Chapter Twelve

My weapons were gone. I sat up, my head swam, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

The couple on the log…

I forced my feet to support me and searched the clearing. Alone.

Something shiny on the log. A spatter of blood. Oh no…

Did it carry them off?

Were they ditched dead somewhere?

Did they make it back to the group?

It was all my fault…

Breathe…you don’t know what happened.

“Della?”

Oh, thank God. “Here!”

“Della!” Moira entered the clearing followed closely by Pastor Ken.

They carried flashlights.

“Hi.”

“Honey, you were gone for an hour. Are you alright?” She ran her hands over me, checking for injuries.

“Guess I got lost.”

“Let’s get you back to the car. You’re cold.” And shaking.

“Is…is anyone else missing?”

“No, but there was an animal attack. Couple kids ran out of the woods with scrapes. We warned you about coyotes,” Pastor Ken said.

I almost collapsed in relief. Moira wrapped her arm around my shoulders and guided me home. The back of my head hurt badly enough I knew I had a goose egg, if not blood. The vampire probably head-butted me.

I’d never been dazed that bad in all the sparring with Thirteen.

At the picnic grounds, I collected my backpack and really did go to the ladies’ room this time. The girl in the mirror was a wreck, with leaves and stuff stuck in her hair and circles under her eyes. I cleaned up best I could and Moira drove me back to town early.

Mama’s car wasn’t in the driveway, so I went straight to my room and called Amelia.

When I told her what happened, she freaked. “You’re coming to London immediately.”

“I can’t.”

“Della, it’s not safe.”

I had questions about who Juliet was, but I was so tired. Amelia’s fear was obvious in her voice, but worrying about it had to wait ‘til at least tomorrow. “I know, but I can’t just bail.”

“Why do you always have to be so stubborn?”

“God made me that way. Look, I’m exhausted. You needed to know the message and now I’m going to bed.”

“Do not sleep when you might have a concussion.”

“I’m fine.”

“Agent Sev—”

I hung up. And pulled the phone cord out of the jack.

After checking all the locks on every door and window, I crawled into bed with the light on and cried.

Despite saying I was exhausted, I couldn’t sleep.

My pulse was too rapid.

Amelia arrived the next day. “You are the most reckless, irresponsible—”

“Can we not draw an audience?” I hissed.

She caught me at rehearsal at church. It was the first time I’d seen her anything but polished. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail instead of up in a fancy twist, and she wore loafers with plain pants and a button-down shirt, not a suit.

No jewelry adorned her ears or neck, and her face was bare.

Made her look ten years younger, and it occurred to me I’d never asked her age.

“Seven, if you don’t take this seriously, you’ll wish you were back in the woods last night!” For once, I actually believed her.

“Okay, okay…let’s get somewhere private and you can ream me out all you want.”

We walked to her car.

“I am deeply concerned that an old vampire chose you to pass on a message, especially if it really came from Juliet. There were several possibilities closer to—”

“Who’s Juliet?”

She glared at the interruption. “One of the oldest surviving vampires—maybe the oldest. She’s cruel, cold, ruthless, and very intelligent, and those she sires are chosen to be the same. It’s rumored she was nobility as a human and still thinks she’s entitled to rule any city she chooses to inhabit. Her latest haunt is Los Angeles.”

“Is she the reason so many agents are gone or in recovery?”

“One way or another, yes, we suspect so. We can only hope the vampire last night happened upon you by chance.”

“Or?” She met my eyes, and there was sadness and fear in hers. My stomach sunk. “I still have two months of junior year. Mama won’t let me—”

“Seven, every day here puts those you care about at risk. I can’t take you away without her permission, but you need to think about what’s best.”

“I know, but…”

She gripped my arm. “I’ll do my best to protect you, but you need to decide soon.”

Mama decided for me.

She was home from the diner with a fatigue flare-up when I arrived. I’d never seen her so tired, so weak. Once I fixed her an early supper, I went outside to talk with my guide.

“Amelia…”

“You’re not coming,” she said in a flat tone.

“I can’t yet. She’s really hurtin’ and I’m all she’s got.”

She sighed. “You need to find someone else, and soon. How many might die while you put her first?”

I glared. “That’s not fair.”

She stood firm. “Life isn’t fair. Do you think you’re the only girl in the world asked to make sacrifices at this moment?”

“I…”

“You’re not.” She pushed her glasses higher on her nose. “Stay in tonight. Without complete training, you’re merely another tasty snack.”

I went back inside feeling like the biggest heel in Logan County.

Mama didn’t feel well enough to leave the house again until Sunday, and that was only for church. Her doctor ordered her to stay home from the diner for the week, which meant I had to pull shifts around school. Amelia picked me up at sundown each night and took me home.

Soon as finals were over the first week of June, I said goodbye to Mama and moved to London. All through April and May, I walked into the house with dread, fearing my mother would have a relapse. By the time I felt safe leaving her, the school year was practically done.

She thought Amelia was taking me to an awesome scholarship program and I hated lying to her. Hardest thing I’d ever done.

It sucked to give up my youth, but I knew now I was putting the town in danger by staying and that wasn’t something I could live with. With my life in a duffle bag, I flew to England with Amelia.

Whatever kind of ID she had got us past all the airport screening and straight to a taxi.

“Welcome to London, Seven.”

And I thought OKC was too crowded…dear God. Cars and people and narrow streets and tall buildings…it was suffocating. And so much noise.

“I can’t believe you stuck me on a plane for a whole day. Couldn’t we have gone to the place in New York?”

“Your training continues here.”