The Taste of Night

  The papers rustled. Destiny stopped. What made them move? There was no wind here.

  She stared as the papers crinkled. She heard scratching sounds from underneath the pile. “Oh.” She uttered a soft cry as two fat rats slithered out.

  They turned and gazed up at her, staring for the longest while, as if challenging her.

  Her whole body tensed, Destiny backed away. Are these really rats? she wondered. Or are they vampires in rat bodies?

  The swooping bat in her living room flashed into her mind. Livvy? Had it been Livvy?

  The two rats raised up on their hind legs and took a step toward Destiny. One of them bared its teeth and uttered a shrill hiss.

  Destiny wanted to turn and run. But she knew she shouldn’t turn her back on the advancing rats.

  They stood still now, on their back legs, long, pink tails whipping back and forth, scraping the concrete floor. Their eyes glowed dully like black pearls. They both opened their mouths and uttered warning screeches, furiously waving their front paws up and down in slashing motions.

  I have to get away.

  Destiny spun away from them, tried to run—and collided full force with a figure standing behind her.

  “Hey—!” She stumbled and fell into him, and they both staggered back. Her cheek brushed the rough fabric of his sweater.

  “Ross—?” She grabbed his shoulders to pull herself back on her feet, shoulders hard as bone. Not Ross.

  “S—sorry,” she choked out. “I didn’t see you. I was—”

  She stared at him. He was good looking. Young. About Destiny’s age. Short, dark hair, dark eyes, a thin, straight nose.

  Then he turned—and Destiny opened her mouth in a horrified gasp.

  The other half of his face—missing! The flesh ended in the middle, a line right down the center of his face, giving way to solid skull.

  Destiny stared open-mouthed, too horrified to breathe. No eye in the gaping, empty socket, no flesh over the toothless jaw.

  Half a face, Destiny saw. Normal looking on one side, even handsome. An eyeless skull on the other half.

  Trembling, Destiny tried to back away.

  “What’s wrong?” he whispered. His teeth clicked as he talked, and his single eye rolled around in its socket. “Don’t be frightened. Don’t worry. I’ll save my good side for you, babe.”

  He grabbed her. Circled his arms tightly around her. Arms like bones—and powerful, clamping her to him.

  “No, please—”

  She couldn’t breathe.

  He held her so tightly, her ribs ached. Her chest felt about to burst.

  He lowered his face to her. She could see both sides at once now, the skeleton and the good-looking face. Both grinning at her coldly, half-lips pulled back so she could see his teeth.

  He pressed his lips to hers.

  Ohh. She felt soft flesh and bone.

  Her stomach heaved.

  He pulled his mouth away quickly, single eye flashing.

  And then she saw the fangs, yellow and curled, slide down from his open mouth.

  “So sweet, so sweet,” he whispered, sour breath washing over her, making her choke. And then he sank the disgusting fangs into her throat.

  chapter twenty-three

  “I WANT TO GO BACK TO MY OLD LIFE”

  SHE FELT A STAB OF PAIN.

  Then heard a loud shout.

  “GET AWAY FROM HER!”

  The vampire seemed to spin to the voice. But then Destiny realized someone had pulled him off her. Another vampire, face hidden in shadow, had grabbed him by the shoulders.

  “First come, first served,” the half-faceless one said softly, teeth clicking. He tensed his body as if preparing for a fight.

  “I don’t think so,” the other replied.

  And then they flung themselves at each other. Growling, cursing, they wrestled from one side of the hall to the other, smashing each other against the concrete walls.

  Gasping for breath, Destiny felt the pinprick wounds in her neck as she tried to back away to safety.

  They’re fighting over which one gets me, she realized. Frozen in horror, she watched the battle.

  Their cries and shouts had awakened others, who stood in the dark doorways all down the hall, staring in silence as the two vampires slashed at each other, shoving and biting.

  I’m pinned here, Destiny thought. I can’t run. If I do, the others will get me.

  She backed into a corner, hands pressed against the sides of her face, still gasping for breath.

  Fighting over me…

  Fighting to see who gets to drink my blood…

  With his back to Destiny, the new arrival hoisted up the half-faced vampire by the waist, lifted him high over his head and, with a powerful heave, tossed him out an open window.

  Destiny heard the vampire’s scream as he fell down the side of the building. Down…down…And then the scream was replaced by an angry bird cry, which rose up until Destiny could see a hawk, wings spread wide, through the window, sailing up, turning and taking one last glance at her, then floating away.

  And now the winner of the battle, panting noisily, brushing his wet hair off his face, turned to claim his prize. He lurched toward Destiny arms outstretched…

  …And Destiny recognized him. “Ross—!” she screamed. “Ross—it’s me!”

  His mouth dropped open. He wiped sweat from his eyes—and squinted at her in the inky light. “Destiny—?”

  “Yes. Yes, it’s me!”

  “Whoa.” He was still breathing hard, chest heaving up and down. He had deep scratch marks on one side of his neck, and a red welt had formed under one eye.

  “I don’t believe it,” he said, shaking his head hard. Then he lurched forward and wrapped her in a hug. “Dee, I’m so glad to see you.”

  Destiny let out a sigh of relief. It is the same Ross, she thought.

  She gazed over his shoulder and saw eyes staring at them in doorways all down the hall, cold faces, angry and frightening.

  “Can we…go somewhere?” she whispered.

  Ross took her by the hand and led her to the stairway. He helped her up the steep, concrete steps to the second floor. Then he led the way to a small apartment halfway down the hall.

  The clouds had finally started to burn away, and morning sunlight peeked into the open window. Destiny hugged herself. The room still had the chill of night.

  She glanced around quickly. A pile of clothes, mostly jeans and T-shirts, in one corner. A couch with one cushion missing. A metal folding chair. A clock radio on the floor. The only furnishings.

  Ross led her over to the couch. “Dee, I can’t believe you’re here. I’m so happy to see you,” he said. He motioned for her to sit down. Then he dropped down beside her, sweeping his hair back with both hands.

  He’s changed, Destiny thought, studying him. He used to have that spark in his eyes, that flash of fire. But it’s gone. He looks so tired…exhausted. And not because of the fight with the other vampire.

  “How are you?” he asked. “How’s Mikey? And your dad?”

  “Not great,” Destiny replied. “It’s been really hard with Livvy gone. I mean, it’s hard to explain to yourself why—”

  “Livvy,” Ross interrupted, shaking his head. “Livvy. Livvy. She’s hard to figure, you know?”

  “I…saw her the other night,” Destiny continued, the words catching in her throat. “She was so horrible to me, Ross. Like she hated me. And what did I do to her? Nothing. I only wanted to talk with her.”

  “She’s gotten weird,” Ross said, lowering his head. “This was supposed to be so exciting. You know. Livvy and me. Living forever and everything. She promised. She promised me it would be awesome. But now…” He glanced to the window. “Now she usually doesn’t want to hang with me. She’s got new friends that she cares about.”

  Destiny nodded. She didn’t know what to say. “Ross—?”

  He kept his eyes down at the floor. “I’m so unhappy,” he said finally.
“I mean, this life is so hard. I wish…I wish I’d never followed Livvy.”

  “I’m sorry too,” Destiny murmured.

  “She likes it. I really think she does,” he continued, finally turning to face her. “I don’t understand it. But I think Livvy enjoys the excitement. You know, the adventure. She likes the…badness of it. And the idea that she never has to grow old.”

  Destiny nodded. “When she was little, her favorite cartoon was Peter Pan. You know. The Disney one. Now I guess she liked it because Peter and the Lost Boys never grew up, either.

  “I don’t know why I went with her,” Ross said. He climbed to his feet and moved to the window. He leaned on the sill, keeping his back to the rising sunlight as he spoke. “It was crazy. I guess I went a little nuts or something. But now…”

  He swallowed. “Now I’d give anything to have my old life back. I mean it, Dee. Anything. I’m so unhappy. I just want to see my sister again…and Mom and Dad. I just want—”

  “Maybe it can happen,” Destiny interrupted.

  He squinted at her. “Why? Has your dad—?”

  “No. He hasn’t found anything. Not yet. But he’s working on it, Ross. He won’t quit till he finds a cure.”

  “That’s great,” Ross said. “I don’t know how much more I can take. Really.”

  Destiny climbed to her feet and hugged herself tightly. “Listen, Ross, I came here for a reason. I came to warn you. The Hunters are going to come. They know about this place. They’re going to kill as many vampires as they can.”

  Ross nodded. He didn’t seem surprised. “We knew they’d come after us sooner or later.”

  “You and Livvy have got to get out,” Destiny said. “You’ve got to talk to her, Ross. She won’t talk to me.”

  He scratched his head. “I…I’ll try.”

  Destiny could feel her emotions tightening her throat. “You’ve got to tell her,” she said. “You’ve got to tell her to get away from here. Maybe you can convince her, Ross. Have you told her you want to give up the vampire life? Maybe you can convince her too.”

  Ross hesitated. “I don’t think so. Whenever I start to talk about it…” His voice trailed off in a sigh.

  Destiny felt tears rolling down her cheeks. She didn’t make any attempt to stop them. “Tell her. Tell her, Ross.”

  Ross nodded. “I’ll see what I can do. Really. I’ll try, Dee.”

  A sob escaped Destiny’s throat. Tears blurred her vision. “Tell her I still love her,” she choked out. “Tell her I’ll do anything to have her back.”

  And then she ran, out the door of the shabby apartment and down the long hallway…ran away from this world of darkness…back to her own life.

  chapter twenty-four

  A DEATH IN THE VAMPIRE FAMILY

  IS THAT DESTINY?

  Yes, of course it is.

  Livvy hid behind a trash Dumpster and watched her sister run from the apartment building. Destiny dropped her bag, picked it up, then fumbled inside it for her car key.

  What is she doing here so early? Livvy wondered. The sun is just coming up. Did she come to see me? Does she still think if she begs hard enough, I’ll come home?

  She watched Destiny stumble over a pile of broken bricks, then run to the side of the building. Destiny had such a distressed look on her face, Livvy felt a pang of guilt.

  I didn’t want to cause you so much sadness, Dee. What I did wasn’t about you at all. It was about me. But you can’t accept that, can you? Because everything—everything—always had to be about you.

  Destiny pulled open her car door and plunged inside.

  You must have sneaked out of the house before dawn, Livvy thought. Now why would you pay me a visit at this hour? Do you think I know something about Ari? Is that it?

  Think I know something about how poor Ari died? Well, Dee, you’ve got that right.

  I do know about Ari. It was my stupid friend Monica. I warned her to be careful, to go slowly, a few sips at a time. But Monica never knows when to stop. She always wants more more more.

  Suzie and I both got on her case when she told us she’d killed Ari. “I couldn’t help it,” Monica said. “I was so hungry, and I lost track. It was an accident. Really.”

  Accidents happen, right?

  No way.

  Not when it gets the whole town excited and upset. And the police. Monica should know better. She risked all of us for one night of pleasure. She’s my friend, but she’s also a stupid cow.

  And yes, I felt bad about Ari. I mean, he was a geeky guy, totally clueless. Spending all his time on horror movies and Star Trek websites. But he was smart and funny too. And I know you really liked him.

  Whatever.

  It’s done, okay. He’s history.

  So why did you come to see me this morning? To hear about how Ari died? How would that help you? It won’t bring the poor guy back.

  Livvy watched Destiny’s car pull away, tires squealing. Again, she pictured the distressed look on her sister’s face.

  Sorry, Dee. I really am. But get over it.

  Don’t come here begging me to give up my new life.

  Livvy licked her lips. Mmmm. A trace of the sweet blood lingered there.

  That Alby is a good guy, she thought, shutting her eyes for a moment. Such sweet blood, almost like dessert. I’m going to bring him along slowly, so slowly he won’t even notice.

  The morning sun spread an orange glow around the apartment building. Livvy squinted at the brightening light.

  I’d better get inside. The sun burns my eyes. I don’t have my shades.

  She started toward the front door—then stopped.

  Whoa. Hold on. Maybe Dee didn’t come to see me.

  Livvy bit her bottom lip, new thoughts flashing through her mind.

  Maybe Dee came to see Ross.

  Maybe she came at dawn hoping to find him without me around.

  Has she been seeing Ross all along? Destiny always had a thing for him. I think she was really jealous when Ross decided he liked me better.

  When Ross decided he loved me…

  But Ross is so eager to connect to his old life. He begged me to let him see his family in line at the movie theater. Has he also been trying to get together with my sister?

  Livvy darted into the darkness of the building. As she climbed the stairs, she could hear the groans and sighs of the sleeping vampires.

  But she didn’t feel the least bit sleepy. She had to get to the bottom of this.

  Her shoes thudded the concrete floor as she ran down the long, narrow hallway toward Ross’s apartment. She edged past a stack of Sheetrock, then a pile of old newspapers.

  Ross, please don’t tell me you’ve been seeing Destiny. Please tell me she came to see me.

  She stopped at the open doorway to Ross’s apartment to catch her breath. Then she burst inside.

  “Ross—?”

  It took her eyes a few moments to adjust to the bright light that washed into the room from the window. Then Livvy spotted Ross—and she opened her mouth and screamed in horror.

  “Ross? Noooooo! Oh, no! Please—NOOOOOOOO!”

  chapter twenty-five

  “IT WON’T BE PRETTY”

  LIVVY STAGGERED OVER TO ROSS’S BODY. SPRAWLED on his back on the floor. Legs spread. Hands raised, still gripping the wooden stake pushed through his chest.

  Wooden stake…

  Livvy gaped at the stake, a plank of light wood. The kind of wood scattered all over this unfinished building.

  The stake had been driven through Ross’s T-shirt, through the center of his chest. Through his heart.

  And now he lay with his eyes wide open, blank, glassy…wide open…wide open as if still staring up at his attacker.

  His head tilted to one side. His mouth hung open in a silent scream. Hands still gripping the stake.

  “Ross—” Livvy uttered his name as she dropped down beside his lifeless body. “Oh, no, Ross. Oh, no.”

  Murdered.

&nbsp
; She cradled his head in her arms.

  Murdered. His body still warm.

  And yes, she knew…

  Holding onto the boy who had cared enough about her to follow her…the boy who had loved her so much, he became a vampire just to be with her. Holding onto Ross’s lifeless head, Livvy knew who had murdered him.

  Destiny.

  She had seen Destiny running from the building. In such a hurry to get away.

  Destiny came at dawn, sneaked into the building to kill Ross.

  And why?

  Cradling Ross’s head, Livvy shut her eyes and thought hard.

  Why?

  To pay me back for deserting the family.

  No.

  Oh, wait. I get it. I totally get it. That was Destiny’s way of paying me back for Ari.

  Destiny thinks I killed Ari. So she paid me back by killing Ross.

  Poor, sweet, innocent Ross.

  Could Destiny really do this? Is she angry enough? Desperate enough? Crazy enough?

  Yes. I saw her face as she ran from the building.

  I saw the tears running down her cheeks. Saw the wild look in her eyes. The fear mixed with anger. Mixed with hatred.

  She hates me so much, she murdered the boy who loved me.

  With a long howl of sorrow, Livvy hugged Ross’s lifeless head, pressed it to her, ran her hands through his hair one last time.

  “You can’t get away with this, Destiny,” she said out loud in a cold, hard voice. “I’ll find a way to pay you back. Yes, I will. And it won’t be pretty.”

  chapter twenty-six

  “I’D LIKE TO TEAR DESTINY TO BITS”

  SOBBING NOW, LIVVY GENTLY LOWERED ROSS’S HEAD to the floor. She climbed unsteadily to her feet, pulled a blanket off his narrow cot, and covered his body with it, tugging the ends of the blanket around the wooden stake.

  Livvy’s whole body shuddered.

  What must that feel like? To have a sharpened wooden stake shoved through your chest into your heart?

  She couldn’t imagine the agony Ross must have felt. The pain from the puncture. Waves of pain shooting through his body like electric currents…as he realized…realized he was about to lose his life.