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at。 “This is going to be hard to process；” he warned。 “I don’t understand it； but I’ve seen it for myself。 These old vampires have gone so soft that they actually keep as a member of their coven a pet human。” His revelation was met by blank silence。 Total disbelief。 “I knowhard to swallow。 But it’s true。 We’ll know it’s definitely them because a human girl will be with them。”
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“Like… how？” Kristie asked。 “You mean they carry meals around with them or something？” “No； it’s always the same girl； just the one； and they don’t plan to kill her。 I don’t know how they manage it； or why。 Maybe they just like to be different。 Maybe they want to show off their selfcontrol。 Maybe they think it makes them look stronger。 It makes no sense to me。 But I’ve seen her。 More than that； I’ve smelled her。” Slow and dramatic； Riley reached into his jacket and pulled out a small ziplock bag with red fabric wadded up inside。 “I’ve done some recon in the past few weeks； checking the yelloweyes out as soon as they got near the area。” He paused to throw us a paternal look。 “I watch out for my kids。 Anyway； when I could tell that they were moving on us； I grabbed this”he brandished the bag “to help us track them。 I want you all to get a lock on this scent。” He handed the bag to Raoul； who opened the plastic zipper and inhaled deeply。 He glanced up at Riley with a startled look。 “I know；” Riley said。 “Amazing； right？” Raoul handed the bag to Kevin； his eyes narrowing in thought。 One by one； each vampire sniffed the bag； and everyone reacted with wide eyes but little else。 I was curious enough that I sidled away from Fred until I could feel a hint of the nausea and knew I was outside his circle。 I crept forward until I was next to the SpiderMan kid； who seemed to be at the tail end of the line。 He sniffed inside the bag when it was his turn and then seemed about to hand it back to the kid who had given it to him；
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but I held my hand out and hissed quietly。 He did a double takealmost like he’d never see me beforeand handed me the bag。 It looked like the red fabric was a shirt。 I stuck my nose in the opening； keeping my eyes on the vampires near me； just in case； and inhaled。 Ah。 I understood the expressions now and felt a similar one on my face。 Because the human who had worn this shirt had seriously sweet blood。 When Riley said dessert； he was dead right。 On the other hand； I was less thirsty than I’d ever been。 So while my eyes widened in appreciation； I didn’t feel enough pain in my throat to make me grimace。 It would be awesome to taste this blood； but in that exact moment； it didn’t hurt me that I couldn’t。 I wondered how long it would take for me to get thirsty again。 Usually； a few hours after feeding； the pain would start to e back； and then it would just get worse and worse untilafter a couple of days it was impossible to ignore it even for a second。 Would the excessive amount of blood I’d just drunk delay that？ I guessed I’d see pretty soon。 I glanced around to make sure no one was waiting for the bag； because I thought Fred would probably be curious； too。 Riley caught my eye； smiled the tiniest bit； and jerked his chin slightly toward the corner where Fred was。 Which made me want to do the exact opposite of what I’d just been planning； but whatever。 I didn’t want Riley to be suspicious of me。 I walked back to Fred； ignoring the nausea until it faded and I was right next to him。 I handed him the bag。 He seemed
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pleased I’d thought to include him； he smiled and then sniffed the shirt。 After a second he nodded thoughtfully to himself。 He gave me the bag back with a significant look。 The next time we were alone； I thought he would say aloud whatever it was he had seemed to want to share before。 I tossed the bag toward SpiderMan； who reacted like it had fallen out of the sky but still caught it before it hit the ground。 Everyone was buzzing about the scent。 Riley clapped his hands together twice。 “Okay； so there’s the dessert I was talking about。 The girl will be with the yelloweyes。 And whoever gets to her first gets dessert。 Simple as that。” Appreciative growls； petitive growls。 Simple； yes； but… wrong。 Weren’t we supposed to be destroying the yelloweyed coven？ Unity was supposed to be the key； not a firste； firstserved prize that only one vampire could win。 The only guaranteed oute from this plan was one dead human。 I could think of half a dozen more productive ways to motivate this army。 The one who kills the most yelloweyes wins the girl。 The one who shows the best team cooperation gets the girl。 The one who sticks to the plan best。 The one who follows orders best。 MVP； etc。 The focus should be on the danger； which was definitely not the human。 I looked around at the others and decided that none of them were following the same train of thought。 Raoul and Kristie were glaring at each other。 I heard Sara and Jen arguing in whispers about the possibility of sharing the prize。 Well； maybe Fred got it。 He was frowning； too。
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“And the last thing；” Riley said。 For the first time there was some reluctance in his voice。 “This will probably be even harder to accept； so I’ll show you。 I won’t ask you to do anything I won’t do。 Remember that I’m with you guys every step of the way。” The vampires got real still again。 I noticed that Raoul had the ziplock back and was gripping it possessively。 “There are so many things you have yet to learn about being a vampire；” Riley said。 “Some of them make more sense than others。 This is one of those things that won’t sound right at first； but I’ve experienced it myself； and I’ll show you。” He deliberated for a long second。 “Four times a year； the sun shines at a certain indirect angle。 During that one day； four times a year； it is safe… for us to be outside in the daylight。” Every tiny movement stopped。 There was no breathing。 Riley was talking to a bunch of statues。 “One of those special days is beginning now。 The sun that is rising outside today won’t hurt any of us。 And we are going to use this rare exception to surprise our enemies。” My thoughts spun around a