“Have you managed to reach her again?” Allie was asking about Celia, Jared’s sister, who had been captured by Lilith’s minions, then tortured and held hostage. Occasionally, Lilith had let her out of the crystal room that blocked vampire telepathy. She’d let them communicate only because she knew that his sister’s fear and devolving mental health would torment Jared.
“I try every day,” he said. “I’ve been researching crystal caves across the country, even though it feels like she’s close. But most are either barely accessible or open to the public for tours. I think it’s more likely a room in a house. So I’ve started poking around real estate sites.”
“If it’s a house, she probably just had her minion kill the owner,” Allie said. “I doubt you’ll find a listing.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I know. But I have to try.”
“You do,” she said. “I totally get it. I’d be going nuts if someone took Timmy.”
Her words made my heart twist and tears prick my eyes.
“And you’re right about me and my training, too,” she added. “I know you are. I just want to not be a freak.”
“You aren’t. You’re you. Anything less can get us killed.”
“I know. I do. I get that it’s important to go all out when we’re in a fight. Because it’s a matter of life or death. Or worse,” she added. “Like what happened to Celia. I really am so sorry.”
“Yeah, well, that’s the kind of worse I don’t want for you.”
“I know,” Allie said as I closed my eyes, wishing I could protect him from pain with the same intensity that I wished I could protect my daughter.
Soon, I was sure, I’d feel that same protective intensity for the students who’d be filling these halls.
“I just want them to like me. No, that’s not even true. I just don’t want them to think I’m a freak.”
“You are a freak.”
I heard her laugh, and it made me smile, and I pictured her pushing his shoulder. After that, there was silence, and I pictured him pulling her close.
And then, I thought, I really should leave….
I stayed.
“So you’ll show them what you’ve got. You don’t have to tell them how you got it. Maybe they’ll just think you’re kick-ass.”
“So you’re going to go all out too?”
“Sure.”
“Uh-huh,” she said. “And what are you going to say if they ask how you’re so fast? I can’t even catch up with you. Fighting, I can hold my own, but I don’t have your speed.”
“You’re pretty close.”
He was right about that. I’d seen her in that cave under Rome. Speed and agility that was increasing daily. And I imagined that she would grow into it even more.
“Stop changing the subject. Are you going to tell them that you’re a vampire?”
“I guess I have to.”
“Have to? Why?”
“Because we’re going to be a team. They’re our teammates. We’re going to be working with these kids. Training with them. And then fighting with them side by side. Besides, your mom said I have to.”
She laughed. “Fair enough. Did she say why?”
“Mostly because we have to all trust each other.”
“I guess. I’m just so used to secrets,” she said, and I winced. I’m the one who started with the secrets.
