As we hustled through the bustling crowd of New Yorkers so recently freed from their work, a sick thought smacked me in the back of the head. I had just given said vampiress a pep talk. What an interesting day.

Chapter 12.

RAIL TIME.

We got back to Penn Station right as the sun took its leave. The bus to New Haven had left long ago. I had no hope of getting a refund, so my cash situation was officially dire. As we rushed across the station's beautiful marble floor, the cold sweat of poverty began to soak through my shirt. The Dieter Fund was nearing insolvency, and I wasn't sure if I had enough money to cover the price of another ticket. Before I could freak out properly, Rei told me to wait in the lobby while she bought tickets for the train. She didn't wait for my response. She just bolted off toward the ticket office. I bit my lip. I couldn't pay with air, and we did need to get to campus. My pride would just have to suck it up until the first stipend check rolled in.

While Rei waited in line, I went over to the lockers and retrieved my duffel bag. My jeans were still soggy, so I took the opportunity to swing into the men's restroom and change. Getting out of the wet clothes was the best thing that happened all day. (Okay, okay, maybe getting shocked back to life was a little more important, but what good is a pulse if you're stuck in soggy drawers?) My boots were hosed as well. I tied the laces off on my duffel and switched to a pair of flip-flops. The East Coast establishment would just have to deal with my pasty white toes for the evening.

I was pulling up my pants when I noticed the commotion outside my stall.

"Hey girly," a man snipped. "In case you didn't notice, this is the men's room."

"Why yes," a silky voice replied. "So nice of you to point that out. I commend you for your keen insight. However, I am waiting for my dearest brother. You see, he is a bit slow. He has a great deal of trouble following even the simplest of instructions."

A pair of soggy boots clomped toward my stall.

"Dieter, dear, don't forget to wipe like a big boy."

My face flushed from embarra.s.sment. Great...now I probably look tastier.

"Listen, lady..." the man grumbled.

"Leave," Rei snapped. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on as she spoke.

The man's footsteps receded out the door.

I finished zipping up my bag and swung open the stall.

Rei stood a few steps away. Her eyes were fixed on the exit.

"Resnick, do you know what is best about large crowds?"

Wonderful. A lecture. I tilting my head to the side and rolled my eyes.

"Oh, come off it, Rei. I was just changing my clothes."

She glared at me with unmasked fury. A cold rush smashed into my Sight.

"Crowds are best because herds tend to notice when one of their number is torn limb from limb. It troubles them. They scream. They run about. They attract the attention of the authorities. They obtain wood, iron, and fire. They gang up on their a.s.sailants. They overwhelm them with sheer numbers."

As I sighed, Rei's body blurred. I sensed the incoming blow quickly enough to take a step back, but she corrected mid-strike with an extra step of her own. Her punch landed clean and blasted the wind straight out of me. I doubled over gasping.

"I have already told you once," she said in a cold, steady voice. "You do not understand this game or its rules. You do not know what is after you or how it can hurt you. You are outcla.s.sed, underpowered, and inept. Stop being moronic."

It took a moment to recover my breath. That punch had seriously hurt, and despite my better judgment, I really wanted to return the favor. I glared back at her.

Rei let loose a frustrated sigh. "Fine, Dieter-you know best-so perhaps you can explain to me why there is not a soul left in this 'public' restroom of yours."

I looked around. Rei was right. We were standing in a public restroom during the evening rush and not a soul was inside. It had been jam-packed a moment ago. I hadn't even noticed the change. That made me feel even worse. It's one thing to have someone call you pathetic. It's another thing when they prove it.

"How..." I asked.

"My will."

I looked at Rei doubtfully, but she was deadly serious.

"Fine," I sputtered angrily. "I'm a moron. I get it. But when do I start finding out what the f.u.c.k is going on? I'm grasping at straws here."

"Straws?" Rei looked around in confusion. "I fail to see what straws you are referring to, but to your question, you will be apprised of your situation when we make it to Elliot. Perhaps I should say if you make it to Elliot. Now let's get to the platform. The train to New Haven arrives in fifteen minutes."

Rei was halfway out the door before I could respond.

Cursing, I s.n.a.t.c.hed my duffle and hustled after her.

Elliot College was just North of New Haven, near Sleeping Giant State Park. The brochure said there was a train station conveniently located less than a mile from the campus. We took the 8 P.M. to New Haven where we would catch a local to the station near the school. Our train departed on schedule, and we settled into our seats. Rei receded deep inside her soggy hoodie, wrapped her arms around her feet, and stared out the train's window into the darkness. Not to be outdone, I worked on staring a hole straight through the seat in front of me.

I actually wasn't mad at Rei. Yea, my gut hurt pretty good, but a few hours ago she had rescued me from the goon squad, healed those terrible burns to my hands, and done my laundry. Plus, as much as I hated to admit it, the Queen of Darkness was probably right. I had been an idiot to wander off without telling her. I just wasn't used to someone minding me. It hadn't even crossed my mind to mention it to her. No, I wasn't mad at Rei. My frustration was more general. It was the not knowing. I hated it.

It looked like magic might be real. The concept was exciting, but the more I thought on it, the more troublesome it became. If magic was real, why had I never encountered a 'magician' before? My talents aside, I had never witnessed anyone use magic or observed anything that could be confused for it. How could such a grand thing remain hidden? And that wasn't all that was bothering me. Where exactly was Rei taking me? Did I even know if she was one of the good guys? I knew taking her on faith was a bit ridiculous. Why should I a.s.sume she was taking me somewhere for my benefit? There didn't appear to be any good guys in this equation, just a bunch of people running around trying to kill one another. I considered running to the cops for help, but what would I say?

"That's correct, officer, he was shooting lightning out of his finger tips. I nearly died, but then this young lady cut down two muscle-bound goons before torture killing their boss. Witnesses? No, sorry. Oh, and by the way, mysterious groups are out to get me. They're probably going to try and capture me again, because, you see, I'm a p.a.w.n in a much larger conspiracy."

Yeah, like that was going to work.

It was funny when I thought about it. Magic might be real, but it was dressed up like a clown. Whether it was in the movies or books, magic was always the ultimate contradiction to reality. The words 'magic' and 'fantasy' were basically synonymous, and a belief in magic was tantamount to denying reality. Claiming magic existed could get me a one-way ticket to a sanatorium. But Elliot College was another matter. How on earth could such a place exist without drawing the attention of the public? Elliot College was well known as a grand old university that had been in operation since the late 1700's. Heck, it was one of the oldest schools in the nation. The school had powerful connections in the US and abroad. Its graduates were well placed at prestigious companies and inst.i.tutions across the globe. That kind of success required an organization with a great deal of money and power, and if today was any indication, they also had some powerful enemies.

Whoever was behind Elliot College was only one of at least two groups in this unseen world, and neither played nice. Whoever sent the tall man was willing to kill to retrieve me. But was Elliot College any better? They sent Rei after all. She'd shown no compunction as she sliced her way through those men. And she had tortured someone. Cut him into b.l.o.o.d.y pieces for the sake of some intel. I thought back to that scene with a shudder. At least part of her was getting off on it. If she was Elliot's agent...pot and kettle, no?

Whatever her intentions, Rei's warning rang true. Information is power. At the moment, I knew just enough to be scared stiff but not near enough to do a d.a.m.ned thing about it. Without knowing which way was up, any action I took had a pretty decent chance of getting me killed. I needed a plan, and 'follow the vampiress' was the best option I could come up with.

I bit my lip. Yea, I was totally screwed.

The car's wheels beat steadily against the rails as the city receded behind us. As the occasional house blurred by, I noticed candles flickering in their windowsills. I read about those candles once. They were based on old tradition pa.s.sed down from colonial times. The lights served as beacons for the homebound traveler. It was a tradition that had survived for over 300 years. Just thinking about that sort of time span hurt my head. Life felt older here, more settled. Sure, it lacked the frenetic energy of Las Vegas, but it also lacked that clawing anxiety. Life was never intended for Vegas. Humans didn't belong there. Water had to be piped in. Food, plants, and materials trucked. And if the flow stopped? Bust. The West was strewn with examples. Dried out ghost towns that once held tens of thousands of people, they were mournful reminders of boomtowns past. So we Las Vegans asked ourselves nervously, "Will it last?" as we hurried to build bigger buildings, plant more trees, and move in ever more people. There was a silent hope behind all that bustle. Maybe if we made enough noise, that possibility would never come true. But it belied a simple fact: nothing could truly settle in a desert, not settle like it had done here in the East. This land had roots. These homes had histories. Even the dirt told stories-European ones that stretched centuries, native ones that stretched millennia.

I looked out the window to the right. Somewhere out there was the Atlantic, the ocean my ancestors had traveled across long ago. My father's family was German through-and-through. His family must have fled some terrible war or famine, and set out for the new hope of the Promised Land. How surprised would they be to find him dealing cards in a desert?

And my mother? Where had she come from? Europe, probably, but where? Better still, where had she gone? It would be easier to give her up, to pay her no heed, to forget that she ever existed, but all it took was the sight of a few silly candles burning on windowsills to remind me that there was no such thing as a home for me. I strained to recall her face, the color of her hair, her smell, or her laugh, but they had all faded away. There were no candles burning for me. My mother had blown them out long ago and left me fumbling in the dark.

I sighed. I was really starting to feel like s.h.i.t.

"Wonderful," Rei murmured. She knocked back her hood, dropped her boots to the ground, and squeezing past me. "I will return shortly. Please do not attempt to escape." Her eyes narrowed. "You would fail."

I nodded, trying my best to remain civil.

Rei ditched her hoodie, grabbed her pack, and strode down the aisle. Her long black hair trailed behind her like a cape. The men and women in the train car stopped what they were doing to gawk. Rei didn't seem to react. Guess it was just another day in the life. A minute later, she returned carrying two Styrofoam cups and a danish. As she plopped down next to me, I did my best to ignore the numerous sets of eyes daring glances in our direction. My Sight was getting agitated. All the attention had kicked it into high gear. Their auras reeked of jealousy.

Idiots.

My Sight was getting easier to use. Why, I had no idea, but it sure was becoming annoying. Fortunately, it seemed I could force my Sight down by focusing attention on my other senses. That wasn't so hard with the smell of coffee in the air. I looked over at Rei inquisitively. She looked rather uncomfortable. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, and her eyes were swinging back and forth between the cups.

"Are you done distracting the other pa.s.sengers?" I asked with a smirk.

I thought I caught the start of a smile, but she killed it off mercilessly.

"Just take the d.a.m.ned cup." She shot her hand out so quickly that the coffee nearly splashed out.

I jerked away in scalding fear, and her eyes shot wide.

"Sorry!" she exclaimed.

"No worries." I took the cup of coffee out of her cool hand and an electric charge ran down my spine. "Thanks for the java."

Rei looked pleased and tucked back up into her signature ball.

"I guess I'm addicted," I said with a sigh. "If I don't drink a few cups a day, I feel like I'm going to kill somebody."

"I know exactly what you mean," she said, taking a sip herself.

I narrowly avoided spraying coffee all over the car.

"The taste does grow on you," she said. "It's not my favorite hot beverage, but it does perk me up."

"Cool," I responded meekly. I really didn't like being the other beverage.

"Maybe it will keep me from yawning," she said earnestly. "That always gets me into trouble."

"Good point," I replied.

There was a moment of silence before we both started laughing like idiots. I loved the sound of it. It was light and warm. Nothing like the side of her I'd seen in the warehouse. But even when she laughed, Rei was careful not to open her mouth. In truth, her fangs weren't incredibly noticeable, but I guess she still had to be on her guard. I frowned. That kind of vigilance must be exhausting.

"You know," I said, "not being able to open your mouth must really suck."

"Oh!" she said between gasps. "It totally sucks! I didn't know you were so punny!"

Punny? I stared at her in disbelief. Was this the same chick?

"Seriously, though, how do you deal with it?"

After a few more gasps, Rei got a hold of herself. She looked at me quizzically. "Me? Please. How do you deal with it?"

"Deal with what?"

A flash of color rushed directly into my Sight. I had no time to react. Her fist was already flying at my face. I could tell she intended to stop it short, but the speed of it was astonishing. If it were for real, that blow would have sent me flying into the adjacent row.

Rei c.o.c.ked her head to the side. "I mean, how do you deal with such vulnerability?"

I shrugged. "One punch at a time, I guess."

She nodded in agreement. "And for me it is one smile at a time."

"Fair enough." I guess it was a stupid question.

Rei tossed the plastic-wrapped danish onto my lap. "Since you have not eaten all day, I inspected the packages," she said matter-of-factly. "This one contained the highest number of calories. Oddly, it was not nearly as expensive as the sandwiches. I do not understand this, Dieter. Was this an oversight of some sort? Why do the calories not correspond to cost?"

I shrugged. I hadn't eaten since last night, and my stomach growled its approval. I was already tearing into the package when I remembered my manners. No matter how hungry I was, it was rude to not offer her some...and then I remembered. I put down the danish and turned to her.

"Rei," I whispered, "are you, like, really what I think you are?"

She took a sip of her coffee and smiled.

"Of course, magus...and of course not."

Magus? I shook my head. "It's unbelievably weird to hear that out loud. Magus? So, they're real too?"

Rei giggled.

"Indeed. You are quite real. And so are quite a few other things."

I looked down at my danish.

"And, Rei? Um, your diet...Do you actually, um..."

"Um, do I, um?" She rolled her eyes. "Do I need to spell it out for you?"

I nodded.

"My diet is human blood. I can make due on other sources for a while, but in the end, I need human blood to survive."

I frowned. "It's just weird. Here we are, talking normally, but I'd have expected your kind to be amoral killing machines. Lestat-style, you know?"

Rei c.o.c.ked her head and the blue faded from her eyes. "That would be a very healthy a.s.sumption to make." She gazed into me, and my heartbeat started to race in reply. Rei's face had changed. The softness was gone. It looked like it was etched out of marble rather than flesh. She was cold. Lifeless. The voice that leaked out of her lips was devoid of humanity. The melodic timber was gone, replaced by that silky hiss. I could hardly draw breath, and an unreasonable terror clamped down on my body. An ancient part of my brain yelled shrilly: That predator. You prey. Back the f.u.c.k off.

But despite the fear, I felt like I was missing something. Something glaringly obvious. Something important. Earlier that day, I had been able to hear Rei's thoughts. I decided to will open my Sight. Let it consume my other senses. Maybe her aura would help me understand.

The world faded away as my Sight flickered on...and I let out a tiny gasp. The auras I had seen in the past were small ephemeral clouds. What I was looking at now was on a vastly different scale. Rei's aura outsized her body by three fold. It looked like a monstrous grey cloak. At its ends, long cloth-like sc.r.a.ps fluttered about. They moved like living creatures with wills of their own. Her aura seethed with power. Buzzed like a high-voltage power line. I gained a firm understanding of my place. She could tear the life from my body in an instant. It would be over before it started. But my Sight told me that wasn't the whole story. Yes, her aura was overpowering, but it looked worn and tattered as well. A hulking beast that had been rent by decades spent in the elements. A tired thing. A wounded thing. There was no killing intent. It sat at ease, fluttering peacefully. It was scary, yes, but not aggressive.

Curious, I reached out to it.

My Sight obliged, but Rei's aura did not. My efforts were met by a numbing emptiness...this aura didn't like to be touched. It wasn't used to it. I closed down my other senses and let my intuition guide me. I was drawn in by a strange need, and I wandered onward as though an invisible hand was guiding me. The effort was taxing. I was crawling further and further out onto a wavering branch. Soon, I sensed, it would no longer support my weight.

As I neared my goal, my Sight faltered. The budding intuition faded. The hand fell away. I flung the last of my will forward in desperation and staggered through a wall. My instinct had been true. I found something special, a true feeling buried deep down in her psyche. A simple need. A single faint hope. She wished I wouldn't be afraid.