"We're going to Vegas?" I asked in disbelief.
"Yep. The Lord of the Night World, also the head center of Circle Daybreak. He's go a human soulmate, so...." Ash said. He had his arms around my waist while the girls loaded the car.
"Why don't you help, Ash? So lazy." Rowan complained.
He didn't have anything nice to say to that, obviously, so he led me back in the house, up the stairs, to Jades room. He kicked the door closed with his foot and spun me over to the bed. I laughed. It was all in one motion..
"They were really annoying me." he laughed. I grinned. I can't believe I'd missed someone who I'd known for a few days so much..
He hugged me. I leaned on him. I was too happy.. this can't end badly. It just can't. It wouldn't be right. Ash and I can't die..
"I love you, Mary-Lynnette." he said softly, kissing the top of my head.
"I love you too Ash." I whispered, closing my eyes. I fell asleep on the couch, and woke up in Ash's arms. I was still tired, but I didn't want to sleep and miss time with Ash, in case he had to run off again, slay more dragons in the world...
Just not real ones, like he told me about. I shuddered.
But I was so tired...
"Sleep, May-Lynn." he said softly.
"No." I blinked a few times. "I can sleep in the car."
He laughed dryly. "I'm not driving. I'll be there, too. Just go to sleep. We'll have our own seat in the car, with the stupid normal looking minivan. Believe me. Rowan got the driver, Kestrel got passenger, Jade and Mark, well, I suggest we don't let the be in the back where no one can see them. So we get the back row seat. I'm tired, too." he yawned to prove it.
"So I'll sleep in the car." I yawned, too.
"In an hour, when they get it packed, whatever. I'm going to sleep now. He flopped back on the bed. I laid beside him.
"You tend to be annoying." I said, but with his hand on my stomach, and his warm breathing on my neck, I fell asleep quickly.
O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
I woke up, my head groggy. I was in the car, my head in Ash's lap. He was playing with my hair, and his long legs went from on side of the car to the other. I sat up slowly.
"You didn't wake me up." I yawned and stretched.
"You were tired. I only slept for an hour or so." he put his arm around my shoulders. Kestrel was asleep in the front, and Rowan was driving. I looked over to Mark and Jade. Mark was asleep, his head against the window. There was something... different about his face, but I couldn't place it.... Jade was curled in his lap. Her face was flushed...
Oh my god.
"Ash... Jade and Mark exchanged blood, didn't they?" I asked softly, already knowing the answer.
"Yeah.. Jade wanted Mark the same age as her, and he wanted to be like her.."
"I want to be like you." I whispered.
I heard him take a deep breath. "Seriously?" he breathed. I saw Rowan's cheek turn up.
"Yes."
He kissed me, first my forehead, then my cheeks, then my lips.
"I love you." he whispered.
"You're supposed to." I said softly. "I'm your soulmate." I grinned and kissed him.
He laughed. Kestrel sat up. She and Rowan changed spots.
Rowan was asleep before she sat down, it looked like, and Kestrel looked back. "Ash, help me out here. Where are we?"
"Umm... I have no clue. Watch the signs. When you see what state we're in, check the town. If it's big enough, we'll stop." I noticed Rowan and Kestrel were both taking deeper breaths, and faster ones. Jade wasn't.
Because she has Mark's blood inside her, I thought bitterly.
I leaned against Ash. He wasn't breathing as deeply. More of a rhythm.. I looked up at him. He was almost asleep. I went to sit up.
"Don't move." he complained. I bit my lip to hold back a laugh. I scooted down and put my head on his lap like it was when I woke up, and put my feet on the window. My legs were barely long enough. Ash's legs were too long to do that.
I shoved my hand in my pocket, pulling out my iPod and hitting shuffle.
In less than a week, I would be a vampire...
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"Ash! Wake up!" Rowan called. I sat up, blinking. The sun was up.. I hadn't been asleep, not completely, just kind of in a daze. I shook Ash's arm. "Babe, up." I stretched and climbed out behind Mark. We were at a gas station.
"Mark and you have human needs, and the rest of us have other needs. So... we'll be back." She looked at Ash. He nodded, and Rowan and Kestrel took off.
"Go in and do what you need to do. No food, get a drink if you need. Go to the bathroom, blah blah. Then meet us back out here. Hurry." he added to me. I looked back when we got in the store. Ash was still looking after me.
Ash didn't go... I'm going to start becoming a vampire... in 5 minutes... Oh My God..
I knew what it was like. I had done it before, but Jeremy had interrupted us.. and died.
I killed him.
I'm a murder.
I walked out of the store, looking around in the blaring sun. The car was parked off the road, across the highway. But Ash wasn't. He grabbed my waist from the shadow of the door. I yelped. He laughed.
"Not funny." I mumbled.
"Not a murder." he shot back.
"He didn't die on his own. You didn't kill him, he almost killed you. I killed Jeremy."
"That doesn't make it murder."
I sighed. Mark came out. He looked at Ash's hands, then at Ash. I didn't like the look on his face. Angry. Irritated. Ash met his gaze, and glanced at Jade. Mark walked on, and I followed him, Ash following, grabbing my hand.
Jade was waiting. Mark walked to the woods. Jade followed.
I opened my mouth to protest that, but Ash whispered "alone" in my ear, and I dropped it.
He slid the door open and I climbed in. He slid it shut behind him.
"Are you sure, Mary-Lynnette?" he asked. I nodded. "Really, really sure?" I nodded again. He leaned in, so slowly he could have been kissing me, and sunk his fangs into my neck.
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I followed Jez out of Blaise and Thea's room. "Jez!" someone called. Jez didn't seem to hear them. "Jezebel Redfern!" she spun around. I looked back. A girl with long black hair and a black jumpsuit was running up.
"Ash is driving, so we don't have to go get them. And they're turning Mary-Lynnette and Mark into vampires." she said.
"Well, what the hell are we supposed to do now, Keller?" Jez complained.
"Hmm... Galen told me I wasn't allowed to go with him and Morgead and whoever else. I wanna know why."
"Me too."
"Lets follow them, then." I said. Keller looked at me like she was surprised I had a voice.
"What's your name again?" she asked, flipping her head.
"Malina Redfern Harman. But don't call me Malina. It's M."
"M. Well I'm Raksha Keller, but if you refer to me as Raksha you're dead meat."
I smiled faintly. She was okay, too.
"So, follow them?" Jez said.
"Um, yeah. They just left, right?"
"Uh, no. Ian and Morgead are waiting outside. Galen and Delos are still... I don't even know." Keller said.
Ian's outside... I'm going to follow him.. Help him if he needs it..
Galen and Delos walked in then, and Ian and Morgead opened the door.
"Change of plans." Ian grumbled. "Come on, M." He grabbed my hand and led me outside.
"What?" I asked as soon as the door was closed.
"Shapeshifters are on a killing spree, like when they killed Grandma Harman. And it's pretty common knowledge that I haven't chosen my animal yet. And if I don't choose it soon, I'm going to be dropped from the Drache family. If I choose one, then it's over. What thee hell should I do, M?"
"I don't know, Ian.... I mean, what if you choose? What happens then?"
"Then if Galen's father doesn't approve I die." I opened my mouth to protest, I was going to say it wasn't fair. "All is fair in love and war, and this is war."
"But.. .you can't die, or else whoever killed you will die too, or he'll kill me."
"M..... I told you I didn't like my heritage. But that's the way it is. And don't cry, babe." he wiped my only tear away with his finger.
"Circle Daybreak makes you soft." I whispered. "I never cried before I came here."
"That's why you won't see Rashel or Quinn around much. She refuses to turn soft. And Quinn refuses to be any softer."
I sniffed. "We have to get out of here. I won't be able to get any softer, or I won't be able to stand myself." I half smiled.
"I either die, or work some miracle." he sighed.
"Oh! Wait! Give me.. two minutes, okay?" I smiled.
"Whatever you say." he sunk down.
"Oh, quit sulking." I bent down and kissed him.