Blood Fever: The watchers (9 page)

Mei nodded and walked on.

“You must look after her,” Alcántara said to the back of my head.

“So I’ve gathered.” Alcántara, out of everyone, saying I needed to look out for some girl? It was ludicrous. “But why?”

“Acari Mei has promise, and we’d like to nurture that promise.”

“I see.” My voice was calm, but my mind was racing. My suspicions had been correct—
Alcántara
had been the one behind her kidnapping.

“She has a great musical gift,” he went on, “but her extreme youth does not lend itself to the same physical adeptness as the older Acari.”

I wanted to snark, so why’d you kidnap her if she’s only fifteen? But I only nodded. “I understand.”

“We like to give every guest of the island a fair and equal shot.”

Yeah, right.
Seeing as they’d killed her boyfriend, threatened her family, and simply plucked her from some New York suburb to take her for their own, these vamps had a pretty weird concept of protection.

He began walking again. “You are both so gifted, after all.”

I shuffled to catch up, thankful to see the dining hall peeking in the distance.

I’d been right. The vampires had stuck Mei-Ling with me so I’d protect her. But why? Did
she
know what she was doing here?

Before this went any further, I needed to get to know her better. And quickly, too. Because on the Isle of Night, watching out for someone just as easily meant offering your life for theirs.

H
e came for me in the night. I woke to his touch. Gentle pressure stroking up and down my leg.

I stretched, rolled onto my back. The pressure increased until I sensed his individual fingers splayed along the side of my thigh. A light grip, then release. Grip and stroke.

I sucked a breath in through my mouth. Arched my back. I felt languorous, like a cat. I wanted that hand higher. Lower.
Something.

Why was he teasing me like this? I wanted him to peel away my blankets. Why didn’t he?

The frustration made me angry. My body pulsed now, needing him. I tried to speak. I wanted to tell him. Why couldn’t I—?

I sat up, clutching the blanket to my chest. My heart pounded, its pulse echoing through my body until I throbbed with it.

Carden—where was he?

I widened my eyes and looked around in the darkness. Mei-Ling
was in her bed, her breathing deep and even. The clock read 3:02. It was the middle of the night. A dream.

No Carden.

I flopped back, breathing like I’d just sprinted a mile. It was only a dream. I pulled the covers tight under my chin, but it didn’t make me feel any less vulnerable.

I measured my breathing, forcing myself to calm down.
A dream, stupid.
Carden was out there somewhere, but he wouldn’t know I’d dreamed of him.

Would he?

No, he wouldn’t. It was a silly notion brought on by the vivid sensuality of it. There was a simple explanation: I was coming off the bond and it was giving me fever dreams.

I rolled onto my side, clutching the blankets snugly at my chest until I felt cocooned. It was no good, though. I’d never feel safe.

My throat felt so dry it ached. Hunger clawed at my belly. I curled into a fetal position around the cramping.

My bedside clock ticked. No digital readouts for us, just old-fashioned clock faces with glow-in-the-dark hands, and I watched their slow progress. Tick: 3:12 a.m.; tock: 3:47. Time crawled, but I was too jangled to sleep. And way too uncomfortable.

I tried to think peaceful, meditative thoughts to relax, but it was no good. My mind raced.

Mei-Ling. I needed to help her, but I couldn’t get a bead on the girl. Did she hate me? Or was she just too proud to accept my help? Maybe it was that she somehow knew more than the rest of us about the island, and her stoicism was actually disdain.

Was she shy and longing for a friend? I could think about it all night, but I wouldn’t be figuring that one out anytime soon. So around 4:14, my mind skittered on to the next topic.

The killer. Who was killing girls on the island? A rogue vampire? A Draug? A clever and vengeful Acari?

But all the girls had been drained, and only a few creatures could manage that. Could Trainees do it? Or had one of our vampire enemies come from another island to terrorize us?

Whatever was going on, I had the sinking suspicion that I was getting pulled into the drama. Alcántara was overly curious about Carden, and to know Carden was to discover our bond.

I had to find the killer.

And why not? I was a walking, talking weapon. In several short months, I’d learned sabotage, secrecy, and worse—I’d become one of the world’s most elite killing machines.

I lay there with the thought, trying to muster up fear for my own safety. Investigating the murders would be stupid and dangerous. But it would be even more dangerous for me if something were to happen to Carden. We were tied together now, whether I liked it or not. The need clawing at my belly told me as much.

I rolled onto my side, curling into that empty feeling. At the very least, looking into the murders would be a good distraction.

Planning soothed me, and the next thing I knew I was being shaken awake. I peeled open my eyes. My alarm was ringing. Mei-Ling was saying, “Acari Drew. Wake up.” I’d have sworn I’d been awake just fifteen minutes ago.

My head was throbbing. A dull ache, like a caffeine headache. Or a Carden one.

I moaned. “All right, all right.”

I remembered my dream. It came back full force, bringing with it the ghost of a throbbing between my legs. I threw back
the covers. The room was freezing, but I embraced it. Anything to get rid of this heat in my body.

Carden had been right. I needed to stay away from him. I needed space. We needed to sever the bond, because any more dreams like that and I’d be walking in my sleep to find him. I had no doubt I’d be able track him down with my eyes closed.

Scowling, I swung my feet onto the floor and tried to push away the last of my sleep and focus on my day. Monday morning. I’d survived my first weekend of the fall term, and, man, it’d been a rough one. But I had a plan now, and plans were good.

But dressing myself was a struggle. My hands trembled, my body clamoring for Carden. I fumbled with my bootlaces, and it took forever to get them tied. My head felt ready to split in two, my headache a steady pulse in my skull, pounding out my need for him. “I’m going for breakfast.”

Mei studied me. “You’re not going to shower.”

I couldn’t tell if it was a statement or a question. I scraped my hands through my hair, willing the throbbing to subside. “No shower. I’ve got expeditionary-something class today. Sounds dirty.”

It was with Watcher Priti. She had the looks of a Bollywood star and the ferocity of a ninja—I
loved
Priti. I should’ve been looking forward to it.…I
tried
to look forward to it. “What do you have today?” I forced myself to recall Mei-Ling’s schedule. It was mostly independents—not much dirt for her, I bet.

“I’m supposed to have my independent study in Combat this morning, but…”

“But Watcher Angel is dead.” I pulled on my fleece—my teeth were chattering now. “Don’t know what to tell you.” I almost left it at that, but remembered I was supposed to be helping
her. Besides, I was aching and feverish. There’d be no investigating anything without food in my belly. “Come with me to the dining hall—we’ll figure it out. I need to eat.”

I needed more than food—I needed Carden’s blood. I had to touch him. I was going to crawl out of my skin if I didn’t. But I couldn’t. So instead I’d get a shooter of refrigerated blood. Maybe sneak a second one. Anything to take the edge off.

I steeled myself, waiting with gritted teeth while Mei-Ling pulled on her uniform.

This wasn’t
real
. This was the bond ruling my body. He wasn’t my boyfriend. This wasn’t real attraction. It was a chemical reaction. I’d gotten hooked on a drug and was detoxing. My drug was Carden.

I almost knocked on Emma’s door as we passed it, but the silence on the other side told me to leave her alone. Maybe she was showering. Maybe she’d been up late and was sleeping in. Maybe she’d already left. I had no clue. I was psyched for her and her relationship with Yasuo, but it had also inserted the smallest, vaguest bit of distance between us.

It was just as well—Emma would see that something was wrong with me, and I didn’t have the energy to lie.

Mei-Ling and I were walking down the path toward the dining hall when I saw her.
Masha.
And she had two of her Guidon pals with her.

“Oh shhhh-sugar.” I didn’t even get the pleasure of a real curse—I dared not while I was outside and vampire ears could be listening.

I panted a few quick breaths.
Focus
. I needed focus.

“What is it?” Mei asked, her eyes uncharacteristically bright.
The girl might’ve been quiet, but at least she had good instincts when it came to danger.

I didn’t have time to answer. We’d been spotted. “Acari Drew,” Masha purred. “Who’s your little friend?”

I sensed Mei standing tall next to me.
Good.

“Mei-Ling Ho,” she announced in a clear voice.

Speaking openly to a Guidon.
Bad.

Masha’s face lit as she glommed on to the name instantly. “Hohhh.” She walked a circle around her. “Ho, ho, ho. You having fun…
ho
?” Her friends snorted and snickered.

Oh crap…Here we go.

But Mei didn’t respond. It struck me that she must’ve heard that joke a million times growing up. Did she even register the taunts? Did she care? Either way, her nonresponse riled the older girls.

Masha stalked up from behind, one hand stroking the bullwhip she kept looped at her hip. She leaned close to Mei’s ear and said in a menacing whisper, “Would you like to play, little ho?”

A dump of adrenaline cleared my mind, and I reveled in it. I pushed away my hunger, but I could almost sense it in the back of my mind, like a Pandora’s box, waiting for me.

I shifted my weight, parting my legs into a more solid stance. It was a subtle move, not so much that the Guidons would notice, but just enough to brace myself. At five two, I didn’t have as much weight behind me as the other girls and I liked to take extra precautions.

I flexed my calf, feeling the leather boot pull. My stars were strapped in there. Finally, I’d found focus. Like a battle calm.

But wait. I glanced at Mei. Where was her weapon? This
damned headache—I hadn’t been thinking properly. I’d been so preoccupied, I’d forgotten to ask what her weapon even was.

“She’s a
ho
,” one of the Guidons said with a snorty little laugh. She was rewarded by a bunch of snorty little laughs from her friends and so she added in a lower tone of voice, “Ho, ho, ho.”

What was this, sixth grade?

But then my roommate shocked me—shocked me more than I think I’ve ever been shocked.

Mei-Ling turned to me and in a cold, clinical voice asked, “Does she have a tic? She keeps repeating my name.”

I momentarily forgot my chattering teeth and felt my eyes bug out of my head instead.

The Guidon stepped forward. Her cheeks were blotchy with outrage. “What did she say?”

I’d been wondering the same thing. I opened my mouth to speak, but had no clue how to de-escalate.

But then Mei piped up again, in a tone so flat she might’ve been discussing a specimen in a lab. “There are disorders that result in repetitive speech. You kept repeating,
Ho, ho, ho, ho
. I was wondering if maybe you had that problem.”

I almost laughed. I was
dying
to let loose a hysterical half giggle. But this fire was lit and burning, and the slightest smile from me would only throw gas on it.

The Guidon stepped into Mei’s face. I tried desperately to remember her name so I could talk her down. Pamela, Paula, Patty…it was a P. “
You’re
my problem,” she snarled at us.

A thin switchblade appeared in P-whatever-her-name-was’s hand. As amusing as Mei was, I needed to bring this down a notch. I took a step toward Guidon P (Penny?) and put my hand on her arm. “Easy, cowgirl.”

She flinched away.

It struck me that it was overly quiet, and I glanced at the other Guidons. “Let’s all stand down, ladies.”

Masha’s expressionless face was completely unreadable.
Weird.
Usually she was the one front and center in the brawling, but something had her just as wary as me.

Mei said, “I can handle this, Acari Drew.”

Was she
totally
clueless? Or would she turn out to be the gutsiest girl on the island? Either way, she took a notch up in my opinion. Though I did get the sense that this “look out for Mei” gig was going to be a whole lot more challenging than I’d originally thought.

Masha broke her silence and took a step forward. “I think I would like to see how you handle it.”

Crap.
This was going to escalate after all.

But then I noticed how Masha’s bullwhip was still holstered on her hip. Something had her feeling cautious. She usually took every chance she could to sling that strip of leather around.