Mr. Crepsley checked us out of the hotel as soon as we got back, in case the staff noticed Evra's disappearance, or the vampaneze forced him to reveal our location.
"What if he escapes?" I asked. "How will he know where to find us?"
"I do not believe he will escape," Mr. Crepsley said regretfully.
We checked into a new hotel not far from the old one. If the man behind the desk was surprised to find a solemn-looking man with a scar and a distraught young boy in a pirate costume checking in at such a strange hour, he kept his suspicions to himself.
I begged Mr. Crepsley to tell me more about the vampaneze. He said they never drank from vampires - our blood was poisonous to other vampires and vampaneze. They lived slightly longer than vampires, though the difference was minimal. They ate very little food, preferring to keep going on blood. They only drank from animals as a last resort.
I listened closely. It was easier not to think about Evra if I had something else to focus on. But when dawn came and Mr. Crepsley headed for bed, I was left alone to think about what had happened.
I watched the sunrise. I was tired, but I couldn't sleep. How could I face the nightmares that must be waiting for me? I fixed a huge breakfast, but my appetite was gone after one small mouthful and I ended up tossing it. I turned on the TV and flicked between channels, barely noticing what was on.
Every so often I'd think it must have been a dream. Evra couldn't be dead. I must have fallen asleep on the roof while watching Mr. Crepsley and dreamt it all. Any minute now, Evra would shake me awake. I'd tell him about my dream and we'd both laugh. "You won't get rid of me that easily," he'd say.
But it wasn't a dream. I had come face to face with the vampaneze. He had abducted Evra. He had either killed him or was preparing to. These were facts and had to be faced.
The trouble was, I didn't dare face them. I was afraid I might go crazy if I did. So, rather than accept the truth and deal with it, I buried it deep, where it couldn't bother me - then went to see Debbie. Maybe she could cheer me up.
Debbie was playing in the square when I arrived. It had snowed heavily during the night and she was building a snowman with some of the local kids. She was surprised but happy to see me so early. She introduced me to her friends, who looked at me inquisitively.
"Want to come for a walk?" I asked.
"Can it wait till I finish the snowman?" she replied.
"No," I said. "I'm restless. I need to walk. I can come back later if you want."
"That's all right. I'll come." She looked at me weirdly. "Are you okay? Your face is as white as a sheet, and your eyes... have you been crying?"
"I was peeling onions earlier," I lied.
Debbie turned to her friends. "See you later," she said, and took my arm. "Anywhere special you want to go?"
"Not really," I said. "You lead. I'll tag along."
We didn't say much while we were walking, until Debbie tugged my arm and said, "I've got some good news. I asked Mom and Dad if you could come over on Christmas Eve to help put up the decorations and they said you could."
"Great," I said, forcing a smile.
"They've invited you for dinner, too," she said. "They were going to ask you over for Christmas Day, but I know you've made plans to spend it in the hotel. Besides, I don't think your dad would want to come, would he?"
"No," I said softly.
"But Christmas Eve's okay, isn't it?" she asked. "Evra can come, too. We'll be eating early, at about two or three in the afternoon, so there'll be plenty of time for decorating the trees. You can -?
"Evra won't be able to come," I said shortly.
"Why not?"
I found myself struggling to think up a good lie. Finally, I said, "He's got the flu. He's in bed and can't move."
"He seemed fine yesterday." Debbie frowned. "I saw the two of you going out last night. He looked -?