Vampire University (Book One in the Vampire University Series)

by VJ Erickson

CHAPTER SEVEN

  Taylor pushed open the door, and Hannah immediately stood up and came to meet her. Taylor suspected that she probably appeared visibly upset to Hannah, but she didn’t have the strength to hide it. She felt sheepish admitting that Hannah was right.

  “Are you okay?” Hannah asked as she began to inspect Taylor’s face and neck.

  Taylor drew her hand to her face self-consciously, and Hannah grabbed her hand and inspected that as well. Then she flipped Taylor’s hand over and inspected her arm. Satisfied, she grabbed the other and did the same. Taylor didn’t know what to make of this.

  “Did he hurt you?” Hannah asked.

  “No,” Taylor said, pulling her hand away self-consciously. “He didn’t touch me.”

  Hannah regarded her suspiciously.

  “What did he do?” she asked.

  “He got really creepy on me so I left him."

  Hannah walked over to her bed and sat down on the edge. She massaged her temples and did not look at Taylor.

  “How is it that you knew about him? Am I just a terrible judge of character?” Taylor asked.

  “Look,” said Hannah, “this isn’t working this way. I need to be honest with you.”

  “Honest?”

  Taylor had been suspicious of Hannah’s intentions, but she had not imagined that she was being lied to.

  “There’s something you need to know about Eric and Joseph,” Hannah began. “They’re both dangerous, but not for the reason you think.”

  Hannah paused for a moment to consider her next words.

  “The thing is... they’re... they’re vampires.”

  Taylor rolled her eyes.

  “Yeah, Joseph said that," said Taylor. "But I don’t know what that means. Is it, like, a religious thing?”

  “No, it means exactly what you don’t think it does. They’re vampires. Actual vampires."

  “What, like ‘I want to suck your blood’ vampires?”

  “Exactly like that."

  Taylor wasn’t sure how to respond to this. Whatever Joseph thought he was, apparently Hannah believed him. She had felt safe when she saw Hannah, but now she was beginning to feel uncomfortable around her as well.

  “Of course you don’t believe me,” said Hannah. “Look, did you notice anything weird about his teeth?”

  “His teeth? No. He had perfectly nice teeth.”

  Hannah frowned.

  “His eyes? How about his eyes? Anything unusual?”

  “No?"

  Taylor told herself that she was just seeing reflections when she caught glimpses of shadows in Eric's eyes and felt a little crazy for indulging any ideas otherwise.

  "You don't sound sure about that," said Hannah.

  "Look Hannah. It’s not that I don’t believe you. It’s just, well... Okay, fine. I don’t believe you. How would you even know any of that?”

  Hannah looked down at her hands for a moment and then back up at Taylor.

  “Because I’m a vampire too,” she replied.

  Taylor took a step back nervously and knocked over her chair in the process. It landed with a heavy thud.

  “I... I... don’t know what to think,” said Taylor.

  She was beginning to believe Hannah, but it seemed absurd to admit aloud.

  Seeing Taylor’s fear, Hannah tried to comfort her.

  “I’m not dangerous though. I’m here to help you... protect you,” said Hannah.

  Taylor took another step back.

  “So you’re a friendly... vampire?” Taylor asked, feeling self-conscious about the word.

  “Most of us are. But that doesn’t mean we’re not dangerous.”

  “So you're dangerous?"

  “Me? Of course not! I can see why that’s not convincing, but I promise you I’m on your side.”

  Before Taylor could respond, however, the door burst open. Addison stood in the doorway looking annoyed.

  “What is going on in here?” she demanded, looking at the chair toppled over on the ground.

  Hannah looked visibly annoyed with Addison as well.

  “Nothing that wouldn’t require you to knock first,” said Hannah.

  “I heard a crash. I took liberties,” Addison replied.

  Taylor looked at Addison and then back at Hannah. Taylor wondered if Addison was a vampire too. Then Taylor realized that she was debating whether or not someone was a vampire when, only a moment ago, she didn't even believe in them in the first place. She pushed the question from her mind. Of course Addison wasn't a vampire. There was no such thing.

  “Well everything is fi...” Hannah began but stopped mid-sentence.

  Taylor turned to follow Hannah’s eyes to the doorway and saw Eric standing there behind Addison.

  “Can I help you?” Addison said, turning to look at him, but her confidence faded when she saw the expression on his face.

  Eric ignored her for a moment and looked at Hannah and then Taylor. His mouth turned into a twisted half smile, and he responded without turning away from Taylor.

  “Yes, actually. I think you could be very helpful," he said.

  As he said this, he suddenly reached over and grabbed Addison forcefully towards him, one of his arms around her and the other behind her back. She let out a gasp.

  “What is that? Is that... a knife?” Addison asked with a whimper.

  Eric’s face broke out into a full smile. Taylor could see his fangs clearly now.

  “It is,” he replied and turned Addison forcefully to the side so that Taylor and Hannah could see the blade pressed against her back.

  “I was going to use it a little differently, but I never pass on an opportunity,” he said and then pulled it around to her neck, holding the edge of the blade against it.

  “So here’s what we’re going to do... I’m not going to hurt her as long as everyone does what I say. You,” he said, gesturing in the direction of Taylor with the tip of his knife, "are going to follow me.”

  Taylor felt the warmth drain from her body and a shiver travel up her spine.

  “And you,” he said, gesturing towards Hannah, “are going to stay here. And if either of you gets any ideas of your own here, then Addison dies.”

  Addison made a tiny squealing noise, and Eric pressed the knife against her neck. A single tear trailed down her cheek. Eric leaned over and pressed the tip of his tongue against the base of her cheek and slowly drew it up the side of her face, catching the tear along the way. He gave Taylor a satisfied look and then turned with Addison, his knife still pressed to her neck. He took a step through the door and then looked back at Taylor.

  “Well? Are you coming?” he asked.

  Taylor looked at Hannah, hoping for some kind of guidance.

  “I don’t think you have a choice,” said Hannah.

  “That’s right you don’t. C’mon,” Eric demanded.

  Taylor hesitated a second and then gave in. She turned to follow behind Eric and Addison, leaving the door behind her open.

  Hannah waited a minute and then tentatively stepped towards the door and peered out. There was no sign of them. She pulled out her cellphone and dialed. Joseph picked up on the other end after a single ring.

  “Hello?” he said.

  “Where are you?”

  “Hold on."

  “I can’t hold on, we don’t have ti... oh.”

  Hannah paused as she saw Joseph appear through the elevator door. She ran towards him, grabbed his wrist, and dragged him back into the elevator.

  “Did you see him?” Hannah asked, before Joseph had time to speak.

  “What? No, I came back here thinking they may have made it back to the dorms.”

  He paused for a moment, and his face darkened.

  “Something's wrong, isn't it?”

  Hannah nodded gravely.

  “And he's got Addison. He took her hostage,” she said.

  “Wait, what? Hostage? How?”

  “With a knife.”

  “A knife? A real knife o
r a glamour?” he asked.

  Hannah looked at him impatiently.

  “Do you really think I would let him take a hostage with a fake knife? What do you take me for? Human?”

  The elevator door opened, and Hannah rushed straight through the lobby to the sidewalk outside. Joseph was just a step behind. She looked around desperately for signs of them, but couldn’t see anything. She turned to face Joseph.

  “Where would he take her?” she asked.

  “I really don’t know."

  “THINK!” Hannah screamed at him.

  “Look, we just got here. I have no idea where he would go."

  “Well, you’re super helpful aren’t you?”

  “Well you screaming at me doesn’t...” he began, but was cut off by Hannah shoving her hand in his face.

  “Wait...”

  She paused and sniffed the air.

  “You smell that?” she asked.

  Joseph sniffed the air as well.

  “Blood,” he said.

  Hannah’s eyes widened, and she took off in the direction of the scent, with Joseph racing to keep up.

  She stopped at the intersection at the end of the block and knelt down. Joseph knelt down beside her. There were a few droplets of blood on the ground. Hannah dabbed a drop with her finger and held it up to her nose.

  “It’s just Addison,” she said, relieved.

  “Just Addison?” Joseph asked. “So we’re only worried about Taylor here?”

  “You can worry about whomever you like. I have to protect Taylor.”

  With that, she stood up and kept moving in the same direction. Joseph followed close at her side.

  “Why Taylor and not Addison? I thought you two just met?”

  “We did,” she replied. “I feel protective of my roommate, okay?”

  Joseph didn’t respond, instead following her wordlessly down the street.