Deathless Read online

  The worst thing about the dream was the way it ended. Leesa could still picture the two black forms lumbering through the darkness toward the car, but she could not make them out in the darkness. Were they the fathers, escaping from the zombies? Or were they two of the creatures, seeking more flesh to feast on after finishing off the men? Leesa hoped and prayed it was the fathers, about to rejoin their children and drive away from that cursed place.

  A sudden realization struck her. Not knowing how the dream ended was not the worst thing. No, the worst thing by far was that she didn’t know whether this horrible vision was also going to come to pass—or if it already had!

  35. GOOD MORNING

  Leesa paced in small circles around her room, unsure what to do with herself now that she was awake. Her friends probably weren’t even home from their dates yet. If they were, their boyfriends would still be with them and wouldn’t be too thrilled if she suddenly showed up at their door. Some of the girls on her floor were still up—she could hear music and voices down the hall—but she didn’t really feel like hanging out with anyone but her close friends.

  She thought about using the time to do some studying, but the way she felt right now she knew she wouldn’t retain anything she read. There was always the TV, if she could find something that wasn’t scary, stupid or boring—not always the easiest thing this late on a Friday night.

  On a whim, she sat down at her desk and switched on her laptop. When it booted up, she went right to the Google search page. She stared at the screen for a few moments, trying to decide exactly how to word her search. This was no ordinary inquiry. She knew her efforts would most likely be futile—it was probably much too soon—but as long as she was up anyhow, she wanted to see if she could find any mention of a story that might match her dream in any way.

  She typed in several dozen searches, using different combinations of words like “zombies,” “attack,” “camping,” “girls” and any other words she could think of. Lots of choices popped up—zombies were an incredibly popular topic—but as she expected, none of them were even remotely close to what she was seeking. For future use, she made a mental note of the search combinations that seemed to produce the most promising results and then turned the computer off.

  Now what to do? The dorm had grown quieter during her internet search, though she could still hear faint strains of music from down the hall. Just for something to do, she limped to over to her back window and peered out. She saw two people walking at the far end of the courtyard, but other than that, the quad was empty.

  For what seemed like the ten thousandth time since she had met him, she wished Rave was here with her, or that she at least had some way to talk to him. Oh, Rave, why are you so far away? I need you here with me. Feeling his strong arms around her would be the best, of course, but just hearing his voice would be pretty good, too. Unfortunately, neither was a possibility. She thought about calling her aunt tomorrow and asking her to bring Max out for a visit, so she could at least send some loving thoughts to Rave. It wouldn’t be anywhere near as good as a phone call or text, but it would be better than nothing. She decided if she still felt this way in the morning, she would call her aunt.

  She moved away from the window and sat back down on her bed. She was exhausted, but she wasn’t sleepy. She never would have imagined someone could be so tired without being sleepy, but she knew it was true. Grabbing the remote from her desk, she switched on the television and lay down on her side. She flipped through a bunch of channels before settling on a Train concert on MTV—not her favorite band, but passable. Watching a music show wouldn’t require any real concentration from her tired brain.

  Finally, her eyes grew heavy and she drifted off to sleep. Just before she fell asleep, she managed to flick off the TV.

  For a change, her sleep was peaceful and untroubled. She dreamed she was with Rave, the two of them lying close together on a soft blanket in a meadow filled with red and gold flowers, his wonderful warmth soaking into every inch of her body. The sky was a bright blue canopy above them, the sun a shining yellow jewel, and the air was filled with the sweet fragrance of the colorful blossoms. She had never felt happier or more relaxed. She wished she could remain there forever.

  When she finally felt herself coming awake, she didn’t want to open her eyes, did not want to let the illusion vanish. She snuggled her cheek against her electric blanket, pretending it was Rave’s warm chest, and let out a contented sigh.

  As she came more fully awake, she realized something was not right. The bed beneath her blanket was firm and uneven, not soft and smooth like it should have been. She opened her eyes and found herself looking not at her blanket, but at a brown waffle-knit shirt. Twisting her head upward, she saw Rave smiling down at her. She was cradled in his arms, her head against his chest.

  Was this another dream? If so, it was one she definitely did not want to end. She was tempted to close her eyes again to prevent this wonderful vision from slipping away. Instead, she reached up and caressed his smooth, warm cheek.

  “Rave?”

  His smile widened. “Good morning, sweetheart.”

  She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. This was no dream—it was a dream come true! No wonder she had slept so peacefully.

  “I can’t believe you’re here,” she said when she finally let go of him. “I’m so happy to see you.” She settled her neck into the crook of his arm, so she could look at him and savor his gorgeous features.

  “Me, too,” Rave said. He gently stroked the side of her head with his fingertips. Every stroke sent waves of pleasure shimmering through her.

  “How long have you been here?” she managed to ask.

  “A couple of hours. I don’t know why, but I had an almost irresistible urge to see you last night. So I grabbed Dral and Bain and headed south. When we got here, I could hear through the door that you were sleeping. It was unlocked, so I let myself in. You were on top of the covers, so I just lay down beside you.”

  “I think I fell asleep watching TV. I can’t believe I didn’t wake up when you got here. I must have really been out.”

  Rave grinned. “We volkaanes can be quite stealthy when we want to.”

  Leesa returned his grin. “I had the most wonderful dream about us. And now I know why.”

  She picked her head up and looked over Rave’s chest. They were alone in the room.

  “Where are your friends?”

  “Outside in the hall,” Rave said.

  “Why didn’t you let them in?”

  “We can’t all be in the same enclosed space,” Rave explained. “It’s too risky.”

  “You think we might be in danger here?” she asked, surprised.

  “No, not really. But it’s best to be careful, especially now.”

  A yell from outside the door interrupted them.

  “Holy crap!” exclaimed a female voice.

  Leesa smiled. “Cali,” she said to Rave. “And I’m pretty sure I know what’s got her so excited.”

  She got up from the bed and crossed to the door. Behind her, Rave stood up as well.

  Leesa pulled the door open and saw Cali standing a few feet back from the doorway, her eyes shifting back and forth between Dral and Bain. She was wearing a camouflage pullover shirt and dark jeans with faded thighs. Leesa was pretty sure part of the “holy crap” came from Cali wishing she was more stylishly dressed for her surprise encounter with the two handsome Mastons. She had a big grin on her face anyhow.

  “Hi, Cali,” Leesa said. “You want to come in?”

  “I’m not sure. The scenery out here is pretty freakin’ nice.” Cali looked over Leesa’s shoulder and saw Rave. She raised her hand in a brief wave. “Since your guy is here,” she continued, “I guess that leaves these two hotties for me.”

  “Ha! Don’t you wish.” Leesa introduced Cali to Dral and Bain, then stepped aside and let her enter the room.

  “Here I was feeling sorry for you last night,” Cali sai
d when she was inside, “stuck here by yourself while the rest of us were on dates. I didn’t know you were hosting a hunk convention.”

  Leesa laughed. “Me, neither. Rave came by after I was asleep.” She moved beside Rave and put her arm around his back. “It sure was a great way to wake up, though.”

  “From the way you’re dressed, I’m guessing you didn’t wake up very long ago, either. I hope you two behaved yourselves.” Cali grinned. “Actually, I hope you didn’t.”

  Leesa felt herself blushing. “Rave was a gentleman,” she said. “As always.”

  “Well, I guess no one’s perfect,” Cali said, laughing.

  “Oh, I don’t know,” Leesa said. “He’s pretty perfect for me.” Perfect, she thought, except for the tiny problem that kissing him could kill her, and she didn’t know if they were ever going to solve that problem.

  “Well,” Cali said, “I just came by to see what you were up to today, since we all abandoned you last night. But I can see you’re in good hands.” She turned to Rave. “So, are you Mastons all done with that pilgrimage thing?”

  Leesa realized she hadn’t had a chance to ask Rave that same question. She felt herself holding her breath while she waited for his response.

  “No, not yet,” Rave said.

  Leesa tried to hold back her disappointment.

  “But I couldn’t go another hour without seeing Leesa,” Rave continued, squeezing Leesa lightly around the waist. He gave an exaggerated shrug. “It was a long walk, but here I am.”

  Cali laughed and Leesa felt herself grow warm inside.

  “Okay, I take it back,” Cali said. “Maybe he is perfect.”

  36. WONDERFUL DAY

  Leesa and her perfect guy lay side by side again, this time on a dark gray cotton blanket they had spread out in the middle of Brennan Field, a wide, grassy meadow a short distance from the Weston campus. They lay on their backs, Leesa’s head cushioned by Rave’s arm, looking up at a bright blue sky striped with wispy cirrus clouds. Dral and Bain sat comfortably on the ground on either side of them, twenty feet from the blanket. No one expected any trouble with vampires on a bright sunny day like this, but the two volkaanes maintained their vigilance nonetheless.

  Leesa had seldom felt so happy and relaxed. She wanted to try to mimic last night’s dream as closely as possible, to extend the wonderful feelings it had brought her, and Rave had readily agreed. Of course, there were no meadows filled with flowers within a thousand miles this time of year, so the thin green and brown grass of Brennan Field had to do. That was okay with her, though. An outing like this would normally have been impossible in the middle of winter. The ground beneath the blanket was frozen solid and the temperature of the air lingered somewhere in the mid-twenties, with a bit of wind adding to the chill. No girl in her right mind would want to lie out on the ground like this on a cold January day—unless the boyfriend she was snuggled up against happened to be a volkaane, of course.

  Rave’s inner fire provided all the heat she needed, somehow even keeping the blanket underneath her warm. She felt as if it were July, not January. Now if only she could roll over and kiss Rave deeply, she would be in paradise. Still, she would happily settle for this, for now.

  “This is wonderful, Rave,” she said, turning onto her side so she could look at him. “I’m so happy to see you. You couldn’t have picked a better time to come.”

  “I had such a strong feeling last night that you needed me. Almost like you sent a message through Max, but I knew you hadn’t. I have never felt anything quite like it.”

  Leesa smiled. “Maybe that’s what love does. It syncs two people’s hearts and minds, linking them.”

  “Perhaps,” Rave mused. “I’ve never been in love before, so this is new to me. Whatever it was, it was pretty strong last night.”

  “I’ve read stories of parents and their children, or identical twins, who said they’ve known what the other was thinking or feeling despite being miles apart. Maybe this is something like that.”

  Rave eased his arm out from beneath Leesa’s head and propped himself up on his elbow so he could look at her more easily. “Do you remember that first night we walked together?”

  Leesa smiled as the memory flooded into her. This time, the warmth flowing through her body had nothing to do with Rave’s inner fire.

  “How could I forget it? I was walking home from the library. You’d been stalking me and finally decided to say hello.”

  Rave grinned, remembering how Leesa had teasingly accused him of stalking her. “Not stalking,” he reminded her. “Just keeping an eye on you.”

  “That was a wonderful night. I’ll never forget it.”

  “This may sound a bit strange, but do you remember if you wanted me to hold your hand that night?”

  Leesa let her mind drift back to that unusually warm October evening. New England had been enjoying an Indian summer, and she was wearing only a light sweatshirt and shorts. She remembered noticing how silently Rave walked, even over fallen leaves, while she seemed to crunch every dead leaf in sight. She had been afraid he would think she was a clumsy oaf, with her limp and all that noise. And yes, she remembered wishing desperately for him to take her hand.

  “Yeah, I did,” she said. “Very much.”

  Rave’s brow furrowed in thought. “Hmmmmm…what would you think if I told you that part way through our walk, I suddenly had an almost irresistible urge to hold your hand? The only thing that stopped me was I could not allow you to feel my heat. Not back then, before you knew what I was.”

  Leesa swung herself up into a sitting position and crossed her legs loosely in front of her. Rave did likewise.

  “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I am. I think what happened last night has happened before. It’s like sometimes I can hear your thoughts…or feel them, anyway.”

  “How is that possible?” Leesa asked. If what Rave was saying was true, then she possessed magic—or something close to it. She thought about her strange dreams, and the wastebasket and Red Bull can. Who—or what—was she? And what good were any of these powers if she had no control over them?

  “I’m not sure,” Rave said. “But maybe this connection explains why I was so drawn to you, right from the start. I have always known it was more than just your beautiful face.”

  Leesa blushed. She remembered Rave teasing her about being drawn to the vampire blood in her veins, courtesy of the grafhym bite her mom had suffered. She had thought there might be some truth to that, but this was something more, much more. What if Rave wasn’t really in love with her, but was just pulled to her by some kind of magic she couldn’t understand much less control?

  Rave must have guessed what she was thinking by the look on her face, because he reached forward and took both her hands in his.

  “It doesn’t matter what pulled me toward you in the first place,” he said. “I’m not in love with you because of any of that. I’m in love with you because of who you are, because of the way we are when we’re together. Can you understand that?”

  Leesa nodded. She could understand it very well, because something similar was going on inside her. She did not love Rave because he was a volkaane, and not because his very touch filled her with magical warmth. She loved him for his gentleness, his thoughtfulness, his sense of humor. His magic was just a bonus. And a danger, too, she reminded herself.

  “Yeah, I do get it. It’s the same for me. But where does my magic, if that’s what it is, come from? My grafhym blood? Stefan’s bite?”

  “Not Stefan’s bite,” Rave said. “That happened way too late. And not from the grafhym, either. The one-fangs have fewer powers than other vampires, not more.”

  “Then where?”

  Neither of them had a ready answer, so they sat in silence for a few moments.

  “I wonder…?” Rave said finally.

  “What?”

  “The guy who claimed to be your father. What if somehow he real
ly is your father? Maybe you got something from him.”

  Leesa thought about it. She still could not believe the guy could actually be her father, but she didn’t have any better answer to offer. She suddenly wished she hadn’t dropped her phone that day. For the first time, part of her began to hope he would find her again. She had so many questions, questions maybe he could answer.

  “There’s some stuff I haven’t had the chance to tell you yet,” she said.

  “More nightmares?” Rave guessed.

  “Yeah. And something else, too.”

  Rave looked surprised. “Start with the dreams.”

  “I’ve had two more. In one, there’s a vampire with a girl chained behind her. I’ve had it twice so far, which really bothers me. The girl seems familiar—I think I should know her—but she’s never clear enough to recognize. It’s very frustrating and disturbing.”

  “I’m surprised you don’t dream about vampires more often,” Rave said sympathetically, “with everything that’s happened to you. What about the other dream?”

  “It’s another zombie nightmare, but this one is different from the first two. This dream was much more frightening and seemed so much more real. I swear, I could almost smell one of the zombies. In this one, they actually attack a couple of families camping in the woods. The fathers try to fight them off to save their kids, but I don’t know if they survive or not. The dream ended before I could see.”

  Rave shifted around so he was sitting next to Leesa. He put his arm around her back.

  “That does sound scary. I hope you’re not going to tell me you saw this one on the news, too.”

  “No… not yet, anyhow. I just had it last night. I was so upset when I woke up I couldn’t get back to sleep. That’s when I really started wishing you were here.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “Maybe that’s what you felt.”

  “Perhaps,” Rave said. “I wonder why it hasn’t happened more often, though.” He grinned, wanting to lighten the mood. “Maybe most of the time you don’t miss me enough.”