Blood Candy by Matthew Tomasetti Read Free Book Online Page B

said, glaring over at the skinny boy with
glasses. “He’s what we like to call a ‘purist’ and a ‘rules
lawyer.’ ”
    “Don’t start this shit again,” Melvin said,
meeting the bigger boy’s glare with one of his own.
    While they argued, Jimmy continued helping
Candy.
    “Clerics can heal people,” he said. He scooted
his chair right up against hers so they were shoulder to shoulder.
Every time he leaned over her to write something on her character
sheet, Felicia huffed or groaned.
    “How do I heal people?” Candy said. “Do I have
an ambulance or something?”
    “No.” Jimmy pursed his lips at Felicia when
she laughed. “Have you ever seen those preachers on TV who smack
people on the head and say the Lord has healed them? It’s kind of
like that. Your deity gives you the power to heal
people.”
    “My what?”
    “Never mind, it’s not important right
now.”
    “Okay,” Candy said, thinking it best to just
play along.
    After some time, she had all sorts of stuff
written on her character sheet. Everyone else at the table carried
on with the game while Jimmy helped her finish. She thought it was
strange that she was supposed to use mace to kill monsters; she
imagined herself spraying a dragon in the eyes with it.
    When Candy was finished, Melvin turned his
attention to her and said, “You grew up in a small fishing town on
the Tempest Coast. Most of the people in your village were killed
in The War of the Seven Crowns, but you were saved by a mysterious
man who took you away to a strange city. You were then given over
to a temple where you became an oracle.”
    Candy nodded along. It all sounded complicated
and the last thing she wanted to do was look stupid by asking
questions. Melvin was telling her some other stuff when she heard
her cell phone vibrating in the dining room where she had plugged
it in to charge. She hadn’t checked it yet. Melvin frowned when she
hurried over and flipped it open.
    There were twenty missed messages. She looked
at the most recent entry, a missed call from a number she didn’t
recognize. The next three were from the same number and all within
the last thirty minutes. She tried to recall if she knew the
number. Nothing came to mind.
    “The temple priest has asked you into his
chambers,” Melvin said.
    “Uh,” Candy said, looking up from the digital
display of her cell phone. “I guess I’ll go to his chamber? That
sounds kind of creepy, though. I don’t think a priest should have
someone alone in his chamber, especially a young woman.”
    “You’ve been in his chamber before,” Melvin
said. “It’s not a big deal.”
    Candy looked around at everyone. She caught
White Paul looking at her cleavage again; she had caught all of
them sneaking a peak at least once, including Felicia.
    “Okay. I go to his chamber, but I make sure my
breasts are covered up real good.”
    Were-Jew coughed and laughed. Medium Dave’s
eyes got big and, turning red in the face, he looked up at the
ceiling. White Paul winked.
    Melvin said in a deep and haughty tone that
confused Candy until she realized he was pretending to be the
priest who had called her character into his chamber, “I have a
quest for you, young oracle.”
    The cell phone vibrated in her hand. The
display indicated an incoming call from the same number she didn’t
recognize. Everyone at the table looked rather annoyed. “Sorry,”
she said. “I need to take this real quick.” She got up and went
into the kitchen to answer. The voice that came through made her
eyes go wide.
    “Hello, love. I thought you’d never
answer.”
    Her heart skipped a beat and, even though she
knew the answer, she asked in a hushed tone, “Who is
this?”
    “You know who I am, love. You’re breaking my
heart.”
    “Don’t call me again.”
    She ended the call and then stared at the cell
phone. She checked through all of the other messages. One of the
twenty was a text from her sort-of-sometimes boyfriend Jack, and
one other