“Road trip? You bet. Where are we headed?”
“Just to Yellow Pine.”
“That’s not a road trip. That’s a road stumble. What the hell is in Yellow Pine other than rednecks and fleas?”
“An antique book store. I am doing some fam—uh, some research for my AP thesis and the lady at the bookstore has something I need.”
“AJ, as much fun as this trip sounds, I think I’m going to have to pass. I have a lightbulb I need to swallow tonight.”
“You’re not even gonna lie to me about needing to study?”
“Nah. Since when do I study?”
“Fine. I’ll call Malia.”
Malia was all about the road trip. Of course, she has always been a book lover like me, so this was really more up her alley, anyway. When we were younger, Malia and I would go to the library on purpose…you know, to get books to read. Bridget would tag along only because there might be a cute boy there. But I still wanted Bridget with me today. I’m sure if I had pushed it, she would’ve come, but probably it wouldn’t have been worth the whining I would’ve had to listen to.
Yellow Pine is about thirty minutes from Valley Springs, and if Valley Springs is considered a small town, then Yellow Pine is positively microscopic in comparison. As the sign boasts, Population 84—not including the chickens. It has a Piggly Wiggly/Post Office. Next door is the Police Station/City Hall, and one block away is Jill’s Antique Books and Tea Shoppe. You know it’s a small town when the postmaster is also the butcher.
I parked in front of a pretty white Victorian house adorned with coral shutters and dragonfly wind chimes. The front porch creaked as we walked around to the bookstore entrance.
Jill opened the door before we rang the bell. She had short graying hair and a welcoming smile and wore her reading glasses on a beautiful multicolored beaded strand. She ushered us inside with a flurry.
“Hello, girls, welcome! Would you care for some tea?”
We both declined as she led us through a hallway cluttered with stacks of books piled to the ceiling. “Just ignore this mess. I’ve pulled the texts I think you’re looking for.”
Malia and I followed Jill past the entrance that led from the house to the store. We walked through the kitchen to a dark room in the back of the house. “This is where I keep my newly acquired stuff. It looks like a junk room, but I swear it’s all organized chaos. I like to sort through everything here before I place it in the store. You can sit there.” She pointed to a rickety card table. An old reading lamp cast a dim circle on the tabletop.
We took our seats as Jill reached behind a bookcase and flipped on an overhead light. Thank God. I was beginning to wonder if I needed to learn Braille.
“I got so excited after Morris—I’m sorry, Mr. Charles—called me.”
“Morris?” Malia and I both started laughing. No wonder he kept his first name a secret.
“It’s a very respectable name, so shush,” Jill said with a slight smile as our giggles finally died down. “As I was saying, I got so excited because recently I bought an ancient chest that was rumored to have been carved for a vampire council.” Her smile broadened. “I have a bit of an obsession with vampire mythology, so I collect—a lot,” she said as an aside. “Anyway, in the chest I found a secret compartment. There was just one scroll hidden there, but I suspect there are more. When Mr. Charles mentioned the Serpentines, I just knew I could help. Take a look at this.”
She gently lifted a yellowed parchment from a tube sitting on the floor next to the table. Its edges were no longer smooth and had darkened with age. The delicate paper made a sound like thick tissue as Jill rolled it flat onto the table.
The Serpentine S was imprinted in a dark red wax seal at the top. I knew the color had come from the blood of unwilling humans, and a chill washed over me. Malia touched the seal as if in awe.
“Wow,” she whispered. “Touch it. It feels warm. Like it has its own energy.”
“No way,” I said. But when I looked down, my hand had acted alone, as if a magnet were pulling it. I started to fight the pull, then changed my mind and allowed my hand to touch the seal.
It is your destiny.
The voice in my head startled me—but not quite as much as the screaming did.
Their screams. Echoes of the victims who had been sacrificed to create the mark. It was a blood seal imprinted with death and pain, and because of that, it was alive with the victims’ energy.
And power.
I was equally repulsed and compelled. I tried to fight the impulse and pull my hand away, but instinct took over.
The force hummed through me, and as much as the sounds of death revolted me, the power tempted me. Called to me. All but invited me to be a part of it. Control it. Use it.
My gums tingled and I could feel my fangs as they began to descend. I closed my eyes to try to regain control, but instead, I seemed to fall into another world.
I was in a cold, damp cave, surrounded by fog. A hooded figure with piercing blue eyes stared at me. He smiled, but there was no warmth there. He held his hand out, and the screams seemed to fade into the background. There was chanting, but the language was foreign to my ears.
Focus on the white.
A new voice whispered.
Focus on the white.
I tried, but it was so hard. My fangs wouldn’t ascend and the world into which I had fallen wouldn’t fade.
“Oh, look at that!” Jill said, removing my hand from the seal and breaking the trance I was under. My fangs shot back into my gums, and the hooded man with the blue eyes disappeared.
I couldn’t really concentrate on what Jill was showing me because my head was still swimming a little. The humming faded, and all that was left was a breathless feeling, like I had been punched in the gut.
“That was weird,” I muttered to no one.
Malia eyed me with a cocked brow. “You going all freakazoid on me?”
“No. I guess it’s just my sinuses. You know, with all the dust in the air and everything.” Okay, maybe not sinuses, but it was definitely a head trip.
I glanced at Jill, who was holding a magnifying glass over some text just below the seal.
“This is so strange,” Jill said. “How did I miss this script? I’m usually more thorough than that.”
“What does it say?” I asked.
“I’m not sure, it looks to be written in an ancient language. It’s definitely rooted in Gaelic. I think I can decipher it—or at least come close.” She placed the magnifying glass on the table. “I’ll be in the back looking for the right text to help decipher the inscription. You girls can look as long as you like. Copy the text if you wish. Just don’t take this with you. And be careful with it. This may be more valuable than I had originally thought.”
“‘The Lost has been found,’” I repeated to Malia as we drove into Valley Springs. “That was Jill’s interpretation, right?”
“Yep. Pretty weird, huh?”
“Totally weird. I wish Bridget had been here with us. She would’ve loved that.”
I pulled into Malia’s driveway and parked. “What?” I asked when I saw the strained look on Malia’s face.
“It’s probably nothing. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“No. It’s not nothing. What are you keeping from me?”
Malia sighed. “It’s just that Bridget has been acting way weird with me since I’ve been back. I’m sure it’s that she’s had you all to herself for so long and is readjusting to sharing.”
“Ha-ha. Bridget is so not like that and you know it. I haven’t noticed her acting any different.”
“It could be me. Maybe I don’t want to share you,” she said, smiling. “I’m just so happy to be back. Thanks for calling me tonight.”
Malia got out of the car and waved good-bye from the window in her living room. It was good to have her back. I picked up my cell and called Bridget.
“Hey, chica,” she said, answering on the third ring.
�
��What took you so long to answer? You in bed already?”
“Not exactly. I was tucking Grady in for the night.”
“You’re such a slut! That’s why you abandoned me tonight. You traded in your best friend for a booty call. I’m wounded.”
Bridget laughed. “No booty call…yet. We were studying—for the most part.”
“I thought you never studied,” I reminded her with a snicker. “Whatever happened to friends first? Anyway, you missed a good time tonight. Malia went with me since you were too busy getting your ‘study’ on. We saw a pretty cool ancient document. And I swear some words just appeared on the scroll after we touched it.”
She yawned. Loudly. “Sounds awesome. I bet that was so much more fun than sitting on Grady’s lap with my tongue down his throat. How was Malia? She’s been kinda weird since she’s been back.”
“Funny. She said the same thing about you. Are y’all having trouble finding your friend groove?”
“I guess. Something doesn’t feel right about her. It’s like she’s trying too hard to be your friend. Haven’t you noticed?”
“She seems like the same old Malia to me, only taller and prettier,” I said. “Hey, I’m home now, so I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”
“Later.”
I clicked the phone off and stepped out of the car. My neck hairs stood to attention and goose bumps ran a race across my body as my gut clenched.
Someone was there.
I concentrated on my vision and scanned the surrounding area. It took a moment, but my very weak night vision finally kicked in. Why had I spent my entire life avoiding all things vampire?
I caught a flash of something over by the fence that separated the yard from the alley, but it moved too quickly. The wind picked up, carrying with it a whisper. Another voice. But this time, not in my head.
AJ.
My stomach lurched. I scanned along the fence until I saw another movement. A raccoon was perched on the railing, munching on a fresh piece of squash.
I guess I could hear animals talking to their food now. Boy, that’s gonna be a useful ability.
“Aunt Doreen’s gonna kick your ass if she catches you, Ricky Raccoon,” I said with a laugh.
Obviously, I was paranoid. There was nothing out there. I had worked myself into a frenzy over the news that Noah’s body was missing. Add that to a big dose of guilt, and you had me jumping to the biggest conclusion ever. What a moron.
But the goose bumps had not disappeared and my hairs were still standing on end. So I searched the woods once more just to put my unreasonable mind at ease.
A flash of color caught my eyes.
I glanced up to the large oak, sharpened my focus, and nearly threw up when I saw the face of Noah James staring back at me.
Chapter 12
It wasn’t my guilt and I wasn’t out of my mind.
Noah hissed, then lunged toward me from the tree. I stumbled backward, lost my footing, and fell on my butt in the driveway. He landed about ten feet from me.
I staggered to my feet and backed away, stunned and breathless. My body was shaking, like I had fallen through the ice on a frozen lake.
In a flash, Noah was behind me. He grabbed me by the arm but yelped and jumped back as if I had burned him.
I turned to face him.
“What do you want with me?” I asked, unable to disguise the fear in my voice.
“Don’t worry, AJ,” he jeered. “I’m not going to hurt you…yet. But I’ll be here. Watching. And even though I can’t touch you, I can touch your family. So keep your trap shut or I’ll feast on your sisters first and save your hot mom for dessert.”
He paused and sneered. “I wonder if the twins taste alike.”
And then he vanished into thin air. A yellow ribbon floated to the ground. I picked it up and panic seized my throat. It was a monogrammed hair band that belonged to Ana.
Well, the good news is, I wasn’t schizoid. The bad news? My worst nightmare had come to life. Well, half-life.
I ran into the house, locking the door behind me in a panic. How would I keep Noah out of the house and away from my family? He wondered if the twins tasted the same? Ugh.
Panic flowed through me as I walked into the kitchen. Aunt Doreen was preparing a plate with a rare filet and a helping of mashed potatoes the size of my head.
“Perfect timing, dearie. I thought ye might be a bit famished.”
“Wow. You’re good,” I said, hoping she was buying my “it’s-all-cool” act. I sat my backpack down, glanced nervously out the kitchen window, and parked my butt at the island. “I can’t believe I forgot to eat today.” I was hungry despite the ball of nerves in my belly.
“It happens. Especially when ye’ve a lot on your mind.”
“Mmmm. This is so awesome. Thanks.” I had to force myself to stop obsessively glancing outside. I couldn’t risk Aunt D noticing my jumpiness.
“I sprinkled a little sage and basil on your steak—to help you sleep a little better.”
Okay, I either had Hefty bags under my eyes or Aunt Doreen dabbled in some form of medieval Scottish voodoo. How did she know I hadn’t been sleeping?
The steak filled me up and cut any cravings I was having, but the mashed potatoes were like dessert. Why couldn’t vampires just feed on loaded taters? Oh well, I always have been a dreamer.
I picked up my backpack and headed toward the stairs but stopped when I heard female giggling in the den. Then I heard Ryan’s throaty laugh. My dinner suddenly felt like a boulder in my stomach.
I walked around the stairs and peered inside the room to see Lindsey Rockport and Ryan huddled together on the floor.
Lindsey looked up with a slight smirk. “Hello, AJ. Would you like to join us? We’re making my campaign posters.”
Ryan flinched. “Hey,” he said.
“You’re running for president, too?” I asked before common sense could take over and stop me.
Lindsey’s smile widened. It wasn’t friendly. “Yes. I just assumed your brother told you.” She placed her hand over his.
Gee, thanks, Lindsey. I’m pretty sure I would’ve gotten the hint without that little possessive move. My hackles went up immediately.
Ryan didn’t move his hand. “I still plan to help with your posters, I promise.”
“Aw, that’s so sweet, Ryan. Too bad I hadn’t planned to ask for your help. Y’all have fun.” I turned and stalked up the stairs.
Then I slammed the door to my room, cranked up my Flyleaf CD, curled up next to Spike, and allowed myself a good cry.
Why couldn’t I go back in time, erase the last four days, and start over? Things would be different. Ryan and I would still be together. Noah would still be alive—and not in the undead way. And, most of all, I wouldn’t know I was the descendant of some ancient evil clan of vampires.
It was bad enough knowing I was a regular vampire, thank-you-very-much.
Once my eyes finally stopped leaking, I pulled the shades on all my windows and noticed there were new window boxes full of ferns, basil, sage, and African violets. Clearly, Aunt D had been busy today. They were a nice touch and made the room feel homey. The fragrance calmed me a bit, taking my mind off the evil undead that loomed outside staring at me.
I slipped out of my clothes, placed my new necklace on the dresser, and ran a hot bath. Maybe I could soak my worries away. Not sure how I was gonna soak away my ancestry, or turn Noah James to dust with just a bath, but I was sure gonna try.
The steam from the water surrounded me like a fog, and the heat soothed me to the bone as my body seemed to melt into the water. I leaned back on my bath pillow and closed my eyes.
I missed Ryan. But, God, I was so angry with him. Not just over the Lindsey crap, which was enough of a reason, if you ask me, but over the Noah crap as well. He lied to me. And I lied for him.
They all lie, a voice whispered in my head.
Whatever. They don’t all lie. I’m the one who lied to the cops, after all. Was
that like perjury? No. I didn’t swear an oath. I just lied to protect Ryan.
To protect yourself. Your history. Your destiny, the voice whispered again.
My destiny? What a joke. My destiny was supposed to be with Ryan. Or at least that’s what I had thought. But no. My mother had to go and marry his father. I swear to God that life is just Fate’s little chess game. She’s a mean bitch, that Fate.
Destiny has two paths. Look to your past to find your future.
“AJ. AJ! Wake up,” Mom said, shaking my shoulder. “How long have you been in here? You’re freezing! Here.” She handed me a towel. “Dry off and get dressed.”
“What?” I asked, blindly obeying her. “What time is it?”
“Two A.M. Octavia called me a few minutes ago and told me I needed to check on you when I got home. She said she’s still connected to you somehow. She said something about lots of guilt. Are you feeling guilty about something, honey?”
Shivering, I toweled off. “That’s just freaky. I could’ve sworn I’d only been in the tub five minutes. But it must’ve been longer, since I was having some strange-ass dreams—with some weird voice. I guess Aunt Doreen’s herbs did help me sleep.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. And I guess I’m feeling a little guilty about Noah. I can’t help but wonder…” About why the undead Noah James was now stalking me? I shrugged into my pj’s and jumped under my covers. I wanted to share my fears about Noah with Mom, but his threat hovered over me like a storm cloud. If I kept quiet, my family would remain safe. And even though I couldn’t trust him, I also couldn’t take that kind of risk. So I hedged.
“Plus I did some research today and I guess it kinda freaked me out a little.”
“Honey, what happened to Noah was tragic, but it wasn’t your fault. And I want you to be careful with your research, AJ. The Serpentines are not a clan we want to mess with.”
“I’m only looking for information on the prophecy you were telling me about.”
“Just tread lightly.”
“Yes, ma’am. And thanks for not letting me drown, Mom. I’m sorry about the fight we got into.”
Bite Me! Page 8