Birth of the Vampire (The Vanderlind Realm) Read Online Free PDF

who usually had to clean her partially masticated food out of the sink. “Ashley, that’s pretty gross,” I told her. “Can you at least just spit it into the garbage?”
    She wrinkled her little nose, which was lightly spangled with freckles. “I don’t like the smell.”
    “Well, I don’t like cleaning up your chewed food,” I grumbled, but I knew she wasn’t paying attention.
    “Where’s my dad?” she asked. I could tell she was eyeing another strip of bacon, but I removed the plate and put it in the oven.
    “He’s still upstairs,” I told her, wondering what she wanted. It had to be something pretty big, or she wouldn’t have shown up so bright and early.
    Ashley trotted out of the room bellowing, “Dad!” as she charged up the stairs. I could tell by the slight babyish tone to her voice that she really wanted something.
    I quietly moved to the base of the stairs so I could listen. I wasn’t proud of eavesdropping, and it was something I definitely intended to stop doing once I was out of Kevin’s house, but at that moment in time, I really needed to keep my ear to the ground. I needed to be able to anticipate Uncle Kevin’s moods and plan accordingly.
    “Hi, Daddy,” I heard Ashley say, and I knew she had probably run up to him and kissed him on the cheek.
    “How’s my little girl?” was Kevin’s reply. It really was obvious he adored her. But he never saw the side of her that I did. Maybe parents never really knew their own children. Not once they got to a certain age, at least.
    “Good,” she told him. “I’m glad we’re on winter break.” I guess Ashley had decided that she’d made enough small talk because she immediately got to the point of her visit with, “Can I borrow your car tonight?”
    “What?” Kevin said, obviously not expecting the abrupt change in topics.
    “Blossom Coster is having her annual Christmas Eve party, and it’s going to be super cool this year. So Erika was going to drive us, but now her car’s in the shop. I asked Mom if I could use her car, but she’s got some stupid plans and is being really mean about it. So I was wondering if I could borrow your truck. And I promise I’ll be super careful.” Then she decided to cement the deal by adding, “Pwease?” in her best baby voice. I knew she was tilting her head down at him so that she could pout her lower lip a little and look up at him, widening her blue eyes for the total effect. I felt like gagging.
    “Can’t,” he said without really even thinking it over. “Already have plans.”
    “But, Daddy,” Ashley said, her voice instantly taking on an irritation whine.
    I sprinted back to the kitchen and yanked Uncle Kevin’s breakfast out of the oven, shoving it onto the table. Then I scrambled for my boots, jamming my feet inside even though my socks bunched up awkwardly. I grabbed my coat and bag and then slipped out the side door. I tried to make as little noise as I possibly could as I pulled the door shut behind me.
    I had my mom’s car. It was a beat-to-crap Honda, but it ran, and I didn’t have to share it with anyone. Not even Ashley. I knew as soon as she became convinced that her dad wasn’t going to let her use his truck, she would start kissing up to me to borrow my car. And that wasn’t going to happen. The first, last, and only time I let her use my car, it came back smelling of cigarettes; the knob was broken off the radio; and there was gum mashed into the passenger’s side carpet. Ashley played totally innocent, insisting, “It was that way when I got it,” but she also knew better than to ask to borrow it again.
    At least she knew better for a few months. But I had no doubt that I was next on her list of suckers. That’s why I locked the doors as soon as I got in my car. It was a precaution I usually took anyway, but I didn’t doubt my cousin’s ability to slip in beside me and be annoying until I finally cracked under the strain.
    The car doesn’t just go on command.