after life | Page 3

ra nsit io n. W hen L u ca s ro se a s a v a m pir e , h e w ould w ant fre sh b lo od — w ant it d esp era te ly ,
a s m uch a s h e c o uld g et. I n t h e fir s t fre nzy o f a w ake nin g, h is h unger c o uld p ush e ve ry o th er t h ought o ut o f h is m in d.
He’d b e h ungry e nough t o k ill.
Vic d id n’t k n ow a ny o f t h at.
“C om e o n, B alt h aza r. I ’v e g one t h is fa r w it h y o u g uys. I d on’t w ant t o le ave L u ca s n ow .”
“B alt h aza r is c o rre ct,” R anulf s a id . “ It is s a fe r t h at y o u le ave .”
“W hat d o y o u m ean, s a fe r? ”
“V ic , g o,” I s a id . I h ate d t o p ush h im a w ay, b ut if h e d id n’t u nders ta nd w hat w as g oin g o n h ere , h e n eeded a d ose o f
h ars h re alit y . “ If y o u w ant t o s u rv iv e , g o.”
Vic ’s fa ce p ale d.
More g ently , B alt h aza r a dded, “ T his is n o p la ce fo r t h e liv in g. T his b elo ngs t o t h e d ead.”
Vic ra n h is h ands t h ro ugh h is s h aggy h air , n odded o nce a t R anulf a nd w alk e d o ut o f t h e p ro je ctio n ro om . P ro bably h e
w ould h ead h om e, w here h e’d t ry t o d o s o m eth in g u se fu l — c le an h ouse , m ayb e, o r m ake fo od n obody e ls e c o uld e at.
H um an c o nce rn s s e em ed v e ry d is ta nt a t t h at m om ent.
Now t h at V ic h ad le ft , I c o uld fin ally v o ic e t h e t h ought t h at h ad b een h auntin g m e fo r h ours . “ S hould w e
— ”
M y t h ro at
c h oke d u p, a nd I h ad t o s w allo w h ard . “ S hould w e le t t h is h appen?”
“Y ou m ean t h at y o u b elie ve w e s h ould d estro y L u ca s.” F ro m a nyb ody e ls e , t h is w ould h ave s o unded t o o h ars h t o b ear;
fro m R anulf , it w as s im ple , c a lm fa ct. “ T hat w e s h ould p re ve nt h im fro m ris in g a s a v a m pir e , a nd a cce pt t h is a s h is fin al
d eath .”
“I d on’t w ant t o d o t h at. I c a n’t b egin t o t e ll y o u h ow m uch I