care?ââ
ââBecauseâââ He frowned and shrugged. ââLook, that was self-defense, okay?ââ
ââYou baited him. You threatened me and Eve. You wanted him to come after you.ââ
ââYeah, well, granted, I was tweaking, but the guy took a home-run swing at my head, in case you missed it.ââ
Uncomfortably, that was true. ââWhat about the other people youâve killed? Were those all self-defense, too?ââ
ââWho says Iâve killed people?ââ
ââYou did. Remember? You left a dead girl in our basement for Shane to find. You tried to put him in prison.ââ
Jason didnât say a word to that. He just stared at her, and in the shadows his dark eyes were like holes in his still, pale face. He looked . . . dead. Deader than most vampires.
ââI need to talk to my sister,ââ he said.
ââEve doesnât want to talk to you, you psycho. Leave us alone!ââ
ââItâs about our dad,ââ he said, and even though Claire was walking away, leaving him and all his psycho problems behind, she slowed to look back. ââI need to talk to Eve. Tell her Iâll call. Tell her not to hang up.ââ
Claire nodded, once. She didnât hate him any less, but there was something different about him right nowâsomething that asked for a truce, but didnât get down on its knees and beg for it, either. ââNo promises, ââ she said.
Jason nodded back. ââDidnât expect any.ââ
He didnât say thanks. She kept walking.
When she looked back, the doorway was empty. She caught a glimpse of a black jacket turning the corner at the end of the block. Damn, he moves fast, she thought, and that gave her another kind of chill. What if Jason had gotten his wish? What if someone had made him a full-fledged vampire, as hard as that seemed?
She decided sheâd ask Amelie, first chance she got.
The morning classes came and went. It wasnât like any of them were especially difficult, even the high-level physics courses sheâd tested herself into. Sheâd traded out some of her lame core classes for a mythology course, or rather Amelie had insisted on itâthat was a fairly cool thing, and she found herself looking forward to it. No discussions of vampires just now, unfortunately. It was all about zombies, voodoo, and popular media on the subject. They were going to watch Night of the Living Dead next week. Claire didnât know nearly as much about zombies as most of the other students; except for the first-person-shooter game that Shane liked to play, she couldnât remember ever really paying attention to the idea.
Of course, since moving to Morganville, she wasnât ruling anything out as unlikely.
After mythology, which turned out to be a wealth of information about voodoo, if she ever needed that, Claire had a break before lab sessions began. She took herself off to the University Center. It was a sprawling building, home to a large study area with long tables and groupings of chairs, and it featured a bookstore, a cafeteria that served fantastic grilled cheese sandwiches and salads, and a pretty decent coffee bar.
There wasnât a line today. Claire paid for her mocha and moved around to the barista side, where Eve was working. Eve looked great today, and not just because of the care sheâd taken with her outfit and makeup; she kind of radiated satisfaction.
Oh. Right.
Eve gave her an absolutely stunning smile and handed over her drink. ââHey, bookworm. Doing okay?ââ
ââSure. You?ââ
ââNot bad. Itâs even been kind of slow and steady today, after the morning rush.ââ That smile had a secret.
ââSo? How was your night?ââ Claire prodded. The secret wanted to be shared, and
ââBecauseâââ He frowned and shrugged. ââLook, that was self-defense, okay?ââ
ââYou baited him. You threatened me and Eve. You wanted him to come after you.ââ
ââYeah, well, granted, I was tweaking, but the guy took a home-run swing at my head, in case you missed it.ââ
Uncomfortably, that was true. ââWhat about the other people youâve killed? Were those all self-defense, too?ââ
ââWho says Iâve killed people?ââ
ââYou did. Remember? You left a dead girl in our basement for Shane to find. You tried to put him in prison.ââ
Jason didnât say a word to that. He just stared at her, and in the shadows his dark eyes were like holes in his still, pale face. He looked . . . dead. Deader than most vampires.
ââI need to talk to my sister,ââ he said.
ââEve doesnât want to talk to you, you psycho. Leave us alone!ââ
ââItâs about our dad,ââ he said, and even though Claire was walking away, leaving him and all his psycho problems behind, she slowed to look back. ââI need to talk to Eve. Tell her Iâll call. Tell her not to hang up.ââ
Claire nodded, once. She didnât hate him any less, but there was something different about him right nowâsomething that asked for a truce, but didnât get down on its knees and beg for it, either. ââNo promises, ââ she said.
Jason nodded back. ââDidnât expect any.ââ
He didnât say thanks. She kept walking.
When she looked back, the doorway was empty. She caught a glimpse of a black jacket turning the corner at the end of the block. Damn, he moves fast, she thought, and that gave her another kind of chill. What if Jason had gotten his wish? What if someone had made him a full-fledged vampire, as hard as that seemed?
She decided sheâd ask Amelie, first chance she got.
The morning classes came and went. It wasnât like any of them were especially difficult, even the high-level physics courses sheâd tested herself into. Sheâd traded out some of her lame core classes for a mythology course, or rather Amelie had insisted on itâthat was a fairly cool thing, and she found herself looking forward to it. No discussions of vampires just now, unfortunately. It was all about zombies, voodoo, and popular media on the subject. They were going to watch Night of the Living Dead next week. Claire didnât know nearly as much about zombies as most of the other students; except for the first-person-shooter game that Shane liked to play, she couldnât remember ever really paying attention to the idea.
Of course, since moving to Morganville, she wasnât ruling anything out as unlikely.
After mythology, which turned out to be a wealth of information about voodoo, if she ever needed that, Claire had a break before lab sessions began. She took herself off to the University Center. It was a sprawling building, home to a large study area with long tables and groupings of chairs, and it featured a bookstore, a cafeteria that served fantastic grilled cheese sandwiches and salads, and a pretty decent coffee bar.
There wasnât a line today. Claire paid for her mocha and moved around to the barista side, where Eve was working. Eve looked great today, and not just because of the care sheâd taken with her outfit and makeup; she kind of radiated satisfaction.
Oh. Right.
Eve gave her an absolutely stunning smile and handed over her drink. ââHey, bookworm. Doing okay?ââ
ââSure. You?ââ
ââNot bad. Itâs even been kind of slow and steady today, after the morning rush.ââ That smile had a secret.
ââSo? How was your night?ââ Claire prodded. The secret wanted to be shared, and
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