“Yeah, what the hell just happened?” Tyler asked.
“A vision, you moron!” Kate snapped, extricating herself and kneeling down beside me. “You need some water?”
“No. I mean, yes. Water. But it wasn’t a vision. It was . . .” I shook my head. “God, I don’t know. First it was just pain—heat, like my legs were on fire. And then . . . then I was somewhere else. A dungeon, maybe. But I wasn’t me. Not like in my visions.”
“Has anything like this ever happened before?” Matthew asked, his face paling.
“Yeah . . . once before,” I said. “At Patsy’s, before school started. The heat and then later that thing with my shoulders, remember? You made Sophie check it out.” And then, just like that, the most likely explanation dawned on me, stealing away my breath entirely. Oh my God! “I think . . . I’m feeling . . . whatever they’re doing to Aidan,” I choked out.
“No. I can’t imagine—I mean, I’ve never heard of anything like that before,” Matthew said. “Here, can you sit up?”
I did, and took the paper cup of water that Kate handed me.
I knocked it back in one long gulp. “Wow, this was some birthday celebration, huh?”
“Definitely memorable,” Joshua agreed. “You look better. You know, more color.” He made a sweeping motion with one hand, indicating my face, I suppose.
With a wince, I ran a hand down my right leg, testing it. I was surprised to find that it felt completely normal. “I swear it felt so real. I really am losing my mind.”
Matthew shook his head. “There’s got to be a logical explanation. I just don’t know what it is yet, that’s all. Unfortunately, none of this stuff is an exact science. It’s all legend and lore, entirely imprecise and unpredictable.”
“Spoken like a true science teacher,” Joshua said.
“Speaking of which, why didn’t you study anthropology or ancient history or something like that?” Cece asked. “Considering . . . I mean . . .” She trailed off, looking embarrassed.
Matthew reached for my hand and helped me to my feet. “Considering I knew I was a Megvéd, you mean? Part of vampire lore? Yeah, that’s a good question. I guess because I like science—the thrill of discovery. But hey, science might very well help us out in the end. At least, Aidan thought it could. I’m still working on his project. His serum,” he clarified.
“What do you mean?” Tyler asked.
“Just that I’m still playing around with the formula. We’d gotten really close; I was sure of it. Aidan was sure of it too. This is the most exciting work I’ve ever done—far beyond my malaria research, and that was considered groundbreaking. Think about what it would mean, the cure. And not just for Aidan.”
Still feeling dizzy and slightly disoriented, I slid into the chair opposite Matthew’s desk. I tried to wrap my head around what Matthew was saying—tried to imagine what a cure might mean for us as Sâbbat and Megvéd. “But who are you going to test it on?”
“Aidan left me plenty of tissue and DNA samples to work with. It’s not exactly the same—not a hundred percent accurate—but I should have a good enough idea if I’m getting closer or not.”
“I’ll help,” Tyler offered. “Just tell me when.”
Matthew nodded in his direction. “Thanks, Tyler. I appreciate it.”
Sophie stepped up behind me, one hand resting on my shoulder. “I’ll help, too.”
“That’s makes two of my best advanced sci students,” Matthew said. “We’ll make a great research team.”
I was glad that they were going to try—glad that Aidan’s work would continue, even in his absence. Somehow it felt like a tribute of sorts. And maybe if I found him—when I found him—he’d be that much closer to a cure.
“Here. Have a cupcake,” Matthew said, handing me a purple-frosted one. “You look like you need it.”
“Thanks.” I took it, suddenly craving the sugar. I ripped off the paper and took a bite, savoring the gooey sweetness. Okay, so it wasn’t a Magnolia Bakery cupcake—my favorite—but it was pretty darn close.
Tyler sidled up beside me. “You’ve got icing on your nose. Here, I’ll lick it off.” He bent toward me, a cartoonish leer on his face.
I swatted him away. “Ugh, you’re disgusting,” I said, but I was laughing now. I could always count on Tyler to lighten the mood, to try and make me smile.
“Hey, I just offered to help cure the boyfriend, remember?”
I wiped the icing from nose. “Yeah, I remember. Thank you.”
Everyone was trying to help, each in their own way. Hope surged through me, despite my efforts to quell it. Was it possible, or had we lost him forever? Had I lost him forever?
I let out a sigh, forcing back the memory of the horrible sensations I’d experienced—the excruciating pain, the overwhelming despair. Somehow, I’d been inside Aidan’s head. I was sure of it. Whatever they were doing to him was bad enough that he wanted to die, hoped to die. And if that was true, well . . .
Just what would Aidan be like if I did find him?
8 ~ Exes and Ohhs
How many weeks had passed since we’d returned to school? Five? Six? I’d lost count. I glanced up at the calendar pinned to the wall above my desk, surprised to see that it was February already. Mid-February, I corrected myself. Almost Valentine’s Day.
Memories of last year’s Valentine’s Day came flooding back, and I shuddered. That stupid miniature—the one with Aidan’s ex, who happened to look just like me. Isabel. Aidan and I had fought about it, and then I’d skipped the dance that night. Months had passed before I’d been able to forgive him, time that I could never get back.
“You okay?” Cece asked me, looking up from her laptop with a frown on her face.
“Yeah, it’s just . . . I’m not looking forward to the weekend, that’s all.” I hated to be such a downer, especially with Cece all excited about going to the dance with Joshua.
Cece set aside her laptop and hurried over to wrap her arms around me. “Aww, I’m sorry. I know it’s going to be hard for you.”
I inhaled her familiar scent—coconut shampoo—and felt a little better. “When was the last time you tried?” I asked, unable to stanch my curiosity. “To project to either of them, I mean. Aidan or Mrs. Girard.”
“Yesterday morning.” Cece released me and perched on the end of my bed facing me. “No luck, but I think I’ve combed just about every square inch of Paris by now. There are a lot of projectors roaming that place, by the way. It’s kind of crazy.”
I shook my head. “That is so weird. Cool, but weird.”
“Tell me about it. I wish there was a way to go private. You know, flip some internal switch and go incognito. That way, I could search the headmistress’s office without having to worry.”
I stiffened in my seat, fear making my heart race as I glanced out the window. Last week’s storm had dumped nearly a foot of fresh snow on the ground. We were still in the danger zone, as far as my vision went. “You promised me you wouldn’t, Cee. The vision. Remember?”
“I know.” She waved a hand in dismissal. “But c’mon, you really think they’d expel me?”
“Yes! How could you possibly explain what you were doing there? It’s not like you could tell Dr. Ackerman the truth. She’d have to expel you.”
“Yeah, I know.” She sighed resignedly. “Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t you request a weekend pass, just to get away? I mean, it’s not that I don’t want you here, but you were just talking about that new temporary exhibit at the museum—you know, that one about vampires and werewolves and zombies. You should go.”