Sire (19 page)

The lights came back on, and the room breathed a collective sigh of relief. The microwave started up again, and Caitlin wondered if the popcorn would be any good, since it had stopped in the middle of cooking. The television came back to life, too, and they could hear the DVD player whirring.

"Finally. Sorry about that, guys," Jess said. She gave up on the door handle and turned to come back into the room.

And then her chest exploded.

A rain of crimson droplets flew through the air. Caitlin felt some of them hit her face. There was a hole, red and ragged, though Jess' St. Troy sweatshirt, with a clawed hand sticking out. She didn't have any expression on her face. No pain, no shock, no terror. She stared at them with glass eyes, then fell to the ground.

"Hi, guys!" Liam walked into the room, shaking the blood from his hand.

Pandemonium erupted. Shouts and curses and prayers. They pushed themselves into the back of the room, by the television, as far from Liam as they could get. Raj had dropped his curry on the floor.

Jessica's eyes were still open. Caitlin felt like she was staring at her. Accusing her. Blaming her for bringing this into her life.

The movie was back on. The DVD player had started it right where they had left off.

The guy who had been sitting next to Raj made a break for the door. It wasn't a planned, tactical maneuver. He just sprinted, like an animal that had been spooked. He didn't seem to realize he was running toward Liam until he smashed into his chest.

Liam looked at him sternly. "What's wrong? Are we boring you?"

"Nuh, nuh, no," the guy said.

"I hope not." Liam towered over him, and the poor guy shrank into himself, like he was trying to disappear. "Don't you want to know how it ends?" Liam asked.

"I— I already saw this one."

"Really? What happens? Is it worth watching?"

"The, uh, all the main character's friends die, but she kills the bad guy at the end."

"Hmm. Okay." Liam folded his arms and put his chin in his hand. "And if they made a movie out of this," he gestured around the room, "do you think you'd be the main character?"

"Um, yes?"

"Sorry sport. You probably wouldn't even get a name."

"No!" Caitlin cried, but it was useless. Liam had already reached up and snapped the guy's neck. He fell to the ground, next to Jess.

Liam kicked the body out of the way and sat down on the couch. Raj was standing there, staring. Liam glanced up at him. "Can I help you?"

"Um ... want some curry?" Raj asked, and held out a plate.

Liam took it and sniffed. His nose wrinkled, and he threw the plate over his shoulder. "Thanks anyway," Liam said, "but it's not exactly on my diet." A wicked grin split his face. "But you are. Tell me, kid, why shouldn't I eat you?"

Raj thought for a second. Liam made a show of checking the watch he wasn't wearing. "Time's wasting, kid."

"Um, that food you threw away?" Raj said. "That's all I eat. I smell like it. I probably taste like it, too. You'd hate me."

Liam made an impressed-looking face. "Not bad, kid. Way to think on your feet. And I love the self-deprecating humor."

The popcorn was starting to burn. Caitlin wondered why the fire alarm wasn't going off yet. Jessica's eyes were still open. Caitlin wished she knew the other guy's name.

Liam stood up and started circling the room. Evan was trembling, barely able to control his rage. Alexis was furious, too, maybe even angrier than Evan. Garret looked ill. Liam examined each of them in turn, then walked back behind the couch. Caitlin knew it was a pretty flimsy barrier, but it was a huge relief just to have something between them and him.

She mustered her courage. "Li, Liam." Caitlin took a deep breath, and forced herself to continue. "You don't want to make this any worse on yourself. Angelica told you to leave me alone. What do you think she's going to do when she hears about this?"

Liam looked at her with glinting eyes. "Oh, she'll probably put me over her lap and spank me. She hasn't done that in
ages.
Should be fun."

"Get out of here, Liam," Caitlin said.

"Well, look who's got a big brass set," Liam said. "Child, I was murdering people with Angelica before your grandparents were a gleam in someone's eye. Don't think for one second that you know my Sire better than I do. This," he said, gesturing at the carnage, "is
nothing
compared to the things we used to do together. She's just forgotten how much
fun
murder is. But I'm pretty sure I can remind her."

"What do you want?" Caitlin asked. Her voice shook, but she pressed on. "More blood? Is that what it'll take to make you leave?"

Liam chuckled. "I want blood. But not yours. Not yet."

Everyone looked at each other.

"So, um, whose blood
do
you want?" Raj asked.

"I'm not sure yet," Liam said. He walked over to the microwave, which was pouring smoke. He swept it off the table, yanking the cord out of the wall and sending it crashing to the ground. Everyone jumped at the noise. Then he circled back around the couch, and stood in front of them. "Why don't you tell me?" he said to Alexis.

"Fuck you," she spat.

"Believe me, I've thought about it," Liam answered. "All those times your boyfriend's ignored your hints and your offers, and just left you standing there? I was worried I'd have to step in and show you what a real man is. I'm glad he finally sacked up. By the way," he looked back at Evan, "You snore in your sleep."

The temperature in the room must have dropped twenty degrees when he said that.

"How about you?" he said to Bethany. "Do you want to pick who dies tonight? How about him?" He pointed to Garret. "The black guy always dies, doesn't he? Should I eat him? I bet he's having all kinds of premarital sex. Doesn't he need to be punished?"

"Nh," Bethany said.

Liam raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Nh, no. Not him."

Liam smiled wide. "Okay, who, then?"

"Anybody else." Bethany looked at the floor. "I'm sorry, guys."

"Hi, yeah. I'm in the G2 lounge. Um ... there's a vampire in here. Yeah, a vampire." Raj had his hand over his mouth, speaking quietly into his cell phone.

Liam stared at him in disbelief.

"Oh, crap," Raj said.

Liam walked over, and Raj looked up at him, terrified. "May I?" Liam asked, and held out his hand. Raj gave him the phone, and Liam held it up to his ear. "Hello? Who is this? Oh, hello, Lieutenant. Liam. Why yes I am, thank you for asking. No, everything is fine. Well, maybe a carpet cleaner. I made a bit of a mess. Thanks, that's great." He closed the phone and handed it back to Raj.

"So, where were we?" Liam asked. Without looking, he swiped his claws through the air. Raj's eyes went wide, and then a red line appeared across his throat. Blood poured down his shirt, and Raj fell to the floor.

Liam licked his fingers. "He's right. Tastes like curry."

Caitlin could smell his blood.

"Okay," Liam said, "the girls aren't being very good sports. How about you?" He stood in front of Evan.

"Go to hell," Evan said through gritted teeth.

"Not tonight." He grabbed Evan's chin, and stared hard into his eyes. Caitlin could feel a wave of pressure move through the room. The expression left Evan's face as he fell under Liam's compulsion. "Now, pick someone. Who do you want to die? Who's the least important person in the room?"

Caitlin could see Evan trying to choke the name back, but Liam's influence was too strong. "Garret," Evan said.

"Oh, come
on
man," Garret said.

"Sorry," Liam said. "I guess he doesn't believe in bros before hoes." And then his face morphed into its vampire form, and he sank his teeth into Garret's neck.

"No!" Bethany screamed, and jumped on Liam's back. She wrapped her legs around him and pounded him with her fists. Liam released Garret, who fell to the ground, limp.

Liam laughed, then casually threw her off. "I'm surprised. I really didn't think you were the type to put up a fight. So timid and shy. I really bring out the best in you, don't I? I bet I could teach you a thing or two about ... expressing yourself. What do you say, girl? Would you like me to make you scream?"

Bethany lay on the floor, looking up at him. Her lip trembled.

Evan started forward, but Liam, still in full vamp face, hissed at him, then yanked Bethany off the floor and sank his fangs into her neck.

She screamed and struggled, but it was useless. Then Liam threw her over his shoulder and jumped toward the window. The glass exploded, sending glittering shards tumbling into the night. Liam and Bethany sailed through and disappeared into the darkness outside.

Caitlin ran to the window, but they had already vanished.

Chapter Twelve

The paramedics were there, swarming all over everything. Garret, injured but still alive, was taken out on a stretcher. Other than that, they were just picking up pieces. There was nothing they could do for anybody.

The police were there, too, the campus police and the city police, taking photographs and putting little markers next to things. The Chief, a heavier-set black woman with curly hair, was taking their statement.

"Okay, Caitlin. Just start from the top, and tell me what happened."

"Okay," she answered. "We were all here for movie night, when the power went out. Jess went to check on it, and called Maintenance from her phone. Then she came back here, except this guy was following her, and he stabbed her. Wham wham wham, three times in the chest, and then wham wham wham, three times in the back. And then she, she ..." Her voice trailed off, and Caitlin wiped a tear from her eye.

"Okay, take your time. What happened next?"

"This other guy, God, I don't even know his name, tried to get away, but the guy snapped his neck. He was so strong. He must have been on drugs or something."

"Okay," the Chief said, jotting down notes.

"And then Raj tried to call the police, but the guy took the phone from him, and ... with the knife ..." Caitlin broke off.

"Okay. I think I'm starting to get a picture here." She looked at the others, standing in the hallway. "Why don't you all come over here."

They did, and the Chief looked down at her notebook. "Let me read you guys something. 'Wham wham wham, right in the chest, then wham wham wham, in the back.' 'Wham wham wham, he stabbed her right in the chest, then wham wham wham, he stabbed her in the back.' Wham wham wham, three times in the chest, and then wham wham wham, three times in the back.' That's what you guys told me. Oddly similar, don't you think?"

They just looked at each other.

The Chief continued, "'I don't even know who he was, but he was so strong, he must have been on drugs.' 'I don't know who he was. This guy tried to get away, but he snapped his neck. He was so strong, he must have been on drugs.' 'I don't even know his name, but he tried to get away, but the guy snapped his neck. He was so strong. He must have been on drugs or something.'"

She closed her notebook, and put it in her jacket pocket. "That's what we call a rehearsed story, kids. People do that when there's something they don't want the police to know."

Alexis started to protest, but the Chief waved her off. "So let's just call this what it is. You kids had the bad luck of ending up on the wrong side of a vampire buffet."

Caitlin's mouth dropped open. "Wait, you
know?
"

"Hell yeah I know. What, do I look dumb to you? Everyone in this town knows. Everyone important, anyway."

"Then ... what are you going to do?"

The Chief suddenly looked very tired."What I always do, kid. Clean up, file a report that's as boring as I can make it, and make this go away as fast as I can."

They looked at her, stunned. "How can you do this?" Alexis demanded. "Aren't you supposed to be on the side of law and order? Or is that just something you stencil on your cars?"

"We put 'To Protect and Serve' on our cars, sweetie. And yeah, I am supposed to be on the side of law and order. Thing is, in this town vampires are the law, and the only orders that matter come from the Regent. I make a noise about this, and they'll be cleaning my blood up off the floor. Yours too. Don't you doubt it."

They all just looked at her, shell-shocked.

"But I'll talk to her. The Regent. And the Council. They really don't go in for this kind of mess. Too hard to keep it quiet, too many parents demanding answers. It attracts too much attention. I know it probably isn't much comfort, but the vampire that did this will be punished."

"Ten pieces of gold, right?" Caitlin said.

The Chief kept going like she hadn't been interrupted. "As for you guys, I suggest you do the best you can to forget about this." She paused. "I am sorry."

"What about Bethany?" Caitlin asked. "How do we get her back?"

The Chief just shook her head.

Alexis looked like she was about to tear into the Chief, but a commotion at the door stopped her. "Sir, I'm sorry, you can't come through here—" one of the cops was saying, but his voice cut off when someone grabbed him and threw him through the air.

The rest of the crowd parted like the red sea, and Michael stalked into the room, in full vamp face. Everyone got really quiet, and the police officers tried to look at Michael and the floor simultaneously.

Michael saw Caitlin, and his vamp face melted away. She rushed over to him, and fell into his arms. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"No."

The Chief walked over. "Is this your handiwork?"

Michael looked at her like she was mentally challenged. "Yeah, I did all of this. She came running over to me because she's got an early-onset case of Stockholm syndrome."

"You don't have to get snippy with me, sir."

Crimson circles appeared in Michael's eyes. "And you don't need to talk to me at all. Go finish covering up your crime scene."

The Chief blinked. "Oh, you must be McKenna. You know who did this?"

"Liam."

The Chief swore.

"What?" Caitlin asked.

"Liam is a ... special case. He belongs to the Regent. They're lovers or cousins or something. Hell, I can't keep this vampire crap straight. But whatever they are, he's her golden boy. She ain't gonna touch him. I'm sorry."