Whooooo, it's been a long day of editing Three Tasks and writing this thing. 

Hope you like it. It'll bring back some memories :) 

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Chapter Three: Taste of Skin and Heat and Blood

All I can do is stare at Anthony, the goody two-shoes, mild-mannered literature teacher who just declared I have fangs. And that Giovanna is a Seer, whatever the hell that is.

"Anthony," says Kyle hesitantly. "What are you talking about?"

Dean is staring at me too, as if expecting the fangs Anthony is talking about to leap out at his throat. Ajia, goddess of this world, isn't staring, but has moved onto the task of trying to comfort a still-terrified Giovanna.

"Seers are a rare group of individuals who can literally see the supernatural in its true form," says Anthony, finally turning away from me. "People like Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley were Seers too- it's why they wrote Dracula and Frankenstein. I thought Giovanna might be one the first day she walked in my classroom- we have a certain aura about us that we can sense."

"Are you crazy?" demands Ajia, asking the real question. "Supernatural? So Victoire is a vampire?"

"No," says Kyle at the same time Anthony says, "Maybe."

"Victoire is a vegetarian," says Dean. "How much un-vampire can you get than that?"

"People like Giovanna and I can see the best through reflective surfaces, like windows and mirrors," says Anthony. "It's why she could see the woman in the window."

"The floating one?" I ask scathingly, unable and unwilling to believe any of this. "Maybe she just wanted to have tea."

"With your blood," says Giovanna in a hushed whisper.

"Way to go macabre on me," I say. "And I thought I was the goth of the house." I whirl on Kyle and Emmaline, who look like they've been slapped. "Do me a favor and say something. Preferably something along the lines of Anthony is crazy and I am going to throw him out of the house immediately."

Emmaline puts a hand to her head, while Kyle just tightens his jaw.

I throw my arms up in the air. "So are you telling me that I'm a vampire? I'm actually Dracula's Bride or some shit like that? My parents were vampires, and Scarlett and Lee decided to adopt an underling?"

"Look, I'm really sorry," says Anthony. "I didn't mean to-"

"You didn't mean to?" I snap. "You didn't mean to claim that I have fangs and that there's a woman stalking my bedroom window? It just slipped out?"

"Victoire," says Kyle, looking pained. "We need to have a talk."

"About what?"

"We'll talk when-"

"No, tell me now! What the hell am I?"

"You're not a vampire," says Emmaline. "But you are a Velah."

I have to sit down on the bed, suddenly unaware of every other person in the room except the Calens. "I'm sorry, I'm a what?"

"It's a really long story," says Kyle heavily. "We need to talk about it and-"

"You're saying I'm some sort of damn supernatural creature?" I demand. "Is that what you're saying?

"I'm going to let myself out," says Anthony, looking rightfully sorry for the trouble he started. I glare at him as he walks quietly from the room. Ajia leads Giovanna out, and after giving me a worried look, Dean slowly follows.

"I'm sorry," says Emmaline sadly when the door shuts. "We've been trying to keep it from you. It's what your uncle wanted."

"My uncle? What the hell about my parents?"

"They're dead," says Kyle. "And so is your uncle."

"Who are my parents? Who were they?" I put my hands to my face, trying to stop them from shaking. I've got to keep it together.

"Your mother was named Linthria," says Kyle. "And your father was named Archer. They were the king and queen of Ardhigiza, a parallel world populated with Velah."

"WHAT. THE. FUCK."

"You were barely a month old when Archer and Linthria were killed by a young sorcerer named Caomh," Kyle continues, looking as though he would rather just get the story done with. "He nearly killed you too, but another sorcerer saved your life. His name is Rani Marahn, and he's currently the king of another parallel world called Niriket."

"Parallel world?"

"Archer had an older brother named Videl. You passed into his custody when your parents died, and the Ardhigizan crown passed to him. When you were two years old, Caomh stabbed fatefully stabbed you, but you had a powerful pendant around your neck that saved your life. It placed you in a coma for two years, and when you woke up... Videl had died and asked that all your memories of magic and monsters be removed. Rani wiped your memory, and helped disguise your fangs as normal teeth."

"I repeat," I say lowly. "What. The. Fuck."

"Scarlett and Lee took you in after that," says Emmaline. "Kyle keeps an eye on your teeth, and if we thought we needed your memory wiped, we would call Rani. But he hasn't been here for ten years."

Silence. Complete silence, like the two of them are expecting me to get up and hug them, thank them for their time, and then go about my business.

"This is unbelievable," I say. "Literally unbelievable. I don't believe it."

"We'd have no reason to make this up," says Kyle. "And that white owl you constantly pointed out when you were little? That's Wairua, who used to belong to Videl. He's been watching you ever since his master died."

"Owls, magic, vampires, sorcerers, you expect me to believe this after my loony teacher claims that I have fangs?"

"I know this is hard," begins Emmaline.

"You know this is hard? Tell me, have you had personal experience about being lied to your entire life and then randomly informed that you a vampire?"

"Velah," says Kyle while Emmaline randomly leaves the room. Good. One down, one to go. "Not vampire. Don't make Videl want to haunt you."

Emmaline re-appears. Damn. Two to go now. She hands me an old shoebox. "These are yours."

Ordering my fingers to stop shaking, I move some of my leather bracelets aside and open the box. It's musty, like it hasn't been opened for years.

The first thing I pick up is a hooked blade sheathed in silver. I unhook the knob at the side and with a sudden movement, the dagger snaps open on either side to become some sort of double-sided spear. I hold it above my head, letting the deadly sharp blade catch the light.

"That was Videl's," says Emmaline, then holds up a gray orb hanging from a silver chain. "And this was the pendant that saved your life."

Hardly believing my eyes, I look further into the box, and spot a small stack of photographs. Dropping the spear onto the bed, I grab them. The quality isn't perfect, but the image on the top is clear enough. A handsome, tattooed young man with golden curls and rings dotting his nose, ears, and wrists is holding a toddler. A little girl with the same curls and very red eyes.

"Is that me?" I whisper. I looked so happy, grabbing onto the young man with tiny fists, my head thrown back in laughter.

"Yes," says Emmaline quietly. "And that's Videl."

Still holding the photograph, I put my throbbing head in my hands and take several deep breaths. Kyle puts a hand on my back. "I'm sorry. Lame ass response to all this, but I am."

"It was a promise we couldn't deny to Videl," says Emmaline.

"What was he like?" I whisper. "What were my parents like?"

"I never met your mother, and barely knew your father," says Kyle. "But I can tell you that you're a lot like Videl."

I shake my head over and over. I should've known something was actually wrong with me. So today, Giovanna comes out as a lesbian, and I come out as a vampire- a Velah, whatever the hell that is.

"I need air," I say, suddenly standing and grabbing my purse.

"Whoa, whoa," says Kyle, frowning. "If there's actually a woman wanting your blood, is that really such a good idea?"

"I have fangs, remember?" I snap. "I'll be fine."

"Victoire," says Emmaline, reaching out to me before I dodge out of the way. "You shouldn't-"

"Well we all shouldn't do a lot of things," I retort. "Like keep secrets. And harbor vampires."

"Velah."

"Who cares, Kyle?" I shout. "Videl is dead, so I don't give a shit about making him angry, like you shouldn't have given a shit about keeping this from me because of him! Now leave me the hell alone. Maybe I'll come back, maybe I won't."

Before they can stop me, I stalk out of the bedroom, down the stairs, and out the back door.

It's a twenty minute walk to the Santa Monica Pier, and I spend most of it gritting my teeth, fuming, and cursing a blue streak under my breath. My head is still hurting, and my jaw has started to throb again. It has always done that, and maybe I actually know why.

If I believe.

My pump heels clonk on the wooden pier as I stalk through the crowds underneath the colorful lights. I push past families getting ice cream, stands selling turkey legs and funnel cakes. My nostrils flare. I can smell everything, feel everything, hear everything, and it's so overwhelming, I want to scream.

I lean against the wooden panels connecting the Bubba Gump souvenir shop to a restaurant. I take a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself down.

"The songs," a woman whispers, and I whirl. I catch a glimpse of purple eyes, but then they're gone.

Oh, hell.

"What do you want?" I demand. "This is all your damn fault, so 'fess up, you witch."

Several customers stare at me like I've lost my mind. I probably have.

And then, there she is.

Just as Giovanna described her, she is white, with long, dark, messy hair and very eerie purple eyes. Having red eyes myself, I try not to discriminate against the color one's iris, but these are just creepy. Her grin is even creepier, and she's wearing some sort of outdated dress that looks like it was cut from a potato sack.

"Who are you?" I ask, subconsciously wishing for one of Dean's pistols, or Videl's spear.

"Follow the songs," the woman whispers, almost laugh-like. "I am the Woman of Antiquam. Follow the songs, little empress."

"I'm not an empress," I say. "I'm not-"

"Follow the songs."

And then, she's gone.

"WELL THAT WAS DAMN CLEAR!" I shout at the air, ignoring the stares. Fuming, I stalk out of the shop, wanting to go home and possibly go to sleep forever.

I'm just about to leave the Santa Monica Pier when voices fill my ears, as if from far away. "Giovanna... freak... known..." I've always had good hearing, but until I turn around and realize the whisperers are almost fifty feet away, I don't realize how good of hearing I have.

Keeping to the shadows, I silently make my way to the group of kids I recognize from high school. I know at least two of them are in Giovanna, Ajia, and Ayaan's lit class. And they're talking about Giovanna. Saying terrible things. The boys are hinting about what they would do to Giovanna if they had her alone. The girls are laughing.

And suddenly, I'm attacking.

Screams erupt around me, and as I tackle the biggest boy and pin him against the wall, I suddenly taste blood. And then suddenly, a hand grabs my arm and I'm surrounded by cool black mist.

When the darkness vanishes, I'm standing in a shadowy loft, high, overlooking the Pacific. It's mostly empty, except for some dishes at the cracked corner, a neatly made bed, and a pile of weapons, mostly spears and stiletto knives.

Still reeling from trying to figure out how I got here in the first place, I detect movement behind me. Whirling around, I see a boy who looks a couple years older than me.

Like I've said, I hate cliches, but there's no denying that this boy is beautiful. He is tall, dressed in dark clothes, tattoos on his neck and bright studs in his ears. His thick, inky black hair hangs like feathers over his collarbone. His shoulders are broad, and his skin is as pale as parchment. His cheekbones are so chiseled, I could probably sharpen a pencil on them, and his lips are full. His eyebrows slant over his eyes... His eyes. They're bright yellow, glowing in the dark like cats' eyes, flecked with spirals of black.

And when he smiles, his fangs grin over his lip ring.

"Fantastic," I say. "I just got kidnapped by a Velah."

"I'm Riyell," he says in some sort of lilting accent. His voice is raspy, which instantly makes him hotter. "Son of Amara and Yoland."

Still tasting iron on my tongue, I touch my mouth and come away with blood. Wincing, I feel sharp points digging into my lips. Looking into the reflective window, my jaw drops when I see fangs just like Riyell's hanging over my incisors.

"Oh, my God." I sink onto the iron chair beside the bed.

"You're Victoire," says Riyell. "I know all about you."

"Fantastic," I say again.

"You're the heir to Ardhigiza."

"The only thing I'm the heir to is the Kingdom of Hell," I snap. "I am not an empress or the heir to anything."

"With the death of Videl fifteen years ago, the crown has fallen to you."

"Then consider the damn crown still falling down the rabbit hole," I retort. "I am nobody's princess. I just dug fangs into someone's neck."

"He's fine," says Riyell as if this makes everything better. "You barely cut into him."

"Are you stalking me?"

"No. I am stalking the Woman of Antiquam, but since she seems to be stalking you, I suppose by translation, I'm stalking you too."

"Who is the Woman of Antiquam?"

"I don't know. That's why I'm stalking her."

"Super." I put my bloody hands up. "So I'm a Velah, technically some sort of princess-"

"Empress."

"Whatever. And this woman is stalking me, wanting my blood, and also kindly informing me to follow 'the songs' as if that's damn helpful, I just attacked a perv, then got kidnapped by another Velah. How did you get us from the Pier to here anyway? Magic?"

"Sort of. I Jaunted. Velah can do it to transport from one place to another. I could teach you."

"No thanks. I'm a little overwhelmed at the moment. What's the difference between vampires and Velah?"

"Velah are real and vampires are not. Velah drink blood, but we also can gain sustenance from fruits and vegetables, though with blood, we gain our strength. We live on an isolated world, but that world is under Niriketian control, and has been for fifteen years."

"Why?"

"Our kind was already crumbling from the great war with the sorceress Neidra," says Riyell. "And with our leader dead, we had not much hope than to surrender our power to Rani. He is fair enough, and lets us govern ourselves for the most part."

"What about Caomh?" I ask, remembering the name.

"Caomh and his mother Neidra are dead."

"Caomh dead, Neidra dead, my parents dead, Videl dead," I say. "Is there anyone I'm related to that is alive?"

"Not that I'm aware."

"Peachy." The blood is spiking in my veins, sending vibrations of power and the lust for more through me. Through narrowed eyes, I peer at Riyell and suddenly, all I want to do is rip off his shirt. "Now what?"

He shrugs gracefully. "Nothing. I suppose I'll take you back to your home and I will continue to track the Woman of Antiquam. I'm sure you will return to Ardhigiza when you're ready. Maybe then we can finally take control of our realm for good."

All I know is that I don't want to go home. Scarlett and Lee are supposed to be home early tomorrow and after all that has happened, I'm not in the mood for brownies around a campfire. And I'm certainly not in the mood to go back to school on Monday and face Tattletale Anthony.

So I do what a sane person would do.

I grab Riyell and kiss him.

Although he breaks away first, his yellow eyes gleam. "We just met."

"Who gives a fuck?" I demand, pulling off his shirt and running my fingers over his washboard abs. "You're hot, I'm hot. You're a stalker, I have blood on my lips, and am in a really bad mood. Might as well take advantage of it."

His cats' eyes shine hungrily, his lips parted to reveal the tips of his fangs. I crash my lips against his just as ravenously, tasting wilderness mixed with the blood of whoever I just attacked.

The bitterness dissolves into desire as I push Riyell onto the bed, climb on top of him, and kiss him again, losing myself in the taste of skin and heat and blood.

Oh, Victoire... 

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