19. Emily
19
EMILY
I rolled over in bed and laid my hand across the pillow. Alex’s scent, a delicious woody cologne, filled my nostrils, and I smiled, the memories of last night coming back in full force. He’d been all over me. We’d made love, and he’d held me afterward.
My phone alarm buzzed on the bedside table, and I blinked, grabbing it and switching it off.
I sat up in bed, the sheets falling to my waist, and stretched out. Man, I felt amazing . The best I’d felt all week. It seemed like whatever flu I’d been suffering from was finally over.
Morgan had texted me last night, so I sent her a message quickly then showered, dressed for work, and went to the kitchen.
“Hallelujah,” Morgan said, smiling at me from the coffee pot. She poured two mugs and handed me one. “I thought I was never going to see you again, girl. How are you feeling?”
“Way better,” I said. “I think it’s finally passed.”
“Thank God for that. I was worried you were going to infect me with something,” Morgan said, and crossed herself. “It was like the black friggin’ plague up in this bitch. ”
“I know,” I said, grimacing. “Pretty gross. So, how have you been?”
“Just carrying on with life as usual. What about you?”
I pursed my lips then broke into a smile.
“Ooooh. Girl, you’d better tell me what happened right this second.”
And I did. I left out the sordid details, even when Morgan begged me for them. “That is amazing,” she said. “You guys are a total match.”
“That’s how it seems, but he’s so … He’s still mysterious. He’s told me a bit about his past and how rough his childhood was, but he’s still holding back. I’m so into him it’s crazy, but I can’t help thinking he’s hiding something.”
“You should tell him that,” Morgan said, taking a sip of her coffee. “See what he says. Where is he, anyway?”
“Oh, right.” I glanced over my shoulder. That was weird. Why had it not occurred to me to even think about where Alex had gone? “He must have left early this morning. He’s a busy guy, you know. Business and stuff.”
“Did he text you?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Wow. I would have expected you to be tense about the whole thing,” Morgan said. “It’s not like you bring guys over to the apartment every other day.”
“Yeah.” I frowned. “Let me check.” I grabbed my phone from where I’d stashed it in my purse and checked. “Nope. No messages.”
“Then you should text him and ask him what’s up. I mean, what does this mean for your relationship with him?”
“Whoa, relationship? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.” I laughed. “I’m not even sure what we are. We had fun, and he’s, well, he’s gorgeous, honestly, but I don’t know how far this will go.”
“To me, it looks like you’re being swept up by this dark, handsome stranger. And there is so nothing wrong with that. Unless he turns out to be a serial killer. ”
“I think I’m past worrying about that. I should get to work.” I grabbed a protein bar from the cupboard and snacked on it as I headed out the door, sparing a wave for Morgan.
The protein bar didn’t sate my appetite, and my stomach grumbled. I’d kill for a steak right about now. Rare and bloody and ? —
I blinked at the random thoughts.
Weird, but whatever. “Hey. Thanks for last night. Thinking of you.” I sent the text off to Alex, smiling to myself, and then caught a ride to work in a taxi.
Forty minutes later, I was happily seated at my desk, a pile of books to my left and a day of work ahead of me.
“Hey! You’re back again. Finally.” Jen smiled at me, leaning against my desk like she loved to do. “I thought you were gone for good. Like you came back and then just left again. I guess it’s a miracle we all didn’t get sick.”
It was the second time someone had said something like that to me this morning, and it felt strange. As if I’d missed a step coming down the stairs. This past week was a blur of feeling ill and hoping to get better.
“It’s good to be back,” I said, belatedly. “I just want to get right back into the swing of things and—” Goosebumps rose on the back of my neck, and I shivered, glanced back then smiled at Jen. “So how have things been with you guys? Good, I hope.”
“They’ve been good,” she said. “Everybody’s healthy, which is more than I can say for what you’ve been going through. By the way, you look gorgeous.”
“What? Thanks, Jen!”
“I’m serious. You’re like glowing or something. What on earth did you do to yourself?”
“You mean apart from being desperately sick?”
Jen laughed. “Exactly. Total glow up.”
Jen and I chatted for a while before she pushed off my desk and returned to hers. I spent the rest of the afternoon catching up on work, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being watched. That there was someone in between the dark aisles or standing right behind me.
It was ridiculous. Maybe the flu had set me off my game or made me paranoid? But then, I distantly recalled feeling similar before getting sick. Hadn’t I? Everything before the illness was a little fuzzy, and during it too. The only bright and clear spots were my encounters with Alex.
I frowned and rubbed the back of my neck again. What had happened? Why had I fallen sick?
My gaze wandered to the books surrounding me. The quiet rustle of pages didn’t bring me comfort for once, and a cold sweat gathered on my forehead. I got up and headed out of my section, moving down the halls toward the bathroom.
I just needed to splash water on my face, that was all. Splash some water and then get back to work. And eat something. I was still so darn hungry. Maybe I’d splurge tonight and get takeout. Something delicious and meaty.
My entire mouth filled with saliva at the thought, and I pressed the back of my hand to my forehead. What was with me today?
I pushed into the bathroom and stood in front of the sink, staring at my reflection in the mirror above it.
Jen was right. I looked different, healthier, my lips a brighter shade of red even though I hadn’t put much lipstick on this morning, and my hair was voluminous.
“What the—?” I leaned in and touched my face. It looked like I’d put on a beauty filter from an app in real life.
The bathroom door opened, and another woman entered, but I didn’t pay much attention. Too much was going on today that didn’t make sense. First there was the fact that I was miraculously better, then my appearance and the way Jen had reacted … And what about that strange feeling I’d gotten like someone was watching me?
“Beautiful.” The word dropped in the silence.
And I looked up to find the woman who’d entered the bathroom standing right behind me in the mirror .
I gasped and sidestepped, turning to face her. “What are you?—?”
Long raven hair hung over one shoulder, the other side of her head was shaved, and her eyes were a fantastic actinic blue. So blue they were almost impossible. “Don’t be afraid.”
“Uh? What do you want?”
“Emily,” she said.
“Do I know you?” I definitely didn’t, and I glanced toward the door.
She stepped in my path, smiling. “Emily, you are more gorgeous than I ever imagined. Sanctorin was right about you. Such a lovely flower, such a pity that you are doomed to wilt.” She reached out, trying to brush her fingers against me.
I stepped out of her reach. “Who are you and how do you know my name?”
“What does it matter how I know your name?” she countered. “Surely, you know that it will all come to an end soon regardless of?—”
“Get out of my way,” I said. “I’m leaving.”
“But you aren’t.”
I tried pushing past her, but the woman grabbed hold of my arm and I froze.
Pain pulsed over my skin from the point of contact, all the way up to my throat and into my head, and I shuddered on the spot, my muscles tensing, my joints impacting. The agony was so sharp that I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing happened.
She released me, and I stared at her slack-jawed. “What did you do?”
“You smell delicious,” she said. “There isn’t a vamp in the world who wouldn’t want you.”
“A vamp?”
The woman’s lips parted into a vicious smile. “You don’t know? But that’s impossible. Your entire apartment is covered in vamp magic.”
“Huh?” She was crazy. I didn’t know what the pain had been about, but that didn’t matter. I opened my mouth to scream for help, but she was on me instantly.
She pushed me against the wall, her hand over my mouth. “No noise, my sweet, darling mortal.” The woman ran her finger over my throat. “My name is Yulia, and you will be mine for the rest of your natural life, and when that is coming to an end, you will become a vampire like me.”
Vampire? She had to be crazy. This was?—
“Quiet your mind,” Yulia whispered. “I want you to focus every thought on me and the pain I am about to inflict on you, my little lamb.”
I struggled against her grasp, but it was futile. It was like she was made of rock. I bit on the side of her hand and my teeth hurt.
Yulia laughed at me. “So feisty,” she said. “I was supposed to save you for Santorin, but you will have to be mine. They won’t blame me for taking you. I’ll say that you fought too hard and made too much noise. That I had to subdue you.”
She pressed her hand tighter over my mouth, crushing my head against the bathroom wall, the sickly scent of her perfume filling my nostrils.
Yulia ran her nose up the side of my face then pulled back, frowning. “You are … different. There is something affecting you.”
My only thoughts were of escape, and I kept glancing past her at the door, hoping that someone, anyone, would come to the bathroom and see us.
“The door is locked, little lamb,” she said. “No one can save you now. Not your mortal friends or your dear Alexander.” Yulia pressed a finger to my lips then removed it. “Now, tell me what’s wrong with you?”
“Let me go! Help!”
She slapped me across the face, and stars burst behind my eyes. “Tell me what’s wrong with you.”
“I don’t know what you mean?”
“Your scent is delectable from afar, but it’s tainted. What’s changed about you? You are impossible to resist but you smell—” Yulia inhaled my smell again, pressing her nose flush against my cheek. “Poison. You smell like death.”
“Look, I don’t know what’s going on or what you want, but just let me go,” I said. “I don’t want any trouble.”
“What is wrong with you? Are you sick? Dying?”
“I was sick,” I said, trying to keep her calm with words so I could plot my escape. “But I’m not any more.”
“You’re still sick. You’re spoiled.” Yulia sighed and stepped back, releasing me suddenly. “How unfortunate. I’m going to have to kill you instead. I can’t afford to bring back a tainted body.”
“H-Help!” I screamed, but a wedge of nothing blocked the noise. My feet lifted off the ground, and I rose into the air above her. My head swam. This was impossible. It was— Was I dreaming? Was this a nightmare?
My insides twisted with terror at the height, at the view of the sinks, her standing beside them, the empty stall.
“Time to die,” Yulia said.