important—don’t stare into their eyes. It could be construed as a challenge. That goes double for weres—no staring unless you’re calling them out. Don’t call them out without a tank or infantry platoon to back you up. If you get a cut for any reason, cover it as fast as possible. Wash and Band-Aid. In fact, it’s not a bad idea to carry a few Band-Aids. The older ones have control, so it’s the young ones, I think, that you need to be real careful around. Don’t lie to either weres or Darkkin—they can tell—it’s a hear your heart rate and smell your sweat kinda thing. I guess that’s most of it. Common sense, I would say, though I don’t really know any young vamps, just older ones, and I know more weres than vamps.”
They all stared at me. Finally Grace spoke. “How do you know all that?”
“I’m guessing that you know a thing or two about avoiding the dangers of your country, right? Snakes, spiders, salt water crocs, and sharks?” I asked.
“We don’t all live in the bush, ya know. It’s not all Crocodile Dundee,” she said, frowning.
“Yeah, but don’t you have like a half dozen of the most poisonous snakes in the world, and I know you have funnel-web spiders like right in Sydney,” I said.
“True,” she said with a slight smile.
“Well, I grew up exposed to the supernatural world, at least some parts of it, and others I’ve been part of more recently.”
“How are you hooked up with him ,” Aleesha asked. I was pretty sure I could safely guess who he was.
“Long, long story,” I said, not wanting to explain more of my weirdness. They waited to see if I would tell it, but I just kept quiet.
“Well, the man obviously wants his privacy,” Joni said, turning toward their table.
Grace suddenly yanked out the chair across from mine and sat down.
“And now, apparently, we’re sitting here ,” Joni said in the tone of someone who is expecting to not be listened to.
“How did you do it?” Grace asked, intensely curious.
“Do what?” I asked, although I had my suspicions.
“Stop the lift. How could ya hack it that quick?” she asked.
I froze up, trying to think of what to say.
“The repair blokes were completely baffled. I heard them. Said the bloody thing was stuffed into its shaft,” she said, which reminded me that I had to fix it. But what to tell them?
“Oh, I’ve seen that look before. Usually just before a dude tries to baffle me with bullshit,” Aleesha said.
“Actually, I think he’s trying to figure out how much you’ll be able to handle,” a new voice said. They turned to find Stacia standing behind them, dressed in designer jeans and a green shirt that set off her eyes.
“Are you saying he thinks he’s smarter than us?” Joni asked, frowning mightily.
“No, I’m saying you don’t have the reference points to work from. Let’s say you three tried to tell me about… I don’t know… computer programming. I wouldn’t know a tenth of what you said. It’s not my thing. You’re all top of your classes in computer science or mathematics right? But how much do you all know about the world of werewolves?” she asked. “Or vampires? Or other supernaturals?”
“Others?” Grace asked.
“Did you think it was limited to demons, angels, vampires, and weres?” Stacia asked. “It’s a big, wide supernatural world out there and he’s top of his class at Supernatural U—literally.”
They considered that for a moment, then Grace turned back to me. “Where do you go to uni?” she asked. After a second, I realized she meant my college.
“You’ve never heard of it. But I do take classes at the University of Vermont,” I said.
“But that’s not your school?” Aleesha pressed.
“My degree will be from there, but my actual school is something different… really
They all stared at me. Finally Grace spoke. “How do you know all that?”
“I’m guessing that you know a thing or two about avoiding the dangers of your country, right? Snakes, spiders, salt water crocs, and sharks?” I asked.
“We don’t all live in the bush, ya know. It’s not all Crocodile Dundee,” she said, frowning.
“Yeah, but don’t you have like a half dozen of the most poisonous snakes in the world, and I know you have funnel-web spiders like right in Sydney,” I said.
“True,” she said with a slight smile.
“Well, I grew up exposed to the supernatural world, at least some parts of it, and others I’ve been part of more recently.”
“How are you hooked up with him ,” Aleesha asked. I was pretty sure I could safely guess who he was.
“Long, long story,” I said, not wanting to explain more of my weirdness. They waited to see if I would tell it, but I just kept quiet.
“Well, the man obviously wants his privacy,” Joni said, turning toward their table.
Grace suddenly yanked out the chair across from mine and sat down.
“And now, apparently, we’re sitting here ,” Joni said in the tone of someone who is expecting to not be listened to.
“How did you do it?” Grace asked, intensely curious.
“Do what?” I asked, although I had my suspicions.
“Stop the lift. How could ya hack it that quick?” she asked.
I froze up, trying to think of what to say.
“The repair blokes were completely baffled. I heard them. Said the bloody thing was stuffed into its shaft,” she said, which reminded me that I had to fix it. But what to tell them?
“Oh, I’ve seen that look before. Usually just before a dude tries to baffle me with bullshit,” Aleesha said.
“Actually, I think he’s trying to figure out how much you’ll be able to handle,” a new voice said. They turned to find Stacia standing behind them, dressed in designer jeans and a green shirt that set off her eyes.
“Are you saying he thinks he’s smarter than us?” Joni asked, frowning mightily.
“No, I’m saying you don’t have the reference points to work from. Let’s say you three tried to tell me about… I don’t know… computer programming. I wouldn’t know a tenth of what you said. It’s not my thing. You’re all top of your classes in computer science or mathematics right? But how much do you all know about the world of werewolves?” she asked. “Or vampires? Or other supernaturals?”
“Others?” Grace asked.
“Did you think it was limited to demons, angels, vampires, and weres?” Stacia asked. “It’s a big, wide supernatural world out there and he’s top of his class at Supernatural U—literally.”
They considered that for a moment, then Grace turned back to me. “Where do you go to uni?” she asked. After a second, I realized she meant my college.
“You’ve never heard of it. But I do take classes at the University of Vermont,” I said.
“But that’s not your school?” Aleesha pressed.
“My degree will be from there, but my actual school is something different… really
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