We walked out the door, no trace of sunlight in the inky black sky. I sniffed the air, searching out the scent of the nearest human, then stopped when I saw Lexi staring at me with a knowing look.
Instead of turning left, toward the bustle of Bourbon Street, she turned right, snaking through side streets until we reached a forest. Above us the trees were bare and ghostly against the dark night sky, the moon our only light.
"There are deer here," Lexi said, "and squirrels, bears, rabbits. I think theres a den of foxes that way," she added, walking into the thick, mossy woods. "Their blood smells earthier than human blood, and their hearts beat much more rapidly."
I followed her lead. Quickly and silently, we darted from tree to bush without disturbing the underbrush. In a way, it felt like we were playing a game of hide-and-seek, or just playing at hunting, the way young schoolboys do. After all, as a human, Id always carried a weapon on the hunt. Now all I had were my fangs.
Lexi held up a hand. I paused, midstep, my eyes darting everywhere. I didnt see anything but thick trunks and racing ants in jagged stumps. Then, without warning, Lexi lunged. When she stood up, blood was dripping from her fangs, and a self-satisfied smile appeared on her face. A creature lay on the fallen leaves, its legs bent as if it were still mid-run.
She gestured to the lump of orangish-red fur. "Fox isnt bad. Would you like to try it?"
I knelt down, my lips curling as they made contact with the rough fur. I forced myself to gingerly take a sip of liquid, though, as I knew it was what Lexi wanted. I sucked in, and immediately the blood seared my tongue. I spit it out violently.
"Fox is an acquired taste, I suppose," Lexi said as she knelt on the ground by my side. "More for me, at least!"
While Lexi fed, I leaned against a tree trunk and listened to the rustling sounds of the forest. The breeze shifted, and suddenly the scent of iron-rich blood was everywhere. It was sweet and spicy, and it wasnt coming from Lexis fox.
Somewhere, nearby, there was a human heart, beating out seventy-twothu-thudsa minute.
Cautiously I slipped past Lexi, and ventured out past the perimeter of the forest. Set up on the edge of the lake was a shantytown. Tents were pitched at every angle, and makeshift clotheslines ran between wooden posts. The whole setup looked haphazard, as if the inhabitants knew theyd have to pick up and relocate at any second.
The camp looked deserted save for one woman who was bathing, the moonlight striking her ivory skin. She was humming to herself, washing the caked dirt off her hands and face.
I hid behind a large oak tree, pretending to take the woman by surprise. But then a large painted poster on a neighboring tree caught my eye. I took a step toward it. A branch cracked, the woman whirled around, and I could sense Lexi behind me.
"Stefan," Lexi murmured, obviously aware of the unfolding scene. But this time, I was the one to hold up my hand to silence her. Mist floated over the portrait on the sign, but the printing was clear:PATRICK GALLAGHERS FREAK SHOW: VAMPIRE VERSUS BEAST. BATTLE TO THE DEATH! OCTOBER 8.
I blinked, and the portrait swam into my vision. It was of a dark-haired man with chiseled features and pale-blue eyes. His teeth were bared, his canines elongated, and he was crouched opposite a snarling mountain lion.
I knew the face on the poster better than I knew my own. It was Damon.
Chapter 13
Damon. Death.
The words swam in my mind as I tried to make sense of what I was seeing. Damon was alive. But who knew for how long? If he had been captured, he was undoubtedly weak. How could he face a ravenous beast in a battle and survive?
Anger tore through my body, along with the familiar ache of my fangs elongating. I ripped down the sign with a snarl.
"What is it?" she hissed, her own fangs bared.
I held up the paper.
"My brother," I said, staring without comprehension at the poster. The picture made him look like a monster. My eye twitched. "The battle is in two days."
Lexi nodded, taking in the portrait.
"Gallagher found him," she said, almost to herself.
I shook my head, not understanding what she meant.
She sighed. "Big businessman. He owns a lot of places in town, including a two-bit circus and freak show. Always looking for curiosities to display, and people always seem to find the money to attend. Your brother--"
"Damon," I said, cutting her off. "His name is Damon."
"Damon," Lexi said gently, tracing the image with her fingers.
"He doesnt deserve this," I said, almost to myself. "I need to help him. But " I trailed off. But what? How could I possibly save him?
"Well need to find him," Lexi decided. She brushed leaves and dirt from the back of her pants. "Do you trust me?"
Did I have a choice? My hunger forgotten, I followed her through the forest and back to the wide, silent streets of the city.
"Gallagher lives somewhere in the Garden District with all the other nouveaux riches. On Laurel Street, I think," Lexi murmured as we wove our way to the center of town. "This has happened before, soon after Gallagher arrived in New Orleans five years ago."
"What happened?" I asked, following closely behind her in the shadows.
"He found a vampire. Hes good at finding us. Or maybe were good at finding him. But the other vampire wasnt part of my family. And " She stopped suddenly.
"What happened to him?"
But Lexi merely shook her head. Wed arrived at the Garden District, where the streets were wide and the lawns hugging the sherbet-colored Victorian houses were lush and expansive.
"Here." She stopped at a pistachio-hued mansion enclosed by an open wrought-iron fence. Magnolias and calla lilies spilled over the gate, and the air smelled like mint. Just beyond, I could see an enormous herb garden that took up a fifth of the property. I recoiled as we walked closer, as the garden grew a generous amount of vervain.