Deathless Read online

  She shook her head, unable to believe it was just her imagination. Sure, she might have imagined the can moving—it was only a couple of inches, after all—but no way had she imagined the basket flying across the room. Could she have kicked it without realizing it? Maybe. She guessed perhaps she was tired enough for that.

  The Red Bull thing had occurred during finals, when she had been exhausted. Maybe she wasn’t crazy—maybe her mind just played tricks on her whenever she was overly tired. Between her dreams and her tossing and turning, she certainly had not gotten anywhere near enough sleep lately. She wished more than ever that Rave was here. Not that she expected him to have an answer about any of this, but she was pretty sure if she could just lie down cradled in his arms, she could get a much needed good night’s sleep.

  But Rave was not here, and she had no idea when he would be back.

  She wondered if Dr. Clerval might know anything about vampires being able to move things with their minds. She had never heard of them doing it, but that did not mean it wasn’t true. And if they could, maybe Stefan’s aborted bite had been enough to transfer a bit of that power to her. She definitely needed to ask the professor about this. First chance she got on Monday, she was going to head to his office.

  There were no answers she could get tonight, though. Still, there was one thing she could do now, something she should have done already if she hadn’t been so stunned by all this. She got up from the bed and wet a washcloth in the sink. Dropping to her knees, she began cleaning up the soda spill.

  Ten minutes later, Leesa had cleaned up the spill as much as she could. A faint brown stain was still visible on the rug, but that would need some real carpet cleaner or shampoo to get rid of. She had also put the spilled trash back into the wastebasket and returned the basket to its normal place beside her desk, where there would be no chance a fake kick would send it flying again. Her eyes were growing heavy, so she washed her face, brushed her teeth and climbed into bed.

  Once again, sleep did not come easy. Her body was tired, but her mind refused to turn off. Just because her eyes were closed and she was tucked comfortably under the covers did not mean the questions racing through her brain were going to stop. She tried focusing on other, more pleasant things, recalling memories of favorite times with Rave, but the relief was only temporary. Warm and fun, for sure, but temporary. As soon as she began to drift off, images of the wastebasket flying across the room or dead bodies coming to life reappeared.

  Finally, after what seemed like hours of tossing and turning, she fell asleep.

  Sleep did not offer the succor she had hoped for. A familiar dream rose up from her unconscious, returning her to the cave, where she once again faced the dark figure with glowing eyes. Behind the vampire was the same poor girl, chained to the cavern wall. No, not to the wall—the girl was now tied to a small tree. What a tree was doing here deep inside the bowels of the mountain, Leesa had no idea. As before, she was certain she knew the captive, but something kept the image blurred. The girl was tantalizingly familiar, yet frustratingly unrecognizable.

  Leesa’s eyes snapped open, only to be met by more darkness. At least this was real darkness, not some magical dream dimness that revealed some things and kept others hidden. Why couldn’t she see the girl more clearly, she wondered? Her other two dreams had been so clear—much clearer than she wanted—but not this one. Why had she been able to see every detail of the rotting corpses coming back to life, but the one figure she desperately wanted to see remained just out of her grasp? Was her brain protecting her from something? Or was this another kind of dream, not related to the other two? All three dreams felt the same, different in some profound, powerful way from her usual dreams, yet they differed in this one very crucial element.

  Another thought struck her—one that brought both comfort and despair. Each of her zombie dreams had occurred just once, and then had seemingly come to pass, at least as far as she could tell from the television news and the YouTube video. This one she’d had twice now, more than two weeks apart. Perhaps the repeat signaled that this dream had not yet come true, that no girl was being held captive in a dark cavern somewhere. Maybe there was still something Leesa could do to prevent it from happening. But how was she supposed to stop it, when she had no idea who the girl was?

  The only thing Leesa knew for sure was that she needed to get some sleep. Unable to turn her mind away from her problems, she decided to concentrate on them instead, to count them, sort of like counting sheep. One, Rave was several hundred miles away…Two, even if Rave was around, she would not be able to kiss him, because something had weakened his control over his inner fire…Three, magical energies were inflaming the blood thirst of the vampires…Four, some guy was looking for her and claiming to be her father…Five, objects in her close proximity were moving without apparent reason…Six, there was a chance that in some unknown way, she was making them move…Seven, she’d had two dreams of dead bodies reanimating, and both had apparently come true…Eight, she had twice dreamed of a girl in trouble, but despite a strong feeling of familiarity, she could not recognize who the girl was….

  Somehow, in a perverse and unexpected way, listing her problems sent her drifting off into much needed sleep.

  29. EDWINA’S HUNT

  Edwina glided through the darkness, getting ready to leave the vampire lair yet again. She was nearly to the cavern entrance when Stefan appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her lightly by the elbow.

  “Going out again?” he asked.

  “Yes, I am,” she said, her tone neutral, hoping he was not going to give her trouble.

  “This is the fourth time,” Stefan said.

  “But who’s counting?” Edwina replied lightly. “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.” She looked down at his hand, still gripping her elbow.

  Stefan released her arm. “Is it so difficult to find a feeder?”

  “I keep my feeders for a long time, as you well know.” It didn’t hurt to remind Stefan just why she needed to go out. “I have to find the right one.”

  She could feel Stefan’s eyes probing hers, seeking some sign of deceit or guile. Edwina was not new to this game, though, and kept her gaze flat, revealing nothing.

  “Try to find one quickly,” Stefan said finally. “Remember, it is only by my permission that you are allowed out by yourself.”

  Edwina recognized the implied threat—his permission could be revoked at any time. Still, Stefan owed her, and she was fairly certain he would not be changing his mind just yet. She would not hasten her plans—not yet, anyway. She was enjoying herself on the outside too much.

  “Believe me, Stefan, no one wants to find a feeder more than I do.” She did not want to raise his suspicions by seeming overly compliant, so she decided a little dig was in order. He would be expecting it. “I’ve grown used to feeding whenever I wanted,” she added.

  Stefan nodded, apparently satisfied with her tiny rebellion. “Well, let’s both hope you find one soon, then.”

  “Yes, let’s,” Edwina replied. She certainly was not going to tell him she had already found her victim. She just wasn’t ready to take her yet—she was having too much fun.

  The night was dark. Thick clouds blanketed the moon and stars, and there were few lights along this part of the Connecticut River’s eastern shore. As Edwina glided swiftly north along the river, she hoped the clouds remained in place tomorrow. Her plans would go much more smoothly without the sun.

  No human eye could see her in this blackness, but despite her speed, her senses were alert for any sign of danger. There were other beings that roamed the night, creatures whose eyes could pierce the darkness as easily as her own. The volkaanes may have abandoned their settlement, but some might still be around. Not that she would mind testing herself against a lone hunter—she had heard how sweet and hot their blood was—but with Destiratu growing ever stronger, she knew it was unlikely any volkaanes would be hunting alone. By nature, the volkaanes were a cautious race, and Destir
atu would be making them even more so.

  In less than an hour, she was across the river from the city of Hartford. She crossed the river by swinging on the support girders beneath a highway bridge and made her way downtown. It was just past one o’clock, and the area was alive with people celebrating the beginning of the weekend. Dance music and laughter spilled from the open doors of the most popular clubs. She strolled past a string of bars, ignoring an invitation from a group of drunken humans to join them for drink—she was pretty sure they were not offering the kind of drink she preferred. Across the street, the yawning mouth of an underground parking garage beneath a towering office building beckoned her. She toyed with the idea of flashing through the lines of traffic to the other side, but instead waited for the light to change and crossed dutifully at the crosswalk. She turned into the entranceway and walked past the black and yellow automatic arm blocking the drive. Her plans for later today required a car, and this was the perfect place to obtain one.

  She took the stairs down to the second level, which was less crowded with cars than the first but still held an acceptable number of vehicles. The place was dimly lit, with plenty of dark shadows to conceal her. She melted into the darkness beside a concrete pillar and waited. This time, she could not just steal a car by hotwiring it, the way a motorcycle-riding bad boy “boyfriend” had taught her years ago. She wanted the keys as well. An expectant smile curved her lips—she did not think getting the keys would be a problem.

  She waited only a few minutes before the elevator dinged, sounding unnaturally loud in the stillness. The doors slid open and a lone guy stepped out. While she was prepared to deal with two or even three humans, one by himself was perfect—just what she had been hoping for.

  The man’s leather shoes echoed unevenly on the cement floor as he crossed the garage. His lumbering gait provided clear evidence that he had downed at least a few drinks this evening. Edwina’s smile widened. The guy should not be driving. She would merely be doing her civic duty tonight.

  Her plan was a simple one—kill him with a blow to the back of the head and relieve him of his keys and phone—but as he drew nearer, her bloodlust grew. It was Destiratu, she knew, magnifying her hunger. She could have fought it, but decided why should she? They were alone, and she was thirsty. Besides, slaking her thirst now would make the coming day easier. As long as she disposed of the body properly, no one would ever know.

  She waited as the guy fumbled with his keys, finally managing to press the button to deactivate his car alarm. The horn of a silver Camry a few spots down beeped as the taillights blinked twice. Edwina flashed silently across the garage floor and grabbed him from behind.

  There would be no playing with her meal this time. She gave his neck a sharp twist, paralyzing him but keeping his heart pumping blood. His keys fell from his hand, but she caught them easily in one hand before they hit the ground. Her fangs dropped from her jaw and she bit deep into his neck, tearing open his jugular vein. She dragged him back into the shadows and began drinking deeply of his sweet, hot blood. She thought she had never tasted anything more delicious.

  When she had drained him of the last drop, she ripped off a piece of his shirt and wiped his blood from her lips. She ruffled through his pockets and pulled out his cell phone and his wallet, removing close to a hundred dollars in cash before shoving the wallet back into his pants. They were still alone, so she lifted him effortlessly over her shoulder and carried him to his car.

  She popped the trunk open and dumped the body unceremoniously inside. After slamming the lid closed, she gave the lock a sharp blow with the heel of her hand, jamming it shut and insuring no one would be able to get inside and discover her cargo.

  Whistling softly, she got behind the wheel and drove out of the garage, favoring the attendant with a sweet smile and paying the fee with the dead guy’s cash.

  30. A DROP OF BLOOD

  Pink’s hit anthem “Perfect” rang out from Leesa’s cell phone, pulling her from her sleep. The song told her it was Cali on the other end. Leesa thought the line about people not liking the singer’s jeans and not getting her hair was the perfect ringtone for Cali, and Cali had laughed delightedly when Leesa told her about her choice.

  She wiped the sleep from her eyes and checked the clock, surprised to see it was already twenty minutes past nine. She almost never slept this late, even on the weekend. Her tossing and turning and dreaming must really have exhausted her, she thought. At least she had finally managed to fall asleep, and to stay asleep until after nine. She wondered how long she would have slept if the phone had not awakened her.

  She pushed herself up from the bed and grabbed her cell.

  “Hey,” she said.

  “You sound tired,” Cali said. “Did I wake you?”

  “Yeah, you did, but it’s okay.” Leesa’s feet were growing cold, so she slipped her feet into her moccasins. “What’s up?”

  “Some fun is up, that’s what,” Cali said. “So get your lazy butt out of bed. I’m coming up to tell you about it.”

  “Do I get a choice?” Leesa asked, fighting a yawn.

  “Nope,” Cali said, laughing. “See you in a few.”

  The phone went silent. Leesa barely had time to put on a pair of jeans, T-shirt and a sweatshirt before Cali knocked twice on the door and let herself in.

  Leesa was happy to see Cali was also dressed casually, in gray sweatpants and a baggy purple and gray sweatshirt. Leesa knew Cali would never be caught dead in that outfit outside of the dorm, so at least she wasn’t planning on going anywhere immediately.

  “What’s got you so fired up this morning?” Leesa asked, sitting down atop her bed.

  Cali pulled the chair out from under Leesa’s desk and sat down. She had a big smile on her face. “We’re gonna blow this joint today,” she said. “Gonna take us a road trip. How’s that sound?”

  Leesa was surprised. No one in the dorm owned a car, and the only person she even knew with one was Andy. Nothing about a road trip had been mentioned the night before when they were all together at The Joint.

  “And just how are we going to do that?” she asked. “Did you steal a car this morning?”

  “Ha, ha, pretty funny,” Cali said. “Vanina called and said she has her dad’s car for the day. She’s coming to get us at ten-thirty.”

  Leesa was glad to hear she would have time to shower and eat. From Cali’s enthusiastic tone, she had been afraid Cali would want to get going much sooner. Still, she was pretty tired and not sure just how ready she was for whatever adventure Cali and Vanina had in mind.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “I’m kind of tired. I didn’t sleep very well last night.”

  “How come? Too wound up from our big night at The Joint?”

  “Ha! I wish. That was pretty fun.” Leesa pulled her feet up onto the bed and wrapped her arms around her shins. “Remember that dream I told you about, with the girl and the vampire? I had it again last night. And it was just as disturbing. I had trouble getting back to sleep afterward.”

  “And you still couldn’t recognize the girl?” Cali asked.

  Leesa shook her head. “Nope. That’s the worst thing about it. I feel like I should know her, but the dream always ends before I can see her clearly enough.” She got up off her bed and limped over to the window. “I wouldn’t be quite so bothered about it if it wasn’t for those other two dreams. They’ve got me worried this one might come true, too. I hate feeling so helpless.”

  Cali joined Leesa by the window.

  “I don’t blame you. I’d be freaked if I had a dream like those zombie ones and they came true.” She put her hand on Leesa’s shoulder. “But those two happened pretty quickly, right? Within a day or two of when you had the dream?”

  “Yeah. They did.”

  “Well, maybe that’s a good sign. You first had this one a couple of weeks ago. Maybe this dream isn’t like those other two.”

  “Maybe,” Leesa said, hoping what Cali said was true. “Bu
t it sure feels real when I have it.”

  “I think this is another good reason for us to get out of here and have some fun,” Cali said. “Sounds to me like you sure could use it.”

  Leesa thought Cali was probably right. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to take her mind off all the stuff bothering her. She just wondered if that were possible.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Up to the big mall in Farmington. We’ll hang out, try on some hot outfits, get something to eat. It’ll be great.”

  Leesa had never been to the Farmington mall, but she had heard it was one of the most upscale malls in Connecticut. It might be cool to check it out, even though she doubted she’d be buying anything, not with her bank account as puny as it was. She was pretty sure Cali would have a lot more fun trying on outfits than she would, but it would be a kick to see what kind of stuff Cali picked out to model. You could always count on Cali to pull some fashion surprises.

  “Okay, I’m in,” Leesa said.

  Leesa and Cali stood just inside the front door of the dorm, waiting for Vanina to show up. It wasn’t all that cold out, especially for January, but it was chilly enough that Cali preferred to wait inside. Leesa had her parka draped over her arm—she would have been fine outside with it on—but Cali was dressed for the enclosed mall, not for the outdoors. She was wearing her new fluorescent Pink brand sweatshirt, a short, pleated black skirt, knee high black boots and black fishnet stockings that peeked out only about two inches above the top of her boots. Somewhere, she had found nail polish that matched the bright color of her sweatshirt almost exactly, and she had replaced the blue streaks in her hair with pink. Leesa didn’t know how Cali did it, but inexplicably, the look worked on her.