Sixteen Going on Undead (11 page)

Had to be the anger that triggered the power because like before it came out of nowhere and was like a fist to Blake’s chin. He went flying one way, and I went flying another. I bumped the ground and landed in a heap of pain in the middle of an alley. I shook my head to clear it, but I was getting a headache, and from the feel of my forehead, a lump was forming there too. Blake was so going to pay.

Standing up on trembling legs, I looked around and didn’t recognize the area. Not that I had memorized back allies, but something told me this was deeper into the heart of the city, not where you wanted to find yourself even in the day time. Fear crept over me, and the anger I had felt at Blake began to dissipate. All that was left was self-preservation.

Hearing a grunt behind me, I spun around to find Blake splayed on the ground, in clear view of the sun. His cloak might have been thick, but it was no match for ninety-five degrees and zero humidity. Even a drop of sweat wouldn’t sizzle for long out here before it evaporated.

Blake was dying. One of his hands slid to the edge of the cloak but didn’t venture past it. “Please help me, Tanesha,” he rasped.

I should let him stay there. After all, he was the enemy, a vampire. But he was also a person. I think. And I couldn’t stand there and watch him beg me for help and not do anything. I spotted a shaded area between two Dumpsters and ran over to grab hold of Blake’s arm. I tugged. Nothing. He was heavy!

“I can’t move you, Blake. Can’t you try to stand up?”

Steam rose. My head began to spin. Why would he risk coming out here? To mess with me? He must be out of his mind.

“Get up, Blake! Try!”

He found the strength to lift himself just a few inches off the ground. That helped me get a foot under him and a good grip on his shoulder. With everything in me, I rolled him over and nearly burned off his face. He howled, and I screamed. We rolled again, and he landed in the shade.

“Oh my goodness, I am so sorry,” I told him as I forced myself to examine his face. His skin was hot to the touch, and my stomach roiled looking at the burns. Unlike how Lorcan had healed last night, Blake didn’t seem to be getting better. “Why aren’t you healing?”

He struggled for his next breath. “Too hot, too light, too weak.”

I chewed on my lip and searched up and down the alley. “Do you want me to try to get you some water? I bet they have a corner store around here somewhere.”

Despite how bad off he was
,
he smirked. “Uh...that would be no!”

“What?”

He cracked a half smile that crumbled seconds after it formed on his face. “What I’m craving is not water.”

“Oh.” I wasn’t about to offer him a vein. “Why were you out here in the daylight? I thought you couldn’t survive.” Looking at him I modified that. “I
know
you can’t survive, so why did you risk it?”

“For the thrill.” He licked his lips and tried to grin again, but it wasn’t happening. “Come on, you can’t tell me you didn’t enjoy that ride across town, right? It was a rush.”

“Yeah, I’m not into rushes.” I stood up. “So what do you want to do, Blake?”

He looked like he was thinking it over with his eyes closed, but I think the light hurt his eyes. I considered giving him my sunglasses, but my head was still pounding. He got us into this mess, and I was not feeling like being that nice. My eyes no doubt weren’t as sensitive as his.

I sank down against the wall and hugged my ankles, considering what to do. I couldn’t leave him there, and I darn sure wasn’t waiting with him until the sun went down.

“Tanesha.”

“Yeah?”

“You saved my life. I think I should save yours.”

“Meaning?”

He took in a deep breath like he hesitated to let out his next words. “Don’t trust Ronnie.”

I burst out laughing. “What? Are you stupid? Ronnie is my best friend, and has been for most of our lives. Why would you even think I would listen to you?”

“Because I’ve never lied to you.”

This creepy feeling came over me, like the temperature had dropped and the sun went behind the clouds, but it didn’t. It was just as hot and bright out there. All the reaction was in me. I played dumb. “What are you talking about?”

“You can sense when someone is lying to you, can’t you? It might even be just a human thing. I don’t remember what that was like, whether I had regular everyday instincts. But you sense it. I feel it in you, distrust of Ronnie.”

“You mean you’re reading my mind.”

“Either way.”

I was so irritated, I stood up intending to leave him laying there so somebody would come by and kick his butt while he was down, but I just stood there frozen.

“He’s been lying to you.”

“You probe his mind too?”

“I’ve tried. I just know he’s lying about something. He’s keeping secrets just like we all are. Yeah, dude, you knew that too. I would tell you everything you wanted to know if I could.” He shrugged. “I like shocking people.”

“Evidenced by your style.”

“Whatever. Look, I said I was going to save your life, okay? I didn’t mean about Ronnie. If he was going to kill you, he’d have already done it, considering whether he could I guess. That move you did in the library was wicked! Anyway, the way I’ll save your life is to tell you to get out of here. They’re already on their way to pick me up.”

My stomach dropped. “They?”

“Members of my coven. They know I’m down. The collective, remember? Get out of here, Tanesha, before they find you and force you to go with them.”

All kinds of thoughts rushed through my head, like what did they want me for, and where was Lorcan? Was Adrianne his girlfriend? Was he in on the plot against me? I didn’t ask any of it. It seemed like every time I got close to getting some answers something or someone interrupted me. It was getting old fast.

“Are you sure? Are you going to be okay? I could—”

“Go! And don’t forget what I said...about Ronnie. Take a look around you, little girl. There’s a lot more that’s been going on than you know about, and has been for years.”

A tire wheel screeched somewhere in the distance.
“They’re here,”
Blake whispered in my head. I didn’t ask any more questions but spun around and took off at top speed down the alley. I willed with everything in me that I would move as fast as Blake did, but it didn’t happen. I could only pray that the vampires wouldn’t spot me, and that I wasn’t running in the direction that they were coming.

* * * *

The next morning was the first morning that I didn’t feel renewed and strong. I had to drag myself out of the bed with all my strength and shuffle into the bathroom. When I glanced into the mirror, I screamed.

My mother, who had been passing my door at the time, stuck her head in. “Tanesha, what’s your problem?” she demanded.

I swallowed. “Uh...uh...I found a pimple.”

I was glad she hadn’t crossed my room to peek into my bathroom, but I could imagine her rolling her eyes. “Ah, lord, teenagers! Girl, shut that noise up and get dressed so you can help me clean this house. Summer vacation doesn’t mean
no
chores. Got it?”

“Yes, Ma. I’ll be there.”

My door shut, and I focused on my face again. Where a couple days ago it had seemed like I had baby fresh skin and was vibrant with health, this morning along with no energy, I was pale. I mean sickly pale like my blood wasn’t circulating or something. I paced from the sink to the toilet and then had to sit down on the toilet because I had used up the little energy I had. “I can’t be dead. I can’t be dead. I can’t be dead.”

Putting my hands together, I looked up at the ceiling and pleaded. “Please, I beg you. Don’t let me be dead.”

Not knowing what else to do, I turned the faucet on and put my hands under the water. I was about to lift them to take a drink from my palms when my stomach turned in disgust. Blood. Oh no, I wanted blood. I craved it. Just seeing the color red on washcloth reflected in my mirror had me licking my lips.

A thought popped into my head, and I looked in the mirror, dragging my lips back from my teeth. No fangs, thank goodness. My teeth were just like they always were, a crooked one at the bottom which I hated, but right about now, I loved that little imperfect tooth. All the vampires I had met were physically perfect.

The longer I stood there, the greater the desire to drink blood was. Terrified, I turned on my shower and climbed into the tub still dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. I let the warm water run over me and felt the same horrible turn in my stomach.

“Just a little,” I muttered to myself. “Just a mouthful will do.” I was sounding like a druggy, and it flipped me out. I rocked, cried, and cursed Lorcan out for a good hour before I lost my fight against sleep. I don’t remember turning the water off, but I do recall slithering across the floor dripping wet to my bedroom, and hauling myself up to my bed. I prayed my mother wouldn’t come in to see what was taking me because I would need to sleep for half a century before I felt up to vacuuming the living room carpet and sweeping off the front porch.

* * * *

“Hey, Tanesha, wake up.”

I moaned and threw a pillow over my head. “Get lost.”

He yanked the pillow away and tossed it on the floor. I pried one eye open to glare at Lorcan. He wasn’t so cute, I tried to tell myself. “You lied. You didn’t come last night.”

“I had to take care of something. I’m here now.” He held out his arms so I could see he was wearing black jeans and a red T-shirt. What was up with the color black with them? Red I could see. As the fog lifted from my brain, I remembered what had happened earlier and was glad to note my body didn’t go psycho at the sight of
Lorcan’s
shirt. Had it been my imagination?

No. I was still weak. I had to fight to get up and sit on the side of the bed. “I hate you. Get out of my room.” Tears filled my eyes. “Look what you’ve done to me.”

He sank down beside me and tried to hold me, but I shoved him. He held onto my hands, and I couldn’t shake him off. “Don’t push me away. I’ll help you. Trust me.”

“Trust you?” I stood up, but my head began to spin, and I fell back down. Lorcan pulled my feet up and laid me back against my pillows. “You did this. You’ve killed me.”

He leaned down over me, staring into my eyes and brushing at my nappy, wild hair like it was made of silk. I wished I could hide. “You’re not dead, Tanesha. You’re still human, still alive.”

With his forehead resting against mine, he closed his eyes, and I did too, breathing him in. I wanted to hate him, wished I had never met him, but I craved just talking to him, being with him, as much as I had the blood earlier.

“I guess I had what you would call chores to do last night, and I was glad to do them because it would help me put some distance between us. I thought I would realize that I could let you go.”

I licked my lips. “And?”

“And I can’t.”

He curled his fingers around mine and kissed my hands. I felt like a woman, and Lorcan was my man, but on the other hand, it was like playing house, and I was expecting my bubble to pop soon. “I’m so weak, Lorcan. I feel like my throat is closing, like I can’t breathe.”