They Come by Night (41 page)

“Hey!” Mike rubbed his head. “What was that for?”

“All the times you made me so crazy…,” Den muttered.

“So how come no one told me?” I wanted to make a point.

“Um….”

“Yeah, so you know what I mean. Listen, I’d better get going.”

“Sure.” Everyone was subdued. Those clowns had put a damper on our outing, and I wanted to go after them and tear them apart, which was unusual, since I was pretty much a pacifist. “We’ll pack up the leftovers for you,” Chrissie offered.

“It’s okay.” I’d lost my appetite when Mina had started barking. “You guys finish them.”

Trish and Chrissie folded the blanket and brought it to me. Jimmy gave me Mina’s ball. I put everything into the backpack and slung it over my shoulder, then snapped on Mina’s leash. I was looking for the cooler, but Ekaterina had it.

“I will accompany you.”

“Wow! She’s got gorgeous eyes! Just like dark chocolate!” Mike whispered. “And if I still swung that way, I’d make a play for her!”

Den smacked the back of his head again. “Yeah, well, just remember you
don’t
swing that way.”

Mike rubbed the back of his head but gave Den a slow grin.

“Shall we go?” Ekaterina asked.

“Sure.” I turned to my friends. “Thanks for having my back.”

“That’s what friends are for.”

For the first time I wished I could hug them. “Bye, guys. I’ll see you next week.”

“Bye, Ty,” they chorused.

I glanced at Ekaterina’s group and nodded at them. “Thank you.” They seemed surprised—what was it with these others? Didn’t they expect manners?

“Hey!” Kenny addressed my “classmates.” “You guys hungry? We’ve got plenty of food!”

Everyone gathered around the hibachi, Ekaterina’s people forming an outer ring. My friends would be safe.

Ekaterina and I walked across the sand. Mina was hopping, and I had a feeling the sand was as hot to her little paws as it was to my bare feet.

“Up, Min.” I bent and she jumped into my arms.

Once we reached the wooden boardwalk, I put her down, brushed off the soles of my feet, and fished my Nikes out of my backpack.

“I appreciate your help,” I said to Ekaterina as I put them on.

“You have already thanked us, Tyrell Small.”

“No, I mean for carrying the cooler.”

“Ah.” She chuckled softly. “You’re welcome.”

We reached the parking lot, and as always, I had no trouble finding my car. I did have trouble finding my keys; they were in my jeans, stuffed into the bottom of the backpack, and I had to unpack everything to get them.

Finally I unlocked the car.

“You can put the cooler on the backseat.” I tossed the backpack in after it, then unwrapped the towel from around my waist, folded it, and put it on the front seat; my suit was still a little damp. “Inside, Mina.”

She scrambled into the car, and I followed her in and then jumped as she settled herself onto Ekaterina’s lap.

“What…? Geez, you people… beings…. You’re fast!”

“I said I would accompany you.”

In spite of the heat, I started to shiver. Was I still in danger from de Vivar’s flunkies? If they caught me and brought me to him, instead of him coming to me, would I still have to love him? I turned on the ignition and hit the switch for the heater.

Whatever happened, I’d just have to make damn sure they
didn’t
catch me. “How will you get home?” I asked her.

“Raymond will escort me.” She kept staring at me.

“What?”

“I found this in the cooler when I poured out the water from the melted ice.” She held up a vial. It contained the holy water I’d gotten from Father Toby.

“Yeah, and I have another one in the backpack.”

“It’s not going to do you much good there.”

“No. I would have worn it around my neck, but going to the beach and all… my friends would have thought I was a couple of bricks short a load. But I promise from now on, I’ll keep one on me at all times.” I held out my hand, and she dropped it into my palm. I flipped the lanyard over my head. “Shoot.” Not only was it still wet, but it was cold as well. “Okay. Can you tell me something?”

“Ask. If it is permitted, I will tell.”

“Were those….
Did
they belong to de Vivar?”

“We call them
adepţi
. And yes, they do.”

Well, that made sense. “And you?”

“We are the day watchers. We serve the rege, and through him Duke Adam.” She smiled, and while she didn’t have fangs to bare, she gave a pretty good imitation of them. “There are more of us than there are of the
adepţi.
”

“That’s good to know. I know you’re not vampyrs. Neither you nor the
adepţi
seem to have a problem being out in the sun.” I put the car in gear and drove out of the parking lot.

“No. You were wise not to allow the
adepţi
to take your
Înger Păzitor
.”

“I’d have fought them to the death to keep her.” I felt my cheeks heating up. “I know that sounds melodramatic, but—”

“That’s very interesting.
Înger Păzitors
are bred to keep their sabors safe, but I don’t remember hearing of a sabor being willing to face down
adepţi
to protect their dog.”

“Well, maybe it just wasn’t ever necessary before. Are you saborese?” I deliberately changed the subject. I could feel her eyes on me, and I wondered if she’d answer.

“We are the day watchers.”

Which she’d already told me. I took the entrance ramp to the thruway heading north. Now it would be a straight run, and I’d get us home in a couple of hours.

Except the traffic slowed to a crawl.

One thing I hadn’t taken into consideration—it was the middle of the week and this was rush hour.

“Are you still cold?”

“Huh? Oops, I’m sorry.” I’d left the heater blasting all this time. I switched it off.

“Perhaps you should leave a message for Raymond,” she murmured.

“Good idea. My cell phone is in the backpack. Can you get it and make the call? I don’t like to use my phone when I’m driving.” A thought occurred to me. “You do know how to use a cell phone, don’t you?”

“It isn’t necessary for us to carry one, but yes.” She pulled the backpack into the front seat, careful not to hit Mina with it, and began rummaging through it. “Are you sure?”

“Am I sure what?”

“That your cell phone is here.”

“I put it in there after I changed in the locker room.” Hadn’t I? “Check the side pocket?”

“Ah. Here it is.”

“Phew. You had me scared.” If I’d lost it in the locker room or the beach and someone found it and kept it…. All those phone numbers on it! Who would I even call to get it deactivated? Not to mention this was something else Raymond would probably make me confess to Adam.

She cleared her throat.

“What?”

“When was the last time you recharged it?”

“A couple of days ago.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” It had been pounded into me how important that was.

“Well, I’m not getting anything.”

“Let me see it.” Traffic was still at a standstill, and I risked taking my eyes off the road. She was right. The screen was black. I pressed buttons and smacked it against my hand, but nothing helped. “But… I
know
I recharged it!” Maybe the battery had crapped out?

“I don’t like this.”

“You think I do?” I tossed the phone onto the dashboard, as pissed at it as I knew Raymond was going to be at me. “As soon as we get to the next rest area, I’ll pull off the thruway and make that call.”

“All right.” She took the phone and put it away, and then she put the backpack behind my seat.

The problem was, that rest area was thirty-seven miles away. I glanced at all the brake lights ahead of us and then up at the sky. Would we be able to get there before the sun set?

“So what can you tell me about day watchers?”

“We were bred up to keep watch over our vampyrs by day, although originally we were their pets.”

“Really? Seems they did a lot of genetic manipulation.” I was able to let the car inch forward a couple of yards before I had to brake again.

“They would consider it survival. You see, there were never enough sabors to go around for each vampyr, and as for normals, once their numbers dropped due to the Plague, it became necessary to use caution doing that. So they would feed from us. Never enough to debilitate us or to turn us. Eventually, to prevent us from aging, they allowed us to take sips from them.”

“Oh, yeah?” I was about to tell her I’d had some of Adam’s blood, but then I thought better of it. That was between me and my vampyr.

“We gained some of the benefits—we have a longer life span—and avoided some of the disadvantages.”

“Not being able to go out in the sun?”

“Yes. And we’re stronger than normals.”

“So that’s how day watchers got their start. Are any of them saborese?”

“No. We breed with other day watchers, and sometimes—” She paused, and I wondered who else they bred with, but it became obvious she wasn’t going to say. “We pass those traits on to the next generation.”

“Do you stay together? Is there love between you?” I blushed. “I’m sorry. That was really nosy.”

“It’s understandable. Sabors don’t usually need to know about day watchers.”

“Dammit. I’m causing problems for Adam.” That was the last thing I wanted for him. What could I do to fix things? I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel. Maybe I should let those
adepţi
catch me. I worried my lower lip.

“This isn’t your fault. De Vivar wanted more than was meant for him.”

I grunted and let the car roll forward, this time about twelve feet.

T
HE TRAFFIC had finally picked up—I would have pissed and moaned if the delay had been due to drivers fascinated by other drivers who’d pulled over to the side of the road to change a tire, but how could I when the cause was an accident that closed down the right lane for almost a mile? By the time I got beyond it, it was past eight, and I still had at least forty-five minutes before I got to my exit.

“The rest area is the next exit.” I gave her a quick glance. I’d long since tossed my Ray-Bans onto the dashboard. “Are you hungry?” I was. Being in the water always left me starved, and I hadn’t finished my hamburger. “There’s a restaurant there too. We can have dinner, if you’d like?”

“I would like. Thank you.”

Mina sat up on her lap and woofed.

“Are you hungry too, pup? Okay, it’s unanimous.” I flipped up the blinker and followed the service road under the thruway to the parking lot. There were all manner of vehicles there: eighteen-wheelers, some RVs, a few motorcycles, and, of course, cars.

I pulled into a parking spot and turned off the engine, and we got out of the car.

“Just give me a minute.” I couldn’t go into the restaurant in my square cuts. “I have to get dressed.” I needed my wallet as well. I toed off my running shoes.

“I’ll walk Mina. I think she’s a little uncomfortable.”

“Thanks.” I took my jeans and T-shirt out of the backpack, pulled them on, and stepped back into my Nikes.

Then I stared thoughtfully from the restaurant to where Mina seemed intrigued by something.

As important as the vampyr community felt she was for me, I didn’t see the restaurant’s manager agreeing she was a service dog and letting her join us. I emptied my backpack.

Ekaterina returned to the car, laughing. “Your Mina doesn’t like to be far from you.”

“I don’t like her being far from me, either.” I bent, holding open the backpack. “Inside, Min.” I wasn’t sure if she’d know what I wanted, but she stepped daintily into it, and I zipped it partway closed. “Now, don’t let anyone know you’re in there.”

She yipped and licked my cheek, and then she settled down. I gently swung the backpack over my shoulder, and the three of us entered the restaurant.

The woman behind the counter looked up when the bells above the door chimed, and she gave us a friendly smile. “Hey, kids. Grab a table and I’ll be right with you.” There wasn’t an empty seat the length of the counter, and many of the tables were occupied.

“Pay phone?”

“By the restrooms.” She gestured toward them.

“Thank you.” I let Ekaterina pick out the table, and then I eased the backpack to the floor beside her chair. “Stay quiet, Min,” I whispered. “Would you order me a grilled cheese, fries, and a Coke?” When I wasn’t certain about the quality of the food that would be served, Dad had taught me that was the safest bet. I’d take a lactase tablet when I finished my call.

I took a credit card from my wallet, found a pay phone that worked, and dialed my home phone. It rang three times, and then the answering machine picked up. “You have reached the home of Ty Small.” Then cheering broke out in the background, and, “Oh, you’re too kind. I can’t come to the phone right now. Leave a message after the beep and I’ll get back to you.”

“Raymond, it’s Ty. I’m sorry about how late it is. I’d have called sooner, but my cell phone’s dead. I’m on my way home, and I—”

“Tyrell! Where are you? You promised you wouldn’t let this happen!”

“I know I should have been home a few hours ago, but traffic was horrendous. I’m at a rest stop, and as soon as I have some dinner, I’ll be back on the road.”

“I’ll come get you.”

“Why? I’m perfectly safe. There’s a….” I looked around to make sure no one could overhear me, but lowered my voice anyway. “…a day watcher with me.”

“
What
?”

“Geez, Ray, blow out my eardrum, why don’t you?”

He began swearing in French. At least I assumed he was swearing. It didn’t sound like sweet nothings. Finally he calmed down enough to ask, “Which day watcher?”

“She said her name is Ekaterina.”

He was silent for a minute, and then said, “All right. You are safe with her. But if you’re not home in forty-five minutes, I’m coming to get you!”

“But….” There was a click as he hung up. “Shoot.” I put away my credit card and went to join Ekaterina.

She smiled up at me. “I just ordered….”