Free Night of the Vampires by Heather Graham

Samuel teased her horribly. And he was cruel to her. He’d walk by and make her drop her books. He’d trip her.”
    â€œAh. Not at all a gentleman,” Cole noted.
    â€œOne day he sat behind her. He didn’t just dip her hair in an inkwell—he managed to jump up and dump the entire thing all over her. He pretended it was all a massive mistake and he didn’t even get in trouble. So, when we were out playing and he started calling her Blue Face, I charged him. He and I started to fight and there were kids all around us, cheering for one or the other of us. He started to take a real swing at me and I ducked and then…”
    â€œAnd then?”
    â€œI bit him.”
    â€œAnd what happened? Children do bite when they’re tussling on the school grounds.”
    She shook her head, looking straight before her, and then meeting his eyes again.
    â€œI liked it. I liked the flow of his blood into my mouth, and I didn’t want to let him go. Our teacher had to get help to drag me off him, and when my mother came for me…she was horrified and upset, and she sat me down that afternoon and told me about my father, but she said that he was a good man, and that…I had to use my powers for good, as well.”
    â€œYou believe that your father is a good man—still?”
    â€œYou don’t—do you? Nor does Cody. But I believe it with all my heart.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œBecause my mother was a good woman, and she wouldn’t have lied to me.”
    Cole lifted her chin, and his touch was gentle. He stood there, studying her eyes.
    â€œYou believe in Cody, don’t you? I believed in him before I met him. When I read the articles in the papers about the outlaws in the West—I knew that Cody was the son my mother had told my father about.”
    Cole laughed. “The name Cody Fox didn’t tell you that?”
    â€œFox is a common enough name,” she said.
    Cole still seemed to be wearing a dry half smile. “What happened to Samuel Reeves?” he asked.
    â€œNothing. He stayed home from school for a few days—sick. I was punished for the rest of the year—I wasn’t allowed to play with the other children. But, Samuel never teased my friend Sally again. Ever.”
    â€œAnd did you bite anyone else? Ever?”
    â€œOnly when I’ve had to—and only in self-defense, and only vampires.”
    â€œThey’re leaving,” Cole said, pointing ahead. Visitors who had been praying at graves were heading for the gates.
    â€œWe’ll have to split up and start walking fast,” Megan said. The ever-so-slightly-civil-almost-tender moment they had shared was gone. He had become all business. She could certainly do the same. “Look for disturbed earth.”
    â€œI know what I’m doing. You head easterly, and I’ll go west. Try to keep visual contact with me.”
    â€œOf course. I won’t let you get hurt,” she promised sweetly.
    â€œYou’re Cody’s sister. I’ll look after you, ” he responded over his shoulder.
    â€œAs you like, cowboy,” she said lightly, aware that her teasing response was patronizing but unable to help herself from making the statement. She didn’t want anyone getting hurt looking after her; she was what she was.
    She was alarmed to realize that the day was quickly waning. And it was disheartening to know that they had fought so hard the day before—and that at least one of the creatures had escaped.
    She could see Cole at a distance, long strides taking him swiftly across the cemetery. She saw when he paused and reached into his coat for one of his slender honed stakes, then switched it backward to dig in the ground.
    She waited to see if he had made a discovery.
    He had.
    She watched as he swiftly found the mallet in his inner coat pocket, and slammed the stake downward, honed side first. He drew out his bowie knife and she turned her