I feel so groggy, but I can't sleep anymore. Kal opened her eyes slowly and looked around. I'm back in my room. My loft. How did I get home? I know I fell asleep at Dad's. Devin must have brought me home.
She sat up and looked around. Downstairs, warm afternoon light was streaming through the slightly open blinds. It was so strange to be awake at this time of day. She was so used to the floor below being covered in darkness when she woke up.
A soft noise from the other side of the bed caught her attention. Devin was perched on the very edge of the mattress, a book at his side, fast asleep. He looked so peaceful. This was the first time Kal had seen him asleep. The few times he'd spent the day, he'd never let his guard down that much.
Without thinking, she leaned over and brushed a stray strand of hair away from his face. Her warm fingers barely caressed his cool skin, realizing too late she'd crossed this unspoken boundary. He'd let his guard down and she'd instantly taken advantage of it.
She sat on the edge of the bed, staring into the room below. Completely lost in thought. Why did I do that? As she moved to stand up, his hand brushed over hers, gently pulling her back. She fell backwards onto the mattress and froze.
Danger. Her thoughts cried out. She lay still, staring at the ceiling. Trying to steady her breathing so her heart wasn't racing out of control. She wasn't being held. Behind her, his weight shifted. His gentle laugh was almost musical.
"You okay?" His voice soft in her ear.
She nodded, then turned to her left. His face was inches from hers. He stifled a yawn, and she could see the points of his fangs. A faint trace of red in his eyes.
"Your heart's racing." He said.
"Sorry," I'm not sure what I was apologizing for. I shouldn't be so on edge. She tried closing her eyes, but that didn't help. When she opened them again, he was watching her.
"I thought you would have gone home," She said.
"And leave you unsupervised?" He asked.
"I'm not a little kid," She looked away. She'd been fine all of her twenty-plus human years. Took care of herself and sometimes Cherry for the past four.
"About as defenseless." He said it so definitively.
She couldn't argue with that. She'd lost to the hunter before, and that was with her vampire powers. As a human, could she even put up a fight?
"So do you plan to watch me forever?" She asked, turning back to face him.
He didn't reply. Instead, he traced his finger slowly from the back of her hand up her arm. Watching the goosebumps break out in his wake.
"So warm." He said. "What's it like?"
"Terrifying," She replied without thinking.
He pulled his hand away. Almost apologetically. She reached out but didn't close the gap.
"Not you," She said. "Somehow, I feel safer with you here. But I keep thinking if I'm stuck like this, like a human. How long until I'm alone? Knowing what's in the darkness."
"If you're human, you should live a human life." He said.
"How can I? Knowing what I lost. Who…" She stopped herself. What am I saying? It's not like we were even friends.
"I could make you forget." He said.
"That would be worse." Kal sighed.
"Then what? You'd rather spend your whole life afraid of the shadows?" He asked.
"Yes. If the alternative is forgetting. Wouldn't you?" She knew he wouldn't answer the question honestly.
"Forgetting is also a way to start over. Go back to how things were." He said.
"Seems like a cop out." She sat up and stretched before moving to the edge of the mattress.
"Maybe. But sometimes it's okay to take the easy path."
I worry about you. She thought, but it wasn't something she'd say out loud. She stood and headed to the stairs.
"Where are you going?" He asked.
"To take a shower. I promise not to go out if you want to sleep more." She grinned back over her shoulder.
"You'd like that," he teased. "Don't forget, we should be meeting your friend soon."
"Don't worry, I'll be fast."
---
Kal could see no more than a few feet in either direction. She didn't remember it being so dark here. The atmosphere was overwhelmingly oppressive. But the worst thing was the way the residents were staring at her. Hungrily.
"This place is insane." Seth spun around, nearly tripping over his own feet as he attempted to both keep up and take in the sights of Midnight. He seemed oblivious to the danger.
"He shouldn't be here." Devin grabbed Seth's arm, pulling him in step with the rest of the group. "I can't protect both of them."
"You don't have to." Cherry wrapped both arms around Seth's right arm, making it difficult for either to walk.
"He's probably right. You shouldn't have followed." Kal said to her brother.
"And miss out on all this? No way." Seth freed his arm from Cherry's, wrapping it around her shoulders instead. "So where are we going anyway?"
"I see it runs in the family," Devin said under his breath.
"What does?" Kal and Seth asked in unison.
"Never mind. We're here." Devin said.
Here was a massive, stone brick library. Its interior light bled through ornate stained glass windows, illuminating the entrance walkway with dark rainbow patterns. The building reminded Kal of a mix between the New York state library and Notre Dame cathedral, which she'd only seen in pictures.
"Come on," Devin took Kal's hand and led her up the stairs.
If at all possible, the inside appeared larger than the outside. Shelves upon shelves of books stretched out of sight. It was easy to imagine everything ever written was available here. That may well have been the case.
"So what's the plan?" Kal asked.
"We're going to talk to Eddie, and you two are going to stay close." Devin headed toward the circulation desk.
As they approached, a tower of books sitting too close to the edge started to tumble. Reflexively, Cherry reached out her hand. The books froze in mid-air before righting themselves on the table.
"Nice catch," Devin said.
"Thanks," Cherry replied.
"No way that's who I think it is." A deep voice rose from behind the desk, followed by a mass of curly, black hair. The librarian spun around, leaning over the edge. His dark brown eyes examined them from behind gold, wire-framed glasses that were much too small for his prominent features.
"Giant?" Kal whispered, taking a step back, hiding behind the rest of the group.
Devon shook his head. "Eddie, it's been a while."
"It is you. It's been too long. You look the same. Except maybe the hair. What brings you? Who're your friends?" Eddie had completely leaned over the desk, grabbing and shaking hands. When he got to Kal, he paused. "This one has some weird energy."
"That's why we're here," Devin said.
"I might know a book. Come to my office." Eddie disappeared out of sight, followed by the hardwood desk shifting to form a passageway.
The office was small and crowded, piled floor to ceiling with books, scrolls, and other random items. Kal was sure she saw a jar labeled 'miscellaneous spider legs.' Ick, creepy. She tried her best to wedge between her brother and Devin.
"Ouch!" From behind Kal, a hand plucked one of her hairs. Before she could turn around, Eddie had her face in his hand, tilting it left and right, up and down.
"Say ahh." Eddie ran a swab along her inner cheek. Then he dropped the swab and the hair into a fizzy beaker. It changed colors from red to green to purple.
"Stap iip. Gais?" Kal looked around the room, begging. Everyone pretended to be preoccupied with the random knick-knacks. There would be no help.
"No, no, that's not good. But maybe. Ahh ha!" Eddie slammed the large book he was paging through and leaned back in his chair. "You've been un-vampired, huh? Rough deal."
"Do you think it's permanent?" Devin asked.
"Hard to tell, you know. The way her energy's all twisted." Eddie spun around in his chair before writing down a few things on a sheet of paper. He handed the paper to Devin. "Could you grab me this book?"
Devin passed the paper back to Cherry. She took it, nodded, and without hesitation, rushed out the door. Seth followed closely behind, probably because he wanted an excuse to check out more of the library.
"Possibly nothing, maybe something," Eddie shrugged and pulled Devin toward the front of the office. Kal couldn't hear what they were whispering, but the expression on Eddie's face bothered her. Whatever it was, it wasn't good.
Kal climbed into the tall desk chair and spun around. Everything about this place had her on edge. The air felt too thin to breathe, and there wasn't enough light to see anything. And just out of sight, she knew she saw something moving, but when she turned, nothing was there. She let out a breath she didn't remember holding. It will be okay. She lied to herself.
Cherry burst into the small office. She paused for a second, desperately trying to catch her breath. Something was very wrong. She was alone.
"Seth's gone." Cherry panted.
"Gone?" Devin was curt, like he knew this would happen.
Kal shivered, suddenly cold. How could he be missing? They'd left together. They were supposed to be together. She was supposed to keep him safe.
"He was right next to me. I was reaching for the book you sent me to get. Then all these books fell." She turned to look at the door, "No time to explain. We need to find him."
Cherry grabbed Eddie's hand and pulled him through the door. Kal was on her feet, ready to follow, when Devin stopped her. He led her back to the chair at the desk. "You stay here."
"But…" She protested.
"Stay." It was a command. She knew she couldn't disobey, however much she wanted to. Devin had never used those powers on her before. He must have been worried.
She spun around in the chair and lay her head on the desk. Sitting alone in this office was the last thing she wanted to do, waiting to hear if they'd found her brother, if he was okay. She pushed the horrible thoughts from her mind. All the bad things that could have taken him.
"It's your fault." Something whispered.
"Who's there?" Kal turned around in the chair, peering into the dim office. No one was there.
"You did this." It whispered behind her.
Kal jumped from the chair, turning to look toward the desk. Nothing. She was still alone. She didn't feel alone.
"You're frightened. Good." The voice giggled. "I bet they were afraid, too."
Kal ran to the door. Maybe she could call for help. Someone would come. She pulled at the handle. It wouldn't open.
Something cold brushed against her shoulder. She turned and pressed against the door. Whatever it was, it was close. She could feel it right in front of her, even if she couldn't see it. The lights went out.
---
Kal woke up in a dark room. It appeared to be some sort of prison. The large stone bricks felt damp, and the air smelled of mildew. Seth was sitting on the floor, leaning against the crossed metal bars. She was having a hard time remembering how they'd gotten here. They'd been in the library. She'd been alone in the office.
"Oh good, you're awake." He said. "Do you want the good news or the bad news?"
She couldn't imagine there was any good news, but she was curious all the same.
"Good news?" She asked.
"Looks like the human thing wore off." He said.
"What's the bad news?" She was worried.
"We're trapped in here and—" He shook his head. "You're not looking so good."
Oh. What bad timing. Kal leaned back into the corner. Footsteps were approaching. A shadow fell over the bars. The hunter stared through the bars, her face expressionless. She was alive. Kal growled, low and threatening. I don't care what she does to me, but for her to put Seth in danger.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Seth asked.
"My name is not important. I'm here to see that monster punished." She said, pointing at Kal.
"My sister isn't a monster," Seth said.
Kal threw herself into the bars, snarling, trying to reach through them. Instead, electricity shot through her, throwing her to the ground. Slightly stunned, she looked up from the floor, her fangs clearly visible in her half-closed mouth.
"Are you sure about that?" She asked.
Seth looked at his sister and then back at their captor. He shook his head. "She's not."
"You can't do this. She won't let you." Kal shouted. She remembered what Cherry had said about her being important, how Selene had thought her necessary.
"True. I'm not permitted to kill you. But if you were to kill each other or yourself." Her lips turned up slightly.
"I would never, never…." Seth exclaimed.
"That's a big if," Kal started. But it's possible if she keeps us here long enough.
"You haven't fed in a week. I imagine you're starving. How long do you think you can hold out?" She said.
"And you're calling me a monster?" Kal asked.
"Seriously," Seth said.
This woman was willing to sacrifice an innocent human to get what she wanted. What have I done, beyond existing, that makes her want to kill me so badly?
"Nothing of the sort. I won't leave him defenseless." She pushed a long, wooden stake through the bars. Then, turning to Seth, she gestured to her chest. "It must pierce the heart."
He shook his head and kicked the stake away. Kal slid it back. It would be better for everyone if he used it. She knew she couldn't live with killing him. The woman was right about that. If it were a choice between who got to live, it had to be him.
"Why?" Kal asked.
"I'm merely protecting my family. It's only a matter of time before you're sent after us, too." She turned to walk away. The sound of her boots was soft against the stone as she disappeared into the distance.
Kal didn't understand what that meant. Who had the hunter been referring to when she said 'too'? She couldn't think of anyone she'd been 'sent after.'
"Hey?" Seth whispered.
"Yeah?"
"Why'd you slide that thing back?"
"Because I want you to use it if you have to," Kal said.
He shook his head. Just the idea was upsetting to him. Kal understood. He'd built his career around saving lives. She hoped he would change his mind when the time came. She could already feel the hunger eating away at her.
---
Kal was unusually aware of her teeth. That she had them, they felt too big for her mouth. She ran her tongue across the roof of her mouth. It felt like sandpaper. So dry.
There was something else that was bothering her.
"Why can't I smell your scent?" She'd been holding her breath, facing the wall, anything to try to maintain control. But she made a mistake, and when she did, the only scent was that of the damp stones and mold.
"I don't know. Maybe—" Seth paused.
Behind her, she heard shuffling. She didn't turn to look. She didn't want to give in to that temptation.
"Cherry borrowed my bracelet. I told her about that night you came to visit. We played the racing game. When she gave it back, she made me promise not to take it off, said it would protect me. Maybe she did something to it." He said.
"Could be. I don't really know anything about that stuff." Kal said.
"Me either. It was easier when things were normal." He said.
"Yeah."
I guess Cherry wasn't ever normal. I think I always knew that. Cherry used to show her magic all the time as kids. Real magic. But they got caught. Cherry was always very careful after that. Until the night when Kal came home.
"How long have you two been, you know, together?" Kal asked.
"A couple months. You're not upset, are you?" He asked.
"Why would I be?" Kal asked.
"Dunno. I was worried you might think it was weird or something." He said.
"I'm happy you have each other," Kal sank into the wall. It was getting harder to stay in control. "You need to make it out of here for her. Even if—"
"Don't be stupid."
Kal laughed; her voice sounded hoarse. Hardly above a whisper. She looked at her hands, opening and closing them. My fingers look thin. I feel hollow. How long have we been here? Why doesn't he seem afraid?
"Do you remember when Mom died?" He asked. It seemed like a strange question at this point in time.
"No," Kal tried to remember, but it was too fuzzy. She was barely four, and Seth was six.
"I didn't understand, not really. Some days, I'd come home from school, and Mom couldn't get out of bed. Other days, she'd be fine. Over time, there were less fine days until she was in the hospital." He said.
"I wish I could remember her," Kal said.
"Me too. She was amazing. The day she died, we went to visit her. She was lying in bed with all these tubes. She seemed so tired but smiled at me and asked about school." His voice broke as he spoke.
Kal wanted to comfort him, but she couldn't risk it. Instead, she pressed herself closer to the wall and closed her eyes. She thought about the picture her dad had given her. Their mother looked like an angel, with her pale blonde hair. Her eyes were the same blue as Seth's. Kal imagined they sparkled the same way when she was happy.
Seth took a deep breath before he continued. "She kissed us goodbye and said she'd see us tomorrow. She never gave up. And we can't either."
It was a nice sentiment, but it was going to get him killed. At least he still had the stake.