The Night House (3 page)

He holds his hands out. This is the beginning of the ritual. Each vamp has his or her own.

I have to take a deep breath, to steady myself, before I can accept his hands. But I do, and he pulls me to my feet.

Jeremiah is an animal. The top of the food chain.

So when he puts one hand on my waist and I put mine on his shoulder, I give up any semblance of control I have.

We start to dance. I can almost feel his pain and joy. When we begin, he is hit with memories from this time period. I know it, because for a brief moment, his eyes soften and become merciful, so he closes them against that weakness. When he opens them again, I see the vampire. I see his hunger. I see myself.

I’m lost.

That’s when the feeding really begins. Vampires consume our will through their eyes before they even touch us.

“Finn has yet again denied my request to borrow you for an evening.” Jeremiah speaks to the air above my head, instead of me. “He insists that it’s not his decision. Which, I suppose, makes it your decision.”

Jeremiah has been trying this for a month. Trying to get me out of the Night House with him. I don’t even know what he wants from me, but I don’t like the idea of going on a date with a guy who’s probably ten times my age.

“You should consider my proposal,” Jeremiah says. “I could pay you handsomely, for just a night.”

I just nod at him, like I always do. No way in hell am I leaving the Night House with him. At least in here, Finn is my safety net. As a Night House owner, he has some immunity. I’d rather answer to him than to Jeremiah. At least I know Finn wants to keep me alive.

Before I know it, we’ve stopped dancing. My heart is pounding so hard, it is almost too much to bear. Jeremiah takes my wrists in his hands.

“Lie down.”

I don’t know if I’m scared or relieved. If he needs me to lie down, it means he’s planning on taking more than usual, so much that I might pass out.

It’s rare for a girl to die during an appointment. As shady as this all is, we are taken care of. But it does happen. Finn knows how to handle those situations. When a girl walks into a room and can’t walk out again, she disappears. We usually never see the vamps again either, but not for the same reason.

That’s what I’m thinking when I lie down on the couch, when Jeremiah kneels next to me and examines my wrist like an artist, like a doctor. Where are the flaws? Which point will yield more? Which is the cleanest way? How much is enough?

I think, what if this is the last thing I see?

He runs a single finger down the map of veins in my left arm, choosing his path. When he makes up his mind, he grips my upper arm with enough strength to make the veins press against my skin like snakes. His lips part, and I can see his fangs sliding into place. I can’t watch it happen.

A drop of warm fizzy liquid appears on my arm; the poison that will numb me when it enters my blood stream. Nauth. Sometimes vampires have too much nauth, and it pours out of them whenever they’re with someone. Jeremiah usually has just enough, but lately he’s been busy. Almost two weeks have passed since his last visit. Another drop fizzles on my arm. He’s got too much nauth today. And it’s all for me.

His teeth sink into my arm.

It’s like he’s biting into a strawberry. I used to have to cover my mouth when they bit me or else I’d scream. It still hurts, but it’s a pain I can deal with, because almost immediately afterwards, I feel the nauth rushing through my veins. Without nauth, this place, this life, would be unlivable.

As Jeremiah consumes my blood, sucking it up through his needle-like fangs, I absorb the nauth and let it become me. It’s like when you swallow something too warm, you can feel it going down your throat. I can feel it spreading through my whole body, leaving nothing but this sensation like I’m sitting inside a bottle of soda. It’s all I can feel. Not the fire a few feet away, not the teeth inside my arm, not my own pounding heart. My insides are carbonated.

It’s bliss.

I can’t think except to wonder at my own body. I sit there, staring at the ceiling, not seeing it at all, and try to picture what’s going on inside me. I see a lake of crystal clear water. I can’t hear anything except the slow
fizz
of the waves. My left arm is numb, so I dive into the lake. Then it bubbles with the rest of me. I feel good floating in this lake of poison. So good. It’s like happiness.

But once I’m surrounded by the water, I’m freezing cold. So I open my eyes, and Jeremiah stands over me. The fangs have retracted back into his gums. He wipes his mouth with a handkerchief. It has the letter
J
sewn into the corner. Red stains the blue silk.

“I don’t know when I’ll be able to come back,” he says. “Things have been busy.”

Tragic
, I think.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a leather wallet. I manage to open my hand, which hangs off the couch, useless. He purposefully crumples the bill into my sweaty palm. I don’t deserve his crisp money.

Then he takes his jacket off the chair and leaves me lying on the couch. I try to swallow, to feel something inside, but the nauth is still raging through me. The money falls out of my hands. I concentrate all my efforts on my toes, trying to move them. I’m not scared. I want so badly to move again, because that triggers the next stage of the poison. After the numbness, comes euphoria. As soon as you start to move again, as soon as your heart rate goes up, the effects change slightly, concentrating in your nervous system so that everything you do feels good.

My whole body feels like it’s lighting up every time I move or touch something else. It’s like my bones are all reverberating with the universe. I hear music sometimes. Other times I see things. But I’m always aware of what’s happening. I’m aware that this isn’t myself, but the nauth playing with me.

That’s why I keep coming back.

James

We’ve been walking for about five minutes. I’ve never been to Shell’s house, or really anyone’s house except for Shiloh, my best friend. I don’t know where we’re going. I should have investigated before we left. I should have put a different shirt on, or taken a shower, or just stayed home in bed.

“So where does Shell live?” My voice sounds unsure even to me.

“The thing is that it’s not actually at her house.”

“Of course it’s not.”

Ally shoves her hands into her pockets and picks up her pace. I jog after her. When our cobblestone street turns into a regular one, I let her take the lead. She knows the city much better than I do. Sixteen years of exploring has her pretty confident. But after a couple blocks go by, I get nervous.

“Ally, where are we going?” I ask.

She rolls her eyes. “Oh my God, loosen up.”

“No, really, Al, I don’t like this.”

“Calm down, okay? It’s just a club. It’s not going to kill you. In fact, the only thing that will kill you is staying locked up in your room.”

With every step, we are getting farther from home and Society Hill. Philly is one of those places where you can live in the nicest house but still be a block away from the worst places. It’s easy for us to find ourselves somewhere we shouldn’t be. Two teenagers walking in darkened alleys probably seem like easy prey.

“Just think of how excited Shell will be when she sees you. Maybe she’ll kiss you.”

I stare at my shoes. A kiss would be nice. Scratch that. It would be unbelievable. I always thought Shell was just nervous around me, but I guess it was more than that. I can’t believe someone has a crush on me. I can’t believe anyone has ever seen
me
at all.

“Isn’t it gorgeous tonight?” Ally closes her eyes to take a deep breath. I can feel her lungs expanding. “What if we just ran away?”

“Absolutely not.”

She laughs. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Calm down. I’m just testing you. Making sure it’s really you in there. I mean we
are
walking to a club right now. Maybe you’ve been possessed.”

The club in question is one of the few under-21 clubs in the city. “Really? This place?” I mutter as we wait in line. There’s so much glitter around us, it’s blinding. Every city has its trashy side, I suppose, but I think Philly’s is one of the most dramatic.

“Oh, are you an expert on clubs now?” Ally throws her curly hair up into a huge ponytail. “Because I was under the impression that you were a dungeon troll who hates fun.”

I hold my breath instead of speaking.

It costs fifteen bucks each for us to get in. The music pounds through the walls. I’m already getting nervous. Ally is beyond excited. It flows through her with the beat of the music.

“If you need to leave early, just send me a text.” Ally nods at me, like we’ve already talked this over. “No big deal.”

She starts threading her way through people without waiting for a response. I try to follow her, assuming she is searching for Shell and the others, but she’s moving too fast. When I reach out and touch her shoulder, it’s a petite tanned girl I’ve never seen who faces me. She’s clearly much older than me.

“Hey,” she says. “Watch those hands.”

I take mine back quickly, feeling this girl’s buzz zip through me, loosening my muscles but setting my teeth on edge. I don’t want to be drunk or high or anything. I need to keep my mind clear so I can stick with Ally—

It occurs to me then that I am lost in the crowd. Ally is nowhere to be found. And there
is
a crowd. As soon as I lose my focus, everyone begins to press into me. So many minds all around, and they’re all hyped up. It’s like trying to walk through water. There are about a hundred brains’ worth of adrenaline and nerves and hormones buzzing through me. I’m starting to lose control of my body. The movements of the people around me are bleeding into my limbs. It takes all of my concentration to stay still.

Damn it, Ally
, is all I have time to think before I see Shell approaching.

Bianca

When I wake up, Snow White is standing over me, hands on hips.

“Move it, sister,” she says. “I need the room.”

I open my mouth to curse at her, but the world threatens to spin right out of my grasp.

“Whoa.” She leans closer. “Someone took too much.”

My lips tingle so bad, I think they’re going to fall off my face. My hand covers my mouth. I have to hold my lips in place.

“Bee, it’s me,
Alex
.” She enunciates every sound.

I hear her, I just can’t care. I make a gurgling noise and close my eyes.

Alex’s hands touch my face. There is a buzzing so loud that I yelp. Her hands are forcing my skull to vibrate. Or maybe there are bees in my head instead of brains.

“Bee!” she yells. “Can you hear me?”

“Time,” I murmur.

“It’s eleven o’clock, and I have an appointment.”

“I have to go.”

She helps me upright. “That’s right. You need to go to your room and sleep until noon tomorrow.”

“Uh-uh. I have to see someone.”

“Oh no you don’t. You are way gone, sister. Like, on another planet in another dimension. Whatever appointments you have, Finn can cancel.” Her high-pitched voice makes me think of Alvin and the Chipmunks.

“Micah,” I mumble.

Alex shakes her head. “I wish I could see through your eyes right now.”

When she forces me to my feet, I’m not prepared for the weight of my whole body. Suddenly I’m on the floor. It nuzzles my face.

I hear the door creak open. Alex’s voice rings out, “We got a spinner!”

She’s calling another person to help me up because I’m so far gone. She can’t lift me herself because she’s anemic and my dress alone weighs fifty pounds. At least my deductive reasoning is intact when my mouth is shut.

Then there are hands underneath me, and I’m floating in the air.

“This is becoming a regular thing with Jeremiah.” Finn’s voice cuts through my pleasant dreams.

“There’s money on the floor.”

“I noticed. He gave you a fifty-dollar tip.”

“Missed me,” I slur.

“Sleep it off.” Finn sets me down in what I hope is my bed. I am grateful for his boring voice. It doesn’t disturb me.

“Are you going to stay in your room tonight, Bianca?” he asks. “You’re not going to wander around the streets?”

I lick my lips. The sensation is like rubbing an ice cube on my face. I do it again. My skin is chilled, like a winter wind. It’s nice, after the profuse sweating from the fire room. I wonder what would happen if I kissed someone. The thought makes me giddy.

Finn sighs. “I wish I could lock these doors from the outside. Please don’t forget to eat something. I don’t buy good food so you can let it rot.”

I laugh at him. “Like how you’re rotten.”

“Stay,” he commands, like I’m his dog. “Eat.”

He leaves the room and shuts the door. I wish I could fall right back and sleep until noon, but Alex isn’t the only one with an appointment. Besides, this dress is giving me a rash. A 19
^th
-century rash.

I sit up and tug at the behemoth dress until it slinks to the floor. My skin tingles at the movement. As quickly as I can, I shimmy out of all my clothes. Then I slip on my black dress and grab the only sweater I have. Every time the fabric touches my skin, pins and needles ripple. Only I’m not numb. Far from it. I feel everything.

So far, I’ve been on autopilot. I get up and dress, and then it takes me a minute to remember why I got dressed. I see the fifty dollars on my dresser and shove it into my bag. My door opens with a creak and a moan, and I catch my breath sharply. My lungs swell with air and bubbles. But no one is watching me. So I creep out of my room and down the hallway and out of the Night House.

Like the White Rabbit, I'm late for something.

For someone.

Micah.

When I’m outside I don’t stop walking for another block, but then I’m forced to sit down and catch my breath. It’s hard to think. I close my eyes. I’m out here for a reason. There’s money in my pocket. It’s Thursday night.

Such a beautiful night.

I take another deep breath. The feeling of the night air filling my body is euphoric. It flows right through me, like I’m not really solid. I wish I could share this happiness with someone else. Maybe I can give it to Micah.