I blinked a few times, but the car didn’t go away. “Tell me I’m hallucinating.”
“You’re not.” Gray took the saddle out of my numb hands. “Trick was going to give it to you on your birthday, but the dealer wouldn’t hold it that long.”
“He bought me a car.” I watched him nod. “With what? His charm and good looks?”
“He sold some of his computer equipment.”
I stared at the car again, until everything around it started turning red. “No. I’m not falling for this. You tell him to take it back.” I yanked my saddle out of his hands and marched over to the pickup.
Gray wouldn’t leave me alone. “I’m not going to tell him that, and neither are you. It would hurt him too much.”
“Were you not listening at all last night?” I tossed my saddle over the side of the truck’s bed. “Maybe you missed the part where he admitted to moving us every six months to avoid vampires. Or the eight that I killed. Then there’s all the years he spent making me forget that.”
“It was for your own good,” Gray said. “I was there. I saw how you were. Every time it happened, you turned into a zombie. He tried talking to you and explaining what had happened, but you were too little. Making you forget was all he could do to help you.”
“How would I know if that’s even true? For that matter, how do you?” I gestured at the house. “He could have made you think you were immune to his ability. Maybe you’re not. Maybe he just wants you to think that you are.”
“Now you’re being paranoid.”
“At this point, Grayson, I’ve got a right to be.” I looked over his shoulder at the car and shook my head. “This is insane anyway. We can’t afford this. We’re almost broke.”
He shrugged. “He got a good deal on it. Anyway, it’s the thought that counts.”
“I’ll remind you of this when they shut off our power for non-payment,” I warned.
“He did it because he loves you, Cat,” he said. “He loves us both. Like we were his own kids.”
I stiffened. “He’s not my father.”
“He knows that. Why do you think he’s tried so hard to do what Mom and Dad wanted?” He dragged a hand through his hair. “Look, I don’t agree with everything he’s done, but at least he tried. Imagine what it would be like for us if he’d handed us over to the Van Helsings.”
“Maybe they would have taught us how to deal with it better,” I snapped. “Did you ever think of that?”
“They couldn’t help Mom,” he countered. “You’ve read her letters. She hated what they made her do. Sometimes she sounded like she was afraid of them.”
“You’re not allowed to use Mom to make me forgive him.” But what he’d said loosened the knot in my chest, and the simple outrageousness of the car in the drive did the rest. “How is he expecting me to react to this gift? Scream, cry, jump on the furniture?”
Gray gave me a wry look. “I think he’s hoping you won’t use it to leave town.”
“I won’t need to,” I said sweetly as I went to the front door of the house. “Jesse has his own car.”
Trick was sitting in the chair beside our dead Christmas tree, and staring down at the circle of needles it had shed since the last time I’d swept. “We should get going,” he said to Gray as he got up. “We can do the gifts later.”
“Mine is blocking Gray’s truck.” I watched his face, which looked much older than it had last night. “It’s the kind of gift every teenage girl wants to find in the driveway on Christmas morning, too. Thank you, Patrick.”
He didn’t try to hug me as he normally did on Christmas Day, but a flicker of relief passed over his tired features. “You’re welcome, little sister.”
I gave them their gift baskets, and Gray handed out his packages of T-shirts and home movies. By the time we’d unwrapped everything, it almost felt like Christmas again.
“There is something I need to tell you both before we do this,” Trick said. “I’ve given Sheriff Yamah a copy of my will. If anything happens to me, you can trust him to help.”
I was horrified. “Why are you talking about this?”
“We’re about to go hunt a vampire, Cat. Even weakened by daylight, they’re the deadliest creatures on the planet.” He looked at Gray. “In my will I’ve named you as Cat’s guardian until she’s eighteen. I expect you to look after her.”
“You are not going to die,” I told him. “None of us are.”
“I have no plans to,” he assured me. “Now let’s go and get the horses loaded.”
Flash gave us so much trouble while we loaded him into the trailer Gray decided to ride in the back with the horses, and handed me his keys. I glanced at Trick, who nodded to me before he took off on his bike.
“If I get pulled over,” I grumbled as I started the truck, “everyone is going to jail with me.”
I took my time backing out of the drive, which proved to be difficult with the trailer attached, but once we were on the road I felt more confident. With the trailer blocking the rear view I had to rely on the side mirrors, but it was still early, and all the roads remained practically deserted. As we reached town I saw that all the shops were closed and the sidewalks were empty.
Sheriff Yamah was waiting at the cemetery, and while he gave me a slight frown as I climbed out of the truck, he didn’t say anything. I left him talking with Trick while I lowered the ramp and helped Gray get Flash out before I led Sali down the ramp. A couple of apple cookies helped settle them down enough for us to saddle them.
Trick walked back to check them both before handing us the walkies. “Keep them on. If we get separated, let me know where you are.” He turned to me. “Gray may zone out while he’s tracking. If he does, you lead Flash until his head clears.”
I nodded. “How will I know he’s zoned out?”
Trick pointed to his shades. “His eyes turn white.”
Gray mounted first, and followed the sheriff back to the Hargraves tomb. I waited by the gate with Sali and Trick.
I saw Gray stop Flash in front the tomb, but he just sat there in front of it. “How does he do this finding thing?”
“You said you had a blood vision,” Trick said. “Gray has scent vision.”
“He tracks the vampire by smell?” When my brother nodded, I whistled. “That stinks. Literally.”
“Don’t worry,” Trick said. “He won’t find your boyfriend by mistake.”
“That’s because Jesse isn’t a vampire.” I felt like a broken record.
After another minute Gray mounted Flash and rode out to us. His eyes weren’t white, but he looked upset.
“There’s no scent,” he told Trick.
“That’s impossible. He had to change here, or he wouldn’t have gotten out of the tomb.” He turned to me. “You’re sure this Julian Hargraves is the vampire.”
“It can’t be anyone else.” I thought for a minute. “He used Jesse’s blood. Maybe that makes a difference.” My brothers exchanged an odd look. “What?”
“Gray can’t track your boyfriend,” he admitted. “We’ve already tried.”
“You went hunting for Jesse?” Unbelievable. “Why?”
“It doesn’t matter now.” Trick sat back on the Harley. “Without a scent trail for Gray to follow, this is pointless.”
“What if we use logic instead of Van Helsing tricks?” I got down off Sali. “We know he comes into town to take the girls. He’s always on foot, too. Even if he has super strength, the girls don’t, and he wouldn’t want to be spotted with them. He’d have to take them somewhere within walking distance, say a mile or two at the most.”
Sheriff Yamah, who had been listening, shook his head. “We’ve already searched the empty houses and buildings within a five-mile radius. He’s not using those.”
I took the piece of pink fabric from my pocket. “Then we have to use me.” I saw the way my brothers were looking at me. “Stay out of my way. I’m probably going to hurl afterward.”
I handed Sali’s reins to Trick and sat down on the curb. When Gray dropped down next to me, I frowned. “I don’t need you to hold my hand.”
“My visions are stronger when you’re near me,” he said. “Maybe I can do the same for you.”
“Okay, but I’m not kidding about throwing up.” I did feel better with him sitting next to me, and when I closed my eyes and gripped the fabric I was able to slip into the vision almost at once.
At first I thought I was back in the tunnels under the bookstore, but these were rougher, and there were no lights to guide me. I felt different, bigger, stronger, as if I had traded my body for another.
I moved with confidence now, stepping over pools of water and ducking under clusters of roots until I reached a crude-looking door and lifted a plank of wood holding it shut.
Inside candles flickered, and I smelled spoiled food and human waste. The filth offended me almost as much as the pale faces peering out from under the pallet in the corner.
A young hand beckoned to one of them. Come out here, girl.
She crawled from beneath the pallet, motioning to the others to stay back before she stood and faced me. You said you were going to let us go.
I said when I find her, I might. The young hand tossed a sack at her, and a sour chuckle grated as she caught it. You should be grateful I’m feeding you. I don’t have to, you know. You should be feeding me.
The girl looked angry now. Let the other girls go. They should be with their families. You can make them forget they were here.
What about you?
You can keep me until you find the one you want. If you don’t find her, then you can kill me.