ent rock。 “Well； I’m good for a few weeks；” Diego said when we were out of the water again； dripping on the end of another empty dock。 I sighed。 “I guess that’s the easier part； right？ I’ll be burning again in a couple of days。 And then Riley will probably send me out with more of Raoul’s mutants again。” “I can e with you； if you want。 Riley pretty much lets me do what I want。” I thought about the offer； suspicious for a second。 But Diego really didn’t seem like any of the others。 I felt different with him。 Like I didn’t need to watch my back so much。 “I’d like that；” I admitted。 It felt off to say this。 Too vulnerable or something。 But Diego just said “cool” and smiled at me。 “So how e Riley gives you such a long leash？” I asked； wondering about the relationship there。 The more time I spent with Diego； the less I could picture him being in tight with Riley。 Diego was so… friendly。 Nothing like Riley。 But maybe it was an
Page 21
oppositesattract thing。 “Riley knows he can trust me to clean up my messes。 Speaking of which； do you mind running a quick errand？” I was starting to be entertained by this strange boy。 Curious about him。 I wanted to see what he would do。 “Sure；” I said。 He bounded across the dock toward the road that ran along the waterfront。 I followed after。 I caught the scent of a few humans； but I knew it was too dark and we were too fast for them to see us。 He chose to travel across rooftops again。 After a few jumps； I recognized both our scents。 He was retracing our earlier path。 And then we were back to that first alley； where Kevin and the other guy had gotten stupid with the car。 “Unbelievable；” Diego growled。 Kevin and Co。 had just left； it appeared。 Two other cars were stacked on top of the first； and a handful of bystanders had been added to the body count。 The cops weren’t here yetbecause anyone who might have reported the mayhem was already dead。 “Help me sort this out？” Diego asked。 “Okay。” We dropped down； and Diego quickly threw the cars into a new arrangement； so that it sort of looked like they’d hit each other rather than been piled up by a giant tantrumthrowing baby。 I grabbed the two dry； lifeless bodies abandoned on the pavement and stuffed them under the apparent site of impact。 “Bad accident；” I mented。
Page 22
Diego grinned。 He took a lighter out of a ziplock from his pocket and started igniting the clothes of the victims。 I grabbed my own lighter Riley reissued these when we went hunting； Kevin should have used his and got to work on the upholstery。 The bodies； dried out and laced with flammable venom； blazed up quickly。 “Get back；” Diego warned； and I saw that he had the first car’s gas hatch open and the lid screwed off the tank。 I jumped up the closest wall； perching a story above to watch。 He took a few steps back and lit a match。 With perfect aim； he tossed it into the small hole。 In the same second； he leaped up beside me。 The boom of the explosion shook the whole street。 Lights started going on around the corner。 “Well done；” I said。 “Thanks for your help。 Back to Riley’s？” I frowned。 Riley’s house was the last place I wanted to spend the rest of my night。 I didn’t want to see Raoul’s stupid face or listen to the constant shrieking and fighting。 I didn’t want to have to grit my teeth and hide out behind Freaky Fred so that people would leave me alone。 And I was out of books。 “We’ve got some time；” Diego said； reading my expression。 “We don’t have to go right away。” “I could use some reading material。” “And I could use some new music。” He grinned。 “Let’s go shopping。” We moved quickly through townover rooftops again and then darting through shadowy streets when the buildings got
Page 23
farther apart to a friendlier neighborhood。 It didn’t take long to find a strip mall with one of the big chain bookstores。 I snapped the lock on the roof access hatch and let us in。 The store was empty； the only alarms on the windows and doors。 I went straight to the H’s； while Diego headed to the music section in the back。 I’d just finished with Hale。 I took the next dozen books in line； that would keep me a couple of days。 I looked around for Diego and found him sitting at one of the café tables； studying the backs of his new CDs。 I paused； then joined him。 This felt strange because it was familiar in a haunting； unfortable way。 I had sat like this before across a table from someone。 I’d chatted casually with that person； thinking about things that were not life and death or thirst and blood。 But that had been in a different； blurry lifetime。 The last time I’d sat at a table with someone； that someone had been Riley。 It was hard to remember that night for a lot of reasons。 “So how e I never notice you around the house？” Diego asked abruptly。 “Where do you hide？” I laughed and grimaced at the same time。 “I usually kick it behind wherever Freaky Fred is hanging out。” His nose wrinkled。 “Seriously？ How do you stand that？” “You get used to it。 It’s not so bad behind him as it is in front。 Anyway； it’s the best hiding place I’ve found。 Nobody gets close to Fred。” Diego nodded； still looking kind of grossed out。 “That’s true。 It’s a way to stay alive。”
Page 24
I shrugged。 “Did you know that Fred is one of Riley’s favorites？” Diego asked。 “Really？ How ” No one could stand Freaky Fred。 I was the only one who tried； and that was solely out of selfpreservation。 Diego leaned toward me conspiratorially。 I was already so used to his strange way that I didn’t even flinch。 “I heard him on the phone with her。” I shuddered。 “I know；” he said； sounding sympathetic again。 Of course； it wasn’t weird that we could sympathize with each other when it came to her。 “This was a few months back。 Anyway； Riley was talking about Fred； all excited。 From what they were saying； I guess that some vampires can do things。 More than what normal vampires can do； I mean。 And that’s goodsomething she’s looking for。 Vampires with skillzzz。” He pulled the Z sound out； so I could hear how he was spelling it in his head。 “What kinds of skills？” “All kinds of stuff； it sounds like。 Mind reading and tracking and even seeing the future。” “Get out。” “I’m not kidding。 I guess Fred can sort of repel people on purpose。 It’s all in our heads； though。 He makes us repulsed at the thought of being near him。” I frowned。 “How is that a good thing？” “Keeps him alive； doesn’t it？ Guess it keeps you alive； too。” I nodded。 “Guess so。 Did he say anything about anyone
Page 25
else？” I tried to think of anything strange I’d seen or felt； but Fred was one of a kind。 The clowns in the alley tonight pretending to be superheroes hadn’t been doing anything the rest of us couldn’t do。 “He talked about Raoul；” Diego said； the corner of his mouth twisting down。 “What skill does Raoul have？ Superstupidity？” Diego snorted。 “Definitely that。 But Riley thinks he’s got some kind of magismpeople are drawn to him； they follow him。” “Only the mentally challenged。” “Yeah； Riley mentioned that。 Didn’t seem to be effective on the”he broke out a decent impression of Ril