Chapter 15 #3
“This place is so cool, Aunt Kate. Can you imagine if it had equipment in it and mats and stuff? It could be like one of those places where gymnasts go to live while they train for the Olympics. I’ve seen documentaries, you know.
Those girls move down there, and they train and they train and they train and then they go and they win the gold. ”
The words rattled out of her, and I suddenly imagined a Demon Hunting Olympics. If there was such a thing, it felt like we were in the thick of it.
“It really does suck that Stuart and Bernie’s company is going to sell this place instead of Stuart buying it,” Allie said.
“It would’ve been really cool to live here.
Everybody I know could have moved in for week-long parties, and I mean how much fun would that be?
” She looked between me and her dad. “Can you imagine? We’d be like movie stars or something. ”
“Stuart was going to buy it?” Eric asked.
“A passing whim,” I said. “I’m certain it wouldn’t have happened. The place is prime real estate. And now with all the repairs, it would be too much of an investment. Now I think they’re planning on selling it for someone to convert into a hotel.”
“Sucks,” Allie said, and Mindy seconded it.
Honestly, now that I was standing here, I had to agree.
“Hey lady!”
The delivery guy’s voice filtered up the stairs, “Boxes are all in, and someone’s down here waiting to talk to you.”
Allie and Mindy went back to sparring, while Eric and I went down to find Jared standing right in the middle of the maze of boxes and stacked wood.
“Jared,” I said. “How did you find this place?”
He shrugged. His eyes darting to Eric. “It wasn’t hard.”
That wasn’t exactly an answer, but I realized that he used his vampiric senses to pick up on our trail. Obviously, he wasn’t sure if Eric knew the situation. Which, of course, Eric didn’t. Not yet.
Eric took a step closer, his eyes narrowing, his body stiff in a fighting stance that surprised me considering he didn’t tend to get surly around teenagers. Especially since this teenager was a student at the school where David Long taught.
“I know you,” he said. “You go to Coronado High.”
“Yeah.” Jared glanced at me, wary. I shrugged.
“Um, hi, Mr. Long. I was in one of your chemistry classes last year.”
“You were,” Eric said. “What are you doing here?”
With each word, he was getting closer until finally Eric grabbed Jared’s upper arm and pulled him forcibly toward him.
“What the—”
“You’re a vampire,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “What the hell are you doing here?”
I saw his free hand go to his back pocket, and though I didn’t know what was in there, I feared it might be something sharp and wooden.
“No!” I bolted forward and yanked Eric off. “He’s okay. Been there. Almost staked that.”
Eric looked between me and Jared. “You’re sure?”
“Positive. He’s been vetted.”
“Vetted?”
“I talked to Father Corletti. He’s cool.
He was working with the Thomas Duvall demon.
” I didn’t mention Father Donnelly, since that priest was not high on Eric’s favorite person list. “You know, the Pepperdine student demon who was trying to get us the key to keep the gates from hell from opening again.”
“Huh.” Eric didn’t sound convinced.
“How the hell did you know he was a vampire anyway?” I asked.
Eric’s brow furrowed. “Does it matter?”
“You’re Eric Crowe,” Jared said, his eyes going wide. “I’ve heard of you.”
Eric stood perfectly stiff, his posture making clear that despite what I’d relayed from Father Corelli, he didn’t trust Jared. Not yet. “I go by David Long now, as you damn well know. What do you want, Jared?”
“I want to help Allie,” he said, his eyes darting to me. I stayed quiet. If he wanted to win Eric’s approval, he was going to have to do it himself.
Jared shrugged, as if he’d read my mind. Considering he was a vampire, I suppose it was possible that he had. Some could, after all. “I want to help train her,” he said. “I want to help protect her.”
“I’m listening,” Eric said.
“Okay, here’s the sitch. Lilith wants her dead. She knows that Allie is special and could hurt her.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that before?” I asked.
“I don’t know. I’m navigating this the same way you are.
You didn’t trust me. I guess I figured it would be too much to dump on you at the beginning.
And I knew you were going to call and check on me.
But now that I’ve got the Forza seal of approval, I can tell you the hardcore stuff, and you’ll know I’m telling the truth. ”
“We’ll assume you’re telling the truth,” Eric said. “Certainty will come later. Certainty is earned.”
“Right,” Jared said. “I promise I’ll earn your trust.”
“We’ll see,” Eric said. He looked at me. “I need to talk to you.”
I nodded, and he pointed to Jared. “Don’t move a muscle.”
Jared lifted his hands in surrender.
“He can’t even follow the simplest of directions,” Eric said to me.
“Just let it go,” I said, pulling him aside. As soon as we were out of earshot—except Jared was a vampire and had extraordinary hearing, so who knew?—I said, “What’s going on?”
“I told you I had a dream about Lilith,” he said.
“Yeah?”
“I dreamt that Allie was dead, and that Lilith was looming over her.”
My heart stuttered in my chest. “So you believe him? About Allie being the one who can stop Lilith.”
“Well, he did just say that Lilith wanted her dead, so it lines up with my dream.”
“He worked with Father Donnelly,” I said, because how could I keep that to myself now?
Eric scowled. “I suppose the kid could still be okay despite that black mark.”
I said nothing. With regard to Father Donnelly and whether not he was a help or a hindrance, I really didn’t have an answer. I knew what Eddie would say—he didn’t trust that priest as far as he could throw him—but I hadn’t made up my mind yet.
“The truth is, Jared’s been at Coronado High for almost a year. “He could’ve killed Allie already if he wanted to,” I said.
“Unless it didn’t matter until after Rome,” Eric pointed out. “She changed that day.”
“I know. But he also could’ve killed her that day on the boardwalk. Instead, he sent that other demon running.”
“Also true,” Eric said. “If he’d wanted Allie dead, it would have been easy enough.”
“So you’re saying you trust him?” I asked.
“I’m saying let’s give him some rope and see if he hangs himself.”