123314.fb2 Haven - читать онлайн бесплатно полную версию книги . Страница 57

Haven - читать онлайн бесплатно полную версию книги . Страница 57

“They’ll think you’re mad. You realize that, don’t you?”

I shook my head. “No, they won’t. And when Julius shows up here on Friday, we’ll be ready. All of us. If I’m taking out any vampires, it’s them.”

Immediately he released me. “You don’t know what you’re saying. You have no idea what kind of danger you’re putting yourself in.”

“How is asking for help any more dangerous than facing them alone, Aidan? Explain that to me. We’re sitting ducks either way.”

“Not necessarily,” he said, his eyes glittering. “You’ve foreseen the future, but we can thwart it. We can leave; we can disappear before Friday comes. If we’re not here, there’s no way it can happen as you saw it.”

“What, and run forever? If we don’t face them now, they’ll just come after us.”

He shook his head. “If Patsy hadn’t gotten in that cab, she wouldn’t have been in the accident. If your father hadn’t gone to Afghanistan, he might very well still be alive. At least, that’s what you’ve always believed, isn’t it? Didn’t you save Lupe from falling on the ice and breaking her hip?”

“This is different and you know it. Julius is after you, and Blackwell is helping him. That’s not going to stop just because we’re not around on Friday.”

Aidan raked a hand through his hair. “Very well. You win. Tell your friends. Still, I believe that everything will happen as you saw it. I must have your word that if Julius has me and the only way to save yourself is to put that stake through my heart, then you goddamn better do it, do you hear me?”

I’d never seen him so fierce. “You have my word,” I said, my voice a whisper. After all, it wouldn’t come to that. It couldn’t.

“Then go,” he said, rising from the bed. “There’s not much time before curfew. Tell my story, and see if anyone believes it.”

I took his hand and rose to stand beside him. “Don’t be angry, Aidan.”

“I’m not angry,” he said, though it was pretty obvious that he was. “Just promise me you’ll stay away from Blackwell, okay?”

“What about anthropology class?”

“Just keep your thoughts protected.”

I nodded, hoping he was right, hoping that Blackwell couldn’t tell exactly what we were plotting.

“C’mon, I’ll walk you as far as the East Hall lounge. Or should I take you there by other means? Much quicker, you know.”

I shook my head. “I think I’ve had enough excitement for one night. Let’s walk, okay?”

“You sure? How are those knees and hands?”

“They feel perfect, as if nothing ever happened to them.” As soon as the words left my lips, something he’d said earlier struck me like a ton of bricks. “Wait, you said you took the elixir today. That’s the only way you could stand being near me, with the blood and all that.”

“That’s right,” he said. “What about it?”

“But. but doesn’t that weaken all the effects of vampirism? Not just the hunger?”

He shook his head. “No. Even immediately after taking it, I’m stronger and faster than any human, and as you just saw, my healing capabilities remain unaffected, as do most of my psychic abilities. But yes, I’m somewhat compromised, far weaker than I would be otherwise.”

I took a deep breath. “And how long did you say before it usually wears off?”

“About two weeks,” he answered dully, and I knew then that he had already realized what was just beginning to dawn on me.

Five days. We had five days till Julius and his merry gang showed up, bent on vengeance, and Aidan’s full range of powers wouldn’t return for two weeks!

Still, my mind reasoned, even in his weakened state he could move faster than any human I’d ever seen, and with a few flicks of his tongue, he could totally heal some nasty scrapes and cuts.

But. if those were the powers of a weakened vampire, then what exactly were his enemies capable of?

We needed my friends and their combined powers, and we needed them badly. All I had to do was convince them.

25

A Little Help from My Friends

Yeah, that’s real funny, Violet,” Sophie said, a scowl on her face. “Why’d you call us all in here if you’re not even going to tell us what’s really going on?”

I sighed heavily, mentally exhausted from pouring out the whole story to them. “I am telling you what’s going on. I know it sounds crazy, but—”

“C’mon, Violet, vampires?” Kate’s voice was laced with sarcasm. “I mean, you really expect us to believe that?”

“Trust me, I thought it was just as crazy as you do. But. I’ve seen proof. And my visions—”

“Proof?” Sophie asked. “What kind of proof?”

“Remember when I got the weekend pass to visit my stepmother? Well, I never made it to her apartment. I ended up in a dark alley instead, where a junkie attacked me. Aidan. well, he saved me. Trust me, I saw him in action that night and if there was any doubt left in my mind, that got rid of it real fast. I know if you really think about what I’m telling you, it’ll all make sense.”

I looked around at my friends’ faces, hoping to see some sign of belief, of trust. Instead, all I saw was skepticism, even annoyance.

“Anyway, there’s more,” I continued, figuring I might as well just get it all out there. “It turns out that I’m some sort of vampire slayer, something called a Sâbbat. That’s why Aidan and I can speak telepathically.”

“Oh my God, she’s lost her mind,” Kate muttered. “He’s brainwashed her or something.”

“Even if there were vampires — even if they really existed— you think Dr. Blackwell would allow them here? At Winter-haven?” Sophie asked. “I mean, his gifts are pretty strong. I think he’d know if there were vampires masquerading as students, don’t you?”

“Oh, Blackwell knows, all right,” I said, nodding. “Considering he is one.”

They all started talking at once.

“Shh,” Cece said, quieting them. “Let’s hear her out, okay?”

So I continued on. I told them about Julius, about his sect of Propagators, about my recurring vision, about Dr. Blackwell’s involvement. “So we’ve only got till Friday, but the elixir has weakened Aidan; he won’t be at full strength by then. Which is why we need you. All of you. With everyone’s gifts combined, we can set a trap for them.”

Kate stood up. “Okay, I think I’ve heard just about enough of this crap. What did he do, drug you or something? Is that what he does in the chem lab — manufacture mind-altering drugs?”

“I saw him once, just outside the window,” Cece whispered, sounding slightly dazed. “I thought I must have imagined it.”

“That’s crazy,” Sophie said, shaking her head. “You’re on the fifth floor.”

Kate folded her arms, glaring at me. “What, next you’re going to tell us he can fly?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know what he does. But he can somehow carry me across campus in. well, in a matter of seconds. I’m not sure if he’s just moving really fast or somehow teleporting or what.”

“He does move quickly,” Sophie said, chewing on her thumbnail. “Even I’ve noticed that. It’s like he’s there one minute, and gone the next. I always thought it was kind of freaky.”

Feeling like I was finally getting through to them, I went on. “And you know that thing you call the Aidan effect? It’s really just nature’s way of drawing prey to him. Making him seem more attractive than he really is, sort of weakening your reflexes around him. Not that he would ever hurt any of you,” I added quickly. “Because he wouldn’t.”