“Fine,” Hannah said. “We going to the Day House?”
“Yeah, next on my list.”
“Good. I want to talk to Cousin Lisa.”
Eve pulled up outside of the big Founder House; it was lit up in every window, a stark contrast to its dark, shuttered neighboring residences. As she put the car in park, the front door opened and spilled a wedge of lemon- colored light across the immaculately kept front porch. Gramma Day’s rocker was empty, nodding in the slight wind.
The person at the door was Lisa Day—tall, strong, with more than a slight resemblance to Hannah. She watched them get out of the car. Upstairs windows opened, and gun barrels came out.
“They’re all right,” she called, but she didn’t step outside. “Claire, right? And Eve? Hey, Hannah.”
“Hey.” Hannah nodded. “Let’s get in. I don’t like this quiet out here.”
As soon as they were in the front door, in a familiar-looking hallway, Lisa slammed down locks and bolts, including a recently installed iron bar that slotted into place on either side of the frame. Hannah watched this with bemused approval. “You knew this was coming?” she asked.
“I figured it’d come sooner or later,” Lisa said. “Had the hardware in the basement. All we had to do was put it in. Gramma didn’t like it, but I did it, anyway. She keeps yelling about me putting holes in the wood.”
“Yeah, that’s Gramma.” Hannah grinned. “God forbid we should mess up her house while the war’s going on.”
“Speaking of that,” Lisa said, “y’all need to stay here, if you want to stay safe.”
Eve exchanged a quick glance with Claire. “Yeah, well, we can’t, really. But thanks.”
“You sure?” Lisa’s eyes were very bright, very focused. “Because we’re thinking maybe these vamps will kill each other off this time, and maybe we should all stick together. All the humans. Never mind the bracelets and the contracts.”
Eve blinked. “Seriously? Just let them fight it out on their own?”
“Why not? What’s it to us, anyway, who wins?” Lisa’s smile was bitter and brief. “We get screwed no matter what. Maybe it’s time to put a human in charge of this town, and let the vampires find someplace else to live.”
Dangerous, Claire thought. Really dangerous. Hannah stared at her cousin, her expression tight and controlled, and then nodded. “Okay,” she said. “You do what you want, Lisa, but you be careful, all right?”
“We’re being real damn careful,” Lisa said. “You’ll see.”
They came to the end of the hallway, where the area opened up into the big living room, and Eve and Claire both stopped cold.
“Oh,
The humans were all armed—guns, knives, stakes, blunt objects. The vampires who’d been assigned to guard the house were all sitting tied to chairs with so many turns of rope it reminded Claire of hangman’s loops. She supposed if you were going to restrain vamps, it made sense, but—
“What the hell are you doing?” Eve blurted. At least some of the vampires sitting there, tied and gagged, were ones who’d been at Michael’s house, or who’d fought on Amelie’s side at the banquet. Some of them were struggling, but most seemed quiet.
Some looked
“They’re not hurt,” Lisa said. “I just want ’em out of the way, in case things go bad.”
“You’re making one hell of a move, Lisa,” Hannah said. “I hope you know what the hell you’re about.”
“I’m about protecting my own. You ought to be, too.”
Hannah nodded slowly. “Let’s go,” she said to Claire and Eve.
“What about—”
“No,” Hannah said. “No radio. Not here.”
Lisa moved into their path, a shotgun cradled in her arms. “Going so soon?”
Claire forgot to breathe. There was a feeling here, a darkness in the air. The vampires, those who were still awake, were staring at them. Expecting rescue, maybe?
“You don’t want to do this,” Hannah said. “We’re not your enemies.”
“You’re standing with the vamps, aren’t you?”
There it was, out in the open. Claire swallowed hard. “We’re trying to get everybody out of this alive,” she said. “Humans and vampires.”
Lisa didn’t look away from her cousin’s face. “Not going to happen,” she said. “So you’d better pick a side.”
Hannah stepped right up into her face. After a cold second, Lisa moved aside. “Already have,” Hannah said. She jerked her head at Claire and Eve. “Let’s move.”
Outside in the car, they all sat in silence for a few seconds. Hannah’s face was grim and closed off, not inviting any conversation.
Eve finally said, “You’d better tell Oliver. He needs to know about this.”
Claire plugged in the code and tried. “Oliver, come in. Oliver, it’s Claire. I have an update. Oliver!”
Static hissed. There was no response.
“Maybe he’s ignoring you,” Eve said. “He seemed pretty annoyed before.”
“You try.” Claire handed it over, but it was no use. Oliver wasn’t responding. They tried calling for anyone at Common Grounds instead, and got another voice, one Claire didn’t recognize.
“Hello?”
Eve squeezed her eyes shut in relief. “Excellent. Who’s this?”
“Quentin Barnes.”
“Tin-Tin! Hey man, how are you?”
“Ah—good, I guess.” Tin-Tin, whoever he was, sounded nervous. “Oliver’s kind of busy right now. He’s trying to keep some people from taking off.”
“Taking off?” Eve’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“Some of the vamps, they’re just trying to leave. It’s too close to dawn. He’s had to lock some of them up.”
Things were getting weird all over. Eve keyed the mike and said, “There’s trouble at the Day House. Lisa’s tied up the vamps. She’s going to sit this thing out. I think—I think maybe she’s working with some other people, trying to put together a third side. All humans.”
“Dude,” Tin-Tin sighed, “that’s just what we need, getting the vampire slayers all in the mix. Okay, I’ll tell Oliver. Anything else?”
“More empty vampire cars. You think they’re like those guys who were trying to leave? Maybe, I don’t know, getting drawn off somewhere?”
“Probably. Look, just watch yourself, okay?”
“Will do. Eve out.”
Hannah stirred in the back. “Let’s move out to the next location.”
“I’m sorry,” Claire said. “I know they’re your family and all.”
“Lisa always was preaching about how we could take the town if we stuck together. Maybe she’s thinking it’s the right time to make a move.” Hannah shook her head. “She’s an idiot. All she’s going to do is get people killed.”
Claire was no general, but she knew that fighting a war on two fronts and dividing their forces wasn’t a great idea. “We have to find Amelie.”
“Wherever she’s gotten herself off to,” Eve snorted. “If she’s even still—”
“Don’t,” Claire whispered. She restlessly rubbed the gold bracelet on her wrist until it dug into her skin. “We need her.”
More than ever, she was guessing.
By the time they’d dropped off the next to last radio, at their own home, which was currently inhabited by a bunch of freaked-out humans and a few vampires who hadn’t yet felt whatever was pulling some of them off, the dawn was starting to really set in. The horizon was Caribbean blue, with touches of gold and red just flaring up like footlights at a show. Claire delivered the radio, the code, and a warning to the humans and vampires alike. “You have to watch the vamps,” she pleaded. “Don’t let them leave. Not in the daylight.”
Monica Morrell, who was clutching the walkie-talkie in her red-taloned fingers, frowned at her. “How are we
