Nightside

by Holly Hook

That's all I need.

  My senses dull again as I focus on walking to my next class, but not before I detect quiet footsteps, predatory footsteps, following from the direction of the cafeteria. The door swings shut behind whoever just came out, and I fear it's Addie, but I don't dare look.

  * * * * *

  When the bell rings, I linger in class as long as I can without looking suspicious, and Lily meets me outside the door after I take a butt load of time loading my books. With the exchange of nods, we progress to the D wing, where people are crowding and pushing against each other. Lily and I stand away from the human pile-up as the hallways clear. The Beaumonts won't stay after school. They're too isolated for that. If anything, they'll get in their fancy cars and go right home.

  "Here we go," I say when we arrive at our destination. I've been mentally reciting the numbers to Riley's locker combination all day, making sure I cement them in my mind forever. Once the hallways clear and I'm sure no one's watching, I turn the knob and yank the locker open. Turns out Riley hasn't taken his backpack home. In fact, I've never seen him with it outside of school.

  "Will he even have the keycard in there?" Lily whispers.

  "I don't know. If it's at the mansion, we're screwed," I say, digging through books, papers, and even an organized pencil case. "I guess I'll have to call him a nerd now if I ever get to talk to him again."

  Lily grins. "Hurry."

  Then I close my hand on some small pockets in his backpack. A card in one, a card in another...of course Riley would have plastic. I pull one out to reveal a credit card, in the name of one Dominic Beaumont, his "father." But the other--

  "Moon's Peak Library," Lily reads. "Let's go."

  I stuff Riley's backpack in its place and close the locker. Shoving the keycard in my pocket, I search the empty hallway. Nobody. Lily and I waste no time getting out of the school, taking a trail to downtown, and cutting down an alley. The keycard cuts into my hip with each step, but I ignore it. We still have another issue.

  The librarian sits at her post, and she must recognize me, because her normally nice face narrows. "If you're--"

  "My friend needs to find some books about the logging industry for school," I explain, the lie slipping off my lips. "Homework."

  I've put Lily on the spot, and this might not even work, but the librarian rises with a smile. "Sure. Follow me to the local history section and I'll get you set up."

  Lily flashes me a grin like, I've got this. The librarian leaves the front desk unstaffed, and since I don't see anybody else here at the front, I bolt through the turnstile and into the staff-only zone.

  The keycard goes in and the heavy door clicks, swinging open. I duck inside, closing it behind me. Lily and I have already agreed she'd text me when it was safe to emerge, since my phone gets a couple of bars here, so I'm not worried about timing. The door to the dim room closes behind me, and I fumble until I find a light switch.

  Bingo.

  Wooden shelves, probably antiques themselves, line the walls. There must be hundreds of old leather-bound books in this giant closet that all smell of aged paper. Holding back a sneeze, I eye the spines. A lot of classics, probably first printings. Even a copy of Alice In Wonderland. So the Beaumonts are book collectors. The walls are metal and probably fireproof. I feel as if I've entered a vault.

  I scan the spines. Most of the books are stuff a Lit teacher would assign for reading, and aside from the age, I don't get why this is so restricted. Minutes crawl past, and I reach the back of the room, where a narrow, cherry shelf stands apart from the others. Many books, some in black leather and others with golden-trimmed pages, line this shelf.

  And they're not classics, unless our Lit teacher decides to assign Hunter Weapons for the Newly Initiated, or Trueblood Covens of the World. I'm tempted to snatch the first book for Lily--the Beaumonts must want to know the enemy--but later. I scan the spines, opening books, and at last, an unmarked book reads The Nightblood Race on the inside cover.

  There. I stuff the volume into my backpack and hike it up.

  And just then, my phone buzzes. It's Lily.

  Librarian in bathroom. Hurry.

  Turning the light off, I exit the restricted section and close the door behind me, leaving the keycard in my pocket. The lock clicks on its own. Lily's at the front counter, watching the back of the library. As I catch my breath, she snaps her gaze to me.

  I nod.

  Lily and I exit the library, stepping into the glass entryway. Lily's checked out a book about logging, which is under her arm, and now rain pounds down on the glass windows of the entrance. A rumble of thunder follows.

  And the door to the outside comes open before we step out. A man in a black suit with combed-back hair steps inside.

  I stop, partly because he's in our way and partly because this is the same man who got angry at Riley at the fair.

  It's Riley's father.

  Suddenly, my backpack weighs a ton.

  "Hello," Dominic Beaumont says to me in a perfect but sharp voice. "What are you girls doing here?"

  I don't miss the suspicion. "Homework. It sucks." My throat dries out and I'm left with my pulse pounding in my ears. Riley's father places his hands behind his back and surveys me, wrinkling his thin mustache.

  "I thought this was a public library?" Lily asks, rocking on her feet.

  "Most of it," Dominic says with a forced smile.

  Does he know?

  What if he asks us to empty our backpacks? What if Addie saw me looting Riley's locker? He might be heading inside right now to check on the collection. We're dead.

  Lily steps forward. "Say, are you Dominic Beaumont? We hardly ever see you here in town."

  But he's not paying attention to her. He's staring at me with those dark, copper-rimmed eyes. They look like Riley's, but with a savage glint that sends a shudder down my spine.

  "I've heard that you and Riley have been spending a lot of time together," he says, his voice smooth and predatory. "You should come to dinner at the Beaumont manor tonight."

  My heart drops into my shoes.

  They want me in the spider's web.

  "Dinner?"

  "Yes. We would like to meet the girl we've heard about. Surely you'd like to visit the manor?" He turns his mouth up into a smile, revealing all his teeth. Dominic lifts one eyebrow as Lily looks at me from the side. She nods just a little.

  I'm not to refuse.

  If I do, there will be consequences.

  But if I don't--

  "That sounds great," I say. "I'd love to see the manor. What time?"

  Dominic's smile drops away, which only thickens the air in the entryway. "How about eight?"

  "Eight it is," I say, wondering if a timer has just been placed on my life.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Sweat gathers under the dress I've put on and my feet are cold in the fancy shoes I've squeezed into. My calves hurt as I pace around my bedroom. My phone, which I've left on my night table, remains out of reach. Lily can't even text me. And she can't go with me, either, as much as I've wanted her to. If I take a hunter to the Beaumont mansion with me, that'll blow my cover. The Beaumonts will know that I have some dirt on them. We both agreed the best chance for my survival means playing stupid.

  Lily's hug lingers around my waist. Her helpless hug.

  This is a test. I have to do everything I can to not make the Beaumonts suspect me any more.

  I can't even tell Mom where I'm going. Or that I might not even come home. She's working late at the vet, anyway, having been thrown into the night shift at the emergency clinic.

  A low motor sounds from outside. Peeking out my window reveals a limo parked on the side of the road. Dominic said he'd send a driver.

  Pretend to be excited. I snap shut the curtains and run outside, lifting my purple skirt (the skirt I might die in) and running towards the limo. I wave at the driver, who looks normal enough, and get into the back.

  "Why hello, young lady," he says. He's a
n older man with no copper ring in his eyes. He's human. "Olivia, correct?"

  "Yes," I say.

  "You're the first girl the Beaumonts have ever invited to their place," he says. "Maybe they're starting to loosen up. In all my years of driving for them, this is the biggest surprise."

  Yes. He's human. I wonder if he knows what the Beaumonts really are.

  The driver, who says his name is Herman, drives me to the mansion. The closer we get, the sicker I feel. Will the Beaumonts be able to smell my fear? Maybe I'll taste better to them scared, if they like to prey on Nightsides the way they do vagrants.

  The house is darker than ever, with candles flickering in the windows and the expensive cars out front. This time, the yard has been trimmed, with most of the vines cut back. Maybe they've got a gardener, too.

  The driver drops me off at the front gate. "The Beaumonts are ready to receive you," he says with a friendly nod.

  I get out of the car, forcing my legs to carry me closer to the house. My knees quiver the closer I get to the double doors, which swing open as if the house itself is expecting me.

  Standing inside the house are four vampires, none of which I've seen before, and I'm getting the idea the coven is a large one. Two men and two women, all adults, stand on either side of the entrance. The women are definitely not related to each other--one has perfect dark skin and her hair in an equally perfect bun while the second is a redhead complete with freckles and a mean glint in her green eyes. The men are both tall, well-built, and wearing black suits. They're all dressed like they're ready for a classy funeral.

  "Welcome," the redhead says with a cold smile. "Come inside, Olivia."

  Way too formal. It's as if these people don't know how to interact with the outside world.

  Behind me, the limo pulls away.

  I have no choice now. I step inside, heart pounding in my throat.

  One of the men closes the door behind me and panic explodes in my chest. These vampires might be able to hear my heartbeat the way I've been tuning in to the animals in the woods.

  "Come, now," the redhead says, sweeping in front of me. "I'm Margaret. We will be in the main dining room."

  She doesn't even bother to sound like a human. But I force myself to tear my gaze from her and look at the house, despite the other three vampires sitting behind me. "Wow," I say. "What a nice house." Just the entryway is big, and a chandelier hangs from the ceiling, complete with flickering light bulbs. Three archways lead from the entrance, revealing the living room. Couches stand in a ring, surrounding a home theater system complete with a projector and the biggest DVD collection I've ever seen. Though the Beaumonts have a picture window that must look down on the logging fields below, the black curtains are closed, blocking out any sunlight that might dare to come through.

  "This way," Margaret repeats. "Dinner begins in ten minutes." She sweeps through the archway to the right. I smell food, probably roast chicken with a bunch of vegetables, but it turns my stomach.

  The other woman and the two men, without a sound, sweep after Margaret, leaving me alone. Low chatter fills the room beyond the archway. There are more people here. More enemies. But where's Riley?

  Walking in through the left archway, it turns out.

  Riley, like the others, is dressed in a dark suit and probably heading to dinner. And he didn't realize I'd be here, because his eyes widen when he lays his gaze on me. Riley freezes and grips the wall as we stare at each other.

  "What are you doing here?" he hisses.

  The terror in his stance and his dilating pupils brings an ice pick up through my heart. "Your father. He invited me. I couldn't say no."

  Riley looks down and mutters a curse. "You're right. You can't." He lets go of the wall and seizes my arms. "It's a setup. They hid from me that they still suspect you. Play stupid. It's your best shot of surviving. If they know, they'll kill you in an instant. I'll protect you at any cost."

  He lets go. We can't linger. The ice pick retreats. I'm not alone here, or alone after all. At least I'll die with that thought.

  Riley enters the dining room, leaving me there for a bit, and I follow, shoulders back, walking as confidently as Dad told me how. Confidence makes you look like less of a victim. Predators don't like that. The dining room is huge, with a long table, and every seat is occupied besides the one next to Riley. Riley smiles at me and waves me over as if this is a casual event.

  But it's not.

  Ten other Truebloods occupy the table. At the end sits Riley's father, Dominic. At the other end sits a woman who looks to be in her mid-twenties, though her eyes are much older. She wears a burgundy dress that hugs her body everywhere. Addie sits at the table beside the woman, and her glare sends shivers up my spine. The four greeters have already seated themselves, scattered around the table, and it's clear I'm to sit in the middle, farthest from the door. The growling guy with the olive-toned skin and the dark hair has joined the dinner party, too. He'll be opposite me. They want me cornered.

  But Riley smiles. "I didn't know you were coming for dinner."

  "Well, maybe it's a pleasant surprise," I say, forcing my voice up to a happy tone. Sweat gathers at the nape of my neck.

  "Sit, please," Dominic says. He lifts a fork and holds it over his empty, shining plate. Yes, all the silverware carries a perfect sheen. Sharp knives reflect the chandelier above and contrast with the dark purple tablecloth. Did they make the room so intimidating on purpose?

  I walk around the table, past Addie, and around the young, yet mature woman. Taking my seat beside Riley, I ask, "I never expected to have dinner in a mansion. Wow, this place is amazing."

  Dominic smiles, but there's tension in it. "Yes. Our family is old, and it is us who founded Moon's Peak." He turns. "Caroline. Do you have the food ready?"

  This will be an interrogation session. With a main course. I take a breath and shift in the chair, trying to position myself close to the edge in case I have to get up in a hurry. Riley forces another smile at me. It's him against nine other Truebloods. Him and me. What can I do against them? Stab them with my butter knife?

  "Yes," another woman says, walking into the room with a large tray. When the lid lifts, I'm relieved to see that there is, in fact, a large, cooked bird under it that looks too big to be chicken. Goose, maybe. The meat is as greasy as the middle-aged woman, a human lady in an apron who glances at me and narrows her eyes. She cuts the meat and separates it into slices. She then brings out more dishes from an attached kitchen, plates of pasta and vegetables worthy of the Mediterranean, and arranges them along the table. She spends a lot of time adjusting her white apron and eyeing the kitchen door, like she wants to be anywhere but here.

  Like she knows something's about to happen that she doesn't want to see.

  I don't want Caroline to leave, because when she does, the grilling will begin. Get away, her eyes warn. Run now.

  But I can't. It's too late.

  At last, Caroline exits the room, skirt sweeping behind her, and Riley and I are alone in enemy territory.

  Around me, people awkwardly eat, and though the food smells amazing, I can barely touch it. But Riley nods as he chews, and I know the food is safe. So I force down a few bites while silence, occasionally broken up by chewing and the clinking of silverware, drags out.

  "So, Olivia," Dominic says. "How long have you and Riley been dating? You just moved to Moon's Peak, correct?"

  Here it comes. "Yes. Well, we just bumped into each other at the fair, actually. We've talked a few times." That's the truth. Didn't Dad say one time that the more you talked, the more you were trying to convince others and yourself that you weren't lying? It was best to give short answers and not work too hard.

  Dominic nods and lifts an eyebrow at Riley. "You are the first girl he's spent any time with. Rumor also has it you've been hanging out with Lily Rivera as well. Odd girl."

  "Hey. Everyone has quirks." I force a smile and leave it there. I try to pretend that everyone at the tabl
e isn't staring at me. No use.

  "Yes. They sure do. Rumor has it that the girl believes in everything. Aliens. Crop circles."

  "Ridiculous," the young-old woman at the end of the table says.

  "Okay, so some of her stuff is really outlandish," I say.

  Dominic smiles at me. "Maybe we all have some beliefs that diverge from the mainstream. There are some who believe in ghosts, while others believe in psychics who can tell your fortune over the phone. Others believe in creatures like vampires. I'm curious. Do you believe in any of those things?"

  I tried not to grip the table and forced down another bite of the pasta. "Well, if I can see it and touch it, I guess it's real, so that disqualifies everything you just mentioned, right?"

  Dominic turns his mouth into a grin. "My family loves to collect lore on the supernatural. We've been doing it for centuries." He looks at the woman across from him. "Valia, did you know one of our books went missing from the vault today? The Nightblood Race, in fact."

  Shit. Shit. Beside me, Riley tenses in shock, ready to leap into action, while every gaze turns towards me once again. The air thickens and I can't breathe. But as if this part of the conversation doesn't involve me, I turn my attention back to my food, picking at the garden salad. My legs tense and I ready myself to get up.

  Just then, the front door bursts open.

  And the terrified cook stands in the doorway, drawing every ounce of attention away from me. I snap my gaze up as the plump woman catches her breath. She grips the door frame like she might faint.

  "Darius!" she shouts. "He's dead. He's been murdered. Someone...it's too horrible."

  Dominic pushes himself up in one quick motion. "Murdered? The gardener?" As he curls his hand around the tablecloth, I swear his canines lengthen. The other Truebloods rise as well, facing the door.

  "Yes! I tried to shake him, but he didn't respond...and his throat...it must have just happened...he was alive fifteen minutes ago..."

  I take a breath.

  I couldn't have done it, and now these Truebloods have to realize that.