10. Grace




The next few days were long and tiring. All we did was walk, eat, sleep, and pee. And who could blame us? We needed to get from Alaska to New York! It was going to take time and energy! But finally, on our sixth night, we made it to Platzburgh.
“Okay, so Grace’s house is in the back of town, over on Kenneth Street. That would only be about seven blocks from here. That shouldn’t take too long.” I said, smiling. I was gonna get to see my buddy again!
They all started to walk down the street except me. “Uh, guys? It’s this way.” I pointed toward the opposite way down the highway.
“Um…We knew that! We were just testing you.” Antonio nodded matter-of-factly.
“Sure you were.” I said sarcastically, starting down the road. They followed closely.
In about twenty minutes, we had gotten to her house. We could have gone way faster, but we definitely didn’t want to attract attention to ourselves. Sure, it was night, but there were still some weirdoes out.
“Raven, you’re gonna have to go in her window by yourself. She knows you. So to see us, she might call her parents or something. Be as discreet as possible. We don’t want to freak her out.” Said Devin in his normally tough and steady way.
“’Kay. I’ll be…whatever you just said.” I had pretty much no clue why I had to hold back secrets from Grace. Oh, well.
I jumped up the side of her four-story home as silently as a fox. When I got to Grace’s bedroom window, I tapped it lightly with my long fingernails.
I looked inside the window and saw Grace lying in her bed, fast asleep. Typical.
I knocked a little louder on the glass, just enough for her to hear, but not to wake up her dad.
Movement.
Then I saw her face turned toward the window, eyes still closed. It still amazed me how much she looked like a puppy.
“Dang it, Grace, wake up already!” I whispered to myself.
I knocked again.
Her eyes flew open, staring at the window.
Her mouth dropped open as her eyes got even wider. She sat up abruptly in her bed.
“Let me in!” I mouthed to her through the glass.
She stood up and walked to the door, still a shocked expression on her face.
As soon as she opened the window, I jumped inside. “Hi!” I said
“What…um…uh…huh?” she stammered slowly, realizing that I was really there.
“I said, ‘hi’.” I repeated slowly for her, mockingly. I smiled to show I was kidding and not really mocking her.
“But, it can’t be! You’re gone! You ran away like ten days ago!” she panicked. Then she mumbled something like, “I must be dreaming…”
“Nope. I’m as real as night itself!” I giggled and she seemed to lighten a tad, but not much. “Okay, let’s cut to the chase. I need to borrow your jet for my buddies and I to fly to India, ‘kay?”
She just starred at me in disbelief.
“Please?” I pouted.
“Uh…what buddies? And why do you want to go to India?”
“Long story. And if you want to meet them, they’re right outside the window.” I know I was supposed to keep quiet about them, but I had no reason to doubt Grace.
Devin was going to kill me. I smiled.
Grace slowly inched to the window and peered outside. I walked over to it too, and waved to them down below.
“Wha—What? No, who?” she stuttered.
“My buddies I told you about. See, the dark-headed, tall one with a red shirt is Devin, the one I mentioned in my letter. Then the other dark-headed one in the green is Antonio, and the red-headed girl is Tigreshe, but we call her Ti.” I explained, watching the horror on her face darken.
“Ant—ant—Antonio?” she shivered.
“Yeah. Why, you know him?” I asked, curiosity building in me.
“Uh…Raven? He’s my brother.” She looked up at me with her big blue eyes. “Well, my half brother.”
My mouth dropped open. “Grace? There’s something I should tell you, but you gotta keep it a secret, ‘kay?”
“Okay…”
“Antonio is not what you think he is. He’s…different than everyone else. Well, all my friends are, even me.”
“You’re a shapeshifter?!”
“No. Wait, you knew?!”
“Of course I knew! I am too!” she clasped her mouth shut quickly, looking surprised. “Did I just say that…?” she mumbled.
“You’re a shapeshifter?” I asked, stricken.
“Yeah.” She grumbled under her breath.
“So what animal are you? Since you’re related to Antonio, you gotta be a wolf, right?”
“No. Antonio’s a wolf? Oh, well, no, I’m a, well technically, I’m a Spinone Italiano.” She stuttered. “Antonio’s a wolf?” she repeated.
“Yeah, he’s a black grey wolf I think. So you’re Italian?”
“Well, my mom’s a third Italian. She’s the one who got married to a full blood Alaskan after she had me. I’m two years older than Antonio. And if it’s not obvious, she’s the one with canine genes. So, when you said you and your friends are different, what are you? I mean, I’ve always known you’re a witch, but—“
“I’m not a witch, I’m a made vampire. That’s what happened when I fainted. I was attacked.”
“But…but…your mom! She’s…I thought she was a full witch. No, I know she’s a full witch!” she stumbled over her words.
“But…I’m a vampire!” I said, showing her my fangs. They didn’t hurt as much anymore.
Her jaw dropped open. “But…if you were attacked by a vampire…that means you’d be dead. Witch blood and vampire blood cannot mix. Unless…unless you were attacked by a poisoned breeder!”
I shrugged. “So, can we use your jet?”
“Sure, but it’ll be really tricky.”