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someone else drains the people and
you get it out of a tap?”
    Lettie and Uther exchanged a look.
“Not exactly,” Uther said. “But fresh blood is delivered to the
church.”
    “Did you think I was out there
grabbing tourists off the street?” Lettie said.
    I didn’t answer her because that was
exactly what I thought.
    “Some vampires hunt for pleasure,”
said Uther, “but generally it is considered
unsophisticated.”
    “Some vampires,” I said. “Some
vampires like Paolo.”
    My life was over the moment I saw him
in the crowded piazza. Or rather, the moment he saw me. He had
hunted me. And the way he came to the apartment. He must have felt
like he was picking up food from a drive-thru window.
    I should never have
climbed out that window. Then I wouldn’t be a walking corpse. Or I
should’ve just stayed home the night before. Then I never would
have met Paolo.
    “Do you know him?” I asked.
    “Yes,” Uther said.
    “Does he know that this has happened
to me?”
    “He doesn’t know. He ran as soon as
you fell,” Uther said.
    “If I drink this, will I be strong
enough to kill him?”
    Lettie grinned, showing both her top
and bottom teeth, but Uther shook his head. “Elders are always
stronger.”
    “Can vampires even be
killed?”
    “Oh, yes,” Lettie said. “Vampires are
physically able to kill other vampires.”
    “Don’t you worry about Paolo,” Uther
said, patting me on the back. “He will be judged.”
    “I’m probably as old as he is. I could
beat him up for you,” Lettie offered.
    Uther grunted and wagged his index
finger at her. Suddenly he stopped, his finger pointing to the
sky.
    “Uther?” Lettie said.
    “Shh,” he said. “Stay here.” He darted
from the room.
    “Don’t worry, Zee,” Lettie said. But
she turned away from me and fingered the collar of her shirt, so I
worried.
    “What’s going on?” I
whispered.
    Uther burst back through the door, his
eyes wide.
    “Lettie, did you tell anyone about
Axelia?” he asked.
    “What? No,” Lettie said.
    “Letticia, did you tell anyone about
Axelia?” he asked again.
    “I…I just mentioned it briefly to
Merrill. I’m sorry. I didn’t think…”
    He looked around the room. “It’s too
late to hide her.”
    “Hide me from who?” I said.
    A door closed inside the church.
“They’re inside,” Lettie whispered. “What do we do,
Uther?”
    He thought for a moment, glanced at
the window, and shook his head. “We can do nothing. They’ll hear us
leave.”
    Heavy footsteps echoed in the hall—it
sounded like marching troops—and we all backed away from the
door.
    “Neither of you speak,” Uther
said.
    A chill ripped through my body as we
stared down the door. I was struck with the ridiculous thought that
it might be Sofia and the police coming to take me home. Then we
heard a pounding knock and the door quivered in its
frame.
     
     

Chapter
8
     
    They filed into the room, a dozen
stern-looking men in black. My nostrils filled with the scent of
leather from their kneepads, gloves, and heavy boots. A circular
gold symbol of a snake swallowing its own tail sparkled on the
upper corner of their Kevlar vests. Sheathed swords hung across
their backs, the handles braided in black cloth like those of
samurai swords. Daggers and other objects were strapped to their
belts and to holsters on their arms and thighs.
    “What is the meaning of this?” Uther
demanded.
    The soldiers parted and a huge man
turned sideways and ducked to enter the room.
    “Cleric,” he said in a deep, rumbling
voice.
    “General,” Uther said,
surprised.
    “It’s been a long time,” the general
said.
    “Yes,” Uther answered. “Not since
Letticia was blessed.”
    The general glanced at Lettie, who had
inched in front of me; he nodded at her with his cleft chin. His
protruding brow was missing a chunk of hair where a scar cut across
his right eye. The mark was like a worm crawling under the surface
of his skin down to his cheek. His