sword. Then he saw Mary’s transparent form standing a few feet away from the car. He hadn’t actually talked to her yet, but in truth, she looked more like the girls he’d known in high school, and even as a ghost . . . she seemed more familiar to him than the girl he’d just fed on.
“You better get moving,” she said. “They’re not at the apartment, and I can’t find them. That means they’re on their way. Julian told you to feed fast and get started.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.”
“Yeah? Well, you don’t know Julian yet. You screw this up, and he’ll make you sorry.”
That scared him and he looked around, debating on the fastest way to get to the train station.
“Just take the car!” Mary said. “Her keys are right there on the ground.”
She was making him feel stupid, and at the same time, he didn’t want do all this alone.
“You’ll meet me there?” he asked.
She tilted her head to one side, looking at him. “Yeah,” she said, sounding nicer now. “I’ll meet you.”
He grabbed the keys. Then he slid the dead girl’s body farther into the backseat and slammed the door. Attempting to climb into the driver’s seat, he found he couldn’t sit while wearing the sword, so he took it off his belt and leaned it on the floor of the passenger side. Then he was somewhat unsettled by the alien-looking dashboard. He’d learn to drive in an old Dodge Dart.
“But you’d better hurry,” Mary said, and she blinked out.
He started the Lexus.
He still couldn’t believe his gift was pity.
As Eleisha walked through the large doors of the Jack London Square station, she was beginning to worry about Rose—who was growing more and more anxious with each passing moment. Her eyes were turning glassy. Her face was beginning to look pasty rather than pale, and her hands were shaking.
From their very first meeting, Rose had never tried to hide her fear of traveling, of leaving the safety of her home. But throughout the course of her undead existence she’d managed two successful—and long—journeys on her own. Then again . . . in fairness, the last one had been well over a hundred years ago. She had been holed up in her apartment for a long time now, leaving it only when the need to hunt grew desperate.
Although she was the one who expressed a desire to join Eleisha and to begin a new purpose, perhaps she had underestimated her own terror of truly leaving the safety of her home?
Eleisha didn’t know how to help her.
After walking a few steps into the brightly lit train station, Rose faltered and then stopped, blinking in open fear at the sights all around her. A modern-day Amtrak building must look quite different to her than a station had in 1870.
Philip walked up behind Eleisha and leaned close to her ear.
“What’s wrong with her?” he whispered.
“Shhhhh,” Eleisha said. “You know she’s afraid of traveling. I just didn’t think it would be this . . .” She trailed off.
Robert and Wade both seemed equally concerned, but when Wade took a step back, Eleisha stopped him and dropped her bag. “Let me.”
She walked toward the doors, reaching out to stroke Rose’s arm. “We’ll be hidden away in our cabin soon.”
She could feel Rose’s arm shaking and suddenly felt at a loss for words. Was this more than simply a fear of traveling? Eleisha had never dealt with a full-blown phobia before. Maybe she should have let Wade handle this?
“Isn’t this too soon?” Rose whispered. “Should we not take more time to . . . get used to each other, to steel ourselves for this journey? Doesn’t that seem wise?” Her eyes shifted back and forth. “Let us go back to my home. We can leave for Portland in a few nights. . . . Yes, a few more nights.”
Eleisha heart began to sink. Rose would say anything to put the impending journey off. Of course she would feel better once they’d reached their cabin, but here, in the bright lights of the station, Eleisha could think of no way to comfort her.
And therefore she decided not to try.
“No, Rose,” she said firmly. “We’re going tonight. Just take my hand.”
Suddenly Rose’s expression turned completely calm, almost blank. She looked right at Eleisha and said, “Before we board and begin searching for our cabins, could we find a ladies’ room? I need to splash some water on my face first.”