The Birch House

Chapter Sixteen

The whole house smelled like smoke and burned mattress, but on the whole, it could have been a lot worse. My room was a mess, and my bed and curtains were a dead loss. Scorches on the floor and smoke damage on the ceiling.

Still.

Chase dumped more water on the mattress, which was already a sodden mess, and collapsed against the wall next to me and Alyssa.

"They've got to be wondering why we're not all screaming and burning by now," Alyssa said. "I mean, logically."

"Go look."

"You go look. I've had a tough night."

I sighed, got up, and went to the unbroken window at the far end of the room. I couldn't see anything. No vampires, obviously, since the sun was blazing in the sky by now, but no human flunkies, either. "Maybe they're all out front," I said.

In the silence, I distinctly heard...the doorbell.

"You're kidding me," Chase said. "Hey, did you order pizza? Good thinking. I'm starved."

"I think you have brain damage," Alyssa shot back.

"Yeah, because I'm starved."

There was a crash from downstairs, and Chase stopped smiling. His eyes went dark and focused. "I guess this is it," he said. "Sorry. Last stand at the Alamo."

Alyssa hugged him and didn't say a word. I walked over and hugged each of them in turn, Chase last so I could spend more time doing it. There really wasn't enough time, though, because I heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and I felt a strong chill sweep over me. Alex was with us. Maybe that was his version of a hug.

"Stay strong," I heard Alyssa whisper in my ear. I nodded and took Alyssa's hand. Chase stepped out in front, which was - I knew by now - just what Chase did. He picked up the baseball bat he'd retrieved from down the hall and got ready.

"There's no need for that," said a light, cool voice from the hallway. "You must be Chase. Hello. My name is Sophia."

I gasped and peeked around his broad back. It was the blond vampire from the church, looking perfectly cool and at ease as she stood there, hands folded.

"You can put that away," Sophia said. "You won't need it, I assure you."

She turned and left the doorway. The three of us looked at one another.

Is she gone? Alyssa mouthed. Chase edged up to the doorway and looked out, then shook his head. What's she doing?

That was obvious one second later, as there was a faint click and the paneling on the other side popped free.

Sophia opened the hidden door and went up the steps.

"I think you have some questions," she called down. "I have some, as well, as it happens, and it would be prudent if we indulged each other. If not, then of course you are free to go - but I must warn you that Martin is not happy. And when Martin is unhappy, he tends to be rather childish about lashing out. You are not, as they say, out of the woods quite yet, mes petits."

"Vote," Chase said. "I'm for leaving."

"Stay," Alyssa said. "Running won't do us any good, and you know it. We need to at least hear what she has to say."

They both looked at me. "I get a vote?" I asked, surprised.

"Why wouldn't you? You pay rent."

"Oh." I didn't even have to think about it. "She saved my life today. I don't think she's - well, maybe she's bad, but she's not, you know, bad. I say we listen."