Fateful 2-Fractured (3 page)

Danielle tried to follow his example, her
brows pressing together as she made the effort, but still, she
couldn’t get it. The slice kept slipping loose instead of being
pinched between the sticks like it was supposed to. She looked up
to see Ethan’s brows had mirrored hers while watching her struggle
with something that should have been so simple.

Angrily, she set the chopsticks down and
reached for the sushi again. “How do you know how to use those
stupid things anyway?” she asked.

“I was bored and I knew I wanted to try
sushi, so I figured it out a couple of nights ago while I was
detained in my room.” He watched Danielle eat without the use of
proper sushi lifting implements, a look of disapproval on his face.
“Come on, Danielle, it isn’t that hard. Give it another go.”

She groaned and then did as he requested,
but only succeeded in squashing the sushi and dropping it onto her
lap. Luckily for her, it landed on the napkin placed across her
legs. “Well, apparently I’m chopstick challenged. Please, Ethan,
just let it go.” She dropped the smashed piece onto the edge of her
plate and then reached for another with her fingers. He watched and
continued to sample his own wide variety of rolls. Fretfully—she
could tell—he did decide to drop the matter. It was a good thing
too, because if he’d asked her to try it again, she planned on
spearing the sushi with a violent stab of her chopstick.

Ethan hadn’t eaten half of what he’d
ordered, but Danielle could see that sushi was something he
liked.

Her eyes wandered to Beon and Sophia, who
were seated on their left, only a couple of tables away. Sophia was
twisting one of her auburn curls around a finger while she eyed a
slice of sushi held in her other hand. Probably trying to decide
from the look of it how it should taste. Danielle knew food was
something Sophia missed from her mortal life, she could dream about
it, but it had lost its richness for her, and that displeased her.
“The all-blood diet of a vampire gets rather tiresome,” she’d once
told Danielle.

It was apparent that Beon wasn’t interested
in the food. He was diligently manning his post while he scanned
the doors and customers for any possible threat to Ethan and her. A
twinge of guilt stabbed her in the gut as she watched him. So much
effort was put in by him personally just so they could go on dating
and trying to be an ordinary couple. It wasn’t fair for him to be
trapped into such a burden, even if he was head of The Order. The
Order of the Curse-Bound Knights—Vampires rebelling against what
the curse made them in to. Because of this, Beon seemed to think
she and Ethan were his responsibility now. He’d even retired early
from teaching so he could protect them full-time. Not that he
needed the job, but Danielle still felt guilty about it. It was all
because of this civil war he kept talking about. Were she and Ethan
really in that much danger?

Her eyes slid to Nadia and Max, seated at a
table to their right. The teasing flirt who’d winked at her earlier
was all warrior now. Even his muscles seemed alert and coiled;
ready to spring if the circumstance called for it. His keen brown
eyes were busy scrutinizing everyone in the establishment. She
couldn’t help but wonder what he’d actually do if anyone did ever
try anything. Would he whip out a sword or something?

Nadia pulled a face while she chewed on the
food in her mouth. Her sable brows were pinched together over her
emerald green eyes. Danielle knew how much she wanted to be mortal,
and sadness stabbed her in the heart as she watched the ethereal
beauty. But they hadn’t completely figured out how to administer
the cure without her or Ethan winding up dead in the process. She
knew Beon was working on a plan, but she hadn’t heard how that was
going.

“Ethan?”

“Mmm,” he said while chewing.

“Has Beon drawn up plans for ‘the room,’ so
we can give Nadia what she wants?”

“Hmm.” Swallowing, Ethan nodded and then
said, “Actually, he’s already begun construction.”

On a happy gasp she asked, “Really?”

“You should see the mess in the garden. The
bunny had to go, I’m afraid.”

This next gasp wasn’t a happy one, and a
little cry slipped out as she lowered her spoonful of soup back to
the bowl. She loved the bunny sculpted shrub, and knew how much
Beon loved his garden. He’d spent so much time trimming and fussing
over every detail, even hours shaping that shrub. Danielle knew it
had to be a sacrifice for him to destroy it. “How sad.”

“Beon was more than willing to depart with
it for Nadia.”

“Yes, of course…”

“Don’t worry, Danielle, he purchased a
new shrub to replace it. It will be a
little
bunny at first, but it’ll grow into a big
one after a while. He knows how … attached you were.”

“I got the impression he was just as
attached.”

“He was, but it can be replaced. You know
how badly Nadia wants this. He couldn’t deny her. Beon did try to
save the shrub, but he couldn’t get the room to fit anywhere
else.”

She agreed that Nadia was much more
important than that wonderful plant. “When will it be finished?”
she asked as her eyes traced their way back to Nadia. She wanted
her to have her wish, and she was willing to give it to her; even
though it was rather disturbing behaving like a vampire to cure
one.

“Very soon, I believe.” He dropped his
napkin onto the table “Are you ready to go to the cinema?”

“Yes.” Her gaze returned to Nadia once more,
with new hope healing the stab wound of sympathy for her.

* * * * *

With his mouth against her ear Ethan asked,
“What would you like to watch tonight?” She snickered when she saw
the vampire movie Bri had mentioned listed on the marquee.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

“Well, Bri suggested that one.” She motioned
to the horror flick.

Ethan chuckled and tugged her forward to the
window. “Surely you jest.”

“She heard it was good,” Danielle said, also
giggling.

Ethan shook his head, while he purchased
tickets for a romantic movie. “I don’t want to think about what
they’d do to us if we even tried to go to that with them.” He
tucked his wallet back in his pocket and gathered her hand once
again.

“Still it’s funny, you must admit.”

“I will concede, it would be rather
humorous, though I think we might go missing afterwards. And if we
don’t go missing, you’ll have nightmares. I know you can’t handle
frightening movies like that.”

“But I can handle the real thing.”

“You can handle the
good
ones, Danielle, but the bad
ones still trouble your dreams.”

A blush warmed her face. “I know.” However,
she was relieved that Ethan seemed to have a good understanding of
the girly side of her, and apparently, didn’t mind her weaknesses.
She wished she wasn’t afraid. But, unfortunately for her, she’d
learned more than once that black belt skills were no help when it
came to vampires. So not fair….

Next Ethan led her to the concessions
counter to purchase his usual large tub of popcorn—with extra
butter—of course.

Unable to resist, Danielle glanced over her
shoulder to see where the mob of vampire guards were going to sit
as they made their way down the aisle. In the back as they’d done
before. Relieved, Danielle urged Ethan closer to the front,
attempting to place as much space as possible between them.

They enjoyed the movie as they’d enjoyed
many others in the past, by spending more time kissing than
actually watching the film. Smiling with her forehead pressed to
his for a breath, Danielle couldn’t help but savor the
butter-flavored kisses. For two whole hours it was only her and
him. No one interrupted, no one complained, or criticized, though
they probably would later. That was later, this was now. Danielle
shuddered with chills as Ethan’s fingers brushed the back of her
neck.

“Cold?” he asked.

“No.” But he did it again, that soft touch
along her spine. His fingers moved down this time and stopped
between her shoulder blades, the pressure shifting to a kneading
massage. “That tickles,” she said.

“This?” His fingers glided up again and
moved along her nape to behind her ear.

Shuddering, “Yes, that. Cut it out.” Her
words were breathless.

“If you wish.” His mouth took over, right
there, on her neck.

That always brought the giggles and she
pulled away. She didn’t really want to, but couldn’t help
herself.

Danielle was only faintly aware of the fact
that the movie had ended and so had their time. She smashed her
mouth against his one more time, muttering, “Nice movie.”

“Yeah. I enjoyed that one too,” he
whispered, a naughty smirk playing with his poetic mouth.

They lingered as the credits rolled by,
holding hands, but knew it was time to exit when Max cleared his
throat loudly behind them. Hanging out afterward wasn’t allowed
either. The guards maintained this strict schedule even though
nothing threatening had happened in a while. It also appeared that
Celeste and Lucas still considered Danielle amongst the deceased.
Neither one of them had been heard from after Ethan faked her death
so they could escape the pair’s cement-lined dungeon. But the
vampires maintained that it just wasn’t safe, especially after
sunset, and therefore, never allowed them to be together too
late.

Chapter 2

Swords and Bodyguards

Danielle watched as their guards rotated
between Max, Cedric, Seth, Beon and four others who generally kept
to Ethan rather than her. Max, the medieval knight, was of course
her favorite. To her, he was much like a big brother, and could be
a bit of a goofball. Ethan told her when Max was watching her
bedroom at night, and when it was him she couldn’t resist opening
her window to call out and say hello. He would emerge from his
hiding place to chat quietly with her. But startled her one night
when he suddenly leapt the two stories to her window, and handed
her a pink rose.

“Whoa!”

He chuckled at her surprised reaction, and
keeping his gaze on the floor, said, “Haven’t you ever seen Ethan
do that?”

“No, I was usually sleeping.” She took the
flower from Max’s fingers, noting that he’d removed all of the
thorns and wondered where he’d gotten it. “Thank you for the rose,
Sir Knight Maximilian.”

“You’re very welcome, fair maiden.” He bowed
sweeping his arm aside, just like a knight might, and then said
with a smirk, “I stole it from your uncle’s garden.”

Danielle laughed. “Wouldn’t you like to come
in for a quick karate lesson?” It was something he’d requested of
her quite frequently, but they hadn’t done it yet, and she figured
since he was here now....

“The martial arts are something I’d love to
add to my combat skills. However, I suggest we do that at the bed
and breakfast. I’m under strict orders from Ethan to never enter
your bedchamber.”

“Why?” Was Ethan still jealous of Max and
his jovial flirting?

“We’re still dangerous to you, Danielle,
especially at night. And Ethan is feeling a little over-protective
these days, mainly because he can’t be here to protect you
himself.”

She missed that too. He’d been her only
protector most of the time when he was a vampire, but he couldn’t
do that any longer. She lifted the rose to her nose, drawing a
breath of the beautiful fragrance. “Thanks for everything, Max,”
she said, again tasting guilt for all of the time he had to spend
lingering below her window. Danielle couldn’t see why it was really
necessary. It must be so boring for him, for all of them.

“Have the sweetest dreams. You’re safe and
so is Ethan.” He gave her hand a gentle pat and then dropped to the
ground like a great big cat.

She placed the rose in water, and went to
bed.

* * * * *

It was obvious to Danielle that Ethan was
trying to hide his wince of pain as he pushed up off the floor and
murmured, “Well, I think that’s quite enough karate, and I’ve
decided that now is a fine time to move on to fencing.” He couldn’t
disguise the fact that his words came out a bit squeakier than his
normal speech, again testifying to the fact that he was in pain
after Danielle swept his feet out from under him during their first
martial arts lesson.

She’d done it to Max too, and was struggling
to hide the smirk attempting to show itself on her face, but feared
they could see the pride she was feeling in having dumped two men
flat onto their backs, though she suspected Max had allowed it, and
agreed, “I’m ready to do that.”

For her fencing lessons, Ethan
insisted she wear all of the proper fencing gear: the mask, the
gloves, the white jacket and pants. A karate uniform was much more
flattering, in her opinion. Ethan was also quite adamant that she
only used the practice foil with a button on the end, because it
was “safe,” while they also used the “safe” foils against her. She
was a little irritated with his intense need to keep her from harm.
She wanted to use the
real
sword, the one he wore slung low around his hips. She’d been
trained to fight with nunchakus and scais, and felt she could
handle a sword. “I think you should let me try using your sword,”
Danielle petitioned one more time.

“It’s too heavy for you, you might hurt
yourself. And it’s extremely sharp!”

Glowering at that, she said, “I’ve used
other weapons before—”

“Danielle.” He gave her that stubborn
look of his. That annoying,
I’m going to
put you over my knee
, look. That had to be something
from his Victorian past. How did men treat their women in the
eighteen hundreds? She didn’t really know.