Cryptic Cravings

The next day, after last bell, I headed to my locker to find Trevor leaning against it.

“I bet it breaks your heart to have two of your friends pine for me the way they do,” he said proudly. “Luna. . and now Scarlet. They can’t keep their hands off of me.”

“It’s just because you are foreign to them. It’s like if they went to the zoo and stared at the monkeys. You are the monkey.”

Trevor broke a smile.

The more I pushed his buttons, the more he loved it. He stepped aside, but not without brushing against me. He peered over me as I unlocked my locker and opened its door.

“So what about that key?” I asked.

“I knew you’d be asking me about it sooner or later.” He pulled the cord out from underneath his shirt and dangled the key in front of me.

“What do you want for it?” I sneered. “Five dollars?”

“I don’t want money,” he said with a wicked grin.

“What does it go to?”

“A kiss will unlock more than this key will,” he whispered in my ear.

Steam burned inside me. Maybe the key didn’t even go to anything. Maybe it was just something Trevor made up.

And I would be the fool once again.

But what if I was wrong, and perhaps it was important. Maybe it was the key to unlocking something magical in the factory that held the answers Jagger was keeping secret.

“What’s going on?” Becky asked, puzzled by Trevor’s proximity to me.

“Raven and I were just having a chat. But it’s time to go. You know where you can find me,” Trevor said. “You have my number.”

“The hazmat crew removed it for me.”

Becky looked at me as Trevor walked away. “What was that all about?”

“Same bully, different bullying,” I said. Then I changed the topic to something more exciting. “I’ve been so busy but I wanted to talk about something with you. I want to get a present for Alexander’s birthday. Something really special.

But I don’t live in New York or L.A. What can I get him here that he’ll like?”

“He loves art,” she said.

“Yes. . but I can’t draw or paint. And I can’t afford anything worth having.”

“And you.”

“Aww. That’s so sweet!” I beamed at my best friend’s compliment. “But guys are so hard to buy for. We always get my dad golf or tennis stuff. But Alexander doesn’t play sports. And I don’t know what kind of supplies he needs.

Besides, that doesn’t seem fun.”

“I get Matt computer sports games. But I suppose Alexander’s not into that.”

“I was thinking about surprising him with a nice intimate dinner. Just us in his backyard. Or at the cemetery.”

“That sounds very romantic!”

But I wanted to give him something unique — after all, he was one of a kind. But what does one give to someone of the Underworld?

It was then I knew. My blood. In a vial. For a vampire, it was the ultimate gift.

“I have it!” But I couldn’t tell her. She’d freak, just as she should, if I told her I was going to give my boyfriend a vial of my blood. But in this case it wasn’t creepy. My boyfriend was a vampire.

“So what is it? What are you so excited about?”

“Uh. . a gargoyle!”

Becky’s eyes lit up. “That is the best gift for him! He will so love it! Wish I’d thought of it!”

“I’ll go to Annie’s Antiques to shop.”

“I’ll go with you. I might find a gargoyle for Matt, too.”

I shot her a puzzled expression. “Fine. I’d love to have the company.”

We headed to the antique store that I frequented and I immediately scanned the glass case for a vial. There were many crystals and gems, but at first glance I didn’t see a vial.

“A gargoyle isn’t going to be in the case, silly,” Becky said, standing by the outdoor figurines. “They’ll be over here.”

“Yes, I know.”

I glanced back at the case and saw a shiny vial. It was small, with a sterling silver serpent winding around it and a small hook. I could string some cord through it and it would be the ultimate gift for my vampire boyfriend.

I checked the price tag and I had enough money to buy it.

“Here’s one.” Becky pulled me away from the case and toward the gargoyle.

“That is cool,” I said. “But it’s out of my price range.”

I didn’t have enough for both the gargoyle and the present I most wanted to get. I wasn’t sure how to conceal that I wanted to get a vial.

“Oh, yes,” Becky said. “It is kind of steep.”

Instead I decided to make my gift choice known — but not the reason. “I want to buy this,” I said, returning to the case and pointing out the vial. “It’s really cool.”

“I thought you wanted a gargoyle,” she said, peering in the case. “What’s he going to do with a vial?”

“I could put something special in it.”

“A potion?” she teased.

“Yes, exactly. A love potion.”

“But he doesn’t need that — he already loves you. I think he’d like a gargoyle much better. But he’s your boyfriend.”

Annie placed the vial in a small gift box. “Would you like me to wrap it?”

“No, thank you,” I said. “I’ll do that at home.” I couldn’t tell her I still had to fill it with my blood.

Now I was just going to have to figure out how to fill it.

That evening I was rushing through dinner and scarfing down my food.

“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” my mom asked. “You’ve been MIA for the last several weeks.”

“I’m helping some friends with a project.”

“Friends? You have friends?” my brother teased.

“Yes, who are these people?” my dad asked.

“They’re some new kids. I’m just helping them out.”

“With a school project?” my brother asked. They all looked at me as if the situation was ridiculous.

“I’m so proud of you,” my mom gushed. “See, Alexander has been good for you. You get out more, go to dances, and now are helping new students with school projects.”

I couldn’t break their parental hearts at this point. They were so happy with the child they thought they had. It would have been cruel to reveal the truth — that I was actually helping vampires open a club.

“Did you hear about the crop circles?” Billy asked.

“What?” I put my dinner down. Crop circles could be a bad thing.

“They were discovered this morning. They showed up on Mr. Bateman’s farm.”

“Are you kidding?” I asked with interrogating eyes.

“Henry and I are going to see them after dinner.”

“Crop circles, here in town?” I pressed.

“Yes, aliens have arrived to take you home,” he said with an obnoxious laugh only a younger brother could make.

“Billy,” my dad warned in his authoritative voice.

“They’re just a prank,” my brother went on. “I saw how to do it on TV. It’s actually really simple. All it takes is a long board and a lot of rope.”

“Then maybe it was one of your nerdmates. A math club experiment,” I said. “Working with diameters and circumferences. You guys are totally into that stuff.”

“Me? Sneak onto someone else’s property?” he said. “You think I’d do that — or any one of my friends?

Trespassing — that’s your expertise, not mine. Maybe you did it.”

“Yes, I’m all about spending my evenings running around on a farm with a board and rope.”

“Now, if they showed up at the cemetery, maybe Raven would have done it,” my dad said with a chuckle. “I couldn’t resist,” he said, patting my hand.

I wasn’t as mad at being the butt of my family’s jokes as I was at Jagger’s actions. When I was in Hipsterville, Jagger used crop circles to signal to vampires that it was a safe haven for them in that town, thus publicizing the invite to the Coffin Club. He was warned not to invite vampires to Dullsville, and here he was signaling them. Soon the club would open and dozens of vampires could infiltrate the town.

I gulped down the rest of my dinner and headed for the Mansion. As soon as Alexander awoke I told him about the crop circles. It only took a few minutes for Alexander to get ready, and then he drove us over to Mr. Bateman’s farm.

There was already a small crowd of students and townspeople there when we arrived.

The Batemans’ farm was close to Becky’s. Pete Bateman Senior had inherited it from his father when he retired. It stretched out at least three hundred and fifty acres and was one of the leading corn growers in Dullsville. They had a few children close to Billy Boy’s age.

Pete Bateman Junior was attending to the crowd and had a metal box open on a table and his hand sticking out as each person approached the fence.

“Five dollars?” I bellowed.

“It’s a deal,” he said.

Pete Bateman Junior wasn’t any bigger than Billy. I’d have attempted to push past him if he were my smarmy brother, but on someone else’s property I’d be arrested for trespassing.

“You’re charging people to see this thing?” I said in a huff. “You really can only see them from the sky,” I said. “How do we know you didn’t make it just as a scam?”

“You don’t,” he said. “Please step aside. Others are waiting.”

“Don’t you need a license for something like this?”

“Let the kid have his fun,” Alexander said. “We’d like two, please.”

“That will be ten dollars,” he said.

Alexander kindly opened his wallet and handed the boy a ten-dollar bill.

“I don’t know who I’m madder at now, Jagger or that Bateman kid,” I said as I stormed through the cornfield.

“Calm down. Once we see it we might know better if Jagger is behind this.”

As we drew near the middle of the field, we found Matt and Becky already gawking at the circle.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” I said.

“My dad told us all about it,” Becky said. “We had to come.”

There wasn’t much to do in Dullsville, so the popping up of a crop circle was a big event.

“Who or what do you think did this?” I asked.

“Maybe little Pete Bateman did it,” Matt said. “He’s making a killing.”

“I thought so, too!” I said.

“It does seem bizarre,” Becky said, squeezing Matt’s hand. “I’m so weirded out.”

“It’s not real,” I said. “I mean that an alien made it.”

“What if it is?” Becky asked.

“I don’t think—” I began.

“Well, you believe in vampires,” she said. “Why can’t I believe in aliens?”

“Because vampires don’t exist,” Matt said. “So you both are wrong.”

But I was really right about vampires. So if I was right, did that mean maybe Becky was, too? This was one time it would have been better for the explanation to have been a landing extraterrestrial spaceship. At least it wouldn’t have been caused by Jagger and his nefarious plans.

We examined the markings. “Do they look like the ones Jagger built in Hipsterville?” Alexander whispered.

“I don’t know,” I said in a hushed tone. “It was dark that night — like now.”

“Do you remember the size?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Do all crop circles look alike? Or are they like snowflakes?”

We stood in the middle of the field, dozens of townspeople milling about. I gazed up overhead, the stars twinkling above me. I was wondering if this was Jagger’s doing when I swore I saw a bat fly past me.

“Did you see that?” I asked Alexander.

“See what?”

“It was a bat!”

He squinted but by the time I pointed in the direction, the creature was gone.

He took my hand. “I think we’ve seen enough. We’ll have to talk to Jagger now. We have to stop him from opening the Crypt.”

“Do we really?” I asked, my breath leaving my body in frustration as Alexander led me out of the cornfield.

This was one time I didn’t want to follow Alexander to where he was going.

“He was with me the whole time,” Onyx defended when we confronted Jagger back at the Crypt with our discovery.

“The whole time?” Alexander pressed.

“Well, most of the time,” she said, resigned. “He went to Javalicious to get me coffee.”

“And how long did that take?” Alexander asked.

This time Onyx didn’t answer.

“But he made one of those crop circles in a cornfield near the Coffin Club,” I said. “Now one shows up here, too? It can’t be just coincidence.”

“Yes, it can,” Jagger said.

“I really don’t think it was him,” Onyx said.

“If she said it wasn’t, then it wasn’t,” Scarlet said, defending her friend like I would have defended Becky.

“Were you here?” I asked cautiously. I didn’t want to get into a catfight with Scarlet.

“Well. . no,” she admitted softly.

“You were with Trevor?” I asked. I shook my head.

Scarlet rose with a huff.

Jagger was offended. “You don’t believe me, huh?”

“And I saw a bat,” I said. “I think it was you.”

Sebastian shifted back and forth uneasily.

“That was you?” Alexander asked. “You flew over the Batemans’?”

“I wanted to see what everyone was talking about,” Sebastian said sheepishly.

Alexander turned his attention back to Jagger. “This club has to remain mortal. No ifs, ands, or buts.”

“I don’t like your tone.” Jagger folded his arms.

“I don’t like yours either,” Alexander retorted, facing his onetime foe.

I wasn’t sure if fists were going to fly.

“We can shut you down as easily as we can help you in making your club a success,” Alexander threatened.

“You think I am dependent on you to make this a success?” Jagger asked.

“Bringing in unknown vampires to this town isn’t good for anyone,” Alexander said. “Especially you.”

Suddenly Jagger was interested. “How would it bother me?” he wondered.

“What if they draw unwanted attention to us? All of a sudden hundreds of vampires descending on this town.

Hanging out at Hatsy’s Diner. Wandering around the cemeteries. You don’t think anyone will notice?”

“They notice us enough as it is,” Sebastian chimed in.

“And how do you think the town will react to this new population?” Alexander asked. “With open arms? Don’t you see how Raven is treated in this town — just for the way she dresses? You think they’ll embrace all these vampires you plan to have attending your underground club? You saw how careless Sebastian was. It only takes one to spoil it for the rest. Then you’ll lose it all.”

Sebastian scratched his dreadlocks awkwardly.

Jagger looked grim.

“But if it’s just a safe dance club,” Alexander went on, “that is something this town desperately needs.”

Jagger’s mood brightened. “And that’s what I’m here to provide.”

Everyone seemed skeptical of Jagger’s easy change in attitude.

“How can we count on it?” Alexander asked.

“You can have my sworn oath. In blood.” Jagger smiled.

Alexander paused as if he was trying to read Jagger for any underlying deception. When Jagger didn’t flinch, Alexander extended his hand.

Both vampires shook on the deal.

“Now someone has to fix that crop circle,” Alexander said.

“If someone flies over it — they’ll be looking for your club,” I told Jagger.

“Anyone in town could have done it,” Jagger said.

“Well, we know one person in town who is going to fix it,” Alexander responded emphatically.

Jagger rose and picked up his keys.

It was exhilarating to be a part of the motley mobile club. Passing motorists stared at us as we drove from the factory through the winding roads that led to the Batemans’ farm. Cars were still parked on the narrow road outside the Bateman home. We all parked a half-mile away and waited in our cars, killing time until the coast was clear.

“Do you really trust Jagger?” I asked Alexander. “Do you think now he really will keep the club for mortals?”

“I’m not sure. He’s a sneaky guy. There is no telling what he’ll do. Even with all the talks we’ve all had with him, he was still planning on making this a vampire club.”

“What should we do?” I asked as several visiting cars from the farm headed home.

“I don’t think we can let our guard down,” he said. “I think we still have to watch his every move. And if you see or hear anything, let me know.”

One by one the cars left the farm and eventually the Batemans’ house lights went dark.

Scarlet and Onyx remained in the skull Beetle parked in a grassy hideaway, ready to honk if they spotted the lights switch back on.

I followed the vampire guys to the fence until Alexander stopped me.

“You stay here just in case. You can be our lookout.”

I hated not to be in the middle of the action, but I knew that I was needed at my station. I climbed up the wooden fence, and from my vantage point I saw part of the crushed crops. I waited as Jagger, Sebastian, and Alexander headed through the field. Jagger attempted to erect bent stalks, but it was a useless mission.

“Something has to be done,” I heard Alexander say.

“But what am I supposed to do?” Jagger huffed.

“Figure out something,” Sebastian charged.

“We have to stop them before they come,” Alexander said. “This has to be fixed, somehow.”

Sebastian pulled out a few instruments he’d packed underneath his jacket.

“I have an idea,” Alexander said.

In less than an hour they’d fixed the circle by making an “X” through it. This way it would be clear to any low-flying vampires that Dullsville wasn’t a place for them to visit.

Alexander, Sebastian, and Jagger headed back toward me. I ran ahead to tell the others. I saw Luna in the front seat of the Mustang, chomping on gum and reading a magazine.

“They’re finished,” I said.

“Great,” she said, leaning on the car door. “I can’t stand any time away from my Sebastian.”

I started off for Scarlet’s Beetle when Luna stopped me.

“Do you mind doing me a huge favor?” She batted her eyelashes at me. She held out the magazine, her bony, pale arm in sharp contrast to the darkness. “Could you stick this in the back of the hearse for me?”

Normally I wouldn’t want to do anything she asked of me. That was one favor I was willing to do. I was all about hearses.

I opened the back of the hearse and placed the magazine on the flatbed when I noticed something that wasn’t a coffin — a long plank and more than a dozen feet of rope.

Jagger had made the crop circles and Luna wanted me to know it. It was clear she took pride in informing me that she and her brother were the nefarious type. Their game wasn’t totally over. We’d still have to keep our eyes on him.

I was ready to blurt out my discovery when Alexander, Sebastian, and Jagger returned to their cars. For once they all appeared like three best friends just coming back from a night out on the town.

Not wanting to spoil their moment, I shut the hearse door.

As Sebastian gave Luna a kiss, I hugged Alexander extra hard. I was still skeptical of the Maxwells’ future tricks, but for now I drew comfort in knowing I had the ultimate prize — Alexander.

I shared my discovery with Alexander that evening, and we decided to keep the information between the two of us.

We were both disappointed in Jagger, like we’d been with Sebastian. Both vampires seemed to let their own needs get in the way of what was best for others. I had wanted to see the good in Jagger and wasn’t wholly convinced that he didn’t have something else up his tattered sleeve. What it was, neither Alexander nor I knew.

We just were aware that we had to be vigilant.

In the meantime I spent the following day at school doodling layouts for the Crypt. My imagination was wild with images of coffins, gravestones, and neon bats.

When I arrived home, my brother was yelping about some newsworthy event on the TV and dragged me into the family room.

“You have to see this,” he said. “They struck again! Look.”

“More crop circles?” I said, almost having heart failure. This time Junior Bateman was on TV.

“There it is, a big X. It wasn’t there when we went to bed,” the boy said.

“This time we had a video camera out,” the father said.

Oh no, I thought. We were going to be in trouble now.

He showed the footage, fast-forwarded. “There isn’t anyone on the video!” the boy cried, excited and horrified at the same time. “The aliens, they are invisible!”

“That is creepy,” Billy Boy said. “I’m sure there is an explanation; I can’t wait to meet Henry at Math Club and figure it out.”

“There’s only one explanation,” I said truthfully. “Vampires.”

My family shot me a quizzical look, and I rose and left for the mill.

I headed to the Crypt to wait for the vampires to rise. When I arrived, I saw a small truck parked outside. I didn’t find anyone when I entered the main room. I was imagining myself dancing around on opening night when I heard hammering coming from downstairs. I tiptoed over to the Covenant door and turned the knob. It was locked. I pressed my ear to the door and I could hear more hammering. If the Covenant wasn’t going to be used for a vampire club, what was it going to be used for?

I was wiping off the Crypt’s bar when I heard the door unlock. I turned to look and a burly workman with a tool belt exited the Covenant and locked the door behind him.

He nodded and passed me by before I could say anything.

I dropped my towel on the bar and raced after him, but by the time I caught up with him he had already started his truck and was taking off down the gravel road.

When I returned, I was determined to get through the door. I stuck my boot against it and pulled, hoping the old lock might break, but it didn’t budge. I had a bobby pin adorned with a skull stuck in my hair. I took it out and jimmied it into the lock. As much as I pried, the lock didn’t come loose.

Scarlet found me fiddling with the knob.

“I didn’t realize you guys were up,” I said, shoving the pin in my pocket.

“Yes, some of us are still sleeping. We had a really wild night.”

Onyx wandered out. “Good evening, Raven.”

“Hey,” I said. “I’m glad you both are awake.”

When I realized no one else was following them, I returned my attention to the door. “What does this door lead to?”

I asked her.

She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know.”

“No one will tell me,” I said.

“Maybe it doesn’t lead to anywhere,” Onyx said.

“Then why is it locked?”

“To keep us from tripping down the stairs,” Onyx said. “Duh.”

I could only imagine what it led to. But maybe it was only the unfinished, never remodeled Covenant room. Maybe the worker was only reinforcing beams to make the main floor sturdier for dancing.

“I saw someone going in there once,” Scarlet said. “Really late at night, when everyone else was done working. I saw Jagger go down there with one of the guys from the Coffin Club. When I spotted him and asked him what he was doing, he acted like I’d caught him doing something.”

“So you think he’s doing something sneaky?” Onyx said. “Why does everyone think he’s such a bad guy?”

“Would you be so into him if he wasn’t?” Scarlet teased.

I wasn’t going to tell her that it was really Jagger who made the circles. She adored him so, and since he’d fixed the problem there was no reason to address it.

The mysterious locked door, on the other hand, was worth addressing.

“So what do you think it is?” I asked. “The underground club he said he wasn’t going to have?”

“I have no idea,” Scarlet said. “But I’d love to find out.”

“We need a key,” I said. “We can’t break down this door. I know; I tried,” I said with a smile.

“The only one with a key is Jagger,” Scarlet said. “And I don’t know how to get it from him.”

We both turned to Onyx, who turned a paler shade of ghost white.

“I can’t do it,” she said. “He keeps his keys locked away. Besides, I don’t want to do anything against him.”

I was ready to continue putting pressure on her, but Scarlet let her off the hook.

“Do we know anyone else with a key?” Scarlet asked.

“That workman I just saw,” I said. “But I don’t know how to get it from him.”

Then it hit me. Trevor. “Trevor wears a key around his neck and always shows it off to me like it’s something I’d want.”

“Do you think it goes to this door?” Scarlet asked.

“He and Jagger are friends, and apparently Trevor’s dad was part of sealing the deal for the club,” I said. “Trevor may not even have a clue what it goes to, but I think he holds the key to this door.”

Scarlet’s expression brightened. “I could always use an excuse to see him.”

My stomach almost turned. My friend was excited about seeing the one person I loathed. But this time I’d be excited to see him, too.

Alexander and Sebastian were taking a break from the Crypt and hanging out at the Mansion. Normally I’d happily join them in their fun, not wanting to spend one nightly hour away from my true love, but curiosity was getting the best of me and, thankfully, of my new friend as well.

Scarlet picked me up in the Beetle. She cranked up the music and we sang at the top of our lungs until we got to the soccer field. We walked down the hill to the woods behind the field, recalling our music fest and laughing from the bottoms of our bellies. My cheeks hurt so bad I was afraid I’d split open my lip again. But what I didn’t know was I already had.

“What’s wrong?” I asked. Suddenly Scarlet was staring at my mouth.

“Oh no,” I said.

Her eyes were a weird shade of red. Something had come over her. It was the scent and presence of blood. I backed away.

Scarlet took my arm. I was moments from a struggle. She was my friend and I knew she was fighting her internal impulse. I wasn’t about to go down without a fight.

My mind raced. Instead of being turned by Alexander, I was going to be mauled by Scarlet. There was no one to defend me. She was a little bit bigger than me, and with her underworldly powers, I wasn’t sure how I’d fare.

“You aren’t going to attack me, are you?” I asked.

“No — why would you think so?” She did her best to close her eyes. She turned away from me and covered her face. “Could you please just fix it?”

I wiped my mouth with my sleeve and pressed a tissue to it.

Trevor was suddenly standing in the woods.

“What’s going on in here?” he asked as I held the tissue to my lips. “I thought you’d at least wait for me!” he said.

“Don’t be gross,” I said.

Scarlet lit up in Trevor’s presence.

“Why are you covering your mouth?” he asked me. “Grrr,” he growled like a tiger. “Catfight? Don’t stop on account of me.”

“Cut it out,” Scarlet said. “We were just in the neighborhood.”

“In the high school’s woods?” he asked suspiciously. “You shouldn’t hang out here. Without me, of course.”

“We wanted to see you,” Scarlet said. “I wanted to see you.”

She gave him a hug, her hands fiddling with his back pocket.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

Scarlet turned to me and held out her empty hand. Then she fiddled with the string around his neck. “What’s this?”

“A necklace,” he said.

She brought it out from his shirt. The key dangled below her hand.

“What’s this key for?” she asked playfully.

“Nothing.”

She pulled him tightly to her and planted a major kiss on his lips. As she did, his hands wrapped around her waist.

She folded her arms around his neck and within a moment had unlaced the cord.

Trevor turned to me. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Red lipstick was smeared across his skin.

For some reason I was resentful, but I didn’t have time to think of that now. “We have to go,” I said, pulling Scarlet away. She slipped the necklace into my hand.

“Jealous?” he asked. “Can’t stand the sight of it?”

“Yes,” I said. “I can’t stand the sight.”

I headed up the hill as Scarlet continued to say good night to my nemesis. Trevor’s key hidden in my hand, I wondered what it led to and why it bothered me to see him kiss another girl.

* * * It seemed like an eternity before Scarlet caught up with me by her car. Her hair was a little messy from her mortal make-out session.

“That was fun!” she said. “Let’s do that again.”

“Yeah. . fun.”

“He didn’t even know I took his necklace.”

We hopped into the car. The tunes were still blasting and she sang, but I was silent. She turned down the music.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Nothing.” I was staring out the window, watching the trees as we passed them by.

“You seem weird. I shouldn’t have been so PDA, sorry. I’m not into that, really. It was just that I had to get the key.”

“I know.”

“So what’s up?”

“Nothing.” I continued my zombielike staring.

“Do you. . like Trevor?” she asked suddenly.

“No — are you crazy?” I was stunned by her accusation.

“Of course, you have a thing for him,” she prodded.

“No, I don’t!” I said with a laugh.

“I didn’t know. You guys used to date?”

“No! Yuck! Are you kidding?”

“There’s something between you two. I could feel it. Like a magnet.”

“I’m in love with Alexander, if you haven’t noticed.”

“I didn’t say you were going out with Trevor. I just thought you might have dated. There’s that sexual tension between you two.”

“I can’t believe you just said that. He’s such a creep! I mean — not to offend you or anything, but me and him?”

“Opposites attract in a big way. Why do you think he likes me?”

“Because you are gorgeous and fun. What’s not to like?” I asked.

“Thanks,” she said sincerely. “But I’m not at all like those girls he normally goes after. Pink nails and luscious blonde hair. And now that I think of it. . I’m like. .”

“Yes?”

“You!”

“Me?”

“Duh! Why didn’t I get it sooner!” Scarlet laughed.

“He likes you because of you,” I said.

“But didn’t he like Luna, too? Now this all makes sense.”

“He likes girls. That’s his thing. That’s why I didn’t want you to go out with him. He likes a lot of girls.”

“No, with him it’s more.”

“Maybe he likes goths.”

“Yes, because they remind him of you!”

“Stop!” I was close to covering my ears. I couldn’t stand the thought. I was so in love with Alexander, nothing else mattered. No one else mattered.

“He’s in love with you. Trevor Mitchell loves you,” she teased.

“Please. Do you want me to be sick?”

“Sucks for me. I finally found a guy I’m crazy for and he only likes me back because he secretly wants to be with my friend.”

“Enough, Scarlet. If you say any more, I’m going to jump out of this car!” I was only half-joking.

“So you don’t mind if I continue to see him?”

“No, I don’t,” I said. “And guess what? If you want, I’ll come to your wedding.”

My blood was boiling by the time we got back to the factory. I was trying to shake off our conversation and also trying to figure out how we’d be able to see if this key was bogus or real without Jagger finding out.

“We need to have Onyx distract Jagger,” I said when we got inside.

“Hopefully she can like I did with Trevor. But she’s a lot shier than I am. So I’m not sure that is going to work.”

“Hey, where were you guys?” Onyx asked.

“We went to see Trevor. Didn’t you get my text?”

“Yes, but I was hanging out with Jagger.” Onyx grinned.

“Speaking of Jagger. I need to ask a favor,” Scarlet began.

“Sure, anything,” Onyx said in a cheerful tone.

“We need you to keep Jagger occupied while we check out a few things here.”

“You can’t do that. This is his place. We are here to help, not snoop around.”

“Not me,” I said. “That’s exactly why I’m here — to snoop around.” I let out a laugh, but Onyx wasn’t amused.

“If he finds out that I am tricking him, he won’t want to see me anymore,” she argued.

“You aren’t tricking him. We’re not going to steal anything. Besides, we’ll take all the blame,” I said.

“Trust me.” Scarlet put her hand on Onyx’s shoulder. “He’ll still want to see you. If I have my say.”

Onyx paused for a moment.

“Please?” Scarlet asked. Now she was just as curious as I was.

“Okay,” she said reluctantly. “But be quick. He’s busy, and he doesn’t like anything taking his time away from this club. Not even romance.”

I pulled the string from around my neck and we raced to the door, monster boots slapping the Masonite floor.

I took a deep breath. I pushed the key in and it went in all the way. We both looked at each other and smiled.

Then I turned the key. And it clicked, unlatching the lock. We silently screamed in excitement. I turned the knob and opened the door.

“It worked. It worked!”

“What’s going on?” a male voice said from behind us.

We both jumped and screamed.

I pulled the key back out and slunk it into my pocket.

Sebastian was back, along with Alexander.

“I missed you,” Alexander said. “Where have you been?”

“With Trevor,” Scarlet said proudly.

“Trevor?” he said. “That’s the last time I leave you alone.”

“This is the door I’ve been telling you about,” I whispered to Alexander. “The key I have opens the door, and a workman was here building something down there. Jagger has been keeping this a secret. I have to get down there.”

Just then Jagger and Onyx entered the main room.

“So do you like it here so far?” he asked.

“Yes, it looks great.” I exclaimed with a smile as bright as his white hair.

“What about this?” Alexander said, pulling on the unlocked door handle and opening the door. “Where does it go to?” Alexander said, peeking in.

Jagger stepped in between and shut and locked the door. “Nothing now,” he said.

Then Jagger turned on headbanging music and we all danced for a few hours. When we were all close to exhaustion, Jagger handed us some sodas from behind the bar.

“Now,” he said. “I want everyone out. The Crypt is closed for the night.”

“Where are we going to stay?” Scarlet asked.

“Here, but I have some things I need to finish — alone.”

It made me wonder what he was doing that he wouldn’t let us be involved in. And did it have to do with what was behind the locked door and down the stairs?

“Sure. I’ll just get my things,” I said. I’d put my backpack in the massive room filled with coffins when I arrived a few hours ago.

I had one chance to check the plans again. While Jagger tended to the last touches of the main dance floor, I tiptoed from the coffin room across the dank hallway into his office. The blueprints weren’t lying out on his desk as they had been the last time.

I opened a metal filing case and in the drawer were the blueprints.

I unraveled them as quickly as I could and peeked at the ones marked “Covenant.” I wanted to see what might have been if he had opened the vampire club.

I scanned it for any hidden clues. There was a rectangular box in the middle of the western wall. “Stage” was scrolled on it in pencil, and at the opposite end was another box marked “Covenant Altar.”

Jagger was a master of cryptic design, and I knew that this underground club would be different but just as exciting as the Coffin Club’s Dungeon.

Just like the coffins, tombstones, and skeleton decorations in the Crypt, Jagger intended to have a covenant altar for decoration in the Covenant. How awesome! I imagined dead vines around a cast-iron trestle. A coffin with goblets of juice on it to give the underground club the spice the torture chamber gave the Coffin Club. Spooky and cool at the same time.

The night we confronted Jagger about the crop circles, he had insisted the Crypt would be mortal only. But with that workman I spotted and the sounds of hammering that were coming from behind the locked door, I was still skeptical that the Covenant part of the club was going to remain closed on opening night.

Alexander and I had a midnight date at the cemetery. We hadn’t seen each other alone in days and were both missing each other incredibly.

When I finally reached the back of the cemetery, Alexander hadn’t arrived. Then I saw a figure lurking in the shadows. I raced to him, until I noticed blonde hair.

Trevor took my arm.

“It’s okay,” he said. “No one will notice.”

“But I’m in love with Alexander,” I told him firmly.

“And I’m in love with. . you.”

“You are not.”

His stare was riveting. “But you know that I am.”

He was right. I’d felt it for years.

Trevor stepped even closer to me. “Are you going to punish me for the rest of my life? Because I wear khakis and don’t listen to that rancid music?” His green eyes bore through me to the bottom of my combat boots.

“I’m not punishing you. I don’t love you. I love Alex—” I tried to step back, but he still held my arm.

Then he leaned in so close I thought our lips would touch. “But what if you hadn’t met him?” he whispered. “And I came to you, like I did tonight. Just us. No one ever knowing.”

I didn’t turn away. “I don’t know. . I’d probably feel the same way I do now.”

“But maybe you wouldn’t,” he urged in his sexy, almost breathless tone. “Are you really being true to yourself?

We’ve known each other since we were kids. Not even Alexander can say that.”

His fingers slid down my sleeve so they reached my hand. “We’re not all that different. I’ve been saying that for years.” He paused.

I was slightly afraid of what he’d do next.

His fingers slid down between mine. Trevor Mitchell was holding my hand. His grip was powerful, like that of a handsome athlete. He’d crossed a line. I was holding someone else’s hand. This hand wasn’t Alexander’s, but it felt good, too. Like I was supposed to have held his hand and touched him. As if I’d been waiting all my life.

Trevor had grabbed me before but this was different. It didn’t feel like he was trying to get back at me or put a notch on his headboard. It felt as if he was doing it because he wanted to more than anything else.

“It’s okay,” he said. He drew my hair back from my face. “This is about you and me now. Not anyone else. They can’t keep us apart any longer. You can’t keep us apart. This is meant to be.” His movements were tender and his voice soft and sincere.

He pulled me to him so our chests were touching and he wrapped his arms around my waist. We stood face-toface.

He smiled his gorgeous smile.

No one was around. I wasn’t scared. His hands were strong, and I felt a power from him. He smelled sweet, and his muscular body was warm. His eyes shined like the moonlight.

Before I could pull away, he leaned in and kissed me. His lips were magnetic and tender. I wasn’t sure why I wasn’t mad. For a moment, I was lost in his kiss.

I could feel his hands on my back pockets as he pulled me closer to him.

It took all my strength to turn away from him. For some reason I found his lips as riveting as his gaze.

“I can’t,” I said. “I came here for Alexander, not you.”

“But you stayed for me.” His tone was as sincere as his kiss.

It was then that he stepped back.

He held out the necklace he must have gotten from my pocket when he kissed me. The key swung back and forth like a medal.

“Monster Girl,” he whispered.

“No—” I said. “No!!!”

I awoke with a jolt to find Nightmare pawing at my shirt.

I sat up. I could barely breathe. Nightmare jumped back, startled. Stunned, I reached out and grabbed my cat.

“It’s just you pawing at me. Not that monster.”

I cuddled my cat. Both our hearts were racing.

“I had a horrible nightmare, Nightmare. And not the good kind.”

I got up, went to the bathroom and splashed water on my face, and tried to calm myself with a cup of water.

I switched the light on and hopped back into bed, put Nightmare on the pillow next to me, and pulled the covers over my head.

It was the first time I ever remember sleeping with the light on.

The following morning, when Becky and I were walking to our lockers, I couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Do you ever have weird dreams?” I asked.

“All the time.”

“Do they mean anything?”

“Some people say they do. But others don’t. What did you dream?”

“That I. . I can’t even say it.” I sunk my head.

“It was that bad?”

“Yes.”

“Then I wouldn’t worry about it. What did you eat before you went to bed?”

“I don’t remember.”

“It might have interfered with your sleep. That’s all.”

“I dreamed Trevor was in love with me.” I spit it out like it was bad food.

“You’ve just now figured that out?” she asked.

“Why does everyone say that?”

“Because he’s obsessed with you.”

I shook off her comment. “But it gets worse, if you can imagine.”

“Tell me.”

“In the dream. .”

“Yes?”

“I was in love with him, too.”

She paused. “That’s it?”

“I was in love with him. Don’t you see why it was a nightmare?”

“It’s just a dream, Raven. If dreams were real, then I’d be a ballerina.”

“Really? I thought you’d say that I was secretly passionately in love with Trevor Mitchell.”

“Gross! Besides, you are already in love with Alexander. There is no room for anyone else.”

Relieved, I hugged Becky with the force of a million best friends. I was almost afraid I’d squash the life out of her.

Just before the sun set, I headed for the bathroom to get ready to go to the Crypt. Alexander’s birthday was coming up and I still hadn’t filled the vial. It wouldn’t be too hard to prick my finger with a sterilized pin, but I’d been putting it off while being consumed with the Crypt. I was standing in front of the mirror, applying corpse white foundation, when I inadvertently broke the scab on the corner of my lip. The wound on my face reopened.

“Darn it!” I grumbled. I was so embarrassed by my crazy face. I reached for more cover-up as a little spot of blood arose. But then I remembered, I needed it this time.

I grabbed a Dixie Cup and let a few drops fall into it. I pushed my tongue against the inside of my cheek, forcing more blood to drip. I didn’t need much to fill the small vial. Within a few minutes, I had enough. I washed my wound and pressed it with a wet tissue, holding it for a few minutes. It was then my mom opened the door.

I quickly stepped in front of the cup and stuck the vial in my pocket.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“What are you doing?” I asked. “This is a private area.”

“I didn’t realize anyone was in here!”

“Well, I am! And I’m busy.”

“I just needed your flat iron,” she said. She opened the top drawer and grabbed the flat iron. I leaned over and pushed the cup behind a towel with my fingers, afraid that she’d notice the bloody cup in the mirror.

“What’s that on your face?” she asked. “Tissue?”

“Mom, please.”

“I can help you. That happens all the time. You just have to press it for a while and then use some cover-up. But don’t pick at it.”

“Mom, I know what to do.” I leaned against the sink’s counter, blocking the cup from her view, and tried to urge her out. “Please, just give me some private time.”

“Well, if you need me, let me know,” she said, closing the door behind her.

This time, I locked it.

I took the vial out of my pocket and carefully poured the Dixie Cup’s contents into it. When I was finished, I crumpled the cup and threw it in the garbage can. I secured the vial and wrapped several tissues around it. I was exhausted, having come within seconds of being caught and having to explain to my mother why I was trying to fill a vial with blood. But ultimately I was pleased with my present for Alexander. I glanced at myself in the mirror.

Dating a vampire wasn’t as easy as I had always dreamed it would be.

Though the Crypt’s opening was only a few days away, I turned my attention to Alexander’s birthday. We had said we’d have a joint celebration at the Crypt, but I couldn’t let this special day go by without a separate celebration.

I’d spent the afternoon decorating the outside of the Mansion, and Jameson was kind enough to let me in to decorate Alexander’s room with a few balloons. Now I was waiting impatiently in the gazebo for the sun to set.

This was nothing new. My whole life, I was always waiting for the bright sun to disappear from view. But tonight I was ultra-impatient. It was my boyfriend’s eighteenth birthday.

When the sun was out of view, I raced into the Mansion and up the grand staircase. I burst into Alexander’s room and yelled, “Surprise!”

He stood, sleepy and dreamy. His hair was tousled and his shirtless chest was lean and pale against his dark boxer shorts.

Alexander crept out of his closet room into his regular attic room. He fought his way through a few dozen black balloons.

“I thought we were going to celebrate together,” he said, “at the Crypt.”

“We are. But not now. Get dressed.”

“I mean both our birthdays. We were going to plan a joint party.”

“I couldn’t let yours go by without a private celebration.” I gave him a big squeeze and an even bigger kiss, then anxiously danced around while he put on a T-shirt, jeans, and boots. Then I took him by the hand and led him to the Mansion’s backyard.

I’d decorated the gazebo with black and purple streamers and bat, spider, and pumpkin balloons. Two floor-length candelabras lit the outdoor room.

“Wow — you went all out,” he said. “But you always do.”

“Happy eighteenth birthday, Alexander!” I said as he took in the decorations. “Wow — I’m dating a man.”

“Weren’t you always?”

“Yes, but there is something sexy about you being official. You are also two years older than me right now. I love an older man.” I gave him a coy kiss.

“This is really cool how you decorated the backyard,” he said. “You really are great at design.”

“Thanks!” I said, beaming as bright as the moon. “Now I want to give you your gift.”

“Isn’t this party enough?”

“I don’t think so.” I handed him the small box.

He took his time unwrapping it.

“Hurry,” I said.

“I’m trying to guess what it is.”

“You’re not supposed to guess. You are supposed to open it.”

“Wow, Raven, this is really cool. He held it up to the candlelight. The snake is really awesome.”

“There’s something inside it.”

He was surprised at first but shook it and noticed the movement of liquid.

“Me,” I said.

He held the vial in his hands and pulled me toward him so intently. “Wow — I don’t know what to say,” Alexander murmured. “This is the best birthday ever,” he raved.

He put the necklace on, and it looked amazing hanging around his neck.

“I’m never going to take it off,” he said, giving me a juicy kiss.

Jameson arrived with a chocolate cake in the shape of a black palette with candles looking like small paintbrushes. As he and I began singing to Alexander, a third voice joined in.

Sebastian stepped out of the shadows as the song came to an end.

“Happy birthday, dude!” he said.

I couldn’t help but invite one guest. I knew it would be romantic to have an intimate dinner with Alexander, but with his best friend in town, it wouldn’t be the same if he wasn’t included.

Jameson and Sebastian gave Alexander a large box with a bow. Inside was a guitar.

“Wow — thank you!”

“Now you can really have a garage band,” Sebastian said.

The four of us sat at the table, eating cake and talking and laughing over the sound of a wailing guitar.

I was sleeping late as usual on the following weekend when I heard a knock on my bedroom door. I sat up to find Becky standing by my bed.

“What’s going on?” I asked. “Am I late for school? It’s Saturday, isn’t it?”

But Becky wasn’t interested in the days of the week. She handed me a cup of coffee from Javalicious.

“Thanks,” I said.

“You’ll need it. I just came from Matt’s scrimmage.”

“They played in the morning?”

“No — you slept most of the day away.” She opened the curtains and I was blinded by the sun.

“No—” I said, squinting. I turned to look at my clock. It was four-fifteen.

“You need to be awake for this. Rumors are spreading that there are vampires living in Dullsville!” Becky said.

“Can you believe that?”

“What?”

“I swear. Vampires, here in Dullsville. That’s what people are saying.”

“They said that when Alexander moved here. Trevor started that one, remember?”

“Well, they are saying it again.”

“Where, when, and who?” I asked. “I need names.”

“Well, you know it started when Sebastian bit Luna at Alexander’s party.”

“Yes, but they don’t have proof that really happened.” I yawned.

“But it’s more than that. The soccer snobs and other students were weirded out when Alexander, Sebastian, Scarlet, Onyx, Jagger, and Luna came to the game,” Becky confessed.

“That’s not news. . ”

“They said they’re. . freaks.”

“They’ve said that about me all my life. That’s nothing new either.”

“You know how people talk. Jagger and his entourage don’t go to school and are only seen at night. Scarlet drives a skull and Jagger a hearse.”

“Yes, I guess it does look a bit weird to Dullsvillians. But totally normal to me.” I smiled with pride.

“Matt said Trevor told him that Scarlet has fangs, and others are saying they live in graves in the factory.”

Coffins, I wanted to correct her.

“Trevor will say anything,” I said. “And they live in the mill because they are making it into a dance club.”

“I know that, and you know that. But it’s not just Trevor. Even Matt thinks things are strange.”

“He does?”

“But not too strange. He knows Alexander. But like me, he’s a bit worried that those guys are living in that creepy factory.”

“They are fine. Really.”

“But there’s more.”

“Yes?”

“No one wants to go to the club now.”

“Are you serious?”

She nodded.

“He’s going to be opening up the Crypt in just two days! If no one comes, then he’s going to close it.” Now I was the one freaking out.

“I’m sorry to be the one to tell you,” she said sincerely.

“No, I’m glad you did. I’d hate for that part to be a surprise.”

I had to get to the factory. Jagger couldn’t close the Crypt before he opened it.

As soon as it was dark, I rushed to the Sinclair Mill and whisked past Scarlet and Onyx without even saying hi and headed straight for Jagger, Alexander, and Sebastian, who were having celebratory drinks.

“What’s wrong?” Alexander said.

“Everyone at school is saying that vampires are living here. Now no one wants to come to the club’s opening. We have to do something. We only have two days!”

“What do you mean?” Jagger said.

“Just that. Rumors about us — you guys. That you are vampires. Sebastian bit Luna. You don’t go to school and are never seen in the daylight. These people live for that stuff. Then you throw in a skull car and a hearse. I told you it wasn’t safe for you to have an underground club here. Now do you see what I mean?”

“How are we going to open if no one shows?” Sebastian wondered.

Failure wasn’t in Jagger’s vocabulary. “They’ll have to show,” he said defiantly.

“Dude, we have to have girls here to make this work,” Sebastian said. Luna shot him a dirty look. “And guys, too.”

“Stop. Let me think,” Jagger said. “What if we change? We’ll have to make our look be more ‘friendly.’”

“So you guys are going to be preps?” I asked.

“It’s a thought.”

“Your hair is white with blood-red tips,” I said.

“I can dye it brown.”

“And Luna — her pink hair?”

“I’m not touching my hair,” she said.

“And what about all your tats? You’re just going to scrape them off?”

“We’ll cover ours up,” Jagger said. He didn’t like that I was challenging his idea.

“No. You can’t change who you are. I’ve been this way my whole life and I’ve never changed,” I said firmly.

“And they accepted you?” Jagger charged.

They all turned to me, already knowing the answer.

“This is about business,” Jagger said. “Not about making friends.”

“But it is,” I said. “You can’t not be who you are. That’s why I love you guys. If you change, then you’ll be like everyone else in town. I can’t have you do that. There’s got to be another way.”

“Then can you tell me what it is?” Jagger challenged. “I have already invested a lot of money in this. You told me how everyone in town would come here to dance. Now you are telling me they aren’t. What do you suggest I do?”

There was only one person in Dullsville who could change everyone’s mind.

“Trevor Mitchell,” I said. “If he’s on board, then everyone in town will be, too.”

“We’ll have to do more than just show up to his soccer game,” Jagger said. “This time, we’ll have to make him a partner.”

It wasn’t too long before Scarlet returned with Trevor. Apparently all it took was a few texts, several lip-locks, and the promise of even more power in Dullsville than he already had to convince him to accept a one-on-one meeting with Jagger.

Jagger didn’t hold the meeting in his office. With its walls adorned with cemetery sketches and a tarantula creeping in an aquarium, not to mention its location across the hall from the room filled with coffins, it wasn’t the ideal setting. Instead Jagger held the meeting with the blonde jock in a small, vacant room on the top floor.

I paced outside the room while Sebastian and Alexander downed blood-filled glasses and the girls calmed their nerves by painting their nails black.

There wasn’t a clock in the Crypt, but it seemed like the two were holed up for ages. Finally I couldn’t bear it anymore.

“More cobwebs are going to form if they don’t hurry,” I said to the gang. “What are they talking about in there?”

Just then the door creaked open. Trevor didn’t make eye contact but just headed down the stairs.

We all had our hearts in our stomachs, waiting for the result.

“He agreed!” Jagger declared proudly. “We’re back in business.”

“Yay!” Scarlet, Onyx, and I cheered.

Scarlet raced downstairs after Trevor to take him home.

“It means your portion goes down,” Jagger said, putting his arm around Sebastian. “We all had to give a little.”

Jagger opened a Romanian wine bottle and poured thick red liquid into tiny shot glasses. Everyone but me took one. I held one filled with cranberry juice.

“Here’s to the Crypt,” Jagger said. “And sacrifice.”

Dullsville High had an unusual air about it. Instead of the normal school malaise or enthusiasm about sports and upcoming dances, this Monday the halls were filled with a different kind of buzzing, and the excitement couldn’t be contained in the whispers. A crowd had gathered at the end of the hallway by the gym. Becky and I pushed our way through, dying to find out what all the fuss was about. Dance music was being played.

“It’s awesome,” Trevor said, handing out flyers. “Nothing in town like it.”

“This will be cool,” one student said. “I’ll tell my friends.”

“I can’t wait until it opens.”

Nothing was cool in town without Trevor’s stamp of approval. Even a few teachers were more interested in the club than they were in shutting down Trevor’s makeshift promotional stand.

“I’m all out, people, but I’ll have more tomorrow,” Trevor said.

Students dispersed with their plastic vampire teeth, stickers, and flyers.

My nemesis spotted me and his smile grew even bigger.

“So now I’m part owner of a club,” he said to me. “I’ll definitely have all access. I might even be able to remove your name from the VIP guest list if you’re not too careful.”

“I don’t think that will happen. You aren’t that powerful.”

He got up in my face. “I’m not sure you know all the terms of our agreement,” he said, his green eyes blazing through me.

“What does that mean?” I said, squaring off against him.

“The terms and conditions of me becoming part owner of said club, the Crypt. But that’s not important now, because I also heard it’s not too much longer till your birthday. Then you’ll get the surprise you’ve been waiting for all your life.”

“Your funeral?”

He laughed.

It was hard for me to make direct eye contact with Trevor after I had had that lust-filled dream about him. I felt that somehow he knew I’d dreamed it — like it showed in my face.

As he packed up his iPod, he said, “I’m missing something, and I think that you might know where it is.”

“Geez, your brain? Intelligence? A sense of goodwill toward man? We could be here all day.”

“A certain necklace with a key. I thought you might know where it is.”

“Hey — if you need to keep your house key around your neck, then you have bigger worries. Try pinning it to your mittens next time.”

“It’s not a big deal, really. Jagger can just make me another. Besides, it might have slipped off when I was making out with Scarlet in the woods.”

“I’m sure that’s what happened.”

He grasped my wrist. “Don’t worry, Monster Girl, you’ll get your chance when we have that one dance on opening night. Jagger promised me many things. And that was one.”

“Jagger can’t promise you anything about me!” I said, withdrawing my arm. “I’m not for sale!”

“Fine, then I’ll just stop telling people about the club. And tell them about the ghouls who live in the Sinclair Mill instead.”

“You said you’d help!” I said, getting in his face.

“For a small dance. .,” he retorted, his gaze softening.

I imagined the Crypt’s opening night. The vampires and me standing around, with rooms empty of clubsters.

Jagger, Scarlet, and Sebastian tearing down the decorations, packing up their coffins, and driving the hearse, skull Beetle, and Mustang back to Hipsterville.

“Fine, you’ll have your stupid dance,” I said through gritted teeth. “Just keep posting and handing out those flyers.”

I turned away and stormed off.

“I knew you’d come around to my way of thinking,” he called after me. “You’ll be begging for more.”

Just after sunset, I stormed over to the Sinclair Mill. Jagger was at the bar on his cell while the rest of the gang was hanging out.

“How could you?” I shouted.

“What’s wrong?” Alexander asked.

“He knows what’s wrong!” I said, pointing to Jagger.

“Me?” Jagger said naively.

“How could he what?” Alexander said with great concern.

“Sell me off to Trevor!” I was so upset my fists were balled up and my lips were quivering.

“It’s one dance,” Jagger said.

“I’m not for sale!” I said.

“What did you do, Jagger?” Alexander’s pale face flushed red with anger.

“Dude, what were you thinking?” Sebastian said.

“That’s all he asked for. I tried money, but he said he wanted one dance with Raven on opening night. I figured you wouldn’t care. It’s just one dance.”

“Are you kidding? You’ve crossed the line!” Alexander rose. “Raven is not for sale.” He was face-to-face with Jagger. Alexander was madder than I was.

“I figured Raven wouldn’t care. It was for the good of the club, and she was so happy to have it open,” Jagger said.

“But fine. I’ll call him and tell him the deal’s off.” He picked up his cell phone.

“Stop—” I said. “Don’t call him.”

“Are you crazy?” Alexander exclaimed.

“It’s just one stupid dance. And it can be a fast dance. And you’ll be right next to me,” I told Alexander.

“I’ll be there, too,” Sebastian said, to the chagrin of Luna.

“And so will I,” Jagger added firmly.

I was truly touched with my vampire bodyguard entourage.

“This sounds exciting now.” I beamed.

Scarlet was sulking. It should have been her Trevor was asking to dance with.

“It’s just to get back at me,” I said, putting my arm around her. “It’s all that boy lives for.”

A year ago today, my mom presented me with two homemade cakes, one in the shape of a one and the other in the shape of a six; Becky gave me a pewter necklace with a tiny charm of a bat; and I heard the news of a family moving into the Mansion on Benson Hill.

The year that followed was a dream come true. Not only did I feel one year older, I felt many years wiser. I’d met and fallen in love with a vampire. I’d been shown the Underworld, his family, his friend, his nemesis, and experienced love on a level that was truly out of this world. It only made me excited for what this next year might bring me.

But most exciting was that the Crypt would be opening tonight.

I came downstairs to the sound of “Happy Birthday” being sung at different octaves by my family.

Sweet sixteen had been received with more fanfare than not-so-sweet seventeen. But even so, my family didn’t let my birthday go unnoticed.

My dad kissed me on the cheek. My mom gave me a huge squeeze and handed me a card.

I quickly opened it to find a birthday check.

My brother slid a card to me across the table where he was eating breakfast. Enclosed was a gift card to our local coffee shop.

“Thanks, Billy. This is an awesome gift! Really.”

I gave my little brother a hug. He was surprised by my sudden display of affection and barely hugged me back.

“And tonight we’re going to celebrate!” my mom said. “I got reservations at Pip’s.”

Pip’s was a mom-and-pop restaurant that specialized in one-of-a-kind meals, cheesy decor, and making a big deal about birthdays.

“Pip’s? I’m seventeen, not four,” I said. “Besides, tonight I was going to go out with my friends.”

My mother sighed. “But I made reservations.”

The club was opening, and I was supposed to sit in a restaurant while all of Dullsville High was going to be bopping to the music of the Skeletons?

“Well, it’s your birthday. If you don’t want to celebrate it with your family. .,” my mom said, deflated.

“Of course I do.” I tried to hide my apathy.

“I invited Becky and Matt, too.”

“I appreciate it,” I said.

My family quickly dispersed, engrossed in upcoming meetings, work, and school. It wasn’t long before my little celebration was over and I found myself alone.

When I reached the front door, there was a bouquet of flowers with a note.

Happy Birthday.

Love, Alexander I didn’t have time to put them in a vase. Instead, I took them with me and hopped in Becky’s truck.

“Those are beautiful,” she said.

“He’s so sweet,” I said. “He remembered.”

“Haven’t you been talking about your birthday all the time?” she asked.

“Pretty much,” I said. We both broke into giggles.

Becky handed me a long box.

“Thanks,” I said, ripping it open. It was a black shirt with THE CRYPT written in white skeleton bone letters.

“This is the best present ever! How did you get it?”

“I have connections,” she said proudly.

When I opened my locker I expected something nefarious to jump out. Instead, a bat-shaped box of chocolates was waiting for me.

“Aww,” I said. “Look what Alexander gave me.”

“Those look delish!” Becky said, almost salivating. “If you need someone to share those with, you’ve got your girl.”

I put the chocolates in my bag, wanting Alexander’s presence to be close to me. I didn’t have the protection of the darkness. The sun was out, and so was the blonde-haired monster. I didn’t know what my nemesis had planned, so I was on edge the entire day.

By the time I got home, I was fatigued. I plopped down on my bed and opened my backpack to get out the chocolates when I found something shiny.

It was a small present with white wrapping paper and a silver bow.

I opened the card to see what Alexander had snuck in my bag. The tiny card read, “Happy Birthday, Monster Girl.”

I pushed it aside. No telling what was inside. I hung out in my room, texting Becky, checking messages, and putting laundry away. But nothing could get my mind off the shiny box. Finally curiosity got the best of me.

I slowly opened the box. I knew it was going to be something dead.

It was worse. Far worse than opening the present to find an empty box. What I saw was by far more nefarious and cunning. Trevor really got me this time.

I found a small bracelet with RAVEN engraved in sterling silver, with two black leather bands united at a silver clasp. It was beautiful.

Warmth flooded my veins, and my heart was reluctantly but still deeply moved. I was touched. And he knew I would be. Trevor took the time to buy something real for me. Instead of giving me a gag gift, he gave me the kind of present one gives to a best friend or true love. And it made me wonder if this was a sign of his feelings for me, especially after that powerful dream. For some reason I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

Trevor Mitchell wanted to wrap himself around my wrist.

I put the bracelet back in the box and began to close it when, at the last second, I opened it again. No one was watching. I had to see what the bracelet looked like on. I placed it on my wrist and closed the clasp. The letters shined and the leather straps were really cool. Trevor did have good taste. I imagined the girlfriend he’d ultimately have, him bathing her in jewels and then going out with someone else.

Trevor knew I couldn’t return it. First of all, it would have been rude — even for me. Who else could wear this gift with my unusual name on it? He wouldn’t be able to get his money back on a custom design.

And if I wore it to school, Trevor would know I liked it, and he’d never wipe the gloating smile from his face.

And worse, if I showed it to Alexander, my boyfriend would be really ticked off. Trevor ultimately had won his game.

No one would know if I wore it for a while. I imagined that he’d taken the time to have it ordered, bought it, and boxed it up, all while thinking of me. It was odd, to say the least. And odder still that I didn’t want to remove it quite yet.

But then I got a text from Alexander. He must have woken up early, before the sun set, and was restless in his coffin. And then I remembered how real boyfriends behaved. The kind that didn’t kiss one girl and give presents to another. I quickly unclasped the bracelet and buried it, along with any pleasant thoughts of Trevor, in my dresser drawer.

Alexander, handsome in a classy suit coat and black jeans, arrived at our front door with a bouquet of flowers.

“But you already gave me flowers this morning,” I said.

“I couldn’t be there to see your face,” he said, handing them to me. “Now I can.”

I gave him a huge kiss and we stepped inside.

“Those are beautiful,” my mother said, coming down the stairs and wrangling an earring in her ear. “I’ll get a vase.”

“I’d like to take one to dinner,” I said.

“You can wear it in your hair,” my mother said like a former hippie.

The last time I’d wanted flowers pinned on me was when Alexander gave me a corsage for the Snow Ball. I’d pricked my finger and he had made a strange expression I’d since come to find out was that of a vampire looking at fresh blood. I made sure not to tempt my boyfriend in front of my parents.

Instead of using pins and needles, Alexander was kind enough to clip the flower in my barrette.

When we got to the restaurant, it was hard not to think of the Crypt, even while so much fussing was going on. I was so anxious to get to the club. Even though we could sit down immediately, we’d be ordering appetizers, main courses, and desserts. It would be ages until we’d be able to meet the gang at the dance club.

Alexander must have sensed my anxiousness. He rested his hand on my twitching leg.

I was suddenly overcome with a sense of peace. I was relaxed. I scanned the table. I had a great mother and father, and though they never understood me, they still were always there for me. My brother, Billy, who was the biggest pest in the world, was texting Henry as if no one knew and would occasionally answer a question without even looking up. But still, there he sat, celebrating my birthday. My best friend, who was there for me, laughing and gossiping since the day we met, and her boyfriend. And of course, the love of my life, my vampire soulmate, who had taken my blood as his own. I realized I was with the most gorgeous guy — holding his hand and wearing one of the flowers he’d given me in my hair. I didn’t want to be anywhere else.

And when that horrible moment came, when the waitstaff brought a candlelit dessert and my family and a few patrons sang “Happy Birthday,” and I blushed beet red, I kind of liked it.

I looked around the room as the single candle blazed in the sundae. I had a best friend, a family, and my true love.

What else could I want?

I really had everything I wanted sitting at the table — except the one thing I’d been wishing for since I was in kindergarten: to become a vampire. I closed my eyes, wished, and blew out the candle to cheers and applause.

I wondered just how many more years I’d be making that wish.

As we got out of the Mercedes and headed through the back alley to the Crypt, Alexander pulled me aside.

“This is my real gift. I didn’t want to freak out your parents.”

“Then what were the flowers?”

“Just a prelude gift.”

“What is it?” I asked coyly.

“You’ll see.”

He handed me a box. I only hoped it wasn’t a bracelet that said “Raven.” I wouldn’t know what to do.

I opened the box. There wasn’t a bracelet. Instead there was a slender silver eternity ring with petite black diamonds. The center diamond was in the shape of a small heart.

Chills ran down my spine. I almost fainted right there in the alley of the Crypt.

“Alexander — I don’t know what to say. This is beautiful!”

“This way you’ll always know that just because I haven’t turned you doesn’t mean we can’t be together forever.”

“How can you afford this?” I asked.

“How could I not afford it?”

“I’ve never had anything real — besides a pearl necklace my parents gave me last year for my birthday.”

“Just put it on.”

Tears welled in my eyes. Nothing I’d ever owned twinkled liked the ring I was now holding. I slid it on my right ring finger.

“It fits?” he asked eagerly.

“It’s like having the stars on my finger,” I said, jumping up and down.

I reached up to him and gave him the most passionate kiss I’d ever given.

“Get a room, dudes. Or at least a car,” Sebastian said, slapping Alexander on the back.

I showed Sebastian the ring.

“Are you getting married?” he asked. “Dude—”

“It’s not an engagement ring,” I said. “It’s an eternity ring.”

Luna spied the glistening ring and bore her fangs at me. The expression she wore spoke volumes.

“It’s time we get to the club. We’ve been waiting forever for it to open!” Alexander said.

When I turned down the alley to the mill, I saw an image even I couldn’t have ever envisioned in Dullsville. A long line snaked around the corner of the factory and led up to the Crypt. Every student in Dullsville High was standing, texting, and gossiping in line, waiting for a chance, like me, to dance in a club. I was lucky to be in Sebastian’s and Luna’s company so we could walk past the sea of would-be clubsters and make our way to the entrance.

A sign in blood-red letters marked the entrance: CHECK ALL CELL PHONES, CAMERAS, AND MP3 PLAYERS. PHOTOGRAPHS PROHIBITED. A bouncer was checking all electronic devices.

When we entered, Sebastian and Luna disappeared into the Crypt while I stood spellbound. Alexander stood behind me, his hands on my shoulders. A lot had changed since I’d last been to the factory. The scene was truly magical.

Dullsville finally had a place, besides the Mansion, where I truly belonged.

Gray arched columns made the once-flat ceiling appear curved. Lightning flashed against the windows, and thunder rumbled over the music as if there were a nasty storm outside the club. The center stage was magnificent.

It was in the shape of a large coffin. Headstone doorways had handles resembling skeleton bones. Votives and LED torch lighting hung on the walls like a creepy tomb. The bar, too, was shaped like a giant coffin. Bottles covered in fake cobwebs were on wooden racks. The dance area was illuminated by candelabra chandeliers flickering LED lights. Two metal cages with twisted wrought iron were in the corners for dancing clubsters. Neon exit signs hung above all outgoing doors. An open coffin rested next to an erect one with signs inviting customers to step inside. For a small price, a photographer dressed as a caretaker took pictures.

The conservative students raved about the new club. Any club party with loud music was the chance to let loose and be away from nagging parents.

“Wow!” I said. “This is what I’ve always dreamed of.”

I found Scarlet and Onyx already dancing.

While Alexander and Sebastian tried to find Jagger, I jumped onto the dance floor and rocked with my vampire friends.

I noticed Luna, off in the corner, waiting for Sebastian to return. She was a misfit, even in her brother’s club. Aloof and unfettered, she just observed the goings-on around her. Scarlet and I ran over to her and dragged her onto the dance floor with us. It was as if she was relieved, finally having some friends of her own to hang out with. It wasn’t long before her pink hair was tossing back and forth as we all danced to the morbid music.

Exhausted, I took a break. It was then I caught sight of the curious door — only tonight it was adorned like a grave marker and had a skeleton-bone handle.

“Do you know where Jagger is?” I asked Scarlet when we headed off to the bar. “I want to try that door again and I don’t want him to see me.”

“What?” She tried to shout over the music.

“That tombstone door. We still don’t know what it leads to. This could all be a ruse for something nefarious underground.”

“You can check it out,” she said, uninterested. “I want to dance. I think I see Trevor.” She slipped into the crowd while Luna and Onyx continued to dance.

I made my way through wall-to-wall clubsters until I reached the grave marker door. There was so much going on, I was sure no one would notice me trying to sneak in.

I had put the key in and turned the lock when someone grabbed my hand.

“Time to dance,” Trevor said.

Before I could shake free I was back on the dance floor, staring at Trevor Mitchell.

Where were Alexander, Sebastian, and Jagger to protect me?

I stood motionless, with my arms folded.

“You can move better than that,” he said.

He put his hands on my waist and shook my hips back and forth.

“Get off!” I said.

“The dance doesn’t start until you do!” he said.

Then I thought, What difference does it make? I was as close to Trevor as I was to anyone else on the dance floor.

I let the song take over me and I danced my heart out. All at once I was lost, dancing with Trevor. His green eyes burned through me as if we were the only two on the dance floor. He put his hand around my waist and drew me to him, so close our bodies touched. I could feel his rock-hard stomach against mine. He stared at me intently and a smile crept across his face. I was in his clutches. I knew any moment Trevor was going to kiss me.

Suddenly Alexander was standing next to Trevor. There was no denying Alexander was ready to take him off the dance floor — physically.

“It’s okay,” I said. I pulled Alexander close. “That dance is over now. The rest are saved for you.”

Trevor watched me as I snuggled with Alexander. I checked back and Trevor was dancing with a group of girls, as if I didn’t exist anymore.

The following morning I stumbled into the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee.

My mom caught sight of my ring.

“That’s gorgeous. Where did you get it?”

“Alexander gave it to me.”

“Sweetheart — that’s real.”

“I know. Can you believe this? I don’t deserve something this beautiful.”

“Maybe you’re too young to get a gift like that,” she said with a crinkle in her brow.

“I just turned seventeen! And Alexander’s eighteen. Too young?”

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I’m sorry I snapped.”

“Did he ask you anything when he gave it to you?”

“Like getting down on one knee?” I asked, slightly horrified at her overreaction to my good news. “No, he didn’t.

Why does everyone have to take this as more than it is?”

If she was this freaked out about a ring, I couldn’t imagine what she’d say if I told her I wanted to turn into a vampire — for real.

“Maybe we should talk,” my mom said.

“About the birds and bees? I think we’ve been over that.”

“No, about your future. College. Getting out of town. Alexander.”

“What, now you don’t approve of him?”

“Of course I do. I think he’s been amazing for you. I just hope you’ll go to college.”

“You met dad at college. It’s not my fault that I met my true love in high school. Besides, can’t I just enjoy my birthday present?”

“I just want you to make sure you are as focused on school as much as you are on relationships.”

“Well, you know I have never been focused on school.” We both had a small chuckle. “If Alexander decides to study in Romania, I’m up for it,” I assured her.

“It shouldn’t be about what Alexander wants. That’s what I’m trying to talk to you about.”

“Have I ever done anything in my life I didn’t want to do?” I asked candidly.

“Uh. . no. I wish you had — it would have made my life a lot easier.”

“Have I ever succumbed to peer pressure?” I asked.

“No. You are the antithesis of that.”

“Then why can’t you trust me?”

“Because I know what love does. It makes you think things — that the world is more romantic than it is.”

“Is that so bad? You have Dad, this house, and Billy and me.”

“You are right, but—”

“I’ve been pretty miserable most of my life. For almost a year now, I’ve really enjoyed this town. I have a great boyfriend and I’ve met a lot of people that I connect with. I haven’t gotten into trouble and my grades have been pretty good.”

“I was always hoping you’d be able to graduate and find a passion beyond. .”

“Vampires?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll go to college, Mom. I want to be an editor for a fashion mag. You think Alexander would go out with me if I were just a slacker? He has standards, too.”

“I know. Alexander is an amazing guy.”

“I want to show you something,” I said. She followed me to my bedroom and I took out the bracelet buried in my drawer from Trevor.

“This could be my future,” I said.

“Where did you get this?”

“Trevor Mitchell.”

“Trevor? That is unexpected.”

“I know. . so when you worry about my future, you can think about this one, too,” I said. “We could be having the same conversation about a different person. And do you know what it would be? A future with a gorgeous guy who thinks about himself more than anyone else. And guess what? While I’m watching him pursue his soccer dream, he’d be sneaking off with a leggy blonde cheerleader.”

My mom sat on my bed, handling the bracelet. “I knew I’d found Mr. Right when I met your father. My mother wanted me to wait, too, and date different guys in college. And if I had, I wouldn’t have been happy. I wouldn’t have been in love. And I wouldn’t have had you.”

I heard my dad coming up the stairs.

“Paul,” she called to him. “Look what Alexander gave Raven.” My mom proudly held out my hand to him.

“Moving a little fast, aren’t we?” he asked. “Shouldn’t Alexander be talking to me first — or should I be talking to him?”

“No one needs to talk to anyone,” she said, softening the blow. “It was a special present Alexander gave Raven.

And I think we should be happy for her and leave it at that.”

My dad examined the ring. “Wow — is that real?”

I nodded.

“The boy has good taste. Although I already knew that,” he said with a wink.

That evening I met Alexander just after sunset at the Mansion. With only a day until the joint birthday party at the Crypt, I didn’t want anything to get in the way of it — including unwanted vampires. I was dressed and ready to go to the club, but when I met Alexander in his room, he wasn’t ready. He was rummaging around in his closet.

Alexander had other plans.

“Phoenix needs to come to the Crypt tonight,” he said. “I’ll have Jameson drop you off at the club.”

“Tonight?” I asked, goose bumps shuddering down my spine. The thought of seeing Phoenix again — especially when I knew he was really Alexander — thrilled me. And his being on a secret mission made him that much sexier to me.

“Nothing major happened last night — no unknown vampires popping in — or at least none that we knew about,” he said. “But it’s not like the Maxwells to cave so easily. The Covenant door still remaining locked means Jagger is planning to use it for something. We can’t wait any longer.”

“I agree,” I said.

The more I fell in love with the Crypt, the harder it would be for me to lose it if unknown vampires started coming.

“We have to have proof that vampires aren’t being invited,” I said, “and Phoenix has the power to do that.”

I watched as Alexander continued to scour through his closet.

“Phoenix can save this club, too,” I said. “If it wasn’t for him taking over the Coffin Club and, at the last moment, giving the reigns over to the clubsters, Jagger wouldn’t even have that club. He’s almost like a superhero.”

“All right,” Alexander said, pulling out a pair of black leather pants and a motorcycle jacket and tossing them on the bed. “It’s time for you to go. I’ll see you at the club.”

Glaring at his sexy outfit strewn on his coffin, I almost had a change of heart. “This isn’t easy, you know. I’d rather be with you — as Alexander, Phoenix, or whomever — than alone in that nightclub.”

“Get out of here,” he said playfully as he put on a tight white T-shirt.

I did my best to tear myself away from my handsome boyfriend.

“And don’t forget that British accent,” I called back to him as I left his room. “It goes right through my heart!”

Jameson kindly drove me to the Sinclair Mill — turned-fabulously-macabre dance club. It seemed to take forever as the Creepy Man drove at a zombie’s pace. After I finally arrived I was hanging outside the Crypt with Scarlet when I heard the sound of a motorcycle pull up to the factory.

“Maybe it’s the police,” I heard one clubster say.

A purple-haired biker raced through the alley and parked his Harley.

“I think that’s Phoenix!” Scarlet said. “What’s he doing here?”

“I don’t know,” I said.

“This club isn’t supposed to be open to outside vampires,” she said as if taking offense to her special VIV–Very Important Vampire — status. She stormed after him, and I followed close behind, but by the time we reached the entrance he was already going inside.

“Line cutter!” I heard a few clubsters shout.

“My best friend dates the owner!” Scarlet shouted back.

Scarlet grabbed my arm and we quickly ducked inside so as not to make any more enemies than I normally had.

I spotted a handsome guy with purple hair talking to Jagger by the dancing cages.

We pushed through the crowd of dancers and snuck up behind them, eavesdropping on their conversation.

“I saw the crop circle,” Phoenix said. “So I came to check out your place.”

“Uh. . we got rid of that. The plans for the club have changed,” Jagger said.

“This place looks cool!” Phoenix continued. “What are you serving?”

“I really must tell you—”

“This club might be better than the Coffin Club,” Phoenix said, slapping Jagger on the back.

“You think so?” Jagger was overcome with the attention. He beamed like a star. “Romeo — get this man a Lethal Injection. It’s the house special,” he said. “So, how did you hear about us?”

“Like I said before, a crop circle. I figured you were starting a new vampire club. But this town isn’t known for vampires. So I thought I’d come and check it out.”

“Well, there are a few here among us. But that’s what I need to tell you about. I made a deal with my buddies,” Jagger said. “This club will be slightly different from the Coffin Club.”

“What do you mean by ‘different’?”

It was as if Jagger was afraid to admit that the club would be mortals only. “You think this should be like the Coffin Club, with a Dungeon, too? My friends persuaded me. . I was a fool to listen. You have to see what I have here.

Let me give you a tour.”

I followed behind so as not to be too conspicuous. When they passed the Covenant room door, Phoenix stopped.

“What’s this?” Phoenix asked. “Another club?”

“That’s not just another club — it is the club. The Covenant,” he said proudly. “More private than the Dungeon.”

Phoenix’s eyes lit up. “So this is where the vampires are?”

“Yes. They’ll be here.”

“So you have planned another vampire club? Something you can’t share with your ‘buddies’ but you can with me, your old friend?”

“It’s only for special members.”

“Vampires? Does anyone else know?” he pressed.

“No, it’s a secret. No one knows. I was waiting for a special occasion to open it.”

“Ah. . the element of surprise,” Phoenix said.

“Exactly,” Jagger said.

Phoenix scanned the crowd of mostly mortal dancers and put his hand on Jagger’s shoulder. “Some surprises are best left undone.”

“I’m not sure what you mean,” Jagger said, confused.

“Look around here, Jagger,” Phoenix said. “This town, this club. It’s full of mortals. No vampires live here. You could put us all in danger by inviting indiscreet vampires here,” he charged.

“Well, a few vampires and their friends do live here.”

“It’s not safe for you to run a vampire club in a town this small.”

“And it’s not safe for you to come to my club and tell me how to run it.”

“You know what happened between us at the Coffin Club. It can happen here, too,” Phoenix pressured.

Jagger was really heated. His face flushed red like the fiery dyed tips of his white hair.

“You don’t know the truth. That club isn’t meant for you. Maybe in the beginning I thought it would be cool to have a second Coffin Club. But you know, I think this one will be unique, too. It’s meant as a special club for my friends to celebrate their birthdays in. A surprise. One they’ll never forget. You’ve come all this way, and you were lucky I let you in. But this club and the one below are for mortals only,” Jagger said, “unless you are one of my closest vampire friends, which I’m sorry to say you are not.”

Jagger waited, poised for a fight. But when Phoenix smiled, Jagger’s body relaxed.

I couldn’t believe it. I’d done so much sneaking in and asking questions, but it had taken only seconds for Phoenix to get more answers than I had in a month.

“Then I guess my work is done here,” Phoenix said like a cowboy in a Western movie.

But Jagger continued to soften. It was unlike him to send someone out of his club with a bad taste in their mouth.

“Second round is on the club as well,” Jagger said. “It was good of you to come this far to check us out. Tell your mortal friends about it. And if I do ever open it to vampires, you’ll be the first to know.”

Phoenix made his way back to the bar, sipping his Lethal Injection. I wanted to go and hang out with my boyfriend’s alter ego, but I knew I would look like I was flirting with someone other than Alexander. Several girls sidled up to him and batted their eyelashes at him, doing their best impression of femmes fatales. It took all my strength not to clobber them. I couldn’t tell Scarlet who he really was, so instead we hung by the bar sipping sodas and discussing Phoenix and Jagger’s encounter.

“What kind of surprise do you think Jagger has planned down there?”

“Maybe a big birthday cake.”

“I love cake,” Scarlet said. “Or maybe he’ll turn you into a vampire.”

“I think that’s Alexander’s job.”

Just then Phoenix turned around. Hearing the name Alexander was natural to him.

I winked at him, and suddenly Luna was standing before him.

“My brother told me about you,” she said. “Would you like another drink?”

“No, thanks,” Phoenix answered in his British accent. “This one’s plenty.”

“How about we split one?” Luna tried to entice him.

I walked up to Luna, who had now linked her arm with my boyfriend’s.

“Where is Sebastian?” I said loudly. “I thought you two were inseparable. I remember you telling me all about your wedding. When is it, again?”

She shook her head. “There’s no wedding,” she retorted. “I mean, not now.”

“That’s okay. I was just leaving,” Phoenix said.

“So soon?” Luna asked.

“I have some friends to meet at the Coffin Club,” he said.

“Will you be back?” Luna asked, flashing her pink lashes.

“I might. With pretty girls like this one,” he said, putting his hand to my chin, “it will be hard to keep me away.”

Luna shot me a deadly gaze.

Phoenix put his drink on the bar and left the club through a maze of gawking girls. He could have had any girl in the Crypt; he was that magnetic. And I was one of those girls who was hypnotized. I wasn’t sure when I’d ever see Phoenix again. At the last moment, I couldn’t help but follow him out of the club. I knew he was not going to be returning anytime soon.

My heart was racing as fast as my feet. He was climbing on the bike when I caught up to him.

“Funny,” I said. “Now that I know who you really are, I like you even better.”

“Me, or Phoenix?” he asked.

“Both.”

“Maybe now I can get that kiss that I didn’t the last time?” he asked in his sexy British accent.

Phoenix stood up. His purple bangs hung over his forehead and gently brushed his eyes.

“It’s okay. No one’s looking,” he reassured me. Phoenix drew me into him. “And don’t worry, I won’t tell.”

I could feel his leather-clad legs against my naked knees.

He leaned in and gave me a long, deep kiss. It was so riveting I thought I’d lost all my wits. For a moment, I wasn’t sure if I was kissing Phoenix or Alexander.

When we pulled apart I saw a figure lurking in the shadows.

Then I noticed blonde dreadlocks.

“Oh no!” I covered my mouth in shock.

“I better go.” Phoenix revved up the motorcycle while I took off for the Crypt.

Sebastian gave me a death stare. His shoulders were tense and his face was fierce.

“Let me explain—” I started.

“I can’t believe you — after all Alexander’s done for you? And you do this to him?”

“It’s not—”

“With some guy you’ve just met?”

“I already know him. It’s not like you think. You don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

“So you’ve been seeing him before — and that’s your excuse?”

“I didn’t mean—”

“So help me!” Sebastian was so hurt. I wanted desperately to tell him who Phoenix was, but if I did, the whole plan would be ruined.

“It’s not what you think,” I pleaded with him.

“What’s there to think? You were making out with another guy and you’re supposed to be in love with my best friend!”

“Please, Sebastian. Don’t — you’ve misunderstood everything.”

“No, I’ve only misunderstood one thing — you.” He stepped past me and disappeared into the Crypt.

I felt as awful as if I had cheated on Alexander. Maybe the image was just as bad, if no one knew the truth.

I would have told Sebastian, but if he had loose lips, Alexander’s cover as Phoenix would be blown. Even the events at the Coffin Club, where it was actually Alexander who prevailed at getting the vampire club to be civil, would now be known. And the worst part was that Jagger would feel betrayed and double-crossed and the truce would be broken.

That was something we couldn’t afford.

I headed back into the Crypt. I tried to dance my feelings off on the dance floor. But when I saw Alexander’s back sitting at the bar, next to Sebastian, I hurried over.

Sebastian didn’t even turn around. I scooted next to Alexander.

“Sebastian hates me,” I whispered in his ear. “He has lost all respect for me.”

“He should. You were kissing someone else!” he said softly.

“Please, Alexander. It’s not funny. We should tell him.”

“But what if he spills it to Luna? I don’t think we can take the chance.”

“So this is how it will be?” I asked. “He’ll go on thinking I’m cheating on you?”

“For the time being.”

“I feel like Trevor,” I mumbled, “but with a conscience.”

“So, did you miss me?” Alexander said loud enough for Sebastian to hear. “What did you do until I arrived?”

Sebastian finally turned toward me. “Yes, Raven, what did you do?”

“I waited patiently for you to come,” I said, giving Alexander a squeeze.

“Yes, that’s exactly what she did,” Sebastian said. “Waited by herself. All alone.”

“Well, I was going to ask you to keep an eye on her, but you don’t need to do that with Raven,” he teased.

“I think you might want to start keeping an eye on her,” Sebastian warned. “She isn’t as patient as she looks.”

The next day Becky and I arrived at school to an unusual sight. Students were buzzing about the Crypt, and I noticed several girls wearing the same T-shirt Becky had given me for my birthday — black with THE CRYPT in white skeleton bone letters.

“That club rocks!” I heard the Prada-bee say to her friend. Her Crypt shirt was over her long-sleeve button down. “I can’t wait to go again.”

“I’m going every night,” her friend retorted. She was wearing one, too, but it was underneath her green cashmere cardigan.

“How did they get those?” I asked Becky.

“I don’t know,” she said, just as bewildered as I was.

Several other students we passed as we headed to our lockers had Crypt shirts, but even those who didn’t were blabbing about the fantastic time they had at the new club.

I was so pleased that even though I was still looked at as an oddball, we were all sharing in the same joy that was the Crypt.

Now that Alexander (as Phoenix) was key in cementing Jagger’s mortals-only club policy, I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that my fellow students, family, and townspeople were in no immediate danger from unknown vampires. Maybe Scarlet, Onyx, and Sebastian would be staying in Dullsville. It would be a dream for me to spend time with them and Alexander in the darkened hours. Even Jagger and Luna, who were far from what I’d call best friends, could be a nice addition to this town. Jagger had made a fantasy of mine come true — and I had to give him major props for that.

And by the number of Crypt T-shirt — wearing students, Jagger could be next in line to my own nemesis, Trevor, in being Dullsville’s most popular.

I opened my locker.

“Can you believe that tonight is finally your joint birthday party?” Becky said.

“I’m so excited, I can’t wait. I wish we could just skip the school part and head straight to the club. But you know I wish that every day.”

She laughed.

“But seriously, I can’t even concentrate. I have a test third period and all I can think about are tombstones.”

“What are you wearing?” Becky asked.

“I’ve tried on a million things. I can’t decide between a minidress and a corset one.”

“I can’t believe that out of all the students, we get invites for the party. And you are the guest of honor,” Becky gushed.

As we shut our locker doors, I walked proudly down the hallway, knowing I was going to open the Covenant just for us.

When we turned the corner, I bumped into Trevor, who was wearing a black Crypt T-shirt.

“Where did you get that?” I asked.

“I’m all out. Too bad I only have the one I’m wearing. Want to swap shirts? We can change here,” he suggested with a wink.

“Thanks, but it would be best for all of us if you kept your shirt on.”

The truth was Trevor had the best physique in school, but I wasn’t about to tell him that. Besides, he already knew.

“So are you going to wear that special bracelet?” Trevor whispered as Becky got a quick drink at the water fountain.

I didn’t say anything. My usual stinging barbs would have been funny but not totally appropriate. Trevor had given me a present — a real one. And to slam him would have made me a heel.

“Thank you,” I said. “It was beautiful.”

He was surprised at my sincerity.

I felt like hugging him. It was the right thing to do. I know he would have wanted a kiss, but I wasn’t about to get sick to my stomach.

Trevor looked like he didn’t know what to do. He was ready to slam me back, but since I had said something nice, he was speechless. He just grinned awkwardly and walked away.

“Hey, Trevor,” I called.

“Yeah?” he asked, stopping. He stood with his hands on his hips, probably sure this time I was going to hurl a major verbal assault. He grinned like a champion.

I scurried up to him and before he could move, I hugged him. I hugged him so hard, I could feel his heart racing.

For a moment I locked my hands together behind his back, like one hugging someone they really cared about would. I’d caught Trevor off guard.

He didn’t know what to do. For a moment he didn’t return my hug. Then he softened, as if he’d waited all his life for this display of affection. Just as he drew his arms around me, I stepped back.

Trevor smiled a bigger smile than I’d ever seen.

It was the least I could do. I was so excited about the party that even pressing my body against my nemesis to show my gratitude wasn’t going to spoil it.

“Now I have to burn these clothes,” I said to him as Becky caught up to me and I slipped inside my classroom.

Becky showed up at my house well before sunset. We modeled our outfits and tried out different hairstyles. She looked stellar in a black cami with a demi sweater and violet rayon skirt.

The doorbell rang as I was still trying to squeeze on my final outfit.

“They’re here!” Becky said excitedly.

It wasn’t like she never saw Matt. She saw him every day at school and on many evenings. But every time he arrived, she was just as thrilled as the time before. And I couldn’t blame her. My heart pounded out of my chest every chance I got to see Alexander.

“Girls,” my mom called from downstairs. “Your dates are here!”

I laced myself into my lavender monster boots, and Becky helped zip me into my black minidress and fix my barrettes. Since I’d gotten behind the time, I would have been a mess without her smoothing touches.

We descended the staircase like debutantes. Alexander and Matt were awaiting us, with huge smiles and in handsome club attire.

“Can I take a picture?” my mom asked.

“Mom!” I said, totally embarrassed. It wasn’t enough that my boyfriend was a vampire and wouldn’t even show up in the photo, but my mom making a fuss was more unbearable.

“Your dad is still at work,” my mom said. “He’d hate to miss this moment.”

“Oh yes, please, use my phone,” Becky said. “I’ll send you the pics.”

I didn’t even try to get out of it. Becky and Matt squeezed next to Alexander and me. We smiled as if Alexander were going to show up after all.

“Say cheese,” my mom said.

Alexander squinted when the flash went off.

“Are you okay?” my mom asked.

“Just something in my eye. It was great seeing you, Mrs. Madison,” Alexander said, giving my mom a polite kiss on the cheek. “Now our car awaits.”

We gave quick hugs and good-byes to my mom as we walked out the front door and to the driveway, where Jameson was waiting with a limo.

“You are kidding me!” I screamed.

“Only the best for the best,” Alexander said.

Becky and I continued to scream and giggle as we got in the back of the limo and headed to the Crypt like celebrities on their way to an awards show.

I arrived with my boyfriend and friends at the Crypt. I was excited to finally have the party celebrating Alexander’s and my birthdays that Jagger had talked so much about. I wasn’t sure what he had in store for us, but I knew it would be something special. The club was open to all its usual customers, but our party was going to be somewhere else in the club. I wasn’t supposed to know the location, but I’d learned from Phoenix that we were finally going to see the Covenant after all.

We all milled about on the main floor until Jagger said it was time for the party. Becky approached me and seemed gravely concerned.

“What’s up?” I asked. “It’s party time.”

“Nothing. . it’s just something that I’ve been weirded out by for a while.”

“Did I do something?”

“No — it’s not you. It’s—”

“Tell me.”

“I want to show you this,” Becky said. She led me into an alcove away from dancing clubsters. She held out her phone. “Remember the picture I took at the soccer field again of Sebastian? He didn’t show up in any of the pictures. He’s clearly missing.”

“That’s all?” I asked. “Yes, that’s weird. But maybe there is something wrong with your phone.”

“I got to thinking. Maybe the rumor wasn’t just a rumor.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“All the signs. For so long now. I can’t believe you — of all people — haven’t noticed.”

“What are you saying?” I asked my best friend.

“These are the pictures of the workers I took before Jagger told me not to take pictures.” She showed me her phone again. There were no workers in view.

“Maybe they were out of the frame,” I said.

“Everyone? All the pictures I took of you are perfect.”

“Maybe it’s time to buy a new cell phone. I think we have to get back—”

“And then this one.” She took out a camera from her purse. “I used my camera this time. I took it tonight. It is of Jagger, Luna, and Sebastian.”

“You weren’t supposed to take pictures. . ”

She held out the camera, shaking in her hand.

There wasn’t anyone in the picture.

I didn’t know what to say.

“Maybe it’s the lighting?” I tried.

Becky’s face was determined. “It’s not the cell phone. It’s not the camera. It’s them!”

“Becky, you aren’t making sense—”

“That’s why Sebastian bit Luna at Alexander’s party. That’s why I’ve only seen them during the night and why they don’t go to school. They can’t. They are—”

“I have to get back—” She reached into her purse again. “Then it won’t matter if I throw these cloves of garlic on the dance floor.”

I imagined it then. One by one, Alexander, Jagger, Luna, Sebastian, Onyx, and Scarlet breathing in the garlic fumes and gasping for breath. All laboring to get fresh air. Finally each one, falling to the floor. .

I reached for her purse. “No — you can’t! You have to take that out of here! They won’t be able to breathe!”

Becky was stunned by my reaction. Her face turned ghostly white. She pulled out an empty hand.

She could barely breathe herself. “Raven, I don’t have any garlic. . ”

I covered my mouth in horror.

“So it’s true,” she said faintly.

My best friend knew — about Jagger, Luna, Sebastian, Onyx, and Scarlet. And if I couldn’t prove her wrong — or worse, lie to her — then it would be only moments before she realized the truth about Alexander, too.

My head swirled with excuses. The camera doesn’t work, it’s the lighting. . but when I opened my mouth, no words came out. Instead I nodded, as if I’d been waiting for her to tell me those words forever. In fact, I must have been. She was my best friend and I’d kept the biggest secret from her — something I’d never done. And now she’d found out on her own, and I couldn’t keep the secret any longer.

Her lower lip quivered and she wobbled in place.

“Becky?” I put my hand on her shoulder.

Becky began to succumb to her dizziness. Her knees buckled and she started to fall.

I quickly grabbed her with both hands, trying to keep her standing.

“What’s wrong with her?” a clubster asked.

“She feels faint,” I said. “Let’s give her some air.”

I held her up and guided her over to the bar, then helped her sit down.

“We need some water,” I said.

I hugged my best friend. “It’s okay, Becky. You’ll be okay. We’ll be okay.”

The bartender put a glass of water on the bar.

“I’m not thirsty,” she said, pushing it away.

“Drink it,” I said, handing it to her.

Becky gulped it down.

For a moment we girls sat in silence, processing what had just happened. Becky had just learned my boyfriend’s true identity and now I had to deal with my best friend holding this secret knowledge.

“I’m scared, Raven. I’m really scared.”

Tears began streaming down her face. Her house of Hello Kitty cards was falling down in front of me. I was left breathless.

“And this picture, too,” she said, scrolling her phone. “It’s the one your mom took tonight with me and you and Matt and Alexander. Only Alexander isn’t in the picture.”

I couldn’t speak nor look at the picture my friend was holding out, shaking in her fingers.

“So, does that mean — Alexander, too?”

I didn’t answer.

“It’s funny, really. I’ve never seen him in the daylight. Not once. And those pictures from the Snow Ball, he didn’t turn out, and now tonight. . ”

I nodded.

I knew she was frightened. For her, for me, for us. For the town. Even for Alexander.

“You tried to tell me once underneath the staircase at school. But I laughed at you.”

“I would have laughed, too.”

“Is it possible to be a good vampire?” Becky said.

“I think Alexander’s proof.”

Matt raced over. He noticed Becky’s pale complexion. “What’s wrong?”

“Becky feels faint,” I said. “I think you should take her home.”

“But they’re going to have your celebration,” she muttered.

“You’ve had enough for tonight,” I said. “Matt, do you mind?” I asked. “I think she needs some rest.”

“I don’t want to leave,” she said. “I want to stay. I want to know everything now.”

“What do you want to know?” Matt said. “What is she talking about?”

“I want to know more about vampires,” Becky said. “And Raven knows everything there is to know.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Matt asked.

Becky looked at me with a knowing smile. “I don’t want to be left in the dark anymore.”

I insisted Matt sit with Becky while she continued to drink her water and I went to find Alexander.

“I have to tell you something,” I said when I finally found him by the club’s entrance.

“It will have to wait. Jagger wants us to join him for the VIP party.”

Jagger unlocked the Covenant door and waved us over. Becky and Matt trailed behind.

We walked down darkened, crooked wooden steps. When we reached the bottom we could clearly see the room Jagger had been hiding.

Twinkling tombstones lined the walls and morbid music played. “Happy birthday!” everyone cheered.

Sebastian, Luna, Scarlet, Onyx, Jagger, Trevor, and a few others who must have been friends of Jagger’s from the Coffin Club applauded.

“And look at this. A covenant altar. Perfect for parties,” Jagger said.

A wrought-iron, spooky spiderweb-designed trellis was beautiful. Underneath it lay a coffin with two antique pewter goblets adorned with bats.

“We are going to have a ceremony tonight. Just for kicks,” Sebastian said. “A mock ceremony to unite us with our girlfriends for eternity. I’m going first, then it’s your turn.”

“Are you kidding?” Alexander asked. “That is cool.”

I kind of liked the idea. A mock covenant. Alexander and I could practice what it would really be like to have the ceremony and for me to be turned without it being a reality. Like posing for a picture with a wacky facade at a theme park. However, I’d be the only one in the picture.

Luna was dressed in a frilly taffeta pink dress and black monster boots. Her baby pink hair cascaded over her naked shoulders.

“Happy birthday, Raven,” she said.

“Thanks, Luna.”

“And happy birthday, Alexander.” She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a peck on the cheek. “You’ll soon find out what you’ve been missing,” I heard her say.

“I can see why you’re dying to have a covenant ceremony with Luna,” I said to Sebastian. “She does look like an angel.”

“She’s a beauty,” he said with a starry-eyed stare.

Becky came up to me and Alexander. She stared at him like she was seeing him for the first time.

She reached out to touch his arm as if she was trying to see if he was real.

“What’s up?” Alexander said.

“Happy birthday,” she said in a whisper. “But are you really eighteen?”

“Yes,” he answered, confused.

“You’re not really one hundred and eighteen?”

“No,” Alexander insisted. “What are you talking about?”

She stepped back, then raced to Matt’s side.

“What’s wrong with her?” Alexander asked.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. Becky found—” Just then Jagger motioned us over to a giant cake sitting on a table. “Time to make a wish.”

The cake was a long sheet cake with black flowers and tiny tombstones on it. In blood-red letters it read, “Happy Birthday, Alexander and Raven.”

It was really sweet that Jagger had taken the time to decorate this room, get us this cake, and arrange for this party.

Two candles were burning like tiny torches.

Alexander and I looked at each other. We both made our separate wishes and blew out the candles.

“Thanks, Jagger,” I said. I gave him a big hug. He was taken aback by my affection but seemed grateful for it.

We each took a piece of cake and then headed for the small dance floor.

“So it’s just us?” Becky said. “Who are not. .?”

“You, me, Matt, and Trevor. But I still think Trevor is one, deep down,” I teased.

“Scarlet and Onyx?”

“Oh yeah,” I said as I danced.

“Are we in danger?”

“No — I carry garlic, just in case.”

“You do?”

I shook my head. “You are safe tonight. Nothing is going to happen.”

Just then Sebastian took a swig from a bottle. His mouth was stained with red liquid that he wiped off with the back of his hand.

“Is that wine?” Becky asked.

“I’m afraid not.”

We continued to dance, and my friend tried to absorb her new reality without passing out.

It was then she spotted two marks on Luna’s neck.

“I think I have to go to the bathroom,” Becky said.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said, starting for the door.

“I’ll go with you,” I said, and followed her up the stairs and into the girl’s bathroom.

She splashed water on her face. “When did you know?” she asked.

“After Alexander’s Welcome to the Neighborhood party. I was using Ruby’s compact and he didn’t show up in the reflection.”

“That was months ago.”

“I know.”

“And you held this secret inside you for that long?”

“I had to. For everyone’s sake.”

“Who else knows?”

“No one. It’s so important that no one else know.”

“I’m not going to tell anyone. Who’d believe me? But I have to tell Matt.”

“He’ll have to swear to secrecy.”

“He will,” she assured me.

She dotted her face and neck with a paper towel. “I know this is a dream come true for you. But for me—”

“A nightmare?”

“Pretty much. Your boyfriend and all these people I’ve come to know are vampires.”

“Can you believe it?”

“And they sleep here?”

“Yes, isn’t that cool?” I said with a smile.

“In coffins?”

“Yes, you want to see?”

“You are joking.”

“No, I’m not.”

We left the restroom and I pushed through the crowd of clubsters, Becky trailing close behind.

“I’m not sure I’m ready for this,” she said when we reached the spiral staircase. “I almost fainted once. And these stairs are spooky enough.”

“It’s just down here.”

“Besides, don’t you want to get back to the party? Matt is by himself.”

“Alexander is with him.” I’m not sure if that was comforting to Becky anymore. I, too, wanted to return to the party.

I’d been waiting to celebrate for days, and in such a cool vampire way. But I’d also been waiting to share this secret with someone — anyone, especially my best friend — for so long now, it was comforting being able to reveal the load I’d been carrying alone.

“All right,” I said. “I can show you later.”

Just then Scarlet arrived behind us. “What are you girls up to?”

“Uh. . I had to get something in Jagger’s office,” I said.

I didn’t have to lie anymore, but I was so used to it, I wasn’t sure what to say. Besides, I wasn’t sure how Scarlet felt about Becky knowing she was a vampire.

“Cool. I have to go to our room, so we can walk together.” She stepped around us and we followed her down the hall. “I just need to grab some fresh lipstick. Trevor rubbed it all off.”

Becky hung back as Scarlet opened the door and popped inside.

“Do you guys mind if I take off?” Scarlet asked when she came back out. “I want to head back to the party.

Sebastian and Luna are going to have their mock covenant ceremony. You don’t want to miss it.”

“We’ll only be a sec,” I said. “Are you feeling faint?” I said to Becky when Scarlet had gone.

“Sort of.”

“Then we’ll stop.”

“I think this might be a dream,” she said. “Hopefully I’ll wake up any minute.”

“Okay, but don’t freak out if you don’t.” I opened the coffin room door wider so she could see in. There they were, five coffins in a row.

Becky screamed. Fortunately we were too far away from the Crypt for anyone to hear.

“That’s how they sleep?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“And Alexander, too?”

“His is black and it’s at the Mansion.”

Becky didn’t move but remained fixed in the hallway. It was as if she expected one of the coffins to open and a dead person to jump out.

“No one is in them,” I assured her. “They are all at the party.”

“They really sleep here? Even Sebastian?” she wondered aloud.

“Yes, his is the one with stickers from different countries on it.”

“A vampire was interested in me?” It was too much for her to take in on one night.

“Yes, he was.”

“I feel woozy again.”

She began to get weak-kneed, so I pulled her into Jagger’s office.

“A tarantula?” she said nervously. “And gravestone etchings on the walls?”

“Maybe this wasn’t the best place for you to sit down. But you should really catch your breath.”

It was then I spotted the blueprints for the Covenant lying out on the table. On closer inspection I noticed something I hadn’t seen before. These plans were old and weathered.

They were the original factory plans. In the margin, written in pencil, was a small area that remained untouched.

When I looked closer, it said, “tomb.” Now I was ready to faint. It appeared to be a small burial site for soldiers.

Part of the factory had been built over sacred ground — the part that Jagger now called the Covenant.

And any minute, Sebastian and Luna were going to have a real covenant ceremony. And unbeknownst to Alexander’s best friend, it wasn’t going to be “just for fun.”

“Oh no!” I said.

“What?” Becky asked.

“We have to get upstairs!”

“I still feel woozy.”

“Do you want me to leave you here?”

Becky recovered lightning fast. Before I could move, she was standing at the door.

I grabbed the original blueprints and we raced through the hallway and up the rickety spiral staircase. We squeezed through the crowd and scurried down the Covenant stairs.

When we reached the underground club, Sebastian and Luna were standing over a coffin on the covenant stage.

“Where were you?” Alexander said. “Sebastian and Luna are doing their ceremony. And we’re next.”

Trevor, Scarlet, Jagger, and Onyx were watching from the sidelines.

“I have to talk to you,” I whispered.

“Shh!” Jagger scolded.

Sebastian held up a goblet and recited some words I couldn’t understand.

“I have to talk to you — it can’t wait any longer!”

“It will have to wait until after the ceremony,” Alexander said.

Then Luna repeated the same words and took a drink from her goblet.

“We are on sacred ground,” I said to Alexander.

“What?” he said.

Just then Sebastian turned to Luna. He held her hands and stared lovingly at her. He then took one hand and brushed her hair off of her neck. He smiled and leaned in.

I shoved the blueprints in front of Alexander and in my loudest voice declared, “We are on sacred ground!!!”

Sebastian stopped, and everyone in the club turned to me.

Alexander’s face turned white, but it was Sebastian’s face that was the most horrified. “What?”

I waved the blueprints. “We are over a real tomb. You are performing a real covenant ceremony!”

“I thought this was a joke. Just a game,” Sebastian said, stepping back. He looked at Luna, whose bright face fell.

Sebastian jumped off the stage and shook his head. Disgusted, he pushed past us and headed up the stairs.

Jagger’s face was red with anger.

Luna stood alone on the stage. It was the second time she’d been stood up at a covenant ceremony. First by Alexander, and now by Sebastian. Even I didn’t wish that kind of rejection for her. I could see the horror and sadness in her face. One tiny pink tear fell down her porcelain white cheek.

“Luna—” I said, jumping up onstage to comfort her.

She gave me a killer stare that made me shudder. Then she stormed off the stage and out of the club.

Alexander went after Sebastian. Jagger was nowhere in sight.

Matt held Becky in his arms.

While everyone was in chaos, I took a moment at the altar. I imagined Alexander and me standing together over the coffin. He’d recite foreign words and lift his goblet and drink. Then I’d do the same. We’d face each other and stare into each other’s eyes like a dream.

He’d take me in his arms and give me a lust-filled, passionate kiss, then slide his fangs up my shoulder until they met the nape of my neck.

“I’ve been waiting for this day for an eternity,” he’d say.

Then he’d take the final plunge.

I sighed, imagining how happy I’d feel.

I spun around to find no one else in the room but Trevor, who was staring straight at me.

“My turn?” he said with a coy smile. “I can be into freaky foreign customs, too.”

I grumbled and then stormed off the stage and out of the club.

So you think Trevor knows we’re vampires?” Alexander asked the next day when I met him at the Mansion.

“No, he thought it was just something weird you guys do. But Becky knows the truth.”

Alexander appeared worried. “Well, someone was bound to find out, I guess. It’s funny. I came here to escape the Maxwells and now I’ve brought them to your town.”

“You couldn’t have known,” I reassured him. “So is the feud back on?”

“It might be with Sebastian. But I think they were doing it to also get back at me.”

Just then we heard a knock from downstairs.

“Alexander, you have a visitor,” Jameson called. We headed out of the attic room and met Sebastian outside the TV room.

“Thanks, Raven. I owe you one.” He leaned in and gave me a hug.

“I knew you liked her, but. .,” I tried.

“So how are you doing?” Alexander asked.

“Pretty good,” he said.

“What’s going to happen to the Crypt?” I asked.

“It will remain open,” Sebastian said, “but Jagger’s losing a partner.”

“Are you leaving town?” I asked, not able to mask the sadness in my voice.

“For the first time there is nowhere else I want to go,” he said.

“Do you want to crash here?” Alexander asked.

“I don’t want to mess with your setup,” he said. “Besides, I need way more electricity than this Mansion can provide. I’ve found an apartment in town that’s cool.”

“You’re staying?” I asked excitedly.

“Yeah, for a little while.” He looked at his shoes as if he was trying to find the words. “I’ve always thought that Onyx was really pretty. And I don’t like the way Jagger doesn’t pay attention to her. She needs to know what a real boyfriend is like.”

“And you’re just the man?” I asked, thrilled.

“Who knows, I might be. Anyway, I just wanted to stop over and say thanks. I have to set up my new place. You guys can come over tonight if you want.”

“That sounds great. I’ll walk you out,” Alexander offered.

While I waited for him to return, I heard Alexander’s phone beeping from the table. It beeped. And beeped.

If I wasn’t calling him and neither was Sebastian, it might be his parents.

When I saw the caller ID, my heart sank.

Stormy.

Who was Stormy?

After a few moments of emotional flatlining, my blood pressure soared.

What do I do now?

I couldn’t be that girlfriend — the kind who snoops in drawers and closets and invades emails and texts. Or could I?

When I saw the number’s prefix, it was definitely foreign. Not from Dullsville or even the United States.

I looked at the message.

When are you coming back?

I miss you like crazy!

Luv, Stormy.

Stormy! “Luv?”

My thoughts raced. Alexander had another girlfriend? It was the last thing I was intending to find. The number was foreign, so this girl obviously didn’t live in Dullsville or even in this country. I hadn’t imagined Alexander could be involved with someone else. Who was this “Stormy”? Was she pretty? Was she a vampire? And was Alexander in love with her, too?

I paced in my boyfriend’s room. I gazed out the window. I tried to act calmly.

“That’s cool that Sebastian will be staying in town,” Alexander said when he reentered the room.

“Uh-huh,” I said flatly.

“What’s up?” he asked. “You seemed excited a few minutes ago.”

“I am,” I said indifferently.

“You seem weird. Distant. What’s wrong?”

“Uh. . nothing.”

I’d imagined Alexander to be someone that maybe he wasn’t. A guy who was straight and truthful. Who didn’t have girls in every country. He was so handsome and wildly hot, I was a fool to think that girls wouldn’t be throwing themselves at him.

I was wearing my broken heart on my black lace sleeve.

“Something’s up,” Alexander said. “I know that face.”

“I just thought we were only seeing each other,” I said, my voice cracking.

He was taken aback. “I am. Aren’t you?” he asked, bewildered.

“I thought you weren’t like other guys, like Trevor.” My heart was aching.

“What are you talking about?” Alexander asked.

“Who’s Stormy?” I asked. I handed him the phone.

Alexander paused. “You read my text?”

“The phone kept beeping and so I thought it might be something urgent. Something from your mother.”

“Raven—” he said.

“Who’s Stormy?” I demanded.

“She’s my sister!”

I was floored. “What?” I said. “You have a sister?”

“Uh-huh.”

“You have a sister?” I repeated.

“Yes. I have a little sister. Is that so terrible?”

“No! Well, yes, it is, because you never told me.”

“You never asked,” he said, half teasing. “And she never came up. I left my life suddenly when I came here to the Mansion. I didn’t know how long I’d stay. I didn’t plan on getting close to anyone here.”

“But I’ve never even seen a picture. Or painting.”

“Do you have a picture of Billy Boy in your room?”

“Uh. . good point. But you’ve never even talked about her.”

“I didn’t think I’d be able to be close to anyone here — then I met you. And everything changed. But really, when we’re together, I only want to talk about us.”

If I didn’t hear it straight from his dreamy lips, I’d have thought it was a line from a romantic movie.

“Honestly, talking about my family made me kind of miss them. So I never really did.”

His voice was so sincere, I felt lonely for my boyfriend’s situation. Here I was surrounded by my family, seeing them every day and celebrating my birthday with them. And Alexander lived in this big old Mansion alone.

I gave him a huge hug. First, I was sad for his plight, but second, I was so overjoyed that Alexander didn’t have a secret lover. But he did have a secret sister. It was one of the reasons I loved him so much. He was so mysterious, and even after all these months I was still learning things about him.

“Do you have a dog, too?” I asked.

Alexander laughed. “A few pet bats.”

“Stormy’s lucky,” I said. “She has the coolest big brother in the universe.”

Alexander beamed at the compliment.

“I can see why she misses you. I’d hate it if I had a big brother and he left town for another country.”

“She has full reign of the house. She’s in heaven.”

“I don’t think so. Not with a brother like you. Stormy Sterling,” I said. “It has an awesome ring to it.”

“Her real name is Athena, but we call her Stormy.”

“‘A’—like Alexander.”

He nodded.

“I bet she’s really cool.” Then it hit me. “She wants you to come home,” I said.

“Yes,” he said.

“So you’ll have to go?” I said, my heart breaking again. “For a short visit? Or forever?”

“It would just be a short visit.”

“I can’t take that,” I said selfishly. “We are already separated by the sunlight. Now by countries and weeks?”

“That’s why I convinced her to come here.”

“So you won’t have to go?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head.

“Then you’ll still be here,” I said, squeezing him with all my might. “And I’ll get to meet her, too?”

“Don’t be so excited. You’ll have wished I had gone home to visit. We call her Stormy for a reason,” he said.

And with that, Alexander turned off his phone.

Between creeps and Crypts, nemeses and best friends, pesky mortal families and visiting vampire parents and siblings, we were lucky enough to get any night time together. Alexander took this opportunity to lean in and flash his sexy fangs at me, and then led me into his closet room and opened his coffin and helped me inside.

He lowered the lid, closing the door on all worlds, mortal and immortal. He drew my hair back and rested his body next to mine. He pulled me in and kissed me with the heart and soul of a gorgeous, mysterious, and very romantic vampire.

To these fabulous people for their guidance in my career and support in my life: Katherine Tegen, Ellen Levine, Sarah Shumway, and Dad, Mom, Mark, Ben, Jerry, Hatsy, Emily, Max, Linda, and Indigo.