To Save a Vampire - A.K. Koonce Page 0,3

to stand from the hard and uncomfortable chair, but his lips move slightly. He mouths something to me and it catches me off guard. I slowly sit back down as I glance at my mother and Shaw just a few feet behind me. They’ve turned away from us, talking about the progress she’s made with this one.

After I’m sure they’re not paying us any attention, I look back at Forty-four, and mouth back to him. What?

He smiles at me, happy with our little game, and I’m immensely relieved he does speak English.

I’m not a complete embarrassment after all.

He watches my mouth a few seconds longer before silently replying.

I focus all my attention on trying to communicate with him, but I still don’t catch what he’s saying. He stares in frustration at me for a long moment, and I shake my head slowly. Gently, he closes his eyes like my inability to read lips is painful for him.

“What?” I whisper harshly.

His eyes shift quickly to Shaw again before tensing up, and he speaks so quietly I barely hear him.

“I said,” he flinches as the chip in his throat shocks him, “be sure.” His eyes are still closed. His entire body is tense. Pain is etched into his pale features.

My mouth opens slightly. I’m surprised to hear him speak, and I can’t think of a thing to say after hearing his voice. Why would he speak when it’s clearly so excruciating? Especially when it wasn’t exactly an urgent message he needed to relay.

Be sure.

What does that mean? Confusing, but unurgent. His voice was like thick warm gravel. I feel bad for him. The other pike have stopped working, and are now blatantly watching us. Near our table, a pike with short red hair takes a few steps toward us, watching Forty-four with intensity.

He’s drawn attention to us.

A guard from across the chamber demands the pikes to continue working, and to my relief they do. The redheaded pike gives Forty-four one last chastising look before turning back to his task.

My heart hammers in my chest again. I don’t know what the guards would do to a pike for speaking, but I’m worried about how much attention he just drew to us. I do the only thing I can think of; I stand to leave.

As I walk by, Forty-four touches my arm lightly, his hand snaking out so fast I barely see the movement. It sends a strange warm feeling straight through my heart and fluttering into my stomach. I take careful breaths as I stare down at him, studying in his chiseled features. My skin tingles from his touch, a shiver slipping down my spine. His beautiful eyes search my face, and I have the most uncanny urge to crawl into his lap, to meld into him like a shielding layer of protection and become a permanent part of his terrible life here.

I shake my head and look away, wondering if he captivated me. Quickly I pull my arm from him and try my best to casually walk to the exit. Stiff legs manage to carry me away from him, away from here. I bump shoulders with the tall redheaded pike on my way out and force myself to keep my attention on the ground even as I feel his silver eyes on my back like a target.

I leave the building as fast as my feet will take me and head home without my mother. I need to put as much space between me and that pike as possible.

Because the urge to release him—to save him—is so strong I can’t breathe.

Two

An Offering

Lying in my bed, I rethink the day’s events—the abnormal feeling Forty-four gave me, the nerves and excitement that still furl through my chest. It would have been a nice feeling had it been my own and not one he gave to me. He was different up close, compared to the monster I created in my head, the monster society had painted.

My mother arrived at camp at our normal time and instead of completing her assigned chores, she walked straight to Ky’s room. I’ve been in bed for an hour, tossing and turning against the thin blankets, and I can still hear her muffled insistent voice between the thin walls that separate my room from Ky’s. The shaky, uninsulated walls create an identical and cramped living space for the hundreds of people who live in this dorm.

Ky has always been there for my mother, for us. She once told me he was