The Vampire Stalker (4 page)

The moment I saw his face twitch, I wished I could take back the words.

“You believe that
my
world is the fantasy world, do you?” Alexander asked. “I assure you, it is not.
This
world, which you claim has no vampires and has oddities such as” — he glanced at the TV — “miniature film projectors, seems fantastical to me.”

I didn’t know how to respond. In a way, he was right — his world was completely real to him. Alexander Banks was not, and never had been, a fictional character.

My first thought was that I had to call Katie and Luisa, tell them everything. But I knew how crazy the whole scenario would sound. I’d have to wait.

“I’m sorry,” I finally said. “I didn’t mean that. Your world is as real as mine.”

“Thank you.” He seemed deep in thought. “There must be some passageway between my Chicago and yours. Otherwise, this author could not have known what is happening there.” He paused. “If a portal exists, I believe it is located in the vicinity of the Michigan Avenue Bridge. Earlier this evening, I tracked down Vigo and chased him across the bridge. Soon after, I became aware that I did not recognize where we were. I didn’t understand it because the bridge ends off in the Elgin District, and we clearly weren’t there. Come to think of it, that’s when I noticed that many people were out past curfew.”

“And then you ended up at my building complex.”

“Yes. I’d lost Vigo’s trail briefly. I imagine that he was as disoriented as I was. That must be why he stopped to feed — he didn’t appear to realize that I was still after him.”

Stopped to feed.
I felt queasy. If Alexander hadn’t shown up, Vigo would have … I shook my head. There was no time for post-traumatic stress disorder. We had to figure out what was happening.

“Maybe if you go back to the bridge,” I suggested, “there’s a chance you’ll find your way home.” I wasn’t sure if that would work; after all, I’d crossed that bridge many times myself and never ended up in Otherworld. But it might be worth a shot.

“Getting home is not my primary concern.” He gave me a hard glance, and I knew what was he was thinking. Any Alexander fan would know.

“You want to find Vigo.”

“Until I know for certain that Vigo has returned to my world, I’m not going anywhere.”

CHAPTER
FOUR

 

L
AST NIGHT.
The attack.
Alexander.

Had I dreamed it all? Or was Alexander, right now, sleeping on the lumpy pullout couch in the den?

I shifted to look at the clock, wincing at the soreness all over my body. Pushing the covers back, I saw bruises on my arms where Vigo had grabbed me. It was all the assurance I needed that last night had really happened.

7:39
A.M
. My second Saturday waking up way too early. But there was no chance of falling back to sleep. I was surprised I’d slept at all, since I’d lain awake for hours, my mind spinning.

I opted for jeans and a knit top, slowly pulling the clothes over my sore body. After brushing my teeth, I went back to my room to put on lip gloss and brush my hair. I glanced around. As always, my room was messy, spilling over with books. A sign hung on my door:
Creative minds are seldom tidy.
Still, I threw the scattered socks and T-shirts into my hamper.

What was I doing? A guy from Otherworld would never enter a girl’s bedroom. It would ruin their reputations.

My face got hot.

The apartment was quiet. Mom and Chrissy were still asleep — they both liked to sleep in on Saturdays. I peeked in the den, and saw that the sheets and pillow were still stacked on the couch. I heard some noise in the kitchen, so I headed that way.

And there was Alexander, sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea, engrossed in
Otherworld.

He raised his eyes. “Good morning, Amy.”

Hearing my name spoken in his soft, deep voice was startling.

“Did you sleep well?” I asked, trying to compose myself.

“I have not slept yet. I went out hoping to regain his trail. Then, at dawn, I returned and started reading. I hope you do not mind that I used your keys.”

“It’s okay.” I spotted the keys on the table by the front door, where I’d left them. I should have known that Alexander would be keeping vampire time. It made sense, if you were a vampire hunter. I hadn’t heard him leave or come back, but stealth had always been one of his strong points.

“I sleep in the afternoons,” Alexander explained. “But then, I suppose you know that. I suppose you know a lot about me.” His mouth tightened. “It seems there is no detail of my life too minute for Elizabeth Howard to share with the world.”

I managed a smile. “That’s what makes Otherworld so fascinating. The details.”

“I am sure she would be glad of your approval.”

“Where did you go last night?”

“All over this city of yours. It is a funny thing. Some streets go by the same names as in my Chicago, others are different. Some areas I recognize, others have changed irrevocably. I will have to study maps before going out again tonight.” With that, he turned his attention back to the book.

I saw a plate with bread crumbs and the butter dish in front of him. Last night, I’d told him to help himself to food in the morning, but I wasn’t sure bread and butter would do the trick. “I’ll make us some eggs.”

“Do not trouble yourself. I have had my sustenance.”

“I’ll make them, anyway.” I felt like I needed a more substantial than usual breakfast myself.

Deciding scrambled eggs with salsa and cheese was the way to go, I put a pan on the stove and got the ingredients from the fridge. I was no gourmet chef, but I’d done a lot of cooking. With Mom having so many irregular shifts while I was growing up, she often wasn’t home at dinnertime, and Dad could’ve happily had us live on hot dogs and baked beans.

I darted a glance over my shoulder.

Alexander Banks is in my kitchen.

It was going to take some getting used to.

The sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up, and his long legs were stretched out in front of him, hugged by old-fashioned brown trousers. He was beautiful, more so than I had ever imagined.
I tried to put the thought out of my head. Fantasizing about a fictional guy was one thing: fantasizing about him when he was sitting a few feet away was another. He’d quickly figure me out if I kept staring at him this way.

When the eggs were done, I divided them onto two plates, placing one in front of him.

“Thank you. It is very kind of you.”

“You’re welcome.” I knew he’d probably feel obligated to ask me to join him, but I didn’t want to stop him from reading, so I said, “I’m going to eat in the other room so you can read.” Before he could argue, I went into the living room.

Sitting down on the couch, I turned on a local station. A puffy-eyed reporter was at a crime scene. Yellow tape blocked off a park behind him. “Two teenage boys were found dead on a basketball court in Archer Park, apparently with teeth-marks on their necks. The police are being tight-lipped about this, Jane, but I think they’re flabbergasted. We’ve never seen anything like it.”

Oh, God.

I put my face in my hands. This couldn’t really be happening, could it? Vigo on a rampage in my city?

And I’d almost been his victim. My gut twisted. I bet he’d killed those poor guys after Alexander had foiled his attack on me.

I hadn’t called the police last night. Maybe I should have.
Would they have put out some sort of notice? Would it have stopped two teenage guys from playing late-night basketball?

The couch dipped beside me as Alexander sat down, his dark gaze riveted on the TV. “Is this happening at the present time?”

I nodded.

I saw the knife-thin crease between his brows as he listened to the news of the murders. If I’d had any doubt that Alexander was who he said he was, or that my attacker last night had been Vigo, I didn’t anymore.

Alexander had been so close to catching Vigo at the end of
The Mists
that he’d had readers jumping out of their seats. But would he be able to get that close to him again in a city he didn’t know?

“I am going to need excellent maps of the city,” Alexander said, his eyes not straying from the TV. “Schematics of underground tunnels and sewer systems are essential.”

“Don’t you think you should take a couple of days to get to know the city?” I asked. “If you don’t know your way around, it could work against you.”

“Vigo doesn’t know the city, either. He would not have his usual hiding places, nor the protection of his coven.” He took a breath. “This could be the chance I’ve been waiting for.”

Alexander had a point. And though I was afraid for his safety, I was also afraid for everyone else in this city. They didn’t know there was a real vampire around.

“I’ll get you maps. And some clothes, too. So you won’t attract attention.”

“I appreciate your help and hospitality.” He turned to me, a chilling resolve in his eyes. “Let me assure you that I will do everything in my power to stop Vigo before he can cause more terror. I do not wish your world to become like mine.”

Me neither.

An hour later, Alexander Banks walked into the mall wearing my Cubs jersey, his own trousers, and high leather boots. The odd fashion got him some stares, and I was eager to get him into other clothes. But the unusual getup didn’t make him any less handsome, and I could tell that many of the stares were from intrigued females.

As Alexander and I headed toward the big department store at the south end of the mall, I glanced around, hoping we wouldn’t bump into anyone I knew from school. Thankfully, Katie and Luisa were both busy with family obligations that day. And it was just after nine o’clock and the mall was half empty. But I was still paranoid.

Alexander, too, was looking around, but his eyes were wide and he seemed almost overwhelmed.

“This is definitely not my Chicago,” he said. “I have never seen anything like this. So many lights and colors. It is dizzying.”

“Are there shopping malls where you’re from?” I couldn’t remember one being mentioned in the books.

“There are shopping plazas of various kinds. None as colossal as this one. And all of them are aglow with natural light, for obvious reasons.” He looked upward toward the huge skylight. “Are there parts of this plaza that are not exposed to natural light?”

“I think so. There are lots of stores in the basement.”

Alexander’s gaze grew troubled. “Then he can move about here by day, if he likes.”

The thought made me shudder. Even though we were on the ground level with plenty of natural light, I found myself glancing over my shoulder. “There are a lot of places where he could move around in the daytime. Malls, movie theaters, office buildings. And there are miles of underground subway tunnels all over the city.”

Alexander nodded, looking determined. “Let us get this shopping done, Amy, so I can study the schematics.”

When we arrived at the department store, Alexander glanced around in amazement again. “Such a vast selection of … everything,” he said, taking in the aisles of goods. “How does one choose?”

I showed him some track pants on a reduced rack, which he said looked ridiculous. I guess people didn’t wear track pants in Otherworld Chicago. But when I told him they were for sports, he seemed open to trying them on. I offered him some khakis, which he approved of. Then he picked up some T-shirts, a sweatshirt, a jacket, socks, and some toiletries.

“I will find a way to repay you,” he said later as we walked
out of the store with our purchases. I knew that it was hard for him to let me buy these things, but he had no choice. Until he got to know my world better, he would have to rely on me.

“You saved my life, and you’re trying to protect my city. It’s the least I can do,” I said truthfully.

“I am, nonetheless, grateful.” He rubbed his temple, as if the lights were giving him a headache. “Are we done here?”

“One more thing. I think you should have some running shoes.” I eyed his battered leather boots.

“My boots are adequate.”

“Maybe, but take a look at these.” I turned into an athletic store, leading him to the sneaker section, where dozens of options were displayed on the walls.

Alexander picked up a Nike cross trainer. “Strange design.”

“Why don’t you try it? It might be easier to run in these than your boots.”

“This shoe clearly is not my size, and there is no time to have more made.”

I tried not to laugh. “They have some in the back room that are your size,” I explained. It was funny, the things we took for granted in our daily lives.

A salesperson came up, asking if he wanted to try them on.

“He’ll try them on, but he’s not sure of his size,” I answered for him. “Could you measure his feet?”

Alexander submitted to having his feet measured, then waited in his socks for the salesman to bring the sneakers. He put them
on and walked a few steps. “These won’t do at all. They feel as though I am walking on marshmallows. Thank you, Amy, but my boots will do just fine.”

Again, I bit back my laughter. “They’re called
running
shoes. They should help you run even faster than you do now.”

“Faster?” That got his attention. He jumped up and down several times to test out the sneakers. “I will take them.”

I wasn’t keen on the hundred-dollar price tag, but anything that could help Alexander catch up with Vigo would be worth it.

Alexander changed into the new clothes in the mall bathroom. When we got home, it was eleven thirty. Luckily, Chrissy still wasn’t up, and Mom had left a note to say she’d gone out for groceries, which could take a while. I did a quick Internet search and downloaded as many maps of the city as I could find, then printed them all. Alexander laid them out on the kitchen table and studied them, asking me questions as he did. He wanted me to describe different parts of the city, landmarks, topography, everything. I thought I knew my city well, but I wasn’t able to give him all the details he wanted. I did, however, go back to the Internet several times to look things up for him.

At one point, Chrissy appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, sleep-rumpled, in a short nightgown. “Who’s
that?”
she asked, looking over at Alexander.

It wasn’t that Chrissy had never learned manners, I thought irritably; she just didn’t use them.

“This is my friend Alexander. He’s staying with us for a couple of days.”

“Staying here? Why?”

Alexander looked up from the maps, his glare cool. “And who are you?”

She seemed taken aback. “Chrissy.”

“Chrissy?” he repeated, as though it didn’t sound right. “It is not a name I am familiar with.”

“It’s short for Christina,” I explained.

“I see,” he said with a nod. “That is a name I recognize, to be sure.”

“Do you have a problem with my name or something?” Chrissy asked suspiciously.

“No.” He looked puzzled. “Do you?” When she didn’t immediately reply, he turned his attention back to the maps, effectively shutting her down.

Chrissy made a face, then grabbed a box of Pop-Tarts and retreated. I followed her into the living room.

“Who is that guy?” she demanded. “And why does he have to stay
here?”

“He’s a friend of a friend and needed a place to stay. Please be nice to him.” If Mom was going to support Alexander staying here, I needed Chrissy on our side, too.

“I’m
always nice.” She bit into a Pop-Tart.
“He
was totally rude.”

“He didn’t mean to be. You just caught him at a bad time. He works nights and hasn’t gone to bed yet.”

“He hasn’t gone to bed yet? That’s crazy. Where does he work?”

I thought fast. “An all-night convenience store downtown.”

“A convenience store, seriously? Doesn’t he go to school? He looks old enough to be in college.”

Like Chrissy was one to judge. She didn’t go to school as often as she was supposed to.

“I don’t know what his plans are,” I answered.

Chrissy shot me a glance. “He’s cute, you know.”

I chose to ignore that.

Chrissy plopped down on the sofa and turned on the TV. The local news was still reporting on the murdered teens.

Chrissy listened, mouth gaping open. “Did you see?” She turned to glare at me. “Some crazy person’s out there killing people, pretending to be a vampire. It’s ‘cause of those vampire books you read.”