Fang Girl by Helen Keeble Read Free Book Online Page A

what you hear.”
    “Uh.” I was really glad I hadn’t yet visited my favorite fan-art forum, which tended to feature a lot of drawings of hot, shirtless vampires. “Exactly how much?”
    “Everything, I’m afraid. And I can feel where you are, as well. Which, by the way, is a terrible place for you to be. Honestly, Xanthe—your parents’ house? What sort of a hiding place is that?”
    “A warm, dry one,” I said, wrestling down my instinctive urge to whimper and grovel. “And it’s Jane, actually.”
    Another fractional pause. “Your name is Xanthe Jane Greene … and you prefer Jane ?” my sire inquired in the tones of one suddenly suspecting the other person of being a bit Special Needs.
    “If you had to go to my schools, so would you,” I muttered. “Um, sorry for being rude, but who the heck are you?”
    “You may call me Lily. And, my Xanthe, you do not have to concern yourself with being plain Jane anymore.” For the first time, all traces of amusement were gone, her voice as dark and solemn as night itself. “No one is ever going to laugh at you, or belittle you, or order you around, ever again.”
    “Guh” was all I could manage in response to this. Lily’s voice reached straight through my ears and shut down my brain.
    “Oh dear,” Lily said, sounding apologetic. “That came on rather too thick, didn’t it. Sorry, my darling.” The light archness was back, and I found I could move again. “I’ve never sired anyone before now, so all this is as new to me as it is to you.”
    “Um, speaking of which, and not meaning to sound ungrateful … why me?”
    “Darling, I may have fangs, but I’m not a heartless monster. I could hardly let a young girl die, could I? But we haven’t got the leisure to talk history now, I’m afraid. We’re both in terrible danger.”
    “Yeah, I got your text.” I once again scrutinized thegarden for any hint of movement. “What’s going on?”
    Lily hissed between her teeth. “I don’t yet know fully myself. I didn’t intend us to get separated, but Hakon sprung a trap on me.”
    “Hakon,” I repeated, my brain conjuring up an image of a huge, scowling Scandinavian. “I’m guessing he’s a vampire hunter.”
    “Hunter?” Lily sounded startled. “Goodness, darling, no. Those buffoons are the least of our worries. Hakon’s a vampire. A very old, very powerful, Scandinavian vampire, who’s spent a thousand years becoming the most feared Elder in Europe.”
    I wasn’t liking this. I wasn’t liking this at all. “And … he’s your enemy?”
    “More like I’m his. My word, he holds a grudge. Let’s just say that I managed to escape from the horrible little feudal system he’s got set up, and he can’t let that sort of challenge to his authority go unpunished.” Lily clicked her tongue in dismissal. “Tell you the whole story over cocktails sometime, darling. We’re running out of night, and Hakon’s vampires could be right on your doorstep. You’ve got to get out of there.”
    I stared out my window. Now I was seeing evil vampires lurking in every shadow, rather than zealous hunters.It wasn’t an improvement. “He knows where I am?”
    “Darling, I’m afraid he must, thanks to your naive return to your roost,” Lily said with a touch of asperity. “As well as being an utter prig, Hakon is, very inconveniently, my sire’s sire. Your great-grandsire. Which means he’s got a direct Bloodline to both of us. He can piggyback our senses, and there’s not a thing we can do to stop him.”
    “What?” One of my parents stirred in their bedroom; I cut off my shriek. “You mean more people can stare at me whenever they want?”
    “Only those in your direct line, which means we just have to worry about Hakon at the moment. And not quite whenever he wants—it’s tiring to reach more-distant descendants. I can stay in contact with you near enough indefinitely, as your direct sire, but Hakon, as your great-grandsire, is a bit more