Frostbite – Vampire Academy #2

But when I reached it, I saw that it wasn’t some kind of dessert or drink room after all. Well, at least not in the way I’d been thinking. It was a feeder room. Several humans reclined on satin-covered chaise lounges with Moroi by their sides. Jasmine incense burned in the air. Stunned, I watched with an eerie fascination as a blond Moroi guy leaned forward and bit into the neck of a very pretty redhead. All of these feeders were exceptionally good-looking, I realized just then. Like actresses or models. Only the best for royalty.

The guy drank long and deep, and the girl closed her eyes and parted her lips, an expression of pure bliss on her face as Moroi endorphins flooded into her bloodstream. I shivered, taken back to when I too had experienced that same kind of euphoria. In my alcohol-hazed mind, the whole thing suddenly seemed startlingly erotic. In fact, I almost felt intrusive- like I was watching people have sex. When the Moroi finished and licked the last of the blood away, he brushed his lips against her cheek in a soft kiss.

“Want to volunteer?”

Light fingertips brushed my neck, and I jumped. I turned around and saw Adrian’s green eyes and knowing smirk.

“Don’t do that,” I told him, knocking his hand away.

“Then what are you doing in here?” he asked.

I gestured around me. “I’m lost.”

He peered at me. “Are you drunk?”

“No. Of course not…but …” The nausea had settled a little, but I still didn’t feel right. “I think I should sit down.”

He took my arm. “Well, don’t do it in here. Someone might get the wrong idea. Let’s go somewhere quiet.”

He steered me off into a different room, and I looked around with interest. It was a massage area. Several Moroi lay back on tables and were getting back and foot massages from hotel staff. The oil they used smelled like rosemary and lavender. Under any other circumstances, a massage would have sounded great, but lying on my stomach seemed like the worst idea just now.

I sat down on the carpeted floor, leaning back against the wall. Adrian walked away and returned with a glass of water. Sitting down as well, he handed it to me.

“Drink this. It’ll help.”

“I told you, I’m not drunk,” I mumbled. But I downed the water anyway.

“Uh-huh.” He smiled at me. “You did nice work with that fight. Who was the other guy that helped you?”

“My boyfriend,” I said. “Sort of.”

“Mia was right. You do have a lot of guys in your life.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Okay.” He was still smiling. “Where’s Vasilisa? I figured she’d be attached to you.”

“She’s with her boyfriend.” I studied him.

“What’s with the tone? Jealous? You want him for yourself?”

“God, no. I just don’t like him.”

“Does he treat her badly?” he asked.

“No,” I admitted. “He adores her. He’s just kind of a jerk.”

Adrian was clearly enjoying this. “Ah, you are jealous. Does she spend more time with him than you?”

I ignored that. “Why do you keep asking about her? Are you interested in her?”

He laughed. “Rest easy, I’m not interested in her in the same way I am you.”

“But you are interested.”

“I just want to talk to her.”

He left to fetch me more water. “Feeling better?” he asked, handing the glass to me. It was crystal and intricately carved. It seemed too fancy for plain water.

“Yeah … I didn’t think those drinks were that strong.”

“That’s the beauty of them,” he chuckled. “And speaking of beauty … that’s a great color on you.”

I shifted. I might not have been showing as much skin as those other girls, but I was showing more than I really wanted to with Adrian. Or was I? There was something weird about him. His arrogant manner annoyed me…but I still liked being around him. Maybe the smartass in me recognized a kindred spirit.

Somewhere in the back of my drunken mind, a light clicked on. But I couldn’t quite get to it. I drank more water.

“You haven’t had a cigarette in, like, ten minutes,” I pointed out, wanting to change the subject.

He made a face. “No smoking in here.”

“I’m sure you’ve made up for it in punch.”

His smile returned. “Well, some of us can hold our liquor. You aren’t going to be sick, are you?”

I still felt tipsy but no longer nauseous. “No.”

“Good.”

I thought back to when I’d dreamed about him. It had been just a dream, but it had stuck with me, particularly the talk about me being surrounded in darkness. I wanted to ask him about it… even though I knew it was stupid. It had been my dream, not his.

“Adrian…”

He turned his green eyes on me. “Yes, darling?”

I couldn’t bring myself to ask. “Never mind.”

He started to retort, then tilted his head toward the door. “Ah, here she comes.”

“Who- “

Lissa stepped into the room, eyes scanning around. When she spotted us, I saw relief break over her. I couldn’t feel it, though. Intoxicants like alcohol numbed the bond. It was another reason I shouldn’t have taken such a stupid chance tonight.

“There you are,” she said, kneeling beside me. Glancing at Adrian, she gave him a nod. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself, cousin,” he returned, using the family terms royals sometimes used around each other.

“You okay?” Lissa asked me. “When I saw how drunk you were, I thought you might have fallen in somewhere and drowned.”

“I’m not- ” I gave up trying to deny it. “I’m fine.”

Adrian’s usual expression had turned serious as he studied Lissa. It again reminded me of the dream. “How’d you find her?”

Lissa gave him a puzzled look. “I, um, checked all the rooms.”

“Oh.” He looked disappointed. “I thought you might have used your bond.”

Both she and I stared.

“How do you know about that?” I demanded. Only a few people at school knew about it. Adrian had spoken about it as casually as he might have my hair color.

“Hey, I can’t reveal all my secrets, can I?” he asked mysteriously. “And besides, there’s a certain way you two act around each other … it’s hard to explain. It’s pretty cool… all the old myths are true.”

Lissa regarded him warily. “The bond only works one way. Rose can sense what I’m feeling and thinking, but I can’t do it back to her.”

“Ah.” We sat in silence a few moments, and I drank more water. Adrian spoke again. “What’d you specialize in anyway, cousin?”

She looked embarrassed. We both knew it was important to keep her spirit powers secret from others who might abuse her healing, but her cover story of not having specialized always bothered her.

“I haven’t,” she said.

“Do they think you’re going to? Late bloomer?”

“No.”

“You’re probably higher in the other elements, though, right? Just not strong enough to really master any?” He reached out to pat her shoulder in an exaggerated show of comfort.

“Yeah, how’d you- “

The instant his fingers touched her, she gasped. It was as though a bolt of lightning had struck her. The strangest look crossed her face. Even drunk, I felt the flood of joy that came pouring through the bond. She stared at Adrian in wonder. His eyes were locked onto hers too. I didn’t understand why they were looking at each other like that, but it bothered me.

“Hey,” I said. “Stop that. I told you, she has a boyfriend.”

“I know,” he said, still watching her. A small smile turned his lips. “We need to have a chat someday, cousin.”

“Yes,” she agreed.

“Hey.” I was more confused than ever. “You have a boyfriend. And there he is.”

She blinked back to reality. All three of us turned toward the doorway. Christian and the others stood there. I suddenly had a flashback to when they’d found me with Adrian’s arm around me. This wasn’t much better. Lissa and I were sitting on either side of him, very close.

She sprang up, looking mildly guilty. Christian was regarding her curiously.

“We’re getting ready to leave,” he said.

“Okay,” she told him. She looked down at me. “Ready?”

I nodded and started to clamber to my feet. Adrian caught my arm as I did and helped me up. He smiled at Lissa. “Nice talking to you.” To me, he murmured very quietly, “Don’t worry. I told you, I’m not interested in her in that way. She doesn’t look as good in a bathing suit. Probably not as good out of one either.”

I pulled my arm away. “Well, you’ll never find out.”

“It’s okay,” he said. “I have a good imagination.”

I joined the others, and we headed back toward the main part of the lodge. Mason gave me as strange a look as Christian had given Lissa and stayed away from me, walking toward the front with Eddie. To my surprise and discomfort, I found myself walking beside Mia. She looked miserable.

“I… I’m really sorry about what happened,” I said finally.

“You don’t have to act like you care, Rose.”

“No, no. I mean it. It’s horrible…I’m so sorry.” She wouldn’t look at me. “Is…that is, are you going to see your dad soon?”

“Whenever they have the memorial,” she said stiffly.

“Oh.”

I didn’t know what else to say and gave up, instead turning my attention to the stairs as we climbed back up to the lodge’s main level. Unexpectedly, Mia was the one who continued the conversation.

“I watched you break up that fight …” she said slowly. “You mentioned offensive magic. Like you knew about it.”

Oh. Great. She was going to make a play at blackmail…or was she? At the moment, she seemed almost civil.