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He shrugged. “It wasn’t my idea, believe me. Are you ready?”
“Just let me get my jacket.”
“Kadie?”
“What?”
“I’ll want your promise that you won’t do anything stupid.”
“I promise,” she said, and ran to get her coat.
It was a beautiful night for a drive. Kadie stared out the window, excited by the prospect of going shopping, even if it wasn’t for her.
Saintcrow drove with the windows down, one arm resting on the back of her seat. It felt like they were flying down the road, making her hesitate to look at the speedometer.
She glanced at Saintcrow. “Can we turn on the radio?”
“Eager to hear the news of the day?”
“Can you blame me? I’ve been living in a vacuum for weeks.”
With a shake of his head, he turned on the satellite radio and surfed the stations until he found a news program.
After five minutes, she’d heard enough. “It never changes, does it?”
“What’s that?”
“The news.” She skipped through the stations until she found one that played all oldies all the time. “It’s always bad. Wars everywhere. Parents killing their children. Democrats and Republicans blaming each other for the horrible state of the economy, no one willing to take the blame for anything. It’s so tiresome, and it never gets better. I don’t know how you’ve stood it for nine hundred years.”
“I rarely pay much attention to the news. The affairs of humanity don’t have much effect on my kind. Sickness, wars, poverty, the price of gas . . . none of it matters. Our lives don’t change. So long as people endure, we endure.”
“Wow.”
He grinned at her. “Wow, indeed.”
“And as long as you endure, the people of Morgan Creek endure, for their lifetimes, anyway.”
“So it goes.”
She was still thinking about that when he pulled up in front of a covered mall. “Remember your promise,” he warned when he opened her door.
Kadie took a deep breath as they entered the mall. She had always loved shopping, whether she was buying or just looking. There was something about wandering from store to store that appealed to her. One of her favorite comedians had remarked that some malls had birds, and how strange it must be for them, when going south for the winter meant flying to Sears.
She frowned when Saintcrow bought several iPhones. “What are those for?”
“The other vampires.”
“Can I have my phone back?”
He looked at her a moment, then shrugged. “Why the hell not? There’s just one thing—think carefully before you contact anyone. Because if anyone comes here looking for you, they’ll never leave. You understand what I’m saying?”
“Perfectly.”
“I hope so.”
“Why iPhones?” she asked while waiting for the clerk to ring up his order.
“So they can stay in touch with each other on the outside.”
“On the outside?” She stared at him. “I don’t understand.”
“I’ve agreed to let them go if that’s what they want.”
“That’s wonderful!” Kadie exclaimed. “That means you won’t need Marti and the others anymore. They can all go home!” Without noticing Saintcrow’s silence, she thought how happy Marti would be to return to her husband and daughter. Kadie smiled. She couldn’t wait to get back to Morgan Creek and tell Marti and the others the good news.
Saintcrow paid for the devices, then asked, “Where do you want to go now?”
“I could use some new clothes.”
Saintcrow followed her as she wandered through Kohl’s and Macy’s. She had only to remark that she liked something—a pair of skinny jeans, a pink sweater, a lavender sweatshirt, a pair of white fuzzy slippers—and it was hers.
When they passed a Godiva candy store, she stopped. “Can I buy something for Marti and the others?”
“Why not? I’m Santa Claus, remember?”
Laughing, Kadie went inside and bought ten two-pound boxes of mixed chocolates for the human inhabitants of Morgan Creek, and a box of dark chocolate truffles for herself. She couldn’t wait to pass out the candy, thinking how excited everyone would be when she told them they would soon be free to leave town.
“Should I wrap these?” the saleswoman asked.
“All but the box of dark chocolates, please.”
“Now what?” Saintcrow asked when they left the candy store.
“I think you should buy something.”
“Me? I don’t need anything.”
“Yes, you do.” She regarded him a moment. “I think you need a red sweater.”
“Your reason being?”
“I think you’d look good in red. And it’s my favorite color.”
“Mine, too,” he replied with a wicked grin.
Kadie grimaced. “Bloodred, no doubt.”
Laughing, he drew her into his arms and kissed her, right there in front of the Godiva store, with people watching. And applauding.
Later, Saintcrow watched in amazement as she gorged herself on two slices of pepperoni pizza, three scoops of ice cream—chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry—and a churro.
“I’m stuffed,” she moaned as they left the mall. “Why did you let me eat so much?”
He slipped his arm around her, his gaze sweeping the parking lot. “Like I could have stopped you.” Lifting his head, he tested the air, though it was hard to detect anything other than the lingering scents of the veritable feast Kadie had devoured.
He paused when he caught a faint movement out of the corner of his eye.
“Something wrong?” Kadie asked.
“No.” They were at the car now. And the shadows were getting closer.
Kadie moaned softly as he opened the rear door and tossed the packages inside. Wrapping her arms around her stomach, she said, “I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Kadie, run!”
“What?”
“Run! Get the hell out of here!”
The urgency in his voice propelled her away from the car. Running as fast as she could, she sprinted toward the mall, then ducked behind a tree. There was no one following her.
Peering into the darkness, she watched four shadowy figures close in on Saintcrow. From this distance, it was hard to see what was happening. She heard the faint sound of scuffling, a hoarse cry of pain.
Should she go for help?
