A vague memory swam up in my mind. She’d said there was a clan she could have gone to that was full of platypuses, right? I went back to Wereconnection and searched for “platypus,” where I found something called a monotreme clan. I had no idea what that was, but I called the clan leader anyway.
“Oh, yes, I remember her!” the chattery man who answered said. “Sweet little girl, too bad we didn’t have any echidnas for her to play with. She felt left out at her first full moon when we had our usual pool party, poor thing.”
“Um,” I said. She’s a teenager. Don’t call her a little girl. “Do you have any idea how I could get in touch with her?” I hedged.
“I’m sure I can find the number somewhere!” the man said. “So she’s joined a new clan? I’m so glad! Now she’ll have other friends to play with!”
Again, stop talking like we’re ten, I thought in irritation.
It took him nearly fifteen minutes, chattering nonstop about a bunch of stuff I didn’t care about and people I’d never met, and then he finally found the phone number and passed it on to me.
“Tell her we miss her and she’s always welcome back!” he said cheerfully.
“Thanks for the number,” I said with relief. “Gotta go now. Bye!”
I ended my call just as Kegan ended hers. She glared at her phone.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“I called all seven clans and none of them helped me,” Kegan said. “One of them must have been lying.”
“Only fair, since you were lying to them,” I shrugged.
She glared at me.
“Think they were suspicious that you were from Rarity Clan?” I asked, dialing the echidna girl’s number.
“No, but I think one of the clan leaders might have been related to the guy’s girlfriend or something,” Kegan said, tapping her phone. “There was a woman who seemed totally unfriendly when I said I knew him from school.”
I laughed as my phone rang by my ear. “Maybe he gets a lot of girls trying to find him.”
“Hello?” an exhausted, miserable voice said. It sounded like it might be the wereechidna girl.
“Hello!” I said quickly. “I’m Lisette. I’m the werevulture you met before. At Rarity Clan. I was wondering, how are you doing after the whole —”
“DON’T DO IT!” she screamed.
I was taken aback. “… What?”
“Don’t do it, don’t do it, don’t do it!” she screamed. “Don’t do it, don’t do it, don’t do it!” She burst out sobbing.
My mouth fell open. I had no clue what to say. “Uh . . . was your family upset or something?”
“I told them that I wasn’t tainted!” she sobbed. “They didn’t believe me!”
Oh, I thought. Well, yeah.
“Give them time,” I said. “After a few months, when they see that you’re not changing or going crazy . . .”
She sobbed harder. “So I tried to prove it to them, and I stole the turning stone, and IT TURNED PINK!”
My mouth moved. I was speechless for a moment. “It . . . turned . . . pink?”
“And they found it, and they all hate me now, and the clan’s ruined forever!” she bawled.
Now I really had no clue what to say.
Telling her that she’d been stupid wouldn’t help, not when she already knew that. Telling her it would be fine wouldn’t help either, and it would be a lie.
I’d thought Rodrigo was hiding something, but I honestly hadn’t thought he’d been lying about this. I’d honestly thought that they weren’t actually tainted.
Apparently everything he’d said was a lie.
“Have you . . . told the police?” I ventured.
“I can’t!” she sobbed. “I can’t! They’d destroy our turning stone!”
She clearly wasn’t thinking very clearly. I tried to be reasonable for her. “If it’s tainted, it won’t do any good, and it’s actually dangerous —”
“No!” she cried. “No, no, no, no, no! Don’t tell them! Don’t tell them! Promise you won’t!”
I was so not going to promise that. I had every intention of telling them the second I had the chance.
“Have you tried calling the other people from the meeting to warn them not to touch their clans’ turning stones?” I asked instead.
She just sobbed louder.
I held the phone away from my ear and sighed in annoyance. I hated it when people cried hysterically around me.
I said some generic comforting things, not even really paying attention to what, until she seemed to have calmed down a bit. Finally I felt like I could hang up.
As I said goodbye and ended the call, I took a deep breath. I looked over at Kegan, who was watching me.
“Did I overhear what I think I overheard?” she asked me.
“Probably,” I said. “She’s tainted.”
Kegan nodded. “I was kind of afraid of that.”
“I wasn’t!” I shook my head. “It doesn’t make any sense! What could Rodrigo possibly have to gain from that?”
“Maybe he just wants to taint people?” Kegan said.
“Then why doesn’t he just have the baobhan sith run around the city touching everyone in a crowd with that tainted stone? She could do that! He’s not just looking for people to taint, he’s looking for volunteers!”
Kegan was silent. “Do you think he’s going to do it again?” she asked at last.
I thought about the cards he’d given to all of us. “Yes,” I said. “There’s no doubt.”
“Guess what!” Annette cried, prancing in. “Guess what!”
“What?” I snapped.
“I found Jordan Kapreclanumdhlebe!” she said proudly. “And I talked to him on the phone, and he said he’s doing fine. Better than fine.”
“He’s tainted,” I said flatly. “That won’t last.”
“No, no, I asked him about that!” Annette said. “He said his parents wanted proof he wasn’t tainted, and he touched the turning stone, and it stayed green. Isn’t that great?!”
Kegan made a choking sound.
“What?!” I asked incredulously.
Either somebody was lying, or this had just gotten even weirder. I was starting to feel very confused.
“Hey, Annette,” Kegan said quickly, snapping her fingers, “I’ve had the hardest time getting in touch with the vampire pumpkin. Can you try to get in touch with him for me?”
“Sure!” Annette said, grinning. “I’m great at finding things!”
We waited until we had heard her bouncing down the stairs.
I knew what Kegan was thinking. I was thinking it, too.
“There’s no way,” I told Kegan. “I’m not going to call Rodrigo.”
“No, of course you can’t,” she agreed. “That would be a really bad idea.”
“Even if I want answers, he’d just lie to me,” I explained.
“Totally,” Kegan agreed.
“And, I mean, what would I say, anyway?” I demanded. “‘Hey, I’m worried about the people who got turned. Is it possible that any of them got tainted?’”
“You’d just be calling attention to yourself,” Kegan nodded. “Just like in class. Bad idea.”
“And there were only, what, like, seven people turned?” I went on. “That’s a maximum of seven turning stones in danger. Six, if one of them is just fine! I mean, assuming there aren’t a dozen more Rarity Clans or something.”
“He’s going to get caught, no matter what,” Kegan said. “The police are looking for him. I bet they’ve even got the FBI on it or something.”
“I mean, I’m not involved in this anymore,” I said. “I’m safe. If he had a thing against vultures, he wouldn’t have let me go.”
“Or invited you there in the first place,” Kegan agreed.
“Right!” I cried. “I mean, yeah, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t hope that maybe I have some awesome magical power nobody knows about except the bad guys, and that maybe Rodrigo could tell me what it is, but i
t’s not like he would.”
“He definitely wouldn’t,” Kegan said.
“And Loretta Vampireclanbaobhansith? She’s super scary! I mean, she’s practically invulnerable!”
“Except the police probably know how to fight it,” Kegan said.
“Right,” I agreed quickly. “The police will be fine. It’s just that I wouldn’t be.”
“Definitely not. You don’t want her anywhere near you.”
“And people beat baobhan siths in the Dark Ages,” I said. “It’s not like there’s no way to stop her. They’ll know just what to do.”
“Way better than we would,” Kegan assured me.
We were silent for a long moment.
“So when are you going to call him?” Kegan asked.
“Just as soon as you promise to call the police afterwards,” I said.
Chapter 14: Not the Problem
There was, quite obviously, no way my parents would agree to let me go back to Rodrigo, probably because they were saner than I was.
I doubted even the police would allow it. Which was why I was going to ask for forgiveness, not permission.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to go home and talk to the police first?” Kegan hedged. “I promise I’ll call them, but —”
“I’m positive,” I said. “They’d just tell you to stop me.”
Besides, I have to get this done before I lose my nerve.
I still had Rodrigo’s number in my phone, so it didn’t matter that Mom and Dad had taken the card away. I scrolled down my list of contacts and selected “Thingy,” the name I’d given him just in case anyone snooped.
I waited, my heart pounding.
The phone rang four times, and a voicemail picked up. “Hello, this is Rodrigo Vampireclanaswang. I’m not available right now, but if you’d like to leave a message —”
I slammed my finger on the “End Call” button, my heart pounding. What had I been thinking? Of course I didn’t want to talk to Rodrigo! Was I crazy?
“Voicemail?” Kegan asked.
“Voicemail,” I said.
“You going to call back?” she asked.
I hesitated. Was I going to? I really didn’t have to. I mean, I’d done my best, right?
Maybe the police had someone undercover already. If they did, I’d just get in that person’s way. Plus it was dangerous. And —
My phone rang, making me yelp.
I grabbed the phone before the ringtone could get to the chorus and put it up to my ear. “H-hello?”
“Hello, Lisette,” Rodrigo said in his smooth, calm voice. “I’m sorry I missed your call a few seconds ago.”
The prepared speech I had planned flew out of my head. “H-hi,” I stammered. “Y-you said to call you if . . . so . . .”
“You’ve been thinking you might want your species changed?” he asked kindly. “I figured you might.”
No! I wanted to scream. No ifs, ands, or buts! There is no way I’m touching that tainted turning stone!
“Uh . . .” I stalled. “Uh . . .”
“I understand if you’re nervous,” he said gently.
“Yes! Nervous! Yes!” I gratefully grabbed at the lifeline he’d offered. “I’m very nervous about the whole taint thing. I think it might not be safe.”
“That’s only natural,” he assured me. “New things are always frightening.”
“So, what if somebody did get tainted?” I blurted out. “Could that happen?”
Rodrigo was silent for a moment. “That could happen,” he said at last. “The chances of it happening are very unlikely, but as with any turning, there are risks that it could go wrong.”
“What are the chances?” I demanded.
“What were the chances that you might end up human when you chose to be turned the first time?” Rodrigo responded.
That wasn’t an answer.
“One in a hundred? One in a thousand?” I demanded.
Rodrigo sighed. “Do you need some kind of proof that it’s safe? I can provide it if you really need it.”
My heart leapt. A way in without committing to anything!
“Yes,” I said immediately. “Proof would be great.”
Rodrigo sighed again. “All right. I’ll arrange to have Loretta pick you up at your house. Do you have anything going on right now?”
“R-right now?” I stammered. I could see Kegan’s eyes go wide. She shook her head frantically. “N-no, but —”
“Good, then now would be the best time,” Rodrigo said. “Be waiting outside so that she doesn’t need to ring the doorbell. Better if fewer people notice you leave.”
This is bad. This is really, really bad. This is really, really, really, really bad.
I couldn’t go with Rodrigo before Kegan had even called the police. How would they set anything up? How would I even warn my parents?
“I do have homework!” I burst out. “Maybe we can do this on a different day?”
“Lisette,” Rodrigo said with clear annoyance, “I am offering this as a public service. If you want proof that it’s safe, now’s the time. If you don’t want to be turned, that’s fine, but I cannot arrange my whole schedule at your convenience.”
In other words, this was my only chance to find out anything else about Rodrigo. I still had that wire from before, right? The police hadn’t come to pick it up. I could wear that again. And Kegan could call them immediately after I left.
This might be okay. This might be good. This might be okay.
“O-okay,” I said. “I’ll be ready in ten minutes.”
Kegan kept on shaking her head and started shaking her fists.
“She’ll be there in five,” Rodrigo said, and hung up.
My hands were shaking as I put my phone down.
“You didn’t, did you?” Kegan demanded.
“I don’t have time to argue,” I snapped, hopping off my bed and heading for my closet. I had hidden the wire dangling from the hanger inside an old shirt that I never wore anymore. “I only have five minutes to get ready. Will you tell the police to listen in on this thing again? Maybe they’ll find something useful. Though I bet they’ll have to slow it down, so they’ll be way behind whatever’s happening.”
“You did!” Kegan shouted. “You agreed to meet him! Are you out of your mind?!”
“I said I don’t have time to argue! Help me put this thing on.”
Kegan’s face turned bright red, and she stormed to the door and flung it open. “LISETTE’S MOM! LISETTE’S DAD!”
“Kegan!” I cried furiously. “You can’t tattle on me!”
She grabbed the wire and went full banshee, her glowing eyes glaring at me with her hair and dress floating behind her.
“Give me back the wire!” I said, snatching for it. But it was as insubstantial as she was. “Kegan, come on! All that’s going to do is make me less safe!”
“What’s going on?” Mom gasped, running into the room.
“Is someone trying to break in?” Dad demanded, close at her heels.
Kegan went substantial again. “Lisette called Rodrigo, and he said he’s coming to pick her up in five minutes, and she said okay!”
“WHAT?!” Mom shouted.
“Blabbermouth,” I muttered.
“Hang on,” Dad said, his voice unusually sharp. “Why did you do that, Lisette?”
“Because the wereechidna says her family’s turning stone turned pink after she touched it and that means she’s tainted and that means he’s tainting people and that means I have to save them all and that’s why,” I snapped.
Collette appeared behind Mom. “What’s going on?”
“This was a terrible idea, Lisette!” Mom shouted.
Collette snorted with laughter. “Oh, you heard about their costumes, did you?”
Dad whirled around at her. “You knew about this?!”
Collette looked shocked and baffled. “Uh — am I missing something? They were just planning to sneak down to the police station. It was du
mb, but —”
“Lisette called Rodrigo and she’s agreed to go with him somewhere and we can’t let her do it because she’ll get killed or tainted!” Kegan blabbed in one breath.
“I can’t believe you did this!” Mom exclaimed.
“What’s going on?” Annette asked, poking her head through the doorway behind Collette.
I glared at Kegan. “Best friends aren’t supposed to tattle.”
“Best friends don’t let each other walk into obvious death traps,” she said furiously.
“You’re not going out that door,” Dad said.
“What’s going on?” Annette asked, looking confused.
Nobody answered her.
“I am going,” I said, snatching the wire from Kegan’s hand and stuffing it into my bra, “and that’s it.”
The doorbell rang downstairs.
“See?” I snapped. “I told you I had no time to argue! Now I don’t even have time to tape this down or see if it still works! Get out of my way!”
“You are not going downstairs,” said Dad in a voice that was eerily calm.
Collette blocked the door with an enormous bird foot with sharp talons.
Mom shifted and flew to the window, where she perched with her wings spread dangerously.
“Lisette,” Kegan said, her voice trembling, “I don’t want you getting killed.”
“Neither do I,” Dad said.
“Or I,” said Mom.
“Or I,” Collette added.
“What’s going on?” Annette squealed.
The doorbell rang again, this time sounding impatient.
“Look, what’s that?!” I shouted, pointing to the other side of the room.
Everyone spun to look. I was already shifting. As I shrank, I bolted straight through the space between Collette’s legs.
“Come back!” Collette screamed.
I heard footsteps pounding behind me, but I tried to ignore them as I leapt in the air to fly down the stairs. I’d had enough Flyers’ Ed practice to soar down the stairs for sure!
I’d forgotten how wide my wings were.
I smacked one side of the wall, then the other, then smashed into the potted plant Mom kept in the hallway. I was lucky, extremely lucky, that knocking it over had broken my fall instead of injuring myself horribly. I scrambled up to my feet, shifting back, and yanked the deadbolt back from the front door.
Trials of a Teenage Werevulture (Trilogy of a Teenage Werevulture Book 1) Page 12
