YEAR OF THE VAMPIRE 32

Chapter 32

Music from: Celestial

The line of student actors and dancers took a unified bow to the cheering audience, then raised their clasped hand that linked them together. The center five were Lornie, Heidi, Jarod, Carlie, and Fritz, who had turned out to be a crowd favorite, according to the Rasperville and Shanonton newspaper reporters.

"Glenndale High Steampunk Romeo & Juliet Shines," had been one headline.

Ivy had saved five Sunday editions of each newspaper. Both had good reviews, by anyone's standards. She couldn't wait to see the county paper review.

"Well, the bumps are all worked out," her dad said from her side as the audience clapped. "Worth the trouble, don't you think?"

"Absolutely." Ivy smiled back at Lornie, who beamed beneath her heavy stage makeup. They'd watched the first performance video together that morning, and Lornie was right: it was a disaster. The matinee had gone off better the day before, but Ivy could remember little of what Lornie had told her of it. Her mind was still spinning with vampires and stories behind the Zodiac woodcuts.

Her father's arm came around her shoulders, his eyes still on the stage. "Why didn't you try out for the play this year?"

His wrist rested on the scratches beneath her shirt, but she didn't flinch. They were cleaned and bandaged, barely hurting anymore with the numbing analgesic spray she'd used. Even her side was only bruised, the metal stays leaving impact lines on her stomach and ribs, but no real injuries. "I might next year. The Welcome Wagon takes up a lot of time."

He nodded. "Got time for dinner tonight? I thought we'd swing over to Bridgewater and see some of the old buildings before they're torn down for the new project and grab something to eat."

She smiled up at him. Last night her first thoughts had been to save her friends, but as the sun came up over the town and she saw it still standing, she knew she could never leave her dad. As much as she understood the Brylinden Hall vampires' need for new companionship, and as seductive as their offer was to be thought of as a muse, she couldn't leave.

"Sounds great, Dad." She leaned to his side, hugging her arm around him.

The crowd dispersed into the lobby area and the cast and Ms. Decker met fans to sign programs and take photos. Ivy watched from a distance, seeing Lornie pose for a group photo with half of her needlecraft class. She wished that Dred could have seen the full play. Part of her missed him already.

It reminded her that she needed to restock her knitting needles. The largest sizes, all wood.