Blood Relatives: You Were What You Eat, #3

By Stephanie Prochaska

That showdown in the woods last year really got to Carmine. She doesn't want to admit it, but she hasn't been the same since. She's been looking over her shoulder, waiting for something to lunge at her from the shadows. But just when she thinks she can't take it anymore, someone appears who makes it all seem ok.

Her friends might be suspicious, but Carmine doesn't care. What would they know about being a human who constantly finds herself fighting monsters? And with this new kid by her side, she's finally feeling like her old self again. But something's happening at school. Students are acting erratic – almost violent – for days before finally passing out and landing in the hospital. Carmine does her best to ignore it. After all, she can't be expected to fix every problem around here, can she? But when her old friend Sharon starts getting sick, Carmine has to decide: can she really afford to ignore this?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stephanie Prochaska
• Release date: Aug 28, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301073979

Stephanie Prochaska

Hi! My name is Stephanie. I was born in California, but I currently live in the Czech Republic. I enjoy writing stories almost as much as I love reading them. My favorites have a little bit of the paranormal/magic and a little bit of snark. I tend to write stories set high school stories but with a mythical twist,

Book preview

Chapter 1: You’d Better Run

It was dark outside , and Carmine was all alone.  The woods surrounding her were eerily silent.  Where were her friends when she needed them?   Crouching down behind the sturdiest tree she could find, she placed her fingers lightly on the ground, like she was about to start a race.  In a way, she guessed she was.

Carmine felt the leaves crunching under her fingers.  The only sound was the constant thudding of her own heart in her ears.  The fog started to roll in, oppressive and so thick that she could barely see more than a few feet in front of her.  Carmine wondered vaguely if it was possible to suffocate by fog.  That would probably be preferable anyway.  She tried to steady her nerves, to prepare for what was coming.

She looked up the hill, to the road that wound through the trees above her like an oily black snake.  The fog that had blanketed it only a minute ago parted, rolling down the hill towards her.  She hoped it would help hide her, but she knew in her heart it wouldn’t.

With the fog at the top of the hill now gone, she was able to see him clearly as he came around the bend – a thick, muscular figure dressed all in black.  His cape blew back behind him in the wind, and tendrils of smoke floated up from the space between his shoulders – from the place where his head should have been.  The horse he rode on was black as coal, and sparks flew from its hooves every time they struck the pavement.

The rider thundered around the bend, and Carmine could practically feel the ground shake with every step the horse took.  When it was halfway down the road, the horse stopped abruptly.  It neighed, rearing up on its hind legs.  Flames burst from its nostrils, lighting up its black-dead eyes.  The rider turned his headless shoulders, facing downhill – right in the direction Carmine was hiding.  He lifted up his arm, revealing a blotchy white-green head that he held in his hand.  The tiny black eyes darted back and forth like flies, but it zeroed in on Carmine as easily as if she’d been standing in an open field.  When it spotted her, the head grinned wickedly, revealing its rows of jagged yellow teeth.

Carmine. the head rasped.  It laughed maliciously, and she shivered.

She stood up slowly, carefully backing down the hill.  Her eyes never left the rider.  The head watched with glee, and the rider’s free hand fingered a long white whip at his side.  It was made of bone, and Carmine knew what it was instantly – somebody’s spine.  Maybe her own spine would be his next whip.

Her foot hit a tree root and she stumbled backwards, landing in the dry leaves.  The head laughed even harder.  Then, without warning, the horse and rider leapt off the road, barreling down straight for her.

The rider closed in with lightning-quick speed, and Carmine knew – there was no escape.  The horse reared up on its hind legs only inches from her.  In desperation, she put her arm up over her head, but she knew it wouldn’t do any good.

As the horse had lurched upwards, the rider reached his hand back, unfurling his whip.  And as the horse’s hooves came closer to Carmine, she knew – the whip would get her first.  And she was right.  The rider snapped his hand forward and the whip came crashing down – straight towards Carmine’s head.

Carmine sat bolt upright in bed, breathing like she’d just run a marathon.  She looked frantically around the room – desk, chair, dresser.  There was no sign of the rider in black.  She took a deep breath, trying to calm down.  But she was still shaking.  She grabbed her phone off the nightstand, scrolling through the list of people she knew.  Sure it was the middle of the night, but Carmine really wanted to talk to someone.

All summer, Carmine had been having the same dream.  Ever since she and her friends had tracked down and disposed of a headless rider of their own, Carmine had been plagued with that nightmare at least once a week.  She’d really been hoping it’d get better; after all, she was a junior now – too old to be having silly nightmares.  But so far, she hadn’t had any luck – it just seemed so real.  Carmine had never had a dream as vivid as this before.  And no matter how hard she tried, it just kept coming back.

After a minute, Carmine scrolled back up to the top of her list.  There was one person who was pretty much guaranteed to be awake: her friend Anna.

Carmine and Anna had been friends since Anna moved to town freshman year.  And of course, she’d been there with Carmine and the rest of the group when they faced the Dullahan – that headless rider Carmine just couldn’t seem to forget.

Are you awake?  Carmine texted Anna.  She got a reply almost instantly.

Yes.  Then, Are you ok?

Yeah.  Suddenly Carmine felt like an idiot.  Was she really texting her friend because she had a bad dream?  No sooner had she finished the thought than her phone lit up: one new message.

Isn’t it kind of late?  Shouldn’t you be asleep?

Maybe.  Carmine knew that Anna’s question probably wasn’t rhetorical.  Unlike Carmine, Anna wasn’t exactly human.  She was a vampire, and had been one for something like three hundred years.  Carmine wasn’t sure if Anna ever slept, and even if she did, it wasn’t nearly as much as Carmine.  Carmine’s phone beeped again.

Did something happen?

Trouble sleeping.  Carmine wrote after a minute.  She hoped that would be enough to keep Anna from suspecting anything was really wrong.  Carmine knew they were friends, sure.  And they’d been through a lot together in the past two years.  But something still kept her from telling Anna everything.  In the back of her mind, she always wondered if they kept her around because none of this ever seemed to bother her – even though she was the only human in the group.  Carmine couldn’t afford to let them know she might not be able to handle it.

Anything I can do?

No, I’m fine.  I’ll see you at school.

Get some rest.

K.  Carmine sent before putting her phone back on the desk.  She only hoped she could.

Chapter 2: Independence is Overrated

Carmine came downstairs almost an hour early.  Normally she wouldn’t even be up at this time, but she didn’t want to take a chance on going back to sleep – the nightmares would only get worse if she did.  So instead, she’d checked over her homework and read ahead a little for English.  She was exhausted, but every time she thought about going to sleep, she was filled with a sense of dread.  Finally, she got up.  There was no way she was going back to sleep tonight, so she may as well do something.

She went downstairs and made herself chocolate-chip pancakes in the hopes that she would feel better.  At least she could get a real breakfast for once, instead of the Pop-Tarts she usually had.  She was busy drenching her plate in syrup when her mom came out to the kitchen.

You’re up early. she told Carmine.

Yeah, I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep. Carmine told her.

She hadn’t told her mom about those nightmares of hers – what was the point?  Her mom would never understand; she’d probably just think Carmine was being a baby.  And it was no good telling her that the dreams started happening after she and her friends had actually attacked a headless horseman.  That would only get her a date with the best psychiatrist her mom could afford – if she was lucky.  No, it was better to just ignore it.  Maybe she would grow out of it.  Besides, she didn’t really see any other options at this point.

Carmine shoved the last bite of pancakes into her mouth.  By the time she was actually done with breakfast, she only had a few minutes left before she needed to leave for school.

You ready to go, honey? her mom asked, grabbing the car keys off the hook by the door.

I guess. Carmine said, trying not to pout.  She’d been going to school for almost three months now and already she was wishing for summer.  Maybe if she’d actually been able to get consistent sleep, she wouldn’t be too exhausted to pay attention in class.  Her mom tossed her the keys as they walked out the door, and Carmine only barely had time to react.  Great.  As if things weren’t bad enough – she was going to have to actually drive to school today too. 

She’d been hoping for a chance to get some sleep in the car, especially since she hadn’t gotten much last night.  But her driving test was next month and Carmine’s mom really wanted her to get as much practice in as possible.  Carmine didn’t see what the big deal was – couldn’t she just wait it out for a few more months?  Like twelve?  Forty-eight, maybe?  But her mom wasn’t going for it; she wanted Carmine to get her license as soon as possible so she could stop playing chauffeur.

Can’t you drive today? Carmine asked.

But her mom was already opening the passenger door and sliding in.  Carmine walked dejectedly up to the blue-gray Honda and got in on the driver’s side.

You need more practice. her mom told her.  But Carmine didn’t want more practice.  She wanted sleep.  And she wanted to quit driving altogether.  Maybe she’d just take the bus for the rest of her life.  Anna did it – how bad could it really be?

But I hate driving. Carmine mumbled. 

You’ll like it once you’re more confident. her mom told her.  Besides, it’ll give you more independence.

Carmine didn’t care.  As far as she was concerned, it was way too much work.  She had to make sure she knew what was going on in three different mirrors that were nowhere near each other, and make sure she didn’t hit anything in front of her.  And she had to do it all while going like forty miles an hour!  She didn’t see how she was ever going to do this.  It seemed impossible – and that was before she factored in the tiredness.  Even when Carmine didn’t have nightmares, she still didn’t exactly get the best sleep.

She’d planned on whining a little more – maybe that would get her a single day off.  But the look on her mom’s face told Carmine it wasn’t going to happen.  So instead, she stifled a yawn, looked behind her, and backed out of the driveway.

It was only a twenty-minute drive, but it always felt so much longer.  And two failed signals and a near-accident later, Carmine pulled into the back of the junior parking lot.  She let out a sigh of relief when she finally put the car in park.  She watched out of the corner of her eye as her mom unclenched her hand from the armrest.  So much for her insistence that Carmine was doing fine.

I’ll pick you up after school. her mom said.

Ok. Carmine mumbled.  She watched as Luke, Zev, and Conner piled out of Luke’s old Mustang across the aisle.  She wondered vaguely if he’d take her home.  And maybe pick her up.  Just until the end of the school year; it’d only be like six months.  So they lived in opposite directions – would that matter?  As far as Carmine was concerned, it’d be totally worth it.

Have a good day. Carmine’s mom called out to her as she shut the door.

I will. Carmine said absentmindedly.  At least school seemed safe.  There were no monsters here, nothing trying to attack her or blackmail her friends.  The only problems Carmine was having this year were when she got home.

Somehow, Carmine and all her friends had managed to get the same lunch period this year.  With three possible lunches at the school, the odds seemed like they’d be against it; she would have thought that at least one of the six would have had a different period.  Last year, the girls had had the same lunch, but the boys had been on their own.  But when Carmine remarked on this year’s apparent luck, Zev laughed.

Yeah, Rudi’s working in the front office this year. he told her, like that explained everything.

Carmine remembered last year when she’d found out that he and his friends were actually werewolves.  The boys had explained that pretty much their whole neighborhood was made up of them.  Apparently, they’d been living in the city for generations, right under everyone’s noses.  And Rudi Kaelin was part of that group.

So what – you just asked her to switch the schedules around? Carmine asked.  Zev and Rudi might be part of the same group, but she’d never got the impression that they were all that close.

Pretty much. Zev grinned.  Really, it was only mine and Anna’s.  Everyone else already had the same lunch, so it wasn’t like it was that hard.

You know, you really owe her for that. Luke said casually.

Yeah, I know.  Don’t worry.

Don’t forget about her – you don’t want to get her mad.

Rudi?  But she’s so tiny! Mia said, surprised.  What would she do?

She might be small, but she’s got a vicious streak. Luke told her.

You should have seen her last week! Conner laughed.

Why?  What happened last week? Anna asked, eyes wide.

She nearly took Zev’s ear off. Luke told her, grinning.  Conner snickered.

She did not. Zev rolled his eyes.

Sure looked like it to me. Conner said happily.

So what happened then? Mia asked impatiently.

Carmine couldn’t help but notice Mia didn’t seem particularly concerned.  She and Zev might be more or less dating, but they sure didn’t have that sentimentality any other couple would have had for each other.

It was nothing, really. Zev told her.  We were out in the woods.  You know – everybody.

Carmine nodded along with Anna and Mia.  Last Thursday had been the full moon.  And the girls might not know a lot about what they did on those nights, but they did know that the whole neighborhood went out to the woods together.  They treated it like a kind of block party.  Carmine grinned to herself.  Actually, that was exactly what they’d thought it was – before Mia wandered into the woods one night.

I just wasn’t paying as much attention as I should have. Zev told her shrugging.

Wait – what? Carmine asked.  There was no way that was the end of his story.  Carmine looked at his face, but it was clear he’d decided against saying whatever had happened.

Anyway, I wasn’t the one who started it. Zev said, turning to Luke.  "You did."

I did not! Luke looked indignant – like he couldn’t believe Zev would drag him into the middle of this.  You know that was only because of – her cousin. Luke finished.  What was it they weren’t telling the girls?

Who’s cousin?  Rudi’s? Carmine asked.  She didn’t know about Anna or Mia, but she liked to keep a mental note on who was human around here and who wasn’t.

"Well, they’re not really cousins." Luke admitted.

Might as well be.  Their families are close enough. Zev muttered darkly.

Carmine rested her head in her hand and casually closed her eyes as she listened to the rest of their conversation.  Whatever had happened, no one seemed particularly interested in talking about it.  And Carmine was too tired to play guessing games.  She was more than happy to just listen.  And if anything newsworthy caught her attention, then maybe she’d tune in again.

The next thing Carmine knew, someone was shaking her arm, and she almost fell over.

What? Carmine opened her eyes slowly.  Conner was sitting on the bench next to her.

Come on – wake up.  Lunch’s over. he told her.

Really?  Hadn’t they just sat down?

Are you ok? Anna asked quietly.

Carmine hadn’t even seen her standing there.  She tried to force an I’m-awake expression on her face as she casually looked around.  Everyone else was heading to class.

I’m fine.  Just got up early this morning. she told Anna.  She hoped Anna would remember, without Carmine having to say anything in front of Conner.  Fortunately, it looked like she did.  She nodded, but she still didn’t look happy.

Just don’t fall asleep in class. Conner told her.  He grinned in that boyish way of his, but Carmine thought she saw something else in his expression.  Had Anna said anything while she was asleep?

Nope.  I’m good. Carmine said brightly.  She smothered a yawn as she grabbed her backpack up off the ground.  See you in history. she told Conner.

See you then. he said.  He slung his own backpack over his shoulder and made his way across the courtyard.  When he was a safe distance away, Carmine turned back to Anna.

Did you tell him I texted you last night? Carmine asked casually.

No.  Should I have? Anna looked a little surprised.

No. Carmine said quickly.  I mean, I know I’ve been a little off.  But I’m fine.  Really.

You sure? Anna asked, studying her a little closer than Carmine would have liked.

Positive.

You’d tell me if anything was wrong, right? Anna asked after a minute.

Of course.  If it was anything but this, Carmine added silently.  Nightmares were embarrassing, especially after all they’d been through.  And it wasn’t like it was a real problem anyway.  If something bad actually showed up, Anna would be the first person to know about it, Carmine promised herself.

Ok.  Just be careful, alright? Anna said finally.

Will do. Carmine grinned in a way she hoped was convincing.

I just worry about you. Anna admitted.  I don’t want you to get hurt.

I won’t.  Don’t worry. Carmine said a little coolly.

She knew it was more than just friendly concern.  Carmine was the most fragile member of their group – physically at least.  Her friends tried to hide it, but she could see that they were nervous taking her on some of their more dangerous adventures.  And if they knew it was starting to take a toll on Carmine mentally, they’d never let her do anything with them again.

Come on – we’re going to be late. Carmine announced.

Chapter 3: Track Practice

A lright – it’s 3:15 ! Everybody at the line! Coach Danby announced.  Carmine and Luke moved towards the starting line.  They’d both been on the track team since freshman year.  Of course, that was before she knew about what Luke was.

Carmine had always known Lucas Volk was fast – he’d been a runner since they were in elementary school.  And even though she wasn’t bad herself, she’d always been a little jealous of him.  It was just that he was so good, and he hardly seemed to put any effort into it.

Of course, her dad told her that Luke worked just as hard as she did.  Just because he didn’t look like he was going to collapse at the end of every race didn’t mean he wasn’t tired.  But her dad had never seen Luke in practice.  He was barely winded after sets that left her wondering if she was going to throw up.  It had always frustrated Carmine to no end.  But last year she found out why he was so good.  It didn’t help much with the jealousy, but at least she didn’t have such an overwhelming feeling of it not being fair anymore.

The team took off in waves – fastest in the first group, then next fastest, and so on.  Carmine always thought Luke would go in the first group; after all, he was the best runner on the team.  But he never did.  Instead, he took off in the same group as Carmine, keeping pace with her.  Carmine was just glad she was in the third group.  What would Luke do if she went last?  Would he really try to run with her then?  Carmine grinned at the thought – there was no way Coach Danby would let that happen.  She already thought he was slacking by running in the third group.

You don’t have to wait for me. Carmine told him.  It was a nice gesture and all, but she knew it couldn’t be much practice for him.  Besides, it made her feel kind of slow.  How could she ever hope to keep pace with someone like him – he wasn’t even human!

It’s ok. Luke told her, grinning.  I like running with you.

Really?  Why?  Carmine would have thought it’d be boring.

Couple reasons. Luke shrugged.

...Like?

Well, I don’t have to pretend to be tired for one – I can kind of relax, you know?  Plus, it’s good to keep pace with someone else.

What – so you don’t outpace the whole team? she asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.  Luke laughed a little sheepishly.

Something like that. he admitted, looking away for just a minute.

Must be nice. Carmine said, doing her best to keep the bitterness from showing.  She could only imagine what it must be like to be Luke – having to worry about going too fast.  If only her problems were more like that!

Actually, it’s not as nice as you’d think. Luke told her, reading her face.

Why’s that? she asked.

I almost didn’t get to join the team at all.

How come? Carmine panted.  Luke might not be winded, but Carmine was starting to feel it.

A lot of people thought I might attract too much attention.

What changed...their minds? Carmine managed to ask after a minute.  How was it possible that Luke wasn’t even a little tired?

A three-month debate before freshman year. Luke said, grimacing a little at the memory.  And I pointed out that everyone else was playing football.  Seems like a bigger risk to me.

Yeah? Carmine managed to say.

She wanted to ask him why, but she didn’t really have the air for it at the moment.  Fortunately, they’d been doing this for long enough that Luke was used to it by now.  For the most part he kept up their conversations, and Carmine only had to contribute a little.

Having like half the team being made up of extra-fast, extra-strong guys? he asked.  He looked at her, and she nodded.

She could definitely see Luke’s point.  Still, she couldn’t help but wonder how he’d actually managed to win that argument.  She was pretty sure that if everyone she knew thought she’d end up exposing their biggest secret, there was no way she would have gotten to join the team.  Even if his argument was airtight, how had he gotten them to go along with it?

Carmine wanted to ask, but she was getting pretty tired; keeping pace with Luke was always hard.  The only way she managed to struggle through it as long as she did it was by convincing herself it made her a better runner.

Anyway, they decided to let me – obviously. Luke said.  But a lot of people weren’t happy with me.  Still aren’t. Luke added darkly.  He glanced behind him, making sure no one had snuck up behind them.  Carmine would have laughed if she had the breath to spare.  Luke had great hearing – wouldn’t he know if anyone was about to pass them?

Sorry. was the only thing Carmine managed to say.

She would have thought whoever had a problem with Luke would be over it by now.  Sure, he was definitely the best runner on the team, but he wasn’t abnormally good.  At least, not that he’d ever shown.  Was there something else going on?

Carmine thought back to that conversation at lunch.  She wanted to ask about it, but she was too tired by this point.  Besides, they’d almost made it back around to the beginning of the track.  Coach Danby and a few students were already there, and Carmine knew it wouldn’t be a good time to ask.  And she had to ask herself: did she really want to know anyway?  She already had more than enough problems of her own without taking on Luke’s too.

They finished their set and Carmine grabbed her water.  Luke did the same, but he didn’t look nearly as winded as everyone else.

Don’t get too comfortable. Coach Danby told everyone.  We’re going again in thirty seconds.  And Volk, you’re in group one this time.

Luke grimaced.

Chapter 4: Just So Tired

Carmine woke up in a cold sweat for the third time that week.

The clock across the room said 4:32.  Carmine knew she was going to be tired when school came around, but she didn’t dare go back to sleep.  How could she, with dream still running through her mind?  She knew she’d go right back to having that nightmare as soon as she closed her eyes.  So instead, she just lay in bed with the light on, wondering how long it would be until she could finally get a decent night’s sleep.

Carmine thought about texting Anna again.  She knew Anna almost never slept, and since she lived alone, there was no danger of waking anyone else up or getting her in trouble.  Carmine walked quickly across the room to her dresser, grabbed her phone, and jumped back under the covers.  She scrolled through her numbers until she found Anna’s – the third one down.  She typed out a message, then lay there for several minutes, finger hovering over the send button.  But she didn’t press it.  Finally, she sighed and exited out of her contact list.

As much as Carmine really wanted to talk to someone, she just couldn’t bring herself to do it.  She’d worked so hard to convince her friends that everything was all right – that sneaking out in the middle of the night to hunt monsters didn’t bother her.  She knew her friends had been really impressed with her – that she, a human, was willing to do these kinds of things.  And to be honest, it was a source of pride for Carmine too.

But if she called Anna now, admitting how scared she was, all of that would be over.  As much as Carmine hated to admit it, the idea of being left out of their adventures was even worse than the idea of going on them.

Carmine might not have wanted to call her friend in the