"Do you?" I asked softly. His eyes shot back to mine. "No way! But something bad's happening. Someone's kidnapping football players. That's why I was here today. I'm taping up flyers with Brad's picture on them. Maybe someone will remember him being dragged away or something."

"I'm sorry about Chris." I laced my fingers through his. "I know you guys were friends."

"It sucks. I can't believe he's dead." He swallowed hard, and I knew he was trying not to cry. "I think Brad's dead, too." I thought he was, too, but I couldn't say it out loud. "Maybe not. Maybe they'll find him."

"Yeah, maybe. Hey, Chris's funeral is Monday. Would you go with me?" . "I can't, Heath. Do you know what would happen if a fledgling showed up at the funeral of a kid people think was killed by a vampyre?"

"I guess it would be bad."

"Yes, it would be. And that's what I've been trying to make you see. You and me together--we'd have to deal with issues like that all the time."

"Not when we're out of school, Zo. Then you could wear that cover-up stuff you have on your face now, and no one would even know."

What he was saying probably should have pissed me off, but he was so serious, so sure that if I slapped a little concealer on my tattoos everything could go back to the way it was. And I couldn't be mad because I understood his wanting it. Wasn't that what I was doing there? Hadn't I been trying to relive part of my old life? But this wasn't me anymore, and deep within me I didn't really want it to be. I liked the new Zoey, even if saying good-bye to the old Zoey wasn't only hard, it was a little sad, too. "Heath, I don't want to cover my Mark. That wouldn't be who I am." I drew a deep breath and continued. "I've been Marked specially by our Goddess, and Nyx has given me some unusual powers. It would be impossible for me to pretend to be the hu man Zoey again, even if I wanted to. And, Heath, I don't want to." His eyes searched my face. "Okay. We'll do it your way and say to hell with people who don't like it."

"That's not my way, Heath. I don't--"

"Wait, you don't have to say anything right now. Just think about it. We can meet here again in a few days." He grinned. "I'll even come at night." It was a lot harder than I'd imagined to tell Heath that I'd never see him again. Actually, I hadn't imagined that I would have to have this talk with him. I'd thought we were over. Sitting here with him now felt weird--part normal, part impossible. Which actu ally described our relationship pretty well. I sighed and glanced down at our joined hands, and caught a look at my watch. "Oh, shit!" I pulled my hand from his and grabbed my purse and my American Eagle bag. It was 2:15.I had to make that damn call to the FBI in fifteen minutes. "I gotta go, Heath. I'm really late for something at school. I'll--I'll call you later." I started to hurry away and wasn't really surprised that he came with me. "No," he interrupted when I started to tell him to go away. "I'm walking you to your car." I didn't argue with him. I knew that tone. As goofy and exas perating as Heath could be, his daddy had raised him right. Since third grade he'd been a gentleman, opening doors for me and carrying my schoolbooks, even when his friends called him a pu**y-whipped dork. Walking me to my car was just part of what Heath did. Period. My VW was sitting all alone under a big tree, just like when I'd parked it. As usual, he reached past me and opened my door. I couldn't help smiling at him. I mean, there was a reason I'd liked the kid for all these years--he really was sweet. "Thanks, Heath," I said, and slid into the driver's seat. I was go ing to roll down the window and say bye to him, but he was al ready moving around the car and in about two seconds he was sitting in the passenger's seat grinning at me. "Uh, you can't come with me," I told him. "And I'm in a hurry, so I can't give you a ride anywhere."

"I know. I don't need a ride. I have my truck."

"Okay, well. Then bye. I'll call you later." He didn't move. "Heath, you have to--"

"I have to show you something, Zo."

"Can you show me quickly?" I didn't want to be mean to him, but I really had to get back to the school and make that call. Why the hell hadn't I put Damien's disposable phone in my purse? I tapped the steering wheel impatiently while Heath put his hand in his jeans pocket and felt around for something. "There it is. I started carrying this around a couple weeks ago, just in case." He pulled something that was about an inch long and flat out of his pocket. It was wrapped in what looked like folded cardboard. "Heath, really. I gotta go and you ..." My words faded as the breath left my body. He'd unwrapped the little thing. The blade caught the dim light and glittered seductively. I tried to speak, but my mouth had gone dry. "I want you to drink my blood, Zoey," he said simply. A shiver of terrible longing broke over my body. I was gripping the steering wheel with both hands to keep them from shaking .. . or reaching out and taking the razor blade and slicing it into his warm, sweet skin so that his delicious blood would drip and drip and... "No!" I shouted, hating the way the power in my voice made him cringe. I swallowed and got control of myself. "Just put it away and get out of my car, Heath."