how pissed off she had probably made the remaining Casparis . This made her think of her father and it gave her a pang in her stomach.
Something Zara had said had made Sam sit on the edge of the bed and hold his head in his hands. He mumbled incoherently in a strange language. It took Zara a moment to realize he was praying, which made her even more uncomfortable in the small room. He finally stood up again and moved over to the window where he gazed out. “Vivian’s was a dark life.”
It suddenly dawned on Zara that she had been Vivian in her dream. She felt sick and had to lean a hand against the wall. She wondered if this was her punishment for going against the grain, for renouncing her destiny as a vampire. She wondered now, that if her dreams had been real perhaps her vision on the balcony held some meaning.
“What is your name?” the man said, still looking out the window.
Zara could think of no reason to conceal her identity to the heartbroken creature. “Zara, Zara Lane. And you are Sam, right?”
The man sighed. “That was the name they gave me at Ellis Island.”
Zara nodded thoughtfully. This man was at least ten times as old as her or more. She dizzied at the thought of it.
“I’m sorry about Vivian,” she said carefully. “I think you should know she was not the same when she —”
“Enough. I don’t wish to ever hear her name again. There is little time for us to sit and talk about things that have come to pass. What matters is what is coming. Your friend has already weakened me by destroying a compatriot in my cause. Drake comes and he wishes to destroy us both.”
Zara balked. “Wait, who destroyed who now?”
“Whoever you have brought here has just killed a friend of mine. But it matters not, not now anyway. Drachen comes for you, and he doesn’t come alone.”
“Abby,” Zara grumbled. She tried to remember her old friend’s face but drew a complete blank.
“He’ll bring more” Sam said. He squinted out at the window, touching his goatee thoughtfully. “The fire is coming. Maybe it’s our judgment. When they come, bring them to me, in Viper Canyon, three miles north of here along Cyan Trail.” He leaned in and whispered more instructions into her ear and Zara listened. There was a sudden knock at the door and Zara spun towards the sound.
“ Zar ! You in there? Let me in!” Twig shouted. He banged against the door a few more times.
When she looked back Sam had already slipped out through the window. She walked over and unlocked the door, and Twig bolted in the room. He had strapped his stake belt back on and it rattled noisily as he moved. He was sweating and covered in dust and dirt and a little blood.
Twig began to ramble about a cowboy exploding and a toothless woman when Zara shut him up with a long kiss. He was all she had left now, besides her father who might already be dead. The thought that she had lost him reminded her how much she cared for him, foibles and all.
The lights suddenly flickered to life and Twig jumped. He was clearly shaken by the whole ordeal with the cowboy. “Are you okay?” He asked finally.
“I’m fine,” she said. “But Drake is coming. I can feel it.”
“You can feel it? What you have vampire GPS now? Well whereabouts is he?” Twig ran to the window and peered out.
“I don’t know. I just know he’s coming,” Zara said.
Twig produced a cigarette and got it lit and in his mouth. “Well, guess it was a matter of time,” he said between long drags.
“You killed one of them, didn’t you?”
Twig gave her a puzzled look. “Yes, he wanted to know where you were. I slipped the last bit of liquid sunlight into his drink while he was distracted. And you
Something Zara had said had made Sam sit on the edge of the bed and hold his head in his hands. He mumbled incoherently in a strange language. It took Zara a moment to realize he was praying, which made her even more uncomfortable in the small room. He finally stood up again and moved over to the window where he gazed out. “Vivian’s was a dark life.”
It suddenly dawned on Zara that she had been Vivian in her dream. She felt sick and had to lean a hand against the wall. She wondered if this was her punishment for going against the grain, for renouncing her destiny as a vampire. She wondered now, that if her dreams had been real perhaps her vision on the balcony held some meaning.
“What is your name?” the man said, still looking out the window.
Zara could think of no reason to conceal her identity to the heartbroken creature. “Zara, Zara Lane. And you are Sam, right?”
The man sighed. “That was the name they gave me at Ellis Island.”
Zara nodded thoughtfully. This man was at least ten times as old as her or more. She dizzied at the thought of it.
“I’m sorry about Vivian,” she said carefully. “I think you should know she was not the same when she —”
“Enough. I don’t wish to ever hear her name again. There is little time for us to sit and talk about things that have come to pass. What matters is what is coming. Your friend has already weakened me by destroying a compatriot in my cause. Drake comes and he wishes to destroy us both.”
Zara balked. “Wait, who destroyed who now?”
“Whoever you have brought here has just killed a friend of mine. But it matters not, not now anyway. Drachen comes for you, and he doesn’t come alone.”
“Abby,” Zara grumbled. She tried to remember her old friend’s face but drew a complete blank.
“He’ll bring more” Sam said. He squinted out at the window, touching his goatee thoughtfully. “The fire is coming. Maybe it’s our judgment. When they come, bring them to me, in Viper Canyon, three miles north of here along Cyan Trail.” He leaned in and whispered more instructions into her ear and Zara listened. There was a sudden knock at the door and Zara spun towards the sound.
“ Zar ! You in there? Let me in!” Twig shouted. He banged against the door a few more times.
When she looked back Sam had already slipped out through the window. She walked over and unlocked the door, and Twig bolted in the room. He had strapped his stake belt back on and it rattled noisily as he moved. He was sweating and covered in dust and dirt and a little blood.
Twig began to ramble about a cowboy exploding and a toothless woman when Zara shut him up with a long kiss. He was all she had left now, besides her father who might already be dead. The thought that she had lost him reminded her how much she cared for him, foibles and all.
The lights suddenly flickered to life and Twig jumped. He was clearly shaken by the whole ordeal with the cowboy. “Are you okay?” He asked finally.
“I’m fine,” she said. “But Drake is coming. I can feel it.”
“You can feel it? What you have vampire GPS now? Well whereabouts is he?” Twig ran to the window and peered out.
“I don’t know. I just know he’s coming,” Zara said.
Twig produced a cigarette and got it lit and in his mouth. “Well, guess it was a matter of time,” he said between long drags.
“You killed one of them, didn’t you?”
Twig gave her a puzzled look. “Yes, he wanted to know where you were. I slipped the last bit of liquid sunlight into his drink while he was distracted. And you
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