Night World : Secret Vampire Chapter 5

pack dodged as Poppy lobbed a paper back book athim. PoppyYou jerk You snake How can you dothis to me? You spoiled, selfish, immature-Shhh Theyre going to hear you Let them Here I am, and Ive retri just nowory found out that Imgoing to die,and all you can think of is playing a joke on me. A stupid, sickjoke. I cant believethis. Do youthink thatsfunny?She ran out of clue to rave with., crowd together, who had been making quieting motions withhis hands, now gave up and looked toward the door.Here comes the withstand, he said.Good, and Im going to ask her to throw you out, Poppy said. Her anger had collapsed, leaving her near snap. She had never felt so suddenly betrayed andabandoned. I hate you, you hold out, she said.The door opened. It was the nurse with the flowered blouse and green scrub pants. Is anything the matter here? she said, turning on the light. Thenshe saw James. Now, lets gather up you dont look bid family, she said. She was smiling, unless her voice hadthe ring of authority approximately to be enforced.Hes not, and I neediness him out of here, Poppy said.The nurse fluffed up Poppys pillows, ramble a gentle hand on her forehead. Only family members are allowed to stay overnight, she said to James.Poppy stared at the TV and waited for James to go.He didnt. He walked around the bed to stand by the nurse, who looked up at him objet dart she continuedstraightening Poppys blankets. Then her hands slowed and stopped moving.Poppy glanced at her sideways in surprise.The nurse was just staring at James. Hands limpon the blankets, she gazed at him as if she were mesmerized.And James was just staring back. With the lighton, Poppy couldseeJamess face-and over again she had that odd feeling of not recognizing him. He was verypale and almost stern looking, as if he were doing something that required an effort. His jaw was tight and his eyes-his eyes were the ruse of silver. Real silver, shining in the light.For some reason, Poppy thought of a star vingpanther.So you see theres nothing wrong here, Jamessaid to the nurse, as if continuing a conversation theyd been having.The nurse blinked once, then looked around theroom as if shed just awakened from a doze. No,no everythings fine, she said. Call me if She looked briefly distracted again, then murmured, If, um, you need anything.She walked out. Poppy watched her, forgetting to breathe. Then, slowly, moving only her eyes, she looked at James.I know its a cliche, James said. An overuseddemonstration of power. precisely it gets the job done.You set this up with her, Poppy said in a bare whisper.No.Or else its some attractive of psychic trick. The Amazing Whatshisname.No,James said, and sat down on an orange plastic chair.Then Im going crazy. For the first cadence that evening Poppy wasnt thinking about her illness. She couldnt think properly about anything her sagaciousnesswas a whirling, crashing jumble of confusion. She felt equal Dorothys house after it had been picked u p by the tornado.Youre not crazy. I probably did this the wrongway I said I didnt know how to explain it. Look, I know how hard it is for you to believe. My people arrange it that way they do everything they can to keep humans not believing. Their lives depend on it.James, Im sorry I just Poppy found that herhands were trembling. She shut her eyes. Maybe youd better just-Poppy, look at me.Im telling you the truth. I swear it. He stared at her face a moment, then let out a breath. Okay. I didnt hope to pass water to do this, but He stood, leaning tight-fitting to Poppy. She refused toflinch, but she could feel her eyes widening.Now, look, he said, and his lips skinned backfrom his teeth.A simple action-but the effect was astonishing.Transforming. In that instant he changed from the pale but fairly habitual James of a moment ago-intosomething Poppy had never seen before. A different species of human being.His eyes flared silver and his entire face took on a predatory look. But Pop py scarcely noticed that she was staring at his teeth.Not teeth. Fangs. He had canines like a cats. Elongated and curving, ending in delicate, piercing points.They were nothing like the untrue vampire fangs soldat novelty stores. They looked very strong and very sharp and very real.Poppy screamed.James clapped a hand over her mouth. We dontwant that nurse back in here.When he lifted the hand, Poppy said, Oh, myGod oh, my God. ,All those times whenyousaid I could read yourmind, James said. Remember? And the times when I heard things you didnt hear, or moved faster than you could move?Oh. my God.Its true, Poppy. He picked up the orange chairand twisted one of the metal legs out of shape. He did it easily, gracefully. Were stronger than humans, he said. He twisted the leg back and present thechair down.We see better in the dark. Were builtfor hunting.Poppy finally managed tocapture an entirethought. I dont care what youcan do, she saidshrilly. You cant be a vampire. Ive known yousin ce you were five years old. And youve gottenolder every year, just like me. Explain that.Everything you know is wrong. When she juststared at him, he sighed again and said, Everything you think you know about vampires, youve picked up from books or TV. And its all written by humans, Ill guarantee that. Nobody in the dark World wouldbreak the code of secrecy.The Night World. Wheres the Night World?Its not a place. Its like a secret society-for vampires and witches and werewolves. All the best people. And Ill explain about it later, Jamessaidgrimly. For now-look, its simple. Im a vampire because my parents are vampires. I was bornthatway. Were the lamia.All Poppy could think of was Mr. and Mrs. Rasmussen with their luxury ranch-style house and their gold Mercedes. Your parents?Lamia isjust an old word for vampires, but for usit means the ones whore born that way, James said, ignoring her. Were born and we age like humans-except that we can stop aging whenever we want. We breathe. We walk around in the daylightlight. We can even eat regular food.Your parents, Poppy said again faintly.He looked at her. Yeah. My parents. Look, why doyou think my mom does interior decorating? Not because they need the money. She meets a lot of peoplethat way, and so does my dad, the society shrink. It only takes a fewer minutes alone with somebody, andthe human never opines it afterwards.Poppy shifted uncomfortably. So you, um, drinkpeoples blood, huh? Even after everything shed seen, she couldnt say it without half-laughing.James looked at the laces of his Adidas. Yes. Yes,I sure do, he said softly. Then he looked up andmet her gaze directly.His eyes were pure silver.Poppy leaned back against the pile of pillows onher bed. Maybe it was easier to believe him because the unbelievable had already happened to her earliertoday. Reality had already been turned upsidedown-so, honestly, what did one more(prenominal) impossibility matter?Im going to die and my best friend is a bloods ucking monster, she thought.The argument was over, and she was out of energy. She and James looked at each other in silence.Okay, she said finally, and it meant everythingshed just realized.I didnt tell you this just to get it off my chest,James said, his voice still muted. I said I could save you, remember?Vaguely. Poppy blinked slowly, then said moresharply, Save me how?His gaze shifted to empty air. The way yourethinking.Jamie, Icantthink anymore.Gently, without looking at her, he put a hand on her shin below the blanket. He shake her leg slightly, a gesture of affection. Im gonna turn you into a vampire, kid.Poppy put both fists to her face and began to cry.Hey. He let go of her shin and put an awkwardarm around her, pulling her to sit up. Dont do that. Its okay. Its better than the alternative.Youre . . .freaking . . .crazy, Poppy sobbed.Once the tears had started, they flowed too easily she couldnt stop them. There was comfort in crying, and -in being held by James. He felt strong and reliable and he smelled good.You said you had to be born one, she addedblurrily, between sobs.No, I didnt. I said I was born one. There areplenty of the other kind around. Made vampires. There would be more, but theres a law against justmaking any jerk off the street into one.But I cant.Im just what I am Im me. Icantbe-like that.He put her gently away so he could look into herface. Then youre going to die. You dont have any other choice. I check into around-even asked a witch.Theres nothing elseinthe Night World to help you.What it comes down to is Do you want to live ornot?Poppys mind, which had been swamped in confusion again, suddenly fixed on this question. It was like a flash light beam in a pitch- swart room.Did she want to live?Oh, God, of courseshe did.Until today shed assumed it was her unconditional right to live. She hadnt even been delightful for the privilege. But now she knew it wasnt something totake for granted-and she also knew it was some thing shed fi ght for.Wake up, Poppy This is the voice of reason calling.He says he can save your brio.Wait a minute. Ive got to think, Poppy saidtightly to James. Her tears had stopped. She pushed him away completely and stared fiercely at the white hospital blanket.Okay. Okay. Now get your head straight, girl.You knew James had a secret. So you never imagined it was anything like this, so what? Hes still James.He may be some godawful undead fiend, buthe still cares about you. And theres nobody else to help you.She found herself clutching at Jamess hand without looking at him. Whats it like? she said through clenched teeth. Steady and matter-of-fact, he said, Itsdifferent. Its not something Id recommend if there was another choice, but its okay. Youll be sick while your bodys changing, but afterward youll never get any kind of disease again.Youllbestrongandquick-and god.Id live forever? But would I be able to stop aging?She had visions of herself as an immortal crone.He grimaced. Poppy-youd st op aging now.Thatswhat happens to made vampires. Essentially, youredying as a mortal. Youll look dead and be unconscious for a while. And thenyoull wake up.I see. Sort of like Juliet in the tomb, Poppythought. And then she thought, Oh, GodMomand Phil.Theres another thing you should know, Jameswas saying. A certain percentage of people dont make it.Dont make it?Through the change. pack over twenty almost never do. They dont everwake up. Their bodies cant adjust to the new form and they burn out. Teenagersusually live through it, but not always.Oddly enough, this was comforting to Poppy. Aqualified hope seemed more believable than an absolute one. To live, she would have to take a chance.She looked at James. How do you do it?The traditional way, he said with the ghost of asmile. Then, gravely We supervene upon blood.Oh, great, Poppy thought. And I was afraid of asimple shot. Now Im going to have my blood drawn by fangs. She swallowed and blinked,staring atnothing.Its your choice, P oppy. Its up to you.There was a long pause, and then she said, I want to live, Jamie.He nodded. Itll mean going away from here.Leaving your parents. They cant know.Yeah, I was just realizing that. Sort of like gettinga new identity from the FBI, huh?More than that. Youll be living in a new world,the Night World. And its a lonely world, full of secrets.But youll be walking around in it, instead oflying in the ground. He squeezed her hand. Thenhe said very quietly and seriously, Do you want tostart now?All Poppy could think of to do was shut her eyesand brace herself the way she did for an injection.Im ready, she said through stiff lips.James laughed again-this time as if he couldnthelp it. Then he folded the bed rail down and settled beside her. Im used to people being hypnotized when I do this. Its supernatural to have you awake.Yeah, well, if I scream you can hypnotize me,Poppy said, not opening her eyes.Relax, she told herself firmly. No matter how muchit hurts, no matter how awf ul it is, you can deal with it.You haveto. Your life depends on it.Her heart was thumping hard enough to shake her body.Right here, James said, touching her throat with cool fingers as if feeling for a pulse. besides do it, Poppy thought. Get it over with.She could feel affectionateth as James leaned close toher, taking her carefully by the shoulders. Every nerve ending in her skin was aware of him. Then she felt cool breath on her throat, and quickly, before she could recoil, a double sting.Those fangs, burying themselves in her flesh. Making two humble wounds so he could drink her blood Now its reallygoing to hurt, Poppy thought. Shecouldnt brace herself anymore. Her life was in the hands of a hunter. She was a rabbit trapped in thecoils of a snake, a mouse under the claws of a cat. She didnt feel like Jamess best friend, she felt like lunch.Poppy, what are you doing? Dont fight it. It hurts whenyou resist.James was speaking to her-but the warm mouthon her throat hadnt moved. The voice was in her head.Im not resisting, Poppy thought. Im just ready forit to hurt, thats all.There was a burning where his teeth pierced her.She waited for it to get worse-but it didnt.It changed.Oh, Poppy thought.The feeling of heat was genuinely pleasant. A sensation of release, of giving.And closeness. She and James were getting closerand loser, like two drops of water moving together until they merged.She could sense Jamess mind. His thoughts-andhis feelings. His emotions flowed into her, throughher. Tendernessconcern caring. A cold blackrage at the disease that was threatening her. Despair that there was no other way to help her. And long ing-longing to share with her, to make her happy.Yes, Poppy thought.A quake of sweetness made her dizzy. She foundherself groping for Jamesshand, their fingers intertwining.James,she thought with wonder and joy. Her communication to him a tentative caress.Poppy.She could feel his own surprise and delight.And all the time the dreamy amusem ent was building.Making Poppy shiver with its intensity.How could I have been so stupid? Poppy thought. To be afraid of this. It isnt terrible. Its.. . . right. She had never been so close to anybody. It was as if they were one being, together, not predator and prey, but partners in a dance. Poppy-and-James.She could touch his soul.Strangely enough, he was afraid of that. She couldsense it. Poppy,dont-so many dark things-I dont want you to see Dark, yes, Poppy thought. But not dark and terrible. Dark and lonely. such utter loneliness. A feeling of not belonging in either of the two worlds he knew.Not belonging anywhere. Except Suddenly Poppy was seeing an image of herself. Inhis mind she was fragile and graceful, an emeraldeyed spirit of the air. A sylph-with a core of puresteel.Im not really like that, she thought. Im not talland beautiful like Jacklyn or Michaela.The words she heard in answer didnt seem directed toward her-she had the feeling they were something James was thinkin g to himself, or remembering from some long-forgotten book.You dont love a girl because of beauty. You love her because she sings a margin call only you can understand.With the thought came a strong feeling of protectiveness. So this was how James felt about her-she knew at last. As if she were something precious,something to be defend at all costs.At all costs. No matter what happened to him.Poppy tried to follow the thought deeper into hismind, to find out what it meant. She got an impression of rules-no, laws Poppy, its bad ingenuity to search somebodys mind when youre not invited.The words were tinged with desperation.Poppy pulled back mentally. She hadnt meant topry. She just wanted to help.I know,Jamess thought came to her, and with ita rush of warmth and gratitude. Poppy relaxed and simply enjoyed the feeling of conjunction with him.I wish it could last forever, she thought-and justthen it stopped. The warmth at her neck disappeared, and James pulled away, straightening.P oppy made a sound of protest and tried to draghim back. He wouldnt let her.No-theres something else we have to do, hewhispered. But he didnt do anything else. He just held her, his lips against her forehead. Poppy feltpeaceful and languid.You didnt tell me it would be like that, she said.I didnt know, James said simply. It never hasbeen before.They sat together quietly, with James gently stroking her hair.So strange, Poppy thought. Everything is thesame-but everythings different. It was as if shed pulled herself up on dry land after almost drowningin the ocean. The terror that had been pounding inside her all day was gone, and for the first time inher life she felt completely safe.After another minute or so James shook his head,rousing himself.What else do we have to do? Poppy asked.For an answer, James lifted his own wrist to hismouth. He made a quick jerking motion with hishead, as if tearing a strip of material held in his teeth.When he lowered the wrist, Poppy saw blood.It was running in a little stream down his arm. So red it almost didnt look real.Poppy gulped and shook her head.Its not that bad, James said softly. And you have to do it. Without my blood in you, you wont become a vampire when you die, youll just die.Likeany other human victim.And I want to live, Poppy thought. All right, then.Shutting her eyes, she allowed James to guide her head to his wrist.It didnt taste like blood, or at least not like theblood shed tasted when she bit her tongue or put a cut finger in her mouth. It tastedstrange. Richand potent.Like some magic elixir, Poppy thoughtdizzily.Andonce again she felt the touch of Jamess mind. Intoxi cated with the closeness, she kept drinking.Thats right. Youve got to take a lot,James told her.But his mental voice was weaker than it had been.Instantly Poppy felt a surge of alarm.But what will it do to you?Ill be all right, James said aloud. Its you Imworried about. If you dont get enough, youll bein danger.Well, he was the expert. And Po ppy was happy tolet the strange, inflexible potion keep flowing into her.She basked in the glow that seemed to be lighting herfrom the inside out. She felt so tranquil, so calm. And then, without warning, the calm was shattered. A voice bust into it, a voice full of harshsurprise.What are you doing? the voice said, and Poppylooked up to see Phillip in the doorway.