Eleventh Grade Burns(65)

“—your trial date has been set for May eleventh at nine P.M., at this location. This session is adjourned.”

“Em.” A tear rolled down his cheek, his tone bordering on desperation. Apparently, he’d been counting on their private conversation clearing him of wrongdoing.

She crossed her ankles and frowned, her voice firm. “This session is adjourned, Otis.”

Her eyes locked pointedly on Vlad for a moment, but he couldn’t read her expression.

Slowly, the vampires filed out, first the audience, and then the council, at last Dorian, until the only ones left in the room were Otis and Vlad. Vlad approached his uncle slowly and placed a caring palm on his shoulder. Otis reached up and cupped his hand. Neither spoke for a long time.

Vlad tried to think of something comforting to say. He settled on, “She can’t be the last word in whether you live or die, Otis.”

Otis took a shuddered breath and released another tear. “Em is the oldest vampire in existence, Vladimir. If I cannot convince her of DAblo’s treachery, then I have no hope.”

He turned and walked out of the room, resolving himself to die at the word of a teenage vampire.





26


NOT-SO-HAPPY NEW YEAR


NELLY SLIPPED A SILVER CUFF BRACELET onto her left wrist and checked her hair in the mirror for the five millionth time. She looked beautiful in her black satin cocktail dress with rhinestones dotting the bodice. She had on heels, something that Vlad couldn’t recall ever having seen her wear before. Plus, underneath the nervous exterior, she was positively glowing over her and Otis’s New Year plans ... which both thrilled Vlad to no end and grossed him out at the same time. Despite the “ew” factor of his aunt and uncle dating, Vlad was pretty happy for the two of them.

“My earrings!” Nelly gasped, disappearing upstairs for a moment. When she came back down, black and silver teardrops hung from her ears.

When the doorbell rang, Vlad first watched Nelly turn back to the mirror, her fingers trembling, and then went to open the door. He had no idea why Otis still knocked or rang the bell. It wasn’t like he didn’t practically live there or anything. But Nelly was nervous and Otis probably was too, being that this was the first date they’d gone on where both referred to the event as a date, so Vlad wasn’t about to make waves. He opened the door and smiled at Otis, who was looking dapper in a three-piece charcoal gray suit. Vlad kept his voice low. “She’s in the living room, checking for gray hairs.”

Otis chuckled and when Nelly stepped out to see him, their eyes twinkled. An electricity filled the air between them, one that made Vlad enormously uncomfortable. A brief flash of something—the fear of losing her, maybe—crossed Otis’s eyes. Then Otis stepped closer to Nelly without a word and kissed her full on the mouth. Vlad coughed into his fist, trying not to make a retching sound, and the lovers parted, cheeks flushed. Otis said, “I’m so blessed to have such beauty in my life, Nelly.”

If she hadn’t been wearing an expensive dress, Vlad was pretty sure Nelly would have melted into a pile of goo right there. “So,” he said, in an effort to remind them that they weren’t alone just yet, “where is this shindig, anyway?”

“It’s in the ballroom at the Karloff Hotel in Stokerton, and I’ll have her home by three A.M.”

“Three? I dunno ...” Vlad smirked, taking on a parental tone. “Promise to behave yourselves?”

Otis grinned. “Not at all.”

Nelly blinked as if remembering that she had a ward and he’d probably require something like sustenance and company eventually “What time will Henry be here? The pizza’s getting cold.”

Glancing at the clock, Vlad said, “About a half hour from now. I’m going to warm up some blood after he gets here.”

Then, Otis’s face suddenly dropped and all traces of joy were erased in an instant. Before Vlad could ask what was wrong, he heard Vikas’s voice in his thoughts. “Come, Mahlyenki Dyavol, something terrible has happened. I need you and your uncle both. Get here as soon as you are able. It’s urgent.”

His voice sounded shaken and gruff in Vlad’s mind, as if his thoughts had been full of sorrow. Vlad looked at Otis, who was placing a trembling kiss on Nelly’s hand. “We have to go. Vikas needs us. And I’m afraid I don’t know how long we’ll be.”

Nelly looked heartbroken, but understanding. She nodded.