The Night House (21 page)

“Suddenly, everyone wants to keep me safe.” My voice is quiet.

We stand there for a moment. Finn bunches his hand into a fist, like maybe he’s going to punch the wall, but he merely sets it against the doorframe.

“I don’t like how Jeremiah treats you.” He is staring at the floor. “He is blatant in his desire to own you. The human is undoubtedly being much subtler. But these men, Bianca, they both want the same thing: to control you. But what does my opinion matter?”

I want to tell him that it means a lot. More than I can say. But he is already backing out of the room.

“By the way, something is wrong with that one.” He nods toward the streets.

“With the human?” I ask in disbelief. “Not Jeremiah?”

“Yes.” He makes a face at the wall. “Your human smells stale. Like he might be diseased.”

“Jesus,” I sigh. “You’ll say anything, huh?”

“I’m simply warning you in case you decide to keep it around. It is not a healthy human. Now get ready. You have an appointment with Jeremiah. Try not to piss him off this time.” He starts to leave but catches himself in the doorway. “And take a shower. You smell like art supplies.”

He slams the door.

Finn can be such a jerk.

The sun still hasn’t set, so I have time to take a nice long shower. I curl up in the bottom of the tub and run my fingers through my hair until every tangle is gone. I don’t leave until one of the girls kicks me out. Then I find my sketchbook. It’s a late appointment, so I manage to get something down before I have to go. I draw the exterior of James’s house. I like straight lines and architecture. I think about art school.

I’ve never thought about art school.

Alex helps me into my corset. I can get into it on my own, but I want someone to talk to.

“I haven’t seen you around today.” Alex squeezes my shoulders. “More side jobs?”

I let out a sigh. “No, not today. Just taking in the sights of the city.”

Alex starts playing with my hair. “It’s a good thing humans can’t turn into vampires, or else you’d be in pretty bad shape right now.”

With a wink and a smile, she slips out of the room. I don’t move for another minute or so. She’s absolutely right. I live off Finn’s blood. I tend to sleep during the day and come out at night. I’m pale and skinny. How am I any different from them?

James

Ally plucks quietly at her guitar. Something’s building in her.

“Are you okay?”

Her eyebrow skyrockets. “You tell me.”

“Whatever I did, I’m sorry. Can I have some help?”

She lets out her breath in a huff. “No, I’m sorry. I guess I’m just frustrated. Like I finally have this clue into who my mother was, and you won’t let me near her.”

“I just don’t want you overwhelming her. She barely gets to interact with people, and you have the energy of two on a good day.”

She strikes a sad chord on the guitar, frowning at me.

I manage a half smile. “And I guess I’ve just been trying to get as much time with her as possible.”

“I knew it.”

“I promise you guys will really meet. I’m just building her up to it.”

She nods, and then sets her guitar on the ground, scooting closer. “I want to go to Bianca’s Night House.”

I’m already shaking my head. “Ally, it’s way too dangerous. I just saw Bianca’s boss throw some guy out onto the street! No way I’m letting you go there. Not to mention Bianca would kill me.”

“I get what you’re saying.” She picks at the seam in her jeans. “It’s just…my mom could still be there. She was really young when she had me, you know? She could still be working there. I can’t just sit around here knowing she could be talking to your girlfriend every night.”

“Hey, hey.” I put my arm around her, hoping to untangle the knot of sadness in her. “I’m sorry, Ally.”

“Can you just promise me something?” She reaches for her guitar, plucking a string. “Will you ask Bianca if she’s there? Her name is Kate; she’s got my hair. Her voice is deeper than mine, and she likes to paint her nails a lot—”

“Ally.” I need to stop her, because she is filling up with grief and I can’t handle it. “I’ll ask. I promise.”

She nods a couple of times. Then her nose starts running, and her eyes sting, which makes
my
eyes sting. She throws her arms around me, and I rub her back while she swallows her tears.

She pulls away and takes a tissue off my bookcase. “We haven’t really hung out in a while. Do you want to watch
Hot Rod
? I need something to laugh at.”

“Yeah, that sounds perfect.”

Bianca

We’re back in the Fire Room. We’ll never go anywhere else. There’s a big, person-sized bag splayed over the couch.

“I got you something.” Jeremiah motions toward the bag.

I walk over to it, half expecting him to just shove me inside. Then a bad feeling washes over me, and I know exactly what this is. He thinks he owns me now. I open the bag.

A dress.

Bright red.

Why am I not surprised?

“It is for my event. I have worked out the details with Finn. In two days, I will be here at eleven to pick you up. We need to arrive before midnight. The event will last a few hours, so I’ve instructed Finn to make sure you are at your healthiest.”

There is an ease about him that is new. He speaks to me like I’m an employee. I may as well have “
property of Jeremiah
” tattooed across my wrists. It’s infuriating.

“You don’t own me.” The words burst out of me. With a rush of adrenaline, I turn to face him.

He doesn’t make a sound, just waits for me to finish what I started.

“This isn’t the first step. You’re not going to weasel your way more and more into my life until you own me. I’m not for sale. I chose to work for Finn, no one else. I. Am. Not. Yours.”

Our eyes lock. What came over me—desperation or courage? More like stupidity. I would never have spoken to him like this a week ago. A few days ago. Yesterday.

Jeremiah’s lips thin into a reluctant smile. “You are truly magnificent, unlike all the other humans. So full of life.” He takes a deep breath. “You have a good point, Bianca. You do work for Finn. And I paid him. So for the next hour, you
are
mine.”

When Jeremiah leans into my shoulder, so much like James did, I fight the pain. I fight the nauth. I don’t want it anymore. I don’t want this. I don’t want to be like them, to need something like my life depends on it.

I want James.

Blood and nauth mix like paint under my skin.

Time to go.

***

Something’s wrong.

“That girl will never learn, huh?”

“I told her not to piss him off.” Finn, the loving father.

“It’s rude to talk about people while they’re passed out.” I vomit the words. My skin stretches with the movements. “What’s on my face?”

“My blood,” Finn says, glaring down at me. “You’re welcome.”

I want to say,
That’s why my mouth tastes like rotten meat,
but I am caught off guard by a cough that rattles through my body.

“Yikes.” Alex wipes my forehead with a wet cloth. “Don’t get up, hon. Just open your mouth and don’t ask questions.”

Before I can object, she clinks a glass against my teeth. I gulp down the V8, realizing how thirsty I am. Next is beef jerky, an orange slice, more V8, more beef, more fruit. Then she sets me down again.

Finn and Alex stare down at me. I stare at the ceiling.

“He took
way
too much,” Alex says.

I try to touch my face, but my hands feel like lead, and I can’t lift them. “What time is it?”

Finn leans closer. “About six in the morning. Do you have somewhere better to be?”

I roll my eyes. “It doesn’t matter, does it?”

Finn scowls. “Alex is not going to leave your side the whole day. I’m going to bed.”

He trudges out of the room and shuts the door behind him. I try not to panic as I realize how long it’s been since I’ve seen Micah. I need to get out of here.

Alex wipes my forehead again. “Sweetheart, this is serious. Mr. Monarch almost killed you last night. Do you understand that? You can’t keep doing this to yourself. You’re not being smart, leaving all the time like you do. Be careful.” She frowns at me. “Now, I don’t know who Finn thinks he is, but I stayed up all night worrying about you and I am in desperate need of a nap. Will you promise me you’ll do the same? You need rest.”

“Yeah, I’ll stay in. I’m exhausted, don’t worry.”

She smiles and eases back onto her feet. “I’m right next door if you need me.”

I think about how much Alex deserves to be saved. And how bad I feel for lying to her. But Micah needs me. It’s been far too long, and besides, I owe him. I set my alarm clock to go off in an hour. Then I drift to sleep, wishing I had a cell phone.

James

It was after the movie ended when the pain hit me. There was malice in those bites. Bianca had been so strong, despite the fear and the pain I know she was feeling. I felt her fighting with all of her strength against the nauth. She didn’t want it—any of it. And that monster never let up, not once. Somehow, it was worse than with the biter; this time, it was personal. Bianca was so angry.

I was left in cold sweats as the nauth coursed through me. Ally stayed up with me as long as she could, but she wound up passing out on my bed. So I huddled on the top bunk with as many blankets as I could find, watching the posters on my wall come to life and morph into hideous monsters that proceeded to tear my room apart; they would crawl up the ladder and just before they would attack me, they’d disappear, and I’d watch the whole thing over again.

Feeling Bianca’s determination was the only thing that got me through it. I felt her trying to will herself out of the stupor, to sober up and heal her wounds. She wanted to help me through it, but more important, she was done with it. She didn’t want the nauth.

I know now without a doubt that I need to save her. She’s ready to be saved. I can feel it.

I’ve never felt this way about anyone else. Bianca is important. Maybe the most important person in my life. She’s given me so much in such a short amount of time.

It is the least I can do to repay her.

It’s time to go to the Night House.

Bianca

When I have to get up again, I fill myself full of tomato juice, meat, and fruit. My bones feel hollow and heavy at the same time. I make it about two blocks before calling a cab. Gravity tempts me to lie down, to sleep, but I pinch my leg to keep myself awake.

I spill out of the cab in front of Micah’s and thump my head against the door—my way of knocking.

It opens and I catch myself from falling.

“Bee?” Micah stands half hidden behind the door. “You don’t look so good.”

“I need to give you blood. Don’t even think about saying no.”

He pulls me inside, laughing quietly. The motion makes the room spin. We wind up sitting on his bed, and I’m grateful to get off my feet. When my vision settles again, I see just how bad Micah is. Each breath he takes seems to be harder and harder. His body looks like it’s caving in on itself. And he still manages to smile at me.

“I’ve missed you, Bumble Bee.”

It is then that I am hit by a truckload of guilt. I never told him about Jeremiah’s threat. Even if it never amounts to anything, it still hangs over me. Jeremiah tasted Micah’s blood. My face falls. I don’t want to make Micah worry, especially when he’s so sick. But he needs to know.

“Micah, something happened at the Night House.”

Concern washes over his face. He sits up straighter. “Did someone hurt you?”

I touch his hand. “It’s not me. When you fed me your blood last time, my client tasted it.”

Micah pinches the bridge of his nose. “May I ask who your client is?”

I bite my lip. We’re not supposed to tell other vampires about our clients. But this is different. “His name is Jeremiah. He’s important. He’s the—”

“Monarch of Pennsylvania,” Micah finishes slowly. He pulls away. “There’s only one Jeremiah I know.”

I pick at my scarf. “He’s kind of attached to me. He had my other appointments canceled, so he knew you weren’t from the Night House. He threatened you so that I would agree to go with him to this stupid event.” It’s so hard to put this into words. “I think he’s…jealous of you.”

There is a tense silence as Micah processes. When he turns to me, I can tell he has reached some decision. There is a weight to his gaze that I’m not used to.

Micah’s fingers brush my back. “Bianca, you should leave.”

I feel my eyebrows furrow. “You’re kicking me out?”

“No, no.” He pulls himself upright and takes my hand. “You should leave Philadelphia. Get on a train tonight, and get out of Pennsylvania. Go to another city where Jeremiah doesn’t have power. Bianca, that vampire is dangerous.”

“I can’t just leave you…”

Micah takes my face in his hands. “You can and you will. You might not want to think about it, but I’m killing you too. With Jeremiah interested in you…I fear your life span has been seriously cut short. And I won’t allow you to get hurt on my account.”

My eyes burn. “Stop it.”

“I don’t have much money, but I have some. I’ve been saving it up. I don’t know why,” he adds with a laugh. “But you can actually use this and help yourself.”

“Micah.” I can’t believe what I’m hearing. And I can’t think of what to say. This conversation hurts because it makes sense. It’s what I should have done in the first place. I’ve always known I could. “I can’t.”

“Yes, you can.”

“You’re in danger, and there are people who count on me—”

“It won’t be easy. But you can get clean.” He pulls me against him as I start to cry in earnest. “You don’t need the nauth.”

“What if I do? I don’t know how to live without it.”

He rubs my back and leans his chin on my forehead. “You fought to stay alive for years, with no support. You fought to get here. You can live without nauth.”

I want to believe him, but I can’t.

“Please, don’t let me kill you,” Micah says, squeezing me tighter. “It’s not supposed to work like this. I saved you once, and I’ll never regret that. Now I have to make sure it wasn’t for nothing.”