Alex Van Helsing Voice of the Undead - By Jason Henderson Page 0,22

about to fall backward, and he caught her.

Holding Vienna by the waist, he looked past her, searching the water.

Elle was nowhere to be seen.

Alex became aware of Vienna suddenly—she was shaking. He moved her a few steps from the edge and held up his hands. “It’s okay,” he said. He looked back at the water and started searching the surrounding area. He was thinking he might catch her climbing up somewhere else.

This doesn’t happen. That was what his father used to say about anything paranormal, any movie about monsters or vampires or zombies. Doesn’t happen. For a moment, Alex wished he could go back to the days when he clung to that mantra.

Paul, Sid, and Minhi came running up. “Bloody hell!” Paul shouted. “That was that—that—”

Alex turned to Sid. “Did you see?”

“Absolutely I saw,” Sid said, eyes wide. “She jumped in the water.”

Vienna was still shaking, staring at her sleeve. “What—”

“I didn’t know they could do that,” Alex said, frowning. According to lore, and according to Sid, vampires could be killed by holy water but were allergic to any running water, and would seek to avoid crossing it. They certainly wouldn’t jump into it.

Sid looked troubled to be caught off guard. “Well, you know, I guess the deal is this is a lake, so it’s standing water. As opposed to running.”

Minhi touched Vienna on the shoulder. Vienna screamed.

“Hey,” Alex said, snapping his attention back to her. “Did she get—are you hurt?” He looked from her sleeve to her face, the giant brown eyes staring at him. She was holding her arm close to her body. “I’m gonna touch your arm, okay?” She nodded.

Alex gingerly took her forearm and brought it forward, glancing over it. Her olive skin was slightly pale and blotchy from cold and fear. “Okay. It’s—she didn’t leave a scratch,” he said. He looked at the others and back at Vienna. “It’s okay; I do this all the time.”

Minhi rolled her eyes. “Let’s go,” she said, and hugged Vienna.

Paul and Sid turned their attention back to the water. “You think there’s one o’ those entrances right here?”

“Not on the surface,” Sid said. “I think she swam to it.”

Alex looked back toward the village. “We should go.”

Alex took off his sport coat and handed it to Vienna. She stared at the coat for a second, then slipped her own off and put his on, silently.

Now Alex felt cold, but valiantly so.

As they walked up the pier, Minhi was talking to Vienna. “We’ll tell you all about it,” she said. “As soon as we get you warm.”

Paul looked out at the water. “They must waterproof the bloody heck out of those leather jackets.”

Chapter 7

Alex took a deep breath. “Vampires are all around the lake,” he said.

They’d gathered in an old study in what was now-nicknamed New Aubrey House. The sound of thumping and hammering echoed through the building. They had passed countless students on the way in, and Alex had been happy to see them carrying chairs and bedding from the trucks that were parked all over the lawn. Otranto had set up a small office, a central nervous system for the house, and was running everything from there.

A sign-up sheet near Otranto’s office door, posted next to a desk already inhabited by his assistant, Mrs. Hostache, informed Alex and his roommates that they would be on duty painting and sweeping the next day.

“The sign-up sheet seems to have a mind of its own,” Paul observed.

So this was the new reality. Alex had only the faintest inkling of what an undertaking it must be, what kind of money had to change hands and what armies of lawyers had to be called in for two schools to merge so quickly. He had the impression, amid the crates and trucks, of Headmaster Otranto stretching to hold a school together with his bare hands. Alex wasn’t sure even Otranto was up to the task. Out of two hundred students they had shed at least twenty-five already.

There was a love seat in the library where Vienna sat shivering, even though Minhi had found a blanket for her. Sid brought in a tray of cups and hot chocolate.

“All of you knew about them?” Vienna asked. She took the chocolate in both hands, absorbing its warmth as she held it under her chin.

Alex indicated Minhi, Paul, and Sid, and said, “All of us? Yes,” he said. “But I’m not sure if anyone else does, among the students.” He looked at the others for help. He wasn’t