Part 37 (2/2)

Then it hit her.Vampire hunter's honor.

Dawn had taken Frank's place, becoming the hunter he'd turned into. Except instead of just tracking vamps, she was trackinghim.

More than anyone, Breisi had to be aware of that.

The other woman smiled at the daughter of the man she loved. ”We'll find him,” she repeated. It'd become their mantra.

Before things could degenerate into an Emotion Fest, both women turned to the phone, seeking another place to look.

”I've gotta have more coffee,” Dawn said.

”Andrest,” Jonah commanded before he hung up.

Stowing the cell, Breisi turned the TV's volume back on. An old interview of Darrin Ryder, Dawn's super favorite actor, was gracing the screen as a reporter voiced-over that the star was recovering from an attack last night. A supposed mugging.

Dawn grabbed back on to Kiko and mustered a little sympathy for Ryder. Not a lot though. Karma was a sneaky b.i.t.c.h, and she didn't begrudge it some playtime.

A tiny squeeze tightened her fingers. She glanced down, finding Kiko half-awake, his gaze unfocused. Her heart constricted as he unlinked his fingers from hers, then reached out to touch the unders.h.i.+rt she'd worn after was.h.i.+ng it.

Frank's s.h.i.+rt.

”Bait,” Dawn thought she heard him whisper before he closed his eyes and drifted off.

Wait-had Kiko made contact with Frank again? Good news since, after some thinking, she realized that maybe Kiko got present-time clothes readings only if the subject had a conscience that still worked. It made sense, because Kik had gotten a reading from thepastvia Robby's old s.h.i.+rts-clothing he'd worn when he'd had a soul. Just as she hoped Frank still did. Or was Kiko only reliving that one debilitating vision from the other night right now?

Or...Dawn thought of another possibility, a sad option. Maybe it was just the painkillers addling his brain.

Pain. Too d.a.m.ned much of it around here.

She picked up her coffee, started to down the rest of it, but found the foam cup empty.

Reacting to Dawn's frown, Breisi rose from her seat, gesturing to the cup. ”I'm going out for some tea. You want more caffeine?”

”h.e.l.l, yeah. As much as my body can hold without imploding.”

An image of vamp bodies sucking inward shook her.

Breisi must've been thinking much of the same thing, too, because as she left, she shot Dawn a stoic, knowing glance, then disappeared out the door.

Alone now, Dawn slumped farther into the chair, exhaustion trying to drag her down again. As she fought to keep her eyes open, the TV news continued, the name ”Tamsin Greene” like a whisper deep in her brain, leading her toward sleep.

Suicide...Internet...blood...dead...

”Dawn?”

It was a whisper, too, just like all the white noise that had been fritzing through her head. The sounds of the TV floated away, becoming a part of the nothing.

Then something touched her arm.

She bolted out of her chair, blinking open her eyes as her heart pattered against her ribs. Fear and experience forced her body into a defensive stance as she tried to focus.

In the fuzz of Dawn's tired vision, Jacqueline Ashley stood, dreamlike. She was dressed in fas.h.i.+onably faded blue jeans, a ”Drive Hybrid” T-s.h.i.+rt, a baseball cap that she'd shoved all her hair into, and those d.a.m.ned sungla.s.ses. Carrying some white papers and a bouquet of friendly flowers, her appearance reminded Dawn that she'd invited the girl over here to see Kiko, knowing it would cheer him greatly. She also suspected Jacqueline would appreciate the company.

Relieved, Dawn found that she was actually grateful to see her. h.e.l.l, a normal chick from Pahrump, Nevada, beat a fang-wielding vampire any day of the week.

She relaxed, but her pulse still jittered her veins in the aftershock.

Jacqueline's head was tilted in obvious concern as she set the flowers on a table. ”Oh, my G.o.d. You were hurt in Kiko's stunt, too?”

In Dawn's sleep-deprived world, Jacqueline's words sounded like they were being played at slow speed. Even the edges of the actress's body seemed blurred.

Dawn forced her eyes wide. Tired. Still very tired.

”Kiko and I need to be more careful with our ch.o.r.eography, I guess,” she said, voice croaky. ”He's asleep now, but he'll love waking up to the sight of his favorite up-and-coming fencer.”

”Anything I can do to help. For both of you.” Now that Jacqueline knew Dawn was okay, she got a big, goofy smile on her face, then started bouncing on her heels.Dawn just gave her a curious look, still blinking the sleep away.

”So...” Jacqueline said. ”Guess what?”

Her first instinct was to answer with a Kiko comeback that included freaky apartments and their evil residents, but she didn't have the energy right now. Subdued, she merely went along with Jacqueline's enthusiasm.

”What?” Dawn asked.

The actress made a tinyeeeksound and handed the papers over. Printouts from the Net. ”I know you haven't had time to pay attention to gossip, but”-she hopped up and down some more-”I got the part! Can you believe it?”

”Wow.” Happiness mixed with doubt. Here it went: the change of Jacqueline from nice girl to movie star, right? ”Congrats, that's...amazing.”

”Thanks.” She shuffled her sneakers, looking like she was at a loss for words. ”But I thought I should tell you something before you start hearing it for yourself....” She began to continue, then stopped.

Dawn could hear anything at this point and not be fazed. ”Just say it.”

”Okay.” Jacqueline blew out a breath. ”Okay, here goes.” She exhaled again, then offered a hesitant glance. ”They're...well, they're calling me a throwback...a...” She shrugged helplessly. ”Jeez, this is rough. My managers want me to go with this whole thing that they dreamed up for my 'image.' So, maybe if I show you this makeover they sprung on me this morning...Well...here.”

With a shy flourish, the actress took off her baseball cap.

As her bleached golden locks came tumbling down, Dawn felt the first jab of dream-addled disquiet.

But when Jacqueline slipped off her sungla.s.ses, Dawn took an inadvertent, heart-stopping step backward, dropping the papers.

Holy...no.No.

At the fencing studio, Dawn hadn't cared to look Jacqueline in the face while she'd helped her with the jacket, and when she'd decided to finally do so, the actress had already donned her mask. And then there'd been the sungla.s.ses...the ever-present dark lenses hiding her gaze.

As Dawn's vision blurred, Jacqueline anxiously waited for approval. Disapproval.Something.

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