Page 49 of This Blood That Binds Us

“What’s wrong?”

“Something weird just happened . . . and it’s happened before.”

I had to turn away from him to think back to why that interaction felt so familiar. The blank stare on the girl’s face. The lifelessness in her features reminded me of the guy fromthe gym, the one I had bumped into on the way to the water fountain. He had the exact same look in his eye.

“Kim? You’re freaking me out.”

“Aaron, tell me every vampire power you know about.” I moved out of the way to the entrance and just outside the sliding doors.

“Uh, okay. Super strength, killer hearing, good sense of smell, speedy—”

“What about any type of psychic power, anything to do with the mind?”

Like the flip of a lightbulb, Aaron’s face lit up.

“You know...my brothers did tell me about this thing. I can’t do it yet. Kind of like a memory lapse thing.”

I frowned. “And you’re just now telling me? Tell me how it works.”

“I forgot! Presley and I are too young to do it, and my brothers can only do it for a few seconds. So, it’s pointless. Basically, I was talking to them, then, two seconds later, I noticed my arm hurt. They told me it was because they punched me. But I didn’t remember. I still don’t.”

“When you said you’re too young...do you mean that, the older you are as a vampire, the more psychic ability you might have?”

“I think.. .that’s a good assumption. Why? Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“It may be a good way to find our vampire. Think about it. The vampire who attacked me was likely watching me at the frat party. I bet there’s evidence somehow at the party. Maybe he compelled someone there.”

“Compelled? Like wiped memories, you mean?”

“Yes, or what if it’s more...what if they can make people do things?” I ran my fingers through my hair and tucked it behind my ears. I desperately wanted to keep my train of thought going.

Aaron bounced on one foot to the other. “I don’t know if I’m following but keep going.”

“All we need to do is think back to the party and figure out if anything strange happened, anything out of the ordinary.”

Aaron frowned. “Shit. I’m not going to be any help. I was drunk off my ass the whole night.”

“I know. But think...can you remember anything weird anyone said or did at the party?”

Aaron rubbed his forehead. “What about that guy! That guy that grabbed you at the party. Uh, Danny!”

“He was probably just a creep.”

“Maybe, but he did cause you to leave the party.”

“You’re right! Maybe, when he touched me, it did something.. .or maybe he was setting everything up to make me leave. You’re a genius!”

“Me? No, don’t give me the credit for your great ideas.” Aaron moved us out of the way before an old lady was about to ram us with her grocery cart. “What do we do now?”

I smiled. “We find him.”

“This is abad idea.” I paced back and forth, my sneakers squeaking on the gym court.

Kim sat with her legs dangling over some dirty wrestling mats. It was the first time I’d seen her hair up. It was pulled into a ponytail, with soft wisps caressing her face.

For days, we tried to track down Danny. I had talked to all the guys in my hall and tried to find any mutuals, but no one knew him. Zach and Luke didn’t know anything other than he wasn’t welcomed back to the house for any reason and to tell them if I did see him. I didn’t even bother asking Presley, since he would want to know why.

I thought we might be at another stall until Kimberly called me in the middle of the night. She remembered that Danny was on the swim team.