“I understand, Miss Raven.”
Just then two girls came up to the door.
“Which way to the bathroom?” one asked.
“That way,” I said, pointing to the street. “There is one at the gas station. Or, better yet, I bet there’s a golden-
seated one at your home….”
The girls glowered at me and returned to their boyfriends.
“I’ll stand watch as soon as I get back,” he said nervously. Jameson wasn’t the only one upset. I returned to find my party—like my life—out of control.
Couples were mashing. Some were hanging out by the fire pit. Others were dancing.
I spotted Onyx and Scarlet hovering on either side of Trevor. The girls were fawning over his beefy physique.
Where was Sebastian? The girls were supposed to be drooling over him. But none of the vampires seemed interested in the others at this point.
I stormed through the crowd and toward the girls. Scarlet pretended to arm-wrestle with Trevor and then turned his wrist to examine it.
I saw Scarlet’s fang catch the light of the fire pit. Onyx’s onyx tattooed fang sparkled when she grinned.
Trevor was in heaven. But if Onyx and Scarlet had their way, he might be somewhere else.
Scarlet lifted his wrist to her mouth.
“Scarlet!” I called. “Onyx.”
“Not so fast,” Trevor warned, holding Onyx by the waist. “They are doing just fine. You aren’t the only one interested in threesomes.”
“First of all, I’m not. And second of all, this isn’t that kind of party.”
“Is jealousy the only emotion you feel?” Trevor charged. “Even in front of Monster Boy?” he said. “But it appears he’s already busy,” he said, gesturing to a few girls who were talking to Alexander. “But don’t worry.
You can join in with us…. I won’t tell.”
I wasn’t pleased that my schoolmates were fawning over my boyfriend, but I had more urgent matters to attend to.
“Save it for school.”
I wrangled the girls away from Trevor and whispered in Onyx’s ear. “He’s not a V.”
“Not a V?” He had overheard me. “What does that mean? Virgin?”
“Oh, really?” Onyx said softly.
They were shocked.
“Funny, we both sensed he was,” Scarlet whispered. “It’s not the first time we’ve made a mistake,” she said, alluding to me.
“Remember why I invited you guys—for Sebastian,” I urged.
But Scarlet wasn’t walking away. She was charmed by Trevor and continued to hold on to his hand.
“You can have Sebastian,” she said in a low voice to Onyx.
“She can’t like Trevor,” I said. “That’s not an option. Remember what we discussed,” I warned through gritted teeth. “No one gets—”
“Don’t worry, Raven. She’s just having fun,” Onyx said, stopping me. “And I plan to do the same.” Onyx flipped back her jet black locks and disappeared into the crowd.
This party was getting out of hand. Vampires mixing with unsuspecting mortals. I had to make sure no one was bitten—especially Trevor Mitchell.
I looked to Alexander and Sebastian for help. Sebastian was now talking to the girls who were interested in
Alexander, and Alexander was entranced by his rocking party.
I turned to go back to Trevor and I bumped into Becky.
“I’m so sorry, Raven,” she said. “Can you forgive me?”
“Uh, yes—but I have something else I have to deal with right now.”
“Please—listen,” Becky pleaded. “You’re the one who always talks about being in trouble, but I’m the one who keeps getting you there. You are my best friend. Now and always—and I don’t want anything to get in the way of that.”
“I hated not telling you about the party,” I said. “I did feel like a sneak. But I had to protect you.”
“I totally understand. You and Alexander are so kind to Sebastian—and to me. And look what we’ve done.
We brought Trevor and the entire school to the Mansion.” Becky sat on a bench lined with plastic skeletons.
“I’m so ashamed.”
“It’s okay, Becky.” I gave her a hug. “Alexander’s having the time of his life. Babes dancing in his backyard.
Jocks hanging out. It’s an image I never imagined. It’s a blessing, really. He’s so isolated being homeschooled, and now he’s more popular than Trevor.”
Becky managed a small grimace. “You don’t hate me?”
“Of course I don’t hate you. You’d have to do a lot worse than bringing Trevor to the Mansion for me to not like you. But speaking of Trevor—I have a major issue to address. Can you help me?”
“Of course.”
Just as I began pushing past the crowd to separate an embracing Trevor and Scarlet, all heads turned toward the back stairs.
I saw a sight I thought I’d never see. I was completely unprepared.
Descending down the Mansion’s back stairs as if a soft halo of light were around her was a gothic fairy girl with candy-pink-colored hair perfectly woven into two braids and wrapped in Wednesday Addams-style black bows, wearing an offbeat Alice in Wonderland dress with black-and-white tights and pink combat boots.
She was as beautiful as she was cute, as fragile as she was confident. Her frame was that of a whimsical angel with the wings of a devil. And everyone at the party was spellbound.
It was Luna Maxwell.
I hated how beautiful she was. She had perfectly porcelain skin, and her glossy pink lips sparkled like tiny stars. Her presence lit up the crowd. She drew everyone’s attention like a starlet.
The crowd was hypnotized. Sebastian was mesmerized. For a moment, even Alexander was transfixed.
And looming right behind her was her twin brother—Jagger, Alexander’s former nemesis—sporting familiar bleached-white hair with bloodred ends, a freakishly frightening Joker T-shirt, and red Doc Martens.
Our party had officially spun out of this world.
How was I going to hold all these vampires at bay from mixing with the mortal students of Dullsville? How were we going to keep their Underworldly identity a secret? And if their cover was blown, how was I going to keep Alexander from having to leave Dullsville?
My blood boiled and my flesh flushed. I felt dizzy and queasy. The voices and music became muddled, and everyone suddenly seemed very far away.
I was sure I was falling.
Then the world went black.
16
Spin the Bloody Bottle
I opened my eyes to find myself lying flat on the grass. Alexander was kneeling beside me. A large circle of familiar faces—Becky, Matt, Onyx, Sebastian, Scarlet, Trevor, Jagger, and Luna—were staring down at me.
The stars shimmered and a full moon hovered above them.
It had to be a dream.
I closed my eyes again.
“Let’s give her some air,” I heard a girl’s voice say.
“Did you drink too much?” another asked.
“Did she take something?”
“Did she OD?” someone else said.
My mouth was dry. I couldn’t form a word in my defense.
“I’ll take her to a doctor,” Alexander said, alarmed.
“Here, drink this,” Becky said, handing me a soda. Alexander helped me sit up, and I gulped down the bubbly liquid as if I hadn’t drunk for days.
Scarlet held a bag of ice on my head.
“Did you eat something odd?” Becky asked like a ponytailed Florence Nightingale.
“No—I haven’t eaten anything,” I replied, weakened.
The crowd of well-wishers stopped fussing.
“What?” Alexander asked. “You haven’t eaten?”