Page 11 of Ashvale: The Vampire's Thrall

I slipped the window open and stepped up onto the ledge. Shivering with pleasure and not cold as the outside air slipped over my skin, I raised my hand to shield my eyes from the light. It stung a little more without the protection of the glass, but it was more like a light pins and needles sensation than true pain. I inhaled deeply and could taste the trees on my tongue as I looked out at the miles of forest that surrounded the castle—and took one step forward.

A hand curled around my bicep and I jumped slightly, annoyed that I’d been so lost in smell and taste that I’d neglected my other senses. Hayes was panting beside me, eyes wide as his grip tightened. I assumed he’d been able to find me the same way I’d located his room earlier—the thought didn’t thrill me. Did our link fade more over distance? We were going to need to experiment.

“What the hell are you doing?”

I shrugged. “Jumping.”

His hand dropped from my arm as he folded his own across his chest, his mouth flat with annoyance. “You know it won’t kill you right?”

“I’m not trying to die,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I was just… trying things out.”

He raised a cool eyebrow but shrugged. “Fine. A little warning might be nice though. I won’t die if you do, but that doesn’t mean it won’t hurt like a bitch.”

I narrowed my eyes. His attitude was really starting to piss me off. “Consider yourself warned,” I said with as much innocence as I could muster before I moved, hauling him against my chest as I leapt off of the ledge with a laugh that turned into a scream.

This had to be what flying felt like, your hair streaming around you, eyes watering from the force of the air, adrenaline roaring through your system so hard I would probably have been sick if I was human.

The ground approached far too quickly, I hadn’t been ready to leave the freefall yet. Hayes had remained silent almost the entire way down, completely expressionless until we hit the ground. I landed on my feet and the mud puffed up around me before I skidded with the remaining force from the fall. I glanced back and swore when I saw Hayes, hovering in the air lazily and a small smirk on his lips as he watched me brush mud off of my new jeans.

“How?” I demanded and his smirk grew. No wonder the bastard had seemed so calm, he could practically fly.

“Air,” he said, like that explained everything. He rolled his eyes and I knew he must have heard my thoughts. “Those of us with a little more power can wield other gifts.”

I crossed my arms like that wasn’t super fucking cool and gave a disinterested nod. God, I hoped I had some kind of cool power. Not that I would let Hayes know he had anything remotely of interest to me.

"So what time do classes start?"

"About half-hour ago," he said with a casual shrug, that same infuriating smirk twisting his lips at my clear irritation.

"And you didn't think I'd want to go?"

"You seemed a little preoccupied by running up and down the stairs like you'd never seen a set before."

I clenched my jaw, grinding my teeth together and mentally counting to five before I replied. "You're a dick."

He shrugged and pressed a hand to his chest mockingly. "Ouch. Words can hurt you know."

I moved fluidly, my new instincts driving me more than the other way around as I closed my hand around his throat. Had I always been this prone to violence? Or was it just becoming a member of the newly undead that made me want to rip Hayes' throat out whenever he so much as made a sarcastic comment?

"Things are more intense when you un-die." His eyes were cool as he watched me like my hand wasn't slowly tightening around his neck. "Besides, you may have got the upper hand the other day, but I can take you out if I need to. Undead vamp or not."

A low laugh rumbled through my chest, and his eyes widened slightly as my lips lifted to show off my impressively long fangs. "You really think you could take me down? Might be hard to do while you're begging for my bite."

His hands connected with my shoulders as he shoved me away and I laughed, flinging my head back as I felt his irritation run through me, like a faint telephone connection filled with static between us. Good to know I could get in his head too.

"I don't beg." His nostrils flared and a muscle in his jaw feathered but I just smiled and turned away without comment, heading back in the direction of the castle.

It had definitely seemed like he'd been begging for me last night.

Hayes scowled like he'd heard my thought and I chuckled. If he didn't like what he heard, then he should just stop listening.

His long legs ate up the distance between us easily as he outpaced me. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"Lunch."

"You offering?" I couldn't resist trying to rile him up. It wasn't like anything about this was easy for me either, but he was acting like I'd had a choice in our bond—or even becoming an undead.

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