Jane Goes Batty

All through the night.

The flow of blood slowed, then stopped altogether. Jane ceased sucking and sat back.

“Is she …?” she asked.

“Yes,” Byron said. “Now quickly, feed her. It’s easiest if you use your wrist.”

Jane hesitated only a moment before biting the underside of her wrist. As blood poured forth she pressed the wound to Chloe’s lips.

“How long does it take?” she asked Byron.

“Not long,” he said. “You’ll know when it begins.”

Jane waited. Her wrist ached. Then she felt a gentle sucking, and she realized Chloe’s lips were moving against her flesh.

“There she goes,” Byron said.

The sucking increased. It was accompanied by a strange sensation—a kind of dizziness—that filled Jane’s mind. It began as a faint feeling of confusion, but the more Chloe drank from Jane’s wrist the stronger the emotion became. Suddenly Jane was frightened. She tried to pull her wrist away.

“No,” Byron commanded, his fingers closing on her wrist and holding it against Chloe’s mouth. “Remain still.”

Jane fought him. The dizziness had become an overwhelming sense of falling, as if she had tumbled from a great height and was turning head over heels on the way to her death. Colors rushed by her, and her ears were filled with the sound of voices laughing maniacally. I’m going insane, she realized. And I can’t stop it.

Around and around she spun, her body thrown like a rag doll in a tornado. She screamed, although no sound came from her throat. Then, just before her mind went completely blank, she felt Byron pull her arm away from Chloe’s mouth. She collapsed on the floor, heaving.

Byron took her in his arms. “Just breathe,” he told her. “It will pass.”

Jane allowed herself to sink into his embrace. The spinning of her mind slowed, and piece by piece she felt herself come back together. The dizziness faded away until she felt almost herself again. She opened her eyes.

On the couch, Chloe had also opened hers. She turned her head and looked at Byron and Jane. “Where’s Ned?” she asked.

“Ned?” Byron said. “Who’s Ned?”

“Ned from the barbecue,” said Chloe, trying to sit up. “He came over this morning and brought me those.” She nodded at a vase of pink roses that sat on a table opposite the couch. “He’s really sweet.”

Byron looked at Jane. “Ned from the barbecue,” he said, a hint of anger in his voice.

“Ned,” Jane repeated. Her brow wrinkled. “Wait. I thought Ted was the vam—”

“Ned had to go,” Byron said loudly, drowning her out. “But you’ll see him later. Right now you need to rest.”

“Why?” said Chloe. “I feel fine. Just a little hungry.” She ran her tongue over her teeth, which were still stained with blood. “Actually, I’m starving.”

Jane looked at Byron. “Now what?” she mouthed.

She saw a change come over Byron’s face as he looked into Chloe’s eyes. He’s going to glamor her, she thought.

“Chloe, you need to rest now,” Byron said in a soothing voice. “You’re very tired.”

Chloe yawned. “You know what? I am. Maybe I’ll take a nap.” She snuggled into the couch and closed her eyes. “Wake me for my scene,” she said. A moment later she was asleep.

“I didn’t think we could glamor other vampires,” Jane said.

“She’s new,” said Byron. “There’s still enough human in her to respond.”

“I must say, this doesn’t seem to be terribly traumatic for her,” Jane remarked. “I remember my turning as being much more dramatic.”

“It’s different for everyone,” said Byron. “Believe me, when she wakes up and realizes what she is, there will be drama. I can tell. In the meantime, we have to get her to my house so I can look after her. The first day or two will be the worst.”

“But she’s expected on the set,” Jane reminded him. “What will I tell Julia?”

“Tell her Chloe needs rest, and to shoot around her.”

Jane suddenly remembered something. “And what about Ted?” she asked.

“Ned,” Byron corrected her. “I plan on having a chat with him as soon as I see to this young lady. But first we need to get her out of here. If I carry her, I can make us both invisible. See if the coast is clear.”

Jane went to the door and peered outside. Nobody was out there, so she opened the door and stepped out. As she did she saw a flash of movement to her left. She turned her head just in time to see a tiny tail disappearing around the side of the trailer. It’s just a dog, she thought with relief.

Then she looked down. In the dirt around the stairs were several sets of footprints, all of them different. But there was also a set of paw prints, and there was something peculiar about them. At first Jane couldn’t make out what it was, but then it dawned on her.

There were only three of them.

Chapter 15

“This would be a lot easier if we could levitate,” Jane said as she looked up at the parlor windows of Walter’s house. The sills were just about at the height of her head, and even standing on her tiptoes she could not see into the parlor. Byron, taller than she, had a better view, but not by much. “Is she in there?” Jane asked.

“Yes,” said Byron. “She’s sitting on the sofa with the dog. She appears to be speaking to it.”

“What is she saying?”

Byron sighed. “I don’t know,” he said testily. “In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re outside.”

“I realize that,” said Jane. “But aren’t you—aren’t we—supposed to have extraordinarily acute hearing?” She paused. “You know—if we try.”

“It would be much easier if the window were open,” Byron replied.

“Or if we could levitate,” Jane repeated. “Can’t we do that?”

“Do you know how?” asked Byron.

“No,” said Jane. “That’s why I asked you.”

Byron frowned. “Then it doesn’t really matter whether we can or not, does it?”

Jane, annoyed, sighed deeply. “I wonder where Walter is,” she said. “That’s a rhetorical question,” she added as she saw Byron open his mouth to speak. “I know you don’t know.”

“Actually, I do,” said Byron. “He’s just come into the room.”

Jane turned and again tried to see through the window. She jumped as high as she could, and for just a moment she caught a glimpse of the parlor. As Byron had reported, Miriam sat on the sofa opposite the window. Lilith sat beside her. Walter stood to one side, his back to Jane.

“Stop that,” Byron ordered as Jane prepared to jump again. “You look ridiculous.”

“This is maddening,” said Jane, leaning against the side of the house. “We need to get inside.” She looked at Byron, who caught her eye and immediately began shaking his head. “No,” he said.

“I’ve gotten much better at it,” Jane said. “Last time I stayed invisible for what, fifteen minutes?”

“More like six,” said Byron.

“Fine. Six,” Jane said. “That’s long enough to get in, have a listen, and get out again.”

“And what if you lose your concentration and appear?” said Byron. “How are you going to explain that?”

“We’ll stay in the hall,” Jane said. “We won’t even go into the parlor. There’s no way they’ll see us.”