by Kasi Blake
His father had told him that if a deal sounded too good to be true, he should run. He sure didn’t trust John’s hunting group. Although he wanted to be a great hunter, he didn’t want to join them, not anymore. There was something off about the men in masks. Plus, he was holding a grudge. Hadn’t they tried to kill him with the Sugar Bomb?
“Why didn’t my father work with you?” Trick asked.
Gritty chuckled. “Some hunters prefer to work alone.”
Ian Carver hadn’t trusted other hunters. There were a few like Bash that he’d hunted with on occasion. That was it. He worked with them if he was up against an army of monsters. Otherwise, he just burned the creatures to the ground himself.
A hunter in the back said, “He was afraid we’d terminate him for having wizard power.”
Trick wasn’t sure he wanted an answer to his next question, but he asked anyway. “Would you have killed him?”
“Nah,” the hunter in the background said. “A power like his could have been an asset.”
Gritty added, “We would have watched him to make sure he was only killing monsters.”
“Sounds fair,” Trick said while trying to think his way out of the situation. Maybe they would be okay with a wizard’s son being part of their group; no way would they want a vampire. He added, “There’s somewhere I’m supposed to be right now. Family stuff. I don’t want my nervous mother calling the police to come find me.”
Gritty said, “Relax, kid. We just wanted to offer the invitation. You’re free to go.”
They stopped hovering. One of them slid the door open and jumped out. A few others followed including their leader, the only one not wearing a mask. Gritty grabbed Trick by the arm and pulled him outside. Once Trick’s feet were on asphalt the others jumped back into the van.
Gritty hesitated. Still holding Trick’s arm, he said, “Think about the offer. That’s all we ask. Think about the advantages to working with us. Have Claudia call us with your decision.”
“I don’t need to think about it.” As much as he would love to join a hunting group, he was a new vampire. He wouldn’t be able to hide his identity forever. “The answer is no. Like my father, I work alone.”
“Think about it,” Gritty repeated in a firmer voice.
Then he jumped into the passenger seat, and the van took off down the road. Trick watched to make sure they left. Then he looked around the parking lot. At least no one had seen them grab him. He didn’t feel like fielding questions. After a last look at the school, he straddled his bike and gunned the engine.
Just when he thought life couldn’t get more complicated, he had hunters to deal with.
♫
CHAPTER SEVEN
Once Bitten, Twice Shy
Trick’s shoulders slumped, and he sighed as Matt continued to dribble the basketball. His brother hadn’t moved anything other than his hand in five minutes. Trick looked down their driveway at the quiet street. Still no sign of Dani. Since quitting more than half her Baxter-assigned activities and adding a few of her own, she had a new schedule. He didn’t know where she was every second of the day anymore. That bothered him. She was his person, the one he focused on keeping safe. On the days (nights) somebody died on his watch, all he had to do was think about her. As long as she was alive he could keep going.
Matt wore a heavy jacket and gloves. His teeth chattered as he bounced the ball on frozen cement. At least the snow had receded to the edges near the grass. Frozen puffs of breath made it look like they were smoking without cigarettes. Trick remembered jumping around to keep warm while his fingers and toes went numb. Now he had to fake it.
He sighed again and asked, “Something on your mind, Matthew?”
Matt continued to bounce the ball without looking up. “Life.”
“Too early in the morning for heavy conversations.” Trick stole the ball and ran for the basket.
Matt didn’t even attempt to block him. He remained in the same spot, hand on his hip and a frown on his face as Trick slammed the ball into the net. Matt admitted, “Summer asked me if I would consider becoming a vampire.”
Trick tripped over his own feet and let the ball go. It rolled across the cement. He turned on his brother with a ferocious scowl. “I will stake that b—”
“Hey!” Matt shouted. “You aren’t doing anything to her. She’s my girlfriend, and the decision is mine.”
The ball rolled until it hit a snowpack.
Trick took a deep breath and reminded his brother of something he must have forgotten. “The only reason I am able to walk in sunlight is that I was born with faerie power. It won’t be the same for you. Have either of you two geniuses thought of that?”
Matt retrieved the ball. After picking it up, he stared down at the ball while rolling it between his hands. Hesitating, he said, “Maybe I could find a faerie to feed on like Summer did.”
Matt turned green after saying the words, another reason he shouldn’t consider growing fangs. How could he feed if the mere thought made him queasy?
“What if you can’t?” Trick asked. “What if you sentence yourself to a lifetime hiding from the sun? Does that sound fun to you?”
Matt dribbled the ball a few times and mumbled. “I knew I shouldn’t have told you.”
“No. Telling me is good. What you shouldn’t do is listen to Summer. That girl is nine kinds of crazy. What happens when things don’t work out and she dumps you? Then what? You’ll be immortal, and if you fall in love with a human girl, you’ll have to ruin her life and turn her too. Where does it end?”
Matt glared at him. “In case you haven’t noticed, you’re a vampire, and you’re in love with a human.”
Trick’s cheeks burned. “I am not in love.” He snatched the ball from Matt and shot it at the hoop. The ball didn’t even touch the rim. It sank into the net and bounced on the pavement. Score. Two points. “Who said anything about love? We’re hanging out. That’s all. Dani has a five-year plan that does not include me, and I’m leaving town to be a hunter the second I hit eighteen. We’ll say goodbye and never see each other again.”
“Really?” Matt blinked behind his glasses. “Can you picture life without Dani? Cause I’m having trouble picturing one without Summer.”
“Even if Dani and I fall in love, that doesn’t mean she has to become like me. We could be together for years before we started drawing attention.”
“You’ll look like her son after a while and then like her grandson.” Matt coughed into his closed fist. “Have you thought of that, Einstein?”
“So?” Trick shrugged. Deep down he knew their relationship wouldn’t last that long, but he played along with Matt’s game. “We can live together. They won’t know what our relationship is like behind closed doors. We can fake it in public.”
Matt hesitated, lips pursed. “She’ll die someday.”
Trick swallowed. “I know.”
He pushed the dark thoughts away. He didn’t want to think about Dani’s death. Truth was, he would eventually have to say goodbye to everyone except for Cowboy and Summer. Perhaps Matt becoming a vampire wasn’t the worst thing. They could be brothers forever. He wouldn’t have to lose him.
But he didn’t want his brother trapped in a half-life, cursed forever to walk in darkness. He definitely didn’t want Summer to turn him. If Matt became a vampire, Trick silently swore that he would be the one to turn him.
Anger welled up inside him until he couldn’t contain it. Fists clenched, he swore, “If you even think about turning for that smug little vampire, I will stop you.”
“How?” Matt asked, arms folded.
“I will kick your butt from here to Florida... or maybe I’ll just stake that little—”
Matt grabbed him by the front of his shirt. “You aren’t going to hurt her. Do you understand me?”
Short of pounding on Matt until he was a bloody pulp on the ground, there wasn’t anything Trick could do. The volatile side of him wanted to take their fight to the next lev
el. His fists itched for something to hit. He envisioned staking Summer. The girl was a bad influence on his brother. Matt used to be anti-violence; now he wanted to throw a punch rather than talk.
“You’re only twenty,” Trick said, spreading his hands wide. “What’s the rush? You don’t have to decide the rest of your life right now. Go to college, start a career, and give yourself the opportunity to fall in love with someone else, someone who’s not a vampire.”
Matt agreed with a brief nod. “I can do that.” He released Trick’s shirt with an apologetic smile. “For your information, I wasn’t planning to let her turn me tomorrow. I’m thinking way in the future. Maybe I’ll be willing to do that to be with her someday. Maybe.”
Trick smiled. What was he worried about? Matt couldn’t stand the sight of blood. No way would his brother drink the stuff. Summer wouldn’t be able to convince him.
They played basketball for half an hour while Trick thought about his uncertain future. Once he left home he would have to disconnect with Sean and Laura. At first, he could visit. But after a few years he would have to avoid them because he wouldn’t be getting any older. They’d eventually notice. For a while, he could send emails and talk to them on the phone. That was it.
Scarlet wanted to go with him when he left home to become a full-time hunter, and Matt knew his secret. At least he wouldn’t lose them for a while. They could hang out, be close.
But someday they would die... unless they grew fangs.
Maybe he should be talking Matt into turning vampire instead of trying to talk him out of it. At least he’d be able to hold onto his brother. He shoved the thought aside. Too depressing. They had plenty of time to ponder the issue.
♫
“Stop.” Dani giggled. She elbowed him in the ribs while cradling an open history book in her lap. “People are watching us. We’re supposed to be studying.”
Trick ignored her protest and continued to nuzzle her ear. Her hair tickled his nose. Instead of scratching, he pushed his face against her warm throat. He didn’t care if the entire world was watching. All he wanted to do was forget about school, family, friends, and enemies. He even wanted to forget about hunting. The best thing was he didn’t smell her blood anymore. The problem had somehow solved itself.
Perched on a partial cement wall outside the school’s cafeteria, they only had ten minutes left of their lunch hour. He didn’t want to spend those remaining minutes studying for a test he wasn’t going to pass anyway. History was his worst subject. He had considered asking Jersey Clifford to fill in the blanks. Hadn’t the werewolf been around for thousands of years? Then he decided he didn’t care enough to ask. So what if he flunked a test? There were more important things to deal with.
“Want to do something tonight?” Dani asked. “I know we agreed not to date for a while, but we could do something as friends. We could even invite some other people to join us. It’ll be a group thing.”
He hated disappointing her, but he already had plans. “Scarlet and I are going downtown to hunt. We haven’t done it in a few days. I don’t want to get rusty.”
Dani got a funny, far away look in her eyes. After a few seconds of silence, she said, “There’s something I should tell you.” She stared down at her fingernails instead of looking at him. They were kept short and polished. Picking at the pink coating, she mumbled. “I feel weird about this.”
“You can tell me anything,” he said and immediately realized it was true. He wanted her to be open and honest with him, even if he felt the need to hide things from her.
“Scarlet,” Dani said. “Right before the Shadow Faerie attacked me she came close to admitting she’s in love with you.”
He shook his head in denial. “It’s just a little crush.”
Dani’s eyes grew wide. “You know? And you’re still hanging out with her like you’re buddies?”
“She’s my best friend.”
Dani jumped off the short wall. “She’s in love with you. That changes everything.”
“It doesn’t have to.”
Dani gave him the I-can’t-believe-you’re-so-stupid look. Slowly, she shook her head. “Wow. You are such a guy. If you were a girl, you would understand. If you’re going to stay friends with her, you need to talk. Set boundaries. You can’t just pretend you don’t know.”
Was she right? Although he had considered confronting Scarlet about her feelings, he’d come to the conclusion talking would only make things worse. Neither of them was good with talking things out.
He shrugged. “I don’t want to embarrass her.”
“Do you want to lead her on?” Dani folded her arms and tapped her foot, reminding him of his third-grade school teacher. “That’s what you’re doing. It’s not fair to her or to you. Talk to her.”
He sighed. “Okay. I will. Promise.”
For the next three hours, he replayed Dani’s frantic warning. Talking to Scarlet about her feelings put a sour taste in his mouth. Who was he to tell her how to feel? When it came to girls and their emotions, he believed in one simple rule: Don’t ask. Don’t tell.
♫
Scarlet’s taillights flashed red. He ran across the busy parking lot and jumped into her car before she could start backing up. School had ended ten minutes ago. He was determined to keep his promise to Dani and talk things out with his best friend. No more putting it off. It was time. Hopefully, she would still be his best friend after they finished.
Scarlet gaped at him when he landed in the passenger seat beside her. Settling back, she asked, “Did I forget something?”
“Why don’t you ever talk about your brother?”
That wasn’t at all what he had meant to ask. The words changed somewhere between his brain and his mouth, switching from a confession to a nosy question. But it was something that had been bothering him since he’d learned about her deceased sibling. If Matt died, he wouldn’t be able to keep his mouth shut. He wouldn’t bawl about it in front of people, but he would at least confide in a close friend. He’d want to talk about Matt.
She glared. “Who told you?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“It matters to me. Someone is in need of a serious butt-kicking.” She stared at him for a long silent moment as if she could turn back time by concentrating hard enough. Finally, she said, “Look. I had a brother named Danny, and he died. End of story.”
Danny? An idea occurred to him and he tried it out on Scarlet before giving it much thought. “Maybe that’s why you hate Dani, my Dani so much. It’s the name. It bothers you on a subconscious level.”
Some of Baxter’s psycho-babble had rubbed off on him.
He grimaced, hating the idea.
Scarlet’s expression soured. “That is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. Number one, I never said I hated the ballerina. Number two, I have a lot of reasons to dislike her, and none of them have anything to do with my brother. Now get out of the car. My dad needs it so he can go to work, and I’m already late.”
Hand on the door handle, he hesitated. “I have a new power.”
She sighed. “What is it this time, Superman?”
A loud inner voice warned him to keep his mouth shut. How could he put it without losing her? There didn’t seem to be a smart way to do it. She was going to hate him regardless. He took a deep breath before admitting, “I can see a memory through another person’s eyes. It’s like I’m inside their head.”
“You can read minds?”
“No. Yes. Kind of.” He sighed in frustration and leaned back against the seat. Through the windshield, he saw students moving in packs, some to their cars and some to the bus. He added, “I know what they were thinking at the time of the memory. It’s like I’m them. I feel their feelings and hear their thoughts and...”
Her eyes narrowed as she made the connection. “Have you used this new power on me?”
The moment of truth arrived with the subtlety of a nuclear bomb. Trick didn’t want to make a full confession. He didn’t
want to deal with tears or biting anger. He also didn’t want to get into an emotional discussion.
Instead of meeting her eyes, he kept staring straight out the windshield. “When you were in the hospital, I wanted to see who put you there. But I saw something I wasn’t planning on. It’s not like I can control it. I know you... have a thing for me.”
“What?” Blood filled her cheeks, turning them a guilty shade of red. She scoffed. “Oh my... get over yourself.”
“Don’t bother denying.” He turned in his seat to face her. “I’ve been in your head more than once. When we went dancing last time, you touched me, and I knew what you were feeling.”
She shouted, “You spying little jerk!”
“It’s not anything I can control.” He shrugged. “It just happens.”
“How much did you see? What do you think you know?”
“I know you think you’re in love with me.”
“Get out of my car.”
“Scar—”
“Get out!” Her face turned a deeper shade of red, and he saw the moment she built a wall between them. He actually saw it happen in her eyes. She screamed, “Get out! Get out! Get out!”
Left without a choice, he complied. She drove away with a couple vicious horn honks for people getting in her way. He stared after her, wishing he had handled it in a different way. What if he’d lost her forever? She was his best friend, his side-kick. Who would hunt with him now? Bash?
♫
A week later, the snow had completely melted. Trick needed time to think, so he played basketball alone in the driveway. Scarlet hadn’t spoken to him since their fight. He called her number at least twice a day and texted her every hour. No response. She was seriously mad, and he didn’t know what to do to fix things. In the past when they’d fought, it had ended as soon as it began. Her silence worried him.
Since he was alone, he left his jacket inside the house. There wasn’t anyone around to wonder why he wasn’t cold. He rushed at the garage door, jumped at the last second, and slammed the basketball into the net. Or at least that was his intention. An intruding hand came out of nowhere at the last second and smacked the ball hard. It flew in the opposite direction. Their feet landed at the same time his did, and Trick found himself face to face with Bash.