There was something worse. She'd been hungry for some time now, and now she was starting to feel breathless. But she wasn' t the dazed, unthinking animal she'd been last night. She didn't want to attack some human on the street.
"This is the place," Ash said. It was a side street, dark and not c rowded like the Strip. He pulled into an alley. "Okay, just let me see if they're in."
On either side of them were high buildings with cinder-block walls. Above, tiers of power lines obscured the sky.
Ash knocked at a door set in the cinder blocka door with no knob on the outside. There was no sign on the door, either, just some crudely spray-painted graffiti. It was a picture of a black dahlia.
Poppy stared at a Dumpster and tried to control her breathing.
In, out. Slow and deep. It 's ok ay, there's air. It may not feel like it, but there's air.
The door opened and Ash beckoned to her.
"This is Poppy," Ash said, putting an arm around her as Poppy stumbled inside. The place looked like a shop--a shop with herbs and candles and crystals.
And lots of other weird things that Poppy didn't recognize.
Witchy-looking supplies.
"And these are my cousins. That's Blaise, and that's Thea."
Blaise was a striking girl with masses of dark hair and lots of curves. Thea was slimmer and blond. They both kept going out of focus as Poppy's vision blurred.
"Hi," she said, the longest greeting she could manage.
"Ash, what's wrong with you? She's sick. What have you been doing to her?" Thea was looking at Poppy with sympathetic brown eyes.
"Huh? Nothing," Ash said, looking surprised, as if noticing Poppy's state for the first time. Poppy guessed he wasn't the type to worry about other people's discomfort. "She's hungry, I guess. We'll have to run out and feed-"
"Oh, no, you don't. Not around here. Besides, she's not going to make it," Thea said. "Come on, Poppy, I'll be a donor this once."
She took Poppy by the arm and led her through a bead curtain into another room. Poppy let herself be towed. She couldn't think anymore-and her whole upper jaw was aching. Even the word feed sharpened her teeth.
I need ... I have to ...
But she didn't know how. She had. a vision of her own face in the mirror, silvery eyes and savage canines. She didn't want to be an animal again ,and jump on Thea and rip her throat. And she couldn't ask how-that would give her away as a new vampire for sure. She stood, trembling, unable to move.
CHAPTER 15
Come on, it's okay," Thea said. She seemed to be about Poppy's age, but she had a gentle, sensible air that gave her authority. "Sit down. Here." She set Poppy on a shabby couch and extended her wrist. Poppy stared at the wrist for an instant and then remembered.
James, giving her blood from his arm. That was how to do it.
Friendly and civilized.
She could see pale blue veins under the skin. And that sight blasted away the last of her hesitation. Instinct took over and she grabbed Thea's arm. The next thing she knew she was drinking.
Warm salty-sweetness. - Life. Relief from pain. It was so good that Poppy could almost cry. No wonder vampires hated humans, she thought dimly. Humans didn't have to hunt for this marvelous stuff; they were full of it already.
But, another part of her mind pointed out, Thea wasn't a human. She was a witch. Strange, because her blood tasted exactly the same. Poppy's every sense confirmed it.
So witches are just humans, but humans with special powers, Poppy thought. Interesting.
It took an effort to control herself, to know when to stop. But she did stop. She let go of Thea's wrist and sat back, a little embarrassed, licking her lips and teeth. She didn't want to meet Thea's brown eyes.
It was only then that she realized she'd been keeping her thoughts shielded during the entire process. There had been no mental connection as there had been when she shared blood with James. So she'd mastered one vampire power already.
Faster than James or Ash had expected.
And she felt good now. Energetic enough to do the
Netherlands skippy dance. Confident enough to smile at Thea.
"Thank you," she said.
Thea smiled back, as if she found Poppy odd or quaint, but nice. She didn't seem suspicious. "It's okay," she said, flexing her wrist and grimacing gently.
For the first time Poppy was able to look around her. This room was more like a living ro om th an part of a shop. Besides the couch there was a TV and several chairs. At the far end was a large table with candles and incense burning.
"This is the teaching room," Thea said. "Grandma does spells here and lets the students hang out."
"And the other part is a store," Poppy said, cautiously because she didn't kn ow what she was supposed to know.
Thea didn't look surprised. "Yes. I know you wouldn't think there'd be enough witches around here to keep us in business, but actually they come from all over the country. Grandma's famous. And her students buy a lot."
Poppy nodded, looking properly impressed. She didn't dare ask more questions, but her chilly heart had warmed just a tiny bit. All Night People weren't harsh and evil. She had the feeling she could be friends with this girl if given the chance.
Maybe she could make it in the Night World after all.
"Well, thanks again," she murmured softly.
"Don't mention it. But don't let Ash get you run down like that, either. He's so irresponsible."
"You wound me, Thea. You really do," Ash said. He was standing in the doorway, holding the bead curtain open with one hand. "But come to think of it, I'm feeling a little run down myself...." He raised his eyebrows insinuatingly.
"Go jump in Lake Mead, Ash," Thea said sweetly.