"Wait,what?"
"Whichpart?"
"Uh,all of it?"
"Stoppedby Ashville to get a drink. The witches are pissed at Mother because sheskipped town to come help me. Left her letter of resignation."
"Areyou serious?"
"Asa heart attack."
"Don'ttell my mother." Josie started fidgeting with worry.
"Okay.Why?"
"Becauseshe'll head back there and try to take over."
"Andthat would be bad, why?"
"Couldyou imagine what that scatterbrain would do to Ashville?" She shuddered.
Sodid I. "Okay, mums the word."
"Darkelf?"
"Longstory."
"Eatvampires?"
"Longerstory."
"Vampiretown meeting?"
"Gonnago find out what all that's about now."
Shechuckled and leaned over, giving me a hug. I almost sobbed in her shoulder. Iwanted more than anything in the world to tell her right then and there howmuch she meant to me and who she really was to me, but I bit my lip. It wasn'tthe time. Once I sorted out everything with my father, then, and only then, would I spill the beans.
"Dot?"
"Yeah,Jose?"
Shepulled back and looked me in the eye. "There's something I've been wantingto ask you."
"What?"
"Willyou marry me?"
"Huh?"
"Candaceand me. Sorry, I should have said will you marry us?"
Myheart started beating again and my stomach settled back down. "Of course!Have you picked a day yet?"
"It'skind of soon, but the next day the store is closed is New Year's Day…"
Ismacked her on the head. "You are not planning a whole wedding in a week.Don't make me smack you. I will marry the two of you, but you're going to do itright, with beautiful dresses and food and friends and a band." Musteringthe sternest look I could manage, I booped her on the nose. "We'll plan ittogether, all of us. In the meantime, treat your lady right. She's not goinganywhere, and neither are you. And don't worry about coordinating around thestore being open or not. We can close for such a momentous occasion."
Shestarted crying.
Master…Yuki's voice didn'tsound panicked, but it was close.
What?
Ineed you. Now, please.
"Gottarun. Yuki."
"Go!"
Huggingher one more time, I ran back through the door and out of the store.
Chapter 3
Enter slowly.
Okaaay?
Trustme.
Always. I slowly pulled the diner dooropen. The chime above the door even seemed to ring slowly as I took one stepinto the diner and surveyed the situation. The vampires had pushed three of thetables in the far corner of the diner together and were angrily staring atYuki, who sat across from her cousin George.
Therest of the diner was business as usual, nobody seemed to feel the tension inthe air, except for Marge who was glancing at me nervously from behind thecounter. I made a stay motion at her and slowly sat in my booth.
Good.George and I are coming to sit with you.
Asif on cue, she and he stood and slowly marched their way across the diner,weaving through the tables between us. Almost with a strained look on theirfaces, they slid into the booth, Yuki first.
"Greetings,Lady Dorothea."
"Hey,George. Long time no see."
Thedoor chimed behind me, and I felt another vampire enter the diner. Morefamiliar than the others. It was Amir, the very first vampire I'd seen in CedarFalls. I'd saved him and his sister from a vampire-hunting band of witches.Amir was one of the good guys. Without looking, I slid in further to give himenough room to sit. "Hi, Amir."
"Youknew it was me?" He didn't sound shocked, he seemed pleased.
"Yes?"
Hesat down and smiled. "Could you tell me how?"
"Idon't know. I could feel it was you when you came in."
"See?"He made a gesture at an incredulous looking George.
"Thatdoes not prove anything. She could have smelled your cologne."
Amirsighed. "Lady Dorothea, could you tell me where Yvette is right now?"
"What?"
"Justsee if you can feel her like you did me."
Ihated parlor tricks, but I did as he asked, rolling my eyes as I closed themand felt around for Amir's sister. She was gone. A scene flashed through mymind of the battle between Lord Abernathy and me. Yuki's father had kidnapped herto marry her off to another clan of vampires. It had turned into an all-out warbetween me and the vampires. Amir had refused to fight out of loyalty to me,but his sister chose Lord Abernathy's side. Evidently, she had been torn toshreds by the undead, wounds grave enough that even a vampire could not havesurvived. I hadn't even known. "Oh, Amir. I'm so sorry."
Iblinked up at him through the tears.
"Yousaw her death?"
"Yes.Not a way to go."
"Donot worry. She chose to follow him into his insanity. Those who followed theirown hearts are alive to this day. She put too much faith in a man who did notdeserve it. If only he could have been more like his daughter."
Ismiled at Yuki, but she was staring at me nervously. "What?"
Georgestopped her from answering. "How many vampires are in the diner at thismoment?"
Withoutclosing my eyes, I knew the answer. "Three at this table, twelve in theback and one in the bathroom?"
"Countthe number of people at the other table."
Liftingmy gaze, I did as he asked. There were fourteen heads. "Fourteen. But onlytwelve vampires."
"Areyou sure?"
Iknew without a doubt that I was. "Positive."
"Howcan you tell?"
"Beatsthe hell out of me, George. I just can. The blonde girl on the end and the guyin the middle closest to the wall. They're human."
Georgeturned to his cousin and nodded. "You were right."
"Yuki?"
"I'msorry, Master."
"Forwhat?"
"BeforeI answer, can you do something else?"
"Dependson what that is," I answered her honestly, narrowing my eyes at myfamiliar.
"Tellme how many vampires are in town?"
"What?Come on, Yuke, I can't do that."
"Try?Please?"
Sighing,I rolled my eyes again before closing them, picturing Cedar Falls in my head.One by one, little red dots appeared on the map in my head. I counted each oneas they appeared. Three of them appeared outside of the city limits. "Forty-eightin town and three just outside of town," I answered, surprised at myself.
"Holyshit." George's forehead hit the table. "It's not possible."
"Whatisn't?"
"Onemore thing?" Yuki nervously tore the napkin apart that had been beside herhand. Marge was gonna smack her.
"What?No more parlor tricks, Yuke. Tell me what's going on."
"Iwill. Can you feel the vampires in Amersville?"
Wantingthe weird conversation to end, I did as she asked and closed my
