by Mari Mancusi
I swallow hard. Here goes nothing. “Well, the best that I can figure is we’re in the Night School building,” I tell him hesitantly. “As for why, well it’s probably best you don’t know.” I pray they haven’t injected him with my blood yet. That it’s not already too late.
I can see him shaking his head, trying to remember. Then he looks up, his eyes filled with horror. I can just tell he’s reliving that moment in the library when he first felt my wings “You drank from me,” he whispers hoarsely. “It was you all along.”
“Yes,” I say. What good would it be to deny it now, even if I could? “Look, Corbin—”
“Oh God.” He slams his head against the concrete wall. “I can’t believe this is happening.” He looks over at me with sick revulsion on his face. “How could you do this to me? After all we shared—after what I told you about my parents ...”
I cringe, feeling the ravaging guilt trying to swallow me whole. “I know. And I’m sorry. I know that probably sounds totally lame, but I am seriously really freaking sorry. Believe me, it was the last thing I ever wanted to do. And if it wasn’t a life-or-death situation ... well ...” I hang my head. “I know, it doesn’t matter. I still should have asked.” I give him a brief play-by-play on the night the fairies attacked in the woods.
“I didn’t want to do it,” I conclude. “Not to you. Not to anyone. In fact, before that night, I’d never even drunk human blood. I’m a freaking vegetarian after all. But when Sunny and I were dumped here to hide out from the fairy army, there was no Blood Synthetic on campus. So it was basically drink human or die.” I make a face, disgusted with myself even now. “And you just happened to win the vampire victim lottery.”
Corbin is silent for a moment, digesting my story. “How do I know you’re not lying to me now?” he says at last, in a tired voice.
“Evidently fairies can’t lie,” I admit. “It’s one of our more annoying traits.”
“Yeah. I can see how that might cramp a vampire’s style,” Corbin snarls sarcastically.
I let out a frustrated sigh. “Look, I don’t expect you to forgive me. Hell, I don’t even forgive myself at this point. I’m going to have to live with what I did to you ’til the day I die.” I pause, then add, “Which will likely be very soon unless we figure out a way to get out of here.”
“We?” Corbin repeats bitterly. “There’s no ‘we’ in this scenario.”
Right. Of course he’d feel that way. I’d feel that way if I were him. But in this case, it’s counterproductive. I draw in a breath, trying to keep my patience. “Look, Corbin, I don’t think you understand how much trouble we’re in here.”
“You almost killed me twice this week. How much worse could this be?”
I hang my head, not blaming him one bit for his anger. He feels betrayed and confused—and deserves to feel all that and more. But, at the same time, all this emotion is wasted energy. We have to work together to get out of here. For his own good as well as mine. How can I convince him of that?
Of course I could just re-glamour the guy. Make him fall in love with me again and do whatever I say. That’d be the easy way out. But looking at his angry, hurt face, I just can’t bring myself to do that. To trick him again.
No, I have to be more honorable if possible. Only do that as a last resort.
“Corbin, listen to me,” I say, trying another tact. “I’ve wronged you. Badly, horribly, unforgivably wronged you. I know that. And I will pay for it, one way or another. But right now, this isn’t about me. It’s about getting you out of Night School. Because tomorrow morning they plan to inject you with my blood. To make you into the same kind of monster I’ve become.”
“I don’t believe you,” he snarls back at me. “They wouldn’t do that.”
“They’ve been doing it,” I insist, gritting my teeth. “I heard them talking about failed experiments. And if we stay here, you’re going to become one of them.”
“No,” Corbin says stubbornly. There’s a hysterical edge to his voice. “You don’t understand. I’m an Alpha. I’m going to Night School!”
I swallow hard. “Corbin, we’re in Night School now. Does this look anything like what they promised you?”
He shakes his head miserably. Gone is all the cocky arrogance. He’s just a confused little boy who’s had the rug pulled out from under him.
I take a deep breath. “Look, Corbin, I know this is a lot to deal with. But we have to figure out a way to escape, okay? Then we can deal with the rest of it.”
He nods slowly. Good. “But how?” he asks.
I think for a moment. “What about the other Alphas? Would they help?”
“If they knew we were here, probably,” Corbin says with a shrug. “But they don’t. I was alone when they captured me. And we can’t exactly text them our location now.”
Right. Of course. I bite at my lower lip, thinking. My vampire strength has already dwindled and I don’t think—even if I could reach him—Corbin’s going to let me bite him again, even if it means regaining my vampire strength for a quick escape. “If only there were other vampires on campus,” I muse.
“Why?”
“I have, like, one vampire power,” I explain. “I can submit psychic cries for help that can be heard by other vampires.”
He snorts. “That’s a power? I think I would have held out for a kung fu grip or something.”
I give him a half smile. At least he’s making jokes.
“Well, it’s not like I got to choose,” I tell him. “But at times it is useful.”
“Well, give it a try then. Maybe there’s a wandering vamp out there in the woods. You never know.”
“Okay.” I’m not optimistic about that, but what the hell. We’ve got nothing better. I close my eyes and lean my head back against the wall. Concentrating, I push my mental message as hard as I can.
Corbin and Rayne. Trapped in Night School. In danger. Need rescuing!
I open my eyes.
“Any luck?” Corbin asks, his voice betraying his eagerness. “Any vampires respond?”
“Um,” I say sheepishly, “I don’t actually know.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I can send. But I can’t receive. So I don’t exactly get an answer back.”
“Now I’m positive I would have held out for a kung fu grip.”
“Well, you may get your chance if we don’t get out of here,” I remind him, which sobers the mood. We fall into an uneasy silence, each listening to the still air, straining to hear a sound of rescue. For about a half hour we hear nothing. Then ...
The door creaks open. I look over in shock, my eyes widening as none other than Lilli herself steps through the entrance. She grins widely, showing off her fangs. “The vampire cavalry is here,” she announces. “Prepare for rescue.”
20
“Lilli?” I cry in shock. “You’re a vampire?” I can’t believe it. Nor can I believe her outfit. I almost don’t even recognize her. Gone is her cute little Catholic schoolgirl skirt and Little Orphan Annie hair, which I now realize must have been a wig. In its place is Goth Barbie’s dream outfit, complete with black corset top, vinyl miniskirt, fishnet stockings, and platform boots, her long black hair pulled back into a ponytail.
She pulls out a pair of black leather gloves from her messenger bag and slips them on before attempting to break my silver chains. “My name’s not actually Lilli,” she says. “I’m Rachel.”
“Rachel?” I repeat in shock. I knew she looked familiar. “Like, Rachel and Charity? Magnus’s blood donors?”
“Former blood donors,” she corrects, grabbing a pair of pliers out of her bag and cutting my chains. “We got infected by the blood virus, remember? So they turned us into vampires to save our lives, much like Jareth did with you. And just like you, we can go out in the sun.”
“But why have I never heard of this? I thought Jareth and I were the only ones.”
“Because we’re working undercover, still living in the huma
n world and pretending to be normal, mortal teenage girls. We can gain access to a lot of places that vampires can’t, but at the same time, we’re stronger than humans so we can get ourselves out of trouble.” The chains snap and fall to the ground. I rub my wrists gratefully and she starts working on my feet. “I was assigned here six months ago. The Vampire Consortium believed some high-up Slayer Inc. operatives had broken off from the main agency and were working to stage a coup.” She looks up at me ruefully as the chains clatter to the ground. “Which, of course, seems to be true.”
“Didn’t you recognize us? Why didn’t you tell us who you were?”
“I’m not supposed to break cover,” she says. “No matter what. I did try to give you some hints. I even tried to share my stash of synthetic with you. But you kept refusing it.”
I suddenly remember all her offers of getting me lunch. The gifts of red Kool-Aid that I never drank. Could I have prevented all of this, just by taking a sip?
“Oh man,” I moan. “I’m such an idiot.” I stagger to my feet, gripping the wall for support. My body’s weak from all that blood they took and my toes have fallen asleep. Is this what Corbin felt like after I nearly drained him dry? I look over at him guiltily. At least if we get out of here he’ll never have to go through something like that again.
“And then when I heard Corbin over there had been bit, it was pretty easy to put two and two together. So I contacted the Blood Coven and told them we were going to have to spring you, even if it meant breaking cover and aborting the mission. But by the time Magnus gave me permission, your sister had already turned you in.”
“Not my sister,” I correct. “A changeling pretending to be her.”
Rachel nods. “Well, all I can say is thank the Goth gods you sent me that cry for help. Without it, I’d never have known where they’d taken you.”
I throw Corbin a smirk. “Kung fu grip my ass,” I quip.
Corbin just rolls his eyes. Rachel approaches, kneeling in front of him and examining his chains. She grabs his arm and he grunts in pain.
“Sorry,” she says. “Sometimes I forget how fragile you humans are.”
He scowls at her, his muscles contracting as he tries to break his own chains. “I don’t need your help, vampire,” he snarls.
“Oh relax, Mortal One.” Rachel smiles sweetly at him. “I don’t bite.” Then she laughs. “Well, okay, that’s not exactly true, but in your case, I promise to make an exception.”
“Come on, Corbin,” I beg. “We need to get out of here. Rachel’s the only hope we have.”
He lets out a long breath. “Fine,” he says through gritted teeth. “Do what you have to do.”
“Such gratitude,” she muses out loud. “No wonder you guys remain at the bottom of the food chain.” She cuts through the shackles and they clatter to the ground. “Now, try not to stake me while I continue to save your life, okay?”
“I don’t make promises to vampires,” Corbin mutters as he staggers to his feet.
“Come on, you two,” I cry. “Less bickering, more getting the hell out of here.” I make a dash for the open door.
“Wait! You’ve got to—!” Rachel cries out after me. I stop, turning to question ...
... and an alarm starts blaring through the building.
Uh-oh. Did I do that?
“You’ve got to watch for the infrareds,” Rachel says with a sigh. “Or, you know, not.”
“Too late now,” Corbin cries. “We need to get out of here, fast!” He runs out the door and down the darkened hallway, which flashes with red lights, pulsing in time with the siren. We reach a set of double doors and push them open, bursting into the same laboratory I woke up in. At the end of the room, a large, bright exit sign is illuminated. We rush toward it, but Corbin stops short, forcing Rachel and I to slam into him. A few beakers fall from the table and shatter with a loud sound. Corbin puts a finger to his lips.
We listen. From below we can hear shouts, footsteps pounding on the stairs, doors slamming. “We can’t go this way,” Corbin says. “We’ll run right into them. Go back the way we came!”
So we head back through the double doors and into the red flashing hallway. This time we take a left and shoot down another dark corridor.
“In here,” Rachel says, pointing to an unmarked door. We push through, entering a large, high-ceilinged room, filled with ... beds?
“What the ... ?” Corbin looks down in horror at the bed nearest him, his face whitening and his mouth opening into a scream. Rachel catches it just in time, covering his mouth with her hand.
“Shhh!” she commands him. “Don’t give us away.”
He manages to close his mouth and Rachel removes her hand. He points at the bed with a shaky finger. I look down at the figure lying upon it. A boy, probably about eighteen. Blond hair, pale skin, eyes closed. He looks almost dead, but I can see the slow pulse at his neck. Coma, perhaps?
“Parker ... ?” Corbin whispers hoarsely, staggering backward. Rachel catches him and holds him up until he can regain his balance.
“Who’s Parker?” I ask curiously, grabbing the chart off the end of the bed. Sure enough the paperwork identifies him as Parker Anderson. “Injected with nine milliliters of vampire blood,” I read. “Current condition: comatose.”
Corbin shakes his head in horror. “No ...” he whispers.
“This is what I’ve been trying to tell you,” I say gently, believing he’s finally ready to hear the truth. “The Alpha program? They’re trying to turn you all into vampires—so you can fight as soldiers in their war to take over the world. But evidently they haven’t gotten their formula quite right yet.” Thank goodness, too, or we’d be in even more trouble than we are already.
“Trinity, Taylor, Conner, Julian—all of Riverdale’s former Alphas are here,” Corbin says, going from bed to bed. “I thought ... I thought they were ...”
“James Bonding out there in the otherworld?” Rachel says wryly. “Yeah, not so much.”
Before anyone can answer, we hear a door open and what sounds like a hundred footsteps clomping just outside. Rachel dives for the door, locking it behind us. “We need to get up to the roof,” she says. “To the helicopter.”
“Um, can anyone here actually fly a helicopter?” I venture as we run through the room and to the back door. Behind us, I can hear them banging on the door, trying to break it open.
“I can,” Corbin says, his distraught face thankfully morphing into a determined one.
Rachel looks at him skeptically. “A real one, or are you talking video game simulation?”
He scowls. “Well, unless you’ve got your pilot’s license, honey, I’m the best chance we’ve got.”
“Less fighting, more running,” I call breathlessly up at them.
I lose track of floors as we run up flight after flight. After what seems a million years, we finally reach a door at the top. I wrap my fingers around it and turn.
Locked.
“Great. Now what?” Corbin asks angrily. “You vampires have advanced lock-picking powers, maybe?”
“Nope, but I’ve got super strength,” Rachel says with a smile. She slams her body against the door. The wood creaks and moans, but doesn’t give way.
“Might want to turn up the ‘super’ a little,” Corbin suggests, unhelpfully.
Below, the voices are getting louder. “Up here! They’ve gone to the roof!”
“After them!”
“Come on, Rachel!” I urge. “You can do it!”
Rachel slams the door again. And again.
“Hang on,” Corbin says after her fourth attempt. “Allow me.” He backs up and charges the door, throwing his full weight upon it. The wood gives way and Corbin crashes through.
He grins mockingly at Rachel. “After you, vampire.”
Rachel gives him a grudging nod of respect, then dashes through the hole that used to be the door. I follow directly behind, out onto the roof. It’s nighttime and the wind whips through my hair as
we make a mad run for the small chopper sitting on the helipad. Corbin takes the driver’s seat and starts fumbling with the controls. The propellers begin to slowly whirl and a moment later we’re hovering a few feet off the ground.
“Let’s go!” I cry.
“Hang on,” Corbin says, madly working the gears. “This is supposed to just be a two-person helicopter,” he says. “We need to throw some stuff off.” He grabs a parachute case and tosses it to the ground.
“No, wait! You barely know how to fly this thing. You’re going to need those,” Rachel reminds him, jumping off to throw the case back in, then boosting herself back up.
“I know, but ...” Corbin looks around frantically for other possible discards. At that moment, the rooftop swarms with guardians spilling through the shattered doorway, armed with stakes and crossbows.
“Get off the helicopter,” one of them commands into a megaphone. “You’re under arrest.”
The three of us look at one another. Then Rachel shoves an unfolded map in my hands. “The Blood Coven is waiting for you here,” she says, pointing to an X on the map. “Good luck!”
“Wait, what are you—?” I start to say, but before I can get out the words, she’s jumped off the ‘copter and is running toward the slayers. “Come and get me, bitches!” she cries.
“Rachel, no!” Corbin and I cry in unison.
But it’s too late. The guardians turn on her and let loose their crossbows. As the stakes pierce her body, she instantly poofs into nothingness—as if she were never there at all.
“Corbin, go!” I cry, bloody tears flooding my face. “Go now!”
Corbin slams the gear and the helicopter jerks upward, rising over the guardians. They try to shoot, but the wooden stakes bounce harmlessly off the bottom of the ’copter and rain back on the ground below.
I lean my head against the side of the helicopter, trying to catch my breath. “She didn’t have to do that,” I moan, mostly to myself.
“Actually, she did,” Corbin says simply, staring out the front window, steering the ’copter toward our destination. “It just surprised me that she did it.”