Vampire Charming Read online

  Vampire Charming

  Cassandra Gannon

  Text copyright © 2014 Cassandra Gannon

  Cover Image copyright © 2014 Cassandra Gannon

  All Rights Reserved

  Published by Star Turtle Publishing

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  Also by Cassandra Gannon

  The Elemental Phases Series

  Warrior from the Shadowland

  Guardian of the Earth House

  Exile in the Water Kingdom

  Treasure of the Fire Kingdom

  Queen of the Magnetland

  Magic of the Wood House

  Coming Soon: Destiny of the Time House

  A Kinda Fairytale Series

  Wicked Ugly Bad

  Beast in Shining Armor

  Coming Soon: Happily Ever Witch

  Other Books

  Not Another Vampire Book

  Love in the Time of Zombies

  Vampire Charming

  If you enjoy Cassandra’s books, you may also enjoy books by her sister, Elizabeth Gannon:

  The Consortium of Chaos series

  Yesterday’s Heroes

  The Son of Sun and Sand

  The Guy Your Friends Warned You About

  Electrical Hazard

  The Only Fish in the Sea

  Other Books

  The Snow Queen

  Coming Soon: The Man Who Beat-up Prince Charming

  Chapter One

  EXT. INFINIA- NIGHT

  Scene opens with a horrific battle scene. Supernatural beings of all kinds fight desperately on a vast green field. Trees burn. People scream. Weapons flash. Lots of quick Gladiator-like shots. Pieces of hacked up torsos sail through the air. Then, amid the smoke and raining blood, we see our villain striding over the bodies of the fallen. FANG is really, really bad and the audience needs to understand his villainy from the first. In fact, we should probably add some kittens to the battlefield and he can stomp on them as he passes by. With boots. Because sinister guys wear boots, and hate little kittens, and this guy is waaaay sinister.

  The camera lingers on FANG’S amazingly handsome (but sinister) face as he climbs atop a small hill, triumphantly raising his evil-looking sword. He lets out an evil-sounding roar of victory as his army of evil Goblins wins the battle. The good citizens of Infinia weep as FANG claims the kingdom for his own evil purposes.

  It’s all very Lord of the Rings-ish. Only more awesome. And evil. And with more hot guys.

  Opening Scene of Film- “From Here to Infinia”

  “My Eternal-One left me for a Werewolf.” Slade, King of the Vampires, stood in the sterile supermarket aisle and pinpointed the exact moment his life went to hell. “That was the start of all my troubles.”

  The small human beside him was rearranging racks of ice cream in a freezer case. She glanced up like she thought she’d misheard him. “Did you just say a werewolf?” She asked in a dubious tone.

  “It’s unbelievable, I know.” Slade certainly understood her confusion. “Who would choose a Werewolf over a Vampire? But, I assure you it’s true. As we speak, the two of them are living in my castle, having stolen all of my followers, my fortune in rubies, and even my formerly faithful horses.” Slade shook his head, careful not to muss his golden hair. Even in this backwards world, he refused to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing him in a disreputable state. He was royalty, after all. “Obviously, I could no longer stay on the Vampire Isle.”

  “Obviously.”

  His audience was a plain girl, who wore rectangular glasses and a strikingly unattractive blue apron. Her nametag read “Jane Squire: Stock Clerk.” She looked like any number of unremarkable servants who did servant-y things, so Slade couldn’t quite explain his compunction to converse with her. Kings didn’t talk to maids, after all. Not unless they were ordering their suits pressed.

  Something about the woman drew his notice, though. Possibly it was her hair. The shade was unexpectedly lovely, with streaks of burnished bronze mixed into the toffee-colored curls. Or maybe it was Jane Squire’s unique citrusy fragrance. The scent of her wrapped itself around Slade’s enhanced senses, soothing some of the unrest he’d been feeling for far too long. Or perhaps it was the girl’s buxom shape. She had admirable curves for a human and they were easy to see in the unseemly pants all the women of this time period seemed to favor. Slade had to work to keep his eyes off her lush body.

  Vampires were gentlemen, after all.

  Whatever the reason he’d been drawn to her, Slade found that he liked having someone new to talk with about this ordeal. Though she was just a peasant, Jane Squire was a good listener.

  “I should have seen it coming.” Slade could now view his doomed relationship with the wisdom of twenty/twenty hindsight and spot all the warning signs. “Melessa and I were not compatible. From the minute we began planning our wedding, it was clear. She wanted the color scheme to be orange and pink.” He looked at Jane Squire, still outraged over the horrible clash of shades. “Orange and pink! Can you imagine? Right then, I should’ve known it was hopeless.”

  The human didn’t respond to that. No doubt she was too appalled by the cruelty he’d faced to form the adequate words. She flashed him an odd look and knelt down to load cartons of Rocky Road into the freezer beside him.

  Slade took her silence as encouragement. “Melessa insisted we hire the supernatural world’s most famous wedding coordinator to plan the event. Viktor.” He spat out the name. “Never trust a Werewolf, no matter what his references. Remember that, Jane Squire.”

  “I’ll certainly try.”

  “I’ve warred with Werewolves for centuries, driving most of them from our lands. In my mercy, I allowed some to stay, but I should have ensured they were all gone. Their entire species is rotten to the core. Had I listened to my better judgment, this wouldn’t have happened and I’d still have my kingdom.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Two weeks after the wedding ceremony, I walked in on Melessa and Viktor doing unmentionable things in our royal bathtub. Victor was wearing only my sacred Crown of Mikinlouse. Melessa wore even less than that.” Slade scowled at the memory. “Far from being repentant, she told me it was my fault that she’d given herself to another. Apparently, I’m conceited and selfish, with no idea what a woman really desires.”

  Jane Squire looked over her shoulder as if she expected someone to be hiding behind her. Not seeing anybody else that Slade could be talking to, she turned back to him. “Is this some kind of performance art thing?” She demanded. “Is the theater group pranking me, because I told them I hate all the crappy vampire scripts they’re trying to produce?”

  Slade frowned at that foolishness. “Vampires are the noblest of all species. Nothing written about us is ‘crappy.’”

  “If you say so.”

  “I do say so. I am Slade, King of the Vampires and I am always right.”

  “Well, your majesty, your ‘noble’ kind has been screwing me over ever since season one of Dracula, Ph.D., so I’m going to stick with my opinion.”

  Slade frowned. “I know of no Vampire doctors named Dracula. If such a man upset you, be assured he was not part of my kingdom.”

  “No. Dracula, Ph.D. is a TV show about Vampires. In grad school. A nighttime, soapy, teen-drama deal. I played Clarissa, the undead wife of Johnathan, but he was in love with Mina…” She
stopped and waved it aside. “Well, it doesn’t matter. My character got beheaded after six episodes. Vampires are like my kryptonite. Every time I land a role with them in the script, it all goes south.”

  Slade didn’t have a response for any of that. In fact, he didn’t even understand most of the words. Rather than admit his confusion, he quickly went on with his story. Over the past month, he’d noticed that humans hated answering logical questions such as, “Are there no zombies in this land?” “Where can I find fresh blood?” and “Why are you summoning the police?” It seemed best not to risk inadvertently driving Jane Squire away by asking her to explain her odd words. He wished her to continue talking to him.

  “In any event, after sleeping with the Werewolf, Melessa reported that she was divorcing me and claiming the Vampire Isle for her own. Then, she laughed.” It was hard to remember that part. “It was as if she couldn’t stand the sight of me.”

  Jane Squire’s expression changed. “I’m sorry. Getting dumped sucks.”

  Slade heard compassion enter her voice. It sounded close enough to pity that he flashed her a frown. No human should ever pity him. He was the greatest and most important being ever born.

  “The hard part came when that idiot judge granted all her demands.” He informed the presumptuous woman. “I should’ve known my enemies would take advantage of the divorce and strip me of my power. Because of Melessa, I lost everything.” He hesitated. “Except, obviously, for my incredible good looks and humble nature.”

  “Obviously.” Jane Squire said again and moved onto the cartons of Butter Pecan. Her tone had gone back to being bland, instead of sympathetic.

  Slade could deal with that.

  “Rather than follow Viktor as my new king, I left my homeland in disgrace. I traveled to this backwards dimension to find my good friends. The two people I knew would support me in this trying time. It was difficult, but what choice did I have?” Slade gave a fatalistic shrug. “Now, I am stuck in a strange world, directionless and without a clear destiny.” He hesitated. “Also, I am unsure where to find the apples in this accursed store.”

  “Aisle one, passed the salad dressings.” She pointed to the left. “Listen, it can take a long while to heal from a breakup. You just have to hang in there and forget about your ex, okay?”

  “It’s not the loss of Melessa that haunts me. It is the loss of my kingdom. Viktor is a Werewolf.” Slade slammed a fist against the freezer in agitation. The links of his massive silver bracelet clanged against the steel. “How can a Werewolf be King of the Vampires? It doesn’t even make any sense. Why am I the only one who sees that?”

  “It’s good that you realize this story isn’t very logical…” Jane Squire trailed off, looking at the fist-sized dent in the side of the metal case. “Hang on, did you just…?”

  “Of course I realize it’s illogical!” Slade interrupted. “Where is the logic in Melessa dumping me for that crown-stealing golden retriever?” He gave a disparaging wave of his hand. “I’m not surprised, though. The woman was always difficult. I should never have married her, regardless of our entwined fates. I felt that something was wrong, nearly from the first.”

  Jane Squire was quiet for a moment. “Did you love her?”

  Slade was surprised by the question. “Melessa was the most beautiful woman in the universe.” He said automatically.

  “That’s not what I asked.”

  Jane Squire didn’t understand. The poor human seemed wholly uneducated about the supernatural, so he tried to explain. “Unlike your species, Vampires have only one perfect match. Our Eternal-Ones are the brides that destiny selects for us. Melessa was my one true mate. She was supposed to give me my soul and bring me happiness.” He frowned. “For some reason, that didn’t seem to happen. Perhaps because we never fully bonded.”

  “I don’t think you can rely on someone else to bring you happiness. You have to find it for yourself.”

  Slade crossed his arms over his chest. “For lesser beings like you, perhaps that is true. But, I’m King of the Vampires. Happiness should be given to me. It is my right.” No, there was only one explanation for the disastrous state of his life. “I believe a Dark Fairy has hexed me. They are treacherous creatures, often in league with Werewolves.”

  “Well, that’s certainly an exciting theory.” Jane Squire moved to open another cardboard box full of ice cream cartons. “Okay, I’m going to humor you and give you some real advice. I get that you feel like your heart and soul are missing. Break-ups are hard.”

  “My heart is still in place. It is my soul that remains lost.” And likely always would be, since he’d divorced his Eternal-One and no one else could restore it.

  “Uh-huh. Well, I think this Melessa girl leaving you might be for the best. Obviously, you two weren’t meant to be. Maybe this crisis is going to lead you to some bigger plan.”

  “Bigger plan? What could be bigger than being King of the Vampires?”

  “I’m not sure.” She admitted. “It does sound like a pretty cushy job. But, when bad stuff happens, I like to think that there’s a greater reason for it. Like maybe we have to deal with all these problems, in order to find our real purpose.” She turned to nod at him. “For instance, I didn’t plan to be working the nightshift at Iverson’s when I was thirty. I always wanted to be an actress.”

  Slade looked around at the dingy linoleum and endless rows of human food. “This is a dismal place.” He agreed. “It’s no wonder you wished to flee. But, your appearance is too ordinary to be an actress.”

  Gray eyes narrowed. “A lot of casting people agreed with you.” She said stiffly.

  “I have much wisdom.”

  “Jesus, why am I even talking to you?”

  “I was wondering why I graced you with my presence as well. I saw you here and I felt compelled to approach.” It was like he’d already known her. Like he’d been looking for her, in fact. Slade couldn’t explain it. “It’s most unusual for a human to capture my attention.”

  “Wow, aren’t I a lucky girl?” She muttered. “Anyway, my point is, I’m stocking shelves instead of being a movie star, but that’s okay. I know that I can work here and save up my money and buy a house. That’s what I really want.”

  Slade frowned. “You have no home? Nowhere to belong?” He knew that feeling well.

  “Well, I have an apartment, but one day I’ll have a real house.” She brightened. “It’s something I’ve been working towards all my life. A home. I can close my eyes and picture it in my head.” To demonstrate, she shut them tight. “It will have a walk-in closet, and flowers lining the walkway, and a bedroom big enough for a queen-sized bed.”

  “In my castle, I had an elevator to reach the top stories of my closet.” Slade told her, studying the long length of her lashes against her cheeks. “My bedroom was large enough to accommodate my indoor ski jump and the fountain in my garden sprayed pink water to nourish my collection of giant butterflies. How could I ever picture a better home than that?”

  Jane Squire’s eyes popped open again and she flashed him a glower. “Giant butterflies? Really?”

  “In the springtime, they flutter their wings and create rainbows so beautiful that all who see them weep with joy.” He sighed. “They were the most treasured of all pets. Of course, they fled the Vampire Isle when Fang took over. They only follow true kings.”

  The woman didn’t seem impressed. “Anyway,” she repeated pointedly, “sometimes unexpected things happen to us and we have to deal with them. That’s what I’m saying. It’s not always fun. For instance, occasionally arrogant customers pester me with their insane stories and I have to pretend to be nice to them.”

  “Many humans are oblivious to how annoying they are.” Slade concurred.

  “But, I just bite my tongue and remind myself of what I’m working towards. Beside, things could be worse. At least, I haven’t gone crazy, yet.” She shot him a sideways look. “Not like some poor bastards.”

  “You have simple
desires, Jane Squire.” Slade envied her lack of greater calling. “Most humans do. It’s part of the limitation of your species. But, I am so much grander. I am a king. No amount of stacking food items will satisfy my true destiny.”

  “Well, I’m sorry I couldn’t be more help, then.” Jane Squire finished arranging the ice cream and got to her feet. Dusting her palms together, she gave him a dismissive smile. “Have a great evening, sir.” She headed off passed the frozen pizzas.

  Where was she going?

  Slade quickly fell into step beside her. “I come from a long line of kings, you know.” He announced. “Both sides of my family were the highest in their lands. My father ruled the Vampire Isle for millennia. My mother was a princess from the Enchanted Realm of Melody, before she was lost forever in the Sea of Silence.”

  “Some silence would be good, right now.”

  “It was not good for Mother. We never saw her again.” Slade barely remembered the woman, but she must have been amazing. She’d contributed half of his DNA, after all. “In any case, majesty is in my blood. And, to a Vampire, blood is all.”

  “Uh-huh.” Jane Squire said.

  It wasn’t much of an answer, but Slade would take what he could get. He was unwilling to let Jane Squire end the conversation. This unexceptional human was the first person who’d really listened to him in ages. Karalynn and Damien tried, but how could two people so blissfully in love understand Slade’s misery?

  Jane Squire’s life seemed adequately dreary enough to comprehend his despair, though. This store was filled to the brim with depressing people and things. Perhaps that was why Slade felt driven to speak with her.

  “I am also a hero.” He continued, awaiting her impressed reaction to that happy news.

  She gave a dismissive snort. “Sure ya are.”

  “You don’t believe me?”

  “I don’t believe in heroes.”

  Slade didn’t know what to make of such a preposterous statement. “How can you not believe in heroes?”