Free The Night House by Rachel Tafoya Page B

winter. I hate this. I need warmth. I need something to fill me up. Something to stop this emptiness.
    It’s not just the withdrawal, it’s that boy. He haunts me. What if he knew me from my suburban days? What if he knew what my parents did? Maybe that’s what he meant when he asked if I knew him. Maybe he’s a hunter too. Or a vampire—but that seems unlikely. He’s much too human.
    Maybe he’s some kind of freak who can see the future, and something terrible is going to happen to me. I’m already sleeping on a bench though. I can’t imagine it getting much worse.
    I can’t stop scanning the crowds for him. Maybe he’ll show up and just carry me out of this city. No, that’s stupid. That doesn’t happen. Besides, do I really want to leave? I have Micah and Alex. It just feels like something should have happened when he found me again, and nothing did. I guess I’m a little disappointed.
    The sun is climbing over the tops of the buildings when I decide it’s time to go home. I want breakfast, but I spent all the money I had last night.
    When I get there, the Night House is different. Usually, the lounge is illuminated by blue fluorescent overhead lights, but they’ve been turned off and instead I see some of Finn’s guys hanging torches on the wall. Actual torches .
    I must be hallucinating.
    That’s when I see Finn. I grab his arm before I remember what’s proper. He turns to me, deep circles under his eyes, with an expression that’s half horror, half pity.
    “Good God, what have you done to yourself?”
    “What did I do?” my voice comes out as a shout and everyone turns to me.
    My cheeks heat up, and Finn drags me away. “Get yourself cleaned up, and then I’ll explain. The Night House is having some special guests tonight.”
    “Don’t we always?” I ask but instead of an answer, Finn shoves me away. I can take a hint.
    The shower welcomes me into its warm, clean embrace. I wish I could stay here all night under the steady drum of the water. But what I want is to be out there, in one of those rooms with an open wound and a starving vamp breathing down my neck.
    It’s been two days too long without nauth.
    Around noon, I’m dressed and standing in front of Finn again, shivering against the feeling of nothing but blood in my veins. Finn seems utterly exhausted. There are only a few other guys still bumbling around the place like drunks. This is the earliest I’ve seen any of them up. Vamps don’t exactly burst into flames when the sun rises, but they certainly need their beauty sleep.
    Finn still looks at me like I have it worse. “Have you been eating properly? You know I stock the kitchen so you girls stay healthy.”
    “Who are these special guests?” I ask loudly so he’ll change the subject.
    He blinks. “We’re having Jeremiah’s circle visit tonight.”
    More terms I don’t know. “I hate talking to you.”
    He almost seems smug. “Circles are what you may call our churches.”
    “So what does that have to do with the redecorating? It’s like a caveman moved in here.”
    Finn sighs at what used to be his customer lounge. Most of the weird decorative pieces, like the paintings and lamps, have been taken down. The long couch that used to sit in the center of the room has been replaced with a large rug and several folding chairs. The hostess desk has also been removed. Four torches have been put up along the walls, the only means of illuminating the room. Any signs of technology have been covered, like the outlets on the walls and the light switches.
    “Some of the older circles prefer bare settings. Vampires used to be nomadic, before we settled into cities with the humans. So the circle masters only carry two or three items with them at any one time. They live in the homes of their followers.”
    Jeremiah doesn’t strike me as someone who hates excess, but he does seem like the kind of man who would try to stay in the good graces of his religious leader.
    “Do you belong