over at the
vampire suspiciously—fifteen minutes wasn’t long enough to explain why he was
looking so plump and healthy all of a sudden…
“Why do you look
like that?” she asked, fear coming through her words, and the vampire grinned.
Finally.
“I fed,” Jasper
answered, liking the way her eyes bulged out of her head in fear. He could tell
she was wondering if vampires really drank blood.
“Blood?” she
stammered, and Jasper put forth his best effort to appear sinister as he nodded
slowly.
Harper’s hands flew
to her neck as she began to prod her skin, looking for puncture marks. She
craned her neck to stare down at her body and let out a piercing wail that had
all three of them grimacing in pain. “Did you suck my blood?” Harper managed to
squeak out, and the vampire burst out laughing.
“I like you,
you’re funny. Your gran wasn’t nearly as funny.” He saw her eyes bulge further
when he failed to answer the question. “Of course not,” he sighed finally. “I
used a blood of bag and a glass. I’m not a complete savage,” he stopped and
looked sideways at Mr. Bell with a smirk “–not anymore anyway...”
Mr. Bell rolled
his eyes at the vampire’s antics, and Harper stared down at her red-soaked
shirt that was clinging to her torso like a second skin. “Why am I covered in blood
then?” she demanded. She felt no pain, but maybe it was all part of a vampire’s
thrall.
Jasper burst out
laughing, unable to hold it back, and even Mr. Bell looked slightly
uncomfortable. “That is not blood!” the vampire gasped, clutching his sides.
“It’s your gran’s best cabernet sauvignon. You tripped and fell headfirst into
an entire shelf of the stuff.”
The details of her
fall suddenly came rushing back, and Harper blushed as red as the wine on her
shirt. “Right,” she mumbled. She grabbed her pounding head and wished the pain
would subside—it didn’t. “I still don’t understand how all of this is possible,”
she said, needing to rehash it. She looked at Mr. Bell again, studying the
worry lines on his face. “You’re a wolf,” she said baldly, and he nodded
seriously, no hint of a joke on his face.
“Yes, and you are
a witch,” he told her again, speaking slowly like she was a small child.
“And I’m a vampire,”
Jasper quipped, sounding bored. “Now that we’ve all been introduced…” Harper
and Keaton turned twin looks of disapproval on him and he sighed. “Fine. I hear
your annoying little friend has just arrived. I’ll go let her in,” he told them
with a huff and disappeared quicker than Harper’s eyes could follow.
“Who’s here?”
Harper demanded, feeling a wave of fear at being left alone with Mr. Bell—not
that a vampire is the ideal buffer against a werewolf anyway.
“I have asked
Mallory over. She is bringing some things from your gran’s… your apothecary. It
will help with the pain in your head.” Harper blinked.
“Is Mallory a
witch too?” she asked, and Mr. Bell shook his head.
“Witches are
actually quite rare. You are the only one in town. Mallory is a vampire.”
Harper felt her
head spin at that little tidbit. “But I thought vampires couldn’t be in the
sun?” she questioned, remembering Mallory taking her to view Gran’s store
earlier.
Mr. Bell smiled
gently. “That is just folklore, made up by Hollywood and bored authors. You
will find a lot of discrepancies between fiction and reality the deeper you
delve into your gift.”
Harper wanted to
ask more questions, but Mallory was suddenly standing in the doorway looking
hesitant. “Are you okay?” she asked, and Harper nodded, even though it hurt her
head. Mallory took a step closer, watching Harper closely for any sign of fear.
“This whole thing
is a bit surreal,” Harper admitted, giving Mallory a weak smile that seemed to
reassure her of her welcome. Mallory smiled tremulously.
“You’ll be okay,” she
promised, rushing over to Harper’s bedside like an overeager
vampire suspiciously—fifteen minutes wasn’t long enough to explain why he was
looking so plump and healthy all of a sudden…
“Why do you look
like that?” she asked, fear coming through her words, and the vampire grinned.
Finally.
“I fed,” Jasper
answered, liking the way her eyes bulged out of her head in fear. He could tell
she was wondering if vampires really drank blood.
“Blood?” she
stammered, and Jasper put forth his best effort to appear sinister as he nodded
slowly.
Harper’s hands flew
to her neck as she began to prod her skin, looking for puncture marks. She
craned her neck to stare down at her body and let out a piercing wail that had
all three of them grimacing in pain. “Did you suck my blood?” Harper managed to
squeak out, and the vampire burst out laughing.
“I like you,
you’re funny. Your gran wasn’t nearly as funny.” He saw her eyes bulge further
when he failed to answer the question. “Of course not,” he sighed finally. “I
used a blood of bag and a glass. I’m not a complete savage,” he stopped and
looked sideways at Mr. Bell with a smirk “–not anymore anyway...”
Mr. Bell rolled
his eyes at the vampire’s antics, and Harper stared down at her red-soaked
shirt that was clinging to her torso like a second skin. “Why am I covered in blood
then?” she demanded. She felt no pain, but maybe it was all part of a vampire’s
thrall.
Jasper burst out
laughing, unable to hold it back, and even Mr. Bell looked slightly
uncomfortable. “That is not blood!” the vampire gasped, clutching his sides.
“It’s your gran’s best cabernet sauvignon. You tripped and fell headfirst into
an entire shelf of the stuff.”
The details of her
fall suddenly came rushing back, and Harper blushed as red as the wine on her
shirt. “Right,” she mumbled. She grabbed her pounding head and wished the pain
would subside—it didn’t. “I still don’t understand how all of this is possible,”
she said, needing to rehash it. She looked at Mr. Bell again, studying the
worry lines on his face. “You’re a wolf,” she said baldly, and he nodded
seriously, no hint of a joke on his face.
“Yes, and you are
a witch,” he told her again, speaking slowly like she was a small child.
“And I’m a vampire,”
Jasper quipped, sounding bored. “Now that we’ve all been introduced…” Harper
and Keaton turned twin looks of disapproval on him and he sighed. “Fine. I hear
your annoying little friend has just arrived. I’ll go let her in,” he told them
with a huff and disappeared quicker than Harper’s eyes could follow.
“Who’s here?”
Harper demanded, feeling a wave of fear at being left alone with Mr. Bell—not
that a vampire is the ideal buffer against a werewolf anyway.
“I have asked
Mallory over. She is bringing some things from your gran’s… your apothecary. It
will help with the pain in your head.” Harper blinked.
“Is Mallory a
witch too?” she asked, and Mr. Bell shook his head.
“Witches are
actually quite rare. You are the only one in town. Mallory is a vampire.”
Harper felt her
head spin at that little tidbit. “But I thought vampires couldn’t be in the
sun?” she questioned, remembering Mallory taking her to view Gran’s store
earlier.
Mr. Bell smiled
gently. “That is just folklore, made up by Hollywood and bored authors. You
will find a lot of discrepancies between fiction and reality the deeper you
delve into your gift.”
Harper wanted to
ask more questions, but Mallory was suddenly standing in the doorway looking
hesitant. “Are you okay?” she asked, and Harper nodded, even though it hurt her
head. Mallory took a step closer, watching Harper closely for any sign of fear.
“This whole thing
is a bit surreal,” Harper admitted, giving Mallory a weak smile that seemed to
reassure her of her welcome. Mallory smiled tremulously.
“You’ll be okay,” she
promised, rushing over to Harper’s bedside like an overeager
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