Part 24
"What's *her* problem?" Ara asked, irritated watching Scarlet running off as if Joab had told her the world was about to end. Joab frowned, almost wanting to run after Scarlet. He wasn't sure what Cole was doing there.
"I can take a hint," Cole said with a sigh, and walked away.
"Who's Tatania Patterson?" Ara asked.
Joab shrugged. "I'm not sure." He knew for some time, like most of the Night People around here, something very had happened to Scarlet. It had to do with how she and Dathan had gotten together.
And he also knew that someone named Tatania was responsible. Now she was here in school with the Daybreakers.
But Scarlet hadn't killed Janelle. He and Dathan had. Scarlet didn't need to suffer anymore.
Ara glared at him. "What aren't you telling me, Joab?"
"That would be telling," Joab said with the trace of a smile. He walked away, lost in thought. He knew now that Scarlet's plans for messing with Erica were going to go out the window. Something had happened between them. Before he did anything, he needed to know.
Dathan knew, but Dathan wouldn't say anything. He had to hear this from Erica, who was more likely to tell him the truth. Scarlet, he knew, would twist it up anyway she could so she could blame it on everyone but herself.
He found Erica headed into her first period geometry glass. "We need to talk." His voice was soft, but it caught her attention right away. She turned, not looking thrilled at the thought of being alone with him.
"I won't bite."
Most kids looked at Joab that way, a confused mix of admiration and fear. It was partly to do with his looks, he knew that. His long black hair, his choice of clothing was always (surprise, surprise) black. And then there was his marble white skin and haunting, deep dark eyes. A shadow with human form, someone had called him once. Just a vampire, actually, he had answered. That scene struck him as funny now.
"Um...I have to go to class."
He frowned a little, trying not to notice the smell of her fear. It was kind of hard. "No you don't," he said, taking her arm in a light grip. He pulled her to a table in the outside eating area.
Erica frowned. "Won't people..."
Joab smiled. "No."
"Oh." Erica's voice was small. Did she know he'd helped kill her sister?
"I need to know what happened with you and Scarlet." He didn't bother wasting time trying to be pleasant, he just got right to the point.
"Why?"
Joab smiled a little. "This has to do with that Tatania Patterson person. I don't think she can be trusted."
Erica sighed. "It's kind of - " She broke off, studying him. "Um - are you - um - "
Joab nodded. "Yeah. I am."
"Well she called and said we needed to talk so I went over, she was creepy. She bit me, and some sort of connection sparked. I was pulled into her mind. She freaked. When I talked to Triana later, she called it soulmates."
Joab sighed. "I expected something like that."
"What did Tatania do to Scarlet?" Erica asked. "When I was in her mind she was afraid because of something that happened."
Joab drummed his fingers on the table top, trying to figure it out. Ah. He finally got it. Oh. If *that* was the case...what had *Scarlet* done to provoke it?
"I'm not sure," he lied. "But *you* need to be careful. Particularly of this Tatania Patterson person. I'm not sure she can be trusted."
"She gave me the creeps," Erica said. They sat there in silence. This was much more serious than he'd ever expected.
* * *
"What's *her* problem?" Ara asked, irritated watching Scarlet running off as if Joab had told her the world was about to end. Joab frowned, almost wanting to run after Scarlet. He wasn't sure what Cole was doing there.
"I can take a hint," Cole said with a sigh, and walked away.
"Who's Tatania Patterson?" Ara asked.
Joab shrugged. "I'm not sure." He knew for some time, like most of the Night People around here, something very had happened to Scarlet. It had to do with how she and Dathan had gotten together.
And he also knew that someone named Tatania was responsible. Now she was here in school with the Daybreakers.
But Scarlet hadn't killed Janelle. He and Dathan had. Scarlet didn't need to suffer anymore.
Ara glared at him. "What aren't you telling me, Joab?"
"That would be telling," Joab said with the trace of a smile. He walked away, lost in thought. He knew now that Scarlet's plans for messing with Erica were going to go out the window. Something had happened between them. Before he did anything, he needed to know.
Dathan knew, but Dathan wouldn't say anything. He had to hear this from Erica, who was more likely to tell him the truth. Scarlet, he knew, would twist it up anyway she could so she could blame it on everyone but herself.
He found Erica headed into her first period geometry glass. "We need to talk." His voice was soft, but it caught her attention right away. She turned, not looking thrilled at the thought of being alone with him.
"I won't bite."
Most kids looked at Joab that way, a confused mix of admiration and fear. It was partly to do with his looks, he knew that. His long black hair, his choice of clothing was always (surprise, surprise) black. And then there was his marble white skin and haunting, deep dark eyes. A shadow with human form, someone had called him once. Just a vampire, actually, he had answered. That scene struck him as funny now.
"Um...I have to go to class."
He frowned a little, trying not to notice the smell of her fear. It was kind of hard. "No you don't," he said, taking her arm in a light grip. He pulled her to a table in the outside eating area.
Erica frowned. "Won't people..."
Joab smiled. "No."
"Oh." Erica's voice was small. Did she know he'd helped kill her sister?
"I need to know what happened with you and Scarlet." He didn't bother wasting time trying to be pleasant, he just got right to the point.
"Why?"
Joab smiled a little. "This has to do with that Tatania Patterson person. I don't think she can be trusted."
Erica sighed. "It's kind of - " She broke off, studying him. "Um - are you - um - "
Joab nodded. "Yeah. I am."
"Well she called and said we needed to talk so I went over, she was creepy. She bit me, and some sort of connection sparked. I was pulled into her mind. She freaked. When I talked to Triana later, she called it soulmates."
Joab sighed. "I expected something like that."
"What did Tatania do to Scarlet?" Erica asked. "When I was in her mind she was afraid because of something that happened."
Joab drummed his fingers on the table top, trying to figure it out. Ah. He finally got it. Oh. If *that* was the case...what had *Scarlet* done to provoke it?
"I'm not sure," he lied. "But *you* need to be careful. Particularly of this Tatania Patterson person. I'm not sure she can be trusted."
"She gave me the creeps," Erica said. They sat there in silence. This was much more serious than he'd ever expected.
* * *