Archangel's Kiss Read online

  “I've sent help. Don't worry, we will find them and stop the vampires.”

  “Good.” She sighed and stared at our hands.

  “What's wrong?”

  “I'm feeling exhausted.”

  “That's normal. You had a rough night, and we should leave and find you some dry clothes.”

  Grabbing onto her dress, she requested, “Can you take me home if I tell you where my uncle lives?”

  I got up and spread my wings.

  “Can’t we take a cab instead?” she asked as she widened her eyes.

  “I'm sorry, Aria, but you can’t go back to your home,” I informed her as I leaned down and picked her up from the ground, bridal style. “You are mine now.”

  With her in my arms, I jumped and soared into the sky taking her to my home. The next thing I heard was Aria screaming in fear as she wrapped her arms tightly around my neck.

  Chapter TWO

  One week before

  ARIA

  “Oh my God!” I shrieked. “I can’t believe it! You said I should wait one more year! Oh! I love you guys.” I jumped into my mom’s and dad’s arms and kissed them silly.

  I was on cloud nine. It was the perfect eighteenth birthday gift. I was going to Paris! I was going to get to know the city of my dreams, the city of love, and I would be able to sightsee everywhere. The plans were already forming in my head. I’d visit the Louvre and go all the way up in the Eiffel Tower. It would be helpful if I knew French. I tried to learn it, but I’m not gifted in languages. Science is my thing.

  Mom said, “Your uncle will come and get you at the airport. He will be responsible for you while staying there. You will live in his house with his family.”

  “Cool,” I agreed, thrilled. My uncle was awesome. He had a daughter a year older than me. They had just come to the USA a couple of times since he moved to Paris, so I didn’t know my cousin that well. In fact, it’s been years since I last saw Gabby. Nonetheless, the idea of having someone there to show me around the city and to keep me company was exhilarating.

  “You will stay for two months as you have asked, but I want you to think about the possibility of attending Julliard instead of Stanford or MIT.”

  “But, Mom, you know I want to be a Scientist! Playing the violin is just a hobby,” I complained.

  Even if my parents loved me and wanted the best for me, Mom had it in her head that I was born to be a violinist like herself. Music was in my blood, but I played to chase away all my problems. Being able to find the cure for cancer was my dream. I wanted to do something that allowed me to leave a mark on the world. It was required to have a gift to perform music. Playing violin could be lots of fun, but I wasn’t good at composing. I would just be playing what someone else created to touch other people’s souls. Plus, I didn’t want to struggle to find work in the future. I wanted a reliable profession with a stable income. I’d planned to travel the world. For that, I needed to work and study hard, so I could live my life as I pleased.

  “Please, think about it. They’ve called you for an audition. The least you can do is practice a bit while you are abroad and think about what you want to do. Besides, there is no harm in going to the audition and blowing their minds away.”

  “Sometimes, I believe you think I’m so much better than I really am. Mom, you are the one who plays like an angel—if angels played violins—but I think they play harps. Yes, at least, that’s what they paint them playing on the church ceilings.”

  “Stop being a smart-ass.” My dad rubbed my head with his closed fist.

  I squealed and laughed. “Dad!”

  “How on Earth did we give birth to a science girl when we’re both so into music?” He sighed, staring at my mom who shrugged.

  Yes, I had witty parents, and I loved them to death, even when they were stubborn.

  Dad put his arm around my shoulders. “Are you ready for your birthday party tomorrow?”

  I shrugged. Parties were cool, but now that I had my plane ticket to France in my hand, my thoughts were in all the things I wanted to see, and the planning.

  “In a week, I’ll be in France.” I gasped, realization sinking in. My heart was racing. I wanted to scream and jump up and down to express my happiness.

  Instead, I ran up the stairs to my bedroom.

  “Aria, don’t forget that we have friends coming over tonight,” my mom shouted from downstairs before I closed my door.

  I couldn’t wait to tell my friends that I was going to Paris. I needed to decide what clothes to pack. Yet, I just sat on my bed, staring at the walls covered with the postcards and the posters I had collected over the years. I didn’t have boy band posters. I loved a well-known boy band, I was crazy about Katie Perry, but I was crazier about Paris. Something had always pulled me to go there since I was little.

  I sighed and got startled when my computer rang. It was my best friend, Jennifer, wanting to talk to me. I sat in front of my laptop and prepared myself to tell her the good news.

  One week after

  Everything was running according to plan when I got to Paris. At the airport, Uncle Steve gave me a friendly hug and told me how pretty I was, and how I looked so much like Mom. It’s kind of him to say that. I thought Mom was beautiful. He was my mom’s brother. He had come to live in Europe a long time ago, wanting to be an artist. Most of his youth, he spent painting portraits in the streets of Paris for the tourists. Then, he met Samantha, and they got married. Now he was a respectable businessman. He drove a taxi and showed the city to foreigners.

  Uncle Steve lived in a small apartment in the heart of Paris.

  “It’s not much, but it has two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a toilet. You’ll have to share a bedroom with your cousin. I hope you don’t mind,” my uncle said, showing me his cozy apartment.

  “That’s not a problem. I’m just glad to be here.” I smiled to attest to my words. The apartment was cozy even if it was nothing like the ones I’ve seen on TV.

  “The housing in Paris is expensive. We live in one of the most sought neighborhoods. In the old days, people didn’t care if their houses were small. We had to add a functional bathroom to this one when we bought it from an older lady. We used to live in one that had a hole in the ground where the landlord had built the bathroom. Gabby had her bed in the corridor because there wasn’t any space for her to have her room.”

  “I had no idea that the apartments would be this small. But at least we have a room over our head.”

  “Exactly!” Smiling, my uncle rubbed my head and motioned me to follow him. “This will be your bedroom. There’s a bed under the other bed. Gabby has arranged a place inside the closet for you to put your things. You can change clothes before coming to the living room.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I’ll be in the kitchen preparing dinner.” He closed the door and left me there.

  I sighed and looked around one more time. I should probably arrange my things inside the closet and freshen up. I had some time before my aunt, and my cousin arrived home from shopping. Gabrielle was going to a party that night after dinner.

  I had only met my cousin once when we were still kids. She was one year older than me and, judging by the number of selfies she has scattered along her bedroom’s pink walls, she was gorgeous, which was everything I wasn’t. Gabby had astonishing green eyes and long blonde hair. She is always smiling in the photos. I wished I could smile like that at the cameras. I always feel extremely uncomfortable facing a camera. I tend to make the weirdest faces.

  Gabrielle was nineteen. She was an English student and had studied all her life in a private English college, so she spoke English rather well. It was good for me because my French wasn’t that good. My uncle said that Gabrielle would show me the town and that he was also going to give me the tourist tour on the next day. I was excited about that. I was tired and sore because of the flight, but landing in Paris recharged my batteries, and I was ecstatic to go out and see everything.

&n
bsp; “Oh my God, Aria! You are the cutest thing, darling,” my Aunt Samantha squealed, giving me a bear hug.

  It was the way people use to tell me that I was an adorable dork, too misfit to be considered pretty, but not bad enough to be called ugly. They usually added that they were sure that I would grow up to be a beautiful woman. I looked younger than I was and had little to none existing breasts. Yes, I lacked in that area. I dreamed of having more. Maybe it would make me look more attractive to the opposite sex. Not that I think about boys much. They are a bit of a mystery to me.

  “Isn’t your cousin the cutest thing?” Aunt Samantha asked her daughter.

  Gabby’s lips stretched into a smile, and then she checked her phone. Maybe I was wrong about Gabrielle, and she wasn’t that nice after all.

  My cousin was even more beautiful in person than in the pictures. She had astonishing green eyes, long curly hair, and a slim top model appearance.

  We moved to the dining area and sat at the table. Uncle Steve asked all kind of questions about my life. I was curious about their lives there, too. Mainly because my aunt Samantha was a teacher at the Sorbonne, and I was hoping she could show me the university.

  “Gabby, did you know your cousin plays the violin,” Uncle Steve spoke to his daughter. She hadn’t talked a lot and seemed more interested in checking her phone and playing with her food.

  “Yes. You forced me to watch her video application.” Gabby sat straight and dropped the phone next to the knife. “Can I go to my bedroom? I need to get ready.”

  “No, we haven’t finished eating yet,” her dad said. Then, he looked at me. “Aria, have you decided what college you’ll be attending?”

  Looking up, I pushed my glasses up my nose and sat back in the chair. “Despite what my parents think it’s best for me, I want to be a medical researcher and find the cure for cancer.”

  “Good luck with that,” Gabby snorted.

  Blinking, I looked at her. “What are you studying?”

  “I don’t need to study. I want to be a model and an actress.”

  Aunt Samantha spoke after drinking water. “Gabby will attend college next semester. She’ll take a degree in English as a second language. She might teach one day.”

  Gabby folded her arms and squinted her eyes at her. “We’ve talked about this. I want to be a model.”

  “You can be a model and have a degree,” her mom said.

  “Why does Aria get away with being an artist and I can’t?” Gabby protested. “Being a violin player doesn’t pay the bills either. Yet everybody in the family wants her to study music.”

  I played with a carrot, biting my lower lip.

  “It’s different. Aria can make a living with her music. Her parents work for a Philarmonic. She’ll find a job, and she’s talented,” Uncle Steve scolded her.

  “I’m talented too. Everybody says I’m photogenic.”

  Uncle Steve glared at his daughter from across the table. “We’ll have this conversation another time. We’re having a nice family dinner. Your cousin has just arrived here. Show some manners.”

  “Can I be dismissed then?”

  Aunt Samantha pointed at Gabby’s plate. “Only after you eat your dinner.”

  Gabby picked up her fork and swallowed a few bites of rice and meat. “I can’t be late, or the boat will leave without me.”

  “Who’s throwing the party?” Uncle Steve enquired.

  “We’ve talked about this already,” my cousin grumbled. “Philippe Duchamp is throwing the party. He’s just the richest guy in Paris.”

  Uncle Steve nodded and reached for his glass. “You could take Aria with you to the party.”

  Gabby snapped her eyes at him. I panicked because I had just arrived, and I wasn’t ready to go anywhere.

  “That would be a great idea!” Aunt Samantha grinned.

  “Why would I?” she asked coldly, staring at me as if assessing my worth.

  I tried to get out of that situation the best I could. “That’s okay. I’m exhausted and don’t want to impose.”

  My uncle leaned closer from his seat and placed his arm around my shoulders. “Nonsense. Gabby will be happy to take you with her and introduce you to some of her friends. It will be good for you to meet new people.”

  I gulped. Meeting new people wasn’t something I was eager to do. I was an introvert and didn’t know how to talk to strangers. Meeting foreigners who spoke a language I could barely understand wasn’t my idea of having fun.

  “But, Dad,” Gabriella complained, pouting, “Sean invited me, and I can’t bring someone without his boss’s knowledge. It’s a private party! Sean won’t be pleased!”

  “Don’t be like that Gabby. I’ve raised you to be better than this! Aria’s your cousin. She’s new in town. We’ve talked about this. You need to be friendly with her.”

  “I don’t mind staying at home. I should probably rest anyway,” I said, making them all stare at me. Gabby looked pleased by my words, but my uncle didn’t back down.

  “Aria, it’s just a party. It’ll be entertaining, and if you go, you can check on my daughter,” he added with a wink.

  Gabby protested, “I’m not a little kid anymore. I can take care of myself! And Sean will be there with me and a lot more of my friends.”

  “So, there’s no problem in taking your cousin with you,” her dad declared as he folded his arms. “Because I believe you told me that it was a normal party and everybody you knew was going. So why can’t you take your cousin with you?”

  Rising from the table and placing her hands on her hips, Gabby blurted out, “Because no one invited her!”

  Her dad didn’t flinch. “You just need to call your boyfriend and ask him to add Aria to the list.”

  “Dad, you don’t get it. It’s a VIP party. Not everybody is invited. Only the important people are invited to Philippe’s parties. You know how rich he is and how mysterious he can be.”

  My uncle clenched his jaw. “I also know that his businesses aren’t all legal and that you are hanging out with the wrong crowd!”

  “You’ve met Sean and approved of him! We aren’t taking drugs or anything like that,” she defended as her cheeks turned redder.

  Her dad calmly stated, “Then there’s no problem in taking Aria with you.”

  “You’re stubborn!” She headed to her bedroom and slammed the door.

  “You aren’t leaving this house without your cousin, young lady,” her father insisted as he walked to the closed door.

  I nervously bit my lip and smoothed my hair down. That wasn’t the most helpful way to start a relationship with my cousin. Just great!

  “I don’t want to impose,” I whispered, feeling ashamed for witnessing that kind of discussion between them.

  Looking back, I saw my aunt, cleaning the dishes in silence. I was left in an uncomfortable position.

  “She’s being selfish. Just go to your room and get dressed. You’re going with her,” my uncle said as he walked to me.

  I stared at my aunt as if asking for her help. She merely smiled at me and waved for me to move along. Apparently, I had no say in the matter either.

  “I’ll be right there to help you get dressed,” my aunt added.

  All I could do was head to Gabby’s room and hope she wouldn’t look at me with daggers in her eyes.

  “You better talk to your daughter. I’m not paying the bills in this house to have to deal with her bad temper. She’s becoming impossible since she started going out with that boy,” my uncle grumbled to my aunt while I was walking to the bedroom.

  I didn’t listen to anything else. They clearly had their problems, and I startled and confused by Gabby’s behavior. I had never disrespected my parents like that. Sadly, I was expecting a terrible night in the company of a cousin who hated my guts!

  When I entered Gabby’s bedroom, she seemed calmer. She was sitting in front of a mirror, applying her makeup.

  I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to imp
ose. I tried to explain to your dad that I didn’t want to go.”

  “Just lose the lame outfit and get dressed in your best clothes. My boyfriend’s boss is wealthy, and there will be a lot of rich and important people there. I don’t want you to make me look bad,” she said.

  “Okay,” I whispered “But…I didn’t bring anything fancy to wear,” I explained, staring at her new cute dress that lay on her bed. It was gorgeous and stylish. I would look ridiculous wearing that, but it didn’t mean I didn’t find it stunning. It was clearly expensive.

  Gabby stopped what she was doing and stared at me from top to bottom. After a moment, she got up and headed to her wardrobe.

  “Show me what you’ve brought.”

  Before I could, she browsed through and removed my clothes from the wardrobe, making a mess in the process.

  I tried not to make a fuss about her grabbing and throwing my clothes all over her bedroom. I wanted us to be friends, and we hadn’t started out on the right foot. Thus, I shut up and agreed with everything she said.

  An hour and a half later, we were ready. Gabby wore the gorgeous, sleeveless, short pink dress while I wore a black-laced dress that showed too much cleavage. I didn’t feel comfortable in it. At least, it wasn’t short like Gabby’s dress. Still, she had the legs to pull it off.

  My aunt had been somewhat helpful with applying some makeup to my face. I couldn’t walk in high heels, so I chose to wear my flat shiny shoes that my mom bought for me to wear on my prom night. I didn’t have a boy to go to prom with, but I went with my friend, Jennifer, who wanted to wear a prom dress and take a picture for posterity.

  Basically, my prom was the fanciest event I had ever gone to. I had no idea what to expect from that night out with my outgoing cousin Gabby.

  Chapter THREE

  THE VAMPIRE KING