the Vampire and the Assassin

Chapter 7

I pull away instantly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."

His eyes spark. "Trust me, you don't have to apologize." There is a slight curl to his lips that I can only guess is the beginning of a smile. I have only seen him smile once before, and that was when he was baiting me with Drew.

I ramble on, trying to explain, but getting myself in further without realizing, "Well, you see, I've been going through a lot, as you know, and some stuff you don't know and Drew..."

He cuts me off, "You're thinking of Drew right now?" His eyes seem to flash red, but I assume it's just my imagination. The smile that had been forming vanishes instantly.

"No, that's not what I meant. I wasn't thinking about him. I was just trying to say that I didn't mean to touch you." I am digging that hole deeper and deeper. "It just happened, that's all."

"Right," he sits back on the sofa, seeming to digest the information while watching me intensely. Then he says something that throws me off entirely. "Consider it forgotten."

Forgotten, yea. That is the best thing to do, but I'm not sure if I can. There's something about him, and even I can admit that to myself, though I'll never tell him that. "Agreed." I can't explain how feel, so I try to pretend I didn't just inspect his teeth? I don't know. It's weird.

"Are you okay?"

"Yea, why do you ask?" I feel I am believable, but wonder what emotions show on my face since he is well, I'm not sure what he is, but he's more than human, so perhaps he can read the emotions I am desperately trying to hide.

"I can hear your heart beat." He speaks the words dryly, but I can tell there is a hint of humor to them. "It has sped up since..."

He lets me fill in the blank. "I think I might be coming down with something. A cold or maybe the stress of everything." There I am, rambling again. Time to change the subject and fast. "So, tell me a little more about what you are— and a name would be nice." I stick the last part in as an attempt to save myself from any embarrassment.

His eyes tell me he knows what I am doing, but he humors me anyway. "I'm what humans would call a vampire, but it's not so cut and dry like the movies."

I lean in closer, waiting for him to tell me more. I can't believe I'm so hooked just from two sentences, or maybe it's the fact he makes me feel so strong when I am around him. He doesn't see me as some helpless high school girl. Hell, he knows more about me than I know about myself.

"We're a species just like humans, and we can't turn someone into a vampire with a bite." He flashed a smile as if to show off his fangs.

I look away, not wishing to fall into whatever trance I fell into before. I can't handle any more embarrassment.

"Now, let's talk about you." I turn back to him. His eyes are serious as he speaks. "There hasn't been an assassin for several decades as far as I can tell, and when word spreads, they're going to come for you."

He sounds just like Roselyn. I...am...speechless. She's been right all these years, and I thought she was crazy. I remember talking with Bryn about how I didn't want to turn out like her. I never believed anything she said, but she's been right all along. The pang in my chest lets me know that I'll never forgive myself for not believing her from the beginning.

"I'm here because there were rumors that your town was next."

"Next?"

"Vampires are just like humans, some are bad, and some are good. I'm talking about the bad ones. I came to stop them."

"From feeding on the people in this town?"

"It's much worse than just feeding. Once a vampire drinks from a human, it's almost impossible to stop." His eyes avert to my neck while explaining this.

I slap my hand over my neck. "Should I be worried?"

"Sorry, no, I don't have that problem." His eyes go back to my face and continue as if nothing had happened. "One town a year to keep suspicion down. It's almost like a rite of passage to them."

Fear starts creeping in. "And they're coming here? How many?" He doesn't have to tell me my heart is racing; I know it is. I jump up, dropping my hand from my neck. This is too much. I thought it was a little cool at first, but now? "I'm supposed to stop them?"

He stands beside me, "Not just you." I feel his hands enclose around mine before he lifts them to his lips. "You're an Assassin. They fear you, not the other way around."

"What the hell, Meghan?" It's Drew. New Guy still has my hands in his, so I know what this must look like. He stands in front of us. The natural light from the windows accentuates the level of anger he radiates. His jaw is tense as he looks to me for answers.

I start to open my mouth when I feel myself being pulled close to New Guy. He has his arm around my shoulder with an easy smile on his face as if he enjoys my predicament. After my initial shock wears off, I try to step away from him, but it is useless unless I plan on making a scene. I look over to see Ms. Henderson is still busy putting books away. I like coming in here, and I'm not about to mess that up. "We're just going over some homework."

Drew responds quickly. "Where's the homework?" His eyes narrow at me as if he knows he's caught me in a lie.

New Guy raises an eyebrow in my direction before I go on. "Well, we're not going over it now, obviously." I pause momentarily. "We're meeting up later."

"Can't wait," New Guy says before giving me a kiss on the cheek while whispering in my ear, "Ian." He drapes his leather jacket over his arm. "I'll see you later." I watch him walk out of the library, but at least this time, I have a name.