Night School Part 20

"Am I forgiven then?" he asks fondly, looking at me with his beautiful emerald eyes.

I grunt. "Oh, I suppose." I curl into his cool body, rejoicing at the feel of his long, lean frame pressed up against me. After all those lonely nights at Riverdale Slay School, I can't resist a little cuddle from the guy every now and then. Even if he does refuse to follow orders to stay away from my high school.

"Sorry," I say sheepishly. "I know you meant well. It's just ... I'm in a weird situation, you know? Going to a new school, trying to get people to like me ..."

"Who wouldn't like you?" Magnus asks, planting a kiss on my freckled nose. "You're perfect."

"You're prejudiced."

"Maybe so." He tosses his head arrogantly. "But I've also had a thousand years' experience to draw from. These girls you're trying to impress? They've got seventeen, eighteen, tops."

I can't help but giggle. "So you're saying in a thousand years of searching, you've never found a girl as perfect as me."

"Vampire's honor," he says, holding his fingers up in a Boy Scout pose. Then he grabs me and pulls me close to him, kissing me hungrily on the mouth. I kiss him back, enjoying the feel of his soft lips moving against my own. It's so good to have him back in my arms. I just pray he doesn't have to leave again.

"So I may have to leave again," he announces suddenly, pulling away from the kiss.

"What? Why?"

He slumps back in his seat. "The consortium may have found a lead as to where the Slayer Inc. fringe group is hiding out. They want me to go investigate it."

"Isn't that more like Jareth's job? You know, the hands-on kind of stuff? No offense, baby, but you're more politician than warrior."

He scowls. "Um, former knight in shining armor, remember?" he says, patting his chest. "And in any case, Jareth's coming along, too. In fact, the majority of consortium leaders are mobilizing for this. It's just too big a risk to be taken lightly. Especially now that Corbin's stolen some valuable information from the Blood Coven that can be used against us."

Corbin. The vampire slayer my sister almost killed by drinking his blood. Jareth saved his life by turning him into a vampire. But let's just say the guy wasn't so grateful for the favor. Now he's on the loose and probably h.e.l.l-bent on revenge against the entire coven. Not to mention my sister.

"Okay, then," I say, gearing up for the challenge. I guess normal high school life will have to be put on hold again. "Let's swing by the house and I'll pack a bag."

Magnus frowns.

"What?" I ask.

"Sunny, you're not coming."

"Um, excuse me?" Is he for real?

"It's going to be war," Magnus reminds me. "It's too dangerous for you."

"h.e.l.lo, Magnus!" I wave to him. "Fairy princess, remember? No longer the fragile human girl you need to protect from harm. I want to help."

But my boyfriend just shakes his head. "I don't think it's a good idea, Sunny. If anything were to happen to you, I'd never forgive myself. Not to mention, just having you there would be ... a distraction."

I stare at him, mouth agape. I can't believe it. Once again I'm being shut out.

"Look, Sun, I'm not trying to be a jerk here ..."

"Well, then you're failing miserably," I retort. "Driver, stop the car. I'm going to walk the rest of the way." The driver slows down.

"No!" Magnus cries. "Keep going." The driver sighs, then speeds up again.

As if that's going to stop me. "Fine, have it your way." I press the b.u.t.ton to open the skylight, then push my head through. I can hear Magnus protesting below as I crawl out the window, unfurl my wings out the sides of my tank top, and flutter off the moving vehicle and down onto the nearby sidewalk, leaving my sun-allergic boyfriend stuck in the car, trying desperately to close the skylight.

"Sunny!" he cries furiously, banging on the window. But I ignore him, stuffing my wings back under my shirt. (It's better not to risk walking around as a fairy in daylight, though in Vegas, technically anything goes.) Then I storm off down the street heading toward my family's high-rise condo just off the Strip.

"Stay at home, Sunny," I mutter under my breath. "It's way too dangerous, Sunny." I'm so sick of everyone thinking I'm the weak one. After all, no one ever says stuff like that to Rayne. In fact, she's actually a.s.signed death-defying adventures for a living. But as for me, I might as well be made of freaking gla.s.s, according to Magnus and the rest of the sorry vampire race.

It's so freaking unfair.

I walk down an alley through a shortcut off the Strip. About halfway through, I wonder if I've made a wise choice. The shadows in the dark seem to claw at me menacingly and I keep hearing strange catlike mews echoing through the air. I wrap my hands around my arms and pick up the pace.

Suddenly a loud clattering sound makes me practically jump out of my skin. I whirl around, my eyes catching movement in the darkness. A shadow that can only be human.

"Who's there?" I demand. "Stay back! I've got Mace and I know how to use it." I don't really, of course. But I do have some fairy powers to unfurl if push comes to shove.

"S-S-Sunny?" a weak but familiar voice cries. "Is that really you?"

"Jayden?" I exclaim, rushing toward the shadow. "I've been looking all-"

I stop short as my eyes fall upon the figure on the ground. While it's definitely Jayden-my best Vegas friend and maybe something more-at the same time he looks ... wrong somehow. Scarily skinny, all bones and sinew, his eyes are black and hollow-looking and his mouth is bloodstained. I realize in horror he's holding something furry and dead and half-eaten in his hands.

"Oh my G.o.d!" I cry. "What happened to you?"

He looks up with pitiful, scared eyes. "Sunny," he whimpers. "You've got to help me. I think ... I think I might have been turned into a vampire."

Berkley t.i.tles by Mari Mancusi.

NIGHT SCHOOL.

BAD BLOOD.

GIRLS THAT GROWL.

STAKE THAT.

BOYS THAT BITE.