“And crazy.”Hue returned his grin.
“If there’s danger here, people need to know,” Rachel said with a shake of her head.
She was clutching her notebook, not opening it yet, but it was clear the reporter in her wanted to expose what she saw as unshared risks that the public needed to know.
Before Grayson could say anything, Eiji spoke, “We are all here to die, Rachel.You do understand this, do you not?It is the ultimate danger and the ultimate adventure.”
“And when we come through the other side, we’ll be predators,” Hue added.“There’s nothing safe about this place.And anyone who thought it would be isn’t here.”
Rachel blinked.“But the Vampires sold it–”
“They sold whatever they sold to people not here,” Eiji answered firmly.“Those of us who were accepted knew exactly what we were signing up for.”
Hue nodded and then took Rachel’s pen and notepad from her hands.“But you are not going to write about any of this.”
“I wasn’t going to–”
“Just in case you have the urge, I’ll keep this for now,” Hue said.“We don’t want anything to get in the way of the academy.”
Grayson knew that Hue and Eiji both had very definite reasons for wanting to become Vampires that other students did not.Both of them were dying or near enough that this was their last chance to continue on in this world.Rachel had no idea about this.She looked between the two of them, uncertain why they were so determined to keep the Vampires’ secrets.
“They’re here to become Vampires, Rachel.You see this as an ‘us’ versus ‘them’ situation but Eiji and Hue want to become ‘them’,” Grayson reminded her gently.
“And what about you?”Rachel asked.
Somehow, this was a more loaded question than it had any right to be.He was here too as a student.Surely, she knew he wanted to become a Vampire based upon that fact alone.But she knew him.She sensed that there was something about him that was different from these two.He thought about lying to her, but he just couldn’t do it.He hoped he wouldn’t regret it later.
“I have been them all my life,” Grayson admitted with a sad laugh.
“Them?”Rached reached for him as if to touch him to remind herself that he was human, too.
But surely she guessed he wasn’t normal.Hecouldn’tbe normal.After what he had done to his stepfather that was off the board.But she didn’t know what he was.
“We need to go, Grayson,” Fiona said.She had cocked her head towards the Helm house.“It’s coming.”
Grayson nodded.“Eiji, you have everything you need.Win the game.”
Eiji nodded.He urged Hue and Rachel away from the bench–away from him and Fiona–down the lane.He saw Amana and Mairead running towards them from the opposite direction. Rachel looked over her shoulder several times, but Eiji kept her moving forward.Mairead was doing that brow-furrowing thing, but Hue and Eiji distracted her.More explanations would need to be forthcoming.
“Where to?”Fiona asked.“Balthazar wasn’t quite clear about what that thing is or how to get rid of it.”
“Out of the city, I think,” Grayson said.“But make sure it follows us.So don’t go too far or too fast that it loses sight of us.We don’t want it attacking anyone else.”
“I don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” she said as her head whipped around towards the Helm mansion.“It’s after you, Grayson.Completely focused.”
Found you, the sexless voice was in his head.
And that was when he saw the dark figure with the blue-white eyes standing on the lawn.It was seven feet tall and its silhouette was strange.Its form was that of a narrow “V”.He didn’t see arms or legs or anything like limbs.
Until it spread its wings.
Its wingspan was double that of its height.Though he could not see terribly well, he got the impression of gray skin stretched tightly over bones.It was sexless and had massive, clawed feet.
Mothman.That’s what it reminds me of.What is this thing?Why is it after me?Is it a trap the Sect put together or just a bad chance?
Grayson didn’t get a chance to study it more as Fiona was teleporting them a hundred feet away from it towards the east wall.The creature launched itself up into the air and took after them.Fiona teleported them again to the spire then next to the roof of another mansion then to a tower then to the wall.The thing kept coming.Remorselessly.
Balthazar!Grayson sent.Have you spoken to Daemon?We’re leading this thing out of here, but I have no idea how to stop it.
