At the thought of blood, my mouth watered. I ignored it. "I'm fine," I said to Professor Pops, grinding my teeth. "The food tasted wonderful. Please tell your wife thank you," I added, studying Kenmei. It was a lie. The rice and vegetables had tasted like ash, but I had the distinct impression it wasn't because of his wife's cooking skills; more that my body had already begun its transformation. He nodded. "I will.""Now, let me answer your question," Professor Pops said, crossing one of his long legs over the other.I peered at him, slightly confused."You asked why she chose you.""Oh, right. Yes." I leaned back in the chair and clamped my twitchy hands in my lap."First, a little history." He crossed his legs, his reading glasses perched on the edge of his nose. "Okay," I said, noting it'd become my word of the day."The vampire queen has been alive for thousands of years. By our best guess," he eyed Kenmei, "we'd say probably since the world began. Every hundred years, she mus

Fondling the paper, I unfolded the paper and read:Dearest Snow,You have been bitten by your hunter and are now a revenant.Congratulations!The strong survive, and only one will have the pleasure of becoming my new host.Now is the time to play. Build up your strength. Enjoy all your new body has to offer. Find your true love. Get your fill of him physically, emotionally, spiritually, and then kill him. You must do so by your eighteenth birthday. I believe in you, Snow. You are passionate, and that is why I've marked you.The sooner, the better.Yours,The Vampire QueenMy hands shook. The letter had been written by her and in - I sniffed the red ink and instantly knew it was blood. Dread surged through me. She could be anywhere, yet I knew nothing about her, not even what she looked like.Quickly I went downstairs, the letter still clutched in my hand. The aroma of toasted bread greeted me, and I hurried into the kitchen. The guys were in varying degrees of feeding their

"Here I am called Christopher," he replied gruffly. He stepped away from the tree and into the sunlight. I still couldn't see his face."If you're a vampire, why doesn't the sun burn you?" I asked, curious. My hunger for his blood seared so strong, it took every ounce of effort I possessed not to attack him."The queen's magic is very powerful. I have no fear of the sun." Another step.I moved toward him, our steps like a dance, a deadly dance, one I didn't want to win. If I reached out my hands, I would've touched him, but I didn't. He smelled earthy, like clover and honey."Are you going to bite me again?" The words left my mouth, and I instantly knew I wanted him to."I will if that is what you desire." He sounded so calm, but his heart raced. Another step. Our bodies practically touched, but we kept our hands to our sides."If you're a vampire, why does your heart beat?" I asked startled."More of the queen's magic," he replied his words like a soft gust against my face."Can

Professor Pops waited until I got it. Then went on, "Not every teenage girl is in a situation like yours - seven young men vying for her attention.""We're just friends, though. And they're not 'vying.'" That was ridiculous. I took another drink, thankful I had something to do."You may not have noticed it yet, but I believe every one of them would gladly be your boyfriend if you allowed him. I've seen the way you and Gabe act around each other. Something is going on with you two."I stared into the drink. "I wanted something between us but, ever since I was bitten, and with the note this morning, he's been different." I took another gulp, worried about whether I should mention what Christopher said, but I couldn't bring myself to blurt it out.Professor Pops sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. It seemed he'd aged a hundred years in the past few days. "I think it's time I tell you about the Seven Magics Academy." I fiddled with the glass, unable to meet his gaze. I'd never hear

"Of course," Professor Pops said. "But they have marked the best of the best in this generation. If she has to choose a lesser human, her power will diminish. It isn't only about what's appealing on the outside. Just as important is what's on the inside. The purer the person's soul, the better."It made some sense.I couldn't help but wonder if Cindy had been marked as well. Her beauty certainly far outweighed mine. "So, those who want the queen's power will come after me?" My lesson with the professor was turning out to be more difficult than chemistry."It would seem logical now that you're marked, which is why you must train." He paused. "Though I do worry about your hemophilia.""I don't think that'll be an issue anymore." I shrugged and returned the ax to its holder."Oh? How can you be sure?" He came toward me. "Have you noticed more changes?""Well, let's see. I threw a pillow at Gabe, sending him flying across the room. I broke a table for goodness' sake." I glanced down at