Night World : Secret Vampire Chapter 6

crowd together moved fast. He picked up the plastic tumbler on the bedside table and handed it to Poppy. She unders to a faultd. Feeling giddy and uncoordinated, she took a healthy gulp of water and licked her lips to wash any watchs of blood away.What are you doing? Phillip repeated, striding into the room. His look were fixed on James, which was good, because Poppy was trying to position herself to hide the side of her neck that James had bitten.None of your business, she said, and in the same instant she knew it was a mistake. Phillip, whose middle name was Stability, was looking distinctly unstable tonight. Mom told him, Poppy thought.I mean, we arent doing any intimacy, she amended.It didnt help. Phil was clearly in a mood to chance on e realthing in the world as a threat to his sister. And Poppy couldnt re every last(predicate)y blame him-hed walked in on the two of them in a rum embrace on a rumpled hospital bed.James was nurtureing me because I was scared, she said. S he didnt unconstipated try to explain why James had been cradling her head to his arm. unaccompanied she glanced at Jamess arm surreptitiously and saw that the wound there was already closed, the mark fading.Everythings all right, you kip down, James said, standing to fix a mesmerizing smooth gaze on Phillip. alone Phil hardly gave him a glance. He was staring at Poppy.Its non working, Poppy thought. Maybe Phils too mad to be hypnotized. Or too stubborn.She looked a challenge at James, which he answered with a barely discernable shake of his head. He didnt know what the problem was, either.They both knew what it meant. James was release to feed to leave. Poppy felt cheated and frustrated. All she deprivationed was to talk with James, to revel in their new disc all overy of separately other-and she couldnt. Not with Phil here.I drove Mom here. You know she doesnt manage driving at night. And I brought this. He swung her boom box up onto the bedside table. And these. He put a black CD case beside it. All your ducky music.Poppy felt her anger draining away. That was sweet, she said. She was touched, especially since Phil hadnt said All your favorite weird music, which was usually how he referred to it. Thank you.Phil shrugged, shooting a glare at James. Poor Phil, Poppy thought. Her brother actually looked disheveled. And his eyes were swollen.Wheres Mom? she was scratch to say, when her obtain walked in.Im back, sweetie, her mother said, with a very creditable cheery smile. Then she looked surprised. James-it was nice of you to come.Yeah, only when he was se remedy leaving, Phil said significantly. Ill show him the way pop out.James didnt waste energy on a fight he couldnt win. He turned to Poppy and said, Ill escort you tomorrow.There was a look in his gray eyes-gray, not silver now-that was just for her. A look that had never been there before in all the years shed known him.Goodbye, James, she said softly. And-thank you. She knew he unde rstood what she meant.It wasnt until he was out the door, with Phillip on his heels want a bouncer after a rowdy customer, that a thought occurred to her.James had said that she would be in danger if she didnt get enough of his blood. only theyd gotten interrupted almost immediately after that. Had Poppy gotten enough? And what would spend if she hadnt?She herself had no idea, and there was no way to ask James. Phil stayed right behind James all the way out of the hospital. Not tonight, James thought. He just couldnt deal with Phillip North tonight.His patience was gone, and his mind was occupied in calculating whether Poppy had taken enough of his blood to be safe. He thought she had-but the in briefer she got more, the better.Youll see her tomorrow-well, youre not passing play to see her tomorrow, Phil said abruptly as they walked into the garage.Phil, give me a break. Instead, Phillip stepped in front of him and stopped dead, forcing James to stop, too. Phillip was breathing quickly, his green eyes burning.Okay, bud, he said. I dont know what you think youre doing with Poppy-but its all over now. From now on you stay away from her. Understand?Visions of breaking Phillips neck like a new pencil danced in Jamess head. only Phil was Poppys brother, and his green eyes were surprisingly like hers. I would never hurt Poppy, he said wearily.Give me a break. Are you going to stand there and tell me you dont want to move in on her?James couldnt come up with an answer immediately. Yesterday he could throw away truthfully said no, he didnt want to move in on Poppy. Because it would have meant a death sentence for him and Poppy both. It was only when Poppy had received a death sentence of her own that hed allowed himself to look at his feelings.And now now hed been close to Poppy. Hed touched her mind, and had launch that she was even braver and more gallant than hed thought even more compassionate-and more vulnerable.He wanted to be that close to Poppy again . He cared round her in a way that make his throat ache. He belonged with Poppy. He also realized that that might not be enough. Sharing blood forged a powerful bond amongst two people. It would be defective of him to take advantage of that bond-or of Poppys gratitude to him. Until he was sure that Poppys mind was clear and her decisions were her own, he should keep a little distance. It was the only honorable thing to do.The last thing I want to do is hurt her, he repeated. Why cant you believe that? He made a half-hearted attempt to capture Phils gaze as he said it. It failed, just as it had in the hospital. Phillip seemed to be one of those rare humans who couldnt be influenced by mind control.Why cant I believe it? Because I know you. You and your-girlfriends. Phil managed to make the word sound like a curse. You go through six or seven a year-and when youre through with them, you dump them like trash.James was distracted briefly by amusement, because Phil was dead on. He de mand six girlfriends a year. After two months the bond between them became dangerously strong.Poppys not my girlfriend and Im not going to dump her, he said, pleased at his own cleverness. Hed avoided an outright lie-Poppy wasnt his girl friend in any normal sense. Theyd integrate their souls, that was all-they hadnt talked about dating or anything.So you are telling me youre not gonna try to put the moves on her. Is that it? Because youd better be sure. As he spoke, Phil did what was probably the most dangerous thing hed ever done in his life. He grabbed James by the front of the shirt.You stupid human, James thought. He briefly co sidered breaking every bone in Phils hand. Or picking Phil up and throwing him across the garage into whatsoeverbodys windshield. Or Youre Poppys brother, he said through histeeth. So Im going to give you a chance to let go.Phil stared into his face a moment, and then let go,looking slightly shaken. But not shaken enough to keep quiet.You have to lea ve her alone, he said. You dontunderstand. This disease shes got its serious. She doesnt need anything messing up her life right now.She just needs . . . He stopped and swallowed.Suddenly James felt very tired. He couldnt blame Phil for being upset-Phils mind was full of crystal clear pictures of Poppy dying. Usually James got only general images about what humans were thinking, but Phillip was broadcast medium so loud it nearly deafened him.Half-truths and evasions hadnt worked. It was time for Outright Lies. Anything to satisfy Phil and get James away from this.I know that what Poppy has is serious, he said. I found an article about it on the Net. Thats why I was here, okay? I feel sorry for her. Im not interested in Poppy except as a friend, but it makes her feel better if I pretend that I like her.Phillip hesitated, looking at him hard and suspiciously. Then he shook his head slowly. creation friends is one thing, but its wrong to mix her up. In the end, pretending isnt going to do her any good. I dont even think it makes her feel better now-she looked charming bad in there.Bad?Pale and shaky. You know Poppy you know how she gets overexcited about things. You shouldnt be fooling around with her emotions. He narrowed his eyes and said, So maybe youd better stay away from her for a while. Just to make sure she hasnt got the wrong idea.Whatever, James said. He wasnt really listening.Okay, Phillip said. We have a deal. But Im warning you, if you break it, youre in trouble.James wasnt listening to that, either. Which wasa mistake.In the darkened hospital room Poppy lay and listened to her mothers breathing. Youre not asleep, she thought, and Im not asleep. And you know Im not, and I know youre notBut they couldnt talk. Poppy wanted desperately to let her mother know that everything was going to be all right-but how? She couldnt betray Jamess secret. And even if she could, her mother wouldnt believe her.I have to find a way, Poppy thought. I have to. And then a great wave of drowsiness overtook her. It had been the longest day in her life, and she was full of noncitizen blood already working its strange magic in her. She couldnt she just couldnt keep her eyes open.Several times during the night a nurse came in to take her vital signs, but Poppy never really woke up. For the set-back time in weeks, no pain interrupted her dreams.She opened her eyes the next daybreak feeling con fused and weak. Black dots swarmed through her vision when she sat up.Hungry? her mother asked. They left this breakfast tray for you.The smell of hospital eggs made Poppy feel nauseated. But because her mother was watching her anxiously, she played with the food on the tray before she went to wash up. In the bathroom mirror she examined the side of her neck. Amazing-there was no trace of a mark.When she came out of the bathroom, her mother was crying. Not floods of tears, not sobbing. Just dabbing her eyes on a Kleenex. But Poppy couldnt stand it.Mom, if you re worried about telling me I know.The whole sentence was out before Poppy could even think about it. Her mothers head jerked up in horror. She stared at Poppy with more tears spilling. Sweetheart-you know ?I know what Ive got and I know how bad it is, Poppy said. If this was the wrong strategy, it was too late now. I listened when you and Cliff were talking to the doctors.Oh, my Lord. What can I say? Poppy wondered. Its okay, Mom, because Im not going to die Im going to become a vampire. I hope. I cant be sure, because sometimes you dont make it through the transformation. But with any luck, I should be sucking blood in a few weeks. acclaim to think of it, she hadnt asked James exactly how long it would take to change her.Her mother was taking deep, calming breaths. Poppy, I want you to know how much I love you. Cliff and I will do anything-anything-we can to help you. Right now hes looking into some clinical protocols-those are experimental studies where they test new ways of tr eating people. If we can just .. . buy time until a cure . ..Poppy couldnt stand it. She could feel her mothers pain. Literally. It carried in palpable waves that seemed to echo through her bloodstream, making her dizzy. Its that blood, she thought. Its doing something to me-changing me.Even as she thought it, she went to her mother. She wanted to hug her, and she needed help standing up.Mom, Im not scared, she said, muffled against her mothers shoulder. I cant explain, but Im not scared. And I dont want you to be unhappy over me. Her mother just held on fiercely, as if Death might try to lift Poppy out of her arms that minute. She was crying.Poppy cried, too. Real tears, because even if she wasnt going to die truly, she was going to lose so much. Her old life, her family, everything familiar. It felt good to cry over it it was something she needed to do. But when it was done, she tried again.The one thing I dont want is for you to be unhappy or worry, she said, and looked up at her mother. So could you just try not to? For my sake?Oh, God, Im coming off like Beth in Little Women, she thought. Saint Poppy. And the truth is, if I were really dying, Id go kicking and screaming all the way.Still, shed managed to comfort her mother, who drew back looking tearstained but quietly proud. Youre really something, Poppet, was all she said, but her lips shingled.Saint Poppy looked away, horribly embarrassed until another(prenominal) wave of dizziness rescue her. She allowed her mother to help her back into bed. And it was then that she finally found a way to pose the question she needed to ask.Mom, she said slowly, what if there was a cure for me somewhere-like in some other country or something-and I could go there and get better, but they wouldnt ever let me come back? I mean, youd know I was okay, but you wouldnt ever be able to see me again. She looked at her mother intently. Would you want me to do it?Her mother answered instantly. Sweetheart, Id want you cured if you had to go to the moon. As long as you were happy. She had to pause a moment, then resumed steadily. But, honey, there isnt such a place. I wish there were.I know. Poppy patted her arm gently. I was just asking. I love you, Mom.Later that morning Dr. Franklin and Dr. Loftus came by. Facing them wasnt as horrible as Poppy expected, but she felt like a hypocrite when they marvelled over her wonderful attitude. They talked about quality time, and the fact that no two cases of cancer were the same, and about people theyd known whod beaten the percentages. Saint Poppy squirmed inside, but she listened and nodded-until they began to talk about more tests.Wed like to do an angiogram and a laparotomy, Dr. Loftus said. Now an angiogram is-Everyone looked startled. Then Dr. Loftus gave a rueful smile. Sounds like youve been reading up on it.No, I just-I guess I remember it from somewhere, Poppy said. She knew where she was getting the images-from Dr. Loftuss head. And she probably shou ld cover her tracks instead of talking any more, but she was too distressed. And a laparotomys an operation, right?Dr. Loftus and Dr. Franklin exchanged glances. An exploratory operation, yes, Dr. Franklin said.But I dont need those tests, do I? I mean, you already know what Ive got. And the tests hurt.Poppy, her mother said gently. But Dr. Loftus was answering slowly.Well, sometimes we need the tests to confirm a diagnosis. But in your case no, Poppy. We dont really need them. Were already sure.Then I dont see why I have to have them, Poppy said simply. Id rather go home.The doctors looked at each. other, then at Poppys mother. Then, without even trying to be subtle about it, the three adults went out into the corridor to deliberate.When they came back, Poppy knew shed won.You can go home, Poppy, Dr. Franklin said quietly. At least until you develop any further symptoms. The nurse will tell your mother what to look out for.The first thing Poppy did was call James. He answered on t he first ring and said, How do you feel?Dizzy. But pretty good, Poppy said, whispering because her mother was outside talking to a nurse. Im coming home.Ill come over this afternoon, James said. betoken me when you think youll have an hour or so alone. And, Poppy dont tell Phil Im coming.Why not?Ill explain later.When she actually got home, it was strange. Cliff and Phil were there. Everybody was unusually nice to her, while excuse trying to pretend that nothing unusual was going on. (Poppy had heard the nurse tell her mother that it was good to try and maintain a normal routine.)Its like my birthday, Poppy thought dazedly. Like some terribly important birthday and graduation rolled into one. Every few minutes the doorbell would ring as another flower arrangement arrived. Poppys bedroom looked like a garden.She felt badly for Phil. He looked so stricken-and so brave. She wanted to comfort him the way shed comforted her mother-but how?Come here, she ordered, opting for direct acti on. And when he obeyed, she hugged him tightly.Youll beat this thing, he whispered. I know you will. Nobodys ever had as much will to live as you do. And nobodys ever, ever been as stubborn. It was then that Poppy realized just how terribly she was going to miss him. When she let go, she felt light-headed.Maybe youd better lie down, Cliff said gently. And Poppys mother helped herto the bedroom.Does Dad know? she asked as her mother moved around the bedroom, straightening things.I tried to get hold of him yesterday, but the people at the station said hed moved to somewhere in Vermont. They dont know where.Poppy nodded. It sounded like her dad always on the move. He was a DJ-when he wasnt being an artist or a stage magician. Hed give way up with her mom because he wasnt very good at being any of those things-or at least not good enough to get paying(a) much.Cliff was everything Poppys father wasnt responsible, disciplined, hardworking. He fit in perfectly with Poppys mom and Phil. S o perfectly that sometimes Poppy felt like the odd one out in her own family.I miss Dad, Poppy said softly.I know. Sometimes I do, too, her mother said, surprising her. Then she said firmly, Well find him, Poppy. As soon as he hears, hell want to come. Poppy hoped so. She didnt suppose shed get a chance to see him-after. It wasnt until an hour or so before dinnertime, when Phil and Cliff were out doing errands, and her mother was taking a nap, that Poppy got the chance to call James.Ill come right over, he said. Ill let myself in. Ten minutes later he walked into Poppys bedroom.Poppy felt strangely shy. Things had changed between her and James. They werent simply best friends anymore.They didnt even say Hi to each other. As soon as he came in, their eyes caught and met. And then, for an endless moment, they just looked at each other. This time, when Poppy felt the quick pang in her chest that always came when she saw James, it was a throb of pure sweetness. He cared about her. She c ould see it in his eyes. keep back a minute, hang on, her mind whispered. Dont jump the gun here. He cares about you, yes, but he didnt say he was in love with you. Theres a difference. close down up, Poppy told her brain soberly. Aloud, she said, How come you didnt want Phil to know you were here?James threw his light windbreaker over a chair and sat down on Poppys bed.Well-I just didnt want to be interrupted, he said with a gesture of dismissal. Hows the pain?Its gone, Poppy said. Isnt that weird? It didnt wake me up at all last night. And theres something else. I think Im starting to-well, read peoples thoughts.James smiled slightly, just one corner of his mouth up. Thats good. 1 was worried- He broke off and went to turn Poppys CD player on. Plaintive Bantu wailings emerged.I was worried you didnt get enough blood last night, James said quietly, resuming his seat. Youll have to take more this time-and so will I.Poppy felt something tremble inside her. Her revulsion was gone. She was still afraid, but that was only because of the consequences of what they were going to do. It wasnt just a way to get closer or to feed James. They were doing it to change Poppy.The only thing I dont understand is why you never bit me before. Her tone was light, but as she spoke the words, she realized that there was a serious question behind them.I mean, she said slowly, you did it with Michaela and Jacklyn, didnt you? And with other girls?He looked away but answered steadily. I didnt exchange blood with them. But I fed on them, yes.But not me. No. How can I explain? He looked up at her. Poppy, taking blood can be a lot of divers(prenominal) things-and the Elders dont want it to be anything but feeding.They say all you should feel is the joy of the hunt. And thats all I ever have felt before. Poppy nodded, trying to feel meet with this. She didnt ask who the Elders were.Besides, it can be dangerous, James said. It can be done with hatred, and it can kill. Kill permanently, I mean.Poppy was almost amused by this. You wouldnt kill.James stared at her. Outside, it was cloudy and the light in Poppys bedroom was pale. It made Jamess face look pale, too, and his eyes silver.But I have, James said. His voice was flat and bleak. Ive killed without exchanging enough blood, so the person didnt come back as a vampire.