Descended by Blood (15 page)

I nodded, my mouth too parched to answer. I couldn’t believe I was doing this.

“Well, you want to create that same sensation, but with the front teeth.” He looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to attempt it.

I stared at him.

“Just try it,” Mirko coaxed.

I swallowed. “This is my worst fear,” I spoke on a ragged breath.

“It’s okay. Trust me.”

I tried it, but I only succeeded at clenching my jaw.

“Again, but focus on the front muscles. Almost as if you’re about to grind your teeth forward, but keep the focus on the muscles, not the teeth.”

I let out a breath and shook my hands. “Ah! I hate this.”

“I promise, you won’t grow horns,” Mirko teased.

I tried again and felt the muscles in the front of my face engage. My eyes widened because I thought I almost did it, but then they filled with fear.

“I can’t do this,” I said, shaking my head to rid the sensation from my memory.

“It’s okay, Slatki. Remember what we talked about? This is life and death we’re dealing with. I promise, as soon as you get it, we’ll be done with that part for the day.” He grabbed my hands, sliding my fingers into his soft palm. “Now, again.”

I took a big breath, extending the exhale as long as I could. And tried again. I let go of the angst and focused on my task. I clenched the muscles in my jaw and thought of bringing the sensation forward. Tension flowed along the roots of my upper teeth as I ground the bottom ones underneath. When the muscles above my canines flexed, I felt tingles run through my gums, and then my fangs shot out.

“You did it!” Mirko congratulated me with glowing eyes and his head leaning forward in surprise.

I relaxed my muscles to retract my fangs, and covered my mouth with my hand, ashamed for succeeding. I was a true monster.

“Good job. I thought it would take a bit longer, but you did it. See? Wasn’t so bad now, was it?”

“Other than letting me know I was more of a monster than I thought, yeah it was.”

Mirko frowned. “Do you think I’m a monster?”

I looked at him. I’d never thought of him that way. “No, but that’s different.”

“Oh? Why’s that?” He tilted his head.

“Well...I respect you, and you’re Zao Duh, not Pijawikan.”

Mirko laughed. “My experience has always been the opposite. I’m looked down on for not being born this way, and here you are, thinking better of me for it. We don’t get to choose our lot in life, but what matters is how we deal with it.” He stared at me for a moment. “Are lions evil because they hunt and eat meat to survive?”

“Well, no. It’s nature,” I said.

“Right, because they’re predators. And so are we. Yes, some are crueler than others, but predators all the same.”

I thought about what he said. It reminded me of the mountain lion and the way I’d felt standing against him. I figured I should ask Mirko about it, but I’d had enough surprises for the day. “Let’s get on with training and be done, please?”

Mirko nodded, a grim smile on his face. He set me up in different positions on the mat. We started out slow as he showed me possible positions that I could be in during a fight. Then he showed me ways to get out of them, and ways to counteract them to be on the offensive.

We replayed the moves over and over again until I became comfortable with them. Eventually, we increased our speed, and there were times I got my arm or foot caught in a weird position. Mirko was extremely patient with me when I did so.

We intertwined and melded our bodies together in intimate ways. I tried not to think about that, but there were moments when his warm breath blew across my neck, or his leg stroked the inside of my thigh, which kept the thought fresh in my mind. I was grateful he kept focused on business and didn’t try to hit on me when we were training.

When we finished, and Mirko rolled away from me, he said, “Good work today. You’re getting much stronger and faster.”

I sat on my knees, catching my breath. “I’ve been meaning to ask you that. Why is it that I was never this fast, or could see or smell as well as I can now?”

“You’re becoming more attuned to your Pijawikan side. It’s almost like an awakening. It sat dormant for years until you started to know about it.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t explain how I was so fast and strong when that man attacked Jaren and me. Before we even knew I was a melez.”

“You remembered the word ‘melez.’” Mirko beamed at me. “But to answer your question, I think that could be explained by the level of adrenaline that you utilized at the time. You’re Pijawikan side has always been there. And it knew what to do—naturally—when it needed to.”

I really didn’t know how to respond. I knew training would start to bring out this side of me, but now I had learned how to use my fangs. It felt like too much, too quick.

We finished our stretches in silence.

* * *

Mirko walked beside me on the way back to my room.

I heard them before I spotted them. “Jaren and Holly Anne. I like the ring to that.” I heard in Holly Anne’s southern drawl.

Mirko and I rounded the corner to find Jaren leaning against the soda machine, and Holly Anne standing way too close to him. He straightened up and took a step to the side when he noticed me, but before he did, I could see the interest in her on his face.

Fury curdled in my stomach. “Can I talk to you?” I said, grabbing Jaren by his shirt and dragging him toward our rooms.

“Hey.” Holly Anne stepped in front of me.

Behind her, Zack stood outside of the mess hall doors. He watched me with his head tilted down and his eyes lifted. His lips arched up at the corners with a nefarious smirk.

Chills broke out on my arms, and I transferred my discomfort into rage. “Take care of her, Mirko. Or. I. Will.”

Mirko came from behind her and pulled her arm back into an arm bar.

I stepped around her with Jaren following me. When we got to my room, I flung the door open and pushed him inside. Kaitlynn lifted her head in shock, and I slammed the door shut. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“What? Everywhere I go, she’s there.”

“Man, you’re such a hypocrite, you know that? Not only could she be the mole we’re looking for, but you’re just like your dad.”

He flinched, then glared at me. “How so?”

“Your dad has always been too blind to see you in front of him instead of your cheating mother. And you’re too blind to see me in front of you instead of the man who died on your living room floor.” I realized I had done the same thing, but I was on a roll here and had to finish this.

He clenched his jaw. “I am not like him. At all.”

“Really? Did you honestly push me away because I’m part vampire? You’re not afraid of Mirko, Ace, or Holly Anne. So, what is it? Why did you throw me aside only to take up with the next vampire that looks your way?”

Silence.

I huffed. “Right.” I opened the door. “Just leave.”

Jaren took a few steps toward the door before he stopped in front of me. “I wasn’t ‘taking up with her.’”

“Whatever,” I said, then turned my cheek away from him. As soon as he was clear of the door, I slammed it, rattling the hinges.

“What was that all about?” Kaitlynn asked.

“Only that Jaren was ogling Holly Anne again. Who knows what would have happened between them if I’d not shown up.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.”

I shook my head, trying to keep the tears at bay. “You know, he told me that he loved me.” The tears won. “And I still love him.” I might have thought Mirko was hot, but I loved Jaren and wanted to be with him.

“Brooke.” Kaitlynn came over to me as I slid to the floor.

“Why? Why did I have to fall for him? I want him to go home.”

“Would he be safe there?”

“I dunno, but I
can’t
take this anymore. It’s killing me. He’s supposed to be such a gentleman. And he still looks at me sometimes like he used to. It’s so much back and forth with him. I know he wants me, at least I thought he did before right now, but then he does something so stupid. What if she is the mole? She could have killed him right there, and I’d have to live with that for the rest of my life.”

“This is a lot for all of us. He just doesn’t know what he’s doing. He’s an idiot.” She pushed a loose strand of hair out of my face.

“Yeah,” I said, wiping at the tears. “Then Mirko made me learn how to extend my fangs today.”

“He did? Did you do it?”

“Yeah,” I sighed.

“Can I see?” She continued to surprise me.

I looked at her for a second, knowing she deserved to see them, but really not feeling up to it. “Can I show you later, please?”

She nodded, lips held in a slightly regretful line, but she hugged me, anyway.

16

I’d Rather Die

I struggled to get up the next morning. My life as of late had taken a toll on me, and I was drained. I wanted it all to go away.

Mirko wasn’t hearing it, though, when I asked for a day off. He wouldn’t even budge to my pleas of postponing our training until later in the day. He kept going on about having other stuff to do, so I’d better get with the program.

In the gym, Mirko punched me in the shoulder hard enough to knock me down.

I jumped up and counterattacked. I hit his jaw as hard as I could without tapping into my vampire strength.

“Oh, come on! You’re not even trying!” Mirko scowled at me.

That infuriated me. “I am, too! It’s not like I enjoy getting bruised, Mirko,” I panted, swiping a stream of sweat off my forehead. “I wouldn’t exactly consider this fun.”

“It’s not supposed to be fun. The whole point in doing these exercises is to strengthen your Pijawikan side, to bring out the predator within you.” Mirko used the tone one would use with a child.

“I don’t want to strengthen that side! The last time I fully tapped into it, I killed somebody.” The man I’d killed was about to strangle Jaren, but I still had a point. “What makes you think I would be all gung-ho about doing it again?”

“Did you forget you almost died at the airport? If I hadn’t been there, you would have been killed, and your friends would have been slaughtered. Or worse. And until we can figure out how to stop Jelena, nothing is going to change.”

I felt depleted. “I didn’t ask for this. I never wanted any of it. The only things that have come my way from being a dear, blessed Pijawika, or more accurately, a cursed abomination, is that I lost my home, my school, my friends, who knows when I’ll get to see my mom again, and my boyfriend broke up with me. You think dying is going to be a good motivation for me to tap into my other side? Well, you’ve got another thing coming, buddy. I would rather die than continue on this way, or worse, strengthen the good ol’ lucky charm that is my Pijawikan side.”

I grabbed my shoes and turned toward the door. I had enough for the day. Maybe for the rest of my life. What I was giving now was going to have to be enough. There was no way I was going to embrace my other side fully and risk losing myself in the process. I could already feel it happening.

“We’re not done here.”

“Tootles.” I reached the doors and made a sharp right turn down the hall to my room.

* * *

I hoofed it along the carpet, thinking of ways to get home. I wanted to be done with this place.

The lights above me flickered, and I halted. “Stupid government building.”

I started walking again, and Zack stalked around the corner. “Well, aren’t you good enough to eat,” he said, pushing me up against the wall, causing me to drop my sneakers.

“Don’t mess with me.”

“I have something important to tell you,” he breathed into my face. His breath was hot and sour, like decaying flesh might be.

I fought back the bile rising in my throat.

“Jelena has plans for you.” My eyes stretched wide. “You’re her catalyst. She has everything set up. All she needs is you.” He brushed his thumb over my lip, and I jerked away.

“Set up for what?” There was that word again: catalyst.

He smirked at me. “Jelena’s going to get the old ways back. We’ll be out from under the humans and we won’t have to hide anymore. We’ll have all the food and power we could ever want.” He tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, and I cringed. “Did you know that the Mafia makes more money every year than Microsoft? And that’s not even a fraction of what’s capable for the Pijawikas when Jelena takes over. And…,” he gripped my chin and jerked my face up to look at him, “if you come with me, we’ll have a comfortable position right beside her.”

“What are you talking about? I’m not going anywhere.” I pushed at his chest to get him off me, with no success. Panic quickened my pulse. How could I not push him off? Everything else in my life had already been taken out of my control.

“Oh, you’re coming. Or things are going to get real uncomfortable for you and those you care about.” He looked at me for a moment, dark eyes brooding as he rested his cheek against mine and sniffed the hair that fell back over my face.

I struggled to get my chin out of his grip, and he backed his face away slightly. He smiled, and then smashed his lips against mine.

His lips moved like worms after a soggy rain, trying to force their way into my mouth. I gagged, but he didn’t stop and even slid his tongue inside my mouth.

Molten lava exploded within me. Fever coursed through my veins, and out toward my fingertips. “I said stop!”

I focused every cell of my being to ensure his pain. My mind assaulted his, and I triggered every nerve ending within his body, setting them ablaze. He released me and stood there, struck with what I was doing mentally to him.

It wasn’t enough. My anger boiled beyond the place I could rein it back.

I concentrated on the area within him that controlled his breathing, and I paralyzed it. Warm liquid fell from my nostril, running over my lip. I stood against the wall, eyes locked on Zack, watching him turn blue. His pain was great and he suffocated, but it still wasn’t enough.

“Brooke!” I heard a muffled scream from not far away. It sounded like Mirko, but I was too busy to care.

Zack fell to the ground, petrified. Satisfaction tingled through me, and liquid now dripped out of both nostrils.