But then she recalled Victorias words. Words uttered only yesterday, though an eternity seemed to have passed since then. Witch blood was like a drug to vampires. Once Lauren tasted the witch, there would be no pulling her off. And then Victoria, whenever she arrivedwhere was she? What was she doing?would probably join the feasting.
Ill only nip her, Lauren said, words now slurred. Only take a little. Shell start talking then. Swear.
No! Riley shouted, and Mary Ann thought she saw the witch recoil.
Thats when Victoria and Aden at last appeared. Both were flushed, their lips swollen and red, glistening.
Ah. Theyd been kissing.
Unlike Mary Ann and Riley, she thought sadly. Theyd barely spoken since their argument in the cleaning closet. As a matter of fact, theyd hardly even looked at each other.
Hed paid more attention to Lauren in the half hour theyd been here than he had to Mary Ann, so she was almost afraid he liked the ever-growing distance between them. And oh, that burned. Lauren was utterly strong and completely self-assured. Helped that she was weighed down with weapons and clearly knew how to use them. She was fierce and brave, reliable, well able to take care of herself. Unlike Mary Ann.
Had she lost Riley already? Anger and helplessness, sadness and sorrow mixed together and filled her up. With the rise in her emotions, a warm, sweet breeze drifted to her. In and out she breathed, that breeze floating to her lungs, seeping into her veins, soothing every part of her. Just like that night in town, just like this morning with Marie, she welcomed the sensation. So good. And the tastelike candy. Sugar-coated, sparkling, fizzing.
Riley told Aden and Victoria what had been happening while forcing Lauren to move away from the witch.
Use your voice on her, Aden suggested to Victoria. You know, the powerful one. Then, Shut up, Caleb! Im not kidding. Her shirt stays on.
Who was Ah. One of the souls. Who did Caleb want to strip?
Voiced commands dont work on witches, Victoria replied. She moved into Adens side, snuggling close, as if she couldnt bear to be separated from him. Their magic prevents it.
Magic. Yes. Thats what she tasted, Mary Ann realized. Magic equaled power, and it was a heady sense of power that surged through her. She closed her eyes and savored. Felt more of that warmth, more of that sweetness, both consuming her.
She didnt need Riley, she thought. This. This was all she needed. It nourished. It completed. It didnt change its stupid mind.
How she was soaking that magic in, she didnt know and she didnt care. Just as long as she never stopped, shed be happy.
Fine, Ill ask, but after that you have to simmer down, Aden said with a sigh. Was he still talking to Victoria? Or to one of the souls? Did you once know a guy named Caleb? He focused on the witch.
No, the bound girl replied, flippant. Should I have?
Did you once know a guy who could possess other bodies? A guy who died a little over sixteen years ago?
A pause, laden with tension. Who are you? The boy who summoned us? Dont deny it, I can feel the pull of you. Why do you want to know about the possessor?
Aden suddenly looked both excited and nervous. So you did know him?
I didnt say that, she snapped. Now tell me what I want to know!
First, lets get a few of your facts straight. The summoning was an accident. I didnt mean
Before he could finish his sentence, the witch growled, and that growl was far more intimidating than any sound the shifters had made. Is it you whos feeding off my magic right now? Tell me! I demand to know! And I demand you stop this instant, or the moment Im free Ill curse the skin from your bones. Do you hear me? Stop!
Everyone in the room stilled. Someone gasped in horror.
Feeding off your magic? Lauren said with a frown. No one would dare. There are no Drainers among us, witch. We would have killed the offender already. Drainers? Killed?
Feedingthe same word Marie had used. Not muting, but feeding. Sucking like a vaccum.
Mary Ann chewed at her bottom lip. Not me. Cant be me. Butthat warmth, that sweetness. That magic, filling her up, consuming her. If its me, theyll want to kill me? Why?
Shaking now, she backed up a step and hit a solid wall. She turned, eyes wide, only to realize Riley stood behind her. When had he moved? Shed never seen him leave Laurens side. He was frowning fiercely, practically vibrating with fury. At her? Because he thought she was aa Drainer? She could barely even consider the word. Whatever awhatever that was, vampires killed them and witches hated them. So, no, Mary Ann couldnt be one. She just couldnt.
Victoria, Riley said, his voice tight. His steely gaze never left Mary Anna gaze hed never leveled on her before. A gaze he usually reserved for those who wronged the people he loved. See if you can reason with the witch. Mary Ann and I are in need of a break. He didnt give Mary Ann a chance to protest. He simply grabbed her wrist and dragged her outside.
FOURTEEN
COLD AIR SCENTED WITH EARTH and pine wrapped around Mary Ann, chasing away the delicious sensation of warmth and power. Lamplight was replaced by moonlight, muted and soft, the only source of illumination. When Riley released her and spun to face her, scowling, Mary Ann drew the lapels of her sweater closer together. His green eyes glittered dangerously.
Whats going on? she asked.
He was in her face a second later, pressing his nose into hers, his breath trekking over her face. I was watching you. For a minute there, you looked like you were eating and savoring chocolate. He hurled the statement like an accusation. He didnt add, You were feeding on her magic, werent you? but the words somehow echoed between them anyway.
She gulped, striving for calm. So?
So. You havent been eating lately. At all.
How do you know what I have and have not been doing? You havent been around. Dont let your hurt feelings show. Now isnt the time for that.
His pupils expanded, only to shrink into a thin line. I can smell food, Mary Ann. The scent of it seeps from human pores. Youve had none for several days. He waited for her to issue a denial. She didnt. At first, I thought you were too riddled with nerves about the death curse, cause yeah, I can smell that, too. Then I was mad at you for going into town and forgot to question you about the food. Now, theres no forgetting. Do you want to tell me why the hell you arent eating?
II havent been hungry. Truth. Like you, I thought it was nerves. I still do. I mean, I cantI wouldnt Shut up, babbler! Whats so bad about being a D-Drainer, anyway? Its no worse than being a muter, is it?
He popped his jaw. When did you last eat? he asked, ignoring her question.
She gulped again. Imaybe the day the witches cursed us. I dont know. The words whispered from her, coated in shame and guilt. You have nothing to be ashamed of or guilty for, she told herself. Shed done nothing wrong.
His eyes widened as he straightened to his full height, no longer touching her in any way. Have you had water?
No.
Humans cant survive very long without water, Mary Ann.
I plan to have a giant glass of it just as soon as I get home.
Have you weakened?
Shivering now from the cold, from an influx of dread, she shook her head. Several strands of hair slapped at her cheeks. No. Thats not a big deal, though, she rushed to add. Ive been living on adrenaline.
That wouldnt keep the hunger at bay for so long.
Dieters can go without food for a long time.
Are you dieting?
He had a question for everything. N-no, but that doesnt mean anything.
Youre not hungry, even now?
No.
His pupils did that strange expanding/shrinking thing. You liked being near the witch, yes? You felt warm and safe?
Y-yes. Stop stuttering. Is there something wrong with me? I mean, theres nothing wrong with me. I
Yes, theres something wrong with you. He scrubbed a hand down his face, leaving red marks behind. You were feeding off her magic, which means you really are a Drainer.
The horror in his voice caused her stomach to churn. I ask again, whats so bad about being a D-Drainer?
Everything! By vampire law, hell, by every law in this otherworld, Im required to kill every Drainer I find. We all are.
Mary Ann backed up a step. Riley, kill her? No, never, she told herself. Not her. They were dating, for Gods sake. You cant just go around killing people. Besides, why would you have to kill a D-Drainer? And why did she have so much trouble saying the word? Which Im not. You cant know that for sure.
His eyes glinted as if a match had been struck inside them. There was a Drainer in that room, Mary Ann. Witches are always the first to sense them because their survival depends on eliminating them. Victoria and Lauren are out. They might hunger for witch blood, like all vampires, but theres a big difference between drinking from a vein and gorging on energy. Plus, Ive lived with them a long time, and would have known. That means the only other option was Aden. Except, hed recently had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, so I can cross him off the list, too. Who does that leave, Mary Ann? Go ahead. Tell me.
Distance, suddenly she needed distance from him. All that disgustall that hateboth radiated from him. She stumbled backward, but didnt try to run even though hed all but threatened her. With the distance, she could breathe without smelling his dark and spicy scent, without feeling branded by him. He was wrong about her. He had to be wrong.
What exactly is a Drainer? There. Shed said the word without stuttering. Theyd reason this out together and realize she was no different than ever.
Back and forth he began to pace. Havent I already said? Someone who lives off the energy of others.
That didnt sound so terrible.
I can see your aura and I know what youre thinking, but listen up. Drainers are sustained only by the energy they steal. Without it, they weaken and die. But in the taking, they kill. And if that isnt bad enough, their appetite for magic grows with every feeding.
She was going to kill people? No. No, no, no. Butshe couldnt stop her next thought. Her mother. Her mother had died at the moment of her birth because Mary Ann had drained her of strength. Oh, God. Even before the witches and Riley had begun tossing accusations at her, Mary Ann had used that very word to describe what shed done to her own her mother. Drained.
Had she been a Drainer her entire life?
Soon, magic wont be enough. Soon, youll take from the vampires and theyll no longer be able to feed. His steps quickened, feet pounding into the ground. Soon after that, youll take from the wolves, and theyll lose their ability to shift. After that, youll take from humans. After that, nature. Youll destroy everything and everyone.
I would never do that! she shouted. Then her shoulders sagged. Shed killed her own mother. She was capable of anything. Stop! Dont think like that. Back then, you ate food. Real food. Riley said Drainers live off energy. I just, I cant be a Drainer. There has to be another explanation.
Steps never slowing, he flicked her a menacing glance. You wont mean to, but you will. Drainers cant help themselves, and they certainly cant stop. Otherwise, like I said, they weaken and die.
He was saying she wasallegedlya parasite. A murderer. Tapping into living beings as if they were a beer keg, and drinking them dry. The moisture in her mouth vanished, and her heart skipped several beats. Youre wrong. My mother I ate
His expression softened. You didnt kill your mother. I dont know why she weakened after your birth, but you had nothing to do with it. He didnt sound convinced. The draining thing, it probably switched on during your first encounter with the otherworld.
Not true. She shook her head violently, more of those strands slapping at her. I dated Tucker, and youre the one who told me he was part demon. I made him feel better, not worse. Proof that she couldnt possibly be a Drainer, right?
Riley paused to massage the back of his neck. And then you met Aden. And then the two of you summoned all of us here. And then you were cursed and received your first taste of magic.
All excellent and irrefutable points. What happens if I am? Dont say that. You cant be, no matter the evidence. What happens if Im a Drainer, I mean?
I dont know. He bent and picked up a small, round stone, then tossed it into the trees. A branch cracked; there was a thump.
She could only watch him, sick at heart. Both you and Lauren mentioned that you guyskill Drainers.
We do, he said, his tone dead.
As dead as she would soon be?
Light-headed at the thought, she fell backward, her hand flying to her neck. You would kill me?
No! He whirled on her, hands fisted, nostrils flaring with the force of his breathing. And I wouldnt let anyone else harm you, either. God, Mary Ann. I cant believe youd even think that of me.
Okay, okay. He was right. She released the oxygen that had snagged in her lungs. This is new to me, Riley, and besides that, we havent been on the best of terms lately, have we?
His anger diluted, and his expression softened. No. We havent.
Hearing him agree was like being slappedeven though shed been the one to say it first. So do you want tobreak up? If we were even dating, I mean. Maybe hed just been fooling around. Oh, God. She wanted to vomit.
We were dating, he said, hard and unbending now.
Were, hed said. Her blood chilled as if little ice crystals had formed in her veins. And now were not? Did that needy voice really belong to her? We are dating, Mary Ann. His head fell back and he stared up at the star-filled sky. Were just going through a little rough spot.
We are dating. Okay, yes, that was good. Very good. The relief that spread through her was palpable.