The angel had a peculiar drawl. I had heard a southern accent once before, from a tourist near the town where I used to live. I blinked and looked up.
I gazed into the face of a softly glowing woman. She shone as if there was a light pulsing beneath her skin. I could see it moving, in the veins and capillaries of her face, even in the vessels of her eyes. It was utterly inhuman, alien, but also strangely beautiful.
Are you . . . Mary?as I asked, in the tiniest voice I could muster. as Or Gabriel?
Her brow creased, and she said, as My nameas's Judy.
Are you an angel?as I squeaked.
She threw back her head and laughed. as No, sweetie. Ias'm the farthest thing on earth from an angel.
She pulled me to my feet. I could see that she wore English clothingas"jeans and a sweater. The glow of her skin pushed through the knit of the fabric to glimmer in the light. Her ears were pierced multiple times, glittering under short hair.
I donas't understand,as I said.
She pushed a string of hair away from my face. as Donas't worry, hon. Come with us, and you will.
Numbly, I gathered Horace. Fenrir had glued himself to Alexas's side. The shining people circled us and we followed them to the water.
I could hear the lake before we saw it. I had never seen a body of water larger than a river before. But when we walked down the paved and darkened street of the little town, a great expanse of water came into view. The lake was as black as the sky, and pieces of moon were broken up in it, like shards of glass. The waves rushed in and crashed up against the rocks. I couldnas't see the horizon. Viciously cold wind scraped over us, and I tied a double knot in my bonnet strings with shaking fingers to keep the cap from being torn from my skull. It took me three tries, but I got it done.
The only light other than the moon came from our guides. As I looked more closely, they seemed like ordinary English people, except for the glow. There were two teenagers, three middle-aged men, and two women. They had left behind their coats when theyas'd come to rescue us, and the light dimmed as they put their coats back on, like a shade over a lantern. That reminded me a bit of Alex and his tattoos. They incandesced softly as we walked, and I checked to make sure that their feet made contact with the ground. They had also gathered the two young women attacked in the car. They had been cut badly with the glass. Bleeding, they walked with us, arms wrapped around each other.
Alex had initially been stunned as I was. But his intellectual curiosity seemed to propel him to speak. as How did you find us?
One of the men jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. as None of us have seen fireworks since July. That was a nice bit of improvisation, by the way.
Um, thanks,as Alex said.
We just use these.as He lifted the flare gun.
Itas's effective.
Very. As long as you donas't run out of ammo.
Where are we going?as I whispered to Judy.
Weas're going someplace safe,as she said.
And I believed her.
We walked down a paved street, past a retirement village and a dock, to a gate. The gate was a simple one, just a steel arm. It reminded me of the ones that we used to rotate cattle in and out of fields back home. A sign with a large cross on it read WELCOME TO WATERas'S EDGE.
We climbed over the low gate without opening it.
The vampires . . .as I said.
They canas't get in here,as Judy said. as This little town, all fifteen square blocks of it, was founded as a Methodist colony in the nineteenth century.
Itas's holy ground?
Yes. Still. The tourists that came here for the religious conferences and the contemplation are still here.
But the vampires can be invited in . . .as I began, remembering the shrine and the nuns.
Judy shook her head. as Everyone at Wateras's Edge has been altered. The glamour doesnas't work on us.
I cocked my head. as as˜Alteredas'?
Matt will tell you all about it. He can explain the science much better than I can.
Science. I bit my lip and traded sidelong glances with Alex.
soon as we passed through the gate, the luminous members of the group visibly relaxed. Their knot around us loosened, and we moved down tiny narrow streets bounded by small, pretty cottages. Frozen flower beds and hanging arrangements surrounded concrete yard ornaments. There was no grass to speak of, as the houses were built right up to the sidewalk, as if land was at a premium. You could literally reach from the upstairs window of one house to another. The shadows of cats flitted in the tiny alleyways. I wound my fingers in Fenriras's ruff to keep him from chasing them.
Most of the houses were shuttered. But many of them held light. I was amazed to see it. It wasnas't the cold light of electricity but the yellow, uneven glow of oil lamps like the ones used by the Amish that I recognized.
We walked down the main street, past a shuttered ice cream parlor and a pizza restaurant, to a paved path that dipped along the lake. A dock with a flagpole reached into the lake behind us, the U.S. flag tearing in the wind. The bluster drove waves up over the rocks, soaking the paths. Many of the houses facing the lake were covered with storm shutters, but there was one that was open: a large grand house facing the black water with nearly every window lit with warm yellow light.
Here,as Judy said. as This is Mattas's house.
We walked up a brick path to the back porch. I wasnas't sure what to do with Horace. One of the men rubbed his nose. as Heas's a nice horse. Whereas'd you get him?
I took a deep breath. as He came to my village without his rider.as I omitted the part about finding a human foot in the stirrup.
He looks like heas's a Sabino white.
You know horses?
A little. I used to work for a veterinarian. I can take him to the park to graze. Thereas's still a bit of grass there. Ias'll take off his saddle, rub him down, and get him a blanket.as He moved to take the reins from me. as Ias'll bring your gear back.
Horace seemed placid around the glowing people. I clutched the reins. I was more worried about Horace than the gear. as Will he be safe?
Itas's on the property. Heas'll be as safe as any of us.
I nodded and handed the reins over. as His name is Horace.
The man clucked to the horse. as Tell the others that he went with Keene. Theyas'll know where to find me.
I watched Keene and Horace strike off through a gap between the houses, up the main street.
The man with the flare gun led us past patio furniture covered in tarps. The back door was unlocked. In fact, there was no lock on it at all. It reminded me a bit of Amish houses in that way. He opened the back storm door to a parlor that smelled of lemon soap. We clustered awkwardly in the light of an oil lamp perched on a table. Books were strewn on the table and on the formal, overstuffed chairs.