Theyd met once, but only briefly. Her dad didnt know it, but Riley was older than he was. By, like, a hundred years. As a shape-shifter, Riley aged slowly. Very, very slowly.
Dr. Gray, Riley returned, respectful as always.
Mary Ann, her dad said, attention returning to her. You might want to take a jacket.
It was the first of November and every day was a little colder than the last. But she said, Ill be fine. Riley would keep her warm. I promise. Pleasantries done, Mary Ann returned to the door, pushed the screen open with her shoulder, and grabbed Rileys warm, callused hand. She shivered. She loved touching him. As a human and a wolf.
As they walked, he confiscated her pack with his free hand.
Thanks.
Not a problem.
Morning was in full swing, though the sun was muted behind clouds and the sky a dark gray. Blackbirds were squawking continuouslythey stayed in Crossroads all year roundand the air was cool and crisp. Still hand-in-hand, they bypassed the few houses surrounding hers.
Each house was shaped like a train station of yore, with posts, decks, colored wood and sloped two-story roofs. Once theyd passed the very last one, they approached a brick wall about half a mile ahead, a heavily populated forest directly behind it. The trees there were thick, their leaves now yellow and red.
Her dad assumed she and Riley took the long route to school, staying on well-traveled, paved roads. Not cutting through the forest. Her dad was wrong. Sometimes a girl needed to be alone with her boyfriend, with no prying eyes. Or ears. The walk to Crossroads High was one of those times.
I cant believe how much time has passed since I last saw you, she said.
I know. Im sorry. Feels like eternity to me, too. I wanted to see you, believe me, but more vampires have been popping into the house in preparation for Vlads funeral.
Im sorry, she said softly, squeezing his hand. About his death. I know you respected him.
Thank you. We have to wait fourteen days before we can hold the funeralno, thirteen now, I guess. After that, Aden will be officially crowned king.
Why wait fourteen days for the funeral? She did not want to imagine what the corpse would look like after lying around for two weeks.
Riley shrugged. He was king. The people want to make sure hes dead.
Wait. He could be alive?
No.
But you just said
The people want to make sure hes dead, I know, but theyre in shock, hopeful. Nothing like this has ever happened to them before.
She could understand that. Shed been a mess after both her moms had died. Aden will be happy to have a reprieve, at least. Hes not looking forward to being king, I dont think.
Oh, hes already king, no doubt about that. Not even Vlad could recover from such a severe burning.
Again she found herself saying, But you just said
I know, I know. The thing is, alive or dead, Vlad isnt ruling us and someone needs to rule us or therell be chaos, deserters and takeover attempts.
With a human in charge, thered probably be chaos, deserters and takeover attempts anyway.
And everyone iseager to meet Aden, Riley went on, to discover his plans for the clan.
Eager. Yeah. Right. Sorry, Aden, she thought, suspecting he would balk when he heard. Looks like youre gonna have to take one for the team.
Now that the life and death issues are out of the way, youve gotta tell me. Are you okay? Riley cast her a concerned glance. After everything you witnessedIve been worried.
Im fine, I promise. And she was. Yes, at the ball shed seen humans reduced to nothing more than living plates of food by the bloodsuckers. Yes, shed seen Aden fight and ultimately kill one of those bloodsuckers by burning him as hed burned Vlad, and then stabbing him where he was most vulnerable: his eyes. And yes, those bloody images might haunt her for the rest of her life. But she was alive, thanks to Aden and Riley, and everything else kinda stopped mattering when compared to that. So, are you okay? she asked. He was a warrior and she had probably insulted him by even asking, but she needed to hear him say it.
I am now, he replied, and they shared a smile. A smile that melted her like ice cream in the sun. Okay, so. Remind him of the rest of the life and death issues so you can concentrate on something else. Like cleaning Rileys tonsils. Its probably a good thing nothings going to happen with the vampires for two weeks. We have a meeting with the witches to attend. Or rather, Aden does. Ugh. She hated even thinking about those witches. How powerful they were. How uncaring. How she would literally die if Aden didnt make it to that meeting.
Several days ago, those witches had cast a spell over them. A freaking death spell. If, in the next five days, Aden failed to attend some sort of meeting with them, Mary Ann, Riley and Adens girlfriend Victoria would die.
That simple. And that complicated.
No one knew where the meeting was being held or even where the witches were staying. Which made it impossible to meet with them.
Maybe that had been their intention all along.
Stomach churning again
And yet, the prospect hardly seemed real. They had cursed her with death if Aden failed to attend their meeting, yet Mary Ann felt fine. Healthy, whole, as if she had decades ahead of her rather than days.
Would her heart simply stop working? Or was she fooling herself? Would nothing actually happen, the spell just a joke? A means of terrifying her?
Shed spent all last night researching witches and spells and ways to break those spells. The information differed, depending on the source. The source she most believed, however, was Riley, and he said spells, once uttered, sparked to unbreakable life.
The muscles in Rileys hand twitched, returning her drifting mind to the present. Believe me, I havent forgotten the meeting. His voice was toneless now.
Trying not to scare her? Too late. Even though the prospect didnt seem real, she was still scared out of her mind. He believed in the witches power completely. Which meant he honestly believed everyone in their group would soon die.
Any idea where that meeting will be held? she asked, even though she knew the answer.
Not yet, but Im working on it.
So frustrating! Not that she was frustrated with him, of course, but with the entire situation.
Itll be okay, Riley said, as if sensing her growing upset. He probably did. He could read auras, and therefore emotions. Well figure everything out. I promise. I would never let anything bad happen to you.
She trusted him. She did. More than anyone else in her life. He never lied to her. He gave her the facts, straight up, unvarnished, no matter how harsh they were.
Finally they reached the wall, though they werent even close to the gate, and stopped. Without a word, Riley leapt to the top of the seven-foot structure, his graceful movements making the jump look seamless. Grinning, he leaned down and offered her a hand.
Even that, she had to use all of her strength to reachand she probably looked like a spastic rabbit, hopping up and down as she stretched to connect with him. Yet the moment she clasped his fingers, he pulled her the rest of the way effortlessly.
Thank you. For everything, she said as she balanced on the ledge. And not to change the subject, but do you think Tucker will be okay?
Tucker. Her former boyfriend. Theyd rescued him from the Vampire Ball, where hed been the nights snack of choice.
Riley jumped to the ground on the other side. Again, the motion was seamless, the impact of landing barely registering. Hell survive. Unfortunately, she thought she heard him add with a twinge of jealousy. Hes part demon, remember? He held up his arms, waiting for her. Demons heal faster than humans.
Shed done this so many times she didnt hesitate; she, too, jumped. He caught her and settled her to her feet, letting her slide down his beautiful body, their gazes locked together. Her palms lifted and flattened on his chest. His heart was pounding. As was hers.
Demon. As if I could forget. That demon blood was the only reason Tucker had dated her. Shed calmed him, hed confessed after their breakup. A breakup he had fought. Not because he loved her, but because hed craved more of the calming, as if she were a sedative. Maybe she was.
Sometimes she wondered if that was why Riley was with her. Because she calmed him, too. He was a supernatural creature, after all, and her presence alone had to soothe the brutal, ferocious beast inside him.
If so, she would still want to be with him. She was already addicted to him, enjoyed his wildness. But she would still wish he wanted her for her, not for what she could do. Still. She could always content herself with the knowledge that she now soothed rather than drained, as shed done to her own mother.
You look sad, Riley said, head tilting to the side as he studied her. Why?
Thoughts of her mother always brought melancholy, but that wasnt the reason for the emotion he was sensing. Im What could she say? She didnt want to lie to him, but she didnt want to admit her fears, either. That the girl she was might not supersede the ability she possessed. Shed seem needy and her self-esteem low. Are you? Is it?
Without warning, Riley swung her to the left. She yelped as her entire world spun. Her back was suddenly pressed against a tree trunk, though she wasnt jarred in the least. Strong hands had padded the collision, so much so she wouldnt have known anything was behind her if not for her inability to move away. Not that she wanted to move away.
Riley pinned her completely in the next instant, caging her in, his hands at her temples.
Are we under attack? she managed to say. Had somethingor someonethreatened them? Had
Youre beautiful, you know that? he said, voice husky.
No threat, then. She melted. Th-thank you. Though she wasnt sure she agreed. She could maybe be called cute on her best days. She just, well, she had a baby face. A little rounded, dimpled. Olive skin like her motherthe only attribute she did likeand light brown eyes. So are you. Beautiful, I mean.
I am not. Said with disgust, though his eyes were as bright as emeralds. Im manly.
A laugh escaped her. Manly. Definitely. I dont know what I was thinking, calling you beautiful. Exquisite was a better word for those rough features. Forgive me?
Always. He leaned down, his nose at her throat, and sniffed. Have I ever told you how good you smell? Like sugar cookies and vanilla.
Thats my lotion. Was that breathless voice really hers?
Well, your lotion is going to get you nibbled on.
That had been the plan. Yeah?
Oh, yeah.
His head rose, but only slightly, and their noses touched at the tip. He was breathing heavily, and so was she, so every time she inhaled, she scented him. She might smell like cookies, but he smelled like the forest around them. Wild and earthy and necessary.
She cupped his nape, her other hand returning to rest just over his heart. The beat was faster now, so fast she couldnt keep count. His heat enveloped her like a winter coat, keeping her toasty warm, just as shed known he would.
Riley?
Yes? That single word was a low, rumbling growl.
Why are you attracted to me? Oh, God. Had she really gone there? And yep, shed sounded needy.
Fishing for compliments, darling? Well, I can play. Im with you because youre brave. Because youre sweet. Because you care about your friends. Because every time I look at you, my heart beats out of control, as you can probably feel, and all I can think about is being with you longer.
Oh. Thats nice. A silly reply, but she didnt know what else to say. Hed just rocked her entire world. And now she wanted to rock his. Kiss me. Inch by inch, she closed the distance between their mouths.
My pleasure. And then their lips met.
Automatically she opened for him, letting his tongue thrust inside, and it was like being struck by lightning. Electrifying. So good. He tasted as good as he smelled, just as wild, just as earthy. Just as necessary.
His fingers slipped under the hem of her T-shirt and settled on her hips, branding the sensitive skin there. He urged her away from the tree and closer to his body, and she eagerly followed that urging. So good, she thought again.
This was their second kiss, and it was far better than the first. Which she wouldnt have thought possible. That kiss had consumed her. This one lit her up and burned her all the way to her soul.
They stood like that, lost in each other, for several minutes, still tasting, hands wanderingthough not daring too muchand utterly enjoying.
I love kissing you, he rasped.
Me, too. I mean, I love kissing you. Not myself.
His chuckle brushed her cheek with warm breath, and goose bumps broke out from there to her neck. While were at school, I wont be able to think about anything else. Just this. Just you.
With a moan, she tugged him down for more. The tangle of their tongues excited her as nothing else ever had. The feel of him against her, so strong and sure, thrilled her. Other girls might look at him and crave him, but it was Mary Ann he turned to with desire in his eyes.
Yeah, but because he really wants you or because you calm his wolf?
Stupid fear.
She stiffened, and Riley pulled away from her. He was panting, little beads of sweat on his brow.
Whats wrong? he demanded.
Nothing.
I dont believe you, but youll tell me the truth later, after the flames have died and I can think properly. Wont you?
He couldnt think properly? She almost grinned. Yes. Maybe.
And anyway, we needed to stop.
The same words hed uttered last time.
She was having trouble catching her breath or she would have sighed. Yeah. I know. Disappointing, but indisputable. If we dont, well be late for school.
Or we wont make it to school. At all.
Plus, she didnt want her first time to be out in the open. Not that she would tell him that.
They reluctantly parted and kicked into gear, heading toward Crossroads High. She couldnt help herself. She reached up and traced her fingertips over her lips. They were swollen. Probably red. Definitely moist. Would everyone know what she and Riley had been doing with only a glance?
Twenty minutes later, not nearly long enough, they reached the edge of the woods and stepped onto school property, the massive building coming into view, forming a half-moon of three stories. In several places, the roof pointed toward the sky. Salmon-colored brick was decorated with multiple black and gold banners that read Go Jaguars.
The lawn was manicured, the grass slowly fading from green to yellow to off-white. Cars sped through the parking lot and kids rushed up the concrete steps, bypassing the flagpole without a glance.
In front of the closest set of doors stood Victoria. Alone. She was pacing, hands wringing together in agitation. She wore a black T-shirt and matching miniskirt, dark hair flowing down her back. A beam of sunlight bathed her as if drawn to her, causing the blue of her eyes to practically glow.
The younger the vampire, the more time they could spend in the sun, Mary Ann knew. The older they got, the more the sun burned and stung their skin. Surprisingly sensitive skin, since it was so thick and hard, like marble, that even a blade couldnt cut through it.
Victoria was still at an ageeighty-one or something like thatwhere the sun didnt bother her. Like wolves, vampires aged slowly.
For the first time, that thought upset her. Victoria and Riley would age at the same rate while Mary Ann would wither, becoming a hag. Oh, God. How mortifying! And now she wanted to slap the vampire girl around a bit, just on principle.
Have you seen Aden? Victoria asked the moment they reached her. Normally she was pale, but today she was chalk white.
No, Mary Ann and Riley said in unison. She recalled the last time shed seen him. Theyd snuck him into his room at the ranch and hed flopped onto his bed. Hed been pale, shaking, sweating, breath shallow as he fought for every inhalation.
Shed thought he would rest, and rest would heal him. What if
Well, he wasnt at the ranch this morning, Victoria rushed on. But he was supposed to be there so we could walk to school together.
Maybe hes inside, Riley said.
The vampires concern didnt lessen. If anything, her hand-wringing became more insistent. He isnt. I checked. And the tardy bell will soon ring. You know he cant be late. Hell get into trouble, be kicked out, and you also know hell do anything to avoid being kicked out.
Maybe hes sick, Mary Ann said, not believing her own words. If that were the case, he would have been at the ranch, still in bed. And Victoria was right. Aden was never late to school. Not because he feared being sent away, but because he never missed an opportunity to spend time with his princess. He worshipped the girl.
Ill hunt him down. Riley glanced at Mary Ann before she could tell him she would be coming with him. Youll stay here with Victoria.
No, I
I can move faster without you.
Embarrassing but true. All right. Fine. Just be careful.
Riley, Victoria began. I
Youll stay, too, he reiterated.
With the many creatures that now prowled the streets of their small town, he wouldnt leave Mary Ann without a guard. His protectiveness was as fine a quality as the six-pack on his stomach.
Victoria nodded stiffly. Youre my soldier, you know. Youre supposed to obey my orders.
I know, but its my king out there. Sorry to tell you this, babe, but he now comes first. With a final glance at Mary Ann, Riley spun on his heel and strode away, soon disappearing into the trees.
TWO
ADEN AWOKE WITH A JOLT, a shout of pain caught in his throat, wild gaze cataloging his surroundings. Bedroom. Desk. Dresser. Plain white walls. Planked floor.
His bedroom in the bunkhouse at the ranch, then.
Alive. He was alive, not burned to a crisp. Thank God. But
Was he intact? He patted himself down while looking himself over. Skin? Check. Smooth and warm, tanned rather than deep-fried. Two arms? Check. Two legs? Check. Most importantwas he now a girl? No. Thank God, thank God, thank God. He expelled a sigh of relief, sagged against the mattress and took stock of everything else.
Sweat soaked him. His hair was plastered to his head, and his boxers looked like theydlike hed His cheeks flushed with heat. If Shannon, his roommate, saw him like this, hed be teased about having a wet dream. Albeit good-naturedly. Thats just what friends did. Still. No, thanks. He
Saw the bottom of Shannons bunk, and his eyes widened. There were deep grooves in the wooden slats, as if hed clawed and kicked at his friends bed. Repeatedly. He glanced at his fingernails, and sure enough. They were ragged and bloody, with wood shards embedded underneath them.
Great. What else had he done while crashing on vampire blood?
Worry about that later.
Elijah? he asked. Time for roll call.
Present, the psychic said, knowing the drill.
One down. Julian? The corpse whisperer, as they called him. A single step into a cemetery, and hello, walking dead.
Here.
Sweet. Two down, one to go. Caleb? The body possesser.
Yo.
Rock on. The gang was all here.
Once, Aden had wanted them gone. He loved them, but come on. A little privacy would be nice. But then hed lost Eve. Her name might have been Anne in her real life, but shed always be Eve to Aden.
He missed her, his motherly time-traveler. Missed her terribly. Now he wasnt sure he could deal with losing the others. They were a part of him. His best friends. His constant companions. He needed them.
As always, that line of thought made him feel guilty. They deserved their freedom. Wanted their freedom. Maybe. Since Eve had left, they hadnt asked him to figure out who theyd been before taking prime real estate in his head, as if they were afraid he would succeed and they, too, would have to leave and experience the unknown.
Where Eve had gone, none of them knew. They only knew that shed disappeared and hadnt returned.
So whats going on? Julian asked.
What he means, Caleb said, is that our dreams were hot. And not the good kind of hot. We burned, dude. Burned.
And most of us normally dont share your dreams, Julian added.
Well, Elijah did, but that was because Elijah was psychic and his visions were Adens. Tonight, last night, whenever, hadnt been a vision, though. It had been real, a mind-merge, but now, pieces of his memory were missing. He remembered seeing Victoria, feeling those flames, then meeting hersisters? Yes, her sisters. But nothing else stood out. The rest of what happened was blurred at the edges, as if his mind couldnt process what it had seen. If that were true, though, why did he remember being burned alive? Why did they all remember that? Shouldnt that be what they forgot? Something too painful to recall?
So? Julian prompted. An explanation would be nice.
Vampire blood, he reminded them. He couldnt just think his replies because they couldnt hear his inner voice amid the chaos. We saw through two other sets of eyes.
Oh, yeah. And speaking of vamps, Caleb said. Wheres ours?
Victoria, he meant. Shes mine, Aden wanted to snap, but didnt. Caleb the Pervert couldnt help himself. He lived for girls and nookie he might never get. Shes supposed to meet us here and walk to school with us. What time was it?
Before he could check the clock on his desk, his bedroom door swung open, and Seth and Ryder strode inside.
Shannon wont mind, Seth was saying. Seth Tsang. An Asian last name, though you couldnt tell his race from looking at him. Hed streaked his black hair with red, and had blue eyes and pale skin.
Ryder Jones, who was behind him, arched a brow. He, too, had dark hair, but his eyes were brown. You sure? You know how possessive that dude is with his stuff.
Aden grabbed the sheets and jerked them over his sweat-soaked lower body. Hey, guys. Knock much?
They ignored him.
So whatre you looking for? he grumbled.
Again they ignored him. In fact, they didnt even glance in his direction.
Just check the desk, Seth told Ryder, and the boy shuffled forward to obey.
Aden frowned. Once, these two had hated him. Once, but no longer. Theyd reached a truce after their Treat-Everyone-Like-Crap idol, Ozzie, had been kicked off the ranchand, as of this weekend, sucked dry by vampires. Not that they knew that part. They were as clueless about the other world as he had once been.
So why the silent treatment now?
Where is it? Seth muttered, crouching in the closet and rummaging through the clothes on the floor, wrist turning and revealing the snake tattooed there.
Wheres what? Aden repeated, sitting up.
Yet again, they ignored him.
Shirts and jeans were tossed over Seths shoulder, followed by shoes. At the desk, papers crunched under Ryders hands. Several minutes passed. Aden kept up a steady chatterthis joke isnt funny, try something original, will you just talk to me already?to no avail. He finally stood, sheet falling away, forgotten, and stalked to the desk.
With every intention of beating some sense into Ryder, he reached out. Except his hand wisped through the boys body.
No way. No damn way.
Adens heart pounded against his ribs as he tried again, shaking this time. Again, his flesh wisped through Ryders and he could only stand there, wide-eyed and reeling. How was that possible? How the hell was that possible? Hed burned to death, yes, but in someone elses body. Hed thought Hed assumed Was he dead, too? Truly, no-coming-back dead?
No. No way. But Blood freezing in his veins, he stalked to Seth.
Found it, Seth said, standing. He held a book triumphantly in the air. A book about vampires. Any other time, Aden would have floundered over Shannons chosen reading material. Shannons weird, dude. Hes always reading this crap. Saves us a trip to the library, but, frickin please. Ive never written a report about wackos with fangs before and I dont want to start now.
Mr. Thomas is the weird one, my man. Were supposed to write about how evil the bloodsuckers are, like theyre real or something. I cant take that crank seriously, you know. Ill probably fail, but ask me if I care.
His shaking intensifying, Aden tried to wrap his fingers around Seths wrist. Nothing. No solid contact. Bile burned a path up his throat. His arm thudded heavily to his side, and he stumbled backward, black winking over his eyes, dizziness rushing through his head.
The answer to his question? Dead. He was really dead. That was the only answer that made sense.
The boys raced from the room, mumbling about stupid new tutors and dumb homework assignments. Aden just stood there. Doomed to live the rest of eternity as a ghost?
God, was this how the souls felt? Trapped, out of control, lost?
Guys, he whispered, not knowing how to begin. If he was a ghost, he couldnt help them figure out who theyd been in their other life. And if he couldnt help them figure out who theyd been, they could never be free of him. If thats what they still wanted. I thinkIThis is
Hello, Aden.
The male voice came from behind him, and he spun. There, in the doorway, was the D and Ms brand-new tutor. Not for him or Shannon since they attended Crossroads High, but for all the others. Mr. Thomas had shown up the day of the Vampire Ball, and Dan had hired him on sight. Which was completely unlike Adens guardian. No background check, no intensive interview, just, Youre perfect!
Even weirder, the boys acted like theyd known him forever, already comfortable complaining about him. Aden hadnt met the man officially, but Victoria had secretly pointed him out. Mr. Thomas, as it turned out, was not a lets-all-learn-and-grow kind of tutor. He was a fairy and Victorias enemy, here to find out who was helping her.
The man didnt look like Adens idea of a fairysmall, female and winged. Instead, he was tall, lean, his skin golden and even a bit glittery (okay, that was fairylike). And never had Aden seen a more perfect face. There wasnt a single flaw. Perfectly spaced blue eyes, a perfectly sloped nose, perfect lips neither too full nor too thin.
And it was embarrassing as hell that Aden had noticed. Anyone found out, and theyd take away his man card or something.
You can see me? He gulped. Hear me?
Yes.
Am Idead? Saying the word was more difficult than thinking it. And how could the fairy see and hear what Seth and Ryder hadnt been able to?
A chuckle rumbled from the fairy, almost like a thrum of a harp. Hardly. Youresomewhere else.
He wished he could take comfort from that. Somewhere else? When everything looked the same? Okay. Where am I? Howd I get here? He plowed his fingers through his hair. Whats going on?
Aden, Elijah said, and there was a warning in his tone. I have a bad feeling about this.
Dread instantly filled him. Elijahs bad feelings were, well, bad.
So many questions. The man tsked. He waved to the chair at the desk. Sit, please, and I will endeavor to answer you. After you answer me, of course.
What should have been a simple request struck Aden as a threat. And with Elijahs wariness, he suspected a fight would soon break out. He did a weapons check. He had nothing on him, but there were knives hidden in his boots. Boots he wasnt wearing and might not be able to touch. Boots that weretucked neatly beside the bed, he saw.
Sit, Aden. Two words, both layered with authority.
This time Aden sat. Without going for those blades. He didnt want to play his (potential) ace unless absolutely necessary.
Blood will run before this meeting ends, Elijah said.