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“You really don’t seem like yourself. What happened last night, Saber? If you went to that party, please just tell me.”
Lozen’s voice was almost pleading.
“I’m just really tired,” Saber reassured her. “I promise, I’m fine.”
She had to think. She couldn’t come right out and tell Lozen there were vampires, maybe a lot of them, on the island. Maybe they were everywhere, hidden in plain sight. Maybe lots of people knew about them, and adult life was just a big charade.
“I feel like you’re keeping something from me. I can’t be friends with you if you’re going to start down this path. My heart can’t take it.”
“I’m not,” Saber insisted. “But I have to sort some things out.”
“So youdidgo to that party?”
“Yes.”
“What did you see, Saber?”
Saber took a deep sigh.
“People were definitely having sex and doing drugs,” she said. “And there was weird stuff, too.”
“Like… BDSM type shit?”
“Yeah,” she said, grateful for the easy out.
“Did anyone do anything to you?”
“No. I left pretty early.”
“Are you going to keep going?”
They walked along for a minute, and Saber looked up at the Seattle skyline, its outline barely visible through the dense fog.
“I don’t think so. I’m really scared now.”
“Should you call the police?”
“And say what?”
Lozen shrugged.
“I guess we already know how that will go.”
Brunch was at a Chinese restaurant downtown, in the International District. Lozen had told them about it, dim sum, carts of food wheeling by with dozens of little plates on them. Saber had never seen anything like it and was delighted by all the little plates of dumplings and buns. Her dad talked a lot and seemed to really enjoy being out with them.
“You really think you’re going to be the valedictorian?” he asked Lozen, who shrugged.
“I could be,” she said, tearing apart a steamed bun filled with barbecue pork.
“And then to college?”
“Yeah. USC.”
“Why? That’s so far.”
“It’s not that far,” she said, smiling. “And, honestly, the weather. That’s the main reason. I want to spend my weekends at the beach.”
It all seemed almost normal. So normal that Saber could almost forget the things that had happened the night before.
