CHAPTER 22. RING AROUND THE MOON
“Once upon a midnight dreary…while I pondered…weak and weary,” intoned the tall young man standing behind the lead singer’s microphone. He was wearing a Friday the 13th Jason mask and carrying a bloodstained machete that looked awfully real. His voice was deep and dramatic, and the room grew steadily quieter as he boomed out his lines, reading from a piece of paper. “While I nodded…nearly napping…suddenly, there came a tapping…as of someone gently rapping…rapping at my chamber door.”
He certainly knows how to get a room’s attention, Leesa thought as she held Rave’s hand and listened along with almost every one else in the place as he introduced himself as Butch Morrison, president of the BPDs.
“That rapping is not Snoop Dog or Lil’ Wayne, either,” he continued, pausing while a ripple of laughter flowed through the room. “Campus Security has asked me to share a few words with you.” He looked back at his notes and read a few sentences about the unfortunate girl who was killed and the one who was missing, emphasizing the importance of everyone being as safe as they could—not walking alone at night, not letting strangers into the dorms, not opening their room doors until they were sure who was there. He reminded them of the escort service available for anyone who needed someone to walk them home simply by calling Security, whose number he provided.
“So remember,” he said, dropping his voice into a melodramatic tone once more, “if you hear a tapping…a gentle rapping at your chamber door, use the peephole to make sure you know who’s there before you open it.”
The room filled with the buzz of conversation as he walked away from the microphone. Most of the kids had already known about the murder, but the second missing girl was news to many of them. Even the ones who had known about both were impressed by the seriousness of his tone.
“That won’t be enough,” Rave said. “Not even if the killer is human, but especially if there’s a thirsty vampire out there. There’s always someone foolish enough to ignore such warnings.” He squeezed Leesa’s hand. “But I know one girl who’s definitely getting home safely tonight.”
A warm feeling that had nothing to do with Rave’s fire flowed through Leesa’s body. With Rave by her side, she felt totally secure and protected, no matter what was out there, and she was certain nothing bad would ever happen to her as long as he was around. But the thought of a vampire preying on her schoolmates was terrifying.
“Can you do anything about this?” she asked. “Scare it away or something?” She knew it was foolish, but she preferred to think of Rave chasing the vampire away rather than fighting it.
“I can try. But it’s a big campus. If I’d known before I came, I’d have brought a few of my brethren along.” He grinned. “For one of the very few times, I wish my people used phones.”
Leesa returned his smile, but didn’t say anything. Instead, she studied his face for a few moments. She was pretty sure she knew what he was thinking. “You won’t hunt him as long as I’m here at the party, will you?” she said at last. “Even if I promise to stay inside with my friends?”
Rave shook his head. “I’d rather know you’re home safe in your room. Too many things can happen here. I can’t be distracted worrying about you when I hunt.”
“Then take me home so you can get started. I’ve had enough partying anyhow.” She grinned and pecked him on the cheek. “I already slow danced and got kissed. What more could a girl want?”
Rave pulled her into his arms. “Or a guy,” he said softly into her ear.
They threaded their way through the costumed crowd until they found each of Leesa’s friends. Cali and Andy were hanging near the bar—no surprise there, Leesa thought. Caitlin and Stacie were talking with pirate and tuxedo man—Danny and Jeremy were their names, she learned—near the front of the room. She told her friends she wasn’t feeling well so Rave was taking her home, admonishing them to be careful and not go anywhere alone. Andy assured her he’d get Cali home, along with Caitlin and Stacie if they wanted to leave at the same time. Caitlin and Stacie promised they would either have Danny and Jeremy bring them home, producing wide grins on both boys’ faces, or they’d get an escort.
Satisfied her friends would be okay, Leesa led Rave toward the back of the building. “Let’s use your private exit,” she said. “We can cut across the grounds to my dorm.”
Outside, the temperature had dropped another few degrees and the wind had stiffened, making it feel even colder. Rave gave her his jacket again and put his arm around her as they crossed the broken asphalt toward the cinder block wall they’d sat on earlier.
Leesa glanced up into the sky and suddenly stopped walking. “Wow, look at the moon.”
The high clouds that had shrouded the moon earlier had dissipated, leaving a golden moon surrounded by a glowing halo four times its size. Leesa had seen halos around the moon before and knew they had something to do with ice crystals high in the atmosphere, but she’d never seen one like this. It seemed twice as big as any she could remember, and brighter too, striped with faint rainbow colors. The whole thing seemed almost to pulse with energy.
“Brillig,” Rave said.
“Huh?” Leesa said, uncomprehending.
“Brillig,” Rave repeated. “It’s a kind of magical energy. It’s enhancing the ring around the moon, adding the colors.” He briefly explained about the brillig and the tove, and how when those twin energies grew too strong, they fanned the bloodlust of the vampires and the hunting lust of his people. “We call it Destiratu. It’s probably what’s driving the vampire, if it is a vampire, that killed the girl here.”
Leesa struggled to understand. “So it’s this Destiratu thing that’s making the vampire kill?”
“No, not exactly. This is not Destiratu yet, but the energies are increasing. They may or may not grow powerful enough to create Destiratu. If they do, things will get much worse. But I think they’re strong enough now to drive a young, weak vampire.”
Leesa was afraid to ask what “much worse” meant. It was bad enough a vampire had probably killed two of her schoolmates and might be somewhere on campus even now, hunting. As Rave said, even with the school on high alert, there would still be plenty of unwary targets.
They resumed walking, stepping easily over the low cinder block wall onto a gently sloping hillside. The bright moon bathed them in a pale yellow glow as they strolled hand in hand across the wide lawn, the music from the party just a low hum behind them now. The farther they got from the facilities building, the quieter the night became. As usual, Rave’s steps made no sound at all. Leesa was happy that even her awkward limp produced only the faintest brushing noise on the soft grass. She loved how Rave never seemed to notice her limp.
The top of the hillside was crowned by a stand of leafy maples. In the moonlight, the red leaves appeared dark purple. Leesa knew there were wooden benches spread among the trees—beautiful places to sit and relax in the shade on a warm day, but cold and uninviting on a chill night like this. Despite the bright moon, the area under the trees was shrouded in black shadows. Leesa suspected Rave could easily navigate the darkness of the copse, but the twisted roots would present a hazard for her. Without a word, Rave steered her around the edge of the grove.
Leesa’s heart jumped when a dark figure detached itself from the shadows and stepped into their path. She squeezed Rave’s hand, but relaxed when the moonlight revealed it was only a kid, fifteen at most, exceedingly slim with a boyish face and long blond hair. He flashed them a toothy grin, and she relaxed still further. The boy seemed clueless about how dangerous it was to be out here alone, and she wondered what he was doing. After a moment, she realized she sensed no similar relaxation in Rave. She turned her head toward him, but his eyes remained fastened on the boy.
Rave let go of her hand and edged forward, positioning himself between her and the boy. Confused, Leesa stepped to the side so she could see the kid’s face. He hadn’t done anything threatening—why was Rave being so protective?
br /> “I only want the girl,” the boy said to Rave. “Leave now and you can keep your life.”
Leesa was dumbfounded to hear such words issue from such a boyish face. What was he talking about? Did he think he could somehow overpower Rave, who was half again his size? She looked more closely and saw no weapon in either of the boy’s hands. She doubted he could overpower even her, let alone Rave.
She got her answer when the boy’s smile twisted into a leering grin and a pair of pointed fangs dropped from his upper jaw. Leesa barely had a chance to register the fangs and what they meant before Rave sprang forward, crossing the gap and wrapping his arms around the boy in a movement almost too quick for her to follow. One moment he was standing beside her, the next he had enveloped the boy and pressed his mouth over the leering grin. A blue glow began to envelop both of them. She could feel the heat on her face and hands.
In less than thirty seconds, it was over. Rave dropped the boy’s lifeless body to the grass. Blue flames danced from Rave’s fingertips. Leesa watched as the boy’s pale face seemed to grow lighter, almost translucent, and she wondered if she was going to be able to see inside his skin. She was about to turn away when she heard a crackling sound like wood burning. A few seconds later, the boy’s body dissolved into a pile of gray and white ash.
She looked up at Rave and found him watching her. “Vampire?” she asked, remembering the last time she had seen such a pile of ash, back in the woods of Meriden. It seemed Rave had been protecting her for longer than she knew.
He nodded. “A young and stupid one. Like I said, surprise is almost always the difference. And this one was much too easy to surprise. That close, he should have sensed I was volkaane.” Rave poked the ashes with his toe. “Maybe the bloodlust dulled his senses. He seemed awfully fixated on you.” He smiled. “I certainly know how easy it is to become fixated on you, Leesa.”
Leesa felt herself blush. “Do you think he’s the one who killed the girl?”
“Probably. As I drew out his life breath, I could sense he’d fed recently.”
“You weren’t kidding when you warned me your kisses were dangerous.” Leesa suddenly began to shiver. Rave moved forward and wrapped her in a tight embrace, but despite his warmth, she continued to shake. Her reaction had nothing to do with the cold, and both of them knew it.
“I wish you didn’t have to witness that,” Rave said.
Leesa wished she hadn’t seen it, either. She couldn’t rid herself of the image of Rave dropping the boy’s lifeless body to the ground. He’d looked so young, so harmless, lying there before his body dissolved into a pile of ash. Was that what awaited her if Rave lost control during one of their kisses? Would she be burned to a crisp, reduced to a lump of gray and white ash? Everyone had been warning her not to get involved with Rave, telling her she and Rave were too different. She could only imagine what they would say if they’d seen what she’d just seen. Maybe they were right. Rave was not only different—he was dangerous.
Stop it! she told herself. This was Rave. He would never hurt her. How had she gone from feeling so loved and protected to feeling so threatened? The boy was a vampire, and he’d been ready to attack. She forced herself to picture his gleaming fangs and the hungry way he had looked at her. He’d meant to kill her—or worse—she had no doubt. He’d already killed one girl, and possibly two. Rave had saved her life, and probably others as well. Of course Rave was dangerous—what did she expect? She was dating a guy who hunted vampires, for chrissakes! He was more dangerous than anyone she’d ever known. But not to her. No, never to her.
Unless he lost control. He’d already admitted the possibility, but she’d brushed it off, lost in the pleasures of their brief kiss. But that was before she’d witnessed what could happen. She wondered if she’d ever be able to forget the image of that pile of ash—and whether she should even try. Maybe it was best if she remembered it, kept it as a graphic warning about what could happen should she and Rave go too far.
It was all too complicated. And too scary. She didn’t even have any real experience with normal guys—how was she supposed to decide about something like this? She pressed herself more tightly against him, trying to think of nothing but the strength in his arms and the warmth of his embrace. Slowly, her shaking began to diminish. Yes, this whole thing was dangerous, but she wasn’t sure she could ever give up the way she felt when she was with him, the way she felt in his arms. Maybe they could be happy together without kissing….
But then the memory of their wonderful kiss rose unbidden in her mind, and she knew she was kidding herself.