“Well, there you go,” she said, gesturing to the two moaning, crying attackers. “Take your pick.”

“I don’t think this is how you’re supposed to help me, either,” Betsy snapped, mincing over to the one by the streetlight.

“You’re right, this was a freebie. Bon appétit.”

“Go over there,” she grumbled.

“You mean in the corner that smells like piss?”

“I can’t do it in front of you,” the queen of the vampires whined.

“Are you kidding me? You’re kidding me, right?” Antonia paused. “You’re not kidding.”

Betsy pointed. “The quicker you go over there and don’t look, the quicker we can get out of here.”

“I think it’s fair to say nobody’s ever sent me to the corner before.”

Betsy snickered. “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”

“What?”

“Nothing. Monkey culture.”

The guy by the streetlight groaned and flopped over like a landed trout. The one with the broken hand had passed out from the pain. “I guess I’ll be in the corner, then.”

“This is quite a life I’ve made for myself,” Betsy muttered and stomped over to the streetlight.

Antonia yawned and ignored the groans and slurping. When the queen was finished, Antonia walked back to her. “Ready to go?”

Interestingly, Betsy looked…what was it? Mortified. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

“You sent me to the corner,” she reminded her. “I only heard.”

“Yeah, but…it’s gross. It’s so, so gross.” She covered her eyes for a moment and then looked up. “Except…”

“When it’s with Sinclair,” she guessed.

“Yeah. Yeah! How’d you know?”

Antonia tapped the side of her nose.

“Yuck. I mean, great! Wait a minute. I thought you couldn’t smell us.”

“I can just barely smell your blood. Which was on him, last night. Don’t worry. What do I care? You’re vampires, for crying out loud, why wouldn’t you share blood?”

“We’re not going to talk about this,” Betsy declared and went clicking off down the street in her silly shoes.

Antonia hurried to catch up. “You don’t have to be embarrassed. It’s your nature now. I mean, I like my steaks raw, and you don’t see me apologizing.”

“Different thing.”

“Totally the same thing.”

“And already, you’ve been hanging around me too long. You said totally!”

“I totally did not.” She reached out and touched Betsy’s chin. “You missed a spot.”

Betsy flinched back, newly self-conscious, and then forced a smile. “Thanks.”

They walked in silence for a minute and then Betsy asked, “You really weren’t grossed out?”

“Are you kidding? My high school graduation was gorier than that.”

Antonia was amused to see Betsy could skip in high heels.

Chapter 9

They returned a couple hours before dawn, about the time Jessica brought out a large bag full of yarn skeins.

“I’ll take them down,” Antonia offered.