Dr. Warde's call never came. Neither did the police officer meant to write up a report. But scouring the local parks websites, I discovered the reason: it had been a busy weekend for local wildlife. In the wake a fatal animal attack, I'd likely been put on the back burner.
Two hikers had been found mauled south of where I'd been scouting: one dead and one in critical condition. They'd been quickly transported to Homer. Apparently the vampire doctor was reputable. Though I doubted that. I'd have to check on the critical patient.
Perhaps I should've planned to attend my checkup on Tuesday, but I'd already begun re-assimilating vampire venom to regain status as a Mage. The wound had since melted away, sloughing the stitches like dirt under a faucet. It was for the best. I was more practiced as a Mage than as a Witch.
But, the point still stood. I'd sneak in to check on the patient. She'd fought too hard to keep her life from that bear, I wouldn't let her be snuffed out by a vampire. Unfortunately, there was only so much I could do about the bear itself. My family only took action against supernatural threats.
It could be the other creature, I contemplated, hands shoved in my pockets as I trudged across the property Monday morning. The thing that'd run with unnatural speed.
Vampires wouldn't have left evidence like that, much less leave their prey alive in that state.
"Who was the culprit?" I mumbled, as cold nipped at my ears.
Between the vampires and the mystery-creature, the disappearances could be a combination of both. I needed to investigate Mason's claim. He could've been lying through his teeth. Silver represented purity. Something vampires were not. However, if they were trying to live their lives as honestly as possible, maybe that could explain the color.
I shook my head.
If they didn't drink directly from the vein, then they were stealing hospital resources. The doctor had direct access to the blood bank and was likely depleting resources that could save human lives. I scowled as the boundary began to pulse against my family crest. Suddenly my nose wrinkled up with disgust.
Mint-scent. Vampire scent.
I bared my teeth as my body trembled, canines elongating. It was an old trail by a few hours, but familiar. One of the Homer coven.
The scent traced northward, across the gravel road back entrance, and toward the western side where it hesitated. I smiled, almost smelling its uncertainty. The magicked boundary was designed to force supernatural stalkers into confusion, rewiring their sense of direction.
One day, I'd watched with Bruno as a vampire-scout circled our Italian home-village aimlessly. He'd been unable to see, hear, or smell anything within the boundary and unable to make his way into it either. He'd traversed the circumference nearly three times; a journey that had taken him over mountains, into snow, and through rivers. We'd laughed at him for hours.
This would-be intruder had retraced his steps toward the driveway. That was where he gave up, heading back to the main road. It was true that my scent likely led here, but as long as the magic wasn't weakened from the inside, it would hold. I could withstand a siege on this property if required.
Or, if it unexpectedly fails as it did on the night of the massacre, you'll be exposed.
Perhaps, it would disappear one night as I slept. Anxiety wedged itself between my ribs as went about my morning routines and drove into class.
Our little group at the back had grown. We'd attracted Trevor, which pleased Allie. Along with him were a handful of others I'd started to remember the names of. For the guys: there was another nursing-track student besides myself, Anthony, a computer-minded fellow named Tim, and a writing-enthusiast named Will. The ladies were fewer: a theater-involved girl named Chelsea and another engineering-whiz, aside from Cat, named Aniya.
The conversation flowed easily. It was clear they'd been friends since high-school. There was envious talk of folks who'd already headed up to the Anchorage campus for their freshman year, but Allie assured us that her fraternity events would make up it.
"Right, George!?" she called and a hawk-nosed boy across the room scowled over at her. She turned to us, with a shrug, "He's the vice for the chapter, but he's got a lot to work on. Charisma, for one. He's as dull as a rusty sword."
She rolled her eyes.
"Good thing it's a fraternity for business and leadership," I shrugged.
Allie grinned, "I'll whip him into shape, yet. Teach him a thing or two about smooth-talking."
She glanced sideways at Trevor, but he'd buried his nose in his phone. I crumpled a post-it and lobbed it at him, bopping him over the eyebrow. Allie snickered as Trevor glanced about. On my next breath, I was roused out of the comforting lull of human gossip by vampire-mint. The wisp-female and mullet-male sauntered in first.
Then, the ginger-male.
I resisted the urge to narrow my eyes as I turned back toward Allie. The position allowed my ear to stay cocked as they filed into the row before us. The wisp didn't turn around, like she had last time and class began.
Ginger didn't appear to be obviously eavesdropping today. His shoulders, however, seemed more taut. I scowled. The cold-shoulder continued into the library where, unfortunately, the other leech - the bulky male - met up with his coven-mates. As we settled for our virtual class, I kept one earbud in, one out. It was necessary:
There were four of them, today.
And our human group had grown. The larger number of humans diluted the vampire mint which was both a blessing and a curse. My over-exposed nose grew weary of its sharpness, but... I couldn't let that happen. Couldn't let my guard down. With a roll of my shoulders, I scanned the room again and flared my nose.
They stayed in the belly of the library, away from windows. Not that it was sunny. Each was absorbed in his or her own task, either on a computer or with a book in-lap. It was silent over there, but... comfortable. And I wondered again how long they might've been a group for.
What were they trying to achieve by clustering? Gathering to fight an enemy? Or coordinating to herd humans like livestock?
Again, the arbiters of my family's demise came to mind. The Theous, as they'd pompously named themselves, were a Greek vampire coven with three core members that hadn't changed for centuries. They'd been the only coven to achieve stability with such longevity. Achieved for the purpose of corralling humans and crushing enemy covens. For a species that was so aggressive, it was frighteningly impressive. Especially as the average time a coven stuck together was for two years.
A motion caught in the corner of my eye and I glanced toward it habitually. The ginger-male, Mason, tilted his head toward our group. Allie had taken to chatting with Anthony about fraternity events, but otherwise, there was quiet here too.
Then, Ginger's eyes flicked up from the book in his lap.
Their green seared me, even from across the room. My stomach lurched and I looked away.
"I may not be taking chemistry," Allie began quietly and I jumped, "But I think I know ionic attraction when I see it."
Chin in her palm, she leaned in conspiratorially from the seat beside me. Cat, on my other side, lifted her head to follow Allie's gaze.
"Mm..." I hummed, fingers upon my lips as I stared at my computer screen. "...no. Try electrostatic repulsion."
"You don't have to be standoffish on my account," Allie pressed in a whisper, "He just gave you the look. You might just be his type. C'mon, give us a win!"
Trevor looked up curiously, but Allie was oblivious.
Cat nodded in tentative agreement, "Don't do anything you don't feel comfortable with... but I think Allie's right."
"I think you two are over-analyzing this," I scoffed.
It wasn't their fault. They didn't know I'd dissed him to his face. That I'd nearly killed him over the weekend.
"You should try talking to him," Allie nudged me with an elbow.
I grumbled and stayed-put. Another glance informed me that he'd thankfully gone back to minding his own damn business. Unfortunately another unwelcome opportunity arose during my very next class.
Ginger had arrived first, sitting in the very back row. Stiffly, I stalked through the door and paused. As I scanned, Mason's eyes met mine and, to my surprise, I saw a shadow of a smirk cross his lips before he crooked a finger to summon me.
I stiffened, fighting the urge to curl my upper lip.
With a taut swallow, I drew right up to his row, stalked to the seat beside him and perched nervously. Right beside the damn creature, I was bathed in his spearmint scent and... I noticed a unique edge to it. At this, finally, I felt a glimmer of satisfaction: I was beginning to differentiate their scents.
"Hello," he said expectantly in that deep, melodic voice. "Sara, right?"
"Long time, no see, Mason."
He smirked, as if enjoying an inside joke, "I was sick."
"Oh? My burns were that severe?"
He rolled his eyes and leaned back in the seat, crossing his arms with unconcern. Unlike the week previous, his posture relaxed next to me.
"What kind of loser tells people he's a 'loner for a reason'?" I pressed, crossing my legs, businesslike.
"A Nickelback fan, I suppose."
I raised an eyebrow, incredulous as he laughed dryly at his own, outdated joke. The sound vibrated like the strum of a bass.
"Is that an admission of guilt or...?"
"If it was?"
"I'd have to sentence you. Do you torture your whole family such music or just yourself?"
He grinned wider. The expression infuriated me as much as it absolutely floored me.
"I try to listen on low-volume, but its probably louder than I think it is."
I blinked, eyebrows raised.
He's referencing their enhanced supernatural hearing?
Was he trying to get me to admit that I knew what he was? Trying to show me how little a threat I was to him? That pissed me off.
"Turn down the volume or you'll go deaf."
"I'll be fine."
"That's what they all say," I rolled my eyes, "I'm sure your mother probably tells you the same. Or do you refuse to listen 'cause she's not your real mother?"
"They told you I'm adopted too, huh?" he glanced sideways, eyebrows raised.
My lips thinned. I wanted to wince, but held fast. Allie and Cat had only mentioned that Kira was adopted. I hadn't met the priest, but perhaps he passed as Mason's father in appearance. There was no chance of a genetic relationship, of course. The priest was certainly human and likely in his thirties - the same age as the vampire-doctor appeared to be. Mason was undoubtedly older than the human. Not his son.
I stayed quiet, watching him stone-faced instead.
"She's my real mother in every way that matters," Mason rebutted in my silence, eyes searing and mouth relaxed out of the grin. Yet he hadn't stiffened his posture into anger, "Are you really so intent on bullying me?"
"You haven't seen real bullying yet," I huffed, turning away from that intense gaze and pretending to watch the students in front of us, "I don't like uppity assholes who think they're better than everyone else."
He pondered this, eyes distant. His body still draped casually over the seat. Admittedly, I wasn't accustomed to such a hardy attitude in a vampire. They usually reacted with immense vitriol to any hint of insult and maintained the strongest grudges imaginable. But this copper-haired leech was simply... pensive.
Eventually, his eyes slid down to curiously interrogate my stiffness.
"I think you're upset because of your troubled home-life."
Hellfire between mountain peaks flickered from my memories. I crushed that image.
Focus.
I narrowed my eyes, "I'm supposed to be bullying you."
"I wasn't trying to, but, as they say: if you can't take it, don't deal it."
I swallowed, glancing forward as the professor entered the room.
"Are you alright?" Mason whispered.
I jumped, scowling as he tilted his head further to assess me. It was then I noticed the heat accumulating on my lower lids and looked away.
"Maybe don't try so hard?" he suggested, his eyebrows raised.
"Life is trying and I'll try till I die. Butt out."
"Is this any way to treat someone you're crushing on?" he wondered diplomatically, yet I heard a smile in his voice, "Though... some people tease those for whom they foster affection, I suppose."
I gritted my teeth.
"I can work with that."
My eyes snapped sideways, "What?"
"I'm accepting your offer from the other day," he clarified, smirking over at me, "I want to date you."
Dumbfounded, I could only stare, slack-jawed.
"But-"
"All things considered, I think you could've been meaner," he shrugged, then a little half-smile twitched at the corner of his lips, "Makes me wonder why you're holding out on me."
He met my gaze then, with an infuriating smirk, stared toward the board where the professor was writing a few objectives. I glared at him, completely void of words.
The absolute audacity on this bloodsucker.
"You think I actually fancy you?" I finally hissed, eyes narrowed.
"What other reason could there be?"
"There are plenty!"
"Enlighten me," he suggested.
He turned again and leaned in, eager; so close that I could count the eyelashes around his wide eyes, see the sharpness of his lofty cheekbones, and the smattering of dozens of freckles. But most importantly, I could see the facets of emerald in his eyes and the bright and churning silver around the dilated pupils.
And I recognized the sensation of predatory allure; of compulsion. Despite the influence he exuded, he didn't actually try to order anything of me. Not that it would work on me. But he waited all the same, expectant.
"I... I'm just..."
My eyes widened.
He's genuinely asking. He knows something! ...Right?
When the silence stretched, his expression darkened and I finally recognized the emotion I'd been expecting since the beginning of the conversation.
"You're difficult to read, you know," he grumbled.
"I like my secrets."
"I'm fairly good at reading people. Most are like open books."
"Oh?" I rolled my eyes with a snort, "Just say you're a mind-reader."
He froze, the human twitch he'd been carrying out - rolling and stretching his knuckles - halted mid-action as if he'd suddenly become stone.
Shock ricocheted to the tips of my fingers, numbing them.
Oh, Luna, he was.
But his powers wouldn't work on me. My family's crest would protect me. I steeled myself with that fact and pressed onward.
"What am I thinking right now, then?" I asked quickly, raising my eyebrows and glancing sideways. "You have three guesses."
"I told you, you're hard to read," he grimaced, deliberately unfreezing each of his muscles under my scrutinizing gaze.
"Three guesses," I repeated.
He opened his mouth, but sat up straighter in the next moment.
"Yeah, you two," the Music Appreciation professor, Mrs. Chiles, snapped from the front of the room. She'd removed her horn-rimmed glasses to stare us. "If you're so knowledgeable about music, please enlighten me with a fact about musical craftsmanship."
When had the class started? I gathered myself quickly.
"The average violin is made with approximately sixty to eighty pieces of wood," I offered immediately, more irritated by her intrusion than chagrined. "It's dependent on the craftsman, type of violin, and intended user."
I heard Mason whistle softly beside me.
"Your name?"
"Sara Luzio."
"And you, young man, your fact and name?"
"Mason Warde," he said, clearing his throat, "The three components of music are rhythm, melody, and harmony."
"One of you has read the material for the semester... the other has practiced for trivia," a few of the students chuckled awkwardly as she continued. "Please refrain from outside conversation."
The pair of us nodded and slouched back in our seats, successfully cowed. I had half a mind to leave. This was such a waste of my time... but Mason didn't move either. Tension radiated from his posture now. It electrified the space between us and I didn't know whether to feel anxious or eager. The tingles made each of us taut, made each of us itch to continue the interrogation.
When class let out I shot to my feet, the trapped energy exploding out like a bolt of lightning.
"There's no need to run in embarrassment," Mason chuckled, gathering his things more slowly, "I said yes, remember?"
I scowled. He continued.
"Will you study with me in the library?"
"What for?"
He raised an eyebrow, "To... study. For class. And complete our homework. Besides, we're dating now; shouldn't we get to know each other better?"
My teeth snapped together. Luna, he was really going to squeeze all he could out of this dating thing, wasn't he? Logically, it was the perfect in for me too. I could investigate his claim about not drinking blood from the vein. Getting closer was necessary. Particularly to liberate that human priest that was certainly at the mercy of their whims, even if the doctor wasn't.
"Fine," I acquiesced, "But we're not romantic, got it?"
He shrugged, unconcerned, "Understood."
But I could see another small, crooked smile on his lips as he turned away from me.