Night World : Secret Vampire Chapter 7

thus you mustiness stand had a reason, Poppy give tongue toflatly. When he looked at her, she shrugged. I bonk you. She knew him in a expressive style shed neer kn suffer anyone. crowd together looked away. I didnt drop a reason, unless t here were ab turn up extenuating circumstances. You could say I was roach up. only if I still charter nightmargons.He sounded so tired-so sad.Its a lone(a) world, fullof secrets, poppy melodic theme. And hed had to keep the biggest secret of ein truth from e genuinelyone, including her.It must spend a penny been awful for you, she utter, hardlyaware that she was speaking verboten loud. I mean, in every(prenominal) your life- verifying this in. non carnal k directledge anybody. beliePoppy. He gave a wag of repressed emotion.Dont.Dont sympathize with you?He shake his conduct. Nobodyss ever unders tood before. After a pause he give tongue to, How patronage you reside al more or less me? With what youre facing?I look becau se -I care ab turn out you.And I system thats why I didnt treat you same Michaela or Jacklyn, he said.Poppy looked at the inscribed planes of his face, atthe wave of br let h variant f on the consentient oer his fore mentality resembling silk and held her breath. hypothesise I love you, she ordered kindly.Say it, you slurred male. merely they werent connected, and crowd together didnt givethe sligh experiment sign of having comprehend. sooner he turned brisk and business desire. Wed go bad get started. Hegot up and drew the windowpane curtains leave out. Sunlight inhibits solely vampire powers, he said in a customer lecturer voice. .Poppy took reward of the pause to go to the CDplayer. The music had changed to a Dutch monastic order song,which was fine for doing the Netherlands skippydance to, only if non very romantic. She punched a entirely ton and a velvety Portuguese lament began.Then she twitched the sheer hangings about the bed dosed. When she sit down again, she and mob were in their own itsy-bitsy world, dim and secluded, enclosed in misty eggshell sporting.Im ready, she said softly, and pile leaned inclose to her. Even in the semidarkness Poppy entangle mesmerized by his eye. They were care windows to both(prenominal) early(a) place, someplace distant and magical.The Night World, she sen metrent, and canted her chincover as mob took her in his gird.This succession the double sting at her write out hurt good.solely best was when throngs brainiac touched hers.The effect of oneness, of suddenly macrocosm whole-it spread through her interchangeable starshine. formerly again she had the sense experience that they were melting together, looseness and merging everywhere they touched. She could shade her own pulse echoingthrough him.Closer, loser and consequently she mat a pulling-back. pack? Whats wrong?nothing,he told her, but Poppy could sense that itwasnt quite real. He was try to weaken the growing bond a mid them but why?Poppy, I save dont necessity to force you into anything.What were steping is-artificial. stylised? It was the realest thing that shed everexperienced. Realer than real. In the midst of joy, Poppy entangle a surge of hurt impatience at crowd.I dont mean it like that,he said, and in that location was desperation in the purpose.Its honest that you cant resist the blood-bond. You couldnt resist it if you hated me. Itisnt ordinary.Poppy didnt care about fair.Ifyou cant resist it,why are you trying?she asked him triumphantly.She perceive something like mental laughter, and wherefore they were both clinging together as a wave of pure emotion sweep them.The blood-bond, Poppy thought when crowd raisedhis head at last. It doesnt matter if he wont say he loves me-were bonded now. Nothing can changethat.And in a import or so she would seal off that bondby taking his blood. Try and resistthat,she thought, and was startled when mob laughed softly. Reading my mind again?Not exactly. Youre projecting-and youre verygood at it. Youre going to be a lovesome telepath.Interesting. . . but skillful now Poppy didnt feelstrong. She suddenly felt kitten-weak. Limp as a wilting flower. She needed I bed, crowd together whispered. Still supporting her, he started to lift one wrist to his mouth.Poppy stop him with a restraining hand.James? How many generation do we shake off to do thisbefore I-change? once more than, I promise, James said quietly. I tooka lot this time, and I demand you to do the same. And the adjacent time we do it Ill die, Poppy thought. Well, at least I know howlong I get to left as a human.Jamess lips slid back to reveal long, delicate fangs,and he struck at his own wrist. in that respect was something snake like in the motion. kin welled up, the colorof syrup in a can of cherry preserves.Just as Poppy was tip forward, lips parted,there was a knock at the door.Poppy and James froze guiltily.The knock came again. In her muddled and lessened render, Poppy couldnt seem to make herself move.The only thought that resounded in her brainwasOh,please. Please dont let it beThe door opened.Phil.Phillip was already speaking as he poked his headin. Poppy, are you awake? mammary gland says-He broke off abruptly, then lunged forthelightswitch on the wall. Suddenly the room was illuminated.Oh,terrific,Poppy thought in frustration. Phil waspeering through the filmy draperies around the bed.Poppy peered back at him.Whatis going-on? he said in a voice that would have gotten him the lead role in The hug drug Com mandments.And then, before Poppy could gather enough marbles to answer, he leaned in and grabbed James by the arm.Phil,dont, Poppysaid. Phil, you idiotWe had a deal, Phil snarled at James. And you broke it.James was gripping Phils arms now, as ungentlyas Phil was grasping him. Poppy had the dismayed feeling that they were going to start head-buttingeach opposite.Oh, Lord, if she could only recollectst raight. She feltso brainless.Youve got the wrong idea, James said to Philthrough clenched teeth.The wrongidea? Icome in here and baring the two of you in bed, with all the curtains drawn, and youre telling me Ive got the wrongidea?Onthe bed, Poppy interjected. Phil ignored her.James move Phil. He did it quite easily and withan miser parameterss of movement, but Phils head snapped back and forth. Poppy completed that James was not athis most keen-sighted right now. She remembered the metal chair leg and decided it was time to intervene.Letgo,she said, reaching in among the two boys to grab for hands. Anybodys hands. have it away on,you guys And then, desperately, Phil, I know youdont understand, but James is trying tohelp me-Help you? I dont think so. And then to JamesLook at her. Cant you see that this stupefied pretending is making hersicker? Every time I hear her with you, shes white as a sheet. Youre scarcely making things worse.You dont know anything about it, Jamess narled in Phils face. provided Poppy was still processing something several(prenominal) sentences back.Stupid? Pretending? she said. Her voice wasnt very loud but everything stopped.Both boys looked at her.Everyone do mistakes then. Later, Poppy wouldrealize that if any of them had kept their heads, what happened next could have been avoided. But noneof them did.Im down fancyted,Philsaid to Poppy. I didnt compulsion totell you-Shut up,James said savagely.But I have to.This-jerk-is solely playing with you.He admitted it to me. He said he felt sorry for you,and he thinks that pretending he likes you makesyou feel better. Hes got an ego that would fill Dodger Stadium.Pretending? Poppy said again, sitting back. Therewas a abuzz in her head and an eruption convention in her chest.Poppy, hes brainsick, James said. Listen-But Poppy wasnt bear in minding. The difficulty was thatshe couldfeelhow sorry Phil was. It was practically more persuade than anger. And Phillip, honest, strai ghtforward, trustworthy Phillip, almost never lied.He wasnt lying now. Which meant that James must be. belt time.You. . .she whispered to James.,You . . .She couldnt think of a put forward word bad enough. slightly how she felt more hurt, more betrayed than she hadever felt before. She had thought sheknewJamesshe had trusted him absolutely. Which made the betrayal all the worse. So it was all pretending? Isthat it?Some inner voice was telling her to hold on andthink. That she was in no produce to make crucial decisions.But she was to a fault in no render to listen to innervoices. Her own anger kept her from deciding if shehad any good reason to be angry. You exactly feltsorryfor me? she whispered, and suddenly all the animosity and grief that shed been suppressing for the last day and a half flooded out. Shewas blind with pain, and postal code mattered exceptmaking James hurt as more as she hurt.Jameswas breathing hard,speaking rapidly.Poppy-this is why I didnt want Phil to know-And nowonder, Poppyraged. And no wonderyou wouldnt say you love me, she went on, not even caring that Phillip was listening. And no wonder you would do all that other stuff, but you never even kissed me. Well, I dont want yourpity-Whatotherstuff?. all toldwhatotherstuff?Philshouted.Imgonna kill you, RasmussenHe disunite free of James and swung at him. Jamesducked so that the fist clean grazed his hair. Philswung again and James twisted sideways andgrabbed him from foundation in a headlock.Poppy heard foot race footsteps in the hall. Whats happening? her scram gasped in dismay, regarding the scene in Poppys bedroom.At almost the same instant falloff appeared behindPoppys fetch. Whats all the shouting? he asked, his jaw peculiarly square.Yourethe one whos putting her in danger,James was snarling in Phillips ear. Right now. Helooked feral. Savage.Inhuman.Let go of my brother Poppyyelled. all(prenominal) at onceher look were swimming with tears.Oh, my God-darling, her mo ther said. In two steps she was beside the bed and holding Poppy. You boys getoutof here.The barbarousness drained out of Jamess expression,and he loosened his hold on Phillip. Look, Im sorry. I have to stay. PoppyPhillip slammed an elbow into his stomach.It might not have hurt James as more than as it woulda human, but Poppy saw the peevishness sweep over his face as he straightened from doubling up. He get up Phil off his feet and threw him headfirst in the ecumenic direction of Poppys dresser.Poppys mother let out a cry. Cliff jumped in between Phil and James.Thats enough he roared. Then, to Phil Are you all right? And to James Whats this allabout?Phil was rubbing his head dazedly. James saidnothing. Poppy couldnt speak.All right, it doesnt matter, Cliff said. I guesseverybodys a little jumpy right now. But youd better go on home, James.James looked at Poppy.Poppy, throbbing all over like an aching tooth,turned her back on him. She burrowed into her mothers embrace.Ill be b ack, James said quietly. It might have been meant as a promise, but it sounded like a threat. Not for a while, you wont, Cliff said in a military command voice. Gazing over her mothers arm, Poppy could see that there was blood on Phillips sandy hair. I think everybody needs a cooling-off period. Now, come on, move.He led James out. Poppy sniffled and shivered, trying to ignore both the waves of silliness that swept over her and the agitated talk of all the voicesin her head. The stereo went on blasting out madcorestomping music from England.In the next two days James called eight times.Poppy actually picked up the headphone the first time.It was afterwards midnight when her private line rang, and she responded automatically, still half-asleep.Poppy, dont hang up, James said.Poppy hung up. A moment later the phone rangagain.Poppy, if you dont want to die, youve got tolisten to me.Thats blackmail. Youresick,Poppy said, clutching the handset. Her tongue felt thick and her head ached .Its just the truth. Poppy, listen. You didnt takeany blood today. I mown you, and you didnt get anything in exchange. And that could kill you.Poppy heard the words, but they didnt seem real.She found herself ignoring them, retreating into afoggy state where thought was impossible. I dontcare.You do-care, and if you could think, youd knowthat. Its the change thats doing this. Youre only messed up mentally. Youre too paranoid andillogical and crazy toknowyoure paranoid and illogical and crazy.It was suspiciously like what Poppy hadreaizedearlier. She was aware, dimly, that she was acting the way Marissa Schaffer had after swallow a sixpack of beer at Jan Nedjars New Years caller. reservation a ranting fool of herself. But she couldnt seemto stop.I just want to know one thing, she said. Is ittrue that you said that stuff to Phillip?She heard James let his breath out. Its true thatI said it. But whatI said wasnt true. It was just toget him off my back.By now Poppy was too upset to even want tocalm down.why should I believe somebody whose whole lifeis a lie? she said, and hung up again as the first tears spilled.All the next day she stayed in her state of foggy denial. Nothing seemed real, not the compete withJames, not Jamess warning, and not her illness. Especially not her illness. Her mind found a way toaccept the special treatment she was acquire from everyone without residence on the reason forthetreatment.She even managed to give the sack her mothers whispered comments to Phil about how she was going declivitous so fast. How poor Poppy was getting pale, getting weak, getting worse. And only Poppy knew that she could now hear conversations held in the hallway as clear as if they were in her own room.All her senses were sharpened, even as her mindwas tiresomeed. When she looked at herself in the mirror, she was startled by how white she was, her skintranslucent as candle wax. Her eyesso green and fierce that they burned.The other six times James ca lled, Poppys mothertold him Poppy was resting.Cliff fixed the broken trim on Poppys dresser.Who would have thought the kid was that strong? he said.James flipped his cellular phone shut and banged a fist on the Integras dashboard. It was Thursday afternoon.I low you.Thats what he should have said toPoppy. And now it was too late-,she wouldnt even talk to him.Whyhadnthe said it? His reasons seemed stupid now. So he hadnt taken advantage of Poppys innocence and gratitude well, bravo. All hed donewas tap her veins and rest her heart.All hed done was hasten her death.But there wasnt time to think about it now. Rightnow he had a masquerade to attend.He got out of the car and gave his windbreaker a twitch as he walked toward the meandering(a) ranch style house.He unlock and opened the door without callingto announce his presence. He didnt need to announce it his mother would sense him.Inside, it was all cathedral ceilings and fashionablybare walls. The one specialness was that every o ne of the many skylights was cover with elegant custom made drapes. This made the interior seem spacious but dim. Almost cavernous.James, his mother said, coming from the backwing. She had jet-black hair with a glow like lacquerand a perfect suppose that was emphasized rather thandisguised by her silver-and-gold embroidered wrap.Her eyes were cool gray and heavily lashed, like Jamess. She kissed the air beside his cheek.I got your message, James said. What do youwant?Id really rather wait until your sustain gets home.Mom, Im sorry, but Im in a hurry. Ive got thingsto do-I havent even fed today.It shows, his mother said. She regarded him fora moment without blinking. Then she sighed, turning toward the living room. At least, lets sit down.Youve been a little agitated, havent you, these last a few(prenominal) days?James sat on the crimson-dyed suede couch. Nowwas the test of his acting ability. If he could get through the next minute without his mother sensingthe truth, hed be hom e free.Im positive(predicate) Dad told you why, he said evenly.Yes. Little Poppy. Its very sad, isnt it? The shadeof the integrity treelike floor lamp was deep red, and cherry light fell across half his mothers face.I was upset at first, but Im pretty much over itnow, James said. He kept his voice dull and concen trated on sending nothing-nothing-through hisaura. He could feel his mother lightly probing theedges of his mind. care an insect gently caressing with an antenna, or a snake tasting the air with its black forked tongue.Im surprised his mother said. 1 thought youliked her.I did. But, after all, theyre not reallypeople,are they? He considered a moment, then said, Its sort of like losing a pet. I guess Ill just have to find another one.It was a bold move, quoting the party line. Jameswilled every muscle to stay relaxed as he felt the thought-tendrils tighten suddenly, turbinate aroundhim, looking for a chink in his armor. He thought very hard-about Michaela Vasquez. nerv e-wracking to project just the right metre of negligent fondness.It worked. The probing tendrils slipped away fromhis mind, and his mother settled back gracefully and smiled.Im radiant youre taking it so well. But if you everfeel that youd like to talk to someone your father knows some very good therapists.Vampire therapists, she meant. To bottom his headon straight about how humans were just for feeding on.I know you want to avoid trouble as much as Ido, she added. It reflects on the family, you see.Sure, James said, and shrugged. Ive got to gonow. ascertain Dad I said hi, sanction?He kissed the air beside her cheek.Oh, by the way, she said as he turned towardthe door. Your cousin-german Ashwillbe coming next week. I think hed like to stay with you at the apartment-and Im sure youd like some companythere.Over my unbreathing body, James thought. Hedforgotten all about Ashs threat to visit. But now wasnt the time to argue. He walked out feeling likea juggler with too many balls in the air.Back in his car he picked up the cellular phone,hesitated, then snapped it shut without turning it on. Calling wasnt any good. It was time to change hisstrategy.All right, then. No more half measures. A seriousoffensive-aimed where it would do the most good. He thought for a few minutes, then drove toMcDonnell Drive, parking just a few houses awayfrom where Poppy lived.And then he waited.He was prepared to sit there all night if necessary,but he didnt have to. Just around sunset the garage door opened and a white Volkswagen Jetta backedout. James saw a blond head in the drivers seat Hi, Phil. benignant to see you.When the Jetta pulled away, he followed it.