Vampire Beach: Hunted, page 4
‘Mom got good news. It made her forget all about you and your nest-leaving,’ Danielle explained.
Jason sat down in the empty chair between his mother and his sister. ‘What kind of news?’
‘I finally heard from your Aunt Bianca,’ Mrs Freeman exclaimed, beaming. ‘You know how worried I’ve been. I haven’t heard from her in months. She hasn’t returned a single call.’
‘What did she say?’ Jason asked, careful not to look at his sister. His mother was almost psychic about reading her kids’ expressions. If he glanced at Dani, he was afraid his mother might figure out that they had a secret and try to figure out what it was. And it was something that neither of them ever wanted her to know: her sister, their aunt Bianca, was a vampire. She’d been turned into a vampire by her vampire husband Stefan before he’d died. She’d even inherited his place on the Vampire High Council.
But Stefan hadn’t known that Bianca’s human genetic make-up meant that she couldn’t tolerate becoming a vampire. She had succumbed to transformation sickness, and had been slipping deeper and deeper into insanity. The last time Jason had seen her, back in February, she was already seriously unstable. Who knew what she would be like by now?
‘She said that she’d been having some health problems, but she’d found an excellent treatment,’ Mrs Freeman told him.
‘And apparently she said she’ll probably be in California soon,’ Dani added, shooting Jason a quick glance.
Jason couldn’t quite tell if she was worried or excited. Did she believe his aunt had actually found a treatment for the transformation sickness? Was it possible?
Jason doubted it. If there was a treatment, the DeVere Heights Vampire Council would know about it, and he would have heard about it from Sienna. He hadn’t heard anything about his aunt from Sienna or Zach, even though the Council was supposed to be trying to keep tabs on Bianca.
‘I think I’ll go check the guest room. Just in case,’ his mother said. ‘You know how Bianca loves to pop in unannounced.’ She hurried from the room.
‘You think she might?’ Danielle asked quietly.
‘Doubtful,’ Jason told her. ‘If Bianca showed up in California, the DeVere Heights Vampire Council would probably take her under their protection – by which I mean “get her under their control” – before she made it to our house.’ And Jason couldn’t help thinking that that was a good thing. His human family just wasn’t prepared to handle Bianca’s vampire problems.
‘Who am I going to talk to about this stuff when you’re away at school? What if something, you know, happens?’ Danielle asked.
‘L.A.’s hardly far away,’ Jason said. ‘A call, and I’m here. And don’t think I won’t hear about anything I need to hear about when I’m at CalTech.’
‘Don’t get carried away. It’s not like I need you to tell me my skirt is too short or something. Or check up on me at a party – which I know you did at Brad’s, so don’t deny it.’
‘I’m not going to,’ Jason answered. ‘I’m your big brother. It’s what I do.’
‘I can take care of myself. I’m only one year younger. Just if anything really weird goes down . . .’
‘I’m there,’ Jason promised.
His cell phone began to play the Pussycat Dolls’ song I Don’t Need a Man. ‘I thought you’d grown out of changing my cell ringer,’ he said to Dani.
‘For old times’ sake,’ Dani answered with a cheeky grin. ‘I only have you here for a few more months.’
Jason checked the caller ID: Sienna.
‘Hey, I was wondering if you could come over,’ she said before he could even say hello.
‘You miss me already?’ he asked.
‘Absolutely,’ she answered, but he didn’t think her voice had quite its usual playfulness.
‘Anything wrong?’
‘No. I just don’t feel like being alone,’ she said.
‘On my way.’ Jason hung up the phone. He could read Sienna as well as she could read him. And she was clearly not telling him everything. Something was very wrong.
Five
JASON REACHED SIENNA’S house faster than he should have legally been able to. Her parents don’t know what time you left the house, he reminded himself when he spotted them coming out of their front door.
‘Hi,’ he called to them as he climbed out of his VW Karmann Cabriolet. Had Sienna called him because she was about to achieve Empty House? She hadn’t said so, but maybe her parents had been in hearing range . . .
‘Hello, Jason,’ Mrs Devereux said. Her tone snapped Jason out of his Sienna-fuelled fantasy. It wasn’t angry or unfriendly, but there was an undercurrent of strain, and her smile seemed forced.
‘Do you have more luggage I can help you with?’ Jason asked, registering that Mr Devereux was loading a couple of bags into the trunk.
‘I’ve got them, thanks,’ Mr Devereux said. He shut the trunk with a quiet click, then opened the passenger door for his wife.
Sienna hurried outside. ‘I found your cell,’ she told her father, handing it to him.
‘Thanks, sweetheart.’ Mr Devereux kissed her on the cheek. ‘We’ll call when we get there. Goodbye, Jason. Sorry to rush off.’
He got behind the wheel of the car. Jason and Sienna watched as it glided down the driveway and into the street.
‘What’s going on?’ Jason asked.
‘That’s just it. I don’t know,’ Sienna admitted, her eyes on the spot where the car had disappeared from view. She turned to him. ‘Come on, let’s go inside.’
Jason followed her into the Devereuxs’ elegant living room. ‘My father got a call about forty-five minutes ago,’ Sienna explained as they sat together on the sofa, ‘and all of a sudden, he and my mom were rushing around, packing. All they would tell me is that they needed to go to Chicago on some Council business, and that they shouldn’t be gone too long. Not that they could tell me when they’d be back. It was really weird. My parents usually give me loads of information. You know, phone numbers for everyplace they’ll be, even though they both have cells, and everything. But not this time . . .’ Sienna leant her head against Jason’s shoulder. ‘I didn’t mean to be all dramatic on the phone.’
‘You weren’t,’ Jason reassured her.
‘It’s just that them being so secretive makes the whole thing a little scary. A couple of years ago they had to go out of town for a big gathering. There was a threat that the head of one of the French families was going to be assassinated. My parents didn’t tell me a lot, but they told me the basics,’ Sienna continued. ‘This time, all they would say was that Zach was staying in town in case any problems came up.’
‘Have you talked to him yet?’ Jason asked. Zach was absolutely the person he’d want to get the facts from. ‘He’s in the Council. If anyone would know the real deal, he would.’
‘Tried. But he didn’t answer,’ Sienna said. ‘I called everybody else though. Everyone’s parents are heading to Chicago. Even Brad’s. They’re cutting their anniversary cruise short. They wouldn’t do that for something minor. So help me brainstorm. What do you think could be up?’ She gave a rueful laugh. ‘This is how you wanted to spend your Saturday night, right? Sitting around with me, coming up with conspiracy theories.’
‘I love coming up with conspiracy theories,’ Jason told her. ‘It’s one of the few times my highly-developed paranoia is an asset.’
‘Thanks.’ She let out a sigh that seemed to release a little tension from her body. ‘I really didn’t want to be alone with all these crazy thoughts running around in my brain. I know my parents wouldn’t have left me here by myself if they thought I was in any danger.’
‘That’s totally true. Maybe there was some kind of accounting scandal. You know, somebody got caught buying five-thousand-dollar shower curtains with Council money or something.’ Jason ran his fingers through Sienna’s hair.
‘Probably. Anything to do with money can make my dad’s head go volcanic,’ Sienna agreed, sounding a bit more hopeful.
‘Or maybe a non-vampire somehow wormed his or her way to the very top of the Council and a tell-all book is about to hit the stores,’ Jason suggested.
Sienna smiled a little, but her eyes had a faraway look. He hadn’t been able to completely take her mind off the situation. Maybe if he kissed her . . .
What was he thinking? He was here as the supportive boyfriend. He wasn’t supposed to be trying to score.
Sienna tilted her face up so she was looking into his eyes. The distracted look was gone. ‘Come here,’ she said, using one hand to pull his head down to hers. And then, what was there to do but kiss her? And kiss her. And kiss her. And . . . kiss . . . her . . .
Their lips didn’t break apart even as Sienna twisted her body and straddled him. He ran his hands under the flowy embroidered top she had on, all the way up her bare back. Completely bare. Some part of his brain registered that she wasn’t wearing a bra.
Then Sienna’s hands were under his T-shirt, sliding it up, sliding it off, their kiss ending as she pulled back to look at him. She glided the fingers of one hand from his chest to his belly button. His heart slammed into his ribs as her hand moved on down, past the waistband of his jeans – and then they both froze as someone pounded on the front door.
Sienna scrambled off his lap and swept her hair away from her face. Jason pulled on his T-shirt, realized it was on inside out, pulled it off, and put it back on the right way.
‘Coming!’ Sienna called, rushing for the door. Jason stayed where he was. He needed a minute to compose himself. Yeah, that was a good word for it: ‘compose’.
There wasn’t much time for composure before Sienna led Zach, Brad and Van Dyke into the living room. Brad and Van Dyke seemed too worked up to notice that they might have been interrupting something between Jason and Sienna. But Zach noticed everything. Jason knew he’d drawn the correct conclusion, even though his expression didn’t change.
‘Belle, Maggie and Erin are on their way,’ Zach announced, taking a seat. ‘There are things you all have to know.’
‘So you’re finally going to tell us what’s going on?’ Brad burst out.
‘Yeah, and I only want to do it once,’ Zach answered.
‘Anybody want drinks while we wait?’ Sienna asked. She rushed out of the room without waiting for an answer. Jason didn’t follow her. He figured maybe she needed a little composing time too. When she returned, her hair was a little smoother, and her face wasn’t as shiny. She carried a tray of sodas and beers.
‘I see Maggie’s car pulling up. She was collecting the other two. I’ll go let everybody in,’ Van Dyke said. A few moments later, the entire group was assembled in the living room.
Brad looked over at Zach. ‘The floor is yours,’ he said.
‘I wanted to tell you why the meeting has been called in Chicago,’ Zach told them. ‘Not everybody thought you needed to know, but I do. I’m filling in everyone who was left behind in the Heights. This is big . . .’
‘Well, what is it?’ Belle demanded impatiently.
Jason saw that she looked frightened. After what happened to Dominic, why wouldn’t she be? he thought. Belle’s boyfriend had been killed by the same vampire hunter who had shot Jason with the crossbow and tried to kill Sienna. Jason figured she probably went into any strange situation expecting the worst.
‘Some disturbing things have been happening in New York for a while,’ Zach continued. ‘Vampires started disappearing, for a night or maybe a weekend. When they returned, they were disorientated. They couldn’t remember what had happened to them, and they were physically weak and exhausted. It was almost like they’d been on drinking binges.’
‘But a vampire would have to drink a phenomenal amount to get that effect,’ Van Dyke protested. ‘I had about eight witch doctors at Brad’s party and I was fine.’
‘I wouldn’t say that,’ Brad joked lamely.
‘Drinking doesn’t seem like a plausible explanation,’ Zach agreed. ‘But the council hasn’t been able to come up with any explanations that are plausible, that’s the problem . . .’
Jason waited for it. He could tell there was more.
‘Lately, in the last month or so, vampires have started disappearing in other parts of the country,’ Zach went on.
‘Same deal? No memory of what happened?’ Erin asked, leaning forward.
Zach gave a brief head shake. ‘They didn’t come back at all.’
‘Shit,’ Van Dyke muttered.
‘Vampires from all over the country are gathering in Chicago to join forces, combine information and try to figure out what’s going on. It’s surprising that there isn’t more intel already, considering how well-connected we are,’ Zach said.
‘Have there been any disappearances around here?’ Jason queried.
‘Not yet,’ Zach told him. ‘Trust me, the DeVere Heights Council would not have left Malibu if they thought there was any danger here.’
‘But you do,’ Jason pointed out. ‘Otherwise, why—’
‘I’m just taking precautions,’ Zach said, raising a hand to quell any panic from the others. ‘That’s all.’
‘What is it? Is it vampire hunters? Could a group of vampire hunters be working together all over the country?’ Belle asked anxiously. Sienna and Erin both moved closer to her.
‘Unlikely,’ Zach replied. He hesitated, then looked Belle in the eye. ‘If you remember, the hunter who came here was happy to leave the bodies behind.’
‘And he hunted alone,’ Van Dyke added.
‘But I suppose it’s possible,’ Zach finished.
They all sat in silence for a few moments. Jason grabbed a soda just to have something to do.
‘Should we arrange a buddy system or something?’ Brad suggested finally.
‘I don’t think we need to go that far,’ Zach answered. ‘As I said, there haven’t been any disappearances in our area.’
‘Can I ask a newbie-ish question?’ Jason didn’t wait for permission. ‘You said vampires are disappearing all over. Are there vampires everyplace? In every city in the country?’
‘No place is like Malibu, dude,’ Van Dyke answered. ‘We own this place.’
‘Practically,’ Brad agreed with a smile.
‘Our kind live all over the country. Not in every city, but in many,’ Zach explained. ‘But the DeVere Heights vampires are from purer bloodlines. That means we’re more powerful, physically and politically, than most other American vampires.’
‘Got it,’ Jason said.
‘I want to go back to that buddy system idea,’ Belle said, looking around the room. ‘I know we can all kick ass and everything, but I really don’t want to be alone.’
‘You don’t have to be,’ Sienna said immediately. ‘You’re spending the night.’
‘Sleepover!’ Erin called.
‘Absolutely. All my girls are staying,’ Sienna answered.
Which meant the house was not going to be empty again for a while. Not that Jason was going to complain. He didn’t want Belle – or Sienna – to be alone, either.
‘And tomorrow afternoon, once you girls roll out of bed, barbecue at my place,’ Van Dyke said. ‘We may as well all hang together. Just us.’ He shot a look at Jason. ‘And friends of us, of course.’
‘Does that include Adam?’ Jason asked.
‘Adam definitely qualifies,’ Van Dyke decreed. ‘He can even bring the hot chick. Who I know has a name,’ he told Maggie and the other girls, ‘but I don’t happen to remember it right now.’
‘Brianna,’ Sienna informed him.
‘Brianna can also come. As long as Brad keeps his gymnastics to a minimum,’ Van Dyke added.
‘You were—’ Brad began, then seemed to give up.
‘This will be so fun!’ Belle exclaimed. ‘We haven’t had a slumber party in forever. You can loan me a T-shirt or something to sleep in, right?’ she asked Sienna. ‘I don’t want to bother going home.’
‘All of you can borrow whatever you need. None of you are going home. The party starts now,’ Sienna told her girlfriends.
‘And if there’s something you absolutely can’t get along without, I’ll be your errand boy,’ Jason volunteered. ‘There’s no reason for a mere human to be afraid.’
‘Do you have any Cherry Garcia?’ Erin asked Sienna. She shook her head.
‘Jason, will you go buy us some Cherry Garcia?’ Erin begged.
‘Sure.’ He stood up.
‘And some vinegar Pringles?’ Belle asked.
‘Gross, but sure,’ Jason told her.
Brad and Van Dyke snickered. ‘Whipped,’ Van Dyke mumbled under his breath.
‘I want those coconut macadamia cookies. I can’t remember what they’re called. But Van Dyke knows what the package looks like.’ Maggie smiled at her boyfriend. ‘I guess he’ll have to go with you.’
Brad laughed.
‘I don’t know what you’re laughing for – you’re driving,’ Van Dyke told Brad.
‘Thank you,’ Sienna mouthed as Jason and the other guys were pelted with more requests.
‘Anytime,’ Jason mouthed back.
Six
JASON RAN DOWN the steep steps leading to the beach just as the sun was weaving the first threads of pink and gold across the dark cloth of the ocean. It was pretty much only him and his board out there, although he could see one hardcore surfer already in the water, waiting for his ride.
For some reason he’d woken up insanely early for a Sunday morning, and he hadn’t been able to fal back asleep. So he’d decided to give it up and get in some work on his frontside roundhouse cutback. He hadn’t mastered the move, not by a long shot, and it would take all his focus.
He swam out to the line-up, the spot where the waves started to break, the water chilly even through his wetsuit. The Pacific never got very warm here. But neither did Lake Michigan, and Lake Michigan didn’t have waves, so he wasn’t complaining.
