Cryptic Cravings (10 page)

The black curtains in back were drawn closed, and I wondered if indeed there might be a body in the hearse. The silver bat hood ornament glistened in the moonlight.

Luna’s candy-pink-nailed fingers gripped the black leather steering wheel and her hair cascaded over her shoulders as if she were on a photo shoot.

“So what are your plans?” I asked, trying to pry any info out of her while I had the chance.

“Building the Crypt.”

“And who do you think wil show up?” I asked.

“I don’t know. I’m sure Jagger has it al figured out.”

“You mean you don’t know?”

“Know what?”

“Is it going to be like the Coffin Club, with an underground vampire hangout?”

Just then she pul ed into the parking lot.

She withdrew a list from her purse.

“You didn’t answer—”

She got out of the car and surveyed the list like she was memorizing it for a quiz. She didn’t even look up and continued to walk through the parking lot, ignoring impending traffic.

“Watch out, Luna,” I said when a car came too close for my comfort.

“What?” she said indifferently, reaching the curb and entering the restaurant.

When we stepped into Hatsy’s Diner, al heads turned. Moms and dads gave us the look of “don’t grow up to look like them, sweetie.”

And though the guys in town preferred their girls in paisley, it didn’t stop them from gawking at the new girl in ripped tights and a skirt that barely covered her bottom.

I was invisible as far as they were concerned.

No one ever paid attention to me, but when Luna arrived at the counter, more than three waiters came over to help. She leaned over the counter and gave the soda jerk our order.

He quickly passed it back to the cooks and raced around to the shake machine.

Luna got bored and turned to me.

“So, what do you think of my new boyfriend?” she said with sappy eyes.

I didn’t want to tel her the truth and risk being mean. I thought Sebastian was great—but not for her.

“He’s so funny and handsome,” she gushed. “The best of both worlds.” She twisted her hair between her fingers.

“He’s going to take me to Paris and Rome. What about Alexander? Where is he taking you?”

Alexander hadn’t taken me anywhere—and we didn’t have plans to go anywhere.

“We talk about Rome and Paris, too,” I said. “But we are far too busy for any of that right now,” I shot back.

“Oh yes, you are bogged down by school. I don’t know how you manage.”

I don’t, I wanted to say.

“I think I might want to stay here with Sebastian.”

“He’s staying here?”

“For now. So I wil , too.”

“For how long?” I asked.

“As long as it takes.”

“As long as what takes?”

She wasn’t about to answer. Luna had coyness down to a science.

“So, when do you think Alexander wil turn you?” she said directly.

It was the one question that burned inside of me. I wasn’t about to tel her that. She already knew.

“Do you know—his grandmother was never bitten. You could become just like her. In that monument in the cemetery.”

I was thrown by her statement. It was so harsh and brutal that I was taken off guard. I was mad for me—but even more mad for Alexander’s grandmother.

But then I thought about what it meant—if that was my fate, too. And if it was, it wasn’t so bad. Many people live their entire lives never finding true love. Grandmother Sterling had loved and had a wonderful family. And I had found true love at sixteen.

“It’s a shame,” Luna continued, “his grandfather died before they could make that decision.”

“But if he was a vampire . . .” I asked, surprised, “then how could he die?”

“There was a revolt. Decades ago. Vampires can die, too, you know. It’s hard, but they can. And it’s not a pleasant way to go.”

This was information I hadn’t heard from Alexander. There were rumors of a revolt in Romania and how that was the reason the baroness had built the Mansion on Benson Hil . But I thought it was just a rumor.

“She came here to protect her family,” Luna went on.

“Was it your family that started the revolt?” I asked cautiously.

“No . . .” She laughed with a cute cackle. “It was mortals. They are far more destructive than vampires. I thought you would have figured that out by now.”

She drew a long sip from her strawberry-pink shake.

“But is that what you real y want? To spend your life waiting? It seems so pathetic.”

Her sharp words pierced me more painful y than fangs.

“Wel , I’l be sure to invite you to our wedding,” she continued.

“Wedding?” I asked.

“Yes, when Sebastian and I get married.”

“You are getting married? But you just met. And you’re not even . . .”

“I’m eighteen. Romeo and Juliet betrothed their love at sixteen. And no, we aren’t getting married today. But eventual y. I’m sure Alexander is kicking himself, seeing al he could have had that his best friend has now. A partnership in a club. And a girl who isn’t afraid to be bitten.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not afraid.”

“Aren’t you? It seems like you are waiting an eternity—for eternity.”

“You don’t know anything about it,” I said through gritted teeth.

“So if you both are so serious and so in love, then when is your official date?”

She knew what Alexander was like. She knew he wasn’t going to turn me anytime soon, and she was shoving it in my face.

“We don’t need that to show how much we care for each other.”

“Those are just excuses. Commitment. That’s what it’s al about. Taking that covenant together. Bonding yourselves together for eternity. Isn’t that what we are al looking for? Maybe Alexander wasn’t ready to do that with me, but it’s obvious he isn’t ready to do that with you, either.”

Now I was boiling mad. I felt like dumping my shake on her head right in front of the whole town. Anger wel ed up in my boots al the way through my torn tights and raged up my spine.

“Eternity is forever, but marriage? That’s even longer,” she said with that cute girlie giggle.

“What if I told you that Alexander planned to turn me? On my twenty-first birthday. In the cemetery, in front of the whole town!”

“Then I’d tel you I think you’re making it up.”

I fumed inside.

“Besides, we can ask Alexander al about that turning at twenty-one when we get back.”

I was horrified at the thought of returning to the factory and Luna asking Alexander about something we hadn’t real y discussed and I had just now made up.

“And I’l ask Sebastian about your wedding, too,” I shot back.

Luna froze, frostier than her pink shake. It was then I knew I’d caught her, too.

“Wel , for now, we’l just consider our discussion a secret between friends.”

The waiter placed two large bags of food and a carton fil ed with shakes on the counter. Luna grabbed a handful of napkins and her shake and headed out the door and left me to struggle with the rest.

When we arrived back at the mil , I bolted out the car door, leaving Luna to carry the load. Only it backfired. No one was glad to see me. The vampires were hungry and she got the credit for the bounty.

Each ravenous vampire took his or her meal and tore into the food while I picked at mine, having eaten three times that day already.

It was very obvious that Sebastian was head-over–Doc Martens for Luna. He doted on her so much it made my stomach turn. I knew he was mesmerized by her, as she did have a hypnotic glow around her. However, if Alexander wasn’t interested in her, then I wondered why I was so jealous of her.

Scarlet also seemed preoccupied. I sensed a loneliness emanating from her. We al were coupled up. There were obviously three couples here—Luna and Sebastian, Alexander and me, Jagger and Onyx—and each couple was in a stage of romance, whether one had been bitten or not. And there was one single vampire girl. Scarlet, however, longed for a mortal just as I did for a vampire. She was pining for Trevor, a conservative mortal who was a player on and off the field. I knew Trevor wasn’t good for her, for so many reasons. And at the end of the day, if he was going to be with his antithesis girl, someone goth, it probably would have been me.

The advantage I had was the sunlight. Something Scarlet, oddly enough, longed for, and I detested.

Instead of giving me a good-night kiss at my front door, Alexander came inside. I think we both needed some private time together since al our nights were being consumed with the Crypt and being on the watch for the possible Covenant. Alexander didn’t hang out in my bedroom a lot. I preferred the Mansion, with its magnificent space and style, and it was also minus two doting parents and one pesky little brother.

But having Alexander in my room felt amazing. My little space didn’t seem so morbid after al . Alexander brought life to it. And having him there was exhilarating. The way he walked around, examining and touching everything on display, was like he was touching me. I watched him look closely at my knickknacks, books, and music as if he was trying to get to know me or see into my soul. I felt safe with him here. Nothing could bother me—not physical y or emotional y. And as tough as I was, it was nice for a moment to let my guard down and feel safe because of someone else for a change.

Alexander sat on my bed, like a gentleman would, if it were acceptable for a gentleman to sit on a lady’s bed. But I pul ed him over and made him lie beside me. I imagined what it would be like if he could cuddle with me as I fel asleep here, just as I did with him in his coffin. But that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon, especial y when we’d often get interrupted by Bil y Boy, looking for attention.

“Wow—I don’t know how you sleep like this. I worry about you al the time,” he said tenderly.

“What do you mean?”

“Open—exposed. Anyone—or anything—could come into your room. You aren’t hidden from danger.”

“What would come into my room?”

“I don’t even want to think about it. I’m miles away from you and . . . it’s just not safe. Not from the sun, I mean. But from people. There are so many things that can happen if you’re not secured.”

“We have a security system.” I caressed his hair playful y, but Alexander was serious.

“I know. But don’t you feel strange looking up and knowing anyone could watch you sleeping? Especial y since you can’t see in the dark.”

I thought about it for a moment. I’d contemplated many things from the vampire’s viewpoint, but this was something I hadn’t.

“I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s one of the reasons I want to . . .”

“Yes?”

“It is one of the reasons I’d want you to be a vampire.”

I sat up. “Real y?”

“It just seemed odd to me that mortals would prefer to sleep that way.”

“That’s not what I meant.” I leaned into him eagerly.

“I just feel funny—you here, not total y secured. But I guess it works for your kind. It always has.”

“Yes, but back to what you were saying.” I hoped he’d go back to talking about me becoming a vampire.

“I want you to be safe, that’s al ,” he said, squeezing my hand.

From Alexander’s perspective, we mortals lived open, vulnerable lives. He was hidden away from the sun and predators. Even if someone were to find the coffin, he was locked inside.

“It’s weird. You can see al these things and hear al these noises. No wonder you have insomnia.”

“I have insomnia because you aren’t here with me. So . . . if you real y want me to be safe, maybe it’s time.”

“I’d just feel safer if you’d start sleeping in a coffin.”

Just then my door creaked open.

Bil y’s expression turned to surprise.

“Get out!” I said, hopping off the bed. “Uh . . . we are making up lyrics to a song.”

But that didn’t keep Bil y out. Instead he was total y interested.

“You’re writing a song? That’s so cool. I want to hear it.”

“It goes, ‘Safer in a coffin, and if your brother doesn’t leave, he’l be in one, too.’”

Bil y just frowned.

“It’s okay, man,” Alexander said. “What’s up?”

“What are you doing in my room?” I snarled at Bil y. “I’m one step away from bringing back Nerd Boy.”

My brother wasn’t bothered by my threat. He was under the Alexander spel . Like a kid in the company of a professional athlete, Bil y was enamored by Alexander’s presence. Alexander was the big brother Bil y never had.

And in kind, Alexander was always attentive to my brother, as kind and focused on him as he could be.

“Isn’t it past your bedtime?” I final y asked.

I could see Alexander had a longing for my younger sibling, as if he was missing one himself. He seemed delighted by the attention.

I let the two talk for a few more minutes before I led, or rather pushed, my little brother out of my room. Alexander and I had enough distractions to deal with and I wanted my precious alone time with him.

I thought now would be a good time to bring up what I’d learned from my conversation with Luna at Hatsy’s Diner. I sat on the bed with Alexander and entwined my fingers with his. “Sebastian real y likes Luna,” I said.

“Yes, I can see that.”

“No. I mean they’ve talked future and everything.”

“Yeah . . . ?”

“I think they are going to get married.”

Alexander laughed. “Sebastian? I don’t think so.”

“Luna seems to think so. And the way he drools al over her, I wouldn’t be surprised. . . .”

“You don’t know Sebastian that wel then.” Alexander continued to laugh.

“Wel , maybe he found the right one,” I said.

“For today.”

“I think this is different,” I tried to tel him.

“How?”

“Because he bit her.” I looked him straight in the eyes. But Alexander wasn’t impressed.

“But didn’t he say the same thing about Becky? That she was different?” Alexander asked.

“I guess . . .”

“Do you know how many times I’ve heard him say that?” Alexander said with a grin. “That’s what vampires do, they bite.”

“But you don’t.”

“Not yet . . .” He lifted my hair from my neck and nibbled it, sending me into giggles.