that was the way to stay alive in Riley’s crowd。 “SpiderMan is such a whiny loser；” Kevin called up to the blond kid。 “I’ll show you how a real superhero hunts。” He grinned wide。 His teeth flashed in the glare of a streetlight。 Kevin jumped into the middle of the street just as the lights from a car swung around to illuminate the cracked pavement with a bluewhite gleam。 He flexed his arms back； then pulled them slowly together like a pro wrestler showing off。 The car came on； probably expecting him to get the hell out of the way
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like a normal person would。 Like he should。 “Hulk mad！” Kevin bellowed。 “Hulk… SMASH！” He leaped forward to meet the car before it could brake； grabbed its front bumper； and flipped it over his head so that it struck the pavement upside down with a squeal of bending metal and shattering glass。 Inside； a woman started screaming。 “Oh man；” Diego said； shaking his head。 He was pretty； with dark； dense； curly hair； big； wide eyes； and really full lips； but then； who wasn’t pretty？ Even Kevin and the rest of Raoul’s morons were pretty。 “Kevin； we’re supposed to be laying low。 Riley said ” “Riley said！” Kevin mimicked in a harsh soprano。 “Get a spine； Diego。 Riley’s not here。” Kevin sprang over the upsidedown Honda and punched out the driver’s side window； which had somehow stayed intact up to that point。 He fished through the shattered glass and the deflating air bag for the driver。 I turned my back and held my breath； trying my hardest to hold on to the ability to think。 I couldn’t watch Kevin feed。 I was too thirsty for that； and I really didn’t want to pick a fight with him。 I so did not need to be on Raoul’s hit list。 The blond kid didn’t have the same issues。 He pushed off from the bricks overhead and landed lightly behind me。 I heard him and Kevin snarling at each other； and then a wet tearing sound as the woman’s screams cut off。 Probably them ripping her in half。 I tried not to think about it。 But I could feel the heat and hear
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the dripping behind me； and it made my throat burn so bad even though I wasn’t breathing。 “I’m outta here；” I heard Diego mutter。 He ducked into a crevice between the dark buildings； and I followed right on his heels。 If I didn’t get away from here fast； I’d be squabbling with Raoul’s goons over a body that couldn’t have had much blood left in it by now anyway。 And then maybe I’d be the one who didn’t e home。 Ugh； but my throat burned！ I clamped my teeth together to keep from screaming in pain。 Diego darted through a trashfilled side alley； and thenwhen he hit the dead end up the wall。 I dug my fingers into the crevices between the bricks and hauled myself up after him。 On the rooftop； Diego took off； leaping lightly across the other roofs toward the lights shimmering off the sound。 I stayed close。 I was younger than he was； and therefore strongerit was a good thing we younger ones were strongest； or we wouldn’t have lived through our first week in Riley’s house。 I could have passed him easy； but I wanted to see where he was going； and I didn’t want to have him behind me。 Diego didn’t stop for miles； we were almost to the industrial docks。 I could hear him muttering under his breath。 “Idiots！ Like Riley wouldn’t give us instructions for a good reason。 Selfpreservation； for example。 Is an ounce of mon sense so much to ask for？” “Hey；” I called。 “Are we going to hunt anytime soon？ My throat’s on fire here。” Diego landed on the edge of a wide factory roof and spun
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around。 I jumped back a few yards； on my guard； but he didn’t make an aggressive move toward me。 “Yeah；” he said。 “I just wanted some distance between me and the lunatics。” He smiled； all friendly； and I stared at him。 This Diego guy wasn’t like the others。 He was kind of… calm； I guess was the word。 Normal。 Not normal now； but normal before。 His eyes were a darker red than mine。 He must have been around for a while； like I’d heard。 From the street below came the sounds of nighttime in a slummier part of Seattle。 A few cars； music with heavy bass； a couple of people walking with nervous； fast steps； some drunk bum singing offkey in the distance。 “You’re Bree； right？” Diego asked。 “One of the newbies。” I didn’t like that。 Newbie。 Whatever。 “Yeah； I’m Bree。 But I didn’t e in with the last group。 I’m almost three months old。” “Pretty slick for a threemonther；” he said。 “Not many would have been able to leave the scene of the accident like that。” He said it like a pliment； like he was really impressed。 “Didn’t want to mix it up with Raoul’s freaks。” He nodded。 “Amen； sister。 Their kind ain’t nothing but bad news。” Weird。 Diego was weird。 How he sounded like a person having a regular old conversation。 No hostility； no suspicion。 Like he wasn’t thinking about how easy or hard it might be to kill me right now。 He was just talking to me。 “How long have you been with Riley？” I asked curiously。 “Going on eleven months now。”
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“Wow！ That’s older than Raoul。” Diego rolled his eyes and spit venom over the edge of the building。 “Yeah； I remember when Riley brought that trash in。 Things just kept getting worse after that。” I was quiet for a moment； wondering if he thought everyone younger than himself was trash。 Not that I cared。 I didn’t care what anybody thought anymore。 Didn’t have to。 Like Riley said； I was a god now。 Stronger； faster； better。 Nobody else counted。 Then Diego whistled low under his breath。 “There we go。 Just takes a little brains and patience。” He pointed down and across the street。 Halfhidden around the edge of a purpleblack alley； a man was cussing at a woman and slapping her while another woman watched silently。 From their clothes； I guessed that it was a pimp and two of his employees。 This was what Riley had told us to do。 Hunt the dregs。 Take the humans that no one was going to miss； the ones who weren’t headed home to a waiting family； the ones who wouldn’t be reported missing。 It was the same way he chose us。 Meals and gods； both ing from the dregs。 Unlike some of the others； I still did what Riley told me to do。 Not because I liked him。 That feeling was long gone。 It was because what he told us sounded right。 How did it make sense to call attention to the fact that a bunch of new vampires were claiming Seattle as their hunting ground？ How was that going to help us？ I didn’t even believe in vampires before I was one。 So if the
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rest of the world didn’t believe in vampires； then the rest of the vampires must be hunting smart； the way Riley said to do it。 They probably had a good reason。 And like Diego’d said； hunting smart just took a little brains and patience。 Of course； we all slipped up a lot； and Riley would read the papers and groan and yell at us and break stuff like Raoul’s favorite videogame system。 Then Raoul would get mad and take somebody else apart and burn him up。 Then Riley would be pissed off and he’d do another search to confiscate all the lighters and matches。 A few rounds of this； and then Riley would bring home another handful of vampirized dregs kids to replace the ones he’d lost