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?”
“I didn’t have time. I was decorating for the party all day.”
“Not even breakfast?” Scarlet asked.
“No.”
“Then no wonder you fainted,” Becky said.
Alexander signaled to Sebastian, who took off for the Mansion.
My boyfriend swept me up in his arms and carried me to the table. He gently let me down in a wrought-iron chair and held my hand while I drank my soda. A few moments later, Jameson pushed a small cart through the crowd of partygoers. The scent of marinated steak was intoxicating to the mortals and euphoric to the vampires.
A thick, juicy steak was placed before me. All the vampires, including Alexander, almost salivated.
“I’ll do that,” Scarlet said as I began to cut into the bloody steak.
“It’s for Raven,” Alexander said gently.
The vampires watched with envy as I tore into my meal. As I wolfed down the steak and began to regain my strength, Alexander began to address the next issue we had on our hands—bloodsucking party crashers.
The candelabras lit Jagger’s menacing ice-green-and-blue eyes. His sister stood behind him, basking in the glow of stares from the male partyers.