Interest rekindled in Jessica’s eyes. “Oh, yeah?”
A shy blush painted Dara’s cheeks. “I wish I’d known this place had changed so much. I’m kind of a hermit these days, though. I haven’t ventured very far from my apartment over the past few years.”
She chuckled, playing it off as a joke, but Lucy sensed there was something solemn underlying what Dara had just told them, a serious reason why she didn’t go out much anymore. But she also sensed now wasn’t the time to ask about it. “You said something had happened to Jason-?” she prompted instead.
Dara looked no less discomfited by the topic change. If anything, she looked more flustered, her cheeks reddening and her gaze growing troubled. She leaned forward and carefully centered her mug on a heart-shaped coaster before replying, “I’m worried you won’t believe me if I tell you. It’s a pretty bizarre story.”
Lucy glanced at Jessica, who subtly raised her eyebrows. Her mind flashed back to her disturbing conversation with Aaron that afternoon. The terror in his eyes. The wounds on his neck. Swallowing, she said, “Oh, I don’t know, Dara. It’s been a crazy week. You might be surprised what we’re willing to believe.”
Dara pressed her palms against her knees. She stared into Lucy’s eyes as though trying to determine whether or not she should trust her. Finally, she blurted out, “I think Jason was bitten by a vampire.”
Chapter Six
It took a while, because Dara was so upset, but eventually Lucy and Jessica managed to pry the whole story out of her. It seemed Dara’s husband, Jason, had come home late a few nights ago, with his neck doused in blood. His injury had turned out to be two puncture wounds, each about the size of a pencil eraser, just above his shoulder. Dara had never seen anything like it before—other than in horror movies. Her husband had told her a beautiful girl had lured him away from the party he’d been attending and attacked him, forcing him to make out with her and then sinking her fangs into his neck.
Dara took out her phone and showed the girls a picture she’d taken of the bite marks. Jessica peered at it, feeling her stomach pitch with anxiety and, at the same time, her blood surge with excitement. The wounds looked just like Lucy had described them when she’d told her about Aaron’s. And while it was one thing to have heard Lucy’s incredible story and believe it—which she had—it was even more astounding to be confronted with photographic evidence of a vampire attack. For once, Jessica was speechless.
“He was acting like he was drunk or drugged,” Dara continued, cradling her phone in both manicured hands. “He didn’t remember where he’d been for the past few hours, or how he’d driven himself home. And he insisted this weird girl he’d met had somehow been able to control him—that she had compelled him to kiss her even though he hadn’t wanted to. He’s been acting weird ever since then, too. The first day, he was sick. Had a fever, was vomiting and stuff. But he refused to let me take him to a doctor or the emergency room. I would have insisted, but then he seemed to turn a corner and get better. He still won’t eat, or leave the apartment, but I managed to get him into the shower, and he seems to be over the illness, at least. He’s been sleeping most of today.” Her features tensed with concern. “This is the first time he’s seemed settled down enough that I felt like I could leave him alone for a little while.”
Lucy shot a look at Jessica. “That sounds a lot like what Aaron’s been going through. And those wounds, they look exactly the same.”
Jessica nodded, and Dara glanced from one to the other of them. “Who’s Aaron? What are you talking about?”
“Aaron’s my boss,” Lucy told her, and then she explained everything that had happened with him over the past few days, the weirdness that had brought Lucy to the bookstore seeking answers.
Dara’s face blanched. “Lucy,” she said. “Jessica. I came here hoping to find a book with some other explanation in it. Something normal. At the very least, I thought you guys would tell me I was crazy. And now, instead, you’re telling me that…” A laugh trilled from her throat, but it was short and humorless, bordering on hysterical. She murmured, “This can’t really be happening, can it? I mean, vampires?”
Lucy picked at her jeans anxiously. No one answered Dara for a second, and a tense silence fell over the three of them. Finally, Jessica blurted out, “Well, if it is happening, I think I know someone who might be able to help us.”
Dara’s head came up, and she eyed Jessica with surprise. “You do?”
Jessica nodded, and despite how downcast and worried her two companions looked, her own skin tingled with anticipation.
Lucy narrowed her gaze and tilted her head. “Who could you possibly know that might help us in this situation? Who do you call when a vampire is suddenly attacking all the guys in your neighborhood? And if you say the Ghostbusters, I’m leaving.”
“No,” Jessica rolled her eyes. “You go to another vampire. A friendly one.” And then she immediately bit her lower lip.
Lucy and Dara both stared at her. They looked at one another. Then they stared at Jessica some more. Dara settled her phone on the table. “Are you…” she paused, started over again. “Are you trying to tell us that you know a vampire?”
Jessica nodded, her excitement growing. She’d been dying to tell someone about this for so long and now, finally, she had her chance. “He’s my neighbor,” she burst out. “He lives across
