House Wyndham Vampires: Half Light Part 9

The entire time I'd been talking Heather's face grew redder and redder. Until finally when I finished she did the only thing her kind of stupid could do.

She took a swing at me.

It was low and slow. Slow because my preternatural eyes caught the movement even before she made it. I'd been taught to read body-language. So when she braced to swing, I'd already moved out of her way, and when she went down, carried there by the momentum of a swing that never connected, I was back where I started.

To the human eye it looked as if Heather had missed the swing.

To the vampire eye, it was obvious I'd moved.

When Heather fell to the ground on her a.s.s, everyone laughed. Even two of her boys. She struggled to stand back up and faced me again. And she tried to swing at me again.

And again I moved.

After Jack helped her up the second time, she started to take another swing at me, but Paoli stopped her. Everyone behind me was laughing at her, calling names. Her challenge of me had turned into a fiasco for her. And though she couldn't see it, her little group of boys did.

They pulled her away just as June and Bogart stepped up.

"Hey, you okay?" June said and put a hand on my arm.

I flinched and pulled back. "Yes-yes I'm fine. There's nothing to see. Really."

"I don't think I've seen anyone stand up to her before," Bogart said. "Might want to watch yourself there," he nodded in Heather's direction as she and the others walked away. "She's sort of a nut."

Nut-Girl.

"Yeah...I can see that," I looked up at him. "I'm Carly."

"Nice to met you Carly. I'm Bogart."

The others in the small huddle introduced themselves as well. But I was only half paying attention. Brandon wasn't where I'd left him. In fact, I spun around and didn't see him anywhere.

Until I looked back to where Michel had been the focus of the group's attention.

He was there, talking intently with Michel. The two were facing one another, and Dockal was nearby, her gaze locked on Brandon.

"Hey Carly, we're heading over to Magic Pizza. Wanna join us? We're usually there till it closes, around one." June was looking at me with round eyes.

"We'll see," I said and waved at them as they wandered off.

Finally I was alone and I ran to Michel and Brandon, stopping only when Brandon turned and looked at me.

His expression was hard.

Angry.

And then he and Michel shook hands before Brandon walked away.

"Brandon?" I called out to him.

He glanced back at me, but didn't look at me, before he continued on around the edge of the fence and into the parking lot.

I started forward after him, but Michel's caught my arm and held me where I stood. The night breeze pushed my hair over my shoulder as I tried to pull free. "What did you say to him?"

Michel smiled and showed me his fangs. "I reminded him of the same truth I am reminding you of." And then his expression s.h.i.+fted. His eyes became black pools and the shadows of his face deepened. "You are my fiance. You know this." Michel smiled. "And now, so does he."

My heart dropped into my stomach. Michel vanished along with Dockal.

I was alone by the fence and watched the stadium clear out until there was no one left. For the first time in my life, I didn't know what to do.

I didn't try and keep my engagement from Brandon. I hadn't thought past just getting to know him. And knowing him had only lasted a few days. But in those few days I'd enjoyed just talking to him. Being with him earlier that afternoon had been my first real taste of...happiness.

Had Michel sensed my blood in him? And what must Brandon be thinking? About me. A girl engaged to someone else, flirting with him. Kissing him.

What does he think of me?

That question above everything else is what finally drove me from that fence and back to Jared's car. I pulled out carefully and drove to Brandon's house. But I could sense he wasn't there. I drove back to the school, and then the coffee shop. I drove for over an hour but didn't know where else to look.

I wanted to talk to Jared.

He'd know what to do.

When I finally turned the car into our driveway, the house looked dark. I wouldn't be surprised if Jared had gone out to blow off some steam. But-was Craft still here?

The SUV was still in the garage when I parked. Maybe Jared was still at home. Once I was parked I stepped out and listened I could hear a human heart. That had to be Craft. Craft's was strong and steady-he was sleeping.

Inside the house was cold and dark. None of the usual lights were on which made me a little nervous. When I opened the door to the kitchen I nearly ran back out. The smell of blood hit me like a wall. A hand to my mouth and nose, I went for the light and flipped it on.

The floor and counter were covered in it. So were a smattering of knives tossed into the sink. I felt a rising panic. "Jared..." I said in a throaty voice.

When he didn't answer me, I called out again, and again as I went around the house turning on the lights. I was nearly screaming his name when I got to Jared's room and flipped the light on.

Dockal sat on Jared's bed. It was covered in blood like the kitchen. She had a doll in her hands-an old Raggedy Ann doll. The eyes were pulled off and the mouth was sewn shut. But she held it like it meant the world to her. "He's not here," she said when I backed up into the hall.

"Where is he?" I said. The smell of blood was like a cloud of gas in the house.

"He's enduring his punishment," Michel said to my left. I turned and looked at him. He was s.h.i.+rtless. Wearing his jeans and no shoes. His hair was unbound and his face was in the shadow.

"Punishment?"

"He touched my Ghoul. Yes he gave me some stupid story about not wanting to ruin the weekend and how he owed Craft for stopping me from doing something stupid. That little p.r.i.c.k of a vampire telling me I was going to do something stupid by attacking you-"

"But you were about to rip out my throat the way you did Craft's-"

"No, I wouldn't have done that." He took a step closer and reached out to gather a handful of my hair. He brought it up to his nose and sniffed. "Ah...the stench of that human boy is nearly gone. I really should tell your Father about your dalliance with him. You know that's against the rules."

"I know the rules, Michel. And I didn't break them-though you sure as h.e.l.l almost did. Now, where is my brother?"

Michel dropped my hair and stood still. "He's being punished. If you can find him-then you can have him. Come Dockal. I'm not done with the night yet." He turned away, stopped, and turned back. "Oh and, let me make myself perfectly clear. Stay away from that human, Carly. If you don't, I'll declare a blood hunt on him." With that, he turned and walked out the front door.

Dockal came out of Jared's room with her doll. She laughed. "Your brother-he tastes gooood." And then she was out the door as well.

"Jared!" I screamed as I started tearing the house apart. I moved furniture in his bedroom, pulled the clothing from his closet. My vision blurred with my tears-to think something could happen to Jared. He was there to protect me, to stop me from doing something stupid.

How could Father do this me? To us? I was going to call him myself and tell him exactly what Michel did. Jared was only trying to help Craft!

"Carly?"

I stopped at the sound of the voice. I'd gotten to the living room and was pulling things out of cabinets, beating on the walls, terrified Michel had bricked him inside. It was Craft-he was at the door to the bas.e.m.e.nt. The place Jared had busted his a.s.s to make livable for that ungrateful...b.a.s.t.a.r.d.

He looked better, if not still pale. Dark half moons rested behind his eyes and he walked a little stiff. The place on his neck where Michel had attacked was still red, even though the skin was healed. He'd changed into a tee-s.h.i.+rt and soft looking jeans.

"Craft-" I almost ran to him. "Where's Jared? Do you know where-"

He put a finger to his lips and nodded but said, "I'm sorry, but I can't disobey my Master. I'm afraid Jared will have to pay the price."

I frowned and almost spoke aloud my disagreement-until Craft motioned for me to follow him downstairs. I nodded and he lead the way.

Again, I smelled blood. Only this wasn't vampire blood, this was human blood.

Oh no...had Michel brought in a Doll and killed it?

But when I got to the last step and saw the bed, I gasped and nearly fell on my knees. It wasn't a Doll.

It was one of the cheerleaders. I recognized the uniform but couldn't see her face. "Oh my G.o.d-"

But Craft was beside me and put his fingers on my lip. "I just can't tell you, Carly."

I nodded as I looked up at him. "But Craft-he's my brother. And he saved you. Your own Master nearly killed you."

"That's his choice, Carly," Craft said as he moved to one of the refrigerators. He pointed to it.

I ran up and yanked on the handle.

It was locked.

I can't open it, Craft mouthed to her with no voice. I've been trying for an hour.

I nodded. "I think it's unfair. Jared didn't do anything wrong." The anxiety in my voice was real as I took a stronger hold on the handle, and yanked with as much strength as I could.

I heard a snap and then the handle gave. I pulled the door open.

All of the blood Jared had hung in there had been pulled out. Instead Jared was hanging in its place, one of the metal spikes shoved through his chest, one through his wrist, one through his stomach, and another through his neck. Blood was pooled on the freezer's floor.

I was livid with rage. So angry I thought I was going to black out. My vision blurred as I reached in and touched his hands. So cold...he was so cold. To my surprise, Craft helped and together we lifted him out.

Once he was on the floor I bit into my wrist and shoved the open wound between Jared's lips. He wasn't moving at first, his eyes half open as if they were frozen. Abruptly he was fastened onto my flesh and drinking deep and fast.

I leaned back as he fed and looked at Craft, who was watching Jared feed.

"Carly-he's going to take too much."

"No, he won't. He'll stop."

But Craft reached out with unnatural speed and knocked my arm away. Jared protested with a hiss, red lips and chin and black eyes. He saw Hood's arm, grabbed it, and bit down to continue feeding.

The wounds were already healing and his body was as good as before. Craft waited patiently for the vampire to get his fill and then politely, and shakily, pulled his arm away. Jared lay back on the floor and sighed, a smile on his face.

"I think he'll be fine," Craft said with a very thin voice. "I'm afraid I'm not..." and then he was on his side.

I moved to him and listened. His heart was fluttering. This wasn't good-he'd already lost a lot of blood to Michel, and then been healed with Jared's blood. And now he'd had to sacrifice what strength had had left for Jared. It was all a vicious, b.l.o.o.d.y cycle of stupid because of Michel.

I was a little light headed, but I would survive. And there was bagged blood in the house. With Jared blood-drunk I had the opportunity to help Craft like I wanted to.

But was Michel still around?

"He's gone," Craft said and I saw he was looking up at me. "I can...sense him when he's near. Sometimes within a hundred miles. He established the Ghoul bond a long time ago."

"How many years?"

"Over fifty."

Wow. I bit my arm again and pushed it in front of him. "Drink."

"No...I can't!" He made an attempt to push me away. "You're Michel's fiancee."

"Craft-Michel just threatened a human friend of mine, nearly killed you, attacked my brother because he was cleaning up Michel's mess-screw Michel. I sure as h.e.l.l don't plan on it." I reached down and slipped my other hand behind his head and pushed my bleeding wrist at him. "Drink. I'm ordering you to. And if I'm getting Ghoul etiquette yet, you have to obey me."

He looked up at me with those beautiful eyes and opened his mouth to drink. And drink he did. Hungrily and greedily, but neatly. When he was done, he released on his own-there was no need to force him. He hadn't spilled a drop.

I waited, expecting to see him writhe on the floor as my blood healed him, the way Jared's had.

But Craft didn't bend over in pain. Within minutes he was sitting up and looking at me with a strange expression. "Carly..."

"Craft...isn't my blood waring with Michel's?"

Craft looked at his hands and slowly shook his head. "No...it's not."

I looked over at Jared and brushed his hair from his face. "I need you to help me get Jared upstairs and into the shower."

"Carly..."

"And I'm gonna need help fixing his bed too. So let's go up and get his room fixed before we-"

Craft had moved to kneel in front of me, his eyes wide and alert. He reached out and grabbed my upper arms. "Carly listen to me-" he licked his lips. "What...what are you?"

I leaned back from him, a bit confused. He looked kind of crazy. "What am I? You know what I am. I think as a Ghoul you can sense it?"

"Yes but..." and he was looking at my face. "Your blood... I drank it...and it didn't hurt. There was no pain. And...most important...I can't feel Michel. Carly-" and now he was grinning. "I can't feel Michel in my mind anymore!"