Night World : Secret Vampire Chapter 10

Things baffle to be compen sit d professe, Poppy itemize. Things pass on to be practiced proper(a) for this. jump some housedles, Phil.Phil was formulationing whitened and haggard. Candles?As m either as you heap find. And some pillows. I need scads of pillows. She knelt by the stereo to examine a haphazard pile of CDs. Phil stared at herbriefly, so went bulge. Structures from Silence . . .no. Too repetitious,Poppy keep back, rummaging with the pile. racy Forest-no.Too hyper. I need some matterambient.How nearly this? crowd picked a CD up. Poppylooked at the label. medication to Disappear In.Of course. It was perfect. Poppy excessivelyk the CD andmet packs gaze. Usu e precise last(predicate)y he referred to the haunting gentle strains of ambient medicinal drug as sassy Age mush.You understand, she tell quietly.Yes. nonwithstanding youre not dying, Poppy. This isnt adeath scene youre setting up. exclusively Im passing a charge. Im changing. Poppy couldnt explain exactly, tho something in her stateshe was doing the right thing. She was dying to her old life sentence. It was a direful occasion, a Passage.And of course, although neither of them mentioned it, they both k rising she efficacydie for cheeseparing. crowd together had been in truth frank about(predicate) that-some peopledidnt make it finished the transition.Phil came backbone with candles, Christmas candles,emergency candles, scented votive candles. Poppy say him to place them approximately the room and lightthem. She herself went to the stool to change into her best nightgown. It was washcloth, with a blueprint of little strawberries. fair(a) imagine, she ideal as she left the bathroom.This is the last m Ill perpetu for each one(prenominal)y walk stack this hall, thelast cadence Ill weight downlift disperse my bedroom door.The bedroom was beautiful. The soft glow of candlelight gave it an aura of sanctity, of mystery. Themusic was eldritch and sweet, a nd Poppy snarl shecould fall into it forever, the right smart she fel in herdreams.Poppy opened the wardrobe and used a hanger to bata tawny stuffed social lion and a floppy gray Eeyore down from the top shelf. She took them to her bed and put them beside the mounded pillows. perchance it wasstupid, maybe it was childish, plainly she trea authorizedd themwith her.She sat on the bed and looked at mob and Phillip.They were both looking at her. Phil was dear upset,touching his mouth to a watch its trembling. throng wasupset, too, although vertical now when someone who knew him aswell as Poppy did would have been equal to(p) to tell.Its all right, Poppy told them. Dont you see?Imall right, so theres no excuse for you not to be.And the strange thing was, it was the truth. Shewas all right. She matt-up calm and recognize now, as if everything had become very simple. She verbal expression the road a steer of her, and all she had to do was follow it, step by step.Phil cam e all over to squeeze her hand. How does this how does this work? he asked pile huskily.First well exchange note, pile said- discourse to Poppy. flavor only at her. It doesnt haveto be a lot youre right on the peal ofchangingalready. then the two mixtures of blood skin it outsort of the last battle, if you see what I mean. Hesmiled pass awayly and painfully, and Poppy nodded.While thats turn overing youll aspect weaker andweaker. And then youll dear go to sleep. Thechange happens eyepatch youre asleep.And when do I wake up? Poppy asked.Ill give you a kind of posthypnotic implicationabout that. Tell you to wake up whenI come to getyou. Dont worry about it Ive got all the detailsfigured out. All you need to do is rest.Phil was rail nervous hands through his hair,as if he was good now thinking about what kind ofdetails he and throng were red ink to have to deal with.Wait a minute, he said in just about a croak. When whenyou say sleep-shes exhalation to lookDead, Pop py supplied, when his vocalism ran out. crowd gave Phil a nipping look. Yes. Weve beenover this.And then-were really dismission to-whats sack tohappento her? crowd together glared.Its okay, Poppy said softly. Tell him.You know whats going to happen, James saidthrough clenched teeth to Phillip. She cant just dis appear. Wed have the policeandthe Night peo ple later us, looking for her. No, its got to search that shedied from the cancer, and that means everythings got to happen exactly the port it would if she haddied.Phils sick expression said he wasnt at his mostrational. Youre sure there isnt every other way?No,James said.Phil idiotic his lips. Oh, God.Poppy herself didnt pauperization to dwell on it too a great deal(prenominal).She said fiercely,Dealwith it, Phil. Youve got to. And remember, if it doesnt happen now its goingto happen in a some weeks-for real.Phil was dimension on to one of the brass bedpostsso rugged that his knuckles were pale. plainly hed gottenthe point, and there was no one better than Phil atbracing himself. Youre right, he saidthinly, with the touch sensation of his old efficient manner. Okay, Im dealing with it. consequently lets get started, Poppy said, do hervoice calm and steady. As if she were dealing witheverything effortlessly herself.James said to Phil, You dont want to see thispart. Go out and watch TV for a few minutes.Phil hesitated, then nodded and left. angiotensin converting enzyme thing, Poppy said to James as she scootedto the middle_ of the bed. She was still assay desperately to sound casual. After the funeral-well, Ill be asleep, wont I? I wont wake up you know.In my prissy little c move outin. She looked up at him. Its just that Im claustrophobic, a little.You wont wake up there, James said. Poppy,I wouldnt let that happen to you. Trust me Ive thought of everything.Poppy nodded. I do trust you, she thought. wherefore she held her arms out to him.He affected her neck, so she tilted her chin back.A s the blood was raddled from her, she tangle her mind drawn into his.Dont worry, Poppy. Dont be afraid. Allhis thoughtswere ferociously protective. And even though it onlyconfirmed that there was something to be afraidof,that this could go wrong, Poppy felt peaceful. Thedirect sand of his love do her calm, swamp her with light.She suddenly felt distance and crest and depthspaciousness. As if her horizons had expanded almostto infinity in an instant. As if shed discovered a new dimension.Asif there were no limits or obstacles to what she and James could do together.She felt free.Im acquire light-headed, she realized. She couldfeel herself going limp in Jamess arms. Swooning like a wilt flower.Ivetaken overflowing,James said in her mind.Thewarmanimalmouth on her pharynx pulled back.Now its your turn.This time, though, he didnt make the chuck out at hiswrist. He took off his tee shirt and, with a quick, impulsive gesture, ran a fingernail on the base of his throat.Oh, Pop py thought. Slowly, almost reverently, she leaned forward. Jamess hand back up the back ofher head. Poppy put her arms just about him, rulinghis bare skin under the flannel of her nightgown.It was better this way. yet if James was right, itwas some other last time. She and James could neerexchange blood again.I cant accept that, Poppythought, but she couldntconcentrate on everything for very long. This time, instead of wakefuling her brain, the wild, intoxicatingvampire blood was making her more confused. Moreheavy and sleepy.James?Its all right. Its the ancestor of the change.Heavysleepywarm. Lapped in salty ocean brandishs. She could almost picture the vampire bloodtrickling through her veins, conquering everything inits path. It was ancient blood, primeval. It was changing her into something old, something that had been nearly since the dawn of time. Something primitive and basic.Every touch in her trunk, changingPoppy, can you figure me?James was shaking herslightly . Poppy had been so jailed in the sensations that she hadnt even realized she wasnt tipsiness any longer. James was cradling her.Poppy.It was an effort to open her look. Im all right. Just sleepy.His arms tightened around her, then he laid hergently on the mounded pillows. You can rest now. Ill get Phil. nevertheless before he went, he kissed her on the forehead.My first kiss, Poppy thought, her eyes drifting shutagain. And Im comatose. Great.She felt the bed give under weight and looked upto see Phil. Phil looked very nervous, sitting gingerly,staring at Poppy. So whats happening now? heasked.The vampire bloods taking over, James said. Poppy said, Im really sleepy. in that respect was no pain. Just a feeling of wanting toglide aside. Her body now felt warm and numb, asif she were insulated by a soft, cryptic aura.Phil? I forgot to say-thank you. For inspection and repairing out.And everything. Youre a good brother, Phil.You dont have to say that now, Phil said tersely. You c an say it later. Im still going to be here later,you know. and I might not be, Poppy thought. This is all a gamble. And Id never take it, except that the only alternative was to give up without even trying to fight.I fought, didnt I? At to the lowest degree I fought.Yes, you did, Phil said, his voice trembling.Poppy hadnt been aware she was speaking aloud.Youve always been a fighter, Phil said. Ivelearned so much from you.Which was funny, because shed learned so muchfrom him,even if most of it was in the last twenty four hours. She wanted to tell him that, but therewas so much to say, and she was so tired. Her tongue felt dense her whole body weak and languorous.Justhold my hand, she said, and she couldhear that her voice was no louder than a breath.Phillip took one of her hands and James the other.That was good. This was the way to do it, withEeyore and her lion on the pillows beside her andPhil and James holding her hands, keeping her safe and anchored.One of the candles was sc ented with vanilla, awarm and homey looking at. A smell that reminded herof macrocosm a kid. Nilla wafers and naptime. That waswhat this was like. Just a nap in Miss Spurgeons kindergarten, with the fair weather slanting across the floorand James on a mat beside her.So safe, so sereneOh, Poppy, Phil whispered.James said, Youre doing great, kiddo. Everythings just right.That was what Poppy infallible to hear. She let herself fall backward into the music, and it waslike fall in a dream, without fear. It was like world a raindrop falling into the ocean that had started you.At the last moment she thought, Im not ready. But she already knew the answer to that. Nobodywas ever ready.But shed been stupid-shed forgotten the mostimportant thing. Shed never told James she lovehim. not even when hed said he loved her.She tried to get enough air, enough strength to sayit. But it was too late. The orthogonal world was goneand she couldnt feel her body any longer. She was floating in the da rkness and the music, and all she could do now was sleep.Sleep, James said, tendency dose to Poppy. Dontwake up until I key out you. Just sleep.Every muscle in Phils body was rigid. Poppylooked so peaceful-pale, with her hair fete out incoppery curls on the pillow, and her eyelashes blackon her cheeks and her lips parted as she unvoicedgently. She looked like a porcelain baby doll. But the more peaceful she got, the more terrorise Phil felt.I can deal with this, he told himself.I haveto.Poppy gave a soft exhalation, and then suddenlyshe was moving. Her breast heaved once, twice. Herhand tightened on Phils and her eyes flew openbut she didnt seem to be seeing anything. She simply looked astonished.Poppyl Phil grabbed at her, getting a handful offlannel nightgown. She was so humble and fragile in side it. PoppylThe utter gasps stopped. For one moment Poppywas suspended in air, then her eyes closed and she furious back on the pillows. Her hand was limp in Phils.Phil woolly-hea ded all rationality.Poppy, he said, interview the dangerous, unbalanced tone in his own voice. Poppy, come on.Poppy, wake up-on a rising note. His hands were shaking violently, scrabbling at Poppys shoulders.Other hands pushed his away. What the hell areyou doing? James said quietly.Poppy? Poppy? Phil kept staring at her. Herchest wasnt moving. Her face had a look of-innocent release. The kind of newness you only see inbabies.And it was-changing. Taking on a white, transparent look. It was uncanny, ghostlike, and even though Phil had never seen a corpse, he knew instinctively that this was the death pallor.Poppys essence had left her. Her body was flat andtoneless, no longer blow up by the vital spirit. Herhand in Phils was slack, not like the hand of a dormancy person. Her skin had lost its shine, as if somebodyhad breathed on it softly.Phil threw back his head and let out an animalsound. It wasnt human. It was a howl.You killed her He tumbled off the bed andlurched toward James . You said she was just goingto sleep, but you killed herl Shes goneJames didnt back away from the attack. Instead,he grabbed Phil and dragged him out intothe hallway.Hearing is the last sense to go, he snarled inPhillips ear. She may be able tohear you.Phil wrenched free and ran toward the living room. He didnt know what he was doing, he only knew that he needed to destroy things. Poppy wasdead. She was gone. He grabbed the couch andflipped it over, then kicked the coffee circuit board over, too. He snatched up a lamp, yanked its cord out of thesocket, and threw it toward the fireplace.Stop it James shouted over the crash. Phil sawhim and ran at him. The sheer superpower of his charge knocked James backward into the wall. They fell tothe floor together in a heap.You-killed her Phil gasped, trying to get hishands around Jamess throat.Silver.Jamess eyes blazed like the molten metal.He grabbed Phils wrists in a painful grip.Stop itnow,Phillip, he hissed.Something about the way he said it made Phil stop.Almost sobbing, he struggled to get air into his lungs.Ill killyouif I have to, to keep Poppy safe, James said, his voice still savage and menacing. And shesonly safe if you stop this and do exactly what I tell youto.Exactlywhat I tell you. Understand? He shook Philhard, nearly banging Phils head into the wall.Str nonsuchy enough, it was the right thing to say.James was saying he misgivingd about Poppy. And weird as it might sound, Phil had come to trust James totell the truth.The raging red delirium in Phils brain died away.He took a long breath.Okay. I understand, he said hoarsely. He was used to being in charge-both of himself and of otherpeople. He didnt like James bad him orders. Butin this case there was no help for it. But-she isdead, isnt she?It depends on your definition, James said, lettinggo and slowly thrust himself off the floor. Hescanned the living room, his mouth grim. Nothingwent wrong, Phil. Everything went just the way itwas supposed to -except for this. I was going to letyour parents come back and find her, but we donthave that option now. There isnt any way to explain this mess, except the.truth.The truth being?That you went in there and found her dead andwent berserk. And then I called your parents-you know what restaurant theyre at, dont you?Its Valentinos. My mom said they were lucky toget in.Okay. Thatll work. But first we have to clean upthe bedroom. Get all the candles and stuff out. Itsgot to look as if she just went to sleep, like anyother night.Phil glanced at the slue glass door. It was justgetting dark. But then Poppy had been sleeping a lotthese last few days. Well say she got tired and toldus to go watch TV, he said slowly, trying to conquer his logy feeling and be clearheaded. And then Iwent in after a while and suss out on her.Right, James said, with a faint smile that didntreach his eyes.It didnt take long to clear out the bedroom. Thehardest thing was that Phil had to keep looking atPoppy, an d every time he looked, his purport lurched.She looked so tiny, so delicate-limbed. A Christmas angel in June.He hated to take the stuffed animals away fromher.She is going to wake up, isnt she? he said, without looking at James.God, I trust so, James said, and his voice wasvery tired. It sounded more like a prayer than a wish.If she doesnt you wont have to come after me witha stake, Phil. Ill take care of it myself.Phil was shocked-and angry. Dont be stupid,he said brutally. If Poppy stood for anything-if she standsfor anything-its for life. Throwing your life away would be like a slap in her face. Besides, evenif it goes wrong now, you did your best. Blaming yourself is just stupid.James looked at him blankly, and Phil realizedtheyd managed to surprise each other. Then Jamesnodded slowly. Thanks.It was a milestone, the first time theyd ever beenon precisely the same wavelength. Phillip felt an oddconnection between them.He looked away and said briskly, Is it time to callthe rest aurant?James glanced at his watch. In just a fewminutes.If we wait too long theyre going to have left bythe time we call.That doesntmatter.What matters is that we dont have any paramedics trying to resuscitate her, or taking her to the hospital. Which means shes gotto be cold by the time anybody gets here.Phil felt a wave of dizzy horror. Youre a coldblooded snake after all.Im just practical, James said wearily, as if speaking to a child. He affected one of Poppys marblewhite hands where it lay on the bedspread. Allright. Its time. Im going to call. You can go berserkagain if you want to.Phil shook his head. He didnt have the energyanymore. But he did feel like cry, which was al most as good. Crying and crying like a kid who was lost and hurt.Get my mom, he said thickly.He knelt on the floor beside Poppys bed andwaited. Poppys music was off and he could hear theTV in the family room. He had no sense of time passing until he also hear a car in the driveway.Then he leaned his forehea d against Poppys mattress. His tears were dead genuine. At that moment he was sure hed lost her forever.Brace yourself, James said from behind him.Theyre here.