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.” Sam was staring at Two with horrified eyes.Two had not moved, was still sitting Indian-style on the cold stone floor.She shook her head.“No.”“Then I’m insane.Locked up somewhere.Hallucinating.Someone gave me some bad acid.Something …”“No.”“How can you say ‘No’? This shit is not possible.”“I sometimes find it hard to believe, myself.I’ve only been a vampire for a few days, and I was human less than a month ago.You grow accustomed to it pretty quickly, though.”“Somebody wake me up,” Sam moaned.Two shrugged.“Okay.I don’t really care whether you accept this or not, right now.How about this? At least play along.It will make things easier in the long run.”Sam sighed, shrugged, said, “Fine.You’re a vampire.I’m a vampire, too, I guess? What do we do now?”“Do you want to get out of the cell? I can take you upstairs to meet the others … or Theroen, at least.”“Who’s Theroen?”“Theroen and the girl who made you, Missy, were made by the same vampire.If you follow the whole vampire lineage thing, I guess he’s something like your uncle.”Sam grimaced.“If I pretend to believe you, will you let me out of here?”“You have to promise me a few things.”“Like?”“Like first, you’re not going to bolt out the door the moment I open it.You wouldn’t make it past me, and you definitely wouldn’t make it out of the mansion.Theroen would know what you were doing before you got up the steps.Even if you did get outside, you’d have to deal with Tori, and I think she’d probably kill you.So when I open the bars, let’s stay calm, okay?”“I can do that, I guess.”“Good.Second, try to keep an open mind.I know how hard that is … believe me, I know.Try to at least give what you’re seeing and hearing a chance, before shutting it all out.”“I … okay, I’ll try.” Sam didn’t sound like she held much faith in herself on this point, but at least she had regained some of her composure.Two produced the key Theroen had given her, unlatched the door, and opened it.“Okay.Let’s go upstairs.”* * *It was evident to Two, simply by the expression on Sam’s face, that she was no more accustomed to such opulence than Two had been.Sam seemed unable to decide what to look at first, and was moving her head about in quick motions, like a bird, taking it all in.“Interesting, huh?” Two was walking slightly behind Sam, letting the girl take her own meandering course through the first floor’s many interlocking rooms.“It’s incredible.”There was silence for a time, as they walked.Eventually, Sam spoke again.“So … you said the girl I met in the bar was Missy, right?”“Yes, her name is Missy.”“Who are you?”Two laughed.She’d forgotten to introduce herself.“My name’s Two.Like the number.It’s a long story.”“Do you live here?”“I do now, yes.For the time being, anyway.Like I said before, I’m pretty new to all of this myself.”“Did Missy do this to you, too?”Two suppressed a shudder.“No.Missy is, well … it’s complicated.Missy is Theroen’s sister, so to speak—sister vampire anyway; the same person made both of them.She and Theroen, and another girl, Tori, were created by the elder vampire who lives in the other wing of the mansion.His name’s Abraham, and if you never meet him, then consider yourself lucky.“Theroen created me, but I’m not really his daughter.More like his girlfriend or wife, I guess.Like I said: complicated.”Sam said nothing.She glanced briefly at Two, and the expression spoke volumes about her skepticism.“I know you don’t believe me, Sam.Just … let’s go on, okay? Maybe Theroen can convince you.”Sam shrugged.“Don’t get your hopes up.”Theroen was nowhere to be found.Eventually, Two lead Sam back to the media room.“We might as well wait here for him.You can watch TV or something.”“I want to get out of here.”“We can’t, yet.You need to talk to Theroen first.Trust me.”“Why?”Two opened her mouth to explain, but before she could, they were interrupted.The mansion’s front door opened, closed, latched.Footsteps in the hall, growing louder, coming toward them.Two turned, expecting Theroen.She was greeted instead by a nightmare.* * *Missy.It had to be Missy.She was standing in the doorway, drenched in blood.The red liquid coated her face, her neck, the collar and upper buttons of her blouse.Her hair was tousled.Her eyes burned like embers.“What are you doing in this room, with my child?” Missy’s voice was calm, but her expression bore malice beyond anything Two had thought possible.She leaned her weight on one hand, resting on the door frame.Her fingernails made repeated clicks against the beveled wood.Two breathed deeply, steeled herself, met Missy’s gaze and held it.“Talking.”“If I wanted you talking with her, I would have given you my permission.”“You weren’t around.Your better half went out hunting.”Missy retained her composure, but her lip curled up at this.She glared at Two for a moment, and then her lips formed a smile.Her eyes still held nothing but hate.“The woman you’re referring to is gone.She gave up.She let me in.First time in my life I haven’t had to wait for the stupid bitch to go to sleep to take over.She just … gave up.It was marvelous.She gave me control, and that tells me everything.I know it, and she knows it: I am the better half.”Two opened her mouth to reply to this, and Missy held up her hand.“Save it.Melissa’s stupid and scatterbrained and she doesn’t remember anything about me, but I remember lots of things from her time in this body.Like what Theroen’s planning.His little parting gift to his sisters.I know all about your little plot: the priest and the prostitute, safe and happy and away [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]