“Oh, honey…” I put my arms around her,feeling like my heart was going to burst. “I’m sorry. I’m sosorry,” I said, as tears stung my eyes. “This is all my fault.”
Taylor pulled back from our embrace. “Whatare you talking about? Of course it’s not.”
“Yes, it is. I should have stayed with youthat night. I never should have gone to that stupid class.”
“You couldn’t know that Celeste would comeand call me to her,” Taylor said gently. “And you couldn’t havestopped me going out to her even if you had been there.”
“Yes, I could. I would have tied you up.Called the police. Done something,” I said fiercely. “Ifonly I had been there. And now you’re stuck in this horriblesituation and even though I’m with the VAB—”
“There’s nothing you can do,” Taylorfinished for me quietly. “Believe me, I know how it is, Addison—I’mliving it.”
“If only we could get some kind ofrestraining order,” I said desperately. “Find someone who couldmake her leave you alone.”
Taylor shook her head. “You’d have to find avampire that was a hell of a lot stronger than Celeste and one whowas willing to intervene for me. That’s not going to happen.”
I knew she was right. Vamps are likelions—they all have their own territory and boundaries and theygenerally leave each other alone unless one of them is making ahostile takeover. In which case, you’d better get out of the waybecause they don’t pull punches.
But then I remembered what she’d said.Someone stronger than Celeste. To my knowledge there wasjust one other vampire in the entire state who fit thatdescription. Oh no… I moaned to myself. Surely not. Nothim… But there was nothing else I could do, nothing else Icould think of. I was stuck.
“Can you stay here tonight…er, today?” Iasked my friend but she shook her head.
“No, I’m expected back in an hour. Celestedidn’t want to let me go at all but Roderick had some meetings togo to so he wasn’t…wasn’t using me at the moment. I think she onlylets me come see you at all because she thinks it hurts me toremember my former life.”
“Does it?” I asked.
“Not as much as forgetting would. You’re allI have left, Addison. Mom and Dad won’t see me anymore since theygot so religious—they say I’m the bride of Satan. And you know Inever had any other close friends.”
I patted her back. “We’ll be friends as longas we’re alive…” I suddenly remembered that she wasn’t technicallyalive but it sounded wrong to say 'as long as I’m alive and you’reundead' so I just shrugged. “Er, you know what I mean. And don’tgive up hope or do anything crazy because I think I have aplan.”
Taylor shook her head listlessly. “Iappreciate it, really I do. But I don’t think anybody can help menow. I just have to…just have to endure it. Roderick is leavingtown in a month or so. Maybe things will go back to normal then.Assuming Celeste doesn’t give me to him permanently, that is.”
“She wouldn’t.” I felt like my heart hadjumped up in my throat.
Taylor shrugged tiredly. “She might. Shemight do anything—you know that.”
“I know,” I said, filled once more withhelpless rage. It was completely unfair that my friend had lost herrights as a person, her dignity, and her self-respect just becauseshe’d been turned into a vamp. Eventually I was hoping there wouldbe some legislation passed to protect the rights of the newlyturned but people still viewed vampirism as a choice—not assomething that could be done to you against your will.
“I have to go.” She started to get up but Ipulled her back down.
“When’s the last time you fed?”
Taylor looked uncomfortable. “Not that longago. I’m fine, really.”
“You’re not fine,” I said, eyeing thecopious red streaks and smears beneath her cheeks. “You lost abouta gallon just now crying.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t come here forblood, Addison. I just needed to talk about it…to say it out loud.And honestly, I feel better now.”
“You’ll feel better if you have a quickbite.” I shrugged out of my suit jacket and offered her my arm.“Here, do the inside of the elbow this time. I think the veins arebetter there.”
“I shouldn’t.” But she was hungry—I couldtell. She was eyeing the thick blue vein that ran along the insideof my right elbow like a starving man eyes a steak.
“Do it.” I thrust my arm under her nose,steeling myself for the pain. From what I understood, some vampswere able to make this a pleasant experience—even pleasurable—butit never was with Taylor. It just hurt like hell—not that I wouldever tell her.
“You’re sure?” she said, giving me anapologetic look. It was the same look she’d used to give me when wesplit a dessert at a restaurant and I told her to take the lastbite. The memory hurt my heart and I pushed my arm closer to hermouth.
Without asking again, Taylor bared her fangsand sank them deep into my vein. I managed not to yelp aloud but Ibit my lips so hard I could taste blood on my tongue. It was likebeing stabbed with two sixteen gauge needles by an inept nurse.Luckily with my pale skin, my veins are easy to find or Taylormight never have gotten any nourishment—she seemed to lack theinstinct other vamps had for finding blood vessels no matter howdeep or invisible they were.
In the beginning it had been excruciatingwhen she used to have to bite over and over to get into the veinjust right but lately she’d been getting a little better abouthitting the target on the first try. So maybe she waslearning, just very slowly. Too bad it was Celeste setting thecurve for this particular class.
Taylor sucked hard, drawing the blood out inslurps like someone sucking a thick milkshake through a straw. Isat rigidly beside her, biting my lip and holding as still as Icould. I didn’t like it any more now than I had the first time Ihad offered her my blood and it wasn’t just having her fangsstabbed into my flesh that bothered me.
Aside from
