Charlie Gyid 2 by Anysia Eaton (book club books .TXT) 📕

were scattered around the room. I looked directly above me. Brad had a smile on his face that stretched from ear to ear. His eyes sparkled in excitement.
“Charlie” he chanted.
“I’m awake” I smiled pulling his face to mine.
“Good. Time to get up.”
“I thought we had a lie in?”
“We have had a lie in”
“oh”
He climbed out of my bed. As soon as the quilt fell off him. I giggled and hid my head under the cover.
“Mature Charlie. Truly mature.” Brad moaned.
I should see his shadow through the quilt picking up his clothes and heading into the bathroom.
Again, Sir Malice didn’t show for breakfast, which both Brad and I were thrilled about, it meant we could be ‘Charlie and Brad the couple’ again. I was almost worried that he wouldn’t want that after last night, but last night just spurred him on. Neither of us had never been that bothered about people watching but today, some of the things Brad insisted on doing, left me blushing and looking around to see if anybody had noticed.
Class seemed like normal. Brad asked me to help him with his routine – for the show – in Spells and Enchantments. Mistress Halsente allowed us to go to a training room to practice. Brad was demonstrating defence, and so it was me firing at him. In the show, it will a fourth year Beginner student who will be helping him but we can’t risk taking him out of lessons, this close to exams.
We started with Water, then air, Earth and finally fire.
The fire was going to be his finishing act. The fourth year was to produce a fire dragon. It would be a rather weak dragon, but that’s only because the fourth year is still in beginning level. The dragon will be firing at Brad, and Brad will have to defeat it.
My dragon was a good thing for Brad to practice with. Mine is a lot stronger, and so is more of a challenge. Of course, I didn’t make it too hard for him. I made it like what the fourth year’s dragon will be like. He’s going to be brilliant. I just wished I could be performing now. I didn’t fancy the idea of sitting anywhere near Sir Malice. I am sure he will insist on holding my hand, or holding my gaze.
I explained to Brad that I wouldn’t be able to sit with him at lunch, but he seemed cool. I couldn’t help but be suspicious.
“Why are you so cool?” I asked.
“Because I have a ring on your finger and your flower” he replied with a wicked grin on his face.
I gasped and put on a fake expression of horror.
He just chuckled the amazing chuckle I loved.
After magical creatures I didn’t rush to lunch. I walked slowly – hand in hand – with Brad. Before we entered the cafeteria, Brad pulled me to him and slammed his lips to mine.
“I’ll miss you” Brad said to me as he leaned his forehead against mine, just steps away from the door.
“I’ll miss you more. You have Gabby and Alison” I replied with a small smile.
“Oh, great” he laughed sarcastically.
I gave him one last kiss. We headed in. My eyes swept the room for Sir Malice. He was sat on his own. A tray of food was placed opposite where he was sat. I walked to him. As I approached his head shot up. His eyes sparkled as a beautiful smile came up on his face. I looked at him and then the tray.
“It’s for you” he said.
“Oh” I sat down opposite him. I could feel every pair of eyes in the room on us.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine” I replied a little confused.
“You seem a little upset” he commented staring directly into my eyes.
“No, I’m fine.” I lied. I wasn’t fine. I wanted to go back to Brad. I didn’t mind what he was doing at breakfast now. I’d rather have that again then this.
“Can I ask you a few questions?” he asked.
“Sure” I replied.
“You said that your parents were... well... not here anymore, yet you called that Jeff guy dad” he commented. I knew what he was going to say so I answered before he got chance to actually ask.
“My mom and dad were murdered when I was very little, by...” I gulped “... Malietta. She wanted the orb of power, but my parents, or course, refused to give it to her and so she killed them. She was going to kill me too but she touched the box first. Anybody who isn’t me that touches the box freezes in their tracks. She was frozen until other Wiccans arrive and sent her down to the depths. Anyway, Jeff – bless him – was best friend’s with my dad, and so he took me in and raised me as his own. I had no idea that he wasn’t my dad. He had always been dad to me, until... the day Malietta came back. Jeff recognised the signs and so explained everything to me and brought me here. But to me he’s still dad. Nothing will take that away from him” I explained.
He nodded.
“Where did you live before you came here?”
“Leicestershire in England” I replied.
“Did you like it there?” he asked.
“Yes, but not as much as I like it here.”
“What happened when you first came here, I mean with Malietta?”
I explained to him, in detail, everything that happened. When I was done he sat there expectantly, absorbed in what I had been telling him.
“But enough about me, what about you? What’s your story?” I asked.
“It’s a very long one” he cautioned.
I looked at my watch. My story had only taken ten minutes.
“We still have quite a lot of time to kill” I replied.
“Well, when I was like you, a human. I lived in a small town in the United States of America called ocean shores. I grew up there, with my parents. It was back in the eighteen hundreds, though, so things were a little different. When I was a kid I used to joke with quite a few of the other kids in this little town. I did a lot of dangerous stunts like cliff diving, and free climbing – even when I was in my twenties and a grown adult. I wanted to enjoy life as much as I could, but one day, I was free climbing. I had dared my friend to see who could get up the fastest. Of course, I was so drawn into winning, I forgot all about the weak rock on one particular spot. That spot had the best hand holes but the rock was too weak to hold my weight. I fell. My friends were too frightened to help me so they left me. They didn’t even tell anybody I was hurt, they were too scared of getting in trouble.”
“Anyway, a man – well now I know he wasn’t a man – found me. He took me to his house. I can’t remember much about the transformation but of course he saved my life, well, if you call this saving a life. I always suspected he saved me only because he wanted some company. He said it was rare for him to save somebody like he did me. After a few decades I had gotten used to the whole vampire thing and I started to appreciate what he had done for me. Unfortunately, when you’ve lived as long as he had you grow a lot of enemies. He survived most challenges that come his way but one day he didn’t. His head was cut off and then his whole body was dumped into water.”
“At first I felt lost, didn’t know what to do, or what not to do. I travelled about quite a bit. I visited England, France, Spain, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. After a few decades I made a circle and so I decided to go to Asia. In Asia I found Vampires, but they were different. They believed in live after a vampire life. They believe in Vampire heaven. They showed me how I could be compassionate, caring and have a clean conscience while still being able to survive as a vampire.”
“I spent a whole century with them, but eventually I knew I had to leave. I still use their methods but I knew I didn’t belong in Asia. They taught me other things, they taught me that in China there was a council of Vampires. They would train me. They told me that I had skill and I could make something of myself at the council so that’s where I went. I stayed there, training till my bones cracked. After thirty years the Prince and Princess before me died, so the search for a new prince or princess was sent out. It was to take place as a competition. Of course I entered. The challenge wasn’t that hard, so it wasn’t surprising over ten vampires survived. Us ten had to fight till last man standing to be Prince, and I just so happened to be the last man standing.”
“I have spent the fifty hundred years as Prince. It’s lonely work, being a Vampire Prince. The only company you can have is a wife – that was originally human but changed by the prince into a vampire – and their servants – all men” he continued.
“Have you found a wife?” I asked him, scared to know the real answer.
“I’ve found her, I just need to turn her into a vampire. Only thing is, I am sure she isn’t that keen on the idea. I would change her anyway, but the time I spent in Asia with those vampires has made it impossible. My morals stop me. If I try to break my morals, I get shocked.”
“Shocked?” I asked.
“Like, an electric shock” he clarified.
“Oh”
I checked my watch. I had five minutes until the start of Battle. I looked about the room. Most of the students had gone. Brad was waiting by the door for me.
“I should go. I don’t want to be late for class”
“When can I talk to you again?” he asked standing in sync with me.
“I have some time after battle” I replied.
“Before the show?” he asked.
“Yes” I nodded.
“Will you join me in my room?” he asked.
I nodded, not wanting to trust my voice not to squeak. I headed out, meeting Brad by the door.
We walked out in silence, but as soon as the door had closed behind us, Brad scooped me up into his arms, bridal style. I grabbed his head and pulled his lips onto mine.
He placed me down. We walked hand in hand to battle.
Battle had never seemed more interesting. Brad and I had never laughed so much in one lesson ever before. We were supposed to be fighting but the whole time we were talking or acting far too much like a couple in love – considering we were in a room full of people.
Brad and I walked together to the dining hall. Because Brad was performing, he was having Dinner an hour earlier, and so my time was free, giving the prince a perfect opportunity to steal my attention. I had nothing to use as an excuse to avoid spending time with him.
At the door we stopped. He took my in his arms. He hated having to leave me, again, especially when he found out Sir Malice was expecting me. I took his face in my hands. His eyes were impossible to look at. They showed the extent of his pain. He was torn.
“You have fun” I