The Vampire Stalker

Chapter 10

MY HEAD HAD BARELY hit the pillow when my alarm went off. Since I'd prepacked a bag of snacks for the trip, I just needed to dress, brush my teeth, get water bottles from the fridge, and wait in the lobby.

The car pulled up five minutes later with Ms. P. in the driver's seat and Alexander beside her. He got out to open the car door for me, and I caught my breath. He was wearing his clothes from Otherworld — the long coat, white shirt, trousers, and high leather boots. He was magnificent.

Instead of saying, "Wow," I managed to say "Thanks," and get into the backseat.

"Morning, Amy," Ms. P. said, turning onto the road.

"Alexander told me about your adventure last night. Guess you didn't get much sleep."

"I got enough." Last night was just four hours ago. Although I was tired, I was also pumped to get to the signing.
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Alexander looked out the window. "I was just commenting on all of the people about at this time of night. I am used to vampires owning the night. Only the vampire hunters dare to circulate before sunrise. Here, everyone seems so carefree. We just witnessed a group of adolescents singing in the streets, if you'll credit it."

"It's the weekend," I said. "I guess everyone wants to party."

"Have they no sense? They must know of the murders, yet they show no concern."

"Most people are desensitized to that stuff these days," I told him. "If it weren't for the vampire connection, the case wouldn't have gotten much attention. Just another murder in the city."

"That's astonishing," he remarked. "Perhaps it is due to the size of the population that such desensitization can occur."

"Here, we hardly know our next-door neighbors," Ms. P. said. "It's a shame."

"So tell me," Alexander said in a lighter tone, "did your mother give Christina a proper dressing-down?"

"She's been grounded for two weeks. I'm not sure Chrissy heard Mom say it, though, because she tried to drown her out with her music."

Alexander shook his head. "Such gall in one so young. To be 'grounded' means that she will stay in the apartment?"

"Yes. It means she'll have to stay home when she isn't at school."

"Why not deprive her of school as well?"

Ms. P. chuckled. "You can't just take a student out of school for two weeks, especially if they're under sixteen."

"Attending school is a privilege. It would be the perfect thing to take away from her."

"Chrissy doesn't see it as a privilege, trust me," I said. "She'd love to stay home for two weeks."

Alexander grunted. "In my world, that type of insolence is not tolerated. Then again, the consequences of staying out past curfew are very different. Someone who breaks curfew may never be seen again."

Hopefully it would never come to that here.

"At any rate, we can hope that your sister will mature. Thankfully, we won't have to worry about her being on the streets at night for a little while."

For some reason, I felt my eyes mist up. Alexander had said "we" wouldn't have to worry. He had no reason to care about my sister, especially after the way she'd treated him, but I was glad that he did.

From there, Ms. P. started asking Alexander questions about his world. He was happy to answer them, and launched into stories — ones that were not in the books. I gazed out the window, watching dark fields flying by. Alexander had a rich, velvety voice, given to storytelling. I found myself conjuring up images of Otherworld, vivid images, and I wondered if this was what Elizabeth Howard saw. As I felt myself drift off, I heard Alexander whisper to Ms. P., "I think she's sleeping. I'd better be quiet."