Copyright 1996 by Anne Fraser and M.J. Gardner

Chapter Nine

"Well, I am sorry about Grace," said Adrian, settling back on his white sofa.

Jake believed him. Despite Adrian's jealousy he wasn't mean enough to enjoy seeing Jake hurt.

"So does that mean you'll be seeing more of that little...." Adrian searched for an appropriate epithet, but Jake cut him off before he could be offensive.

"Evelyn's gone. She left at sunset."

"Ah." Now Adrian really relaxed into the couch. "So your little fling netted you only losses. Grace and Evelyn."

"No, Grace still doesn't know about her," answered Jake. He was through being embarrassed, and was starting to get a little annoyed with Adrian's warped moralizing. The professor was hardly in any position to talk about fidelity. "If I have anyone to blame it's you. And these fangs."

Adrian blinked at him. "She left you because you are ... transforming?"

"She left me because I tried to bite her," mumbled Jake. Every aspect of the remembered episode made him miserable. Not only had Grace not trusted him, but he had proven that he wasn't worthy of her trust.

"Well, not all mortals are as fond of vampires as you are, Jake. Or were," sighed Adrian. He peeped out of one eye at his friend. "Just out of curiosity, what stopped you?"

"Sofi's necklace. Grace had it on under her scarf."

"Silver affects you?"

"Yep." Jake unconsciously shook his fingers, recalling the white pain.

The actor stood up, crossing the room with his artful grace. This fluidity had doubtless been studied, once, now it was automatic. Jake wondered if he could learn to move like that. "This is bad, Jake," he said frankly.

Jake blinked. He wasn't used to Adrian being so candid with him.

"How is it badder than it was before?" the student demanded. Grammar seemed less important than actually making Adrian get to the point, for once.

"The changes you're undergoing are totally different than what they should be. Sofi never went through any of this, and she ingested far more of my blood than you did. This means that Safelli's bloodlines are quite different than mine. Your reactions and abilities are different. I don't know what you can expect when you completely come over. I've never heard of a vampire with two bloodlines before. I don't know what Safelli's line is capable of. And I am not going to ask Melantha."

Shuddering at the thought, Jake nodded. "Now what, Adrian?" he asked.

"We wait," the vampire shrugged. He stared off into some distant spectrum only he could envision. "We wait and see."

"No," objected Jake. "Maybe you don't know exactly what's going to happen to me, but we know one thing for sure: I will be a vampire. It's time you started to educate me."

"Educate you?" repeated Adrian faintly. Jake had never spoken like this before.

"You owe me that," declared Jake.

"Yesss..." Adrian nodded. "I owe you." He met Jake's eyes. "If you had any sense at all, that thought ought to terrify you. However... you want me to educate you." He chuckled mirthlessly. "Welcome to night school, Mr. Fowler."

Find out what happens to Jake's fangs in Elementary Dentistry. Look for the link at Center Stage.