| |
“MARIAH!” ETHAN SAID. He started to shake me.
When I opened my eyes, everything was fuzzy. I wasn’t buckled in anymore, and Ethan was holding me in his arms. I looked up at his blue eyes, those pretty blue eyes I used to love to stare into. Oh my gosh! I’m not... It didn’t work! My heart skipped a beat. Ethan kept calling me “Mariah,” but I wasn’t her. I was still myself.
Just as I was about to punch him and make a run for it, a thought occurred to me: I need to play it cool, fake it for a while. I figured he or his creepy priests would probably catch on sooner or later, but if I could fool them for just a bit, I could buy some time for Drake to show up with his army. I wrapped my arms around him and smiled. “Ethan? Is it really you?”
I spoke in French using my best French accent.
His eyes widened in stunned disbelief. “Yes, it’s me,” he said. “Is it really you, Mariah?”
“It is. Oh, how I have missed you.”
He looked at me skeptically for a moment. “Tell me then, what did you always say to me whenever I left on missions, when I would be gone for months at a time. If you are truly my Mariah, you will recall those words.”
Rosa had told me about this! I knew this answer!
I touched his face. “I said, ‘I miss your kisses. Come home soon.’”
Emotion consumed him, and he kissed my lips. He embraced me in a tight hug as tears gushed down his face. I was sickened by the fact that he had no problem taking over our bodies so they could continue on with life, but I had to pretend I was madly in love with him.
“We’re going to be together forever,” he said, his usually strong jaw trembling.
“Thank you for getting me this body. You look so...young.”
“You were groggy before, and you may not have understood me. I have inhabited my son Jesse’s body, and this new, gorgeous temple of yours belonged to his lover.”
“So you found him!”
“Better yet, he came looking for me. He needed protection.”
“Well, he grew up into a fine specimen of a man,” I said. “You look like a younger version of yourself.”
“Yes, it worked out perfectly. It was even better that he had excellent taste in women. I knew I could spend eternity looking into your new eyes.”
“Am I...immortal?”
“Not yet, but the body I obtained for your sister is that of a werewolf.”
“Why didn’t you put me into her?”
“I do not wish to be with a werewolf.”
“Well, at least one of us got what we wanted,” I snapped.
His finger glided down my shoulder. “What does that mean, my love?” he asked, shocked by my sudden mood swing.
I remembered what Rosa had told me. Princess Mariah was moody, bossy, and controlling. And she hated Ethan’s children.
“I hated that little brat Jesse, the spawn of Loraine. Do you think I want to spend the rest of my life kissing him?”
“There was no other way. I could only make it work with a biological child. I told you that. It had to be Sam or Jesse, and Jesse was the one who came knocking.”
“I suppose it is the perfect revenge on that bitter ex-wife of yours.”
“Yes, it serves her right for snatching my children away from me. My son loved me, though, and he hunted me down.”
“You said he needed protection. From what?” I asked, playing dumb. I couldn’t believe Ethan was buying it. Maybe love really is blind, I thought.
“I have some bad news, darling. This body you now own has gotten itself into a bit of trouble. The werewolves and the witches seek to murder its previous owner.”
“What!? Then you should have placed me in the other one. Did you rescue me only to see me slaughtered, Ethan?”
“They are after the other one as well. I am afraid your sister will have the same problem.”
“Has Rachel already been transferred?”
“Soon. I wanted to take care of you first, luv.” He kissed my shoulder. “But don’t worry. I will protect you from any immortal who seeks to harm or destroy you.”
“I don’t understand how you transferred me into a mere human body. You know how much I despise them! Could you not have made me Leyna?”
“The body you inhabit now harbors unspeakable powers, the powers of the witches. Once that power is activated, you will not even need me to protect you. The Leyna are a rare breed, and we can only be born from two full-blooded Leyna. You know that, darling.”
I sighed. “But I want to see the sun, like you. And I thought maybe you and the priests figured it out.”
“No, we haven’t. But I will give you a daylight ring. There is a vampire here named Fred, a guest-turned-captive. Once he is dead, you can have his ring.”
I resisted the urge to gasp at Fred’s grim fate and nodded.
“Would you like to get a better look at your new body, Princess?”
I smiled. “Yes.”
He led me to the mirror in the bedroom. I stared at my own reflection and looked amused. I played with my hair and slowly felt my face, looking at my reflection quizzically, as if I’d never seen myself before. “I suppose this will do.”
“It’s a beautiful choice, isn’t it?”
“I love this long, curly hair.”
“I think your new body is exquisite. I shall enjoy getting to know it.”
As I swallowed down the bile his remark had summoned up into my throat, a knock sounded on the door, and Ethan rushed to open it.
A man peeked in and said, “We are under siege, General! Vampires are storming Northwood Fortress.”
“What!?” Ethan shouted in confusion.
“With all due respect, we never should have taken in these vagabonds, your son or not. We are now under siege because of them!”
“Then Mariah and I wouldn’t have these bodies we so desperately needed. No worries. Whoever these intruders are, we shall make quick work of conquering them,” he said confidently.
Drake, I thought, resisting the urge to smile.
Ethan walked over and placed a kiss on my lips. “Rest, my love. I shall soon return.”
I nodded. “Don’t be too long,” I said, secretly hoping he would never return, unless it was to give Jesse his body back.
After he rushed out of the room, I waited a few minutes and then began trying to hammer out a plan. “Cynthia,” I whispered. I knew my only hope was to break out the gargoyle princess who was scheduled for execution, for she would know how to get Jesse back.
I cautiously tried to open the door, only to find that it was locked. I let out a frustrated sigh and began pounding on the door.
“Yes?” said a guard from the other side of the door.
I remember Rosa had told me that the knights had feared her. Guess I better get into character and be the bossy princess. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then put on my best French accent.
“Let me out of here this minute!” I demanded, feigning royal authority. “How dare you hold me like a prisoner?”
“M-Mariah?” he stuttered.
“Yes! Open this door!”
He opened the door and pulled me into such a tight embrace that I could hardly breathe. “It’s so good to see you alive.”
“I am still in mortal form. Please do not suffocate me.”
He loosened his grip. “Oh. Sorry.”
“I need your help,” I said, still having no idea who he was. “I must see the prisoners. I do not wish my sister to be transferred to the blonde. I must kill her before Ethan has the chance to do it.”
He smiled sadistically. “Milady, you are not alone in your detesting of your sister. She has initiated far too many uprisings.”
“We cannot allow her to take over the kingdom,” I said, glad that he was buying the story. I knew about the sibling rivalry because Rosa had mentioned it, and I would use it to my full advantage. “If we destroy the vessel, she will not have a chance to knock me from the throne.”
“Of course, but the throne is not yours yet. Surely your mother will not agree with this decision.”
“She does not need to know. She will simply think the blonde did not survive. My mother will be happy enough to have one daughter back. Take me to the prisoners so I can take care of this problem personally.”
“Yes, Highness.”
He led me through the twisting corridors, into the dimly lit dungeon area.
As soon as she spotted me, Julie grabbed the rusty bars. “Taylor! Oh my gosh. Are you okay?”
“I am not Taylor,” I said, smiling a grin that contradicted my words. “You shall address me as ‘Princess Mariah’.”
Julie’s jaw dropped. “Mariah?” she whispered, clinging to Grant. “No! Ethan did it!”
I grinned. “Your friend no longer resides in this body.”
“How could you do that?” Fred asked, with horror in his eyes.
“Like you, I want to live,” I said. “It is sad for you that you may not be as fortunate.” I turned to the guard. “Give me the keys.”
“I will open the door for you, Highness.”
I stared at him hard. “Do you dare defy me?”
“My apologies,” he said, bowing his head and handing the keys over, fearing my royal wrath.
I almost giggled, realizing I held so much power over those mighty guards and warriors. I fumbled with the lock and opened the door. “Come here!” I yelled to Julie, hoping my friends would realize who I really was and take the opportunity to perform a prison break.
True to form, Grant and Fred attacked, throwing fierce punches at the guard.
In a fit of pissed-off wolf-girl power, Julie instantly lunged at me. She was beyond powerful and knocked me down in a hurry. She straddled me, wrapping her hands around my throat and hissed, “Get out of my best friend, you man-stealing wench!”