Chapter 25: A New Dawn

Danny rolled over to notice the place where Lacey had been sleeping was empty. He raked back his hair before sitting up. He noticed Lacey standing by the window in his shirt. A smile displayed on his face as he watched his lover. But panic hit when he noticed Lacey grab at the drapes preparing to open them.

"NO, LACEY!" He jumped from the bed as Lacey pulled back the drapes quickly.

Lacey held her hand in front of her eyes due to the sunlight hurting her irises. Danny was by her side in seconds ready to pull her away from the sunlight. Thus, pull her away from being seared to death.

Instead, Danny stood there staring at his lover. She wasn't burning yet her eyes ached. Lacey's lips curled into a smile.

"Now, I know why you wear sunglasses." Lacey turned to walk to the bathroom. "That is intense."

Danny rubbed the back of his neck with a smirk. It seemed as if Lacey taking from his blood, rather than the normal immortal, made her able to withstand sunlight as well. However, when Danny went to pull the drapes back shut, he noticed that he didn't ache in the sun. His eyes didn't burn nor did he feel weak. If anything, Danny felt stronger than he ever did even before his transformation into immortality.

Lacey had to hurry home before her mother noticed her gone. She needed to go to school as she has missed more than her fair share of days while Danny was gone. She took a quick shower and dressed. The sun was very hot on her skin and her eyes burned. Therefore, she placed on a pair of sunglasses and made sure to wear a long sleeve sweater as well as a pair of black leggings and knee high boots. Luckily, the weather called for such attire sans the sunglasses.

Danny sauntered in class for the first time without sunglasses. Mrs. Hillman was more than happy to see that Danny was no longer as sick as they all feared.

"Danny, you look wonderful." Mrs. Hillman smiled broadly. She noted his skin was darker as well as his state of being overall seemed less tired. "What happened to make this miraculous change in your health?"

Danny smirked as he leaned in close to Mrs. Hillman. He seductively stated. "I finally got the right medicine."

Mrs. Hillman blushed despite the fact the boy was supposed to be only seventeen. She wondered if she was having change of life hot flashes. Because she definitely felt flush at Danny's close proximity towards her.

"I'm sorry about your father." Mrs. Hillman pulled back from Danny. She stammered on her words. "He was a great man."

"Thank you." Danny straightened up as he thought of Vikram. "He was."

Danny made his way to his usual seat. He patiently waited on Lacey. Jo, Rico and Phoebe were the next to arrive followed by Sarita, Scott, and Archie. They took their usual seats near Danny. When Lacey entered all eyes were on her. She was barely moving as she made her way to sit beside Danny. She moaned as she sat down.

Archie glanced at Sarita, who shrugged at Lacey wearing sunglasses. Sarita whispered questioningly. "Hangover?"

Lacey groaned. "I feel awful. My whole body hurts."

Danny chuckled as he leaned to whisper in her ear. "I think you may have drank too much."

Lacey's eyes widened as he leaned in to her. The smell of Danny's blood teased her nostrils with an enticing aroma. Lacey practically growled as she bit her lip. Then she nipped at Danny's neck quickly. Danny jerked back as he stared at Lacey. He wanted to laugh at the lust that sparkled in her eyes. She licked her lips seductively.

"Danny, I want you so bad." Lacey stated in a seductive whisper.

Jo giggled before stating in a sarcastic tone. "Tell us how you really feel, Lacey Porter."

Sarita added with a scowl. "Sounds like the virgin princess may be just princess now."

Archie frowned as he glanced to Lacey awaiting her denial. But her next actions told him that Sarita was correct in her assumption.

Lacey pressed her hand over her mouth at the blurting out of her words. But she meant it. The craving for Danny was causing her to throb in places that weren't supposed to be throbbing considering where they were. Lacey breathed out as thoughts of Danny's nude body flashed through her head. Every detail of their lovemaking haunted her in a sweet tease of the previous night.

She crossed her legs as she tried to think of anything but Danny Desai in all his glory. Lacey tried to think of anything but the taste of Danny's blood and his body glistening with sweat. She breathed out as she tried desperately to allow images of rainbows, butterflies, unicorns and little ponies dance in her head. However, her images changed to naked Danny riding a unicorn which was chased by a group of little ponies. Butterflies flitted around Danny as the unicorn took him across a rainbow.

"Oh my GAWD, Danny." Lacey clutched the corner of her desk. "I need you."

Danny's eyebrow shot up as he stared at his girlfriend. "Lace..."

"NOW!" Lacey grabbed at Danny's collar.

The whole class including Mrs. Hillman stared at Lacey's strange action. Danny stood up slowly realizing that Lacey didn't know how to control her craving for him. He took Lacey's hand as he walked to the front of the class. Lacey clung to him tightly but tried to maintain her aching for him.

Danny didn't waste anytime with subtleties. He hypnotized Mrs. Hillman with his monotone voice. He was desperate to get Lacey out of there and didn't want to spend any second wasting time.

"Lacey and I are going to leave your class. You will have no objections."

"Okay." Mrs. Hillman ran her hands over her arms feeling a chill like never before.

She stepped back feeling a sudden fear of Danny as well. She gulped as she watched Danny drag Lacey out of class. Mrs. Hillman plopped to her seat staring out at the class. She never spoke. The class sat there staring as well. All wondered what was going on with Danny and Lacey. All felt a sudden overwhelming fear of Danny Desai.

Scott looked at Archie as they thought of the nightmare in the cemetery. The felt the same fear grip them as that night.

Jo twisted her hair around her finger as she glanced around. She seemed to be the only one not effected by Danny's power.

Rico slumped down in his seat. He watched the room curiously as he slid further down. He had read in his great grandfather's notes of such a coldness as what the room became. He had read the reactions to the hypnotizing effects of a vampire. Rico took a deep breath as he though of how Danny's words caused an unknown fear to practically paralyze Mrs. Hillman. That couple with how Lacey was desperately clinging to Danny allowed Rico to come up with one conclusion that he'd have to investigate.

Rico leaned over. He pulled a piece of jewelry from his back pack. "Jo, take this."

Jo frowned as she took the strange looking amulet from Rico. "What is this?"

"Protection."