Page 150 of The Last Vampire
Still no response.
“Maybe we should get the nurse,” says Lorena.
“Tiff, do you want to go home?” asks Salma gently.
Still nothing.
It is uncharacteristic of Tiffany to be the quiet one, and William worries he does not have a choice. He is going to have to alter her memories—even if it means disappointing Lorena.
“This is why you fought.”
The voice does not sound like it belongs to Tiffany. It is too tiny and brittle a thing for so formidable a person.
“Yes,” whispers Lorena. “Salma was upset about it, too, at first.”
“Were you listening to what we explained before, or would it help if we go over it again?” offers Salma. “Vampires existed once, but now they’re gone, except for a group of about fifty, and they can’t turn humans—”
“Except for William,” says Tiffany, her voice growing firmer.
“He’s not going to turn anyone,” says Lorena. “He doesn’t like the vampires any more than we do. And if we don’t want him to join them, we need to help him stay here.”
Something twinges in William’s chest, in the spot where the ice shelf melted, leaving mutable liquid water in its wake.
He knows Lorena is just trying to make the situation more palatable for Tiffany, yet her words stir a storm inside him. Is that really how she feels? Is she only pretending to care for him to protect the human race?
“Tiff,” says Lorena, her voice hesitant. “If you want to forget all this, Willian can help you do that.”
A long silence. Then—
“You’re offering for your boyfriend to erase my memories?” Tiffany sounds more than just affronted. She is horror-struck.
“Only if you want that,” says Salma, jumping in as peacekeeper. “Seriously,no onecan find out about any of this. I know it’s the biggest news story in the world, but you can’t be a reporter right now. William can hear from like any distance, so if you even mention the wordvampire,he will compel you. And while he won’t kill us, other vampires will. Do you understand? Sayinganythingcould—”
“I get it, I’m not a fucking five-year-old!” snaps Tiffany.
It sounds like she has moved off the bed and is now on her feet. William is glad that she is shedding her shock and that Lorena was right about Salma being trustworthy.
“Zach and Trevor can’t know, either.” Lorena speaks in an ominous tone. “It’s the only way to protect them.”
“What about when they go to the LUB and see that whole mess?” asks Tiffany. “Anyone can make blood and bodies disappear, but can William make books and bookcases magically whole again?”
“I’m sure he has a plan. He thinks of everything.” There is an unmistakably admiring tenor to Lorena’s tone, and it makes William’s chest puff up.
“Can you try not to sound so in love with the bloodsucker?” asks Tiffany. “It’s making me sick.”
This mixture of fear and prejudice is familiar to William, yet his gut recoils to hear it from someone who knows him. In his day, he sometimes came across masked human protesters protected by Legion guards who operated flamethrower-like weapons that were so powerful, a vampire could not always escape them.
“Can you live with this?” Salma’s voice pierces William’s thoughts. “Or would you rather not know?”
“Ialwayswant to know,” says Tiffany without hesitation.
William has heard enough.
He takes off, and after making a needed alteration to his room, he goes on patrol. He runs around the woods, giving the manor a sizable perimeter, yet not so wide that he risks letting someone through. He also checks all the bus stations and the nearest train station, running laps around the school until close to breakfast time. When he returns to the manor, he does a quick search of the structure to make sure he is the only vampire present.
He arrives at the dining hall too early, before the tables have even been set. Perhaps Nate was right to note that he is an impatient immortal because William is keenly aware of every passing minute as he waits for Lorena to appear.
The only thing he wants to do is be with her.
