Crossroads (Crossroads Academy #1) (11 page)

“Miss Walker. If I want you to answer, I’ll
call on you. I was speaking to Miss Lescinka,” Hooke reprimands her
sternly.

“Sorry, Professor. It’s just so fascinating.
I couldn’t help myself. It won’t happen again,” Shaye apologizes
with mock contrition, throwing me a wink when Hooke turns
around.

“Thanks,” I mouth silently. I knew I liked
this girl.

“Longevity is a blessing and a curse for
some,” Hooke continues, picking up where Shaye left off.

“I’d never choose death,” calls out a boy in
the back. I don’t bother looking to see who it is. I’m too tired to
care.

“You say that now, but what might you say in
a thousand years? Or even two?” inquires Hooke. “Once, there were
only three ways for a vampire to die. Beheading, destroying the
heart, and the sun. Now we have four.”

“The blood disease!” It’s the boy in the back
again. There’s not a student in the room who doesn’t know this, so
it grates on my nerves that he shouts it out like an epiphany.

“Well then, let’s don’t forget how important
it is to burn the remains,” I mutter under my breath. A few people
around me snicker, and I draw a harsh look from Professor Hooke. I
duck my head and decide it’s best to keep my mouth shut for the
remainder of the class. I’m on thin ice already.

When we’re finally dismissed I find myself
walking side by side with Shaye. Today she’s wearing black leggings
and a green fatigue jacket. I’m starting to think she does all of
her shopping at thrift stores. What I can’t figure out is if it’s
self-expression or rebellion that drives her fashion choices.
Either way, they’re pretty outrageous.

“You look like hell,” she says.

“It’s that obvious, huh?” I don’t bother
trying to stifle a yawn. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.
Better double up on the O-neg at lunch. It’ll get me through the
afternoon at least.” It’s my favorite blood type. Just the thought
of it is enough to make my stomach rumble.

“I haven’t seen you out at the stables
lately. Did you talk to Keegan about those lessons?”

“Not yet. I’ve been a little busy with
school. I’d still like to ask him about it though. I really do want
to learn. Maybe I’ll try to get down there this weekend.”

“I’d wait until next week if I were you. The
staff’s pretty busy getting ready for the big night,” she replies
wistfully.

“Ah, the big Halloween bash.” What is with
everyone around here? It’s just a stupid dance.

“Yeah. It’s a pretty big deal since most of
us don’t get out much,” Shaye replies, rolling her eyes. “It’s
totally fun, but people go a little crazy. Seriously. You’ll
see.”

“So, you’ll be going?” I ask, curious. Shaye
seems to be as much of an outcast as I am. Why would she
bother?

“You sound surprised. Why wouldn’t I go?”

“Oh, let me count the reasons. Or not,” I
finish rudely, stopping to adjust the strap on my bag.

“Listen, I know you’re skeptical, but trust
me. It’s out of this world. You should check it out,” she says.
“Maybe I’ll see you there?”

“I’ll think about it.” We both laugh. She
knows as well as I do that I’m not even going to consider it.

**********

Halloween arrives and brings with it the deep
chill of fall in New England. Having spent most of the day
practicing in the training center, I find myself in a rush to get
changed and catch the bus to Holloway Farm. The cold doesn’t bother
me, but I need to dress for the weather anyway. It’s part of the
trick to blending in with the humans. Best not to attract
unnecessary attention by showing up in short sleeves when it’s
freezing outside.

I strip off my sweat pants and grab a pair of
tattered jeans, a heavy cotton sweater and my knee high boots. I
top off the outfit with a black leather jacket that zips up the
front and glance in the mirror. Only Lissette would choose such a
girly jacket for me. I can’t deny that it’s stylish, but with
ruffles running down the front, it’s not something I would have
picked out myself. I don’t bother to brush my hair since I’m
running late. I wipe a few errant strands from my forehead, tucking
them neatly behind my ear, and decide that it will have to do for
now.

I’m the last one to arrive at the bus, and
Jade makes no effort to hide her irritation, complaining
loudly.

“Who does she think she is to keep us
waiting?” she whines indignantly.

“I know, right?” chimes in Lexie. “Some of us
have big plans for this evening. The sooner we get this hoedown
over with, the sooner we can get back and party!” They break into a
fit of giggles. Their laughter is no less offensive than a pack of
hyenas and further validates my disinterest in attending the
Masquerade.

I ignore them and scan the bus for empty
seats. There aren’t any empty rows. I’ll have to find someone to
sit with. I’m relieved when I see Shaye waiving from the back.

“Saved you a spot!” she calls, patting the
empty seat next to her.

I hurry down the aisle, pleased that Shaye
thought of me. If I have to make small talk with someone, Shaye
would definitely be my first choice.

“Thanks,” I tell her appreciatively, as I
slide into the empty seat.

“It’s whatever,” she says, waving me off. “No
big deal. Kind of figured you might need a friendly face.”

“What gave it away? The welcome committee up
front?” I snort. While the interest in my lineage has died down,
Jade never misses any opportunity to make her dislike of me known.
I pretend she doesn’t exist most of the time. I find it’s the best
way to keep my temper in check.

“Please! You should have heard what she said
about the guy before you!” Shaye laughs. “As if anyone really cares
what she thinks. She’s a hideous beast.”

“You think?” I mutter. Actually, I was
thinking she looks a lot like a big slutty Barbie, but maybe that
goes without saying.

We sit quietly for a moment. I’m not sure
what to say, but Shaye eventually breaks the silence. It’s clear
her social skills are better than my own. At least we won’t have to
talk awkwardly about the weather.

“So, how are you at puzzles?”

“Puzzles? Okay, I guess. Why?” I ask,
confused by her question.

“Come on, Katia. Surely you know what this
trip is about? Holloway Farm? Moonlight Madness? Largest corn maze
in Vermont?” She stares at me dubiously. Apparently she can’t
believe I’m this clueless. “It’s epic,” she moans.

“And?”

“And getting through the maze first without
cheating is a big deal! Since it’s your first time we’ll do it
together,” she says decidedly.

I can’t fault her for being excited. There
was a time when I would have loved this kind of challenge. Now,
it’s just the sort of thing that’s there to fill my time.

“Alright. Lay it on me. How does it work?” I
ask begrudgingly. If I have to participate, I want to know the
rules.

“They’ll break us into groups and stagger the
starting times. Each group goes into the maze, and the clock
doesn’t stop until you emerge on the other side. It’s simple as
long as you have a half decent sense of direction. The winner will
be recognized tonight at the Masquerade. The prize is different
every year, but it’s usually something quirky. The students like it
for the notoriety. It’s mostly about bragging rights. Nikolai won
last year.”

“Why am I not surprised?” I ask, shaking my
head.

“He’s got really good instincts,” Shaye
replies, ignoring my sarcasm. “I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t win
again.”

“It’s good to know you have such confidence
in our abilities,” I tease her.

We sit quietly for the remainder of the ride.
I can’t speak for Shaye, but I find the silence comfortable amidst
the bustle of our peers talking and carrying on. I guess it’s safe
to say that Shaye is growing on me.

**********

We file off the bus and stand around in
clusters waiting for Professor Lynch and the other chaperones to
break us into groups. The younger vamps, the ones who don’t have
regular off campus privileges, have to stay with the chaperones in
case they get thirsty and are tempted to break the rules. Older
students like Shaye and me will be free to roam as we please.

I’m disturbed to learn that Shaye forgot to
mention the maze covers twelve acres of fields. This might not be
quite as easy as she made it sound. The corn stalks tower over us,
and I begin to understand the attraction for humans. They love to
be scared on Halloween, especially in a controlled environment like
this where there’s no real danger. We hear squeals of delight and
terror, as one rambunctious group after another enters the maze,
flashlights in hand.

Professor Lynch herds us into the maze with a
half dozen or so of our classmates. Shaye and I quickly pocket our
flashlights. The moon shines brightly on the maze tonight, not that
it matters much. We’d be able to see the path regardless.

“It’s best not to stay with the group,” Shaye
advises in a hushed tone as we approach the first fork in the
maze.

“You’re the expert,” I return, stepping aside
so that she can take the lead. It’s uncomfortable following, but
I’m no fool. I’ve never done this before, and I don’t always have
the best sense of direction when it comes to things like this.
Besides, I’m hoping she has a strategy.

We stay left as the rest of our group goes
right. It seems intuitive to go right, and I wonder if we’re making
a mistake already. I have to remind myself that I’ve agreed to let
Shaye lead.

“Just be sure to stay alert,” she instructs
me. “If we hit a dead end, we’ll have to back track, and that’s
when it’s easy to get turned around.”

“I think you mean lost.”

“Semantics,” she giggles, smiling at me over
her shoulder.

“Hell’s bells. This could be a long night,” I
joke, rolling my eyes. The gesture is wasted on Shaye, who’s
already returned her attention to scouting the path ahead. Her
enthusiasm is infectious and I find myself getting swept up in the
excitement despite my best efforts to remain cool and detached.

We walk for about fifteen minutes before
hitting our first dead end, which I think is pretty good although I
have no basis for comparison. The silence between us is good. It
allows us to focus on our surroundings, making it easy to retrace
our steps when we do hit a dead end. We are not alone in the maze
and occasionally pass other groups, some human, and some vampire.
We seem to be making good time, but I’m a little unnerved as the
maze has gotten eerily quiet around us. I hear the shouts and
screams in the distance, but it all seems so far away now. Perhaps
it’s a trick of the maze. I’ve certainly never spent any time on a
farm and have no idea what to expect.

We hit another dead end, and Shaye stomps her
foot in frustration. “We could just cut through,” she says, her
eyes lighting up hopefully. The silence must be eating at her
too.

“What fun would that be?” I challenge her.
“Come on. If Jade can do this, so can we.”

“Yeah, but she’s probably got Nikolai to lead
the way,” Shaye scowls.

“Yeah, well you’ve got me!” I return,
grabbing her arm and dragging her back the way we came. I can’t
blame her for wanting to cut through. Every stalk of corn looks the
same. It’s impossible to tell if we’re actually making progress or
if we’re walking in circles. We continue on for another ten minutes
or so when I begin to hear voices. Encouraged, I pick up the pace,
still dragging Shaye behind me.

What I see when we burst into the clearing
makes my blood boil. We must be at the halfway point. There’s a
small bonfire burning and benches have been placed all around it
offering an opportunity for a little R&R. I notice a natural
spring, which probably comes in handy when it’s time to douse the
flames, and an abandoned station with marshmallows and roasting
sticks. It looks like the maze workers have been called away,
leaving the scene before us.

I spot Jade first, fangs bared, looming over
a human girl who can’t be more than twelve or thirteen years old.
Lexie and Blaine are with her. They’re taunting the girl, hissing
and laughing, feeding on her terror. She’s crouched alongside the
corn, her face stained with tears.

“Leave me alone! Please!” She cries futilely.
They laugh in response and creep closer, which only makes the girl
wail louder. I can’t say I blame her. The fire casts an eerie glow
making the appearance of her leather clad tormentors even more
demonic as shadows slant across their faces.

I charge forward without thinking, slipping
between Lexie and Blaine and placing my body between the cowering
girl and the three monsters assailing her.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I
shout furiously as I catch the lingering scent of the girls’ fear.
A new surge of anger bubbles up from the pit of my stomach and I
feel my fists clench, instinctively preparing for battle.

“This is none of your concern,” Blaine
growls, assuming a defensive position. “Get lost.”

“We’re just having a little fun,” Lexie
drawls, her accent sounding more sinister and disgusting in the
firelight.

“Well now you’re done,” I tell them firmly,
meeting Jade’s heated stare. Lexie and Blaine are puppets. It’s
Jade who pulls the strings.

“But we’re just getting started,” she tells
me. “It’s Halloween. And we want to play.” The way she draws out
this last word makes my stomach twist in disgust.

“This isn’t a game,” I respond, curling my
lips back to reveal my own teeth. I may just have a taste of Jade’s
blood yet. I lick my lips in anticipation as anger courses through
my veins. “Let her go.”

“Why don’t you make me?” Jade replies, as she
steps forward menacingly.

She doesn’t have to ask twice. I pounce
immediately, knocking her to the ground, the weight of my body
pinning her to the dry earth. Her reflexes are sluggish compared to
my own. Either she’s not as dedicated to her physical training as I
am or she didn’t think I’d dare lay a finger on her. Apparently she
has me confused with someone who’s worried about rules.