Free Vampire Food 08: He Smelled Like Peach Pie by Kat Barrett Page B

will. I wish my sword hadn’t been on the wall by the bed.”
    He drew his sword and reverently handed it to her. “Do you have skill with the steel?”
    Em took the blade. It was a bit heavier than she was used to, but the craftsmanship was magnificent. “Yes, I do. Thank you. Why did Vidar bury you with your sword?”
    “He gave me a mercy if I wanted to behead myself.”
    “How sweet of him.” It sounded just like the cocky son of a bitch.
    Shanagar leered at her, his nostrils flaring in confusion. “I don’t understand your words.”
    “It was sarcasm. I hate Vidar, even though he is dead. Long story that I don’t have time to tell right now. I’ll be back as quickly as possible.” With his sword in hand, Em raced around the pieces of stone that had landed in the hallway. She strode down to Mia’s chamber, pushing open the door. Mia lay upon her bed, the sheets around her covered with her dark pink life fluid. Em ran to her, falling to her knees on the mattress. She rolled Mia over and cried out in grief. Mia had been filleted, her head hanging on by only her spine.
    “Oh god, Mia. Who would do this to you? I will find them and I will make them suffer for your death.” She stroked the girl’s cheek and was stunned to hear feel her skin twitch. Mia was still alive. Em had no idea what to do. How was it possible that she wasn’t dead? She looked more closely at Mia’s neck and saw that she had been mistaken. The skin that was still attached was holding onto its blood like a sponge to protect her brain. Em stood, racing back out into the hall. “Shanagar!” she screamed without waiting until she reached the end of the hall. He flashed to her and Em turned, flying back to Mia’s room with him on her heels. He stood looking down at Mia’s body. He must be thinking the same that Em had, that Mia was dead, because he dragged Em into his arms.
    Em fought him. “Let me go! She is still alive.”
    The expression on his face mirrored what hers must have been moments before. “That’s impossible.”
    “Touch her, she reacts.”
    Shanagar stepped around Em, touching Mia’s foot. The muscle jerked and he took a step back. “Mercy.” He flashed to Mia’s side, sitting down so softly the mattress barely shifted. Shanagar gently moved her head, positioning it back upon the section of neck that was still on Mia’s shoulders. “She needs your blood, Em. I can’t give her mine.”
    Em nodded and strode to the bed, biting into her wrist. She dripped it into the line of unattached flesh, watching as it knitted itself back together. Shanagar pushed the torn sections of Mia’s upper chest back together, holding the slices closed as Em repaired them. He moved downward, allowing her to drip blood onto each section, and Em watched in astonishment as the wounds closed.
    Once Mia was back in one piece, Em held her mouth open. The wound on her wrist had closed up twice already and she was forced to bite herself a third time to get it flowing again. She didn’t have much more to give and was growing weak herself, but she had to help Mia.
    Shanagar snatched her arm, grabbing her wrist to stop her. The wound closed, but she was hungry, truly hungry for the first time in weeks. He smelled incredible, sweet like homemade peach pie when it first came out of the oven. Food had repulsed her for years, but this was different, the scent amazing beyond imagination. She could almost taste it, the sweetness slathered in globs of her mother’s holiday whipped cream. Em closed her eyes. She could smell it, her tongue tingling with the imaginary taste. He stroked her cheek, his skin like satin against her own. Em forgot his warning as she snatched his hand and bit deeply into his skin. His blood was like lightning, searing her mouth before he grabbed her hair and pulled her head back.
    Em screamed, holding her throat, it was on fire, burning as the fluid flowed downward. Shanagar growled, the sound filled with anger as he lifted her