Part 7 (1/2)

”Um, sure,” I mutter, feeling stupid and lame and out of place. ”Congrats, I guess.”

Jayden beams. ”Maybe I'm not such a vampire failure after all, huh?”

”Failure!?” Elizabeth and Katie and Susan squeal all at once. ”As if!”

”You make an amazing vampire!” Susan insists. ”It just takes time,” adds Katie. ”And training.”

”And we're just the girls to teach you,” Elizabeth finishes, possessively putting an arm around his shoulders. ”Stick with us, kid. We'll make you into a super vamp.”

”Super vamp!” Jayden exclaims. ”I like the sound of that.”

I feel sick to my stomach as I watch Elizabeth nuzzle up against him, as if he's her boyfriend or something. I know I have no right to say anything- Jayden and I are just friends-and I have Magnus. But at the same time, I have to admit it's killing me to see him so happy with another girl. I mean, it's not like I want him to be unhappy, of course. It's just...

Oh G.o.d, I'm totally losing it.

”Well, that's all fine and good,” I manage to say, trying to push all the unwelcomed thoughts from my head. ”But Jayden isn't going to need any of these lessons. 'Cause he's going to become mortal again-just as soon as Magnus brings back the Grail from j.a.pan.”

”If,” Jayden corrects. ”And I think that's a big if. To be honest, Sun, I don't think I'm very high on the guy's priority list.”

My shoulders slump. I've been trying to keep the doubts from my head-trying to trust Magnus as he claims he deserves to be trusted. But at the same time, logic keeps rearing its ugly head. After all, even with the best intentions, could Magnus just tell the Consortium to shove their orders because he's still on the quest for the Holy Grail? I mean, that's like vampire treason. And as much as I want Jayden to have the chance to regain his humanity, I don't want Magnus to get in trouble, either. 'Cause I'm pretty sure the punishment for outright treason is death by stake.

It's not fair to put him in that position. To distract him from his important duties. Not when someone else could easily take over the task, freeing him up to concentrate on the war at hand.

Someone like the McDonald twins, for example. ”Jayden, can I talk to you for a minute?” I ask.

”Alone?”

He looks up, surprised. ”Of course,” he says as he rises from his seat.

But Elizabeth stops him. ”I don't think that's a good idea,” she says. ”After all, we were specifically told by your bodyguard not to let the two of you alone.”

”In fact, if I remember right, I believe it was decided you should stay in your room,” adds Katie. ”Until morning.”

c.r.a.p. In all the excitement, I forgot that I was still technically a prisoner. ”Oh, right,” I say quickly, before they can alert Rufus or the professor. ”They let me out for a bathroom break. But I best be getting back! Sorry to disturb you guys. Have fun! I'll catch you later!”

Jayden looks at me, confused. ”But, Sunny-”

I cut him off with a loud laugh. ”Good luck with your lessons!” I tell him as I back out of the room. The girls watch me go with suspicious eyes, but thankfully none of them make a move to stop me. Once I'm far enough away for comfort I break out into a run, back toward the dusty parlor I came in from, to try to contemplate my next move.

How the h.e.l.l am I going to get us out of here? I mean, just getting Jayden away from his own attractive jailers will be hard enough. And we probably aren't going to be able to just walk out the front door without being noticed. I'd use the window, but my friend Cujo is still outside, patiently awaiting my return. And while, once my wings are dry, I'll be able to fly again, that doesn't help Jayden at all. And I can't leave him here. Without my blood transfusions, he'll have no hope at all.

Voices in the hall interrupt my troubled thoughts. I duck behind a dusty armchair and hold my breath, praying they won't enter. But my prayers, it seems, are definitely not reaching the big guy tonight because a moment later the room floods with light and two vampires walk in and sit down.

And my ankle starts bleeding again.

10.

”Are you sure you need to do this?” I hear the first vampire, who sounds like Professor Lucedio, ask the second as I try to put pressure on the wound. Vampires can smell blood a mile away, after all. Luckily, the professor is currently smoking a pipe, which is evidently masking the smell. But for how long?

I glance around for an exit, but the only one (besides the dogguarded window) is across the room, past the two vampires. I'm basically stuck here until they leave. Or, you know, smell me and drain me dry.

I turn back to the conversation, not knowing what else to do. ”After all, he's made great strides with the girls tonight,” the professor is adding. ”Maybe it's not too late to pull him in. I'm sure they would adopt the boy into their ranks. They seem quite fond of him, after all.”

Wait-are they talking about Jayden?

The second vampire, who I realize is Tanner, the Blood Coven bodyguard, s.h.i.+fts uncomfortably in his seat. ”I'm just following the Master's orders,” he replies.

Ah, I get it. Professor Lucedio thinks Jayden should remain a vampire and join the English coven. But Tanner's telling him that Magnus instructed him to keep Jayden half human by giving him the blood transfusions until we find the cure. Good, Tanner. Play by the rules. Don't let those English vampires let you stray from the Master's orders...

”It just seems like such a waste,” Lucedio adds. ”A nice young vampire like that. And the girls have really taken to him, as well. Especially Elizabeth.”

I scowl. Elizabeth doesn't deserve a nice vampire like Jayden. And Jayden would never go for a girl like her.

At least I hope not... Anyway, she won't have a chance, because I'm going to spring Jayden and we're going to find the Holy Grail and make him human again.

”I know, I know,” Tanner replies. ”But the situation is... complicated, as you know. In the end it'll be better this way.”

Wait a second. What was that? I crane my neck, trying to determine what the vampires are doing. I catch a glimpse of Tanner, leaning over a coffee table, slipping a vial of clear liquid into a gla.s.s of blood.

What the-?

”And this will work?” Lecedio asks. ”I don't want a big mess on my hands, you know. It'll disturb the other guests and I can't afford a big black mark on my Yelp rating in this economy.”

Tanner stirs the blood. ”It'll work, all right. And the autopsy will determine that his body simply rejected the transfusion and overtaxed itself fighting off enemy cells. His heart gives out, the abomination dies, and everyone can move on with their lives.”

I clamp a hand over my mouth to stop my scream. They're going to kill Jayden and make it look like an accident. How could Tanner do something like this? And... wait... didn't he say he was following his Master's orders? But Magnus wouldn't do something so cold. Not after promising me he'd do everything he could to save Jayden's life...

”Well, it sounds like you have everything under control,” Lucedio replies.

”I am only following Lord Magnus's orders,” Tanner replies humbly. ”He wanted a way to take care of the... problem... without upsetting... well, you know who.”

My heart wrenches so hard for a moment I think it's going to break in two. Oh G.o.d. How could he? How could he lie to me like this? Tell me he's off to find the Grail and save Jayden's life while secretly instructing his bodyguard to kill the boy and make it look like an accident so I'd never suspect a thing.

And then having the nerve to lecture me about my trust issues.

Lucedio rises to his feet. ”Speaking of the girl, I should go check on her. Poor thing. She's going to be devastated when she finds out her little friend is no more. She has quite a loyalty to the boy.”

”Too much,” Tanner adds bitterly. ”Which is why we need to take care of this tonight.”

The two vampires rise from their seats and start toward the door, leaving me shaking in fright. I have to get it together. Before they discover I'm missing and Tanner feeds Jayden the poisoned blood. I can be heartbroken at the betrayal later, once Jayden and I are safe. Right now I have to act.

Oh, Magnus, how could you? After all you said. After you begged me to trust you...