Temptation (27 page)

Kylie sighed. “Billy has been a problem,” she admitted. “He keeps seeing vampires everywhere.”

Irene's eyes lit up. “That
is
a problem!”

Both girls laughed.

“I'm meeting Nate later at Swanny's,” Irene revealed. “I think tonight could be . . . delicious.” An evil grin spread over her face.

“I came so close last night,” Kylie told her. “So close I could taste the nectar. But . . .” Her voice trailed off.

“But what?” Irene demanded, brushing back her hair, letting the ocean wind flutter it.

Kylie shook her head. She frowned. “I don't want to talk about it. I'm so hungry, Irene. So hungry.”

Irene started to reply. But Kylie dove to the sand.

Kylie struck quickly—and grabbed a plump sea gull off the ground. She tightened her hand around its feathery throat.

The bird flapped its wings. It let out a sharp squawk.

Its cry was cut off by Kylie's fingernails as they dug deep into its flesh and ripped out the bird's throat.

As dark blood flowed over the white feathers, Kylie buried her face in the open wound. Slurping loudly. Drinking frantically. Pressing the warm bird over her face as she drank.

“Hey—how about sharing?” Irene demanded, reaching out her hand.

Kylie hungrily drank some more. Then she dropped the gull into Irene's hand. Irene raised the bird's torn body to her face and drank.

“Save some for April,” Kylie said, wiping blood off her cheeks with both hands.

“She can get her own,” Irene replied, her face buried in the dead sea gull.

•   •   •   •   •

“Jay, hi. It's me,” Billy said, balancing the phone between his shoulder and ear. He bent over and tied his sneakers as he talked.

“How's it going?” Jay asked dully.

“I've got to talk to you,” Billy replied. Jay still sounds tired, he thought with alarm. I hope I'm not too late.

“Can't really talk now,” Jay said, so low Billy could barely hear him. “Got to meet April. I've got to—”

“That's what I want to talk to you about,” Billy interrupted. He finished tying the sneaker and sat up, grabbing the phone.

“April?” Jay asked, confused.

“Yes. Listen to me, Jay. I know it's hard to believe. But you're in danger. Real danger.”

On the other end of the line, Jay let out a weak laugh.

“I'm totally serious,” Billy insisted. “Don't laugh, Jay. Just listen to me.”

“I'm not feeling well,” Jay said, clearing his throat. “I've got to go, man. Really.”

“Just listen to me!” Billy insisted. “Don't you wonder why you're so tired? Don't you wonder why you feel so weak? It's because of April.”

A long silence on Jay's end. Then, “Huh?”

“April is a vampire, Jay,” Billy declared heatedly. “I know it's hard to believe. But she's a vampire. She's drinking your blood, a sip at a time. If you don't watch out—”

“Cut it out!” Jay snapped. “I told you, I'm late. I've got to go. These dumb vampire jokes—”

“It's not a joke,” Billy insisted desperately. “I told you what happened last summer. It's happening again, Jay. You've got to listen. I'm trying to save your life. April will—”

“Billy, take a deep breath, man,” Jay interrupted. “Listen to me. I'm feeling tired because I have the flu or something. All this vampire talk—well . . . Are your parents there?”

“Well . . . yeah,” Billy replied.

“Have you talked with them about this vampire stuff?”

“No,” Billy told him.

“Maybe you should,” Jay urged. “Maybe you should tell them that you're troubled by thoughts about vampires. They can help you, Billy. You really should give your parents a chance to help you.”

He thinks I'm crazy, Billy realized.

Here he is, in danger for his life—and he's worrying about me.

“I've got to go,” Jay said. “April is here. At the condo. Maybe I'll see you later, Billy.”

“No—!” Billy cried. “Don't go! Don't go with her, Jay! Please—!”

Billy heard a click. The phone went dead.

•   •   •   •   •

A raindrop hit Billy's cheek. The icy bead of water trickled down his neck, making his skin tingle.

The fog seemed to be thickening. It blanketed the town, turning the street lamps into misty blurs of yellow light.

Billy turned down Main Street. He searched for Jay and April in the Pizza Cove. Not there.

Billy pushed open the door of Swanny's ice cream parlor and arcade. The damp night disappeared immediately. Loud music blared around him. Kids were laughing and talking over the music. Bent over video games.

Nate and Irene sat on a low bench near the jukebox, clinging together. Irene had her arms around Nate's shoulders. She was kissing him.

Billy walked quickly over to them. “Hey, do you guys know where Jay and April are?” he asked.

Irene turned. She had lipstick smeared over her mouth. Nate shot Billy an annoyed look. He signaled with both hands, as if to say, “Get lost.”

“Have you seen him?” Billy demanded.

“Not since yesterday,” Nate replied impatiently.

“I really need to find him,” Billy said. “He's in danger.”

That caught Irene's attention. She pulled away from Nate and raised her eyes to Billy. “Danger?”

“April is a vampire,” Billy blurted out. “I tried to warn Jay. But he won't believe me. She's a vampire and she's—”

“Give it a rest, man,” Nate said impatiently. He scowled at Billy.

“No. Really—” Billy started.

Nate narrowed his eyes menacingly. “I mean it. Give this vampire stuff a rest. You're starting to sound weird, Billy. You're starting to sound really messed up.”

Nate turned back to Irene. She smiled at him and slid her hands behind his neck, pulling his face to hers.

No help there. Billy glanced around the arcade. He searched the crowd for Jay and April.

A familiar squeal of laughter caught his attention. Lynette. She was playing an old Ninja Turtles game at the back of the arcade, near the fire exit.

A lanky, older boy, dressed entirely in black, leaned over the game as Lynette played.

No! It's impossible, Billy thought, recognizing the boy immediately.

A face I'll never forget. Never.

The face of pure evil.

“Nate!” Billy cried. He grabbed Nate by the shoulder and tried to pry him away from Irene.

“Hey! Give me a break!” Nate protested angrily.

“Nate—your sister!” Billy cried. “There's a guy over there with your sister—that guy in black—”

“Oh, that's just Jon,” Nate told him. “I know him from last summer. He said he'd watch Lynette if I got him an early tee time tomorrow at the golf club.”

“Nate, you can't leave Lynette with that guy!” Billy shrieked. He tugged Nate's arm again. “He's a vampire, Nate. I know he is! He's a vampire! He'll—”

“Whoa! Let go!” Nate jerked his arm away. He jumped to his feet, and loomed angrily over Billy, bumping him with his powerful chest. “Back off, Billy. I mean it.”

“Listen to me—” Billy wailed.

“You're messed up, man,” Nate told him. “You're seeing vampires everywhere you look. Get home, Billy. Get yourself home, okay? You're really messed up.”

“Maybe we should help him home,” Irene suggested. “Or maybe we should get him to a doctor or something.”

“Nooo!” Billy cried. “I'm telling the truth! I'm not crazy!”

He spun away from them—in time to see the tall boy pull Lynette out the fire door in back.

“No—stop!” Billy screamed.

A few kids turned from their games to stare at him.

Billy pushed his way through the crowded aisle to the fire door.

Jon is a vampire, he told himself. Jon is the vampire who murdered Joelle.

Now where is he taking Lynette?

He pushed the heavy fire door open with his shoulder, stepped outside, and let the heavy door slam behind him. The rain had stopped, but the air remained cool and wet.

He stood in a small alley behind the arcade. Where are they? he thought frantically. Where did Jon take her?

He let his eyes search up and down the alley. No vampire.

Would he really hurt a little kid? Billy thought.

“Help me!”

Lynette's cry. From nearby.

Which way? Billy wondered. He spun around. Tried to tell where the cry came from.

“Help me!” He heard it again.

He's taking her to the beach, Billy realized. The deserted beach.

Billy sprinted from the alley. The beach was a short distance away. But it seemed to take forever, even running full speed. Finally, he clambered down the wooden steps that led to the sand.

His sneakers dug into the rain-wet sand as he started to run.

“Lynette? Lynette?”

No reply.

He stopped short.

A dying fire still smoldered near the shore. Drenched by the rain. The last sparks of somebody's interrupted beach party.

And in the dim orange light of the low fire, Billy saw Lynette, sprawled on her back on the sand. Arms straight out. Head tilted at an angle. Not moving.

“Hey—!” Jon stepped forward to meet Billy. “Stay away from here!” he shouted, his voice deep and menacing over the steady rush of ocean waves behind him.

“I—I know you,” Billy stammered.

The closer Jon came, the taller he appeared. His eyes flashed as he narrowed them on Billy. A dark orange flash, the same color as the dying fire.

You're dead,
Billy thought.
You're dead, Jon. I killed you last summer. After you killed Joelle.

But no.

Billy had obviously failed.

“I know you,” Billy repeated. “You killed my girlfriend. You killed Joelle.”

The vampire sneered. “Was that her name?”

“You—you—” Billy couldn't choke out any words.

The vampire snorted. “Bad break, kid. But that's the way it goes sometimes,” he said with a smirk.

“You killed her—and you didn't even know her name,” Billy managed to say.

“Sometimes I like fast food,” the vampire said, snickering at his own joke. “I don't always have time for introductions.”

Billy turned his gaze to the fire, thinking hard, the rage burning in his chest. “How can you joke about it?” he cried. “How can you joke about taking human lives?”

The vampire shrugged. “You're interrupting my dinner.” He motioned to Lynette, sprawled motionless on the sand. “Maybe I'll save the little girl for a late-night snack. You can be the main course.” He let his fangs slide down over his lower lip.

His orange eyes flashed brightly. He began to rise up over Billy, floating off the ground.

“No—!” Billy uttered a sharp cry and dove past him.

Stumbling, sliding on the wet sand, Billy hurtled to the dying embers. A weathered piece of driftwood had just caught fire. It burned dully, purple-red flames licking up from the charred log.

Billy grabbed the burning log off the sand—and whirled around.

As Jon dove for him, Billy swung the flaming log at the vampire's chest.

“Die!” Billy screamed. “Die! Die! Die!”

But to Billy's shock, the vampire grabbed the burning log with both hands.

He tugged it easily from Billy's grasp. Held it by one end.

Billy's arms flew up to protect himself.

Too late.

With a howl of triumph, the vampire thrust the log forward—and shoved it through Billy's chest.

Billy gasped and staggered back.

His legs collapsed, and he dropped to his knees on the sand.

He waited for the pain, for the crushing pain to sweep over his body. He waited for the darkness . . .

He glanced down at his chest, expecting to see the gaping wound. To his surprise, he saw no wound staining his shirt.

Instead he saw that the driftwood had crumbled. The log, soft and decayed, had fallen to pieces when it struck his chest. Tiny, burning chunks glowed on the sand in front of him.

Billy sucked in a deep breath of fresh ocean air. I'm alive, he thought. I'm alive—and I'm not giving this vampire another chance.

With a cry of rage, he rushed at Jon.

The vampire opened his fanged mouth in an angry hiss.

Billy leapt at him. Dug his fingers into the vampire's bony shoulders. Pushed him. Pushed him back.

Back.

The vampire hissed again and lowered his fangs to Billy's throat.

Driven by a rage he had never felt before, Billy pushed him. Back. Back.

And with a burst of strength, he heaved the startled vampire onto the purple, burning embers of the fire.

Jon landed hard on his back. The fire sizzled beneath him.

The vampire's eyes flared red. He shot his hands up to the sky as if reaching for something to pull himself up.

His mouth opened in a silent cry as the flames leapt around him.

And then, as Billy gaped in amazement, black smoke rose up from the sand. Billows of black smoke surrounded the thrashing vampire.

Billy took a step back, his heart pounding, his legs weak.

The smoke billowed into a thick curtain. It darkened the sky and the beach.

Behind the black curtain, Billy heard a fluttering sound. The fluttering became louder. Billy recognized the flap of wings.

Bat wings.

A red-eyed bat flapped up from behind the smoke. It rose over Billy, its tiny, round eyes glaring angrily. Dripping yellow saliva, the mouth opened in a shrill, menacing hiss.

And then the bat flapped away, swooping rapidly out over the sand, out to the ocean.

Billy stood watching it, swallowing hard, choking back his fear, his face drenched with sweat despite the coolness of the night.