by Kailin Gow
“Red blood, blue blood, fatty blood; you love it all. You always have. You’ve loved everything about being a vampire right from the start. You thrive on it.” Ignoring Alexis’ irritated glare, Sadie lightly kicked her feet through the water that was now getting dangerously close to the lip of the tub. “For Heaven’s sake, Alexis. You actually bring a bad reputation to being a vampire.”
“I hardly see how that’s possible.”
“Just because I wasn’t there to witness it doesn’t mean I’m not aware of what you’ve been up to this past century or two. Mingling with pirates, cavorting with mercenaries, and getting close to the Sicilian mob. Do you have no sense of right? No sense of morality?” Realizing Alexis had no intention of cutting the water off, Sadie reached over to do it herself. “You have always been rather immature and irresponsible.”
“Don’t play innocent, little sister. Human blood is the only food that will satisfy you as well.”
“There is a lot of bad out here, Alexis. We could do something right. Our presence here doesn’t have to be negative. Our feeding doesn’t need to take innocents’ lives.” Throughout the years, Sadie had always sought the best way to satisfy her hunger, while doing something that could help mankind.
“You’ve always been a dreamer; always there to save the injured bird or tend to a sick cat.”
“Come feed with me. I’ll show you what it is to bring a conscience to your vampiring.” Sadie pulled her feet out of the water and twirled around to set them on the floor. “Coming?”
“If you promise me fresh blood, I’m there.”
Chapter 9
“Honestly, Sadie. What are you trying to prove by dragging me down to the seediest part of town?” Alexis grimaced as she stepped over the outstretched legs of a homeless man.
“Everyone sees only the quaint side of living in this beach community. This part of it is ignored, if people know of its existence at all.”
A young woman, strung out and stick thin sat on a concrete stoop smoking a cigarette. She eyed Alexis and Sadie, bit a nail off and spat it towards them.
“Well, I can certainly understand why.”
Two young boys ran by, yelling at each other over the rightful ownership of the twenty dollars the first boy held in his fist.
“It’s almost midnight,” Alexis said as she turned to watch them scramble by.
“Few mothers bother to check in on their kids down here,” Sadie explained.
As they passed a narrow alley they heard the plaintive yelp of another young boy.
“Come on.” Sadie led her sister into the darkness to find an arrogant young man clutching the collar of the young boy. Barely ten-years-old, the boy was no match for the brawny young man who obviously wanted to show the youngster a lesson.
“I din said you could keep any profits, Jason. Now where’s all the cash you owe me.”
“I swear, K.B., I gave you everything I got.”
K.B. shook him up a bit, shoved him against the wall and slammed his ear with his palm. “I gave you five grams of good stuff and you come back here with this?” He held up a fistful of bills before slamming into the boy’s head again.
The click of Alexis’ heels on the pavement caught K.B.’s attention.
“You ain’t hitting the right street, ladies.” He gave Alexis an appraising glance, offered her a crooked grin and winked.
“And you're not hitting the right lad.”
“The right lad?” K.B. grabbed the young boy by the hair and pulled him closer. “Well, pardonnez-moi,” he said in a dense accent. “We’s got ourselves some high class lassies comin’ to the hood.”
“You’ve no business manhandling that boy,” Sadie said. “Release him.”
“Oh, ain’t that sweet, Jason. The fine lady here’s worried about your bad ass.” He let out a maniacal chuckle, amused about the girls’ presence. But the moment Sadie took a step forward, his demeanor changed and he was no longer amused. “I’s take care of my b’ness my way. You ladies head on out and tend to yours however you want.”
“The boy is my business.”
“This piece of crap.” K.B. raised his fist and prepared to pummel Jason.
The boy cringed in anticipation of the pain, but Sadie stepped in and grabbed K.B by the arm. With one quick twist she brought his arm behind his back and pushed him into the wall. His head slammed into a cement windowsill and, as he swayed to remain upright, he stared at Sadie in amazement. Seconds later, his eyes rolled back and he fell forward, his head crashing into the piles of newspaper that littered the alley.
Before the boy could run, Sadie took a hold of him.
“This is not your life, Jason. This is not what you’re destined to be. There’s a whole world out there. Cut from this business and tend to what a young boy like you should. You might think this is cool and you’re making some nice money, right?”
“It’s decent.” While Jason tried to put on an air of cool detachment, he stared at Sadie with wonder and awe.
“Stick to school and work to get out of here. I promise you your life will be more than just decent… and you won’t have to risk your life in the process.”
“I ain’t smart enough for school. This is all I got.”
Sadie cupped his chin and looked deep into his eyes, using her vampire compulsion. “You’re far smarter than you think. I see it in your eyes, Jason. You're not only smart, but you have the making to become a powerful and important man.”
He beamed then looked away sheepishly.
“Now go home and forget about everything here.” She released him and he rushed out of the alley. She fervently hoped she’d gotten through to him.
Turning her attention to K.B. she found Alexis already at his throat, fangs deep in his artery.
“Don’t bleed him dry, Alexis,” she said as she knelt beside her and sank her fangs into his thick arm. As much as she despised this one human, she wouldn’t drain him dry. She has always been careful not to kill anyone when she fed. It was a way for her to keep her humanity, to keep her sane. Otherwise, if she drained her prey, kill them, she would become a true killer, an evil vampire, a “Strigoi” as Romanians call them…the ones that gave vampires a bad name, the ones that caused hunters to go after all vampires, the ones Bram Stoker based his version of Dracula on. She was a vampire, but she wasn’t evil…at least that’s what she kept telling herself.
Chapter 10
School had become the most enjoyable place to be. Sadie enjoyed all her classes and aside from Mr. Cutler, whom she hadn’t seen since her run in with him in the parking lot, all of her teachers were wonderful and patient.
Lessons had certainly changed from when she’d last been schooled. Math was a little more challenging and sciences… she was repeatedly amazed by the advances of these last centuries.
But it was American History that interested her the most. Though she’d heard a bit about America while in Europe, it was nothing like what she was learning in class. The whole democratic process fascinated her, as did the Civil War.
“That was quite a class, wasn’t it?” Keegan followed her out of the class and escorted her to her locker.
“The history of this country never fails to intrigue me.” Sadie clasped her books to her chest as though absorbing the very content.
“And you never fail to intrigue me.”
At her locker, she rolled the combination of her lock, opened the door and shelved her books, taking the time to put them in order.
“Wow, you keep things really neat in there.”
“Makes up for the tornado zone I live in at home.”
Rowena arrived to put her books away just a few lockers down. Though Sadie had repeatedly tried to befriend the loner, Ro had politely but firmly resisted. Keeping her eyes downcast under the fringe of black bangs, the girl pulled out her bagged lunch and paperback and Sadie was again tempted to reach out to her.
She grabbed her own lunch and followed Ro to the cafeteria with Keegan at her side. He�
�d been her lunch date for several weeks now and she had no complaints.
She’d grown incredibly fond of him over the months. He was smart, funny and reliable. Always ready to lend a hand, he’d even helped her out when she’d had trouble understanding the new math they were teaching.
And he seemed quite fond of her as well. She relished her time with him and was surprised to see how eager he was to be with her.
They entered the melee that was the cafeteria. The din was louder than usual and the chaos was widespread, reminding Sadie they’d had a full moon that night. A small group of guys were harassing a younger geek down by the vending machines while a band of pubescent girls paraded like tarts in front of the table where the football team ate.
Sadie glanced at Keegan and was pleased to see he’d not even glanced at the girls.
“I’ll go grab myself a burger and come back to join you.” He winked and headed to the lineup.
Not even bothering to find a table, Ro grabbed a chair and dragged it to a corner, sitting with her back to the wall. She pulled out her sandwich and quickly immersed herself in her novel.
The girl seemed to deliberately want to tell everyone to keep away from her, Sadie thought as she took a seat at a nearby table. And everyone seemed happy to ignore her.
Scanning her surroundings, Sadie pinched away at the bread of her sandwich. Something was going to happen. She could sense it. The electricity was almost visible in the stagnant air that was filled with the scent of fatty foods, sweaty kids and cheap cologne.
In her peripheral, Sadie noticed Tatum’s approach. A small girl with long blond hair and mean blue eyes, she had the face of an angel and the disposition of a pit bull. She enjoyed running the show and the gleam in her eye told Sadie she was preparing to put on quite a spectacle.
She sauntered to the outer aisle, her goal clear. Though Ro had taken care to be well out of the way, Tatum strutted up to her, kicked her feet out of the way and slapped the book out of her hand.
Ro sat back, chewing on her sandwich and showing neither fear nor concern.
“Do you know why nobody wants to sit with you, Rollo?”
Remaining silent, Ro’s gaze didn’t waver.
“Because you’re dirty, poor, dumb and…” She turned to the masses as though making a grand announcement. “Because you're the biggest slut in school.”
Sadie slowly got to her feet and made her way to the pair. Tatum’s band of friends had already closed in on Ro, eager to help their leader.
“Your stink makes me want to throw up.” Tatum flicked her hand through Ro’s bangs, sending them askew. “Why don’t you just take your cheap lunch and eat outside. It’ll give the air in here a chance to clear up and then I could eat lunch without having to smell your stink.”
“Perhaps you’re the one who should bring her lunch outside.” Standing just outside the ring of bullies, Sadie glared at Tatum.
With indignant rage in her eyes, Tatum turned to face her.
“Great, here comes the great defender. Don’t you have a kitten to rescue, Sad Eyes?”
“You know that tacky perfume you wear doesn’t really help my appetite much.”
“You couldn’t afford a drop of this scent and you know it.” Without looking she reached back and backhanded Ro. “And this cheap slut shouldn’t even be allowed to breathe the same air.”
Just as Tatum prepared to turn the full extent of her rage on Ro, Sadie pushed her aside, sending her crashing to the floor.
Sputtering obscenities, Tatum jumped to her feet and came to stand toe to toe with Sadie. Though inches shorter, the girl knew she had the back up of her friends and didn’t hesitate to push Sadie back.
Once again, Sadie shoved her to the ground, eager to show she wouldn’t allow Tatum’s bullying to escalate, but holding back just enough not to harm her.
Tatum’s eyes fixed just above Sadie’s shoulder a moment and an expression of utter and complete humiliation replaced the haughty air for a split second.
Without even looking back, Sadie knew Keegan stood inches behind her. Not only could she sense his presence, but she knew only he could have such an effect on Tatum.
The two had dated briefly, and while they’d split two weeks prior to Sadie’s arrival, Tatum relentlessly blamed her for the break up. Her love for Keegan, if one could call it that, was still evident, making her hate against Sadie all the more intense.
Shaking off the humiliation and resuming her arrogant stance, Tatum stood, glanced at Keegan and smiled sweetly. “You’ve gotten yourself quite a tiger there, Keegan. From what I remember, you didn’t particularly appreciate strong women.”
“You're confusing strong with bully.”
Tatum snickered and came up close to Sadie, her nose inches away. “It’s going to cost you to keep me off Ro’s back,” she whispered. “Your life here at school is going to be hell from now on.”
“Don’t,” Keegan warned.
She brought her gaze back to him and the venom in her eyes turned to honey. “I know the kind of fun you like to have, Keegan, and I know that Miss Purity over here isn’t it.”
Letting her insecurity take over a moment, Sadie glanced down at her faded jeans and frilly paisley blouse.
“Remember the fun we used to have, Keegan? Remember the nights you spent at my house? Remember how close we used to be?” She took on a seductive pose and passed her hand over her breast, down her belly and across her hips.
“I think you might have me confused with all the other football players you dated. I mean, I know it might be hard keeping track of who you do, what with your busy line up and all, but we never really got that close.”
Clenching her teeth, her eyes shot daggers at him. Aware that many were watching, her eyes dart to the crowd, to Sadie and back to Keegan. After a quick cluck of her tongue, she glanced back and snapped her band to attention.
Sadie moved to check on Ro. Though she could clearly sense the girl’s anger and resentment, Ro remained docile and quiet.
“The pages are crumpled a bit,” Sadie softly said to Ro as she picked up her book.
“This crowd is growing dull,” Tatum declared.
“I’m starting this small book club,” Sadie went on, keeping one ear on Tatum. “I think you’d really enjoy it.”
Ro offered her first tentative smile and Sadie felt she’d won a huge battle.
Tatum pushed past Sadie, deliberately jabbing her knee into her ribs. She squeezed up against Keegan, her breasts high and proud as they brushed against his arm. “I know what you really are, Keegan,” she said as she walked by.
Tension made its way across Sadie’s shoulder and she wanted to know more. But Tatum walked on, carrying whatever knowledge she had of Keegan with her.
Was he a heartbreaker? A player? The kind of guy who got his kicks out of winning a girl’s heart only to trample it to oblivion? Tatum had called her Miss Purity. Was that why Keegan paid her any attention at all? Just to conquer the school virgin?
Handing the book to Ro, she glanced up at Keegan for some kind of explanation.
“She thinks I broke up with her to play the field.”
“Oh.” Sadie felt a lump of pain well up in her throat. She looked away and busied herself helping Ro. The poor girl’s lunch had also ended up on the floor, her sandwich stomped upon by one of Tatum’s goons. “You can have the rest of my sandwich,” Sadie offered.
Sadie rose and noticed that Keegan was staring at her. She didn’t have the heart to face him. She’d come to like him so much and a part of her didn’t really want to know what he was. Whatever he was, though, she had never felt more human with him than anyone else. If she remained ignorant, she could still fantasize about him and could still envision herself in his arms, not a vampire, but a human.
“Sadie,” he said, his voice soft and meant only for her. He cupped her chin and forced her gaze to meet his. “I broke up with her because she’s a selfish and mean-spirited girl. That’s not what I want.”
/> “What do you want?”
His eyes softened and a warm smile touched his lips as his thumb stroked her cheek. She wanted to melt into his eyes and fall into his arms. She felt it was his heart that spoke out to her and though he didn’t say it aloud, she could sense the intense emotions that transpired between them.
Chapter 11
Excited about the first real meeting of her book club, Sadie set water to boil for the tea then artfully placed sugar cookies on a platter. Ro had already arrived and was finishing up the last pages of the eleventh chapter while Keegan was set to arrive at any moment.
“Why don’t you come out and join us, Alexis?” Sadie offered. “We’re reading Bram Stoker’s Dracula. It’s one of your favorites.”
“It was one of my favorites when I believed it was one of father’s distant relatives who’d written it. Learning that it was by some strange Irishman diminished my interest somewhat.”
“Just because we weren’t able to trace back the lineage doesn’t mean he wasn’t of our blood. And besides, it’s a terribly romantic story no matter who wrote it.”
A loud knock at the door had them both looking toward the hall.
“Come in,” Sadie called.
“Another of your little book clubbers.”
Keegan walked in and set a dish of lasagna on the counter. “Here’s the snack I promised to bring.”
“That’s quite a snack.” Alexis quickly devoured Keegan with her eyes. His t-shirt clung to his chest and revealed the strength of his biceps. His hair lightly tousled, he looked delicious and Alexis didn’t hide her appreciation.
“You didn’t have to go to such trouble, Keegan.” Sadie said, giving Keegan a quick peck on his cheek before she took the lasagna and put it in the oven.
“No trouble,” he said, clasping his hands together and trying to get comfortable under Alexis’ hungry gaze.