In My Veins (16 page)

We walked into the familiar café with
the same parrot from hell. As James walked past the parrot, it freaked out more
than usual and started flapping around and squawking.

James glanced around and held me close
to him. I loved his protective side, but I’ve been here before, it’s not like
she’s going to hurt me.

Lana walked out and looked at James with
a smirk. I suddenly felt guilty for asking him to see her knowing how much he
didn’t like her.

“Well, I was expecting you two to come.
You need my help, correct?” she said and sat at her usual wooden table. I wondered
if she ever had more than one customer here at a time. I felt James tense up
and I squeezed his hand.

“You
are
James Carmichael,
correct?”

“Yes.” James said through his teeth. I
pulled him to go with me and sit across from her.

“You two want to find a cure for your
inner monster demon, correct?”

“He’s not a monster demon.” I snapped at
her. James squeezed my hand trying to calm me down and I hated that he wasn’t
as offended as I was.

“Well… I don’t know the legend that
well. But… I’ve heard of it. You two have to prove you love each other.” She
shrugged.

“How have you heard of it?” He asked.

“Well… you’re not the only one who’s
come for help recently. And have you maybe thought that it’s not working
because it’s possible that your girlfriend is part gypsy. Gypsies aren’t new
and her ancestors come from an area close to our home. It’s possible that could
be the problem…”

James looked at me silently asking me if
it was true. I shrugged, “I don’t know my family tree past my grandparent’s
parents.”

“Even if she was, there is no part of
the curse that says I can’t be with one.”

“True…” she said to herself.

“You said someone came here already for
a cure?”  David didn’t know of her so it couldn’t have been him.

“Doesn’t really matter, but after I saw
your cup. I called my Aunt Nadya, she knows the legend better than I do. I
explained to her what I saw in the cup, especially the dragon, and she was
convinced that you had come across and/or fall in love with a Carmichael and
you are in danger.” She said to me.

James stood up his eyes flashing red, “I
would never harm her.”

I pulled him back down making Lana
smirk, “Getting harder to control your anger lately isn’t it?”

“Please Lana… this grudge is from years
ago. None of us were even around then…Could you please just tell us if there is
any way to break the curse? How can we prove our love to each other?”

“Are you sure you two love each other?
Maybe he’s just using you to break the curse. The love has to be mutual, not
just one sided.” James was squeezing my hand tightly trying to keep himself
from yelling or attacking Lana.

“Please… I love him and he loves me. I
would do anything for him. He’s proven his love millions of times already… he’s
saved my life and protects me…” I said looking at him lovingly.

“Are you trying to convince me or
yourself?” She asked.

“This is ridiculous, let’s go.” James
said standing up.

“There are a few for sure ways that I
know of. You,” she said pointing to me, “Are you willing to die for James?” she
started, “You could risk your life. Or forfeit your pure blood to a Carmichael
man. Any Carmichael man that’s related to him, and has the curse of course, and
the curse will be broken to the Carmichael man that you love, meaning James."

“He already had some of my blood.” I
said remembering the rose incident.

She raised her brow and I saw a flash of
disgust on her face, “No.
A lot
of your blood.”

“No. No no no,” He repeated, “that’s
just ridiculous; I’m not going to let her die for this stupid curse!” James
yelled standing up.

“She’s doesn’t have to die necessarily. She
just has to risk her life.”

“You keep changing everything you say! Forget
this, it’s not worth it.” James grabbed my arm and started pulling me out of
the café, I turned around to look at Lana and she was smirking while she waved.

James dragged me to the car.
Unfortunately we had parked a block away since there was no parking. “James
wait! We should try it!”

“What!? Are you out of your mind!?” He
finally stopped to face me, “She could be lying! It is in her blood to want the
curse to stay on us. She could be lying because she sees that you love me. She
wants to get rid of you!”

“I won’t die if you take some of my
blood! People donate all the time!”

He laughed, “Donate? First of all; I’m
not doing it. You saw how I reacted when you got that small cut from the thorn,
I wouldn’t be able to stop… and I don’t trust anyone else either to do it.”

“James…”

“Please… just drop it Karina.” He
growled at me.

He drove us to his parent’s house
quietly. We stopped speaking to each other after he told me to drop it, because
I don’t want to drop it.

David was there because James invited
him. He’s not as scary as before but he still gives me the creeps sometimes. Eli
didn’t even try to show up.

At least Jenny was happy. She chatted
with me and talked about how she thinks I would look gorgeous with caramel
highlights as we helped set the table.

James talked to his dad about Lana. I
worried his father was going to hate me for requesting it, but he was curious
as to what she said. He too said it was too big of a risk to believe her and he
forbid us to even try.

James gave me a look and went back to
his food.

“I wonder who it was though…” I mumbled.

“Who was who?” Jenny asked.

“Lana said we’re not the only ones who
came to ask recently. That means there was another person or people who came in
recently. I thought it was only you and David…”

“That’s true…” David said.

“Collin…” James said. “At first I
figured he somehow had the curse too… but what are the chances that he’d have
the
same
curse right?”

“Is it possible you guys are related… maybe
distantly?” I asked.

“It’s possible…” James’s father replied,
“It’s a curse from many generations ago. I’m sure some family bloodlines got
lost.”

I sat in the living room and stared at
the television. I think it was a reality show but I wasn’t even paying
attention. Lana said that anyone in his family would work to break the curse.  Should
I meet Collin? Let him have some of my blood? It's worth it if it helps James...
but would Collin let me go after he's had the amount needed?

I felt David staring at me and thanked
God that James said they couldn't read minds. Although I sometimes thought he
was lying when I was around David. He arched his eyebrow and gave me 'I know
you're up to something' look.

How will I meet Collin without them
knowing?

I took my phone out of my pocket and
searched his name on the internet hoping that it would come up with something. Collin
Martin at the law office he worked at in the building came up.

I knew he worked there but I couldn’t
believe it.

The monster that's attacking me...is a
lawyer.

But makes things simpler for me, he has
an office phone number that goes straight to him.

I looked up and David was still staring
at me. He totally knows I’m up to something and I knew it was going to be hard
to get away.

“So… don’t you have anything to do?” I
asked. James made David babysit me while he had a meeting with some R&B
diva who refused to change her meeting date.

“Nope. Your lover boy is paying me to
babysit you. He pays more than my work so… I took a few days off.” he smirked.

“I see… What did you do again?” How am
I going to get away from him so I can go to Collin!?

“I’m a trainer at Bar’s Gym.” Explains
the muscles. “What are you up to?”  He asked not buying my curiosity of
his job.

“I… Nothing. I just wanted to go to the
store.” I said.

“Then let’s go.” he said standing up.

 “Um… I kind of want to go alone…” I
said awkwardly.

“Why?” he said narrowing his eyes at me.

“I want to buy feminine stuff.”

David cringed and sat back down. “Um…”

I internally screamed for joy. I stood
up to go, “I’ll be back soon.”

“Wait. I’ll come but I’ll wait outside.”

*
*
*

“You better be out in an hour.” He
mumbled as he drove in front of the closest store.

“But what if the lines are long?”

“An hour, or I’m coming in to drag you
out myself.”

I groaned as I got out of the car and
went into the local store. I went to the back of the store, knowing David’s
hearing was exceptional. I wasn’t sure how good it was but the further in the
back I got, I figured it was the safest.

“Hello this is Collin Michaels speaking
from Michaels & Park Law Offices.” Collin answered.

“This is Karina.”

He paused for a moment, “Well…what do I
owe the pleasure?”

“I want to meet you.”

“Where are you?”

As soon as I told him the store and
location he hung up. I checked the time and it was two minutes past four. I
will wait a little before leaving.

Just in case David decided to come early
I went to the feminine aisle. I sighed and felt someone standing behind me. I
turned around and it was Collin. His eyes were bright red and he was smirking
at me. Then he glanced around the isle, “Um… could we go somewhere else… I feel
awkward being here.”

“Seriously? You guys are ‘monsters’ and
a couple pads and tampons make you cringe.” I looked down the aisle as if David
would show up, “I was actually hoping we could go. James’s cousin is outside
waiting for me.”

“My pleasure.” Before I knew it he
grabbed me and dashed us out of the supermarket back door.

Scared from the speed and scared that I
was in the hands of the monster; I had my eyes closed the whole time. I ignored
any trace of fear I had and tried to get James out of my head. I couldn’t feel
scared or guilty. Before I knew it he stopped and placed me down.

I looked around and realized we were in
an empty abandoned building. This would be when I’d be yelling at the girl in
the movie for being an idiot. Ever since I started dating James I was the idiot
in the movie rather than the one yelling at her to stop being so stupid.

“So…what makes you want to meet me? And
alone at that?” Collin said walking around me like I was prey. I was prey.

I didn’t fail to notice his eyes were
still red and getting redder by the minute. “I…I needed to ask you something….”
I said trying not to sound scared and failed miserably.

“What is it?”

“How are you…what you are?” I asked as I
turned around to keep my eyes on him.

He dashed behind me and gently grabbed
my arms. He brought his nose to my neck and I felt him inhale my scent and he
sighed, “I can definitely see how James is attracted to you. Don’t know how he
controls himself though.”

“Please just answer me…”

He stood in front of me and smirked, “I
know you’re scared don’t act like you’re not. I can
smell
fear…and I
love it.” he continued to stare at me as if I’d run off. Even if I did… not
like I’d be able to run. “You’ve heard of the curse about Carmichael men
right?”

“Yes…”

“Of course you have. Well that’s how it
is.”

“I don’t get it… James didn’t even know
you.”

“I’m a Carmichael sweetheart. My great grandfather
was adopted. The gypsy that set the curse on Carmichael men is my great great
grandmother. Hence the last name difference. But I am most definitely a cursed Carmichael.”
He shrugged.

 “I thought that that baby died…”

“She thought she lost it… but I guess
she didn’t. They didn’t have technology to check back then.” He shrugged. “What
difference does it make, I’m cursed too.”

“Why are you after me?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Your delicious
blood.” He laughed taking a step closer to me.

I shivered,
I really hope this breaks
the curse for James.

“What if I let you have some of it.”

“Not like you could stop me if you
didn’t offer it.” he smirked.

“If… I let you have some of it… will you
stop when it gets too much and let me live?”

He smirked. “Sweetheart, you’re with me
alone. You have no idea where you are. You would never be able to out run me; I
don’t
need
your permission.”

*
*
*

I was frozen in my spot and Collin
continued to stare at me. I wasn’t frozen because of him. I was frozen because
I had nowhere to go even if I wanted to. “I don’t get it though.  You say
you’re after me because of my blood. You didn’t have a taste till the
elevator.”