Page 186 of The Last Vampire
Anne looks at him a moment longer, then she does something that is hard for him to fathom. She drops to one knee and bows her head.
One by one, the other vampires bend a knee and bow their heads. Only Fabiana remains standing, and something about her pose makes him think of how Osorio was with Lenny, or how Cisco is with Nate. She has become his self-appointed bodyguard.
As soon as he thinks of Nate and Cisco, William scans the vampires for their faces. When he cannot find them, he asks, “Nate? Cisco?”
The others lift their heads and look around, seemingly clueless. Except Osorio, who stands up and says, “They left on Lenny’s orders before the fight started.”
Everything within William freezes. Without another word, he takes off at full tilt, entrusting Fabiana to lead the vampires to Huntington.
If anything happens to Lorena, he will make his first kill today after all.
CHAPTER 54lorena
Trevor clutches his bag tightly.
He hasn’t taken out the flamethrower yet, but it’s clear by the lines of his face that he’s figured out the situation.
“Can we be in your video, too?” Nate asks Tiffany, who seems to have regressed into a state of shock. She’s not moving or saying anything.
“Let me see what you’ve got so far,” he demands, holding his hand out for Zach’s camera.
Zach hesitates, and I can see how much he doesn’t want to hand it over. “Leave my friends alone,” I say to Nate. “You came for me, not them.”
“Wait your turn,” Nate warns, and there’s no hint of games in his voice when he addresses me. Just pure, undiluted revulsion.
“Give it here, or your girlfriend dies,” Nate says to Zach, presumably about Tiffany. This time, Zach doesn’t hesitate.
“Hmm, how does this work again?” asks Nate, turning the camera in his hands. Then he slams the device on the floor, and Tiffany shrieks as it shatters into shards of metal and plastic.
“Oops,” says Nate, and Cisco laughs. “I’m so clumsy for a vampire.”
“Where’s William?” I ask through gritted teeth.
Nate stalks toward us, and my friends and I huddle closer together. I don’tdare look at Trevor beside me, who’s carefully unzipping his bag one notch at a time.
“Your boyfriend is getting pummeled by Leonardo the Bloody,” says Nate.
“And we’re missing it because of you!” Cisco cries out.
“What—what are you talking about?” My heart panic-punches my chest.William is fighting for his life against the world’s most-feared vampire?
“Did you do this?” asks Nate, moving toward me. “Did you convince him to stick us back in the ground?”
I feel like I missed a step going downstairs—or possibly the whole set of stairs. “What?”
Nate is nearly in my face now, and Salma jumps between us like a human shield. “Leave Lore alone!”
“Take a seat.” Nate’s eyes flash as he compels her, and Salma is forced down to the floor. Tiffany, Zach, and Trevor drop next, and I wonder if they’re being compelled, too.
Only I remain standing.
“Why did you say he wants to stick you back in the ground?” I ask.
“Have you two broken up?” asks Nate. “No, that’s not it. Even if you had, he still cares for you.” It sounds like he’s talking to himself.
He starts pacing and mumbling, and I can’t make out the rest of his words because he’s on the other side of the room. I glance at Trevor and see that he’s slowly reaching his hand into his bag.
“It’s not adding up.”
