. If you need me, I'll be in my office.""Thanks, Professor Pops," I said, suddenly feeling nervous Gabe and I were going to be alone together."Of course." He disappeared inside his office, closing the door. Gabe came forward and wrapped me in a hug. "I hoped to see you again."I clung to him and tried to forget everything he said to me that night, not so long ago. But I couldn't. I stiffened. "I'm here," I said, but stepped back, pushi
I wasn't the greatest cook. Okay, I sucked at all things cooking related, but I was at least proficient enough to put some ground meat in a pan and slap it on a bun. I got him some chips, a pudding cup, and a large glass of ice water too. When he finished it all, he was still hungry, so I made him a banana split. That finally satisfied him."You are amazing," he said when he sat back in his chair.I resisted the urge to blush. It dawned on me after I put the cherry on the banana split that I could've used magic and made him a meal fit for a prince. Too late now. "Thanks," I said, putting the empty bowl in the sink and rinsing it.He got out of the chair and came around, taking my hand. "I guess we need to go confront my father and brother."I held my nose. "First, I think you need a bath." If I had to be around him, he needed to smell tolerable. Also, I wasn't ready to give him up just yet. I hated to admit it, but I enjoyed being around him. He gave off a quiet, kind aura.
"Get inside, and we can talk." Mizrabel ushered us through the door to her home. I expected the place to be small, a hovel, something that went along with the inside of a giant tree. I figured the furniture would consist of branches, leaves, and a fire pit.Instead, the home was spacious and airy with billowing white curtains, a chandelier made of different colored gems, and a large open kitchen. The floors were black marble. A lush black rug sat in the center of the living area and surrounded by dark red furniture and a slate gray fireplace."The bedrooms are down the hall through there." She looked at Quilla. "You won't be staying here. You and your strange fashion sense will go back to wherever it is you came from." She flicked her finger, and Quilla's outfit changed from lavender to a putrid green."Oh no, you don't," Quilla said with a sneeze and changed her outfit back. "Rude." Mizrabel snorted and altered it again."Twixit. That's enough." Quilla switched it back.Mizrabe
"Will you marry me?" I said the words aloud, hoping practice would calm my nerves and steady my beating heart. It didn't. So I tried again. "Gabe, my one true love. Will you marry me?" I grunted. That sounded stupid. I had just left Polly and was clinging to the hourglass charm dangling from the chain around my neck, desperate to reach Gabe. Before entering the witch mists, my thoughts were clear and focused on Pops' mansion since that was where Gabe lived when he wasn't out saving humankind from evil supernaturals. But then I became distracted by all I needed to do."I'll marry you." The voice came from within the witch mists and I started. Those words were the first I understood coming from the beings who dwelled within. I turned at the sound, slowly seeking out the one who spoke. Though I knew I wasn't supposed to. Leo - no, Lawson - advised some of the creatures within wanted to trap unsuspecting travelers. "Who said that?" I squinted, searching for the culprit, my steps slo
Kimberly stepped forward. "It's about the Halloween dance." She was tall with curly blond hair. Her lips where painted red, but she wore no other makeup. "Oh?" I shuffled around some papers on my desk, waiting for them to go on. The last two years, on October thirty-first, the ballroom was transformed into something out of a scary movie with blood spatter on the walls, cobwebs dangling from the ceiling, eyeballs floating in the punch bowl, and ghosts flitting around the frigid air. The decorations were awesome, but change was good too. "We know the student body officers are in charge, but we were hoping to do something a little less blood and guts and more light and fun," Kaylan chimed in. She didn't wear make-up either, except her for lashes, which were thick and black, accentuating her brown eyes and brown skin. Her hair haloed her face in a short afro. "Yeah, like based on the movie, Hocus Pocus," Kimberly added. Kaylan and Heather agreed. "We could still do the haunted ho
I flinched at both of his questions. They were equally true but they were both important, too. Gabe needed to understand the seriousness of the situation. At the same time, marriage was a big deal. I knew that. Millions of people struggled to make it work. But for some damn reason, my marrying Gabe would save Polonias. How could that be a bad thing? Frustrated and stalling, I picked up the fork and cut into the egg before shoving it into my mouth. And sighed. The food was so good. "Where did you learn how to make omelets?" I asked, changing the subject while I collected myself. He took a bite of his eggs, chewing slowly. "Chayot headquarters. One chayot in particular, Delphina, is very adept at great-tasting art. She showed me how to make them." "Delphina?" I ignored the jealousy forming in the pit of my stomach. While she had a beautiful name, surely she had wrinkled skin, sagging boobs, and short curly white hair. He nodded before shoving a huge bite in his mouth and chew
That night, after all of the festivities were over and we said our goodbyes, Troy and I went back to the small house that used to be my mother's. Now that Sharra was no longer a threat, the chayot set up a meeting between several of the heads of different countries in the human realm and me. There, with the help of the chayot, we discussed relaxing the laws for supernaturals. Together we came to an agreement and I created a magical system with the help of Heathcliff and several other human scientists. After much discussion, I became aware of the KPID, a supernatural government agency known as the King's Paranormal Inquiries Division. The organization had been tracking supernaturals for hundreds of years, at first in the United Kingdom, but in the mid seventeen hundreds, they'd moved over to America as well. Given access to the KPID's super top secret information, I was able to update and strengthen the magic already in place as well as add some newer, more technical attributes with He
"Are you ready?" I asked. We were standing outside on my balcony. I took Troy's hand as my wings fluttered behind me. My engagement ring sparkled in the midday light and I couldn't help but admire it. Troy had asked Jesse and the gargoyles to create the ring for me. A thick platinum band with vines filigreed on either side leading to the center where sat a delicate jasmine flower made of diamonds and blue topaz."Are you sure you can do this?" Troy was teasing me, pretending to be nervous about me flying him around Sharra. "There's only one way to find out," I said, and leaped into the air. Troy whooped out a holler as he clung to my hands, his body dangling below."Don't drop him, Jasmine. It isn't every day you find someone crazy enough to fall for you," Abrea said beside me, her pixilette wings fluttering gracefully. "True." I laughed and the action felt really good."Jasmine? We need to leave for the wedding," my mom called from back in my room. I rolled my eyes and glanced at
Before I knew it, I was laughing as tears of joy leaked onto my cheeks. He set me on the ground and pushed my hair out of my face, then cupped it in his hands. "I love you vampire girl." "You do?" I believed him, but needed reassurance as my hands curled around his wrists. "More than I believed it was possible to love." He bent his head and gently touched his lips to mine, his eyes still open and on me. I kissed him back, as a gurgle of happiness shot through me. The sweet kiss turned hot and needy. I loved him and wanted him and didn't care who knew it. He pressed my mouth open, deepening our kiss as his arms went around my waist and he lifted me off the ground. "Hey you two?" It was my Mom. I froze and opened my eyes. Troy was watching me again. "Should we tell them?" he asked. I knew he was talking about our engagement. "Now's as good a time as any," I said as he set me on my feet. Troy took my hand and I turned to face the group. "We have an announcement," he said. The
"Do not do this," Christopher said, a look of complete disbelief on his injured face. "You have the power within you to destroy her. You know you do. So why?" I couldn't explain. But I hoped one day he and the rest would understand. If I failed, Laeddin could tell them the truth about the Unknowns, what they had planned. In the end my family would see I made the best choice. The only choice."Silence, Hunter. I'll deal with your insubordination later," Sharra said, sending a bolt of magic at Christopher. He was thrown back, landing against the other side of the cell before falling to the ground with a groan. Chris bared his fangs in anger and jumped to his feet, though slower than expected. "Hurt them and the deal is off," I seethed, facing her, my hands in fists at my sides. She gave me an innocent look. "I didn't do any permanent damage." She crossed her arms, sauntering toward me. "Now then, let's do this."I swallowed, forcing myself to remain calm. My plan would work. It had t
Determination weighed my shoulders down as I traversed the inkiness. As I went, I called out in my mind, using the magic within me to speak with Silindra and Laeddin. At once, my mind was there, in Laeddin's realm, in his library full of books. He and Silindra were there, standing close, reading something aloud. "Laeddin," I said. Laeddin glanced at me, or rather, my mental presence. Silindra looked up as well. "Is it just me or am I seeing Jasmine?" Surprise flickered across her too lovely face. "I see her too - somehow." Laeddin reached out, but his fingers couldn't touch me. I was there, but not really there. "I'm going to Sharra," I said, and looked from Laeddin to Silindra. "The darkness will swallow the earth soon. There is no more time. I need your help now. Please find me." "We're coming, Jasmine," Laeddin said, and took Silindra's hand. Were they a couple now? There was no time to figure it out. Silindra said, "Watch out for my sister. She's tricky.""I will," I said, a
Now that we had nothing to fear, Lirle and I moved quickly and undeterred toward the stronghold. As we went, Lirle talked more about the dragon she liked as well as growing up in the dragon realm. Hearing her talk, I couldn't help but admire the Hollow. It was stark and vast and though it wasn't blooming with all manner of flowers like Sharra, it still held beauty. That night as we rested and ate under a canopy of trees, I was able to witness one of the wonders of her realm. Here, the forest stirred to life at night. Everything seemed to possess a bioluminescence. Trees whose leaves were pink during the day glowed a soft white, like millions of fireflies covered them. Animals I hadn't known were there, insects and little creatures that reminded me of spider monkeys, lit up as well. It was beautiful and a little terrifying. "Why does it do this?" I asked, mesmerized. Lirle took another bite of whatever she was eating. Her lips were luminescent blue like the spider monkeys and I force
He looked up and for the briefest moment, I thought he was staring right at me. No longer angry, but still unsure. Troy spoke: I love you, too, Jazz. He stopped speaking and adjusted his weight, sitting up straighter. They added: Someone is coming. He closed his eyes and pretended to be sleeping. His cell door cranked open and a female voice spoke. "I brought you a friend. Try not to kill each other." Christopher stumbled into the room before turning and flashing his fangs. "You touch me like that again and you won't live to tell anyone about it." His hands were behind his back and black magic held his wrists together. The person he spoke to laughed. It was Sharra.I focused on Troy. His eyes burned into Chris like he would kill him. To Troy, I begged: Please remember, Chris is on our side. He believes in our love too. When Sharra forced me to kiss him, Chris stopped me and freed me from her magic. He's changed and he can help.I hoped that was true. As much as I trusted Chris
"How nice to see you, Lirle." The voice came from a gray dragon with blood red eyes. His sharp and pointy teeth glistened like they held their own light. Huge talons clamped around Lirle from behind, holding her like a sharpened straight jacket. She gasped and struggled but couldn't move. Her captor's clutches were bigger than Lirle's body. The first dragon looked at me. "And you are Jasmine, heir to Sharra and an original vampire. But where are your wings?" He opened his mouth and I thought he intended to burn me to a crisp. Instead his tongue came out and he licked me. Tasting. "Strange," he said. "Gross." I wiped my cheek with the sleeve of my shirt. It occurred to me he was speaking like Abernathy did, with his mouth and not in my mind like Lirle. Perhaps speaking aloud was a skill that came with age. The first dragon pushed through the trees, causing them to snap and break. Then he pounded his tail on the ground several times in a rhythmic fashion while lifting his head. He ro
Lirle took to the air, her attention on the direction where the sound came from. Her whole body trembled. "You're frightened. What is it?" I asked, fighting my own nerves. Lirle's eyes bore into mine and her terror shone brightly as she said: We're too late. The Ondror's magic is upon us. Listen carefully. A dragon's magic comes from the soul. Our greatest weapon is using the weaknesses of our enemy against them by showing them what they fear most. She flew over to the stream before coming back to me and pointing with one claw. Lirle asked: Do you see the soul magic coming?I followed her gaze and squinted until I saw the blackness, traveling like a deadly mist through the trees, and heading right for us. "Can we outrun it?" She shook her head and said: No. It's everywhere. She spun in a circle and I followed her. Lirle was right. It was coming from every direction, like we had a homing beacon on us. She met my gaze and said: You see? Whatever happens, whatever you experience o