they’re here, in the suburbs, at a bonfire for high school kids? This isn’t the first time I’ve caught them in Towson. One attacked Matt at school the other night.”
“Who gets attacked that many times?”
“I do.”
“ You go out looking for it.” Kai shook his head. “I’m pretty sure it has something to do with the shift of power. The vamps have it and the Daychildren want it.” He glanced back at a group of jocks chugging beer and pounding their chests like gorillas. “As for why they’re targeting Loch Raven Raiders, you’ve got me, other than they’re annoying and the world would be better without a few of them.” Kai flipped a stake out of his belt and handed it to her. “You’ll need this for the vamps.”
“It’s like the Bloods and the Crips, demon-style.” Janie cocked her head and contorted her fingers into gang signs.
“You’re a mess. I don’t know why I hang out with you.”
“You call this hanging out?”
“Whatever.” He shot to his feet and held his hand out for her. “Can we kick some vampire ass already?”
“I’m right with you.” She ignored his gesture and jumped to his side.
Janie and Kai approached the rival gangs. Her hand rested on her dagger. She eyed Kai. He appeared confident with a cool, tough-guy arrogance. The kind of tenacity someone developed when they’d persevered. Kai signaled for her to move ahead of him. Janie guessed it had to do with the element of surprise or something. Whatever. These vamps were hers.
A vampire caught a whiff of Janie and cleared his throat. “Mmm, I smell Seeker blood.” The vamp was tall and skinny, dark-skinned and in his early twenties. He wore a red bandana around his head. Janie chuckled, recalling her Bloods and Crips joke.
Gold chains hung from the vamp’s neck, layered over a white tank. His jeans hung off his butt, exposing a pair of striped boxer shorts. Janie wondered what Luke would think about the vamp’s choice of attire— Ghetto style.
“Fresh Seeker meat. This one’s all mine,” the vampire said. He turned into the faint light of the distant bonfire, exposing an arm-length tattoo of a dagger entangled in vines.
“I suggest you and your boys return to the city. I’ll only warn you once,” Janie said. She removed the dagger from her waist, ready to remove the stake just as quickly. She bore into the vampire, refusing to show an ounce of weakness.
“There’s one of you and ten of us.” He laughed, his teeth sparkling gold. Janie wondered whether his fangs were gold-plated. She’d stake him before she’d have to find out.
“I thought the vamps where changing. Why are you hanging out with filthy Daychildren?” Janie said.
“Who are you calling filthy?” A Daychild shot to the front of the pack, a white boy with tanned skin. He reminded her of a mobster from The Sopranos .
“Step off,” the vampire said. He stuck his tattooed arm out and held the mobster back.
“You’re not the boss of me.” The Daychild pushed up on the vamp, his face in his. The vamp may have been slightly taller, but the mobster was definitely chubbier. Four more vamps surrounded the feuding leaders. Getting the hint, the Daychild took a step back. “You’ll see. The vamps aren’t in charge anymore. There’s a new leader in town. We don’t need you anymore.”
The vampire pounded his chest with his fist. “I am the den leader—Jerome. You got that, half-breed?” He beat his chest again and pointed. “Jerome—the den leader. Either get down or lay down, Antony.”
Jerome addressed Janie. “Seeker—I’m out, for now.” He kissed two fingers and spread them in the air. He switched his focus to Antony and the Daychild gangsters who’d taken a protective stance around their leader. “You won’t be getting what you came for tonight. So roll.”
Antony nodded. His face became twisted with anger; lines sliced across his bad skin. He ran his hand through his wiry short brown hair and glared at
“Who gets attacked that many times?”
“I do.”
“ You go out looking for it.” Kai shook his head. “I’m pretty sure it has something to do with the shift of power. The vamps have it and the Daychildren want it.” He glanced back at a group of jocks chugging beer and pounding their chests like gorillas. “As for why they’re targeting Loch Raven Raiders, you’ve got me, other than they’re annoying and the world would be better without a few of them.” Kai flipped a stake out of his belt and handed it to her. “You’ll need this for the vamps.”
“It’s like the Bloods and the Crips, demon-style.” Janie cocked her head and contorted her fingers into gang signs.
“You’re a mess. I don’t know why I hang out with you.”
“You call this hanging out?”
“Whatever.” He shot to his feet and held his hand out for her. “Can we kick some vampire ass already?”
“I’m right with you.” She ignored his gesture and jumped to his side.
Janie and Kai approached the rival gangs. Her hand rested on her dagger. She eyed Kai. He appeared confident with a cool, tough-guy arrogance. The kind of tenacity someone developed when they’d persevered. Kai signaled for her to move ahead of him. Janie guessed it had to do with the element of surprise or something. Whatever. These vamps were hers.
A vampire caught a whiff of Janie and cleared his throat. “Mmm, I smell Seeker blood.” The vamp was tall and skinny, dark-skinned and in his early twenties. He wore a red bandana around his head. Janie chuckled, recalling her Bloods and Crips joke.
Gold chains hung from the vamp’s neck, layered over a white tank. His jeans hung off his butt, exposing a pair of striped boxer shorts. Janie wondered what Luke would think about the vamp’s choice of attire— Ghetto style.
“Fresh Seeker meat. This one’s all mine,” the vampire said. He turned into the faint light of the distant bonfire, exposing an arm-length tattoo of a dagger entangled in vines.
“I suggest you and your boys return to the city. I’ll only warn you once,” Janie said. She removed the dagger from her waist, ready to remove the stake just as quickly. She bore into the vampire, refusing to show an ounce of weakness.
“There’s one of you and ten of us.” He laughed, his teeth sparkling gold. Janie wondered whether his fangs were gold-plated. She’d stake him before she’d have to find out.
“I thought the vamps where changing. Why are you hanging out with filthy Daychildren?” Janie said.
“Who are you calling filthy?” A Daychild shot to the front of the pack, a white boy with tanned skin. He reminded her of a mobster from The Sopranos .
“Step off,” the vampire said. He stuck his tattooed arm out and held the mobster back.
“You’re not the boss of me.” The Daychild pushed up on the vamp, his face in his. The vamp may have been slightly taller, but the mobster was definitely chubbier. Four more vamps surrounded the feuding leaders. Getting the hint, the Daychild took a step back. “You’ll see. The vamps aren’t in charge anymore. There’s a new leader in town. We don’t need you anymore.”
The vampire pounded his chest with his fist. “I am the den leader—Jerome. You got that, half-breed?” He beat his chest again and pointed. “Jerome—the den leader. Either get down or lay down, Antony.”
Jerome addressed Janie. “Seeker—I’m out, for now.” He kissed two fingers and spread them in the air. He switched his focus to Antony and the Daychild gangsters who’d taken a protective stance around their leader. “You won’t be getting what you came for tonight. So roll.”
Antony nodded. His face became twisted with anger; lines sliced across his bad skin. He ran his hand through his wiry short brown hair and glared at
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