“It won’t hurt,” he purred, stroking my hair.
I couldn’t even believe that this was the same boy I knew. So much for thinking he hadn’t changed much. I shoved his chest but he only held me tighter.
“Stay,” he commanded.
My heart slammed against my rib cage when I grabbed his bloody chin and forced him to look at me in the face. “Aric, stop.” If I had to I’d burn him enough to force him off.
He seemed to blink away the daze he’d been in and released his hold around my waist but his grip on my arm stayed. He lifted my wrist to his nose and breathed in. “I’m sorry, Vis,” he whispered, inhaling again as if the smell alone intoxicated him. He closed his eyes. “But you smell so good. And you’re so beautiful. And I just want a taste.”
My magic flared and I readied myself to blast him until a sharp voice bit out, “Aric, that’s enough.”
Zyacus. I breathed a sigh of relief and jerked my arm. This time Aric didn’t keep hold.
I backpedaled to his side and standing at odds against the Prince of the North, his feral look disappeared. Touching his shirt Aric looked down at all the blood as if he hadn’t known it covered him.
The three of us stood quiet for a moment. I didn’t know what they were thinking but my mind raced about our next move. We couldn’t let anyone see what Aric did. With the party so close someone could drift over here any minute. And the girl… I dropped to her side, pushing her dark bloody hair aside and put an ear to her mouth. “She’s still breathing.”
“What have I done?” Aric’s voice cracked with emotion.
Pressing my palm to her neck to stop the bleeding, I realized with my new magical strength I could likely heal her as I’d done with Zyacus. I closed my eyes and chanted the spell. I pictured the wounds closing, the body healing itself to its perfect form. My palm warmed with the magic. Although I could feel the pull of power, I wasn’t weakening.
When her eyes fluttered open, she bolted up moments later, panic breathing.
“Shhh, you’re fine.” My voice came out gentle but truly I was ready to panic myself. How would we keep her quiet? How could we keep her from telling everyone Aric was a vampire.
Aric stepped closer. “I’m so sorry—”
Her shrilling scream cut through the warm evening air. I clamped my hand over her mouth and dove atop her when she tried to fight me off. Slumeria. Her flailing body relaxed as she fell asleep. Unfortunately a loud noise or disturbance could wake her up at any moment.
I stood and looked at Aric. “We need Kyan. He can take her memory of this away.”
Zyacus narrowed his eyes at me. “He can?”
Aric nodded, pulling his bloody shirt off. He tossed it aside. “It’s his gift.”
Zyacus’s voice darkened. “How convenient.” He waved a hand at the nearby lake. “Go wash off before someone sees you.”
Aric slipped off his boots not meeting my eye. “Kyan is out here somewhere, Vis. Please find him.” Then he jogged off and moments later I heard him splash into the lake.
As I started back toward the gathered students I froze. “Someone is coming,” I hissed at Zyacus.
“Dragon’s fire,” he cursed. Squatting down he grabbed the girl up and headed for the water.
A wave of anxiety rushed through me. “She’ll wake up if you put her in the water.” But we had to wash the blood off somehow.
“Then you better hurry and find Kyan.”
I ran by the couple stumbling toward us. They were locked in a rather passionate kiss. Hopefully they wouldn’t notice anything out of the ordinary.
I slowed my pace when I reached the edge of the party. Even more people had come and it was looking impossible to find Kyan. People would probably think I was crazy but at the moment their perception of my sanity didn’t matter. “Kyan!” I shouted. “Kyan, I need you!”
So many stopped their conversation and turned to stare, but it wasn’t seconds later that he appeared at my side.
“What’s wrong?” His black eyes roamed over me. “Are you hurt?”
“It’s Aric. He’s—” I didn’t even need to finish the sentence.
Kyan ran a frustrated hand over his white braided hair. “Where?”
Chapter 16
Zyacus crouched at the edge of the lake with the sleeping girl in the grass beside him. Standing, he whipped around as we approached. His eyes narrowed at Kyan but he kept his face calm.
“Where’s Aric?” I asked.
The splashing of water answered my question as he emerged from the lake. Water cascaded down his very taut and muscular body. I averted my gaze before anyone noticed me staring.
Aric shook the water from his hair and rubbed his face. “Kyan, I messed up.”
He looked at the bloody girl sleeping on the ground. “Is she alive? I told you it was too soon for you to come here. You need time to learn better control around humans.”
“She’s alive,” Zyacus answered in Aric’s defense. “And the only reason you’re here is to erase this little episode from her memory. Not to lecture your prince.”
I clenched my jaw. I didn’t understand why Zyacus had to be such an ass sometimes. Kyan came to help us and clearly Aric didn’t have the control he needed. If I hadn’t interrupted when I did, this girl would be dead.
The tension grew the longer the two glowered. When I was about to speak to end the awkwardness, Kyan turned to Aric. “I’ll help of course but if this happens a second time, you’ll go back to Collweya, agreed? Next time we could be trying to cover up a murder instead of taking away traumatic, incriminating memories. If people knew what you’ve become, Aric...”
Lips forming a hard line, Aric nodded. “It won’t happen again. I can control myself.”
Kyan pulled the girl to her feet and held her by the arms. She jerked awake,
