Page 69 of Thrall
“And where does that get us?” There was no soft, calm curtain over Athena’s voice now. Everything about her had gone rigid. Her anger at Dr. Horne the day before had restraint, but her face now held neither of those things. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe she wasn’t gone. Maybe Sadie Grainger and Addison Greene aren’t gone. So then what? Do we let them do what they want? Do we let them have our classmates?”
“I don’t know!” Lucy slammed her open palm against the wall next to her. She barely felt the sting of it. “I don’t know any better than you do! But you told me that you didn’t want to run, no matter how scared you were. On that first broadcast I listened to, you said we need to be Addison’s family now. If you decide—if you decide that you can’t save them without even trying—”
Then you’re already runningwas what she wanted to say. It was what she tried to say, too. But it was as if hitting the wall had released some valve in her, and she couldn’t close it. When she tried to step back, she stumbled.
“Hey.” A pair of hands were instantly at her shoulders. Mila’s. “I’ve got you. Why don’t we sit down.”
“I don’t…”Need to. But it was possible that she did. Her mouth felt full and clumsy—the words were coming out slurred. Her head was spinning worse than it had the day before, with Laurentius of Rome’s offer whipping through her mind. Except it wasn’t only spinning this time. The room was looking a little fuzzy, a little dark at the edges.
She raised a hand, ignoring Mila’s noise of protest, and tried to brace herself on the wall. But it didn’t feel right. There was a deep fissure under her fingers.
Lucy turned her head, even as it sent another spike of nausea through her. There was a large, splintered dent in the wall, right where her palm had struck.
It was a kind of strength she didn’t possess. A kind of strength she especially didn’t possess now, when she was weaker than she’d ever been.
But it was the kind of strength that a vampire had.
Athena was looking at her with open horror. Her hands were no longer empty. The stake from her desk drawer was clutched tight in one hand.
Lucy opened her mouth to say something—maybeNo, it’s not like that, even though she didn’t know what it was like. Something sharp brushed the inside of her lip. Instinctively, she ran her tongue across it. But there wasn’t just one sharp point. There were two. Right where her canines should have been.
The haze at the edges of her vision crept inward, blanketing everything in gray. “Maybe I will sit down,” she mumbled.
She remembered very little after that.
TRANSCRIPT OF ROLLINS UNIVERSITY STUDENT RADIO STATION WVBS (“PALLAS RADIO”)
Broadcast number: 112
PALLAS (HOST): Caller number fourteen, you’re on the air.
CALLER #14: Is this line safe? You never know who’s listening.
PALLAS: A fair question. You’ll notice that I’m referring to you as caller number fourteen. I strongly recommend that you not use your name, or the names of any others, at any point while we’re on the air. And if you still have your radio turned on, you’ll hear that I’ve disguised your voice.
CALLER #14: That’s considerate of you. [pause] I want to report an incident. Do I just start talking?
PALLAS: Please do. But take your time.
CALLER #14: I saw a man tonight. Maybe you’re going to think this sounds foolish. But I sat across from him for maybe half an hour, and he caught my attention. It was something in the way he watched people. Do you know what I mean?
PALLAS: I don’t know that I do. Can you describe it?
CALLER #14: I thought you might be able to put your finger on it better. I’ve listened to you speak of meeting him. You said you got a bad feeling, and you ran. What did you notice, do you think?
PALLAS: Let’s focus on your experience for now. You said you sat across from him. Where was that?
CALLER #14: Holden Student Center. He’s already gone from there, though. I even followed him for a while.
PALLAS: Caller number fourteen, I don’t think you should—
CALLER #14: Oh, it’s okay. He lost me a while back. Moves so fast, you know. But he wasn’t headed for the dorms. I don’t think anyone has anything to worry about. The last I saw, he was headed in the direction of the multimedia center. Although…that’s where you are right now, isn’t it?
PALLAS:…When was this?
CALLER #14: He’d probably be reaching you now, Ms. Pallas.
That’s an interesting name to pick for yourself—Pallas. You must think you’re very smart.
