Part 17 (1/2)

William gave us both a back-me-up-here look. ”This was serious, wasn't it?”

I started to agree when Feather cut in with, ”I already told you, I've been bitten much harder before. It's no big deal.”

No she hadn't, and everyone in this room, including her, knew it. Izzy s.h.i.+fted uncomfortably in the beanbag. I probably should have been embarra.s.sed for Feather, as well, but my eyes were glued to the two of them like I was watching a soap opera.

”Yeah,” William said, clearly hurt. ”What you didn't say was how many times.”

”A few,” she said, shrugging into her coat. ”Not that it's any of your business.”

”I'm your boyfriend.”

”Not my keeper.”

Oh, ouch. I managed to tear my eyes away from the hurt expression on William's face.

”Fine,” he said. ”If that's the way you want it.”

”That's the way itis , William.” And, with a clatter of rubber soles on stairs, she left.

William let her go. His shoulders slumped, and he pinched the s.p.a.ce between his eyes. He'd apparently left his gla.s.ses in the same place as most of his clothes.

To Izzy and me, he said, ”I don't understand it. Why would she purposely put herself into situations like this, like what happened tonight? Three hours ago I didn't even know there were vampires. Now I find out my girlfriend's addicted to them? It's too much, man.”

I didn't want to break it to William that Feather probably had one specific ”master” she saw on a regular basis. She probably drove to Minneapolis or Chicago or Milwaukee to see the guy... or gal. I hadn't heard that Madison had a resident vamp. Of course, now we had two.

Izzy nodded her head. ”I hear you, brother.”

”She says she pays for it sometimes.”

I glanced up at that. Vampires were ultra-possessive of their ghouls. They kept a kind of revolving harem, bound together in secrecy and need. At least, Parrish had. Another reason dating him had been awkward to say the least.

”Who would pay forthat ?” Izzy asked, looking at the spot on the floor where the majority of the blood had been.

”A lot of people,” I said, considering it. ”Tonight... Sebastian was unusually harsh. A little blood can sustain a vampire for quite a while. Sebastian was wounded. Normally, they don't go for the kill like that.”

n.o.body said anything for a while.

With a sweeping glance, William took in all of our cleaning. His gaze lingered on the stub of the arrow, as if trying to will himself to remember what had happened here. ”You guys worked hard. Looks nice.”

”Thanks,” I said.

Izzy stood up and pulled at the hem of her blue b.u.t.ton-down s.h.i.+rt. Black stains made a Rorschach pattern on the cloth. ”My turn for the shower.”

”Borrow anything that catches your fancy in my closet,” I offered, though I wondered if any of it would fit. Izzy was several inches taller and a few sizes thinner than me. After Izzy disappeared into the bathroom, William and I exchanged a long look. He ran his fingers through his hair, then sauntered over to sit beside me on the couch.

”So, you're dating this guy... this vampire?”

Was I? I had thought so, but now I had trouble envisioning a scenario where I really wanted to see Sebastian again, romantically speaking. I shook my head mutely. ”I was.”

”He's the guy you played hooky for though, right?” I nodded, but William barely registered my response before going on to his next thought. ”Wait. That was this morning. Like, daylight. Vampires can go out in the daytime? That blows.” ”Not all of them.”

”Well, thank Father Odin for that.”

It took me a second to pa.r.s.e out what he'd said. ”Aren't you a Druid now?”

”f.u.c.k,” he muttered. ”I meant, Oak and Ash, or something like that.”

I started to stifle a laugh but then decided I needed one, even if it was at William's expense. He smiled along. ”Sorry,” I said, with a shake of my head. ”It's been a long day.”

”Yeah,” he said, leaning back into the couch. ”I was going to see if you guys wanted to hit an IHOP or something, but you look beat.”

And I wasn't really in company mood anymore. I understood his desire to debrief, however. ”Maybe Izzy would be up for it.”

”Yeah,” he said. With a lascivious wiggle of his eyebrows, he c.o.c.ked his head in the direction of the sound of the shower and added, ”You think I should go ask her?”

I smiled, but I felt suddenly, inexplicably sad. Maybe it was the brave show of camaraderie William attempted, especially considering his girlfriend had all but dumped him five minutes ago. Or perhaps it was regret-regret that I was pus.h.i.+ng away friends who deserved better.

”Let's ask her together when she comes out,” I told William. ”I've changed my mind. I feel restless. I need to go out.”

”Cool,” William said.

I nodded. It would be good to get out of this apartment for a while. I was fairly certain the Vatican wouldn't be back tonight, at least. Despite my conviction, I just didn't want to stay here at this moment.

The whole place felt violated, unsafe.

Barney came out of hiding to twine around William's feet. He reached down to scratch her on the flat s.p.a.ce between her ears. She purred loudly and bonked her head against his hand.

Izzy emerged a few minutes later wearing my black bustier. ”Honey, you have the closet of a s.l.u.t,” she said, making all of us laugh.

After William explained our plan and Izzy dug out something more decent to wear, I took my turn in the shower. I changed into a new pair of jeans and a sage-green s.h.i.+rt. I didn't have the energy to work on being pretty. Grabbing the change off my dresser, I dug through my junk drawer until I found a pen and some paper. I wrote a quick note to Parrish. I didn't want him to freak when he came in, smelled the blood, and saw the arrow and bullet holes. He might think I was dead. Or fled again. So I just wrote, ”Don't worry. I'll be back.”

I started to sign it ”Meadow Spring.” I stopped when I realized what I was doing. Then it occurred to me that using my Craft name might be enough of a hint to Parrish to keep an eye out for Vatican agents.

It was worth a shot. ”Got a new roomie?” Izzy's voice startled me.

”A friend from Minneapolis is cras.h.i.+ng on my couch.” I resisted the urge to cover the note guiltily, and, instead, grabbed a piece of tape to post it on my apartment door.

”Hmmm.”

She sounded suspicious, but she waited until we were all in her car before dropping the bomb. ”How did your boyfriend end up stuck on the wall, Garnet? s.e.x games gone awry?”

I sat in the backseat. I could see Izzy watching me in the rearview.

William looked shocked. ”Jesus, Izzy,” he said.

She turned down McKinley Drive. Streetlamps illuminated the lakesh.o.r.e. In the darkness the water appeared black, reminding me of blood.

”The Order of Eustace,” I said, not caring how fantastical or crazy the whole thing sounded. After all, both of them had met a vampire for the first time tonight. Finding out about a secret Catholic Witch-hunting order wasn't going to be that big of a stretch. ”They take very seriously the verse in Exodus about not suffering a Witch to live. They're after Sebastian.”

I left out the part about the grimoire for now. I wanted to see how Izzy and William would react to this information first.