Black Magic Rose by Jordan K. Rose

happened to my shirt. The woman has no idea what she’s dealing with.” He tossed the shredded shirt into the trash before slipping back into his duster. “I go.”
    “Ah, yes. Duty calls. Go guard your charge before she ends up getting herself killed by another fledgling or possibly bitten by a werewolf or maybe trips and falls out of the building or…” She grinned. “I think you may have met your match in this one, Dragomir.” She barely concealed her laughter.  
    Dragomir left the infirmary to the sound of Noelle talking to herself about how “the fine and noble, mighty and powerful Dragomir has come to Cader House to face his newest opponent, the all-powerful Employee Relations Manager.” Her laughter followed him up the stairs.  
    He once again sent out his vampire senses searching for Sofia.

Chapter Six
    Louis smiled as he paced back and forth in the conference room. He even did a couple jumping jacks to demonstrate his good physical condition. After escorting Louis from his hospital bed Osgar had left him alone with Sofia.  
    “Louis, you are allowed to speak freely. I don’t want you to have any fear of repercussions from Rick or anyone else.”  
    “Really, I feel fine, Ms. Engle.” Louis jumped over a chair.  
    “Sofia. Please call me Sofia,” she said. “But did your ankles hurt when you fell?”
    “Oh, yes. Broken bones hurt quite a bit. You’d think I’d get used to the feeling, having broken them both five times now in the past week, but nope. Every night it hurts as much as the first night.”
    Sofia cringed and shook her head. “Why do you keep going back?”
    “I have to. They’re helping me.” He nodded toward the door. “Rick’s a little tough. But I like the other guys. And anyway, by morning I’m good as new.”  
    “But you said you’re afraid of heights and that’s why you won’t jump,” Sofia said.  
    “Right. It’s really high.” Louis turned the chair to face him and sat down, straddling the back, tapping his thumbs on the table in front of him. “I can’t even look out a second story window without getting nervous. I know it seems strange, seeing that I’m more than six feet tall and all. But it is what it is. I’m afraid of heights. I’m not ashamed of that or anything. Although, I am getting a little embarrassed at being tossed off the roof each night. Doesn’t help when even the girls jump without effort.” His shoulders slumped.  
    “Are you and Charlie friends?” she asked. She couldn’t help herself. They seemed so alike. They even looked alike. Both blonds with bluish-green eyes, though Louis was quite a bit taller than Charlie.
    “Oh yeah. We went to school together from first through fifth grades. Then my parents sent me to private school. I only graduated a year ago. I was going to the university when I was attacked on the quad one night.”  
    Sofia nodded. “What were you studying?”
    “Engineering. I’m hoping to go back next year. It takes about a year to acclimate to everything. Of course, in my case, it may take longer. If I don’t master the jump, they won’t teach me to fight. I have to learn to fight.” He stared down at his folded hands on the table in front of him. “I don’t want to be useless in the war.”  
    “You won’t be, even if you don’t master the jump,” Sofia said.  
    There was no way she was letting them toss him off another roof. There needed to be some sort of exception so he didn’t have to do it. They couldn’t keep terrorizing him with the jump.  
    “Can I go? I have to meet them in fifteen minutes and I need to get changed.” Louis tugged at his johnny.  
    Sofia nodded. “Yeah, but don’t go to the roof. There must be something else Osgar can find for you to learn.”
    “I gotta go. I gotta master the jump. If I don’t go they’ll just find me and drag me back,” he said. “Don’t worry. I’ll get the jump somehow. Then I’ll learn to fight. I don’t want to die.” Louis