

The Amish Bloodsuckers Trilogy
Part One

Chosen

Chosen

The Amish Bloodsuckers Trilogy
Part One

Copyright October 1, 2012 by

Barbara Ellen Brink

Smashwords Edition License Notes:

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced

in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

~~~

Cover Art by Katharine A. Brink

Edited by Nancy Hudson

~~~

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or undead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Table of Contents

Chosen_1_An alien Amish freak

Chosen_2_This little piggy

Chosen_3_Cool as a Cadillac

Chosen_4_The smell of a good slayer

Chosen_5_Slayer should be seen not heard

Chosen_6_They suck blood not dust

Chosen_7_Valley of indecision

Chosen_8_Tourist trap

Chosen_9_A date with destiny

Chosen_10_Rumors rising

Chosen_11_Girls just wanna have fun

Chosen_12_A night to remember

Chosen_13_Bigger they are harder fall

Chosen_14_Fight club

Chosen_15_Wolf or dog-faced boy

Chosen_16_A savage tale

Chosen_17_Everyone talks

Chosen_18_A place to call home

Chosen_19_The Exodus

Chosen_20_BO of the undead

Chosen_21_The Shadow knows

Chosen_22_Return to sender

Chosen_23_Pre-birthday jitters

Chosen_24_Truth and consequences

Chosen_25_The hammer mightier than sword

Chosen_26_Taken

Chosen_27_Night Ops

Chosen_28_Blood is thicker than water

Chosen_29_Shattered

Sample chapter shunned

About the author

Connect with author online

Chapter 1

An alien Amish freak

The arid landscape stretched for miles in all directions. Nothing moved in the hot Nevada sun but a lone tumbleweed, tossed about by a sudden phantom whirlwind sending up a spiral of dust and debris. It petered out within moments, releasing the tumbleweed as suddenly as it was caught up.

Miriam watched the particles fall back to earth. She felt a kinship to the tumbleweed, being blown across the country, here and there, never quite sure when the next move would occur, whether they would fall on safe ground or land in the middle of trouble. She was tired. Tired of running. Tired of hiding. Tired of preparing for an endgame that remained elusively out of sight. She often thought of Harrison Ford in The Fugitive and knew that if she were standing at the top of a dam and her enemies were pressing in behind, she would definitely take a flying leap and risk her life and the lives of her family in the pounding water hundreds of feet below. Anything rather than return to stand trial in the place she started from, tried by the creatures she once knew as family and friends. The outcome was already written, forged by the blood of those who had gone before.

She planted her feet against the rough wood planks of the deck and stopped the bench-swing in mid-motion. A bead of sweat slipped from under her bangs and she wiped it away with the back of her hand before it could plop down onto the sewing in her lap. Some habits were hard to break. Sewing and mending came second nature, even though they could well afford to buy new. She finished stitching up the seam that had come apart on a pair of her daughter's pants and bit off the thread.

"What are you doing out here? It's sweltering," Jesse said, appearing at her elbow without a sound. Her husband could sneak up on a Leprechaun and steal the pot of gold before the little man had time to plant it at the end of a rainbow. He sank down on the bench beside her and slipped an arm around her shoulders.

"Just thinking." She reached out and rested her hand on his thigh. She could feel hard muscle beneath the fabric of his baggy shorts. "You been working out again?"

"A little. What's up?"

She released a quiet sigh. "You ever wish we could live like other people? Eat out, join a bowling league, shop at malls, maybe take a family vacation to Mount Rushmore or something?"

His eyes narrowed, but his voice teased. "What are you saying? You'd rather be married to a chubby, bald guy who likes to eat at the Rib-Fest every Friday night, works for the local contractor's union, and sits in front of a TV watching football and drinking Bud light?"

"If that chubby, bald guy was you."

"Good answer," he said and grinned, "Because I noticed this morning in the mirror that my hair looked a little thin on top."

"Definitely your imagination." She laughed and reached up to push her fingers through his shoulder length mane, loving the feel of it. His hair, the color of burnt caramel and just as thick, was one of the first things that attracted her to Jesse. She couldn't imagine him without it flowing around his shoulders like a modern day Samson. "Your hair is thicker than Bruno's," she said, glancing toward their three-year-old Irish Wolfhound lounging at the bottom of the steps in the shade of the house. At mention of his name, the giant dog lifted his head, his tongue lolling from the side of his mouth. With no further acknowledgment, he laid it down again and let out a heavy sigh.

"So what's really bothering you?" Jesse asked, as she leaned her head against his shoulder. He shoved off with one foot and sent the swing rocking again.

Despite the heat, she savored his closeness, cherishing these moments when she had him all to herself. He'd become so preoccupied with security and training and revenge. It made her wish for plain and simple times. "Same thing as the past sixteen years I suppose. Just a little homesick for Minnesota."

"We can't go back there yet. Even the weather is on their side. The desert is the only place I can be sure to keep you safe."

"I know." She reached up and ran her hand along his cheek, the scritch of whiskers rough against her palm. "Everything depends on timing. She has to be prepared – thoroughly trained, and psychologically ready. As a Shunned One I understand all that. But as her mother...it terrifies me."

He pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. "Me too."

"What are you two doing out here?"

Miriam, startled by her daughter's sudden appearance, laughed against her husband's chest. "She's just like you," she muttered softly.

"I heard that, Mom," her daughter said from where she stood hovering behind the swing. She stepped around to face them, her arms crossed over her chest. In black stretch pants, a baggy, black t-shirt with the sleeves chopped off, and her feet bare, she looked like a homeless ninja. "You know, teenagers don't want to hear that they're just Xeroxed copies of their parents. Personally, I like to think I'm an original individual."

"You're original all right," Miriam said, unsure whether her daughter understood just how original she was.

On the one hand, she was like any other teenage girl. She wanted to be popular, have a cute boy ask her out, be able to eat junk food without breaking out in pimples, and stay up late texting friends and reading romance novels. The simple things in life. At least the simple life she'd known. On the other hand, she was chosen, like Jael in the Old Testament, her namesake, who drove a tent spike through the head of evil Sisera. Since birth, they had been training and preparing her for this very thing. Yet, it would not be easy to explain to a girl who wanted to fit in, to maybe have a sleepover with girlfriends on Friday night or go to a movie at the mall without her father hovering in the back row.

"Did you finish practicing all the new moves I showed you?" Jesse asked, absently running his fingers over the smooth wood of the swing back. He still loved to work with wood, building and shaping objects of strength and purpose. Nothing too fancy or elaborate, but solid and dependable. The swing was his gift to Miriam at Christmas.

Jael nodded and skipped down the porch steps to sit on the bottom rung and stroke Bruno's head. "Can Brianna come over Saturday afternoon and hang out? We need to work on our science project together. She could sleep over and go to church with us Sunday morning. That way we'd only have to make one trip to town to take her home."

Miriam felt her husband tense, his answer already showing in the set of his jaw. She gripped his leg to ward off a brusque denial and spoke to the back of her daughter's head. "Honey, I don't think that would be a very good idea. It's a long drive out here and her parents probably have much better things to do on a Saturday afternoon. Why don't you plan to work on your project together in the science lab after school Monday, and I'll just pick you up a little later than usual. Maybe I can do my grocery shopping or something and kill two birds with one stone."

"I knew it!" Jael turned around and glared back at them. "You never let me do anything fun. Brianna is the first real friend I've ever had! She doesn't mind that I can't go to any of the school activities, that I'm forced to wear the most hideous fashions, and that I live in the middle of nowhere. She likes me anyway. All I want to do is act like a normal person for a change. Can't you understand that?"

"We do understand that, Jael. But you need to understand that we are very private people and having visitors to the house is not..."

"Not a good idea? You've been using that lame excuse like forever! Why isn't it a good idea? Are you on the FBI's most wanted list or something?"

"Jael," Jesse said, his tone brooked no argument. "Drop it. Your mother said no visitors."

She stood up and faced them, hands on slim hips. "Most of the kids at school think I'm some kind of freak. Am I a freak? An alien or something? Is that why we hide out here in the desert? Make sure nobody gets too close?"

"Jael!"

Miriam stood up and approached the steps. "Yes. We are a family of aliens." She glanced back at her husband. His lips were set in a thin line, but he nodded. She continued, holding her daughter's angry gaze with steady resolve. "We should have told you before, but we wanted to preserve your childhood for as long as possible."

Jael frowned, confusion masking underlying fear. "What are you talking about? I was just kidding."

"I know. But I'm not."

"Thee art no freak, daughter. Thee art Amish." Jesse stood beside Miriam and tried to lighten the news by speaking like Weird Al Yankovic in his video spoof of Amish life. The video had rankled him when it first came out, but now he seemed to find humor in it. Or at least pretend to.

Jael stared at them, dark eyes wide with something akin to shock. "Have you both gone crazy?" When they didn't respond, she blew out a breath of frustration and moved past them. "Okay fine. I'll call Brianna and tell her I'm an alien Amish person and that's why I can't have visitors."

Jesse caught her arm. "You need to sit down and listen."

"No!" she said, pulling away. "I just want to be left alone."

"Jael," Miriam called out before she could disappear through the front door. "It's time to grow up and accept what you've been called to do."

She turned around, still gripping the doorknob. "I'm only fifteen, Mom." Her voice was soft and fragile and the look in her eyes was enough to put a lump in Miriam's throat. But Jael slowly released her grip on the knob and stepped toward them, back straight, chin up, the way her father had taught her. "Never show fear or weakness. Stand straight and look your enemy in the eye," he'd said many times over the years, training Jael in hand-to-hand combat.

Jesse motioned toward the empty swing. "Why don't you sit down?"

Jael sank onto the hard wood bench as though her life was coming to an end. She bit at her bottom lip, and stared up at them.

Chapter 2

This little piggy...

Jesse took Miriam's hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "We wanted to tell you this for a long time, but didn't think you were ready. Jael, you're..."

"Don't tell me that I'm adopted!" she burst out, a crease of worry between her brows. "Because I've seen pictures of Mom when she was young and I look just like her."

"You're definitely our daughter, honey." Miriam sat down beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. "No doubt."

"Then what could you possibly tell me that I'm not ready for?"

"Remember the Bible story about Jael and Sisera?" she asked, brushing a loose strand of hair out of her daughter's face.

"Of course. I've probably heard it a thousand times. Definitely a weird bedtime story for a small child. And a really weird person to name your daughter after, by the way." She rolled her eyes in that condescending teenage manner they had begun to expect in the past year or so.

"She wasn't weird. She was strong and brave. A woman you should be proud to be named for," Jesse said. "Jael wasn't just a character in a bedtime story. She lived and breathed and fought evil–every day of her life. She was chosen. As you are."

Jael opened her mouth to respond, then closed it and shook her head.

"It's true," Miriam confirmed. "You are her descendant. You have been chosen. It's been written in the Book of the Shunned."

Jael jumped up from the bench and strode to the other end of the deck. She stared out at the desert, gripping the cedar rail with both hands.

"You can't run away from this. It's who you are. What you've been trained for. Why we live this way–apart from others."

Jael's shoulders began to shake as she stood at the rail and they thought she was silently crying, until she turned around and burst out laughing.

They looked at each other and then back at their daughter. She was obviously having some kind of breakdown.

"Okay, I'm confused," she said finally, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. "So I'm really not an Amish freak? I'm actually the descendant of a woman from the Bible who pounded a tent peg through the brain of a vicious general when he fell asleep in her home." She grinned. "What have I been chosen to do exactly? Put up tents?"

"You definitely inherited your father's sense of humor," Miriam stated dryly.

"You guys are killing me. What could be so bad that you have to make up all this crazy stuff instead of telling me the truth?"

"Sorry to disappoint you, kiddo, but you are an Amish freak, as well as the chosen one." Jesse's tone had hardened. He was no longer in the mood to break it to her gently. He rubbed a hand wearily over his face and pointed at the bench swing. "Sit."

Jael plopped back down, her mouth still turned up at the corners as though waiting for the punch line. She pulled her legs up and rested her chin on her knees.

"Jael was of the Kenite people, the descendants of Zipporah, Moses' wife."

"Are you talking about Moses, the guy that parted the Red Sea and all that?"

He nodded but wouldn't be swayed from his course. "Descendants of the Kenite people give birth to a chosen daughter every third generation. She is an only child, conceived on a night of unusual circumstance, with six toes upon her right foot."

She looked down at her feet and grinned. "I'm pretty sure somebody did a miscount."

"It's true, honey," Miriam nodded. "Your feet were printed when you were born–to show to the counsel–and then I had the doctor remove the extra piggy."

Jael put her hands up as though stopping traffic. "Wait a minute! I was born with a sixth toe and you never told me? And who the heck are the counsel?"

"The counsel no longer exists," Jesse explained. "They were all killed shortly after you were born. And we didn't feel the need to tell you that you once had a sixth toe. After all, we had it removed for your protection so no one would guess who you really were before you had time to train and grow up."

"And it was gross," Miriam said with a slight shiver.

"As for the unusual circumstances..." he began, then trailed off and looked to Miriam to finish the thought.

"We left home during Rumspringa to experience the outside world and decide whether we truly wanted to live as Amish. Your father and I were in love and wanted only to be together. Our friends were running wild, drinking and partying all hours of the day and night. They were like pigs let loose in a huge mud puddle during the heat of a summer afternoon. It was horrible. I was ready to go home, be baptized and swear to the faith, but when we arrived at my parent's house, no one was around. We heard voices in the barn. It was very dark outside but there was a full moon. We moved to the West wall and peeked through the hole left there one autumn by a wayward deer hunter with bad aim." She paused, memories crashing through with aching force. She closed her eyes for a moment and breathed deep. "My brother Jacob, two years older than I, was kneeling before the Bishop and chanting. My parents were lying on the dirt floor of the barn, their faces pale even in the dim light of the lanterns. We could tell that they were dead. I wanted to scream, but no sound came out. Thank God for that, or we would have soon met our maker as well."

"They were murdered?" Jael asked, eyes wide with shock.

"They were sacrificed by the Order."

"Whose order?"

"Not that kind of order." Jesse shook his head, exasperation showing in every line of his face. "The Order is a group of monsters that have taken over the Loon Lake Amish community in Minnesota. The place where your mother and I grew up."

"As well as other Amish communities across the country," Miriam added.

Jael's blue eyes narrowed in thought. "When you say monsters..." she began tentatively.

"I mean monsters," he said. They were matter-of-fact words that begged to be denied.

Eyes wide, she sent a hopeful glance toward her mother.

"Vampires."

Jael put her legs down and leaned forward, her hands gripping the edge of the bench seat. "So, all those stories you told me...those monsters we pretended to fight...those stakes I planted in straw bales and stuffed bad guys...were actually getting me ready to fight real vampires?"

Jesse nodded. "Amish Bloodsuckers. The worst kind."

Chapter 3

Cool as a Cadillac

Monday afternoon Jael moved down the empty school hallway, her Uggs making a soft scuffing sound against hard linoleum. She glanced in the open door of the offices as she passed. Mrs. Brant, head down, still sat at her desk typing on her keyboard. Everyone else had apparently cleared out for the day.

Further down the hall she saw Mr. Coffey, the school janitor, on his hands and knees outside the gymnasium doors, scrubbing. Probably cleaning up blood or puke. Every time the basketball team practiced, Tim Graves seemed to have an accident. Once he fell in a puddle of sweat after a game and broke his nose – then threw up – because he always got sick at the sight of blood. At least that's what she'd heard. She never got to attend games and cheer for the team like a normal teenager with school spirit. Not that she really had school spirit, but it would have been nice to have the option.

Harriet Thompson High School's Tumbleweeds were a scraggly, assortment of guys, most of which would never make the team if the school were actually big enough to have try-outs. As it was, anyone who came to practice was automatically a first-stringer. Only Brent Baumgartner sat on the bench, and that was because he had scoliosis so bad he wore a back brace and tended to hook the ball to the left when he passed. But he had to be on the team to attend their weekly pizza parties, so he suited up and handed the other guys towels and water whenever they called time-out.

She pulled open the door of the science lab and looked around. Brianna wasn't here yet. She was probably still at volleyball practice. Her parents thought she should be involved in something other than cerebral endeavors. They actually said that to her– cerebral endeavors – who talked like that? Brianna's parents did. They were both physicists and when they weren't deep in research, they pushed their daughter to break out of the scientific mold they'd hatched her in and try to be a real girl. Sort of like Pinocchio, only without the long nose.

Her friend was petite in stature and features, with wide blue eyes and carefully arranged blonde hair. She looked like one of those porcelain dolls an artist would create for display and not for actual play. But Brianna managed to come alive whenever she was in a science lab and that's what Jael counted on.

Science was not Jael's strong suit, or even her weak suit for that matter. She hated science and believed it would be best to leave all research and experimentation to those more fitted, like white-haired old men in secret government installations underground.

She flipped the lights on and set her book bag on an empty table. Her mom would be picking her up in less than an hour and they hadn't even started on their project. She hoped Brianna had some ideas because she was a blank slate.

The door opened and Brianna walked in, a huge smile turning her perfect features even more perfect. "Hey, Jael! Sorry I'm late. Practice went a little long. Coach had to give the whole, rah! rah! working together as a team, speech after Sabrina brought a note from her doctor excusing her from tomorrow night's game."

Jael rolled her eyes. "No way! Is she crazy?"

She nodded. "Pretty much. The note said she's bi-polar and ADD. Everyone already knew that, but Coach thinks anger gives you the winning edge. She works at getting us mad before every game. If Sabrina were contagious she'd manage to get us all infected. She'll never let her quit. Apparently the little fiasco at last week's game in Bunkerville – when Sabrina punched the guard on the other team – was just an accident. At least that's the official story."

Jael slipped into a chair and pulled her notebook out of her bag. "Well, I didn't have many ideas," she said, slowly opening to the section where she'd doodled and scribbled words and designs on a couple pages of notebook paper during class earlier in the day. The teacher had given them time to work on their projects or at least come up with a project, but as usual her mind was elsewhere. She glanced over what she'd drawn. Sketches of staked vampires and dripping blood filled the paper. Along with a couple hearts and arrows with the initials, JF + LS inside. Lyle was so hot. "Hope you have something better," she said.

"Better than cartoons?" Brianna grinned and shook her head. "You never cease to amaze me with your academic prowess."

"Whatever." Jael leaned back in the chair with a creak of metal castors on tile. "Everyone can't be like you – the popular, pretty, science nerd, genius. Somebody has to be a below average student, with a terrible sense of fashion and no friends. Otherwise the world would be so boring."

"That's true." Brianna whipped out her notebook and opened it to a full page of neat, cursive handwriting and diagrams. "That's why I already have it all written down right here. You don't even need to draw one more of those toothy creatures for extra credit. I think we have an easy A."

"We?" Jael grinned. "I like the sound of that."

Brianna laughed. "I thought you would." She shoved the notebook back into her book bag. "Since we're already ahead of the game, let's get out of here and have some fun before your mom comes to pick you up."

"I'm really sorry the overnight thing didn't work out, Brianna. My parents are just so..." She didn't know how to say: My parents are paranoid because I'm the only hope for a bunch of Amish people in Minnesota and they don't want anything to happen to me before I've been thoroughly trained to kill vamps and set the Amish free.

"Over protective?" Brianna shrugged and moved toward the door. "Everyone's parents are weird, Jael. Don't worry about it. Mine have their quirks too. Did you see what my dad wore the other day when he dropped me off? I swear he lives in an alternate universe where nerds are gods."

"Where are we going?" Jael asked, following her friend into the hallway. She flipped the light switch off before the door swung shut behind her.

"To the coffee shop. It's where all the cool kids hang out after school. Didn't you know?" Brianna slung her bag over her shoulder and slanted a glance toward the janitor still on his knees, scrubbing. "That's why I'm getting my college degree," she said with a sniff. "I hate blood stains."

"Better not hang out with me then," Jael mumbled under her breath as they pushed through the exit door into the late afternoon sunshine.

The school parking lot was nearly empty. A few crows pecked at a flattened lunch sack on the hot pavement. The scavengers cawed and flew a few feet away at their approach, but were back eating sun-broiled bologna and cheese within seconds.

"Isn't it like three blocks away?" Jael asked, squinting up at the sun. "It's still stinking hot out here."

"Don't worry. I have a car." She pointed at an old gray Cadillac parked across the lot. "Got it for my birthday. The parents thought I should have a cool vehicle to cruise around in."

Jael put her arm around her friend and squeezed. "Don't worry, I'm sure it's very cool in that alternate universe your dad's from."

She had to admit the car was comfy, plush seats and lots of room for her long legs, although Brianna's seat was moved as far up as it would go, so her feet fit comfortably on the peddles. The girl was short! The stereo had terrific bass and surrounded them in sound when they turned it up to sing along with Kelly Clarkson. There was still a lingering hint of cigarette smoke from the last owner and something that smelled like old people or menthol, but overall it was a cool car.

Brianna drove straight past the coffee shop and continued down Main Street, singing, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger..."

"Hey," Jael bumped Brianna's elbow to get her attention and hooked a thumb over her shoulder, "the coffee shop's back there."

Brianna shot her a grin and kept on singing. She turned left at the next street and slowed as they approached Sunburn Park. A group of kids lounged in the meager shade of a cluster of Acacia trees, smoking and laughing. She recognized the back of Lyle's blonde head and shoulders. Her heart did a flip-flop and she slumped in her seat. "Keep going!"

"Don't you want to talk to him? I'm sure you two would hit it off. He's terrible at Science too." Brianna pulled the car along the curb and slipped it into park. "Come on. You're not afraid of a boy, are you?"

Jael shook her head, and slid lower in the seat. "No, I'm afraid of rejection from a boy."

"Jael, you're beautiful and fun to be around. What could he possibly reject in that?" She opened her door and stepped out. "You coming?"

"No," she said, but she opened the door and climbed out anyway.

Brianna was already heading toward the group of kids, so she grudgingly trudged along behind, wishing she was wearing shorts and flip-flops like her friend instead of Uggs and a skirt. She felt a trickle of sweat slip down her spine.

"Hey, Brianna. How's it going?" Jack Hitchens, the closest thing Harriet Thompson High School had to a James Dean, smiled up at them. Or rather, smiled up at Brianna. His mane of chestnut hair grew long and feathered back from his face like a modern day hippy, except he actually washed his and apparently added highlights.

"Hi, Jack." Brianna smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. She glanced away from his eager attention to the far side of the group. A scrawny kid with a book in his hand and his head down, oblivious to the rest of them, was her choice of poison. She moved toward him.

Jack glared after her, his sexy lips pooching out in a pout of resentment. Jael caught his eye and shrugged. "Nerds," she said, "can't live with'em, can't do your homework without'em."

Jack laughed and punched the kid next to him in the shoulder. "She's funny. I thought you said she was weird." The kid turned around and looked up at her.

Lyle.

Jael stared back, a sense of unease suddenly filling her insides. More than just the quivering of a lovesick puppy. She felt as if someone were watching her. Turning away – from eyes that she noticed were specked with gold – she glanced around the small park and along the street, but didn't see anything odd. She glanced back. His lashes swept down as he returned to the conversation he'd been having before he was so rudely interrupted.

Jael moved away and joined Brianna where she sat on the ground next to Aiden. "Hi, Aiden," she said, tilting her head to see the title of the book he was reading. "Wow, really? You came to the park to study the Mayan civilization?"

He looked up and licked his lips. "We learn from history or we perish."

"That's deep. Like buried, cracked pottery."

His eyes lit up. "My dad's taking me to Peru in the summer to work on an excavation. It'll be awesome!"

"Awesome," Jael agreed and rolled her eyes for Brianna's benefit.

Brianna gave what she thought was an inconspicuous jerk of her head toward Lyle. Jael found it to be more like a flashing neon sign heralding her interest in the guy. She felt the color rise in her cheeks and turned her face away. Her friend was going to kill her with kindness.

Her cell phone buzzed and she slipped it from her pocket. "Brianna, we got to go. My mom's looking for me."

"She's already at the school? I thought we had another half hour."

"Sorry." Jael stood up and smoothed her skirt.

The sun slanted downward and shadows stretched out from the trees toward the road. They said their goodbyes and climbed back in the car. Brianna made a u-turn in the road, having to back up once to clear the curb on the other side. The car was pretty big. Luckily, Sunburn, Nevada was a tired little town. Things were slow and people were laidback. Even Officer Wallace, the local traffic cop, took afternoon siestas in the shade of the giant billboard on the edge of town. Jael saw him snoozing every day when her mom drove past the sign on their way home after school.

Her mom was in the parking lot, waiting, cell phone to her ear. Probably talking to her dad and telling him how she'd gone missing for five whole minutes during the most dangerous time of the day...siesta. She sighed.

"Your mom's pretty." Brianna pulled in beside the old Suburban, her foot on the brake. "Tell her it was my idea to go to the park. Sorry if I got you in trouble." She put a hand on Jael's arm. "Call me."

"Thanks." Jael got out of the car and waved as Brianna pulled away.

Chapter 4

The smell of a good slayer

She climbed in the passenger door of her mom's truck. The air conditioner was on full-blast, filling the huge vehicle with enough cold air to cool the Mohave Desert. "Hey, Mom."

"We're on our way home," her mom said into the phone then pushed end and placed the phone in a cup holder. "Where have you been?" she demanded, her brows drawn into a frown of concern.

"Would you believe Vegas? And you know what they say about Vegas. What happens in Vegas..."

Her mother slapped her hands against the steering wheel. "Jael! This is not a joke. We were worried about you. You're not ready and we can't protect you out here."

"Protect me from what, Mom?" She shook her head, trying to understand. "I thought the danger was in Minnesota. That's why we live here, thirty miles from a one cop town, in the middle of the desert."

She dropped her head against the wheel and groaned as though explaining was nearly as painful as the day she gave birth to Jael. "Honey, you're never safe. They have scouts looking for us." She straightened and reached out a hand, brushing her fingers along her daughter's smooth cheek. "Trackers. They can smell The Chosen One from a hundred yards."

"Smell?" Jael wrinkled her nose. "I do shower daily, you know."

"They aren't like regular people. Trackers have a heightened sense of smell. They are part Native American and part...well, I'll leave the evil history to your father." She put the truck into gear and pulled out of the school parking lot, headed toward home.

Jael leaned her head against the passenger window. The glass was cool and calming. Her parents expected so much from her now. She'd just found out she was The Chosen One and all of a sudden she was supposed to act differently, think differently, and be constantly on guard against Indians. Really? Because Sunburn was full of Native Americans. She didn't know if they were Navajo, Shoshone or Paiute but being on guard against half the town might prove to be a bit tiring.

They passed the billboard where Officer Wallace snoozed in his patrol car and moments later had left Sunburn's town limits behind. Miles and miles of barren desert stretched westward, nothing but sagebrush and an occasional cactus to mar the otherwise bleak landscape. Jael squinted against the glare of the afternoon sun. The blacktop ahead seemed to ripple and writhe like a pool of water. A desert mirage.

Her mother flipped the visor down and slipped sunglasses on. She glanced at Jael and back to the road. "I don't mean to put a damper on your life, Jael. Your father and I just..." She shook her head. "We've been doing this hiding and preparing thing for so long, and now that the time is near..."

Jael twisted in her seat, throwing her arm along the back of her mom's headrest. "Near what?"

Her mom shot another glance her way and her hands tightened on the steering wheel. "Your sixteenth birthday."

"You're telling me that instead of a sweet sixteen party and a possible first kiss, I get a big sendoff to kill vamps? Wow, that sounds awesome, Mom. Definitely a Kodak moment."

"No, not awesome. It's not what I dreamed of for you at all. When I grew up in the Amish community rocking my baby sister and playing with cloth dolls, I never envisioned that my daughter would some day be the Chosen One. That you would be destined for a life of danger and darkness." Her voice shook and a tear slipped out from under her shades and down her cheek. "If I could do it myself and spare you from this destiny, I would. Believe me."

Jael bit her lip and turned back to look out the side window. "What if I don't want to be The Chosen One?" she asked, her voice small and tight in her throat.

They drove on in silence for a mile or two. Then her mom reached out and took her hand. "It's not about wanting. It never has been. Whether you accept it or not, doesn't really matter. Eventually they will realize who you are," she said, squeezing Jael's fingers tightly, "and your destiny will explode around you. Better to be prepared than caught unaware."

A semi roared past them, pulling a smooth white tanker filled with some kind of combustible liquid. It picked up speed and was soon just a dot on the road ahead. Her mom slowed to turn down their road. Chunky gravel crunched beneath the tires of the SUV, and a cloud of dust billowed up behind them, hanging in the air long after they passed. A cloud that could be followed.

Jael glanced away from the side mirror. She was beginning to feel as paranoid as her parents acted. Who was going to follow? Other than the semitrailer there hadn't been another soul on the road all the way from school.

After another mile on the gravel road, they turned into the driveway of their ranch style home. The modest house was set back from the road and penned in on three sides by a corral type fence. A few scraggly pines that someone had planted about ten years earlier gave little shade to the yard. The ground was rocky and cracked, heat making it impossible to grow grass. At least she didn't have to mow a lawn. Not since moving to Nevada.

The tool shed, about fifty yards south of the house, was open, the door moving eerily in the slight desert breeze. Her mom climbed out of the truck and looked around, one hand digging in her purse. She pulled out a tiny container of pepper spray, dropped her purse back on the truck seat and motioned for Jael to follow.

Jael had no idea what her mom was going to do with pepper spray but knew better than to argue. She moved quickly around the truck, scanning the yard and sagebrush field beyond. Nothing moved; not even one of the black-tailed jackrabbits she'd seen romping around near the house lately. "I don't see any..." she began, standing just behind her mom's left shoulder.

"Shh." She held the pepper spray out in front like a talisman and moved slowly forward toward the shed.

The high-pitched creak of the door's rusty hinges sent a tingle climbing Jael's spine. "Where's Bruno?" she whispered, her body rigid with tension. The dog normally plowed her over each day before she barely stepped foot out of the truck. The only time he'd missed greeting her after school was when he was sick from eating a bag of chocolate hearts she'd left out in her room one Valentine's day. He threw up all over and then just lay under the deck and whined.

They both stopped a few feet from the open door of the shed, her mom holding the spray can out and Jael moving into a defensive crouch. She registered the excited yip of Bruno locked inside the house in the same instant that a masked man barreled out of the shed, knocked the spray from her mom's hand and pushed her down, then turned to take on Jael.

"Jael, run!" her mom screamed, scrambling to get up from the ground where she'd fallen.

Jael measured the man with her eyes. Dressed in black from head to toe, a stocking pulled over his face, he was solidly built but not much taller than she. He moved like a pro, stepping past her mom and advancing slowly, carefully, his eyes locked with hers. Obviously, he understood that she was the one to be reckoned with. After pushing her mom around, he very well should expect a good thrashing.

She moved back, leading him further away from her mom, her hands up and ready to strike. He might be stronger but he wouldn't be faster. She circled, gaining advantage by her position. He moved to grab her and she jabbed him in the eye and whipped around to apply a jump kick to his back. He went down, rolled and was up so fast she barely had time to deflect a sharp jab to her side.

Her mom stood shakily and backed out of the way, leaving them to their dance. The man glanced her way when she bent to pick up the pepper spray again.

Jael took the distraction as an opportunity. She planted a jump kick to the man's face. He fell back with a loud grunt of pain and lay there for a second unmoving. She moved in to put him completely out of commission with a joint lock, but the man pulled a knife from his boot and swung it at her with lightening speed.

The blade nicked her leg, drawing blood. Her mom screamed and started toward her and then she heard Bruno tearing across the yard, the pads of his feet on the hard ground thumping like a horse at full gallop. The man turned to gauge Bruno's approach and Jael kicked the knife from his fingers, grabbed his hand and forced his wrist and arm into a locked position. Holding his arm behind his back she managed to bring him to his knees.

"All right, I give!" he spat out, pain tingeing his words with breathlessness.

Bruno stopped just short of biting the man's nose off, planted all four feet and growled deep in his throat, the hairs on the back of his neck standing at attention. Jael was pretty sure the intruder's neck hairs were doing the same.

She grinned. "Good boy, Bruno."

Her mother tentatively approached them. She glanced down at the open cut dripping blood into Jael's boot. "Honey, are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Find Dad." She was worried that something had happened to him.

"I'm right here, kiddo. I saw the whole thing. You did great!" He strode across the yard, following the path that Bruno had just taken. He pushed his hair back with one hand and stopped to sling an arm around his wife. "Better than I expected."

Was he in the house the whole time? Watching? What was this, a setup? She tightened her grip on the man and he grunted.

"Could you let me up now?" he gasped from beneath her.

"Let him go, Jael," her father said, laughter in his voice, "it's just your Uncle Seth."

She glared at her parents and reluctantly released the man and stepped back. Bruno growled more menacingly than before and looked ready to take over where she'd left off. "It's okay, Bruno. Good boy." She patted his head and grabbed his collar to pull him away so the man could get on his feet.

Her father stepped forward, still grinning. "That was amazing. I'm so proud of you, Jael." He tried to pull her into his arms but she stepped out of reach.

"I don't know what that was, but it wasn't funny." She shot her mother a glance. "Did you know about this? Were you just playing along with Dad's game the whole time?"

Her mom shook her head, lips pressed into a thin line. "I thought we were truly in danger, Jael. I didn't know it was Seth until he pulled the knife."

Seth laughed, a froggy croak of a voice. He pulled the mask from his face. Blonde hair spilled out. "How would you recognize my knife?"

"Not the knife. The tattoo on the back of your hand." Her mother turned and started toward the house. "Come on, Jael. Let's clean that cut so you don't get an infection."

Jael released Bruno's collar. The big dog gave Seth another warning growl before following her across the yard toward the house. He never did like her uncle and right now she didn't blame him. She stopped at the bottom of the steps and took his head in her hands, looked him in the eyes. "Guard the house, Bruno," she whispered. "No admittance."

Chapter 5

Slayers should be seen and not heard

Jael hurried up the steps and through the front door. Through the screen she saw her father and uncle still down by the shed, talking. Bruno positioned himself on the bottom step. She smiled.

"Jael, come here," her mother called from the kitchen. "We need to clean that cut with antiseptic. Who knows where Seth's knife has been."

She went into the kitchen and slumped in a chair at the table, watching her mom dig through the first-aid drawer. She called it the boo-boo drawer, because whenever she had a cut or scrape, a bug bite or sliver, her mom would find something in that drawer to make it feel better. Whether they lived in a trailer, house, or apartment, they always had a boo-boo drawer, because training to be a vampire slayer often came with mishaps.

"It's not that big a deal, Mom."

"Better to be safe than sorry. Little things can become big deals."

She shrugged.

"Are you all right?" Her mom wiped the wound with an antiseptic-soaked cotton ball and then blew gently over the cut as if she were still a little girl.

"Of course. I've had worse."

She pressed an extra large bandage over the thin slit and secured it with white tape, then looked up and met Jael's eyes. "I'm not talking about your leg, honey. I'm talking about your dad's little surprise."

Jael rolled her eyes. "What do you want me to say? That it was justified, because I need to be ready in any situation? That scaring you to death in the process was okay? No, I don't like what he did. Dad can throw whatever he wants at me, but he shouldn't have involved you." She stood up and walked to the sink, peering out into the sun-baked yard. The men were standing at the bottom of the steps now, staring Bruno in the face. His hackles were up and he seemed to be taking his guard duty very seriously. She couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?" Her mom put the bandages back in the drawer and came to stand beside her. When she saw the scene playing out on the steps she shook her head and grinned. "Jael. I can't believe you've turned Bruno against his own master."

She slipped an arm around her mother's waist. "Just call me the dog whisperer."

"Jael!" her father yelled up to the house. "Get out here and tell this dog to let us in!"

Her mother pushed her toward the door, laughing. "Go save your father from the wrath of Bruno and then come back and help me get dinner going."

Jael opened the front door and made a clicking sound with her tongue. Bruno turned his head to look up at her and whined. "Good boy. Go take a nap," she said. He slipped around the men and crawled into the shade under the deck. "What's wrong, Dad? Are you afraid of your own dog?"

Uncle Seth snorted a laugh.

Her father shot him a hard look. "Who are you to laugh, little brother? You just let a girl beat you up."

"Uncle Seth didn't let me do anything, Dad. He's lucky I didn't break his arm."

"Why didn't you? You had him in a double joint lock, after all." They moved through the door, following her into the kitchen. He slapped Seth on the back. "It would have served him right."

"Hey! You're the one who planned this little charade." Seth glared at his brother and sat at the kitchen table turning his chair to straddle it like a horse.

"It didn't feel right," she said, moving to the sink to peel the potatoes her mom put out. "I didn't know it was Seth, but something wasn't..." she shook her head. "I don't know."

"Woman's intuition," her mom supplied. "When violence fails, think with your heart."

"Yeah, that'll work," her dad scoffed. He pulled a can of cola from the refrigerator and handed one to Seth as well. "You'll have her feeling sorry for the monsters with that kind of sensitivity training."

She started scraping peelings into the sink and listened with growing irritation to the conversation floating around her. They were discussing her as if she wasn't even in the room.

"I'm just glad you two finally decided to fill her in on her life's vocation. You know how hard it is to skirt around the issue every time I stop by for a visit?" Seth asked. He popped the top on his can of soda and took a long drink.

"You know how hard it is to train the Chosen One without telling her why she needs to be able to stake a straw man in the heart at thirty paces while running full blast and jumping a wall?"

"Boys," her mom interrupted, her voice raised to get their attention, "could you talk about something else please?" She stopped and kissed Jael's cheek before she crossed the kitchen floor to check the roast in the oven.

Her mom always knew what she was feeling. Her dad...not so much. He wanted her to be prepared, to be the best slayer she could possibly be, but it wasn't up to him anymore. She needed to get her head around the fact that things were soon going to change and there was nothing she could do about it. But she'd prefer to deal with it in private.

"What else would we talk about? We've been training her since she was out of diapers and now she's nearly ready to fulfill the prophecy and you want to talk about something else? It's been hard holding back, keeping this secret between the three of us. Now that she knows, there's no reason to keep silent."

Jael slammed the potato down and let the peeler drop into the sink. She turned slowly, her eyes filling with tears of anger and disappointment. They didn't understand. They could never understand. She was Chosen. Not them. "Do you know how hard it is to be a teenage girl and be told that your life is not your own, that the dreams you've dreamed and the hopes you've cherished for the future may never be more than that...hopes and dreams? Being Chosen doesn't feel to me like a gift, but like a curse. I wish I'd never been born with six toes!" She turned and ran from the room, rushing down the hall to her bedroom.

Chapter 6

They suck blood, not dust

The smell of roast beef and onions permeated the air two hours later where she'd fallen asleep across the bed listening to music with her ear buds in. Her father woke her up banging on the door.

She pulled it open and slanted him a sleepy glance.

"Don't you look bright and bushytailed." One side of his mouth lifted in a half smile. "Time for dinner, kiddo."

Jael followed her dad to the kitchen and took her seat at the dinner table. She felt a little awkward after her outburst earlier, but no one seemed to give it a second thought. Seth had turned his chair around the proper way but now leaned back on the rear legs, causing her mom to tighten her lips and release heavy exaggerated sighs of irritation every time she looked his way.

Her father bowed his head and waited, giving them all a chance to get into a reverent frame of mind before he said the blessing on the food. Seth dropped the front legs of his chair to the floor and everyone bowed their head.

Her father ended with a hearty "Amen, " and lifted the roast beef platter.

"So, what are you doing here, Uncle Seth? It's been what...six months since you visited?" Jael took a scoop of mashed potatoes and passed the serving bowl along.

He met her gaze and wriggled his eyebrows up and down. "Seven, but who's counting?"

"Seth was in China again," her father said, handing her the rolls. He picked up his fork and pointed it at his brother. "He was training with a small group of monks in the art of Shaolin Kung Fu, but after seeing you wipe the dirt with him, I think maybe he needs a refresher course."

She laughed at her uncle's look of chagrin. "Sorry, Uncle Seth. There's a big difference between learning the moves and employing the moves. Maybe with a little more practice..." She took a bite of roast beef.

"After all I do for you," he said shaking his head, "and I get no respect."

"For me?"

"Why do you think I go to all those strange places and stay for months on end? Not for the food, that's for sure." He waved a hand at the table. "Those monks never eat this good."

Jael met her father's eyes. "You mean Seth has been bringing back fighting techniques for me to learn since I was little? Why don't I remember this?"

He shrugged. "We didn't talk about it. Seth taught me the different martial arts and I passed them along to you. It's best to have one teacher and he couldn't travel and be here for you as well. So I had to be father and teacher. I know you didn't always appreciate my dual role in your life, pushing you to be tough and aggressive, when most fathers would be taking their daughters to ballet class or piano lessons. But it had to be done." His eyes glistened in the overhead kitchen light. "And I'm proud of what you've accomplished."

She looked down at her plate, biting her lip. It was hard to stay angry with her father when he looked at her like that. They sparred on a regular basis, verbally as well as physically, and it had always been sort of fun, but when she learned there was a greater purpose behind it all, a destiny that she must accept whether she liked it or not – the fun seeped out and left only duty. A duty she was having a difficult time getting her mind around. Vampire slaying. She poured gravy on her potatoes and took a big bite.

When she looked up her mom was watching her from across the table. Her smile was soft and knowing. "It's all right, Jael. We're all afraid," she said. "It's how you handle the fear that's important."

"That's true," Seth said with a bob of his head. He stuffed another bite of meat in his mouth and chewed around his words. "She needs to confront a real vamp before she gets thrown into the den of vipers."

"What are you suggesting?" her mother asked, worry in her voice.

"An experiment. To be sure she's ready." He turned and met Jael's eyes. "How do you feel about graveyards at midnight?"

"Not my favorite hangout."

"That's good, because you seldom find a vamp hanging out at the cemetery. They may be the living dead but they go where the nightlife is. They suck blood, not dust."

"Wow, sounds like a catchy bumper sticker."

He laughed. "I'll have one printed up for you."

Her father set down his fork and knife and pushed his plate back to make room for his elbows on the table. He leaned forward. "How soon do you propose we put Jael through this experiment?" he asked.

Seth scratched thoughtfully at his cheek and glanced up at the teapot-shaped clock on the wall. "How about tonight?"

Jael felt a small shift at her center, a tightening, a quiver. Fear? Excitement? She wasn't quite sure. But she knew there was going to be a heart staked tonight.

Chapter 7

Valley of indecision

Her mom had hugged her, warned her to be careful, and waved them off, moving back into the house with Bruno at her heels. Jael climbed into the back seat and sighed. It seemed as though everyone was confident about this vampire slaying exercise except her. She didn't know if she was quite ready to stake a real live monster, even if they were technically dead.

Her father drove the SUV while Uncle Seth sat in the bucket seat next to him, his computer open on his lap. He'd plugged some kind of Internet thingy into the side and was surfing the web for recent obituaries, then hacking medical examiner offices and police websites to look through their data for victims who died from a loss of blood with no clear exit wound.

"I thought vampires drained the blood from the victim's jugular. Why wouldn't the report state that?" she asked, leaning forward.

"By the time the coroner finds those markings on the victim's neck, the holes have greatly diminished and the redness and bruising that may have been there at the onset have disappeared. There is something in the saliva of the undead that actually heals to a certain extent. And they rarely tear or disfigure a human unless they've not fed for an extended amount of time. So a coroner looking for a significantly larger wound would just chalk up those two tiny holes to bug bites or some such thing."

"Wow, that's sort of awesome in a creepy killer kind of way."

He scrolled down a list of names. "I can track the migrating patterns of vampires by the number of unknown causes of death in an area."

"You're trying to tell me that vampires migrate like birds?" Jael leaned forward reading over his shoulder. She tried not to laugh but her uncle's theory sounded a little insane. They may be likened to blood-sucking bats in comic books, but birds?

He glanced back. "It's not as crazy as it sounds. I'm not saying all vampires migrate but a good bunch of them do. And they don't just move to the same place every time. They trade houses, cars, etc, with other vampires. They move from place to place like serial killers leaving no clear path."

"Which way?" Her dad asked, slowing as they approached the exits to the interstate.

"Let's head toward Beatty." Seth tapped his finger on the scroll bar. "Looks like we might have a winner."

Her dad chuckled and took the exit to the right.

"What's so funny about Beatty?" she asked.

Seth grinned back at her. "Ironic really. Beatty's called the Gateway to Death Valley."

Beatty wasn't much more than a tourist trap with a population of under 2000 residents. A plain square sign with brown letters proclaimed:

Gateway to Death Valley

Beatty

Established 1903

They drove through the little town on Highway 93, the lights from all-night bars and casinos glittered like beacons to desperate people. Jael saw an old man stumbling along the sidewalk, head down, arms wrapped around his stomach as though he were cold or sick. She looked away.

"So what are you thinking?" her dad asked, glancing at Seth in the dark car.

"Let's drive around a bit and get the lay of the town."

Jael rubbed a hand over her face and blinked. She'd taken a nap while her dad drove but now she needed to be alert. She reached for the water bottle by her side and unscrewed the cap, took a long drink and tightened the lid back on.

Seth had his computer open again. He clicked on a photograph and it filled the screen. "This is the old train station at Rhyolite. Just a few miles from here. I think a deserted ghost town is just the ticket."

"If it's deserted, why would vampires hang out there?" she asked, leaning forward to get a better look at the photograph. It had obviously been a beautiful building at one time, but now had fallen into disrepair. "It looks old but not ghost town old."

He clicked on another picture. "The station is one of the only buildings still livable. See. This is the school house."

The outer concrete walls of the school were mostly complete, but the roof no longer remained on the two-story building that once housed boys and girls learning to read, write, and throw spit balls. He flipped through a half dozen other photos and she saw that Rhyolite was most definitely a ghost town. There was an old wooden Mercantile store, the crumbling concrete of a three-story bank building with ornate brick work at the top of the two tallest remaining walls, and a building built of bottles that was once used as a jail.

"Okay, but I still don't understand why you want to go out there. It's nighttime. Everybody will be back at Beatty in their nice comfy hotel rooms or hanging out at the bars."

"Most everybody."

Understanding dawned like cream slowly rising to the top. He was setting her up. "So... I'm not the hunter tonight. I'm bait," she surmised.

"Unless some hapless tourist gets there first."

Her dad didn't say anything but she saw him watching her in the rearview mirror. His eyes crinkled in a smile. She smiled back. The lights of the little town disappeared behind them as they sped along the highway toward the ghost town of Rhyolite. That quiver in her stomach was beginning to ramp up to a full-fledged ache. Was she getting sick?

"Are you all right, honey?"

She looked up. Her dad was watching her in the mirror again. He glanced between her and the road, waiting for an answer. She nodded. "I'm fine. Just nervous I guess."

"No need to be nervous," Seth said, shutting the lid of his laptop. He slipped it into the zippered case and set it on the dash. "You're ready. You just need to prove it to yourself."

She glanced out the side window at the dark shapes of rocky hills and desert brush. The moon was only half full but bright in a midnight blue sky. Clumps of boulders dotted the landscape as though God had broken off a handful of mountain, crushed it in his palms and set them into neat little piles.

Her dad pulled into a parking area and shut off the engine. No other cars were in sight. The little ghost town was spread out, dark silhouettes of the remaining structures placed haphazardly here and there as though streets were meaningless back in the Gold Rush days, but since most of the town was long gone into decay and destruction it was hard to tell where the original streets had been. Especially in the dark. There were no light poles or any illumination other than the slip of moon.

They sat there for a minute not speaking, silence stretching between them like a bond of trust. Seth finally released his seatbelt and twisted around. She couldn't see his face clearly in the dark interior of the truck but she sensed his intensity. He was betting everything that she wouldn't fail. She hoped he was right.

"So, what do I do?" she asked. She gripped the door handle and prepared to be thrown into the night with only a wooden stake and a prayer. They had trained her to the best of their ability and now it was crunch time. She couldn't let them down. Not only because it would mean she was not cut out to be The Chosen, but because it would probably mean her death. She could just imagine her tombstone: Jael, Not a very good choice.

"I can't be sure we'll attract a bloodsucker tonight but from police reports in the past month, there have been two sightings of a wolf, one attack on a young man, and one accidental death."

"Accidental?" she asked.

"Supposedly. A group of teenagers were out in the dark and one of them fell from the second story ledge of the schoolhouse. Hit a jagged chunk of cement with his head."

"But you don't think it was an accident. You think a vampire pushed him?"

Seth laughed. "No, I think he may have jumped though."

"I don't get it." She shook her head.

"A kid running around in the dark, in a ghost town, and a vampire bares his teeth at him–what do you think his natural tendency is going to be?"

"To jump off a building? I hope that's not my natural tendency. Or this night isn't going to end well."

Her father spoke up. "You'll be fine, Jael. I have faith in you. God does not make mistakes. He chose you for a reason. You are brave and talented...and surprisingly quick on your feet."

She grinned. "That's true."

"And humble," he added.

She opened the door and stepped out into the night. "Wish me luck."

Chapter 8

Tourist trap

Jael tucked a stake into her waistband at the back of her jeans and moved across the hard packed road to the entrance of Rhyolite. She walked slowly, listening to the sounds around her, letting her eyes adjust and focus in on the landscape. Up ahead was a long row of ivory bright sculptures, forms like angels posed to guard. As she drew closer she saw that the statues wore hooded shrouds like grim reapers, only in white and without a scythe, no wings in sight. Apparently, a historic American ghost town wasn't a sufficient enough draw for whacky tourists, so someone decided to allow random artists to throw their creations into the mix. In the light of the moon and stars, a giant pink woman, built like a Lego creation, stood sentinel in a lonely patch of desert; a strangely alien creature to welcome tourists to this hundred-year-old ghost town.

Jael shook her head. "Weird," she whispered.

She picked up her pace, moving closer to the town ruins, and away from the safety of the SUV. A gentle breeze blew, cool on her skin. She shivered and rubbed her arms. The temperature in the desert dropped quickly at night. She should have brought her jacket but she'd left it in the truck. No point in going back now. She just wanted to get this over with.

A crumbling wall was all that was left of the first ruin she came across. She poked around it a bit, listening, but there was nothing. Then she heard it. The howl of a wolf up in the hills. Or a dog. Did wolves really live out here or was her uncle just pulling her leg? She tilted her head to listen. No answering call. That was a good thing. If there had been wolf attacks nearby, she didn't want to be the next victim. Staking a vampire wasn't quite the same as fending off a big hairy beast with sharp teeth. Well... maybe it was.

She moved on, slipped inside a structure with two-story walls left standing but no floors. It was a little eerie moving around inside what was left of someone's home, now deserted and crumbling away inch by inch. Had there been children, a dog, a dinner table where they sat and ate each night and talked about their day? She imagined the presence of a family, singing together at a piano in the corner or reading by lantern light. She glanced up at the star-filled sky. She'd seen enough reruns of Little House on the Prairie to know they didn't have flat screens, cable, or Internet, so they had to do something to break the monotony.

Something scraped against the outside wall and she spun around, reaching for the stake in her waistband. Moving as quietly as she could she crossed the open space and pressed her back to cool adobe. Never leave yourself open to attack, her father had said many times. Of course, now was the first time she'd ever really needed to take that piece of advice seriously. She scooted slowly down the length of the wall until it ended in a jagged opening, tightened her grip on the stake at her side and held her breath, listening.

Screech, screech. The sound sent a chill up her spine like fingernails on a chalkboard. She drew a deep breath and concentrated on slowing her heartbeat. She felt it beating wildly inside her chest, like a drummer on uppers. The last thing she needed was a vampire excited by the pulse of blood in his ears. According to Seth, they loved to toy with their prey just to hear that sound of pulsing fear.

She edged forward, ready to jump through the crumbled opening and confront whatever crouched behind that wall. A low snarl raised the tiny hairs on the back of her neck. She jerked around, stake clenched tight in stiff fingers.

A grey dog, about the size of a coyote and just as scraggly and mean looking, stood in the opening of the door a dozen feet away. His snarl, low and phlegmy, rattled up from a throat guarded by bared and dangerously honed teeth. She could tell the dog was coiled tight and ready to spring. He was probably just as surprised to find her here in his territory as she was to find him. She glanced back through the broken wall over her shoulder. At the moment, the unknown source of the scratching sound was preferable to a wild dog with rabies. Without wasting another second, she stumbled over the broken pieces and out into the night.

An old, rotting, section of picket fence leaned close to the wall. Nothing else. The wind picked up. Screech, screech. Jael expelled a breath and relaxed. She reached out and pulled the boards away from the wall, let them drop to the ground with a soft thud.

This was ridiculous. There were no vampires out here. There was only a stupid, gullible, teenage girl, some old buildings, and a hungry dog. She shook her head and pushed the stake back into her waistband. It was time to rethink this whole trusting the grownups thing. After all, had she ever seen a vampire? How did she know they even really existed? She was literally taking her crazy uncle's word for it. And of course her parents. But maybe they'd been indoctrinated by Seth or those weird Amish relatives they talked about. Could they have been brainwashed?

She ran her hands through her hair, pushing it back behind her ears. Ten more minutes and then she'd head back to the truck. If there really were vampires, let them come to her. This hunting thing was ridiculous. She peeked back inside the house. The dog was gone. Must have decided to try his luck for shelter elsewhere.

More structures loomed as she hurried along, dark shapes taking form as she moved nearer. The old bank's imposing façade trickled away as she left the front side and moved around to the back. Two walls rose three stories high and then dropped off to broken down hunks of adobe and brick.

A voice carried on the night air, mumbled and low, but she couldn't make out the words. Pain shot through the side of Jael's right foot. Actually, it felt like...no, that was just crazy. She looked down at her tennis shoe, lifted it to peer at the sole. No nail or anything embedded in the rubber. But she could have sworn it felt like something had pierced her sixth toe...

She blew out a breath of frustration. Now she was imagining things. Phantom pain in a toe she didn't even know she once had until a few days ago.

A low growl startled her and she dropped her foot so fast that she lost her balance and nearly fell over. A chuckle echoed hollowly inside the walls of the bank.

"Little girl, won't you come in? There seems to be a wolf outside. It will be much safer here with me."

Her missing toe continued to throb with pain. It felt as though someone had just now cut it off inside her shoe. She pushed the discomfort from her mind and focused on the voice inside the bank. Was this truly a vampire, or some pervert with a thing for teenage girls?

Another low growl from the shadows reminded her that avoiding the rabid dog was a sound choice. He was obviously hungry... or mad. Either way, he'd followed her down the road and was getting ready to pounce.

She didn't know whether to be more afraid of the dog or the man hiding inside the ruins. But she was trained to fend off humans, not dogs, so she stepped over the broken wall and into the presence of the unknown.

The man laughed again, pleased at her decision. She saw him across the expanse of the bank, leaning with one shoulder against the far wall. He wore a long dark coat and pants and stood in deep shadow. He straightened and turned to face her as she moved inside. She caught a glint of teeth when he smiled.

"Who are you?" she asked, one hand at her back, clutching the stake, her voice a tad shaky given the circumstances. "Do you live here?" She knew there were caretakers who lived nearby and she really didn't want to stab one in the heart with a stake just because they were eccentric and liked to hang out in the dark or something.

He took a step forward and Jael felt pain slice through her foot like a razor's edge. She clenched her teeth and reminded herself that it was just a figment of her imagination. She didn't know why she was imagining pain – she'd much rather imagine Zach Efron showing up to kiss her in the moonlight – but pain it was.

He slowly moved from shadow into the pale light of the moon. "You're a very curious young woman, aren't you?" he asked, holding her gaze.

She shrugged. "I like to stay on top of things."

"A thirst for knowledge is an excellent trait," he said circling slowly around to her left, his eyes never leaving her face. Or was it her neck?

Jael circled to the right, ready for most anything. But she wasn't ready for his next move. He leaped at her like a cat springing on a mouse, and knocked her to the ground. The stake fell out of her hand on impact and rattled across the floor. The man's hands were like iron, pressing into her arms as he held her down. He smelled like something the cat dragged in and left under the bed for a week. She wrinkled her nose and tried not to gag.

"Would you like to know what I'm going to do now, little girl?" he said, his voice dropping to a grating whisper. He threw his head back and bared his teeth and she thought he might howl at the moon, but instead, fangs suddenly materialized, growing to at least an inch in length.

She couldn't reach the stake. It was too far. He probably wouldn't hand it to her even if she asked him nicely. But what the heck? "Would you mind handing me that little wooden spike right there?" she said, slanting her eyes in the general direction.

He glanced toward it, his attention diverted. That's all she needed. She bit down on his hand. His grip automatically released and she twisted away. Before he could pull her in again she used her legs to flip him backward. He hit the far wall with his head and went down.

For good measure, she did a jump kick to his face before turning to pick up the stake. As she grasped it in her fingers, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. He was up and charging her already. She barely had time to pull the stake in and position it with the sharp point out before he rammed her, knocking them both to the ground again.

His long coat lay open like bat wings covering them both. She gasped, trying to breathe. The force of his body had knocked all the air from her lungs. She shoved him from her and rolled away, crawled to her knees, sucking in air.

Slowly, Jael rose and stood over him, still a little afraid to get too close. But she had to be sure. His eyes were wide and staring straight up, one hand at his chest where the stake protruded. He blinked and she realized with a shock that he wasn't quite dead. What to do? She wished her father were here to throw out a few pointers because this real live vampire slaying was not going so well.

He snarled and his eyes focused on her with a dark hatred she'd never felt before. His other hand lifted to the stake and she thought he was going to pull it out. She glanced around the bank. A large chunk of concrete lay near the doorway. She darted over and picked it up. It was heavy. She stooped over with the weight and shuffled to carry it those few feet.

He gripped the stake in both hands now and was slowly drawing it from his chest, his eyes slanted nearly closed with the effort.

"Let me help you with that," Jael said, now standing directly over him, and she dropped the concrete slab.

He roared, his eyes widening with fury, and then the fight went out of him.

There was no blood pool, no mess. Just a dead vampire in a one-hundred-year-old bank building in the middle of the desert. Now what? Weren't they supposed to disappear or something? Dust to dust, ashes to ashes, and all that? She rolled the chunk of concrete from his chest to look for her stake. There wasn't enough to grab hold of now. It was deeply embedded in the monster. How was she supposed to get it out? Her fingerprints would be all over that thing. A dead body found in a ghost town would definitely bring out the authorities.

The rotting corpse smell seemed to be getting stronger. She crouched over him trying not to breathe, and checked his pockets for ID. Nothing. Not even a monster truck license.

"Terrific," she mumbled, and stood up.

The sky was lightening at the edges when she stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. Morning would be here soon and she didn't want to be around when it shone a spotlight on the dead body in the bank. She pushed her hair back and looked around for the dog, but it had once again vanished into the night.

When she returned to the truck, Seth lay sleeping like a baby. His seat was in the reclined position and he was actually snoring. Her dad, on the other hand, looked anything but relaxed. He thrust his door open and jumped out, pulling her into a bear hug before she could climb into the backseat. His eyes were filled with relief when he finally released her. "Thank God, you're all right," he whispered, a breath on the wind. "I was about ready to come after you."

"Wish you had. I could have used a little advice back there."

His brows pulled together in a frown.

"Like what to do with the body?" she said, lifting her shoulders. She ached all over as though she'd just endured one of her dad's grueling workouts... or hand to hand combat with a two-hundred pound vampire.

He glanced inside at his brother, who was now sitting up, rubbing his eyes.

Seth yawned and motioned for them to get back in the truck. "Come on, we better get out of here."

"The body?" she repeated, hands on her hips. "It's going to be light soon and he smelled like last week's road kill. Someone is bound to find him."

"You didn't leave him under a tarp or something, did you?"

"No, but..."

"Then it'll be fine." He dismissed her worry with a wave of his hand. "Once the sun comes up he'll be nothing more than a pile of ashes."

The news should have given her some sense of relief, but all it did was fuel her anger. "You couldn't have told me this up front?" she demanded, climbing into the backseat with a huff.

Her father closed the door after her and got back behind the wheel.

She wasn't through complaining. They practically threw her out there without any instruction. "I actually contemplated cutting his chest open so I could retrieve my stake."

Seth laughed. "Why would you do that?"

"Because my fingerprints were all over it and I didn't want to go to jail for life for killing someone who was already technically dead."

Her dad started the engine and pulled back out onto the highway. They drove in silence for a few moments until Seth couldn't take it anymore. He released his seatbelt and twisted around to stare back at her. "Come on! Give us all the gory details. Most people have never seen a vampire up close and personal like you just did and lived to tell about it."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, you're just going to have to wait. I'm tired." She lay down across the back seat, her knees drawn up and her hands beneath her cheek, and closed her eyes.

"Leave her be," she heard her dad say in a soft voice before she drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 9

A date with destiny

"Rise and shine! It's a school day, kiddo."

Her mom's voice was intruding into an awesome dream. She was playing guitar in a band and Brianna was lead singer. When she looked out at the audience she saw Lyle smiling back at her, dancing along to the beat. He started to climb up on stage like a crazed stalker but two huge bodyguards grabbed him and pulled him down. The bodyguards looked up and grinned at her. They both looked like Zach Efron.

"Jael!"

She opened her eyes a crack and peered through her lashes. Her mom had flipped on the overhead light and pulled open the curtains. Hands on hips, she watched her with a worry line between her brows.

Through the window the sun was just beginning to wash over the horizon with a soft pink glow. She moaned and rolled over, tugging the blanket over her head. "Leave me alone. I can't go to school today."

Her mom tugged the blanket back down and placed a hand over her forehead. "You don't have a fever," she said, as though exhaustion from being out late every night hunting vampires wasn't a good enough excuse to skip school.

"I might have a fever later."

"You can't keep skipping school just because you're the Chosen. Even vampire slayers need an education. You've already missed four days in the last two weeks." Her mom sat on the edge of the bed and smoothed Jael's hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear. She bent and kissed her cheek, then got up and moved to the door. "I've got pancakes cooking. Hurry up."

Jael heard the door pulled closed. She forced her eyes open and sat up, dangling her legs over the side of the bed. The bright yellow walls of her room shone like fairy dust in her sleep-deprived vision. She rubbed her face and stood up, then groaned when she moved toward the bathroom. The muscles in her thighs were a bit sore after last night.

If she weren't so tired, she'd want to go to school. She hated staying home with nothing to do, and missed seeing and talking to Brianna everyday. But it wasn't the same anymore.

They used to be able to tell each other everything. Brianna knew that she worked out with her dad in the basement every night and weekends, that she was proficient in five different forms of martial arts and hand-to-hand combat, even that she could kill a scarecrow at twenty feet with a five-inch-blade after doing a double back flip. What she didn't know–and Jael didn't think she could tell her–was that she was a modern day vampire killer. A slayer of the undead. She could no longer truly share her life with her best friend. And who could she talk to about that–the school counselor?

The drive to school was uneventful. Jael didn't feel like talking and her mom seemed to understand for once; she turned on a soft rock station and hummed along, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel to the beat. Jael leaned her head against the side window and tried to steal a few more minutes of sleep. When they finally pulled into the school parking lot and up to the doors, her mom just smiled and gave her the token send off, "Have a nice day," before driving off as though she had somewhere important to be. Jael felt a bit underappreciated. Nobody knew she was saving the world from bloodsuckers except her family, and they just took it all for granted.

"Hey, Jael!" Brianna stood by her locker with the door open, rearranging things into an orderly mess. She flipped blonde hair over her shoulder in that absent-minded way she had, oblivious to the fact that it brought every boy's attention her way. "Missed you yesterday. Glad you're back."

Jael smiled and opened her own locker, two doors down. "Sorry I didn't call you back last night. I was sort of busy right then," she said with a slight shrug. A definite understatement.

She had a different ringtone for every person in her phone directory and Brianna's was a song from her favorite movie, A Knight's Tale. Fighting a slippery, little, teenage vamp in a back alley was bad enough but right when she thought she had him cornered, he grabbed a metal garbage pail lid and slammed it against the side of her head, jumped up on a dumpster and tried to scale a twelve foot wall to get away. With her head still ringing, her phone started playing, We Will Rock You, and the pity she'd felt earlier for the little sucker drained right out of her.

She'd grabbed hold of his baggy-butt jeans and yanked him down off the fence. He stumbled and fell against a dumpster, then rebounded like a jack in the box, going for her neck with a feral snarl. She dodged to the right, and landed a karate chop to the back of his neck. He went down on his knees and she slipped the stake out of her waistband. Blood-shot eyes glared up at her when she yanked his head back by a thatch of shaggy hair and planted the stake in his cold, dead heart.

Just for a moment she'd felt regret. He slumped to the ground, an innocent looking young boy now, the fight gone out of him, his fangs withdrawn, his eyes closed in final death.

Jael waited.

If he were very old he would disintegrate within seconds to the state of decomposition normal for his originally dead body. She could tell approximately how old a vampire was by the odor. Vampires that had survived long enough that their bodies should have turned to dust, smelled like moldy socks, but a newer vampire, say perhaps a month or so undead, would smell like the rotting corpse they really were.

The boy didn't change and he had no strong odor. She pulled out the stake and stood there watching him for a good five minutes before she realized his death must have been very recent. Perhaps just days or hours since his funeral and burial. It was sad. She wondered about his parents and whether they knew he'd gone missing from his grave? Or perhaps he'd been killed by another vampire more recently and his parents didn't yet know he was dead.

Now they never would. He would disappear, turn to ash in the morning sun, and they would assume he had run away like so many teenagers were reported to do.

"Jael?" Brianna was watching her with a puzzled expression on her face. "Are you all right? You seem sort of out-of-it." She closed her locker, her history book in the crook of her arm.

"Yeah, just tired. Up late last night," Jael said, dropping her book bag in the bottom of her locker and sliding out the book she needed for first class – Trigonometry. Ick. She'd rather smell a rotting corpse on a warm night than solve math problems.

"Okay...well... I'll see you later, right?" She backed up a couple of steps, holding her gaze as though Jael would disappear again as soon as she let her out of her sight.

"Sure."

Brianna smiled, then turned and hurried down the hall toward Mr. Stanton's history class. Jael watched her go, feeling as though she was losing the only real friend she'd ever had, and there was nothing she could do about it. She saw Marti stop Brianna outside the history classroom to say something and then they both laughed and went into class together.

Jael slammed her locker shut and twisted the combination lock. She couldn't go on this way much longer. Kicking vampire butts at night and pretending to be an average girl during the day was taking too much out of her. She wasn't cut out to live a double life. She wanted to be normal. If only she could be like Brianna, have parents that were nerdy scientists, a baby brother who was already taking college classes because he tested out of third grade and was considered a genius... Okay, maybe Brianna's family wasn't that "normal" but still.

"Hey, Jael," a male voice whispered close to her ear.

She twisted around and was a tenth of a second from crushing the guy's windpipe with the heel of her hand when she realized it was just Lyle standing there. She dropped her arms and blew out a confused breath.

"You scared me," she lied, a flimsy excuse for cover.

"Sorry." He backed up a step, as though sensing his near demise. "Just wanted to see if you were coming to the exhibition game against the Redville Scorpions tonight. Some of us are going out afterwards for burgers. Thought you might like to come along. Hang out. Have some fun." He narrowed his eyes. "You live way out in the desert somewhere, don't you? Like in a commune or something?"

"What?"

"It's cool. I don't mind." He smiled, and stepped closer, leaning in against the lockers with one hand. A wave of minty fresh breath wafted over her. He was always sucking on those Altoids. Curiously strong indeed.

"Good to know," she said, basking in the warmth of his gaze. The blonde basketball star could believe she lived in a cave in Afghanistan if he wanted to, as long as he looked at her like that.

"So...?" He leaned closer, pinning her against the lockers with the heat of his eyes and another wave of peppermint.

She smiled back. "I was thinking about coming to the game."

"Cool. I'll see you tonight then," he said, and pushed off from the locker. He winked and walked away to join a group of guys waiting at the end of the hall.

Her arms and legs felt paralyzed as though she'd been shot with a tranquilizer dart. At least how she imagined it would feel to be shot with a tranquilizer dart. She forced herself to move, to look away from the group of guys and walk in the opposite direction. She couldn't let Lyle know that he set her heart racing just by speaking to her and that her skin tingled with electricity at his proximity. He would think she was some crazy, stalker girl – someone to avoid, not date.

The bell rang as she slowly moved toward the trigonometry room. Her legs refused to hurry, regardless of being tardy. She paused outside the door, listening to the sound of voices and laughter and scraping chairs as kids settled down for class. Mr. Winchester's gruffy baritone rang out calling for attention.

Jael suddenly realized the predicament she'd shoved herself into. Since when had she ever thought about going to a game, much less believe her parents would allow her to be out of their sight that long? She blew out a frustrated breath. Since a hot guy asked her out on a date–that's when. She had to get into town for the game tonight. It was her only chance to be normal. If it were up to her parents and Uncle Seth, the only socializing she'd ever do would be with undead creatures in the dark of night.

This was a once in a lifetime. She never thought Lyle would give her the time of day much less invite her out for burgers. Okay, maybe it wasn't a real date; just a group thing. But it was a start.

The door opened and Mr. Winchester looked over his glasses at her. "Are you planning on joining us inside, Jael? Or are you just going to watch through the window?"

She felt her cheeks flame to an embarrassing shade of red. "Sorry, I was thinking about something."

"Well, come on in and think about math for a change."

A titter of laughter rippled around the room and she tried not to make eye contact as she took her seat and plopped her book down on the desktop. Mr. Winchester scraped a stick of chalk across the board, writing some incoherent formula that she didn't understand, and managed to make everyone cringe and groan at the sound.

Jael opened her book and propped her head on one hand, pretending to read the words and numbers on the page, but all she saw was the blue of Lyle's eyes staring back at her. She so wanted him to kiss her, and tonight was probably her only chance for that fantasy to come true. All she had to do was get out of the house, make it to town, and get home again without anyone noticing that she was gone all evening. Simple. Right.

Chapter 10

Rumors rising

The lunchroom was alive with a clatter of trays and dishes, the crinkle of paper bags, and excited teenage voices. Jael looked around the sea of faces and backs of kids already taking up seats at the picnic style tables and spotted Brianna's blonde head in the far corner, surrounded as usual by a strange assortment of tagalongs. Two jocks from the basketball team, a couple of girls from the volleyball team, one kid that was such a computer nerd he probably thought Bill Gates was cool, and the girl who was president of the science club, surrounded Brianna in mutual love and adoration.

Jael carried her lunch sack to the table. "Hey, Bree. Got room for one more?"

Brianna smiled and moved the book bag she'd placed beside her to save the seat, onto the floor. "Don't I always?" She tipped her head at Jael's lunch sack. "Pay up."

Jael slipped her legs over the seat and sat down. She shook her head. "I can't believe your mom doesn't know how to cook."

"Simple things are complicated for smart people. I've come to accept my mother's shortcomings in the homemaker department. It doesn't mean I love her less. Now give me the cookies," she said grabbing the clear plastic bag that contained her mom's sweet and chewy Oatmeal raisin cookies.

"You are so deprived," she laughed and took a bite of her sandwich. Leftover roast beef with mustard and mayo filled the honey oat bread and made her mouth water with happiness. Her mom was an awesome cook.

Brianna inhaled the first cookie then sat back and licked her lips, looking as satisfied as a kitten with a bowl of pure cream. "If I lived at your house I would probably be four hundred pounds," she stated blissfully.

"I doubt it. My dad would have you working out three hours a day like he does me."

"Three hours a day?" Toby laughed. He puffed out his chest as though someone had accused him of being less than a girl. He was built like an ox and was known to plow through an opposing team's defenses just as thoroughly. "What does he have you do – lift cookie sheets?"

The other kids laughed, but Brianna rolled her eyes. "She could probably bench press you, Toby."

"Yeah, right," he scoffed. He swallowed down the last of his third carton of chocolate milk and burped.

His teammate, a senior named Shad, short for Shadow, punched him in the shoulder. "Dude, that's nasty!" He caught her eye across the table and winked. "She can bench press me anytime she likes."

Jael frowned. Since when did guys flirt with her? Especially tall, dark, and handsome older guys. She'd lived here four years and was still surprised when one of them even remembered her name. She stuffed the rest of her uneaten sandwich back in the bag. She wasn't very hungry anyway. In fact, she felt a little queasy.

Brianna got up and reached for her book bag. She tugged on Jael's shirtsleeve. "Come on, we need to talk."

Jael grabbed up her things and followed. The hallway was deserted except for a couple by the lockers kissing. They pulled apart when they heard the lunchroom door swing closed. Jael and Brianna hurried past them and slipped into the now empty Science lab. The windows let in enough sunshine that they didn't need to turn on the overhead lights. A baseball diamond and soccer field stretched behind the school, separating the high school building from the junior high.

"What's up?" asked Jael.

Brianna leaned against the edge of the teacher's desk facing her, and crossed her arms. She worried her bottom lip as though unsure how to begin. Finally she blurted out, "Somebody started a rumor about you."

"Let me guess. I live in a commune?"

"How did you know?" Brianna's eyes widened. "Is that why you've been missing school? Because I promise you, if I find out who started it..."

"Whoa! That's not why I missed school. You don't have to beat anyone up for me. Besides, I can take care of myself. I'm the one who can bench press a two hundred pound jock, remember?" She grinned, but Brianna didn't look convinced. "Why would they think I live in a commune anyway?"

Brianna shook her head and glanced out the window. "You know how people are. They just make stuff up when they don't understand something."

"You mean like global warming?"

"No, like a girl who lives way out of town and is never allowed to go to school functions or hang out with other kids, who wears out-of-fashion clothes, and whose mom drives a twenty-year-old Suburban...the vehicle of choice, by the way, for large families and/or sister wives to haul their many children to town to buy shoes at the local Wal-Mart."

She raised her brows. "Quite an imagination you have there. You really think I'm an only child in a multiple wife home? Doesn't say much for my dad's charisma, does it?"

"Not me. I think your dad has lots of charisma. He's pretty cute actually. I just find it strange that he won't let us go bowling or to the movies without him tagging along." She put up her hands. "But hey, I'm fine with it. The other kids don't know you like I do, that's all."

"So they made up a crazy story about a commune. That makes total sense." Jael pulled at one earlobe, thinking. "Bree, I think Lyle likes me."

Brianna slid off the desk, mouth open. "Really? How do you know?"

"He asked if I was coming to the game tonight and invited me to go along with him and some others to get burgers afterward." She frowned. "I thought games were always on Friday nights."

"They are, but this isn't a real game. Coach set it up so the team could know what it felt like to play against a 3A Division school. He thought it would motivate them to excel." She rolled her eyes.

Jael had no clue what division the Tumbleweeds were in and really didn't care. "Whatever. So, getting a burger...that's sort of a date, right?"

"It's as close to a date as you can get without technically being asked on a date."

"Without technically saying yes, I sort of said yes." She smiled overly bright.

"You what?"

"Bree, you've got to help me!" She grabbed her friend's hands and pleaded. "My parents will never let me go. You know that. But I have to! I want this more than anything."

"What can I do?" Brianna shrugged. "They wouldn't even let me come to your house for a sleepover."

"I can get out of the house undetected. That part's not hard. What I can't do without them noticing, is drive our truck to town." She gave her a twisted grin. "Besides, the other sister moms might need it."

Brianna laughed and shook her head. "Are you asking me for a ride?"

"Yes. Can you pick me up?"

"Does Lyle look hot in basketball shorts?"

"I hope that's a rhetorical question. I've yet to see him in basketball shorts."

Brianna pulled away and grabbed her bag. "What time shall I pick you up?"

Chapter 11

Girls just wanna have fun

"But I picked out an awesome spot for our vampire watch tonight," Seth said, consulting his computer screen at the kitchen table. He sounded like a little boy who'd lost his favorite toy.

"Jael has been out late every night for the past two weeks. She's obviously getting run down and needs to rest. You'll have to wait until she feels better." Her mom stirred the ground beef and onions in the skillet with a wooden spoon. She glanced back at Jael. "Honey, go to bed if you don't feel well. You probably have a touch of the flu. I'll save you some tacos in case you feel better later."

Jael had hardly been sick a day in her life, so she wasn't quite sure how to act, but her mom seemed to buy it. She made a face that was supposed to look sad and miserable. "Sorry Seth. I guess the vamps will live to suck one more day."

He didn't look too pleased about it, but gave her a half smile and shrugged. "Feel better, kiddo. We'll get'em tomorrow night."

"Don't save me any tacos, Mom." She tried to look as though even the thought of seasoned beef and crispy fried shells made her want to puke her guts out, when in reality the smell was making her stomach rumble with hunger. "I couldn't keep them down if I tried. Besides, I'm so tired, I'm sure I'll sleep through the night."

Her mom set the spoon down and reached out to do the human thermometer thing again – holding her palm to Jael's forehead. "You don't feel feverish, but I guess that doesn't mean you're not sick. I'm sorry I made you go to school this morning, honey. I should have listened to you."

Jael felt a fresh onslaught of guilt. She'd never lied to her mom before. They had always had a good relationship and except for disagreeing on the whole having friends over to the house thing, they rarely even argued. "It's okay, Mom. I'm sure I'll feel better after a good night's sleep." She turned slowly, stretching her acting abilities to the max as she trudged to her room. It took supreme effort to keep from sprinting down the hall. Once she got out of the house it would be simple to run to the end of the road and wait for Brianna to pick her up along the highway.

Her dad, just home from work, called to her from the end of the hall as she was closing the door of her room. "Your mom said you were sick. Hope you feel better, Jael."

"Thanks, Dad," she managed a sad smile for his benefit and slipped inside her room.

With the door firmly locked and her family all tucked comfortably in the kitchen away from the windows that faced the road, she drew a sigh of relief. Now she just had to wait. She glanced at the time on her cell phone. Twenty more minutes and she'd climb out the window.

*****

Miriam fried the taco shells on each side, making sure they were evenly browned and crispy, then turned them upside down on a paper lined platter to drain. "You boys will have to find something else to do. No vampire hunting for you tonight." She shot her husband a smile. "It'll be nice having you home for a change."

Seth didn't look up from his computer screen, but grunted. "We can't afford to get behind in Jael's training. She'll be sixteen in less than a month."

"You don't need to remind us of our daughter's birthday, Seth. I'm afraid if you keep pushing her like this she's going to rebel sooner or later. Let her have a sick day, for heaven's sake. She's worked hard enough to deserve one." Miriam flipped the shells over and began filling them with beef. She knew she sounded annoyed but Seth had been monopolizing Jael ever since he showed up, and she felt as though she was slowly losing her daughter. While he stayed away in China or Vietnam, or wherever he was for the past months, she imagined a life without duty and sacrifice. A life lived quietly in this small town where no one knew them or their past, where vampires were as far-fetched to the locals as a Platypus sighting.

"Are you telling me she's not really sick?" Seth pushed his chair back from the table abruptly and stood.

Miriam turned around, spoon in hand, and met his gaze, daring him to try her patience. "I'm saying, it doesn't matter. She needs a break."

Seth looked at Jesse sitting calmly across the table, munching on peanuts from a bowl she'd placed there earlier. "You don't agree with that crazy logic, do you?" He raised his hand, thumb and forefinger nearly touching. "She is this close to V-day, and she's still not fully prepared."

Jesse tossed a peanut up in the air and caught it in his mouth. "That girl has never been sick a day in her life," he said, and smiled softly at Miriam. "We'll give her this one."

"What?" Seth stared at them both wide-eyed with shock, then shook his head and stormed from the room, letting the front door slam after him. Moments later they heard the sound of his old Toyota spinning out in the gravel drive.

Miriam placed bowls of chopped tomato, lettuce, and cheese on the table and reached for the platter of tacos. "I guess he's not hungry," she said, setting it on the table as well. She snuggled onto her husband's lap and laid her head on his shoulder. His arms automatically encircled her with a solid comfort. "Thank you," she whispered against his soft cotton t-shirt. "I'm not fully prepared either."

"I know."

"Should we tell her we know she's faking it and invite her to dinner?"

A chuckle vibrated in Jesse's chest but was no more than a breath against her hair. "I don't think so. She'll come out when she's hungry. Besides, I need some alone time with my beautiful wife."

She lifted her head and looked into eyes as blue as a Nevada sky. "You're a pretty sweet talker for an Amish boy," she said, lowering her head to kiss him.

*****

Jael rounded the corner of the house in time to see Seth take off in his car. She took a step back. A cloud of dust billowed up behind it as he sped down the road toward the highway. She hoped Brianna wasn't early. Uncle Seth would likely stop to play white knight to a helpless girl parked along the road. Just what they didn't need.

She peeked around the corner of the house before moving on, slinking close to the side to avoid being spotted through a window. Bruno lifted his head as she neared the porch and his tail thumped against the rough wood planks of the steps.

"Shh," she scratched behind his left ear the way he liked. "I'm going to be gone for a little while, but I'm leaving you in charge." She gave him instructions and moved past the steps as quickly as possible toward the road. The kitchen window looked out on the backyard so she bent low until she'd cleared the far corner of the house.

Her parents were likely having dinner now. Sitting alone at the kitchen table, with nothing to talk about without her there to spur the conversation. She often wondered what they could possibly find to do when she was at school. Their lives seemed so full of bossing her around and making sure she ate right, did her chores, and completed a full workout of vampire slaying exercises each evening, she doubted they had time for anything else.

She took one last look back at the house, stuck her arms through the straps of the backpack she'd brought along, pulled it up tight, and started jogging. It was still quite hot out and even in cut-off sweats and a t-shirt she would smell like the inside of the boy's locker room before she got to the highway. But she didn't have time to go any slower. Brianna would be waiting at the corner in another five minutes if she timed it right and she didn't want to run into her uncle if he decided to turn around and come back for dinner. She didn't know why he'd taken off in the first place, but from the way he'd stepped on the gas she thought he was probably angry about something.

A semi truck trailer moved along the highway in the distance but she didn't see Brianna's big Caddy sitting there yet. Sweat dripped from under her hair and trickled down the sides of her face and the back of her neck. At this rate she would need a shower before she went to the game. Good thing she'd brought a change of clothes. She slowed to a walk and lifted her shirt to catch some air. There wasn't a soul around to see her anyway.

A tumbleweed blew across the road a few feet ahead of her and continued on across the cracked ground, carried along by invisible currents. She stopped to watch it go, shifted the straps of the backpack more comfortably and wiped her dripping forehead on the sleeve of her t-shirt.

A horn sounded in the distance. The Caddy was suddenly there at the end of the road, waiting. She didn't know how she'd missed it coming down the highway. Maybe it blended into the desert colors, or maybe she needed glasses. She waved and walked quickly toward the car. She glanced back at the house once more before swinging open the door and climbing inside the cool air-conditioned interior.

If this was her chance to be normal, why did it feel so strange?

"Hey, girl!" Brianna greeted her with a bright smile and a can of icy-cold cola. "Thought you might need this."

"Thanks." Jael took the can and drank half of it down in one long swallow. She set it in the cup holder and dug through her bag for the change of clothes. "You better get going. My uncle left a while ago, and I sure don't want to meet up with him if he comes back."

Brianna put the car into gear and made a huge U-turn back out onto the highway. She fiddled with the radio station with one hand and steered with the other. "So how'd you get out of the house without the sister wives tattling?" She laughed at her own joke.

Jael shook her head. "You're hilarious." She pulled her damp shirt over her head and threw it in the backseat. "It was simple really. I pretended to have the flu and went to my room. My mom didn't even question it." She pulled the clean shirt on and then struggled out of her sweats, replacing them with a pair of cotton skinny-legged jeans. "Maybe I should join the drama club. Apparently I'm a better actor than I thought."

"I doubt it." Brianna set the dial to a classical station.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"It's just that you are such an open book." She glanced between Jael and the road. "I can always tell when you're not being straight with me and I'm sure your mom does too."

Jael looked out the passenger window. "When have I not been straight with you?" she asked, afraid to meet her friend's eyes for once.

"You've been really secretive lately, missing school and not saying why. I know you haven't been sick. Do you ever get sick?" Her tone was teasing but Jael detected a hint of underlying worry.

"Not that I recall. I'm pretty healthy I guess."

Brianna bit her bottom lip like she always did when she had something to say and was afraid to hurt feelings.

"Just say it, Bree." Jael expelled a pent-up breath and twisted in the seat to better face her. "What is it?"

"We always tell each other everything, right?"

She swallowed. "Right."

"Then why are you hiding things from me? I'm your best friend, Jael. Didn't I just drop everything to come break you out of the convent or whatever they keep you in?" She thumped the steering wheel with the palm of her hand. "I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I won't." Did she know about the nocturnal outings, hunting vamps and fighting in back alleys? How could she possibly have found out? Had she been seen?

"But you already are. I saw the bruises." She pointed at Jael's leg. "When you were dressing. Sorry, but it's a little hard not to when you're stripping in my car."

"Bruises?" Jael frowned down at her leg as though it were a foreign object. "Oh...the bruises. It's nothing. I ran into a garbage can, that's all."

"It's one thing to lie by omission, but it's totally whacked to lie bald-faced. You didn't run into anything, Jael. Someone hit you. Was it your dad?" she asked, her eyes damp with unshed tears. She always was a tenderhearted one.

Jael shook her head, aghast. "My dad? Are you kidding? He would never hurt me. Or my mom either," she added quickly. "These bruises really happened from a garbage can." She lifted the hair on the side of her head and revealed the ugly cut she'd gotten from the lid of that can. "See, this is where my head met the lid of said metal garbage can."

"Oh, Jael...that looks awful. You make it sound as though the can attacked you. But you don't have to make up stories for my benefit."

She started to protest, but was interrupted again.

"We were reading in health class about domestic abuse and how common it is for victims to stick up and even lie for their abusers." She slowed as they passed the Sunburn welcome sign and the town speed limit went to 30mph.

"I'm not lying for anyone," Jael argued, although she was technically lying for that rotten baggy-pants vamp who clocked her with the lid.

"Really? Then if you haven't been sick, why did you miss three days of school last week and one this week?"

"I was tired." She kicked off her sandals and put her feet up on the dash. "I've been staying up late a lot."

"And your mom is okay with that? Skipping school to sleep in?"

"No, that's why I was at school today. She made me come, and then Lyle asked me out and now here we are. So it's actually her fault that I'm sneaking off to go to a game to meet a boy. If she hadn't forced me to get up this morning..." she shrugged and grinned.

"Technically, Lyle didn't ask you out," Brianna said with a lift of her brows.

"Technically, best friends are supposed to support each other's delusions and fantasies."

They turned into the school parking lot and she parked between two pickup trucks. "Technically, I am. That's why you're here, remember?" She pulled out the key and opened her door. "Ready?"

"Thanks, Bree. Technically and for real you're an awesome friend." Jael slipped her sandals on and climbed out of the car.

Chapter 12

A night to remember

The game had already started and the gymnasium was full of townspeople cheering and yelling for the team. She spotted Lyle running down the court, bouncing the ball with one hand, the other held out to fend off the guy on his tail. He passed the ball to Greg something and then had the ball back within seconds and made a long shot. The ball swished through the basket and the crowd was on their collective feet cheering. The band started playing something loud and brassy; sound echoed off the walls and filled the gymnasium like marbles shaken in a tin can.

"Is it always like this?" she asked, raising her voice so Brianna could hear as they made their way through the bleachers to an empty section halfway up. She'd always had sensitive hearing and knew a headache was imminent. But it was worth it just to see Lyle in his blue and white shorts. And yes, he looked totally hot!

"Pretty much!" Brianna yelled back.

The smell of sweat and freshly popped corn permeated the air. A little boy, holding a hotdog in both hands, catsup smeared around his mouth, looked up at her when she sat down. He grinned and it reminded her again of the teenage boy in the alley. She hoped she never had to stake one this young. She didn't think she could do it...even if he was clamped onto her jugular.

Marti and a couple other girls were sitting one row down and over. They turned and waved, yelled something that Jael didn't catch. She looked out at the court, looking for Lyle. A whistle blew, shrill and piercing against her eardrums. She instinctively covered her ears. Maybe her parents had kept her out in the desert for more than one reason. Was her hearing another aspect of her gift?

"Are you all right?" Brianna asked, looking at her strangely.

She pulled her hands down and clasped them in her lap. "Sure. It's just loud in here."

"Yep." She drew out the word like she thought Jael's reaction was stranger than fiction. "Band music, cheerleaders, screaming fans, that's what sports are all about. Didn't you know?"

"Guess I missed the memo." She pointed toward the sidelines. "What are those guys doing down there? Aren't they supposed to be in the game?"

"There's only five players from each team on the court at the same time," she said, and put her arm around her, grinning. "You really don't get out much, do you?"

The team came running off the court and Lyle looked up at the stands. His glance swept over the faces until he stopped at Jael. His mouth turned up on one side in a sexy half grin and he tipped his chin up with a little motion as though acknowledging her presence. She smiled back and lifted her hand to wave, but he turned around and plopped down on the bench where other players were already sitting. Had he really seen her or was she imagining that he looked her way?

"Play it cool. Technically we're just hanging out at the game."

"Am I that obvious?" she asked, looking around to see if others had noticed.

"Only to me." Brianna handed her a set of foam earplugs from her purse. "Here, these will help."

"How did you know?" Jael took them and pushed them in her ears, covering the neon orange sponges with her long hair.

"You have a look of pain on your face," she grimaced, "besides, it's not all about you. I always carry them. I hate marching band music."

"I can hear why. Our band sucks."

They both turned toward the far section of bleachers where the band was playing something faintly familiar. Jael noticed Brianna's friend Aiden, played the tuba...badly. It must be embarrassing to hear him play so many sour notes and still respect his scientific mind in the morning.

"Is that the theme song from that really old retro Batman series that comes on cable Kid's Network?" she asked.

Brianna shrugged. "Who knows. They haven't played anything recognizable since last fall."

"Last fall?'

"Yeah. At the start of football season Mr. Hadley wanted to show off our new digital scoreboard, so they flashed a waving flag on the screen while the band played the national anthem. At least that's what Mr. Hadley said they were going to play."

Jael turned back to the game and watched the players run up and down the court for a couple more minutes. Suddenly she felt eyes on her and a weird feeling in her gut. The same feeling she'd had the day Brianna drove her to the park. She glanced over the sidelines where players stood with the coaches, and students wandered back and forth from their seats to the concession stands out in the entryway.

One guy in basketball shorts was turned toward the bleachers instead of the game. He leaned nonchalantly on one hip, arms crossed, boldly checking her out. Shad. The guy from the lunchroom. Shiny raven hair hung straight to his broad shoulders, parted neatly down the middle. When he realized she'd noticed his attention, his mouth turned up in a slow, wolfish smile.

Where had that thought come from? He was just a guy, not a predator. Yeah right, like guys weren't predators. Oddly enough, that wild dog had shown up at the ghost town right before her first vampire staking, and she'd heard a wolf howling more than once on her nocturnal outings. But really...that was just crazy. Okay, she'd read Dracula. Sure, he had a pack of wolves that acted as look outs for him, but this wasn't Transylvania and she wasn't Jonathan Harker. Besides, that was fiction. This was real life in Sunburn, Nevada.

Brianna leaned over and said something. Jael shook her head and pulled out an earplug. "What?"

"Why are you flirting with Shad?" she asked, slanting her eyes. "I thought we were here because of Lyle."

"I'm not! We are."

"Whatever."

Someone made another basket and the crowd booed. Apparently the other team wanted to crush the Tumbleweeds into the court. Jael glanced at the scoreboard. 26 – 48. The drummer from the band did a ratta-tat-tat and then a cymbal crashed, making Jael cringe with pain. She wanted to cover her ears again. The foam was not nearly enough of a buffer.

She touched Brianna's shoulder. "Can we get out of here?"

Her friend nodded and followed her off the bleachers and out into the entry where stands were set up to sell popcorn, hotdogs, and soda. It was still loud but not nearly as loud as inside the gymnasium. She breathed a sigh of relief.

Brianna pulled out a dollar and bought a bag of popcorn. "Want some?" She held out the bag like a peace offering.

Jael took a handful and munched. She was starving and beginning to regret missing out on her mom's tacos. "How long does this last?" she asked, already bored. She wanted to get on with the evening. Spend time getting to know Lyle, talking, laughing, and hopefully end it with a little kissing. Preferably after he showered.

Brianna waved a hand at the scoreboard. "Not much longer. Let's go outside and wait. It'll be cooler now."

The air was definitely cooler now that the sun had set and night covered Sunburn with a blanket of stars. The parking lot lights dimmed the celestial sky somewhat but Jael could still make out the Big Dipper and North Star. They sat down on the curb.

Brianna was quieter than normal, just munching popcorn. Jael knew she was still not satisfied with their earlier conversation. She didn't seem convinced that Jael's home was a safe haven. Jael wanted to tell her everything but was afraid to lose the one true friend she'd ever had. She held out her hand, palm up, and Brianna shook some popcorn out of her bag.

"Thanks. I'm starving."

"Yeah, me too."

A few kids trickled out and wandered off to their cars. They could hear the band inside the gymnasium trying to play the school fight song, but failing miserably. The game was still going strong. A car peeled out of the parking lot with a squeal of tires and someone laughed in the dark.

"So, is Shad Shoshone Indian or what?" she finally asked, thinking to steer the conversation away from what she knew was on her friend's mind. She didn't want to have the domestic abuse talk again.

Brianna's gaze turned sharply on her. "Why are you all of a sudden so interested in Shad? I thought you wanted to get to know Lyle better. You've been infatuated with him ever since Mr. McNally stuck you two together for that gross frog dissection in 8th grade. He kept calling you Jill and you didn't even care."

They grinned and completely in unison said in high falsetto voices, "Lyle can call me whatever he likes as long as he calls me," and then they laughed together like they did the first time she'd said it.

Brianna wiped her eyes, the grin lingering on her lips. "Does this sudden interest have something to do with today in the lunch room?"

"No."

"Because what Shad said to you was actually kind of creepy, Jael."

"I know that. I'm not as naïve as everyone treats me." She leaned back with her hands on the cool cement behind her. "I just think it's weird how he suddenly started acting all interested and everything."

"You mean like Lyle did?" Brianna's soft tone implied much more than coincidence.

"What are you saying?"

She sighed and propped the bag of popcorn between her legs. "The same thing I tried to tell you this afternoon in the Science lab, but you didn't want to hear it because you've waited three long years for Lyle to notice you and today he finally did."

Jael jumped up and glared down at her friend. "So you think he only talked to me because he thinks I live in a commune? What kind of strange reasoning is that?"

"The male kind."

She crossed her arms and turned away, peering toward dark fields that bordered the parking lot. What Brianna said hurt too much to accept. Was she really so weird that guys would only go out with her if they thought she was easy?

Brianna stood behind her and sighed. "I'm sorry, Jael." She touched her arm. "Don't be mad. I promise to give him the wrong answers for the next science test."

She blew out a laugh and slowly shook her head. "I'm not mad. Just disgusted with myself for being so stupid. I really thought he liked me. That for once someone could look beyond..." she stopped and turned around. "Everything. And see the real me."

"I know," Brianna pulled her into a quick hug and then turned to throw the empty popcorn sack in a nearby garbage can. "You want me to take you home?"

Jael slipped a pack of gum from her pocket. Doublemint. "Nope. I'm good. This may not be the best night of my life but it's going to be memorable."

Brianna's worry lines got even deeper.

Chapter 13

Bigger they are...harder they fall

"We'll meet you there." Jael waggled her fingers in Lyle's direction and followed Brianna to the car.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Did Lyle look hot in his basketball shorts?"

Brianna unlocked the door of her car. "That doesn't mean you have to get burned." She climbed in and started the engine.

Jael hesitated in the open passenger door, staring across the lot at Lyle's red Mustang. Lyle had already climbed in and was revving the engine, but Shadow stood outside waiting for Toby and Jack to climb in the backseat. He stared right back at her, hands jammed in the front pockets of his jeans. It was too dark to tell if he was smiling but she felt a chill crawl up her arms and settle in her gut. What was it about that guy?

"Are you getting in?" Brianna called out, leaning over the seat to look up at her.

She slid in and slammed the door. "Do you feel sort of queasy? Like maybe that popcorn had some bad butter topping or something?"

"You hardly ate any. You're probably just hungry."

The Mustang's headlights swept over them as Lyle turned out of the school parking lot. Brianna followed, keeping her hand on the knob of the radio as always. She flipped the dial until she came to a song she liked and started singing along. "and the games you play..."

"Is Aiden coming too?" asked Jael. Her friend had a thing for nerds and smart kids. Sometimes she wondered why Bree hung out with her.

"I don't think so. He sent me a text a while ago. Said he needed to get home."

They pulled into the burger joint. A few kids from school were already there. Lyle had parked at the far end of the lot, away from the other cars. Brianna didn't follow but parked under a bright lamppost.

Jael looked up at the moon as they climbed out. It was nearly full. She'd always thought a full moon was good luck. Falling stars were nothing to dream on. They were going to crash and burn. Unlike the sun, the full moon was bright with promise, a cool slice of heaven that men had actually flown to and walked on. She could use some of that luck tonight.

The guys were already seated at a table when they joined them. Lyle narrowed his eyes when he saw Brianna tagging along. Apparently he hadn't counted on her friend running interference. But he rebounded quickly and smiled.

He patted the back of the empty chair next to him. "Hey Jael. Have a seat."

Brianna wasn't put off by the inadequate number of chairs or that none of the guys jumped up to get one for her. She pulled one from a nearby table and squeezed in between Shad and Jack. "Thanks for letting me crash your little party, boys. I'm Jael's ride home."

"I can drive her home," Lyle said a little too quickly.

Jack and Toby smirked and stared at Jael as though she'd grown double D cups overnight. Shadow was the only one looking at the menu instead of her. He cleared his throat and slid his chair back abruptly. "Brianna, can I talk to you a minute?" He moved away from the table and waited for her to follow.

Brianna glanced at Jael, wide-eyed, but got up and followed Shad.

"So what do you want? A burger and fries? A shake? I'll buy," Lyle said, leaning in over her shoulder as she read the menu.

She turned and smiled, sucking in a cloud of peppermint. "That's very sweet of you. Make that a chocolate malt and you've got a deal," she said, seeing Brianna motion for her. "I'll be right back."

Lyle patted her butt as she slipped out of the chair. "Take your time."

She just about turned around to send him flying across the table into the wall, but Shad was suddenly there stepping between them. He brushed her arm in passing and she felt a jolt like electricity shoot through her blood. She gasped, and backed away from him.

Brianna grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the restroom. The door swung shut behind them and Brianna peered under the stalls. "All clear," she said, straightening. "Now what was that about?" she asked, leaning against the double sink counter, arms crossed.

"What are you talking about?" Jael was still shaking from contact with Shad. She rubbed her arm where he'd touched her. What was going on?

"The thing you've got going with Shad! He told me to get you out of here. Said you were in danger."

Jael stared at her, dumbfounded. Shad sent chills down her spine and set her heart racing, but not necessarily in a good way. There was something strange going on but she didn't think it had anything to do with attraction. Maybe he was a vampire. Although, she really didn't think so. Every time she'd been near a vamp, white-hot pain had sliced through the side of her foot where her sixth toe once resided. "I don't understand."

Brianna shook her head. "Neither do I. Obviously you have two guys interested in you. But I don't trust either one. Maybe we should go."

"You're right," Jael said. "We should." She couldn't allow her friend to get caught up in something dangerous. Brianna didn't have a clue what Jael's life included and would probably run for the other side of town if she did.

They went back to the table. Shadow was gone, but the other three sat there sucking down shakes while they waited for their burgers. "It's about time. Your malt is melting," Lyle said. He caught Brianna's eye. "Sorry, we didn't get you one. Didn't know what you wanted."

Jack nodded toward the empty chair beside him. "Sit down. You can share mine."

"Thanks Jack, but we're leaving."

"What?" Lyle stood up, nearly tipping his shake over. It wobbled and he righted it. "You can't go yet. I ordered burgers."

"Sorry, Lyle. I really need to get home. But thanks. It was fun watching you play tonight. My first game and all." Jael forced a smile and turned to go.

Lyle reached out and grabbed her by the arm, stopping her. "I said you can't go."

She whipped her body around, snapping his grip loose, and planted her elbow in the side of his neck. Then yanked his arm through hers and brought him to his knees, their cheeks an inch apart. Her Doublemint breath mingled with the cloud of peppermint Altoid air streaming from his open mouth as he yelled in pain.

Jael didn't realize the entire restaurant was staring at her in shock until Brianna touched her arm. "Jael, I think we better leave now," she whispered.

Lyle whimpered when she released him and pushed him away. He landed on his backside, arms and legs splayed. He stared up at her like a frightened, beaten dog, then his face hardened and anger sparked from his eyes when he realized everyone had witnessed his humiliation.

"Jael..." Brianna was pulling her toward the door, hurrying now.

The restaurant came alive with voices, laughter, and scraping chairs as everyone started talking at once. The manager hurried out from behind the counter to see if Lyle was all right. Brianna and Jael flew out the door and ran to the Cadillac. She had forgotten to lock the doors so they jumped right in, and before Jael had her seatbelt on, they were already driving out of the parking lot. She glanced back and saw the guys rush out of the restaurant and stare after them. Lyle's face was a mask of anger. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. The other guys looked like they were trying to calm him down or tease him about it, because he suddenly grabbed Jack and slugged him in the stomach.

They turned at the next corner, and the guys outside the restaurant disappeared from sight. Jael blew out a relieved breath and leaned her head against the side window. Looking up, she decided that full moons were not quite as lucky as she once believed.

"What the heck...?" Brianna asked, both hands gripped the steering wheel like a life preserver. For once she wasn't fiddling with the radio. "How did you...? I know you said..." She couldn't seem to finish a sentence.

"I told you I know a lot of martial arts."

"Yeah, I know but..."

She tried an apology. "Sorry?"

Brianna glanced over and shook her head, a slow smile lighting her eyes. "For what? That was awesome! Lyle is such a jerk. I'm glad you didn't hurt him but he deserved what he got. When he grabbed you..." She stared at the road ahead, words tumbling from her lips.

Jael slowly relaxed. She still felt queasy but she never did eat so that was probably the cause. An empty stomach and all the excitement would make anyone feel a little sick. The night had definitely not gone as planned, and now she might be worse than an outcast at school, but at least Brianna thought she was awesome.

"So," Brianna began tentatively, "if you can have those kind of reflexes, how could you possibly get beat up by a garbage can?"

The question didn't register at first, but slowly Jael became aware of the pause in Brianna's one-sided conversation. "What?"

"You want to rescind your earlier explanation for those cuts and bruises?"

The dark road suddenly grew bright as a car approached from behind, gaining on them at an alarming rate. Brianna glanced in the rearview. "They could at least turn off their brights." She adjusted her mirrors but the interior of the car remained lit up. "That car is right on our tail. What are they trying to prove?"

Jael turned around. Headlights glared back at her. The car was sticking closer than cat hair on an old lady. "Pull over," she said. "Let them go by."

Brianna slowed and pulled onto the shoulder of the road, but rather than racing by, the car followed, matching their speed to a stop. "Oh crap," she said, her eyes still on the rearview, "it's Lyle's Mustang.

"Just the Mustang or did Lyle come along?" she joked, trying to lighten the situation. What had she gotten them into? She couldn't let her friend get hurt because of her own rash actions.

Car doors slammed behind them as the guys climbed out of the Mustang. Brianna looked terrified, still gripping the wheel, her eyes glued to the side mirror. Jael watched the mirrors as well, waiting...

"Go!" she said, her voice soft but commanding.

Brianna hit the gas and tore away with a squeal of rubber on pavement. One of the guys yelled and banged on the side of the car as they took off, but they were soon out of reach and flying along the highway at 70mph.

"They're following us!"

Jael twisted around and gazed back at the approaching headlights. The muscle car was slowly but irrevocably gaining. "Go faster."

"I can't! I promised my dad I wouldn't ever go above seventy."

"Really? You're going to stick to that now?! 'Cause tonight I lied to my parents about being sick, climbed out the bedroom window, drove into town with you, got into a fight with a creepy guy, and am now in a slightly high speed chase that feels like a scene from a bad B movie."

Brianna put on her blinker and began to brake. "Well, call me a saint, but I don't want to die like this. I prefer to die in bed, making love with my husband at the ripe old age of fifty."

There was movement behind Brianna's seat and a familiar head popped up. "Mind if I make a suggestion?"

They both screamed and Shadow covered his ears, his face screwed up in a grimace.

Brianna nearly drove off the road, swerving this way and that, trying to control the huge old car like a sailboat on a rough sea. Jael pushed her feet against the floorboards, hanging on for dear life to the handle on the door with a white-knuckle grip.

Chapter 14

Fight club

Shadow leaned over Brianna and grabbed the wheel, bringing the car back between the lines with calm precision. "Calm down," he said in a quiet voice. "Now slowly back off on the gas and turn down that road." He pointed and fell back against the seat.

Jael twisted around and glared at him. "What are you doing in Bree's car? And how in the world did you fit behind the seat?" she asked, amazed she hadn't seen him or sensed him. But maybe she had. The queasiness was still there, like early morning hunger.

"Have you ever sat back here?" He put his arms out. "It's as big as the living room in my trailer. Besides, Bree is really short. There's enough room behind her seat to install a hot tub."

She couldn't help smiling. The situation was so ridiculous.

Brianna was still dealing poorly with the circumstances. She turned off the highway onto the road he'd indicated and drove slowly down the middle of the gravel lane. "Somebody tell me what I'm supposed to do now! I was not bred for danger. My parents are scientists for heaven sake!"

"Stop the car," Shadow said. He turned to look out the back. "Here they come."

"What exactly is your plan, Mr. Take Charge?" Jael unbuckled her seatbelt when Bree put the car into park. She turned and met Shad's dark gaze. "Are you helping us, or helping them?"

He raised his brows and gave her that wolfish grin that sent a tingle down her spine.

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see."

The Mustang drew up behind them, headlights glaring. Lyle revved the engine a couple times as though to prove his manhood. Then he and the other two climbed out and approached on each side of the car.

"Bree, take your hands off the wheel and relax." Shad's voice was low and soothing. "It'll be fine."

She sniffed and wiped at her eyes. Jael reached out and clasped her hand.

Lyle stopped at the driver side window and bent to peer inside. "Can I see your driver's license and proof of insurance please?" he said, and smirked. They could hear the other two guys laughing.

"What do you want?" Brianna asked.

He jerked up on the door handle, making Brianna pull away in fright. "I want you to unlock this door," he said, through clenched teeth.

"No! Go away or we'll call the police."

He shook his head. "Little pigs, little pigs, let me come in. Or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll smash your door in!" He stepped back and they saw the baseball bat he carried. He grasped the grip with both hands, choked up on it, and did a practice swing. Then he leaned back down, put his face near the window and steamed up the glass with his breath. With a finger he wrote, SLUTMOBILE.

Bree wrinkled her nose. "What is eli bom tuls?"

Shad mumbled softly from the backseat. "You're reading it backwards, Bree. Are you sure you have a brother who's a genius?"

"Oh. Oohhh," she said, drawing out the word with an upward turn. "How dare he?" she flipped the unlock button and thrust her door open, nearly knocking Lyle down in the process. "Who do you think you're calling a slut?" she demanded, advancing on him so fast he actually fell back a step.

"Bree! What are you doing?" Jael jumped out her side of the car to run to her friend's defense. Obviously Shad wasn't planning on helping out in a tangible way. He stayed hidden away in the backseat. Jack grabbed her from behind and tried to yank her back, but she bent and flipped him over her shoulder. He landed with a grunt, the breath knocked out of him, and lay there stunned. She stepped past him.

Lyle pushed Bree against the car, and pinned her there with his body. He lowered his head to kiss her, but she turned her head away. "You little..."

Jael reached him just as he raised his hand. She grasped it, yanked it behind his back, and pressed on the pressure point between his thumb and forefinger. He swore loudly.

"Do you really want to keep having this conversation?" she whispered in his ear.

Toby and Jack, standing but still breathing hard, approached her from either side, their arms out as though they were going to cast an invisible net over her. The back door of the car opened and Shad slowly stepped out, dark hair swinging. He pushed it back behind his ears and grinned. "You guys here for the party?"

The look of shock on Toby's face was laughable. "Shad? What are you doing here?"

He shrugged and hooked a thumb at the car. "Getting a ride in the backseat."

Toby and Jack snickered. "I thought you didn't want in."

"I don't need no ecstasy to get a girl."

Jael went cold, and tightened her grip. Lyle screamed and fell to his knees.

"Sorry," she said in a hard voice. "You started this. Now I'm going to have to finish it."

Shad pushed Bree back inside the car and shut the door on her, then leaned against it, holding it closed. Bree banged on the window. "Let me out!"

"Bree, stay there." Jael glared in Shad's direction. "So you knew they were going to drug me and you didn't say anything?"

"I'm here, aren't I?"

"Yes, but I'm still not sure who you're here for."

A dog howled in the distance and then three or four dogs were howling at the same time. Or was it wolves?

The guys stared into the dark desert around them, suddenly alert.

Shad spoke in a low voice, looking intently up at the moon. "I heard a pack of wolves attacked a herd of sheep the other night and ripped open six of them in a matter of minutes. They were completely gutted when the farmer found them in the morning, blood everywhere."

"Here's what I'm going to do," Jael said, ignoring Shad's weird storytelling ramble. She kept her hold on Lyle but glanced between Toby and Jack. "I'm going to release your friend and let you all get back in the car. Then you're going to turn around and go home."

Jack dared to take a step closer. "And what if we don't?"

She jerked back on Lyle's little finger until it snapped. He yelled out and she released him. He fell to the ground, crying and curled up, holding his hand in the palm of his other hand like a baby bird. "Now Lyle broke his finger," she said. "You better get him to the hospital."

Toby swore loudly, snatched up the bat at his feet and lunged at her, swinging. She sidestepped, throwing him against the wheel of the car. He hit the fender with his face, dropped the bat and fell backwards onto the hard dirt road, blood dripping from forehead and nose.

Jack took the opportunity to grab a handful of the back of her shirt and yank her off balance. She stumbled and fell to one knee, but before he had time to do more than smirk, she'd twisted around and planted an elbow to his groin. He dropped like a rock.

With all three boys on the ground groaning, Jael didn't hear the low rumble of growls until she was on her feet heading for Shadow. He still stood against Brianna's door watching everything with hooded eyes. She stopped and stood still, listening, then turned and scanned the field behind her. A pair of yellow eyes shone back...and then another...and another. She didn't know how many were out there but she couldn't handle them all.

"We should go now," Shad said. He opened the back door and started to climb in.

"We can't just leave them here," Jael said, moving to help Jack to his feet. "The wolves smell blood. They'll kill them."

"It's what they deserve, isn't it?"

She blew out through her nose, her lips sealed in a tight line. So much for small town safety. If her parents got wind of this night they would never let her live it down. But she couldn't just leave these boys here to be torn apart by a pack of wolves, even if they had planned to do horrible things to her tonight.

"Help me or get in the car and shut up."

Shad shut the door and bent down to help Lyle to his feet. He led him over to the Mustang and opened the door for him. "Can you drive or do you want one of your buddies to get you home?" he asked in a grating voice that stated clearly he couldn't care less.

Lyle stared out at the field, fear in his eyes, and slid behind the wheel, careful not to bang his hand against anything. He turned the key and the engine revved to life. Jael helped Toby to the car. He slid into the back seat while Jack climbed in the front. The wolves had crept closer, a semi circle of glowing eyes watching from the side of the road. Lyle put the car into reverse and backed away at a dangerous rate. The car spun around at the end of the road stirring up a cloud of dust. The engine roared as they shot down the highway toward Sunburn.

Shad dusted his hands off. "That was fun."

The field was quiet now, the glowing eyes gone. Jael looked around in every direction. The wolves had disappeared like smoke in the wind. "Where'd they go?"

"Home."

"The wolves – not those creeps," she said, pushing her hair back from her face.

"I was talking about the wolves."

She rolled her eyes and hurried to the car to check on Brianna. "Are you all right, Bree?" she asked, throwing open the door.

Her friend had her arms folded over the steering wheel and her face planted in the center as though afraid to watch what was going on. She raised her head and tears streamed down her face. "Jael! I was so afraid... those wolves... and then you hit him...I can't believe..." She was back to speaking in partial sentences again.

Jael shrugged. "I know. I'm awesome," she said in a teasing voice.

Brianna jumped out of the car, eyes blazing. "No, you're not! I thought you were going to get killed. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking – why in the world would Bree open the door and confront an angry guy with a baseball bat when she's only five-foot two-inches tall and ninety-five pounds dripping wet?"

Brianna stared at her for a moment completely speechless and then her face crumpled again. "I'm sorry, Jael. It was stupid. If anything happened to you it would be my fault."

Jael pulled her into a hug, patting her back as Brianna expressed regret for being an empty-headed blonde. "It's okay. Nothing happened to me, so there's nothing to take the blame for. But if my parents find out about tonight, I'll be sure and throw you under the bus."

"I'll take one of those hugs too if you're giving them out for free," Shadow said, leaning against the car with his arms crossed, watching. A slow smile turned up the corners of his mouth when she approached him.

"What are you even doing here?" she asked, staring into his eyes as though those dark depths would reveal the truth. He stared back, unblinking and she suddenly felt a little dizzy and light-headed. She stumbled and nearly fell.

Chapter 15

Teen wolf or dog-faced boy

"Are you all right, Jael?" Bree was by her side in an instant, taking her arm. "Come on, get in the car. I'll take you home." She helped Jael into the passenger seat, then hurried around and climbed back behind the wheel. She glanced in the rearview at Shadow, once again in the back seat, and frowned. "I can't believe you let Jael do all the fighting. You didn't even step in to help."

"I was busy."

"Doing what?"

"Calling for backup."

Brianna shook her head and started the car. "Whatever."

Jael twisted around before fastening her seatbelt. "If you called someone, then where are they?" she asked.

"I told you they went home," he said.

She couldn't tell whether he was joking or serious.

Brianna managed to turn the car around after about ten back and forths and finally turned onto the empty highway. The radio station played cool jazz as they rode along and seemed to soothe the irritability left over from their encounter with Lyle and his friends. Jael stared out the window at sagebrush and cactus shadows and wondered why she found it so hard to believe a teenage boy had a direct line to a pack of wolves. It wasn't as if her life was totally believable.

"Why did you hide in the car at the restaurant?" she asked, flicking off the radio when the song ended.

"I wanted to make sure you got home safe. Those guys were talking about drugging your milkshakes. I couldn't be sure you'd leave before that happened."

Brianna made a sound of derision. "And what were you going to do if they did? Evidently you're not much of a fighter."

He leaned forward with his hands on the backs of their seats, so close that Jael could smell the shampoo he used. Something fresh and citrusy. His hair hung straight and silky along his cheekbones, blocking a good view of his eyes. "I fight when I need to, but Jael seemed to have it under control."

"Jael is an expert in martial arts. What are you an expert in? Buffalo chips?"

He turned his face toward Brianna. "Was that a subtle jab at my heritage?"

Her eyes widened and she shook her head. "Of course not! I would never make fun of you because you're an Indian."

"Native American," he corrected smoothly.

Jael detected the hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth. "The redskin is pulling your chain, Bree."

Brianna shot him a quick glance before gluing her eyes back to the road. "That wasn't funny."

He laughed softly and ran a finger along her arm. "Sure it was."

She slapped his hand away. "Sit back and quit distracting the driver."

He slid back on the seat with a sigh. "You're pretty bossy for a squaw."

"You're pretty worthless as a backup plan."

Brianna slowed and turned onto Jael's road, pulled to the side and shifted into park. "You want me to drive you closer to the house? You're probably exhausted after beating up three guys – all alone."

"She's fought worse," Shad mumbled.

Jael gave him a sharp glance before opening the door. "I'll be fine. Are you sure you will be?" she asked, leaning in through the open door. She gestured toward Shad.

The back door was thrust open and Shad stepped out beside her. "Don't worry. I get out here too."

Jael and Brianna stared after him when he closed the door and started walking down the road.

"Where does he think he's going?"

"You don't suppose he lives nearby?" Brianna asked. "Maybe I should drive you to the house."

Jael met her friend's eyes. "If my parents don't already know I've been gone, they definitely will if you pull into the yard. Bruno's bark could wake the dead."

"Okay, but call me before you go to sleep. I want to know you're safe."

She laughed. "You sound like my mom."

Brianna pulled back onto the highway. Jael stood and watched until her taillights disappeared from view, swallowed up by the dark and a dip in the road. She turned and hurried toward the house, quickly catching up with Shadow's slow ambling gait. With his long legs he could have been half way there by now. It was obvious he was waiting for her.

Hearing her approach, he stopped and turned around. "Don't worry. I don't bite."

"What are you doing out here? Nobody lives on this road for miles." She put her hands on her hips and regarded him with a frown. "If this is some macho guy thing to protect me..."

He laughed. "Why would you think that? I just saw you take out three guys single-handedly. I'm not stupid."

"True. Then why are you here and how do you intend to get back to town?"

"I'll worry about my ride. You have more pressing problems." He stuck his hands in the front pockets of his jeans, his eyes narrowed as he regarded her. "Do you know what a tracker is?"

She hesitated, sensing he was fishing for information. "Sure. Isn't it some kind of computer program to track online history or something?"

He looked past her shoulder into the dark sagebrush at the side of the road, his gaze so intense that she couldn't help glancing back as well. When his eyes flicked back to hers, he smiled. "You're pretty good."

"At what?"

"Deflecting questions."

The conversation was making Jael seriously uncomfortable. Her mother had mentioned something about trackers from the Shoshoni tribe, sniffing out Slayers and... what? That part was never explained. She was supposed to ask her father. Of course she never did.

She started walking, hoping to put some distance between them. If he really had a nose like a dog he probably thought she smelled like the inside of a dirty clothes hamper after the night she'd had. "I have to get home. Good luck finding that ride."

"She's your best friend, isn't she? Maybe you're only friend?"

His questions brought her feet to a sudden stop. She spun around and glared at him. "What are you getting at? Are you threatening Bree?"

He crossed his arms over his dark blue t-shirt and sighed. "Of course not. I'm trying to warn you and failing miserably."

"Warn me?"

"You've been found. A relative of mine, who will remain name-less, has already put the word out. I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen. He thinks the old ways are the only ways." He shook his head. "We've been living as servants for far too long. Serving the needs of the immortals without even a taste of immortality. Like dogs bred to hunt, they throw us a bone at the end of the day and say, "good Indian."

"They?" she asked, taking a tentative step back toward him. She glanced to each side of the road, now fearing an ambush. If he was a tracker for the vamps...

"Bloodsuckers. Vampires. Immortals. Whatever you want to call them. I refuse to call them Master any longer. I will not bow to their needs or use my abilities to serve them."

"And you're telling me this because...?"

"Because you are a slayer and I'm changing sides."

She bit her bottom lip, her eyes narrowing. The guy was big, strong looking, and obviously bright. He'd been watching her fight earlier, so he knew some of her moves. Was he toying with her, trying to get into her head? Or was he being straight with her?

"You don't believe me," he said. He glanced at the desert on either side of the road before turning his face up toward the full moon, his dark eyes reflecting the shining orb, and howled.

The sound startled her. She was about ready to run home, and throw herself on the mercy of her parents, just to escape the crazy guy. Maybe they'd know how to get rid of him – short of shooting him with a silver bullet. A moment passed while she was shocked into silence, and then in the distance she heard the sound of echoing howls. Not just one or two, but at least half a dozen.

She gasped. "You really did have a backup plan," she said.

"I probably shouldn't have called them before, but Lyle was really acting like a jerk. I couldn't let anything happen to you or Bree. I know you can take care of yourself, but if they'd put something in your drink like they said they were gonna..."

"I guess I owe you one."

He shrugged. "Maybe."

"But I still could have taken them out of commission even without your wolves waiting in the wings."

"Probably."

"So, why are you here? And what does this have to do with Bree? Is she in danger?"

He scuffed the toe of his athletic shoe against the hard earth a couple times as though hesitant to divulge what he knew. Finally he pulled his hands from his pockets and pushed the hair back from his face with a sigh of resignation. "There is a family line in our tribe that will end with me. I am haayabinnaangwahte – the last Tracker. Unless I marry my cousin, who is ten years older than me, there will be no more trackers. The chance is slim even then. The gift of wolf charming has slowly disappeared from our tribe. My father never reached his potential, but my grandfather was a master at communicating with the pia isan.

"I take it that's a wolf."

She moved closer, watching his eyes. Earlier she thought they looked golden, now they seemed darker, more of an amber. But that could just be from lack of daylight. The moon was brighter than normal, revealing an intensity in Shad that she hadn't noticed before.

"It's not like the movies," he said, a flicker of amusement in his dark eyes. "We can't shapeshift or anything crazy like that. I mean, I'm not a werewolf if that's what you think."

She raised her brows. "After what I've seen lately I don't think werewolves would even surprise me."

"I know what you mean."

"You do?"

He ignored her question and continued. "I may not be able to turn into a werewolf but I sort of have some of their characteristics."

"Sort of? Like what," she asked, taking a step back, "the strength to tear someone limb from limb?"

He laughed and shook his head. "Nothing like that. I'm just a tracker, remember?"

"My mom told me trackers can smell slayers from a hundred yards away. Is that true?"

"Close enough," he confirmed, wrinkling his nose.

"So how long have you known?"

"That you're a slayer?" He shrugged and glanced away. "I didn't know for sure until a couple days ago, but I made the mistake of mentioning it to my grandfather. I'm sorry."

"Your grandfather. And he told..."

"Word was sent out that a slayer is rising."

He made it sound like carrier pigeons were on the move, little notes tied around their necks. How in the world did you send word to the vampire population? A late night phone call to a bat cave?

"What does Bree have to do with this?" she asked again, worried now, after she'd sent her home alone.

"If they know she's your friend, they could use her to get to you. It's not as if they play fair. They're soulless creatures, after all."

"True, but what would that gain them? Besides an angry slayer?"

"I just know what I heard. Kenu said if you have not yet reached your sixteenth birthday, that you are still vulnerable."

"I thought you said your grandfather would remain nameless."

He grinned. "That's not his name. It's just the Shoshone word for grandfather."

There was a sound in the brush beside the road. A snake slithered out and curled up on a rock ten feet away. With her eyes on the creature, Jael moved away from it and started walking again. "I need to get home. My parents are going to be worried if they realize I'm gone."

He kept pace with her. "Your parents are vulnerable too. I'd warn them if I were you. They should know you've been located."

She shook her head. "I can't tell them that. They'll ask me how I know, and then," she spread her hands, "all of this will come out. Besides, they'd probably pack up and run again. I don't want to leave Sunburn. I'm tired of moving from place to place. Now that I know why we've been nomads for most of my life, I can put a stop to it. I'll be sixteen in two weeks. What can happen before that?"

The look on his face was not encouraging.

Chapter 16

A savage tale

Jael left Shad standing in the middle of the road. She darted across the yard and around the house to her bedroom window. Climbing back in was a little harder than jumping out but she managed to pull herself over the sill and fall onto the quilt she'd left to cushion the sound of her reentrance. The room was dark, except for the slip of light shining under the crack of the door. She crept across the room, careful to avoid the floorboard that creaked. Her parents would be sleeping by now. They rarely stayed up late to watch television. Only three channels came in clearly even with the help of an antenna on the roof. Cable didn't exist this far out of town.

The door was still locked, just as she'd left it. She turned the button and slowly twisted the knob. A dim glow shone from the open door of the bathroom across the hall, more of a lack of darkness rather than an actual light source. Her mom always left a tiny plug-in nightlight burning.

She recognized the soft rumble of her Dad's snore as she moved quickly past the closed door of her parents' room. Jael avoided obstacles in the dark by instinct. She hurried through the house to the kitchen, intent on one thing. Food. The lingering smell of spicy tacos made her stomach growl eagerly. She hoped her mom had saved leftovers for her in spite of her request to the contrary.

Squinting against the brightness of the open refrigerator, Jael searched the shelves. A foil-wrapped plate sat on the highest rack, obviously waiting for her to feel better. She smiled and reached out.

"Where have you been?"

Jael jerked her hand back and turned to face the darkness. "Who's there?"

"Settle down. It's just me."

Seth's familiar voice registered with the words and she relaxed...a little. Her grip tightened on the door of the fridge. "What are you doing up?" she asked, more to stall than because she cared.

"I've been up. I never go to bed this early. Night time is when we need to be the most vigilant."

There was that word again. She shrugged and stuck her head back in the fridge, lifted out the plate and a gallon of milk. "I guess," she said. She set the food on the counter and peeled back the corner of the foil to take a look. Yep. A half dozen beautiful, crispy-fried tacos. Awesome.

"I'm serious. Where were you? I saw you in the yard. You shouldn't be outside alone unless you're prepared to fight. You're not a little girl anymore, Jael. You're the Chosen One."

"That's what you keep telling me." She found grated cheese and salsa in the fridge and set them on the counter as well. "Sometimes I think you're more excited about me being a slayer than I am," she said, adding the toppings to each meat filled shell.

Seth made a low growling sound in his throat and stood up, pushing his chair back with a loud scrape. If he weren't quieter, her parents would be joining them in the kitchen soon. She didn't want to deal with more questions tonight.

"I just went outside to get some fresh air. Now I feel much better, but I'm hungry. You mind?" She moved past him, plate of tacos in one hand, tall glass of milk in the other.

He put a restraining hand on her arm. "Actually I do. Sit down." His voice was firm. He gestured toward the table. "You can eat while I talk."

She sighed. "Fine." She sat down and took a big bite of the first taco, ignoring him completely as he took the chair across from her.

He watched for a minute, not saying anything. When she'd scarfed down the first one and started on the second he calmly folded his hands on the tabletop and began. "I'm concerned, Jael. I've been talking with friends online. They picked up some chatter today. Stuff that makes me more than a bit worried. I think you've been found out."

She swallowed and pushed the plate back. Suddenly she didn't feel quite so hungry. What kind of friends did her uncle talk to online? That must be some strange dating site. "What are you saying? That vampires go online and chat? What...do they have Facebook?"

"Who doesn't have Facebook?" He spread his hands out on the tabletop, drumming his fingertips as though impatient with her questions. "There have been reports that a slayer was discovered by a tracker here in Nevada. It didn't mention Sunburn specifically, but that report is too close for comfort. I think we need to tell your parents. We may have to go underground for a while. At least until after your birthday."

She sat back. "It's just a birthday. I'm turning sixteen, not morphing into Wonder Woman."

"It's not just a birthday, Jael. It's the day you fully become the Chosen One."

She narrowed her gaze. "I thought I already was."

"You've been chosen by your birth and heritage, but you take on the full mantel on your birthday. I'm not sure exactly how it works. Nobody does. I just know you haven't reached your full potential." He sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. "Has anyone told you about the trackers yet?"

Jael glanced down at her uneaten food. "Mom started to tell me but she said to ask Dad." She didn't want Seth to know a tracker had just walked her home. He'd definitely have a conniption.

"Well, trackers can smell a slayer from..."

"A hundred yards," she finished. "Yeah, I know that much."

"Okay." He rubbed a hand over his jaw. "Did you know they communicate with wolves?"

She nodded.

"That they can see in the dark almost as well as a wolf?"

"That I didn't know."

"They've worked closely with bloodsuckers for hundreds of years. Some say they don't have a choice because of a curse on their family line. Others say they have free will and chose this path themselves."

"A curse?" she asked. Shadow had said he was changing sides, that the old ways were not his ways. Was it possible for him to change or would he be forced to help them track her down?

"Legend has it that a young Brave was hunting in the desert and got lost. He wandered for days until his water was long gone and his strength dried up. In the dead of night, crawling on hands and knees, he came across a dried up riverbed. After digging frantically at the hard cracked ground, hoping to find a trickle of moisture below to ease his swollen tongue, he passed out. When he came to, he was lying inside the mouth of a cave. The sun was high in the sky but he was shielded under an outcropping of rock. From the dark depths of the cave he heard the steady drip of water. Crazy with thirst, he tried to crawl toward the sound, but out of the darkness a voice spoke. It told him that he could have all the water he needed in exchange for his servitude. Doubtful that he'd ever find his way out of the desert, he agreed."

Jael snorted. "You've got to be kidding. He sold out for a drink of water? That's worse than the Bible story about Esau trading his birthright to his brother for a bowl of soup."

Seth shrugged. "It's just a legend. I don't know if it's actually true. Only a tracker could tell you that."

She met her uncle's eyes. "So what's the curse?"

"He survived."

"I don't get it."

"Two braves from his hunting party eventually found him. He was speaking gibberish – gone mad from the desert – or so they thought. When they entered the cave they were attacked by something so strong and quick that they didn't stand a chance. The surviving brave watched his new master suck the lifeblood from his childhood friends."

"Why didn't he do something?" she asked, not sure what this story had to do with her but assuming there was a lesson here somewhere. After all, Uncle Seth was in the orient for many months. Didn't their stories always come with a lesson?

"He did. He saved his family line by making a pact with the devil."

"That's it? Wow. That's really a depressing story. Thanks." She got up and put the things back in the refrigerator. Then turned and gave her uncle a thumbs up. "I'll be sure and ponder that as I go to sleep."

"You do that. Good night, Jael."

Chapter 17

Everyone talks

Brianna was waiting by the school entrance when Jael climbed out of the Suburban and waved goodbye to her mom. Her friend grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to a quiet spot away from listening ears.

"Did your parents find out about last night?" she asked in a stage whisper that probably carried farther than if she just spoke in a normal voice. "My mom found your clothes in the backseat. You forgot to put them back in your bag." Brianna handed her a plastic sack with her clothes all neatly folded.

"Thanks." Jael slipped her book bag off her shoulder and unzipped it. She shoved the clothes inside. "I didn't get you in trouble, did I?"

"No, Mom thought they were mine. She washed them for you." She shot her a thin-lipped smile. "Sorry."

"What for?"

"She tends to shrink things."

Jael shrugged. It was a small price to pay considering what would have happened if her mom had found out she'd lied, went to town without permission, beat up some high school boys, and then spent time alone with a Tracker.

"Speak of the devil," she mumbled as she spotted Shadow riding into the parking lot on his motorcycle. He wore a red bandana tied around his head to keep his hair back and a leather vest over a white t-shirt. His faded blue jeans fit like a well-worn pair of gloves.

Jael glanced at Brianna and saw that Shadow had her full attention. So much for Aiden and their mutual love of science. Shadow rode onto the sidewalk and parked the bike up by the bicycle stand, ignoring the frowns of kids who had to move out of the way. He slipped his leg over the seat of the bike and stood there looking around. Dark sunglasses hid his eyes, but she could tell when he spotted them. His lips curved slowly up, and then he pocketed the key to his bike and took the stairs two at a time.

"Hello ladies." He pushed his glasses up on the top of his head. "What's shaking?"

Brianna rolled her eyes. "You are so lame."

Jael pushed the queasiness down. She better get used to it. Having Shad around seemed to be the new normal. Besides, if her intuition was correct, Brianna's sarcasm was a feeble attempt at disinterest.

"I thought you'd be sleeping in today, given the fact that you had to walk thirty miles into town last night," Jael said. "Or did you get a ride from your friends?"

"My friends?" He raised his brows. "No. Actually I walked back to the highway and caught a ride with a trucker. She was pretty friendly, but I wouldn't go so far as to call her my friend."

Brianna made a sound of disgust and turned to go in. The warning bell rang through the school, reminding them that they only had ten minutes before class started. Jael shot Shad a warning look. He lifted his shoulders and spread his hands in a wide-eyed gesture of innocence.

She hurried through the doors.

Shadow followed, managing to look smug and sexy all at the same time. He walked past them when they stopped at their lockers, casually pushing his hair back from his face, and ignoring their stares. Jael leaned into her locker and watched him covertly through the hinged crack of the open locker door. Suddenly an eyeball stared back at her and she jerked upright.

"What are you looking at?" Brianna demanded, moving around the door. "You don't have a crush on him, do you?" Her voice was tight with worry.

Jael shook her head, a frown drawing her brows together. "Of course not. I'm just curious to know what makes him tick. He did show up last night when we were in trouble. We've got to give him a little credit for that, right?"

She crossed her arms, leaning on one hip. "Why should we? It's not as if he really did anything." She glanced down the hall where he'd stopped to open his locker. When he looked up, she whipped her gaze back to Jael. "He's so full of himself," she muttered.

"I think thou doth protest too much."

Brianna huffed. "Whatever! I have to get to class."

"See you later." Jael slammed her locker and hurried to Trig. She made it in the nick of time. The bell rang as she pushed through the door.

Mr. Winchester was MIA. The kids were all talking loudly and laughing, taking advantage of the extra time to visit. She slid into her desk and drummed her fingers on the cover of the textbook. She never was much of a social butterfly.

"Hey Jael, did you hear Lyle broke his finger last night in a fight? His face looks pretty bad too." Sarah leaned across the aisle, her eagerness to divulge the news to someone was palpable. "I guess Jack and Toby were with him and they got jumped by a bunch of Indians down at the park."

Jael frowned. "Where did you hear that?" She glanced around the room. It looked like Lyle's story was the talk of the school.

"Stan said Holly told him. Jack called her last night." She leaned closer and whispered, "They say Shadow was involved."

"Shadow?" Jael bit her bottom lip. Had Lyle and his friends started this rumor to cause trouble for Shadow because he'd come to their aid? Or because they needed a scapegoat? They certainly wouldn't want people to think a girl had done all that damage to them. Their male egos would never allow it.

Sarah nodded. "Apparently he was angry at Lyle for making out with his girlfriend or something."

"His girlfriend?" she tried not to sound too shocked but the news that she was Shadow's girlfriend was a little unnerving. And they'd never even had a real date. "Don't believe everything you hear," she said, sitting back in her chair.

"Well, Holly said Shad is jealous because Lyle is the star of the basketball team. So I guess since he broke Lyle's finger, Shad will get exactly what he wanted."

The door opened and Mr. Winchester strode in, managing to temporarily quell the gossip machine.

*****

Jael didn't have time to speak with Brianna during lunch because she had to meet with Ms. Carter about catching up on the homework she'd missed when she was absent. She stood by the front doors after school hoping to catch her before she left for the day. Shadow sauntered by and casually slipped her a folded piece of paper before pushing through the doors into the sunshine. She looked around to see if anyone had noticed.

Brianna was suddenly at her elbow. "Hey, what's up?"

"Nothing. Just waiting for you." She smiled, but her face felt all plastic like. She lowered her voice and spoke close to Brianna's ear. "Did you hear the wild story going around about Lyle and his misfit friends?"

She nodded. "Shadow is taking the blame for everything. I can't believe they put out such bald-faced lies and everyone believes them. Shad couldn't care less about basketball. He only joined the team because coach talked him into it."

"How do you know that? I thought you barely knew Shadow."

She shrugged. "I hear things."

Brianna had obviously been interested in the guy much longer than she'd guessed. Jael gave her a quick hug. "I better go. My mom is probably already sitting out there. Call me later, okay?" She waved and went out the door.

Shadow was on his bike, apparently waiting for her to exit the school. He gestured with his eyes for her to come close. Jael moved close to his parked bike and stared out at the parking lot as though she were watching for her ride.

She heard him laugh softly. "You'd make a terrible spy."

"What do you want?" She asked between gritted teeth.

"Meet me down the road from your house after dark. We need to talk," he said to her back. Then he turned the key and started his bike. The pipes chugged loudly before he pulled off the sidewalk and zoomed out of the parking lot.

Jael saw her mom sitting in the parked Suburban across the way. She dodged cars and hurried over to get in. "Hey, Mom."

"Who was that boy talking to you?" she asked as soon as Jael climbed into the truck.

"What boy?" She pulled the seatbelt across and clicked it into place.

"The boy you were pretending not to be interested in." She continued to stare at Jael, unmoving. "Is there something you'd like to tell me?" she asked.

Jael shook her head, her face screwed up in that, what are you talking about, look. "I don't know what you mean."

Her mom pursed her lips and slowly shook her head. "If that's the way you want to play it." She started the engine and pulled into the flow of cars leaving school. "But if you want to talk about anything, you know I'm here."

"Sure Mom." She rolled her eyes. That would never happen.

Chapter 18

A place to call home

Seth and her dad were sitting out on the deck when they pulled into the driveway. They both had on their serious faces. She jumped out and walked toward them. "I hope you two aren't waiting for me to go out vampire hunting. I'm exhausted. I think that flu bug yesterday took it out of me."

Her dad stood up and pulled her into a hug. "Not tonight, kiddo. We have some serious things to discuss."

Her mom hesitated at the bottom of the steps, eyes darting between the two men. "Now what?"

Jesse held out a hand, she hurried up the steps and he pulled her close. "It'll be all right, honey. I promise." He nodded toward the door. "Let's go inside."

Jael noticed Seth turn to look around the property before following them in. He was always a little paranoid but it was still broad daylight. Vampires couldn't boldly walk about in the scorching afternoon sun, could they?

"Jael, please come sit down." Her dad was already in the kitchen leaning against the pantry door, his arms crossed. "Seth has some bad news."

"I knew it," her mom said. "They've found us, haven't they?"

"They who, Mom?"

Seth moved past her to sit at the table. His gaze burned into hers, as though he knew she'd withheld important information. But he didn't know about Shadow and all the rest, did he? She turned away to get a soda out of the refrigerator. Her fingers shook as she pulled the top.

He flipped open his ever present laptop and clicked open his email. "Trackers. I received an email today from a shunned one in Minnesota. He heard that the Bishop sent out a hit team this morning. They could be here anytime."

Her mom gasped and pushed her face against her husband's chest. Jesse wrapped his arms around her, his face remaining stoic. He met Jael's eyes. "I'm sorry we didn't explain this before. The Bishop controls many lives, even people we still love and care for. His reach is long and he's been searching for you since before you were born. He'll stop at nothing."

"He knows you will be much harder to beat once you turn sixteen," Seth continued. "That's why he's willing to go to such lengths to find you now. Even sending his people out of their territory. Usually the Amish Bloodsuckers keep to themselves. They don't associate with outsiders."

"Do they know my name and where we live?" she asked, wondering just how much information Shadow gave his grandfather before changing sides. Maybe that's what he wanted to talk about later.

"I'm not sure." Seth glanced up from the screen. "But the message that was intercepted named the town of Sunburn. So once they get here, it won't be long before they figure out the rest. They'll set the tracker on you."

"You don't look very surprised, Jael," her father said softly from across the room.

She licked her lips and glanced away, setting her can of cola on the counter. "Seth told me about trackers."

Her mom straightened, eyes narrowed and piercingly suspicious. She approached Jael and lifting her chin with one finger, looked directly into her eyes. "Honey, what aren't you telling us?"

She suddenly felt like a traitor to her own family. But all she'd wanted was to have a normal life, to be left alone to grow up, have friends, date, and maybe fall in love someday. How could that be such a bad thing? "That boy you asked about at school," she began, hesitantly, "is a tracker."

"What?" Seth nearly yelled the word. He was on his feet in a split second, his chair fell backwards and hit the floor with a crash. "You've had contact with a tracker and didn't tell us? Are you suicidal?"

The anger in his eyes was probably justified but Jael's temper rose at his outburst. "Yes! I kept something from you. How crazy is that?" She threw up her hands. "You three have kept secrets from me my whole life. So deal with it!" She was shouting now too. She turned away from them all, gripping the edge of the porcelain sink with both hands, and stared blindly out the kitchen window.

Her mom touched her shoulder and turned her around. She looked terrified. She pressed her lips together and shook her head. When she spoke her voice was soft but firm. "Jael, how could you? You've put yourself at risk and that endangers us all."

"Shadow isn't like that," she argued. "His grandfather is the one who sent the message." All three of them stared at her as if she'd just announced the end of the world or something. The disappointment in their faces was unnerving. She threw up her hands. "It's not as if I could have stopped this from happening. You drop this whole Chosen thing in my lap and then don't even think I'm adult enough to know the details. You didn't fill me in on trackers or the Bishop or anything until now. If it weren't for Shad I wouldn't know squat. At least he had sense enough to warn me that I might be in danger."

"If that's true, then why didn't you have sense enough to warn us?" Her dad asked. He ran a hand slowly over the late afternoon stubble on his jaw and sighed. "This is getting us no where. We need to pack. Get out of here tonight."

"No! I'm not leaving. If I'm the Chosen One then I should have a say." Jael crossed her arms.

"There's no other choice, Jael," her dad said, gripping the back of a kitchen chair and leaning over it. "Even if we stay out of town, eventually the tracker will find us – with or without your friend's help."

"Shadow changed sides. He won't help his grandfather."

Seth expelled a short mirthless laugh. "Like we can trust a tracker to tell the truth. That's like expecting to find jellybeans in a baby's diaper on Easter morning."

"Enough!" Jesse shook the chair in his hands, banging it against the edge of the table. "This is getting us no where fast. Seth, get the trailer attached to the truck. Miriam, pack only the necessities. We don't have time to take everything. If we can, we'll come back for it later. I'll pack the weapons down in the Dojo."

"Dad – don't do this!" She stepped in front of him when he moved to leave the kitchen. "Let me talk to Shadow first. Find out what he knows."

He closed his eyes for a moment, exasperation deepening the lines around his mouth, then released a heavy sigh as though letting go of anger. When he opened them again, they were filled with determination. He gripped her upper arms. "You listen to me, Jael. We have been protecting you since before you were born. We will continue to protect you until our dying breath. But you need to understand something. This isn't just about us. This is about our people. You were chosen to lead the charge, to fight for those held captive, for the weak sacrificed on a regular basis so the undead can continue to unleash their evil upon an unsuspecting world. You are the only thing standing between the Amish bloodsuckers and our family."

She raised her brows. "Isn't that a lot to expect from a teenage girl?"

"Maybe," he said, releasing her. He brushed a lock of hair back from her face, "but I have confidence in you as the chosen one – and as my daughter."

"I'm sorry, Daddy."

"No time to be sorry," he said, turning away, "help your mother pack."

He and Seth hurried out. She heard the slam of the screen door.

Her mom leaned heavily against the refrigerator, both hands covering her face. She slowly slid down the length of the shiny stainless steel, coming to rest on the floor, and curled into a ball, arms clutching her middle, shoulders shaking. Her grief was silent and painful to watch. Jael wanted to turn and run. She'd never seen her mother this distraught, unable to cope with circumstances – or so frightened.

"Mom," she said, inching forward, unsure how to help or even where to begin. "Do you want me to pack the stuff in the drawers?"

Her shoulders continued to shake and she curled tighter emitting a low moan as though she were in physical pain.

Jael bent down and touched her back. "Mom," she whispered, "please. I'm sorry."

She went still, drew a shaky breath and wiped the tears from her face. Slowly she sat up. Jael held out her hand. Her mother clasped it and she pulled her to her feet. Jael waited for her mom to pull her into a hug but it never came. Instead, she turned away and started rummaging through the drawers of the kitchen, pulling out items and laying them on the table.

"Go out to the shed and get those cardboard boxes we've been saving," she said, not turning around. "Then find the packing tape. I think it's in the hall closet."

More than anything Jael wanted to turn back time. If she could just rewind to the moment Shadow announced that his grandfather had let the cat out of the bag, or better yet, to the day she'd argued with her parents about going to public school. If she'd just continued her home schooling the way her mom thought she should when they moved to Sunburn, all this would be moot. But no, she wanted to have friends, accumulate average grades, eat lunch out of a paper sack in a school cafeteria – do things other kids did.

"What are you waiting for, Jael," her mother asked, her voice cracking under pressure, "the Bishop's men to come and drag us out of our own house?"

She shook her head. "I'm so sorry, Mom. I didn't mean to..." she hung her head, tears welling in her eyes. She was supposed to be a slayer, not a crybaby.

Suddenly her mom was there, pulling her in and hugging her close. "It's not your fault," she said against her hair. "It's mine. I convinced your father and Seth that you deserved a childhood free from the stress and responsibility of being the Chosen. They wanted to tell you everything a long time ago, to prepare you for your destiny. I just wanted to love and enjoy you as my baby daughter – not a future vampire slayer." She drew back and looked into her eyes, her own damp and bloodshot. "I was wrong."

"No, you weren't." Jael cupped her mother's face between her palms. "You knew I needed those years of freedom because once I turned sixteen everything would change. I love you and I'm grateful you let me have a childhood."

"Okay." Her mom drew a shaky breath and nodded. "You've had your childhood, now it's time to grow up. Get the boxes and let's get out of here before all hell breaks loose."

Jael hesitated. "Isn't that what I've been trained for?"

"You heard your uncle. You aren't fully ready to enter into battle with the Bishop."

"But my birthday's in a week and a half. How will that little bit of time make any difference?"

"No more questions, Jael. Trust that we know more than you do. Just get the boxes."

Chapter 19

The Exodus

They'd packed as much as they could fit on the small flatbed trailer. Boxes of kitchen supplies, clothes, camping gear in case of emergency, and a few personal items like photo albums, knick-knacks, quilts, and the bench swing Jesse had made for her. She couldn't bear to leave it behind. Seth and Jesse strapped everything down with a big tarp and rope, threw their overnight bags and bedding in the trunk of Seth's car, coaxed Bruno up into the back section of the truck with a Milkbone treat, and shut the rear doors. The poor dog needed a sunroof to stick his head out so he could sit up in comfort. He'd probably be hunchbacked by the time they reached their destination.

Miriam trudged out the front door of the house, stooped with the weight of the large cooler she carried. It was filled with enough sandwiches, cookies, and drinks to last two or three days. Jesse took it in his strong arms, hefting it into the space between the seats.

"Is that it?" he asked, glancing back.

She nodded, and blinked away the tears that threatened to spill again. She had been trying to hold them in for the past two hours while she and Jael filled boxes and prepared food.

Jesse reached out and took her hand. "It'll be all right," he said, gently squeezing her fingers. "This is just a precaution. We'll be back before you know it."

She knew if she tried to speak only choking sobs would come out, so she pressed her lips tight and turned to look one last time at the home she'd grown to love. The deck where they often sat in the cool of the evening and talked about their day, the bedroom she'd decorated as a respite from the world at large, a haven for two people who'd loved each other through so much, the kitchen where she lovingly cooked and baked her husband and daughter's favorite things. A lone tear slipped from the corner of her eye. She'd put her heart and soul into this house.

Jesse moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her tight against his lean, hard frame. His solid strength and support flowed into her like an ocean wave. More tears slipped out and she blinked hard when he lowered his chin and pressed his stubbly cheek against her wet face.

"No matter what happens, you will always be my home," he whispered, his lips brushing her ear in a soft caress.

She closed her eyes and nodded. His rough whiskered jaw prickled her cheek in reassuring familiarity.

Jesse released her. "Go see what's taking Jael so long," he urged, turning back to check the ropes again that held their belongings in the trailer.

Seth had packed his car as well and was busy trying to shove a box further in so he could close the back door. He straightened, glanced toward the setting sun on the horizon and tapped his watch. "We better get moving," he called.

Miriam went back up the steps one last time and through the open front door. She heard Jael moving around in her room down the hall, a screech as though something heavy was being scooted across the wood floor.

The bedroom door stood open when she approached. Miriam expected to find her daughter stuffing last minute items into a duffel bag. Instead she found Jael on her belly under the bed, long legs sticking out as she struggled to reach something.

"Are you about ready?" Miriam asked.

Jael's legs went still. "Be there in a minute," she said, her voice muffled beneath the mattress and bedding.

"Okay, but hurry up. Your dad's ready to go."

Miriam wasn't ready to go. She'd never be ready. Leaving their life in Sunburn was one of the hardest things she'd ever been asked to do. Leaving the Loon Lake Community nearly seventeen years earlier had been rough, but with Jesse by her side and Jael on the way, it had seemed more like an adventure into the big wide world without restrictions. But leaving this home, where for the past five years they'd finally felt safe enough to put down a few roots, was wrenching. Deep in her bones she knew they'd never return.

She wiped away another tear that slipped down her cheek and walked down the hall glancing in each of the rooms. She slipped the small, framed photo of her parents off the bedside table and into her purse. How had she missed that?

The picture window in the living room faced the sprawling desert, a cactus and sagebrush painting that changed from desolate to wild and free with the shifting light. She'd loved that view, even with the heat and snakes and lack of green. It suited them. Like a wolf pack living on the edge of civilized society, never really accepted or understood, but knowing their existence was indeed important in the scheme of things.

Lost in thought, she didn't hear Jael approach.

"Mom? Are you all right?"

Miriam reluctantly turned away from the window and forced a bright smile. "Of course." She eyed the small, carved box Jael held in her hands. "I see you found what you were looking for."

Jael's lips curved up slightly. She shrugged. "Just some keepsakes."

Miriam put an arm around her shoulders as they turned to go. Obviously her daughter didn't believe they were coming back either.

Outside, Seth sat impatiently in his car waiting, the engine running. Jesse leaned against the side of the Suburban, arms crossed. He watched them step out onto the porch. Miriam gave him a soft smile. He opened the passenger door for her and she slid into the seat while Jael climbed in the back.

"Did you double check that we didn't leave any photographs behind?" he asked in a quiet voice.

She nodded and patted her purse.

Seth pulled out onto the road and turned toward the highway. Jesse slid behind the steering wheel and started the engine, but before he shifted out of park he reached out and clasped her hand. He glanced back at Jael as well, including her in his words. "As long as we're together everything will be all right," he promised.

Miriam turned away. It would never be all right again. Had he forgotten Jael's birthday? The beginning of the end. Once she was set on her course as the Chosen One they would no longer be together. She stared out the side window, watching the familiar landscape sweep past as they drove away from their home, their past, their peaceful existence. The sun slipped below the horizon and the evening sky took on a silvery tone, not quite light, not quite dusk.

Bruno whined way in the back and Jael shushed him. "Lay down, boy. Don't know where we're going but we'll be there before you know it."

Miriam closed her eyes. The familiar phrase pressed a painful spot in her heart. Jesse always said those words each time they packed their belongings and moved on to another town, another state, another place of anonymity. She was surprised Jael remembered, since she had just turned eleven when they found themselves in Sunburn, Nevada and decided to settle in.

Jesse pulled the headlights on as dusk settled around them. A motorcycle flew by going in the opposite direction and Jael sucked in a breath. But when Miriam glanced back, her daughter had her head down going through the articles in her keepsake box. She relaxed against the headrest and tried to sleep.

*****

Jael lifted the lid of the wooden box. Inside were treasures she'd collected over her short life. A whistle her dad gave her when she was four, to blow if she was in trouble. She shook her head. He probably thought she was in trouble a lot. The movie stub from the night her parents took her to Finding Nemo. She was seven then and so excited she almost wet her pants before the movie was over because she didn't want to miss a thing. All that water sloshing on the screen didn't help either.

She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and slipped it out to look at the screen. A text from an unknown number. I'm here. Where r u? I have bad news. S

Shadow. He was waiting for her to show up and didn't know they'd skipped town. She hesitated to respond, but decided she had to trust someone. Her finger tapped a return message. We already know & r getting out of Dodge.

A reply came within seconds. Good. Sending hunters down rabbit trail. B safe!

She smiled and typed. U too. Tell Bree... She stopped and stared at the words on the screen. Tell Bree what? Her best friend had no idea who she really was. Would she even see her again, or would that little hug she gave her after school be their last?

She deleted the message and started again. Thanks She pressed send and slipped the phone back in her pocket. Tomorrow the sun would come out again and she would have a clearer perspective.

*****

Apparently to be on the safe side, Uncle Seth and her dad drove over four hundred miles, only stopping for gas once in a tiny little hamlet with a population of 59. Seth said they needed to put as much space between her and the trackers as possible before the Bishop's men rode into Sunburn. He made it sound like a showdown in an old Clint Eastwood spaghetti western.

So when they pulled into a deserted roadside rest stop a little before one in the morning, Jael was surprised awake. She sat up and looked around the dimly lit parking lot and yawned. "Nice," she muttered when she spotted the rustic facilities.

"Be happy they have lights," her mom said, turning to look back at her. Her eyes were puffy from crying but she managed a smile. "You go first. Looks like a one-seater."

Jael climbed out of the truck and stretched her arms above her head before shutting the door. She saw Seth jogging up and down the small parking area waiting his turn. The door of the men's room slammed shut as her dad exited.

He shot her a quick smile. "Mornin', sunshine."

"That's two things you're wrong about. It's not morning, and my name's not sunshine." She heard him chuckle as she entered the cement cubicle.

When she got back to the truck, her dad had taken Bruno off for a little walk. Seth trailed after her, and reached in the cooler for a soda. Her mom climbed out, leaving them alone.

"Where exactly are we going?" Jael asked, leaning against the front bumper and gazing up at a star-filled sky. The moon was a creamy yellow tonight, looking more like butter than cheese. Maybe because she was craving hot, buttered toast right about now. "I hope you aren't driving us all the way to Minnesota tonight."

He took a long gulp of his root beer before answering. He looked tired and worried. "Not tonight. You have a lot to learn before we should even get close to the Amish community. We'll find a nice off-the-road place to set up camp pretty soon, and stop for a few hour's sleep."

Bruno and her dad returned from the field across the road. The big dog struggled to run while her dad yanked back on the leash and braced his knees with every step to slow him down. Slowing down Bruno when he wanted to run was like slowing down a freight train with the power of a lawnmower.

Bruno got to the truck and jumped up with his giant paws on her shoulders, nearly knocking her down. Her dad caught up, blew out an exasperated breath and handed Jael the end of the leash. "I need a drink," he said.

Seth handed him a cola out of the cooler.

Jael released the leash from Bruno's collar. "You big lug," she said fondly, putting her cheek against his chest and giving him a hug. He bent and licked up her nose and she just about gagged. "Eww! All right, get down now. You're squishing me," she shoved him back and wiped the sleeve of her sweatshirt across her face. She was going to need a bath to get all the dog slobber off.

She reached in the pocket of her sweatshirt for her phone to check for messages, and heard the crinkle of paper. The note Shadow had slipped to her after school. With all the family turmoil and running away from Sunburn, she'd completely forgotten to look at it.

Shadow had printed in red ink: Ask your dad about the bishop

Too late for that. The Bishop was out of the bag. She folded the paper and walked over to throw it in the trashcan, then hesitated, hand over the barrel. What if her parents and uncle were holding back more information regarding the Bishop? Had Shadow been trying to tell her something other than what she already knew – that the Bishop wanted her dead? She drew her hand back and stuffed the note in her pocket again. Once they stopped and got some sleep, she would demand to know everything they knew. She was the Chosen One after all. Didn't she have a right to know what she was up against?

Chapter 20

B.O. of the undead

At the sound of slamming car doors, Jael slowly sat up, slipped her phone out and glanced at the lit screen. 3:17 a.m. She rubbed a hand over her face, yawned, and opened the door. They'd stopped once again. This time it looked like they would spend a few hours. Her eyelids felt like they were glued partway shut. She forced them open and followed her family toward a row of tiny, dilapidated cabins set back a ways from the parking lot in a hilly area populated with a few scraggly pines and uncut grass. One of those get back to nature people would probably call it a spectacular panorama of beauty, but it looked more like dried, crinkling fire tender.

The door creaked open on rusty hinges that had never felt the soothing ointment of WD-40. Jael paused in the doorway, while her parents carried the overnight bags in and set them on the floor at the foot of the beds. Worn, threadbare bedspreads covered thin mattresses. A picture of a man taking aim at a Grizzly bear adorned the wall over the head of one bed. Over the other bed was a set of moldy looking antlers. She shook her head.

"This place is so old and off-the-map it hasn't even been fire-bombed by PETA yet."

"Just brush your teeth and go to sleep, kiddo. It can't be worse than sleeping in the car," her mom said, digging through her bag.

Seth stepped into the open door. "I'll be in cabin #4 if you need me," he said, pointing up the hill to the left.

Her dad nodded.

Jael turned to shut the door after he left. "Where's Bruno?" she asked, her brain still foggy from the early hour and lack of sufficient sleep.

"Oh, I forgot. He's still in the back of the truck." Her dad handed her the key. "Let him out, will ya, and walk him around a minute before you bring him in here."

She hurried to the truck. Poor dog was probably wondering if they'd all lost their collective minds. Leaving him in the back of a dark vehicle, cramped and all alone. He was an outdoors dog. A wolf hunter. She smiled, wondering what Shadow would think of her one-hundred-fifty-eight-pound canine friend.

Bruno was thrilled to be let out of his prison. He leaped out of the truck as soon as the door lifted, nearly knocking her down in the process. With tail wagging and a happy dog face, he stretched his legs out and made a groaning sound.

"Sorry we forgot you, Bruno baby." She bent and wrapped her arms around him. "It won't happen again. At least not tonight. Come on, let's take a walk." She didn't bother with the leash. Bruno always stayed by her. He was well trained and protective, although he loved most people and would probably lick up their noses on an equal first come first serve basis.

They hurried up the hill into the woods, careful to stay away from the cabins. It was hard to tell which ones were occupied, since everyone had their lights out at this hour, but only three vehicles were parked in the lot, not counting their two. Jael didn't want to wake them. Anyone desperate enough to stay here for the night was probably exhausted.

A narrow dirt path wound up and around through the trees. They followed that until it crested on a hilltop overlooking a valley. Jael could see the highway winding like a ribbon toward a little town a few miles north. It definitely wasn't a city. There weren't enough lights left on. Small towns like Sunburn had an unspoken rule. Lights out by ten o'clock. Everyone abided by this rule because there wasn't anything to do after that hour anyway.

A tiny plaque was nearly hidden in the growth of tree seedlings and tall grass. It read: Overlook: Smythe, Utah. Once a growing railroad town shipping coal across the country, Smythe withered to a small hamlet when the mine closed causing the railroad to pull out in 1958.

Bruno did his business off the path while Jael tossed pebbles at a hole in a hollowed out tree. She was starting to wake up from her nap in the truck and decided to walk a little farther before returning to the cabin. Fresh air would be nice before getting closed up in that bedbug habitat. She snapped her fingers for Bruno and headed along the top of the hill away from the cabins.

The path narrowed even more as they left the well-trodden area. Tall grass encroached, growing in thick thatches. It swished lightly against the legs of her jeans. In the distance she heard a sound like someone stroking the small teeth of a comb. Preep preep. It was a sound she'd heard before. The Western Chorus Frog. She loved frogs. Used to catch them when she was a kid and put them in coffee cans with grass and water until her mom made her set them free. This one was probably 50 yards away. They had some strong vocal chords for such tiny creatures.

Bruno made a low growl in his throat. Was he afraid of a little bitty frog? She reached out to stroke his head and felt the hair on the back of his neck bristling up like a forecast of danger. She crouched beside him, listening, stilling him with a hand on his side. Nothing. Even the frog had gone silent.

Suddenly a now familiar pain shot through her foot and she nearly gasped. Bruno nudged her face with his nose. "It's okay," she whispered, peering into the dark trees behind her. It would definitely be helpful right now to have that special tracker night vision Shadow was said to possess.

A twig snapped somewhere to her right, sending her pulse racing. She needed to be calm as she'd been trained. She drew a deep breath and silently expelled. Vampire hunting wasn't a problem. She knew she could hold her own. But being prey, alone at night, with no backup or even a stake in hand...

She looked around the ground for something to use as a weapon. A tree branch, about half an inch thick and nearly three-feet long, lay alongside the path. She reached out and picked it up, peeled off the sucker branches as quietly as she could and then snapped it in half to a handy staking length. The sound on the still night air was as loud as a fart in a church service.

Jael felt both ends of the stick to see which seemed the pointiest. She repositioned it in her hand and gripped it tight, ready for anything. Bruno growled again, his hackles back up. She whispered in his ear, "Lay down, boy," and stepped around him when he sprawled obediently in the path.

Moving slowly, listening intently, she placed one foot in front of the other, closing in on the darkened forest. The rough bark of an old, dead tree scraped her arm as she moved around the trunk. She instinctively reached out to feel for damage. She'd scraped a chunk of skin off and caused it to bleed. Terrific. A bloodsucker was stalking her and she'd just given him a whiff of what's for dinner. A wild guttural snarl alerted her to danger a split second before a hard body hurtled toward her in the dark. She was knocked backwards to the ground, hitting her head.

Bruno barked madly, obviously not happy with her predicament. "Stay boy!" she commanded.

The vampire had flown past her when she fell, landing a few feet away. Jael arched her back and bounced onto the balls of her feet before he had time to readjust his flight plan. She turned, ducked, and met his attack with a solid blow to his chin. His head jerked back but he wasn't stopped. His teeth inched down as he reached out to grasp her by the throat. He was so close she could smell his aftershave. Aftershave? What the...?

"Is that Old Spice you're wearing?" she asked, wrinkling her nose and dodging left to avoid his clutches. She yanked his arm while he was off balance, twisted, and threw him over her shoulder, then sniffed. "Really old spice, I'd say."

He landed with a thud on the hard ground and glared up at her with a snarl on his lips, his fangs protruding like an overbite that needed severe correction. She decided to help him out with that, since his dentist had obviously failed so miserably. But the quick kick to his face was intercepted. He grasped her foot and threw her back with a strength she hadn't experienced before. She smacked into the tree behind her, and felt the breath knocked out of her.

He moved like lightening and was instantly standing over her, looking down. His features were dark and unfocused with the moon backlighting him. She sucked in air like a fish out of water and tried to calm her pulse. Her grip tightened on the stick in her hand.

"I don't usually meet such worthy foes in this county." His laughter was soft and confident, a monster standing over a helpless victim. He bent close, fangs gleaming against dark skin. "You're just a girl," he said, disbelief widening his eyes.

"And you're just a rotting dead guy covering up his stink with perfume!" she kicked him in the kneecap, rolled away and bounced to her feet.

He roared with pain, and turned to face her head on. "You should have stayed down. I would have killed you gently, little girl. Now I'm going to rip your jugular open, suck you dry, and leave you for the wolves to snack on."

"I've heard that before," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

Bruno was barking like a fiend now, his giant body crouched low and menacing in the path. Jael hoped he stayed back. She didn't want him to get hurt. He was more of a lover than a fighter. "Go get Dad, Bruno!" she yelled, then jumped to the right and planted an elbow in the middle of the vampire's back as he lunged at her again. He stumbled but turned and met her attack, deflecting every blow.

She was tiring, and he looked like he could continue this for eternity. She had to take him out now. He advanced and she slowly retreated, letting him beat her back, closer and closer to the low hanging branch she'd spotted earlier.

Pounding footsteps sounded on the path below. Someone was coming. She blocked a blow to her head, feinted left, planted a round-a-bout kick to his kidney region and saw him turn toward the path where Bruno continued to bark excitedly.

Jael jumped, climbing the trunk of the tree, grasped the branch and swung, kicking out with all the strength she had left. Her foot connected with his shoulder blade and she let go, letting her weight bring him to the ground, her legs wrapped around his neck. She heard a snap, dropped and rolled away, but was instantly on her feet, turning.

"Jael!" her father yelled, crashing through the underbrush with Bruno by his side.

Pointy branch still clutched in her sweaty grip, she ran forward and drove it into the monster's chest when he tried to sit up. He roared, eyes rolling back in his head, and slumped to the ground, a pile of worm-eaten flesh clad in black pants and a leather jacket.

Jael slowly stood, and swallowed down the bile that rose in her throat at the stench. Old Spice. She felt herself sway, the strength gone out of her legs.

Her father ran up, breathing hard, brandishing a huge flashlight like a club. He stared down at the vampire and then pulled her into his arms and held her tight. Bruno ran back and forth, licking Jael's arms as they dangled loosely at her sides and growling at the corpse on the ground. If her father hadn't been there to hold her up, she definitely would have fallen down.

*****

Her dad supported her all the way back to the cabin, Bruno following close behind. She tried not to groan when he helped her sit down on the edge of a bed and she made the mistake of putting her full weight on her foot. She'd injured her ankle when she jumped on the vampire, but didn't think it was broken, just bruised. Although, it had started to swell by the time Seth showed up. He'd stopped at the truck and brought a towel filled with ice cubes from the cooler.

"Here you go, tough girl." He smiled. "I take it, the vamp got better than he gave."

"I'm alive, aren't I?"

He laughed.

Her dad turned toward Seth. "You better head back up that trail and pull our staked friend out of the trees so the early morning sun can cook his stinking carcass."

"Will do," Seth winked at her and hurried out. He took Bruno to lead him to the body.

The room went deathly quiet once he'd left. Her mom stood at the foot of the bed in an old fleece robe, her bottom lip pulled in like she always did when she was upset, her arms wrapped protectively across her middle.

Her dad sat on the edge of the bed and stroked the hair back from her forehead. There was a spark of tenderness in his eyes that Jael hadn't seen since the time she broke her arm falling out of bed after a nasty nightmare when she was five or six. Did they really think she couldn't do this on her own?

"I'm sorry I sent you out there alone, honey."

She shook her head against the pillow. "Vampires happen. Nothing you can do to change that." She grinned. "Except stake them."

"I thought you said this place was so far off the map they'd never find us here," her mother said, obviously needing to blame someone. She looked angry, and upset, and scared, and Jael felt bad for her. But it wasn't anyone's fault. Certainly not her dad's.

"He was just a vamp in the wrong place at the wrong time." She sat up to adjust the icepack on her foot. "He didn't know who I was, Mom. And now he's dead. No one knows we're here."

Seth tapped at the door. "It's me," he called softly.

Her dad hurried over and let him in. Bruno followed, tail wagging. He jumped up on the bed beside Jael and licked her face as though he hadn't seen her for a month. She pushed him away.

"No, Bruno! I don't need a bath."

"Well, actually honey, you do." Her mom held out a hand. "Come on. I'll turn on the shower for you. It takes about five minutes to warm up."

"I checked his pockets," Seth said. He held out an old worn leather wallet. "He has a photo driver's license. It's five years past the renewal date, but the address is local." He gestured with his chin. "That little town up the road."

"I told you he didn't know anything," Jael said, letting her mom help her across the room. "He wasn't following us. It was just a really bad coincidence."

Seth ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Yeah, pretty bad. You got yourself hurt at a time when you can't afford to be weak."

She stopped and turned, bracing herself in the doorway of the bathroom. "I'm not weak. And I just proved that I know how to improvise."

"That you do. I guess all the practice I made you do paid off, huh?"

She huffed. "Leave it to you, Uncle Seth, to take all the credit."

"I'm just saying..."

Her dad slapped him on the back and pushed him toward the door. "Yep, we know what you're just saying, little brother. If it wasn't for you," he opened the door and pushed Seth through, "we might as well open a vein and pass out straws." He closed the door in his brother's face and clicked the lock.

Her mother had turned the water on and steam was already beginning to fill the tiny bathroom. She handed Jael a clean towel on her way out. "Have a nice long shower. You'll feel better."

"I am a little sore."

She moved in and shut the door. The mirror fogged up immediately without incoming air. She undressed quickly, careful of her ankle when she pulled off her jeans. Her phone fell out of the back pocket. She picked it up. Three missed calls? When did that happen? She scrolled through. Brianna called twice, Shadow once.

She set the phone on the edge of the sink and stepped under the deliciously warm spray of water, pulling the shower curtain closed around her. Careful not to put all her weight on her sore ankle, she poured shampoo in her hands and worked it through her hair. She didn't know if it was her imagination or not but she swore she could still smell Old Spice mingled with rotting flesh. Eww! She pulled the curtain aside and looked down at the pile of clothes on the floor, sniffing. Would that smell come out? If not those would have to go in the garbage.

She rinsed the shampoo out and stood under the spray a few more minutes until the water lost the relaxing sting of heat and became merely tepid. She shut off the faucet, stepped out and had just started drying her hair when her cell buzzed and started sliding across the slick ceramic surface of the sink. She grabbed it quickly before it had a chance to fall in. No wonder she hadn't heard the calls. It was on vibrate. "Hello?"

"Jael. Finally. Where have you been? I've been calling and calling." Brianna made it sound as though she'd been pressing speed dial for hours.

"Sorry, I accidentally had my phone shut off. Didn't hear the ring."

"You won't believe what is going on around here."

Jael looked at the time on her phone. It was only 4:15 am. How much could be going on and why would Brianna even be awake to notice? "Are you sick?" she asked, "I thought you always slept in till like noon on Saturday."

"I haven't even gone to bed yet. They actually turned the big emergency siren on in town. Everyone was out of bed, standing outside in their pajamas wondering if it was the end of the world or something." Brianna was talking fast, like she did when she'd had too much caffeine. "Officer Wallace caught some guys breaking into the school and rifling through lockers. Well, he didn't actually catch them. I guess they got away, but he pursued them in his cruiser in a fairly high-speed chase through town. Even went through Main Street on a red light, so I heard."

Jael smiled. "So you heard?"

"From our neighbor across the street. Mrs. Burton has her divorced son living in her basement. He walks home from work at midnight or something from that gas station out on the highway that stays open late. He told her Officer Wallace nearly ran him down in the intersection."

Jael wrapped herself in a towel and sat on the edge of the tub. "What were they looking for anyway? Old gym socks?"

"You mean the perps? Mrs. Burton didn't know, but talk on the street is that our town is going to hell in a hand basket. After the story Lyle made up about Indians jumping him in the park and now this – a breaking and entering at the public high school – no one will feel safe and cozy in Sunburn anymore."

Jael blew out the breath of a laugh. "Perps? Melodramatic much?" she teased.

"Hey, I'm telling you what I heard."

"I guess we left town just in time."

There was a telling moment of silence on the other end.

"I was going to call you, Bree," she said quickly. "My dad can be very spontaneous sometimes. He decided we needed a vacation and we took off last night." Her words covered the blunder about as well as a hairnet on a bald guy.

Brianna finally said, "But you'll miss school."

"Yeah, but we won't be gone that long. Just a few days away," she said, hoping that were true.

Brianna was silent again, not peppering her with questions like she normally would. Which meant she was either worried or thought she was being lied to. Or both. She decided to change the subject.

"So, what's up with you and Shad?"

"Shad? Why would you think..." She gasped. "Wait a minute. You're just trying to change the subject again, aren't you?"

"What?"

"Jael, I'm your best friend. You can tell me the truth. Nobody's dad is that spontaneous. Are you safe? Is everything all right?"

They were back to that again. Jael sighed and stood up. On the shelf above the sink lay an old, faded pamphlet with a picture of the cabins from days gone by. She picked it up and thumbed through it. "Bree, I told you. We're on vacation. In fact... we're staying at a lovely, rustic cabin in the hills overlooking the beautiful and scenic Smythe Valley. The woods are teaming with wildlife and photo opportunities."

"Are you reading the back of a restroom stall door?"

She dropped the pamphlet. "No. But I did just get out of the shower. I need to go to bed. You should too. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure," she said, and then her voice soft with worry, "Jael, be safe."

"I will."

She pulled on a t-shirt and shorts, shut off the bathroom light, and opened the door. Her parents were already asleep in the far bed. Her dad's snoring sounded a lot like the rev of a lawnmower. She crawled into her bed, looking around for Bruno. He'd positioned himself across the room on the floor, a dark lump smack in front of the door. Who needed a deadbolt when you had a huge Wolfhound to block access?

Jael pulled the thin covers up to her chin and slipped her phone beneath the pillow. If it vibrated, she should be able to feel it. She was too tired to think about tomorrow, but like Buffy the Vampire Slayer once said, 'if you've slain one, you've slain them all,' or was it, 'tomorrow is another day to slay,' or 'wipe that blood off your face and kiss me." Her eyelids were so heavy, she couldn't think straight, so she closed them and was surrounded by nothing.

Chapter 21

The Shadow knows

Jael rolled over and slowly opened her eyes enough to peek through her lashes. Sunlight snuck around the edges of the faded curtains on the window, giving the room a filtered light. She slipped a hand under the pillow and pulled out her phone. The time was half past one. Weird. She'd never been able to sleep so late at home without one or both of her parents banging on the door and insisting she get up and do something. Apparently, old people didn't consider sleeping something you do.

She slipped her legs over the side of the bed and squinted at the perfectly made bed next to her. Her mom didn't understand the concept of Maid Service. She always made the bed as soon as she got up, even on vacation. And this was definitely not a vacation, no matter what she'd told Bree last night.

The door opened and her dad stuck his head in. "Good to see you're finally up, kiddo. Get dressed and come on outside."

"I hope you have food out there. I'm starving," she said.

"There won't be any left if you don't hurry. Your Uncle Seth will take care of that," he said and pulled the door closed. She could hear muted voices outside the cabin and laughter. At least they seemed to be in a good mood this morning. After the night they'd had she thought they might ship her off to Antarctica.

After dressing in jeans and a hot pink tank top, she pulled her hair back into a ponytail, dabbed on a little makeup and picked up her phone. She forgot to check for missed calls earlier. Shad had left her two texts sometime during the night, or morning rather. She must have been sleeping really hard because the vibrations under her pillow had not penetrated her brain.

The first one just said, call me. The second was a little more colorful. It said, Problem taken care of. AV's sent packing. The Shadow saved Sunburn once again.

She laughed. "What an ego."

AV's must mean Amish vamps. If that was the case, they could return home today. She slipped the phone in her pocket. Now she just had to convince her parents that they could trust the word of a tracker. Easier said than done.

*****

Before Jael could even touch on the subject of returning home, her mom was pushing a breakfast sandwich at her, her dad was digging in the cooler for a carton of chocolate milk to go with it, and her uncle was telling how he stayed out until the sun came up so he could witness first-hand her vampire's incineration. Apparently he'd even taken a short video, which he promised to show them later when he downloaded it onto his laptop.

She yawned. "How long have you guys been up?" she asked.

She unwrapped the sandwich and took a big bite. It wasn't quite warm anymore but it was tasty. She chewed slowly, looking around at the three of them sitting at the picnic table with her. Bruno rested his head on the table beside her sandwich wrapper, a wistful look in his eyes.

Her dad glanced at his watch. "Hours. But we wanted to let you sleep after the workout you had last night."

"Thanks, Dad." She took another bite and pinched off a piece of bread for Bruno. He gulped it down without even tasting it and waited patiently for more, tail slowly wagging.

"It's not as if we have anywhere to go," her mom reminded them all. She still looked upset about the whole exodus thing. She glanced over at Seth. "We've pretty much burned all our bridges up to this point."

Seth shrugged. "We did what we had to do."

"Whatever."

Jael narrowed her eyes. "Isn't it about time you let me in on the plan? After all I am..."

"The Chosen One. We know." Her mom's caustic reply was very un-mom like.

"Honey," her dad put his arm around her mom and squeezed, "It's gonna be all right. Jael needs some answers."

"So do I," she mumbled, staring off into the trees up the hill.

Jael put the rest of her sandwich down. "Look, I'm sorry we had to leave last night, Mom. But we can go back."

Seth was busy reading something on his ever-present laptop. He glanced up. "She may be right. There's a little news story here about Sunburn. Apparently someone broke into the high school last night."

"So...?" Her mom crossed her arms and stared hard at the top of Seth's head as he continued reading. Her irritation with her brother-in-law was blatantly obvious.

"Officer Wallace observed them entering the school through a broken window after midnight. He called his brother who is in charge of turning on the emergency siren in town. With all that noise it must have scared them out of the school before they had a chance to find anything. Then Wallace chased them out of town. He said they were dressed all in black and wore funny farmer hats."

"Farmer hats?" Jael laughed. She definitely needed to call Shad and get the low down on last night's episode of Amish Bloodsuckers Take Sunburn High. Officer Wallace must have been beside himself with importance after coming so close to catching real criminals. There wasn't a whole lot of crime to be had for a wily officer of the law in Sunburn, Nevada.

Seth looked up and grinned. "That's a direct quote from the Sunburn Gazette."

Her dad reached out and turned the laptop to read the article for himself. "A gang of Amish hanging around town would certainly make people wonder. So if they were stopped last night before they had time to figure out your identity, it should be safe to go home. I doubt they would risk being seen again."

"But we can't be sure," her mom said in a quiet voice, staring down at an ant crawling across her paper napkin.

It was time to take charge. Jael stood up and reached for the phone in her back pocket. "If you can all try to have an open mind to the possibility that a tracker is on our side and wants to help us, I'll give Shad a call. He texted me early this morning."

"You gave your number to a tracker?" Seth's look of disbelief was priceless. Jael thought if he opened his eyes any wider they might roll out of his sockets.

"No, but it's not rocket science to get someone's number in high school. You just ask their friends." She scrolled through the messages and clicked Shad's number. Her finger posed to dial; she waited. "Well?"

"Call him," her father said, quelling Seth's arguments before they began, "but don't tell him where we are. Just find out what went down last night."

She nodded, shot Seth a smirk, and turned away. It was much too uncomfortable talking with everyone listening in, so she started walking up the path toward the trees. In the bright afternoon sun it ought to be free of lurking vampires.

Shad picked up after two rings. "Hold on," he whispered and then left her hanging.

"Shad?"

After about ten seconds he came back on the line. "Sorry. Had to run outside."

"Oh, did I wake you up?"

"Naw. What's up?"

She put out a hand and pulled a twig from a low hanging branch as she passed, absently broke it in two and tossed the pieces to the ground. "Your text was a bit cryptic. Want to elaborate?"

He chuckled softly. "You had to be here. It was awesome!"

"You were at the school when they broke in?"

"Sure. I helped them."

"What? I thought you were on my side." She was having a hard time controlling the anger in her voice. Why did this guy set off her temper so easily? Up close he made her queasy and from a distance he made her mad. Maybe there was something other than the trackers association with vampires that kept slayers from hanging out with them.

"Do you want me to keep reassuring you of my loyalty or tell you about last night?" he asked, his words tightly controlled.

She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and closed her eyes, breathing deeply. After a couple seconds she said, "Fine. Tell me what happened."

"The Amish vamps showed up at my grandfather's house. They insisted we take them to you, but Pops told them he didn't know where you lived."

"And they bought that?" She stopped walking when she reached the top of the hill and stared out at the view of the valley below. The little town of Smythe was practically non-existent without the twinkling lights of night to give it some bluster.

"Sure. My grandfather only knows you're a student at my school. Nothing else."

"Okay, so you took them to the school. Why?"

She heard a gravelly voice yell something in the background and then the sound of an engine revving. "Hold on," he said. More yelling, the engine shut off and then something slammed and suddenly it was much quieter. "Jael, you still there?" he asked after a minute or two.

"Yeah. What's going on?"

"My grandfather's drinking. I took the keys to his truck and got him to go back in the trailer. Where was I? ...Oh yeah." He cleared his throat. "So I brought the vamps here so they could go through your locker. Of course, I'd already cleaned out all the items with your personal information."

She frowned. "How did you manage that?"

"I came back to school after everybody was gone for the day – other than the janitor dude. I went through everything, and just put non-identifying items back in. I took the stuff with your name or address and burned it out in a field. Sorry. It was the only way. My grandfather may have been able to lead them to it if I'd hidden it somewhere close by."

"Thank you... I think," she said.

"To be on the safe side, I also placed a few of your things in some other kid's lockers to throw'em off the scent." He laughed. "By the time my grandfather had them pry open nine lockers with no results, the vamps were getting pretty angry with him. They told him he was senile and had lost his power. That made him mad. He told them to get out of town and not come back, that he was through helping them."

Jael sat down on a tree stump and stretched out her legs, twisting her foot this way and that to test her ankle. It felt much better today. She turned and looked down the trail toward the picnic table where her family sat eagerly awaiting news. "How did Officer Wallace happen to see the break in?"

"He didn't. I called while they were busy busting into lockers. I stepped into the janitor's closet, pulled my burn phone out of the mop bucket where I'd left it earlier, and made an anonymous call straight to his home phone. He must have flew out of bed and pulled on his blue pants and badge in record time. It was probably only five minutes before we heard the siren go off."

"He actually turned his car siren on in the middle of the night?" She grinned thinking about the excitement the whole town must have gone through without actually knowing the true danger they were in.

"I'm talking about the big siren. The one that turns in every direction to warn the whole town of impending doom? That thing was going off. The vamps thought it was the end of the world as they knew it." He laughed again. "If only they had a reflection. I'd love to have taken a picture of the looks on their ugly faces."

"How do you know they won't come back?"

"I don't," he said, his voice suddenly serious, "but I'm pretty sure they won't. They left thinking my grandfather had lost his tracking ability, and they have no reason to believe I can help them. My father's lack of talent as a tracker was evident years ago, so they never had any great expectations for me. Luckily, Grandfather never told them the truth. He wanted to spare me dealing with the monsters until I absolutely had to."

She didn't know what to say. Shad had saved them...saved their home...maybe even the lives of a few folks in Sunburn who escaped being a late night snack when the vampires had to flee town in a hurry. He was a hero and no one but she would ever know.

"Jael?"

"Still here." She licked her lips. "Thank you," she said, and really meant it this time. "I don't know if my parents or uncle will ever want us to be best friends, but I trust you."

He was quiet for a moment. Jael didn't know if he was shocked at her admission or simply trying to think up a smart-aleck retort and failing miserably, but she was glad. She needed a moment to adjust to the new normal – Shad as a confidante and friend.

"I better get back in there," he finally said. "Make sure he's all right."

She ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it back from her face. "Sure. Thanks, Shad."

"You really trust me?" he asked, his voice gruffly soft.

"Yes, I do."

"Cool."

Chapter 22

Return to sender

"So we're supposed to believe a tracker saved our butts and concealed your identity just because he's a nice guy?" Seth's scowl was enough to disintegrate gum off hot pavement.

They had taken their conversation indoors as another family wandered out of a nearby cabin and was headed toward the picnic table. Not that the cabin was exactly sound proof. The walls were so thin Jael felt sure a family of termites had been feasting on it for the past decade.

She sighed and plopped down on the bed, resting her head against a stack of pillows. Her mom and dad had taken up positions at the small round table in the corner. There were only two rickety chairs available so Seth stood like a bully in the doorway, arms crossed and stance wide.

"Why can't you ever see the good in people, Uncle Seth? You are beyond paranoid." She rolled her eyes toward the ceiling for emphasis.

"I may be paranoid but it's kept us safe this long, hasn't it?" He shook his head. "What's to keep him from calling them back as soon as we set foot in town? Maybe this is just a trap."

"It's not a trap!" Jael said, her voice rising with anger. She was tired of him treating her as if her naivety was beyond comprehension. She was not a stupid teenage girl as he so often tried to insinuate. "I trust Shad. He wouldn't do that. This is not the first time he's saved my butt."

Her mother gasped and Jael inwardly cringed at her choice of words. Not only did her mom hate when she used the word for rear-end with two T's, but she'd just admitted to prior association with a tracker.

"I knew it!" Seth said, his lips curling with a self-congratulatory smirk. "You were up to no good when I saw you outside the other night. Pretending to be sick when what you were really doing was running off to meet some guy for a make-out session."

The pained looks on her parent's faces were enough to make Jael wish she had the power of invisibility. Instead, she had righteous indignation on her side. Sure she'd snuck out of the house and went to town to flirt with a boy, but she certainly had never had a make-out session. Not that she wouldn't have minded a little making-out if things had turned out completely different with Lyle, but...

"I can't believe you would even think that!" she said, crossing her arms and blowing out a little puff of indignation. "I do not make out with anyone, much less with Shad. When have I ever even had the chance? You guys keep me locked up tight like a prime specimen in a laboratory. I can't even go to after school functions with my friends. Which is where I happened to go Thursday night." She bit her bottom lip and turned her eyes toward her parents. "I'm sorry I lied, but I wanted to go to a basketball game and hang out with kids my own age for a change. So Bree picked me up and brought me home afterward."

Her dad didn't miss the fact that she'd left out the rather large details in between getting picked up and dropped off. He rubbed a hand nervously back and forth along his unshaven jaw making that scritchy sound that was like a warning before a storm. "So where does Shad fit into that time frame? Was he at the game too? How did you know he was a tracker?"

"I didn't. Not at first. But if it makes you feel any better, he does turn my stomach a bit sour," she volunteered, hoping that would take the frown off her dad's face that the mere thought of her making out with a boy had put there. "After the game we hung out a while. He told me about his grandfather and how he didn't want to work for the vamps. I didn't really know if I could trust him, but now I believe we can give him the benefit of the doubt. He did save our...take care of our problem last night. So," she pushed herself up on one elbow, "can we go home? I really hate this bed."

*****

Even in the glow of the moon at one o'clock in the morning, the house looked just as they'd left it. In fact, they'd left in such a hurry that the kitchen light was still on and the window left open, curtains billowing in and out against the screen with each gust of desert breeze. Miriam released her seatbelt and opened the door of the Suburban with a sigh of relief. Nothing had ever looked so good.

Growing up Amish had left its mark. She still longed for that community of solid standing homes that grew the old fashioned way – procreation. No one ever just moved into an Amish neighborhood, because no one ever moved out...except for a few kids on Rumspringa who got into trouble with the law or decided living the English life was more exciting. Change was something she'd had to learn. Being the mother of the Chosen One had catapulted them into a universe of change.

She grabbed an armful of items and hurried indoors while the men prepared to unload the trailer. She'd tried to reason with her husband that he could do it later in the light of day, but his Amish roots ran deep as well – a stubborn streak as inbred as a mule's kick.

"Mom," Jael called as Miriam opened the front door. She turned and looked back. Jael was bent over the backseat, struggling to lift out the cooler. The cooler popped loose and she jerked backwards, stumbling to keep it in her arms. Water sloshed out the edge of the lid when she tilted it too far. "Crap!"

"Jael! What have I told you about saying that word? It's not very lady-like."

Her daughter trudged up the stairs. "I'm carrying twenty pounds of melted ice with cans of pop rolling around in there." She paused and fluttered her eyelashes, then said in her best British accent, "If I were a true lady I wouldn't be forced to fetch and carry like a lowly servant."

Miriam held the screen door wide, then followed Jael to the kitchen where she plopped the cooler on the floor, sloshing water again. Her daughter straightened and puffed out an exaggerated sigh.

"It's good to be home," she said, and immediately opened the refrigerator door. "I'm starved."

"Honey, it's the middle of the night. Why don't you go to bed and I'll make a big breakfast in the morning." She pried her fingers away from the door but not quick enough. Jael already had an apple in hand and took a big bite.

"But I'm starving," she said, chewing around her words. "It's been hours since we ate. And you know Dad will want me to go out and help unload."

Miriam shook her head and threw up her hands. "Fine. Today's Sunday anyway. No school. Have at it. I'm going to bed."

She could feel Jael's eyes boring into her back as she walked away. Her daughter probably thought she was losing it, but she really just needed some time alone. Being in close quarters in the Suburban for hours on end had definitely given her a new appreciation for wide-open spaces and especially the comfort of her home.

After putting clean sheets on the bed, she relaxed against the pillows and picked up her Bible. Sometimes reading a passage before falling asleep gave her mind clarity and helped her relax. She opened to the book of Psalms first and read a couple of comforting poems written by King David, but as though her fingers were on autopilot, she thumbed back to the book of Judges, chapter five.

Most blessed of women be Jael,

the wife of Heber the Kenite,

most blessed of tent-dwelling women.

He asked for water, and she gave him milk;

in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him

curdled milk.

Her hand reached for the tent peg,

her right hand for the workman's hammer.

She struck Sisera, she crushed his head,

she shattered and pierced his temple.

At her feet he sank,

he fell; there he lay.

At her feet he sank, he fell;

where he sank, there he fell – dead.

She closed the well-worn leather cover and placed the book back on her bedside table. After shutting off the lamp she snuggled deeper under the blankets and closed her eyes. But the image of Jael raising a hammer to crush a man's skull was burned into her mind's eye. It didn't matter that her Jael was not the Jael of the Bible. She was the newest weapon forged against the creatures of the night, and would indeed be asked to do things that made Miriam cringe with dread. She once thought it was a wonderful blessing to be the mother of the Chosen, but now...she did what she'd done for the past six months or more. She closed her eyes and prayed.

"Lord, please take this calling from Jael and hand it to another more suited. If it be your will, spare my daughter from this bloody future. She's only a girl...Thy will be done."

But she knew that God's will seldom coincided with a mother's heart.

Chapter 23

Pre-birthday jitters

Jael pushed soggy crunch berries around the cereal bowl with her spoon. She didn't have much of an appetite, especially since her mom had uncharacteristically stayed in bed late this morning and now she was forced to eat junk food cereal.

Another week of school had come and gone since their return, without incident, other than Shadow circling Brianna like earth around the sun. He always stayed far enough away to avoid getting burned. If only he knew the sun was just as intimidated by him as he was of her, thought Jael. She took a bite of the sugary mush and grimaced.

Her mom trudged into the kitchen, yawning, still wearing her robe. "Good morning," she said, bending to kiss the top of Jael's head. She eyed the coffee pot. "I see someone was wise enough to start the pot brewing."

"Jesse is turning into a wonderful house husband, isn't he?" Seth teased.

"Least I'm good looking enough to have a wife."

"Boys," her mom said, hands on hips, "no fighting at the table." She turned to get a cup out of the cupboard. "Not until I've had my coffee."

"So what exactly do you think will happen when I turn sixteen tomorrow?" Jael asked. After all, that's really what everyone was thinking about. They may as well get it out in the open.

Seth and her dad had kept her busy all weekend, sparring, lifting weights, and sharing what little they knew about the Amish community they'd left behind all those years ago. Her head was full of facts that would probably be worthless once she set foot in Loon Lake. Stories of barn raisings, family ties, and one silly argument between her dad and Seth about the pros and cons of having one of those triangular, orange, slow-moving vehicle signs attached to the back of a buggy.

"Well, honey..." her dad said, but was rudely interrupted.

"It's been a long while since the last descendant of Jael actually turned sixteen," Seth said, his mouth full of toast. He waved the rest of the slice at her to punctuate his point. "You're lucky you have people looking out for you."

"Seth." Her mom spoke his name like a warning.

Jael narrowed her eyes, glancing around the table. "What are you saying?"

"There hasn't been a slayer who has survived her sixteenth birthday since the 1800's," her father explained, holding her gaze.

Silence lengthened at the table like a puddle of spilled milk and her stomach took a dive. "I'm the only slayer to survive childhood?"

"The only recent one."

"In over a hundred years!" She couldn't believe this bit of info had been left out of her lessons. No wonder they were so quick to take off and leave town at the first hint of trouble.

"Something like that," Seth said. He shrugged, flashing her a grin. "So, if we don't know all the answers it's because we're flying by the seat of our pants, kiddo. The Bishop has managed to destroy historical documents and kill anyone with information that dates back that far. That's one reason the members of the Order were murdered after you were born."

"Terrific." She sat back and crossed her arms.

The clock on the wall ticked, counting. She watched the second hand move one click at a time and tried to dispel the gloom in the room with positive thinking. "So I just have to stay alive for twenty-four more hours and then I'll have super powers and can defeat the bloodsuckers with one hand tied behind my back."

Her mom reached out and stroked her fingers over Jael's cheek. Her voice was soft. "Nineteen and a half hours, to be exact. You were born at 2:36 in the morning, honey."

"Even better."

She stood up and pushed her chair back. "This is a photo opportunity, Mom. You better take a picture for my baby book." She posed with her hands up as though ready to stake a vamp. "Last day of school before I'm a full-fledged slayer."

"Honey, you can't go to school."

"What?" she breathed out a laugh. "Last week you were telling me that even The Chosen one needs an education and now you're banning me from learning?"

"Your mom's right, Jael. This is their last chance to take you out and I'm willing to bet someone will be in town to see to it. They may not know where we live but they know the last place you were tracked." Her dad set his fork down and wiped his face with a napkin. "I just hope the trust you have in that boy is deserved."

"Shadow would never sell us out."

Seth snorted. "Everyone has a price, kiddo. Even bad-ass teenage rebels."

"I guess we'll find out," Jael said, hearing the rev of the bike just as Bruno started barking.

Her dad jumped to his feet so fast the chair flew backwards and smashed against the wall. He grabbed her arm and started pulling her toward the hallway. She glanced around and saw her mom yank open a kitchen drawer and hand Seth a big old honking butcher knife. What the...?

She wrenched her arm away. "Dad, stop! Seth, put the knife down! It's only Shadow. I told him to come by and introduce himself. I didn't know you would all go into apocalypse mode."

"You actually thought it would be a good idea to invite a tracker to our house?" Seth bent over the sink to peer out into the yard for a better look.

There was a knock at the front door and Jael hurried to answer it. Her family moved behind her in the hallway, Seth still holding the knife in spite of her explanation.

"Really, Uncle Seth?!"

He shrugged. "You're a vampire slayer, not a teen tracker slayer. Thought you might need some help."

She shook her head and pulled open the door.

Shad wore a dark red biker bandana to keep the hair out of his face, his usual t-shirt, leather vest and boots, and jeans so faded they resembled the desert sky in the heat of the day. He was stroking Bruno's head and the big dog nuzzled against him like they were long lost friends.

"Hey," he said, a crooked grin lifting one side of his mouth.

"Hey." She sent Bruno a scathing look. Traitor.

"Everything okay?" Shad asked tentatively, peering over her shoulder at her parents and uncle hovering like avenging angels behind her.

She lowered her voice. "As okay as it ever is around here." She stepped back. "Come on in and meet the inmates." She pointed to each one. "Shadow...meet my mom, dad, and Uncle Seth."

Her father moved forward, and shook Shad's hand. His steely gaze bored into Shadow's as though he could read his mind. "Nice to finally meet the young man who allegedly pulled one over on the Bishop's men."

"Allegedly?"

Jael rolled her eyes. "My family is not big on love at first sight. They have trust issues."

"I see," Shad said, following her toward the kitchen.

"Do you?" Seth leaned against the refrigerator, his arms crossed and the knife prominently displayed in his right hand. "Have you had to live your entire life looking over your shoulder, knowing that the boogie man is real and he's coming for you?"

"No, but I've seen what fear did to my grandfather. It's made him act like a servant to those animals." He expelled a frustrated breath. "Look, I know you don't trust me," he said, putting one hand up like he was in court, "but I swear I'd never do anything that would place Jael in danger."

Her mom picked up the chair that had been knocked over earlier and nodded for Shad to sit. "I believe you, son. The problem is, you don't really have any control over the danger that is destined to find my daughter."

Her dad paced to the kitchen window and back to the table, absently cracking his knuckles. "Have you heard anything since Officer Wallace chased the bloodsuckers out of town?"

Shad shook his head. "My grandfather was really mad when they accused him of being too old. He told me he'd never work with them again."

"Do you believe him?"

"I have no reason not to."

Jael inched toward the hallway and gestured for Shad to follow. "We better go. Don't want to be late."

"Where do you think you're going, young lady?" her mother demanded, hands in the pockets of her robe.

Jael grabbed Shad's arm and pulled him toward the front door. "To school!"

The screen slapped shut behind them with a loud whack. They hurried down the steps and were just climbing on the motorcycle when her dad caught up to them.

"Get off the bike, Jael," he said, his voice low and calm. Exactly the way he always sounded right before an explosion. Good thing Bree wasn't around to witness it. She would have more proof for her abuse theory.

Shad glanced back at her. "I thought..."

She shrugged, feeling heat rise in her cheeks, and slipped off the seat. "Sorry. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Sure." He kicked the bike into gear and pressed the start button. The engine revved to life. He grinned. "Look what you're missing!" he said over the chugging of the pipe. Then he spun out in the gravel and tore off down the road leaving a cloud of dust in his wake.

She glared at her father. "Over-protective much?"

His features softened little by little as he looked back at her. "I can never be too over-protective when it comes to you, kiddo," he said.

"I beg to differ. You really think the vamps are going to come to the school in broad daylight to look for me? I don't think so!" She crossed her arms and stared off into the distance. She'd felt more and more isolated as her birthday drew near, and now they were going to cut her off from her friends completely. When would she see Brianna again? They hadn't said it in so many words, but being Chosen to take out Amish Bloodsuckers obviously came with a move...to Minnesota.

Her dad scratched his head. "Maybe you're right."

"What? Can you repeat that please?"

He grinned. "I'll drive you to school, if you insist. It'll give you a chance to..." he broke off and glanced away.

"Say goodbye to my friends? That's what you were going to say, isn't it?" Tears welled in her eyes and she blinked hard to keep them in. "Tomorrow I become the slayer and everything changes. The Chosen One can't afford friends, can she?"

Bruno trotted up and rubbed his head against her side as though he sensed the emotional turmoil within her. She hugged him and scratched behind his ears, hiding her face in his shaggy coat. At least she would have one friend beside her through all of this.

"I'm sorry, honey."

She sniffed and straightened, managing a half-hearted smile. "No need, Dad. I understand this is the way it has to be. I'll get my book bag."

Jael hurried to her room and closed the door. She sat on the edge of the bed and stared toward the window. Morning light spilled in, chasing shadows back into corners and under furniture where they belonged. Keeping darkness at bay – that was her job now.

She lifted the strap of her book bag and placed it beside her on the bed. Unzipped the top and reached in. She pulled out her science notebook with her drawings and silly doodles of vampires and dripping blood. Folded inside were the notes Brianna had given her for their project. She opened and smoothed them out on her lap. The familiar handwriting, all curly with cute little heart-shaped dotted i's made her smile. They were so polar opposite. If lives were fairytales, Brianna would reign supreme as a Walt Disney princess, while Jael would live in the darker Grimm Brother's version where survival meant slaying dragons on a daily basis.

There was a tap at the door. "Can I come in?" her mother asked, opening the door a crack.

"Sure."

She moved into the room and closed the door behind her. "Your dad told me you were going to school after all." She fidgeted with the jewelry box on the corner of Jael's dresser. "Are you sure that's wise?"

Jael stuffed the notebook back in her bag and zipped it shut. "Mom, don't worry. If they come for me, it will be tonight, not in the light of day. Besides, I can't just drop out of sight without speaking with Brianna. She already thinks I'm a victim of child abuse or something."

Her mom's eyes grew wide. "What?"

"Doesn't matter." She stood up. "She's my best friend and I can't disappear off the face of the earth without saying goodbye."

"It's not the face of the earth, Jael. It's only Minnesota." Her mom pulled her in for a hug. "But I understand. Just be careful."

Chapter 24

Truth and consequences

She was late for first hour but in the scheme of things she supposed it really didn't matter. It's not as if she'd ever tried to win the award for perfect attendance or anything. After class she hurried to her locker hoping to run into Brianna. She spotted her down the hall talking with the volleyball coach.

Jael reached inside her locker for the package of Junior Mints she kept on the top shelf. It wasn't there. She rooted around in the bottom, pushing books and junk aside, but came up empty.

"You made it."

She looked up and found Shadow staring down at her with a pleased expression on his face. His hair hung loose around his shoulders again as he offered his hand and helped her to her feet.

"Thanks." She spied the edge of his bandana sticking out the front pocket of his jeans. The school had a no hats in doors policy, apparently to keep old bald men from sneaking on campus and blending in with the students or something. But it didn't matter. Shadow's young Keanu Reeves Excellent Adventure look was working for him.

"What are you looking for?" he asked. "Maybe I can help. I am pretty familiar with the contents of your locker."

She laughed and slammed the door shut. "That's right. No wonder I can't find anything. You stole my mints, didn't you?"

"The little chocolate covered mints?" he asked, with a look of wide-eyed innocence. "No, of course not. Well... I wouldn't call it stealing exactly."

"Oh, what would you call it?"

"Payment for services rendered," he said with a teasing grin. "Thanks, by the way. They're my favorite."

"What services?" Brianna asked, suddenly behind them. She wore a bright pink top with white shorts and matching pink and white flip flops, and looked as much like a Disney princess as she ever did. Her expression did not match her sunny outfit though.

Jael plastered on a wide smile. She didn't want her last day with Brianna to be clouded with distrust and jealousy. "Oh, he still thinks he saved my life or something after the game the other week." She waved her hand at him as though shooing away a pesky fly. She wouldn't lie outright to her best friend but letting her assume the wrong scenario was way easier than the truth.

Brianna's expression lightened and she made a face at Shad. "You didn't save anyone's life," she said, flipping her blonde hair. She glanced around and lowered her voice. "But Jael does owe you for taking the blame for Lyle's injuries."

"I didn't ask him to take the blame," Jael argued. "Lyle's the one who lied to save face. If I'd known he was such a jerk I never would have..." She shook her head and looked away.

Brianna threw an arm around her and rested her head on her shoulder. "Don't sweat it, Jael. We all do stupid things for love."

"Love?" Shad smirked.

Jael shot him a glare that could melt cold marble. "Don't even..."

He held up his hands in defense but couldn't hide the amusement in his eyes. Then suddenly it faded as his gaze moved past Jael's shoulder. "I've got to go," he said, and moved past them.

Jael turned around and watched him weave through the crowd of mingling students. He stopped at the open door of the school office and looked inside. A tall, thin man, cap pulled low over his eyes and a long grey braid hanging down his back, stepped out into the hallway beside him. He glanced their way and said something to Shad. Shad kept shaking his head. Finally the man turned and walked away. She saw him push through the outside door.

"Who's that?" Brianna asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know. Never seen him before." But she wondered if the grey haired man could be his grandfather. Shad moved down the hallway and disappeared from sight as well. She turned back to Brianna. "We really need to talk. Are you up for skipping class?"

Brianna looked at her as if she'd just confessed to murdering the Pope and burying his body under the bleachers on the football field. "Skip class?"

"Look, Bree," she began and stopped to clear her throat. "I won't be here tomorrow. I know you hold the perfect record for class attendance but couldn't you make an exception–just this once?"

"Won't be here? But it's your birthday. I didn't bring your gift today."

"That's actually the reason I can't come," she said, hating the fact that the truth sounded like a lie.

"Your parents have big plans for your birthday?"

"Something like that. So can we get out of here?"

"If you think it's that important." Her eyes narrowed. "Are you finally going to tell me what's been going on with you?"

She bit her lip and nodded. "I just hope you're ready to hear it."

Brianna glanced over her shoulder as though afraid someone might be listening in. Most of the kids had already scurried off to their next class. "Let's go before Mr. Townsend makes the rounds looking for escaped delinquents."

"We'll take your car," Jael said as they pushed through the outside door. "Mine's in the shop."

They hurried across the parking lot and climbed into the old Cadillac. The interior was already smoking hot from the heat of the sun. Brianna turned the key and cranked up the AC. Warm air blew from the vents but at least it was moving. She backed out of the parking space and turned to Jael.

"So where to?"

"Find some shade and park under it, then I'll tell you everything."

Brianna shifted into drive and inched slowly forward when there was a sharp rap at the rear window. She slammed her foot on the brake. "What the...?"

They both turned, eyes wide. Shadow stood behind the car, waving his arms at them. He strode to the driver's door and pulled it open, then bent down and peered in. His eyes met Jael's. "We need to talk."

Brianna shook her head. "Seems to be going around." She glanced at Jael. "Well?"

"Get in." She motioned for Shadow to climb in the backseat. Her glance returned to Bree. Her friend looked totally confused. "Don't worry. I'll explain everything."

Brianna pulled out of the parking lot and drove slowly through town without a word. She took the side streets, rather than Main Street through downtown Sunburn, to avoid any nosy residents from reporting their escape from school. Little towns were known for people being in each other's business and Sunburn was no exception to the rule.

"Let's go to Hackinaw Park where they have those covered picnic tables," Jael suggested. "We can sit outside." The park was new and oddly unused. There was no wading pool or fountain like at the old park and that seemed to win out over clean tables most days.

She glanced back at Shadow. He frowned. He was obviously not happy with the situation. What did he expect? That she would keep her best friend in the dark forever?

Brianna pulled the car up to the curb and shut off the ignition. She pulled out the key and turned sideways in her seat. "You both are making me really curious with your silent stares. Creepy. And it's not even Halloween." She pulled open her door and climbed out.

Shadow whispered, "Are you sure about this? She's probably safer the less she knows." He didn't wait for an answer.

Jael followed them both to a picnic table a few yards away. They were avoiding each other's eyes like opposing magnets. She sat down on one side of the table, and Bree plopped down across from her, arms crossed on the tabletop. Shadow remained standing, leaning casually against a corner of the framed shelter. He watched her with those wolf eyes of his.

A young mother, pushing a stroller and trying to hold a toddler by the hand at the same time, passed their table on her way toward the playground area on the other side of the park. "Good morning," she said with a curious stare. The little boy pulled away from her and took off running, and she hurried to catch up.

Jael waited until the woman was out of earshot. "So..." she began. This was going to be much harder than she thought. "I know you think my family is weird."

"I don't think..."

Jael placed a hand on Brianna's arm. "It's all right. We are weirder than most. My parent's over-protectiveness, keeping us secluded in the country..." she shrugged. "that's really the least of it though."

"Are you sure you want to discuss this with," she slanted her eyes toward Shadow, "I mean, I've known you for years but..."

Jael nodded. "Shadow already knows," she said, and then groaned inwardly when she saw the look of hurt on her friend's face. "It's not what you think, Bree. I didn't discuss it with him. He just found out on his own."

"He knows about the abuse?"

"What?" Shadow moved forward and took a seat beside Brianna. "What in the world are you talking about?"

Jael put up her hands. "Okay, lets set the record straight once and for all." She looked at Brianna, trying to instill the truth by sheer stare power. "I have never been abused by any member of my family. There is no abuse going on. Okay? Can we just drop the whole domestic abuse thing now?"

"Then why are we here?" Brianna shook her head. "I skipped school because I thought you had something private to discuss." She tipped her head toward Shadow. "Apparently, not so private."

"Hey, I can leave if that's what you want," he said, sliding out of the seat.

She shrugged. "Whatever."

"Bree, this isn't about Shadow. It's about me. About who I am."

"Who you are?" She rolled her eyes. "You're turning sixteen tomorrow, Jael, not graduating from college. It's a little early to have an identity crisis. You haven't even decided what you want to be when you grow up." She leaned forward and lowered her voice like she was telling a secret. "I'm pretty sure it's not going to be in the field of science."

Shadow snorted a laugh through his nose and Jael shot him a warning look.

"I know, right? But here's the deal." She paused, trying to think of a simple way to say, I kill vampires, without actually saying I kill vampires. "I found out I'm Amish," she blurted.

Brianna stared at her for long seconds and then covered her nose and mouth with both hands to hold in the laughter. Her shoulders shook and little squeaks of mirth escaped through her fingers.

"Fine, laugh it up, but that isn't the most entertaining part."

Shadow shook his head, a teasing light in his eyes. "Actually, it's pretty entertaining after the rumors going around about you."

"...commune...sister wives..." Brianna gasped through her laughter.

Jael expelled a loud, annoyed sigh. "Enough already!" She stood up. "You know what? I can do without the condescending attitudes. I'm the Chosen One and I don't have to take this crap." She turned and strode away, leaving them in the comfort of the shaded canopy while she moved farther and farther down the hot concrete sidewalk.

"Jael!" Brianna called after her. "Wait up! I'm sorry."

She kept walking but soon heard the slap of Brianna's flip-flops against the ground as she ran to catch up. Brianna grabbed her arm and twirled her around. "Where are you going? This is so unlike you. I'm the one who is supposed to be the drama queen. You are the solid, dependable, level-headed friend. Remember? "

"Things change." She glanced over Brianna's shoulder. Shadow now sat on the tabletop, elbows on his knees, watching. She shook her head. What ever happened to the normal boring life she had before vampires and trackers and Amish ancestors showed up?

Brianna put an arm around her and urged her back toward the park. "Just because some things change doesn't mean other things can't stay the same. Like us. Best friends forever, right?"

She took a deep breath. "Bree, remember those books you read, how when that pathetically depressed girl fell in love with the pathetically depressed, sparkly vampire, she started hanging out with vampires and her human friends just sort of dwindled away?"

"Hey, just because you didn't like those books..." she stopped and turned to look at Jael. "What are you getting at?"

"Cut to the chase, Jael! You're running out of time," Shadow called. He stepped down off the table and stood in the full sun, black hair gleaming with hints of blue. He raised a hand to shield his eyes from the glare. "Just tell her straight out."

Brianna gasped, eyes wide. "You and Shadow?"

"No!"

"Then what?"

They moved back under the shade of the canopy. Brianna crossed her arms tightly, suspicion written all over her face. A hint of pink tinged her cheeks though when Shadow smiled reassuringly at her. The girl had it bad.

"Let's just say that the Amish community needs me. My family's moving back to Minnesota." She looked down at the ground and scuffed the toe of her tennis shoe across an anthill, causing major construction damage. Ants scurried looking for a way to save their colony.

"What?" Brianna said. "That's insane. Amish communities don't need outside people. They take care of their own. Ever hear of quilting bees and barn raisings? What are you going to do for them? Teach martial arts in a community of non-resisters?"

Shadow laughed. "How do you know so much about Amish, Bree?"

"My grandmother was raised in an Amish community. Also in Minnesota – believe it or not."

"Your grandmother lives in Minnesota?" Jael asked. A little bit of hope sparked in her chest. "Really?"

"Yeah. Didn't you know that? Remember, you met her when she came for a visit last summer." She sat down on the bench and stretched her legs out, crossing them at the ankles. "Why would your parents want to go back now after all this time?"

Jael met Shadow's eyes for a second and saw a flicker of sympathy before he looked away. She pushed her hands in the back pockets of her jeans and cleared her throat. "They don't want to – they have to."

Shadow pulled out his cell phone to check the time. He turned it so she could see the screen. "You should really get back in the school building where it's safe, Jael. I don't want your parents blaming me if something happens to you."

"Shad, please just..." she broke off as a pickup drove slowly passed, continued on to the next street and turned right. Strange. The driver in the shadowed cab hadn't even glanced in their direction. Everyone in Sunburn stared at everyone else. How else would they know what the neighbors were doing?

"What is it?" asked Brianna, following her gaze. "Do you know that guy?" She reached out and snapped her fingers to get Jael's attention. "Hey! What is going on? Why wouldn't you be safe here, Jael?"

Ignoring Jael's warning glare, Shadow straddled the bench next to Brianna, facing her. "In a nutshell," he said, "Jael's The Chosen. She kills vampires. Even sparkly ones. The Loon Lake Amish Community in Minnesota is run by vampires. They want her dead before her sixteenth birthday. Otherwise, she's going to come down on their heads like a ton of bricks from Heaven."

Brianna didn't say anything for a few seconds, her jaw clamped tight and eyes suspiciously moist. Finally she stood up and pulled the car key from her pocket. "Okay. Let's go. I'd rather be in ancient history class than sit here and be the butt of your joke."

"I wasn't...I mean..." Shadow stammered.

"You mind?" Jael interrupted. Guys were dopes. She turned back to Brianna. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, Bree. In spite of the way it sounded when it came out of his big mouth, everything he just said is true. I know it's sort of unbelievable but you know I wouldn't lie to you, right?"

Brianna turned and headed for the car, head down and flip flops slapping the pavement angrily. She jerked open the driver's door, slid behind the wheel, and started the engine before Jael had time to register the fact that she was being deserted on the far side of town with no way to get back to school but her own two feet.

"Bree!" she yelled as the Cadillac was thrust into gear and peeled away from the curb with a squeal of rubber. Burning tire smell wafted up from the asphalt and she coughed and rubbed her nose.

"That went well." Shadow joined her at the curb to stare after the Caddie with a mixture of annoyance and relief. "Probably for the best though. She'll be safe at school. I'm not so sure about you."

"I'll be fine."

"My grandfather stopped by the school this morning."

"I saw him." She started walking, and Shadow fell into step. He usually came off as confident and a bit cocky, but with the mention of his grandfather he seemed more than a bit unsure. "What did he want?" she asked.

"My help to find you."

She paused, a hand on his arm. "He looked right at me. He knows who I am. He doesn't need you now."

"I know. That was him driving by just now." He started walking again.

They crossed the street and followed the shade along a row of overgrown Acacia bushes, keeping enough distance from them to avoid the sharp hooked thorns that were as dangerous as the claws of a cat. A man stepped out onto his front porch, checked his mailbox and went back inside.

"I thought he was done tracking for them. That he was angry at the way they treated him." She hurried to catch up with Shadow's long strides.

"He was, but they're desperate and they promised him something he couldn't say no to."

"What?" she asked, fear creeping in at the thought that her family might now be in danger because of her. "What does an old man desire more than respect?"

"Immortality," he said, the word slipping from his tongue like a curse.

Chapter 25

The hammer is mightier than the sword

Jael didn't see Brianna the rest of the day. It took her and Shadow almost an hour to get back to school and by then class was in full swing, the halls were empty, and Mr. Townsend spotted them and sent them to the office for tardy slips.

She lingered as long as possible by the lockers after the last bell rang, but Brianna never showed her face. She was obviously avoiding her. Jael slipped a note through the slit in Bree's locker door. An apology for not telling her everything sooner and a last goodbye. It would have to do.

As she pushed through the double front doors for the last time, everything seemed to take on a slow-motion kaleidoscope of color and sound. Kids laughed and shouted around her, climbed into cars, and huddled in groups on the sidewalk, spreading out on their mass exodus from the building.

She spotted the Suburban parked four cars back in line and hurried toward it. Her dad was picking her up today. Shadow called out to her as she moved past the bike rack. She turned and approached his motorcycle. He was busy adjusting the straps of his backpack tied to the seat in back.

"Have you seen Bree?" she asked.

He slipped his leg over the seat and looked up at her. "Sorry. I don't have afternoon classes with her. But she must be here. Her car's still parked over there." He pointed.

"If you see her tomorrow, tell her I'm..." she shook her head. "Never mind. I have to go."

He put out a hand and touched her arm. "Hey, don't sweat it. She'll come around. What you need to worry about right now is staying a step ahead of the vamps. I'm stopping at my grandfather's to speak with him again. Maybe I can change his mind. Whether he listens or not, I'll cruise out toward your place. I want to be there in case there's trouble."

"I appreciate that, but this isn't your fight." She glanced back at her father, waiting. He was watching them like a hawk.

"Your antapittseh is my antapittseh," he said, and placed his hand palm down across his chest like a pledge.

She bit her bottom lip and frowned.

"Sorry. Your enemy is my enemy," he interpreted, then turned the key on his bike, flipped up the kickstand and pressed the start button. The engine revved to life and he gave it some gas with a couple quick twists of the throttle. He had to yell so she could hear him. "See ya later, slayer!"

She watched him drive over the curb and out of the parking lot, long hair flowing from beneath his red bandanna. Her dad motioned for her to hurry up. She opened the door of the Suburban.

"Hey, Dad."

"Hey, kiddo. How was your day?" he asked as she climbed in and buckled up. "Nothing out of the ordinary?"

She shook her head and glanced across the parking lot as he pulled the Suburban around. Bree's car was parked beside Coach's pickup truck with the orange flames painted on the sides. The big car looked pretty plain next to that testosterone-fueled monster. She would definitely miss riding around in the old Cadillac. But mostly... she would miss Bree.

*****

She tried calling and texting a few times during the evening, but Bree didn't respond. She shouldn't be surprised. If someone told her the same story a couple months ago she wouldn't have believed them either.

Seth tried to get her down in the dojo to workout earlier but she wasn't in the mood. She figured if she wasn't mentally and physically prepared by this time, it was too late. They'd eaten dinner as usual, as though it were any other night of the week, and then her mom pulled out the Scrabble game and set it up at the kitchen table. She knew what that meant...Mom was worried and trying to pretend everything was normal.

She had finished washing the dishes from dinner when Seth pulled open the refrigerator, looked inside, and closed it again. "I know we're Amish but I could really use a beer," he said.

"Well, why don't you go out for a while? Watch a ballgame on the flat screen at Big Mike's," her dad suggested, not even looking up from the game at the table.

Jael stifled a laugh. Her dad had never been a sports fan, other than martial arts. And suggesting his brother hang out at a bar was totally out of character.

"You know what? That sounds like a good idea. I'll see you all later." Seth pulled his baseball cap on, found his car keys from where he'd tossed them earlier, and was soon out the door, backing his car down the driveway.

Jael turned away from the kitchen window and crossed her arms. "That was so staged," she accused. "Am I supposed to believe Seth decided to take up drinking and sports on the same night my life is hanging in the balance?"

"What are you talking about, kiddo," her dad asked, with the worst feigned expression of innocence she'd ever seen. He shook the container of letter tiles before picking out two and placing them on his tray, then pretended to be so engrossed in creating a word he forgot what she asked.

"Oh, nothing. I think I'll just go to my room and do some quilting or maybe cross-stitch a potholder." She waved a hand as she left the kitchen. "You know where to find me if the vamps attack."

She plopped down on the bed and picked up the novel Bree had given her to read weeks ago. She'd forgotten to take it to school and return it. Or maybe she hadn't. She opened it to the front cover where Brianna had stuck a little piece of paper with a note on it for her.

I know you'll love this story. It's so romantic and

Edward is so hot! Promise me you'll read it so when

you come over for a sleepover we can rent the movie.

Jael turned to the first chapter and started to read. She'd promised Brianna she'd read the book, so she would. Better late than never. Right?

The light outside her window slowly faded and her eyes grew heavy. She was going to get up and turn on the lamp but she was so tired. She realized she'd been staring at the same page for a long time and not really seeing the words. A yawn escaped and she leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes for a moment, the book splayed open face down on her chest.

*****

Zaanannim 1142 B.C.

Jael stood outside the tent staring sleepy-eyed after her husband and his men as they rode away toward the Kishon River. Word had come that the army of Israel was routing the great and evil General Sisera. Heber was wise enough to know, living so close to the battle, that he must choose sides. There would be no innocent tent dwellers in this war. As Kenites, they had a long history of siding with Israel when push came to shove. After all, Israel's greatest leader, Moses himself, had married into their family line many years past, but being the compromising man he was, her husband had tried to remain friendly with King Jabin as well.

The messenger, who showed up in the deepest night, had run in on foot bearing the news and then collapsed onto his knees at their tent flap, exhausted. Jael handed him a cup of water and he gulped it down before sharing what he knew.

The messenger told them that Deborah the prophetess, the wise woman and Judge of Israel, had traveled to Kadesh with Barak, her mightiest general, to gather men to fight. Jael filled his cup again and he drank deep. Panting like a dog, he continued the story.

"Barak has rallied all the men of fighting age and they are even now in the midst of battle just south of the river. They are truly defeating Sisera once for all. There is no longer a chance that Israel can fail. The Prophetess has traveled with the army of Israel as a symbol of God's promise to give Sisera into their hands."

Heber clenched his jaw and sighed heavily. They lived outside Kadesh by the great tree in Zaanannim for a reason. He was not a fighting man, but chose to hide on the fringes of controversy, living neutral, neither for nor against, and it had served him well so far. But Jael had never understood his lack of aggression or interest in the battles around them. It wasn't normal for a man to be so. After all, they had God on their side, did they not?

Heber helped the man to his feet and patted his shoulder. "Then we must go. There is no other way," he said, his voice weary with regret. "Ready the men. We must get to the river before the battle is over."

Jael kept her eyes downcast for they always gave her thoughts away, and she didn't want the other men to see how she truly felt about her husband's passivity. If given the chance, she would certainly fight this enemy of the true and living God. But as a woman, she knew it could never be.

After giving the men instructions to prepare to leave, Heber took her hand and drew her inside the tent. "Do not fret, Jael. I will return unscathed. The merciful God of Abraham and Moses will certainly bring us safely home."

She nodded, not meeting his eye. Obviously, he'd taken her quietness for worry.

He'd pulled her head down against his shoulder for a brief moment of intimacy and then released her. "Go, prepare food for the journey," he'd commanded.

Now in the glow of the full moon hanging low on the horizon, she watched the last of the dust settle to the ground from the hooves of their departing horses and shook her head. She wondered as she often did why her father had chosen such a fearful man for her to marry.

The great tree loomed in the periphery of her vision and she thought she detected movement near the base of its massive trunk. She turned quickly and stared hard into the darkness, but saw nothing to warrant the hairs rising on the back of her neck.

Her foot, horribly disfigured from birth with the nub of a sixth toe, began to ache with a dull throb of pain. She hurried into the tent and sat down, massaging her foot with the ointment she had made from leaves of a plant her mother taught her could deaden an area, giving temporary relief.

The tent flap suddenly slapped open and she half rose from her position, expecting one of the servants had returned on an errand for her husband. But facing her was a bear of a man, dark, bearded and brawny, a sword in his hand. The white's of his eyes gleamed in the dim light of the flickering fire.

He stared at her, his teeth bared and wary. "Are there any men left here?" he whispered.

She shook her head, eyes wide. His uniform was filthy with sweat and blood, but made of fine cloth. He was obviously important and some sort of commander in the army, but had taken the precaution to wait until all but a woman was around before advancing into their camp. Another coward, she thought with disgust.

He moved toward her, eyes darting here and there, taking in every detail of their hearth and home. When he spoke close to her ear, his voice was hard and fearsome. "They're joining my war a bit late, aren't they?"

Sudden realization of who had taken up residence in her tent pounded through her veins, but she remained silent, unable to speak with him towering over her like a dark, avenging angel.

The thin puckered line of a scar ran from his forehead down his cheek, still pink and fairly recent. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked exhausted as though he'd been up all night...killing God's people. He drew a deep breath and blew it out, causing her to cringe from the foul odor.

"Do you have water?" he asked, his eyes on the pitcher at the table.

"Yes, my lord." She moved to get it for him.

He grasped her upper arm with fingers of steel. "Careful," he said, seeing the knife lying there on the corner of the table beside a chunk of bread.

She nodded.

The pitcher was nearly empty, as she'd not had time to go to the well since the messenger had partaken of it earlier. "I have a skin of goat milk," she offered when he'd drained the last of the water in one fast gulp. He took the skin from her hand and emptied it as well.

"Do you know who I am?" he finally asked, searching her eyes for fear.

"Yes, my lord," she said, unblinking. There could be no mistaking Sisera – the commander of Jabin's army – for anyone else. Tales had been spun around home fires, children teased and scared each other with the threat of him. He was a legend of evil.

He was definitely the largest man she had ever seen up close. Dark hair curled long and tangled to broad shoulders. His beard grew thick except where the scar traced down his face. With a prominent forehead, piercing black eyes and arms as muscular and thick as tree trunks, he was a formidable looking foe.

For anyone else.

She saw only an exhausted creature, barely able to stand. He'd obviously been running from the army of Israel, afraid to be captured or die by the sword. He was here looking for sanctuary.

"You are a wise woman. Not from around here," he stated with raised brows.

"No. We are Kenites. My husband moved us here to avoid taking sides."

"And yet your husband went off to join the battle," he said with a smirk.

She shrugged. "Yes, after the battle is nearly won."

He stared at her a moment longer, obviously trying to decide whether he could trust her. She interrupted his thoughts. "You can hide here until you are rested." She gestured toward the pile of animal skins at the back where she and Heber slept. "I will cover you so you won't be discovered."

His gaze narrowed, but he finally nodded. "You stay by the door and watch. If anyone comes, wake me quickly."

"Yes, my lord." She lowered her head in false submission.

He stumbled when he started to walk toward the bed and she saw that not only was he worn out from running and battle, but he was wounded as well. Blood, dark and oozing dripped from his lower calf, settling into his sandal.

He settled himself comfortably, and she concealed him beneath the hides. He was snoring almost immediately. She went to shut the tent flap, then moved silently back across the room, pausing in her advance when his breathing quieted. But he shifted to his back and began snoring again.

Jael lifted the heavy hammer and the extra tent peg from the floor in the corner where Heber had left them after raising their home. He never put anything away. She mumbled a prayer of thanks to God for her husband's laziness. This household weapon would have to do. She didn't have a sword and Sisera was a very big man. Only a smashing blow to the skull would be enough. She couldn't falter or hesitate. If she did, it would be the death of her...

Chapter 26

Taken

Jael jerked awake and stared wide-eyed into the darkness of the room. What a strange dream. She'd never dreamed herself into another century before. But it had been so real she imagined she could almost smell the stench of the man's sweat.

A glance across the room through the open curtain of the window revealed the moon already bright in a midnight sky. She sat up and the forgotten book dropped to the floor. Her cell phone lit up on the table beside her and made the little tweet it did for incoming text messages. She picked it up. Shadow. Figures. She hoped it would be Brianna.

Meet me outside in 5?

What was he doing here at this hour? She thought he would just drive by a couple times to check on things and go back home to bed. She went to the window and looked out, but didn't see him or his bike. He was probably keeping his distance because of Bruno. Although for some strange reason, her dog seemed to really like the wolf whisperer. She texted him back.

be out soon. Where are u?

She quietly slid the window all the way open and placed her pillows on the floor beneath it for reentry. After digging in the desk drawer for the little flashlight she kept there, she stuck it in the back pocket of her jeans and pulled one of her many black hooded sweatshirts over the Scooby Doo t-shirt she wore. Her eyes were well adjusted to the dark now so it would be easier to spot Shadow once she slipped out the window. The phone lit up with another text.

behind ur shed

Jael slipped her phone in the pocket of her jacket and climbed silently over the windowsill. She landed on the sandy ground with a dull thud and crouched, listening. Still quiet, inside and out. Slowly, she straightened and moved toward the shed at the back of the yard.

The telling moment of queasiness washed over her as she rounded the corner of the small building. Shadow leaned against the shed with one knee bent and the sole of a boot braced on the wall.

He pushed his hair back from his forehead and straightened. "It's about time."

"You just texted me like two minutes ago."

"I know. Sorry." He glanced around nervously. "Can you come with me?"

"Come with you where? Have you forgotten, this is the most dangerous night of the year for a pre-sixteen-year-old slayer?" she asked, hands on hips.

"I thought if you spoke with my grandfather face to face..." he broke off and shook his head, looking away.

"He'd see that he couldn't be a part of killing an innocent young girl?" She blew out the breath of a laugh. "If he has his mind set on living forever, I doubt I can say anything to change it. After all, you're his grandson and he obviously hasn't listened to you."

He stepped closer, his voice low and tense. "It's not that he doesn't want to help you. He just doesn't feel like he can."

"What do you mean?"

"He's dying of cancer," he said, his gaze dropping to the ground at his feet. "He's known for a while but he didn't tell me until this afternoon."

Jael reached out and put a hand on his arm. "I'm so sorry, Shad."

He shook his head again and cleared his throat. "Doesn't matter. He can't take your life to save his own. It's not right."

"Glad you agree."

She suddenly felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. Something wasn't right. This was a setup. She knew it the same moment that Shadow lifted his head and looked past her right shoulder into the darkness toward the cluster of olive trees on the edge of their property. His eyes widened and in that split second of time she knew he was as surprised as she was.

He grabbed her arm and yanked her to the ground in time to avoid the pointy end of a knife whizzing past her head. They heard the blade sink deep into the shed behind them with a loud thunk. She looked up and saw three dark shapes moving rapidly toward them.

"Come on!" Shadow said and grabbed her hand.

They were both already on their feet and running toward the road where he had left his bike. Footsteps pounded behind them. Shadow jumped on the seat, pulled in the clutch and started the engine, but not fast enough. One of the vamps was just a few steps behind. Jael turned and met her head on.

The female vampire was surprised by her sudden turn around and pulled up short. Jael saw the knife gleaming in an upraised hand. She did a jump kick and knocked it loose from the vamps grip. It clattered on the gravel road out of reach of either of them. Jael did a backflip, snatched it up and threw it in one smooth motion.

"Come on, Jael!" Shadow yelled, revving the engine.

She watched the knife hit its mark. The vampire fell to her knees, hands grasping at her chest. Jael saw the other two creatures catching up. She only had a second to decide whether to go in for the kill or turn, jump on the bike and ride away.

Jael heard the vampire shriek as the bike tore down the road. She twisted around on the seat and saw the other two standing and staring after them. Their dark shapes slowly disappeared from view and she turned, breathing hard, to lean her head against Shadow's solid back. She clung with one arm around his middle and one hand on his shoulder and slowly caught her breath. They were flying toward town at over ninety miles per hour. Wind whipped hair in a tangle around her face as Shadow leaned lower behind the windshield.

She closed her eyes and tried to calm her heart and think clearly. Her parents. She yelled against the wind so Shadow could hear. "Pull over!"

He shook his head and kept going.

She tried again, pressing a finger into his neck at a sensitive spot. "Pull over now!"

He carefully slowed the bike and pulled to the side of the highway, but left it running. She jumped off immediately and took the phone from her pocket. Shadow kicked it in neutral and slipped his leg over the bike. "Are you crazy! They could be on our tail. We need to get to safety."

"And where would that be? Hmmm?" She punched buttons and waited for her dad to pick up. "Your grandfather's trailer? I'm sure he'd save us. Obviously he's a big advocate of the sanctity of life and all."

He looked off across the dark desert as though searching for a safe haven, then shook his head, mouth grim. She could see he was as frustrated and scared as she was. Maybe more scared, since he wasn't used to vampires attacking him in the dead of night.

She moved away from the bike so she could hear. The phone rang at least six times and then switched to voice mail. She pressed End and called again. This time it was picked up almost immediately. "Dad?" she said before he had a chance to respond. "Stay in the house! There are vamps outside. I don't think they can get in unless you invite them." She wasn't sure about that last bit but it seemed like a safe bet since every bloodsucker story she'd ever read mentioned that fact, and from recent experience she was beginning to see that much of fiction was based – albeit loosely – in reality.

"Jael? Where are you?" he asked, his voice loud enough that Shadow could clearly follow both sides of the conversation. She heard a door bang open. "Why aren't you in your room? Are you all right?"

"Dad, listen." She turned away from Shadow's curious stare. She heard her mom in the background shooting questions at her dad and him shushing her to be quiet. "I'm with Shadow. We're fine, but we had to take off on his motorcycle. They must have followed him to our house. It was an ambush." She closed her eyes and thought. "Is Uncle Seth really at Big Mike's bar?"

"Yeah. We thought it would be a good idea to have someone in town monitoring the situation, see if any strangers showed up asking about you. It's the only place in town that stays open late."

Amish folk venturing into a bar in search of a teenage girl? That was a pretty weird scenario. But then they were vampires. So... "Has he called?"

"Not since about eleven."

She glanced back and saw Shadow on the bike, waiting, his eyes on the rearview mirror. "We'll stop and get Seth. He should know what to do, right?"

There was a pause. "Jael, be careful. We can't lose you."

"You won't." She wiped at the corner of her eye and added, "I love you guys."

"We love you too."

"Jael, come on!" Shadow called over the thrum of the engine. "I see a car coming. We've got to go."

She stuffed the phone back in her pocket and jumped on the bike. Shadow pulled back on the throttle and the bike shot forward like a rocket, the front tire coming off the ground for a second. She held on to his waist so tight they were practically Siamese twins. She glanced back and saw the faint glow of headlights in the distance, but Shadow was keeping well ahead of them for now.

Mile after mile melted away and they were slowing at the outskirts of town before she had time to think up a clear plan. He turned the bike down a side street and wound around three or four blocks until he came to the alley that backed up to Big Mike's. A dumpster sat close to the rear door of the establishment, casting a shadow on the far side where a fence closed off the area from a neighboring pet store. Shadow maneuvered the bike between the fence and the dumpster, and killed the engine. He waited for her to slide off the seat before lowering the kickstand and pulling out the key.

Big Mike's was open until two a.m. but there were only three cars parked alongside the building. The street out front was quiet and empty. Neon red and blue lights flashed on and off through the front window like a beacon to late night beer lovers as they approached the entrance.

Jael pulled the hood up on her jacket and Shadow opened the door. It was even darker inside the bar than out on the dimly lit street. They scanned empty stools, vacant tables, and a silent jukebox up against one wall. A burst of laughter came from the back of the room and they saw where a few faithful patrons were gathered playing cards. Partially concealed by a coatrack, three men sat at a round table with a pile of poker chips shoved into the center of the scratched wood surface.

Her Uncle looked up at their approach and his eyes widened. "Jael!" He jumped up and moved toward them. "Go on without me boys," he said to the two men left sitting there.

Seth took her by the arm and half pulled her back across the room to a table near the door. He motioned for her to sit in a chair against the wall, then took the one facing the front window. He completely ignored Shadow, other than to glare at him with a hint of annoyance when he joined them at the table.

A man she hadn't noticed before, apparently the bartender, hurried out from the back room. He wiped his hands on the white apron tied around his waist. "What the...?" he muttered as he got close. "Seth, you can't have kids in here. I could lose my license," he said, squinting at them in the dim light.

"Sorry, Hal." Seth shifted in his chair to look up at the tall man behind him. "This is my niece. There's been a little family emergency. Mind if we talk for just a minute? I promise we won't get you in trouble. In fact, I'll pay your exorbitant prices for soda and buy these kids a Coke."

Hal pointed a finger at Shadow. "I know you. Aren't you Tobias' grandson? Where's he been lately? Haven't seen him around."

"Not thirsty I guess," Shadow said.

The bartender laughed. "Well, I hope he gets thirsty soon. He was always one of my best customers." He scratched the top of his head where thin wisps of dark hair stuck up. "All right. I'll get you those Cokes, but then you kids best be on your way."

"Thanks, Hal," Seth called after him.

Jael couldn't wait any longer. She leaned forward and grasped her uncle's arm to get his full attention. "A bunch of vamps came for me at home. We got away on Shadow's motorcycle but I'm afraid of what they might do to Mom and Dad. We've got to go back and help them," she said.

"Slow down. Did they follow you?" he asked, his eyes moving to the window again.

Shadow shook his head. "I don't think so. If they did, we lost them before we hit town. I came in the back way and parked out of sight."

"Good." He covered her hand with his own. "We've got to get you somewhere safe and then I'll go back for them."

"No!" Her raised voice caught the attention of the poker players across the room. All heads turned her way. She forced herself to calm down and speak quietly. "We can't just leave them."

"Nobody's leaving anybody. As long as they stay inside, they should be fine. The vamps want you, not your parents."

Hal approached with tall glasses on a serving tray. He set them down on the table, pulled straws from his apron pocket and handed them to Seth. "Ten minutes and the kids are out of here. Got it?"

Seth nodded.

When Hal was back at his post wiping down the bar, Seth released a quiet sigh. "Okay, here's what we're gonna do."

Jael felt her cell phone vibrate. "Wait. I think Dad's calling." She pulled it out of her jacket pocket and looked at the screen. "It's not him," she said, disappointed but glad to see Brianna had apparently forgiven her and was reaching out. She flicked the ringer button back on so she wouldn't miss hearing any calls.

Shadow looked over her shoulder. "See, I told you she couldn't stay mad at you forever."

"She will if I don't answer this."

"You don't have time for that, Jael." Her uncle stood up and slipped a ten-dollar bill under the edge of his glass. "Let's go."

She hated ignoring Bree's call, but it was probably for the best. Her parents had to be her first priority tonight with the vamps in town. She stood and followed her uncle to the door. Shadow brought up the rear. She sent Bree a quick text.

sorry. trouble with the parenthood

call you in the morning

She slipped the phone back in her pocket. Shadow leaned by the corner of the building, thumbs hooked in the front pockets of his jeans. He looked a little dejected that he wouldn't have anything else to do now that she was deserting him for her uncle.

Seth looked up and down the empty street before heading to his car. He pushed the key fob button to unlock the doors and glanced back at Shadow. "Thanks, kid. You've been a big help tonight."

"Yeah, thanks Shadow," Jael said, stopping beside him. "If I don't see you again..." she trailed off and bit her lip.

He reached out and lifted her chin with one finger, smiling into her eyes. "You'll see me. Once I'm out of school, I'm out of here. Minnesota might be a nice change."

"If you say so."

He turned and headed for his bike behind the building. She watched him go and felt the queasiness lift as he moved farther away. While he was close she had kind of gotten accustomed to the feeling but it was always a relief when it passed.

"Come on, Jael." Seth got in the car and started the engine.

Before she could open the passenger side door, her phone chirped to announce another text coming in. Brianna was not giving up easily. She would have to...

We have your friend.

Now answer the phone!

"Shadow!" She turned away from the car and ran toward the back of the building where he was rolling his bike out from behind the dumpster.

He put the kickstand down and straightened. "What's up?"

"It wasn't Bree calling. It's the vamps. They took her!"

"What? How could they know...?" He swore and slammed his fist against the seat of the bike with a fury she'd never seen in him before.

She heard the car door open behind them and Seth's cowboy boots thudding as he jogged over. "Jael, what is going on? We need to get out of town." He slowed when he saw the looks on their faces. "What happened?"

Her cell phone started to play We will rock you and Jael slowly shook her head, anger keeping the tears at bay. "They took Bree. I'm going to get her back and I'm going to stake every last one of those filthy Amish Bloodsuckers!"

She took a deep breath before she answered the phone, keeping her voice low and controlled by sheer will power. "This is Jael, the Chosen One. Need to schedule a staking? Press 1. Decapitation? Press 2. Complete eradication? Press your luck by messing with my friends."

A low chuckle broke the silence at the other end of the line. "Very humorous. But we are simple folk, so let me get right to the point," he said, a slight guttural tone accenting his words. German perhaps? "If you don't meet us at the old railroad station in one hour's time, your friend will be drained of her life-blood and left for the night desert creatures to feast upon."

Jael gritted her teeth to keep from answering hotly. She needed to keep her cool, act as though she didn't care quite so much. If they knew the lengths she would go to...the mayhem she would unleash upon them if they hurt Bree... She swallowed hard. She couldn't let them have the upper hand by letting them provoke her to act before she was ready.

"Miss Chosen One? Are you there?"

"I'm here."

"Gut. Remember...one hour. Not a minute more."

Before she could ask to speak with Bree, the line was disconnected.

Jael closed her eyes for a moment. What could she do other than follow directions? Bree's life was in her hands. She tucked the phone in her pocket and looked at Shadow and Seth. They stared back expectantly as though waiting for orders. As though she were in charge. As though she really were Chosen.

"We need Mom and Dad for this to work," she said, a plan already formulating in her brain.

Chapter 27

Night Ops

Jael had never been allowed to trick-or-treat or celebrate what her parents dubbed, the devils holiday, but she never really minded. When she was younger she'd often felt left out when kids at school talked about dressing up like monsters and going door-to-door begging for candy. Tonight she was confronting real monsters and knew they wouldn't be pacified by sweets. They were out for blood. Hers.

The moon slipped behind clouds as she stared down the road, waiting. Twin dots of light glowed in the distance like the eyes of a snake, weaving along the ground, closer and closer, until they popped over the last hill. Full-blown headlights. The truck pulled to the side of the road facing them and the lights shut off. Her parents were here.

They didn't waste time talking but flew into motion. She helped her uncle move the weapons from the back of the SUV into the backseat of the car for easy access. Her mom and dad stood by, faces grim and stoic as they realized their teaching days were over and this was the day they'd all been anticipating and dreading at the same time. She would either survive intact to fully become the Chosen or she would fail and all her training would count for nothing. Since she would most likely be dead as well, that scenario was not an option. She picked up the crossbow and one of the special arrows her dad had fashioned out of hardened oak.

"One of these is reserved for that creepy guy on the phone. In fact, I wish I had some holy oil to anoint the tip. I'd light it up and send him to hell in half the time."

"Stay centered, Jael," her dad said, reaching out to push a lock of hair away from her face. "You'll never beat these creatures if you let your emotions take over. I know it's hard with your friend involved, but you have to concentrate like we practiced. Let God work through you."

"Right," she said, her hand tightening around the arrow. Straight and true. She lowered it to her side and drew a deep breath. It had been a while since she'd thought about God and what part he played in her life. But he obviously put her in this position, so he wouldn't let her fail, would he? "I'll be fine, Dad. Everybody else does their part and I'll be as centered as a scorpion's tail – and just as deadly."

"That's the spirit," Seth said and slapped his brother on the back. "See, you've got nothing to worry about." He took the crossbow and arrows from Jael and placed them carefully in the backseat beside the pile of stakes and other things she'd asked her parents to bring.

Her dad pushed the little button that lit up the face of his watch, his mouth grim. He turned and showed the time to her mom. "What time is it?" Jael asked. Brianna's life depended on punctuality tonight and she wouldn't let her down.

"2:53," her dad said, and cleared his throat.

Her mom moved forward and pulled Jael into a crushing embrace. She finally eased back and pressed her cheek, damp with tears, next to Jael's, and whispered in her ear, "I have confidence in you, Jael. I know you will succeed tonight. And later you will help put an end to the bondage of the Amish community at Loon Lake. May God go with you and give you strength."

Jael pulled her bottom lip in and held it between her teeth. She felt fresh tears wet her cheek as her mom continued to press close. The words sounded like a benediction and it scared her. She drew back and looked into her face. "Mom, I'll be fine. Really. You don't have to worry."

She responded with a weak smile and nod, her eyes glistening in the dim starlight. "I know."

"Then why are you saying all this? As though you won't ever see me again?"

"Miriam, we should get going. We've only got ten minutes left." Her dad's low baritone was strangely comforting on the night air. He put an arm around each of them and kissed the tops of their heads. "Me and my two girls. The three Musketeers. We can do this."

"Hey," Seth grouched behind them. "What about me?"

"Sorry, Uncle Seth. There can be only three." She grinned back at him.

"So much for family."

Without another word, they broke apart and headed for separate vehicles. Seth started the car and Jael pulled her door closed. She watched her mom turn and glance back at her before she climbed into the passenger seat of the SUV and her dad pulled out onto the road. Jael felt a lump form in her throat. She shook off the niggling feeling of doom and closed her eyes. God help me.

They drove a mile further down the road, pulled off onto a sandy trail and continued without headlights down a gully below the train tracks. Seth parked behind a pile of rocks and shut off the engine.

"This is it. Are you ready?" he asked without turning to look at her. He dropped his hands from the steering wheel and grasped the handle of the door.

"Uncle Seth?" She tugged on his sleeve.

"Yeah?"

"Why are you guys all acting like you think I'm going to die or something?"

"We're not..."

"Yes, you are. Mom and Dad said goodbye as if it was the last time they'd ever see me. And you won't even look me in the eye. Be straight with me already!" she demanded.

He slumped back against the seat. "They're worried your training won't be enough. That without..." he paused and glanced her way, clear disappointment in his eyes. "You've passed the hour of your birth and nothing's changed."

She expelled the breath of a laugh. "So I was supposed to receive some special powers or something and God forgot to bestow them on me? Is that what you think? Great." She thrust the door open and climbed out.

Seth didn't move.

Jael leaned back in the car. "Well don't just sit there," she said just above a whisper so that it didn't carry on the still night air. "We have vamps to stake."

A slow smile turned up his lips and he climbed out too.

Her dad had fashioned her a leather tool belt with enough loops to hold six stakes, two on each side and two in the back. She slipped it on around her waist and filled every loop with a pointy, carved stake. Inside the top of each of her boots she slipped a four-inch blade. She picked up the crossbow. If this wasn't enough firepower...

Seth was supposed to wait until the vamps were separated, then drive the car directly into the battle, snatch Brianna out of danger and get away. Jael would stay and fight to the death. Hers or theirs. Didn't matter as long as her friends and family were safe once and for all.

She put the hood up on her sweatshirt to conceal her face in the dark. "What ever happens," she said adjusting her belt without looking up, "you get Brianna out of here and meet up with Mom and Dad. This time you leave town and never come back." When he didn't answer she turned around. He leaned against the rear of the car, arms folded, his face fully shadowed under the bill of his cap. She couldn't make out his expression but his shoulders slumped more than usual. Had he already given up? Didn't he have any confidence in her at all? What was all of this about anyway?

"You trained me for sixteen years and now because I haven't been given the gift of jumping tall buildings or being able to fly faster than a speeding bullet, I'm no longer a viable slayer? What's wrong with you, Uncle Seth? If God set me to this task as you and my parents believe, then believe he can use me now, with or without super powers."

He pushed away from the car and stepped forward, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, kiddo. You're right." He placed his hands on her shoulders, holding her at arms length. "Second-guessing God is a mistake. He tends to manage things His own way, in His own time." He smiled. "You do what you do best and I'll get Brianna out of here. I promise."

"Good." She slipped the strap of the leather quiver over her head and adjusted it on her back for easy access. "When I give the signal you better be ready."

Jael turned and slipped into the shadows.

Chapter 28

Blood is thicker than water

Miriam and Jesse waited silently in the SUV after Jesse pulled off the road onto the shoulder. Night pressed in around them like a heavy wool blanket, dense and suffocating. With daylight still hours away, they knew their only recourse was to follow Jael's plan, but the thought of something going wrong was enough to temporarily paralyze them.

Miriam clasped her hands in her lap and closed her eyes, a prayer for safety for her only child playing over and over in her mind like steady rain. She felt Jesse cover her hands with a warm, calloused palm. His fingers pressed tight and safe around her knuckles, strength she could depend on.

She turned and met his eyes in the dark cab. "Have I told you how much I love being married to you?" she asked, diffusing the seriousness of the situation with a teasing lilt to her words. "Other than Harrison Ford, you're the only man for me."

"That old guy? He's not even in the same league." He raised his arm and flexed his bicep. "Can he bench press three hundred pounds?"

"No, but I bet he has someone to do it for him."

He snorted. "Figures."

She turned toward the window and gazed out at the empty road. "We should have stayed away. Left everything and started over. Jael wouldn't be in this situation right now if..." She choked off, tears filling her eyes.

Jesse reached out and pulled her close, caressing her cheek with the pad of his thumb. "We can't change what's meant to be. Nothing you or I did or didn't do makes a lick of difference in the long run. They came for her and she must fight. She's strong. She can do this. We have to believe it's the will of God."

She twisted away and wiped at the tears spilling down her cheeks. "And what if she's hurt, or worse? Is that God's will as well?" she demanded, hoping desperately for a different answer than what she knew he would give.

He sighed heavily and leaned his head back against the seat. "Faith is never plain or simple, despite the life we came from and once knew. It's a daily ritual of taking self and sacrificing it on the alter of obedience – trusting that the Creator knows what we need more than we do." He cleared his throat. "I refuse to think He brought her this far just to see her fail now. Jael is the Chosen One and by God she will slay these bloodsuckers before morning breaks!"

Miriam lifted his hand and kissed the inside of his palm, then pressed it to her cheek and held it there. "Forget Harrison Ford. You're the only man for me."

Her cell phone vibrated against her side. She reached inside the pocket of Jael's old hooded sweatshirt she wore and pulled it out. "Honey, we're in place," she said, glancing at Jesse, "waiting."

"Okay, head for the railroad station. I'll call in five minutes. Do exactly what I said and I'll take care of the rest. Tell Dad to wait in the truck. Seth has my back. You two take off as soon as the first arrow hits its mark. Promise me," she said, her voice low and fast. "I can't do what needs to be done if I'm worrying about you, Mom."

Marian closed her eyes and nodded, the phone pressed close to her ear. "We understand. Be careful."

There was a pause. "Love you, Mom," Jael whispered and disconnected.

Miriam swallowed her fear and pulled the hood of the black sweatshirt up over her hair. "It's time," she said.

Jesse turned the key and pulled back onto the two-lane highway. He only had to drive a quarter mile before turning off onto the dirt track that led down to the deserted railroad station. Driving with the headlights off, they bumped over dark, rough terrain. Something darted out of the brush and scurried across the road in front of the truck. A Roadrunner. Jesse tapped the brake, but it was already long gone, disappearing into a gully on the other side.

Miriam released a quiet sigh. The next few minutes would determine the future for so many. She had been selfish, wishing only for a normal life. But Jael's path had already been determined long ago. As the mother of the chosen one she had no right to expect normal. They couldn't fail. Their daughter must survive this night in order to go on and fulfill her destiny in Loon Lake, to destroy the evil that had taken hold of the Amish community.

The moon slid slowly behind the branches of an Olive tree up ahead, backlighting each and every gnarled and twisted limb. For a moment she thought she saw someone standing beneath it, but when she blinked they were gone. They slowly approached the dilapidated station. The crunch of gravel beneath the tires seemed loud in the stillness of the clearing and gooseflesh broke out on Miriam's arms.

Jesse pulled the gearshift into park but left the motor running. "Where are they?" he whispered.

"There." Miriam pointed toward the west side of the building, now more rubble than walls. Five dark figures separated from the shadows and moved into the clearing about thirty yards ahead of the truck. The tallest of the four had an arm around the neck of the shortest. "That poor girl," Miriam murmured, fingers tightening around the cell phone in her lap. She glanced down. Jael would be calling any second.

"Step to the front of the truck but don't get any closer," Jesse warned, "They can't see your face."

She tightened the strings of the hood so it hid her features even more. He reached out and clasped her hand for a second, and then she pulled open the door and stepped out.

Miriam released the last of her doubts to the God she had put her faith in many years ago. There was no room for doubt now. Only trust. She moved toward the vampires holding Brianna hostage. They calmly watched her approach as though they were confident of the outcome.

She pulled out her cell phone and pretended to make a call. It began to vibrate. She pushed answer and lifted it to her ear. Less than a second later a rock-and-roll tune rang out from Brianna's phone across the clearing. Miriam stopped just in front of the truck and waited for the leader to answer. He stared down at the phone in his hand while it continued to ring.

Brianna's voice, shrill and scared but still defiant, rang out. "Push the answer button, stupid!" And then she screamed when the vamp shoved her to the ground. She lay crumpled in a ball at his feet, arms covering her head, prepared for more.

Miriam cringed at the brutality. A second later a deep voice spoke in her ear. "So sad that you are on time, Miss Chosen One. I was just about to kill your little friend. She is rather annoying."

Jael's voice responded over the three-way call, "You touch her again, your second death will be a heck of a lot more brutal than your first."

He laughed. "I was mauled by wild boars and in excruciating pain when the Bishop found me and offered immortality. Can you top that?"

"Try me."

"Let us not squabble. I know you believe you are chosen to kill those such as we. But you are young and inexperienced and will never live to see that destiny come to fruition. You are one, and we are many. If you are as wise as the prophecy states, perhaps you will listen to the Bishop's offer. He has given me permission to grant you the same gift he has extended to thousands throughout the centuries. The gift of immortality. There is no need for your friend to die here today. Although, as a sister in the Loon Lake family you will no longer desire ties with outsiders."

Miriam stared hard at the vampires surrounding Brianna's figure on the ground. They wore black suits and hats, jackets fastened all the way up, exactly the same as the suits and hats all sober men wore to church in the Amish community. Plain and simple with no frills, buttons, or fancy stitching. Despite their similarities, none but the young man standing just behind the leader's left shoulder seemed vaguely familiar. She was sure she knew him from before. But he looked so young. He would have been a small child when she left Loon Lake. The young man pushed the hat back on his head and scratched at his temple. Her heart sank.

Jacob. Her brother. He hadn't aged at all. He'd become one of them.

She barely registered the continued conversation taking place on the cell phone pressed to her ear. Guilt hit her like a freight train. If only they'd taken Jacob with them when they left Loon Lake. If only they'd done something besides run to save their own skins. No! They did what had to be done. Jacob was already in the hands of the Bishop that night.

"Let Brianna go and we'll talk," Jael said, her voice confident and sure.

"I do not think that you are in a position to set the rules." He bent down and dragged Brianna back to her feet, his hand clamped around her throat. "Raise your hands out to your sides so that I know you are not armed and I won't break this quarrelsome female's neck."

"All right," Jael said.

Miriam played the game. She raised her arms and even turned around and lifted the edge of her sweatshirt so the vamps could see she was not concealing anything.

"I've done what you asked," Jael said, "Now please release Brianna and let her go. I give you my word I won't leave here until our business is done."

He shoved Brianna toward the trees. "Go! Before I change my mind."

Brianna stumbled away, glanced back once to check and see if he was playing with her and then took off running wildly past the scraggly trees and down the gully toward the highway in the distance.

Miriam held her breath as she watched the child disappear into the brush. Suddenly there was a loud thunk and one of the vamps went down. An arrow protruded from his chest and then poof! – his body crumbled into dust. All that remained was a pile of clothes. She whirled around and ran to the truck door, jumped in and barely got it closed before Jesse gunned the motor in reverse. She saw another vampire fall to his knees, grappling at an arrow in his forehead. The leader instinctively took after Brianna, obviously knowing he'd made a huge mistake in letting her go. Before he could disappear into the gully, an arrow hit him in the back. He fell to the ground with a blood-curdling scream, the sound of a demon banished to hell. The truck turned a bend in the road and the scene disappeared from sight.

Jesse kept his foot pressed to the pedal, his arm across the back of her seat as he watched the road behind them. The truck spun out of the dirt track and into the highway, tires squealing as he shifted into drive and slammed his foot down on the gas pedal again.

Miriam twisted around to watch the road behind them. "Did you see him?" she asked, her voice shaking. Headlights turned out of the dirt road behind them and followed. "He's coming."

He glanced in the rearview. "That's probably Seth. He was supposed to pick up Brianna."

She shook her head, eyes glued to the glare of headlights gaining on them. "It's not Seth. It's Jacob."

"Jacob who?" Jesse demanded, his voice louder than usual. He pressed his foot down harder. The truck accelerated past eighty miles per hour.

"My brother." She turned around and pulled the seatbelt across her chest, snapping it in place. "I saw him. He looked exactly the same as the day we left."

Chapter 29

Shattered

Jael let another arrow fly. The vamp she was aiming at turned to stare after the departing truck and the arrow whizzed past his head. He ran and disappeared behind the railroad station before she could nail him with another try.

She heard the snap of a twig close behind her, too close to set an arrow. She slipped a knife from her boot and spun quickly, sending the blade singing through the air and directly into the heart of a female vamp no more than fifteen feet away. The woman toppled forward, black skirts tangling around her legs and fell face first into a pile of gravel. Jael watched her crumple to dust. Good. She was definitely dead this time. She'd wasted two knives on the woman already.

Now that Brianna and her parents were out of immediate danger, she drew a deep breath and took a moment to gather her thoughts and scope out the scene. The vampire acting as leader had fallen with an arrow to his back but she knew he wasn't destroyed, and now his body was nowhere to be seen. Had he gone after Brianna when her attention was diverted to the others?

The sound of an engine drew her gaze back to the building. She straightened up from where she was crouched behind a pile of old railroad ties and drew a stake from her belt. Suddenly a dark pickup shot out into the clearing. It hit the edge of the pile of ties, sending them flying back toward her. She leaped away just in time, landed in the tall grass and rolled to her feet with the agility of a feline.

The pickup truck roared past, heading for the road. She saw two faces stare back at her from the dark double cab, malevolence glaring and intense. The leader had survived and was getting away. Dust rose up and choked her. She coughed, covering her face with the sleeve of her jacket. Then she heard the rumble of Shadow's bike.

He'd ridden in the back way, staying well out of sight and sound until just the right time. Now he powered over the bumps and dips and pulled up beside her, sliding his back tire when he came to a stop. She'd never seen anything quite so welcome as the confident smirk he wore.

"Hop on, slayer. Don't want to let any of those creeps get away, do ya?"

She grasped him around the waist, slid a leg up and over the seat of the bike and held on for dear life when he pulled back on the throttle. The bike lurched forward, spun sideways a bit until he got it under control in the loose sand and gravel, then gained speed as they roared down the lane, pipes chugging like an angry heart.

Shadow barely slowed when the dirt road ended and the highway bisected their path. He put his boot down for balance and whipped around onto solid pavement. Tires squealed and then the roar of the engine and wind in her ears drowned out all else as they flew through the night.

The motorcycle's headlight cut through the darkness, a swath of light leading them on. Jael peered over Shadow's shoulder, squinting. The wind dried out her eyes and whipped hair around her face. Red taillights glinted in the distance. The vamps.

She pulled up the hood of her sweatshirt and tied the strings under her chin to keep hair from flying in a tangled mess. "Go faster!" she yelled close to Shadow's ear. "They're getting away!"

She watched the speedometer rise until the wind was too much and she pulled back to press her face into the middle of Shadow's back and give her eyes a rest. If the vamps had Brianna, she didn't know what she'd do. They were still at least a mile ahead. Had Seth made it to the road and intercepted Brianna in time or was her friend once again a prisoner to those monsters? If so, she might already be...

"Can't you go any faster?" she yelled again.

Shadow shook his head. "It's too dangerous!"

The old Harley was already pushing it. It hit 96 mph and started to shake more than seemed normal. When it backfired, Shadow let up on the throttle. He slowed even more, glancing down at the gages and back up at the road.

"Better call Seth," he yelled over his shoulder, "I think he's gonna need to pick us up!"

Jael pulled out her cellphone and scrolled through the names. She leaned close to Shadow's back to break the wind so she could hear.

"Seth! Did you get Brianna?" she asked.

"Yep. She's here. I'm taking her home. What's wrong?"

His words were faint but they filled her with relief. "I can barely hear you. Could you pick us up? I think the bike is ready to give out. We tried to chase the vamps down, but two of them got away."

"We're turning around."

She slipped the phone back in her pocket and looked up. At first she thought she was seeing double, that her eyes were just tired from the wind and late night. She blinked. There were definitely two sets of red taillights up ahead of them. A vehicle in each lane, as though they were drag racing. Fear settled in her gut with the heaviness of iron.

The vamps were trying to run her parents off the road.

The pickup swerved into the Suburban, sending it careening off the shoulder for a second. The old SUV pulled back onto the pavement and tried to get ahead of the pickup but the vamps hit the rear corner of their bumper and her parent's vehicle went into a tailspin. The bike's loud thumping masked the sounds of crashing metal and squealing tires ahead of them.

"You've got to catch up!" She was desperate to do something...anything. But it was no use. The bike sounded worse with every second and her parent's struggle was taking place without her. There was no way she could get there in time and even if she did, what could she do?

Shadow twisted back on the throttle but instead of a burst of renewed speed, it coughed and sputtered and jerked, nearly sending her flying off the seat. The Harley slowly lost momentum and she watched in horror as her parent's vehicle spun out of control on the road ahead, crashed into the pickup and flipped over it, then flipped again and again, end over end, like a toy thrown into the desert by an angry child.

She didn't wait for the bike to come to a full and complete stop. She sprang off the back of the seat, and took off running down the middle of the highway. Early morning twilight was bright enough to reveal a cloud of dust slowly settling over the wreckage. As she drew closer, the crisp desert air was filled with a hint of smoke, exhaust and gasoline.

Her legs felt strong, fast. She'd never run like this before. It was as though she could feel the muscles and tendons strengthen and lengthen as she ran. Power filled her stride with every step. She grasped a stake in one hand, a knife in the other, ready for anything.

She was almost there.

One of the men thrust open the door of the pickup and stumbled out into the road. He started toward the wreck in the field and then stopped. The sound of her boots slapping against pavement had apparently alerted him to danger. He jerked around just in time to feel the knife enter his heart. Moving at a full-out run, she had thrown it with the precision of a surgeon, straight and true. He fell to the ground, writhing, his face twisted and angry. She came to an abrupt stop beside him, and plunged the stake deeper with the stomp of her boot. He crumbled like the ash on the end of a cigar. He wouldn't be getting up from that.

She turned and glanced inside the pickup, but the driver's side door already hung open, the cab empty. A tall, dark shadow moved resolutely ahead of her toward the wreckage in the field. Jael took off running again, the other stake grasped tightly in her hand. As she neared, she saw the vamp bend down to peer into the overturned vehicle. He said something and laughed.

Fifty yards...twenty... He straightened and turned, smiling as though meeting an old friend. She raised the stake and flew at him, anger melting away self-control. He dodged away and caught her across the back with something hard. She hit the corner of the truck with her hip and fell to her knees, the sleeve of her sweatshirt ripping open where it caught on something sharp and twisted. She'd dropped the stake and couldn't see where it fell. He swung again and she rolled out of reach. He had a long piece of wood in his hands, probably picked up back at the railroad station, and was swinging at her like Babe Ruth trying to break open a piñata.

A soft moan echoed from under the dark, twisted mound of metal. It brought her to her senses. Her mom and dad needed her. She didn't have time to play games. Glass lay at her feet. She tore the ripped sleeve of her sweatshirt off, wrapped it quickly around her hand and scooped up a razor-edged shard of glass.

The vampire came at her, stick swinging. He hit the front door of the car, leaving a dent the size of a basketball and more glass shattered. Jael heard her mom gasp from beneath the truck. His laughter was frenzied and madness was in his eyes. He knew he was going to hell and intent on taking her with him.

She moved back out of reach, edging toward the front of the Suburban where one wheel was still spinning crazily. He swung at her and she ducked. He hit the spinning wheel with the end of the stick. It flew out of his hands and over the truck like a boomerang, smashing into a cactus.

Jael smiled and straightened. "Strike three. You're out."

He shook his head, a smirk playing about his lips. "I know who you are," he said, moving back out of reach. He slipped his hand into the pocket of his black suit coat and pulled out a cell phone. He was young. At least he looked young. Probably not much older than her – sixteen or seventeen...eighteen at the most.

She lifted her brows. "That's nice. I know who I am too. The one who's going to put an end to your kind." She stepped toward him and he backed up another step, frantically pushing buttons on his phone. "Sending your last will and testament to the Bishop?" she asked, picking up the stake she'd dropped earlier. She tossed the chunk of glass away. Oak was a proven weapon and she wanted to end this quickly.

He glanced up from his texting, keeping her in sight, backing up until he was nearly against the bumper of the truck. Right where she wanted him. His finger was poised over the send button when he hit the bumper and realized he was trapped. She did a jump-kick to his chest. He dropped the phone and bent over double, grappling for the thing on the ground.

She raised the stake, but he moved quicker than she anticipated and came up with a wicked-looking shard of glass in his hand, wildly jabbing and slicing through the air, trying to connect with anything he could. She jumped back but felt it rip through the front of her jacket. Instinctively she brought a hand to her stomach and felt a sticky dampness. He'd actually grazed her.

She looked up and saw him lick the edge of the glass shard, fangs extended over his lips like an ugly bulldog. "Ew! Really?"

"I always wondered if the Chosen One would taste as good as the Bishop promised."

"Let me guess. Chicken?" She feinted to the left, waited for him to swing, kicked the glass from his hand and rammed an elbow into his Adam's apple with crushing force. He fell hard, choking and gasping. She grasped a handful of his dark hair and thrust his head back so she could look into his eyes. "That's the last blood you'll ever taste," she promised, then plunged the stake into his heart.

She stood up at the sound of an approaching car. Seth. Thank God. They had pulled off the highway back beside the pickup. Jael waved them over, then hurried to the front passenger side of the Suburban and crouched down.

"Mom? Mom!" she called, crawling on her belly to peer up under the toppled vehicle. "I'm here," she said, letting her eyes adjust to the deeper shadows. "Seth's here. We'll get you both out right away."

Her mom's voice came out so soft and thready it was barely more than a breath on the night air. "It's okay, honey," she managed, turning her eyes toward Jael. She was still fastened by the seatbelt, awkwardly suspended even while her head was pressed against the top of the hood that had been smashed in when it flipped. "I've been waiting for you." She took a shallow breath. "We love you, Jael. Your dad and I..." she sucked in another breath, "so proud... of you."

"No! Mom," she shook her head and reached out to touch her cheek, not knowing what to say. Her mom's neck looked strangely twisted. She tried to see her dad on the other side of the cab but it was too dark and the cab seemed to be even more crushed on that side. She pulled her head from under the truck and yelled. "Seth! Hurry up!"

Seth and Shadow ran toward the Suburban. Shadow carried a crowbar and Seth had a small box she recognized as the First Aid kit he kept in his car. Brianna was with them as well, but she stayed back a ways as though afraid of what she'd see.

Seth crouched beside her and peered under the truck. She saw his eyes close for a moment, and then he managed a sad smile. "Hey Miriam. Sorry I'm late." His voice choked and he cleared his throat. "Jesse?"

"Seth... you're all she has now," her mom confirmed softly, her breathing more labored than before. A thin trickle of blood oozed from her lips. "Take care of her. Promise."

"I promise," he said, a tear sliding down his face. He took her hand in his and kissed the inside of the palm, but she was already gone. He scooted back out, stood up and hurried to the other side to check on his brother. There was a moment of dead silence and then Jael heard Seth sobbing on the other side of the truck.

Shadow stepped over the dead vampire, and knelt down beside Jael. He put a gentle hand on her back. Tears rolled down her cheeks unheeded, dropping into the sand beneath her chin. This was her fault. Her fight. She never should have asked them to come. They had been safe at home and now...

"I can't do this anymore. It's not worth it," she said, shaking her head. "What am I chosen for? To see everyone I love die?!" She jumped up and wiped angrily at her face with the sleeve of her jacket that was still intact.

"Jael?" Brianna stepped close, her eyes as wide and doe-like as Disney's Cinderella. She pulled her into her arms and whispered, "I'm so sorry."

Jael felt the anger seep out of her and she wept unabashedly, tears streaming down her face and soaking the shoulder of Brianna's t-shirt. Her friend held her close and cried with her, sharing the pain and loss the best she could.

"I hate to bring this up now," Shad interrupted after a couple minutes, "but what are we going to do with this dude when the emergency vehicles show up?" He shoved the teenage vamp over to look at his face. "Shouldn't he go poof or something?"

Seth rounded the truck, his expression thunderous, his eyes red and still damp. "You called 911?" He grabbed Shadow by the front of his shirt and shook him. "What were you thinking?"

Shadow pushed him away. "I was thinking maybe they'd get here in time to save your family's lives."

Jael stepped between them, her hands out to keep them away from each other. "Take a breath, Uncle Seth. If I were thinking straight I would have done it myself. Mom and Dad's lives are more important than..." she broke off and then whispered, "were more important."

Seth put his hands over his face and shook his head. "I'm sorry. You're right." He took a deep breath and dropped his hands to his sides. His gaze swept over the scene, taking in the staked vamp and the abandoned pickup truck. "Okay, here's what we've got to do – and fast."

*****

They threw the vamp in the back of the pickup and Jael surrendered her weapons to Seth so she wouldn't look like she'd wandered off the set of The Hunger Games. He slid behind the steering wheel and started the engine. Brianna would follow in Seth's car and bring him back when they'd taken care of things. Shadow walked around the wreckage one more time, looking for the phone the vamp had been texting on before Jael staked him. He bent over a dark thatch of grass, squinting in the dim light.

"I found it."

"Bring it here," Seth called through the splintered window of the pickup truck.

Shadow hurried over. "Looks like he didn't get a chance to press send."

"What does it say?" Jael asked.

Seth scrolled down the text. He read the words aloud. "The book of the shunned is getting shorter. My sister and her husband have been found. The chosen one is their seed."

"What? His sister?" Jael stepped to the bed of the truck and stared at the face of the young man who had tried to kill her. Could this be the uncle her mother had mentioned? The teenage brother she regretted leaving behind that dark night at the barn? What was his name...Jacob?

Brown hair grew long over the collar of his suit coat and hung over his forehead in a shaggy mess. His flesh was starting to stink as years of rotting caught up with him. As with other vampires she'd staked, she noticed his features had softened in death, the angry mask replaced with humanity once again. The beginnings of a beard grew along his chin like fuzz on a peach. The early morning light revealed something else as well. He had her mother's mouth – full lips turned slightly up at the corners. It made people think she was smiling at them even when she wasn't. Everybody always smiled back.

Jael turned away and closed her eyes against the tears that threatened to fall. She'd never see that look on her mother's face again. She drew a deep breath. There wasn't time for mourning now. She would grieve in her own way, later.

The sound of sirens in the distance set them in motion again. Seth sent her a look that said it all. She nodded and stepped back from the truck. He pulled away with Brianna following close behind in the Toyota.

Shadow moved to stand at Jael's side and put an arm around her. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, resisting the urge to run back to the wreckage and sit beside her parents. Seth warned her not to watch when the firemen extracted their bodies, but to remember them as they were before the accident.

Before the accident... As though what happened was unavoidable. If only she'd sent them home after they brought her the weapons instead of using them as decoys. If only she'd listened to Seth's advice and not encouraged her parents to return to town after leaving the last time. If only...

She felt something break inside. The flimsy, artificial dam she'd erected at short notice wasn't enough to hold back the flood of emotion pouring out of her heart at this moment. The strength in her legs gave out first and she started to fall, but Shad tightened his hold and pulled her into his arms.

"Just cry, Jael. Let it out," he said, smoothing her hair. "It's all you can do right now. Cry."

She wondered how he knew about grief, about loss. He always seemed so strong and sure. She was suddenly cold. So cold it felt like pin pricks on her skin. He tugged her toward the side of the road and out of the way of emergency vehicles. Her sobs were lost in the shrill of sirens, slamming doors, and raised voices. An ambulance with blue and red writing on the side, lights flashing, blurred together in her mind with the arrival of a police car and fire truck.

Jael sank deeper into the flood where she was safe, where memories were soft and fuzzy... her mom's smile curved up, laughing at something her dad said, and then they sat in the swing outside, her dad's arm wrapped around her mom's shoulders, kissing when they thought she wasn't looking...

"Jael? Jael, can you hear me?" She heard Shadow's voice as though he were speaking from the end of a long tunnel.

"She's in shock, son," a woman responded. "We need to take her to the hospital. She'll be all right. It's just precautionary."

"Jael?" he said again, louder this time.

Jael lifted her eyelids. They felt as heavy as lead sheets. Shadow stared down at her, black hair falling forward, his mouth grim. She felt movement and turned her head. A strange woman sat on the other side of her, preparing an injection of some kind. Why was she in an ambulance?

"Mom? Dad?" she mumbled.

Shadow leaned close and whispered. "It's all right. I'm here."

###

Sample Chapter of part 2

SHUNNED

Chapter 1

Jael lay with her eyes closed, afraid to open them and face reality.

She remembered her father's words to her so recently. They'd been down in the dojo sparring and she'd gotten angry when he tricked her, threw her to the mat and put a joint lock on her. He just smiled and put out his hand to help her back up.

"When you're at war, Jael, you shut down your emotions and go into combat mode. Don't let anger or fear or even love keep you from your purpose." He jerked his chin in the direction of the familiar verse, printed on a large white board that greeted her each day when she stepped into the workout room, and read it aloud. "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in your faith."

She snorted. "Do you really think my faith is going to help me kill vamps?"

"Your faith is your strength. Stakes, knives, fighting skills..." he shook his head, "they're just tools. Without the strength of faith, wielding these weapons would be impossible."

"I don't understand." She wiped sweat from her face and neck with a towel and threw it into the hamper against the wall.

"Do you believe God chose you for this purpose?"

"Obviously. What other explanation could there be? After all, I was born with six toes."

He grinned. "Now you're being a smart aleck."

"No, I mean it, Dad." She took the rubber band loose from her scraggly ponytail and pulled her hair back into a tighter semblance of order. "There are too many strange, unexplainable things for me to think otherwise. Sort of like knowing the world is spinning at the exact right speed and distance from the sun so it doesn't freeze or burn up. Stuff like that doesn't just happen. It's ordered."

"You know what? You're pretty smart," he said thoughtfully, rubbing a hand over his whisker-rough cheek. "We could be related."

"Ya think?" she said, playing along with his teasing game.

"Nah! You're definitely your mother's child."

Her mom had called down the stairs for them to come up for lunch right about then and their sparring session was over. Their last one... ever.

Jael felt tears slip through her lashes again and drip onto the pillow beneath her head. She squinched her eyes tight and pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth trying not to cry.

"Jael?" Uncle Seth's voice came from close at her side.

If she opened her eyes it would all come true. Everything. Brianna's kidnapping. The rescue. The fight. The car chase. Everything. She kept them clinched tight.

"I know you're awake. You're giving yourself premature wrinkles doing that," he teased in a voice that sounded far from light-hearted. "It's time to face hard facts, kiddo."

"You don't understand... I can't."

He took her hand in his and pressed it to his cheek. "I'm the only one who does," he said, and she felt the dampness of tears on his face.

She opened her eyes and looked up at him.

Her uncle stood hovering over her, his eyes red rimmed and bloodshot. He looked as exhausted as she felt, but he smiled. They stayed that way for a minute, not saying anything, just being the little bit of strength the other needed. Words seemed inadequate.

Finally, Seth released her hand and drew a deep breath, glancing back at the closed door. "Officer Wallace and a highway patrolman are waiting to take your statement. Shadow already gave one, but they insisted on speaking with you once you were up to it."

"What did he tell them?"

"That he was taking you home from a late date when a big white car came out of nowhere, swerved around as though the driver were drunk and nearly hit his bike. A couple miles later you came upon the wreck and called 911." The succinct way he said the words seemed wrong. Even if it were partially true, it felt too common for what happened to her parents. They deserved more than to be a car brushed off the road with a sweep of words, an explanation that sanitized all the pain and emptiness their deaths left behind in her heart.

She twisted the edge of the sheet in her hands. "Can't you talk to them, Uncle Seth?"

"I wasn't there, remember?"

She ducked her chin. "Right." She knew they had to stick to the story. No one could know the truth. No one would believe the truth.

"Where am I?" she asked, looking around the small room. There was a television screen hanging from the ceiling in the corner, a whiteboard with Nurse: Mary scrawled on it in blue marker, and an uncomfortable looking chair in the corner.

"Sunburn Medical Center."

She pushed the blankets back and threw her feet over the side. "I'm not staying here. There's nothing wrong with me."

"Good thing," Seth said, stepping back, "There's not even a doctor available. He's in Reno for the week. Apparently, there aren't any babies due for at least another month around here, so he didn't think he'd be missed."

"I definitely don't miss him," Jael said, glancing uneasily at the metal stirrups on the end of the tall bed. She still wore her jeans and bra but her t-shirt had been replaced with a cotton gown. She felt beneath it. Bandages. She pulled it up and probed the long sterile strip with her fingers. "Did I have to have stitches?" she asked, remembering being cut by the glass shard.

He shook his head. "Nope. The nurse cleaned and bandaged it. She said it wasn't deep and put some surgical glue on it to hold the edges together. I don't think she was very confident about stitching you up without a doctor present."

Her boots were on the floor in the corner. She hopped carefully off the edge of the bed and bent to pull them on, feeling the tug on her skin beneath the bandage. "Do you have my shirt?" she asked, not too keen about wearing a hospital gown out to the car.

He gestured toward the chair.

A plastic bag hung from the arm. The ripped and bloody t-shirt had been folded neatly and placed inside. She pulled it out. "Mind turning around for a sec?"

Seth turned and waited while she slipped it over her head.

There was a knock at the door and then it opened part way and Officer Wallace stuck his head in. "Excuse me, young lady. I see you're getting ready to check out of here. I don't blame ya." He advanced into the room and pulled his hat from his head. "First off, I want to offer you my condolences. I'm very sorry for your loss."

Jael straightened up and met his gaze. His eyes were kind and filled with concern, but also with curiosity when he saw her ripped and bloodied shirt. She bit her lip and looked away, then drew a shaky breath before answering. "Thank you."

"Do you feel up to answering a couple questions about the accident before ya go," he asked, sliding the bill of his hat back and forth between his hands. "Your boyfriend already told us what he remembers, but we wanted to see if you might think of something more. It would certainly help us find the driver of the car that did this."

"I was kind of out of it after we found my..." she bit her lip.

"Of course," he said with a nod. "The EMT said you were in shock. Perfectly understandable. But do you remember anything before that? The make or model of the vehicle you saw swerving around the road? Numbers from the license plate? Anything?"

She shook her head. "Sorry. I think it was a big car...maybe tan or white?" She felt horrible pretending. It wasn't right. This man was trying to find her parents killer and bring him to justice. But the truth was...she was the only one who could do that.

Her fingers clenched into fists at her sides. The Bishop would certainly be brought to justice. Justice at the pointy end of a stake. And she would be there to drive it in.

"All right, young lady. You take care now." He held the door wide and she and Seth filed through into the hallway. The highway patrolman was waiting by the front desk, a paper coffee cup in his hand. Officer Wallace met his gaze and shook his head, mouth grim. They both put their hats on and turned to go.

The nurse hurried over from the room across the hall. "Are you leaving?" she asked, pulling the chart off the outside of the door. "I need to have your uncle sign the release form before you go, honey." She gestured for them to follow her to the desk.

Seth signed papers and spoke to the nurse in low tones while Jael stared blankly through the front window of the clinic's lobby/waiting room. The sun was up now and glinted off the windshields of two cars parked out front. One of them was her uncle's Toyota.

"Ready?" he was suddenly at her side, guiding her toward the doors with a hand on the small of her back. "Let's go home."

Home. A funny word. Add y to the end and it meant comfy or cozy, add ly and it meant plain and unattractive. Take away the people you love... it was an empty shell.

*****

"Shadow took Brianna home. Hopefully they got there before her parents noticed she was missing," Seth explained as they left Sunburn. "He said he'd come by later."

The space beneath the big billboard on the edge of town was empty now. Officer Wallace had more important criminals on his mind today than locals pushing the 30mph speed limit. He was probably back at the station putting out an APB on a tan or maybe white car, larger than a breadbox but smaller than a semi.

Jael rolled her window down and with eyes mere slits, leaned her head through the opening and let the cool morning air blow through her hair. She wondered what Brianna thought now that she had been thrust into the middle of her personal war. Would she want to stay in touch after this or be too afraid to remain friends with a vampire slayer? She couldn't blame her if she never spoke to her again. After all, she'd been kidnapped, used as bait, beaten, and threatened with death all before daybreak.

Seth glanced over, a worried frown creasing his forehead. "Are you all right?

"Sure."

Thankfully the accident site was on the other side of town and they didn't have to drive past it on the way home. She didn't think she could have remained all right in that situation. Whatever all right meant these days.

The rising sun glared through the windshield and she flipped the visor down. "Did you go back to the railroad station to check and see if all the vamps were...?"

He nodded, a slight smile on his lips. "Did one better than that. Brought them home for a bonfire."

She sniffed. "I thought I smelled something. In the trunk?" she asked.

"Yep. I checked their pockets for phones and I.D. as well. Jacob was apparently the one who communicated with the Bishop. None of the others had a cell phone on them except for the one they stole from Brianna." He slipped it out of his pocket. It was covered in pink rhinestones. "Here. You can give it back to her."

She took the phone with two fingers and placed it in the cup holder. "Probably should disinfect it first."

"I already did. Used a wet wipe at the clinic."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

They turned off the highway, but before they were even halfway down the road to the house, she saw Bruno galloping toward them. His shaggy coat rose in the wind and his ears were pressed back against his head like a greyhound in a race.

"Let me out," she said, her hand on the door handle.

Seth didn't argue, but ground to a stop and waited as she opened the door and stepped out. Bruno charged up and nearly sent her toppling over, licking her face and hands in his exuberance.

"I missed you too, Bruno," she said breathlessly, pressing her face into the thick fur around his neck. His tail wagged madly, his whole body vibrating with excitement. She leaned against the car for support when he placed his big paws on her shoulders to give her a thorough welcome. Finally, she made him get down, stepped back and shut the door. She held onto the dog by his collar so he wouldn't get in the way.

"When you're ready, come up to the house. We need to talk," Seth said through the open window.

She watched him turn into the driveway, get out of the car and go in. Bruno pulled against her arm and she released his collar. He started for the house and then stopped, looking back expectantly, his tail flopping slowly back and forth as though his engine was in idle.

It was much too soon to talk. She wasn't ready for decisions to be made, plans to be set, and the future to be decided. If only they could put everything on pause. Take a really long breath and... She started walking.

Bruno followed along beside her, staying close, turning now and then to lick the back of her hand. He whined when they passed the driveway, but made the decision to stick with her... until he spotted a Jack Rabbit and was off running across the desert field like a shot. She smiled after him but kept going. A mile more and she realized it was getting stinking hot and a blister was forming on the back of her left heel from her boot. She reluctantly turned around and headed home.

Bruno apparently lost the rabbit after a long chase because he joined her, panting hard, his jowls dripping slobber. She patted his back. "No rabbit for breakfast, huh?"

At the porch he whined again and looked up at the door. Her dad always fed Bruno and this morning his bowl remained empty. She put her hands on each side of his big head and looked him in the eye. He was smart. He would understand. At least as well as she understood.

"Mom and Dad aren't coming back, Bruno. It's just you and me now. And Uncle Seth." She sniffed and laid her head against his side. A tear slipped out. "I promise to take care of you just like Daddy did. Only the best beef cuts for dinner and apple slices for dessert."

Bruno lifted his head and licked away the salty tears slipping down her cheeks.

*****

They couldn't bear to occupy the kitchen where so many memories of family meetings, meals, and games were still fresh in their minds, but chose to sit in the living room and discuss their new situation.

"You've been busy. It's not even eight yet." Jael said after listening to her uncle go through the list of things he'd accomplished before picking her up at the hospital.

Besides going back to the deserted railroad station and throwing the two vamps, who didn't revert to dust and ash into his trunk, he'd gotten Shadow's bike running and sent him off to take Brianna home. Then he'd gone through all of the texts sent to the Bishop from Jacob's phone. The boy had sent numerous messages, but none mentioned her name. The last one he sent said, Eli took her friend. The trap is set.

"So you're safe for now," Seth said, raising his glass of soda. He took a long drink.

Jael frowned. "But when the Bishop doesn't hear from them soon, he's going to be suspicious and send another team. And Shadow's grandfather is more than willing to point the finger my way for a chance at immortality. He's already done it twice."

"True. That's why I sent the Bishop another text. I told him the tracker turned. That he sent you a warning and you took off for Phoenix."

"Phoenix?"

He shrugged. "Sounded like a plausible place for a slayer to disappear."

"Okay, but what happens when Jacob doesn't respond to his calls? The Bishop could use simple technology to locate the phone and discover they never left town after all."

"Actually they did." He grinned. "At least the phone did. I stopped at the gas station on the edge of town and found a trucker heading home to Phoenix for the weekend. Turned the ringer off on the phone and stuck it under the seat in his cab when he went inside. Those truckers really like to chat. Very friendly fellows."

She shook her head. "Amazing."

"I am, aren't I?" he said, but his usual egotistic bantering didn't have the same ring to it.

Jael got up and moved to the picture window. The drapes were still pulled closed from the night before. She tugged them open and stared out at the sunlit desert. Her mom had always come in here each morning, opened the drapes, and stood with a cup of coffee in hand to watch the sun rise. She called it her therapy. Jael always wondered why she liked to get up so early, but now knowing the Amish connection it all made sense. No electricity, no alarm clocks, lots of hard work to be done. You got up when the sun did and went to bed when it went down.

"Jael? Did you hear what I said?" Seth asked.

She glanced back at him. "Hmm?"

He leaned forward on the edge of the couch, forearms resting on his thighs, hands clasped before him. The lines on his forehead and between his brows were starting to look permanent. "I have to go away. It has to appear as though I've abandoned you."

"What are you talking about?" She pushed her hair behind her ears and crossed her arms defensively. "You promised you'd take care of me."

"I know I did and I will. It only has to look as though I'm not."

"I don't understand." She felt like a little girl suddenly lost in the middle of a shopping mall who just wanted her mommy and daddy. She closed her eyes and searched for them. They were still here, somewhere. In her heart. She just had to look harder.

"Jael." He waited for her to open her eyes and look at him. "I'll be watching over you from a distance, but to get you into the Amish community you have to be an orphan. Social Services will make sure you're placed with the closest available and willing relative."

"And whom would that be?" she asked, dropping her gaze to the carpet at her feet. It was easier than seeing her grief mirrored in his eyes. She knew he was hurting too and couldn't believe he was willing to throw her to the wolves before the dust had even settled around them. Couldn't they just take some time before...

"Your grandparents."

She must have let her mouth hang open because he smiled and said, "Don't look so surprised. Your dad and I weren't hatched you know."

About the author:

Barbara Ellen Brink lives in the great state of Minnesota with her husband and their two dogs, Rugby and Willow. She spends much time writing, reading, motorcycling, running, and enjoying life with the family and friends that God has given her. And sometimes she hunts vampires... in her dreams.

Others Novels by Barbara Ellen Brink:

THE AMISH BLOODSUCKERS TRILOGY

(Or buy them separately)

Chosen (part 1)

Shunned (part 2)

RECKONING (part 3)

~~~

The Fredrickson Winery novels

### Entangled

### Crushed

### Savor

### ~~~

### Split Sense

### ~~~

Second Chances Series

### Running Home

### Alias Raven Black

Connect with author online:

Twitter:

<http://twitter.com/BarbaraEBrink>

My AuthorWebpage/blog:

http://www.barbaraellenbrink.com

Facebook Author page:

 Barbara Ellen Brink, Novelist

~~~

Facebook Amish Bloodsucker Trilogy page:

<http://www.facebook.com/Chosen.Shunned.Reckoning>

Amish Vampire Slayer website:

http://www.amishvampireslayer.moonfruit.com

back to Table of Contents

