Page 24

CHAPTER

TWENTY-FOUR

Kade stood at the mouth of the forest for a long time, staring back at the cliff next to Theo’s house. He looked uncomfortable.

Theo could relate. His bedroom overlooked that cliff, and he’d taken to closing the curtains whenever he could. If he looked at that cliff too long, he remembered the terrifying lift into the air, that cold mouth pressing against his neck. I’ll see you soon, Cyth.

Kade squirmed, scraping his boot against the grass. He’d been crying when Theo confronted him on the cliff, eyeliner dripping down his cheeks. Theo had forgotten about that in all the mess that followed. Should he ask about it? Maybe he’d get a razor-sharp response. Or maybe he’d get something strangely vulnerable, like what Kade had shared with him in the Lemmings house.

Couldn’t face it, Kade had admitted. The world. Life . Then he’d changed the subject, the regret obvious in his forced-casual tone. Maybe he wouldn’t have, if Theo had said something. He’d wanted to. He just couldn’t think of a response. No one had said anything so vulnerable to him before.

Theo whistled. “Hey! We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, and it’s going to rain soon.”

Kade spun. “Did you just whistle at me? I’m not a dog.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Theo told him. He bared his teeth and barked. He meant it jokingly, the mean-spirited joke he’d share with Felicity or Aaron.

But Kade looked hurt. He flipped Theo off and charged past him, into the woods.

Theo followed, watching the back of Kade’s head and trying not to feel disappointed in himself.

“I was joking ,” he said. “Since when do you care about that kind of stuff? You love all that Monster shit.”

Kade gave him a guarded look. He looked…oddly betrayed. Then he covered it, a mean smirk twisting his thin mouth.

“I do wear it well,” he said, baring his teeth. “Better than your golden boy title, anyway.”

He didn’t like being Monster, Theo realized. All that snarling and barking and growling, and Kade…didn’t like it? Why put all that effort into a costume if you hated wearing it?

Kade’s smirk dropped fast. He plodded along dejectedly, like Theo was supposed to already know that Kade didn’t like the persona he’d been playing into for years.

Theo thought about getting defensive. Telling Kade he was being stupid. Getting vicious , like his parents wanted. But he’d promised to be nicer. He actually liked being nicer, especially to Kade. Every time he made Kade smile—not snarl, but smile , all soft and surprised—Theo felt like he’d just won a prize.

“Okay, jeez,” Theo huffed. “I won’t bark at you again. Could’ve just told me you don’t like it.”

Kade blinked. His lips parted like he wanted to say something. Then he fell quiet, all the while Theo tried to come up with something better to say.

They walked in silence for several minutes. Into the woods, not along the cliffs. Getting deeper and deeper.

Kade stared at the sky, which was growing dangerously cloudy above the trees. “You’re sure it was around here?”

“It has to be,” Theo replied, relieved they were talking again. “My dad used to take me on walks through these woods. Always near our house. Not long—about an hour. And we still had to get back, so the tree will be half an hour in any direction.”

Kade gave him a dubious look. He was an expert at dubious looks. He did them differently than Theo—Theo’s were high and mighty, condescending to the max. Built to make the person receiving them feel small and get out of the way. Kade’s were jagged and dangerous, built to make the other person’s neck prickle and make them call him Monster. It was hard to believe this was the same boy who had stayed in bed for weeks, unable to force himself out the front door. The same boy who knitted gloves and loved his aunt and seemed genuinely excited that Theo wanted to tell him about mushrooms.

“Are you sure it wasn’t—oh, I don’t know—any other part of the massive amounts of woods around town?” Kade threw his skinny arms out at the vast expanse of trees surrounding them. “Come on. I’ve lived here for six years and I’ve seen a lot of these woods. Parties. Finding a quiet place to drink. Boredom walks! Our tree could be on the other side of town.”

Theo shook his head. “It was so vivid. I must’ve seen it a lot. Had to be on one of these walks.”

Kade groaned. He kicked a loose rock in front of him with one lanky leg as he walked. “So we just keep walking?”

“I’ll know it when I see it,” Theo said.

Kade gave him another withering look. His next kick sent the rock spiraling off into a clearing. Kade swore and ran after it.

“Look,” Theo called after him. “I’m not saying it’ll be quick?—”

Kade yelped and fell forward. He hit the dirt chin-first, and his pained groan wasn’t finished in his throat by the time Theo blurred into the clearing after him.

“Stupid roots,” Kade spat, getting his elbows up underneath him. “Lost my rock. ”

“Dude, watch where you’re going!” Theo held out a hand.

Kade stared at it pointedly.

“Crap,” Theo said. “Right. Sorry, I…”

He trailed off, stuffing his useless hands in his pockets. The root Kade had tripped over was small, almost hidden in the dirt. It got thicker as it went along, bending at odd angles until it finally reached a tree trunk.

Something itched at the back of Theo’s head when he looked up. The tree was tall and gnarled, knotted branches reaching out like they wanted to grab something.

“This is it,” he announced.

Kade eased himself up, brushing dirt off his ripped jeans. “Seriously?”

Theo nodded, reaching out. The bark was rough and unexpectedly warm under his fingers. That itch at the back of his head was still there, an animal scratching at a door.

Theo shivered.

“Seriously,” Kade repeated.

“Yes! I’m sure. This is it.”

Kade immediately straightened, bouncing on the spot like somebody had poured a whole pot of coffee down his throat. “Why aren’t you excited by any of this shit? This could be, like, the KEY! Can you see any symbols? Maybe we push something and a secret passageway opens up! ”

He circled the trunk, jabbing at knots in the bark. That gleeful look was back again, the look he’d gotten in Milly’s bookshop and when the room had opened up in Coach Cheech’s bookcase. It was the complete opposite of the dubious look Theo had seen so many times before: that look was sharp and guarded. This was soft and open, smile loose in a way Theo had only gotten glimpses of. He looked like a little kid. Theo almost forgot about the horrible dread, watching him.

“So we have the time, the date and the place,” Kade continued. “I don’t care if golden boy’s playing basketball, I know where I’m gonna be. Right here, watching whatever the hell is going down.”

Theo didn’t reply.

Kade looked up. The gleeful smile faded. “What?”

“I don’t know,” Theo said. “I just…thought it’d take longer. Finding it.”

“Okay, well, I’m happy we didn’t have to walk aimlessly for hours?—”

Theo cut him off. “It was too easy. I…”

He stopped. That itch burrowed away in the back of his head. He looked around the trees, almost expecting to find someone looking back. Theo stilled, listening for breathing, shoes shuffling in the dirt. But it was just him and Kade in the clearing, summer leaves swaying in the wind, bugs crawling around the roots.

“Maybe it’s fate,” Kade suggested. “The story unfolds.”

“Shut up about stories for five seconds, okay? I’m not getting, like…getting pushed toward something. I’m in control of my own life.” Theo shifted uncomfortably, scratching the spot where the vampire had ripped open his neck. “If this is a story, then we have no say in anything. And what if it has a sad ending?”

Kade didn’t respond. Theo looked over, expecting him to be prodding at knobs in the tree for trapdoors, maybe trying to climb a low branch. But Kade was staring at Theo, skin even paler than usual.

“What?” Theo asked. “You seriously never considered it?”

“’Course. I’d be an idiot not to consider it.” Kade chewed on his chapped lips. “I just…I hoped…”

A gunshot rang out.

Theo whirled just in time to watch the bullet whiz above Kade and into a tree on the far side, showering Kade with bark.

“WHAT THE SHIT,” Kade shrieked, hands coming up to shield himself.

Theo blurred across, putting himself between Kade and the voices that were coming ever closer through the forest.

“…have to pay somebody’s family because you killed their kid, it’s coming out of your trust fund,” said a familiar voice.

“But you said —” Aaron stopped, stumbling to a halt in the clearing. His dad followed, blinking in the overcast light. They were dressed in their hunting gear, with rifles strapped over their shoulders and high-visibility orange caps so people could see them easier. If Theo were paying attention, he’d be able to spot them from half a mile away.

He took a careful step away from Kade. Like they were two strangers who had run into each other in the woods, and Theo hadn’t just been shielding Kade with his body.

Mr. Fletcher whacked his son in the back of the head. “You almost hit your best friend! What’d I say, huh?”

Aaron rocked with the impact, scowling. “You said deer !”

“I said wait ,” Mr. Fletcher growled. He sent Theo a friendly smile. “Sorry about that, boys! No harm done. No thanks to some of us.”

Aaron rubbed the back of his head. His cheeks were ruddy with embarrassment, his eyes alight with panic. He looked genuinely confused to see Kade there. Theo was ninety-five percent sure he hadn’t shot at him on purpose.

Mr. Fletcher held out a large, gloved hand at Kade. “Renfield, right? Your aunt works at the scrap warehouse.”

“That’s me,” Kade said slowly, eyeing Mr. Fletcher’s outstretched hand like it might explode on contact. Nobody was lining up to shake hands with Kade Renfield. When he did finally take it, he did so gingerly, jumping when Mr. Fletcher squeezed his knuckles.

“What are you doing?” Theo asked Aaron, who was busy staring at his dad like he’d grown a second head. “I thought rabbit season isn’t for a while.”

“It isn’t. This is target practice.” Aaron hunched, glaring guiltily at Kade. “I didn’t get you, right?”

Kade startled. “Uh, yeah. It didn’t get me.”

“Okay.” Aaron deflated fast, rubbing his face. “Shit. That would’ve been embarrassing.”

“Sorry, kid,” Mr. Fletcher told Kade. “For a moment we thought you were a prey animal. Sure are wiry enough.”

He let out a booming laugh and tapped Kade’s skinny arms, then turned to Theo. “Excited for the big game tomorrow? My wife’s been talking about that celebration dinner all week. What do you want, fish?”

“Steak,” Theo said, stomach sinking as he realized he’d have to puke black bile all Saturday.

“You got it. Rare, like always. Bloodier the better, right?” Mr. Fletcher laughed again, teeth gleaming in the gray light.

When Theo was eight, the school had Mr. Fletcher play Santa in the Christmas play. He suited it. Mr. Fletcher was warm and welcoming in ways Theo’s own father never was, even with those strange flashes of burning fury. For a long time, Theo had believed Mr. Fletcher would die before hurting him.

He didn’t know if he believed that now.

Mr. Fletcher pointed between Theo and Kade, standing a safe distance apart in front of the tree. “Since when do you two hang out? Renfield isn’t a new part of the group, is he?”

“No,” Aaron said, so incredulous that his father turned to him to chuckle.

“Right, he knocked you one last year, didn’t he? Bashed one of your teeth out. Vicious!” Mr. Fletcher tapped Kade’s shoulder again, oblivious to how Kade’s shoulders climbed up to meet his ears in response.

“I was on a walk,” Theo said. “We just ran into each other.”

Mr. Fletcher nodded. Aaron just stood there and stared, face still flushed, gripping the strap of his gun so hard his knuckles went white.

Above them, thunder rolled.

“Looks like a big one’s coming our way,” Mr. Fletcher said, squinting at the sky. “Renfield, you going to the game?”

Kade shook his head, backing away until he was leaning, faux-casual, against the twisted tree trunk. “No. I have better things…”

He trailed off. A frown dented his dark brows. His eyelids fluttered. Then he wobbled, knees giving out underneath him.

Theo couldn’t stop himself from jerking forward as Kade steadied himself against the tree with a pained gasp.

“Whoa, hey, are you alright?” He hovered his hands uselessly over Kade’s bare arms. He was shocked by how badly he wanted to touch them. The best he could do was touch his back, feeling Kade’s warmth through his shirt.

Mr. Fletcher laughed. “One too many, kid?”

“’M fine,” Kade croaked. He looked up at Theo, gray eyes glazed and full of confusion.

“I remember when I used to party it up in these woods,” Mr. Fletcher started.

Aaron cut him off. “Dad. Let’s go .”

Mr. Fletcher looked at him in surprise. Aaron rarely used that sharp tone with his parents.

“If we hunt in the rain, you bitch the whole time,” Aaron continued, jerking his gun strap higher up his shoulder. “Come on . It’s getting dark anyway.”

Thunder rumbled. Mr. Fletcher glanced up through the trees with a grimace.

“Come on ,” Aaron repeated, and strode off without a reply. He didn’t even look at Theo as he headed into the trees.

Mr. Fletcher blinked. He gave them a short nod, gaze lingering on Kade bracing himself against the tree.

“Don’t party too hard,” he said. Theo couldn’t help but wince as Mr. Fletcher followed his son out of the clearing. Aaron would pay for his curt tone later. Just like Theo would pay for spending more time with Kade. Aaron was always harder to deal with after his parents punished him.

As soon as they were out of sight, Theo sighed. “I told you to drink more water. Do you need electrolytes? I have sports drinks back at the house. ”

“Get your nasty sports drinks away from me,” Kade slurred. “I’m fine. I…I think I saw something.”

Theo waited. Kade kept blinking hard, like he was banishing spots from his eyes. A raindrop dripped into his forehead, curving down his cheek. He wiped it away.

“Something,” Theo prompted. “Like… all that sleep deprivation and binge drinking and blood-giving is catching up to you something?”

Kade groaned, still braced against the tree for support. “No, asshole, like a vision! What the hell is your freaky vampire venom doing to me?”

“What? Why is this my fault?”

“What else could it be?” Kade winced again, squeezing the bridge of his thin nose. “Shit, that hurt.”

“What did you see?”

Kade blinked some more, long lashes catching on each other. His gaze was unfocused. “It was the woman from the book we found in the Lemmings house. Same killer cheekbones, same haircut, same creepy eyes. She was in this forest, saying stuff. Couldn’t make out what it was. Ow .”

He pinched his nose again. Theo smelled it before he saw it: a fat drop of blood rolled out of Kade’s nose, curving over his upper lip.

Theo averted his eyes, shoving down on the howling hunger that reared up inside him. He gritted his teeth. “Cyth?”

“Don’t know who else it’d be.” Kade scrubbed the blood off his face with his jacket sleeve. It didn’t go well—leather jackets weren’t made for absorption.

Another speck of rain hit Kade’s scalp.

Kade sniffed, sucking blood back into his nose. “You know Aaron’s going to shoot, right? When his parents tell him to?”

Theo glanced back at the trees where Aaron and his dad had disappeared.

“Maybe you’re right,” Kade said. “Maybe he doesn’t know. But he’s gonna find out, and they’re gonna tell him to shoot, and next time you’re gonna be in front of the gun. He will do it.”

“He won’t,” Theo argued quietly.

Another roll of thunder. Rain started falling in earnest, a thin sheet catching on the trees and splattering down into the dirt. Theo raised a hand, covering his hair. Kade didn’t bother, standing still as rain soaked his shaved head.

Kade sucked in a sharp breath. “I know you think he cares about you?—”

“He’s my best friend!”

“Just trust me.”

“Trust you ?” Theo let out a hollow laugh.

Kade’s shoulders shot up again. Like a feral dog backed into a corner , someone told Theo once. He was pretty sure it was Aaron.

“I’ve been best friends with Aaron my whole life ,” Theo said. “If you didn’t get withdrawals, would you still hang around? ”

“Maybe,” Kade croaked, rain sliding uninterrupted down his pale face. “If you didn’t need my blood, would you ?”

“Maybe,” Theo said mockingly.

Kade jeered. “You won’t even talk to me in the hallway.”

“What am I supposed to do? It isn’t—” Theo stopped, ducking his head. A wet lock of blond hair fell over his eyes. “It isn’t like we can be friends.”

“Right,” Kade said bitterly. “Golden boy and Monster, shooting the shit during lunch. That can never happen. Monster helping golden boy not pass out during gym, however?—”

“Hey, you like it.” Theo’s face twisted, gaze dropping to Kade’s neck, hunger and terror in equal measure as he remembered the limp weight of Kade unconscious in his arms. “You like it so much you’d let it kill you!”

“Like you’d care.”

“I would!” Theo’s voice rose over the rain. He winced, looking toward the trees the others had walked into. “I would care.”

Kade blinked furiously. “But we’re not friends,” he said, hoping the sharpness of his tone canceled out anything soft implied by his watery eyes and shaking frame. “Right? We’re trapped together. But we aren’t friends.”

Theo’s jaw worked. He wanted to tell Kade he was wrong. No, he wanted Kade to say he was wrong, so Theo didn’t have to. Wanted Kade to say, I’ll be your secret. I’ll listen to you talk about mushrooms and I won’t make fun of you. I’ll show you everything I’m making, I’ll knit you a scarf if you want. We’ll meet in the disabled bathrooms every couple of days and make each other laugh before you sink your teeth into me. I’ll always curl up in the back of your car even though it’s really uncomfortable, now I think about it.

Another boom of thunder. Lightning streaked across the sky.

“ Right ?” Kade snarled, demanding an answer he knew he wouldn’t like. Reaching for things that hurt him, always. Theo’s dead heart twisted as he realized he might be another tally on that list.

“Yes, alright? I can’t be friends with you. Even if I…” Theo hesitated. “Even if…”

“Don’t.” Kade jerked forward, fists curled like he was going to punch him. Theo’s mind whirled with images of burned knuckles, but Kade didn’t swing. He just stood there, wet and trembling, staring across at him with eyes the color of the sky right before it rained.

“You’re going to be at your stupid game tomorrow,” Kade continued. “Right?”

“I have to,” Theo told him. “Are you going to be there?”

“I’m gonna be here , when it gets dark.” Kade scrubbed at his face. Theo couldn’t tell if he was crying. The rain was too thick. “Before that—who knows? I might drop by. Make sure the golden boy’s got his energy up for the big game. ”

With that, he turned on his heel. Theo watched, mystified, as Kade stalked out of the clearing.

“It’s raining,” Theo called after him. “Let me drive you home!”

Kade didn’t look back. “Oh, and drop me off a block away after I spend the whole ride curling up like a pillbug in the backseat? I’ll walk.”

“You can sit up front?—”

“I’ll walk ,” Kade repeated, all barbs and venom. The back of his head was a slick curve, set alight when another flash of lightning streaked across the sky. He looked like a boy out of a fairy tale right before he gets eaten.

Later, Theo would curse himself for not chasing after Kade. Slinging him over his shoulder and burlap-sacking him back to the car. But his pride was stung, and Theo wasn’t in the business of reaching out. Especially not if the hand was liable to get bitten.

So Theo just stood there and watched the trees swallow him.