the perfect match for Emma Landingham.
“Good morning, Emma … Kevin.” Lackley’s voice was much cooler than usual when he spoke to them. He knew my name but didn’t greet me. I wasn’t surprised.
He looked at Emma. “Dr. Reynolds explained to me that there’s been an …
incident
involving Ms. Graves.”
Kevin glared at the good doctor, who flinched a little under the heat of his gaze.
“I did say you had the situation in hand,” the doctor mumbled.
Lackley spared the doctor an eloquent
look.
The poor man shifted nervously from foot to foot. He was a small, mousy little man with a receding hairline and a slight paunch that didn’t show when he was wearing a lab coat. He seemed to be a fairly good doctor but a poor politician. Today he just couldn’t catch a break. No matter what he did, he’d be pissing somebody off.
“You did. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t personally check to make sure that a potentially deadly monster hadn’t been brought onto the campus.”
I smiled and hoped the fangs didn’t show. “I’m fine, President Lackley. But thank you for your
concern
.” Unlike Kevin and the doc, I don’t work for the university and am thus exempt from kissing administrative booty. So long as I paid my tuition on time, there wasn’t much they could do to me. I could be as sarcastic as I wanted—provided I didn’t appear to be a threat.
I saw the muscles in Lackley’s jaw tighten, but he didn’t say a word in response. So I turned my attention from him to the third man in their happy little group.
C. J. “Rocky” Rockford was the head of the campus security forces. We’d had occasion to run into each other, and while he knew he probably shouldn’t like me, he did. We even went to the shooting range and worked out in the gym and weight room together occasionally. “Hey, Rock.”
Rocky’s a big guy, former boxer and tough as they come. His skin is deep brown with copper highlights. He keeps his hair cut short enough that you can see the scalp beneath it. He isn’t a handsome man, but he is
impressive.
Which allows him to, in the immortal words of Patrick Swayze, “be nice, until it is time
not
to be nice.” Rocky was always armed, but today he was carrying a plain black nylon satchel. I was betting I knew what was inside: holy items, a stake, a mallet, and a saw—your typical vampire kit.
“Graves. What happened?” His voice didn’t sound particularly friendly this morning and he was rubbing his finger along a ridge of scar tissue at the bridge of his nose. He does that when he’s nervous. I couldn’t say as I blamed him. Never makes things easy when the ultimate boss takes a
personal
interest. Plus, I’d like to think Rocky hadn’t been looking forward to staking and beheading a workout partner.
“I don’t really remember much about it. I should be dead, from what I’ve gathered. But I’m not and, despite the fangs, I remember who I am. I was out on the slab until just a few minutes ago.”
He blinked a couple of times in surprise but finally managed to ask, “Hit? Here on campus?”
Kevin answered that one. “No.”
“Then why is she here?” Lackley’s gaze locked with Kevin’s and neither of them seemed inclined to back down.
“It was my fault.” Emma spoke quietly. “I’m a level-four clairvoyant. I knew Celia was in serious danger. I called my father and brother and told them what I saw. My brother went to get her. Dad’s in Chicago on business, so he called Dr. Reynolds. Nobody wanted to risk what happened in that emergency room in Denver, so he brought her here and brought the equipment in. The restraints on this table are graded to hold an uncontrolled ghoul if need be. We figured they’d be strong enough to handle whatever she became.”
I was surprised. Emma’s gift is sporadic at best, and usually only works in connection with people she cares about. I wouldn’t have put myself on that list. She’d saved my life. Of course, she’d turned
“Good morning, Emma … Kevin.” Lackley’s voice was much cooler than usual when he spoke to them. He knew my name but didn’t greet me. I wasn’t surprised.
He looked at Emma. “Dr. Reynolds explained to me that there’s been an …
incident
involving Ms. Graves.”
Kevin glared at the good doctor, who flinched a little under the heat of his gaze.
“I did say you had the situation in hand,” the doctor mumbled.
Lackley spared the doctor an eloquent
look.
The poor man shifted nervously from foot to foot. He was a small, mousy little man with a receding hairline and a slight paunch that didn’t show when he was wearing a lab coat. He seemed to be a fairly good doctor but a poor politician. Today he just couldn’t catch a break. No matter what he did, he’d be pissing somebody off.
“You did. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t personally check to make sure that a potentially deadly monster hadn’t been brought onto the campus.”
I smiled and hoped the fangs didn’t show. “I’m fine, President Lackley. But thank you for your
concern
.” Unlike Kevin and the doc, I don’t work for the university and am thus exempt from kissing administrative booty. So long as I paid my tuition on time, there wasn’t much they could do to me. I could be as sarcastic as I wanted—provided I didn’t appear to be a threat.
I saw the muscles in Lackley’s jaw tighten, but he didn’t say a word in response. So I turned my attention from him to the third man in their happy little group.
C. J. “Rocky” Rockford was the head of the campus security forces. We’d had occasion to run into each other, and while he knew he probably shouldn’t like me, he did. We even went to the shooting range and worked out in the gym and weight room together occasionally. “Hey, Rock.”
Rocky’s a big guy, former boxer and tough as they come. His skin is deep brown with copper highlights. He keeps his hair cut short enough that you can see the scalp beneath it. He isn’t a handsome man, but he is
impressive.
Which allows him to, in the immortal words of Patrick Swayze, “be nice, until it is time
not
to be nice.” Rocky was always armed, but today he was carrying a plain black nylon satchel. I was betting I knew what was inside: holy items, a stake, a mallet, and a saw—your typical vampire kit.
“Graves. What happened?” His voice didn’t sound particularly friendly this morning and he was rubbing his finger along a ridge of scar tissue at the bridge of his nose. He does that when he’s nervous. I couldn’t say as I blamed him. Never makes things easy when the ultimate boss takes a
personal
interest. Plus, I’d like to think Rocky hadn’t been looking forward to staking and beheading a workout partner.
“I don’t really remember much about it. I should be dead, from what I’ve gathered. But I’m not and, despite the fangs, I remember who I am. I was out on the slab until just a few minutes ago.”
He blinked a couple of times in surprise but finally managed to ask, “Hit? Here on campus?”
Kevin answered that one. “No.”
“Then why is she here?” Lackley’s gaze locked with Kevin’s and neither of them seemed inclined to back down.
“It was my fault.” Emma spoke quietly. “I’m a level-four clairvoyant. I knew Celia was in serious danger. I called my father and brother and told them what I saw. My brother went to get her. Dad’s in Chicago on business, so he called Dr. Reynolds. Nobody wanted to risk what happened in that emergency room in Denver, so he brought her here and brought the equipment in. The restraints on this table are graded to hold an uncontrolled ghoul if need be. We figured they’d be strong enough to handle whatever she became.”
I was surprised. Emma’s gift is sporadic at best, and usually only works in connection with people she cares about. I wouldn’t have put myself on that list. She’d saved my life. Of course, she’d turned
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