Authors: Serena Robar
Tags: #Vampires, #Fiction, #Horror, #Best friends, #Horror & Ghost Stories, #Juvenile Fiction, #Social Issues, #School & Education, #Friendship, #Fantasy & Magic, #Horror stories, #Universities and colleges
Fangs for Freaks (12 page)
I imagined the confrontation with Cookie was anything but pleasant. Suddenly I had a horrible thought. What if Cookie turned her vampire goons on him and he was attacked? Or worse, dead? I left him alone to face her and he could be chained in the basement at this very moment.
I jumped out of bed and raced downstairs to talk to Carl. I had to make sure Thomas was all right. I was in such a hurry, I practically stepped on Ileana’s maid, sleeping on the floor outside Ileana’s room.
“What the heck?” I muttered, awakening Sophie with my clumsiness.
“Mum?” she asked sleepily.
“What are you doing sleeping in the hallway?” I demanded, totally confused why she would do such a thing.
“I have always slept at my lady’s door. It’s my duty.” She seemed to be a little more coherent.
“It’s your duty? I thought it was your duty to take care of her. How can you do that if you don’t get a good night’s sleep?” I reasoned.
I wasn’t going to take the “you deserve more” stance like before. This chick was way too brainwashed to think of herself as a separate entity.
“I can hear her better if I am close at hand,” she stubbornly insisted.
“Whatever,” I muttered, stepping past her to the stairs. I would worry about that wigged-out relationship later. Right now I had to make sure Thomas was okay.
Carl was nowhere in sight, which shouldn’t have surprised me because it was almost dawn. It was hard to remember other vampires couldn’t be out in the sun, when I could.
I debated calling Thomas on the phone and decided against it. I didn’t want to have our first conversation after such a big fight over a phone line. My puppy dog eyes and practiced pouty face would be far more effective in person.
I opted to call Carl instead.
“Carl here,” he answered tersely.
“Hey Carl, it’s me. Did you speak to Thomas yet?” I asked, pacing the living room.
“Why? Is something wrong?” Carl quickly jumped to the wrong conclusion.
“No, no. Everything’s fine. I just … just wanted to know if you spoke to Thomas yet. Is he …” I paused and felt like an idiot checking up on him. He was a Tribunal Investigator, for crying out loud. A big boy who could take care of himself. “Is he aware of our situation?”
Boy, that didn’t sound lame at all. Duh.
“Is he aware of our situation? Colby, are you sure you’re all right?” Now Carl sounded very concerned.
I sighed heavily. Why was I so worried? Thomas could take care of himself way better than I could. Now I sounded like a mom obsessing over her little boy. Yuck, that was a really bad analogy and it totally creeped me out. I did not have motherly feelings toward Thomas at all. Blech.
“I just wanted to make sure he was safe, is all,” I finally admitted.
Carl paused a moment and replied, “He is safe and will be home tonight.”
“Good.” I couldn’t help feeling relieved.
“And Colby?”
“Yeah?”
“He needed to know you were safe as well.”
I suppose that was supposed to make me feel all gooey inside but it had the exact opposite reaction. It was okay for me to worry at Thomas because I stranded him in California with no backup. It was not okay for Thomas to call Carl and check that I was safe back home at Psi Phi House. I mean, I managed to free two half-bloods without his help and he still felt the need to call and check up on me
in my own House
. As though I couldn’t muddle through a couple days without him by my side, overseeing my every move?
in my own House
. As though I couldn’t muddle through a couple days without him by my side, overseeing my every move?
I was upset with Thomas all over again. Yeah, I saw Piper’s point and Carl made a good argument as well, but couldn’t anyone see my side of the story, just this once? I looked out the window and thought I could catch the last remnants of sunrise if I hurried outside. Then maybe I could walk around and try to cool off.
I unlocked the door and stepped onto the porch. I ducked just in time to dodge the fist that came flying my way.
Seven
W
ithout thinking, I reacted by driving my fist into my attacker’s groin. He dropped like a ton of bricks.
ithout thinking, I reacted by driving my fist into my attacker’s groin. He dropped like a ton of bricks.
“Sorry, sorry,” he moaned over and over, hands clutching his crotch as he rolled side to side in pain.
It was a Tribunal Security guard. I turned at the sound of footsteps and found two more security guards racing up the porch with batons in hand.
They heard their partner wheezing, “My fault, sorry, oh God it hurts,” and figured out the situation.
“What are you guys doing here?” I demanded.
“We were told to keep the perimeter secure by Investigator Thomas,” replied one of the guards coming to the aid of his man on the floor.
“When did that come about?”
“We started detail this evening.”
Thomas went so far as to assign a security detail to the house? He trusted my Protector skills so little he brought in a Tribunal Security team to do what he thought I was incapable of doing on my own?
They told me they were assigned as security during the day and hadn’t expected any trouble; it was the night shift they believed would have all the action. The guy rolling on the floor was new and a bit nervous because the other two had told him all sorts of scary stories about the ferociousness of half-bloods. He was simply jumpy and when I opened the door without announcing my presence, he acted first and thought second. This, unfortunately for him, would be a decision that would haunt him for the rest of the day.
His two buddies helped pick him up and I rushed inside for a bag of ice. I didn’t mean to punch so hard, but it was daytime so I hadn’t thought I would do too much damage. I guess all those hours of training with Cyrus were improving my strength and reaction time.
I returned with the ice wrapped in a dish towel and apologized again.
“I’m really sorry about that,” I clucked like a mother hen.
“Yeah, my bad. Not a problem,” he responded through clenched teeth, yelping a little when he put the ice on his groin.
“I’m Colby, by the way.” I put out my hand to shake but realized his were kind of full at the moment.
His two buddies grinned and introduced themselves as Todd and Mark, taking my hand in turn.
Todd, who’d explained the situation, was very tall and wide like a football linebacker. He whistled in appreciation of my fast reaction.
“You know, Colby, I’ve never seen a girl, much less such a tiny one such as yourself ever get the best of any Tribunal Security.”
Mark nodded in agreement, looking at Zach, his downed comrade, in shame. “Yeah, it’s a sad day when a girl punches you in the nads, man.”
Zach tried to defend himself. “She’s superfast and stronger than she looks.”
I nodded at them. “He’s right. I’m stronger than I look.”
Todd and Mark looked at each other and laughed some more.
“It’s okay, buddy.” Todd clapped his hand on Zach’s shoulder. “It can happen to the best of us.”
There was more guffawing all around.
“If you guys hadn’t told him all those stories about how dangerous half-bloods were, he wouldn’t be hurt, you know.”
I was trying to scold them but one look at Zach’s face made me realize my mistake. The girl who punches a man’s family jewels doesn’t raise his standing by scolding his buddies. Apparently, this adds to the humiliation. So I decided to offer an olive branch instead.
“Zach?” I asked calmly. “Would it make things better between us if I knocked down your two friends and then you guys would all be on an even footing?”
Zach replied tightly, “It sure would be a nice start.” And his two buddies starting laughing even harder, which worked out great for me because they didn’t even see it coming.
I was already in a crouched position, so I launched myself straight up at the two on the stairs and struck both of their windpipes at the same time. They lost their breath, leaned forward and grabbed their throats in a vain attempt to protect against another strike and then I took both of their heads and smacked them together. I tempered my strength so I wouldn’t knock them out or cause any serious pain, but enough that they felt it and Zach could be redeemed.
“Better?” I asked Zach.
“Much,” he replied smugly.
I turned back to the door and entered the house. “Good night gentlemen,” I tossed over my shoulder and was rewarded by the sound of a downed guard vomiting on the porch.
Shaking my head in exasperation, I headed back upstairs. I was still mad at Thomas but after meeting my protection, I was not convinced Curly, Larry and Moe were going to be much help. Still, they would make some noise if attacked and that was something.
I stepped over Sophie’s sleeping form and crawled back into bed. I felt better after sparring with the guards but was still upset at Thomas.
When I awoke again, it was early evening. I brushed my teeth and showered. Nothing felt as good as a warm shower when you’re Undead. The hot spray warmed my cool body up and I almost felt alive. I stepped out of the shower and was surprised to see Angie getting ready to jump in a shower stall as well.
“Did you sleep well?” I asked her.
“Like the dead,” she quipped and I laughed. You gotta like a girl who doesn’t take herself too seriously.
I changed into stretch denim capri pants—low-rise, naturally—and a pink half-shirt that said “Barely Legal.”
My dad hated that shirt. Piper got it for me on my birthday. I did the makeup thing—a hint of blush, a swish of lip gloss—and popped in my colored contacts. I pulled my hair up in two braids, one over each ear, and gave myself the once-over in the mirror. I could so pull off the naughty schoolgirl look. Satisfied, I made my way downstairs.
I looked around for someone who could go outside, but I couldn’t find Tina and Sage was still sleeping. I decided to feed early, before the sun went down. I walked to the door and announced that I was coming outside, giggling to myself.
When I opened the door and peeked out, Zach was nowhere to be seen but Todd was on the porch.
“Can I come out?” I asked.
He snorted at me. “Like I could stop you?”
“Oh, come on, don’t be sore. I had to do it. You guys would never let poor Zach live it down if I hadn’t.”
I gave him my best pouty girl look and he caved. That’s right; they always cave for the pouty girl.
“I’m going to take a walk,” I told him, stepping onto the porch.
He shook his head at me. “Sorry, Colby, no can do. No one can leave the premises without an escort.”
“Even during the day?” I asked in surprise.
“Affirmative. Thomas’s orders,” he replied.
“Okay, can you be my escort?”
He looked a bit uncertain, so I reassured him. “I don’t bite,” I teased, then slapped my hand over my mouth in chagrin. I couldn’t believe I just said that.
He laughed at me and reported into his walkie-talkie that he was escorting me around the block and would check back in twenty minutes.
We left together and I steered him toward the park. “So,” he said, “where did you learn …”
His voice trailed off and I piped up tartly, “How to kick your ass so effectively?”
He gave me a pained expression and nodded.
“I’m the Protector. It’s my job. How ’bout you? Gotta admit, you have a pretty odd job. What with being human and all.”
He looked at me in surprise. “You’re not human anymore?”
I smiled ruefully at him. “Not technically. I’m more vampire but not fully blooded.”
We walked in compatible silence for awhile. I was enjoying the coolness in the air and the sun dropping down, casting a kaleidoscope of colors across the horizon. I inhaled the scent of berries, freshly cut lawns and soft ocean spray on the air.
Todd looked at me funny. I knew he could smell none of the odors I was enjoying so I shrugged in his direction. It didn’t matter anyway.
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