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CHAPTER TWENTY

For the third time in two weeks, Principal Kelly called an assembly.

“I’m sure you’ve all heard by now that Ryan Emmerson has gone missing,” he began, which Theo thought was a strange way to put it. Delilah Emmerson had gone missing. Ryan Emmerson had been stolen out of their goddamn house by an ancient vampire. And they weren’t the only thing Victor stole.

It broke into some old hunting shit, Felicity had told them last night, her mother holding her still to wipe the blood off her eyebrow. Family hadn’t looked at it for decades. But he was holding a dress when he dragged Ryan away. White and flowy, like in the book.

“And I’m sure you know that it is official: we have an animal terrorizing our streets,” Principal Kelly continued. “Witnesses described it as very large and potentially winged?—”

“Holy shit,” called someone from the crowd. “It’s a real-life vampire!”

“It’s mothman,” another guy yelled.

A wave of laughter swept over the hall.

Theo looked at Kade, who was standing uncannily still beside him. It was the sort of joke that would make Kade hide a smile. But his face was blank, gaze aimed straight ahead. Listening to the whispers, Theo realized. Even though Theo had warned him not to. He’d already caught a few nervous barks aimed at Kade as they filed into the hall. Theo had to stop himself from growling back. Not just out of indignation—they still didn’t know if Kade was safe to be here. If he could hold himself back.

Principal Kelly glared out as the hall fell silent. “Your classmate is dead . Others are missing. This is no time for jokes.” He cleared his throat and stood back from the microphone. “Alrighty. Finn Harley has kindly volunteered to pass on some valuable information about staying safe in these difficult times.”

Kade finally looked over. What the hell, he mouthed.

Theo nodded, watching incredulously as Finn strode out onstage, glowing with smug excitement. He looked like how Kade used to describe himself during his brief phase as a child magician: he had something up his sleeve that he was too excited to hide.

“Alright folks,” Finn said, leaning into the microphone so close it let out a burst of feedback.

Everyone winced. No one more than Theo and Kade, both of whom had to bite back twin yelps of pain.

“Asshole,” Kade hissed.

“Got that right,” Theo muttered.

Finn leaned back with a nervous laugh. “Sorry! Anyway, let’s get this show on the road. There’s a monster on the loose!”

Theo watched his classmates trade looks. Everybody had heard about the description Mr. Emmerson had given before immediately taking it back— it was taller than any of us, and it had wings. Nobody had mentioned wings after that, it sounded too ridiculous. But Lock was a small town. Word got around. However much the officials wanted to use the word animal , everybody was whispering about monsters. About the sudden spike in dead animals in the woods. About Skeeter and Victor Fairgood, their bodies ripped apart and left to rot.

“If you find yourself at the monster’s door,” Finn continued. “Get out your pepper spray and your pocketknife. Blind the bastard, then stab him in the throat!”

“Okay,” Principal Kelly said, stepping up. “That isn’t what we discussed.”

“Joking! I’m joking, sir.” Finn flashed him a smile, reaching like he was going to straighten the man’s tie before chickening out and flicking his collar instead.

“But seriously,” Finn said, turning back to the audience. “This is some real sh—I mean, stuff. Use the buddy system! Don’t let your friends out of your sight! If you have no friends, grab the other friendless losers—I mean, people—and team up. Strangers in numbers! Divided we fall, Lockians! Stay safe out there.”

He paused, glancing back at the principal. Theo waited for whatever clumsy shit he’d been hiding up his sleeve to come out. He was too far to quit now.

“And remember,” Finn said, so close to the microphone that it spat out another hiss of static and made everyone flinch again. “My birthday party is in TWO DAYS, and if you want to break out your wings and fangs?—”

Principal Kelly surged up and twisted the microphone away.

“We’re picking winners,” Finn yelled. “Best costume gets a mystery prize!”

He ducked away from a security guard who was advancing onto the stage, but not before rummaging in the podium and pulling out a vampire mask. He shoved it on, letting out a pathetic screech before running offstage.

“Well,” Principal Kelly said into the chorus of murmurs breaking out through the room. “That was…deeply indecent.”

Theo didn’t listen to the rest. The hall was too loud, a cacophony of hushed anxiety and shock and genuine laughter. There was someone trying not to cry in the back of the hall, muffling their sobs.

A senior turned to shoot a snarl at Kade, teeth bared. “Guess we better get our pepper spray, Monster.”

Kade twitched. His lips peeled back.

“Don’t,” Theo whispered.

Kade glared at him. He looked exhausted, even though they’d been out hunting last night. Two more deer gone. They were running out fast, and still Kade wasn’t satisfied.

The rest of the talk passed without incident. Theo stuck by Kade’s side as they filed out of the hall, picking out Principal Kelly’s angry comment above the rest, muttered to a substitute teacher: “Whose bright idea was it to let that little shit onstage?”

Theo caught up with Kade as they set up the dodgeball line.

“Are you sure you’re okay to be here? We have two days, you can stay home?—”

“I’m fine,” Kade said darkly. “Until Saturday, anyway.”

Theo sighed. “Kade.”

Kade whirled on him, his eyes flickering black. “He has everything he needs, Theo! He got the dress from the Emmerson house, which means the bag Finn dragged up obviously had the spear! We’re fucked !”

“Hey,” called Mr. Wellerman, the timid teacher who reluctantly took over after Coach Cheech’s mysterious disappearance. “No swearing, Renfield. Please don’t make me send you to Principal Kelly’s office.”

“I wish you would,” Kade growled. He slurred the last word, his teeth sharpening.

Theo tugged him away. “ Hey . You said you were fine.”

“I am fine,” Kade insisted, pulling his sleeve out of Theo’s grip. He was wearing his gym uniform, his baggy shirt and tiny shorts showing more pale skin than Theo had seen on Kade since summer.

Theo pulled his gaze away from Kade’s wiry thighs and focused on the dodgeball team lining up on the other side of the orange cones.

“Okay,” Mr. Wellerman called, brandishing his whistle. “And…play ball!”

Kade surged for the closest ball. Theo held back a sigh as he watched him pace down the cones, lobbing dodgeballs with such ferocity that people fell under their force. Only a minute into the game and half the team was out, everyone staring at Kade in amazement.

“Kade,” Theo said warningly.

“I know,” Kade insisted. He picked up another dodgeball, the plastic straining under his fingers. He scanned the other team, and Theo winced as everyone scrambled not to be his next target. This was the first time Kade had put any effort into gym class, and absolutely no one was enjoying it.

Twenty more minutes and they could break for lunch. Kade had a thermos of deer blood in his locker that could tide him over until the end of the day. If he just held out until then?—

Kade hurled another dodgeball. Everyone on the other team ducked. Even a few of their own team ducked as the ball hurtled through the air, landing in Oscar Alvarez’s stomach hard enough to make him fall to his knees.

Theo tugged on Kade’s shirt. “Okay. You’re done.”

Kade wrenched his shirt from his grip. “I’m fine !”

“People are looking ,” Theo reminded him.

“God forbid,” Kade sneered, stepping up so close their noses almost brushed. “Still afraid of me embarrassing you, golden boy?”

Theo blinked. It had been a while since Kade called him that. It had been a while since anyone called him that.

“I don’t care what people think,” Theo said lowly. “As long as they don’t think certain things that they really shouldn’t know, especially not after today’s assembly?—”

“Hey,” came a wheezy voice from beyond the cone line.

Theo turned.

Oscar Alvarez was limping toward them, a hand curled over his stomach. Theo wouldn’t be surprised if it bruised. Oscar always bruised easily. He had an inhaler and chronic nosebleeds and some blood condition Theo couldn’t remember the name of. Or maybe a bone condition—he was always showing up with a new cast. Back in the day people called him Spongebob Boy, quoting that one line about glass bones and paper skin.

“That was messed up,” Oscar croaked. “Whatever fight you’re having with your boyfriend, don’t take it out on us, man.”

Kade went dangerously still. He stared at Oscar with eyes that Theo knew very well: predator eyes. The last thing that deer saw before he lunged.

The scent of iron hit him. Theo’s gaze dropped to Oscar’s nose, where a thick drop of blood was rolling toward his painted upper lip.

“Kade,” Theo warned.

Kade snarled and sprung.

Theo slammed into him, but it was too late: Kade dragged them both down on top of Oscar, who was hollering before they even hit the ground.

“Don’t,” Theo said, locking his arms around Kade’s torso. “Kade, holy shit, stop?—”

Kade hissed and spat, struggling to close the distance. Oscar had his arms up over his face, shrieking for Mr. Wellerman to intervene.

Mr. Wellerman did not intervene. He did, however, stand on the sidelines yelling for Kade and Theo to stop.

“I’m trying ,” Theo gritted, trying to calculate a way of grabbing Kade that wouldn’t burn him. He couldn’t hook his arms around Kade’s neck. Couldn’t even grab his shoulders. He was stuck with his arms locked around Kade’s torso, cursing whoever decided that gym should happen in a skimpy shirt and shorts.

Their classmates crowded a safe distance away. Some of them were barking. Others were silent, still wary of Kade’s killer aim. One boy started howling until his friend, who Theo had seen sharing manga at Ryan Emmerson’s cafeteria table, nudged him to stop.

Theo lowered his mouth as close to Kade’s head as he dared. “ Kade . This hunger, it’s not you. You don’t belong to it. You belong to me .”

Kade stopped trying to buck Theo off. He was still growling, a low thing that rumbled deep in his throat. His eyes flickered: black, gray, black. Thank god Oscar had his arms over his face and no one else was close enough to see.

“That’s it,” Theo coaxed. “Come back to me. Right now.”

Kade stopped growling. Theo almost didn’t notice—their barking classmates were getting louder.

Kade shuddered and pushed himself up, staggering. Theo grabbed the back of his shirt to steady him.

“’M fine,” Kade mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut. “I’m…I’m good. I’m fine.”

Several of their classmates bent down to help Oscar Alvarez off the floor. He was still trembling, blood dripping down his neck. He was a quiet kid, never joining in on the bullying or barking. He’d never been in a fight before. Theo bet he’d never seen someone so vicious until Kade was on top of him, teeth bared.

“Sorry,” Kade slurred. “Oscar. Sorry.”

Mr. Wellerman approached them, a clipboard held in front of him like a shield.

“You two,” he said, sounding deeply relieved he didn’t have to get involved. “Principal’s office. Now.”

“On it,” Theo said. He pulled Kade away. Kade’s gaze stuck on Oscar’s bloody makeup all the way out of the gym.

Theo marched him to the disabled bathroom and locked the door.

“It’s okay,” he told Kade. “Hey. Nobody got hurt. How are you feeling?”

Kade laughed wetly.

“I’m fine,” he croaked. “I’m fine. I’m good . I’m…”

His lip trembled. Theo watched him pull it into a snarl, try to make himself become the guy everyone was afraid of. For a second it even stuck, his new vampire instincts kicking in. Then his whole face crumpled.

He dropped to the floor, burying his head in his knees.

Theo followed, squeezing his shorts-clad thigh. “Kade.”

“I’m a monster,” Kade blurted, black tears spilling down his cheeks. “Shit. I wanted to stop giving reasons for people to call me a monster, and then I go and do that . I bit the crap out of Felicity, you have to tackle me every hunt so I don’t go crazy and run out into the road and chase down a minivan. Why is it so hard? Everybody was right about me. I really am a monster. I’m a monster and I’m doomed?—”

“Stop it.” Theo grabbed his shirt, wishing more than ever that they were wearing gloves. Theo would give anything to touch his face right now, to make Kade focus those big gray eyes on him. “That’s not true.”

Kade shoved his hands off. “Don’t pull that shit, man. I’ve known it since I was born, even before that. I’m a monster and I’m going to die on Saturday, and everyone out there is going to cheer! Ding-dong, Monster’s dead?—”

“They don’t know you!” Theo yelled. “Not like I do. I’ve been trapped with you for a while, and I know you’re good and kind and…and sweet, you’re so stupidly sweet under all your goddamn spikes.”

He rubbed Kade’s gym shirt, the ache to touch him throbbing like a heartbeat.

“And I know that I love you,” he continued.

Kade’s face collapsed again. “Theo?—”

“You’re going to make clothes and I’m gonna—I don’t know, forage. Cook. Be a landscaper. Whatever we do, we’ll do it together.” Theo bent down and kissed Kade’s gym shirt, right over his heart. “Just two more nights, baby. Everything’s gonna be fine. Okay?”

Kade snorted, wiping his black-streaked cheeks. He still didn’t believe, Theo could tell. But he would lie, for him.

“Okay,” Kade whispered.