The Dead Girl's Dance

It was a long, long day. Claire eventually stretched out on one side of the bed, Eve on the other, each wrapped in her own separate cocoon of misery and heartache. They didnt talk much. There didnt seem to be a lot to talk about.



It was almost dark when the doorknob rattled, sending Claire into a heart-pounding terror seizure; she advanced slowly, and whispered, Who is it?



Shane.



She unlocked fast and opened up. Shane came in, head down, carrying a tray on which sat two bowls of chiliwhich made sense, because it was nearly the only thing Shane knew how to fix. He set it down on the edge of the bed, next to Eve, who was sitting like an unstuffed rag doll, limp with grief and dejection.



Eat something, he said. Eve shook her head. Shane picked up a bowl and shoved it in her direction; she took it just to avoid wearing it, and glared at him.



Claire saw her expression change into something else. Blank at first, then horrified.



Its nothing, Shane said as Claire came around to see. It wasnt nothing. It was bruises, dark ones, spilling over his cheek and jaw. Shane avoided looking at her. My fault.



Jesus, Eve whispered. Your dad



My fault, Shane snapped back, got up, and headed for the door. Look, you dont understand. Hes right, okay? I was wrong.



No, I dont understand, Claire said, and grabbed his arm. He pulled free without any effort at all and kept walking. Shane!



He paused in the doorway and looked back at her. He looked bruised, beaten, and sullen, but it was the desperation in his eyes that scared her. Shane was always strong, wasnt he? He had to be. She needed him to be.



Dads right, he said. This town is sick, its poisoned, and its poisoning us, too. We cant let it beat us. We have to take them out.



The vampires? Shane, thats stupid! You cant! You know whatll happen! Eve said. She put the bowl of chili back on the tray and got off the bed, looking tear streaked and forlorn but more like herself. Your dads crazy. Im sorry, but he is. And you cant let him drag you down with him. Hes going to get you killed, and Claire and me, too. He already She caught her breath and gulped. He already got Michael. We cant let him do this. Who knows how many people are going to get hurt?



Like Lyssa got hurt? Shane asked. Like my mom? They killed my mom, Eve! They were willing to burn us up in this house yesterday, dont forget, and that included Michael.



But



This town is bad, Shane said, and looked at Claire, almost pleading. You understand, right? You understand that theres a whole world out there, a whole world that isnt like this?



Yes, she said faintly. I understand that. But



Were doing this. And then were getting out of this place.



With your father? Eve managed to put a whole dictionary of contempt into that. I dont think so. I look good in black, but not so great in black and blue.



Shane flinched. I didnt saylook, just the three of us. We get out of town while my dad and the others



We run? Eve shook her head. Brilliant. And when the vamps have a big party and roast your dad and his buddies, what then? Because theyre definitely going to come looking for us. Nobody escapes who had any part in killing a vampire, you know that. Unless you really believe that your dad and his idiot muscle are going to be able to take down hundreds of vamps, all their human allies, the cops, and, for all I know, the U. S. Marines.



Eat your damn chili, Shane said.



Not without something to drink. I know your chili.



Fine! Ill get you Cokes! He slammed the door behind him. Lock it!



Claire did. This time, Shane didnt linger in the hall; she heard the hard thump of his boots as he went downstairs.



Did you have to do that? she asked Eve. She leaned against the door and folded her arms.



Do what, exactly?



Hes confused. He lost Michael, his dads got him



Say it, Claire: his dads got him brainwashed. Worse. I think his dads beaten the fight out of him. Hes certainly beaten the brains out of him. Eve wiped at her face impatiently; there were more tears streaming down her cheeks, but it was more like water escaping under pressure than real sobs. His dad wasnt always like this. He used to bewell, not nice, because he was kind of a drunk, but better. Way better than this. After Lyssa he just wentcrazy. I didnt know about Shanes mom. I thought she just, you knowkilled herself. Shane never really said.



Claire hadnt heard any footsteps on the stairs, but she heard and felt a soft knock through the door, and then a rattle of the doorknob. She unlocked and swung it open, holding out her hands for the Cokes she expected Shane to thrust at her and there was a grinning, smelly mountain of a man in the doorway. The one whod stabbed Michael.



Claire let go of the door and stumbled back, thinking only an instant later, Stupid, that was stupidyou should have slammed it but it was too late; he was already inside, closing the door behind him.



And locking it.



She looked in terror at Eve. Eve lunged forward, grabbed Claire, and hustled her around to the far side of the bedand stepped in front of her. Claire looked frantically around for a weapon. Anything. She picked up a heavy-looking skull, but it was plastic, light and utterly useless.



Eve yanked a field hockey stick from under her bed.



Lets do this nice, the man said. That little stick isnt going to do you any good, and its only going to piss me off. His lips widened in a grin, revealing big, square, yellow teeth. Or get me all excited.



Claire felt sick and faint. This wasnt like Shane coming into her room the other night, not at all. This was the flip side of men, and although shed heard about ityou couldnt grow up without thatshed never really seen it. Some jerks, sure, but there was something horrible about this guy. Something that looked at her and Eve like pieces of meat he was about to devour.



Youre not touching us, Eve said, and raised her voice. Shane! Shane, get your ass up here now!



There was a touch of panic in her voice, although she was putting on a good front. Her hands were shaking where they gripped the hockey stick.



The man glided around the end of the bed, prowling like a cat. Six feet tall, at least, and as broad as two of Eve, maybe bigger. His bare arms were ripped with muscle. His blue eyes looked shallow and hungry.



Claire heard the thump of footsteps outside, and then a bang as Shane fetched up against the locked door. He rattled the knob and pounded hard. Eve! Eve, open up!



Shes busy! the biker yelled, and laughed. Oh yeah, gonna be real busy.



No! Shane screamed it, and the door shook with the strength of the blows he put into it. Stay away from them!



Eve backed Claire up, all the way to the window. She took a swipe at the biker, who just stepped back out of range, still laughing.



Get your dad! she yelled at Shane. Make him do something!



Im not leaving you!



Do it, Shane, now!



Footsteps pounded down the hall. Claire swallowed, feeling suddenly even more alone and vulnerable. Do you think his dad will come? she whispered. Eve didnt answer.



Swear to God, you come near us and Like this? The biker sidestepped a slash from the hockey stick, grabbed it on the way, and yanked it out of Eves hands. He tossed it over his shoulder to land on the floor with a clatter. This near enough? Whatcha gonna do, doll girl? Cry all over me?



Claire hid her eyes as the biker reached out for Eve with one tattooed hand.



No, Eve said breathlessly. Im going to let my boyfriend beat the crap out of you.



There was a dull thunk of wood meeting flesh, and a howl. Then another, harder thunk, and a crash as a body hit the floor.



The biker was down. Claire stared at him in disbelief, then looked past him, to the figure standing there with the field hockey stick in both hands.



Michael Glass. Back from the dead, again, a gorgeous blond avenging angel, breathing hard. Flushed with anger, blue eyes flashing. He glanced at the two girls, making sure they were okay, and then put the blade of the hockey stick on the bikers throat. The bikers eyes fluttered and tried to open, but didnt make it. He relaxed into unconsciousness.



Eve flew toward Michael, leaped over the bikers body, and fastened herself around Michael like she was trying to be sure he was all there. He must have been; he winced from the force of the impact, then kissed her on the top of her head without looking away from the man lying limp at their feet.



Eve, he said, and then glanced at her and gentled his tone. Eve, honey, go open the door.



She nodded, stepped away, and followed instructions. Michael handed her the hockey stick, grabbed the biker by the shoulders, and towed him quickly out into the hallway. He closed the door again, locked it, and said, Right, heres the storyEve, you knocked him out with the hockey stick and



He didnt finish, because Eve grabbed him and pushed him back against the door, wrapping herself around him like a Goth-girl coat. She was crying again, but silently; Claire could see her shoulders shaking. Michael sighed, put his arms around her, and bent his blond head to rest against her dark one.



Its okay, he murmured. Youre okay, Eve. Were all okay.



You were dead! she wailed, muffled by the fact that her face was still pressed against his chest. Damn you, Michael, you were dead, I saw them kill you, andthey



Yeah, it wasnt too pleasant. Something passed fast and hot across Michaels eyes, the reflection of a horror that Claire thought he didnt want to remember or share. But Im not a vampire, and they cant kill me like a vampire. Not while the house owns my soul. They can do pretty much anything to my body, but it justgets fixed.



The prospects of that made Claire sick, like standing on the edge of a huge and unexpected drop. She stared at Michael, wide-eyed, and saw he understood the same things she did: that if Shanes father and his merry band of thugs found out, they might decide to test that out. Just for fun.



Thats why Im not here, Michael said. You cant tell them. Or Shane.



Not tell Shane? Eve pulled back. Why not?



Ive been watching, he said. Listening. I can do that when Im, you know



A ghost? Claire supplied.



Exactly. I saw Michael didnt go on, but Claire thought she knew what hed been about to say.



You saw Shanes dad hit him, she said. Right?



I dont want to make him keep secrets from his dad. Not now.



Footsteps pounding up the stairs, then slowing when they hit the hallway. Michael touched his finger to his lips and eased out from Eves frantic grip. He pressed his lips silently to hers.



Hide! Claire whispered. He nodded and opened the closet, rolled his eyes at the mess inside, and forced his way in. Burying himself in piles of clothes, Claire hoped. Miranda had been trapped in that closet after trying to knife Eve, before the house had caught fire; shed really done a job of messing things up. Eve was going to be furious.



Both girls jumped at a hard blow on the door. Eve hastily unlocked the door and stepped back as it flew open, and Shane charged through.



How? He was breathing hard, and he had a crowbar in his hand. Hed have broken through the locks, Claire realized, if hed had to. She came toward him slowly, trying to figure out what he was feeling, and he dropped the crowbar and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up off the ground. His face was buried in the crook of her neck, and the warm, fast pump of his breath on her skin made her shiver in raw delight. Oh Christ, Claire. Im sorry. Im so sorry.



Not your fault, Eve said. She held out the field hockey stick. Look! I hit him. Um, twice.



Good. Shane kissed Claires cheek and let her slide back down to the floor, but he kept hold of her arms. His eyes, bright under the bruises and swelling, surveyed her carefully. He didnt hurt you? Either of you?



I hit him! Eve repeated brightly, and brandished the stick again for emphasis. So, no, he didnt hurt us. We hurt him. You know, all alone. Without any help. Um, sowheres your dad? He charges to the rescue pretty slow.



Shane closed the door and locked it again as the biker in the hall groaned and rolled over on his side. He didnt answer, which was answer enough. Shanes dad needed his bikers more than he needed Eve or Claire. They were expendable. Worse, theyd probably just become rewards.



We cant stay here, Eve said. It isnt safe. You know that.