Part 28 (2/2)
”Not really. I don't want food anymore, for the most part. A lot of us have a sweet tooth, but I don't remember the biological reason for it-something to do with our body chemistry and glucose. Other things, though, I just don't really miss. The main reason any of us eat regular food is to pa.s.s as human.”
Kat paused with the spoon partway to her mouth and said, ”You know . . . I know that a lot of people would envy you for the whole immortality thing, but I don't think I do. I'm not sure I would want to outlive . . . everything.”
”I haven't had much time to think about it, to be honest. Faith said that the reality of it doesn't really hit home until you've outlived a typical human life span.”
”Speaking of life spans, doesn't it bother you that he's got three-hundred-something years on you and you don't know all that much about him-who he loved, where he lived, how he spent all of those years?”
”Sometimes. But really, do you know that much about Drew? You've only been together about as long as David and I have. You probably don't know every detail of his past yet-imagine if he had ten times more stories to tell.”
Kat thought about it, then nodded. ”Fair point.”
It was rare for Kat to show any interest in the details of life as a vampire. Miranda didn't volunteer anything she didn't ask about; she knew that Kat was trying hard not to think of Miranda as some kind of monster who drank blood, and Miranda was grateful for that. As much as she'd objected to David's neglecting to tell Kat everything that was going on, the Queen was finally starting to agree that Kat already had enough to deal with, and there were some things she just didn't need to know.
A lot of things.
A few bites later Kat set down the spoon, suddenly looking a little green around the gills. ”Ugh.”
”You okay?” Miranda asked. ”Do you need something fizzy?”
”No, I just . . . excuse me.”
Kat darted away from the table, headed for the restrooms, and Miranda kept an eye on her until she'd rounded the corner, then nodded to Lali, who was stationed at a booth nearby, to watch the door and make sure no one approached Kat while she was down the hall alone. Miranda caught the waitress's eye and asked for the check; she had a feeling that Kat wouldn't be up for much else after dinner.
Sure enough, when Kat returned she looked pasty and nauseated. ”Sorry,” Kat said. ”I don't know where that came from. I've been doing a lot better this week, but apparently the baby doesn't like nachos.”
”Would you like me to take you home?” Miranda asked.
Kat looked torn. They'd both been excited about the new local band they were going to see, but clearly Kat wasn't feeling up to standing for two hours in a crowded bar surrounded by drunk people.
”It's okay,” Miranda told her. ”Really, Kat-Nice Marmot will have another gig. Maybe we can find somewhere to see them that has actual chairs.”
Finally, Kat nodded. Her eyes were bright with tears. ”If you're sure you don't mind . . . I think I need to lie down.”
”Come on, then, Harlan will get us there.”
Miranda kept a steadying hand on Kat's shoulder as they left the cafe; Lali, who had been able to hear their conversation, was already out front, and the car pulled around as soon as they'd gotten to the curb.
”I don't think I'd like the vamp thing, but the service sure rocks,” Kat said.
Miranda grinned and waited until Kat was in the car to go around and get in herself. ”Rank hath its privileges.”
Sitting beside Kat as the car eased out onto South Lamar, Miranda watched her friend lean back with her eyes closed, her hands resting protectively on her belly, something Kat had taken to doing in the last couple of weeks that Miranda doubted she was even aware of. ”Let me know if we need to pull over.”
Kat opened one eye. ”Don't worry, I'm not going to puke in your Lincoln.”
”I'm worried about you, not the car.”
She shook her head. ”I think I'm okay, I just . . . I have this sick feeling, like I'm scared to death of something, but I don't know why.”
Miranda frowned. ”It's coming from your belly?”
”Yeah. It's like somebody spooked the little critter.”
Before Kat even had the sentence out, dread seized Miranda's heart. She said into her com, ”Elite One Nineteen.”
”Yes, my Lady?”
”I'd like a security status update from your position.”
”Everything's quiet, my Lady. No one's gone near the house since you left.”
”Thank you. Star-two, out.”
Kat was looking at her, eyes narrowed with concern. ”What's wrong?”
”Do me a favor and call Drew, would you?”
”Why?”
Miranda couldn't explain it, except that if Kat's baby was giving her bad vibes, something was giving Miranda a full-blown anxiety attack that she was hiding by sheer force of will. Her heart had begun to pound, and she felt adrenaline beginning to surge through her veins. s.h.i.+t. Something's wrong. Something's wrong.
”Please, Kat, just call him.”
Kat shrugged and took out her phone. ”It's ringing.”
”Where's he at tonight?”
”The school,” Kat said, still listening to the phone ring. ”Weird . . . he always picks up by the third ring.”
Miranda called to Harlan, ”Take us to 228 East Chicon, as fast as you can.” Then she said into her com, ”All available patrol teams to 228 East Chicon.”
”Miranda, what the h.e.l.l is going on?” Kat demanded. ”So he didn't answer, so what? He might not have his phone on him.”
”Okay, Kat,” Miranda told her, keeping her voice very calm despite the alarms going off in her head and her heart, ”I'm going to go first and make sure everything's okay. You stay in the car until I come get you.”
”Um . . . okay . . . but-”
Miranda didn't wait for her to ask. ”Harlan, pull over.” As the car rolled to a stop, the Queen shut her eyes and concentrated, forming the image of the school where Drew worked as firmly in her mind as she could. She'd never done this on her own before, but there was no time to lose . . . she knew it was in her power, if she could just . . .
She pulled hard on the image, doing as David had shown her and relaxing her hold on her body in a certain way that made everything feel blurry and strange.
She heard Kat gasp . . .
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