Revenant in Training (Blood and Snow series) (5 page)

“It’s cold. You should—”
Cindy
stopped, and her kne
e press
ed
into my thigh. “New guy,” she hissed.

“Really? He wasn’t here on
Fri—”
I lifted
my eyes
just as
he
stopped in front of me.

“Hey, Snow. Is this seat taken?”
H
e pointed to the
chair
in front of us
, which
was empty
, and had remained empty
since Bobby Melville got sent to the pr
inciple
’
s office for burning his partner, Sammy Snells
with acid, and
ended up
expelled
.

I shook my head. “Hey, Charming. No. Go ahead.”

“Cool.” He sat, and inclined his
chin
toward Cindy. “Hi, Cindy. Did you have
fun
at
the Cape?”

I heard her swallow before answering
, and was surprised. It shocked me to think of
Cindy
as nervous.
I thought she said she wasn’t interested.

“
Oh, yeah. It was a blast
,
”
she answered,
twisting
her ponytail
around her hand
.

A light
breeze blew in from the window. Thankful, I pulled in another
large
breath of air, and froze. My teeth, the ones Kenmei and Professor Pops said I wouldn’t need to worry about for a couple of weeks, extended
into fangs
, and pricked
the inside of my mouth.
Electric butterflies danced in my stomach,
and my body yearned for blood
—Chace’s blood
.
I felt my eyes grow wide
in terror
.

“Snow?” Cha
ce rolled his
seat
over, touching
my arm. “
Is everything alright
?” He
appeared
concerned, as did Cindy.

“What’s the matter
?” she asked, eyeing me with a look that said, ‘please don’t embarrass me.’

I rose, and muttered under my hand. “I’ve got to go.”
I grabbed
my backpack, and
dashed
from the room, knocking into Mr. Wallace.
Mumbling
a quick, “Sorry,” I ran.

The hallway was mostly empty
. Only a few stray students
rushed
the same as me.
I dashed
in
to
the
nearest girl’s
bathroom,
locked
myself in a stall
, and dropped my
bag
. With a ragged sigh, I leaned my forehead against the door.
Tears leaked onto my cheeks. I closed my eyes, letting them fall.

Chapter 5

“Snow.” My name seemed to
be threaded within the
wind.

Upon opening my eye
s
, I witnessed what my body had already confirmed. I was
no longer in the girl’s bathroom, but in a lush forest. The sun shone bright. This time I knew I
’d entered
another realm, and that
I’d been brought
because of the
Vampire Queen’s magic.

Would I meet her this time? There was so much I didn’t
comprehend
.
I slowly turned in a circle, taking in my surroundings, and noticed I wasn’t wearing my jeans and t-shirt any longer, but a deep red cotton dress. The sleeves were short, and lined in black ribbing, as was the round, scooped coll
ar, and the dresses’ hem
went to my knees. My feet were bare.

It surprised me
I wasn’t afraid. I was
bitten in this realm. The Hunter
took
my blood,
turned me into
a revenant, so fear should’ve been what I felt.

“Hello,” I murmured, carefully
stepping over a boulder,
moving in the direction of a babbling brook. As I walked, I sensed a presenc
e
. The Hunter’s.
That knowledge didn’t frighten me either.
Instead, an excited anticipation filled my stomach with butterflies. I bit my lip.

“Where are you?”

The scenery
seemed to shimmer in the early morning light. Dew drops glistened on bright green leaves, and spongy moss.
The air
flourished
fragrant
with flowers in
lavender, rose, butter, and blue
. They bloomed in abundance
. Chipmunks, rabbits, and d
eer examined me. Their ears
perked, and their noses wiggled, sniffing for danger.

“It’s been too long since
I’ve
savored
you.” Each
of his
word
s came out laced
with longing, and sent jolts through my veins.

“Let me see you.” I remembered the way
I’d felt
when he drank from me
, and
I
trembled
.

He stepped from behind a large tree. A thick, brown hood shaded his face,
so
a
ll I saw
were his glowing red eyes. He wore a
brown leather vest that enhanced his broad shoulders, rippling biceps, and trim waist. His pants were made of cloth, and
hung
low on his hips, a le
ather belt keeping them secured
. A large knife sat in a sheath, and was attached to his belt. Dark brown boots
covered
his feet.

At the sight of him, my
body tensed, not in fear, but
desire
. I wanted his ar
ms around me. I wanted his lips on my neck, his mouth
drinking… “What is your name, Hunter?” I asked, my voice shaking with need.

“Here I am
called
Christopher,” he
replied
gruffly
. He stepped away from the tree, and into the sunlight. I still couldn’t see his face.

“If you’re a vampire, why doesn’t the sun burn you?” I asked, curious. My hunger for
his blood
seared
so strong,
it took every ounce of effort I possessed not to attack him.

“The Queen’s magic is very powerful. I have no fear of the sun.” Another step.

I
took another
.
Our steps
like a dance. A deadly dance. One I didn’t want to w
in. If I reached out my hands I
would’ve touched
him, but I didn’t.
He smelled earthy, like clover, and honey.

“Are you going to bite me again?” The words left my mouth, and I
instantly knew
I wanted him to.

“I will if that is what you desire.” He sounded so calm, but
his heart raced.
Another step. Our bodies practically touched, but we kept our hands to our sides.

“If you’re a vampire, why does your heart beat?” I asked,
startled
.

“More of the Queen’s magic,” he replied, his words like a soft
gust
against my face.

“Can I bite you?”
I’d blurted the question before my brain had time to filter it.
That was my deepest desire.

At my
request
, he raised his head. I squinted, trying to see his
face. Still, all I
saw
were
his eyes, and they appeared
shocked
.

“Yes,” he said,
in a voice that quivered
.

I slipped my hands into
his
hood
, and touched his neck,
felt
his
quickening pulse. He lifted me, so
my
fangs
dangled
parallel
to
his neck
. I
wrapped my legs around his hips, surprised at my forwardness.

“Wait,” he said,
huskily
.

I opened my mouth, and allowed my fangs to grow.

He
walked
backward until his back
pressed against a
tree.
Then h
e slid down so
he
rested
at its base
. I readjusted
, tilting his neck toward me. He was so warm, his skin soft, like the supple leather vest he wore. “Christopher
.
”

He had his hands in my hair, his body asking, the way mine had the other night. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

His question
brought me up short. “Is that bad?”

“No.
”
He sounded pain
ed.

My fangs retracted some. “Why can’t I see your face? Do I know you?”

“If you drink from me, I can show myself, otherwise the Queen’s magic won’t allow it.” I
caught
the tone, the pleading. Physically he desired me, but there was a hesitation, almost an insistence that I wouldn’t.

I
wavered
, my fangs
deci
ding what course I’d take
.