I nodded, saying, “By the way, I saw a rabbit cloud today.”
The two men shared an uneasy look.
I could guess what they were thinking. The zombies usually rested a week between feedings. Only once before had the creatures come out night after night, and that was to hunt me with the goal of turning me.
Were they focused on someone else now?
“I’ll be called into action,” I said. And I would find out, one way or another, if the other night had been an anomaly or not. If the zombies would once again ignore me. If I would hear crazed whispers. If I would black out and end up at my old home.
Mr. Holland replied, “I’ll put everyone on patrol tonight and make sure you have a partner who will whisk you to safety if you have another...episode.”
“Thanks,” I muttered. I left the office and shut myself inside my bedroom. Then I dialed Dr. Bendari. Again, a recording told me the carrier wasn’t available. Dang it. Would he ever again activate it?
I thought about the journal, my other source of info. Light chased away darkness. Fire burned away evil. The words snagged me. I just couldn’t let them go.
Sighing, I sat in front of the vanity and steeled myself to look in the mirror. I needed a status report, and this was the best way.
My gaze met hers. The smudges had actually spread, stretching from underneath her eyes to her cheeks, even delving down the plane of her neck. Shaking, I whipped my shirt over my head. She did the same...several beats after me. Annnd the smudges continued, branching from her neck to her shoulders. The largest smudge rested just over her heart. Once the size of my thumb, it was now the size of a giant’s fist. I traced my fingertips over the skin there.
My reflection never moved.
Tick, tock. Tick, tock.
Louder than before.
She was stronger.
Fighting a wave of frustration, I injected myself with antidote, just to be safe, showered and dressed in my all-black fighting clothes. I opened my door to head to Nana’s room. I needed a ride to Cole’s. Kat caught me off guard, her hand posed as if she meant to knock.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
“Peachy. I came to offer you a ride to Cole’s. Frosty texted. He asked me to meet him at the barn at five.”
A coincidence? “I accept, thanks.”
* * *
The barn was packed with slayers, and I realized I’d misunderstood Cole’s intentions. We weren’t going to talk. He was going to lecture. Not just me, but everyone.
I’d had too many highs and lows lately to let this disappoint me...much.
My gaze landed on Veronica, and I had to fight to keep my lunch. She had two black eyes, a slightly swollen nose and a busted lip, and she was peering up at Gavin, who was saying something to her. I quickly looked away.
“Kitty Kat,” Frosty said.
“Jerk Face,” she retorted, surprising me.
His eyes frosted over in tribute to his name. “What’d I do this time?”
“Nothing. I thought I’d be mad just to be mad and liven things up. We were getting stale.”
In a snap, he lost his air of coldness. He barked out a laugh. “You’re too sexy for words, you know that?”
“Actually, I do,” she said, and ran to him, throwing herself in his arms.
He caught her, and as he spun her around, a sharp ache tore through my chest. I’d had that once. Would I die before I experienced it again?
Shut up, Downer Ali!
“What’s going on?” I asked, hating the tremor in my voice.
Frosty set Kat on her feet but kept her tucked into his side, acting as her shield, her sole support. “Don’t know. Cole has something to tell everyone, but he’s not here yet.”
“Something to tell everyone...even me?” Kat asked, thumping a finger against her chest.
“Even you.” He kissed her on the temple. “You’re now an important member of our team.”
“I am? I mean, of course I am. Duh.” She beamed up at him.
He cupped her cheeks, ensuring that she couldn’t look away. Tone serious, he said, “You can’t go out at night and fight, since you can’t see the zombies, so don’t even ask. But you can patch me up if I come home injured.”
“Dr. Kitty Kat,” she said with a nod. “I approve.”
“I hope you dole out kisses.” He leaned down and pressed a soft one into her lips. “They’re my medicine.”
“Well, that kind of medicine will cost you. Just...don’t come home injured. I’ll be mad.”
“You know I hate when my little kitty is mad. Her claws come out.”
“They come out for other reasons, too,” she purred.
In seconds, they were going at each other like wild beasts at mating season.
“Break it up before I break you in half, Frost,” Bronx called, and he didn’t sound like he was joking.
I found him in the crowd and pulled him into a shadowed corner. “Did you find out anything about Ethan?”
He nod was stiff. “Yeah, just not as much as I’d hoped. His name is Ethan Hamilton, he’s twenty-one and a business major at Birmingham Southern. He has a fifteen-year-old sister who was diagnosed with leukemia last year.”
How sad. “What are you going to do about him?”
Violence gleamed in his eyes. “Besides have a little chat with him?”
I knew that look. The chat would involve fists rather than words. “Are you sure you want to do that? He sounds like a pretty decent guy, and Blood Lines around his house isn’t that uncommon. And I kind of understood Reeve’s point today, about not being able to do the back-and-forth with you anymore. It might be time to let her go.”
He peered at me for a long while before saying, “Do you really think you’re in a good enough place to be throwing out advice? No, don’t bother with a response. We both know the answer. So why don’t I live my life, and you live yours?” With that, he stomped away.
Great. I doubted I could have messed that up more.
A chirp from my phone. I pulled the device from my pocket and read Dinner’s ready! I made your favorite. Lasagna and garlic bread. I also asked Ankh if we could use his private balcony, and he said yes. I’ve got everything set and ready, so come out here as soon as you’re able.
My heart twisted. Oh, no. She didn’t know. She—
Another text came in a second later. I’m sorry, dear. I must have missed your text about canceling. Well, no worries. We’ll do it another night.
Tears welled in my eyes. Nana had slaved in the kitchen, preparing my favorite meal. She’d probably decorated Mr. Ankh’s balcony with twinkling Christmas lights, just because she knew I wasn’t the biggest fan of the dark. That was how wonderful she was. And I’d canceled on her. For this.