Walking Shadow (The Darkworld Series Book 2) (15 page)

Berenice’s face reddened as Leo rolled around laughing. She looked at Howard for support, but he was too absorbed in some tactical war-based game on the Xbox to even notice the rest of us. Cyrus raised his hands in an
I’m staying out of this
gesture.

Anger blazed within me. It wasn’t the fact that she’d insulted Conrad―or even me; hell, I knew I was no supermodel―but a culmination of the confusion and fear of the last week. Turned out I just needed one offhand comment from an empty-headed, superficial-minded bitch to set me off.

Not that Claudia had helped matters by starting it all.

“Whoa there,” she said. “Save the cat-fight for later. I’m just trying to figure out what’s happening. So, did Conrad mention anything that’s going on?”

“No…” I frowned. “Come to think of it, I don’t think he’s said a word about vampires, or anything. But we’ve only really spoken… once.”

Idiot. You could have questioned him about it.
But I’d been so busy trying to avoid him that I’d forgotten he was a potential link to what was happening.

“Seduce him,” said Berenice, her smirk back in place. “Get him to tell you his dark secret.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”

“Yeah, I’m sure even you’re capable of that. He’s dying for it, anyway.”

“Oh… kay,” said Leo. “I’m taking that as my cue to leave.”

“I’m not
seducing
anyone!” I spluttered. “How the hell did we even get on this subject? I don’t think he’s involved in this at all. He’s annoying, whiny, and completely dense. That’s why I don’t like him.”

“Okay, let’s forget about Conrad,” said Cyrus. “From what you told me, it sounds like he just wandered into this by accident. What we do know is that Mr Melmoth was chasing a shape-shifting demon, or ghoul. We don’t know whether he caught it or not, but I’m thinking that he didn’t. Either the person who’s killing vampires happened to run into him then, or it’s the same person-ghoul-whatever he was after who’s killing the vampires.”

I nodded. “Good logic,” I said, relieved that someone was willing to take a sensible approach to this. “So we just need to figure out the connection.”

“Yeah, that’s where I’m completely lost,” said Leo. “Maybe we should check his study again. Fancy another trip into the tunnels?”

He was asking if I wanted to go with him. A flush crept up my neck again as I felt Berenice watching me.

“It’s cool if not,” he added. “It might look at bit suspicious to the
venators
if you’re always lurking around their headquarters.”

“Same with you,” I pointed out.

“Nah, they know Melmoth had no control over me. I was always wandering where I wasn’t supposed to be. Now he’s gone… well, I don’t know.”

“I’ll go with you,” I said. “I always used to dream about finding a hidden underground laboratory.”

“Ash, you’re a terrible liar,” said Leo.

Foiled again. “I want to… I want to know why he attacked me. He must have mistaken me for someone else.”

I cringed inwardly. That sounded so selfish. But to
say
I wanted to go along so he’d have company sounded incredibly lame. Was lame better than selfish?
Ugh, I completely suck at this.

“Sure,” said Leo. “I was only joking. You’re pretty hard-core. Meet me at ten on Sunday?”

“You got it,” I said.

Okay. I can do this.

After the meeting broke up, Claudia and I ended up walking back through the student village together.

“So,” she said, as though carrying on a previous conversation. “You and Leo looked pretty cosy in there.”

“Oh, don’t you start.” I rolled my eyes.

“Hey, Berenice had a point, but I didn’t think you’d appreciate it if I said it in front of everyone.” She shrugged. “It’s cool. I’m happy for both of you.”

“Right.” I could tell any arguing would get me nowhere.

“No, really. Someone deserves a bit of happiness. Even with supernatural monsters on our heels.”

I laughed. “Well, that’s one way of looking at it.”

“Always look on the bright side, that’s my motto,” she said. “Have fun running around the secret underground passages together, anyway. And remember, if you need advice, I’m probably not the best person to ask.”

Given what had happened with David last term, she kind of had a point. Still, romance was hardly my priority right now.

I had to help Leo find out who’d killed his guardian. After that―well, I wasn’t sure there
was
a bright side as far as the Darkworld was concerned. But maybe Claudia was right. Maybe.

e’re going to Tombstone Hill,” said Alex, firmly.

I spat out a mouthful of cereal. “You what?”

We were in the middle of discussing the literature society’s postponed Halloween social over breakfast in the kitchen. What with everything going on, I’d totally forgotten about the LitSoc’s quest to find a haunted house in which to spend the night.

“Why?” I said, feigning ignorance, although I’d instantly lost my appetite. “What’s Tombstone Hill?”

“A creepy old house in a town over the hill,” said Alex, tipping her cereal bowl to catch the last drops of milk. “Come on, they want something major. Apparently someone died there. It’s near a graveyard. It’s perfect, right?”

“Isn’t that where the grave robbers have been?” I said, cautiously.

“I haven’t heard,” said Alex. “Is that the latest?”

“I think so,” I said. Not that I had anything against lucky normal people seeking a scare, but there was no way in hell I wanted to go near that house. More to the point, I didn’t want my
friends
going near it either.

“I’ll ask Rex to check it,” said Alex. “He wants to go for the social organiser position next year.”

“Why not ask him to think of a better idea for a social?” I said, clutching at straws. “Besides, isn’t it on Valentine’s Day?”

“So?”

“Won’t you and Rex be busy?”

I looked to Sarah to back me up, but she had her head down on an open textbook, totally spaced out. Her new job was so exhausting she kept falling asleep in lectures.

Alex flushed bright red. “No. Sarah, you in?”

“In what?” Sarah yawned, knocking her cereal bowl off the table. “Crap.”

“Tell them to stop giving you so many early shifts,” said Alex. “You’ll fall behind with your work if you’re not careful.”

“I’m okay,” Sarah insisted. “I just didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“Well, are you in for the social? Or―wait a minute, are you doing something with Liam instead? On Valentine’s Day?”

Sarah just shook her head.

“You need to be more assertive, girl,” said Alex. “Honestly, just
tell him
if there’s an issue. You’re as bad as Ash.”

“Hey!” I said.

“Well, you let that David guy push you around for ages…”

I shrugged, not willing to go into the topic. David and I had danced around each other for months, but it had been during the time I was finding out about demons and the Venantium and it had started making me paranoid about everyone. In the end, of course, my paranoia had turned out to be dead-on, but I doubted Sarah’s boyfriend was spy for a secret organisation.

Sometimes I wished my own problems were that simple. But I felt bad for Sarah all the same. I’d only been able to stand up to David in the end because after fighting shadow-beasts and nearly getting killed, confrontation had gone way down on the fear scale. A year ago, I couldn’t have done it.

“You know what you need?” said Alex. “A night out.”

“Not in a haunted house,” said Sarah, shutting her textbook.

“Nah, there’s a karaoke night on at Franklin’s Bar this weekend. A bunch of the LitSoc guys are going.”

“Um, sure, I don’t have work Sunday morning,” said Sarah. “But I might have to have a nap before we leave.”

“Come on, have some enthusiasm!” said Alex. “Life’s too short to waste it stressing about crap you can’t control. So
take
control. Tell the boss to cut your shifts, and for heaven’s sake put your dickwit of a boyfriend in his place.”

Sarah shifted uncomfortably. “Um. Sure.”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “Not convincing enough. God, it’s like living with two doormats.”

“Hey,” I said, again. “Not helping.”

Alex shrugged. “I’ll find a way to make you more assertive. You wait. Tell you what, you’re coming on the social to Tombstone Hill.”

“This again?” I said.

“How’s throwing us in a haunted house meant to help?” said Sarah.

“Fear,” said Alex, in her approximation of a wise-professor-voice. “You conquer your fears one at a time, right? So after spending the night hanging out with ghosts, standing up to your boyfriend’ll be no problem.”

“Not sure of the logic there,” I said.

Alex gave me an evil look. “Don’t question the words of the wise master.”

Right.
Who knew, maybe it was just Alex’s version of exactly what had helped me stand up to David―but there had to be a better solution than spending the night in a house where three demon-related deaths had occurred.

Like I needed anything else to give me nightmares. I kept dreaming I was on fire, and waking with the scars on my arms ablaze with pain. I blamed the two stories of people burning alive I’d heard lately. Really, I deserved a break, something to take my mind off all the craziness.

“I’m totally up for going out,” I said.

“Awesome,” said Alex. “Oh… crap. We’re running late.”

I checked my watch, picking up my bag. We had ten minutes to make it to campus.
Oops.

“And it’s raining,” said Alex, gesturing at the deluge outside. “Want to skip?”

Sarah shook her head. “I can’t afford to miss any lectures, really. And it’s on our essay topic, anyway.”

“True,” said Alex, pressing her palms to the window. “Hey―Ash’s boyfriend is outside!”

“Oh God.” I groaned. “Yeah. I think I’m skiving.”

“Not today, missy. What did I say about being assertive?”

And she grabbed my arm and all but dragged me through the corridor, out of the flat, Sarah following.

Conrad stood outside the door, dripping wet.
Great.

“Ash!” he said.

“Hi,” I said. That guy really didn’t know the meaning of subtlety.

Snickering, Alex pulled Sarah away, leaving me alone with my vampire stalker. I hurried after them, Conrad half-jogging to keep up.

“Ash,” he said, as we aimed for a sheltered walkway to avoid the rain. “Did you know tickets are on sale today?”

“For what?” I said, pulling my hood up. The wind promptly blew it down again.

“The Ball.”

For God’s sake. Like I need this right now.
“I said I wasn’t going, remember?”

“But you said last night you’d love to come.”

I frowned. “Conrad, I didn’t see you last night. I was in my flat.”

“But I saw you at Tanner’s Wine Bar. You kissed me!”

I stopped dead in the middle of the student village. “What
?”

“Ash, don’t you remember? I was a bit drunk, but I do!” His eyes shone as he re-lived God-knew-what vision.

“Honestly, I wasn’t out last night,” I said.

“But you were wearing that really pretty black dress and the purple necklace! You really don’t remember?”

My insides turned to ice.
How can he know about the pendant?