The Second Life of Bree | Page 7

best hiding place I‘ve found. Nobody gets close
to Fred.‖
Diego nodded, still looking kind of grossed out. ―That‘s true.
It‘s a way to stay alive.‖
I shrugged.
―Did you know that Fred is one of Riley‘s favorites?‖ Diego
asked.
―Really? How?‖ No one could stand Freaky Fred. I was the
only one who tried, and that was solely out of self-preservation.
Diego leaned toward me conspiratorially. I was already so
used to his strange way that I didn‘t even flinch.
―I heard him on the phone with her.‖
I shuddered.
―I know,‖ he said, sounding sympathetic again. Of course, it
wasn‘t weird that we could sympathize with each other when it
came to her. ―This was a few months back. Anyway, Riley was
talking about Fred, all excited. From what they were saying, I
guess that some vampires can do things. More than what
normal vampires can do, I mean. And that‘s good—something
she‘s looking for. Vampires with skillzzz.‖
He pulled the Z sound out, so I could hear how he was
spelling it in his head.
―What kinds of skills?‖
―All kinds of stuff, it sounds like. Mind reading and tracking
and even seeing the future.‖

―Get out.‖
―I‘m not kidding. I guess Fred can sort of repel people on
purpose. It‘s all in our heads, though. He makes us repulsed at
the thought of being near him.‖
I frowned. ―How is that a good thing?‖
―Keeps him alive, doesn‘t it? Guess it keeps you alive, too.‖
I nodded. ―Guess so. Did he say anything about anyone
else?‖ I tried to think of anything strange I‘d seen or felt, but
Fred was one of a kind. The clowns in the alley tonight
pretending to be superheroes hadn‘t been doing anything the
rest of us couldn‘t do.
―He talked about Raoul,‖ Diego said, the corner of his
mouth twisting down.
―What skill does Raoul have? Super-stupidity?‖
Diego snorted. ―Definitely that. But Riley thinks he‘s got
some kind of magnetism—people are drawn to him, they follow
him.‖
―Only the mentally challenged.‖
―Yeah, Riley mentioned that. Didn‘t seem to be effective on
the‖—he broke out a decent impression of Riley‘s voice—―
‗tamer kids.‘‖
―Tame?‖
―I inferred that he meant people like us, who are able to
think occasionally.‖
I didn‘t like being called tame. It didn‘t sound like a good
thing when you put it that way. Diego‘s way sounded better.
―It was like there was a reason Riley needed Raoul to lead
—something‘s coming, I think.‖
A weird tingle spasmed along my spine when he said that,
and I sat up straighter. ―Like what?‖
―Do you ever think about why Riley is always after us to
keep a low profile?‖
I hesitated for half a second before answering. This wasn‘t
the line of inquiry I would have expected from Riley‘s right-hand
man. Almost like he was questioning what Riley had told us.
Unless Diego was asking this for Riley, like a spy. Finding out
what the ―kids‖ thought of him. But it didn‘t feel like that. Diego‘s

dark red eyes were open and confiding. And why would Riley
care? Maybe the way the others talked about Diego wasn‘t
based on anything real. Just gossip.
I answered him truthfully. ―Yeah, actually I was just thinking
about that.‖
―We aren‘t the only vampires in the world,‖ Diego said
solemnly.
―I know. Riley says stuff sometimes. But there can‘t be too
many. I mean, wouldn‘t we have noticed, before?‖
Diego nodded. ―That‘s what I think, too. Which is why it‘s
pretty weird that she keeps making more of us, don‘t you think?
‖
I frowned. ―Huh. Because it‘s not like Riley actually likes us
or anything….‖ I paused again, waiting to see if he would
contradict me. He didn‘t. He just waited, nodding slightly in
agreement, so I continued. ―And she hasn‘t even introduced
herself. You‘re right. I hadn‘t looked at it that way. Well, I hadn‘t
really thought about it at all. But then, what do they want us for?‖
Diego raised one eyebrow. ―Wanna hear what I think?‖
I nodded warily. But my anxiety had nothing to do with him
now.
―Like I said, something is coming. I think she wants
protection, and she put Riley in charge of creating the front line.‖
I thought this through, my spine prickling again. ―Why
wouldn‘t they tell us? Shouldn‘t we be, like, on the lookout or
something?‖
―That would make sense,‖ he agreed.
We looked at each other in silence for a few long-seeming
seconds. I had nothing more, and it didn‘t look like he did,
either.
Finally I grimaced and said, ―I don‘t know if I buy it—the part
about Raoul being good for anything, that is.‖
Diego laughed. ―Hard to argue that one.‖ Then he glanced
out the windows at the dark early