Eye of Abernathy (4 page)

I nodded, tears filling my eyes.
No idea why. “K,” I responded.

Chapter 7

As soon as he left I grabbed a jacket. I needed to talk to Cindy. And I couldn’t wait until she got off work. If this
going all the way
business was going to happen, I needed her input.

On the ride over (yeah,
I kept my purple Schwinn. Sure I could’ve vampired myself to Cindy’s work, but I liked bike riding. It allowed my mind to mull over my problems) a million different things ran through my head, like going to see Abernathy, Dorian, the Vampire Queen, Silindra, Christopher, Cindy, and Gabe. I wondered if talking to Cindy was a good idea. Had she and Gabe done it? The idea turned my stomach in knots.

I slid to a stop at Bertilinis. Locking the chain through the middle
of my bike, and a bike stand, I went inside.

The most delicious smells filled my nose. Homemade red sauce, basil, garlic, sweet butter, and fresh baked bread swirled in the air like an aromatic cloud. For a moment I almost wished I could still enjoy those flavors, savor them.

“Snow,” Cindy shouted, slapping menus down on the hostess table, and hugging me. Even in a uniform—white ruffled shirt, black pants, black tennis shoes, and a black half apron wrapped around her hips, she still looked like a model. Her blond hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, and she wore some shimmering shadow on her eyes, and pink lip-gloss. 

“Hey Cindy.”

“Hey yourself. You look radiant. I take it vampire boyfriend has been taking care of you.” She nodded knowingly, and I blushed.

“Um, that’s sort of
why I came by.” Glancing around the dimly lit restaurant, I asked, “Can we talk?”

“Of course.” She looked at her watch. “My shift ends in thirty minutes. Let me run home, shower and change, and I’ll meet you at your house in like an hour? There’s something I want to talk to you about too.”

I knew from experience an hour meant two, but that was okay. “Sure. See ya.” I pushed open the glass doors.

***

Almost three hours later, she showed, coming into my room with a flourish. It was nearly dinnertime, and I eyed her neck hungrily.

She covered her neck with her hands. “I love you, Snow, but I draw the line at you sucking my blood.

I sighed dramatically, rolling onto my back. “Fine.”

She tentatively came and sat on my bed. “Are-Are y
ou going to be able to handle my being this close?”

I started laughing so hard tears leaked from my eyes. Cindy slapped my leg. “You’re rude. A rude, rude vampire.”

I sat, crossing my legs, wiping the tears from my eyes.

We looked at each other, and started laughing again.

“It’s so cool. You’re a vampire, but not a blood crazy fiend. You’re still you. I think people have the totally wrong impression of your kind.”

“I know, right?”

“It’s the same with witches,” she continued. “Most people think witches are green and covered in warts. Not so, though. I mean, look at my face. It’s flawless.” She turned from side to side.

“You’re right, of
course.” I shrugged. “Maybe people get a little crazy because we scare them.”

She sighed heavily. “Oh, the trials of
the gifted and magical.” Then we busted up laughing again.

Several minutes later, she carefully wiped under her eyes with her fourth fingers only and crossed her legs, so we were sitting on my bed our knees touching. She said, “Alright, spill it. What’s going on?”

I sighed, pulling at a loose string on the white bedspread. “Christopher suggested we go away together for a few days. He even got Professor Pops’ permission.”

Her blu
e eyes shone brightly. “Holy sexcapades, that’s awesome.” She patted my calf, checking out my face. “Okay, it seems like it might not be great. Why isn’t it great?”

“It is, really. I mean I love him—”

“Whoa. Whoa. What?”

“I told you already, didn’t I.
When I saved him, I knew I loved-loved him.”

She grew serious. “You mean it?”

“Yes, Cindy. I mean it.”

“
You aren’t quietly pining for Gabe, hoping I’ll drop my guard one day, and then you’ll pounce, taking back your man. The man I stole from you.” She sniffled. It really bothered her.

“Cindy, I swear.” I paused. “I-I love Gabe, b—”

“I knew it,” she whispered fiercely.

“Let me finish. Sheesh.”

She crossed her arms. “Go ahead.”

“I’ve loved him a long time—as a brother,” I finished quickly.

She huffed.

“And maybe before the whole me becoming the Seal fiasco, I thought I loved him more than that.”

“See—” she began, but I held up my hand.

“Shush! Let me speak.”

She nodded.

“But the love I feel for Gabe is totally different than the way I feel about Christopher. I didn’t know what love was supposed to feel like, until Christopher.”

She pulled on her lip with her teeth. “How does love feel—to you, I mean?” she asked quietly, leaning her face on her fisted hands.

I thought about it. “It’s like fireworks, and sleeping kittens.
Cliff jumping, and reading a good book on a rainy afternoon. When I’m with him, my pulse quickens, the world shifts, and my life tips into balance. It’s-It’s… amazing,” I finished; not exactly sure I’d done my feelings for Christopher justice. “Isn’t that how you feel about Gabe?”

She wiped at her eyes.

“Are you crying?” I asked softly. “Did I say something wrong? I swear I’m happy you and Gabe are together.”

She shook her head. “No. I guess knowing how you feel for Christopher makes me happy. You deserve goodness. Happ
iness. And if Christopher gives you
fireworks and sleeping kittens
, then I’m all for it.”

“And you and Gabe?” I prodded. If she didn’t feel that way for him, then I felt terrible.

“I’m in love with him, Snow. And I know he loves me too. The problem is, he takes his role as chayot leader seriously. And it gets in the way of us. Sometimes, when we’re together, I feel like he’s thinking about work, chayot problems. And I wonder if he’d rather be with them—other chayot—than be with me.” She sniffled, and I patted her shoulder.

“I
don’t think so. Maybe you should talk to him, explain how you feel?” I definitely wasn’t one to be giving relationship advice.

Cindy
nodded. “I should. I will.” She took a deep breath. “Now, with regards to your problems, dear friend. The truth is, you have none. A completely gorgeous vampire wants in your pants. He loves you, and you love him. I see no downside.”

I
reddened at her blunt words. It excited me to think Christopher wanted me in that way, made me feel desirable. But it was such a big step; at least it seemed like it to me. I mean sex. Ugh. I was beyond conflicted.  

“What?” she asked, and I could tell she worked hard not to laugh.

“It’s… I’m so nervous. What if we
do i
t, and everything changes?”

She nodded. “Everything will change. For sure, but it’ll be a good change. I promise.”

After what she’d said about her and Gabe, I wondered if the changes between the two of them were good. “You and Gabe…” I trailed off. I couldn’t bring myself to ask.

For the first time ever, Cindy blushed. “The first time was awkward.” A large, genuine smile spread over her face. “
But he’s my one and only,” she said, and bit down on her lip. She seemed lost in another time. I watched her, and sensed a contented peace settle over her. “My mother always said to wait until I found the right guy. Of course I thought she was old-fashioned. A complete dinosaur when it came to sexuality. So I did what I wanted.” She wound one of her fingers in her hair. “Turns out, my mom is a lot smarter than I gave her credit for.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, but don’t tell her that.” She snickered. “Make sure you want to—that you’re all in—heart, mind and soul. Because once you give Miss Virginia away, she aint never coming back.” She tapped my knee with a finger.

“Miss Virginia?” I asked, totally confused.

“
Virgin
-eee-aaaaaa,” she said slowly, sarcastically.

I
colored, and we both laughed, falling onto our sides.

Cindy wiped at her eyes, her face serious. “
And even if you love him, it’s not like there’s a law that says you have to have sex with him… well, unless you’re married, then there might be a law.” She paused. “Holy hot guy on a vampire girl. Please say you aren’t getting married.”

“What? No.” I slapped her leg
, and sat up. “That didn’t even cross my mind.”

But has the idea of marriage
crossed Christopher’s, my inner voice cooed.

She gazed at me perceptively. “
I’d better be the first to know when it happens. There are ways I can make sure.” She winked.

“Like how? A spell?” I giggled. She was crazy. I was eighteen.
No wedding bells for years. Graduation from college came first. Plus, there was another little item. The whole me-being-the-Seal–and-destined-to-restore-magic issue.

Cindy climbed off the bed, and grabbed a book from her backpack. It was her spell book.
The one with the eye of Abernathy on it. “See this,” she asked.

“Yeah?” I responded nervously.

She crossed her legs again. “There’s a spell we can cast to make him ask you to marry him.”

I tucked a strand of hair behind my e
ars. “I don’t want to make him do anything, Cin.”

She sighed, casually flipping through the pages. “Fine.” Then she leaned forward so her
lips were next to my ear. “I found a spell to take us to Abernathy.”

Shocked, I said, “You didn’t?”

“I did,” she scolded, leaning back. “I can take us there right now if you want.”

“No way.”

She placed her book on her legs, and her hands on her hips. “Do you want me to prove it, Snow Merryweather White?” A firm line tightened her lips, and her brow was furrowed.

“Like with magic?” I verified.

“Like, I set some things up, say a spell, and poof, we’ll be at Abernathy’s.”

“You know he lives in a cave, right?
With bats? He also breathes fire. And he’s huge. You understand all of that, right?” I crossed my arms, but a part of me was excited. If her and I went with magic, we could be there and back tonight.

Her face screwed up with concerned horror.
She glanced at her off the shoulder pink shirt with the word, Merde, written across the front. With one hand she brushed her hands down her black jeans, and black boots. “A smelly cave?  How cliché.”

I hid a smile. She wasn’t worried about bats or the fire breathing dragon, but whether her clothes
got ruined.

A moment later, her eyes, so familiar to mine, twinkled. “You
wanna go?”

I made an instant decision
. “Definitely.”

Chapter 8

Cindy pulled fourteen thick, white candles from her backpack. They smelled
of vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg—a combination that reminded me of my mother’s oatmeal. We placed them on the carpet next to my bed in the shape of a seven-pointed star.

I
shut off the lights. The sun was setting, and brilliant oranges, pinks, and golden rays glinted across my shadowed room.

“Is there a reason for the scented candles?” I asked, as she and I sat cross-legged in the center of the candles. O
ur knees almost touched, we were so close, but the position was like second nature to her and me.

She shrugged. “I like the smell.”

“Oh.” I smiled. Nervous butterflies danced in my stomach. “Now what?”

“
Shhhhh,” she said. “I’m concentrating.”

“Oops.”
I stifled a giggle.

She placed her middle finger and thumb together, resting her hands on her knees. Then she closed her eyes. I watched her fac
e become serene. And suddenly the candles flickered on.

I gulped.

She opened her eyes. “Cool, right?”

“So cool,” I responded, feeling like we were back in
junior high and having a sleep over.

“The spell is easy. You’re going to repeat what I say. It may take a few times, but it should get us there.”

“Okay.” I hoped I didn’t say something wrong.

“Now, put your hands like mine.”

I copied her.

“Close your eyes, and remember as many different things about the cave, and Abernathy as you can. What it smelled like.
The color of his scales. The way the air felt. What the cave looked like. Anything you saw or tasted. Can you do that?”