Pulse. Part 8

"When I was born," said Stuart, softly. "Women would never think of asking men for...romantic engagements." He took her hand. "I am very glad I have lived long enough to see times change."

chapter 10.

Kalina went straight to cheerleading practice after school. She had considered skipping it, given the trauma of yesterday's events, but in the end it seemed better to go. Cheerleading had always helped her release her pent-up energy, her excess anger and pain. The vigorous workout kept the blood flowing throughout her body, and kept her healthy. Besides, if she was going to have to fight vampires in the future, she knew it was important to keep her muscles as toned as possible. She didn't want to deal with Jaegar being insufferable about helping to rescue her again. She had a feeling that next time, he wouldn't let her forget it. It was the first time she had seriously engaged in cheerleading since Aaron had died. She had continued going since then, partic.i.p.ating half-heartedly in the workouts, but she'd known that something was different. Aaron was a football player, and when Aaron was alive she would always cheer for him. Without Aaron to cheer for, the sport had lost its appeal, somehow.

But now she was back in full force, somersaulting over the other team members, lifting up the lighter teammates on her shoulders a she had been famous, in her soph.o.m.ore year, as the only girl on the team with the strength to do it a and performing cartwheels across the turf of the football field. Adrenaline coursed through her veins and she felt all at once that she was at last doing something again, something worthwhile. Her face was flushed and she was out of breath. Even Genie Coltran, who had always maintained a coolly cordial rivalry with her, congratulated her on her forward somersaults. Maeve enveloped Kalina in a big bear hug at the conclusion of the practice. "That was great, Kalina! It's like you've finally got your game back."

"Guess so," said Kalina, feeling guilt p.r.i.c.kle at her heart. She had never told Maeve about the vampires, and she hated feeling like she was lying to her best friend. But how could she expect Maeve to ever believe her? She'd probably think Kalina had been taking some of Maeve's mother's sleeping pills again.

"I didn't know if it would be the same ever again, after..." Maeve's voice trailed off, and Kalina knew she was thinking of Aaron. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring him up."

"No, it's good to talk about him." Kalina gave her a brave smile. "And you know a that new guy..."

"The cute one?"

"Yeah, Stuart. He's Aaron's half-brother."

"No way!"

"He's been a he's been really nice. Helping me come to terms with what happened." She mopped the sweat from her brow. "Only a I asked him out."

"You what?" Maeve's eyes grew wide.

"I don't know a it was in the moment a do you think it was too soon?"

Maeve thought about it. "What do you think?"

Kalina sighed. "I think it's time. And I think...we could honor Aaron's memory...together."

"Right now?" Maeve laughed.

"What?"

"Well," said Maeve. "Don't turn around, but..."

"Good afternoon," said a familiar voice behind her. Kalina whirled around to see Stuart offering her a towel. "That was a a very impressive performance, Kalina."

"Thank you. You stuck around to watch?"

"I knew cheerleading was important to you. I wanted to see what it was you did. It's quite different from how I imagined it. Much more strenuous."

"It's different in every school," said Maeve, blushing crimson. "Some schools just want pretty girls to dance around. Rutherford's super-athletic. We won Regional Champions last year." Her voice grew high. "Well, I'd better go. The other girls and I are going out for milkshakes a I'm guessing you have plans?"

"Next time, Maeve?" It had been a while since she'd spent proper time with her best friend, but Maeve's wink signaled that she understood.

"Sure thing! Have fun!" Maeve picked up her gym bag.

"Wait," said Kalina. She remembered the vampires from yesterday a their cruel faces, their sharp fangs a and couldn't help herself. "Be careful, okay?"

"Careful!"

"Whatever happened to Aaron a just...don't do anything dumb, okay? Because I don't want to mourn two of my best friends this year."

Maeve smiled. "Promise," she said. "Love you!"

"Love you."

Maeve trotted off happily. She stopped and turned around. "Hey Stuart," she said.

"Yes?"

"You going to take care of her?"

"I certainly hope so." Kalina could almost see his pale skin turn crimson around the cheekbone.

"Because if you don't a remember. You saw what we could do just now. You hurt one of our girls, and you'll have the whole of Rutherford High Cheer Team on your a.s.s. Got it?"

"I wouldn't dream of going up against the whole of the Rutherford High Cheer Team," said Stuart.

"Make sure she has fun." Maeve put up a warning finger.

"I'll have her home by midnight."

Maeve giggled, a bit surprised at her own daring. "Bye!" she chirped, and vanished.

"She's an interesting one," said Stuart. "She seems to care for you very deeply."

Kalina nodded. "When I broke up with Aaron a she and I just spent hours watching Xena: Warrior Princess and eating granola bars a talking about how much we hated men. She's a good friend. Normally I'd ask you if you had a good-looking brother to double-date with. But under the circ.u.mstances..."

"Under the circ.u.mstances."

"I wouldn't let Genie Colton near your brother." Kalina laughed. "So, do vampires eat at all? Because I'm craving a burger."

"We can sometimes digest raw steak," said Stuart, warily. "If it's b.l.o.o.d.y."

"E. Coli," said Kalina, "you're not going to find raw steak at the Stomping Ground."

"The Stomping Ground?"

"Old vineyard press. Now the hottest place in town."

"I think I'll come for the company, not the food."

"As long as I'm not both." She saw a shadow flit across Stuart's face and regretted her joke. "Kidding, Stuart, kidding!"

"Please don't joke about that," said Stuart. She saw again the same darkness she had seen earlier that morning.

"Come on, let's go! We're going to have to walk, though."

"I have a car," said Stuart. "A new one. It's outside."

"Where do you get all this money?"

"Well," said Stuart. "After a few thousand years, you learn a few things about good investments. I lost a good chunk of my fortune in the Great Depression a but I also purchased several slaughterhouses in New York City for the purpose of keeping animals."

"Ew," said Kalina.

"You shouldn't be so shocked," said Stuart. "Those slaughterhouses are now some of the most expensive properties in SoHo. I sold them for five million dollars, each!"

"That's a h.e.l.l of a lot of money."

"I have a long time to spend it." He took her hand.

The Stomping Ground was lively that night. Kalina and Stuart sat across from each other, trying to hear each other over the din of the music.

"I feel ridiculous, eating all this when you can't have anything," said Kalina, wolfing down her second order of fries. Stuart withdrew a flask of Vampire Wine from his pocket. "I hope you don't mind..."

"No, not at all." She looked down. "Is it...real blood?"

"Yes," said Stuart. "And no."

"I'm sorry?"

"Are you aware of the rite of Transubstantiation?" asked Stuart.

"I'm a practicing Catholic," said Kalina. "Of course I am." She thought for a moment. "Wait a are you?"

"A Catholic? I was. I was born in England long before King Henry broke with the Catholic Church. But we vampires have a...complicated relationship to the Catholic faith."

"Crosses a holy water."

"Those can be quite painful. When objects are as invested in belief as crosses or holy water a they become quite powerful. Vampires belong to that same world of magic, of myth and legend a of belief and superst.i.tion. I was...extraordinarily religious as a young man. I even considered becoming a monk. But I can no longer enter a church."

"But...the wine?"

"In the rite of Transubstantiation, the consecrated wine in communion becomes, literally, the Blood of Christ."

"That's what we believe," said Kalina. "Technically. I'm not sure how many people still believe it today."

"But, according to the strictest Catholics a the wine becomes the blood, you understand? It is invested with belief, and thus it becomes, in a sense, magical."

"Vampire Wine is communion wine?" Kalina furrowed her brow. "But...how can vampires drink something so holy?"

"There is a vampire priest," said Stuart. "An Italian a from the days of the Renaissance. He was turned after he entered the priesthood. But he had, according to the Catholic faith, given his soul to G.o.d a so there was no soul for the vampire to take from him. It was an impossible impa.s.se a he was, in essence, stuck between two systems of belief, of magic a and I don't use that term lightly. He, alone among us vampires, was able to withstand the presence of a church, of a cross, or holy water. And when he performed the rite of the Host, the blood he created was able to sustain us."

"So a all this Vampire Wine..."

"Consecrated by one man," said Stuart. "There are not too few of us a vampires who do not wish to drink from humans unwilling. And there are many who think that religion has no place in a vampire's life, like my brother. Those wish to kill this priest a whose name we are forbidden to reveal for his safety. He is hidden safely, where he is able to perform services, to supply us with this wine...for if he were to be killed, we would be forced to resort to violence once more."

"That's crazy," said Kalina.

"Belief is a powerful thing," said Stuart. "It is at the root of all magic, all things supernatural."

"How can you still be religious?" asked Kalina. "After what happened to you?"

"I doubt it every day," said Stuart. "I struggle with my doubts daily. Sometimes, when my hunger threatens to consume me, I cannot bear the restrictions my faith puts on me and long to feast, like Jaegar, on human blood. It is a daily struggle."

"That's what my parents used to say," said Kalina.

Her phone rang.

"Excuse me," she said. "It's my brother. Justin a you'll meet him. h.e.l.lo?"

"Kalina!" The voice on the phone was full of relief. "Thank G.o.d a are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She paused. "Why?"

"I'm at the hospital. The whole cheerleading squad's just been admitted. Something attacked them a most of the injuries resulted from a panic: bruises, broken bones, split lips they gave each other when they were stampeding. But...Maeve."

"What happened?"

"Some animal a nothing I've seen before. She's lost a lot of blood."

"I'll be right over." Kalina stood up. "Stuart, drive me to the hospital right now."

"What is it?"

"Something just attacked the cheerleading squad."

"Jaegar." Stuart glowered. "Let's go."

The drive to the hospital seemed interminably slow. Kalina gnawed at her nails in frustration as Stuart drove. At last they arrived, and rushed into the hospital.

"Justin!" She flung her arms around her brother.

"She's alive," said Justin. "Don't worry, she's alive." He looked up at Stuart. "Who are you?"

"Can we see her?" asked Stuart.

"It's supposed to be just family..." Justin's voice trailed off. "You're family enough, Kalina. Come on. She's asleep now."