Cold Blood by Heather Hildenbrand Page B

a soda and held it up. “See? Lunch is served.”
    Logan shook his head. “You’re going to clog your arteries and die.”
    “ But not today,” she said. “And by then, you’ll be some famous scientist and discover a cure to heal me.”
    “ You can’t heal gluttony.”
    Cambria stared at an M&M and sighed. “Too bad I can’t charm the chocolate into not attaching itself to my hips. That would make a great weight loss plan. I’d be rich.” She popped the candy into her mouth and chewed.
    “ Charm the candy?” I repeated, raising my eyebrows.
    “ Oh, yeah,” said Logan, and then stopped. He looked at Cambria nervously like they’d spilled something important.
    “ No worries. Tara and I are going to be besties so she has a right to know. Besides, it’s not a secret around here,” Cambria said, rolling her eyes.
    Logan didn’t look as convinced. I wasn’t sure if it had something to do with a lack of trust in me or something else.
    “ So, you’ve heard that some of our kind have extra abilities, right?” Cambria asked.
    I thought of Fee, with her healing ability, but she was a Werewolf. I thought of Vera instead, with her ability to locate people, and I nodded.
    “ Well, I have the ability to charm,” she said.
    “ Charm,” I repeated.
    Cambria nodded but didn’t elaborate; like that one word was enough of an explanation.
    “ And how does that work exactly?” I asked.
    “ Cambria can convince people to do whatever she wants,” explained Logan.
    “ Like compel them? Against their will?” I probably sounded more horrified than impressed, but I couldn’t help it. For the past few weeks, I’d seen way more evil than good, and I could only imagine what sort of destruction and mayhem you could cause with a power like that.
    “ If she wanted to,” Logan said. “But she can’t. Not here, anyway. Wood Point has very strict rules about the use of extra abilities.”
    “ Yeah, numero uno being don’t use them – ever,” said Cambria. She popped another M&M into her mouth. “And it’s not like I’m evil or something so don’t worry. I’ve never harmed someone with my ability.”
    Logan gave her a look and she scowled at him.
    “ That had nothing to do with my ability, Logan, so stuff it. Besides he was an ass, so I kicked it,” she said.
    Logan shook his head and chuckled.
    “ What are you talking about?” I asked, still contemplating the possibilities of Cambria’s gift.
    “ Logan hooked me up with his friend Chris last year,” Cambria began.
    “ Hey, you made me. And he was not my friend,” he argued.
    “ I made you a deal,” she said. “I’d get him off your back if he was distracted.” Cambria looked at me. “Chris was sort of the ringleader of Logan’s little welcoming committee. Made sure he never had clean, wearable underwear. Anyway, if he had a girlfriend he’d be too busy to torture Logan.”
    “ And we all know how well that turned out,” Logan muttered.
    Cambria shot him a look but otherwise ignored him. “Sadly, it didn’t work out. I found him in bed with his lab partner.” She glanced at Logan.
    “ His lab partner wasn’t a chic,” Logan finished.
    “ Oh,” was all I could say.
    “ I still say you got the better end of that deal,” Cambria told Logan. “Chris got sent home, and you haven’t had to buy new underwear since.”
    Logan laughed and stretched out on his side on the grass. Cambria eyed me.
    “ Are you okay?” she asked, looking genuinely concerned. “You look… lost.”
    I let out a heavy breath and tried for a smile. “Yeah, I’m okay. I think.”
    “ Being the new kid sucks,” Cambria said.
    It wasn’t a question, but I agreed with a shake of my head.
    “ Victoria,” Logan explained when I didn’t answer.
    She scowled. “Enough said.” Then she cocked her head, and looked at me with one brow raised. “What are you going to do?”
    I sighed. “Nothing. Ignore her.”
    Logan nodded, as if he agreed this was a wise