“I hope not, but they must be close.” Shannon sighed. “If the Cazadores are having this much trouble the school will have to relocate again.”
“Again?”
“It moved in the fifties,” Meredith said when Shannon didn’t answer. “It was in the Northeast, but the town got too big. It’s never had to move because of vamps finding us. You’d almost think they had help.”
I chewed on my lip as I thought. Maybe from the rogue Mr. Dawson had mentioned when I overheard him talking? But what if Mr. Hoel had something to do with this?
My imagination was taking my dislike for the Hoel’s and turning it into some crazy plot against St. Ailbe’s. I clearly needed more sleep. “I’m going to bed.”
Shannon ignored me and Meredith said good night. They whispered theories as I got ready for bed, but I tried not to listen too much. Just because I had great hearing didn’t mean I should use it all the time. People still needed privacy.
I was on the verge of sleep when St. Ailbe’s version of a siren—a modulating low-pitched hum—cut thorough campus.
Howls echoed through the night. Answering ones came from the dorm.
What the hell was going on?
The smell of rotten eggs filled my room.
“Oh my God.” I heard Meredith say from her room. “They’re here!”
Everything was still for a moment, before doors in the dorms slammed open. Girls were shouting in their rooms.
I ran to my window. At least thirty people were running though the courtyard.
No. Not running. Gliding.
“Vampires.” I whispered to myself as I pressed my nose against the glass. The cold bit into my skin but I couldn’t look away. Both werewolves and vampires moved silently, but this kind of silence turned my stomach. It wasn’t natural.
How were they moving like that?
I gasped as one of the dark figures stepped into the light. It swirled around, and then stopped. It was searching for something in the windows. Meredith yelled something, but I couldn’t make it out.
Its gaze pierced me—red eyes called to me.
Everything slowed. I could hear my heart beat and count the time between each thump-thump.
A voice in my head ordered me to open the window, and I did.
All I could see was red. It filled my vision as it got closer, larger.
Cold wrapped around me and I floated to the ground.
“Tessa!” Meredith shouted from far away.
The sound stirred something in me, but it was quickly shoved aside.
Red eyes stared out from the darkness of his hood.
Cold fingers dug into my arms. He sniffed me. “Witch blood,” it hissed. The vampire shoved my head to the side and something hot dropped on my neck. It burned like acid.
“Teresa Elizabeth McCaide!” Meredith yelled as another drop fell onto my skin.
Suddenly I was too aware of the pain. Of the stench. Of the cold hands grasping me.
I snapped out of the trance and screamed.
The howls answered my scream, but they were too far away.
I was alone in the courtyard. Vampires surrounded me, hovering in the air. Their long black coats swirled around their feet. Their faces were half-decayed.
His teeth grazed my neck as I struggled to break free.
“Awake now? I love the taste of scared witch.”
I choked on his putrid breath.
The vampire threw me and was on me—pinning my arms and legs—before I could even register hitting the ground. I screamed again as I twisted, trying to break his hold, but couldn’t get free. The fighting I’d been learning all week didn’t help me one bit. Even with my new strength, I was helpless.
A tear rolled down my face as I started to flip out.
I wasn’t proud of it, but I used the only weapon I had. “Dastien!” I yelled louder than I ever had before, hoping my voice would somehow reach him. I knew I’d die right then if he didn’t come. If he was too far away.
A pained howl echoed through the courtyard.
The vampire’s teeth scraped my neck, not yet breaking the skin, like he was teasing me. I whimpered.
Dastien was going to be too late. My skin was ice cold with fear. If I got out of this okay, I was going to start paying attention in martial arts class.
And then I heard him. “Tessa!” He grabbed the vampire and tossed him into the nearest tree. Bark splintered down, and the vampire slid to the ground.
Three more vampires jumped onto Dastien.
I tried to get up to help, but another vampire jumped on me.
I punched him, but it didn’t faze him. He pressing me into the ground, and I shoved my fingers in his eye sockets. Black ooze streamed from the holes where its eyes used to be, and it screamed, rearing back.
