Lori and told her what happened,” David says. “I figured she’d want to know
right away, and that you could use her support.” He gives me a grim smile, and I want
to hug them both.
Less than a minute later Lori jerks open the door at the bottom of the stairs. She
must have sprinted from the car.
“Ciara, oh my God, are you okay?”
She tackle-hugs me, once again forgetting how dangerous it can be to do that to a
vampire. But I just embrace her, holding my breath so I can’t smell her blood, close
to her skin from running.
“I’m okay. It’s good to see you. It’s good to see anyone normal.”
Lori examines me, picking over my shirt and hair, as if the trauma has left stains
or lint. “Did Jim hurt you?”
“He didn’t even touch me, thanks to Shane.”
She beams at him. “Our hero! A knight in flannel armor.”
“I don’t feel much like a hero right now.”
Lori puts a hand over her mouth. “I’m so sorry. He was your friend.”
Shane looks at his feet. “Not for a long time.”
An uncomfortable moment passes. There’ll be a lot of these to come, I’m guessing.
Finally Lori says, “David told me that Jeremy saved Jim’s progeny. Denise?”
“Deirdre. He didn’t even hesitate.” I guess there’s more than one kind of hero today.
She moves toward her desk and peers at the Cats of Greece calendar hanging above it. “Weren’t you supposed to bite Jeremy this weekend? Wasn’t
Sunday the big day?”
I find it funny that she remembers that. Then again, I have been talking about it
a lot, out of nervousness and anticipation.
“Shit,” Shane says. “Now you can’t even drink from him for at least two weeks.” He
puts his hands to his head. “Worst possible timing.”
David and Lori each say a variation of “Huh?”
Shane gives me a gentle but pointed look. “Do you want me to tell them?”
“No, I’ll do it.” I suddenly need to sit down. On my way to my chair I search for
words that will convey the seriousness of my situation without throwing Lori into
hysterics.
I speak to the floor. “The same quality about me that let me heal holy-water burns
also . . . doesn’t want me to be a vampire. So I’m a crappy vampire. It’s maybe why
I hate to be bitten and why I can’t bring myself to bite ahuman. And why I—why I’m already acting old, with the obsessive-compulsive business.
I’m fading.”
The room is silent except for the murmur of Colonel Lanham and Deirdre’s conversation
behind Franklin’s door.
I finally look up at Lori, expecting to see tears running down her face, or at least
filling her blue eyes. I expect whimpering.
Instead she gives Shane a sharp look. “Unacceptable. What can I do to help her?”
His smile is warm and wry. “Keep her up-to-date on all the latest everything. TV shows,
music, fashions. Take her to every new movie. Teach her all the—” He gestures to my
phone sitting on my desk. “—the technology things.”
“Got it. What else?”
“Be understanding.”
“Got it. What are you doing?”
“Racking my brain to find her a new donor. You’re pregnant and now Jeremy’s out of
commission for two weeks. I’ve gotta find someone for her to drink—and preferably
bite—as soon as possible. She needs the best nutrition she can get.”
Lori’s lower lip trembles. Great, now she feels guilty for not being my donor anymore.
“Just a second.” She turns on her heel and drags David into his office. Before shutting
the door, she reaches out to the volume control and cranks up the music in the upstairs
speakers.
“Ow.” I rub my ear as his office door slams shut. “It had to be Regina’s show, didn’t
it?” Bad Religion grinds their chords from the ceiling into my brain.
“Hang on.” Shane walks stealthily toward David’s office. He presses his ear to the
door. It swings open.
“Geez, a little privacy?” Lori snaps at him, then strides over to me. “Ciara,
right away, and that you could use her support.” He gives me a grim smile, and I want
to hug them both.
Less than a minute later Lori jerks open the door at the bottom of the stairs. She
must have sprinted from the car.
“Ciara, oh my God, are you okay?”
She tackle-hugs me, once again forgetting how dangerous it can be to do that to a
vampire. But I just embrace her, holding my breath so I can’t smell her blood, close
to her skin from running.
“I’m okay. It’s good to see you. It’s good to see anyone normal.”
Lori examines me, picking over my shirt and hair, as if the trauma has left stains
or lint. “Did Jim hurt you?”
“He didn’t even touch me, thanks to Shane.”
She beams at him. “Our hero! A knight in flannel armor.”
“I don’t feel much like a hero right now.”
Lori puts a hand over her mouth. “I’m so sorry. He was your friend.”
Shane looks at his feet. “Not for a long time.”
An uncomfortable moment passes. There’ll be a lot of these to come, I’m guessing.
Finally Lori says, “David told me that Jeremy saved Jim’s progeny. Denise?”
“Deirdre. He didn’t even hesitate.” I guess there’s more than one kind of hero today.
She moves toward her desk and peers at the Cats of Greece calendar hanging above it. “Weren’t you supposed to bite Jeremy this weekend? Wasn’t
Sunday the big day?”
I find it funny that she remembers that. Then again, I have been talking about it
a lot, out of nervousness and anticipation.
“Shit,” Shane says. “Now you can’t even drink from him for at least two weeks.” He
puts his hands to his head. “Worst possible timing.”
David and Lori each say a variation of “Huh?”
Shane gives me a gentle but pointed look. “Do you want me to tell them?”
“No, I’ll do it.” I suddenly need to sit down. On my way to my chair I search for
words that will convey the seriousness of my situation without throwing Lori into
hysterics.
I speak to the floor. “The same quality about me that let me heal holy-water burns
also . . . doesn’t want me to be a vampire. So I’m a crappy vampire. It’s maybe why
I hate to be bitten and why I can’t bring myself to bite ahuman. And why I—why I’m already acting old, with the obsessive-compulsive business.
I’m fading.”
The room is silent except for the murmur of Colonel Lanham and Deirdre’s conversation
behind Franklin’s door.
I finally look up at Lori, expecting to see tears running down her face, or at least
filling her blue eyes. I expect whimpering.
Instead she gives Shane a sharp look. “Unacceptable. What can I do to help her?”
His smile is warm and wry. “Keep her up-to-date on all the latest everything. TV shows,
music, fashions. Take her to every new movie. Teach her all the—” He gestures to my
phone sitting on my desk. “—the technology things.”
“Got it. What else?”
“Be understanding.”
“Got it. What are you doing?”
“Racking my brain to find her a new donor. You’re pregnant and now Jeremy’s out of
commission for two weeks. I’ve gotta find someone for her to drink—and preferably
bite—as soon as possible. She needs the best nutrition she can get.”
Lori’s lower lip trembles. Great, now she feels guilty for not being my donor anymore.
“Just a second.” She turns on her heel and drags David into his office. Before shutting
the door, she reaches out to the volume control and cranks up the music in the upstairs
speakers.
“Ow.” I rub my ear as his office door slams shut. “It had to be Regina’s show, didn’t
it?” Bad Religion grinds their chords from the ceiling into my brain.
“Hang on.” Shane walks stealthily toward David’s office. He presses his ear to the
door. It swings open.
“Geez, a little privacy?” Lori snaps at him, then strides over to me. “Ciara,
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