Cryptic Cravings (Vampire Kisses 8)

We descended the rickety staircase and I led the way down the narrow, dark, and dank hallway until we reached the last two opposing doors.

"It's this one," I said. I reached for the door knob, but like the last time, it fell off in my hand.

Alexander's face grew serious. "Hurry!"

My hand shook as I stuck the knob back in its groove and tried to wind it so the latch would catch.

Alexander anxiously tapped his monster boots on the cement floor. The sound echoed, causing me to be more nervous thanIalreadywas. Finally, the knob caught the latchand we were inside Jagger's office.

I raced to the desk. The rolled-up blueprints were inthe same positionI'd left them. Iquicklytook off the rubber band and unrolled them.

"Here." I showed Alexander the second set.

Alexander peered at the plans. These drawings weren't as big as the Crypt's blueprints were.

"It looks like another club," I said, using what I'd learned byexamining the Crypt's plans withAlexander.

"Yes . . ." he said. "Here's a small bar, a mainstage, and a game room."

"The Covenant . . ." I said. "This room has to be the one Jagger's planning as the vampire club. It's underground and secluded, just like the Dungeonis at the CoffinClub. He said it himself-- mortals above, vampires below."

Alexander shook his head, frustrated bywhat we'd just discovered.

"What's this?" Iasked. Ipointed to a small unmarked boxdrawnopposite the mainstage.

Alexander and I froze when we heard noises coming from upstairs.

I could barely breathe.

"We've got to go," he said, replacing the Crypt blueprints ontop of the ones for the Covenant. WhileAlexander headed for the doorway, I rolled them back up, being careful not to damage them in any way. I bound them with the rubber band and set them back into their original position.

Now that we'd accomplished the sneaking inpart, we'd have to accomplishthe harder part--sneaking out.

Alexander hung by the doorway as I grabbed my backpack and fumbled with my flashlight.

I could hear noises above us getting closer, and I did my best not to panic.

I tried to recover and tiptoed to the door, trying to avoid flashing the beam inAlexander's face. The light shook as I made my way between the desk and the filing cabinets. Suddenly my face banged hard into something.

"Are youokay?"Alexander whispered.

I felt the large metal object infront of me. It was cool to the touchand felt smooth. I'd walked into one of the filing cabinets.

"Are youokay?"Alexander asked again.

I was too embarrassed and shocked to feel any pain. I shined the beam on the floor as I continued toward the doorway.

"What's that?"Alexander whispered.

"What's what?" Iwondered. "Ididn't hear anything."

"That scent . . ."

"I'm sure it's just mold. This place hasn't beencleaned inyears."

"It's not a bad smell . . . it's the scent of--"

It was then I felt the dewy drops on the side of my cheek. I must have broken open my wound when I ran into the cabinet.

I stepped into the moonlight.Alexander's eyes lit up, thenhe backed away.

Alexander didn't know what to do. If he got anycloser to me, he might be attracted to mymouth, withlust and thirst.

We didn't have time for a romantic vampire moment betweenus.

We heard the scuffling of footsteps coming down the staircase at the end of the hallway.

"They won't--" I said. "It's not enoughand theyare too far away."

Alexander put his finger to his lips to direct me to be silent as they came down the corridor.

"You must wipe it away. Before--"

My cut was small, but the scent of blood would be ripe on a breezy night in an empty factory. If the vampires were close, it wouldn't take long until they'd know a mortal was near.

"Do yousmell that?" I heard someone say. I couldn't see them, but I could hear them shuffling around intheir coffin room.

"It's blood," I heard a voice say. I couldn't tell if it was Sebastianor Jagger.

"It must be from the bottle in your office. You left it there last night," Onyx said.

"Ifinished it," Jagger said.

"It's human," I heard a female voice say. "Definitelynot ananimal."

"Yes, it's mortal. I could smell that a mile away."

"But whywould anyone be here?" Irecognized Sebastian's voice.

"It could be a homeless person," Jagger said. "Ican't keep track of everynook and crannyof this vast place."

The voices were so close; I knew they had to be standing only a few feet away.

I pulled my sleeve over my fist and pressed it to the crease of my mouth.

Alexander's escape would be easyand painless and take onlyseconds. Inbat form, he could easily fly through the sky-high ceiling and out the crack in the window. I, on the other hand, had only two legs and a very impatient nature. Without someone to guide me out, I had only the help of my flashlight.

"I'm not leaving youhere,"Alexander said as if he was reading mythoughts.

"That handle gets stuck," Isaid. "Maybe that could ward them off for a few minutes. Pushthe door closed."

"There's no other wayto escape," he said.

I could only hope they would let me be--but withsucha temptationas my blood looming before them, now wasn't the time to find out. It was one thing for me to be inthe companyofAlexander. But it wasn't a good idea to be in the company of other, more impulsive vampires.

Alexander peered throughthe crack of the doorway. "They're intheir room. Now is our onlychance!"

He grabbed my hand and yanked me out of the room and toward the staircase. It was rickety and dangerous at best, but the elevator would be creakyand loud if it still worked. Not onlywould it draw attentionto us--it could trap us in a cryptic cage.

We had just reached the stairs when the voices and footsteps emerged from the other end of the hallway. There was no time for a dash up and out. Alexander drew me behind the circular stairs and we stood close together in the shadows.

"Maybe Ishould tellAlexander I'm still here," Sebastiansaid. "What if he stumbles uponus, dude? He'd be, like,double mad knowing Ihadn't told him Ididn't leave."

"Whyare we talking about this now?" Jagger said. "We might have anintruder."

"Because this is just as important."

"Why don't you wait until the club is up and running?" Jagger asked. "Thenyoucaninvite him. Wouldn't that be cool?"

"So, I just wait for months?" Sebastian said. "That's not cool, dude. Not cool at all. I have to face him again."