Kallias sighed and nodded. “Fine. Now, forget about this. Forget that I’m a telepath. I’d like to keep Theron in the dark about that for a little longer.”
“Yes, of course,” she murmured, her large brown eyes blank.
Kallias released her and turned to walk away from her. He turned back toward her as he heard her trying to catch her breath. “For your sake, Sofia, I hope that you’re not killing humans again. Because if you are, you will die.”
—
The midmorning sun burned her skin as Rose headed to her first class of the day, crossing the lawn that stretched between the history building and the foreign languages building. Her steps slowed as she approached the building where Theron had attacked her the night before, the building where he’d killed Dr. Parker. Her stomach lurched as the horrifying image of her teacher’s corpse flashed through her mind again. She considered turning and running back to her car. She didn’t want to step foot in that building again. She didn’t know if she could. Even worse, her next class was Dr. Parker’s class. Rose had nearly decided to leave when she noticed a familiar form leaning against a pillar in the breezeway, a guy dressed in a college hoodie and faded jeans, his brownish blonde hair stuck up in short, gelled spikes. It was Owen, she realized. She inhaled and exhaled slowly to calm herself. She couldn’t run now, not without freaking out Owen.
Rose stopped in front of him. She adjusted her backpack on her shoulder and frowned at him. “I thought you had Organic Chemistry right now.”
Owen shrugged. “I wanted to catch you before your first class.”
Rose looked horrified. “You skipped class for me? Now I feel evil!”
Owen laughed, “Well, if it makes you feel any better, I skipped class last week to take Piper to the vet, and she’s probably the least evil dog on the planet.”
“That’s true,” she agreed. “She doesn’t even bark at the mailman.”
He nodded. “She loves the mailman.”
Rose sighed, “Audrey said you were angry at me.”
“Audrey exaggerates,” Owen said. He brushed a finger underneath Rose’s stitches. “I really wish you would’ve just let us walk you home, though.”
She shrugged. “It wasn’t that big of a deal. As you can see, I’m fine.”
“Not a big deal?” Owen repeated. “Rose, someone tried to kill you!”
Rose frowned. “How did you know about that? I never told…”
“Audrey told me,” Owen said before she could finish the sentence.
“Oh. Of course,” she laughed, shaking her head at herself. She’d always trusted people easily. So, why was she suddenly suspicious of her own friends?
“Speaking of Audrey,” he sighed, as he slipped his hands into his pockets, “Is she still planning on visiting her grandparents this weekend?”
“She better be,” Rose muttered.
“I don’t think you should be alone right now,” Owen said worriedly.
She shrugged. “I’ll be fine. Audrey’s been planning this visit for months.”
“Yeah, I know,” he said. “That’s why I think you should stay with us this weekend. You can’t just stay alone while someone is out there trying to kill you. You’ll be safe with us. Jared… He…uh…has experience with this kind of thing.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”
Owen suddenly looked uncomfortable. “Did you ever wonder how Jared and I met?” he sighed, anxiously shifting his weight from one side to the other.
Rose continued to study him suspiciously. “I assumed high school.”
He shook his head. “We didn’t go to the same school, at least not at first. Do you remember how I told you that I switched schools during my senior year?”
She nodded. “You said the people at your old school treated you badly.”
He winced. “And they did. That was the truth. But…I actually switched schools because I moved in with Jared and his family…after my parents died.”
Her jaw dropped. “What? Your parents… Owen, you never told me!”
“I know. I should have,” Owen said, glancing around to make sure no one was listening. “Especially you. You, of all people, would understand. But then, you would’ve had questions about how it happened, and I would have had no choice but to tell you that they were murdered, which is hard to…”
“Murdered?” Rose repeated a little too loudly. She winced at her mistake, grateful that no one had chosen that moment to walk by. “By whom?”
Owen looked a little greenish. “It doesn’t really matter.”
She scowled at him but decided not to push it. “I’m so sorry, Owen.”
He offered her a weak smile. “Thanks.”
She frowned. “So, then, was Jared your foster brother or something?”
“No,” he laughed. “It was nothing like that. I met Jared the night my parents died. His family saved me from the people who murdered my parents.”
Her frown deepened. “How?”
“It’s…a long story,” he said, shrugging awkwardly. “The point is: they know a lot about this kind of thing, so I stayed with them until the people who murdered my parents were caught.” He sighed. “Rose, I told you all of this because I want you to understand that Jared knows how to protect you.”
“Okay,” Rose said, drawing out the word in confusion. She held her hands up. “I just have a few questions. And by a few, I mean a billion or more.”
“No, Rose,” Owen sighed, shaking his head. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I know it sounds confusing, but just trust me. You’ll be safe with us.”
Rose wanted to tell him that he didn’t understand, that it wasn’t a typical murderer that had tried to kill her, that no matter what kind of murderer Jared’s family had somehow taken down, it didn’t even compare to Theron, but she couldn’t say any of that. “I can’t. I’m sorry. I have plans. A date! I have a date!”
Owen raised an eyebrow in amusement. “Really? With whom?”
Rose grinned. “Oh, just a certain tall, dark, and handsome…bookshelf.”
He stared blankly at her. “You have a date with your books?”
“Yep,” Rose confirmed. “I need to brush up on my knowledge of creepy, psychotic murderers, and I have just the horror novel collection to do so.”
Owen rolled his eyes. “I worry about your sanity sometimes.”
Rose’s eyes shifted toward the history building, her gaze immediately freezing on the part of the wall that Kallias had shoved her against the night before. She glanced at the doorway, and the image of Theron, cut open and bloody, still standing somehow, despite that gruesome injury, flashed through her mind. She jumped as she felt Owen grab her shoulder, and she shoved him back unintentionally. “It’s just me, Rose,” Owen said, his hazel eyes wide with concern.
Rose stared at him, shocked by her own reaction. “Owen, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to…” she trailed off. “I just kind of…forgot…where I was.”
“I know,” he said. “I said your name, and you didn’t even hear me.”
She glanced down at her feet, her cheeks flushing. “I just…”
“Rose, I get it,” Owen assured her, his hazel eyes soft with sympathy. “After what happened to you, anyone would feel a little traumatized. It’s normal.”
She sighed nervously, “I better get to class before I wind up being late.”
He nodded, his brows still creased with worry. “Reconsider. Please.”
“I’ll be fine,” Rose assured him, her gaze shifting toward the building as the door opened and students began to file out from their classes. She swallowed uneasily as she caught a brief view of the foyer where Dr. Parker had been killed.
“What if he doesn’t stop until you’re dead?” Owen asked suddenly.
She glanced at him. “Is there something you’re not saying, Owen?”
He looked away. “No. No. Nothing.”
Rose continued to frown at him. “Okay. I have to go now.”
“I
’ll see you later,” he said without looking at her.
She watched him as he walked away, more than a little confused about how strangely he’d been acting the last few days. Finally, she sighed and continued her walk to class. When she reached the door, she stood there for a moment, her hand on the door handle, as she tried to muster up the courage to go inside.
“Rose! Wait!” Audrey yelled as she ran through the breezeway.
Rose frowned as she saw Audrey running toward her. When she reached her, Audrey knelt, her hands on her knees, as she tried to catch her breath.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me that today is Everyone-Stop-Rose-On-Her-Way-To-Class Day?” Rose asked. “I would’ve bought banners and party hats.”
“You were already gone when I woke up this morning,” Audrey panted.
“I had to leave early to drive to the prison,” Rose reminded her.
“Oh!” Audrey exclaimed. “Today’s the day you visit your brother!”
“Yeah. Same day every month,” Rose said, adjusting her backpack.
Audrey straightened and ran her hand through her disheveled brown hair. “Yeah, of course. I guess I just forgot. It’s been such a rough morning.”
Rose frowned worriedly. “What happened?”
“My grandparents are here. They picked me up because they didn’t want me to attempt a four-hour-drive in my car, which is probably a good idea because I’m pretty sure it’d break down before I made it to the state-line. They’re actually parked right over there,” Audrey rambled, pointing at a small silver car parked beside the No Parking sign. Apparently, the disregard for signs was hereditary.
“Audrey, just breathe,” Rose said, “and tell me what’s wrong.”
Audrey exhaled shakily and then began to speak again, more slowly this time, “I had another dream last night, and…Rose…it was the worst one yet.”
Rose tucked her hair behind her ear. “What do you mean by that?”
Audrey grimaced, her hazel eyes wide with horror. “It… I…I can’t…” she stammered, unable to describe the horrific dream out loud. “Look, I think you should come to my grandparents’ house with me. Just get out of town.”
Rose sighed, “No. I can’t do that. You know I can’t do that.”
“Oh, come on!” Audrey said anxiously. “My grandparents love you, which is saying something because they hate everyone else I’ve ever brought home.”
Rose laughed, “Probably because the others were boyfriends.”
“You’re right,” Audrey said thoughtfully. “They hate everyone I date.”
“I don’t blame them,” Rose commented.
Audrey grinned playfully. “Maybe I should just marry you,” she teased.
Rose scowled at that. “Then, they would hate me, too.”
“Nah,” Audrey said, waving her hand. “Seriously, though, Rose, I think you need to get out of town. In my dream, he killed you inside the apartment.”
Rose froze. “Are you sure?”
Audrey suddenly looked sick. “I could see the apartment, the bed…”
“But Kallias said that I should stay home,” Rose said worriedly.
“I know. Maybe he was wrong,” Audrey said, shrugging.
“Or maybe he was lying,” Rose said with a bitter edge to her voice.
“No, I don’t think so,” Audrey said, shaking her head. “He saved your life two nights in a row. Why would he do all of that just to let you die now?”
Rose shrugged. “Do you know what night it will happen?”
“No,” Audrey sighed. “I never know that. Just come with me, okay?”
“No. No. Absolutely not,” Rose answered sternly.
“Rose!” Audrey scolded, wringing her hands anxiously.
Rose moved closer so that she could whisper, “What if Theron follows me? He’d kill you. He might even kill your grandparents. Is that what you want?”
Audrey sighed in defeat. “Fine. Then, I’ll just tell them I can’t go.”
“No, you won’t,” Rose said stubbornly. “They already drove all the way here to pick you up. You’re not sending them home without you. You’re going.”
“I’m not leaving you here to die!” Audrey argued.
“It may not even happen this weekend,” Rose reminded her.
Audrey ran her fingers through her tangled mess of hair. “But at some point, it will happen, unless you do something to stop it.”
“Then, that’s what I’ll do,” Rose said, shrugging.
Audrey scowled at her. “What will you do?”
“Research,” Rose said.
Audrey rolled her eyes. “Research? Really, Rose?”
Rose sighed, “There has to be something helpful out there, right? In the past, when I’ve read about vampires, I did so with the assumption that the stories were fiction. Now, I know the truth, that the fiction is fact, that any story might be true. So, I’ll read them again. I just have to find a way to stop a vampire.”
“And if there isn’t a way?” Audrey asked worriedly.
Rose stared at Audrey for a few moments. “I will find a way. I promise.”
Audrey nodded and threw her arms around Rose’s neck. “Please, please, don’t die,” she whispered, hugging Rose tightly. “Promise me you won’t die.”
“I promise,” Rose said. “Now, go. Your grandparents are waiting.”
Audrey pulled back. “You can’t die this weekend anyway,” she teased with a playful half-smile. “We have to look for wedding dresses on Monday.”
Rose rolled her eyes at the joke. “You know how I feel about dresses.”
“Fine, I’ll wear the dress. You can wear a tux,” Audrey offered.
Rose crossed her arms. “Bye, Audrey.”
Her smile faded as she watched Audrey turn and jog back to her grandparents’ car. She hated lying to her friends, pretending that she believed that everything would be fine when she knew it wouldn’t, but she couldn’t put them in danger. Struck by a sudden sense of dread, Rose yelled out, “I love you!”
Audrey spun around and grinned playfully. “Now you’re really making us sound gay,” she teased. But then, her smile faded, and she said, “I love you, too.”
Rose nodded and pulled open the door of the building. She nearly screamed as she ran directly into someone, sending the person’s books scattering across the tile floor. She blinked at the thin, mousy young woman in front of her.
“Riley,” Rose acknowledged, blushing. “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry.”
She knelt and began quickly gathering up Riley’s books.
“N-n-no, it’s my f-fault,” Riley stuttered, her hands fiddling with the corners of her purple plaid skirt. “I s-shouldn’t have been in front of the door.”
Rose stood and placed the books in Riley’s arms. “No, it’s mine,” she argued, her gaze shifting toward the corner of the room, where she’d found Dr. Parker’s body the night before. Her stomach turned as the memory flashed through her mind again. She exhaled shakily. “I’m not thinking clearly today.”
Riley fiddled nervously with her long, black hair that was bound together in braided pigtails. “It’s okay. Really. It’s g-good to s-see you today.”
Rose smiled. “It’s good to see you, too.”
Riley adjusted the crooked, black glasses that framed her green eyes. Her cheeks flushed a bright pink. “I’m sorry. I can’t s-seem to stop s-stuttering.”
“I told you before,” Rose said. “You have to stop apologizing for things you can’t help. If other people have a problem with it, that’s their problem.”
Riley smiled and ducked her head shyly. “So, um, are you r-ready for that exam we have in Dr. Parker’s class today?” she asked conversationally.
Rose’s smile faded at the mention of her teacher’s name. “Uh, yeah.”
Riley laughed softly. “Then, why do you look so pale?”
Rose sucked in a shaky breath. “Maybe I am a little nervous,” she lied.
“Why?” Riley asked. �
�You’ve probably never made lower than an A.”
Rose frowned. “Not that I can remember, no,” she agreed.
Riley giggled, “Then, you shouldn’t be nervous. You will do fine.”
“Thanks,” Rose said, forcing herself to smile.
She scanned the room curiously for any sign of the murder. That was the main reason Rose had decided to come to class that day. She needed to know what had happened after they left. Surprisingly, the room looked exactly as it always had. She saw no sign of blood or struggle in the foyer. She stared at the white floor, determined to find at least one blood stain, but the floor was spotless.
“Are you okay?” Riley asked, placing her hand on Rose’s arm.
Rose jumped at the touch, her heart racing against her chest.
“I’m sorry. I d-didn’t mean to s-scare you,” Riley stammered.
Rose raked her hand through her long, wavy red hair. “It’s okay. I’m fine,” she assured Riley. “I just kind of spaced out for a minute.”
“Oh, I do that, too, when my sugar gets low,” Riley told her. “Have you eaten today? I have some peanut butter crackers in my bag, if you want some.”
Rose laughed. “I am not taking your crackers. You might need them.”
Riley blushed. “I have plenty.”
“I’m fine. I promise,” Rose said. “I just had a rough night.”
Rose cast one last glance at the floor, her breath catching in her throat as the image of her dead teacher flashed through her mind again. She squeezed her eyes shut as she waited for the memory to subside. She’d been through this once before, after her mother’s death. She hated not being in control of her own mind.
“You’re not hallucinating, are you?” Riley asked worriedly. She blushed. “S-sorry, I just noticed your stitches. My brother played football. He had concussions all of the time, and he used to have these really weird hallucinations.”
Rose laughed. “That probably had more to do with the drugs.”
“He did have a bit of a drug problem back then,” Riley admitted.
“Yeah,” Rose agreed. “Come on. Let’s get to class before we’re late.”
The Stone of the Eklektos Page 20