Chapter 222
Something very strange was going on with my sister. I know I’ve been saying that for over a year now, but there was something else weird going on with Cadence on the day of the blue moon. And even though I didn’t buy Brandon’s theory at all, I thought it was something major.
After school on Wednesday, I contacted her to let her know what I’d discovered. She was very complimentary of my sleuthing techniques and seemed to welcome the information, but she was definitely distracted. I tried to ask her about the blue moon, but she sort of played it off, only telling me that she did think the Vampires’ odd discussions might have something to do with that, and now we could have a baseline of their topics of discussion to check against after the blue moon.
I spent Wednesday evening in my room, listening to the world. I know it sounds silly, but that’s what I was doing. I wasn’t necessarily trying to tune into the Vampire chatter so much as just trying to get a feel for what was going on in the atmosphere around me. For the most part, everything seemed normal. I did hear a bit more conversation, and I noticed I was able to more readily hear the discussions now without concentrating so much and without having to be in a crowded place. I wasn’t brave enough to try reaching out looking for Gibbon in particular again yet, but I did try to tune into any discussion specifically about the blue moon. Most of the discussion was similar to what I’d heard the times before—the day draws near—that sort of stuff. Nothing earth shattering, at least not in and of itself.
The sun went down Wednesday, the moon was up, and it looked like it always did. I didn’t expect it to actually be blue or anything, but I was expecting… something. As far as I could tell, it was about the same as any other full moon. I did feel a little more energized than normal, but I didn’t want to wreak havoc on my neighbors or pillage the villagers.
I went to bed that night almost disappointed. I wasn’t sure what I had been expecting, but it had been… something. It was practically any other day, as far as I could tell.
I had no idea the next day would bring about the kind of changes that sear a date into your mind forever.
***
My first clue that something odd was going on was when I walked in the front door after school and saw Brandon standing there, next to my mom. Lucy had dropped me off and was headed back to school for cheerleading practice, and I turned and gawked at her car, like maybe she’d dropped me off at the wrong house. “What are you doing here?”
“Nice to see you, too,” he said, a goofy grin on his face. “I have no idea. But Aaron dropped me off a couple hours ago, so… here I am.”
“How was school, honey?” my mom said, taking my backpack and jacket and hanging them up for me.
“Fine,” I said, not trying to be rude, but Brandon was never at my house this early on a school day. If he was coming at all, it would be later in the evening. And then there was the fact that he always told me he was coming. “Why didn’t you let me know?”
“He said not to. He said he had to do something, and he’d be back in a little while,” Brandon explained.
“Your sister called earlier and said she needed to talk to all of us. So, Dad’s on his way home from work and should be here soon.” I suddenly realized my mom had that look on her face, like something really bad had happened. I don’t see it very often, but I saw it the day I came home to find out Elliott was dead and the day she picked me up at Lucy’s to tell me Jack was dead, too.
“Is everyone okay?” I asked, looking from one face to the other.
“I don’t know,” my mom admitted, and I thought she was telling the truth. “She wouldn’t say.”
“I’m gonna guess no,” I replied, walking into the living room, not uncrossing my arms as I fell backward onto the sofa. “Otherwise, she would’ve said something.”
“Everyone at headquarters seems fine,” Brandon said as he sat down next to me. My mom perched on the edge of her seat, folding and unfolding her hands.
“I don’t like it,” I muttered.
“There’s no reason to be upset until we find out what’s going on.” Clearly, my mom was not taking her own advice.
Brandon put his arm around me, and I decided to feel out into the universe to see if there was any chatter that might be helpful at all. I was expecting to have picked up on something earlier in the day since the blue moon had passed, but apparently all the Vampires had slept in as it had been silent. I didn’t get anything now either.
