The Onyx Talisman by Brenda Pandos

That’s if Sam hadn’t already done something to her before I got here.
    “Where’s your mom?”
    “I didn’t touch her, if you’re asking. She’s at work.”
    Truth.
    “I’m not accusing you, it’s just—”
    “Look at me, Julia. I’m a…a…freak!” she screeched and began pulling out her hair in large clumps. Before I could beg her to stop, like magic the hair grew back. “What’s happening to me?”
    I wanted to jump up and hug her, then slaughter Todd for doing this to her.
    “Sam,” I said with an extra soft voice. “It’s going to be okay. You injected venom into your body and now you’re becoming a vampire. You’re just craving blood. It will pass.”
    “Pass?” She full-body shivered. “I’m becoming a vampire? Are you freakin’ crazy? He said it would make me beautiful.” She moaned and wrung her hands.
    “Well, look at yourself. You kind of are.”
    She pinched her eyes shut and shook her head. “I must have passed out from the pain. Once I came to, my throat ached so bad with thirst. I tore apart the fridge for something to drink. Nothing would stop it—not soda, water, or even milk. And then I saw the raw hamburger meat.” Her embarrassment flared. “The juices helped.”
    “It’s perfectly normal.”
    “Normal?” Sam slammed her fists down, adding crevices to the holes in the carpet. She briefly inspected her assault on the floor with large eyes and then her face wrinkled up in horror. “It’s normal to want to bite your own mother? I could hear her blood pulsing in her veins and all I could dream of was sucking it all down, hot and sticky. That’s disgusting! And you … I attacked you, my best friend. How did you burn me?”
    I lifted up the talisman by the chain. “This protected me.”
    She traced her finger over her newly pink lips, eyeing the sapphire stone in fear. “You’ve known about this?” she waved her hands over her body, “and didn’t tell me? How? When?”
    “I—I just found out. Nicholas saved me from one and then he gave me this.”
    Sam swallowed hard. “He saved you from a vampire? How?” Her eyes glazed over. “He knows?”
    I looked away, my cheeks burning hot. “Yes, he—he’s been protecting me for a long time. Since my mom died.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “A vampire attacked me and my mom when I was a kid and Nicholas rescued me. He’s been my guardian ever since.”
    Sam ran her hands all over her face and neck, pressing and pulling, her raging appetite overcoming her ability to concentrate. “How is that even possible? He’s our age.”
    “He’s part vampire too. He doesn’t age.”
    Sam’s eyes widened. “You’re dating a vampire? And yet he protects you from them—” She took several deep breaths, her eyes wild. “How does he protect you from them?”
    “We can talk about that later. It’s very complicated.”
    Her paranoia spiked as she eyed the front door. “Who else knows?”
    “No one… Where’s Todd?”
    “I don’t know where he is. He just left me.” She folded her arms and cursed. “Left me here to rot and murder my best friend and mother. When I get my hands on him…”
    I glanced at the time. Sam’s mom would be coming home soon, but the sun wouldn’t be down before then.
    “We have to get you out of here. I have an idea,” I said and slowly got to my feet. “I need some heavy blankets. I know someone who can help.”
     
    Once the sun set, I coaxed Phil outside to my car that stood parked in Nicholas’ gravel driveway. With hesitation, I opened up the trunk. Sam unraveled herself from the blankets and looked up into Phil’s face with shock.
    Phil cursed under his breath. “For the love of all that is sacred.”
    “Phil?” Sam’s eyes widened in awe and wonder. “You’re alive?”
    “You have to help her,” I said, backing away. “I’m … uh … appetizing.”
    “And that you are.” Phil gave me a quick eyebrow waggle before he helped her crawl out of the car, keeping a