The final bell rang eventually, and I walked cautiously towards the main gates, looking for Angus' car. Next thing Angus was standing next to me, his hand laid protectively on my elbow.
"There's trouble," he said briefly, as he escorted me to the car, glancing around all the time, his eyes scanning the sea of faces around him.
"I know," I said glumly. He looked at me sharply.
"You know?"
"Yes. Someone was asking about me this morning, apparently. They described him. Sounds like a vampire," I said sourly.
He nodded, and opened the passenger door, waited until I had slid into the seat and buckled up, and closed it again. It looked like he wasn't taking any risks. Good. He climbed into the driver's seat, started the engine and pulled off smoothly.
"So what does a vampire sound like?" he wanted to know.
"Oh you know. Tall, unbelievably good-looking. Like you." I grinned up at him. He chuckled.
"Do you think I'm good-looking?" he asked, glancing sideways at me.
"I think you're the most beautiful man I've ever seen." Well, he did ask.
He seemed slightly stunned by this, but he recovered his equilibrium after a few moments.
"I could smell him."
"Was it Jack?" I don't know why I asked. Angus had never smelled Jack, even when he'd destroyed his little band of vampires up in Scotland.
"I don't think so," he said speculatively. "Jack is most likely a blood-drinking vampire. This one smelled different, like he eats normal food and takes iron supplements. Like us," he added.
"What?" I had been so sure that it was Jack that had been asking after me. Or one of his minions.
"I know. A little over a week ago, my brothers and I thought we were all alone. Now it looks like this place is crawling with vampires."
Oh, boy. Fun and games.
Angus
I phoned Fergus as soon as we got home. That same vampire smell was here too, but more so at the Harding's house than mine.
"Fergus. We have a problem."
"Shoot."
"There's another vampire been asking around about Rebecca. He was over at her school this morning, and he's been at her house too."
"One of Jack's?"
"I don't think so. This one smells like one of us."
"I knew it!" Marcus was jubilant. "There had to be more like us out there!"
"This is not necessarily a good thing, Marcus," I told him. "He's probably after Rebecca."
"Hmmm." Fergus sounded thoughtful. "He'll be different to Jack and his lot, though, won't he? It might be worth speaking to him."
"No." I wanted none of it. There was too much at stake here, and I wasn't about to risk trusting someone who was potentially as strong as I was to be reasonable . I glanced over at Rebecca. She sat curled in her favourite spot on the sofa, listening intently.