His dad nodded. Judging by the look in his eye, he was in no mood to entertain arguments from his son. “Vikas will remain in the guest room until the end of the year, when he’ll return to Siberia.”
Vlad swallowed hard. It was a cold reminder that he and his dad wouldn’t see the new year. If he didn’t find that journal, he’d die at the hand of Joss, at the hand of his friend the Slayer, to save everyone in town from a horrible demise. Otis and his dad would be none the wiser. Not until it was too late.
No one would know until then. Except for Henry, Joss, and Snow.
Snow, who he hadn’t even told yet.
And the only reason he’d told Henry and was planning to tell Snow was so Joss had people to back him up, to defend that it had been Vlad’s choice, that Joss wasn’t really a bad guy after all.
But he had no idea how to even broach the subject with Snow.
Snow, who walked him home every day after school now. Snow, who snuck quick kisses in the hall before lunch. Snow, who had quickly become his reason for going to school every day, despite knowing that he’d never live to see graduation.
As if summoned by thought—something that was totally impossible now that she was no longer his drudge—the doorbell rang. Vlad opened it to reveal Snow, dressed in knee-high moto boots, black trench coat, black skinny jeans, and a black T-shirt that read I KISSED A VAMPIRE AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS LOUSY T-SHIRT. Her hair was brushed behind one ear, revealing a pewter ear cuff that clung to her lobe. Seeing him, her smile broadened and she threw herself at him in a squealy hug. Vlad squeezed her tight and sat her down gently, blushing slightly that his dad, uncle, and Nelly were still in the room.
As if collecting herself from the trauma of hearing that Vlad was finally moving out of her house, Nelly took a deep breath and smiled at Snow. “Come on in, Snow dear, the cookies are just waiting to be frosted.”
Something that Vlad had noticed about Nelly since he’d started dating Snow: she kept finding reasons for Snow to come over for a visit, which probably meant she liked Snow. This time they were frosting sugar cookies for a bake sale that Nelly had organized at the hospital. Something else he’d noticed: Nelly was very careful not to leave them alone together. Maybe she worried that Vlad would lose control of his hunger and hurt Snow. Maybe she worried about hickeys. Vlad had no idea. It was sweet, in its own way.
Sweet, and only mildly annoying.
Snow walked into the kitchen and Vlad followed, smiling. It was always good to see her, and amazing that she was his girlfriend. His actual girlfriend. His real, live, in the flesh, happy to hold his hand and frost stupid cookies with him girlfriend.
Otis and his dad retired to the living room, and Nelly directed Vlad and Snow to the table in the kitchen, where Tupperware containers of unfrosted cookies were sitting. There had to be at least thirty large containers, and at least three hundred cookies. Vlad raised his eyebrows at Nelly. “I hope you’re not expecting perfection.”
Snow nodded. “I hope you’re not expecting all of them to get frosted. They look delicious, Nelly.”
Nelly smiled. “You can eat any cookies you break.”
Vlad grinned and snapped a cookie in two, handing one half to Snow, who munched on it happily. Nelly clucked her tongue. “Vladimir!”
Over the next two hours, Vlad and Snow frosted each cookie with white or red or green frosting, then sprinkled some with silver candy sprinkles and drew various pictures on the others with extra frosting in a tube. After a while, Vlad’s hand was cramping. Snow held up a cookie for him, one she’d decorated. The smirk on her face said it all, but what she’d written on the cookie sent Vlad into hysterics.
The cookie was frosted white and written on it in red frosting were two words: Bite Me.
Vlad wiped the tears from his eyes and, fighting another fit of hysterical giggles, said, “I’m not sure that sentiment would go over well at a charitable bake sale.”
Snow shoved the cookie into Vlad’s mouth, frosting squishing out all over his lips. “I made it for you! I made it special!”
Vlad chewed the cookie and swallowed it in a gulp, then reached for the green frosting and smeared a lump on Snow’s nose.
Snow blinked at him, sitting there with a big glob of green on the end of her nose, looking like some mutated zombie form of Rudolph, and growled. “You. Are. Dead!”
Snatching up a tube of red frosting, she squeezed it hard, pointing it right at him. Frosting squirted out and landed on his head. Vlad barely had time to react before Snow was rubbing it into his scalp.
They were laughing so hard, and throwing so much frosting around, that they barely heard Nelly walk back into the room with a horrified gasp. “What have you done to my kitchen?”
Vlad and Snow exchanged grins and tried hard to contain their laughter. Vlad said, “We’re sorry, Nelly. We’ll clean it up.”
Before Nelly could ground him, Otis entered the room. With a glance at Vlad, who was covered in frosting from head to toe, he distracted Nelly with a kiss. “Darling, let’s go out to dinner. I’m sure Vladimir has everything under control and your kitchen will be good as new when we return.”
Nelly threw up her hands in disgust. “Did you see—”
“I did, and I’m certain Vladimir will scrub every inch before we get home.” Otis led Nelly from the room. With his thoughts, he said to Vlad,
“If you don’t, she’ll murder you. You know that
,
right?”
“I know. And I will. Promise.”
Vlad smiled. But his smile was tinged with his ongoing suspicion of his uncle. He hadn’t confronted Otis yet. He’d wanted to ... but couldn’t summon up the bravery required.
Not yet, anyway.
Nelly paused, as if remembering she was about to leave Vlad alone with his girlfriend. “What about—”
“Tomas will be here. It’s fine. Let’s go.” After a brief pause, Nelly finally let him lead her out the front door.
An hour later, the kitchen was almost completely restored. Snow was scrubbing the table with a moist sponge. Vlad was wiping down the counters, his thoughts drifting to a place he’d hoped to avoid.
There would be no more of this.
No more frosting fights. No more Nelly’s wrath. No more hearing Snow’s laughter. No more silent conversations with Otis.
No more anything, if he, Joss, and Henry didn’t find the journal fast.
“Vlad?” Snow was watching him, her eyes full of concern. “Are you okay?”
He wasn’t. And wouldn’t ever be again.
When he didn’t answer, she dropped the sponge on the table, put a caring hand on his shoulder and asked, “Is everything all right?”
Vlad cupped her hand and shook his head. “No, Snow. Everything isn’t all right. Everything is about as far from all right as it can get.”
He reached out with his blood, but couldn’t detect his dad anywhere in the house. It took him a minute to remember that he couldn’t track his dad the way he could other vampires. But still, it seemed they were alone, for the moment. And it was time to tell Snow about Joss. Time to tell her that these were their final days together.
He sat her down at the table, and after explaining everything—the Slayer Society, Joss, Henry, his trial, everything—he waited for her to respond. Unlike the conversation with Henry, Vlad felt compelled to tell her everything.
Large, round tears spilled silently from her eyes. Then she hugged him tightly and whispered, “I’m glad you told me. I understand, I do. I wish it didn’t have to be this way. I wish we had longer to be together. But ... I understand. Thanks for trusting me.”
He hugged her tightly and held her for a long time, wishing that he was living some other life, in some other place, that he wasn’t causing Snow any pain.
Somewhere where he was a normal teenager, with normal problems, and answers to the questions that were plaguing his every thought.
27
INVITATIONS
V
LAD CLOSED HIS LOCKER at the end of the school day. He was about to throw his backpack over his shoulder and head for Snow’s locker, when he spied a familiar, weasel-like face passing by. “Eddie, come here a sec, would ya?”
Eddie Poe paused midstep, then approached Vlad, an eager glint in his eye. He knew that he had Vlad where he wanted him. He knew there was nothing Vlad could do but accept his fate and turn him into a vampire. Because he’d threatened Snow, and Vlad wasn’t exactly certain he could protect her from Eddie. Because Vlad wasn’t really capable of killing him. Because Vlad had been given no choice in this matter.
But Vlad didn’t care about Eddie’s threats anymore.
“I’m not making you a vampire, Eddie.”
Eddie’s eyes clouded with anger. “Yes, you are.”
“No, Eddie. I’m not.” Vlad kept his words clipped, his tone matter-of-fact.
The fact of the matter was that Eddie Poe was a terrible, evil, vindictive human being. Vlad could only imagine what Eddie would turn into once he was a vampire. He’d be powerful, violent, and hateful to the core. He take revenge on humans who’d wronged him, and would show no mercy or understanding to the victims he’d feed on. And Vlad would be to blame.
No. No, he wouldn’t make Eddie into a vampire. Eddie was already a monster. Besides, he’d decided that once he was dead, Eddie would be viewed as a terrible person for spreading such insane rumors about a dead boy—a boy who died in a terrible accident. So why should he give in to Eddie’s ridiculous demands? If Eddie Poe wanted fame and fortune, Vlad wasn’t about to hand it to him. He was going to have to find another way to get it.
Vlad supposed he could have just let it go. After all, his deadline wasn’t going to come along until after Vlad would be dead and gone. But it was the principle of the matter, and very much something that Vlad needed to make clear.
He stared Eddie down, determined.
The muscles in Eddie’s jaw began to twitch. “I’ll expose you. You have no idea the hell that I can bring down on you.”
Vlad’s words were a low growl. “Save it, Eddie. I’ve made up my mind and nothing you can do will change it. Expose me. Do your worst. I don’t really give a damn anymore.”
Then an image filled Vlad’s mind. The same image that Vlad had glimpsed at The Crypt. Kristoff, running across the high school football field, utterly terrified, with a vampiric, hungry Eddie Poe on his tail. The picture in his mind was so clear that Vlad wasn’t certain if it were a vision or the memory of his vision. But it was clear.
His stomach flipped, and Vlad ran a tense hand through his hair.
What did it all mean?
Henry snatched Eddie’s folder from his grasp and tossed it down the hallway Frisbee-style. He got better distance this time. With a glare at Eddie, Henry said, “Fetch, loser.”
Eddie’s face turned purple and he wandered down the hall, in search of his lost folder.
Henry leaned up against Vlad’s closed locker door. He played it casual, but Vlad could tell he was deep in mourning for his best friend. Vlad said, “Do you wanna catch a movie or something tonight?”
“Not really.”
“Come on. I was thinking we’d see
Zombie Pirates from Outer Space.”
The corner of Vlad’s mouth tugged up in a smirk.
Henry shook his head. “It doesn’t come out till Friday.”
Vlad shrugged. “Nelly snagged some tickets to an advanced screening. We can invite Joss too and just hang out. Give up the Great Journal Search for a night and just chill.”
“Invite me to what?” Joss had moved down the hall and joined them. The circles under his eyes were looking a little less dark since they told Henry what was going on come December thirty-first. But only a little.
Vlad smiled at him. “To see
Zombie Pirates from Outer Space.”
“It’s out?”
“Not till Friday, but I have advanced tickets. You in?”
Joss visibly deflated. “I’m supposed to go see
Cotton Candy Kisses
with Meredith tonight.”
Vlad and Henry exchanged horrified glances. Not only was Meredith dragging Joss to a romantic comedy. But she was dragging him to a romantic comedy ... with bunnies.
Henry squeezed his cousin’s shoulder. “So ... this gives you a great excuse not to?”
Joss beamed, as if he could see the zombie light at the end of the outer space tunnel. “Exactly. See you at eight.”
Remembering Nelly’s nagging instructions, Vlad said, “Oh hey, I’m supposed to invite you guys to Thanksgiving dinner at Nelly’s next week.”
Joss brightened some. “Is it okay if Meredith comes along?”
Something heavy settled at the pit of Vlad’s stomach. “Sure.”
But Vlad wasn’t sure. He wasn’t sure at all.
Because that meant that Meredith and Snow were going to both be there. And he would have nowhere to hide from the uncomfortable combination of his ex and his girlfriend.
Except maybe in the mashed potatoes.
“Crap,” Henry muttered. “I forgot my binder in Ms. Lippman’s class.”
Joss said, “I’m outta here. See you guys later.”
Henry and Vlad nodded to Joss and Henry closed his locker. “Be right back, man. Don’t leave without me.”
Vlad grabbed his backpack and shut his locker. Of course he’d wait for Henry. That’s what friends do. As he waited, the hall population thinned drastically. Nobody hung around school any longer than they had to. Nobody normal, anyway.
“Hey, loser.”
Vlad tensed, but he didn’t turn around.
A meaty hand gave his shoulder a shove. “I said hey, loser.”
Vlad turned his head toward the voice, but already knew what he’d see. Bill and Tom. Still thick-headed, still stupid, and still very much anxious to smack Vlad around. “Not today, guys. I’m not in the mood.”
Bill snorted. “We’re not trying to make out with you, queer. We just want to show you something.”
Vlad sighed and scanned the hall for any sign of Henry. Unsuccessful in his search, he sighed again. “Show me what?”