Read Online Secret Vampire by Lisa J. Smith - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lisa J. Smith
Tags: Fantasy, Young Adult
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wasn't being an artist or a stage magician. He'd split up with her mom because he wasn't very good at being any of those things-or at least not good enough to get paid much.
Cliff was everything Poppy's father wasn't: responsi ble, disciplined, hardworking. He fit in perfectly with Poppy's mom and Phil. So perfectly that sometimes Poppy felt like the odd one out in her own family.
"I miss Dad," Poppy said softly.
"I know. Sometimes I do, too," her mother said, surprising her. Then she said firmly, "We'll find him, Poppy. As soon as he hears, he'll want to come."
Poppy hoped so. She didn't suppose she'd get a chance to see him-after.
It wasn't until an hour or so before dinnertime, when Phil and Cliff were out doing errands, and her mother was taking a nap, that Poppy got the chance to call James.
"I'll come right over," he said. "I'll let myself in." Ten minutes later he walked into Poppy's bedroom.
Poppy felt strangely shy. Things had changed be tween her and James. They weren't simply best friends anymore.
They didn't even say "Hi" to each other. As soon as he came in, their eyes caught and met. And then, for an endless moment, they just looked at each other.
This time, when Poppy felt the quick pang in her chest that always came when she saw James, it was a throb of pure sweetness. He cared about her. She could see it in his eyes.
Wait a minute, hang on, her mind whispered. Don't jump the gun here. He cares about you, yes, but he didn't say he was in love with you. There's a difference.
Shut up, Poppy told her brain soberly. Aloud, she said, "How come you didn't want Phil to know you were here?"
James threw his light windbreaker over a chair and sat down on Poppy's bed. "Well-I just' didn't want to be interrupted," he said with a gesture of dis missal. "How's the pain?"
"It's gone,"Poppy said. "Isn't that weird? It didn't wake me up at all last night. And there's something else. I think I'm starting to-well, read people's thoughts."
James smiled slightly, just one corner of his mouth up. "That's good. 1 was worried-" He broke off and went to turn Poppy's CD player on. Plaintive Bantu wailing's emerged.
"I was worried you didn't get enough blood last night," James said quietly, resuming his seat. "You'll have to take more this time-and so will I."
Poppy felt something tremble inside her. Her revul-
sion was gone. She was still afraid, but that was only because of the consequences of what they were going to do. It wasn't just a way to get closer or to feed James. They were doing it to change Poppy.
"The only thing I don't understand is why you never bit me before." Her tone was light, but as she spoke the words, she realized that there was a serious question behind them.
"I mean," she said slowly, "you did it with Michaela and Jacklyn, didn't you? And with other girls?"
He looked away but answered steadily. "I didn't exchange blood with them. But I fed on them, yes."
"But not me."
"No. How can I explain?" He looked up at her. "Poppy, taking blood can be a lot of different things-and the Elders don't want it to be anything but feeding. They say all you should feel is the joy of the hunt. And that's all I ever have felt before."
Poppy nodded, trying to feel satisfied with this. She didn't ask who the Elders were.
"Besides, it can be dangerous, " James said. "It can be done with hatred, and it can kill. Kill perma nently, I mean."
Poppy was almost amused by this. "You wouldn't kill."
James stared at her. Outside, it was cloudy and the light in Poppy's bedroom was pale. It made James's face look pale, too, and his eyes silver.
"But I have," James said. His voice was flat and bleak. "I've killed without exchanging enough blood, so the person didn't come back as a vampire."
CHAPTER 7
Then you must have had a reason," Poppy said flatly. When he looked at her, she shrugged. "I know you." She knew him in a way she'd never known anyone.
James looked away. "I didn't have a reason, but there were
Cliff was everything Poppy's father wasn't: responsi ble, disciplined, hardworking. He fit in perfectly with Poppy's mom and Phil. So perfectly that sometimes Poppy felt like the odd one out in her own family.
"I miss Dad," Poppy said softly.
"I know. Sometimes I do, too," her mother said, surprising her. Then she said firmly, "We'll find him, Poppy. As soon as he hears, he'll want to come."
Poppy hoped so. She didn't suppose she'd get a chance to see him-after.
It wasn't until an hour or so before dinnertime, when Phil and Cliff were out doing errands, and her mother was taking a nap, that Poppy got the chance to call James.
"I'll come right over," he said. "I'll let myself in." Ten minutes later he walked into Poppy's bedroom.
Poppy felt strangely shy. Things had changed be tween her and James. They weren't simply best friends anymore.
They didn't even say "Hi" to each other. As soon as he came in, their eyes caught and met. And then, for an endless moment, they just looked at each other.
This time, when Poppy felt the quick pang in her chest that always came when she saw James, it was a throb of pure sweetness. He cared about her. She could see it in his eyes.
Wait a minute, hang on, her mind whispered. Don't jump the gun here. He cares about you, yes, but he didn't say he was in love with you. There's a difference.
Shut up, Poppy told her brain soberly. Aloud, she said, "How come you didn't want Phil to know you were here?"
James threw his light windbreaker over a chair and sat down on Poppy's bed. "Well-I just' didn't want to be interrupted," he said with a gesture of dis missal. "How's the pain?"
"It's gone,"Poppy said. "Isn't that weird? It didn't wake me up at all last night. And there's something else. I think I'm starting to-well, read people's thoughts."
James smiled slightly, just one corner of his mouth up. "That's good. 1 was worried-" He broke off and went to turn Poppy's CD player on. Plaintive Bantu wailing's emerged.
"I was worried you didn't get enough blood last night," James said quietly, resuming his seat. "You'll have to take more this time-and so will I."
Poppy felt something tremble inside her. Her revul-
sion was gone. She was still afraid, but that was only because of the consequences of what they were going to do. It wasn't just a way to get closer or to feed James. They were doing it to change Poppy.
"The only thing I don't understand is why you never bit me before." Her tone was light, but as she spoke the words, she realized that there was a serious question behind them.
"I mean," she said slowly, "you did it with Michaela and Jacklyn, didn't you? And with other girls?"
He looked away but answered steadily. "I didn't exchange blood with them. But I fed on them, yes."
"But not me."
"No. How can I explain?" He looked up at her. "Poppy, taking blood can be a lot of different things-and the Elders don't want it to be anything but feeding. They say all you should feel is the joy of the hunt. And that's all I ever have felt before."
Poppy nodded, trying to feel satisfied with this. She didn't ask who the Elders were.
"Besides, it can be dangerous, " James said. "It can be done with hatred, and it can kill. Kill perma nently, I mean."
Poppy was almost amused by this. "You wouldn't kill."
James stared at her. Outside, it was cloudy and the light in Poppy's bedroom was pale. It made James's face look pale, too, and his eyes silver.
"But I have," James said. His voice was flat and bleak. "I've killed without exchanging enough blood, so the person didn't come back as a vampire."
CHAPTER 7
Then you must have had a reason," Poppy said flatly. When he looked at her, she shrugged. "I know you." She knew him in a way she'd never known anyone.
James looked away. "I didn't have a reason, but there were
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