Chapter 6
His resolve had almost broken when he saw how emotional Ruby was. The look in her brave green eyes had been one of longing and desire, a wish for somebody to be close to and share her innermost feelings with.
And now she had someone, a soulmate but he had insisted that what she was feeling was false and that he didn't want her. It had taken all his will power not to take back the lie and admit everything to Ruby, why he was here, what being soulmates meant and why he could never have a relationship with her.
The Night world would never accept a relationship between a human and a vampire. If they did come together, if he welcomed her into his arms then he would have to work a path that had claimed the lives of so many others. He couldn't risk getting attached to anyone. Caring only led to heartache.
When he walked away from Ruby he felt every breath she took as the disappointment thundered in her chest, her heart beating furiously against her ribcage. He felt ever beat vibrate in his mind and even though there skin had not made contact they were still connected.
Something brushed against Christian's elbow and he saw the pretty blond creature called Courtney. She was gorgeous, a goddess among slaves and she recognised him as something else, something to be concerned with and focus attention on.
That was the type of girl he should be with. Someone who got around, that kept no attachments and did what she pleased. He could use her and feed from her without being concerned for her feelings.
Something inside twinged as Christian remembered Ruby's soulful eyes and he sighed heavily.
"Hey Robert," Courtney greeted him with a seductive smile. Christian forced himself to smile wickedly.
"Hey beautiful," he said softly and sensuously, "what are you up to tomorrow night?"
"Well I'm going out with this boy," she purred, "a really cool guy about your height and build. Same colour eyes and hair."
"Oh, well make sure you have a good time with him," Christian played along.
"Oh I'm sure I will," said Courtney approvingly.
Christian's senses heightened as he felt something. It was unlike anything he had felt before. Soulmate eyes were upon him. He whirled around and saw her.
She was standing next to an open orange locker, her beautiful and honest green eyes swimming with tears. Her skin had paled considerably and she was shaking but the short boy with brown hair, Andrew, was to busy rooting through his locker to have noticed something was wrong.
Christian ripped his eyes from her hurt gaze and stared down the corridor. Courtney had walked away, satisfied, her hips swaying seductively. She had such a slender neck with thin blue veins underneath the perfect skin…
No. Don't loose control. Not surrounded by humans.
Vermin, he corrected himself. That's what they were to him now, that's what they had to be from him to survive. The Nightworld was the greatest power in the world and humans were merely a toy, something to feed from and play with. They could be abandoned and thrown away when damaged or out of date.
He wasn't used to that way of thinking. But he had to get used to it and quickly.
Ruby turned away, sadness flowing from her in waves that only he could pick up on. He mentally blocked them, knowing it would be silly to dwell on such things when he was meant to be ignoring them, ignoring her.
But there was one thing he couldn't ignore, no matter how much he tried.
His shame.
Ruby grimaced at the sloppy mush on her plate and glanced pleadingly at the serving lady behind the counter but she was attending to the next student along. Ruby shook her head disappointedly and followed Andrew to their regular table near the back, hidden in a corner where they could take privately.
The morning had dragged on and Ruby hadn't eaten anything for breakfast but the food, if that's what it could be classed as, was not at all appetising. She wasn't even hungry; her mind was focused on other things apart from eating. Andrew still hadn't realised that anything was wrong; he gobbled down his food while Ruby pushed it about her plate with a fork.
"What's up?" asked Andrew through a mouthful of mush, finally realising that Ruby wasn't her usual, happy, talkative self.
"Something. Nothing. Everything. I can't really explain it," she said glumly. Andrew swallowed his food.
"Come on Ruby. We've been friends forever if I cant understand how your feeling nobody will," he said encouragingly. Ruby smiled, a fragment of her normal, safe life returning for a second before being washed away by a gut wrenching feeling.
"Do you believe in soulmates? That there is one person out there, just one, who you are connected to and are destined to spend eternity with them if you find them?" Ruby asked tersely.
"That's an odd question," Andrew commented weakly, "But no, not really. I believe that you choose your own path and connect with who you want to spend your life with."
"See, that's what I thought before…," Ruby suddenly trailed off, causing Andrew to scowl.
Ruby looked up and saw him but he purposely wasn't looking in her direction but that wasn't what has caused her to stop speaking. Stood next to Robert was Courtney, laughing and flicking her hair behind her shoulder, Robert's arm wrapped around her middle. Courtney leaned in and kissed him, in full view of the cafeteria.
Andrew turned and gawped at the couple while Ruby was mesmerised by the movement of Robert's lips on Courtney's. It was poetry in motion, Robert was experienced and with somebody like Courtney who had kissed many guys the kiss appeared to be perfect.
When they pulled apart Courtney looked in Ruby's direction and smiled nastily at her, her eyes glowing triumphantly. Robert's eyes followed Courtney's eyes and he stared coldly at Ruby. A girl pointed at Ruby and cracked a joke so that the group started laughing again. Robert gave a short harsh laugh and smirked cruelly at Ruby.
Ruby was boiling with suppressed rage, a fiery fountain that was bubbling and scolding hot, like a ferocious dragon trying to rise from the pit of her stomach. The laughing echoed in her eyes and her vision was swimming with tears of humiliation, sadness and anger…
That was when the table closest to Courtney exploded into flames.
