按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
eel grip and yanked me out of the car like I was a doll； weightless。 Terror and disbelief as he’d leaped the ten yards to the door。 Terror and then pain leaving no room for disbelief as he broke my arm dragging me through the door into the black house。 And then the voice。 As I focused on the memory； I could hear it again。 High and singsong； like a little girl’s； but grouchy。 A child throwing a tantrum。 I remembered what she’d said。 “Why did you even bring this one？ It’s too small。” Something close to that； I thought。 The words might not be exactly right； but that was the meaning。 I was sure Riley had sounded eager to please when he
Page 67
answered； afraid of disappointing。 “But she’s another body。 Another distraction； at least。” I think I’d whimpered then； and he’d shaken me painfully； but he hadn’t spoken to me again。 It was like I was a dog； not a person。 “This whole night has been a waste；” the child’s voice had plained。 “I’ve killed them all。 Ugh！” I remembered that the house had shuddered then； as if a car had collided with the frame。 I realized now that she’d probably just kicked something in frustration。 “Fine。 I guess even a little one is better than nothing； if this is the best you can do。 And I’m so full now I should be able to stop。” Riley’s hard fingers had disappeared then and left me alone with the voice。 I’d been too panicked at that point to make a sound。 I’d just closed my eyes； though I was already totally blind in the darkness。 I didn’t scream until something cut into my neck； burning like a blade coated in acid。 I cringed back from the memory； trying to push the next part from my mind。 Instead I concentrated on that short conversation。 She hadn’t sounded like she was talking to her lover or even her friend。 More like she was talking to an employee。 One she didn’t like much and might fire soon。 But the strange vampire kissing sounds continued。 Someone sighed in contentment。 I frowned at Diego。 This exchange didn’t tell us much。 How long did we need to stay？ He just held his head on the side； listening carefully。
Page 68
And after a few more minutes of patience； the low； romantic sounds were suddenly interrupted。 “How many？” The voice was muted by distance； but still distinct。 And recognizable。 High； almost a trill。 Like a spoiled young girl。 “Twentytwo；” Riley answered； sounding proud。 Diego and I exchanged a sharp glance。 There were twentytwo of us； at last count； anyway。 They must be talking about us。 “I thought I’d lost two more to the sun； but one of my older kids is… obedient；” Riley continued。 There was almost an affectionate sound to his voice when he spoke of Diego as one of his kids。 “He has an underground place he hid himself with the younger one。” “Are you sure？” There was a long pause； this time with no sounds of romance。 Even from this distance； I thought I could feel some tension。 “Yeah。 He’s a good kid； I’m sure。” Another strained pause。 I didn’t understand her question。 What did she mean； are you sure？ Did she think he’d heard the story from someone else rather than seeing Diego for himself？ “Twentytwo is good；” she mused； and the tension seemed to dissolve。 “How is their behavior developing？ Some of them are almost a year old。 Do they still follow the normal patterns？” “Yes；” Riley said。 “Everything you told me to do worked flawlessly。 They don’t think they just do what they’ve always done。 I can always distract them with thirst。 It keeps them under control。”
Page 69
I frowned at Diego。 Riley didn’t want us to think。 Why？ “You’ve done so well；” our creator cooed； and there was another kiss。 “Twentytwo！” “Is it time？” Riley asked eagerly。 Her answer came back fast； like a slap。 “No！ I haven’t decided when。” “I don’t understand。” “You don’t need to。 It’s enough for you to know that our enemies have great powers。 We cannot be too careful。” Her voice softened； turned sugary again。 “But all twentytwo still alive。 Even with what they are capable of… what good will it be against twentytwo？” She let out a tinkling little laugh。 Diego and I had not looked away from each other throughout all this； and I could see in his eyes now that his thoughts were the same as mine。 Yes； we’d been created for a purpose； as we’d guessed。 We had an enemy。 Or； our creator had an enemy。 Did the distinction matter？ “Decisions； decisions；” she muttered。 “Not yet。 Maybe one more handful； just to be sure。” “Adding more might actually decrease our numbers；” Riley cautioned hesitantly； as if being careful not to upset her。 “It’s always unstable when a new group is introduced。” “True；” she agreed； and I imagined Riley sighing in relief that she was not upset。 Abruptly Diego looked away from me； staring out across the meadow。 I hadn’t heard any movement from the house； but maybe she had e out。 My head whipped around at the same time the rest of me turned to a statue； and I saw what had
Page 70
startled Diego。 Four figures were crossing the open field to the house。 They had entered the clearing from the west； the point farthest from where we hid。 They all wore long； dark cloaks with deep hoods； so at first I thought they were people。 Weird people； but just humans all the same； because none of the vampires I knew had matching Goth clothes。 And none moved in a way that was so smooth and controlled and… elegant。 But then I realized that none of the humans I’d ever seen could move that way； either； and what’s more； they couldn’t do it so quietly。 The darkcloaks skimmed across the long grass in absolute silence。 So either these were vampires； or they were something else supernatural。 Ghosts； maybe。 But if they were vampires； they were vampires I didn’t know； and that meant they might very well be these enemies she was talking about。 If so； we should get the hell out of Dodge right now； because we didn’t have twenty other vampires on our side at the moment。 I almost took off then； but I was too afraid to draw the attention of the cloaked figures。 So I watched them move smoothly forward； noticing other things about them。 How they stayed in a perfect diamond formation that never was the slightest bit out of line no matter how the terrain changed under their feet。 How the one at the point of the diamond was much smaller than the others； and its cloak was darker； too。 How they didn’t seem to be tracking their way in not trying to follow the path of any scent。 They simply knew their way。 Maybe they were invited。 They moved directly toward the house； and I felt like it might
Page 71
be safe to breathe again when they started silently up the steps toward the front door。 They weren’t ing straight for Diego and me； at least。 When they were out of sight； we could disappear into the sound of the next breeze through the trees； and they would never know we’d been here。 I looked at Diego and twitched my head slightly toward the way we’d e。 He narrowed his eyes and held up one finger。 Oh great； he wanted to stay。 I rolled my eyes at him； though I was so afraid； I was surprised I was capable of sarcasm。 We both looked back to the house。 The cloaked things had let themselves in silently； but I realized that neither she nor Riley had spoken since we’d caught sight of the visitors。 They must have heard something or known in some other way that they were in danger。 “Don’t bother；” a very clear； monotone voice manded lazily。 It was not as highpitched as our creator’s； but it still sounded girlish to me。 “I think you know who we are； so you must know that there is no point in trying to surprise us。 Or hide from us。 Or fight us。 Or run。” A deep； masculine chuckle that did not belong to Riley echoed menacingly through the house。 “Relax；” instructed the first inflectionless voicethe cloaked girl。 Her voice had that distinctive ring that made me certain she was a vampire； not a ghost or any other kind of nightmare。 “We’re not here to destroy you。 Yet。” There was a moment of silence； and then some barely audible movements。 A shifting of positions。 “If you are not here to kill us； then… what？” our creator
Page 72
asked； strained and shrill。 “We seek to know your intenti