Page 53 of Ghoul Kisses

For the last few days, I haven’t spoken to Eric. He tries to hold conversations with me, but I ignore him. He sends me messages throughout the day.

“I’m thinking about you, are you going to ignore me today. Dammit, Sarah Clemons talk to me.”Eventually, I turn my phone off and work on my computer. It is so hard to ignore him, but I want him to know how important Vanessa is to me. I’m not into the possessive boyfriend thing, and I don’t want to be that woman who jumps and does whatever her boyfriend says. I’m stronger than that. There is a knock at the door, and I rush to open it. Mac stands there in a black uniform.

“You need to come to the Garden in the back yard, it’s very important,” his voice is laced with concern. I slide on my pink Nike shoes and black jacket and follow him to the garden.

I spot Eric, and he is dressed in a black suit, resembling a mobster. David is on the other side of him wearing the exact outfit that Mac has on. Mae stands in front of Eric, her face wet with tears. The glare she gives me is sharp as a knife. She stomps in my direction. “I’m glad Eric found out I didn’t send the vamp after you, so he can leave me the hell alone,” she says as she grinds her teeth.

“Leave her alone,” Mac says. She shoots ice from her hand cutting a tree in half.

“Weak ass human,” she mumbles as she stomps off.

I ignore her. Right now, I could use some powers so I can beat her ass.

I turn my view to the cluster of servants standing in a circle.

“What’s going on?” I ask as my teeth chatter.

“We are trying to figure out who sent Pete after you,” Mac says. That’s what Mae was talking about. Why would someone betray Eric? Each servant stands in front of David, holding out their hand as he closes his eyes.

“What is he doing to the servants?” I whisper to Mac.

“King David has the ability to read every thought a person had. So he is searching through their mind to figure out who told,” he answers.

After the tenth servant, David peers at me. He motions me to stand next to him, and I follow his command.

“Ah, yes. You’re the one who told Pete about Sarah.” David’s eyes glow a crimson color.

I see the horror in the servant’s gray eyes as he falls down to his knees in a prayer position.

Eric stands in front of him.

“Speak, servant,” Eric commands.

“I’m sorry, sire. The vampire threatened to kill my young and mate,” he chokes, his voice trembling.

“Did you tell him where we live?” David asks.

“No, sire,” he says through sobs.

“Execute him,” Eric’s tone is ice cold.

“Why!!?” I scream. They can’t kill the poor guy; he has a family, people who love him. My eyes plead with Eric, but his eyes are lifeless, empty. I’ve never seen him so heartless.

“I’m sorry,” the ghoul screams. Guilt squeezes in my chest. This is my fault. If I hadn’t agreed to go out that night, this man wouldn’t be condemned to die.

“Stop blaming yourself, Sarah,” Mac says, reading my thoughts.

“He shouldn’t have opened his mouth to Pete. He knows the law.”

“Which is?”

“Don’t give information to the vampires.”

Eric stands next to me. I watch two other servants tie the ghoul’s hands behind his back. David drenches the servant in gasoline, takes a match, and lights him on fire. The ghoul’s screams hurt my ears. The smell of burning flesh fills my nostrils, bile rises in my throat, and I puke up my chicken sandwich on the grass. I never want to witness another execution in my life.

“Did you really have to kill him?” I ask.

“An example needs to be made; that’s part of me being a king,” he says stonily.

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