Dangerous Girls Page 15

  So the husband knows, Renz decided. He brings her food. But he can do no more for her. He is powerless.

  Only I can save you, Laura. Only I can return you to the life we planned so many decades ago.

  The days and nights passed so slowly. The last winter storm gave way to warmer spring nights. Renz watched the moon, waiting.

  At last, the full moon rose high over the trees. Laura’s house stood dark except for a light in her bedroom. The twins had spring break and were away at a friend’s. The little brother had gone to a sleepover a few blocks away. The husband worked late at his lab.

  Renz knew all these things because he stayed close—close to the house and its inhabitants.

  If I look away for a moment, she might disappear. And I might lose her again.

  But no. The moon floated high and full, lighting the house like a spotlight. And Laura was in her bedroom.

  Awaiting me.

  He crept along the side of the house, pressing against the shingles, making his way to her room in the back. The bedroom window was open, curtains fluttering in the light breeze.

  He hesitated for only a moment, pushing back his excitement. But he could already taste her sweet blood on his tongue. And once their blood had mingled, he could picture her joy at being reunited with him.

  He raised his hands to the windowsill and hoisted himself easily into her room. He pushed away the filmy curtains. A dim bed-table lamp provided the only light.

  He stumbled back against the wall when he saw her, trying to blink the horrible sight away.

  The sight of Deborah’s body, dangling so stiffly from the ceiling light. Her bare feet floating above the floor. The thick rope around her neck. Her head tilted back, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, her face blackened, purple tongue hanging from her open mouth.

  “No!”

  He spun to face the wall. He couldn’t bear to see this.

  Why did you do this, Laura? Why did you rob me once again of a bride?

  He hunched there, facing the wall without moving for what seemed like hours. Finally, he moved to the window. “Farewell, Laura,” he called softly. “Farewell. I have lost you once again.”

  He climbed out the window. He strode across the grass. He didn’t look back. “You have escaped me. But you have two daughters. Two Lauras. You got away from me, Deborah. But I will never let them go!”

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Destiny Keeps Her Date With Renz

  Ana-Li tossed a Frisbee to Destiny. It bounced off Destiny’s outstretched hand and sailed into the side of a tent.

  Ana-Li laughed. “I hope no one is in there.”

  Destiny loped over the grass, picked up the Frisbee, and spun it back to her friend. She gazed up at the rising full moon, already high in the purple night sky.

  A shiver of fear ran down her back. I’m trying to pretend that everything is normal. But Ana-Li must see how distracted and frightened I am.

  In the middle of the circle of tents, the campfire crackled and sent up sparks. Some kids were poking at it, trying to make it flame up. At the edge of the clearing, someone had cranked up a boombox, and several kids were dancing.

  Away from the noise, a group of parents and teachers—the chaperones—stood chatting near the lakeshore.

  Ana-Li made a low toss, and the Frisbee rolled toward the fire. “We got such a beautiful night,” she said. “Not a cloud in the sky.”

  Destiny muttered a reply. Her stomach gnawed. She fought back the hunger.

  Soon I won’t be able to control myself. Soon I won’t be able to satisfy my craving. After tonight, Livvy and I will become creatures, creatures to be hunted down by my father and his hunters.

  Destiny handed the Frisbee to Ana-Li. “I don’t really feel like playing,” she said. On the other side of the campfire, she saw Renz, surrounded by a group of girls, teasing them, everyone laughing, having a good time. Near the boombox, some girls were pulling Mr. Smith, the Spanish teacher, over to dance.

  A sudden wind made the trees whisper. Destiny shivered again. She glimpsed her dad with the other parents at the shore.

  Dad, if you only knew what was about to happen to your daughters…

  “Everyone’s trying really hard to have a good time,” Ana-Li said. “I mean, it’s the senior overnight and everything. But who really feels like partying that much? With two girls from our class dead…our two good friends…” Her voice trailed off.

  Destiny sighed. “Senior year was supposed to be the best year of our lives….”

  Ana-Li glanced around the campground. “Where’s your sister?”

  Destiny shrugged. “We’re sharing a tent, but I haven’t seen her since we arrived. She’s probably off in the woods with Ross. I don’t see him, either.”

  Destiny’s stomach growled. Her senses suddenly became sharp. She could hear the blood coursing through Ana-Li’s veins. She could hear conversations on the other side of the campground. A babble of voices, all talking at once, all so loud in her ears.

  “Think I’ll get a hot dog or something,” Ana-Li said. “Sure you don’t want to come?”

  “No, thanks.” Destiny watched Ana-Li trot off to the food table. She turned and found Ari right behind her.

  “Surprise!”

  She jumped. “Hey, don’t sneak up on me like that.”

  “Thought we were going to hang out tonight,” he said.

  Destiny had completely forgotten about him. “Yeah, I know. But—”

  “There’s a cool little dock on that side of the lake.” He pointed. “Some kids are over there. You know. Partying.”

  “I don’t think so,” Destiny said. “I’m sorry, Ari. I…I’m feeling a little weird. I’m going to go lie down. In my tent.”

  His eyes flashed. “Can I join you?” He laughed. “Just kidding.”

  “Maybe I’ll feel better later and I’ll catch up to you,” Destiny said. She could see the disappointment on his face.

  “Okay. Catch you later,” he said.

  Maybe.

  Maybe you’ll see me and maybe you won’t.

  Maybe if you see me, you won’t recognize me, Ari.

  I did everything I could to find the Restorer. I worked so hard for Livvy and me. But I failed.

  And now the moon is rising in the sky. Everyone thinks it’s beautiful, the autumn full moon, so golden and big.

  To me, it looks like death.

  Her stomach gnawing, her throat aching with thirst, Destiny tried to bury herself inside her sleeping bag. But the tent walls were so thin and transparent that she could see the flickering light of the campfire through them. And the voices outside were loud. They seemed to be in the tent with her.

  What time is it?

  Will Renz really come for me when the moon is high?

  She closed her eyes, but opened them when she heard the scrape of the tent flap.

  She sat up slowly.

  The tent flap opened, revealing the full moon high in the black sky.

  And then, Renz poked his head in, blocking the moon, his eyes wide with excitement.

  “Laura, it is time,” he whispered. “I have come for you. Are you ready?”

  “Yes,” Destiny whispered. “I’m ready.”

  Chapter Forty

  “At Last”

  Leaning into the tent, Renz reached out his hand. Destiny grabbed it and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

  “At last,” he whispered, a smile spreading over his handsome face.

  He led her out of the tent.

  Destiny saw the orange embers of the dying campfire. They sent up red and yellow sparks like jewels into the night sky.

  Renz held her in his arms. He pressed his mouth to her ear. “I’ve waited so long for this night.”

  Destiny’s skin tingled. Her muscles tensed.

  He lowered his face to hers. His fangs curled down from his gums. “Are you ready, Laura? Are you ready?”

  “Yes,” Destiny whispered. “Yes, yes…”

&nbs
p; Then she grabbed the wooden tent pole she had placed beside the tent. Raised it high. And with a groan, shoved it deep into Renz’s chest.

  His eyes went wide and he uttered a startled hiss. He staggered back—

  —and Destiny shoved the stake deeper.

  “Oh, no. Oh, no,” Renz whispered, arms flailing. He toppled to his back on the ground.

  I planned this all week. It’s all I could think about.

  Now, die, Renz—die!

  “Oh, no,” he repeated. “You can’t—” His arms and legs flailed like a pinned insect. “Laura, I love you. I love you, Laura.”

  He reached up and grabbed her by the shoulders. His bony fingers tightened, digging into her sweater, into her flesh. “I love you. I love you….” He struggled to pull her down to him.

  With a surge of strength, Destiny shoved the tent pole all the way through his body, into the ground.

  Die, Renz—die!

  A gurgling sound escaped from Renz’s open mouth.

  Destiny stared in horror as Renz’s body began to fall apart. His arms and legs crackled and curled. The skin on his face melted away. His chest caved in. His skull disintegrated, leaving only his fangs.

  In seconds, his clothing lay on the grass, empty, except for a few flakes of powdery dust that floated into the air.

  Gasping for breath, Destiny spun away—and saw her father standing behind her.

  “Destiny, I’m here,” he whispered. “I saw—”

  “Dad…” Destiny said, her entire body trembling. “Dad…I killed him. I had to. He…he came for me!” She pulled down the collar of her sweater and showed him the twin marks on her throat.

  “No!” Dr. Weller let out a cry. He stared at her for a long moment, eyes wide with shock.

  Then he grabbed the wooden stake from the ground and raised it high above his head.

  “No!” Destiny screamed. “Dad, please don’t! Don’t hurt me!”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” her father shouted. He heaved the stake across the field and wrapped Destiny in his arms. She could feel his hot tears on her cheek. “Dee, why didn’t you tell me? I would never hurt you. Never!”

  “Because…” She pulled away from him. “Because I know who you are, Dad. I know you’re a hunter.”

  He shook his head. “Yes. Yes, I’m a hunter. But, Dee—I can help you. I have a cure.”

  She gazed up at him. “You…you’re…”

  He nodded. “Yes. I’m also the Restorer.”

  Chapter Forty-One

  “I Guess I Should Tell

  You the Truth”

  Dr. Weller grabbed Destiny’s hand. He pulled her to his tent on the other side of the field. Safely inside, she dropped to her knees and watched him open his medical bag.

  “What are you going to do, Dad?”

  He bent over the bag. “I have a formula, Dee. It’s taken me a long time, but I’m sure I finally have it right.”

  He held her arm and raised a hypodermic needle in his other hand. He searched for a vein, then plunged the needle into her arm.

  The needle stung. “Will it really cure me?” she asked in a tiny voice.

  He nodded, his face solemn. “It may not be instantaneous. But you will feel the symptoms begin to fade.” Tears rolled down his cheeks. “I never dreamed I’d have to use it on my own daughter.” He returned the needle to the bag.

  Destiny felt a surge of heat roll through her body. The cure was right in my own house all along, she thought. “But—Dad, how did you find this? How can you do this?”

  He squeezed her hand. He let out a long sigh. “Dee, there are so many things I’ve kept from you. I guess I should tell you the truth.”

  She stared at him. “The truth?”

  “The truth about your mother…”

  Destiny’s throat tightened. “What about Mom?”

  He took a deep breath. “You’re not going to like what I have to say. I hoped never to have to tell you. You see…your mother was attacked by a vampire. It happened last year, at the end of the winter.”

  Destiny gaped at her father. “But…you said she committed suicide.”

  “Yes, she did. She couldn’t bear the horror. After she was bitten, she started to change. We told you kids she was sick. There was no way we could tell you the truth.”

  “Oh my God,” Destiny whispered. “Oh my God.”

  “I went to work in my lab,” her father continued, holding her hand tightly. “I worked night and day. I knew I could find a cure with the research I’d been doing. But…I failed. I didn’t find the cure in time. I failed, Dee. I felt so helpless, so miserable.”

  Destiny’s head spun. “Mom? Attacked by a vampire? But, Dad, I can’t believe it. I—”

  “At first, she wasn’t too bad. But her hunger grew. I tried to help. I brought lab animals home for her to feed on. But then the next full moon was approaching. She wasn’t herself at all. She needed more and more blood. Her thirst for blood became so intense, she prowled at night. She didn’t know what she was doing. She…she took more than one human victim.”

  Destiny gasped and shut her eyes. Not Mom…oh, no. Not Mom…

  “This is so hard for me.” Dr. Weller’s voice broke. “How can I tell you all this? I—I can’t live with it myself.”

  Destiny opened her eyes. “Go on, Dad. Please. I want to know the truth.”

  He took another breath. “Well…Coach Bauer’s wife—poor Marjory—your mother’s best friend, she was one of your mother’s victims.

  “After that, when your mother realized what she had done to Marjory, she was overcome with horror and grief. She couldn’t bear the guilt. She…she killed herself. She—”

  He turned away from Destiny. She could see his shoulders trembling.

  She stared at him, trying to digest all that he was telling her. “And that’s why you became a vampire hunter?”

  He turned back to her. “Yes. I tried to learn all that I could. I learned how to find vampires, how to hunt them, how to kill them. And all the while I worked in my lab—worked until I couldn’t see straight—until I found a formula that could cure vampires who weren’t entirely lost.”

  Destiny squeezed his arm. “But Mrs. Bauer—?”

  “I tried, but I failed. Too much time had passed. I couldn’t restore her. Poor Coach. He begged me to end her misery. He couldn’t do it himself. So I came with my helpers and I did it.”

  A sob escaped his throat. “I’ve lived with such horror. I didn’t want you to know any of it. I—”

  “Oh my God! Livvy!” Destiny cried, jumping to her feet. “Dad—Livvy too! Livvy was bitten too. I can’t believe I forgot her. We have to find her—fast!”

  He shoved a flashlight into Destiny’s hand. Then he latched his medical bag and picked it up. “My poor girls. My poor girls. Hurry. Let’s go.”

  They searched the campground, then the lake-front.

  Please let her be okay, Destiny thought. Please let us be in time to save her.

  They stepped into the woods, following the circle of light from the flashlight. The full moon shone brightly overhead, making the tree leaves glimmer like silver. Somewhere, a night dove cooed, sweetly, calmly.

  Livvy, where are you?

  Livvy, don’t hide from us.

  They cleared their own path through the trees and the brambled weeds. The flashlight flickered, threatened to die, then revived.

  Destiny gasped when she saw Livvy and Ross at the edge of a narrow, grassy clearing. They were both on their knees, bent over a fallen deer.

  Dr. Weller’s light swept over them.

  Livvy and Ross slowly raised their heads from the deer. Their faces dripped with bright blood.

  “Go away!” Livvy rasped. “Can’t you see we’re hungry?”

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Vanished

  Destiny froze. “Livvy—no,” she choked out. “You don’t have to do this. Dad is the Restorer. Dad can cure you both.”

  Ross blinked several times a
s if dazed. Then he lowered his face into the torn belly of the deer. He began to drink, making loud sucking sounds.

  Livvy stared at Destiny and her father defiantly. “We don’t want to be cured,” she shouted. “Ross and I—we made our choice. We want to be together—forever.”

  “Livvy, don’t do this!” Dr. Weller shouted. “There might still be time. If you let me—”

  Destiny strode up to the deer. “Let Dad try,” she told her sister. “Maybe he can cure you. You have to let him try!”

  “We’re a family!” Dr. Weller cried, tears staining his cheeks. “Livvy, we’re a family. We need you. We need you with us.”

  “It’s too late!” Livvy screamed. “I’ve been an immortal since camp!”

  “No!” Destiny gasped.

  “Renz drank my blood and I drank his,” Livvy rasped, blood dripping down her chin. “I didn’t want to die like Mom. I couldn’t stand the idea of death, of lying under the ground forever like Mom. I wanted to live forever—and Renz gave me the chance.”

  Destiny shook her head, trying to think clearly. “But you and I, Liv, we—”

  “I’m sorry, Destiny. I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to be his Laura. But I didn’t know he would go after you. When we returned home, I only pretended to be a neophyte,” Livvy said, her eyes wild, locked on her sister. “I only pretended to be frightened about what was happening, Dee. Didn’t you wonder why I never helped you search for the Restorer? I already had my new life—my immortal life, and I was happy. And I thought you could learn to be happy too.”

  “No, Livvy. No!”

  “And tonight Ross and I exchanged blood,” Livvy said, grabbing Ross’s hand. “Our blood mingled under the full moon. We did it, Dee. Because we want to be together—forever!”

  “No! No! I can’t let you do this,” Destiny cried, staggering up to the fallen deer. “You’re my sister. My twin!”

  A strange smile played over Livvy’s bloodstained face. “Maybe you won’t want me for a sister when I tell you the rest. I was the one who killed Bree and Courtney. I didn’t want to. They were my friends. But what could I do? I couldn’t fight my hunger. I had to feed. I had no choice. I killed them both.”