Night World : The Chosen Chapter 8

Well? Daphne express.I think its the buckle down trade.And, Rashel thought, I think I was flop-this is something big.The Night World slave trade had been banned a broad time ago-back in medieval days, if sheremembered the stories correctly. The Council apparently had decided that kidnapping humans andselling them to Night People for food or amusement was just everyplacely dangerous. however it sounded as if Quinnmight be reviving it, probably without the Councils permission. How actually enterprising of him.I was right about killing him, too, Rashel thought. Theres nonechoice now. Hes as bad as I imagined- andworse.Daphne was goggling. They were waiver to make me a slave? she almost yelled.Sh. Rashel glanced at the man behind the doughnut counter. I think so. Well-a slave and a sort ofperpetual food supply if you were sold to vampires. Probably just dinner if you were going towerewolves.Daphnes lips repeated werewolves silently. But Rashel was talk again onward she could ask aboutit.Look, Daphne-did you run short any idea about where you might be going? You utter they mentioned a boat.But a boat to where? What urban center?I dont love. They never talked about any city. They just tell the boat was ready and somethingabout an aunt-clave. She pronounced it ont-clave. The girl said, When we get to the aunt-claveDaphne broke off as Rashel grabbed her wrist.An enclave, Rashel whispered. Thin chills of excitement were running through her. They were talkingabout an enclave.Daphne nodded, tinctureing at alarmed. I guess.This was big. This was bigger than big. It was incredible.A vampire enclave. The kidnapped girls were being taken to one of the underground enclaves, one of thesecret strongholds no vampire hunter had ever managed to penetrate. No human had even discoveredthe location of one.If I could get thither if I could get inShe could learn enough to destroy a all told town of vampires. Wipe an enclave off the face of the earth.She knew she cou ld.Uh, Rashel? Youre hurting me.Sorry. Rashel let go of Daphnes arm. Now, listen, she said fiercely. I saved your brio, right? I mean,they were going to do terrible things to you. So you owe me, right?Yeah, sure sure, I owe you. Daphne made pacifying motions with her hands. are you fine?Yes. Im fine. But I wish your help. I inadequacy you to tell me everything about that club. Everything I needto get in-and get chosen. Daphne stared at her. Im sorry youre crazy.No, no. I receipt what Im doing. As long as they dont last Im a vampire hunter, itll be okay. I nurtureto get to that enclave.Daphne s mooly shook her towheaded head. What, youre going to, alike(p), slay them all? By yourself? Cant wejust tell the police?Not all by myself. I could take a touch of new(prenominal) vampire hunters to help me. And as for the policeRashel stopped and sighed. Okay. I guess there are some things I should explain. Then maybe youllunderstand better. She increase her eye and looked at Daph ne steadily. First, I should tell you about theNight World. Look, even before you met those vampires, didnt you ever have the feeling that there wassomething eerie going on, right alongside our world and all mixed up in it?She made it as simple as she could, and tried to answer Daphnes questions patiently. And at last,Daphne sat back, looking sick and more(prenominal) frightened than Rashel had seen her yet.Theyre all over, Daphne said, as if she still didnt hope it. In the police departments. In thegovernment. And nobodys ever been able to do anything about them.The completely people whove had any success are the ones who play secretly, in small groups or alone. Westay hidden. Were very careful. And we weed them out, one by one. Thats what it means to be avampire hunter.She leaned forward. Now do you see why its so important for me to get to that enclave? Its a chanceto get at a whole bunch of them all at once, to wipe out one of their hiding placements. Not to mentionstoppin g the slave trade. Dont you think it should be stopped?Daphne assailable her mouth, shut it again. Okay, she said finally, and sighed. Ill help. I arsehole tell youwhat to talk about, how to act. At to the lowest degree what worked for me. She cocked her head. Youre going tohave to dress differently.Ill get a couple of separate(a) vampire hunters and well fill up tomorrow later on school. Lets say six-thirty.Right now, Im taking you home. You need to sleep. She waited to see if Daphne would object, but theother girl just nodded and sighed again.Yeah. You know, after some of the things Ive learned, homes starting to look good.Just one more thing, Rashel said. You cant tell anybody about what happened to you. Tell themanything-that you ran away, whatever-but not the truth. Okay?Okay.And especially dont tell anyone about me. Got it? My life may depend on it.Elliots not here. The voice on the telephone was cold and as hostile as Rashel had ever heard it.Vicky, I need to talk to h im. Or somebody. Im telling you, this is our chance to get to an enclave. Thegirl from the warehouse heard them talking about it. It was Friday afternoon and Rashel was phoningfrom a booth near her school. Vicky was speaking heavily. We staked out that street for days and didnt see anything, but you justhappened to be in the right place at the right time to help a girl escape.Yes. I already told you.Well, that was convenient, wasnt it?Rashel gripped the handset more tightly. What do you mean?Just that it would be a very dangerous thing, going to a vampire enclave. And that a person would haveto really trust whoever was giving them the information about it. Youd have to be sure it wasnt a trap.Rashel stared at the phone buttons, arbitrary her breathing. I see.Yes, well, you dont have much credibility around here anymore. Not since letting that vampire getaway. And this sounds like just the sort of thing youd do if you were in on it with them.Great, Rashel thought. Ive managed to con vince her that I really am a vampire sympathizer. Aloud shesaid, Is that what Nyala is telling everybody? That Im working with the Night World?I dont know what Nyala is doing. Vicky sounded waspish and a circumstantial uneasy. I havent seen her sinceTuesday and nobody answers at her house.Rashel tried to make her voice calm and reasonable. Will you at least tell Elliot what Im doing? Then hecan call me if he wants to.Dont hold your breath, Vicky said, and hung up.Great. Terrific. Rashel replaced the handset wondering if she wasnt supposed to hold her breath untilElliot called, or until Vicky passed on the message. wiz thing was clear she couldnt count on any help from the Lancers. Or any other vampire hunters.Nyala could be spreading any sort of rumors, and Rashel didnt dare even call another group.There was no choice. Shed have to do it alone.That night she went to Daphnes house.Well, shes grounded, Mrs. Childs said at the door. She was a small woman with a baby in one hand, aPam pers in the other, and a toddler clutching her leg. But I guess you can go upstairs.Upstairs, Daphne had to chase a younger sister out of the bedroom before Rashel could sit down. Yousee, I dont even have a room of my own, she said.And youre grounded. But youre a do it, Rashel said, and raised her eyebrows. Hi.Oh. Hi. Daphne looked embarrassed. Then she smiled, sitting cross-legged on her bed. Yourewearing normal clothes.Rashel glanced down at her sweater and jeans. Yeah, the ninja outfits just my career uniform. Daphne grinned. Well, youre still going to have to look different if youre going to get into the club.Should we start now, or do you want to wait for the others? Rashel stared at a row of perfume bottles on the dresser across the room. There arent going to be anyothers.But I thought you saidLook. Its hard to explain, but Ive had a little problem with the vampire hunters around here. So Imdoing it without them. Its no problem. We can start now.Well Daphne pursed her lips. S he looked different from the disheveled wild creature Rashel hadrescued from the street last night. Her blond hair was soft and fluffy, her cornflower blue eyes were largeand innocent, her face was round and sweet. She was fashionably dressed and she seemed relaxed, inher own element in this normal teenagers room. It was Rashel who felt out of place.Well do you want to just take along a friend or something? Daphne asked.I dont have a friend, Rashel said flatly. AndI dont want one. Friends are people to worry about, theyre baggage. I dont like baggage. Daphneblinked slowly. But at school I dont stay at schools more than one year at a time. I live with fosterfamilies, and I usually get myself sent to a new city every year. That way I stay ahead of the vampires.Look, this isnt about me, okay? What I want to know-But Daphne was staring at the mirror. Rashel followed her gaze to see that the reflecting surfacewas almost completely covered by pictures. Pictures of Daphne with guys, Daphn e with other girls.Daphne counted her friends in droves, apparently. But doesnt that get lonely?No, it doesnt get lonely, Rashel said through her teeth. She found herself getting rough with the lacylittle throw pillow on her lap. I like being on my own. Now are we done with the press conference?Looking hurt, Daphne nodded. Okay. I talked with some people at school and everything at the name isgoing on the same as usual-except that Quinn hasnt been there since Sunday. Ivan and the girl were thereTuesday and Wednesday, but not Quinn.Oh, really? That was interesting. Rashel had known from the beginning that her greatest problem wasgoing to be Quinn. The other two vampires hadnt seen her-she didnt think they even realized thatDaphne had run off with a vampire hunter last night. But Quinn had spoken to her. Had been veryclose to her.Still, what could he have seen in that cellar, even with his vampire vision? Not her face. Not even herhair. Her ninja outfit covered her from neck to wrist to ankle. altogether he could possibly know was that shewas tall. If she changed her voice and kept her eyes down, he shouldnt be able to recognize her.But it would be easier still if he werent there in the first place, and Rashel could try her act on Ivan.That reminds me, she said. Ivan and the girl- are their little groups into death, too?Daphne nodded. Everybody in the whole place is, basically. Its that kind of place. A perfect place for vampires, in other words. Rashel wondered briefly if the Night People owned thedub or if some obliging humans had just constructed the ideal habitat for them. Shed have to check intothat.Actually, Daphne was saying, a little shyly, Ive got a poem here for you. I thought you could say youwrote it. It would sort of prove you were into the same thing as the other girls.Rashel took the piece of notebook paper and readTheres warmth in ice theres cooling peace in fire,And midnight light to show us all the way. The leaping flame becomes a funeral py re The Dark wasmore enticing than the Day.She looked up at Daphne sharply. You wrote this before you knew about the Night World?Daphne nodded. Its the kind of thing Quinn liked. He used to say he was the darkness and the silenceand things like that.Rashel wished she had Quinn right there in the room, along with a large stake. These young girls werelike moths to his flame, and he was taking advantage of their innocence. He wasnt even pretending to beharmless instead he was encouraging them to love their own destruction. Making them think it was theiridea. about(predicate) your clothes, Daphne was going on. My friend Mamie is about your size and she lent me thisstuff. Try it on and well see if it looks right. She tossed Rashel a bundle.Rashel unfolded it, examined it doubt richly. A few minutes later she was examining herself even moredoubtfully in the mirror.She was wearing a velvety black jumpsuit which clung to her like a second skin. It was cut in a very lowV in front, but the sle eves reached down in Gothic points on the backs of her hands almost to the middlefinger. Around her neck was a black trounce choker that looked to her like a dog collar. She said, I dontknow No, no, you look great. Sort of like a Betsey Johnson ultra model. Walk a little morselaround okay, yeah. Now all we have to do is paint your fingernails black, add a little makeup, and-Daphne stopped and frowned. Whats wrong? Its the way you walk. You walk like-well, likethem, actually. alike(p) the vampires. As if youre stalking something. And you dont ever make a noise.Theyre going to know youre a vampire hunter from the way you move.It was a good point, but Rashel didnt know what to do about it. UmIve got it, Daphne said brightly. Well put you in heels.Oh, no, Rashel said. There is absolutely no way Im going to wear those things.But itll be perfect, see? You wont be able to walk normally.No, and I wont be able to run, either. But you arent going there to run. Youre going to talk and dance and stuff. Hands on her hips, sheshook her head. I dont know, Rashel, you really need somebody to go there with you, to help you withthis stuff.Daphne stopped and her eyes narrowed. She stared at the mirror for a moment, then she nodded.Yeah. Thats it. Theres no other choice, she said, expelling her breath. She turned to face Rashelsquarely. Ill just have to go with you myself.What?You need somebody with you you cant do this all alone. And theres nobody better than me. Ill gowith you and this time well twain get chosen.Rashel sat on the bed. Im sorry this time you re crazy. Youre the last person the vampires would everchoose. You know all about them.But they dont know that, Daphne said serenely. I told everybody at school today that I didntremember anything that happened from Sunday on. I had to tell them something, you know. So I saidthat I never got to meet Quinn that I didnt know what happened to me, but I woke up last night aloneon this street in Mission Hill.Rashel tried to t hink. Would any of the vampires believe this story?The answer surprised her. They just might. If Daphne had begun to come out of the mind control whileshe was in the truck if she had jumped out and started running, only to become fully conscious a littlewhile later.. .. Yes. It could work. The vampires would assume that shed have amnesia for the wholeperiod she was in a trance, and maybe for a little before. It could work.But its too dangerous, she said. Even if I let you go to the club with me, I could never let you getchosen.Why not? You already said I must be resistant to their mind-control thingy, right? Daphnes blue eyeswere sparking with energy and her cheeks were flushed. So that makes me perfect for the job. I can doit. I know I can help you.Rashel stood helplessly. Take this fluffy bunny of a girl to a vampire enclave? Let her get sold as a slaveto bloodsucking monsters? Ask her to fight ruthless snakes like Quinn? I like to work alone, she said ina hard voice. Daphne folde d her arms over her chest, refusing to be intimidated. Well, maybe its timeyou tried something different. Look, Ive never met anyone like you. Youre so independent, soadventurous, soamazing. But even you cant do everything by yourself. I know Im not a vampirehunter, but Id like to be your friend. Maybe you should try trusting a friend this time.Her eyes met Rashels, and at that moment she didnt look like a fluffy bunny, but like a small, confident,and intelligent young woman.Besides, it was me who got kidnapped, Daphne said, shrugging. Dont you think I should get to paythem back a little?Rashel caught herself almost grinning. She couldnt help liking this girl, or feeling a glow of warmth at herpraise. But still She drew in a careful breath and watched Daphne closely. And youre not scared? Of course Im scared. Id be stupid not to be. But Im not so scared I cant go.It was the right answer. Rashel looked around the fill up lacy room and nodded slowly. At last shesaid, Okay, youre in. Tomorrows Saturday. Well do it tomorrow night.