Good luck, Caleb said. I could tell you the color underwear the blonde to your right is wearing—rojo. That means red, by the way. But that’s all I know.
“I’ll help,” John said, keeping pace beside him.
Thank God. With John telling him what to write, Aden managed to impress the teacher for the first time. He didn’t feel guilty about cheating, either. As he’d listened to John and written what he’d heard, he’d learned.
Halfway back to his seat, the bell rang. Crap. He wasn’t finished talking to John. He quickened his step, swiped up his backpack, then lifted the pad and pen and wrote, Since I’m helping you with Chloe, will you help me? I need a bottle of nail polish.
John barked out a laugh. “Are you kidding me? I didn’t peg you as the type.”
He shook his head as kids filed past him, jaw locked together, cheeks heating. It’s for a girl. Last night after Victoria had left him so abruptly, he’d started to think. She had to paint her fingernails with that metal to protect herself from…he couldn’t recall the name of the liquid in her ring, but she could paint her toenails and she loved color, so…
Still laughing, John asked, “Any particular color?”
Doesn’t matter, he wrote. As long as it’s not black. If you can’t, I’ll—
“Oh, I can. I’ve learned a few tricks these last few months. And I happen to know where Mr. White keeps all the bottles the teachers confiscate from the students.”
Has to be unopened, never used.
“Mr. Stone. The bell rang,” the teacher, Señor Smith, said impatiently. “You need to leave.”
“Never used won’t be a problem,” John said.
Aden crossed the room to the door. John remained beside him until he hit the hallway, then disappeared.
Time to hunt for Chloe. It was now lunch, so she should be in the cafeteria. He’d planned to sneak off campus and into the forest for an hour—searching for Victoria rather than Riley this time—but that would have to wait. He’d given John his word. And he wanted that nail polish.
Something slammed into his shoulder, and his bag went flying. Suddenly Tucker loomed in front of him, scowling, pure menace. Determined. “Watch where you’re going, Crazy.”
He ground his teeth. “Get out of my face, Tucker.” He didn’t need the threat of Tucker now, on top of the threat Ozzie still presented. Not to mention all the creatures newly arrived in town.
“What’ cha gonna do about it, huh? No one’s here to save you this time.”
The world around him faded, another taking its place. This one was an empty alleyway, redbrick walls colored with graffiti. There was a Dumpster and rats ran along the edges. In the background, he could even hear the wail of a police siren. What the hell?
“It’s just you and me now,” the jock said, smug.
Aden saw the way Tucker’s eyes were swirling, the gray laced with sizzling silver. This had to be an illusion, he realized grimly. Tucker had tried before, but it hadn’t worked. This time, Mary Ann wasn’t standing next to him. This time, there was nothing to negate Tucker’s power. Except…
Riley somehow always negated Mary Ann’s negation, allowing Aden’s companions to talk and act even in her presence. Tucker had tried the spider thing when both had been around him, yet had failed. Shouldn’t that mean Tucker simply couldn’t use his ability against Aden, no matter who was or was not with him?
Lost in thought as he was, he was unprepared when Tucker shoved him and went flying backward. He tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground. Though his eyes told him he’d hit a brick wall, that wall jumped away from him with a curse. Had he actually hit a person?
Tucker grinned, and there was an evil edge to it. “This is gonna be fun.”
As Aden popped to his feet, Tucker launched forward. Back to the ground he went, but this time he rolled, pinning Tucker’s shoulders. He drew his knees up, straddling Tucker’s waist, holding him down.
“I don’t want to fight you,” he snarled.
“Chicken?” Tucker jerked his arms free, grabbed hold of his shoulders and tossed him aside.
Just determined to stay here. He stood, fingers curling into fists. “Why can’t you just leave me alone? I’ve never done anything to hurt you.”
“Go ahead.” Tucker stood, too. “Get up and walk away. I’ll just follow you. I’ll be your new shadow. Every time you turn around, there I’ll be, my fist in your face. Then, when I’m done with you, I’ll turn on Mary Ann. After that, I’ll go after that new chick, Victoria. She’ll—”
Aden roared, his rage springing up, spilling over. Tucker’s eyes widened as Aden’s fist came at him. Contact. Cartilage snapped and blood poured. Tucker howled in pain.
Stop, Eve said. You have to stop. He’s just taunting you, trying to force you into this fight so you’ll be kicked out of school.
Aden was past the point of listening. No one threatened his friends. Him, sure. He’d dealt with threats his entire life. But Mary Ann was too delicate, Victoria too…his. He drew back his fist for another punch, but stopped when Tucker’s image changed, shifting into Mary Ann’s. He blinked in confusion.
Next thing he knew, a fist was connecting with his nose. Again, cartilage snapped and blood poured. His own. He felt a sharp sting, then nothing as adrenaline surged through his bloodstream.
Destroy him, Caleb said.
No matter whose face he shows you, attack, Julian added.
Eve is right, Elijah said, trying to be the voice of reason. He’s provoking you on purpose. Only reason he hit you back is because his own temper is too volatile to control.
In the distance, Aden thought he heard kids cheering. He just couldn’t see anyone. So badly he wanted to whip out his daggers, but he didn’t. He didn’t want to kill Tucker. He just wanted to stop him. Perhaps humiliate him in the process.
Aden crouched and leapt, arms wrapping around Tucker’s middle and propelling him into the wall. Cocky laughter filled his ears. When he straightened, drawing his elbow back, he saw that Tucker now looked like Victoria.
Not her, not her, not her. Aden threw his punch, Tucker’s eyes widening as it neared. No longer was he fighting fairly. He hit Tucker in the throat, cutting off his air. The boy hunched over, trying to breathe. Aden then kneed him in the face, cracking his cheekbone and sending him to his back, where he writhed on the ground.
Aden leapt on top of him. Over and over he beat his fists into Tucker’s face. Teeth cut his skin, but he didn’t care. After a while, Tucker stopped writhing. Then stopped moving. “You don’t ever threaten Mary Ann. You don’t ever threaten Victoria. Do you understand me?”
“Aden,” Victoria said softly from behind him.
An illusion, he told himself, continuing to punch and punch and punch. Victoria had told him to leave her alone. Victoria wasn’t even at school.
Gentle hands settled on his shoulders, inexorably hot. “You have to stop.”
He whipped around, ready to attack this new illusion when he noticed the alley had vanished and the halls of the school had once again appeared. Kids were all around him, no longer cheering. Not even smiling. They were gazing at him in horror. In fear.
Today was game day, so many of their faces were painted with Go Jaguars and We’re #1. That paint was stark against the paleness of their skin. His wild gaze flew back to Victoria.
She really was here. She was breathing heavily, her fangs peeking over her lips in a show of absolute hunger. Couldn’t be an illusion. Tucker didn’t know she was vampire. Aden pushed to shaky legs and reached for her. His hands were covered in blood.