Vampire Island Read Online Free Page B

meet a fresh new neighbor.”
    Maddy thought she saw Nicola frown at her husband.
    “And you are a…human being?” asked Nicola.
    “Of course. One hundred percent.” Untrue, but Maddy was surprised. Her human beingness had never been questioned before. Was she imagining things, or had Nigel just licked his lips?
    “Our servant, Snooks, is preparing a late-afternoon snack of steak tartar,” said Nicola. “Why don’t you join us—neighbor?”
    A stern voice in Maddy’s head reminded her that she had already had her beetly pinch of protein for the day. Luckily, the voice was too small to pay attention to. “Sure.”
    As peculiar as the von Kriks were, they were also charmingly polite. In the dining room, Snooks served up porcelain plates of raw, chopped meat. Maddy had never tried steak tartar before. On first taste, her stomach and memory rumbled like a waking volcano. This was the most delicious dish she’d ever sunk her fangs into. It reminded her of long, long ago, way back when she was pure human. And the von Kriks’ crystal water goblets made her feel as if she were a guest at a splendid dinner party. The von Kriks seemed to be enjoying their tartar, too. They cleaned their plates in no time.
    “The cuisine is the best part of being here, my dove,” murmured Nicola.
    “I couldn’t agree more, my darling,” said Nigel.
    It was a known fact that a reformed pureblood could eat anything the New World had to offer. With a reporter’s stealth, Maddy took out her notepad and pencil and hid them on her lap.
    “You have foreign accents. What country are you from?” Maddy asked.
    “We don’t have accents,” said Nigel at the same time that Nicola said, “London?”
    Liars , Maddy wrote. “What brings you to New York City?”
    “Business,” said Nicola as Nigel said, “Pleasure.”
    Maddy added an exclamation mark to Liars!
    “What are you writing?” asked Nicola.
    “I want the recipe for steak tartar,” Maddy said.
    “Raw steak,” said Nigel.
    “And a chopping knife,” added Nicola. “That’s it. Please put away your book.”
    After lunch, the von Kriks took Maddy on a tour of their grand home, which included a music salon and a portrait gallery.
    “Are you tired?” asked Nigel. “You can leave anytime. As in, now.”
    “Not yet, thanks.” Maddy could tell the von Kriks were uncomfortable in her presence, mostly by the way Nigel twitched while Nicola chewed on a bead of her exquisite jet bead necklace.
    Maddy smiled, attempting to look friendly.
    “As in, now ,” repeated Nicola. “Snooks will show you out.”
    “In a minute.” Were they always so rude to guests? Or was it her? Maddy knew she had a tendency to be a bad guest. Like at sleepovers, when she couldn’t resist overscaring other girls with her moment-by-moment reenactment of Marie Antoinette’s gory death. But Maddy had been there—an eyewitness in the crowd.
    “Who are all these portraits?”
    “Beloved ancestors,” said Nigel at the same time that Nicola said, “Just some old dead people.” And now it was Nigel who frowned at his wife.
    “Where are the portraits of you?” Maddy quirked an eyebrow. The undead were not allowed to have their images reproduced or displayed. It was a rule that did not change, no matter which World you were in. No photographs, no portraits—now that would be a sure sign.
    “Snooks sent them out for cleaning,” said Nigel at the same time that Nicola said, “Oh, up in the attic.”
    Maddy’s fingernails pricked. Lying pureblood vampires!
    “Eeeeeee—Madison! Get home right this instant and set the table.” Maddy’s mother had suddenly echolocated her in a sonic blast that made Maddy jump.
    “Gotta dash, but I’ll be back,” Maddy promised. She grabbed her coat and prepared to flee.
    “Finally! And the door is always locked, neighbor,” said Nicola at the same time Nigel told her, twitchingly, “Next time, we will visit you. ”
     
    Except that they didn’t. Over the