Zamani by Angelic Rodgers Read Free Book Online

  They’d
decided to go blonde in part because it was a stark contrast and in part
because it would not seem odd that Alex didn’t have five-o’clock shadow or any
sign of facial hair if her hair were platinum.
    She’d learned almost
immediately that the idea that vampires couldn’t see themselves in mirrors was
nothing more than a myth.   Once
she’d cut and bleached her hair, though, she didn’t see herself in her
reflection. While she was relieved because she knew the disguise would be
successful, she felt a pang of sadness at having lost herself.   It was one thing to make a change in
your identity because you needed to for yourself; it was quite another to have
to become someone else because of a choice you weren’t given.
    “I obviously can’t use my
name anymore.   I have to decide who
I am, Lucy.   That’s part of what
this has been about; I don’t like that this choice was made for me. I didn’t
want to meet a teacher until I had a new identity I could claim as my
own.”   Alex sat down and took a swig
off the beer that Lucy had opened for her to toast her new look. “A haircut and
dye job is one thing, but I have to be able to move about in the world.”
    Lucy nodded. “I can only
imagine how you feel.   For me, the
choice was mine; I felt as if becoming a donor was a natural
progression--something I was fated for.   So, I’ve never felt the need to change my name or take a new one, other
than shortening it to something more contemporary and American sounding.”   She thought for a moment. “You know,
there is a nickname for Alexander that is gender neutral.   What about ‘Sasha’?”
    Alex smiled.   She liked it.   “Sasha.   What about Sasha West?   Is that too familiar to take your
name?   You did, after all, find me.”
    Lucy gave her blessing and
Sasha West was born.

Chapter
Seven

 
    “So, you don’t think Olivia knows about her?”
Lucy had stopped by Zofia’s house after picking up the supplies on Alex’s list
for her transformation.
    Zofia shook her head. “If she knew, you wouldn’t
have had anyone to take to the morgue.”
    “That’s what I figured, as well.   I don’t think that Wren realized she
turned her either. Such a mess. I’ve never seen someone quite so disfigured as
Alex was when we picked her up.” Lucy swallowed hard, trying to lose the image
of Alex’s bloody body as they’d zipped it up in the body bag.   Wren had nearly torn out her throat, or
at least it certainly looked like it when they’d arrived on the scene.   The damage was lucky on one hand; it
left no doubt in the minds of those who found her that she was dead. It was
also gruesome to the point that there would be no worries that her family would
want to see her corpse again, which made the swap effective.
    “If it weren’t for the energy she put off I
wouldn’t have checked her later.”
    “And you’re sure you felt Olivia there?” Zofia
wanted to be sure.
    “Yes. I haven’t figured out all of the
connections yet.   Alex hasn’t
either. She and Wren were friends and former girlfriends, but I’m not sure why
Olivia didn’t get to Alex first if that’s who she was after. Why Wren?”
    “Good question. What would she stand to gain by
Wren and Alex being together?”
    Lucy thought for a moment. “What if it’s Liz and not
Alex that Olivia was after?   Wren
would be a way to separate Liz and Alex.   If Alex cheated on Liz or Liz thought she had, it could break up the
relationship, leaving Liz alone.”
    Zofia nodded.   “And vulnerable. So, our next step needs
to be to find out if Liz is the one she’s after.”
    Lucy hesitated to tell her about Alex’s plans to
attend the memorial, but knew it was important. “The memorial is soon; I’m
going with Alex.” She waited for Zofia’s reaction, expecting her to tell her
that she couldn’t go.
    Zofia simply smiled.   “I suspected she might want to attend;
as you know, everyone grieves their old life in