use
it.” Reaching across the table, Esme tapped a purple-nailed finger on the page
to draw Anastasia’s attention. The now recognizable letters had grouped
themselves into one word.
“Halfling.” Anastasia read aloud. She sensed more than saw
Jasper move ever so slightly at the word, but she ignored him and focused on the
treasure in her hand.
“This will tell you what you need to know.” Esme rose and
smoothed the silk of her long skirt huffily. “Vampires, you never pass down your
history properly.” She sniffed looking down her nose at Anastasia, who was
stroking the book with one finger and trying to ignore Jasper at the same
time.
She startled when she realized that Esme had referred to her as
a vampire.
“Things change.” This was all that Esme said before she left
the table where Anastasia sat, still clutching the book, wondering what exactly,
the witch had been referring to. The woman with the brightly hennaed hair moved
across the expanse of floor like a steamroller to where Jasper stood stiffly at
the window. Without any of the fear that a normal human would display if they
knew who he was— what he was—she poked him in the
chest, hard.
“Things change.” She repeated the words fiercely to the
Darkling, who raised an eyebrow at the woman who barely reached his armpits. She
returned his stare, and only spoke again when he nodded as if he understood.
Anastasia still didn’t understand, and wished that she did.
“Aubrey Hart and Gavin Thibodeau said that they will meet you
at this motel, if you stop trying to kill them.” Drawing a scrap of paper from
the folds of her dress, Esme tucked it suggestively into Jasper’s front pocket.
Anastasia’s mouth opened a bit with the brazen gesture, and she swallowed a
chuckle at the indescribable look on Jasper’s face.
Esme winked at Anastasia, but it was done so solemnly that
Anastasia thought she might have misunderstood. Then the woman became a flurry
of flapping robes, shooing them to the front door of the magic shop, clucking
like a chicken.
“Go. Go!” The bell over the door jingled as the Halfling and
the Darkling were shoved unceremoniously through it.
“And don’t come back!”
* * *
Anastasia was nervous. After obtaining the key for room
sixty-six at the motel that Dr. Gavin Thibodeau and Aubrey Hart had chosen for
their meeting, Jasper had let her go inside and then disappeared, locking her
in. She had no idea where he had gone, and the sun would be coming up soon.
To fill the time she had read the little book that Esme had
given her, cover to cover. Though there was now a lot of new information in her
head, she couldn’t focus on it.
She wanted Jasper, and at the same time now understood why she
couldn’t have him. The book had told her what she hadn’t understood about
Petra’s plan—why her aunt had been so insistent that Jasper be the one to bite
Anastasia.
As with many things magical, the connections between certain
people were strong. Only one Darkling’s bite could awaken her powers, and that
Darkling had been sired by her father.
That Darkling was Jasper.
So she understood why they could not be together. There was
nothing familial in the bonds between Darklings, so they did not share blood or
a bond in that way—that was not the problem. No, she understood, she did.
Why would a Darkling want to awaken the powers of a creature
that could be used as a weapon against his own people?
She sighed and closed her eyes against the pain. When she
opened them again the light that filtered through the curtains seemed shades
lighter, and she wondered where on earth Jasper could be.
The door was wrenched open right at that moment, and her
Darkling—no, no, not hers —stalked into the room,
looking just as grumpy as he had when he’d left. The light brightened again, and
with a sinking heart Anastasia realized that Jasper couldn’t leave the room
again until night.
Well then, she would have to go, because there was no
it.” Reaching across the table, Esme tapped a purple-nailed finger on the page
to draw Anastasia’s attention. The now recognizable letters had grouped
themselves into one word.
“Halfling.” Anastasia read aloud. She sensed more than saw
Jasper move ever so slightly at the word, but she ignored him and focused on the
treasure in her hand.
“This will tell you what you need to know.” Esme rose and
smoothed the silk of her long skirt huffily. “Vampires, you never pass down your
history properly.” She sniffed looking down her nose at Anastasia, who was
stroking the book with one finger and trying to ignore Jasper at the same
time.
She startled when she realized that Esme had referred to her as
a vampire.
“Things change.” This was all that Esme said before she left
the table where Anastasia sat, still clutching the book, wondering what exactly,
the witch had been referring to. The woman with the brightly hennaed hair moved
across the expanse of floor like a steamroller to where Jasper stood stiffly at
the window. Without any of the fear that a normal human would display if they
knew who he was— what he was—she poked him in the
chest, hard.
“Things change.” She repeated the words fiercely to the
Darkling, who raised an eyebrow at the woman who barely reached his armpits. She
returned his stare, and only spoke again when he nodded as if he understood.
Anastasia still didn’t understand, and wished that she did.
“Aubrey Hart and Gavin Thibodeau said that they will meet you
at this motel, if you stop trying to kill them.” Drawing a scrap of paper from
the folds of her dress, Esme tucked it suggestively into Jasper’s front pocket.
Anastasia’s mouth opened a bit with the brazen gesture, and she swallowed a
chuckle at the indescribable look on Jasper’s face.
Esme winked at Anastasia, but it was done so solemnly that
Anastasia thought she might have misunderstood. Then the woman became a flurry
of flapping robes, shooing them to the front door of the magic shop, clucking
like a chicken.
“Go. Go!” The bell over the door jingled as the Halfling and
the Darkling were shoved unceremoniously through it.
“And don’t come back!”
* * *
Anastasia was nervous. After obtaining the key for room
sixty-six at the motel that Dr. Gavin Thibodeau and Aubrey Hart had chosen for
their meeting, Jasper had let her go inside and then disappeared, locking her
in. She had no idea where he had gone, and the sun would be coming up soon.
To fill the time she had read the little book that Esme had
given her, cover to cover. Though there was now a lot of new information in her
head, she couldn’t focus on it.
She wanted Jasper, and at the same time now understood why she
couldn’t have him. The book had told her what she hadn’t understood about
Petra’s plan—why her aunt had been so insistent that Jasper be the one to bite
Anastasia.
As with many things magical, the connections between certain
people were strong. Only one Darkling’s bite could awaken her powers, and that
Darkling had been sired by her father.
That Darkling was Jasper.
So she understood why they could not be together. There was
nothing familial in the bonds between Darklings, so they did not share blood or
a bond in that way—that was not the problem. No, she understood, she did.
Why would a Darkling want to awaken the powers of a creature
that could be used as a weapon against his own people?
She sighed and closed her eyes against the pain. When she
opened them again the light that filtered through the curtains seemed shades
lighter, and she wondered where on earth Jasper could be.
The door was wrenched open right at that moment, and her
Darkling—no, no, not hers —stalked into the room,
looking just as grumpy as he had when he’d left. The light brightened again, and
with a sinking heart Anastasia realized that Jasper couldn’t leave the room
again until night.
Well then, she would have to go, because there was no
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