How to Cure a Vampire Bite without Losing Your Mind
Chapter 9

“Doany of you have any idea how much hell there will be to pay for this?” Primehissed. “This is a school, not a playground for you to wreck, and certainly nota bar for you to smash – NO comments, Tourney!”

He was royally pissed, and I do have that small tendencyto just let fly out of my mouth whatever I want. In my defense, he was anidiot; he deserved it. As it was, I settled for shooting him derisive glares.

Prime stood before us, hands balled into fists andnostrils flaring. “All of you wait here while I fetch Mrs. Ghost and Mr.Carson. If there are any signs offighting when we return, the culprits willreceive the full extent of my wrath.” And he stalked pompously out of hisoffice to fetch our matron and the director.

The minute the door closed, Orcus rounded on me, his eyescalculating. “What’s your story?”

I knew exactly what he was getting at. “Not sure yet,” Ireplied. My eyes narrowed. “I was depending on what might apparently be toomuch decorum and self-control for either of you to handle.”

Orcus ignored my jibe and began to pace. “We need it tobe fool proof. Absolutely fool proof.”

“You’re the only one with a family that terrifies thecollective global community,” I said. “You be the relative. No one’s willing totrace you.”

Orcus shot me a patronizing look. “According to youperhaps, Mallory,” he said tiredly. “Do recall that my ancestors were Welsh émigrés. That family is traceable by government officials,exactly those looking into this case.”

I snorted. “We’re talking about the U.S. Government, Orcus. I’m sure even they aren’t a match for yourbrain.”

It was true, too, even if it was flattery, an attempt toget him to just say what he had to say. He smiled. “If you aren’t going tohelp, please don’t be a nuisance.” I glowered, and Orcus turned and staredthoughtfully out the window. “I’ve got an idea. All you have to do is keepquiet.”

“And what if we’re asked direct questions?” Raechelqueried. “I’m pretty sure you’re not a ventriloquist, Locke.”

He tapped his chin. “An excellent point.” He leaned upagainst Prime’s desk, eyes slit as he thought. “Knowing Carson, he’ll ask ageneral question before he makes a direct inquiry. I’ll set the story-line.Follow it as best you can.”

“And be vague,” Raechel and I chimed. “Got it.”

Our instructors obviously weren’t outside waiting for usto reach that conclusion, and we all sat in silence another five minutes beforethe door finally opened and Orcus pulled himself up to attention.Sebastian caught my eye, nervous and scared. I nodded once and patted his armin a very broad sort of attempt to comfort him. There was no guarantee thatOrcus wouldn’t abandon us to the slaughter, but we had to trust him at leastmarginally. If push came to shove Raechel and I together were creative and wilyenough to get him at least suspended. . .hopefully.

We turned in our seats and looked up at Mr. Carson,pretending to be intimidated. I’m quite sure he knew we were faking; aside fromSebastian, of course, who had never in his life been through this sort ofordeal.

Carson eyed all of us, and then fixed his gaze on Orcus.“Mr. Locke, I’m surprised at you. I didn’t know you could lose your temper.” Itwasn’t a question. One more glance around the room, and then the inevitablequery: “What happened?”

Orcus, ever the consummate actor, managed to look veryashamed. “I suffered a moment of lax judgement, sir.” His eyes shot to mine,and then shot away just as quickly. A sinking feeling manifest itself in mystomach as I realized his game: It would be inferred, not just by Carson, butby Prime and Ghost as well, that it was a lovers’ quarrel. They had their owntriangle, and now Orcus was casting us in the same sort of roles, they werebound to think it through emotionally. It was clever. Very sickening, but veryclever; I now had an even greater incentive to keep my mouth shut; it wasdifficult to only look torn and disappointed, and not sick to the stomach aswell.

Carson didn’t miss the glance; he wasn’t supposed to. Hewalked around Prime’s desk, his eyes trained firmly on Sebastian. “Who mightthis be?”

Sebastian’s eyes were wide as tea saucers, and hestammered, “S-s-Sebastian Degas, sir.”

Carson’s face didn’t change. “I don’t believe you attendour school, Mr. Degas. What exactly are you doing on government propertywithout permission?”

Sebastian looked completely frozen. “I – ah – well –”

“We’re not sure either,” I interrupted quickly. It wouldhave been a good ploy, the triangle, had Sebastian not so obviously been athird-party non-student.

Carson fixed me with his steady gaze. “What do you mean,Miss Tourney?”

Orcus stared me down, and spoke in my stead. “We simplyfound him, sir.” Carson’s brow furrowed, and Orcus continued. “He doesn’tremember much other than his name.”

I snorted. “He can’t even read.”

Sebastian gaped at me. “Don’t judge me!” he yelped. “Youcan’t cook!”

I spluttered. “Excuse me, but the person in this room whocannot read has no business telling the person who can how to cook!”

Cooking is a method for survival, something of which youare supposed to be quite fond,” hesnapped. “I happen to be better cook, which really doesn’t take that much wit –”

“Enough,” Carson interrupted. He’d barely raised hisvoice, but we’d heard him clearly. Sebastian’s mouth closed like a box, and Iforced myself to turn my head and face the director. “What is this all about,Miss Tourney?”

I looked down at my feet and shot another glance atOrcus. He’d started this triangle, and carrying it on was essential if theadults were to buy our story, even if it was about as holey as a fishing net.Carson caught the exchanged glance again. “We’ve been trying to piece thingstogether, sir, but so far we’ve only learned that he can’t read, and that theonly thing he remembers is his name. If we knew more we’d tell you.” Exceptthat we wouldn’t because Orcus and I both had massive egos and neither of us werevery fond of sharing.

Carson, it was obvious, was struggling with his partiality.He was also trying to keep up and make sense of this. How could there be atriangle if one suffered amnesia, and the other was regarded as a Greek-likegod by all but two of his peers? I made sure to throw a look at Sebastian, justlong enough to drive the point home.

Carson twitched. “Why – if you can tell me, please – hashe been in your room?”

Orcus’ face didn’t change, and neither did mine, but verysuddenly was the sociopath’s piercing gaze locked on Carson. Anyone who knew asmuch about Orcus as I flatter myself I do, would know that he was wonderingjust as much as Raechel and I how in the world Carson knew that, and what elsehe knew that he wasn’t sharing. I was very certain that I hadn’t said anything;Sebastian had spoken twice; Raechel hadn’t said anything; Orcus was gettingirritable.

I began inventing as fast as I could. “Ah. That. Well,you see, sir, Sebastian and Orcus don’t exactly – er, get on well.”

Raechel snorted. “I think that much sort of becameobvious this afternoon, don’t you?”

I quirked my eyebrow and said, “Well. . .yeah. So we’vebeen sheltering him in our room, just to make certain that, you know, hedoesn’t die.”

“Why didn’t you report him to me?” Mrs. Ghost asked.

Orcus shuffled his right foot along the lines in thetile. “We were trying to make use of all we’ve been through over the years.”His face flushed. “Thought we could make a sort of project of it. Clearly we’rein over our heads.”

Carson was eyeing me intently, and I made sure to keep myeyes on the ground. “Very well,” he said after a good while. “We’ll overlookthis, and you may carry on the way you have, on one condition.”

Orcus violently suppressed the greedy glint in his eye.“Sir?” I wasn’t the only one wondering what Carson was up to, but Orcus was thebetter actor, so I kept silent.

“You must keep me abreast of your replaceings,” the directorreplied. “Agreed?”

I knew Orcus was itching to reply in the negative becauseI was biting my tongue. However, he nodded once, stiffly. “Certainly, sir.Every week.”

Carson smiled. “Excellent. I trust my two brightesttrainees will be more than able to crack this puzzle-box.” And then we weredismissed.

We began making our way back to my hall, but Orcus pulledup short outside the door and turned to me, his face calm and unexpressive.“It’s quite late in the afternoon,” he said briskly.

Indeed. “It’s still quite lovely. Let’s walk. River?”

“Indeed!” exclaimed my nemesis, and just like that wewere off.

Sebastian seemed very intent on arguing, but Raechel tookhis arm and dragged him along, shushing him as we made for the most secludedspot on campus. Orcus got there first and made his investigation, notprotesting when we pushed Sebastian down onto a stump. He was more thansatisfied by what he hadn’t found.

“What is all this?” blustered the by now very confusedvampire.

“Carson knew where you were staying,” Raechel explained.

“Quite funny,” I added, “considering none of us mentionedit.”

“Mayhap your matron convinced the other girl to speak?”

Orcus was pacing now. “It’s unlikely, but if she did it’sa problem that will require immediate attention.”

It didn’t take a genius to get what he was saying. “Don’tyou dare,” I said. “She’s an idiot, sure, but she wouldn’t tell. She’d getdistracted and forget half-way to the office.”

Raechel was busy climbing a tree. “The question nowbecomes, what else does Carson know, and did he purposely let his informationslip?”

“No,” Orcus replied, kicking a stone into the river. “Isaw his eyes. He was worried; so worried, in fact, that Tourney’s bone almostdidn’t work.”

Sebastian looked at me, befuddled. “Your what?”

“It’s an expression,” I replied absently. “You tellsomeone what they want to hear as a means of distraction.” My attention was onthe sociopath staring out in the direction of the mine, hands in his pockets,shoulders hunched over and a deep scowl painted on his face.

“What’s the last thing you remember, Degas, before wakingup in Mallory’s room?”

I watched Sebastian struggle. “I – nothing! I remembernothing! I make attempts, I’ve focused very hard, but I can’t – it – I don’tknow,” he finished lamely.

Orcus looked back, his eyes darkening. “Try,” he said woodenly.

I paced for a long while as Sebastian strained his brain.There had to be a way to trigger his brain, to get him out of his perpetualhaze. My brother Ben had once mentioned a boy he knew who’d lost his memory ina skiing accident. He’d been unable to remember anything for the longest time.. .that thought gave me an idea.

I knelt down in front of Sebastian. “I know something youcould try; it might help.”

He opened one eye. “Eh?”

I twitched; he’d picked that up from Raechel. “Lay downon your back,” I instructed.

“Why?”

“Just do it. Lie down and close your eyes.”

He moved, and then paused, eyeing me suspiciously. “WhenI do this are you going to try to kill me?”

“What?” I replied. “No, of course not. That would defeatthe purpose.”

He nodded. “Very well, then.” He lay down on the riverbank. “That would be a rather good way to go about things, you know. Unorthodoxand rudimentary, but still quite effective.”

I thought Raechel was going to fall out of the tree fromwhich she hung like the laughing monkey whore she was. I rolled my eyes andlooked down at the vampire. “How is it you can be eloquent,” I asked, “but youcan’t read, write, or count?”

“Not uncommon,” Orcus sneered. “If he’s really as old andlordly as he says he is, it would not be unheard of to be illiterate.”

I huffed and threw a glare over my shoulder. “Close youreyes, Sebastian,” I commanded as I gave Orcus what I hoped was akidney-liquidizing glare (it only works if they see it; I’m still only at levelthree for death glares).

“You’re certainly not going to kill me?”

“Close your eyes, and I promise you won’t die slowly,” Isaid through gritted teeth. He obeyed. “Now, then, breathe in and out, and trynot to relax.”

He promptly opened one eye. “Eh?”

I closed it with one finger. “Focus on your heartbeat.”

His eye opened again. “I’m afraid I am lacking in thatfunction.”

I clenched my fists because I wasn’t going to kill him.“Then focus on mine, you great buffoon.”

He closed his eye and breathed deeply. “What happens whenI replace your heartbeat?”

“We’ll cross that bridge if we ever get to it,” I saidwryly. “Don’t speak. Focus on my heart, and if you’re there I’ll tell you.” Wewaited. He relaxed considerably, and just when I was sure he was going to fallasleep, I said: “Keep relaxed, and focus on the memory in the back of yourbrain. Don’t move, don’t speak, and don’t give yourself a headache.”

“Is this really going to work?” Orcus asked, his voice amix of tired and snide.

I shrugged. “Eh. . .probably not. It’s worth it though,if he remembers anything.”

“Way to have some confidence, Mal,” Raechel snorted.

There was a solid half-hour of steady silence whichmostly consisted of me making violent gestures at an increasingly irate Orcusto shut up and leave Sebastian alone. The school sociopath had no respect forwhat he called “squishy science,” regardless of the fact that he understoodit’s workings better than the individuals who had first theorized or expoundedupon them. In the end, however, he settled for simply shooting me death glares(I am proud to report that Orcus was only ever a level one).

All at once Sebastian’s eyes shot open and he scrambledaway from me, a look of sheer terror and unmitigated shock plastered across hisface. He stared at me a solid ten seconds, and crawled a little further away.

“You remember?” Orcus asked coldly.

Sebastian nodded. “I – I –” He choked on the words.

Raechel jumped down from her tree and knelt a few feetaway. “What did you see?” It was getting quite dark by now, but I could stillsee him shaking in the dark.

“Blood,” he whispered. “There was so much blood.” He felt his chest. “It was –m-m-mine. I-I-I remembered feeling – pulse. Then it – the blood – there was somuch.” He rubbed his eyes, breath shaky. “Somuch blood.”

Now even Orcus looked concerned; his version ofconcerned, anyway. On anyone else it would simply have been mild interest, orperhaps curiosity. “What happened?” he asked coldly.

Sebastian rubbed his arms. “I – I – I was attacked. Meand my family.” He hesitated, hauling himself backwards to lean against a tree.“I remember it now.”

Orcus opened his mouth to snap impatiently, and I elbowedhis stomach. Sebastian didn’t seem to notice too much of anything. He wasstaring intently at the ground, reliving the memory in his head.

“It followed my father home from the Courts. At least,that’s what he said. He came into my hall screaming, blood everywhere; he keptgoing on and on about it. ‘Get your mother and sisters out, boy! Get themout!’” He shuddered. “And then it came in after him. Through the window.” Hiseyes zeroed in on me. “The.”

I looked over at Raechel, and I wasn’t surprised that ourfaces each mirrored the other.

“Did you get a look at him, Sebastian?” she asked. “Doyou remember how he looked?”

“I don’t want to,” he said through heavy breaths.

“Give us something, Sebastian,” I urged. “If you canremember—”

“I don’t want to!” he shouted. There were tears stainingthe corners of his eyes. “That – it – that thing– I saw it – he – it – destroyed myfamily!” He groped blindly at the ground. “You can’t—you don’t know—try to imaginethat—!”

Orcus stepped forward then, and pulled him up by hisshirt. “Pull yourself together, you fool!” he hissed. “There’s a good amount ofdanger hanging around here, thanks to you, and you’re our chance to solve itand put it to rest. Now, what did it look like, and what the hell happened?”

It was what Sebastian needed. As he straightened Inoticed Raechel eyeing him keenly. I nudged her. “What’s with you?” Iwhispered.

“Vampires are supposed to weep tears of blood,” sheexplained. “His tears aren’t. They’re like regular tears.”

I thought a bit, rolling it over in my mind. “Maybe he’stoo new,” I suggested. A quick glance at the boys showed Sebastian thinkinghard, and Orcus watching him with a hard sneer. “If he’s directly new, hemightn’t display the traits—”

“He’s over a month old, if that’s the case,” Raechelsaid. “He’d have to have some of thetraits by now, wouldn’t he?”

I folded my arms. “I don’t know. But this would be so much easier if we actually knewanything about vampires other than basic lore. And while that’s all good andwell to start with….”

Raechelnodded. “It’s not an actual, documented…thing.”

Iturned to the boys. “All right, Sebastian?”

He nodded, face still concentrated.

“Feel up to sharing?” Orcus asked snidely.

Sebastian nodded again. “It was decomposing,” he said,and then quickly amended his statement. “Not decomposing – well, it was, but itwas more – wasted away, I suppose. I think perhaps he was starved. They beginto decompose if denied food for too lengthy a time. Well…I suppose I mean ‘we’,don’t I?” He scratched his head. “The Professor said so, anyway.”

Raechel’s eyes when went wide, but voicing her questionwas out of the question, because Orcus cut it off with one of his own, that wasreally more of a statement.

“It was already a threat?” he hissed. “It was justrunning loose?!”

“Well, Orcus,” I quipped, “that’s generally how they gettheir food.”

“Shut up,” he retorted. “I’ve got an idea.”

I felt the urge to punch him, so I gave in and did. Itwas only his arm, but it had the desired effect: a surge of satisfaction.

“It had been an issue,” Sebastian interrupted. “Themagistrates had called Professor Traugott-Rothstein forthat reason. He was unable to stay – something about another disaster inIreland – but he told us how to get rid of it before he left.” He looked sheepish.“Obviously it didn’t work.”

“So this vampire was weakening and decomposing,” I said.“What happened?”

Sebastian shifted uncomfortably, but continued his story.“It’s a bit hazy, but when it had gotten what it wanted from me it turned on mymother and sisters. And then I collapsed; and when I awoke…. Well, I was inMiss Tourney’s room.”

I sank down on a nearby log. That explained absolutelynothing. “Did you see anything else? Before you fainted, did you noticeanything else? Anything change?”

Sebastian thought hard. “When my sister, Eleanor, wasattacked, she was thrown into the wall, and one of the paintings – of mygrandfather – dislodged. I remember seeing—” he furrowed his brow “—I suppose asort of – very bright light.”

It was as though Orcus’ eyes turned into high-beams. “Wasit very small, your grandfather’s portrait?” I asked. It wasn’t a great stretchto imagine where Orcus’ rather over-developed mind was going.

Sebastian frowned. “No,” he said. “It was quite large;almost the size of the main gate, in fact.” His eyes squinted together inrecollection. “When I was quite small my father very strictly ordered theservants not to move it or touch it, whatever the reason. Cleaning aside, ofcourse. I don’t suppose there’s any chance that whatever it was…was just light?”

Orcus and I held each other’s gaze. Our hypothesizing hadfinally yielded a result. To my surprise, Orcus didn’t seem to be any morepleased about it than I was.