Page 33 of Vampire's Vixen

Kyle grinned. “My pleasure,” he said.

A minute later, Jason returned and, walking two by two up the narrow trail, we headed out, into the wild.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The trailhead was nestled in the thick of a copse, the tall timber mingling with thick undergrowth. Berry bushes abounded, including huckleberries, blackberries, salmon berries, and thimbleberries. Ferns—waist high—covered the ground. In a few months, the skunk cabbages would be out, along with the wildflowers that grew within the Pacific Northwest’s biome. The trail itself was wide enough for two people to walk side by side.

The professor didn’t say much, letting us enjoy the walk without trying to point out everything around us. I appreciated that. It gave me time to think, and to get to know Kyle a little bit more.

“I’m not much of a hiker,” he said. “But this is nice. I normally wouldn’t take time out to do this.”

“I like being out in nature,” I said. “My aunt loves to work in the garden, and when I was little, I helped out a lot.”

“Do your parents live in town?” he asked.

I almost tripped over a root that protruded out of the ground. Kyle caught my arm and steadied me. The moment he touched my arm, even through my sleeve, I felt a tingle race up my skin.

Blushing, I said, “Thank you.” I wasn’t sure why I felt awkward, but I did. “My parents died when I was seven and I went to live with my aunts. But yes, I was born in Midnight Point. Okay, we’d better catch up. Jason’s pulling ahead.”

“Jason Willows is a good teacher, but he’s not really grounded in other people’s realities,” Kyle said.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Look,” he said, nodding ahead.

Jason was out in front, at least ten feet ahead of the fastest student. He seemed so focused on the trail ahead of him, I doubted if he noticed the rest of us were having a hard time catching up. In fact, as I glanced behind us, I saw that Tiffany, a witch in her sixties, was struggling. She looked winded.

“I see what you mean. Wait for me. I’ll be back.” I sped up, increasing my pace till I passed a couple other students and reached Jason’s side. “Professor Willows?”

Startled, he looked at me like I’d assaulted him, then he smiled. “Oh, Maisy, what can I do for you?”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but a couple of the students are having trouble keeping up. You didn’t want anybody wandering off on their own, right? I mean…Tiffany is not as fast as you are. And as a matter of fact, neither am I.” I said it gently, hoping he wouldn’t get bent out of shape by my criticism.

“Oh.” He looked surprised, as though he hadn’t even thought of slowing down for the others. “I’m sorry, thank you for letting me know.”

He turned around, waiting for everybody to catch up. Tiffany flashed me a relieved look. I smiled at her, as she leaned on her walking stick. Jason followed my gaze and worried his lip.

“I didn’t realize I was pushing all of you so much. I apologize. We’ll take a break for a few minutes and then be on our way. We don’t actually have too far to go. Hollow Hill isn’t far from here. Though we will be heading off trail, the slope is gentle and we won’t have to crawl up any ravines.” He pointed ahead, toward a stake that had a sign on it reading “HH” with an arrow aimed toward the woods. “We turn off there.”

“Do you think I’ll be able to make it?” Tiffany asked.

Once again, Jason blushed. “All right, I’ll admit something. I didn’t take into account whether people would be able to manage it. I’ve taught seventh grade for years, before taking on community classes. I’m used to young kids who…”

“Can move?” Tiffany asked, raising her eyebrows.

“Right.” Jason sighed. “How are you feeling?”

“I thought we’d be able to drive most of the way to the wild place. To be honest, I’m not that interested in hiking for a couple hours into a place that might be chancy,” Tiffany said. “If you don’t mind, and if it won’t affect my standing in the class, I’d rather turn back.”

“I don’t want you walking to the parking lot alone,” Jason said.

“I’ll go with her. It’s cold and I’d rather be home on my sofa,” another member of the class said. A few others mumbled their agreement.

In the end, Kyle, two other members of the class, and I were left as the others headed back to the parking lot. I turned to Jason.

“So, should we go on? Over half the class has left.”

“I think so, if you’re game,” he said.

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