Read Drake Chronicles: 03 Out for Blood Online

Authors: Alyxandra Harvey

Drake Chronicles: 03 Out for Blood (28 page)

He kept sucking the poison out and spitting as fast as he could, the way you would a snakebite. The ceiling of stars and cedar branches overhead whirled.

I was fading.

If I closed my eyes the pain would stop, Quinn would stop. He’d be safe.

My eyelids were heavy and I let them close.

Epilogue

•

Hunter

Friday night

When I woke up I was in the infirmary.

The lights were too bright, washing everything out as I blinked furiously, eyes stinging. I was exhausted. I tried to move, moaning when it proved to be too much work. My arm was bruised and burning.

“She’s awake!” Quinn was at my side first, holding my hand. He was paler than usual, nearly gray. The blue of his eyes was paler, the shadows underneath darker.

“You scared the hel out of me.” He kissed my forehead.

“You’re alive.”

“So to speak.”

“Am I … am I a vampire?”

“No, you’re just a stubborn know-it-al who thinks she can do everything by herself,” he answered tenderly. “You didn’t drink my blood, remember?”

“Don’t hog her,” Chloe said, brushing him aside with a grin. He leaned over enough to let her in but didn’t let go of my hand. Jenna and Jason and Kieran stood on my other side.

“What happened?” I asked. My throat felt singed. I reached for some water and Quinn grabbed the cup so quickly he spil ed half of it down his arm and into my hair.

I drank the rest grateful y, greedily.

“You’ve been out for two days. You had to have blood transfusions,” he explained.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“I was sick as a dog there for a while, but I’m fine.”

“Dailey?” I asked.

“Under house arrest until you’re wel enough to testify against her,” Kieran answered. “Don’t worry about it now.”

“She tried to kil me,” I said, affronted. “And Quinn. And she poisoned Wil and the others.”

“Hart’s handling it personal y,” Kieran assured me.

“Bel wood’s furious,” Chloe added cheerful y. “It’s like the stick up her butt caught fire!”

“Dailey’s not going anywhere,” Kieran added.

“Damn right she’s not,” I muttered. I patted myself down, searching for my left cargo pocket but finding only a paper hospital gown. I craned my neck. “Where are my pants?”

“Your stuff’s here.” Chloe plucked up my pile of clothes from a shelf behind me.

She dropped the pants on my lap. I smiled even though it cracked my dry lips. I pul ed a microphone out of the pocket.

“I recorded everything she said,” I told them smugly. The effort made me cough.

“It was meant for York. I guess I owe him an apology.”

“He doesn’t have to know we ever suspected him,” Chloe protested. “He’s been a jerk to you. And he yel ed at me in class just this morning.” She frowned. “He freaked Mom out in my report card last year. He said the usual stuff about me not living up to my potential, but since she’d just heard about the TH, she kind of panicked. She hadn’t figured out who was in charge of it, so she snuck me those steroids, just in case. To make sure I was off the TH radar. She was trying to protect me in her own weird way. Mothers.”

“Anyway, don’t worry about that stuff.” Jason patted my hand. “Just get better.”

“She’l get better as soon as you al get to class,” Theo interrupted, elbowing them aside.

“Wait,” Jenna said, eyes glowing. “One more thing.” She and Jason shifted over. Spencer grinned weakly at me from the next bed. His dreads spread out over his pil ow.

“Spence!” I squealed. “I would so hug you right now if my head didn’t weigh seven hundred pounds.”

“Ditto.”

“You’re better! You’re out of quarantine!”

“Also, a vampire.”

I tried to sit up. The room wobbled. I lay back down with a thump. “
What?
”

“Turns out your Quinn here accidental y discovered the antidote to TH in humans,” Theo said. “Vampire blood.”

“Okay, I haven’t been in chem or bio class in a while but … huh?”

“Spencer got a transfusion too,” Theo explained. “For one thing, Wil transmitted some of the TH poison to Spencer, and we had to get that right out of him. That’s what was stumping us—before Quinn’s help. If he hadn’t sucked it out of your veins, we might not have done enough transfusions with Spencer. Even so, the medications didn’t cure his
Hel-Blar
infection. We had to give him even more blood so he wouldn’t go feral. The doctor might get an award for that, actual y. If she doesn’t get kicked out of the League for technical y creating a vampire, that is.”

“I guess that means I graduate early,” Spencer said.

“I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Theo cleared his throat menacingly. Chloe, Jenna, and Jason left but Quinn and Kieran stayed behind. Theo took my pulse and had me fol ow his flashlight with my eyes.

“Looking much better. How are you feeling?”

“Like a truck hit me and a bear ate my arm.” My stomach growled. “And I think I’m starving.”

“That’s what I like to hear. I’l get some food sent over.” He eyed Quinn and Kieran malevolently. “Five more minutes and you both get lost. Don’t make me tel you again.” He smiled at me. “Doctor wil be in to check on you soon.”

“They’re talking about giving you a medal.” Kieran grinned.

I winced. “No, thanks.”

“You’l at least be the valedictorian.”

I saw some daisies in a basket on the side table. “Who are those from?”

“Your grandpa,” Kieran replied. “He’s a stubborn know-it-al too.”

“Is he here?”

He shook his head. “He won’t come, Hunter.”

I swal owed, trying not to let my lips wobble. “He’s stil mad.”

“I’l talk to him,” Quinn offered.

“No!” Kieran and I burst out together.

“He’l just try and stake you,” I explained apologetical y. “You can’t rush him.” Theo glowered from the doorway. “Out!”

Quinn kissed me lightly. “I’l be back tomorrow night.” Spencer and I were left alone with the ticking and beeping of the machines and the tubes pushing liquid nutrients and medications into our bodies. There was enough blood being fed into Spencer via those tubes that I wasn’t in danger, not the way I would have been if I’d been lying around with any other newly turned vampire. He touched his fangs and then jerked his hand away.

“Vampires are in now,” I said quietly. “Don’t you read? Al the girls wil be hot for you.”

He tried to smile. “And I don’t have to study for any exams this year like the rest of you. I guess I’m official y a dropout now.”

“Oh, Spencer. It’l be okay. Things are changing.”

“Yeah, I leave you alone for a week and you start making out with vampires.”

“I told you,” I teased, making my voice bubbly and high. “They’re like total y trendy!”

“Dude.”

“But you can’t hide away and brood and go al melancholy. That’s so yesterday.

Plus, I’l kick your ass.”

After a long moment he spoke again. “I’m going to miss the sun.”

“I know.” I turned my head. “We’d miss you more if you were dead.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Thanks.”

“Besides, just think, now you can go hang out with the Hounds and ask them al sorts of magic questions.”

He brightened instantly. “True.”

I shot him a watery grin when Theo wheeled my supper tray in. “And I don’t have to share my chocolate pudding with you ever again.”

•

Spencer was discharged the next night.

I didn’t know where he’d gone, but Quinn promised to help him with the transition to his new undead life. I wasn’t al owed to leave the infirmary for a ful week, and even then it was only after promising that I’d take it easy and wouldn’t even look at the gym for at least two more weeks—and then only with a doctor’s permission. The doctor whom Grandpa would stil talk to since he refused to talk to me. I’d cal ed him twice and each time the conversation was the same.

“Are you stil seeing him?

“Yes.”

And then he’d hang up on me.

But I wouldn’t let that ruin everything else. I was alive. Quinn was alive. Spencer was … a vampire but at least he wasn’t completely dead. Savannah and the twins were recovering, though slowly. Dailey was being held by the League disciplinary committee pending a ful investigation. And Hart had cal ed me personal y to invite me to form a Black Lodge of careful y selected students, apparently the first at the school in at least three decades. It was a subgroup within the League that no one knew about except its members and the head of the Helios-Ra. None of the teachers even knew, except for the headmistress. We’d be like a secret roving band of spy-warriors. I couldn’t wait.

“Now, that’s a dangerous smile,” Quinn murmured, his voice tickling my ear. His arms wrapped around my waist and pul ed me back against his chest. I leaned into him, my smile turning even more wicked.

“What are we doing out here?” I asked. I’d gotten a text to meet him out by the pond.

“Same thing I’m always doing: trying to get a proper date out of you.”

“Who knew you were so traditional?” I turned, teasing.

“Who knew you were such a rebel?” He slid his arm lightly over my bandage and clasped my hand. The stitches from his bite would come out tomorrow. There’d be a scar, but I didn’t mind so much. He tugged me through the field, tal grass brushing against my knees.

He led me into a copse of birch saplings. He’d spread a blanket on the ground and lit candles in glass jam jars. He even hung a few lanterns from the branches and they hovered like fireflies. It was beautiful.

“We’re having a picnic,” he announced.

“But you don’t eat.”

He shrugged. “But you do.”

We sat down and he handed me a thermos of hot chocolate. There were baskets of chocolate chip cookies, a cherry-chocolate cake, sugar-dusted strawberries, and a tower of macaroons.

I grinned. “Final y, real food.”

I ate until the sugar buzzed through my veins. Quinn lounged beside me, the candles pouring honey light over his pale cheekbones. He licked chocolate frosting off my finger, grinning darkly. He was everything my grandfather feared: reckless, wild, predatory.

And he was mine.

ALYXANDRA HARVEY
studied creative writing and literature at York University and has had her poetry published in magazines. She likes medieval dresses and tattoos and has been accused of being born in the wrong century—except that she real y likes running water, women’s rights, and ice cream. Alyx lives in an old Victorian farmhouse in Ontario, Canada, with her husband, three dogs, and a few resident ghosts.

www.alyxandraharvey.com

www.thedrakechronicles.com

ALSO BY ALYXANDRA HARVEY

The Drake Chronicles: Hearts at Stake

The Drake Chronicles: Blood Feud

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

First published in the United States of America in December 2010 by Walker Publishing Company, Inc., a division of Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc.

E-book edition published in December 2010

www.bloomsburykids.com

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, Walker BFYR, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010

Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows: Harvey, Alyxandra.

Out for blood / Alyxandra Harvey.

p. cm. — (The Drake chronicles)

Summary: As a senior at the secretive Helios-Ra Academy, eighteen-year-old vampire hunter Hunter Wild just wants to make it through her last year of school, but in order to do so she might have to betray her grandfather and date a vampire.

ISBN 978-0-8027-2168-6 (paperback) • ISBN 978-0-8027-2169-3 (hardcover)

[1. Vampires—Fiction. 2. Schools—Fiction. 3. Grandfathers—Fiction. 4. Dating (Social customs)—

Fiction.] I. Title.

PZ7.H267448Ou 2011 [Fic]—dc22 2010008658

ISBN 978-0-8027-2256-0 (e-book)

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