Vampire Charm
Aurora Maxwell is a vampire who comes back to the French Quarter of New Orléans, a place run by vampires. She is driven by desire to be the best at everything, and takes an interest in a handsome student named Caleb Marella, who she must avoid but he repeatedly tries to pursue her. Aurora eventually rescues Caleb from Rohan Whitlock and Chelsea Banks on the night of the 70s Decade Dance. Afterwards, the two start to bond, leading them to reciprocate their affections for each other. As the pair fall in love, their town of New Orléans is being terrorized by inexplicable, horrifying 'attacks', with Aurora and her groups of friends becoming suspects. When Caleb tries to face Aurora, he then discovers her terrible secret...
March 5
Aurora Maxwell stared at the chaos in front of her and then shook her head; she wondered why she decided to come back to New Orléans. She was a little intimidated to go over there; it was so completely ridiculous.
Since when had she, Aurora, been scared of meeting people? Since when had she been scared of anything? She stood up and angrily thrust her arms into her black leather jacket. She didn't even want to glance at the mess because she knew what she'd see. Aurora Maxwell, cool and blond and slender, the fashion trendsetter, the high school senior. Who just now had an unaccustomed scowl on her face and a pinch to her mouth? Maybe if I just turn away, nobody will notice me, she thought, as she turned to leave she heard a voice behind her say "There she is, my sister from another mister," said someone in a brotherly tone. Aurora turned back around to see a dirty blonde man standing in front of her, "Thierry, how are you?"
The morning ritual of washing and dressing was soothing, and he dawdled over it, sorting through his new clothes from Australia. He finally chose a grey Henley and dark denim jeans combo that made him look hot. Good enough to eat, he thought, and the mirror showed a dude with a secret smile. His earlier fears had melted away, forgotten.
"Caleb! Where are you? You're going to be late for school!" The voice drifted faintly up from below.
Caleb quickly messed his hair and then he grabbed his backpack and went down the stairs.
In the kitchen, a four-year-old Nicolette and a nineteen-year-old Zachariah were eating cereal at the kitchen table, and Aunt Dana was burning something on the stove. Aunt Dana was the sort of woman who always looked vaguely flustered; she had a thin, mild face and dark flyaway hair pushed back untidily. Caleb landed a peck on her cheek.
"Good morning, everybody. Sorry I don't have time for breakfast."
"But, Caleb, you can't just go off without eating. You need your protein-"
"I'll get something before school," said Caleb briskly. He dropped a kiss on Nicolette's head and turned to go.
"Come on Caleb, you need to eat something" said Zachariah in a fatherly tone.
"Like I said I'll get something on my way to school."
"But, Caleb-" "And I'll probably kick back with Samara, AJ or Kol after school and be a little late so don't wait dinner. Bye!"
"Caleb-"
Caleb was already at the front door. She closed it behind her, cutting off Aunt Judith's distant protests, and stepped out onto the front porch and stopped.
All the bad feelings of the morning rushed over him again. The anxiety, the fear. And the certainty that something terrible was about to happen.
Bourbon Street was deserted, which is kind of surprising considering this is normally one of the most busiest streets in all of New Orleans. The tall Victorian houses looked strange and silent, as if they might all be empty inside, like the houses on an abandoned movie set. They looked as if they were empty of people, but full of strange watching things.
That was it; something was watching her. The sky overhead was not blue but milky and opaque, like a giant bowl turned upside down.
The air was stifling, and Caleb felt sure that there were eyes on him.
He caught sight of something dark in the branches of the old quince tree in front of the house.
It was a crow, sitting as still as the yellow-tinged leaves around it. And it was the thing watching her.
He tried to tell himself that this was ridiculous, but somehow he knew. It was the biggest crow he had ever seen, plump and sleek, with rainbows shining in its black feathers. He could see every detail of it clearly: the greedy dark claws, the sharp beak, the single glittering black eye.
It was so motionless that it might have been a wax model of a bird sitting there. But as he stared at it, Caleb felt himself flush slowly, heat coming in waves up his throat and cheeks. Because it was... looking at him. Looking the way girls looked at him when he wore no shirt. As if it was undressing his with its eyes.
Before he realized what he was doing, he had dropped his backpack and picked up a stone from beside the driveway. "Get out of here," he said, and heard the shaking anger in his own voice. "Go on! Getaway!" With the last word, he threw the stone.
There was an explosion of leaves, but the crow soared up unharmed. Its wings were huge, and they made enough racket for a whole flock of crows. Caleb crouched, suddenly panicked as it flapped directly over his head, the wind of its wings ruffling his scruffy blond hair.
But it swooped up again and circled a black silhouette against the paper-white sky. Then, with one harsh croak, it wheeled away toward the woods.
Caleb straightened up slowly, then glanced around, self-conscious. He couldn't believe what he had just done. But now that the bird was gone, the sky felt ordinary again. A little wind made the leaves flutter, and Caleb held in his breath. Down the street a door opened and several children poured out, laughing.
He smiled at them, and took another breath, relief sweeping through his like sunlight. How could he have been so silly? This was a beautiful day, full of promise, and nothing bad was going to happen he hoped anyway.
Nothing bad was going to happen-except that he was going to be late getting to school. The whole crowd would be waiting for him in the parking lot, since he was the most popular boy in school.
You could always tell everyone you stopped to throw stones at a Peeping Tom, he thought, and almost chuckled. Now, that would definitely give them something to think about.
Without a backward glance at the quince tree, he began to walk as quickly as he could down the street.
The crow crashed through the top of the massive oak, and Aurora's head jerked up reflexively. When she saw it was only a bird, she relaxed.
His eyes dropped to the limp white form in his hands, and she felt her face twist in regret. He hadn't meant to kill it. He would have hunted something larger than a rabbit if he'd known how hungry he was. But, of course, that was the very thing that frightened him: never knowing how strong the hunger would be, or what he might have to do to satisfy it. He was lucky that this time he'd killed only a rabbit.
He stood beneath the ancient oak trees, sunlight filtering down onto his curly hair.
In jeans and T-shirt, Aurora Maxwell looked exactly like a normal high school student.
Except she wasn't.
Deep in the woods, where no one would see him, he'd come to feed on someone. Now he licked at his gums and lips painstakingly, just to make sure there was no stain on them. He didn't want to take any chances. This masquerade was going to be hard enough to pull off as it was.
For a moment she wondered, again, if she should just give it all up. Perhaps she shouldn't have come back to New Orleans. What made her think that she could re-join the world of daylight?
But she was tired of living in shadows. She was tired of the darkness, and of the things that lived in it. Most of all, she was tired of being alone.
She wasn't sure why she'd chosen to come back New Orleans, Louisiana. It was a beautiful, by her standards; the oldest buildings had been put up only a century and a half ago. But memories and ghosts of the Civil War still lived here, as real as the supermarkets and fast-food joints.
Aurora appreciated respect for the past. She thought she might come to like the people of the French Quarter. And perhaps-just perhaps-she might find a place among them.
He'd never be accepted completely, of course. A bitter smile curved his lips at the idea. She knew better than to hope for that. There would never be a place where he could belong completely, where he could truly be himself.
Unless she chose to belong to the shadows...
She slapped the thought away. She'd renounced the darkness; she'd left the shadows behind her. She was blotting all those long years out and starting afresh, today.
Aurora realized that she was still holding the person by their throat. Gently, she let them go. Far away, too far for human ears to pick up, she recognized the noises of a fox.
Come along, brother hunter, she thought sadly. Your breakfast is waiting.
As she slung her jacket over her shoulder, she noticed the crow that had disturbed her earlier. It was still perched in the oak tree, and it seemed to be watching her. There was a certain wrongness about it.
She started to send a probing thought toward it, to examine the bird, and stopped herself. Remember your promise, she thought. You don't use the Powers unless it is absolutely necessary. Not unless there is no other choice.
Moving almost silently among the dead leaves and dry twigs, she made his way toward the edge of the woods. Her car was parked there. She glanced back, once, and saw that the crow had left the branches and dropped down on the rabbit.
There was something sinister in the way it spread its wings over the limp white body, something sinister and triumphant. Aurora's throat tightened, and she almost strode back to chase the bird away. Still, it had as much right to eat as the fox did, she told himself.
As much right as she did.
If he encountered the bird again, she'd look into its mind, she decided. Just now, she tore her eyes from the sight of it and hurried on through the woods, jaw set. She didn't want to be late arriving at John M. Hale High School.