Relieved, I grabbed my bag, thanked her, and retreated to my room.
I was almost giddy as I slid under my covers in my bed with my earbuds and phone, plugged firmly in to charger. The tension of the day had been steadily creeping up my neck again. A cool pillow to the back of it was definitely the tonic I needed.
Netflix app open, I scanned through show title cards, wondering which I wanted to watch. Two less than stellar recommendations greeted me, almost at the very top: Vampire Diaries and Vampire Knights. I scowled at them and slid on past.
I still had a few episodes of Pretty Little Liars to catch up on, so I picked that. Getting lost in someone else’s drama for a while seemed like a nice way to pass the time.
I was just about to put my earbuds in when I heard something crash outside.
Instantly, my heart was thudding against my chest. Unbidden, visions of Byron rose instantly in my mind: him having ripped through the fence, grappling Mom, an arm thrown around her chest, the other angling her head back as she screamed, and he grinned at me in that manic way, fangs glinting as he lowered them to her neck—
Swallowing back my fear, I clambered out of bed on heavy legs, parted the curtains and looked outside.
It was dark, but there was plenty of illumination from the street lights. Two doors down, just past Gregory’s house, I saw people standing in the yard.
Was that … Laura Grayson’s house?
The little hairs at the back of my neck stood up straight. I pulled open the blinds a little and cracked the window.
They were a rowdy bunch, their voices reaching all the way up to my room as soon as I let the night in.
There were four of them, and they looked like a bunch of drunken college kids—a blond guy, his hair a near-white glow in the night; a darker-skinned man whose features blurred into the night; a girl with very well-styled hair; and what I thought was another girl, from the hair, but when he turned, I could tell he was another man, the wide V of his torso coming into view from side-on. The blond yelled something up toward the house, his hands cupped over his mouth like a megaphone. I didn’t catch it, but there was laughter that followed behind it.
I chewed on my lip, my cheeks growing hot. The girl walked over to the trash cans lined up along the back wall and kicked one over, sending its contents flying all over the grass beside their deck. The darker man had taken hold of the trellis that was positioned above the small gate that led to the backyard and shaken it so hard that the honeysuckle trembled, some of it falling to the ground. On and on it went, the night filled with hooting and cat calling. A light in one of the windows backlit a silhouette, looking out.
Then the three in the yard all gathered together in a group, and there was a flash of light.
Did they … just take a picture of themselves?
Who were these idiots?
“Make sure to upload that one, Roxy,” a male voice said, laughing.
“Hear that, Laura?” the female voice—Roxy—said, even louder. “That’s going to be all over the internet.”
“Just admit it,” said the third voice. “You belong with us. It’s fate.”
“Yeah, what Roxy said,” the first male—I think the blond—said again. “You’ll see. It’ll be amazing.”
I froze, my knuckles turning white as I grasped the windowsill. Had Gregory had been right? His fear had been justified and I’d … just blown him off.
I shook my head. Of course I blew him off. I’d dealt with vampires already. I didn’t want to do that again.
Never again.
As if my thoughts had summoned him, I heard Gregory’s voice carry through the night.
“Hey, you jerkwads!” he called.
Jerkwads?
It might’ve left a little something to be desired in the insult department, but it seemed to work, because the foursome in the yard paused and turned their attention to him.
“Yeah, you!” Gregory hollered. “If you don’t get out of here, I’m coming down there and deal with you myself.”
I blinked in the darkness. First a just-plain-dumb insult, and now Gregory—Gregory—was threatening to deal with them himself?
That would end well.
I could admire his courage, but all I could think was how stupid he was. Did he have any idea what he was doing?
“I’ve got enough stakes here to kill you and your friends!” he shouted loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear him. And probably wonder what the hell was wrong with him. Or maybe assume he had gardening problems to tend to, because what other use would a Floridian have for stakes?
To my surprise, the vampires in the yard threw back their heads and laughed. Laughed so loud and so heartily that I thought if any of them could cry, they would have been.
Then they surprised me again by dashing out of Laura’s yard and into Greg’s.
“Hey … what are you doing?” Gregory shouted, fear creeping into his voice. The blond kicked over his dad’s grill, resulting in a resounding crash that filled the night. The long-haired man pulled a lacey handkerchief from a pocket, brilliantly white in the darkness, and lit it on fire with a cigarette lighter. He dangled it from his fingers, his grin illuminated in the fire light, then delicately set it on the grill’s propane tank.
I stared, horrified. If that went up, it’d make a huge explosion, probably catch the house on fire. And even if it didn’t, the wooden deck beneath it was vulnerable. Plus there was the little matter of my own house, right behind his.
The quartet in the yard, still cackling, headed back across the fence to Laura’s. The silhouette—Laura, it must be—was still there. She was oddly shaped now, and I realized she’d wrapped her arms around herself, head bent and snugged in the crook of an elbow, the picture of total helplessness.
I felt myself sinking alongside her. Watching this was hard—not only because of the memories, and the fear, plus the question of just how many vampires this block could take—but because when Byron had bothered me, he’d done so alone.
Poor Laura was dealing with four of them.
I couldn’t get involved again. Wouldn’t. Just Gregory’s mention of vampires had set me on edge this afternoon in a way I hadn’t been since those first weeks of recovery after Byron’s stalking. To see them now, right on my doorstep, and to think, even for half a second, of going back to that world, when I’d sworn to myself that I never would … it was madness. Pure, distilled madness.
But sometimes, even the best of intentions can’t prevent someone from doing what they feel they have to do—from doing what was right.
Laura was alone in a fight against a force she could not reckon with. Even Gregory, who had witnessed it the tiniest amount through my eyes, had no idea what he was up against.
Only I did.
And I couldn’t just sit back and watch.
My mind made up, the die cast, I steeled my nerves.
Crossing to my bedside table, I opened the drawer—and revealed a wooden stake. I’d whittled it weeks ago when I finally abandoned the barbecue skewers just in case I’d have need of one again.
I’d hoped I never would.
Now I lifted it in careful fingers, the wood cool against my fingers. Carved from an old bough, it curved slightly where I gripped it. Soft bark knobbles pressed into my palm. Tucking it into my waistband, grip side up, I slipped quietly down the stairs.
I was going to get involved.
Chapter 5
Mom was in the shower. Dad still wasn’t home.
I was of two minds as to whether this lack of obstacles was a good thing or not.
Small moves, I told myself as I stepped out into the lanai.
I was surprised that more people were not outside wondering what was going on. I could easily tell the vampires were still out in Laura’s backyard just by the noise they made; their shouts echoed over the pool.
And their laughter sent chills racing up my spine that had nothing to do with the cool air. Slow and steady, I opened the screen door and c
rept into my yard. The most pressing issue at the moment was the fire, so I grabbed the hose and turned it on, a low flow—even this gurgle seemed incredibly loud in the night. Fortunately, for now the vampires’ cat-calling muted it. Pitching the hose upward, I sent an arc over the fence. Maybe the handkerchief had just fizzled out, maybe not. Either way, best to be safe rather than sorry.
My stream didn’t do a thing: when I peered over the fence, I discovered that I’d missed the deck entirely, watering the patio furniture instead. The handkerchief had burned out though, so at least that was one problem solved. The bigger problem was the four vamps in Laura’s backyard. The soft spatter of water hadn’t drawn their attention yet, which was good. However, as to beating them … I was at a loss.
Even if I was technically a vampire slayer (times two) by that point, the odds were not in my favor here. Vampires are incredibly strong, and if I was honest with myself, it was sheer dumb luck that had saved me both times I had fought them before.
If I were to go into a fight with these vampires head on, then I would end up as dinner.
Even so, there had to be a way to get them to leave.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and opened my contacts list. I scrolled through until I found Iona’s name.
It had been three months since I had spoken to her, and I had been perfectly fine with that. But she was the only one that I knew who might be able to help.
Any advice on scaring off vampires? I texted. Got a bunch in my neighborhood, causing mischief.
I hit send, hoping that I’d get an answer soon. Like in the next minute soon.
Knowing I shouldn’t waste my time, I looked around, trying to assess what I could use to my advantage.
A whole lot of nothing.
Grass. A hose. Maybe I could spray holy water at them through the hose?
Hah. Nice thought, and a sort of funny image, but that was never going to happen. I’d have to bless the garden tap, for starters, if not the mains delivering the water in the first place—and a priest, I was not. Something to look into for later. Maybe I should look into befriending a priest at the very least, based on how often I was running into vamps these days.
I continued my visual search over the yard. Shovels. Rakes. Useless to me. I would lose the fight with those as soon as I started it.
I was starting to get desperate.
My phone buzzed in my hand, and I opened it quickly, hungrily.
They’ll run when the cops get there.
My brow furrowed as I stared at the screen. I double-checked the name at the top of the message. No, it was definitely Iona.
Was she crazy?
I looked up, hearing the group two doors down dump something else over in the yard, followed by more laughter. There couldn’t be much more yard left for them to destroy.
What was the likelihood that someone in this oh-so-nice, picture perfect, American dream sort of neighborhood would call the cops?
I chewed on my lip. Why? I sent back in reply.
Her response came within a second. DRAVEN.
I wasn’t sure why I didn’t see it before. Of course they would run. If they caused enough mayhem to bring the cops down, they’d have to answer to Draven, the vampire Lord of the territory. And if my meeting him had made me see anything about him, it was that he liked his territory neat and tidy, off the radar of the humans. He wouldn’t want trouble with the law.
Therefore, the squad of vamps less than two hundred yards away would flee when the cops came rolling down the street.
Feeling the blood thud in my eardrum, I keyed in 9-1-1, and was just about to press dial when—sirens wailed in the distance.
Someone had alerted the police first.
“Looks like the party’s over for now!” one of the vampires shouted up at Laura’s window as red and blue lights strobed across the edges of her house from the street—the police car had pulled to a stop at her curb. “Don’t worry, Laura. We will be back for you soon!”
More cackles, taunts for her to come out to them, and then they turn to scatter just as car doors closing echoed in the night.
Thing was—where were they scattering to?
Gregory’s yard first, vaulting the fence in perfectly graceful leaps—
And then, I realized as a wave of ice overflowed—they surged for mine.
I had less than a second to make a decision. They hadn’t seen me yet. Throwing myself down as quick as a flash, I rolled underneath the bushes bordering the fence, breath held—
The vampires landed barely inches from where I’d just been standing. For all the noise they’d been making, hollering up at Laura, it was almost easy to forget how unnaturally graceful they were. Their landings were near-silent—ridiculous for creatures who were about as hard as concrete, and just as strong.
My breath burned in my chest. My heart thudded, triple-time.
This was the closest I had been to vampires in months—and unlike the party Iona had sent me to, I had never felt more vulnerable. Pressed to the dirt, the earthy scent filling my nostrils even though I didn’t dare breathe, thorns and jagged branches pressing into my skin, I was effectively defenseless. I had my stake, sure—but I lay prone, unable to reach it if they heard me and turned.
And they would hear me. They’d pick up the sound of my frenzied heartbeat in an instant—if they were looking for it.
Four pairs of legs crossed the yard—away.
I didn’t dare breathe. Didn’t dare move. Just stared, out of the corner of one panicked eye, at their receding backs, moving silently through the night, to the edge of the house, then around it—and into darkness.
Then, and only then, did I permit myself to refill my lungs.
It took me a moment or two to pull myself out from underneath the bush once I was convinced that they were truly gone. The lights from the police car still strobed the night, casting long, menacing shadows around the yard. Thankful for the flashlight on my cell, I opened it, and convinced that I was alone in the yard, started back inside the lanai.
I was torn. In one sense, I was somewhat proud of myself for leaping into action, ready to do what I could. Another part of me, though, felt pretty useless. Realistically, what could I do? The cops had been my best bet, and I hadn’t even pulled the trigger on that myself.
I sighed as I pulled a twig from my hair, putting my hand on the doorknob to go back inside. Whether I knew how to help or not, the choice was clear. I was already in over my head and had been since the beginning. The past few months had been nice—but they were a reprieve from this vampire problem, and only that. A short break, time enough to draw a breath, to remember what life was like before a life was in peril. Last time it was mine … this time, Laura’s. Either way …
I was in.
Chapter 6
I stepped back into the kitchen and came face to face with my mother.
“What is going on out there?” she asked, her hand over her chest. “And what in the world were you doing? I didn’t even see you leave.”
“Oh,” I said, and decided to go with mostly the truth. “I heard some noises and looked outside. There was some kind of crazy gang, or a group of drunk teenagers, that were raising all kinds of hell two doors down.”
Her face showed that that was not what she had expected me to say. “How terrible,” she said quietly. She rolled her shoulders, fighting back tension.
“Between things like this,” she said, gesturing back out the door that I had come through, “and what happened a few months ago—” there was no need to specify which event she was referring to “—I’m starting to wonder if this was the best neighborhood for us to have moved to.” She muttered about the research she and Dad had done into the location … then, snapping from her thoughts, she said,
“Are you all right?”
I nodded. “Fine.”
“You look like you were on the ground.”
“I was,” I replied, still attempting to stick with the honesty as far as I could stretch
it. “I didn’t want them to see me.”
She glared. “Why would you go outside to look? That’s insane.”
“I just wanted to make sure that my friend was okay,” I said. “Gregory Holt was shouting out his window at them.” I clicked my tongue in annoyance. “Idiot.”
“No kidding,” Mom said. “Did I see a police car pull up?”
I nodded again. “I guess someone called them. I was about to when it pulled up.”
“Well,” Mom said heavily, shaking her head. “Are they gone now?”
“Yeah, they took off.”
“I hope the police catch them.”
“Me too,” I said, relishing the idea of Draven killing those four on the spot for disturbing the peace. Four fewer vampires in the world would do it a lot of good. I hated Draven, but if any sort of connection to me could be eliminated, the better off I would be.
“I’m going to call to your father,” Mom said finally. “Stay inside, okay? I don’t want you out there. Though I suppose the police may want you as a witness if you saw anything …” She trailed off.
“If you need me, or they show up, I’ll be in my room,” I said. “I didn’t really see much, though.”
Mom nodded, lost in her own thoughts.
I fell back into my bed, pulling my headphones off of the bedside table again, and plugging my phone charger in. Trying to throw myself into normal life once again, I started up the episode of Pretty Little Liars I had been about to watch before being so rudely interrupted.
But five minutes in, I couldn’t focus. All I could think about was Laura.
How long had she been plagued like this? Obviously a while—Gregory had seen it at least once before tonight, and the vampires knew her name. They had chosen her for some reason. It hadn’t taken Byron very long to lay claim to me, at least in his mind. I knew what that was like.
I felt bad for Laura, I really did. No one would understand what she was going through like I did. But what could I do? It wasn’t like I could have single-handedly driven them away tonight. And what if they came back and bothered Laura when I wasn’t around, or couldn’t help?
Someone Should Save Her Page 3
