Night School by Mari Mancusi Page A

anything.”
    I let out a sigh of relief. Thank God. If anything had happened to my sister ...
    “So we beat the fairies?” I ask, realizing that the battle must be over.
    “Oh yeah,” Corbin says, his cocky grin returning. “Guess they weren’t expecting us to kick so much ass. We wounded three of them and that was enough to send them running. Well, flying,” he corrects. He shakes his head. “Man, I can’t stop shaking. That was a lot more intense than the sims.”
    “Sims?”
    “You know,” he says. “The simulation rooms back at school. Where we practice our slaying.”
    I stare at him. “Hold on a second. Those vampire kills you were bragging about were glorified video games?” I cry. I start to laugh, but stop as my stomach protests.
    “Well, of course,” he says, looking offended. “How else would you ... ?” He stops short, looking at me with wondering eyes. “Are you saying those two kills you made ... those were real vampires?”
    “Duh.”
    “Wow.” He hangs his head. “I don’t think any of us have even seen a real vampire, never mind slain one.” Looking up, he adds, “I think I owe you an apology, Little Slayer.”
    I’m about to say no big deal, when pain stabs at my stomach again, forcing me to involuntarily cry out in agony.
    “Are you okay?” Corbin asks worriedly. He looks down at my stomach, which has started bleeding again. “Oh God. Here I am going on and on and you’re hurt. We need to get you back to the clinic.” He makes an effort to move. “Can you walk? If not, I’ll carry you.”
    “Wait,” I cry. I can’t have him take me to the clinic. They’ll discover I’m a vampire. Not to mention a fairy. But I can’t exactly just assure him that if I lie here long enough my body will heal itself either. At least not without arousing his suspicions.
    I try to scramble to my feet, but there’s no way. I’m too weak. I’ve lost too much blood. If only I had some ...
    My gaze falls to Corbin. Even in the low light, my vampire eyes can lock onto the small blue vein pulsing temptingly from his neck ...
    Suddenly I know exactly what I have to do.
    “Corbin,” I say, swallowing back my extreme unease. “Look at me.”
    He does. And instantly his piercing green eyes go soft, lost in my spell, just like on the practice field a day before. “Oh Rayne,” he murmurs. “You’re so beautiful.”
    I wince at the vampire scent-induced compliment. It kills me that I have to do this. Especially to him, of all people, whose parents were actually murdered by vampires. There’s no way if he were in his right mind, he’d be cool with any of this.
    But, of course, he’s not in his right mind. He’s thoroughly knocked out by my vampire seduction. And suddenly he’s kissing me. His lips attacking me with a hunger I’m completely unprepared for. And as I open my mouth to protest, his tongue invades, taking me, claiming me, making me his own. He tastes sweet, like mint gum. He feels hot and heavy against my cool vampire skin. As he presses the length of his body against me, I can feel his heartbeat pounding, hard, fast, intense. And when he reaches for me, his touch is firm, with an underlying gentleness I never would have predicted, judging from his cocky outer facade. I breathe in, lost in his scent of vanilla mixed with sandalwood.
    Jareth, forgive me, I think as I surrender to his passion, kissing him back with the same fervor he’s using with me. I try to remind myself that this is just an appetizer, not foreplay. That it will lead to a meal, not sex. Still, it’s more than a little weird to find myself making out with a guy who’s definitely not my boyfriend. Even more so when my body responds so hungrily to his touch. But, of course, that’s just the bloodlust.
    I think.
    He groans in pleasure as my lips leave his own to trail kisses down his face, nibbling at his jaw line, then dropping lower to his neck. The idea is to keep him seduced and not startle him out of his