Gabe didn't seem to mind the blood. His tongue dove into my mouth and circled mine. My hands wandered along his back, down to the waist of his jeans and along his butt. His breathing came faster as we moved, desperate to be even closer to each other.Our lips parted, and we looked at each other. "I want you," he said. "I want you too." So badly I ached.He helped me sit up, lifting my shirt over my head before tossing it onto the floor. Then he scooted me back under him, skin touching skin. "Snow," he whispered, his voice gruff, kissing my neck, along my collarbones and shoulders. "You're so beautiful." In response, I wrapped my legs around his hips.Did I really want to keep going? My body sure did, but not too many minutes ago, he'd called us enemies. He'd said it was his duty to kill me. But he'd also told me he loved me. Funny how life worked. You fought. You made up. I decided to go with it and went to bite his shoulder. Someone cleared his throat, and the lights fli

Instead, he said one of his relatives needed help and that I'd agreed to take care of his niece and nephew. Cindy bought it and only asked a few questions. Like how much was I paid, whether I had fun taking care of the kids, and most importantly, had I met any cute guys. Mostly, she would show me her magic, even practicing on me sometimes. One day I went to school with a pink streak in my hair, the next I had a red one. She also polished my nails using magic, which was cool. I especially liked it when they were sparkling red. Thankfully, she was over Gabe. And she only asked about Christopher once. She'd believed he and I ran off together and that I was pregnant. The woman had wild fantasies, but they weren't even close to the real drama in my life. When I spent time alone with Gabe, we did a lot of kissing, and he let me drink his blood. We decided to hold off on going further physically. At least until after my sixteenth birthday. That seemed appropriate. I still hadn't bee

I was dead. My body rested on a cloud of red inside a clear glass cylinder that was my casket. I'd been laid to rest in a gossamer white dress. Dainty white slippers covered my feet. My dark hair was curled, and a yellow ribbon wound through several strands like a headband. In my hands, I clutched a single red rose, the color of my stained lips. Dark lashes stood out against the stark white of my skin. The casket rested on a white stand in a lush field full of thousands of white daisies. They swayed in the slight wind.The smartly-dressed brothers and Professor Pops were at the foot of my casket, and the vampire queen stood near my head. She wore a blood-red dress that scooped low, enhancing her cleavage. Above, the sun shone brightly. Birds twittered in nearby pine trees. The hum of insects provided a despondent melody, and a babbling brook meandered nearby.It was like looking at a painting of a moment in time. No one spoke. No one moved.What are they waiting for? I wondered.

Professor Pops held out his hands. I took them, and he gently twirled me. "You look exquisite, Snow. Like a fiery dream."I blushed, enjoying the compliment.Seven heads peeked into my bedroom. They'd come back up the stairs, but I hadn't heard them. "Holy wow," Heathcliff said.The others nodded their approval.I found Gabe. "Gorgeous.""Get," Professor Pops scolded, shooing them from the room. They reluctantly left, and I heard them tramp down the stairs like a herd of sweet elephants. I walked over to the full-length mirror, and my heart raced faster. The girl in the mirror looked older, more mature. Like a woman."The mask will arrive later this afternoon. I'll have one of the boys bring it over," Professor Pops said, choking up.I turned to him. "What's wrong?" I asked.He shook his head, clearing his throat. "I am honored to know you, Snow White." He bowed, and my heart lurched.Why did he do that? The words from the vampire queen filtered through my mind. She said he wanted h

"My grandmother said the locator spell works based on whatever you're looking for. A human is one way. If it's an animal, I have to change up the spell a little. For a plant, I do the spell even more differently.""Cool," I laughed, a wave of panic washing through my stomach."Well, I tried the human spell three different times. Just to be safe, I did the spell for an animal and for a plant as well. None of them worked."I reached the bottom of the stairs and faced her. "Maybe you still did something wrong. You know you struggle with that science-y stuff in biology.""That wasn't it. I did everything right. My grandmother said - " she stopped.I opened the front door, but a fragrant wind blew it from my grip, and the door slammed shut. "What?" I asked, knowing Cindy had used magic. I was going to have to tell her."My grandmother said the only reason the spell didn't work was that you aren't human, but something born of magic." I wasn't surprised. The vampire queen said my DNA was cha