"You leave her alone!" Charisse shouted.
I turned to look at her. There was a look of genuine fear on her face.
"Hi, ladies," the man said pleasantly.
I turned back to look at the man before me. He smiled, and it gave him a youthful, boyish look.
He was wearing a coat, and he held out a gloved hand to me. "Charisse I know already, but I don't believe we've met. I'm Joshua Martin."
I reached my hand out automatically to take his, but Charisse grabbed my arm and pulled it back down.
Joshua gave Charisse a rueful look and pulled his hand back, brushing it over his hair.
"What are you doing out here?" Charisse asked. She continued to grip my arm and her eyes were wary.
"I might ask you two the same thing," Joshua said lightly.
The words were clearly intended as a joke, but I felt Charisse stiffen.
Joshua looked down, and then gave Charisse another rueful look.
"Okay," he said. "I can see this isn't going too well. Let's start over again."
He turned to me and put a hand to his chest. "I'm Joshua Martin. I'm a friend of Charisse's mother."
"I'm Katie Wickliff," I replied. "I'm a friend of Charisse's."
"It's nice to meet you, Katie," Joshua said. He pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "It's pretty cold out here. Would you girls like to come inside and have something hot to drink?"
"No, we wouldn't," Charisse said sharply.
Joshua nodded his head and looked around.
"Just out of curiosity—what are you two doing out here?"
"Why do you want to know?" Charisse snapped.
Joshua spread out his hands. "Well, you know, it's just a little weird, Charisse. You and your friend here are hanging out beneath the window instead of coming into the house like normal people—"
"How did you know we were under the window?" Charisse interjected sharply.
"Water vapor, Charisse. We saw your breath rising up past the window. Your mom asked me to come outside and see what was going on. And then, I see the two of you sneaking along the back of the house here."
Charisse bristled. "You have no right to ask me what I'm doing at my own house. You don't belong here. Come on, Katie. We're going back to the car."
Charisse tugged on my arm and pulled me around Joshua, giving him a wide berth. She dragged me into the neighbor's yard.
I looked back.
I saw Joshua throw up his hands in frustration.
"I wouldn't do anything to hurt your mother, Charisse," he called after us. "I wouldn't do anything to hurt you, either."
Charisse continued to pull me along by my arm.
Joshua shouted after us again. "You know, it's not so terrible if your mother relaxes sometimes."
Charisse drew in her breath sharply. She broke into a run, dragging me with her.
We ran until we reached Charisse's car. She scrambled to pull the door open and jumped inside.
I hurried into the car. Charisse quickly locked the doors.
She twisted around and searched the street behind us. Then she fell back against her seat.
"He didn't follow us," she breathed. She closed her eyes.
I glanced back. The street behind us was indeed empty.
I turned back to Charisse. "What is going on with you?"
Her eyes flew open. "Are you serious?"
"Yes, I'm serious. You're acting crazy."
"You really didn't hear that?" Charisse demanded.
"Didn't hear what?"
"Katie, Joshua said it wasn't so bad if my mom relaxes sometimes."
"So?"
Charisse's eyes blazed. "So? Katie, he could hear us."
"When we were whispering beneath the window?"
"Yes. He heard me complaining about the fact that my mom wasn't at work like she should be."
"I don't see how that's possible," I said.
"Then how did he know?" Charisse demanded. "I never talk to him. I certainly never spoke to him about my mom's work."
"Well, of course you never talk to him," I said. "You told me he's not usually there when you get home. You can't talk to him if you don't see him."
"Katie, he comes back later in the evening to pick my mom up so they can go out. He tries to talk to me then. But I have absolutely nothing to say to him."
"Maybe you said something to your mom, and she mentioned it to him."
Charisse shook her head. "I don't talk to her these days, either. It's like she barely even knows I'm around."
"Okay, let's say he's weird and your mom's distant. I still don't see what your point is. What do you think is going to happen?"
"Joshua is not normal. He could hear us talking—I know it. And I think that's why he's gone when I get home—he can hear my car coming, so he leaves. He's trying to pretend like everything's normal, but it isn't."
I didn't reply, and Charisse lapsed into silence.
"I guess I don't know what my point is, either," she said after a moment.
She started the car.
"You probably want to get home."
Chapter 5.
Charisse left me at my front door, and then sped off.
I knew she was angry—she had maintained a stony silence during the drive to my house. But I didn't see that there was anything either one of us could do if her mother liked Joshua Martin. Maybe Charisse had noticed something strange about him—but I hadn't.
And it seemed to me that if anyone could recognize trouble, I could.
Just as I was getting out of the car I had asked Charisse to tell me if anything new developed—anything truly out of the ordinary.
Charisse had not replied to that.
I supposed I couldn't really blame her.
So feeling out of sorts, I watched Charisse's tail lights disappear. Then I went into the house and on into the kitchen.
A pot of water was boiling vigorously on the stove, and GM was sitting at the kitchen table reading a letter. The letter seemed to absorb her completely—so much so that I could tell she didn't know that I had come into the room.
I stood for a moment watching her.
My eyes dropped from her rapt face to the piece of paper in her hand. I squinted at it, and I realized that I could just make out the dark outline of the words she was reading. I wondered if I could read the words backwards.
GM looked up suddenly and jumped when she saw me.
"Oh, Katie! I didn't know you were home!"
She folded the letter up swiftly and swept it into an envelope that had been lying face down on the table. Then she hurried out of the room.
It was pretty clear to me that she was going to her office to hide her letter.
Sure enough, when GM returned a moment later, her hands were empty.
"Sorry I'm later than usual," I said, as GM moved to the stove. "I stopped by Charisse's house."
GM was measuring orecchiette pasta into the boiling water and looked around at me.
"It is of no consequence, Solnyshko."
She turned back to the boiling water and threw in a pinch of salt.
It was unusual for GM not to require me to account for all of my time.
"GM, who was the letter from?" I asked.
GM waved a hand airily. "No one."
She smiled at me and moved to the refrigerator.
I felt a flash of frustration, but I tried to keep my voice even. "A letter can't come from no one. Someone has to write it and send it."
GM shut the refrigerator door and turned back to me. "It's not from anyone you know."
I persisted. "Is it from the same person who sent you all the other letters?"
"What other letters?"
"GM, please. You know I've seen you with the other letters."
GM's face went carefully blank.
"This is my private correspondence, Katie. It has nothing to do with you."
I decided to drop the topic. GM was clearly getting ruffled, and I didn't want her to be in a bad moo
d when William arrived.
"Is there anything I can do to help with dinner?" I asked, changing the subject.
"The sauce is made already," GM replied. "You can chop up this basil."
She handed me a bunch of the herb. "When you're done with that, you can cut some slices of bread."
GM and I worked on dinner after that, and before long, I was running up the stairs to get ready myself.
I changed my clothes quickly and pulled a brush through my hair. Then I stood before the mirror surveying my reflection.
I was starting to get nervous now, and I ordered myself to be calm.
I really wanted this evening to go well.
As I turned away from the mirror, I thought I saw a flutter of movement out of the corner of my eye.
I turned back quickly and searched the mirror, but there was nothing in it that shouldn't have been there.
I turned away again, but as I did so, I got the strangest feeling that someone in the mirror had turned away also.
I resisted the urge to look at the mirror again and shrugged off the feeling—surely it was just my nerves getting the better of me. Or was it just nerves? A horrible thought occurred to me, and I resolved to ask William about it.
I hurried downstairs.
I found GM in our seldom-used dining room, lighting candles. The table was set and all the food was out—GM had made a few extra dishes that she hadn't told me about.
"It looks beautiful, GM," I said.
"I used to do a lot of entertaining once," GM murmured, almost more to herself than to me. "I gave a lot of big parties. I know how to turn out a good table."
I was caught by the tone of her voice—it was faraway, even wistful. I was on the verge of asking her a question when there was a knock at the front door.
I glanced at GM nervously.
"You will give William a chance, won't you?"
"Of course I will give him a chance. I've done all this, haven't I?" She waved a hand at me. "Now, go. Say hello to your young man."
I hurried to the door and opened it.
William gave me his crooked smile.
I stood for a moment just looking at him—I had a strong desire to throw my arms around him, but I figured that really wouldn't help my case with GM.
GM walked up behind me.
Suddenly I felt strangely shy.
"Katie, aren't you going to invite your friend in?" GM said.
"Won't you come in?" I said to William.
"Thanks." He stepped in, and there was a bottle in his hand.
GM glanced disapprovingly at the bottle—I imagined she thought he was sixteen as I was. I supposed I should have warned him not to bring something like a bottle of wine.
"GM, you remember William Sursur from Russia," I said.
"Yes, I remember him," GM replied shortly.
"It's good to see you again, Mrs. Rost," William said. He held the bottle out. "This is for you."
GM accepted the bottle and glanced at the label. The corner of her mouth quirked up.
"Sparkling apple juice. Thank you."
The three of us went into the dining room. William held GM's chair out for her. Then he did the same for me. GM seemed amused.
William sat down, too, and we started on dinner.
"So, William," GM said, "do you attend school with my granddaughter?"
"No, I don't."
GM seemed surprised. "Where do you go to school, then?"
"I don't go to school," William replied simply.
GM shot me a disapproving glance. "I see. What do your parents think about that?"
"My parents are no longer with us."
I glanced at William sharply. GM, no doubt, would assume from that that William's parents were dead—I wondered, though, if he actually knew anything about them. It seemed to me that William might not know where, or even who, they were.
But I could hardly question him about that in front of GM.
GM herself seemed momentarily stunned by William's reply and something like sympathy flickered in her eyes.
She soon shook off the emotion and returned to her questioning.
"Do you work?" GM asked.
"Yes."
"What do you do?"
"I work freelance. I'm a software engineer."
"You are quite young to have a job like that."
"A lot of computer geniuses started young."
GM's eyebrows rose. "So, you are a genius, then?"
William's face was suffused with color. "No, that's not what I meant at all."
"Why are you here in Elspeth's Grove," GM asked. "Is it for work?"
"No," William replied.
"You came here to see my granddaughter?"
"Yes."
GM was holding a fork in her hand. In that moment I wouldn't have been surprised to see her snap it in half.
"You sound to me like a reckless, irresponsible young man," she said in a voice of iron.
"GM—" I began.
"Hush, Katie," GM snapped. "You stay out of this."
She turned her attention back to William, and her eyes blazed. "You admit that you came here to stalk my granddaughter?"
"I can appreciate your concern, Mrs. Rost." William replied mildly. "And I'm very grateful that you invited me over here tonight. I wanted you to see me. I wanted to talk to you, and I wanted you to know more about me. I did move here to be near Katie—I admit that. But I can assure you that I have not come here to stalk her. I only want to see Katie as long as she wants to see me."
GM seemed incredulous. "So, if Katie were to ask you to go—to leave Elspeth's Grove entirely, what would you do?"
"I would leave," William said.
"Just like that?" GM demanded.
"Just like that."
GM stared hard at William for a long moment, and he calmly returned her gaze.
William was the one who eventually broke the silence.
"I hope you'll forgive me for saying this, Mrs. Rost, but I am much happier here. Things are difficult for me in the town of Krov. I believe that is something you can understand."
GM seemed to consider William's words. After a moment, she sighed.
"It is true, what you say. I love Krov, but I could never live there again. I, too, am happier here. Krov is hard on her children."
GM didn't seem entirely sold yet, but the tense lines in her face had relaxed.
"Where do you live, William?" GM said.
"I have a house in the Old Grove."
I gave him another sharp glance. He had already told me that he would answer GM's questions—even though he wouldn't answer mine—but somehow the fact that he had answered this particular question so easily rankled.
I felt for just a moment as if the two of them were united against me.
"Do you rent or do you own?" GM asked.
"I own the house."
"And your freelance work—is it full time?"
"Yes."
"It is strange," GM said. "You are almost like a full grown man, dating a high school student."
William didn't have an answer for that.
GM was suddenly fierce. "I want it to be clear that I will allow nothing and no one to harm my granddaughter. Neither you, nor anyone else, will jeopardize her future. Katie will finish high school and go on to college. She will have a flourishing career in whatever field she chooses. She will not run away with you and elope. The two of you will not decided that you can 'live on love.' And if you were to attempt to abscond with my granddaughter, I would hunt you down and murder you myself. Do you understand that?"
William blinked and sat back in his chair. I had never seen him look intimidated before.
He was intimidated now.
"Yes, ma'am. I understand that," he said.
GM nodded. "Good."
Something in William's answer must have satisfied GM, because her sudden anger seemed to subside. After she had regained her composure, her attitude became less confrontational. She began to ask William ab
out the company he was currently freelancing for. When GM discovered that she had done projects for the same company, the two of them began to talk pleasantly.
I was relieved that the grilling was over.
The rest of the evening seemed to go well, and GM was almost friendly when she said goodnight to William.
As William left, I followed him outside and closed the front door behind us. I'd been turning something over in the back of my mind, and I had to ask him about it.
I glanced back at the window in the front of the house uneasily. I knew I wouldn't have much time, and I knew GM would be watching. I just hoped she couldn't overhear us.
"I think this went well, don't you?" William said.
"It does seem like this was a good idea," I replied.
"I'd kiss you good night, but I have a feeling that your grandmother would storm out here and forbid me ever to return."
"William," I said quickly. "I have some questions that I need to ask you."
"More questions?" William was amused. "I would have thought we'd both had enough of those at dinner."
"I need to ask you about Anton and Innokenti," I said.
"You don't need to know about those two," William said.
"I know you've said that before," I replied, "but there's a lot I don't know about—about—"
I stumbled over my words, afraid that GM was listening.
"I need to know about them," I said at last.
"Katie, they aren't nice—'people.' I'll call them that for lack of a better word." William glanced up at the window as if he too, feared that GM could hear him. "You really don't want to know about them."
"I don't mean that I need to know about those two as individuals." I dropped my voice nearly to a whisper. "I mean I need to know about vampires."
William winced and shot another glance at the window.
I expected another protest from him, so I went on quickly.
"I have a specific reason for wanting to know," I said. "I've—I've been seeing strange things, and there are two of them in town. I don't know what I can believe about them and what I can't. For example, in popular folklore, crosses can ward off vampires, but in actual fact, crosses have no effect on them, right?"
"That's true," William said.
"Those are the kinds of questions I have."
"What do you want to know?" William asked quietly.
"Are they hurt by garlic or holy water?"
Ignis (Book 2, Pure Series) Page 7
