Soul Thief (12 page)

ABOUT HALF AN HOUR
LATER
, we arrived at the bar and found an empty table. Craig and Michelle walked in shortly afterward. Both were dressed in jeans. Craig wore a tight tee shirt and red skinny jeans that screamed for attention, and Michelle wore a loose-fitting floral jumper for the occasion.

The club was already quite crowded. I recognized several people from high school. The lights were so low that it looked like the middle of the night inside the club, so I only recognized them when they were nearly in my face.

The waiter came and we ordered a round of non-alcoholic cocktails.

“So when will he be here?” Michelle asked. “You managed to spark my curiosity.”

“He'll be here any moment. He just texted me he's running a little late,” Katie said. “How do I look?”

“You look great,” I replied, rolling my eyes. “That's about the tenth time you've asked though. Surely this guy must like you for more than your looks.”

Katie sighed. “I know. It's just that he's way out of my league. You'll see once he gets here.”

The waiter came with our drinks and I glanced at my cell phone. Still no message back from Leander. I was an idiot. How could I think for a second that a supernatural being who has lived for centuries would even be remotely interested in me? Besides, maybe inviting him here wasn't a good idea anyway. My friends might think it was great that I was dating my psychologist, but what if the other kids from school saw me?

I looked up and spotted a faint, golden glow at the back of the club. I blinked a few times. Had Leander come here unannounced to surprise me? A wave of relief flooded over me.

The golden glow approached us but I still couldn't make out who it was. It might as well be Diane or another Angel. The glow was the only thing visible in the darkness.

Then it stopped. I got the distinct feeling the supernatural being was watching me. Then it disappeared, simply teleported out of there.

Nobody seemed to have noticed because there were no cries of surprise.

The illusion that it might have been Leander was shattered, but who was it then?

“What is taking him so long?” Katie muttered from beside me, and I forgot all about the Angel disappearing when it saw me. She pushed a few buttons on her cell phone, probably sending her date another text.

“Maybe there's a long line at the door,” Michelle suggested. She looked at me with a look that said if necessary I would have to do damage control. “I'm sure he'll get here any minute.”

Fifteen minutes passed, which we spent mostly by making jokes about our teachers, and Katie and I spent looking at our cell phones for more time than was normal. Katie tried to call Myron but he didn't pick up.

“I'm sorry to say this,” Craig said, “but I think he stood you up.”

“He'd never do that,” Katie said. “At least, I hope not.” Tears in the corners of her eyes threatened to ruin her perfectly-applied mascara.

I put my arm around her shoulders and shot a concerned look at her. In all the years I'd known her, I'd never seen Katie like this, so vulnerable. She must have it really hard for this guy.

“What do you say we go dancing?” I suggested. “It'll keep your mind off things. If he stood you up, then he's not worth it.”

“But I don't get it,” she said. “He said he'd be here. He even texted me he was on his way. Then he doesn't show up. What if something happened? What if he got into a car accident?”

“You know what? If you like, we can go take a quick look outside. If there's no sign of his car in the parking lot, or him standing in line to get in, then at least you know he's safe. An idiot, but safe,” I said.

“Fine,” Katie agreed. I took her hand and we went outside, making our way through the armada of dancing people all around us. The crisp night air swirled around my face.

“Kind of chilly,” Katie said, wrapping her arms around herself.

“There's a line waiting to get in,” I said, nodding toward a long line of people waiting in front of the building. “Maybe you can look for him there, while I go check the parking lot.”

“I'm not sure if it's wise to split up,” Katie said.

“I'll be fine. Tell me what his car looks like.”

“You can't miss it.” She gave me the license plate number and a description — black low rider with tinted windows — and I hurried off toward the parking lot.

I was never one to be afraid, but I was glad I had supernatural strength on my side now. A few guys hung out at the back of the parking lot and they started whistling suggestively and shouting at me as soon as they noticed me. I refused to acknowledge their existence and instead searched the place from top to bottom.

“What are you looking for, girlie?” one of the guys asked. They wore hoodies so their faces were in shadow, but they didn't look that much older than me.

I ignored his question. There were a few black sports cars in the parking lot but none with the license plate number Katie had given me. Stupid moron of a guy, standing up my best friend. Stupid Leander, standing me up.

“Are you all alone?” another guy leered. “It's not safe to be out alone in the dark.”

How cliché
, I thought. The only cars I hadn't checked yet were the ones closer to the little group. I was almost one hundred percent certain there would be no car to match Katie's description but I'd probably end up feeling guilty all night if I didn't check over there.

I took a few steps toward the little gang of hoodies. My stomach clenched and a shiver of fear ran down my spine. Or maybe it wasn't really fear, more like a warning. My gut told me not to get any closer and I decided guilt didn't outweigh being attacked. Even though I had supernatural strength, it was still five against one.

I retraced my steps, but it was too late. One of the guys dropped his hood and I recognized the same dark, menacing glow I'd seen on a vampire in the restaurant Leander and I went to earlier this week. Screw supernatural strength. For the little I knew about vampires, they were as fast and as strong as I was, and excellent empaths.

“Um, nice to meet you,” I tried. “My friends are inside, so I'll get going now.”

I turned around, ready to break into a run, but I couldn't move. When I looked behind me I stared right into the face of the guy who'd dropped his hood, probably the leader of the gang.

“What's the matter?” he asked. “Afraid of us?”

“The little girl is afraid,” one of the others sneered. He licked his fangs, which shone brightly in the moonlight.

Screw you, Katie, this is the last time I'm doing you a favor.

“I don't want to bother you,” I said. “So I'll be on my way.” I yanked my arm out of the vampire's grip.

“Not so fast.” He reached for me again, this time pulling me closer to him. His breath smelled foul, of blood and flesh, and I wanted to throw up.

“We're going to have some fun first. It's been a while since we've met one of your kind,” he said, sniffing my scent.

The others appeared around me, closing me in. “Your blood will be delicious,” one of them predicted. “Always is.”

“A mix of human and Angel. I haven't tasted something so fine in four centuries.”

I fought the panic welling up in my throat but it was useless. I could only pray Katie wouldn't come looking for me and fall victim to this group of morons as well.

Leander, if you can hear me, I'm in danger! I'm surrounded by vampires, and they want to turn me into supper. Please help. HELP!

I hoped the mental message reached him in time, but until it did I had to stall. “What are you?” I asked, hoping that playing dumb would buy me some time.

“Don't pretend you don't know, girlie,” the one closest to me said. “We're vampires of course. And tonight, you're on the menu.”

“That's a cheesy line,” I said. “You should get some new material. Besides, I taste really bad. I've eaten way too much junk food. You wouldn't like the taste at all.”

“What do you think we are?” he asked, letting go of me. “We're not cannibals. We don't eat you, we'll just drain your blood.”

“I'm not very fond of that idea either,” I said.

“Too bad,” bad-breath-guy said. He smiled, revealing his fangs, and then attacked me.

I ducked before he could touch me and kicked his shins as hard as I could. He yelped out in pain but there were four more ready to slam me down.

One of them hit me in the face. Stars blinked in front of my eyes, but I managed to stand up and push him away. Another grabbed my shoulder, pulling me backward, but I grabbed his arm and threw him over my back onto the ground.

I'd never fought before, but instinct took over. I managed to hit one of the vampires straight in the face. A terrible cracking noise told me his nose was broken. Even if my chances were still slim, I did a mental victory dance over that one.

Then a voice lured its way into my mind.
Stay still,
it said in a soothing tone, like a mother talking to a baby.
This won't hurt at all.

Part of me wanted to do what the voice said, but the other part screamed that this wasn't right, that the voice was wrong, that I had to move, had to fight.

Be silent. It'll all be over soon.

“No!” I screamed, but my body wouldn't move. The vampire whose shins I'd kicked moved toward me, smirking. He flashed his razor-sharp fangs.

Sweat dripped down my forehead and my heart thundered in my chest. The vampire grabbed my shoulders to hold me still and sank his teeth into my neck. A sharp, piercing pain soared through my body.

It only lasted for a few seconds. Then the vampire was pulled back, his teeth yanked out of my skin. My vision became blurry from the blood loss. A golden glow was all I saw and a rush of black clothes as someone pulled the vampires away from me. One vampire grabbed on to me, but I elbowed him in the stomach and he collapsed onto the floor.

I blinked a few times. Already my gaze was becoming steadier and the wound on my neck closed. My rescuer had his back turned toward me. All I could make out was that he was tall, had dark brown, short, wavy hair and that whoever he was, he definitely wasn't Leander, the rescuer I'd imagined.

He bent over one of the vampires and stabbed him with a silver blade, glistening in the moonlight, wet with blood.

The vampire cried out when the blade pierced his chest. Seconds later he crumbled apart, reduced to nothing but dust.

I took a few deep breaths. “Who are you? And thanks.”

He didn't turn around, nor did he reply. I was about to ask something else when Katie's voice echoed through the parking lot.

“Riley! Are you okay?” she shouted.

I looked behind my shoulder. She was running toward me, a blur of red and brown. I turned back to my rescuer, but he was gone. The parking lot was empty.

What kind of dumb-ass hero rescues someone and then disappears before they can be properly thanked?

Katie slowed down when she approached me. “Are you okay?” she asked. Her eyes went wide when she noticed my neck. “Is that blood?”

Crap. The wound had healed but when I touched it, it was still sticky with blood. “Um, yeah, but it's nothing.”

“It looks pretty bad,” she said. “Let me see.”

“I didn't get hurt, just a scratch. Can we go back inside now? I'd like to get cleaned up.”

“Are you sure you don't need a doctor? That's pretty close to your artery, and…”

“Wow, Katie, first a psychologist, now a doctor?” I joked. “Anyway, did you find Myron?”

“Nope,” Katie responded, her initial panic replaced by a solemn expression. “He didn't pick up when I called and he was nowhere in line either. I even went back inside and searched the entire club from top to bottom.” That explained why it took her so long to get here.

“I'm not really in the mood to go dancing anymore,” she said.

“No way. We're not going to let guys ruin our night.” I hooked my arm into hers. “We're going in and we'll have fun.”

“Whatever we're going to do, you're going to let somebody have a look at that wound first. You never explained how you got it in the first place.”

I held up my hand and showed her the oversized ring I'd put on for the occasion because it was fashionable and because Mom said it made me look classy. “I was scratching my neck, totally preoccupied looking for the car and I forgot all about how I was wearing the ring. The rest is history.”

“Yikes,” Katie said. She looked at her own hands. “Remind me not to wear rings with sharp edges.”

We went back inside and I was glad to be surrounded by people again. My heart still beat like a rocker's drum. Vampires were now officially off my list of cool supernatural beings.

Michelle took one good look at my neck and pulled me along to the girls' bathroom. She checked if all the stalls were empty with the business-like attitude of a lawyer. She grabbed a paper towel and started cleaning the wound.

“Whatever story you told Katie, I won't buy it,” she said while cleaning. “That's not a cut from a ring. There are two puncture wounds, that's it. And that's way too much blood.” She pulled the towel away and pushed it under the water to clean off the blood before she dabbed it again. “You don't have to tell me the truth but I strongly suggest you do. I know something is wrong and it's more than just going through that accident.” She threw the towel in the trash and leaned her back against a sink. “You've changed, Riles. There's something you're not telling us.” She reached for my hand. “You can tell us anything, you know that, right?”

I stared at my hands and wondered how the hell I was going to talk myself out of this one. She'd given me a way out though — I didn't have to tell her. But I wanted to tell her, I wanted to come clean.