Cold Blood (12 page)

I ignored Cambria and stepped around her. I walked over to Victoria and leaned down until I was right in her face. I was shaking with the effort of controlling myself and my skin felt funny, sort of stretched too tight. I stared hard into Victoria’s light blue eyes.

“
Eat. Shit.” I stayed where I was, waiting to see if she’d respond; hoping she would. She didn’t. She sat rigid against the chair and her gaze never wavered from mine, but the snarl was gone from her face, and she kept silent. When I was sure I’d made my point, I straightened and followed Cambria out the door. In the hall I let out a loud exhale.

“
Eat shit?” Cambria echoed. “That’s the best you could do?”

“
I don’t curse at people on a regular basis. It’s what came to mind.”

Cambria laughed. “We’ll work on that. Points for not punching her lights out, though.”

I showered and changed, and we high tailed it to Griffin Hall. The assembly was being held in a large auditorium on the west end of the building. We were literally the last two through the door. A teacher I’d never seen before, with a crooked nose, shut the door behind us and gestured for us to hurry up and find a seat. I began scanning the rows when Logan caught my eye and waved us over.

“
Thanks,” I whispered, taking the seat next to him. “So, what’s going on?”

“
Don’t know yet. I think it has something to do with the attacks last week,” he said quietly.

“
What attacks?”

“
A couple of important families were attacked in their home. The parents went missing and everyone else was killed.”

“
Do they know who did it?”

He shrugged. “A rogue Werewolf pack is all they know. One of the families had a kid who goes to school here. He was flown out the day before you got here.”

“
You think the assembly has something to do with that?” I asked.

“
Maybe. Headmaster made it sound serious and all the teachers are here. Not just our grade level.”

He pointed to the stage where over two dozen teachers sat in rows behind a podium. Headmaster Whitfield was on the end, closest to the podium. Next to him sat Professor Kane. From here, his face looked almost normal. You couldn’t even make out the scars. On his other side was a woman that could only be Professor Flaherty. Her red hair gleamed under the stage lights, looking like a ball of flames hovering over her face. She was leaning over and talking with a woman that looked vaguely familiar to me. I tried to place her but couldn’t make out her features well enough.

“
Who is that?” I asked Logan, pointing at the woman.

He shrugged. “Don’t know.”

I looked over at Cambria and caught her craning her neck and scanning the crowd.

“
Is he here?” I asked.

“
I don’t see him.”

Her lip stuck out in a pout and all the energy seemed to have finally contained itself. She slumped back in her seat, looking bored with the whole thing. Then Headmaster Whitfield stepped to the podium and tapped on the microphone.

“
Good evening, Wood Point student body. I’m sure you are all wondering why you’ve been called here. It seems there has been a tragedy that involves two of our own. As some of you may have heard, a few days ago we received word that the Hilson family and the Romano family had been killed or taken from their homes by an unidentified Werewolf pack. Brendon Romano, a sophomore, was flown out to attend the funeral of his brother and sisters. Tonight we have learned that Brendan has also been reported missing, along with his escorts.”

A rumbling of murmurs and not-so-hushed whispers went up around the room. I sat in silence. So did Cambria and Logan. Both of them looked as surprised as I was. Most of the kids did. I took that to mean this wasn’t normal news for the Hunter world.

Headmaster Whitfield cleared his throat a few times and the room fell quiet. “The motive is not yet clear, though there will be a full investigation. In the meantime, the rules regarding student curfew remain in place and will be heavily enforced. Brendan was one of ours and even though he did not disappear from school grounds, every precaution will be taken. Security will be at a maximum and we have extra units on their way to help fill in until we’re sure the danger has passed.

“
I understand that many of you were friends with Brendan and this may be a shock or hard to handle, especially with so little information about the guilty party. The teachers seated behind me have agreed to stay after and speak to any students who feel emotionally affected by this tragedy. If you need someone to talk to, please see one of them. Otherwise you are free to go.”

Headmaster Whitfield stepped back, signaling the end of the assembly, and everyone around us rose. I stayed where I was, still watching the woman seated next to Professor Flaherty. She was facing forward now, and I had a clear view of her face. It looked like… but, it couldn’t be.

“
You coming?” Cambria asked.

I kept my eyes on the woman on stage. “I need to talk to… someone,” I said, moving against the stream of exiting bodies.

I made my way up to the stage and stopped. The woman had noticed me now, too, and watched me with equal interest. I waited until the crowd thinned, both on and off stage, and then stepped up to the edge of the dais.

“
Vera.”

She rose from her chair and descended the stairs. Her willowy frame and polished gray suit made her appear regal and cold. “Tara. It’s good to see you.” She smiled a tight smile that could have been a polite formality or evidence that it was, in fact, not good to see me. I wasn’t sure which.

“
What are you doing here?” I asked. I couldn’t stand to beat around the bush and I knew enough about Vera to know she wouldn’t tell me unless I came right out with it. Maybe not even then.

“
Vernon asked me to come. I’m going to strengthen the wards around campus.”

“
Because of the attack on that student.”

It wasn’t a question, but she nodded anyway. An awkward silence fell and I regretted coming up here. When I’d recognized her from my seat in the crowd, I’d felt a connection and a need to speak to her. Now I realized it was only because she’d been a familiar face in unfamiliar territory. I wanted to ask her about Wes, but I couldn’t.

“
How is Jack doing?” I asked instead.

“
He’s recovering well. Fee is doing what she can to speed it up. We’re waiting to see how far her healing ability can take him.”

“
And the rest of the group?”

“
Everyone is fine. They say hello.”

“
They know you’re here?”

For some reason it bothered me that they’d sent only Vera. She was in charge, basically, until Wes could finish training and take over for Jack, and she’d managed to get away for a day or two. Why couldn’t Wes have come with her?

“
Of course they know. My trip was voted on, like all decisions that affect the group. They send their regards. How are things here?”

“
Um, fine I guess.”

“
You’re training is going well?”

“
Yes. Did something happen at home?” I blurted. “Is that why no one came with you?”

“
Tara.” Vera’s expression softened slightly and I knew that she knew who I meant. “Everything at home is fine. You can’t let yourself worry about that. Being here and learning how to fight properly is very important to your future. So is learning Hunter history and culture.”

“
Being with Wes is important to my future too, though, right?” We both knew I was baiting her.

“
There are steps,” was all she would say. “It’s good to see you. I’ll tell everyone you said hello.” She turned to walk away and then stopped, a strange look on her face. It reminded me of the night she’d stopped me on the way out of Benny’s house. “Tara?”

“
Yes?”

“
Your Lineage project. Have you started that yet?”

“
No.” I shook my head, completely confused as to why she would ask me about that.

“
You should get started. It’s an important assignment.”

“
Okaay.” I walked away, still confused, and a little homesick.

Cambria and Logan were waiting for me at our seats. The rest of the auditorium was empty.

“
Who was that?” asked Cambria as we walked out.

“
Vera.”

t="0" w
Who’s that?” Logan asked.

“
She’s a member of the Cause. She’s more in charge of it, actually. And she sort of sees the future.”

“
Seriously?” Logan asked. He looked impressed.

“
What’s she doing here?” Cambria asked, looking back at where Vera now stood talking to Professor Kane.

“
Strengthening the wards around the school. Headmaster Whitfield asked her to come.”

“
She creates wards?” Logan looked even more impressed. “Do you think she’d let me–”

“
No,” I said. “She wouldn’t. She’s sort of…” I tried to find a word that fit Vera but I couldn’t find one. “Irritable,” I finished, knowing that wasn’t really accurate. Vera was stern and proper but under all that she seemed serious, to the point of unhappy, and I had no idea why. “Anyway, she was being her usual cryptic self and said something about my Lineage project and how important it was to get started.”

“
And you think she’s fortune telling?” Logan asked. His eyebrows were raised, and I knew he thought I was being dramatic.

“
Maybe. She said it in the same way she talks about her other vision of me; all ‘mysterious, the-future’s-coming’ kind of thing.

“
What other vision?” That was Logan again, and I realized I hadn’t brought him up to speed.

“
Vera had a vision of my future. I’m the next leader of the Cause, along with Wes, and we basically single-handedly bring peace to the two races.” Logan stared at me. “Yeah, I know, right?”

“
Do you think she’s right?” he asked.

“
Do you?” I shot back, only because I had no idea how to answer that.

He shrugged. “If anyone could do it, a hybrid could.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. We were back inside Lexington Hall now and climbing the stairs for dinner.

“
I’ll help you with your Lineage project,” Logan offered as we got in line for food. “I can help you with the research. Did you bring your family’s Draven?”

I nodded. “Grandma gave it to me right before I left.”

“
That’ll make it easier. When is your project due?”

“
Sometime before the end of the semester.”

“
Cool. We’ve got time. When do you want to meet?” Logan asked.

I grabbed a huge plate of Lo Mein and veggies and set it on my tray. “Good question. I have training ‘til dinner basically every day.”

“
We can do after dinner. We can start on Friday. We get an extra two hours before curfew. That should give us enough time to get the research going.”

“
Sounds good,” I agreed. “You want to tag along?” I asked, turning to Cambria.

“
Eww. You guys are talking about the library aren’t you?”

“
Yeah.” I smiled.

She wrinkled her nose. “No thanks. I’m allergic.”

Chapter Eleven

Defensive Maneuvers was definitely my hardest class. I’d managed to get Professor Flaherty to let me hang back again on Monday, to watch. By Tuesday she wasn’t having it.

“
You come from such a strong line, and Alex says you’re a fast learner. I think you’ll do fine to jump right in,” she said.

To argue would’ve basically been to call myself stupid, so I nodded, wondering how I was supposed to jump in and pick up the crazy dance-kung-fu moves that were a part of her drills. After stumbling through warm-ups, I got partnered with a girl named Iris, who wasn’t nearly as fragile as her name implied. I spent more time on the ground than I did on my feet. I kept looking to Professor Flaherty for mercy, but she would either smile encouragingly like I wasn’t getting my ass kicked or ignore me altogether. Iris didn’t say much, either. She let her hands and feet do the talking, I guess. When it ended, she smiled down at me lying on my back in the grass and walked away.

Logan appeared and offered a hand, looking sympathetic.

“
Don’t say anything,” I said, brushing myself off, and swiping my hair out of my eyes.

“
Wouldn’t dream of it.” He settled his hat on his head and picked up both our bags. We headed for lunch.

“
I really am a good fighter,” I insisted.

“
I’m sure you are.”

I sighed. At least the week was progressing without incident from the Wicked Witch of the blonds. At lunch, she sat smug in her corner by the window and only sent me the evil eye like fifty or so times. I could handle that. Maybe what I’d said to her the day before had some effect and she’d decided to leave me alone. I could hope.

The school day finished and rolled right into training. It was basically a repeat of the day before. Running, running, and more running. Not much speaking in between. Me trying not to puke at the end. I wasn’t sure why we hadn’t done any more sparring. Maybe Alex was trying to avoid it turning into a kindergarten brawl again. I hoped it changed soon. Running could kill a person.

Alex had tossed me a water bottle, and I knew he was about to make his exit, so I decided to speak up and ask the question that had been on my mind all day.

“
Hey, do you know anywhere around here that gets cell reception?” I hated, hated, hated having to ask him for anything, including this, but he knew the mountain better than anyone and he would know if there was a good spot.

Alex capped his water and looked into the trees, like he was thinking. “It doesn’t get clear until you get about halfway down the mountain, but you could try the roof.”

“
The roof? Of Lexington Hall? It works up there?”

“
Griffin’s roof is better, but students aren’t supposed to be up there.”

“
Oh.”

“
Cell phones aren’t allowed, you know.”

“
Um…” I trailed off, sure I’d made a gigantic mistake.

He let me stew for several seconds and then shrugged. “Just keep it off when you’re not using it.”

“
Right. Okay.” I stopped short of “thank you.” Instead I said, “See you tomorrow.”

He saluted me and then headed for the trail. I was pretty sure we’d just had our first non-antagonistic conversation.

I showered and changed and hurried through dinner. Logan had an essay to write on something called Rodgers Roundup, which I thought sounded like a bad western novel, but he said was something I’d learn in Hunter History next year; privileged information, courtesy of him being in honors classes. Cambria had something going with Phillipe that I purposely didn’t ask for details on. We parted ways, and I headed for Griffin Hall.

Outside, the light was waning and throwing shadows on everything. Filtered sunlight trickled through here and there, throwing beams across the stone courtyard and glinting off the waterfall in the center. It was really pretty out here when I wasn’t being stared at like it was the Salem witch trials. A couple of kids whispered and looked over. They looked a year or two younger, and I figured the rumor mill was making its way down the line. They had plenty to choose from, between my awkward tumble and the paper bag incident. Or my DNA.

I made it to the back entrance of Griffin Hall and slipped inside. The elevator dinged softly at regular intervals so I knew that was not the way to go. I slipped into the stairwell and prayed no one passed me on the way up.

At the very top was a heavy door marked ‘Roof Access.’ I slipped out and wandered forward. This part of the roof was flat and easy to navigate; lots of empty space broken up by large heating and cooling units and various chimneys. But that wasn’t what got my attention.

I wandered closer to the edge, staring at the view. It was gorgeous. Every shade of green you could imagine covered the treetops for miles and miles. Beyond that, so distant they wore a ring of haze or clouds, were more tree-covered peaks. I stared until the line between land and sky blurred. Even then, I blinked and then watched some more.

The light faded, sending long shadows across the roof. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and powered it on. Three new voicemails and one text registered. I hit the button and pressed the phone to my ear, listening to the messages. The first was from Grandma, wishing me luck with my “social dilemma” and telling me to call when I could. The second was a hang up. I waited while the last message loaded, tapping my foot and hoping it was Wes.

The voice that came over the line was breathy and unrecognizable at first. “Tara. How are you?” Whoever it was seemed to be in the middle of a workout or struggling to lift something heavy. Or maybe they’d gone running with Alex. Then the voice leveled out and I realized who it was.

“
Hope you’re settling in alright at Wood Point Academy. I hear great things about that school. Very prestigious.” I tried to swallow, but my throat was stuck. “Anyway, I’ve got a little project going now so my plans to reunite have been put on hold. As soon as I wrap this up, I’ll come and show you what I mean. I only wanted to say Buongiorno. See you soon.”

The message ended and I disconnected the call, not bothering to erase it. I finally managed to swallow, but it felt like there was a grapefruit in my windpipe. These messages from Miles were creepy. Miles himself was creepy, but his cryptic voicemails weren’t helping. What project was he talking about? Whatever it was couldn’t be good.

And how did he know where I was?

Had someone else in the group been turned? How else was he getting his information? If he knew where I was, wards or not, I knew he’d find a way to get to me. It was only a matter of time. Fear buzzed in the back of my mind. I clamped down on the feeling, refusing to let it get to me. I had to keep calm so I could figure out how to deal with this.

The phone rang, and I almost dropped it. I forced myself to breathe deep and checked the screen; not who I was expecting, but at least it wasn’t Miles.

I answered it. “Hello?”

“
Tara?”

“
Hey, George.”

“
Oh, wow, you finally answered. How are you? Did you get to school okay?”

“
Yes, I got to school okay. I’m fine,” I said, and for some reason, my voice broke on the last word.

“
Tay, talk to me,” he said, quietly.

I wanted to. In that moment, I really, really wanted to. George had been my best friend until not so long ago, and part of me wanted that again; probably because life had been simpler then. But I couldn’t tell him anything without putting him in danger. Or making him think I’d gone completely insane. “I miss home,” I said, finally.

“
Home misses you, Tay. Did you get my note from Ang and Sam?”

“
Yes, thank you,” I said, smiling and tearing up all at the same time as I remembered his Bon Jovi love letter. “It was sweet.”

“
I’ve been known to emit that quality.” His voice was light, and I knew he was trying to cheer me up. “I’ve been bugging your mom about visiting you but she says they wouldn’t let me in unless it’s an official Friends and Family Day. Something about a list.”

“
That’s okay, George. I’m fine.”

“
You don’t sound fine. You can talk to me, you know.”

“
I know. I….” I trailed off, again searching for words that could be said out loud. “It takes a while to adjust, that’s all.”

“
Are you sure that’s all?”

“
I’m sure.” I swiped my eyes and forced my voice to be lighter. “I’ve gotta go, George, but I’m glad you called.”

“
Okay, well, call me if you need to talk. I’m here for you, Tay.”

“
Thanks. Bye.”

“
Bye.”

I clicked the phone off and sat on a nearby vent, propping my chin in my hands. I blinked hard against the wetness in my eyes until I knew I wouldn’t completely lose it. I picked up the phone again and wandered to the edge of the roof, looking down over the courtyard.

I could hear Wes’ words now when I told him about the message from Miles. There would be lots of “don’t worry, we’ll find him, you’ll be safe.” And then some, “What?! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me he’s called once before.” Still, I missed him enough that hearing him rant about protecting me sounded pretty good right about now. I started to hit the button that would dial his number and then stopped.

Low voices drifted up from somewhere below me. I couldn’t make out the words, but the tone sounded a lot like Vera. I crept forward, following the sound. I turned the corner and then stopped. There, below me, standing on a balcony, was Vera. Standing with her, and taking in every word, was Victoria. I dropped low and peered over the edge, close enough to make out the words now.

“
I’m sure you understand the need for secrecy in this matter,” Vera was saying. “It is against school policy to use a student younger than a senior in a mission like this. It’s dangerous and there’s always a risk.”

“
I understand.” Victoria sounded completely serious, almost to the point of reverent.

“
We are trusting you to keep your involvement quiet. Arrangements are being made. We leave in two days. You’ll tell your friends you’re going home for a weekend visit.”

Victoria nodded. “No one will question it. I get special permission all the time.”

The way she said it, like that made her such a catch, made me want to gag.

“
You understand, also, that we are relying heavily on your skills here. If at any time you are unsure of a direction, say so. It would be better than trying to bluff.”

“
I understand. I won’t let you down.”

“
Good girl. Get back to your room and we’ll talk in a couple days.”

“
Yes, ma’am.”

Victoria disappeared back inside, and I jumped up, heading for the door. What could Vera possibly want with Victoria? And why was Victoria basically drooling over her? She didn’t strike me as the peace-loving type; I’d heard her make remarks about the Cause already. Only one way to find out. I slipped back inside and down one flight of stairs, guessing in the direction of the balcony where I’d seen them. Somewhere in the stairwell below me, I could hear the sounds of descending footsteps, and I knew it must be Victoria, trying to sneak away.

I stepped into the hallway and was glad that the lights were dimmed here. I stayed in the shadows and moved slowly towards the door I’d guessed as Vera’s. I was almost there when the stairwell door swung open behind me. I felt my heart jump into my throat and bolted. I made a left at the corner and ducked into a recessed doorway, praying whoever it was wouldn’t come this far.

A few seconds later, I heard someone rapping lightly on a door. The door opened. I leaned out of my hiding spot and peeked around the corner in time to see a scarred profile disappear into a dark room. Professor Kane. I glimpsed a crown of silvery hair as the door closed behind him. I couldn’t take it. I had to know.

The term “peeping tom” crossed my mind as I ran back up the stairs and onto the roof to lean over and try to hear what Professor Kane would say to Vera. So did “nosy nellie,” which is what Grandma would have called me. I still had to know.

I reached the spot and knelt down; peering over the edge and feeling my pulse pick up speed. They were both out on the balcony.

“
You shouldn’t have,” Vera said. She was using a tone I’d never heard out of her.

I thought I caught a glimpse of red before she set whatever it was aside and came back to stand in front of Professor Kane. He stared at Vera, and I suddenly got a weird feeling in my gut.

“
Jonah, I missed you,” said Vera.

“
I missed you, too.”

And before I realized what I was about to witness, Professor Kane closed the distance and pressed his lips to Vera’s. I snapped back like I’d been slapped and slumped over against the low wall of the rooftop, trying my best to blink the image away. I felt disgusting and dirty and like… a peeping tom. Eww. Okay, lesson learned.

“
Nobody home tonight?”

Alex materialized from somewhere behind an air vent and walked towards me in the dark.

I tensed, hating how guilty I felt at getting caught. The fact that it was Alex who’d caught me was actually worse than if it had been a teacher. Especially when he was headed this way and directly below us was the grossest grown-up make out session ever. I absolutely could not let him catch me spying on that. I stood up and brushed myself off, walking towards him to head him off and praying he wouldn’t come any closer to the edge.