Nightside

by Holly Hook

  "I agree." Riley leans close, flicking his gaze in the direction of the living room.

  I make the tea in a daze, and the whistling of the kettle makes me jump as Riley goes around, making sure windows are locked and curtains are closed. When we get into the living room, Mom's tucked herself into the couch among a bunch of pillows and blankets. Like she knows the truth will be devastating.

  I hand her a mug and gulp. She takes it. Riley and I remain standing. How can I sit at a tense time like this?

  "Mom, I'm going to come clean right away without any build up," I say. "Riley's a vampire and so are the Beaumonts. There are two kinds of vampires. Truebloods and Nightsides. Truebloods can make Nightsides if they come into contact with a human who has a rare mutation, and Truebloods also fear Nightsides because of their power." I force in a breath, waiting for her reaction. She'll never believe me. Mom's going to call a mental health professional.

  But Mom trembles as she holds the mug. The tea sloshes around inside. "Truebloods and Nightsides," she says, looking between Riley and me. But when she looks at me, she quickly flicks her gaze away again.

  "You have to believe me. Riley held my hand one night, and now I'm a Nightside." My own words sound like they're a million miles away. Mom's never going to buy this.

  She stares straight ahead at the wall for a bit, and then she nods.

  Yeah. She nods.

  "You don't believe me, do you?" I ask, heart hammering.

  "I've heard of the vampire world before," Mom says. And she leaves it at that.

  Riley and I look at each other as my mouth falls open. She believes me? Or she at least thinks I might not be completely insane?

  "Truebloods and Nightsides," Mom says as if the words themselves are household names.

  My palms sweat and itch. "Where? Where have you heard about this before?"

  Mom takes a sip of her tea and lingers there for what feels like an eternity. I slip my hand into Riley's and he squeezes. I'm glad for his moral support.

  "Yes. Where have you heard this information? It's not very common knowledge."

  I don't get it. Were there vampires in Chicago, too? The book mentioned there are covens all over the world.

  Mom works her jaw and sighs. "It was a long time ago."

  "That's it? You heard this somewhere. Please, Mom." I'm shaking.

  "I said it was a long time ago," she repeats. "It might be best if you and me left town at this point. They know where we live."

  Letting go of Riley, I pace around the living room. Yeah. That would be best for now, since they're breaking into our house and writing on the walls while my mother is home. She could have easily wound up the next victim of the killer, had it been the rogue vampire instead of the Beaumonts. And she still could be. And even if the rogue vampire doesn't find us here, the Beaumonts could do the dirty work themselves, now that the truce between the Riveras and them is off.

  "That won't work," Riley says after a pause. "You don't understand how dangerous the network of Trueblood covens is. They talk to each other. They're everywhere. And in the past, they've wiped out entire towns looking for Nightsides. If you leave, they'll send assassins after you."

  Mom flinches. But she doesn't argue. Instead, she sinks back into that deep thought.

  "What are you thinking?" I ask.

  But Riley speaks before Mom can. "The best option," he says, whirling to face the two of us, "is for you to go into hiding, somewhere close but also somewhere hidden. You two stay inside while I work out a safe place for you to go."

  Chapter Seventeen

  I only dare leave the house to hunt down a deer later that night, and Riley stays with Mom so she's not alone. Mom doesn't protest when I tell her I need to go out, nor does she ask why. When I return, Riley's sitting on the couch beside her, and they're not talking. And the way Riley looks at me tells me he hasn't spoken much to her, either, except maybe to reassure her that things won't end in death.

  Mom, on the other hand, has gone very quiet. And I don't like that.

  "I have to leave," Riley says, rising from the couch. "I'll be back when I work out a place for you two to stay."

  "Thank you," Mom says. She sounds as if she's thanking him for holding open a door.

  Riley and I head into the entryway of the Derp House. We face each other while Mom turns on the TV. Maybe that's her equivalent of Lily's romance novels. Something normal. An escape in a crazy world. I listen for a bit as she turns to a late night news show, and then a comedy skit. Laugh tracks come out of the screen, but they do nothing to calm my nerves.

  "Don't be gone for long," I say. "I know how you are."

  "I'll try not to be."

  I kiss him softly. "Well, I'm going to leave you with that. Do not be gone long. And that's a reminder."

  Riley frowns. "Some things can't be helped."

  "I'm serious, Riley."

  Then he smiles. "I'll be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, try to learn about your powers. They can only help you at this point."

  Translation: the Beaumonts definitely know about me, or at least still suspect me.

  I don't understand. They know the killer can't be me.

  But I can't hold Riley up any more. "Okay," I say. The faster he finds us a place to go, the faster we'll be safe and the sooner we can figure out what to do next.

  * * * * *

  I stay home with Mom the following day, while she calls in to work. We keep the curtains shut and everything locked. Not, of course, that it will help us if the Beaumonts decide to launch an attack.

  Mom doesn't talk much. She wanders into the kitchen, making coffee after coffee, which does not help her nerves. I don't drink any. I just pray I won't have to go out and hunt again too soon. With the Beaumonts around the house, it'll be too dangerous.

  The first day crawls past. The walls of the Derp House seem to close in as I move from room to room, always listening, always ready to launch into action. I can fight. Replaying all of Riley's lessons in my head helps calm my nerves a little.

  But at the same time, it's terrifying.

  Everything will be on me if the Beaumonts decide to attack.

  And worse yet, my cell phone still doesn't work. I can't even call or text Lily.

  And even worse than that, I can't get Mom to talk much no matter what I try.

  We stay inside on the first day, and of course I hear nothing from Riley. As the sun sets, I check out the windows for him. I'm only able to see down to the road from here, and just barely, and after a lot of effort and imagining a deer in front of me, I'm able to turn on my hunter senses which makes the night pop.

  And I wish I hadn't.

  Three figures walk past my house, and one of them is a blond girl with purple-streaked hair and a burgundy skirt. Addie. Beside her walk two guys I haven't seen before, but their heavily gothic dress and heavy piercings tell me they must be Beaumonts, too.

  I freeze as they slow their walk, and all three stare at the Derp House.

  Then I pinch my curtains shut, adrenaline pumping and ears sharpening.

  They say nothing.

  And then I listen as they slowly walk away, almost as if satisfied.

  Yes. They wrote the message for sure.

  I go to sleep halfway in my hunter state, after I re-read the book, while Mom promises she'll stay awake. I dream of fighting Truebloods until my alarm goes off early the next morning, and I rise, giving in to the aroma of coffee in the kitchen. I'm going to need it.

  Mom goes to bed at the start of Day Two.

  And it's raining. Gloomy. There's no protection from Truebloods today.

  And when I check out of the kitchen curtains, more Beaumonts have arrived.

  A group of five, including Addie, walk in a tight group down the street, pretending they're not looking at our house. But I don't miss the way Addie glances in my general direction from the corner of her eye.

  This is a warning.

  I have to remain on my guard, or they're going
to come in. They're going to kill us.

  There must be a reason they haven't yet. They might intend to exhaust Mom and I to death before that happens. Maybe they want us weak and off guard. Or Addie just needs a sense of power.

  Or maybe they fear me.

  Stepping away from the window, I close my eyes, pace, and reach for any magic that might be inside me. If I can control blood, and do so from a distance, we might have a chance.

  But I feel nothing.

  Not even the hunger that I'm starting to get used to.

  And the day continues to drag on.

  Noon. It keeps raining. Then the evening. More rain. I check again and again, and sometimes people are walking past my house and other times not. At last, as the sun begins to set, I glimpse Addie walking down the street, alone, burgundy skirt flowing around her knees.

  Mom groans from her room, still asleep, obviously locked in a nightmare.

  And then I lose it.

  She's alone. I'm going to go confront her right now. Balling my fists, I storm outside, letting the door slam against the house. Addie stops on the road as I march down the driveway. And then she turns her lips up into a grin as I raise my hands and shove her with all my might.

  "What have we ever done to you?" I shout.

  Addie catches her footing easily, maintaining her smile. I've done nothing to scare her. And that makes me feel vulnerable and useless. "Mad about Riley?"

  "What?" I shout, trying not to let those three words get to me. "Why do you keep showing up in front of my house and staring like a bunch of creeps?"

  Addie flips a strand of her hair over her shoulder. "Your time will be up soon enough." And her smile drops away as she talks, leaving just an expressionless look that's somehow worse. Addie looks so sure.

  I go to shove her again, but she steps back, shaking her head. As if I'm pathetic.

  And then she turns her back and marches away and into the deepening gloom.

  * * * * *

  If I don't learn to use my powers, Mom and I are both going to die.

  The night drags on. I can't sleep, even with Mom up and watching. I'm the one with the strength and power. Not her. The Truebloods could come in and kill us all before I have the chance to wake.

  The book mentions only the use of blood magic. Not how to do it. Why should it? It was written for Truebloods, who have no use for learning magic and no ability to even do it. After I close my eyes for the umpteenth time and try to feel something, I give up and slam the book shut. Without a teacher or someone who can at least tell me what to do, there's no accessing that new power anytime soon.

  And the closest Nightside is the one committing all the murders.

  But eventually, while I stare at the ceiling, I drift off to sleep to the tune of Mom watching TV. What else can we do?

  Morning comes on Day Three. It's sunny, so no one's walking down the street when I check, but Riley remains gone. What's taking him so long to find us a safe house, already?

  But a bad feeling in my gut tells me that this isn't typical Riley behavior.

  He would have been back here the moment he suspected the Beaumonts were stalking around my house.

  Mom knocks on my bedroom door. "I think it might be safe enough today for me to run to the store. We need food."

  "Can I go with you?" I ask. I don't want Mom to go out alone and besides, there is phone reception in town, in the store. I can call Lily and see if she's seen him.

  "I'd love that," Mom says. The relief in her words washes over me.

  We go to the store, driving of course, and hardly anyone's there so early on a weekday. I get out my phone, which I've charged fully despite it being useless at the house, and I call Lily.

  She picks up right away. "Hey, it's before class," she says, but she's serious. "Where have you been?"

  I tell her everything that's happened, hating that I haven't been able to keep her in the loop. "Have you seen Riley? At all?"

  "Hmm," Lily says, concern rising. "No. He hasn't shown up to school for a few days now. I've been looking for him, trying to ask if you're okay, and I haven't been able to reach you."

  My heart drops into the floor. "Well, he could be out looking for a place for Mom and I to go, but I don't know."

  Lily says nothing at first. I eye a shelf of packaged meats as the first of my itch sweeps over me. I'll have to ask Mom to buy some of that which isn't awkward at all, just so I can stay inside tonight for a little longer.

  Then she speaks. "He should have at least told you what was happening by now. Stopped by. He's taken risks for you before and he'd do it again. My parents drove past the Beaumont mansion a few times last night to see what's going on. They say most of the Beaumonts have been leaving at night, but they haven't seen Riley, either."

  An idea hatches. "I have to see if he's all right."

  "But you know how he is when you put yourself in danger."

  I know arguing with Lily will just get her to stop me from doing what I have to do. "I know. I'll lay low for a couple more days and see if he shows back up." My stomach turns and my knees tremble. I hate lying. "Then I'll let you know if that happens."

  * * * * *

  Of course I can't wait for two more days to see if Riley's okay. I don't trust Addie and the others to not harm him. So when the sun starts approaching the horizon and I'm sure the Beaumonts will be leaving their mansion to come terrorize us, I nod to Mom and then look out the kitchen window. "I'm going to check on Riley. Can you go to a neighbor's house in the meantime?" I've already given her the deal.

  Mom nods. "I can go to the cafe that you mentioned."

  "But not the seaside one. I'll have Lily and her parents pick you up and bring you home. Or better yet, you can stay at their place for a bit. They're open to it." Lily's turning out to be a great friend.

  And just then, the Riveras' car pulls up.

  I force a smile at Mom. And she just nods.

  She's just letting me go. She's accepted the truth. But her eyes are full of shining worry. Will I even see her again?

  After Mom leaves, I turn on the TV and leave through the back door and allow the itch to overtake me. I can smell deer. Rabbits. Plenty of rabbits. But I won't catch one yet, because my hunger allows my senses to expand. I listen as the car heads towards town with Mom in tow and let out the tense breath I've been holding.

  Then I run before any of the Beaumonts get here. And it won't take them long.

  And I also won't have long to check on Riley. Once they see I'm not in the house, they might figure out what I'm up to.

  With my hunter senses in full swing, I'm able to run through the woods at an amazing speed, though as I do, my hunger increases. But I shove the itch and the almost painful stomach rumbling aside. That will have to wait. I cross town, staying in the shadows, and eventually I spot the roof of the Beaumont mansion rising above the trees.

  My hunger turns to pain, but I swallow and keep it down. I can still smell hints of the blood from the poor gardener, though the Beaumonts have long cleaned up that mess. But I also detect silence. The house is probably empty.

  So I proceed.

  The gate is closed as if the Beaumonts suspect the Riveras of trying to get in. I hold onto my hunger, keeping my strength alive, and I climb over the fence and land on the other side without much sound. Still nothing. No one looks out the windows. Why be cooped up when night if often the only time the Beaumonts can go out?

  Which window is Riley's?

  Is he even home?

  Trying the second floor is my best bet. I grab onto the vines as my enhanced senses begin to fade, but I imagine another deer up there, and it works just long enough to allow me to hoist myself up the natural ladder in just seconds. Though my hands burn, my state makes the pain distant. Bearable. And then I reach the window, grab onto the vines by wrapping them around my shoes with my feet, and crank it open.

  The locks on top break and I smell leather, lavish furniture and fresh paint right away. There's a b
edroom inside with an empty double bed and a huge closet full of clothes for a man and a woman. A couple's bedroom. Though shocked the Beaumonts sleep in beds, I climb in anyway and listen.

  Someone vacuums downstairs. Probably the servant lady who appeared at dinner. I can dodge her, no problem, but my hunger urges me to do something different. No. That would be the worst thing, even if she does knowingly work for the coven. I close the window behind me and enter the hall, which is a raised balcony that encircles the entryway of the mansion.

  And it doesn't take me long to find Riley's room.

  Until now, I hadn't realized that Riley had a scent, something like biker leather mixed with the woods, and the smell hits me as soon as I push the third door open. This is his room. My heart swells, though it's dark inside and without life.

  So I creep in once I make sure no one's there. I close the door behind me and open the curtains, just enough to let a little bit of moonlight in.

  But it's enough for me to see the horror.

  Riley's mattress lies halfway off his bed, like there was a struggle, and a pile of notebooks is strewn on the floor. The dresser is also pulled from the wall at a dangerous angle and the closet door lies partly off its hinges. Fingernail marks rake the walls as if Riley tried to claw his way into them.

  Bile rises into my throat.

  And I turn away from the scene, hurrying back to the window I came in. I climb down, barely taking time to realize I'm all clear, and break into a full run.

  I run and run until I get back home, ignoring the hunger the entire way. Hunting can wait. Can it? I slip in through the back door and amazingly, when I peek out the kitchen curtains, the small group of Beaumonts patrolling outside continues past the house, ignoring me. I've gotten in and out undetected.

  Someone's nabbed Riley. He's missing and I don't know what to do.

  Chapter Eighteen

  And what's worst of all, I can't do anything until morning comes. Or even check to see what the weather will be. My best shot is to get Lily's help, but my phone's not working in the house. So I stay up most of that night, pacing around the house. The itch, which I've neglected, comes back full force and I make another extra-rare steak, glad Mom's bought a whole bunch of them.