Silence - By Kailin Gow Page 0,41
on. There’s an attack at school, and now it looks like these vampires are stronger, more dangerous than Pietre’s. Sophie and Briony aren’t even here to lead, while George is barely keeping it together.”
“I’l handle George,” Fal on said. “But if these vampires are as bad as you say they are…” as bad as he knew them to be, but Fal on couldn’t say that “then wait until I can get George under control. You guys need backup that can keep up with vampires. Right now, that means me and George.”
Jil nodded. “Trust me. I’m not about to run off fighting vampires without every advantage I can get. Just… hurry, okay?”
Fal on nodded, though he couldn’t help wondering whether, if he had hurried in the first place, it would have been necessary. He couldn’t change that now, though, so instead he rushed through to George in the office, stopping only to get some donor blood from out of the freezer.
George’s eyes fol owed it hungrily as Fal on threw it to him, and the new vampire drained it in seconds.
“Where did you get that?” George
demanded.
“From your freezer,” Fal on said. “Hold on, are you tel ing me that no one told you there was a supply there?”
George shook his head.
“And you didn’t notice it?”
Another head shake.
“So this is why you’ve been on edge?”
“Nobody told me,” George said. “I’ve been trying to hunt smal animals, but it’s not enough. And al this time, there’s just been frozen blood sitting around?”
Fal on cursed himself. He should have been there to explain to George. To make things easier.
“Having blood around is part of learning how to control ourselves as vampires. Not many of us try to control ourselves, especial y when we’re first turned. I had to figure out ways to survive without kil ing. This one works.”
“Glad you’re here, then,” George said. With the blood, he was looking better. “Glad none of the Preservation Society folks, especial y Sophie, staked you before.”
Fal on nodded. “That was mostly due to
Briony. She trusted me. She’s helped me so much.
Helped me keep some humanity. She showed me that we can learn to live with humans.”
George nodded. “Having humans around
helps. At least when I’m not starving. It reminds me to be… me.”
Fal on certainly knew that feeling. Except that now, he had cost people their lives.
“Briony,” George said. “Any luck in finding her and Sophie?”
Fal on was glad for the sudden change of topic.
“We’re getting close. At least that’s what I keep hoping. And when we find Briony, we’l find Aunt Sophie, too. George, we need to go now. You heard about the attack on the school? We need to help.”
The diner owner nodded. “Let’s go deal with it, then. I don’t care if I am a vampire now. No bloodsucker is going to do that kind of thing in my town and get away with it.”
Fal on walked out of the diner with George.
Jil and the others were waiting for them, having brought trucks around. More members of the Preservation Society were there with them, and Fal on was glad to see Steve and Maisy among them.
The drive to the school was a short one, and not a particularly fruitful one either. They got there, only to find rows of police cars already there, their lights flashing. Fal on saw the members of the Preservation Society hide their weapons quickly. As they drove closer, a wiry police officer with a serious expression held up a hand to stop them.
“You’re going to have to turn around and head back into town, folks,” he said. “There’s nothing to see here.”
A quick scan of the area suggested that might be true. Certainly, Fal on couldn’t see any signs of vampires left behind.
“We heard there might be a problem,” Jil said.
“No. No problem. Everything’s taken care of. You can al go home.”
“What happened?” Maisy asked. “It must be something, if so many of you are here.”
The police officer shook his head. “Strictly speaking, I can’t tel you that, Miss. But, in the interests of cutting off any rumors that might start otherwise, we think that a pack of animals from the woods got in here. Probably ran short of food. One of the dangers of living so close to the woods, I guess.”
“Animals,” Fal on echoed.
“That’s right, son. Now, are you al going to go home, or do I have to ask what you’ve got in those trucks?”
“Alright, Officer,” Maisy said. “We’l go back.”
They turned and drove a short