Forty yards behind them, a pair of muscular young college guys followed, both sniffing the air occasionally when they were sure no one was looking. They also watched, with the eyes of predators, any of the other students that came near the two Arcane students Overhead, behind, in front, and on both sides of the witch and his friend, silent flying shapes either flitted from building to building or hovered so far up that their blue and white undersides disappeared against the darkening autumn sky. The ones close to the ground were small enough to either go completely unnoticed or be confused for birds, their erratic aerial paths mimicking natural avian flight.

Not far away, in the Davis Student Center, the only occupant of a girls’ restroom stared into a plugged-up sink full of clear water, her eyes watching her prey through the eyes of his best friend, listening through his ears.

Chapter 23

“So, ah, it gets dark early this time of year, huh?” the new werewolf asked, clearly uncomfortable.

Nika laughed. “And you’re wondering how I can be up and awake when it’s only early dusk, right?” They were walking on a sidewalk halfway between the campus and downtown, approaching the first house on their list.

“Um. Yeah. Listen, I really don’t intend to offend you, but I know absolutely nothing about you… your, ah, people,” Devaney finished.

“Holly and Stacia didn’t fill you in?”

“Holly says she doesn’t know all that much yet, and Stacia’s been really busy, what with getting me shifted here and worrying about Declan.”

“Listen, we don’t get upset with honest questions, and we know you’re new to this life. Partly why I suggested we team up, so I could work on your knowledge base.”

“Holly says, that you read, ah, people’s minds,” he said, frowning.

“I have that ability. Vampires, or as we call ourselves, Darkkin, often have one or two enhanced gifts after being Turned. Mine is telepathy. But I don’t delve into people’s minds deeply unless it’s truly necessary. What I do get, though, is the surface thoughts that flit through everyone’s minds on a constant basis. I mostly tune those out. I’m also somewhat empathetic, so I almost always pick up emotions. Right now, you are curious and nervous, likely about saying the wrong thing. But I’m not reading your mind. Got enough going on in my own head.”

“And daylight?”

“Makes us sleepy. Direct sunlight will give us bad burns, but older vampires, who can force back the fatigue, can handle being awake. Very old vampires, like the Elders, can choose to ignore it, mostly, although Death Valley or the Sahara at noon is a little much even for them.”

“And you’re, ah, old enough to stay up?”