"YES," ADMITTED PHOEBE. "BUT, it just works between the two of us. Like, don't worry. We can't read your minds or anything like that."Zander caught my eye. "Don't tell them about us.""Okay," I agreed, wondering why we had to keep our new method of communication a secret."So freaking awesome!" said Ruthie. "I thought it was a twin thing. You know, your weird knowing-what-the-other-is-thinking kind of thing."Phoebe gave us a big smile, "Well, I don't know about the rest of them, but it's our twin thing." I was both startled and charmed by this new side of Phoebe. She must have hated keeping that side of her life a secret. "Anyhoo," she went on. "Where are you rushing off to? Backstage Boys in town or something?"Everyone but the twins looked at me as if I was in charge of this crazy show. Ruthie gave me a hopeful grin, her eyebrows shooting up her forehead. I shrugged my shoulders and said, "Why not?""We're going to Dr. Frankler's," Ruthie gushed with enthusiasm. "She's th

BEFORE WE TOOK OFF, Ruthie and I pulled Zander aside. Huddled together by her car, we tried to convince him that we should tell everyone everything. It wasn't easy. He still had some serious misgivings about Luke and Wynona. They hadn't exactly signed a non-disclosure agreement. Nor did we know them well at all. However, I sensed that they were sincere about wanting to avenge Dante, and I told Zander this through our mental path. I argued that we needed them, or that at least we needed Luke. His ability was powerful and we could definitely use more help if we had to go up against individuals like Donavitch again. Who knew what else the Nasaru had in their arsenal of abilities. Even though it was horribly wrong, I understood Gerard Hughes's motivation for "collecting" idimmu. They were proving to be every bit as formidable as akharu and usemi.Zander finally relented and we joined the others. Isaac and Maverick had claimed the middle two bucket seats, leaving Phoebe to sit in the fro

WE WERE STILL A FEW miles off the main road where pines and redwoods began to blend in with a variety of other types of trees like eucalyptus, cypress, and scrubs. Fortunately, the traffic was almost non-existent in the middle of the day. The last thing we needed was a good Samaritan pulling over to see if we needed help. I squeezed out of the vehicle and Wynona and Phoebe piled out of the front seat so I could climb in next to Luke. But Wynona still hovered over my shoulder, way too close for comfort. I gave her a frosty look but she ignored it. I sighed and attempted to block out the seven sets of eyes watching me with expressions ranging from suspicion to wonder and pride. Closing my own eyes, I visualized a yoga meditation pose. Not that I did yoga, but hey, I'd peeked in on that class a few times. It was always so peaceful. I could use some of that right now. I needed to center my thoughts on something tangible. I breathed in the sharp, almost minty smell of the eucalyptus tre

"THE ONLY THIING YOU need to know is that I'm not a vampire. And I don't drink blood." She crossed her arms and frowned, but behind her defensive stance I could see that she was hurt by our reaction. I'd never seen the unflappable Phoebe Efoti looking so fragile.Ruthie elbowed past Isaac and out of the car to hug Phoebe. "I believe you," she said. "You could never do that, even if you were a vampire." "Thanks," said Phoebe, squeezing her back. "Anyway, there's no such thing as a vampire like you see in the movies. Just crazy ass akharu. If humans can have a psychopathic serial killer like Hannibal Lecter - and yes, he was based on a real guy - then akharu and usemi can, too."There was a collective "Oh yeah" moment as we all nodded our heads. We couldn't argue with her logic. Killer werewolves and demented vampires could indeed simply be psychotic supernaturals. Every race had the potential for that kind of evil, and there were plenty of human examples throughout history.I pushe

AS WE PASSED THE sign for Santa's Village, someone's stomach growled. It set off a chain reaction and soon I was clutching my own gut to keep it from joining in. Zander chuckled next to me."Oh, for the love of puppies everywhere," said Ruthie. "Apparently, I'm not the only one starving," said Wynona. Maverick shook his head with exasperation. "We can stop at the summit to grab some food. It's coming up on the right." Luke nodded. "Sounds good."We were passing through the Santa Cruz Mountains on our way to Dr. Frankler's place in San Jose. Calling them "mountains" was generous since the summit height was only about 1800 feet. But they did get snow every year, not that it ever stuck. There was a fruit stand at the point of the mountain that sold all kinds of snacks, drinks, and produce. Luke pulled in and parked right up next to the store. Everyone bailed from the Suburban. I headed toward the piles of fresh fruit but stopped when someone pulled on my arm. It was Zander and