The Onyx Talisman (10 page)

I wish Grandma knew you knew. That might have changed a lot of things for me.

“So now you’re going to make us move again.”

“Not yet. My boss thinks our run-in with Slide was a coincidence. He couldn’t possibly have known you and I can’t leave just yet. We’re about to bust open another ring.”

I almost smiled, filled with relief. We’d be sticking around. But mention of a new ring had me worried. Who were they and where did they fall in the vampire family tree?

“I’m glad we’re staying. Who’s behind this ring?”

“Nothing for you to worry about and I’m sorry. I wasn’t sure how to talk to you about Mom. I didn’t want to frighten you. Though that vamp got staked at the scene, we weren’t sure if there were others around. I hired a detective specializing in the paranormal to keep watch over us, and for a whole year, nothing came looking for you. I figured you were safe.”

I thought back to a journal entry Nicholas wrote where he’d mentioned an investigator watched the house. Nicholas thought he was there to keep tabs on Dad, not me. But Nicholas made his job easy by continuing to stake anything that came within a mile of me.

“After I’d learned about the existence of the paranormal, I transferred into the ET unit and kept a low profile by traveling a lot. There was a lot to do, locating and tracking them. But I felt fortunate. We never had any troubles in Scotts Valley, like Dirty Harry was here just for us. Well, at least until Phil showed up.”

I looked into his withered eyes and shook my head. He’d held in so much to protect our family and I’d done nothing but give him grief. “Why are you telling me all this top secret stuff now?”

“Because, you deserve to know. And you’d find out eventually if you went through the VPP. It’s a relief to tell you the truth. I’ve wanted to for a long time.”

I gulped and shook my head. “But I don’t want to leave.”

“We’re not. With Phil gone … we’ll be okay.”

I pinched my lips together to stop my smile.
I was terribly relieved to come clean in some small stretch. And if he’d let me in on what the ETers would be doing, I could keep Nicholas, Sam, and Phil safe.

“So for now, you’re going to have to be extra careful. Stay indoors at night if at all possible. Keep this on you—” he handed me a laser pen. “It’s not your typical laser. It harnesses UV light under a powerful magnifying glass and it’ll burn anything the light touches, not just vamps.”

“Okay,” I said, tempted to flick the pen on and test it out. If Phil thinks I’m a loaded gun now, wait until he gets a load of this.

“And I’ve made it a general habit to voice a general uninvite when I come home, just as a precaution.”

“Uninvite?” My mouth went dry.

“Yeah, I assumed you knew about that. If you just say “you’re uninvited,” they’ll have to vacate the premises immediately. Not that I think you two are inviting vamps in while I’m gone, you can never be too sure.”

I swallowed hard the lump building in my throat, as visions of Katie being sucked out of the house and being burnt in the sun whipped around in my mind. Phil could have had the same fate here. I’d never put it together that Phil’s “inviting” issues typically happened after Dad got home from a trip.

“I want to be open and honest with you but we can’t talk freely in the house at night. We don’t want to slip and have prying ears hear, or Luke . . . I think it’s best if he’s kept in the dark for now.”

“Okay,” I said as my phone vibrated with a text. I looked down, surprised to see it came from Sam.

- Call me

“You need to be discreet. And you can’t tell anyone about this under any circumstances, no matter how bad you want to tell them. Understood? I can set you up an appointment with someone if you
have
to talk about it.”

“Dad, it’s okay, really. I’ve managed this entire time.”

He inhaled forcefully. “Okay. Well, I’ve got work to do, but talk to me if you have questions or anything—and be safe.”

I nodded.

Chapter Ten

“Sam?” I paused and looked at the receiver when no one spoke right away. I knew someone was there—they breathed heavily on the line.

“Julia,” she whispered.

My gut clenched and I yearned to read her emotions. “What’s wrong?”

“You have to come over here. Something’s not … right.”

“What do you mean?”

“Please … just come over. My mom’s at work. The key is under the flower pot.”

“Okay.” I began to freak out. She sounded either super sick or worse. “I’m on my way.”

“Thanks.” The phone went dead.

I raced over to Sam’s house in my Acura, thankful Dad didn’t decide to leave it in L.A., and ran through a stop sign in the process. Who knew what had her all upset, but if Todd had anything to do with it, he’d be answering to me. Upon running up the stone steps, I felt it. Bloodlust mixed with fear. Evil lurked in Sam’s house.

How did a vampire get in inside?

My hands clammed over with sweat as I fetched the key. The talisman flopped heavily against my skin as I stood up. Though it protected me, I couldn’t go in unarmed. I scanned the newly manicured lawn for something I could use as a weapon, finding nothing. A low hanging tree branch caught my eye and I smiled—my only option.

When opening the door, sunlight poured into the darkened interior, leaving a large elongated shadow where I stood.

“Sam!” I yelled, holding the broken branch tight to my side. “I’m here. You don’t need to be afraid anymore.”

Something rustled upstairs, coupled with relief.

“Just say ‘I uninvite you.’” I tried to stay calm, but could hear my voice rising in panic. Had Sam already been bitten or had she managed to hide from the unwanted guest?

Silence crept up my skin as slight restraint radiated from the creature watching me from the shadows. The vamp only needed me to move out of the direct sunlight in order to make me its next meal. Better me than Sam.

I held up the branch, my limbs trembling, and kicked the door shut.

“Come and get me, bloodsucker! I’m tasty and I’m here.”

Before I could react, something pushed me off my feet and I flew backward, whacking my head against the wood floor. Stars flashed before my eyes as I struggled to suck in oxygen. My arms were pinned to the floor with strength I was no match for. Bracing for the attack, I closed my eyes and tensed, knowing full well the talisman would protect me. But the creature hesitated, warring with itself, like it actually didn’t want to bite me, but couldn’t help it—fixed on taking my blood. Then something grazed my neck. The hot sizzle of burning flesh and a blood-curdling scream told me the talisman had done its job as the vampire released me and fled to the adjoining room, leaving a trail of lingering smoke behind.

I rolled over with a moan and rubbed the large knot forming on the back of my head. The room tilted topsy-turvy as I sat up to catch my breath and get my bearings. Whimpers came from the other room—a soft, higher-pitched sound. A girl?

I crawled over to the wall to find the light switch. I waffled if I should find Sam first, or just kill the pathetic creature and be done with her. In the corner, the injured thing hid crouched in the dark, curled up under the desk, radiating pain. Pity took over.

“Who are you?” I asked, tiptoeing closer. I tightened my grip on the makeshift stake in case she decided to strike again. “And what did you do with Sam?”

She turned and hissed, her face hitting the light and a blanket of dark gossamer hair fell over her shoulders. “I am Sam.”

I staggered backward, collapsing to the ground on my knees. Sam? There was no way the creature in front of me could be her. No. This was an evil, lying look-alike. My best friend couldn’t possibly be a vampire.

“What are you? A demon?” She glared at me with crazed eyes, her tongue running over her blackened lips.

Me the demon? No. You’re the demon!

“You just look like Sam. You aren’t her!”

“I assure you I am.” She stuck out her pinkie and smirked. “Pinkie swear. Double dare.”

“No!” I wailed and brought my fists to my lips. “You can’t.”

She leered and swallowed hard, her fear and bloodlust spiking again.

I reached out my hand. “You don’t have to be afraid. I know what’s happening to you.” I inched myself closer on my knees.

“Stop!” She put out her charred hand, wavering between revulsion and a grave desire to chomp down on my neck. “Don’t get any closer. It’s—you’re too tempting. I don’t want to get hurt again.”

I backed away slowly and turned on another light instead. Her new beauty astounded me: glossy hair, delicate skin, dark sensuous eyes. “How—when did this happen?”

She stayed crouched down like a wounded animal and watched my every move.

“Todd’s been bragging about this new doctor he’s seeing who’s been giving him blood transfusions to help with his stamina and energy for football. Anyway, he showed up here last night and he was absolutely gorgeous. His skin was flawless and his hair, so luminous. And his muscles were cut, even his stomach was this crazy six-pack. He’d been trying to get ripped for so long with workouts, protein powder, and weird diets. Anyway, he told me the doctor gave him this special
stuff
and that it wasn’t steroids. He had an extra dose and wanted me to try it. He promised my acne would go away if I did.”

She looked away and gulped. “Now, I realize how stupid that was, but I couldn’t say no. Like he compelled me to do it.”

“Stuff? Like in a syringe you inject in your arm?” The venom-drug pusher came into mind, the one Nicholas tried to scare, the one who sold Alora the venom she used to change Katie. Had Todd done the same? Acquired the venom from this so-called doctor?

“Lecture me later!” She clutched at her hair and whimpered as another wave of bloodlust washed over her. “I’ve learned my lesson. It’s horrible. When does it stop?”

I slowly sat cross-legged on the carpet a few feet in front of her, trying hard not to make movements that would send my scent into the air unnecessarily. Her suffering grated my nerves, like fingernails down a chalkboard, and there wasn’t anything I could do to help. Why wasn’t the talisman blocking my scent from her?

“I think after a couple days it eventually goes away, if you don’t give in.”

“A couple days?” She dug her fingers into the carpet, ripping up two large handfuls of threads. “I’m going to die.”

I bit my lip, imagining Sam’s mom’s reaction when she saw her shredded carpet. Then reality hit. This damage would be nothing compared to her broken heart over Sam’s disappearance. Her only child. That’s if Sam hadn’t already done something to her before I got here.

“Where’s your mom?”

“I didn’t touch her, if you’re asking. She’s at work.”

Truth.

“I’m not accusing you, it’s just—”

“Look at me, Julia. I’m a…a…freak!” she screeched and began pulling out her hair in large clumps. Before I could beg her to stop, like magic the hair grew back. “What’s happening to me?”

I wanted to jump up and hug her, then slaughter Todd for doing this to her.

“Sam,” I said with an extra soft voice. “It’s going to be okay. You injected venom into your body and now you’re becoming a vampire. You’re just craving blood. It will pass.”

“Pass?” She full-body shivered. “I’m becoming a vampire? Are you freakin’ crazy? He said it would make me beautiful.” She moaned and wrung her hands.

“Well, look at yourself. You kind of are.”

She pinched her eyes shut and shook her head. “I must have passed out from the pain. Once I came to, my throat ached so bad with thirst. I tore apart the fridge for something to drink. Nothing would stop it—not soda, water, or even milk. And then I saw the raw hamburger meat.” Her embarrassment flared. “The juices helped.”

“It’s perfectly normal.”

“Normal?” Sam slammed her fists down, adding crevices to the holes in the carpet. She briefly inspected her assault on the floor with large eyes and then her face wrinkled up in horror. “It’s normal to want to bite your own mother? I could hear her blood pulsing in her veins and all I could dream of was sucking it all down, hot and sticky. That’s disgusting! And you … I attacked you, my best friend. How did you burn me?”

I lifted up the talisman by the chain. “This protected me.”

She traced her finger over her newly pink lips, eyeing the sapphire stone in fear. “You’ve known about this?” she waved her hands over her body, “and didn’t tell me? How? When?”

“I—I just found out. Nicholas saved me from one and then he gave me this.”

Sam swallowed hard. “He saved you from a vampire? How?” Her eyes glazed over. “He knows?”

I looked away, my cheeks burning hot. “Yes, he—he’s been protecting me for a long time. Since my mom died.”

“What do you mean?”

“A vampire attacked me and my mom when I was a kid and Nicholas rescued me. He’s been my guardian ever since.”

Sam ran her hands all over her face and neck, pressing and pulling, her raging appetite overcoming her ability to concentrate. “How is that even possible? He’s our age.”

“He’s part vampire too. He doesn’t age.”

Sam’s eyes widened. “You’re dating a vampire? And yet he protects you from them—” She took several deep breaths, her eyes wild. “How does he protect you from them?”

“We can talk about that later. It’s very complicated.”

Her paranoia spiked as she eyed the front door. “Who else knows?”

“No one… Where’s Todd?”

“I don’t know where he is. He just left me.” She folded her arms and cursed. “Left me here to rot and murder my best friend and mother. When I get my hands on him…”

I glanced at the time. Sam’s mom would be coming home soon, but the sun wouldn’t be down before then.

“We have to get you out of here. I have an idea,” I said and slowly got to my feet. “I need some heavy blankets. I know someone who can help.”

Once the sun set, I coaxed Phil outside to my car that stood parked in Nicholas’ gravel driveway. With hesitation, I opened up the trunk. Sam unraveled herself from the blankets and looked up into Phil’s face with shock.