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"Don't be. There's no reason for you to be jealous. There's nothing going on between me and him. Promise." I bumped my shoulder into his. And at that moment I meant it. It was stressful enough trying to figure out what I was going to do with Imprinted Heath. The last thing I needed was a secret affair with someone who was even more off limits than a human ex-boyfriend. (Sadly, it seemed like the last thing I need is usually the first thing I get.)

  "He just doesn't feel right to me," Erik said.

  We'd stopped in front of the girls' dorm and, still holding his hand, I turned to him and fluttered my lashes innocently. "So you felt up Loren, too?"

  He scowled. "Not even vaguely a possibility." He pulled me to him and put his arm around me. "Sorry about getting all nuts about Blake. I know there's nothing going on with you two. I guess I was being jealous and stupid."

  "You're not stupid, and I don't mind you being jealous. Or at least a little bit."

  "You know I'm crazy about you, Z," he said as he bent and nuzzled my ear. "I wish it wasn't so late."

  I shivered. "Me, too." But I could see the sky starting to get light over his shoulder. Plus, I was exhausted. Between my birthday, my mom and step-loser, and my undead best friend, I really needed some alone time to think and a good solid night's (or in our case, day's) sleep. But that didn't stop me from snuggling into Erik.

  He kissed me on the top of my head and held me close. "Hey, have you figured out who's going to represent earth during the Full Moon Ritual?"

  "No, not yet," I said. Crap. The Full Moon Ritual was in two nights and I'd been avoiding thinking about it. Replacing Stevie Rae would be gruesome enough if she was dead dead. Knowing that she's undead dead and hanging around the stinky alleys and nasty tunnels downtown made replacing her just plain depressing. Not to mention wrong.

  "You know I'll do it. All you have to do is ask."

  I tilted my head up to look at him. He was on the Prefect Council, along with the Twins, Damien, and, of course, me. I was Senior Prefect even though I'm technically a freshman and not a senior. Stevie Rae had been part of the council, too. And, no, I hadn't decided who should replace her. Actually, I had to Tap or choose two students for the council and I hadn't thought about that, either. God, I was stressed out. I drew a deep breath. "Would you please represent earth in the circle for our Full Moon Ritual?"

  "No problem, Z. But don't you think it might be a good idea if we had a practice circle casting before then? With all the rest of you having an affinity for an element, or in your case all five elements, we better make sure everything goes smoothly when a non-gifted guy stands in."

  "You're not exactly non-gifted."

  "Well, I wasn't talking about my vast make-out skills."

  I rolled my eyes. "Neither was I."

  He pulled me closer so that my body was molded against him. "Guess I need to show you more of my talent."

  I giggled and he kissed me. I could still taste a hint of blood on his lip, which made the kiss even sweeter.

  "Guess you two made up," Erin said.

  "Looks more like a make-out than a makeup, Twin," Shaunee said.

  This time Erik and I didn't spring apart. We just sighed.

  "There's no such thing as privacy at this school," Erik muttered.

  "Hello! You're sucking face out here in plain sight," Erin said.

  "I think it's kinda sweet," Jack said.

  "That's because you're kinda sweet," Damien said, twining his arm through Jack's as they walked down the wide front stairs of the dorm.

  "Twin, I may vomit. How about you?" Shaunee said.

  "Definitely. As in projectile," Erin said.

  "So this lovey-dovey stuff makes you two sick, huh?" Erik asked with an evil gleam in his eyes. I wondered what he was up to.

  "Utterly nauseous," Erin said.

  "Ditto," Shaunee agreed."

  "Then you wouldn't be interested in what Cole and T. J. wanted me to pass along to you?"

  "Cole Clifton?" Shaunee said.

  "T. J. Hawkins?" Erin said.

  "Yep and yep," Erik said.

  I watched the twinly cynical Shaunee and Erin instantly change their negative attitudes.

  "Cole is so fiiiine," Shaunee practically purred. "That blond hair of his and those naughty blue eyes make me want to spank him."

  "T. J."—Erin fanned herself dramatically—"that boy can sing. And he's tall…Ooh, he's 50 damn fine."

  "Does all this drama mean you two are actually interested in some lovey-dovey stuff?" Damien asked with a smug raise of his eyebrows.

  "Yes, Queen Damien," Shaunee said, while Erin narrowed her eyes at him and nodded.

  "So did you have something you wanted to pass along to the Twins from Cole and T. J.?" I prompted Erik before Damien could fire back at the Twins, which made me for the zillionth time miss Stevie Rae. She was a better peacekeeper than me.

  "Just that we all thought it would be cool if Shaunee and Erin and you"—he squeezed my shoulders—"went to the IMAX tomorrow night with us."

  "Us as in you, Cole, and T. J.?" Shaunee asked.

  "Yep. Oh, and Damien and Jack are invited, too."

  "What are we gonna see?" Jack asked.

  Erik paused for dramatic effect, then said, "300 is rerunning as a special holiday IMAX event."

  It was Jack's turn to fan himself.

  Damien grinned. "We're in."

  "Us, too," Shaunee said, while Erin nodded so vigorously in agreement that her long blond hair bounced around, making her look like a crazed cheerleader.

  "You know, 300 may be the perfect movie. It has something in it for everyone," I said. "Man titties for those of us who like that. And girl boobies for those of us who like that. Plus a very large dose of heroic guy action, and who doesn't like that?"

  "And a midnight IMAX show for those of us who don't like the daylight," Erik said.

  "Sheer perfection," Damien said.

  "Ditto," said the Twins together.

  I just stood there and grinned. I was crazy about them. Each and every one of the five of them. I still missed Stevie Rae constantly, but for the first time in a month I was feeling like myself—content, happy even.

  "So it's a date?" Erik said.

  Everyone chimed in with their yeses.

  "Better get back to our dorm. Wouldn't want to be caught on sacred girl ground after dorm curfew," he teased.

  "Yeah, we better go," Damien said.

  "Hey Zoey, happy birthday," Jack said.

  Jeesh, he's a sweet kid. I grinned at him, "Thanks, honey." Then I looked at the rest of my friends. "I'm sorry I was such a butt earlier. I really do like my presents."

  "Which means you'll be wearing your presents?" Shaunee said with her sharp chocolate-colored eyes narrowed at me.

  "Yeah, you'll be wearing those totally hot boots we spent $295.52 on?" Erin added.

  I gulped. Shaunee and Erin's families had money. I, on the other hand, was definitely not used to owning $300 boots. Actually, now that I realized how expensive they were, I was liking them more and more. "Yep. I will be wearing those fiiiine boots." I mimicked Shaunee.

  "The cashmere scarf wasn't exactly cheap, either," Damien said haughtily. "Did I mention it's cashmere? One hundred percent."

  "More times than we can count," Erin mumbled.

  "I love me some cashmere," I assured him.

  Jack was frowning and looking at his feet. "My snow globe wasn't that expensive."

  "But it's cute, and it follows the snowman theme, perfectly matching my gorgeous snowman necklace, which I'm never going to take off." I smiled up at Erik.

  "Even in the summer?" He asked.

  "Even in the summer," I said.

  Erik whispered, "Thanks, Z." And kissed me softly.

  "Feeling my gorge rise again," Shaunee said.

  "Puking a little bit in my mouth," Erin said.

  Erik hugged me one more time before jogging after the already-retreating Jack and Damien. Over his shoulder he called, "So do I tell Cole and T. J. t
hat you two aren't really into the whole kissing thing."

  "Do and we'll kill you," Shaunee said sweetly.

  "You'll be dead like a rock," Erin said, just as sweetly.

  I echoed Erik's fading laughter as I grabbed my lavender pot, hugged Dracula to my bosom, and went into the dorm with my friends. And I began to actually think that maybe I could figure out a solution to the Stevie Rae issue and we could all be together again.

  Sadly, that thought proved to be as naïve as it was impossible.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Saturday evening (which is really our Saturday morning) is usually a lazy time. Girls hang around the dorm in pj's and nappy, uncombed hair, sleepily eating bowls of cereal or cold popcorn and staring at reruns on the different wide-screen TVs in the dorm's main room. So it's not surprising that Shaunee and Erin gave me confused, groggy frowns when I grabbed a granola bar and a can of brown pop (not diet, eesh) and appeared between their glazed stares and the TV.

  "What?" Erin said.

  "Z, why are you so awake?" Shaunee said.

  "Yeah, it's not healthy to be perky so early," Erin said.

  "Exactly, Twin. Each person has only so much perkiness. If they use it up early in the day, then it's gone and you're left with grumpiness," Shaunee said.

  "I'm not perky. I'm busy." Thankfully, that stopped their lecture. "I'm going to go to the library to research some ritual stuff." That wasn't a lie. They just assumed I was talking about the coming Full Moon Ritual when I was actually talking about a ritual to make poor undead-dead Stevie Rae un-undead. "While I'm doing that, I want you guys to find Damien and Erik and tell them that we're going to meet under the tree by the wall at—" I glanced at my watch. "It's five thirty right now. I should be done with my research by seven-ish. So how about we meet at seven fifteen?"

  " 'Kay," the Twins said.

  "But how come we're meeting?" Erin said.

  "Oh, sorry. Erik is going to be representing earth tomorrow." I swallowed around the sudden clog in my throat. The Twins looked equally sad. Clearly, none of us had really gotten over Stevie Rae, even those of us who believed she was dead. "Erik thought that it might be a good idea to practice casting a circle before the actual ritual. You know, what with all the rest of us having elemental affinities and him not. I thought it was a good idea, too."

  "Yeah … sounds good …," the Twins mumbled.

  "Stevie Rae wouldn't want us to mess up a ritual because we're missing her," I said. "She'd be all Y'all better act right and not make big ol' butts outta yourselves." My twang made the Twins smile.

  "We'll be there, Z," Shaunee said.

  "Good, then we'll go watch 300 after that," I said.

  That really made them grin.

  "Oh, and would you two be sure that all the elemental candles are there?"

  "Will do, Z," Erin said.

  "Thanks, guys."

  "Hey, Z," Shaunee called across the room when I was almost out the door.

  I paused and looked back at them.

  "Nice boots," Erin said.

  I grinned and held out one foot. I was wearing jeans, but they were the kind that rolled up to just under my knees, which meant that everyone had a clear view of the sparkling Christmas trees that adorned the side of each boot. I was also sporting Damien's snowman scarf, which really was soft as a cashmere dream. A couple of girls sitting on the love seat closest to the door made noises like they thought the boots were cute, too, and I saw the Twins share a smug, told-ya-so look.

  "Thanks, the Twins gave them to me for my birthday." I said, loud enough for Shaunee and Erin to hear. They blew me kisses as I went out the door.

  I munched my granola bar and headed to the media center in the main school building. Surprisingly, I was feeling okay about the Full Moon Ritual. Sure, it would be weird not having Stevie Rae represent earth, but I'd be surrounded by my friends. It was still us, even if we were short one of us.

  The school was even more deserted today than it had been during the past month, which made sense. It was Christmas, and even though fledglings have to stay in physical contact with adult vamps, we are allowed to stay off campus for up to a full day. (There's some kind of pheromone vamps secrete that semi-controls the physical Change taking place within us and allows us to complete the metamorphosis into adult vamps, or at least allows some of us to do that. The rest of us die.) So lots of kids were spending Christmas with their human families.

  As I'd expected, the library was deserted. I didn't need to worry about it being locked up and alarmed like a typical school. Vamps, with their psychic and physical powers, didn't need locks to make us act right. Actually, I wasn't for sure what they did when a fledgling did something typically teenage and moronic. Rumor had it that the vamps would banish the miscreant (hee-hee, "miscreant," that was one of Damien's vocab words) for varying periods of time. Which meant the kid could get really sick—as in drowning in his own disintegrating bodily tissues and dying.

  All in all, it was best not to piss off the vampyres. Naturally, I'd made an enemy of the most powerful High Priestess at our school. Sometimes being me was good—like when Erik was kissing me or when I was hanging with my friends—but mostly being me was a big ball of stress and angst.

  I searched the musty old books in the metaphysical section of the library (as you can probably imagine, at this particular library it was a big section). It was slow going because I'd decided not to use the computer catalogue search engine. The last thing I needed was to leave an electronic trail that screamed: Zoey Redbird is trying to find information about fledglings that die and have been reanimated as bloodsucking fiends by a High Priestess who is an evil control freak with some kind of as-yet-unknown Master Plan! No. Even I knew that would not be a good idea.

  I'd been there for more than an hour and was getting frustrated by my snail-like pace. I really wished I could ask for Damien's help. Not only was the kid smart and a fast reader, he was also seriously good at research. I was clutching Rituals to Heal Body and Spirit and trying to get a top-shelf copy of a leather-bound old-as-dirt book titled Combating Evil with Spells and Rituals, when a strong arm reached up and plucked it easily from over my head. I turned around and almost banged dorkishly right into Loren Blake.

  "Combating Evil, huh? Interesting choice of reading material."

  His nearness did not help my nerves. "You know me" (which he really didn't). "I like to be prepared."

  His brow wrinkled in confusion. "Are you expecting an attack of evil?"

  "No!" I said way too quickly. So I laughed, trying for a gay, carefree tone (gay, hee-hee), but was sure I came across as totally fake. "Well, a couple months ago no one expected Aphrodite to lose control of a bunch of blood-sucking vampyre spirits and she did. So I figured, you know, better safe than sorry." God, I'm a moron.

  "Guess that makes sense. So there's nothing specific you're preparing for?"

  I wondered at the sharp interest in his eyes. "Nope," I said nonchalantly. "Just trying to do a good job as leader of the Dark Daughters."

  He glanced at the rituals book I was holding. "You know that those rituals are only for adult vampyres, don't you? When fledglings get sick there is, unfortunately, only one reason behind it. Their bodies are rejecting the Change and they will die." Then he added in a gentler voice, "You're not feeling ill, are you?"

  "Oh, gosh, no!" I said hastily. "I'm fine. It's just, well—" I hesitated, grasping for an excuse. With a sudden inspiration I blurted, "It's embarrassing to admit, but I thought I'd do some extra studying for when I become a High Priestess."

  Loren smiled. "Why would that be embarrassing to admit? I wouldn't have imagined you as one of those silly women who think being well read and well educated is an embarrassment."

  I felt my cheeks start to get warm—he'd called me a "woman," which was way better than him calling me a fledgling or a kid. He always made me feel so grown, so womanly. "Oh, no, that's not it. It's embarrassing because it sounds kinda conceited to assume that I'm going
to actually be a High Priestess someday."

  "I think that assumption is just good common sense and justifiable self-confidence." His smile warmed till I swear I could feel the heat of it against my skin. "I always have been drawn to confident women."

  God, he made my toes squidge.

  "You don't have any idea how special you are, do you, Zoey? You're unique. Not like the rest of the fledglings. You're a goddess among those who think themselves demigods." When his hand caressed the side of my face, lingering on the tattoos that framed my eyes, I thought I'd melt into the bookshelves. "I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright. Who art as black as hell, as dark as night."

  "What's that from?" His touch had made my body all tingly and my head woozy, but I did manage to recognize the deep cadence his amazing voice took on when he was reciting poetry.

  "Shakespeare," he murmured as his thumb brushed softly over the line of tattoos that decorated my cheekbone. "It's from one of the sonnets he wrote to the Dark Lady, who was his true love. We know, of course, that he was a vampyre. But we believe the true love of his life was a young girl who had been Marked and who died as a fledgling without completing the Change."

  "I thought adult vampyres weren't supposed to have relationships with fledglings." We were so close that I didn't have to speak much above a whisper for him to hear me.

  "We're not supposed to. It's highly improper. But sometimes there's an attraction that happens between two people that transcends the vampyre-fledgling boundary, as well as age and propriety. Do you believe in that kind of attraction, Zoey?"

  He was talking about us! We were staring into each other's eyes, and I felt lost in him. His tattoos were a bold pattern of intricate slashing lines that gave the impression of lightning bolts, and they went perfectly with his dark hair and eyes. He was so insanely handsome and so much older that he made me feel at the same time incredibly attracted to him and scared to death that I was playing with something so far beyond what I'd ever experienced that it could easily spiral out of control. But the attraction was there—and if he was right, it definitely transcended the vampyre-fledgling boundary. So much so that Erik had even noticed how Loren looked at me.