Feast of Fools Read Online Free PDF

our fight, and you know it.’’
    Now Shane was talking sense? Wow. Was it opposite day? ‘‘But—’’
    â€˜â€˜Your parents are okay, but I don’t want you rushing in. Got it?’’
    She nodded shakily. ‘‘But—’’
    â€˜â€˜Michael. Help me out here. Tell her.’’
    Michael was doing the vampire equivalent of gasping for air, but he nodded, eyes unfocused and vague. ‘‘Yeah,’’ he said weakly. ‘‘They’re okay. That’s why François came after me, because I got between him and your mom.’’
    â€˜â€˜He went after my mom ?’’ Claire flung herself toward the door of the kitchen, and this time Shane barely managed to hold on.
    â€˜â€˜Dude, that was not the kind of help I was looking for,’’ Shane said to Michael, and wrapped both arms around Claire to hold her in place. ‘‘Easy. Easy, Amelie’s in there, and you know she’ll keep things under control—’’
    Claire did. After a second’s thought, it made her struggle harder, because Amelie was perfectly capable of seeing Claire’s parents as expendable if it served her needs. She saw Claire as expendable, off and on. But Shane didn’t let go until she jabbed an elbow back and felt him stagger and release his grip. She didn’t realize what she’d done . . . until she saw a thin line of red on his T-shirt, and Shane thumped himself down hard in the nearest available chair.
    She’d hit him where he’d been stabbed.
    â€˜â€˜Dammit!’’ Eve hissed, and yanked Shane’s shirt up to expose his chest and stomach—still bruised—and the white bandages, which were staining fresh with blood. Claire could even smell it . . .
    . . . and as if she were in a dream, or a nightmare, she turned to look at Michael.
    His eyes weren’t vague and unfocused anymore. No, they were wide and intent and very, very scary. His face was still and white, and he wasn’t breathing at all.
    â€˜â€˜Get the bleeding stopped,’’ he whispered. ‘‘Hurry.’’
    Michael was right. Shane was bait in a shark tank, and Michael was one of the sharks.
    Shane was staring back at him as Eve poked and probed at his bandages, making sure they were tight. ‘‘I think it’s okay, but you need to be careful,’’ she said. ‘‘These bandages need to be changed. You might have popped a stitch or something.’’
    She put her shoulder under Shane’s and helped him to his feet. Shane was still watching Michael, and Michael didn’t seem to be able to physically look away from the bloody slash of bandage on Shane’s stomach.
    â€˜â€˜Want some?’’ Shane asked. ‘‘Come and get it, bat boy.’’ He was almost as pale as Michael, and his expression was tight and furious.
    Michael somehow managed to smile. ‘‘You’re not my blood type, bro.’’
    â€˜â€˜Rejected again.’’ But some of the wildness in Shane’s eyes eased. ‘‘Sorry.’’
    â€˜â€˜No problem.’’ Michael turned toward the closed kitchen door for a moment. ‘‘They’re talking. Look, I’m going to go in and get your parents, Claire. I want everybody together who’s still—’’
    â€˜â€˜Breathing?’’ Shane asked.
    â€˜â€˜In danger,’’ Michael said. ‘‘Back in a second.’’ He hesitated just a breath, then added, ‘‘See if you can fix him up while I’m gone.’’
    And then he was out the door, moving unnaturally fast, as if it was a relief to get away from the smell of Shane’s blood. Claire swallowed and exchanged a look with Eve. Eve looked just as shaken as she felt, but she moved quickly on with priorities. ‘‘Okay. Where’s the first aid