Otis smiled—a true, honest smile that came from the heart. “This hat was a gift to me from a young woman whom I had taught several years ago.”
“But still. Why?” Vlad wrinkled his nose. He swore he saw moth holes in the purple fabric. “It’s kind of an ugly hat.”
Otis smiled a faraway smile, one that said that he was thinking about long ago times and happy memories. “I wear it because it reminds me of her, even if she’d long since forgotten the man she gave it to, the man who taught mythology at her college for merely one semester her sophomore year.”
Vlad shook his head, sighing. It was clear his uncle wasn’t going to ditch the hat, and he still wasn’t sure why. “She must have been pretty special.”
“She was. A shame about her taste in hats.” The smile on Otis’s lips spread to his eyes. “She couldn’t cook either. Your aunt never could ...”
Vlad almost choked on a gasp. “Nelly?! You knew Nelly before you came here?”
Otis nodded. “I knew it was her the moment I saw her, but if she remembered me, she never said. Still ... I like to think the hat gave me away. I like to think she remembered the bumbling mythology teacher she gifted with a terrible hat.”
A lumped formed in Vlad’s throat. He could barely speak around it. “That’s ... that’s really sweet, Otis.”
Otis flipped open his pocket watch and frowned. “And we’re really late.”
They drove fairly quickly to the high school without another word. Otis had just put the car into park when he put a hand on Vlad’s arm, stopping him from opening the door. Vlad raised an eyebrow. “But we’re late ...”
“This is important, Vladimir.” It was Otis’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “Would you mind?”
With a smile, Vlad focused, slowing down everything and everyone around them until only he and Otis could move or speak. It was like putting life on pause—one of his many Pravus traits. From the glove compartment, Otis withdrew a thin black box. He handed it to Vlad, some trepidation in his eyes. “You should have this, especially in light of recent events.”
Vlad lifted the lid. Inside were a small pile of documents. At the top of the first was the word “deed.” Vlad furrowed his brow. “What is this, Otis?”
“It’s the deed to Tomas’s home, in England. It still stands, has been perfectly preserved, in fact. It’s the last place your father lived as a human, and where he spent much time while on the run from Elysia. It’s yours ...” His uncle flicked his eyes to him. “... if you want it.”
Vlad nodded. He did want it. He’d loved his dad. Even if his dad had been too maniacal and selfish to love him back. “You’ll stay, won’t you, Otis? With me, I mean.”
Otis smiled as Vlad brought the world back into motion. Birds once again flew overhead. People were walking by, chattering. Cars were driving down the street again. “Forever and a day, Vladimir. I’ll stay as long as you need me.”
A knock on the window startled Vlad, but he should have been expecting it. Outside, Henry and October were looking incredibly impatient. Vlad couldn’t help but notice they were wearing matching hickeys.
Otis nodded for Vlad to go and when he opened the door, Henry said, “Where have you been? It’s almost time!”
“Afraid they’ll change their mind about you, Henry?” Vlad smirked.
October grinned. “He’s just excited, Vlad. We all are. Stoker U!!!”
Vlad raised an eyebrow at her. “It’s Stokerton University, October. Who calls it Stoker U?”
“I do.”
Henry grinned and laced his fingers with October’s. Vlad couldn’t help but smile at the two of them. They were a great couple, good for one another in every way. October was wild and free and unique. Henry was grounded and real. And together, they were about the happiest couple that Vlad had ever seen.
They moved toward the graduation grounds, Otis hurrying on ahead—faculty was supposed to arrive a half hour before—and on the way, Vlad noticed another couple, a couple that brought a lump to his throat, a couple that he was still torn by the presence of.
Joss and Meredith were holding hands, smiling sweetly into each other’s eyes. At the sight of him, Joss seemed to shrink back some, but Meredith held fast onto his hand.
Despite everything, Vlad was still extremely weirded out by the fact that they were dating.
Meredith smiled, her lips shimmering pink. “Hey Vlad. All ready to graduate?”
“If it means never coming back to Bathory High, then yes. I was ready four years ago.” Vlad sighed, a smirk touching the corners of his lips. “So... where are you going to college, Meredith? Stokerton U?”
“You mean Stoker U.” October shrugged when everyone blinked at her. “What? I’m trying to start a trend.”
Meredith shook her head. “Not for me. I’m headed for the University of California.”
Vlad glanced at Joss. “You too, Joss?”
“Actually I’m taking a break between high school and college. But I’ll get there.” Joss slipped his hand from Meredith’s for a moment and tugged on Vlad’s sleeve. “Listen, Vlad ... can we talk in private for a second?”
Nodding, Vlad stepped to the side, away from the group, where he and Joss could talk.
Joss dropped his eyes to the ground. “I wanted to apologize for everything. The Slayers were way wrong, and everything I did to you ... I’m sorry, okay?”
“I’m sorry, too. For everything. But Joss ... if you keep insisting on apologizing, you’ll never get past this. I forgave you months ago, remember?” Vlad gripped Joss tightly in a hug, patting his back. “Don’t be a stranger, okay? And ... take care of Meredith?”
“Of curse.” Joss patted his back too and as they rejoined the group, he said, “Think Eddie Poe will show up to collect his diploma?”
Vlad blinked up into the sky. “It’s pretty sunny today, so I doubt it. Besides, from what I’ve heard in Elysia, I think he sticks pretty close to Em ever since his transformation.”
October tilted her head in fascinated curiosity. She’d been asking a lot of questions about Elysia ever since Vlad told her to remember what had happened. “Are they a couple?”
Vlad shook his head. “No. Eddie’s more like an annoying pet, from what I understand. But at least he got what he wanted.”
“What’s that?”
“To be special.”
They all lined up then to walk in their caps and gowns, to parade in front of the parents and staff, and collect their diplomas. Vlad was more than ready for it.
At the sight of movement to his right, he turned his head, his fake smile morphing into a genuine one. “I thought you’d decided to sleep in or something.”
“And miss my last day of high school? No friggin’ wary.” Snow beamed. She looked so pretty, even prettier since her transformation.
“So what took you so long?”
“Sunscreen. I was ready on time until I remembered that I needed to apply sunscreen. Man ...” She sighed heavily, dramatically. “Does it get any easier?”
“No. But at least you have company.” Vlad kissed the back of her hand, inhaling her scent. Roses. Life. And something darker now, something fitting. Snow was a vampire.
He recalled her moment of transformation, how he’d thought she’d died. But that was what Otis had shouted back to him, something crucial that he hadn’t heard. “She’ll die before she turns, Vlad.”
Funny how mishearing things—or not hearing them at all—can really screw things up.
Vlad squeezed Snow’s hand and turned his eyes to the stage. Meredith Brookstone, the class valedictorian, was giving her speech, but Vlad didn’t really care. He’d heard those words before, full of hope and wonder at what the coming days will bring. But Vlad didn’t wonder about that. He knew that whatever would come, he would face with his uncle, with his friends. He knew that whatever was going to happen, he was ready for it.
Snow beamed at him and Vlad’s heart skipped a beat, almost stopping. His entire body froze with fear.
r />
Without her even being aware of it, Snow’s eyes flashed iridescent green.
Vlad gasped, not knowing what it meant, and not knowing what the future might bring.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Heather Brewer was not your typical teen growing up. and she’s certainly not your typical adult now. She believes that teens are the answer to the world’s problems. that spiderwebs are things of beauty, and that every occasion calls for black nail polish. When she’s not dressing in black, she’s dressing in black ... and counts herself lucky to be the supreme ruler of the Minion Horde. Heather doesn’t believe in happy endings... unless they involve blood. She lives in Missouri with her husband and two children. Visit Heather at www.heatherbrewer.com.
Heather Brewer, Twelfth Grade Kills
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