Eternal

that it doesn’t affect you, but you can do whatever the heck you want with Charlie in your room in the middle of the night?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The other night. When we were on the phone. I heard her.”

Several seconds passed in silence but for the ticktock of the clock on his desk. “Not that it’s any of your business,” he said at last, “but we weren’t in my room. We were in the lab.”

“The lab? What were you doing in the lab together?”

“Charlie is a biochemist. We were working on something. And obviously not having nearly as much fun as you and Aidan were in the loft yesterday.”

I winced as his words hit their mark. “Why don’t you tell me about Charlie, then, instead of keeping her a big mystery. It’s only fair, don’t you think?”

He leaned back in his chair, his hands folded behind his head. “Okay, what do you want to know?”

“I don’t know,” I said with a shrug. “How did you meet her? What’s she like? Stuff like that, I guess.”

“I met her my junior year at MIT, and we’ve been close ever since. Actually, we both went to Winterhaven, but not at the same time—she’s a few years older than me. Her father’s a teacher here. I think you had him last year for history.”

“Dr. Penworth?”

Matthew nodded. “Charlie’s the reason—or at least I thought she was—that I took this post at Winterhaven. She did her PhD at Columbia, and I wanted to stay close by.”

“So she is your girlfriend,” I said, ignoring the ridiculous and unexpected stab of jealousy.

“Charlie knows about the whole Megved thing,” he hedged. “She knows she can never come first in my life.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” I pointed out.

“Because there is no answer to it. My relationship with Charlie is what it is. She knows that if a better offer comes her way, she’s welcome to take it.”

“Wow, that’s awfully noble of you.”

He shrugged. “What else can I do? It’s not like I have a choice—not really.”

I was dying to know if they were sleeping together, but I knew I couldn’t ask. It would be crossing a line, for sure. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder.

“You said she’s a biochemist?” I asked instead.

“Yes, a brilliant one. She’s still at Columbia; she’s got her own life, her own work.”

“So, what were you doing in the lab together?”

“She’s helping me with Aidan’s cure. And . . . well, I don’t want to get your hopes up, but things are looking pretty good. I’m cautiously optimistic that we’ll have it by graduation. I just wish there was some definitive way to test it beyond the cellular level. Anyway, is there anything else you want to know?”

“I guess that about covers it,” I said, even though it didn’t, not really. Like a true scientist, he’d omitted anything about feelings. He hadn’t said if he loved her, or if she hated me for coming between them. “I’d kind of like to meet her, though.”

“I don’t think so,” he said, shaking his head.

Which probably meant that she wanted to rip mine off. “Well, this has been enlightening.”

“Though not very useful, as far as coaching sessions go.”

“Oh, please. Why do we even pretend that they’re still coaching sessions? We’re just hanging out. Might as well call a spade a spade.”

“I suppose you’re right. So . . . has Aidan told you about the attacks?”

My pulse leapt with alarm. “What attacks?”

“In Eastern Europe and somewhere in Asia. Unexplained deaths—a rash of them. Wounds to the victims’ necks.”

“Where did you hear this?” I asked.

“From Aidan. I guess this Luc character told him—you know, his scary-looking new bodyguard. Between these civilian attacks and the assassin that came after Aidan in Atlanta, well . . . things are definitely escalating. What’s going to happen if this war breaks out before school ends? Have you given any thought to that?”

I shook my head. “I’m just hoping that it doesn’t. But if it does, well . . . I assume Mrs. Girard will somehow excuse me from finals and grant me my diploma, even if I’m not around to finish the semester, right? I mean, she’s the one making me play a part in all of this.”

“Wait, that reminds me . . .” Matthew rose from his chair and went to a cabinet against the far wall, where he rummaged around for a bit. When he returned, he had something in one hand—a vial of some sort. He moved to stand just in front of me. “I’ve been meaning to test something out on you.”

“Okay,” I said warily.

In one swift movement, he removed the cap.

Immediately, my senses exploded. My right wrist burned; my entire body seemed to vibrate. Glancing down, I saw that the blackish red bloodstones on my bracelet were roiling angrily, glowing now.

Two words flooded my consciousness: Vampire. Destroy.

In an instant, I had my stake in my hand, poised to strike.

“Whoa!” Matthew said, ducking behind his desk. Hastily, he recapped the vial.

Just like that, the sensations disappeared. Gone. Poof. “What was that?” I asked, dropping the stake to the floor by my feet.

Matthew looked a little pale. “Infected vampire blood, along with a tissue sample. That was some reaction, though. I didn’t even see you reach for your stake.”

I tipped my head toward my bag. “It was in there.”

“Yeah, but you moved so fast. Too fast. Next time you need to take a second to establish the connection with me first, okay? You would have struck on your own, with no coordination. We’re a team, remember?”

“Well, next time warn me before you go sticking vampire blood under my nose like that! Where did you get it, anyway? It isn’t Aidan’s.”

His eyes widened a fraction. “You can tell it isn’t Aidan’s?”

“Yeah.” I held up the wrist with the bracelet. “White stones, good vampire. Red stones, bad vampire. It’s pretty simple. Anyway, I don’t get all wiggy when it’s a good vampire. Especially if it’s Aidan.”

“I had him take this sample from the vampire we slayed in Atlanta,” he said, pointedly avoiding any mention of Kate. “The female. Before he burned the corpse.”

I just nodded, trying to ignore the painful lump that had formed in my throat. I would not let myself think about Kate. Not now.

He rubbed a palm against the dark stubble on his cheek, looking thoughtful. “Anyway, it’s interesting that you reacted so strongly. I guess that means it’s either something in the blood or in the tissue cells that sets you off. The vampire doesn’t have to be alive. Of course, I use that term loosely in this case.”

“Well, that’s just fascinating,” I said sharply. I was still shaking all over, thanks to his little test. Adrenaline, I supposed.

“Can we try it one more time? Only this time, the second you sense it, reach out for me psychically, okay?”

“I’m not sure I know how,” I said truthfully. “You mean telepathically?”

“Try using the same mental muscle you use to put up the wall around your thoughts. Does that make any sense to you?”

“Yeah, I guess,” I said, resigning myself to the experiment. Clearly, Matthew thought this was an important skill to hone.

“Okay, ready? I’m going to uncap it again.”

I nodded. “Ready.”

Just like before, I had my stake in my hand, moving to strike a mere second or two after he’d removed the cap. There had been no time to reach out to him psychically, no time to think or do anything at all, except react.