Shiver (Night Roamers)

by Middleton, Kristen

  He brushed my hand away and stood up. “I’ll be downstairs.”

  I got up as he walked out of the bedroom and quickly slipped on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. I then packed a duffel bag with more clothing and then went back into my mom’s room to grab the money she’d been saving for Vegas. I stuffed it into my pocket and went back downstairs. When I met Duncan in the great room, he was sitting in the dark, staring into the unlit fireplace.

  “You okay?” I asked.

  “Peachy,” he answered with a bitter smile.

  I sighed. “Are you ready?”

  He stood up and grabbed the duffel bag from me. “Have you flown yet?”

  I shook my head. “I didn’t like it when I was human. I’m sure I won’t now, either.”

  “That may be so, but it’s the quickest and cheapest way to get to Vegas. First, we’ll need to feed, though, so we have enough energy.”

  Remembering the sweet taste of blood, my mouth watered. “I just fed a little while ago. I think I’m okay until we get to Vegas.”

  Plus, I wasn’t sure if I could do it again. Doing it out of rage was one thing, but feeding on an innocent person was something entirely different. As far as I was concerned, it was still barbaric.

  He sighed. “Fine. I’ll wait, too.”

  I touched his cool cheek. “Are you sure you’re going to make it? You feel cold.”

  “I’ll be fine,” he said, turning away. “Now, let’s go.”

  We went outside into the back fields behind the cabin.

  “Now,” he said, “it’s time for a few “Vampire Life Lessons 101”.

  “I can’t wait,” I answered dryly.

  He smiled. “Just be lucky you have me. I had to learn all of this on my own. It wasn’t easy.”

  “Nothing about being one of these things appears to be easy,” I said.

  “Agreed. Now,” he said, picking up a handful of snow and forming it into a ball. “You may notice that the climate won’t affect you the same way as it used to. You won’t necessarily be cold in sub-zero temperatures but the sun will no longer be your friend. So get used to staying out of direct sunlight and use sunglasses if you can’t avoid being out during the day, or you’ll be very uncomfortable.”

  “Okay.”

  He threw the snowball across the field, much farther than any normal person could. “We’re insanely dexterous and fast.”

  I nodded. “So I’ve noticed.”

  “Watch this,” he smiled.

  In a blur, he was gone, but seconds later, he was back and holding a fluffy bear that had been on my bed.

  I smiled and took it from him. “Okay, very impressive.”

  “Your turn, I want to see you move,” he said.

  I raised my eyebrows at the way he’d said it.

  “What?” he chuckled. “I just want to see how fast you can go.”

  “Okay, but don’t expect too much. I haven’t had time to practice anything, you know?”

  “It’s pretty easy. Just concentrate on where you want to go and then start moving your legs.”

  “That easy, huh?”

  “Yep. Go on,” he urged.

  I thought about the dock and began running. In less than two seconds, I was staring at the spot where I’d last seen Sonny, next to the boat house. I closed my eyes and shuddered.

  “You okay?” asked Duncan, coming up behind me after a few seconds.

  I cleared my throat. “So, where is he?”

  “My dad?”

  I nodded.

  “I buried him,” he answered, gruffly.

  I touched his arm. “I’m so sorry, Duncan.”

  He stared out towards the lake. “I still can’t believe it myself.”

  I motioned towards the lake. “My dad’s out there.”

  He turned to me in surprise. “What?”

  I nodded. “Celeste killed him. Ethan told me.”

  “What a surprise,” he mumbled. “Ethan was around when your dad died.”

  “Ethan didn’t kill my dad. He told me the truth.”

  Duncan sighed. “And of course, as always, you believed him.”

  “For the love of God, he didn’t do it! I know it wasn’t him. In fact, the night you were attacked and turned into a vampire, it wasn’t Ethan, either.”

  His eyes widened. “Of course it was, we both saw him!”

  I shook my head. “No, it was Faye. She’s a shape-shifter! Don’t you understand? She is the one who tried killing you! She wanted you to seek revenge on Ethan because of her own jealous, twisted mind.”

  “Why didn’t she just kill him herself?”

  I shrugged. “Who knows? The point is, Faye’s dangerous and we have to find Nathan and my mom before she does.”

  He let out a long breath. “Okay, let’s practice flying and then we’ll go.”

  I nodded, very reluctantly.

  “Someone’s coming,” he said, turning towards a pair of headlights in the distance. “We’d better hide.”

  I nodded.

  He grabbed me and flew us up onto the roof of the cabin, where we both crouched down. As the vehicle moved closer I recognized Rosie.

  “I wonder what she’s doing here,” I whispered.

  “Probably looking for you. You’ve been gone for a couple of days and I think it’s pretty safe to say you probably haven’t filled her in on what’s going on.”

  “I should talk to her. Maybe she knows something.”

  He grabbed my arm. “It’s not a good idea. The less she knows, the safer she’ll probably be.”

  I sighed and watched as Rosie got out of her car and walked up the steps to ring the doorbell. When nobody answered, she started back down the steps.

  “What in the hell?” whispered Duncan.

  I looked to where he was staring and my breath caught in my throat.

  “That’s impossible,” I whispered in horror.

  A lone man was walking out of the woods; his smile was one that I’d recognized growing up. It was a cold smile that meant trouble.

  My father.

  “It’s my dad,” I whispered.

  Duncan stared at me in shock.

  “I know,” I mumbled. “Something’s going on here.”

  “Can I help you?” hollered my dad, moving closer. He was dressed in the sheriff’s uniform and looked more alive than I did at the moment.

  Rosie turned towards him and I could tell she was more than a little taken aback. “Oh, I’m sorry – I was looking for Nikki!” she called back.

  We watched as he moved closer to her. “I’m looking for her, too, as a matter of fact. She’s missing, so are her brother and mother. You haven’t seen any of them?”

  Rosie shook her head and moved closer to her car. “No, I haven’t. I’m sorry, have we met before?”

  “I’m the new sheriff in town, Jim Smith,” he lied, holding out his hand.

  “Hello, I’m Rosie,” she said.

  Both of them were far away but my new senses caught their conversation as if I was standing there right beside them.

  “So, you really haven’t spoken to any of them?” he repeated.

  She shook her head. “No, that’s why I came out here. Nikki’s missed work and hasn’t returned my phone calls. That’s not like her at all. As for her mom and brother, I haven’t any idea where they are, either.”

  He sighed and stared out towards the road. “Well, I guess you won’t be much help. But that’s okay.”

  “What do you mean by that?” she asked in confusion.

  The next thing I knew, he grabbed Rosie by the throat and twisted her neck, snapping it.

  “Oh, my God!” I choked, as he tossed her body aside.

  Duncan grabbed my hand tightly. “Shit, we have to get the hell out of here.”

  “You can come out now!” yelled my father, staring up towards us. “I know you’re there.”

  I stared at Duncan in horror.

  “It’s not him,” said Duncan.

  “It is
him,” yelled my dad. “Now, both of you can come down here. I made dinner for you. Hurry before she gets too cold to enjoy.”

  I stood up and pointed towards him. “Who in the hell are you?” I screamed, tears rolling down my cheeks.

  “Nikki!” growled Duncan, reaching for me.

  “Ah…” smiled my father, a triumphant look on his face.

  Before I knew what was happening, Duncan and I were flying through the forest, away from the cabin, as if we were faster than the speed of light.

  Chapter Thirty

  We landed clumsily, rolling in the snow.

  “Shit, I’m sorry. You okay?” asked Duncan, helping me up.

  I nodded and looked around. We were at the marina, inside of the fenced-in area where some of the boats were wrapped and stored.

  “Duncan!” I screamed, as a shadow flew over our head.

  He grabbed my hand and we began to run as our pursuer landed on the ground not far from us.

  “It’s pointless to run!” laughed my dad. “You can’t escape me.”

  We jumped over the fence and soon we were speeding out of town again, with my dad still hot on our tails. When something grabbed my arm and pulled me back, I screamed in terror.

  “Nikki,” smiled my dad, holding me firmly by my shoulders. “Come on, that’s no way to greet your father.”

  Duncan came back around and tried grabbing my dad by the back of the neck, but he was no match for him.

  “Fool,” he growled, releasing me. He turned to Duncan, grabbed him by the hair, and punched him in the face several times, sending him flying backwards with the force of the last one.

  “No!” I choked, rushing towards Duncan, who was getting back up from the snow.

  “So, where is he?” hollered my dad.

  I turned to him. “Who?”

  His smile was cold and evil. “Ethan.”

  I watched in wonder as his face and body began to change. Seconds later, we were staring at Faye, still dressed in the oversized sheriff’s uniform.

  “Ethan is gone,” I snapped. “How did you find out about my dad?”

  She shrugged. “It wasn’t difficult. Now, what do you mean, Ethan is gone?”

  “He’s dead,” answered Duncan.

  She stepped closer and stared up at Duncan. “Dead? Don’t tell me that you killed him?”

  Duncan’s lips thinned. “I didn’t get the pleasure, but he is most certainly dead.”

  “Dead,” she whispered hoarsely. “That can’t be.”

  “It is,” I said. “Someone shot him in the head.”

  Her face darkened. “It was your fault, you know. If you wouldn’t have come back, he’d still be alive.”

  “I am not Miranda!” I hollered.

  “Oh…but you can’t fool me,” she raged, spittle forming at the corner of her mouth.

  “What in the hell do you want with us?” asked Duncan. “We’ve done nothing to you.”

  “You can leave,” she told Duncan, still staring at me with a strange light in her eyes. “I have no quarrels with you.”

  “I’m not leaving without Nikki.”

  She turned to him and frowned. “Very well, then you’ll die as well.”

  “There is no way in hell that I’ll let you harm her.”

  “Fool,” she spat.

  Duncan tried grabbing my hand just as Faye pounced on him, knocking him flat to the ground. He kicked her and sent her flying backwards, but she recovered quickly. I stared in horror as she flew back towards him, her body changed, yet again, into the gargoyle-like creature I’d met in the woods the other night.

  “Run!” hollered Duncan as he punched her in the face while she tried to rip his throat out with shark-like fangs.

  “No,” I choked, desperately trying to think of a way to help as they rolled around on the ground. I didn’t want to get in the way, but I wasn’t sure if he was strong enough to defeat her on his own.

  “Fools,” hissed Faye, grabbing him by the neck. “Nobody can escape from me.”

  “Run!” repeated Duncan as Faye’s claws tore into the side of his face. I watched in horror as blood began to seep out of the wound and her long, black tongue reached out to taste it.

  “Duncan!” I screamed as the touch of her tongue seemed to scorch his flesh.

  He raised his face in pain and let out a deafening roar. Then, although in obvious agony, he grabbed her face with both hands, and somehow managed to pin her down. He raised his fist to punch her in the face just as her hand snaked up and slammed into his chest, sending him backwards. In a flash, she was on top of him again, slamming the back of his head against the ground. “Is that all you’ve got?” she rasped, her lips twisting into a triumphant smile.

  I quickly moved behind her and grabbed her neck, which was actually very scaly and hard to hold onto.

  “Bitch,” she rasped, knocking me backwards with her elbow. She then jumped back off of Duncan, who was coughing and sputtering, and went after me.

  “No!” I screamed, running away. Soon I was moving so fast that I felt as light as a feather. I imagined myself flying over the trees and before I realized what was happening, I actually was.

  “Miranda!” raged Faye, coming up behind me. She grabbed my waist and both of us went tumbling down back towards the trees until we landed in a field of snow.

  “Help!” I screamed, as she landed on top of me and held me down with her body.

  She smiled in triumph. “You can’t escape me,” she said in a raspy voice. “Roamer or not. You’re just weak and pitiful.”

  Just then I saw a flash of movement and Faye screamed out in anger as Duncan landed on her back and began beating the top of her head with his fists. She released her hold on me and grabbed one of his arms.

  “Enough games,” she growled, snapping his wrist. “Now, you will die.” She hopped off of me, turned, and grabbed him by the neck, lifting him up into the air.

  “Duncan!” I choked, trying to hit her so she’d let go.

  “Oh, I do love the blood of a Roamer,” she rasped.

  Realizing what she was about to do, I jumped onto her back and began beating her with my fists.

  But it was like beating on a steel door.

  She knocked me down and then pulled his throat to her mouth, impaling him with her long fangs. I watched in horror as she ripped his throat apart, spraying blood all over the white snow.

  “No!!!” I howled in anguish as his eyes rolled back into his skull and his body went limp. I jumped back onto her rough, scaly back and wrapped my hands around her reptilian throat. With all my might, I squeezed until she finally released Duncan.

  “Your turn,” she rasped, flying backwards. She slammed me back against a tree and I slid off of her.

  “Oh…” I groaned in pain.

  “Now,” she said, turning around to stare down at me where I lay, trying to catch my breath. “This party is over.”

  I looked past her and my breath caught in my throat as I stared at the shadowed figure getting ready to pounce.

  Faye attempted to turn around but it was too late, Ethan wrapped his hands around her throat, snapped her neck like a stick and then sunk his teeth into her scaly green skin. I watched as he drained her of all of her blood and then tossed her body aside.

  “You’re alive,” I sobbed as he took me into his arms. “I can’t believe it.”

  He kissed the top of my head and pulled me in tighter. “Thank God you are, too. Good thing I heard all the commotion when I was flying past.”

  “How did you make it?” I asked, looking into his ice blue eyes.

  He stared down at me. “The bloody cloth you left near my mouth started the process. I wouldn’t have survived if not for that.”

  It was then that I remembered Duncan. I pulled away from Ethan and ran over to where he lay, staring lifelessly up at the stars.

  “Duncan,” I choked, kneeling down next to his still form. There was so much blood running out of his neck and his cheek was ice c
old. “Please don’t die,” I whispered, running my hand through his hair. I closed his eyes and kissed his forehead.

  Ethan stood over us. “He won’t die,” he said. “If you can get him to feed.”

  I looked up at him. “How?”

  Ethan sighed. “Open his mouth,” he said.

  I spread Duncan’s lips apart and watched as Ethan knelt down next to us. He opened up his wrist and allowed his blood to trickle down to Duncan’s lips. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” he said, squeezing his wrist to get more out.

  “Thank you,” I said.

  “You can thank me later,” he answered with a twinkle in his eye.

  Duncan’s eyes started to twitch, and within seconds, his throat began to form new patches of skin. Eventually, Ethan was able to place his wrist against Duncan’s mouth and he was able to feed on his own.

  “I can do it if you’re getting too weak,” I said to Ethan, who appeared to grow paler by the second.

  Ethan shook his head. “Nobody is feeding from you,” he said gruffly.

  Duncan’s eyes slowly opened and he stared in confusion at Ethan. “No,” he mumbled, pushing his wrist away.

  “Duncan, don’t be like that. Ethan just saved your life,” I whispered. I noticed that most of the wound on his neck was already healed when he stood up.

  “Where is she?” he asked, his voice hoarse.

  “Dead,” I said, motioning towards Faye’s body.

  “Are you sure about that?” asked Duncan, stumbling toward it. “Apparently, being dead around here doesn’t last.”

  Ethan laughed. “It’s a good thing for you.”

  Duncan turned to him. “Is it?”

  Ethan rolled his eyes.

  “You need more blood,” I said to Duncan.

  He bent forward and spit out some kind of bloody phlegm. “Yeah,” he agreed. “I suppose I do. What then?”

  “Well, I’m still going to Vegas to search for my mom and brother,” I answered.

  “You still want my company?” asked Duncan.

  “She won’t need it now,” piped in Ethan. “But thanks, anyway.”

  “Of course you can come,” I said, ignoring him. “That is, if you’d still like to.”