Why?
The sensation of disgust faded slowly. As soon as I could, I crept to the edge of the couch and took in the aftermath. All of Raoul's gang was gone, but Diego was still there, on the far end of the big room by the TVs. The vampires who remained were slowly relaxing, though everybody looked a little shaken. Most of them were shooting cautious glances in Fred's direction. I peeked at the back of his head, too, though I couldn't see anything. I looked away quickly. Looking at Fred brought back some of the nausea.
"Keep it down."
The deep voice came from Fred. I'd never heard him speak before. Everyone stared and then looked away immediately as the revulsion returned.
So Fred just wanted his peace and quiet. Well, whatever. I was alive because of it. Most likely Raoul would get distracted by some other irritant before dawn and take out his anger on somebody close by. And Riley always came back at the end of the night. He would hear that Diego had been in his cave rather than outside and destroyed by the sun, and Raoul wouldn't have an excuse to attack him or me.
At least, that was the best-case scenario. In the meantime, maybe Diego and I could come up with some plan to steer clear of Raoul.
Again, I had a fleeting sense that I was missing an obvious solution. Before I could figure it out, my thoughts were interrupted.
"Sorry."
The deep, almost silent mutter could only have come from Fred. It looked like I was the only one close enough to really hear. Was he talking to me?
I looked at him again and felt nothing. I couldn't see his face--he had his back to me still. He had thick, wavy blond hair. I'd never noticed that before, not with all the days I'd sat hiding in his shadow. Riley wasn't kidding when he'd said that Fred was special. Gross, but really special. Did Riley have any idea that Fred was so... so powerful? He was able to overwhelm a whole room of us in a second.
Though I couldn't see his expression, I had the sense that Fred was waiting for an answer.
"Um, don't apologize," I breathed almost silently. "Thank you."
Fred shrugged.
And then I found I couldn't look at him anymore.
The hours passed slower than usual as I waited for Raoul to come back. From time to time I tried to look at Fred again--to see past the protection he'd created for himself--but I always found myself repelled. If I tried too hard, I ended up gagging.
Thinking about Fred was a good distraction from thinking about Diego. I tried to pretend I didn't care where he was in the room. I didn't look at him but focused on the sound of his breathing--his distinct rhythm--to keep tabs. He sat on the other side of the room from me, listening to his CDs on a laptop. Or maybe pretending to listen, the way I was pretending to read the books from the damp backpack on my shoulders. I flipped pages at my usual rate, but I didn't take anything in. I was waiting for Raoul.
Luckily, Riley came first. Raoul and his cohorts were right behind him, but not as loud and obnoxious as usual. Maybe Fred had taught them a little respect.
Probably not, though. More likely Fred had just angered them. I really hoped Fred never let his guard slip.
Riley went to Diego right away; I listened with my back to them, eyes on my book. In my peripheral vision, I saw some of Raoul's idiots wandering, looking for their favorite games or whatever they'd been doing before Fred had driven them out. Kevin was one of them, but he seemed to be looking for something more specific than entertainment. Several times his eyes tried to focus on where I was sitting, but Fred's aura kept him at bay. He gave up after a few minutes, looking a little sick.
"I heard you made it back," Riley said, sounding genuinely pleased. "I can always count on you, Diego."
"No problem," Diego said in a relaxed voice. "Unless you count holding my breath all day as a negative."
Riley laughed. "Don't cut it so close next time. Set a better example for the babies."
Diego just laughed with him. From the corner of my eye, it seemed like Kevin relaxed some. Was he really that worried about Diego getting him in trouble? Maybe Riley listened to Diego more than I realized. I wondered whether that was why Raoul had gotten crazy before.
Was it a good thing if Diego was that in with Riley after all? Maybe Riley was okay. That relationship didn't compromise what we had, did it?
Time didn't pass any faster after the sun was up. It was crowded and unstable in the basement, like every day. If vampires could get hoarse, Riley would have lost his voice entirely from the yelling. A couple of kids temporarily lost limbs, but nobody got torched. The music warred with the game tracks, and I was glad I didn't get headaches. I tried reading my books, but I ended up just flipping through one after the other, not caring enough to make my eyes focus on the words. I left them in a neat stack by the end of the couch for Fred. I always left my books for him, though I never could tell whether he read them. Couldn't look at him closely enough to see what, exactly, he did with his time.
At least Raoul never looked my way. Neither did Kevin or any of the others. My hiding place was as effective as ever. I couldn't see if Diego was smart enough to ignore me, because I was ignoring him so thoroughly. No one could suspect that we were a team, except maybe Fred. Had Fred been paying attention as I prepared to fight alongside Diego? Even if he had, I didn't worry too much about it. If Fred felt any particular ill will toward me, he could have let me die last night. Would have been easy.
It got louder as the sun started to go down. We couldn't see the light fading here underground, with all of the windows upstairs covered just in case. But waiting through so many long days gave you a good sense for when one was almost over. Kids started getting antsy, bugging Riley about whether they could go out.
"Kristie, you were out last night," Riley said, and you could hear the patience wearing thin in his voice. "Heather, Jim, Logan--go ahead. Warren, your eyes are dark, go along with them. Hey, Sara, I'm not blind--get back here."
The kids he shut down sulked in the corners, some of them waiting for Riley to leave so they could sneak out in spite of his rules.
"Um, Fred, must be about your turn," Riley said, not looking in our direction. I heard Fred sigh as he got to his feet. Everyone cringed as he moved through the center of the room, even Riley. But unlike the others, Riley smiled a little to himself. He liked his vampire with skills.
I felt naked with Fred gone. Anyone could focus on me now. I held perfectly still, head down, doing everything in my power not to call attention to myself.
Lucky for me, Riley was in a hurry tonight. He barely paused to glare at the people who were clearly edging for the door, let alone threaten them, as he headed out himself. Normally he'd give us some variant on the usual speech about keeping a low profile, but not tonight. He seemed preoccupied, anxious. I'd have bet he was going to see her. That made me less excited about catching up with him at dawn.
I waited for Kristie and three of her usual companions to head out, and I slipped out in their wake, trying to look like part of the entourage without irritating them. I didn't look at Raoul, I didn't look at Diego. I concentrated on seeming inconsequential--no one to notice. Just some random vampire chick.
Once we were out of the house, I split off from Kristie immediately and beat it into the woods. I hoped only Diego would care enough to follow my scent. Halfway up the side of the nearest mountain, I made my perch in the top branches of a big spruce that cleared its neighbors by several meters. I had a pretty good view of anyone who might try to track me.
Turns out I was being overcautious. Maybe I'd been too cautious all day. Diego was the only one to come looking. I saw him from a distance and backtracked to meet him.
"Long day," he said, giving me a hug. "Your plan is hard."
I hugged him back, marveling at how comfortable this was. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid."
"Sorry about Raoul. That was close."
I nodded. "Good thing Fred is so disgusting."
"I wonder if Riley knows how potent that kid is."
"Doubt it. I've neve
r seen him do that before, and I spend a lot of time around him."
"Well, that's Freaky Fred's business. We have our own secret to tell Riley."
I shuddered. "Still not sure that's a good idea."
"We won't know until we see how Riley reacts."
"I don't really like not knowing, as a general rule."
Diego's eyes narrowed speculatively. "How do you feel about adventure?"
"Depends."
"Well, I was thinking about club priorities. You know, about finding out as much as we can."
"And...?"
"I think we should follow Riley. Find out what he's doing."
I stared. "But he'll know we tracked him. He'll catch our scents."
"I know. This is how I figure it. I follow his scent. You keep clear by a few hundred yards and follow my sound. Then Riley only knows I followed him, and I can tell him it's because I had something important to share. That's when I do the big reveal with the disco ball effect. And I'll see what he says." His eyes narrowed as he examined me. "But you... you just play it close to the chest for now, okay? I'll tell you if he's cool about it."
"What if he comes back early from wherever he's going? Don't you want it to be close to dawn so you can glitter?"
"Yes... that's definitely a possible problem. And it might affect the way the conversation goes. But I think we should risk it. He seemed like he was in a hurry tonight, didn't he? Like maybe he needs all night for whatever he's doing?"
"Maybe. Or maybe he was just in a big hurry to see her. You know, we might not want to surprise him if she's nearby." We both winced.
"True. Still..." He frowned. "Doesn't it feel like whatever's coming is getting close? Like we might not have forever to figure this out?"
I nodded unhappily. "Yeah, it does."
"So let's take our chances. Riley trusts me, and I have a good reason for wanting to talk to him."
I thought about this strategy. Though I'd only known him for a day, really, I was still aware that this level of paranoia was out of character for Diego.
"This elaborate plan of yours...," I said.
"What about it?" he asked.
"It sounds kind of like a solo plan. Not so much a club adventure. At least, not when it comes to the dangerous part."
He made a face that told me I'd caught him.
"This is my idea. I'm the one who..." He hesitated, having trouble with the next word. "... trusts Riley. I'm the only one who's going to risk getting on his bad side if I'm wrong."
Chicken as I was, this didn't fly with me. "Clubs don't work that way."
He nodded, his expression unclear. "Okay, we'll think about it as we go."
I didn't think he really meant it.
"Stay in the trees, track me from above, 'kay?" he said.
"Okay."
He headed back toward the log cabin, moving fast. I followed through the branches, most of them so close-packed that I only rarely had to really leap from one tree to another. I kept my movements as small as possible, hoping that the bending of the boughs under my weight would just look like wind. It was a breezy night, which would help. It was cold for summer, not that the temperature bothered me.
Diego caught Riley's scent outside the house without trouble and then loped after it quickly while I trailed several yards back and about a hundred yards north, higher on the slope than he was. When the trees were really thick, he'd rustle a trunk now and again so I wouldn't lose him.
We kept on, with him running and me impersonating a flying squirrel, for only fifteen minutes or so before I saw Diego slow down. We must have been getting close. I moved higher in the branches, looking for a tree with a good view. I scaled one that towered over its neighbors, and scanned the scene.
Less than half a mile away was a large gap in the trees, an open field that covered several acres. Near the center of the space, closer to the trees on its east side, was what looked like an oversized gingerbread house. Painted bright pink, green, and white, it was elaborate to the point of ridiculousness, with fancy trim and finials on every conceivable edge. It was the kind of thing I would have laughed at in a more relaxed situation.
Riley was nowhere in sight, but Diego had come to a complete stop below, so I assumed this was the end point of our pursuit. Maybe this was the replacement house Riley was preparing for when the big log cabin crumbled. Except that it was smaller than any of the other houses we'd stayed in, and it didn't look like it had a basement. And it was even farther away from Seattle than the last one.
Diego looked up at me, and I signaled for him to join me. He nodded and retraced his trail a little ways. Then he made an enormous leap--I wondered if I could have jumped that high, even as young and strong as I was--and caught a branch about halfway up the closest tree. Unless someone was being extraordinarily vigilant, no one ever would have noticed that Diego'd made a side trip off his path. Even still, he jumped around in the treetops, making sure his trail did not lead directly to mine.
When he finally decided it was safe to join me, he took my hand right away. Silently, I nodded toward the gingerbread house. One corner of his mouth twitched.
Simultaneously we started edging toward the east side of the house, keeping high up in the trees. We got as close as we dared--leaving a few trees as cover between the house and ourselves--and then sat silently, listening.
The breeze turned helpfully gentle, and we could hear something. Strange little brushing, ticking sounds. At first I didn't recognize what I was hearing, but then Diego twitched another little smile, puckered his lips, and silently kissed the air in my direction.
Kissing didn't sound the same with vampires as it did with humans. No soft, fleshy, liquid-filled cells to squish against each other. Just stone lips, no give. I had heard one kiss between vampires before--Diego's touch to my lips last night--but I never would have made the connection. It was so far from what I'd expected to find here.
This knowledge spun everything around in my head. I had assumed Riley was going to see her, whether to receive instructions or bring her new recruits, I didn't know. But I had never imagined stumbling across some kind of... love nest. How could Riley kiss her? I shuddered and glanced at Diego. He looked faintly horrified, too, but he shrugged.
I thought back to that last night of humanity, flinching as I remembered the vivid burning. I tried to recall the moments just before that, through all the fuzziness.... First there was the creeping fear that had built as Riley pulled up to the dark house, the feeling of safety I'd had in the bright burger joint dissolving entirely. I was holding back, edging away, and then he'd grabbed my arm with a steel grip and yanked me out of the car like I was a doll, weightless. Terror and disbelief as he'd leaped the ten yards to the door. Terror and then pain leaving no room for disbelief as he broke my arm dragging me through the door into the black house. And then the voice.
As I focused on the memory, I could hear it again. High and singsong, like a little girl's, but grouchy. A child throwing a tantrum.
I remembered what she'd said. "Why did you even bring this one? It's too small." Something close to that, I thought. The words might not be exactly right, but that was the meaning.
I was sure Riley had sounded eager to please when he answered, afraid of disappointing. "But she's another body. Another distraction, at least."
I think I'd whimpered then, and he'd shaken me painfully, but he hadn't spoken to me again. It was like I was a dog, not a person.
"This whole night has been a waste," the child's voice had complained. "I've killed them all. Ugh!"
I remembered that the house had shuddered then, as if a car had collided with the frame. I realized now that she'd probably just kicked something in frustration.
"Fine. I guess even a little one is better than nothing, if this is the best you can do. And I'm so full now I should be able to stop."
Riley's hard fingers had disappeared then and left me alone with the voice. I'd been too panicked at that point to make a sound. I'd just clos
ed my eyes, though I was already totally blind in the darkness. I didn't scream until something cut into my neck, burning like a blade coated in acid.
I cringed back from the memory, trying to push the next part from my mind. Instead I concentrated on that short conversation. She hadn't sounded like she was talking to her lover or even her friend. More like she was talking to an employee. One she didn't like much and might fire soon.
But the strange vampire kissing sounds continued. Someone sighed in contentment.
I frowned at Diego. This exchange didn't tell us much. How long did we need to stay?
He just held his head on the side, listening carefully.
And after a few more minutes of patience, the low, romantic sounds were suddenly interrupted.
"How many?"
The voice was muted by distance, but still distinct. And recognizable. High, almost a trill. Like a spoiled young girl.
"Twenty-two," Riley answered, sounding proud. Diego and I exchanged a sharp glance. There were twenty-two of us, at last count, anyway. They must be talking about us.
"I thought I'd lost two more to the sun, but one of my older kids is... obedient," Riley continued. There was almost an affectionate sound to his voice when he spoke of Diego as one of his kids. "He has an underground place--he hid himself with the younger one."
"Are you sure?"
There was a long pause, this time with no sounds of romance. Even from this distance, I thought I could feel some tension.
"Yeah. He's a good kid, I'm sure."
Another strained pause. I didn't understand her question. What did she mean, are you sure? Did she think he'd heard the story from someone else rather than seeing Diego for himself?
"Twenty-two is good," she mused, and the tension seemed to dissolve. "How is their behavior developing? Some of them are almost a year old. Do they still follow the normal patterns?"
"Yes," Riley said. "Everything you told me to do worked flawlessly. They don't think--they just do what they've always done. I can always distract them with thirst. It keeps them under control."
I frowned at Diego. Riley didn't want us to think. Why?
"You've done so well," our creator cooed, and there was another kiss. "Twenty-two!"
"Is it time?" Riley asked eagerly.