As night fell we found ourselves in a familiar situation. After we left the burning office building we drove to Monty’s house and laid him out on the very same couch we’d gathered around the week before to await Drake’s transformation. Monty’s parents had gone away for the weekend, gambling in Wisconsin, Drake had said.
After changing out of our bloody clothing Callie carefully placed a towel around Monty’s neck, covering the gory mess. Aside from his pale skin, he looked like he was sleeping peacefully. Callie sat on the floor next to him, his hand folded in both of hers and she rested her head on his chest, watching, waiting. Drake brought in his large cooler from the minivan and stocked up the bar fridge with bags of blood. We each downed three, starved after the taxing day. We gulped them from cups instead of straight from the bag, though I was very tempted.
Ernie had collapsed into one of the chairs, Lauryn in the other. Ernie dozed off at one point, his soft snores filling the room. We settled onto the floor near Callie, wanting to keep close to Monty, just in case.
“So, I have just one question, how did you find me?” I asked, leaning back into Drake. His arms slid around my waist and pulled me closer.
“We heard people talking about the new girl being hauled outside by some cops. Monty and I ran to the main doors, but they were already loading you into the back of some black van. We ran to the Hyundai and followed the line of black vans two towns over to that industrial park. Once we saw where they hauled you, we went back for the others and made our plan. It killed me to watch them take you into that building, run through with stakes.” He squeezed me tightly. “But Monty talked me out of running into the thick of it, insisting it would be suicide. He was right. We had to make a plan, come back after daylight, and bring weapons. We didn’t figure you’d be able to get out on your own, that was pretty amazing.”
“It was pretty awful.” I shook my head, trying to erase the image of Steve and his charred arm. “Ernie was right. He wanted me because I could walk in the sun.” My voice dropped to a whisper.
“What did he do?” Lauryn asked, her face so drawn and eyes barely opened I thought she’d been asleep.
“He…” The horrible images resurfaced. I couldn’t say it, the words wouldn’t work. “He took my blood. He wanted to be a Daywalker.” It was the only thing I could manage. Drake rubbed my arm and I shrank further into his embrace. “It didn’t work though. He went out into the sun and came back with his arm burnt to a crisp. He was so angry, he came at me, and well, I knocked him out. But I don’t think I killed him.”
“How did he not die from going into the sun?” Drake asked.
“He said he was over nine hundred years old. I guess the younger ones would have turned to dust.”
“It must only work if you make the vampires, Vicky,” Callie said. “I hope it works the same way for Monty.” She stroked Monty’s limp hand.
“Wait, look,” I said, jumping out of Drake’s embrace and reaching for Monty’s hand. I shook it and it jiggled. “Monty did the same thing to Drake. He said if Drake were really dead, he would have rigor mortis and his body would be stiff as a board. But his arm moved, just like this.” I shook it again. “He’s coming back to us, guys. He’s coming back.”