Free Thicker Than Blood (Marchwood Vampire Series #2) by Shalini Boland Page B

crate in daylight?’ Isobel said.
    ‘ They won’t open them,’
Alexandre replied.
    ‘ But how do you
know?’
    ‘ Easy,’ Ben said. ‘Just
mark the crates: ‘Light-Sensitive Artwork – Do Not Open in
Daylight’.
    Jacques grinned. ‘Would that work? It sounds
a little strange to me.’
    ‘ We did it at school.
Light damage is called ‘photochemical deterioration’. That’s why
they don’t let you use flash photography in art
galleries.’
    ‘ Interesting,’ said
Leonora. ‘Do you think that’s what happens to us? Photochemical
deterioration? Maybe vampires have an extreme version of this
condition?’
    ‘ Maybe,’ Ben said. ‘Let me
see if I can remember what our teacher said … Light energy is
absorbed by the molecules of an object and this can start a
chemical reaction. Each molecule needs a certain amount of energy
to begin a chemical reaction with other molecules. It’s called
something like activation energy. Different types of molecules have
different activation energies. Maybe a vampire’s activation energy
is really weak or something.’
    ‘ Wow, Ben. You’re really
quite clever,’ Jacques said.
    ‘ Yes,’ Freddie agreed.
‘That is very enlightening.’
    ‘ Don’t sound so
surprised,’ Ben said, flushing under their admiring
stares.
    ‘ So will this labelling of
the crates work?’ Isobel said.
    ‘ I’m pretty sure it will,’
Ben said. ‘Just make sure you write it in big letters.’
    ‘ I’m nervous,’ Isobel
said. ‘I have horrible images of them opening my crate on the
airfield. The pain of daylight is not something I ever wish to
experience again.’
    ‘ We’ll be fine, Isobel,’
Alexandre said.
    ‘ Perhaps you should stay
here, Isobel’ Leonora said. ‘I’m sure we can manage.’
    ‘ No. Of course I’m coming
with you. I just want to be sure we’ll arrive safely.’
    ‘ So,’ Ben said. ‘You’ll
all be travelling as priceless sculptures.’
    ‘ Perfect,’ Leonora replied
and gave Ben a rare smile.
    He basked in its unexpected glow, but his
happiness was short-lived.
    ‘ And don’t worry, Ben,’
Freddie said. ‘We will keep you informed of everything.’
    ‘ What do you mean, ‘keep
me informed’?’
    ‘ Just what I said,’
Freddie replied, a puzzled expression on his face.
    Alexandre sensed trouble. ‘Ben, you do
understand you are staying here with Esther.’
    ‘ You are not doing this to
me again,’ Ben said.
    ‘ Ben, we’re not doing
anything to you. We’ve talked about this. You have no
passport.’
    ‘ You might have talked about it,
but I didn’t.’
    ‘ The passport issue is one
we cannot avoid.’
    ‘ Then I’ll travel in a
packing crate.’
    ‘ You’ll die in a packing
crate.’
    ‘ But she’s my
sister!’
    ‘ I know. I’m sorry,’
Isobel said, reaching her hand out to his face.
    He jerked his head away in anger. ‘You all
treat me like I’m some stupid kid whose opinion doesn’t matter. You
went off to London without me and now you’re going to Turkey
without me. It’s not fair. It’s not …’
    ‘ Ben, Ben,’ Isobel
interrupted. ‘It’s not as though we want to leave you behind. It’s
just that you cannot board an aeroplane if you have no
passport.’
    ‘ Why can’t I just … get
one?’
    ‘ There is not enough
time.’
    ‘ You could drive me to
London. Alex, we could go on your bike.’
    ‘ If I could, I would. But
it’s not as simple as that. You are only fourteen. You’re a minor.
We cannot manage all the paperwork in time.’
    Ben stormed out of the basement, slamming
the door behind him.
    ‘ He’s just worried,’
Isobel said. ‘He’s not angry with us, he’s angry at the
situation.’
    Alexandre rubbed his sister’s shoulder and
they smiled sadly at each other. Jacques and Freddie stood there
awkwardly and Leonora seemed oblivious, tapping away on her small
blue laptop.
    Back in London, Alexandre had filled them in
on his conversation with Blythe. They had agreed there was no