Page 35

"Zannie, is Viggo always like that?" I asked, curling up into a ball next to him on the couch, struggling to open my eyes.

Zane snorted. "How in the hell would I know?" he asked, pulling me into him more so I was comfortable; he was keeping something from me, I could tell. "I still want to know how he knows my damn name is Zaidin. We didn't hang out with the same crowds, not that he hung out with any crowd. Prince de Babinbitch never hung out with anyone. He kept to himself and was always in the library or his room. He'd go to the dances and social functions and just stand back and watch like he was studying each person looking for something or someone. I told him to stay away from you when I got here," he said.

"I know, I heard."

"Eavesdropper," he grumbled, causing me to smile. "But yet again here Prince de Babinbitch is. Why were you naked with him?"

"I hear sex is more difficult with clothes on?" I offered. "You know, chaffing and all. Isn't that what you always tell me?"

Zane groaned. "You can have sex with anyone but him. There are some hot Sixth year and up Wizards that I can hook you up with," he offered.

I chuckled. "My brother, the pimp. Mother and Father would be so proud!" I said.

"Okay, that's fair," he conceded.

"Besides, apparently the condom size of Wizards isn't big enough for him... Or maybe he has a micro-penis, Viggo never actually said what the size issue with the condom was; too big or too small," I said, sounding thoughtful.

Zane gagged, causing me to smile.

"Zannie, if I were to finally have a first kiss with someone, or have sex with them, Viggo would be an exceptional choice," I said through a yawn, struggling to open my eyes but they wouldn't respond.

Zane situated my head so it was on his chest and he caressed my head. "Anyone but Viggo," he scolded. "He is a Prince of the Fifth House of Vampires."

"Yes, but he is a Hemoglobe so he isn't going to try to eat me in a vampiry way," I informed him. "A Vampire that doesn't need to drink blood is very rare... The Upír at the hospital knew Viggo was a Hemoglobe," I mumbled, drowsily. "That is concerning. They knew before I did... I bet the sex would have been amazing," I sighed.

Softly Zane smacked the top of my head. "You are not nearly as funny as you think you are," he scolded.

I smirked. "Yes, I am."

"We will figure this out, Sis," he said. "I'm sure whatever Prince de Babinbitch is doing is in hopes of saving you."

"Why would you say that?" I asked before yawning.

Never had I felt this drained before.

Harper sat on the other side of us. "Love, that Prince is certifiably a nutter, but he only has eyes for you," he said.

If only that were true.

"My impending death has turned my support system certifiably insane," I commented with a sigh. "I am pleased that death will be my reprieve from this messed up discussion, especially since I just told my brother and best friend I want to sleep with a Vampire Prince and have him eat me in a non-vampiry way."

"You are so gross!" Zane complained.

Harper softly chuckled and tenderly caressed my feet. "Love, I may have lost the plot, but at least I'm not delusional like you. As much as I hate to admit it, ever since Prince de Babineaux first saw you that morning, he has only had eyes for you. You should have heard him arguing with Master Dade after he sent you to the Headmaster's office. Prince de Babineaux was livid that Master Dade overreacted the way he did. Why do you think he was sitting out? He was waiting for your return."

It was a nice fairytale.

"When we were in Seattle, Prince de Babineaux never left your side," Harper said. "And the thing is, your parents didn't mind. They talked to him privately as if they were family, and they confided in him something they did not tell us even. They made us clear the room, but Prince de Babineaux was permitted to stay at all times. That vampire would die for you and not think twice about it, Love."

There's no way. Viggo is just hard to read and reserved emotionally.

Harper had always been good with reading people, but that wasn't one of those times.

Princes don't find girls like me interesting. I am nothing more than a Mundane with some seriously bad luck.

"You truly are a hopeless romantic in the body of a sexy geek," I said, causing Zane to chuckle and Harper to snort.

"What are you doing here, Professor Nicholson?" Harper asked, causing my eyes to open enough that I saw Slevin's pink hair hurrying around the couch. "Slev, what's wrong?"

"How is she?" Slevin asked, sitting on Harper's lap.

I smiled but didn't have the strength to do more than that.

"She looks like shit," Slevin said. "Why is she bleeding?"

"Thanks, I look better than I feel," I promised. "Why was I bleeding again?"

"It isn't hers," Harper whispered.

Viggo entered with Azrael; I'd know his scent anywhere, and Azrael's footfalls are not as soft as they once were in his youth, especially when upset over his niece-in-heart dying in what he would indubitably perceive as his failure.

They were arguing about something, but I wasn't sure what it was this time.

"It is only two hours away, and it is the closest uncompromised healing vessel in the region," Viggo said. "I assure you, Ariadne will be safe there. I swear on my life."

"You want to take Miss Li to a Blood Brothel? You realize how that looks, correct?" Azrael rhetorically asked.

"We're going to a Brothel?" Zane asked.

"No," Azrael sneered. "You are staying here."

"Like hell I am, she is my sister and I'm not leaving her!" Zane argued.

"I want ice cream," I piped in. "If everyone else is going to complain and bitch I might as well voice my seldom-heard opinion on the topic of this evening's events. Coffee-flavored ice cream with marshmallow cream, caramel sauce, whipped cream, white and milk chocolate shavings with a cherry on top. Ooh, and some cotton candy, and Japanese pickled cucumbers in soy sauce. That sounds delicious." I sighed, content.

Slevin rested his hand against my cheek. "Either Miss Ari smoked a lot of weed while we were gone or she is running out of time," he said.

I chuckled, that was a good one.

"Professor Nicholson is more than capable of teleporting us there," Viggo said.

"I can do it," Professor Nicholson confirmed. "I can take three, Slevin can take three as well. There are three Wizards in the Imperial Guard that can teleport a protection detail easily enough."

Zane put his hand on the top of my head; I could feel him trying to make an emotional connection.

Being twins, we've always been able to read the other's mood when we are in the vicinity of the other. Sometimes it's annoying, like when Zane is entertaining himself with the limited attributes the Academy has to offer—in his opinion—but it has its usefulness. We know when the other is sad or upset, scared or lonely, even when we're happy or sick.

But right now, he can't connect to me and I can't connect to him.

I know he's there, I feel him physically, but I can't sense him.

"Ari, wake up," Zane said, shaking me. "Ariadne, can you hear me?"

I tried to move my lips, fingers, toes, anything, but I was too tired.

My body felt as if it was slipping into the grave.

"I can't sense her!" Zane stammered, pulling me into him. "Ari, wake up. Please wake up."