Page 49 of Missing Moon

“And Pax... they can’t grab you if we find them first.” I narrow my eyes. “And turn them into ash piles.”

“We’re going hunting?” Tammy perks up. “Might as well do something... there’s no way I’m sleeping tonight.”

“Not exactlyhunting.” Anthony smiles.

“Are you making a lame joke?” Tammy raises an eyebrow, confused.

He tilts his hand in a so-so gesture. “The term ‘hunting’ suggests we don’t know where they are.”

I blink at my son. “Youknow where they are?”

“I do.”

Tammy holds both hands up. “So, there are more?”

“There are more, yes,” says Anthony.

Inod. “Yeah. Figured that. There’s at least the one who made them, whose name is Hans.”

Tammy, Anthony, Paxton, and Dusk all stare at me with deep interest.

Oh, hell with it. Dusk’s already opened the forbidden door.He’s seen stuff.

“This Hans guy is… not like the ones we just dusted. He’s a real vamp,” I say. “And… he attacked Mom a long time ago,” I whisper.

Dusk blinks at me. “Say what?”

“It will take too long to explain right now,” I tell him, and reach out and pat him on the forearm. “When this is done, I’ll tell you everything.”

“You’re saying Mom’s a vampire?” whispers Dusk, a little too loudly.

“No,” I whisper-snap. “Calm down. Shh.”

He cringes.

“Look. Short version: there’s something with our family. An old vampire bitch had out for us. She sent this guy to attack Mom, but he failed. Tried again years later and… got me. Whatever Mom did to protect herself, she maybe didn’t do it completely perfectly and ended up like she is. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to teach me anything about the weird stuff, so…”

Dusk gawks at me. “You’re a…”

“No.” I bite my lip and resist saying ‘not anymore.’ “I’m not exactly undead, though I am something. It’s very complicated.”

“So, we’re not going to hunt them.” Tammy nudges Anthony. “That still means you know where they are.”

“Not exactly.” Ant rubs his hands down his legs to grab his knees, like he’s getting ready to stand. “But Icanfind them.”

“Let’s do it, then!” says Tammy.

Anthony stares into space for a few seconds. “Not now. Tomorrow. During the day. They’re weaker.”

It’s a little eerie the way my sixteen-year-old son just said that like heknows things. Yet, he said tomorrow with such bizarre confidence that I can’t summon the urge to question him. Whether he’s making it up or really getting inspiration from the divine, I can’t say. Then again, classically, it’s much better to hunt vampires during the day.

So… we’ll wait.

Ugh. That means I have time to talk to Dusk now. This might be a mistake but, hey, he’s family… and Mary Lou already knows everything.

“C’mon.” I stand and wave Dusk to follow. “Let’s get some air.”

Chapter Twenty