Leesa was dressed much more conservatively, in an acrylic sweater with wide, alternating stripes of light and dark blue and plain jeans. Since she expected to do a lot of walking at the mall, she had opted for a pair of Sketcher walking shoes rather than her Uggs. Cali had not wanted to bother with a jacket, but Leesa planned to leave her parka in the car when they got to the mall.
A silver Camry a couple of years old pulled to the curb in front of the dorm and beeped once. Leesa slipped into her parka while Cali pushed the door open and strode quickly toward the car. Leesa followed behind and climbed into the back seat while Cali slid into the front. It was cool inside the car, so Leesa kept her parka on.
Edwina turned and smiled at them both. She was wearing tight black jeans, with a black sweatshirt unbuttoned over a blood red collarless shirt. The shirt extended about three inches below the sweatshirt, creating a red band between the black jeans and black sweatshirt.
“Hi, guys,” she said. “You ready to have some fun?”
“Yeah, if we don’t freeze to death first,” Cali said, making a show of hugging her arms in front of her against the chill. “Doesn’t this thing have heat?”
“I told you to bring your coat,” Leesa said, grinning. “It’s winter, in case you’ve forgotten.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Cali said. “But I wasn’t planning on being outside. You might as well have the windows down, Vanina.”
Edwina laughed. She actually had been driving with the windows down, but had put them up before reaching the dorm.
“Sorry,” she said. “I kind of like the cold, but I guess we could spare some heat.” The cold did not affect her, of course, but she had another reason for not turning the heat on until necessary—the body still crammed into the trunk. She didn’t think much heat would seep into the trunk, but figured the colder it stayed back there, the longer it would take for the corpse to begin to decay. She reached for a knob on the dash and warm air began blowing into the car. “Better?”
“Much,” Cali said, holding her hands in front of one of the vents. “Now let’s get this show on the road.”
They followed Highway 9 north, through a series of towns Leesa had never been to before, but did not look all that different from Meriden. The drive was pleasant enough, and in about forty minutes they were pulling into a wide parking lot. At Cali’s urging, Vanina circled the lot until she found an open spot not too far from the mall’s shiny glass and steel main entrance. Giant blue letters along the top of the curved entranceway proclaimed WEST FARMS.
They got out of the car and walked quickly toward the entrance. A thick layer of clouds blanketed the sky, keeping the morning cool, but they did not have very far to go. Leesa was impressed with the design of the place. A pair of restaurants flanked the entrance building. Each had a different look, but both bore clean, sharp lines and pleasing colors.
Inside, the mall was just as nice.
“This place is pretty cool,” Leesa said, looking around at all the glass storefronts filled with colorful, eye-catching displays.
“Nothing but the best for us, huh?” Edwina said, smiling.
“Have you been here before, Vanina?”
“A couple of times, yeah. But it’s been awhile.”
“Let’s go to Nordstrom first,” Cali said. “We can check out the expensive stuff.”
They spent nearly an hour in Nordstrom. Leesa guessed that Cali probably tried on three outfits for every one Leesa or Vanina tried. Some of the combinations Cali put together were never meant to be paired and went beyond even Cali’s outrageous fashion sense. Leesa loved watching her prance out of the dressing room with one wild outfit after another. Even the two sales girls got into the fun, laughing and applauding at some of Cali’s wilder creations.
Leesa thought Vanina did not seem to be having quite as much fun as the rest of them. Whenever Leesa looked at her, Vanina was smiling, but there was something not quite joyful about her smile, like she was forcing herself to enjoy it all. Leesa wondered if maybe Vanina also had things weighing on her mind and was trying to use the outing to forget them. She didn’t feel she knew Vanina well enough to ask her about it, so she just let it slide.
From Nordstrom, they moved to the bebe store. The contrast between Nordstrom and bebe was dramatic. The former was huge, with large, well-appointed dressing rooms that seemed almost as big as Leesa’s dorm room. Bebe was smaller and less ornate—except for all the trademark rhinestones, which seemed to sparkle from every corner of the store.
“Hey, check this one out,” Cali said.
She pulled a royal blue T-shirt off the rack. It had a giant pair of slightly parted pink lips stenciled on the front, with a much smaller set of white lips superimposed over the corner of the pink ones. The pink lips were decorated with dozens of tiny rhinestones.
“It’s so you,” Leesa said, grinning.
“Ha, ha. It is, isn’t it?” Cali held the shirt up in front of her chest, displaying how it would look on her. “You can never go wrong with pictures of sexy lips,” she said. “It gives guys all sorts of nasty ideas. And I love that it’s blue—most of their stuff is black. But a girl’s got to wear a little color now and then.”
“A little?” Leesa said, laughing and tugging playfully at the sleeve of Cali’s fluorescent sweatshirt.
“I wish I could pull off some of the colors you do, Cali,” Edwina said. “I’d hate to see what a sweatshirt like yours would do to my skin tone.”
“When you’ve got it, flaunt it,” Cali said, grinning. She reached inside the shirt, looking for the price tag. “Ouch!” she exclaimed. “Damn.”
“What happened,” Leesa asked, moving closer.
“I stuck myself on something.”
Cali held her hand out in front of her. She pressed her thumb against the top of her index finger, and Leesa saw a tiny drop of blood well up from the pinprick.
Edwina’s head snapped around at the sweet scent of fresh blood. Before she could stop it, a low groan escaped her throat. She quickly turned her back to Cali, thankful she had feasted just last night. If she hadn’t, she did not know if she would have been able to control herself. Killing a girl—or two girls—in a public place like this would definitely not be a good idea, no matter how much fun it might be.
At the sound of Vanina’s moan, Leesa turned her head and caught a quick glimpse of a strange expression on her friend’s face. She almost thought it looked like excitement, but Vanina spun around before Leesa could be sure.
“I’m sorry,” Edwina said, thinking quickly and keeping her back to the other two girls. “I hate the sight of blood. It makes me sick.”
“I never would have taken you for such a wuss,” Cali said teasingly. She sucked at the blood on her fingertip, then pressed her thumb tightly against the spot. When she pulled her thumb away a few moments later, the bleeding had stopped.
“You can turn around now, Vanina,” she said. “No more blood.”
Vanina turned around slowly. Leesa watched her face, but her expression had reverted to normal. With Vanina’s dark skin tone, it was impossible to tell if the incident had caused her to turn pale at all, the way some people did when seeing something that upset them.
“I’m sorry,” Edwina apologized again. “I’ve never been any good with blood, ever since I was a kid. I don’t know why.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Cali said. “We all have our little things.” She held her hand out. “See, no more blood.”
Even though the blood was gone, Edwina could still smell its traces. She fought to keep her expression flat. “Thank goodness for that. I’d hate to have the nurse come for me when you were the one who was wounded.”
Cali laughed. “Yeah, I’m glad you didn’t faint or anything. Leesa knows how much I hate having any attention taken away from me.”
Leesa laughed, too. “I’ll vouch for that. I’m surprised you didn’t prick yourself again, just to add a little extra drama.”
“Darn, why didn’t I thi
nk of that?” Cali said, grinning. She hung the shirt back on the rack. “I can’t be buying a shirt that made me bleed. What do you say we go get something to eat?”
“I don’t think I could eat anything right now,” Edwina said, putting her hand on her stomach. She was glad to have an excuse not to eat—not eating was one of the biggest problems she had to deal with when she was around humans. “But you two should get something.”
Leesa was still wondering about Vanina’s reaction to the sight of Cali’s blood. Had she really seen disgust on Vanina’s face, or had it been something else—like anticipation, maybe? She shook her head, feeling silly. Maybe she just had vampires and zombies on her mind. Yeah, that must be it; she was imagining things. She pictured Stefan’s pallid face. Vanina certainly did not look anything like him, nor did she resemble the only other vampire Leesa had ever seen close up, the young vampire Rave had killed right in front of her on Halloween. That vampire’s skin had been equally pale. And she had never heard of a vampire with a car—except in Twilight, of course, and that was just a book.
No, she had simply misread Vanina’s expression, that was all. She pushed any thoughts of vampires from her mind.
“I could use some food,” she said.
And I could use something to drink, Edwina thought, feeling her blood thirst rise as she eyed the two sweet young necks in front of her. She forced the hunger down. Waiting was hard, but it would be worth it. Soon, she promised herself. Soon.
But not yet.
31. ULTIMATUM
Edwina had been back inside the vampire caverns for just a short while when Stefan approached her.
“I trust you enjoyed your outing,” he said, moving close in front of her. There was a hint of controlled anger in his voice.
Edwina took a half step backwards, startled by his comment and his tone. What was he saying? How much did he know? She decided that if he knew she had been with Leesa, his anger would have been far more furious. It had to be something else.
“What do you mean?” she asked, buying time.
“Don’t act the innocent with me. You have taken human blood. I see it in your eyes, and I can smell it.”
“So what?” Edwina straightened her posture and pushed her shoulders back. She had to show him she would not be cowed. “I was careful, and I disposed of the body where it will never be found. No one will ever connect his disappearance to our kind. He is just another missing human.”
“You said you were seeking a feeder,” Stefan said, continuing to press her. “Your permission to go out alone was for that purpose—not so you could hunt.”
“I was not hunting,” Edwina lied. “But the opportunity was so perfect, I just could not resist.”
“Exactly,” Stefan said. The satisfaction in his voice was clear. “That is why the rules were put in place, because Destiratu can make it impossible to resist the urge.”
“That is not what I meant,” Edwina replied calmly. “I was never out of control, not even for a moment. The chance was just too good to pass up. Trust me.”
“That is the problem, I’m afraid. I do not trust you. Not at all. I should rescind your permission to venture out by yourself right now.”
Edwina laid her hand gently on Stefan’s forearm. “No, please don’t,” she said, trying to sound as compliant as possible. “I need a feeder. I’ve grown used to having one.” It never hurt to remind him of that.
Stefan studied her closely. He didn’t trust her, but he did owe her. He cursed the grafhym blood that had somehow found its way into Leesa’s veins and kept him from being able to turn her. He had put himself into Edwina’s debt for no gain.
“Very well,” he said finally. “You may go out one more time. But you had best come back with a feeder, or you will go hungry. My patience has its limits.”
Edwina breathed an inward sigh of relief. She didn’t know if Stefan would hold firm to his ultimatum, but there was a chance he might. She would need to plan her next trip out very carefully.
32. ANSWERS AND QUESTIONS
Leesa trudged up a musty, dimly lit stairwell, heading for Dr. Clerval’s third floor office. This was one of the oldest buildings on campus and had no elevator. She was pretty sure someone with the professor’s tenure could have had a bigger and newer office somewhere else on campus if he wanted, but Dr. Clerval seemed comfortable here.
It was barely nine o’clock, but Leesa hoped the professor would be in his office. She had classes today from ten o’clock until one, so she was hoping to catch him before her first class. Pushing through a heavy fire door, she stepped into the third floor hallway. The corridor was silent and empty, and her footsteps echoed lightly off brown plaster walls badly in need of a fresh coat of paint.
She limped down the hallway until she reached an old wooden door about halfway down the hall. In contrast to the shiny nameplates affixed to the other doors she had passed, Professor Clerval’s brass nameplate was tarnished dark with age, testimony to his long tenure here. Leesa knocked softly on the door.
“Just a minute,” came the professor’s voice from inside.
“It’s Leesa Nyland,” Leesa said, letting him know there was no reason to put any of his secret stuff away. He had already shown her his most precious treasures, including one that only one other person had ever seen, his genuine vampire skull.
A moment later, she heard the lock click and the door swung open, revealing a smiling Dr. Clerval. As always, he was dressed in a dark, rumpled suit and black converse high top sneakers. Candlelight flickered behind him. Leesa was pretty sure she knew what the candles meant.
“What a pleasant surprise,” Dr. Clerval said. “How’s my favorite student?”
Leesa knew the professor’s comment was sincere. They had experienced a lot together last semester, culminating with Dr. Clerval getting to meet a real vampire when she had chosen him to drive her to meet Stefan to fulfill her bargain. Until then, the professor had been absolutely convinced vampires existed, but had never actually seen one. The meeting with Stefan was enough to insure Leesa’s place as his favorite, but they had shared other experiences as well, including curing Leesa’s mom with the blood of a grafhym.
“I’m fine,” she said. “At least, I hope I am.”
“Where are my manners?” the professor said, stepping aside. “Come in, come in.”
Leesa limped into the dimly lit office, and Dr. Clerval closed the door behind her, clicking the lock back into place. As usual, the air inside his office was thick with the fruity scent of pipe tobacco, and Leesa saw his pipe smoldering in the old brass ashtray on the corner of his desk. A thin ribbon of smoke twisted up from the bowl in the candlelight, dissipating in the dimness above.
Even though she had been here several times, Leesa was still surprised by how small the office was, smaller even than her dorm room. Tall bookcases crammed with books—most of them dealing with vampires—lined every wall, making the room feel even smaller. A glass-fronted bookcase housed the professor’s oldest, most valuable manuscripts. Black curtains were drawn across an arched window similar to the one in Leesa’s room, and only the tiniest a bit of daylight leaked in around the edges. Beneath the window was a beautiful antique roll top desk, cluttered with papers. Sitting in the center of the desk was the reason for the closed curtains and candlelight—his vampire skull.
When Dr. Clerval had first shown her the skull, Leesa had been amazed and fascinated, especially by the twin fangs. That was back when she didn’t know vampires truly existed, before she had watched Rave destroy one, and before she had been bitten by Stefan. The ancient skull had been the first real evidence she had ever seen for the existence of vampires. It turned out vampire bone was even more sensitive to light than vampire skin, so the professor only examined it by candlelight.
Leesa still thought the skull was very cool, but it had lost its power to amaze her.
“Sit down, sit down,” the professor invited.
Leesa sat down carefully on an old wooden chair with
a dark burgundy cushioned seat. Dr. Clerval lowered himself gingerly onto his desk chair.
“Let me put this thing away,” he said, indicating the skull. “And then you can tell me what’s troubling you.”
Professor Clerval carefully wrapped the skull in the black velvet cloth he always stored it in, clipping the top of the cloth closed with a brass clip. He carried it across the room to his old-fashioned metal safe and placed it gently inside, then pushed the heavy door closed and spun the combination lock. When he sat back down, he switched on the red and gold glass Tiffany table lamp on his desk and blew out the candles. He grabbed his pipe from the ashtray and took a deep puff.
“So, what brings you here this morning?” he asked after he exhaled a cloud of smoke.
Leesa was not sure where to start. Zombies? Strange dreams that seemed to possibly be coming true? Objects moving for no apparent reason? Each time one of those things happened, it seemed critically important, but when she looked at them from a distance and got ready to talk about them, they all seemed almost silly. Still, she was certain they were not silly, and was pretty sure Dr. Clerval would not think so, either.
“I’m not even sure where to begin,” she said.
“You’ve been through a lot these last few months, Leesa. If something is troubling you, I’m sure it must be important. So start wherever you want.”
She decided to start with the dreams.
“I’ve been having some really strange dreams the last month or so.”
“Strange, how?”
“Well, for starters, they’re totally realistic,” Leesa explained. “Much more real than my usual dreams, for sure. But that’s not what bothers me so much. What’s really strange is two of them apparently came true.”
She saw a tiny hint of surprise in Dr. Clerval’s eyes, but that was the extent of his reaction to her claim. She could only imagine how skeptically any of her science professors would have reacted to such a claim.
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