The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner Chapters 8

I venture we should fol ow Riley. Find out what hes doing.I stared. just hel know we introduce him. Hel catch our scents.I know. This is how I figure it. I fol ow his scent. You keep clear by a few hundred yards and fol ow my sound. Then Riley still knows I fol owed him, and I can tel him its because I had something important to share. Thats when I do the big reveal with the disco bal effect. And Il see what he says. His eyes narrowed as he examined me. just you you just play it soaked to the chest for now, okay? Il tel you if hes cool about it.What if he comes linchpin early from wher incessantly hes going?Dont you want it to be completion to dawn so you can glitter?Yes thats definitely a possible problem. And it index affect the way the conversation goes. except I think we should lay on the line it. He seemed like he was in a hurry tonight, didnt he? Like maybe he needs al night for whatever hes doing? peradventure. Or maybe he was just in a big hurry to see her. You kno w, we might not want to rage him if shes nearby. We both winced.True. Stil He frowned. Doesnt it expression like whatevers coming is getting close? Like we might not have a bun in the oven forever to figure this out?I nodded unhappily. Yeah, it does.So lets take our chances. Riley trusts me, and I have a good reason for wanting to talk to him.I thought about this strategy. Though Id only known him for a day, real y, I was stil aware that this level of paranoia was out of character for Diego.This elaborate plan of yours, I said.What about it? he asked.It sounds kind of like a solo plan. Not so much a club adventure. At least, not when it comes to the dangerous part.He made a face that told me Id caught him.This is my idea. Im the iodine who He hesitated, having trouble with the next word. trusts Riley. Im the only one whos going to risk getting on his bad side if Im wrong.Chicken as I was, this didnt fly with me. Clubs dont work that way.He nodded, his expression unclear. Okay, wel think about it as we go.I didnt think he real y meant it.Stay in the trees, track me from above, kay? he said.Okay.He capitulumed back toward the log cabin, pitiable fast. I fol owed through the branches, most of them so close-packed that I only rarely had to real y leap from one tree to another. I unplowed my movements as smal as possible, hoping that the bending of the boughs under my weight would just look like wind. It was a breezy night, which would help. It was cold for summer, not that the temperature bot presentd me.Diego caught Rileys scent extraneous the house without trouble and past loped after it quickly while I trailed several yards back and about a hundred yards north, high on the vend than he was. When the trees were real y thick, hed rustle a trunk now and again so I wouldnt lose him.We kept on, with him running and me impersonating a dissolute squirrel, for only fifteen minutes or so before I saw Diego slow down. We must have been getting close. I move higher in the branches, looking for a tree with a good view. I scaled one that towered over its neighbors, and scanned the scene. Less than half a mile remote was a large gap in the trees, an open field that covered several acres. Near the center of the space, closer to the trees on its east side, was what looked like an oversized gingerbread house. Painted bright pink, green, and white, it was elaborate to the c bide of ridiculousness, with fancy trim and finials on every conceivable edge. It was the kind of thing I would have laughed at in a more relaxed situation. Riley was nowhere in sight, still Diego had come to a complete stop below, so I assumed this was the end point of our pursuit. Maybe this was the replacement house Riley was preparing for when the big log cabin crumbled. Except that it was smal er than any of the other houses wed stayed in, and it didnt look like it had a basement. And it was even farther outdoor(a) from Seattle than the blend in one.Diego looked up at me, and I signaled for him to join me. He nodded and retraced his trail a little ways. Then he made an enormous leap I wondered if I could have jumped that high, even as young and strong as I was and caught a branch about halfway up the closest tree. Unless somebody was beingness extraordinarily vigilant, no one ever would have noticed that Diegod made a side trip off his path. Even stil, he jumped close to in the treetops, making sealed his trail did not lead directly to mine.When he final y decided it was safe to join me, he took my break right away. Silently, I nodded toward the gingerbread house. One corner of his mouth twitched.Simultaneously we started edge toward the east side of the house, keeping high up in the trees. We got as close as we dared leaving a few trees as cover between the house and ourselves and then sat silently, listening.The breeze turned helpful y gentle, and we could describe something. Strange little brushing, ticking sounds. At first I d idnt recognize what I was hearing, but then Diego twitched another little smile, puckered his lips, and silently kissed the air in my direction.Kissing didnt sound the same with vampires as it did with humans. No soft, fleshy, liquid-fil ed cel s to squish against each other. Just stone lips, no give. I had heard one kiss between vampires before Diegos touch to my lips last night but I never would have made the connection. It was so far from what Id expected to dominate here.This knowledge spun everything around in my head. I had assumed Riley was going to see her, whether to receive instructions or bring her new recruits, I didnt know. But I had never imagined stumbling across some kind of love nest. How could Riley kiss her? I shuddered and glanced at Diego. He looked faintly horrified, too, but he shrugged. I thought back to that last night of humanity, flinching as I remembered the vivid suntan. I tried to recal the moments just before that, through al the fuzziness. First t here was the crawl fear that had built as Riley pul ed up to the dark house, the feeling of safety Id had in the bright burger joint dissolving entirely. I was holding back, edging away, and then hed grabbed my arm with a steel grip and yanked me out of the car like I was a dol, weightless. dread and disbelief as hed leaped the ten yards to the door. Terror and then pain leaving no room for disbelief as he broke my arm dragging me through the door into the black house. And then the voice.As I focused on the memory, I could hear it again. High and singsong, like a little girls, but grouchy. A child throwing a tantrum.I remembered what shed said. Why did you even bring this one? Its too smal . Something close to that, I thought. The words might not be exactly right, but that was the meaning. I was sure Riley had sounded eager to please when he answered, afraid of disappointing. But shes another body. Another distraction, at least.I think Id whimpered then, and hed shaken me painful y , but he hadnt speak to me again. It was like I was a dog, not a person.This whole night has been a waste, the childs voice had complained. Ive kil ed them al . UghI remembered that the house had shuddered then, as if a car had col ided with the frame. I realized now that shed probably just kicked something in frustration.Fine. I guess even a little one is purify than nothing, if this is the best you can do. And Im so ful now I should be able to stop. Rileys hard fingers had disappeared then and left me alone with the voice. Id been too panicked at that point to make a sound. Id just closed my eyes, though I was already total y blind in the darkness. I didnt scream until something cut into my neck, burning like a blade coated in acid.I cringed back from the memory, trying to push the next part from my mind. Instead I concentrated on that short conversation. She hadnt sounded like she was talking to her lover or even her friend. More like she was talking to an employee. One she did nt like much and might fire soon.But the strange vampire kissing sounds continued. Someone sighed in contentment.I frowned at Diego. This exchange didnt tel us much. How long did we need to stay?He just held his head on the side, listening careful y. And after a few more minutes of patience, the low, romantic sounds were suddenly interrupted.How many?The voice was muted by distance, but stil distinct. And recognizable. High, just about a tril . Like a spoiled young girl.Twenty-two, Riley answered, sounding proud. Diego and I exchanged a sharp glance. There were twenty-two of us, at last count, anyway. They must be talking about us.I thought Id lost two more to the sun, but one of my older kids is obedient, Riley continued. There was intimately an accessible sound to his voice when he spoke of Diego as one of his kids. He has an underground place he hid himself with the younger one.Are you sure?There was a long pause, this time with no sounds of romance. Even from this distance, I thought I could feel some tension.Yeah. Hes a good kid, Im sure.Another strained pause. I didnt sympathize her question. What did she mean, are you sure? Did she think hed heard the story from someone else rather than seeing Diego for himself?Twenty-two is good, she mused, and the tension seemed to dissolve. How is their behavior developing? Some of them are almost a year old. Do they stil fol ow the normal patterns?Yes, Riley said. Everything you told me to do worked flawlessly. They dont think they just do what theyve always done. I can always distract them with thirst. It keeps them under control.I frowned at Diego. Riley didnt want us to think. Why?Youve done so wel , our author cooed, and there was another kiss. Twenty-twoIs it time? Riley asked eagerly.Her answer came back fast, like a slap. No I havent decided when.I dont understand.You dont need to. Its enough for you to know that our enemies have great powers. We cannot be too careful. Her voice softened, turned sugary again. But al twenty-two stil alive. Even with what they are capable of what good wil it be against twenty-two? She let out a tinkling little laugh. Diego and I had not looked away from each other throughout al this, and I could see in his eyes now that his thoughts were the same as mine. Yes, wed been created for a purpose, as wed guessed. We had an enemy. Or, our source had an enemy. Did the distinction matter?Decisions, decisions, she muttered. Not yet. Maybe one more handful, just to be sure.Adding more might actual y decrease our numbers, Riley cautioned hesitantly, as if being careful not to upset her. Its always unstable when a new group is introduced.True, she agreed, and I imagined Riley sighing in relief that she was not upset.Abruptly Diego looked away from me, complete(a) out across the meadow. I hadnt heard any movement from the house, but maybe she had come out. My head whipped around at the same time the rest of me turned to a statue, and I saw what had startled Di ego.Four figures were crossing the open field to the house. They had entered the clearing from the west, the point farthest from where we hid. They al wore long, dark cloaks with wooden-headed hoods, so at first I thought they were people. Weird people, but just humans al the same, because none of the vampires I knew had matching Goth clothes. And none moved in a way that was so smooth and control ed and elegant. But then I realized that none of the humans Id ever seen could move that way, either, and whats more, they couldnt do it so quietly. The dark-cloaks skimmed across the long grass in absolute silence. So either these were vampires, or they were something else supernatural. Ghosts, maybe. But if they were vampires, they were vampires I didnt know, and that meant they might very wel be these enemies she was talking about. If so, we should get the hel out of Dodge right now, because we didnt have twenty other vampires on our side at the moment.I almost took off then, but I was too afraid to draw the attention of the mask figures.So I watched them move smoothly forward, noticing other things about them. How they stayed in a perfect baseb every(prenominal) field formation that never was the slightest bit out of line no matter how the terrain changed under their feet. How the one at the point of the diamond was much smal er than the others, and its cloak was darker, too. How they didnt seem to be tracking their way in not trying to fol ow the path of any scent. They simply knew their way. Maybe they were invited.They moved directly toward the house, and I felt like it might be safe to breathe again when they started silently up the steps toward the front door. They werent coming truthful for Diego and me, at least. When they were out of sight, we could disappear into the sound of the next breeze through the trees, and they would never know wed been here.I looked at Diego and twitched my head slightly toward the way wed come. He narrowed his eyes and hel d up one finger. Oh great, he wanted to stay. I rol ed my eyes at him, though I was so afraid, I was surprise I was capable of sarcasm. We both looked back to the house. The cloaked things had let themselves in silently, but I realized that neither she nor Riley had spoken since wed caught sight of the visitors. They must have heard something or known in some other way that they were in danger.Dont bother, a very clear, monotone voice commanded lazily. It was not as high-pitched as our creators, but it stil sounded girlish to me. I think you know who we are, so you must know that there is no point in trying to surprise us. Or hide from us. Or fight us. Or run.A deep, masculine chuckle that did not belong to Riley echoed menacingly through the house.Relax, instructed the first inflectionless voice the cloaked girl. Her voice had that distinctive ring that made me certain she was a vampire, not a ghost or any other kind of nightmare.Were not here to destroy you. Yet.There was a mome nt of silence, and then some barely audible movements. A shifting of positions.If you are not here to kil us, then what? our creator asked, strained and shril .We seek to know your intentions here. Specifical y, if they involve a certain local clan, the cloaked girl explained. We wonder if they have anything to do with the mayhem youve created here. Illegally created.Diego and I frowned simultaneously. None of this made sense, but the last part was the weirdest. What could be il egal for vampires? What cop, what judge, what prison could have power over us?Yes, our creator hissed. My plans are all about them. But we cant move yet. Its tricky. A petulant note crept into her voice at the end.