She watched as the horses trotted in tandem near the fence, black and white, turning as the fence turned. She smiled at their instant camaraderie, their bond. That brought Peter back to mind, and she shook her head in irritation, shaking him out. She watched the horses as they banked and turned, trotting, their legs, light and dark, flashing like strobe lights. They were safe, and not just from errant creatures that might want to harm them, like dogs or maybe even coyotes, but they were safe from themselves. They had enough room to run, but they couldn’t run off, couldn’t get caught out in the dark. They were safer in their confines. Safely confined.
Promise sat up straight, nearly spilling her coffee, and Lea looked up in alarm at her friend’s frozen, staring posture.
“Promise? What is it? What did you see?” She looked past Promise and out the window, trying to see what had so startled her friend. She saw only the sunlit school grounds, the football field, some people, Mark and Peter distant on the bleachers. She looked back at Promise.
Promise was smiling, but it was a tense smile under eyes darkened by strong emotion.
“I know what I can do to save him, and when there is a vaccine, he’ll be right where I can find him, and the vaccine will cure him and then…” Her words jumbled together, and she grasped Lea’s arms tighter and tighter as she spoke. “I can fix everything, I can get him back, and everything will be better, be normal again, and I just have to keep him confined, I just have to–” Her face fell abruptly, and she dropped Lea’s arms and sat back, her head down. Her voice came softer but no less frantic. “But he’ll have to…he’ll have to feed, otherwise he’d die and then…but what could we feed him? There’s nothing other than…” She looked up again, and now her eyes were both frightened and determined. “My blood, he can have my blood until–”
“Promise! What are you talking about? Have you lost your mind?” Lea asked, frightened.
“Lea, listen…I can save Chance. If he’s still nearby, I can find him, lure him into a trap of some kind.” She sat forward and grasped Lea’s arms again. “I can keep him confined until they bring a vaccine, a cure. I’ll give him my blood, enough to keep him alive. It will work, Lea. It will work!”
Lea was shaking her head, not in denial but in anger. “Promise you…you can’t do that! You might die or get changed just trying to find him. Don’t you see that? It’s not worth it,” she said and sat back, disentangling herself from Promise’s grip and crossing her arms over her chest.
“Lea…of course it’s worth it. He’s my baby brother! He’s the only one I have left from my family.” She drew closer to Lea, looking intently into her eyes. “Wouldn’t you? If you could, wouldn’t you bring your parents back…your dad, I mean.” She subsided in confusion, trying to remember Lea’s story. Lea had lost her dad in the plague, she knew that much, and her mom had died some time ago…but there was something more, something she was forgetting.
“Promise, you still have me and Mark, Peter, Mr. West, all the other children here… gosh, there a lots of kids! Little boys! Can’t you just…” Lea trailed off at the shocked–almost angry–expression on Promise’s face.
“Chance was my brother. I can’t just love some other kid the same way. It’s not the same thing. He’s my blood, we’re family…don’t you understand what that means?”
Then all at once Promise remembered: Lea was a foster kid, an orphan. She had no true family, not in the way Promise had just defined it. She reached for Lea, sorry and a little ashamed. “Lea, I didn’t mean you. I forgot that you were…”
Lea shrugged lightly but wouldn’t meet Promise’s eyes. “No biggie. And you’re right, I don’t know what you mean.” She looked up, and now her eyes were shining with bereft tears. “No one has ever loved me like that…like family.”
Promise reached for Lea, but she jumped up, her chair screeching backward, and marched from the cafeteria. Promise watched her go and berated herself for her insensitivity. Then her eyes went back to the bleachers where Mark and Peter had been, but they were gone. The horses were standing a small distance apart, combing the field for any leftover winter greens.
Her mind drifted away from Lea, away from her friend’s hurt feelings. She’d have to get him somewhere that he would be out of the sun. It would have to be a sturdy enclosure…vampires were stronger than humans. How long would it take until they had a vaccine? A cure? It didn’t matter. She would wait as long as it took, putting everything else on hold until she had saved him.
~ ~ ~
Promise passed Mark and Peter in the wide, central hallway. She looked away from Peter’s puzzled smile and gave them a small wave as she hurried by. Mark called after her, but she continued on without pause.
She burst out the door and into the cold morning, her heart beating painfully and tears threatening. She pictured Peter’s face, the hurt in his eyes, and she paused, uncertain. How could she blow him off like that? Especially after hearing his terrible story last night. She was on the verge of turning back when her attention was caught by distant movement–Lea standing forlornly near the gate to the field. She must have passed the guys, too. Why hadn’t they stopped to talk to her? Then she realized that Lea had probably done the same thing she’d just done: blown past them without explanation.
For some reason, it assuaged her guilt about Peter, after all, the guys would most likely shrug off her abruptness. She continued on toward the field. This morning was the coldest they’d had so far this year, and she wished she’d stopped for a heavy coat; her down vest wasn’t cutting it. Everyone wore layers as a general rule because it was always cold, even inside. There were few resources, and what they did have, they conserved. Mr. West said that, in time, the electrical plants would be back up and running, as soon as things were better organized and calmer. He said that it was human nature to adapt, and Promise knew that was true–but where did that leave the non-humans? Did vampires adapt, too?
As she approached her, Lea turned around. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she swiped a mittened hand under her nose. “Hi,” she said, and her voice was rough from crying. “Listen, Promise, I wanted to say I’m sorry about–”
“No, Lea, don’t say that,” Promise cut in. “You don’t have anything to be sorry about. I was the one being a jerk.”
“No, you weren’t being a jerk. It’s not like we knew each other before all of this…you couldn’t know.” Fresh tears welled in her eyes. “You couldn’t know that no one loves me, that no one ever has.”
Promise–who’d grown up surrounded by love–was stunned by Lea’s words. She grabbed Lea’s hands in hers.
“I love you, Lea. And Mark does and Mr. West and half the kids, at least, probably more. And Megan and the Gerber brothers and…gosh, Lea, there are so many people that love you. I could take you through that building and point them all out if you wanted me too.”
“It’s not the same thing, Promise. I appreciate it, but it’s not like…not like you were saying in the cafeteria. If I weren’t here, you and Mark and Mr. West and everyone else would miss me, maybe, but you wouldn’t…it wouldn’t matter as much. You’d find a new friend. Mark would find a girlfriend, he probably will anyway, and Mr. West…he’s good to everybody. I realize that now.” She disengaged her hands from Promise’s and wiped under her nose again. She looked like a sad, hurt child. “I don’t have that deeper connection, that bond, with anybody. I never have.”
“Lea, I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine what it must have been like. I wish I could do something, change it for you.”
Lea nodded and gulped a steadying breath. “I was thinking–I want to help you with Chance.”
Promise was taken off guard by what seemed to her the sudden change of topic. “Huh? Why?”
Lea shook her head, perplexed. “I dunno, I just feel like…if I can be around it and see that bond and how it works, then maybe I’ll recognize it if it ever happens to me. What if someone loves me and I don’t even know it, or even worse, what if I ever have kids of my ow
n and I don’t know how to love them?”
“You’ll know,” Promise said quickly, thinking of Chance and how she’d loved him on sight. Before sight, really, because she’d loved him from the first time she’d seen him sliding mysteriously under the tight curve of her mom’s belly like some deep-sea creature. “You’ll love your husband, and you’ll love your children. That’s the way it works.” She couldn’t imagine it otherwise.
Lea smiled sadly. “It doesn’t always work that way,” she said.
Promise didn’t know what to say, so instead, she took her friend’s hand and led her through the gate into the makeshift paddock. Ash had been watching Promise closely since she came out of the school, and now he trotted toward her, head up, mane waving like a flag. Snow looked up in surprise then started walking in their direction, too.
Promise smiled; it was hard not to at the sight of that beautiful black horse coming to greet her. She glanced at Lea, and Lea was smiling, too. She squeezed Lea’s hand and let it go, then ran to meet Ash halfway.
~ ~ ~
“Couldn’t you just trap him in one of the extra classrooms? The inside ones with no windows?” Lea looked at her quizzically. They were sitting on the bleachers where Peter and Mark had sat minutes before. The metal was cold, and the wind hooted and then shushed itself as it blew through the slats. They were watching the horses, but Promise couldn’t help glancing occasionally toward the school, wondering who might be watching her and Lea. Wondering if it might be one specific person.
Promise shook her head. “No. I wouldn’t want to bring him in the school. First of all, because I couldn’t stand it if he hurt someone, but second of all, you know everyone would freak out if they knew. Mr. West might…might…understand, but can you imagine if Deidre and her crew found out?” Lea grimaced, and Promise continued: “It has to be somewhere close enough for me to keep an eye on him, but far enough that he isn’t a danger to anyone.”
“What about Willow’s End? The woods are right there,” Lea said.
The vampires always seemed to come from the direction of the woods. A lot of people had speculated that there might be old cabins or even caves out there where they hid during the day.
Promise looked at Lea thoughtfully. “Not in any of the safe houses, though, not even near them. Someone looking for sanctuary doesn’t need to run across a trapped vampire. But Willow’s End is still a good idea…maybe…”
Lea raised her eyebrows, and Promise read her mind. “My house, you’re thinking? Oh, no. No way, that–”
Lea stilled her with a hand on her arm. “Well, but listen: what if it helps Chance?”
“Helps him how, though?”
“If this whole thing is a disease and there are varying degrees of illness–like Peter and like that vampire that chased you during the day–then Chance might still…he might remember some of his…” She shook her head, trailing off as she struggled for words.
“He might remember who he is,” Promise said, and her eyes were lighting with cautious hope. “You’re saying he might start to get better, even on his own! Start to come back around if he is in familiar surroundings!”
“I don’t know though. Don’t get too excited, I might be totally, totally wrong.”
But Promise was growing more excited, she couldn’t help herself. “It might even help when we try and catch him! He might come easier if it’s to the old house! Oh, I know it’s going to work! I know it will! Lea, you’re a genius!” She wrapped her arms around her friend and squeezed. Lea laughed and hugged her back. Over her shoulder, she saw Mark hurrying toward them from the school.
“Here comes Mark,” Lea said and pulled back.
Promise glanced at Mark and then turned back to Lea. “Should we tell him? Do you think he’d understand?” Promise asked.
“Gosh, how would I know?” Lea said and then blushed. The color looked pretty on her pale skin. Promise laughed.
“You know him better than me,” Promise said and turned to check Mark’s progress. He was almost to them. She leaned toward Lea. “I’ll let you decide whether to say something or not.”
“Me? Promise, wait, you can’t leave that up to me! I don’t know whether he’d–” She broke off as Mark climbed to where they sat, the metal clanking hollowly beneath him.
“Don’t know whether he’d what?” he asked, smiling.
Promise merely pressed her lips tighter together, sitting back with her arms crossed. She looked steadily at Lea.
“Well? What were you talking about?” Mark asked, directing his question to Lea.
Her mouth opened and then closed, and she gave Promise a desperate look, but Promise just shrugged her shoulders: you decide.
Lea glanced at Mark again and then took a deep breath. “There’s something we have to do, Promise and I, and we didn’t know if…Promise didn’t know if you’d want to help or not.”
“Wait, I didn’t say anything about helping!” Promise said, sitting up, alarmed. “I just said if he knew!”
“Well, he can’t just know,” Lea said, “That’s silly. If he knows then he’s going to want to help…at least…I think he’ll want to.” She looked at Mark and took a deep breath. “Promise and I are going to catch Chance and hold him at her old house until they bring the cure to change him from a vampire back to a human,” she said, all in one breath. Then she smiled. “You can help us if you want.”
“Course I’ll help,” Mark said without hesitation. He kept his eyes on Lea. Her smile widened.
“Okay then. Now, let’s go get Peter,” Lea said.
“Hold on! Wait just a second!” Promise said and stood abruptly, hands going to her hips. “No one said anything about Peter being involved. We don’t even know him, you guys. Why would he even want to? He has no reason to help me…he doesn’t even…we don’t even…”
Lea dropped her face into her mittens, shoulders shaking. Mark put his hand on her arm, concerned, and said, “Lea? Are you–” just as Promise said, “Oh, Lea, I didn’t mean–”
Then they both heard the chuffling, snorting laugh muffled by the thick mittens, and Promise sat down just as abruptly as she’d stood. Mark glanced at her briefly, then returned his attention to Lea.
“Lea?” he said. “What’s funny?” He was beginning to grin in spite of himself. Then Lea looked up, and her eyes were so full of sparkly mirth that he laughed, too. “What is it?”
She shook her head and glanced at her friend then back at Mark. Her giggles had tapered all the way down to a smile. “Everyone is a dummy about love,” she said. “Not just me. I just realized.”
Lea and Mark smiled at each other. She was frail and child-like in her mittens and matching scarf and so pretty, especially with the cold painting her cheeks a fresh pink. Light came up in Mark’s eyes as he gazed at her.
“Okay, whatever, I’m a dummy, okay?” Promise said grumpily, descending toward the field. “Can we just please go? Daylight’s wasting.”
Lea watched her descend and called after her, “We’ll stop and get Peter first!”
Promise didn’t turn, merely held up a hand in acknowledgement. “Fine! Whatever!”
Lea giggled and looked at Mark again, inviting him to laugh with her. But his face was still, almost grave as he looked at her.
“What?” she said, her eyes wide.
Now he smiled and shook his head. “Nothing.” He held out his hand and pulled her to standing. “We’re all dummies, Lea. Just so you know.”
She smiled and nodded and then followed him down the bleachers, and they trotted to catch up with Promise.
~ ~ ~
“It will be dangerous,” Peter said, and despite herself, Promise felt something almost like relief. He had said ‘it will be dangerous’ not ‘that’s too dangerous’ or ‘it will be dangerous for you guys.’ He was in, that much seemed clear. She did feel relieved…why did she also feel aggravated?
“We know that…we’re not stupid,” she said, the irritation evident in her tone. “We’re
not babies.” She crossed her arms, and her eyes scanned the cramped room where he was supposed to stay with Snow. She and Lea and Mark had found Peter here when they’d come in from the football field. “If you think we’re too young for you…for this, I mean…then why don’t you just say it?” Her face had gone a deep red, either from anger or embarrassment, or both.
“Can I talk to Promise alone for a minute?” Peter said to Mark and Lea, his eyes not leaving Promise.
Mark and Lea looked at each other, eyebrows raised, and then rose to leave the confined space.
“We’ll see you in 508,” Mark said and put his arm around Lea. She leaned against him and glanced back at Promise as they left, but Promise’s eyes hadn’t left Peter’s.
“I think I scared you last night,” he said, and his face softened. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know, when I first saw you, that you were only…that you were as young as you are.”
Her stomach twisted. “There’s only seven years between us,” she said. “That doesn’t exactly make you my dad.”
“No, but you’re…innocent. And I think it scares you that I was married before.”
She colored again and felt vaguely ashamed, as though he’d caught her in a towel, defenseless. She touched the scrunchie holding back her hair and then lowered her head and nodded. “It…it changed things. I don’t even know why, I mean, I feel terrible that you lost your wife; it’s awful. I know, because I lost my whole family, or almost, anyway.” She ran a hand over her eyes, suddenly tired, then she sighed. “I just…it made me see you a different way, somehow. I felt like it made me a kid, too much a kid and too young for you. That scared me because I like you. A lot.” It was hard to tell the truth, but it also felt like a cloudy burden lifted from her mind.
Blood Run – The Complete Trilogy – First Promise, Two Riders, Last Chance Page 8
