Bloodlines

"Well, did he say when?" Miss Carson was taking attendance, and Slade was interrogating a guy named Tim about a recent trip to the parlor.

Tim shook his head. "No. They're having some trouble with their shipment. It sounds like the supplier's got it but doesn't want to give it up for the same price."

"Damn it," growled Slade. "I need a touch-up."

"Hey," said Tim. "What about me? I don't even have my first one."

It wasn't the first comment I'd overheard from someone who already had a celestial and needed a touch-up. Addiction in action.

Jill's face was hard when PE ended, and I had the feeling she was trying not to cry. I tried talking to her in the locker room, but she simply shook her head and headed off for the showers. I was about to go there myself when I heard a shriek. Those of us who were still by the lockers raced to the shower room to see what was happening.

Laurel jerked the curtain back from her stall and came running out, oblivious to the fact that she was naked. I gaped. Her skin was covered in a fine sheen of ice. Water droplets from the shower had frozen solid on her skin and in her hair, though in the steamy heat of the rest of the room, they were already starting to melt. I glanced over to the shower itself and noticed that the water coming out of the faucet was also frozen solid.

Laurel's screams brought Miss Carson running in - shocked as the rest of us at the seemingly impossible thing we'd just witnessed. She finally declared it was some kind of freak problem with the pipes and the water heater. That was typical of my fellow humans. They'd always reach for far-fetched scientific explanations before delving into fantastic ones.

But I had no problem with that. It made my job easier.

Miss Carson tried to get Laurel to go into a different shower to get the ice off, but she refused. She waited for it all to melt and then toweled herself off. Her hair was atrocious when she finally left for her next class, and I smirked. I guessed there'd be no hair-tossing today.

"Jill," I called, catching sight of her trying to blend in to the group of girls leaving the locker room. She glanced guiltily over her shoulder but didn't otherwise acknowledge that she'd heard me. I followed close behind her. "Jill!" I called out again. She was definitely avoiding me.

In the hall, Jill spotted Micah and hurried over to him. Smart. She knew I wouldn't ask any dangerous questions with him around.

She managed to avoid me for the rest of the day, but I staked out our room until she finally came home, just before curfew.

"Jill," I exclaimed as soon as she walked through the door. "What were you thinking?"

She threw her books down and turned toward me. I had a feeling I wasn't the only one who'd been preparing a speech today.

"I was thinking I'm sick of listening to Laurel and her friends talk about me."

"So you froze her shower?" I asked. "How is that going to stop her? It's not like you can claim credit for it."

Jill shrugged. "It made me feel better."

"That's your excuse?" I could hardly believe it. Jill had always seemed so reasonable. She'd survived becoming a princess and dying with a clear head. This was what broke her. "Do you know what you risked? We're trying to not attract attention here!"

"Miss Carson didn't think it was weird."

"Miss Carson came up with a flimsy excuse to reassure herself! That's what people do. All it's going to take is some janitor investigating and saying pipes don't randomly freeze - especially in Palm Springs!"

"So what?" Jill demanded. "What then? Is their next leap going to be that it was vampire magic?"

"Of course not," I said. "But people are going to talk. You've raised their suspicions."

She eyed me carefully. "Is that what's really upsetting you? Or is it that I used magic at all?"

"Isn't it the same thing?"

"No. I mean, you're upset that I used magic because you don't like magic. You don't like anything to do with vampires. I think this is personal. I know what you think of us."

I groaned. "Jill, I do like you. You're right that magic makes me a little uneasy." Okay, a lot uneasy. "But my personal feelings aren't what's going to make people wonder what could have caused water to freeze like that."

"It isn't right that she can keep doing that!"

"I know. But you have to be better than her."

Jill sat on the bed and sighed. Like that, her anger seemed to melt into despair. "I hate it here. I want to go back to St. Vladimir's. Or Court. Or Michigan. Anywhere but here." She looked at me pleadingly. "Hasn't there been any news about when I can go back?"

"No," I said, unwilling to tell her it might be a while.

"Everyone's having a great time here," she said. "You love it. You have tons of friends."

"I don't - "

"Eddie likes it too. He's got Micah and some other guys in their dorm to hang out with. Plus, he's got me to look after, which gives him a purpose." I'd never thought of it like that but realized she was right. "But me? What do I have? Nothing except this stupid bond that just makes me more depressed because I have to listen to Adrian feel sorry for himself."

"I'm taking Adrian job-hunting tomorrow," I said, not sure if that would really help.

Jill nodded bleakly. "I know. His life'll probably be great now too."

She was sinking into melodrama and her own self-pity, but in light of everything, I kind of felt like she was entitled to it right now.

"You have Lee," I said.

That brought a smile to her face. "I know. He's great. I like him a lot, and I can't believe... I mean, it just seems crazy that he'd like me too."

"Not that crazy."

Her brightness faded. "Did you know Lee told me he thinks I can be a model? He says I've got the figure human fashion designers really like and knows this designer downtown who's looking for models. But when I told Eddie, he said it was a terrible idea because I can't risk having my picture taken. He said if it leaked out, others could find me."

"That's true," I said. "On all counts. You do have a model's figure - but it'd be too dangerous."

She sighed, looking defeated. "See? Nothing works out for me."

"I'm sorry, Jill. I really am. I know it's hard. All I can ask is that you keep trying to stay strong. You've done really great so far. Just hang in there a little longer, okay? Just keep thinking of Lee."

My words sounded hollow, even to me. I almost wondered if I should bring her along with Adrian and me but finally decided against it. I didn't think Adrian needed any distractions. I also wasn't sure how interesting it would be for her. If she was really that eager to watch Adrian go through job interviews, she could "listen in" through the bond.