“I bet he does,” I mumbled and wondered how to broach the what-does-a-portal-look-like subject without seeming too obvious.
“There’s a ton more for me to tell you, but we only have a couple of hours before we have to go and not to be rude, but you need a shower. You hair is kind of wild and there’s soot all over your face and you’ve got some dried blood on you.”
“Um, you waited till after your therapy session to tell me I looked like a homeless person?” I snapped.
“No, I did that on purpose. You look dangerous and crazy with all that hair and blood. I thought it might throw our bitchy therapist off her game . . . and it did.” Dixie grinned and gave me a thumbs up.
I couldn’t bite back my grin. Dixie wasn’t quite as nice as I thought and I was glad. “Fine. Show me to your bathroom and I’ll get spiffied up for your evil shindig.”
“Wait till you see your hair,” she giggled and led me deeper into her home.
“That won’t happen,” I told her as I examined her house. It was awesome—all done in earthy colors with bold slashes of chocolate brown and dusty rose woven in. “I’m a Vamp. No reflection.”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” she said. “The red streaks in your hair rock.”
“What red streaks? I don’t have red streaks.”
“Um . . . you totally have red streaks.”
“Son of a bitch,” I muttered, running my hands through the tangled mess. “Is that some kind of Demon gift?”
“Don’t know, but I sure wish I had them.”
Her bathroom was huge and better than any bathroom I’d ever been in. On one side were floor to ceiling mirrors and Dixie was right—I was a fucking mess. I mean I was still hot in that Vampyre undead way, but I was covered in dried blood and my clothes were torn. But my hair . . . holy Hell. My hair was its usual dark brown, but there were blood red streaks running through it. She was right—it was hot, but it shouldn’t be there.
Wait. WTF? I could see myself?
I grabbed the counter for purchase and heaved in a huge unsteady breath—another thing I shouldn’t be able to do. My body shook as I peered at myself. The self I hadn’t seen since before I died. What did this mean? Was I still a Vamp? Had I become a Demon? Fuckityfuck, I needed to get back home soon before all of this was irreversible.
“Are you okay?” Dixie asked, running over to me and easing my quivering body to the floor.
“I can see myself,” I whispered. “This is not good.”
“Okay,” she said and sat down next to me. “What can I do?”
“Help me get out of here.”
“Oh, Astrid, I can’t,” she said with remorse.
“Then just get away from me,” I hissed and put my hands over my eyes and my head between my knees. Anger boiled inside me and black glitter covered my fingers and traveled up my arms. Coating them like sparkling black sleeves. It was beautiful in a macabre way. I felt the dark power weave its way through my body and settle next to my dormant Vampyre power.
“Oh shit, Astrid,” Dixie gasped and backed away quickly. “Be careful. You could blow us to Kingdom Come with that much magic.”
“What are you talking about?”
“What do you mean what am I talking about?”
“Oh my God,” I shouted. “If I ask a question, it means I don’t know the answer. I don’t talk just to listen to my own voice. So just spit it out, Cousin.”
“You have dark magic,” she said reverently. “And you have tons. I’ve never seen sleeves like that. Ever. Not even on my dad.”
“How in the fucking hell do I make them go away?” I demanded, terrified that I would blow us up without even meaning to. I had no idea how I had this magic, what to do with it or how dangerous I was.
“Think good thoughts,” she insisted frantically. “Think of people you love. Now.”
I closed my tired eyes and willed Ethan to appear. I reached for him and he gently ran his hands over my stomach. Our child. Our baby that shouldn’t be, but was—against all odds and reason. I let my mind wander to my nana who was in Heaven and then I floated to my dearest friends, Gemma, Venus, The Kev and Pam . . . and the tension left my body. The sleeves disappeared. I was calm . . . I was okay.
I opened my eyes to see a flabbergasted Dixie trembling in the corner of her bathroom.
“What?” I asked.
“What are you?” she asked so quietly I was sure I misunderstood.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“What are you?” she repeated.
I glanced over at myself in the mirror, shrugged my shoulders and laughed humorlessly. “I have no fucking clue, but I’d like you to keep this little episode to yourself if you wouldn’t mind.”
“Not a problem,” she said with a shaky smile. “No one would believe me anyway.”
“Awesome. Now leave so I can shower and then stare at myself. I haven’t seen myself in a while.”
“Will do,” she said, backing out of the bathroom. “Will do.”
Chapter 5
Clean as a whistle and confused as all get out, I sat down in front of the mirror to inspect myself. I traced my reflection and wondered if all Vamps could see themselves in Hell or if I was so freaky I was the only one. I was yanked right out of my pity party by voices. Female voices. Voices I didn’t recognize. Had Dixie told my secret? Had they come to get me and destroy me? Fuck.