“Just suddenly? All these months she’s been here and now she’s asking you?” He shook his head. “I don’t buy it.”
“You don’t have to buy it. And besides, did you ever stop to think that just maybe she liked me too?”
Tommy snorted. “Oh, please. She’s so out of your league. No offense.”
“Yeah, why would I be offended at that?” I stared out the window into the night. With the wind and downpour, it was hard to make out anything. The shadows were playing tricks on me. It seemed like there was something moving in the trees. I leaned closer to the window until my forehead was pressing against the glass.
Tommy stood next to me and peered out. “What are you staring at?”
“I don’t know. I thought I saw something out there.”
“A bat?”
“Stop it. There’s no such thing as vampires,” I said, more for my benefit than for his.
“Like there was no such thing as warlocks or magical stuffed animals. I’ve told you before, Gravesend is a different place. Lots of weird things happen here.”
I tapped the glass. “There’s no way that girl’s a vampire. She was so pretty and sweet.”
He laughed. “That’s how they lure you in. Didn’t you ever watch any vampire movies?”
“Yeah, so?”
He tapped the side of his head. “Think about it! Have you ever seen an ugly vampire?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I never really thought about it.”
“You don’t have to. The answer is no. There are no ugly vampires. They’re all good-looking.”
“I’m sure that’s not true. There have got to be some ugly vampires.”
“Nope, not one. And that’s how they attract the plain and ugly-looking people. No offense.”
“I want you to know your ‘no offense’ comments are really offensive.”
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t be so sensitive. All I’m saying is, on your own, a girl like that would never go for you.”
I turned away from him and stared out the window again. The rain hit like handfuls of gravel striking the glass. “You know, every time I talk to you I come away feeling worse about myself.”
“And I’ve never heard anyone whine as much as you do. I’m trying to save your life here.” He placed his hand on my shoulder. “Now, where do you stand on wooden stakes?”
I swatted his hand away. “Who has wooden stakes? And she’s not a vampire!”
“Okay, let’s agree to disagree about that. But just for argument’s sake, let’s just say that she is. Wouldn’t it be better if you’re prepared?”
A pain shot through my head, like an icepick jamming into my eye. The usual onset of my Tommy headache. “What are you saying? More holy water?”
He snapped his fingers. “Yes! Good idea. I’ll have to get to Father Merrin again. I think he’s having a special this week.”
“A special on holy water? Why would anyone need so much holy water?”
He held his hand up. “I don’t ask questions. There are some things that we’re better off not knowing. Trust me.”
“You’re a moron.”
“Again, we’ll agree to disagree about that.” He started pacing. “Now. Let’s see what else we need. Wait! I got it. Silver. We also need silver.”
“That’s for werewolves.”
“It’s for vampires too,” Tommy insisted.
“I don’t think you know what you’re talking about.”
“Who’s the expert here?”
“There’s no right answer to that.”
He walked over to my dresser and started searching through everything. “Do you have anything to write with? I don’t want us to forget anything.”
“You only said two things so far.”
“Yeah, two important things.” He searched a little more before finally stopping. “Here we go!” He held up a notebook and pen.
“That’s my history notebook.”
“So? Just call this the history of vampires. You’ll get another one for school.” He tapped it. “From now on, this is for vampire research.” He scrawled something across the front. “We’ll call it the VR File, so nobody else will understand what we’re talking about.”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
Again, he ignored me, then tossed me the notebook and pen. He snapped his fingers. “Well?”
“Well, what?”
“Do I have to tell you everything? Start taking notes.”
I have no idea why I listened to him, but it was usually my first instinct. I opened the notebook and started writing.
He continued to pace, walking slowly, while rubbing his chin. “Okay, we have silver, wooden stakes, garlic. Actually, put down lots of garlic.” He jabbed his finger in the air. “Crosses! We can’t forget crosses.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“There’s fire, and, oh!” He snapped his fingers again. “Beheading. If you take off a vampire’s head, it kills them.”
“Taking off anyone’s head would kill them.”
“Are you going to make sarcastic comments every time I say something, or take this seriously?”
I tossed the notebook onto my bed. “This is ridiculous. She’s not a vampire.”
He paused, turned away from me, and looked out the window. “Did I ever tell you the story of Billy Thompson?”
I groaned. “Oh, no …”
“Billy Thompson was a kid around our age who lived in Gravesend, close to thirty years ago.”
“You’re making this up.”
He ignored me and kept going. “One day, Billy’s parents invited what they thought was a new neighbor into their house.”
“What kind of a name is Billy Thompson? That’s the best you could do? It doesn’t even sound real.”
He exhaled loudly. “Will you stop interrupting? I’m going to lose my train of thought.” He remained silent a moment. “Now where was I?”
I sighed. “Billy Thompson’s neighbor.”
“Right. Anyway, this neighbor had a daughter, and Billy quickly realized that she was a vampire, but the problem was nobody believed him.”
“Is there a point to this?”
Tommy held his index finger to his lips. “Shhh!” He continued talking to me but stared out at Lily’s house. “Night after night, she would fly through his window and feast on his blood.”
In spite of myself, I gulped, and also glanced out the window. “That never happened.” My voice came out as a whisper. “And?”
Lightning streaked across the sky.
“Billy didn’t know it at the time, but she was slowly turning him into a vampire.” He held up three fingers. “Three bites is all it takes.” He shrugged. “Well, that’s if they don’t decide to just kill and devour you instead. It really could go either way.”
“I—it’s not that I believe you, but … what happened?”
Tommy slowly turned to me. His expression turned serious. “First, he grew sensitive to the sun. Next, the smell of garlic bothered him. Then, he started getting a thirst … for blood! By the time he finally figured out what was happening, it was too late. He became one of the undead.”
“And?”
He pretended to hammer something. “His parents had no choice but to put a stake through his heart.”
I waved him away. “Okay, you just lost me. That’s a stupid story.”
“Why’s it stupid?”
“Because it doesn’t make any sense. I don’t care if he was a vampire or not, what kind of parent would put a stake through their own child’s heart?”
“Devin!”
Tommy and I jumped and whirled around to see Mom standing in the doorway.
She frowned. “What’s the matter with you two?”
I pointed to the window. “Nothing, Mom. It’s the thunder, and then we started talking about some horror movie we saw.”
“I warned you not to watch those things. Devin, you know how scared you get.”
She walked over and patted his head. “Thank you, Tommy. I’m glad one of you has some sense.”
“Oh, brother,” I muttered. “What did you want, Mom?”
“Oh, that’s right. I wanted you to know that I spoke to Lily’s dad, and they’re coming over for coffee and cake tomorrow night after dinner.”
Tommy whipped his head in my direction. His eyes widened.
“They are?” I asked. “When did this happen?”
“Just now,” she said. “I called him. Why? What’s the big deal?”
“Uh, are you sure that’s a good idea? We barely know them.”
She cocked her head. “What’s to know? They’re new neighbors and we never really introduced ourselves. It’s long overdue.”
“But Mom …”
“Oh, I know what this is about.” She walked over and pinched my cheek. “Don’t worry, I won’t embarrass you.”
“It’s not about that,” I said.
She smirked. “C’mon, now. I saw the way you and Lily hit it off. I’m not blind.”
“Like bats?” Tommy asked.
I glared at him.
Mom bent down and looked into my eyes. “Relax. I won’t say anything bad. Lily is a lovely girl. I think you have very good taste.”
“I bet Lily will think Devin has good taste too,” Tommy said.
I sighed. “Not now, Tommy.” I turned back to her. “Is there anything else, Mom?”
She studied me for a moment, and frowned. “I thought you would’ve been more excited.” A look, like she was figuring something out, spread across her face. “Oh, I know what this is. I guess you have to play it cool in front of your mother. You know, I was your age too, once upon a time, so I know how it is. But this is the first girl you like, so enjoy the moment. One day, you’ll look back at this as a distant, fond memory. Remember, nobody stays young forever.”
“Well, Devin might,” Tommy said.
“Tommy!” I yelled.
Mom glared at me. “Stop yelling at your cousin!”
Tommy nodded. “Thank you, Aunt Megan.”
“My pleasure, Tommy.” She walked toward the door. “Well, I’ll leave the two of you alone now.” She turned back to us and wagged her finger. “But no more scary movies!” She walked out.
I waited until I heard her footsteps on the staircase, then turned to Tommy. “What’s the matter with you?”
“What? You should be thanking me! I’m trying to help you.”
“You’d be helping me a lot more by cutting it out.”
He thrust his finger in my face. “I can’t do that! You don’t have much time. We need to act fast.”
“I don’t want you doing anything.”
He shook his head. “No, not me.”
“What do you mean?”
He leaned in. “I thought of something while your mom was talking.”
“That you’re annoying?”
“No, I realized something else. Vampires are magical beings.”
“Yeah, so?”
He spread his arms. “Duh, it’s so obvious. The best way to defeat a magical being is with another magical being.”
My face fell. “Oh, no …”
“Oh, yes. We keep forgetting.” He pointed out the window. “You have a warlock living right across the street from you.”
“No! There’s no way I’m asking—”
“You have to!” Tommy cut me off. “Because your life may depend on it.” He walked over to the window and looked out. “We need to ask Herb.”
Thunder boomed across the sky.
CHAPTER THREE
FIGHTING MAGIC WITH MAGIC
The stupid picture with the Easter Bunny took a lot longer than I expected. Hours longer. To make matters worse, there were bunnies everywhere. It was like everyone at the mall forgot that there had been a magical bunny attack only months earlier.
By the time we got out of there, it was the middle of the afternoon. At least the day was gorgeous. Bright sun, very little breeze, and fresh air.
So why did I feel a chill walking up the path to Herb’s house?
It was like I was being followed, but every time I turned to look there was nobody there.
I paused in front of his home. Even after all this time the sight of his gray, two-story house scared me.
It wasn’t the wall of hedges that surrounded it. I don’t even think it was that dark cloud, which always seemed to be hovering above.
It was just this feeling that something weird was lurking inside. And knowing Herb, I’d have to say that was a pretty accurate guess. Because, really, there was nobody weirder than him.
Tommy, of course, was oblivious to all of it.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I asked.
He continued walking without looking back. “Of course it’s a good idea. I already told you a vampire is a magical being, and that it takes magic to fight magic.”
“Where’d you get that from, Scooby-Doo?”
“You always ask me that, and if you ever bothered to watch any episodes, you’d probably learn a thing or two from them.” He rang the bell.
The Addams Family theme played.
I sighed. “I’m just saying that you seem to be forgetting that Herb tried to kill us once.”
Tommy rolled his eyes. “Are you ever going to let that go?” He knocked on the door. “And besides, he didn’t really try to kill us. The Cuddle Bunnies did.”
“And who created the Cuddle Bunnies?”
“Wow, you really hold a grudge, don’t you?”
The door creaked open.
Herb stood there wearing a T-shirt with a picture of an alligator eating an orange on the front. Underneath the gator it read, FLORIDA! A STATE WITH BITE! He smiled at us. “Howdy, boys, what can I do you for?”
I stared at him. “Why are you so tan?”
Herb glanced down at his arms. “Oh, I just came back from two glorious weeks in the Sunshine State for a little R and R and R. That means rest, relaxation, and …” He winked. “Romance.”
I frowned. The thought of anyone liking Herb churned my stomach. “Romance?”
He nodded. “Of course! It was the annual Witches and Warlocks Conference in Fort Lauderdale. It felt like I was on spring break with Frankie and Annette!”
“What?” I asked.
Herb smiled. “It was oodles of fun! And, while I admit I’m no Burt Reynolds, I’m still known as something of a ladies’ man around those parts.” He brushed his remaining strands of hair over his head.
“Who?” I asked.
Herb’s eyes widened. “Oh, where are my manners? You came over for a visit, and I’m keeping you at the front door. Come on in!” He stepped back.
“No, Herb,” I said. “We really don’t want to bother you. We just had a couple of questions, and—”
Herb waved dismissively. “Nonsense. There’s always time for being neighborly. And besides, I bought gifts for you.” He motioned us inside.
I shook my head. “We really don’t have time, we’re just here because—”
“You got us gifts?” Tommy barged past Herb into the house.
I sighed. “Of course.”
Herb turned and followed him in. “Come on in, Devin! But shut the door behind you. We don’t want Wendigo getting out.”
“Yeah, we’d hate to lose your creepy cat,” I muttered, stepping in and shuting the door behind me.
By the time I turned back around, Herb and Tommy were gone.
I made my way through the dark hallway until I reached the kitchen.
Tommy was already sitting and eating something.
“These are delicious!” he said, through a mouthful of whatever it was.
Herb smiled. “That’s my world-famous Herbberry pie.”
“What’s a Herbberry?” Tommy asked.
Herb arched an eyebrow. “Uh, uh, uh. That’s the secret ingredient.”
; I rolled my eyes. I had no idea what was worse, Herb trying to kill us or him being nice. Either way, he got on my nerves. “Yeah … so, anyway, the reason why we’re here, is—”
Herb held up his index finger. “Oh, hold that thought!” He ran out of the kitchen.
I sat next to Tommy. “Is there going to be one time that we come here and you don’t raid his fridge?”
“This was already out. And besides, it’s delicious.”
“I don’t care what it is. We’re not here to eat. We’re here to ask some questions and get out as fast as we can. This place still gives me the creeps.”
He cut off a bite of pie with his fork and held it up to me. “C’mon, you have to try this.”
I swatted his hand away. “I don’t want to try it!”
He took another bite. “This is the best Herbberry pie I’ve ever had.”
“It’s the only Herbberry pie you’ve ever had! And you want to know why? Because there’s no such thing as Herbberry. He made it up. It’s not a real ingredient.”
“All of a sudden you’re an expert baker?”
“He just used his name. That’s all there was to it.”
He shrugged and shoved another bite into his mouth. “It’s still good, though.”
“Here we are!” Herb rushed back into the room carrying a shopping bag. His creepy black cat was right on his heels.
The cat jumped onto the table, turned to me, and hissed.
I shrank back in my seat.
Herb grabbed the cat and tossed him to the ground. “No, Wendigo! These are our friends now!” He turned to us and shielded his mouth from the cat. “You’ll have to forgive him, he senses your distrust of magical beings.”
Tommy clucked his tongue at me. “That’s not nice, Devin.”
I looked back and forth between them. I wasn’t sure who annoyed me more. “What are you talking about? I don’t distrust magical beings!”
Herb smiled. “It’s okay, Devin. I’m not offended. You’ve led a very sheltered life. I’m sure it’s just that you haven’t come across many magical beings.”
I threw my hands up. “Why are we listening to a cat?”
Herb arched an eyebrow. “You don’t like cats either?”
“Devin!” Tommy snapped.
My head started to pound. “This is ridiculous!”
From Sunset Till Sunrise Page 2
