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the corner。 “Well done；” I said。 “Thanks for your help。 Back to Riley’s？” I frowned。 Riley’s house was the last place I wanted to spend the rest of my night。 I didn’t want to see Raoul’s stupid face or listen to the constant shrieking and fighting。 I didn’t want to have to grit my teeth and hide out behind Freaky Fred so that people would leave me alone。 And I was out of books。 “We’ve got some time；” Diego said； reading my expression。 “We don’t have to go right away。” “I could use some reading material。” “And I could use some new music。” He grinned。 “Let’s go shopping。” We moved quickly through townover rooftops again and then darting through shadowy streets when the buildings got
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farther apart to a friendlier neighborhood。 It didn’t take long to find a strip mall with one of the big chain bookstores。 I snapped the lock on the roof access hatch and let us in。 The store was empty； the only alarms on the windows and doors。 I went straight to the H’s； while Diego headed to the music section in the back。 I’d just finished with Hale。 I took the next dozen books in line； that would keep me a couple of days。 I looked around for Diego and found him sitting at one of the café tables； studying the backs of his new CDs。 I paused； then joined him。 This felt strange because it was familiar in a haunting； unfortable way。 I had sat like this before across a table from someone。 I’d chatted casually with that person； thinking about things that were not life and death or thirst and blood。 But that had been in a different； blurry lifetime。 The last time I’d sat at a table with someone； that someone had been Riley。 It was hard to remember that night for a lot of reasons。 “So how e I never notice you around the house？” Diego asked abruptly。 “Where do you hide？” I laughed and grimaced at the same time。 “I usually kick it behind wherever Freaky Fred is hanging out。” His nose wrinkled。 “Seriously？ How do you stand that？” “You get used to it。 It’s not so bad behind him as it is in front。 Anyway； it’s the best hiding place I’ve found。 Nobody gets close to Fred。” Diego nodded； still looking kind of grossed out。 “That’s true。 It’s a way to stay alive。”
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I shrugged。 “Did you know that Fred is one of Riley’s favorites？” Diego asked。 “Really？ How ” No one could stand Freaky Fred。 I was the only one who tried； and that was solely out of selfpreservation。 Diego leaned toward me conspiratorially。 I was already so used to his strange way that I didn’t even flinch。 “I heard him on the phone with her。” I shuddered。 “I know；” he said； sounding sympathetic again。 Of course； it wasn’t weird that we could sympathize with each other when it came to her。 “This was a few months back。 Anyway； Riley was talking about Fred； all excited。 From what they were saying； I guess that some vampires can do things。 More than what normal vampires can do； I mean。 And that’s goodsomething she’s looking for。 Vampires with skillzzz。” He pulled the Z sound out； so I could hear how he was spelling it in his head。 “What kinds of skills？” “All kinds of stuff； it sounds like。 Mind reading and tracking and even seeing the future。” “Get out。” “I’m not kidding。 I guess Fred can sort of repel people on purpose。 It’s all in our heads； though。 He makes us repulsed at the thought of being near him。” I frowned。 “How is that a good thing？” “Keeps him alive； doesn’t it？ Guess it keeps you alive； too。” I nodded。 “Guess so。 Did he say anything about anyone
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else？” I tried to think of anything strange I’d seen or felt； but Fred was one of a kind。 The clowns in the alley tonight pretending to be superheroes hadn’t been doing anything the rest of us couldn’t do。 “He talked about Raoul；” Diego said； the corner of his mouth twisting down。 “What skill does Raoul have？ Superstupidity？” Diego snorted。 “Definitely that。 But Riley thinks he’s got some kind of magismpeople are drawn to him； they follow him。” “Only the mentally challenged。” “Yeah； Riley mentioned that。 Didn’t seem to be effective on the”he broke out a decent impression of Riley’s voice “ ‘tamer kids。’” “Tame？” “I inferred that he meant people like us； who are able to think occasionally。” I didn’t like being called tame。 It didn’t sound like a good thing when you put it that way。 Diego’s way sounded better。 “It was like there was a reason Riley needed Raoul to leadsomething’s ing； I think。” A weird tingle spasmed along my spine when he said that； and I sat up straighter。 “Like what？” “Do you ever think about why Riley is always after us to keep a low profile？” I hesitated for half a second before answering。 This wasn’t the line of inquiry I would have expected from Riley’s righthand man。 Almost like he was questioning what Riley had told us。
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Unless Diego was asking this for Riley； like a spy。 Finding out what the “kids” thought of him。 But it didn’t feel like that。 Diego’s dark red eyes were open and confiding。 And why would Riley care？ Maybe the way the others talked about Diego wasn’t based on anything real。 Just gossip。 I answered him truthfully。 “Yeah； actually I was j ust thinking about that。” “We aren’t the only vampires in the world；” Diego said solemnly。 “I know。 Riley says stuff sometimes。 But there can’t be too many。 I mean； wouldn’t we have noticed； before？” Diego nodded。 “That’s what I think； too。 Which is why it’s pretty weird that she keeps making more of us； don’t you think？ ” I frowned。 “Huh。 Because it’s not like Riley actually likes us or anything…。” I paused again； waiting to see if he would contradict me。 He didn’t。 He just waited； nodding slightly in agreement； so I continued。 “And she hasn’t even introduced herself。 You’re right。 I hadn’t looked at it that way。 Well； I hadn’t really thought about it at all。 But then； what do they want us for？” Diego raised one eyebrow。 “Wanna hear what I think？” I nodded warily。 But my anxiety had nothing to do with him now。 “Like I said； something is ing。 I think she wants protection； and she put Riley in charge of creating the front line。” I thought this through； my spine prickling again。 “Why wouldn’t they tell us？ Shouldn’t we be； like； on the lookout or something？”
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“That would make sense；” he agreed。 We looked at each other in silence for a few longseeming seconds。 I had nothing more； and it didn’t look like he did； either。 Finally I grimaced and said； “I don’t know if I buy it the part about Raoul being good for anything； that is。” Diego laughed。 “Hard to argue that one。” Then he glanced out the windows at the dark early morning。 “Out of time。 Better head back before we turn into crispies。” “Ashes； ashes； we all fall down；” I sang under my breath as I got to my feet and collected my pile。 Diego chuckled。 We made one more quick stop on our wayhit the empty Target next door for big ziplocks and two backpacks。 I double bagged all my books。 Waterdamaged pages annoyed me。 Then we mostly rooftopped it back to the water。 The sky was just faintly starting to gray up in the east。 We slipped into the sound right under the noses of two oblivious night watchmen by the big ferry good thing for them I was full or they would have been too close for my selfcontrol and then raced through the murky water back toward Riley’s place。 At first I didn’t know it was a race。 I was just swimming fast because the sky was getting lighter。 I didn’t usually push the time like this。 If I were being honest with myself； I’d pretty much turned into a huge vampire nerd。 I followed the rules； I didn’t cause trouble； I hung out with the most unpopular kid in the group； and I always got home early。 But then Diego really kicked it into gear。 He got a few
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lengths ahead of me； turned back with a smile that said； what； can’t you keep up and then started booking it again。 Well； I wasn’t taking that。 I couldn’t really remember if I’d been the petitive type before it all seemed so far away and unimportantbut maybe I was； because I responded right away to the challenge。 Diego was a good swimmer； but I was way stronger； esp