by Wendi Wilson
“Piper,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest, “you have to watch the eyes. That’s the only way you’ll ever come close to anticipating where an opponent might strike. If you are ever going to stand a chance against…someone like me, you need to stay focused on the eyes.”
A vampire’s movements were too fast to track. That’s what he meant. Watching the hands and feet would do me zero good because by the time my human eyes registered the movement, it was too late. Of course, even if I watched his eyes and determined where he’d strike next, I’d still be too slow to react.
This was pointless.
“It would be easier if I was a vampire,” I mumbled under my breath as I relaxed back into the defensive stance.
Of course, Warren heard it and cocked his head. “Is that something you might consider?”
“What do you mean?” I asked, shock rippling through me at his hopeful tone and the warmth in his eyes.
“I mean,” he said, lowering his voice as another group of campers meandered by, watching us, totally enthralled by the all-new counselor self-defense class, “if you were like us, teaching you to defend yourself would be easy as a snap.” He snapped his fingers with the word, a smile tugging up his lips. “You’d be stronger, faster. You already possess good instincts, and those would be amplified and sharpened. You’d be damn-near invincible, Piper Williams.”
I couldn’t believe what he was saying. Was he really touting the benefits of becoming a vampire? Of willingly cursing myself to a life of sun sensitivity and craving human blood? Of watching everyone I knew die as I continued to live… forever?
A tiny voice inside my head thrilled at the thought of being on equal footing with Levi. Of being able to be with him for years. Decades. Centuries.
But I stamped that bitch back down quick. I’d known Levi Kass for a month. I was not ready to start thinking about forever. Especially when forever came with a catch—like turning into a blood-sucking nightmare.
I shook my head, clearing it of the thought. Not every vampire was a monster. I would definitely be one of the good ones when I turned.
If. If I turned. Sheesh. How was I supposed to concentrate on self-defense tactics when Warren Thornberry insisted on trying to tempt me into joining his world?
“Can we just get back to it?” I asked, not even flinching at the testiness in my voice.
Warren’s eyes twinkled like bright stars as he grinned and said, “Of course. Whatever you want, Piper.”
Something in his voice gave me the heebie-jeebies, but I ignored the feeling. I was mad and determined to prove to him I didn’t need to be a vampire to survive. Human Piper was a badass. Warren Thornberry was about to find out just how badass I was.
We dropped into position, and this time, I kept my eyes locked on his. I controlled my breathing, keeping it slow and steady as I watched his eyes flick from mine to my feet, and back again. Something deep inside me screamed jump, and I leapt into the air without another thought.
Time slowed down as I watched Warren drop into a squat and swing out a leg, swiping it across the empty space where my feet were just a second before. When I landed, Warren straightened, looking at me with something like awe on his face.
“How did you do that?” he asked, his words almost accusatory.
“I, uh, watched your eyes, like you told me to,” I stuttered, taken aback by his suddenly brusque tone.
He seemed to realize his mistake, and quickly smothered his pique with a bland smile. “Well, that was very good, my dear. Perhaps we should end on that note. I’ll see you here tomorrow, same time.”
Before I could utter a response, he turned on a heel and strode away. I watched him go, confusion spiraling through me as he climbed into his fancy car and spun out of the lot.
Why was he angry? I’d actually managed to avoid his strike, which was the whole point of this damned training. Wasn’t it?
Shaking my head, I removed my gear, stowed it away, and headed toward the fire ring. If I was lucky, there'd be some leftover s’more ingredients and a few more campfire songs to sing. Chocolate and happy, smiling faces were just what I needed.
“SO, HOW DID IT GO?” True asked me as we followed our group of campers back to the cabin.
“Okay, I guess,” I said.
“You guess?” she asked, raising her eyebrows at me. “That doesn’t sound very promising.”
She nudged me with her shoulder to let me know she was only joking. I sighed and said, “He kept pushing me and pushing me to do better, but I’m so slow compared to him.”
“Obviously,” she muttered, her voice low enough that the girls in front of us wouldn’t hear. “You’re only human.”
“Exactly,” I said. “But at the end, I managed to react and avoid one of his attacks.”
“That’s great, Piper!”
“You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” I shook my head. “Warren seemed almost… disturbed by the fact that I’d succeeded.”
“What? Why?”
“I don’t know,” I said, shrugging. “And get this—he suggested that I might be better off becoming one of them.”
“I’m sorry, but what?” True’s tone was equal parts shocked and appalled as her feet ground to a halt. She grabbed my arm to stop me, then propped her hands on my shoulders.
“You’re not actually considering it, are you?” she hissed.
“No. Of course, not.”
I hoped my answer sounded more confident to her ears than they did mine. She stared at me, hard, like she was trying to dig the truth from my eyes, alone. I opened my mouth to say something—anything—to convince her I’d never consider becoming a vampire, but the words were cut short as Xander appeared next to us out of thin air.
“Hey, babe,” he said, wrapping his arm around True’s waist. “Let’s go hang out for a while.”
As she turned her gaze on the gorgeous vampire, True’s expression smoothed out. Her lips curved into a smile before she looked back at me.
“Can you handle the girls for a while?”
“Oh, uh, yeah. Sure. Of course.”
“Thanks, Piper. You’re the best. See you later.”
Then they were gone, disappearing into the darkness hand-in-hand, True’s giggles drifting toward me as they sprinted away. I stood there for a moment, an uneasy feeling taking root deep in my gut. Coming to my senses, I turned and rushed up the path to catch up to my campers.
I tried really hard to fight the hurt welling inside me. Sure, True and I had been in the middle of a serious conversation, and I needed her. But this thing with Xander was new and exciting, and Lord knew she’d covered for me when I wanted to sneak off with Levi. It was only right that I return the favor.
But at the same time, True had been my rock since the day I met her. Unwavering support and comfort was her jam, so the idea that she’d just take off and leave me in my hour of need—for some guy she just met—rubbed me the wrong way.
“Stop,” I murmured under my breath as I swung open the cabin door and stepped inside.
True had been a good friend to me, even going so far as to put her own life in danger to help save my mom. She deserved to have a little fun with a hot guy. And I was being a selfish ass to begrudge her that.
Once I got the girls settled down in their bunks, I stretched out on my own bed and tried to go to sleep. An hour later, light snores filled the air, but sleep still evaded me. I carefully climbed from my bunk and slipped outside to sit on the cabin’s front steps.
A slight chill of fear trickled down my spine as memories of Sarah and Lars assailed me, but I ignored the feeling and pushed the memories aside. That wouldn’t happen again. I was safe.
Sarah and Lars were dead.
“Where are you, True?” I whispered, my eyes scanning the path that led to the lake.
When I couldn’t find even a hint of movement, I looked in the other direction, towards the boys’ cabins. Nothing that way, either. I briefly considered putting on some shoes and going out to look for he
r, but dismissed the idea. I couldn’t leave the girls here, alone.
A soft laugh met my ears, and I perked up, looking toward the sound. I could make out two shadows coming from the woods, their bodies pressed close together. Once on the path, the moonlight lit them up, revealing my best friend and her… boyfriend?
I shook my head. I didn’t know what they were to each other, but it seemed too soon to give Xander the title of “boyfriend.” I stayed perfectly still, watching them as they came closer.
“That was a lot of fun,” Xander said, and True nodded.
“A lot of fun,” she repeated.
Her voice sounded weird—almost monotone. But then she giggled and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Xander’s arm was wrapped tight around her shoulders, and her hand rested on his abs. He looked up, spotting me, and his silver eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight.
He stopped walking, halting True as well, spinning her so that her back was to me. As I watched, he grasped her face and kissed her hard. Her body melted into his, her arms going around his neck as one foot lifted up off the ground behind her.
Oh, for goodness’ sake, I thought grumpily.
But my condescending thoughts about her cliché foot pop cut short when Xander opened his eyes and, mid-kiss, looked right at me. My head reared back as my eyes widened. My breath caught in my throat as I watched him watching me while he kissed my best friend.
Was that PDA for my benefit? No. No way.
I brushed the thought away as Xander ended the kiss and returned his attention to True. He whispered something I couldn’t hear, and True whipped around, her eyes searching the darkness of the porch before landing on me.
She said something to him in a quiet voice, gave him a quick peck on the lips, then skipped away. Behind her back, Xander looked back at me and smiled. It wasn’t pleasant, and a shiver of fear chased through me.
“Hey,” True said as she approached, and my eyes darted toward her.
“Hey,” I repeated, looking past her to see if Xander was still watching.
He wasn’t. He was gone.
“How was your night?” I asked, doing my best to sound upbeat.
“Amazing,” she cooed.
“What did you guys do?”
“Oh, uh, we just… hung out, I guess.”
She looked just as uncertain as she sounded, and I tilted my head to peer at her. “You guess?”
“No. I mean, yes. We took a walk through the woods and hung out. It was a lot of fun.” Her voice took on the weird tone again, but before I could question her further, she added, “I think I’m going to hit the hay. I’m beat. Good night.”
She slipped inside the cabin before I could even respond. I watched the door close gently behind her, my mind whirring with unwanted thoughts.
Why was True being so secretive and standoffish? Was she mad at me for something? And what was up with Xander looking at me while he made out with her?
Hello, Paranoid Piper.
I shook my head and stood, brushing off my pajama shorts before going inside. Maybe I was being paranoid. And if I was, I needed to get over it. True would come around once the shiny newness of this thing with Xander wore off.
At least, I hoped she would. I didn’t know what I’d do without her.
Chapter Nine
I swallowed hard as I stared up at the giant yacht awaiting us. Was I really going to do this? Was I really going to attend an all-vampire boat party without Levi?
It had been a week since he’d gone into the mountains to track my father’s murderer, and there’d been no word. That was part of the reason I was here tonight, offering myself up like a lamb for the slaughter. I wanted to ask Warren Thornberry about updates on the search. He’d been elusive during our few training sessions, saying there were no updates, but there had to be something, right? What kind of mission had no communication with home base?
A shitty one, that’s what. And I was really starting to worry. What if Levi was hurt or injured while searching for answers about my father? No. I couldn’t stand to lose anyone else.
“Oh my God!” True’s voice cut through my thoughts as she clomped up the sidewalk in her high heels. “Can you believe this, Pipes?”
I cringed, both at the nickname—it was what Coco used to called me—and her open enthusiasm. She hadn’t attended a vampire party before, but I had. These people— No. These vampire elites were as aloof and snobby as they came, making Sarah and Rose look like contenders for Miss Congeniality. I’d tried to tell True this as we’d gotten ready for the evening, but she was so freaking excited she’d talked right over me.
“...and then I’ll get to see Xander’s world and how well I do in it and how sexy I look in this dress and…” Her words ran together until I’d barely noticed the content any longer. Yes, she looked stunning in her new, navy, wrap-around dress and high heels that Xander had bought her. She had paired it with simple earrings and that damn leather bracelet he’d given her that she hadn’t taken off once. Even to shower.
I sighed and watched her squeeze Xander’s arm as they walked past me toward the dock. Somehow Warren had talked Xander into coming to this boat party, and Xander had talked True into it, and True had talked me into it. We’d driven all the way across the state to the coast—three hours—just to attend. Warren had procured the dean’s permission and sent three of his “helpers” to fill in for us while we were gone. We were going to miss the staff variety show. Pity.
No matter how inconvenient it was, we were here. Warren always got his way, one way or another.
That reason alone was part of why I felt so nervous. Training with Warren on the grounds was one thing. Going to a party on his yacht was another. And this dress he’d bought me was very expensive and very low cut. I tugged on the silky red fabric, trying to get it to cover more of my chest to no avail.
What the hell was I doing here?
“Come on!” True called over her shoulder, waving me onward.
Well, I could either go and keep an eye on True, or stay in the car the entire freaking time!
Clutching my bag, and feeling the vampire blade inside, gave me confidence. Levi had given this weapon to me, so, in a way, he was here with me. Protecting me. I could do this.
I stepped onto the dock and walked toward the boat, my eyes on True’s back the entire time.
When I got to the ship, I could see I’d underestimated its sheer size from the shore. The white yacht had to be a hundred feet long and towered three stories over us as we boarded. Everything was pristine and expensive, down to the gold details on the railings and hinges.
Once we boarded, we were bombarded by opulence—leather couches, a sleek bar manned by a uniformed bartender, and lights that accentuated everything. The first area was a lounge, occupied by vampire couples, sipping drinks and chatting. They glanced up as we walked in, their eyes holding as they marked us for what we were, the odd humans who dared set foot onboard.
“This is ah-mazing!” True grabbed my arm and shook it before running with Xander toward the stairs and disappearing up them.
Was she not afraid at all? I bit my lip, realizing it would be hard to keep tabs on her if she kept doing that. “True!”
“Piper.” A figure angled through the crowd, cutting off my pathway.
Warren stood in front of me, his eyes taking me in as I did the same. His boat attire—white pants, loafers, and an half unbuttoned collared shirt—made him seem casual, but his piercing stare let me know he was as focused as ever.
Watching me. Seeing through me. Into me.
“You look ravishing.” He took my hand and kissed it, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled my scent.
I shivered a bit at his touch, but I did not want Warren Thornberry. Definitely not. “Thank you for having us.”
He smiled, glancing around. “Same old people. Same old party. But, you’ve given me something to look forward to. Here, let me show you around.”
He started to lead the way to the staircase where T
rue had gone. Though I was worried about being alone with Warren, it seemed I needn’t be. There were so many vampires on the boat I was surprised it could stay afloat. They streamed down the staircase as I went up. Nearly all of them turned and stared at me as I went by. Clearly they could smell me coming.
Perfect. Now, I was worried about my deodorant. Very posh, Piper.
We headed up the stairs and onto the second level where there was a dance floor equipped with a DJ spinning tunes. A small crowd of people lingered around the edges, while True and Xander got freaky in the center.
“Oh God.” I pressed my hand to my mouth. All the vampires were staring. Leering.
Warren spoke in my ear over the hum of the music, his arm brushing against mine. “Your friend has a lot of life in her.”
“You’re telling me,” I said. True was making a fool of herself, and Xander couldn’t keep his hands off her. I wondered if they’d had sex yet, and then I wondered how that was any of my business. It wasn’t, but I still worried he might be using her. Clearly, he worshiped her body based on how he was holding it as they danced.
“Come on.” Warren took my hand, tugging me up the second flight of stairs. “Let’s go somewhere quieter.”
Reluctantly, I let him lead me up. True was a big girl, and she would not like me interfering. No matter how badly I wanted to go snatch her out of there.
The third story was more subdued, with a small deck overlooking the water and more lounge chairs. As Warren advanced, vampires greeted him as they got up, offering us the best spot in the seating area as they conveniently found other places to be.
“Count Thornberry,” one of them said, his tone reverent as he nodded in passing.
“Count?” I asked as we took our seats.
Warren waved a hand in the air, as if dismissing the title. “In my former life, I was a member of the aristocracy. I had a lofty social standing. The ear of the king. None of that matters now, but vampires tend to have a long memory.”
We fell silent after that as I tried to wrap my brain around this new information. A count? The ear of the king? What did that even mean?