Free Night Owls by Lauren M. Roy Page A

for a few minutes. It’s one of his favorite places. Was.” He took the key from around his neck and held it out for Val. “I’m sorry.”
    The chiding she’d had ready died on her lips. What harm had been done, really? Justin couldn’t understand the language the book was written in, and he’d carried it around all day before he brought it here.
It could have been warded.
She could smell it on him, the faint tang of rot on his hands. He’d opened the bag, probably flipped through the damned thing. If there’d been any spells set to go off when the cover was opened, they’d have triggered by now. Since the back room hadn’t exploded, she had to assume it was unprotected. Val sighed and took the key. “It’s all right. We’ve all had a long night. Why don’t you head on home and get some sleep?”
    Justin hesitated and looked around the store.
    Val understood. Here, at least, he was among people. The rooms in Bryant Hall were all singles and most of his floormates would be asleep at this hour. She knew what it was like to lie in the dark, alone and grieving. “You can stay if you want.”
    “No. I’ll be okay.” He mustered a smile and gave her an awkward squeeze on the arm. “Thanks, Val.”
    She watched him go, his hands in his pockets, shoulders hunched. In a way, Val envied him: when he got back to his room, he’d be able to cry.
    It was one of the few things vampirism had stolen from her that she actually missed, now and then. She could look at as many pictures of sunrises as she wanted to online, or watch thousands of videos shot by amateurs on beaches at dawn. Chaz had gotten used to her telling him what to order a couple times a week, and let her sniff to her heart’s content before he dug in.
    But being dead seemed to have closed up her tear ducts, and while maybe others could weep
near
her, no one could weep
for
her.
     • • • 
    T HE J ACKALS CAME at closing time.
    The store was empty except for Val and Chaz. She was at the register when the bell above the door jingled. Chaz was somewhere near the back; she could hear the rhythmic sweep of the push broom against the tiles.
Stay back there,
Val thought, even though it was useless: she wasn’t strong enough to Command with her will alone, and calling out would let them know he meant something to her.
    So she kept her mouth shut as three of them filed in, all trench coats and hidden faces, and hoped the floor in the children’s section was covered in dirt and tiny candy pieces. “Can I help you find something?” Her voice was steadier than she’d expected it to be. The rowan stakes were still in the office. Even if she made a run for it, Val knew she couldn’t take them all at once. Best just to stand her ground and see what they wanted.
    If they so much as look at Chaz askance, I’ll make him run.
    They wended their way past the display tables, the smell of decay roiling along ahead of them. Two of them were taller than Val, one bulky, one thin. The third was small and slight, and when she stopped on the other side of the counter, she pushed her hood back so Val could see the four long scars running down her cheek. They marred an otherwise pretty face, now that the snout was gone. She’d probably been popular, back when she was human: high cheekbones, pixie-ish nose, full lips. If she gave her hair a wash, she might even turn some heads now.
    “Hello, Leech.” She grinned up at Val. In the light, her teeth were jagged and yellow.
    Well, almost pretty.
“Didn’t I tell you to get the hell out of town?”
    “We’re on our way out. Just needed to pick up one last thing before we go.” The two behind her lifted their noses and sniffed.
    “It’s here.” The one on the left closed his eyes, panting a little. He looked Justin’s age, maybe younger. His cheeks were a minefield of acne scars; apparently becoming a Jackal didn’t fix your skin problems like vampirism did.
    The other one nodded, turning until his nose pointed