Vampire 01 - Daughter of Darkness

survival. I’m sure you’ll develop it soon, but in the meantime… well, I don’t want you to become paranoid, of course, but…”
    “Trust no one,” Mrs. Fennel said. “Assume no one is innocent.”
    “How did he know to target me, Daddy? I’m not that much different from the other girls at school.”
    “Is she kidding? Are you kidding?” Ava asked me. Ava looked at Daddy as if she expected he would elaborate more on what she was saying.
    “Let’s not go into this any further right now,” he said. Ava looked disappointed. “I am expecting our people in about an hour, so have your breakfast and relax. I don’t want to hear any bickering,” he warned, looking more at Ava. “We’re united, one, when it comes to this sort of thing.”
    Mrs. Fennel rose. “Everything’s been put out for your breakfast,” she said.
    The three of us got up to go to the dining room. Daddy lingered, turned, and went back to the window. If they were going to seek revenge, did he expect they would come this soon? Had what happened last night been what he was always worrying would happen? Was this the sort of thing he would pause to listen for? Were these so-called renegades always after one of us? Why was it my luck to have it happen to me? Why hadn’t it happened to Ava? Maybe then she wouldn’t be so damn arrogant, I thought.
    None of us talked much at breakfast, even thoughMarla wanted to know more details. Daddy never came in. I returned to my room and waited until Mrs. Fennel came to get me.
    “They’re here,” she said. “You know some of them, of course. Just do what your father said. Tell them what happened.”
    I nodded and followed her out to the living room. Four of the elders had arrived. I recognized Mr. Biggi and Mrs. Everstreet. They had both been here many times before and brought both me and Marla presents. We called them Uncle and Aunt. Mr. Biggi was as kindly to us as any grandfather would be. He had a full head of thick white hair, a robust complexion, and a firm, self-confident posture. Like Daddy’s age, his was impossible to determine. Despite the soft, light wrinkles around his eyes, his eyes were as bright as a newborn baby’s.
    Aunt Everstreet, on the other hand, looked more like Mrs. Fennel, tall and slim, with a habitual hardness in her face. Her nose was not as pointed or her chin as pronounced as Mrs. Fennel’s, but she seemed to have the same eyes and spoke with the same sharp confidence, projecting that no-nonsense demeanor. She was always happy to see us, however. This morning, she looked more serious than ever.
    I was introduced to Mr. Taggert and Mr. White. Both looked younger than Mr. Biggi and Mrs. Everstreet but much older than Daddy. I thought I had seen Mr. White before, maybe when I was only five or six. He looked more nervous than any of the others.
    Daddy sat in his chair. “This is Lorelei, you’ll all remember,” he said.
    Mr. Biggi was the only one who smiled at me. The others nodded and quickly sat.
    “Okay,” Daddy said. He wanted me to remain standing in front of them. He turned to me. “Begin with the first day he approached you.”
    I didn’t know how detailed I should be, but I even described what he had been wearing. I told them the things he had said as best as I could recall, and I even told them about his joke with the personal references.
    Mrs. Everstreet asked me to describe his face in as much detail as I could. I didn’t want to say it, but his eyes drew my attention so hard and fast that it was almost as if I didn’t notice the other features. She asked me about his hands, too, which I thought odd. There was nothing unusual about them that I could recall.
    “I didn’t hold hands with him ever,” I said when she asked if his palms were soft and smooth.
    They were all silent for a moment.
    “The Ilks had a son who fits that description,” Mr. White said. “Remember that incident in Pittsburgh?”
    “Yes, but that was some time ago. In fact, I haven’t heard anything about them for more than fifty years, I think,” Mr. Biggi said. “Tell us exactly what happened last night,” he told me.
    I was a little hesitant, afraid that they would all see how weak I was, how I had almost been drawn out of my window. When I was finished, they were all quiet a moment. Then Uncle Biggi looked at Daddy.
    “That was very close. Do you think you might want to move on, Sergio?”
    “Absolutely not immediately. I’ve never run from anyof them before,