YEAR OF THE VAMPIRE 20

Chapter 20

Music from: Battle Royale

By the time she got outside, the sun was heading west, in a hurry to set for the day. Ivy turned down the sidewalk to the library, guessing she'd have her usual four to six students this time, most girls and one boy. She pulled her jacket close and lowered her head against the chill wind that gusted into her face. Her book bag was stuffed with yarn and extra crochet and knitting needles, her standard stock for classes. There were always a few students who forgot something. She'd run out of most smaller sizes, and now mostly had the nine- and ten-inch knitting needles, sizes eight to thirteen. She'd have to start charging students for replacement supplies if she wanted to make anything of a profit for her three hours a week of classes.

When she looked up as the gust died down, Vohn stood at the town's small main intersection. She stopped walking.

He didn't seem surprised to see her. He nodded her over, meeting her a few steps as she glanced down the street to her left where the library was out of sight around the next corner. His eyes dropped over her, noting her bulging bag. "Take a walk with me, Ivy."

He smiled a little, but she saw nothing inviting in his face. She said, "I have a class to teach."

He nodded. "Then we'll walk to the library."

She nodded slowly. "O-Okay."

He turned down the street, watching her fall into step with him. He was dressed much like Branard had been the first time Ivy saw him, in jeans, hoodie, and sneakers. His dark hair was more ruffled than she generally saw it at school—or during their summer of scoping him out under Camille's orders. She fought off a blush at the thought. They'd been so careful, but to find out now that Vohn had known about them all along was humiliating.

"You've been to the Hall enough to know our family isn't typical," he said, still looking straight ahead.

She nodded, relaxing her shoulders. The wind wasn't as bad here, now that he was blocking most of it. "Dred said you have a lot of relatives kind of visit and stay on some." It wasn't exactly what he'd said, but she figured it was close enough.

"Some stay for months. It's a stopover of sorts. Our family is old, with Old World eccentrics, shunned outcasts, displaced royalty." He grinned when she gave him a shocked look. "Royalty no one wants, Ivy. No land, no estate; just royal or noble in name, most penniless. Some have remained, become fixtures at the Hall." He shoved his hands into his hoodie pocket, his mood sobering. "Dred has troubles. I don't know if anyone has told you that, but he does. Problems people don't talk about in polite circles."

She saw no humor in his face, just his eyes locked on nothing, his jaw line tensed with something he wasn't voicing. "They let him into school, so maybe a counselor there could help if—"

"It's not as simple as that." His gaze lowered to her, frowning slightly. "He's not from Canada. He's from Oregon."

"Oh . . . Well, that's not a problem." She had the feeling there was much more, but was hoping to ease some of the tension the wind didn't push out of the air.

"He seems fond of you. Can't blame him," he added offhandedly. "But I don't know if it's healthy for you."

Now the chill seeped into her jacket, up her sleeve cuffs and down her collar. "Healthy?"

He put his hand on her back and directed her down a street two blocks from the library. "You've got time for a detour."

She stopped the protest that came to her lips. He seemed to know her schedule for the evening, so there was no real excuse she could make.

"I must say, I was surprised you called me out about Evandis' work," he said, chuckling dryly. "I didn't see that coming from you. Maybe you are ready for the truth about Dred."