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. Since I was local, the hospital called me. His number? No.After Devon had left the area, he d gotten rid of anything that wouldhave reminded him of Prior.There was no way the hospital could have--Oh.His list of emergency contacts.Devon had his current editor-in-chief listed first, followed by a couple friends, his oldcollege roommate, and his favorite photographer.Prior s name was still on the list -- rightabove his grandparents, because if Devon ever died, he wanted them to know.He didn tknow if they would care. Forgot to cross me out? Prior asked.His tone was neutral.Devon had known himthrough three years of college and three years post-school, though, and knew that that tonemeant Prior had been expecting something else, was surprised that he d been wrong, andnow felt vulnerable. No. Devon shrugged.Prior had come for him.Devon wouldn t have expected that,but he had. Thank you. Prior studied him, his dark blue eyes thoughtful. What happened to your neck? After Dark 87Devon reached up to his neck.A thick cotton strip trailed over his skin. Something bitme. Had the something tried to follow him to the hospital, or had he given up after hecouldn t get into the library? After the vampire had gone through the trouble to find Devon smother s book, Devon doubted he would give up. Where are my clothes? The police have them.Evidence, I believe. Prior walked around the bed anddisappeared through a doorway.Devon set his feet on the thick off-white carpet.When he d lived with hisgrandparents, they d often locked him in a suite of rooms with a television.The macabresituation had made him want to watch horror movies, and he d ended up seeing hundreds ofthem.Real life vampires might differ from their fictional cousins, but if the vampire lastnight drank blood and couldn t go into a building, then it stood to reason that it couldn t goout in daylight.Devon needed to get out of there before sunset or else he d draw thevampire s attention to Prior.Prior stepped out of the closet, holding a pair of jeans and a green knit sweater. They -- They? The police.They ll be by in the afternoon to talk to you about what happened.Didyou look into something that you shouldn t have? Prior s tone was light, a quiet joke that atanother time Devon would have found charming.Journalists uncovered things all the time.There was a certain romance to being threatened over a story.Last night hadn t been romantic. No, Devon said. What bit you? I don t want to get into it. The less Prior knew, the less insane Devon looked.Prior approached him and held out the clothes. Can you at least tell me if it was.human? 88 L.M.PrietoDevon took the clothes. I appreciate you coming for me, Prior, but. Oh.By omission, Devon had reminded Prior of their shared nightmare.Wild dogs hadkilled Devon s parents and Prior s father.Violent, grisly deaths, and they had both seen ithappen. It was human. Ish.Prior frowned. Some guy bit you? Yes. Devon set the jeans on the bed and slipped the sweater over his head. It s notthat bad.I probably should have just given him my wallet.I should get going.Thank youfor -- The doctor asked me to keep an eye on you for a couple days. We both need to work. Devon did, anyway.His parents had left him a trust fund, buthe wanted to save that for things like.hmm.Before, he d hoped to one day get a housewith it.Now, he wondered if he should take some time off and research vampires.If onewanted to kill him, he needed to learn how to fight it.And why it wanted to kill him.Devon slumped onto the bed and picked up the jeans.Usually he trusted his balanceand could dress standing.Today, though, he wanted a little help. How are the twins? Good, Prior said. They re with their mother and stepfather in Disneyworld.You vealready been here a day. What? You ve been here a day.The hospital kept you overnight, and then I brought youhere. The vampire might have already found this place. But I don t remember traveling. Devon shoved his feet into the jeans.He couldn tremember any of that. After Dark 89 And despite my photographs, the hospital director doesn t remember the name of thewoman he was having dinner with last year.He has the photos, and here you are. Warmth crept through Devon.He didn t have the talent to dabble in the subtle danceof favors and manipulations, but he appreciated it. It seems, Prior added, that I overreacted to a mugging. It seemed that he cared enough to lose a couple photos over him. Are you sorry? No. Prior s voice was soft. What if it had been a werewolf? Devon rose and zipped up his jeans.They were loose on him but comfortable. Howabout a vampire? Easier to deal with.They can t go out in sunlight, and if you run a line of salt aroundyour house, they can t cross it. But.Really? Prior shrugged. Hard to say.I ve never met one, but from what my dad wrote. Ah. Six months before his death, Prior Devereaux the second had turned the familynewspaper into a tabloid.Devon had seen a couple of the issues and been impressed.Theydidn t mention Elvis or Bigfoot and instead focused on vampires and werewolves.After hedied, the paper had returned to regular news. Do -- No, he couldn t ask Prior if he could go through those issues.When they d been lovers,Prior had been so obsessed with the paper s respectability that he wouldn t hire his collegefriends or Devon.Devon had wanted to respect it, but after three years of freelancing, he d known thathe either had to get a full-time job elsewhere or convince Prior to at least look at his resumand portfolio.Prior had refused to look at it
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