Balthazar (30 page)

He was too familiar with loneliness not to recognize it in another. “You're not the person you were before. I'm not talking about the weight; I mean—you get to change. Mature. Grow up.” It was a journey Balthazar would never be able to take; no matter how many centuries he lived or how much wisdom he acquired, his heart would always be young. “Trust the person you've become. Take pride in it. And see who chases
you
.”

Tonia finally smiled a little. “Maybe you should be a guidance counselor instead of a history teacher.”

“You never know.” Before fate was done with him, who could guess what else he might have to become?

The song shifted to something slower, almost mournfully sweet. The lights dimmed slightly, and the room filled with a rosy glow and dozens of tiny white scattering beams reflected throughout. For one brief moment, even the high school auditorium seemed to be beautiful.

Laughter echoed from the doors as another group of students came in. Balthazar turned, knowing even as he did so that he would see Skye there.

She stood at the edge of the group, tethered to them only by Keith's meaty hand around hers. Skye wore a more elegant dress than the showy stuff most of the girls favored; in this light, her dress appeared to be some delicate shade between champagne and rose, made out of filmy stuff that left her shoulders and most of her legs bare while wrapping her body in soft petals. Her dark, burnished hair was gathered into an artfully messy tail that fell to one side of her neck. There was no pretending that she wasn't the most beautiful girl in the room.

Skye's gaze locked with his. In that instant, he saw just how much she didn't want to be with Keith … how she'd dressed for him, so that he would see her and want her.

And he knew she saw how badly he wanted her.

The moment between them was broken when Keith towed her out onto the dance floor. Within seconds, they were only one of the many couples shuffling along awkwardly out there, Keith half talking to his friends over her shoulder as if she weren't even present.

Balthazar remembered seeing Skye waltz with Lucas at Evernight Academy's grand Autumn Ball a few months ago. That was the place for a girl like this, not some crepe-papered auditorium. And the guy who should be with her … the one who should dance with her… God, anybody else but Keith Kramer. She was so much more graceful than her lump of a partner would let her be.

But he didn't mean that. He didn't want her to be with “anybody else.” He wanted her to be with him.

The rest of the dance was torture. He had to confiscate some cigarettes from a few juniors out back, and summon the willpower to toss them away unsmoked. Tonia Loos had finally gotten the picture, but a couple of students, including Madison Findley, asked him if he was allowed to dance with them even though he was a teacher. Balthazar instantly said no. One of the final couples to arrive was Craig Weathers and Britnee Fong, which made him want to somehow shield Skye from the sight. She didn't seem overly troubled, but not long after they came, she let Keith lead her off the dance floor and out of the auditorium.

Probably they were going out back to talk. Or make out. Or to Keith's car. A guy could get a lot done in a car.

“Balthazar?” Nola said. “You need to take five? You're looking glazed. Besides, this thing's wrapping up.”

Don't go after her unless you're going to follow through
, he told himself.
Don't put her through it. If you stop her from being alone with Keith, you're stopping her from moving on. You can't do that unless you're ready to go the whole way
.

Nola repeated, “Balthazar? You want to take off? Tawdry, I mean, Tonia and I can wrap up here.”

“Thanks,” he said, straightening up. “There's somewhere else I need to be.”

And someone else I need to be with
.

IT'S GOING GREAT
, SKYE TAPPED OUT ON HER phone as she stood in the back hall of the auditorium.
We're having a good time
.

I call bullcrap on that. Nobody ever took time to text their friends in the middle of an actual
fun
date
.

Clementine had a point, as usual. Skye said,
You have to start somewhere, right?
Then she glanced up and added,
Keith's back. TTYL
.

“Hey, Madison and Phillip figured out how to jimmy the library lock,” Keith said. “We're gonna get the six-packs out of the trunk. Come on.”

“We can drink those later, right?” Skye glanced backward at the doors that led to the auditorium, through which music faintly played. “We're at the dance, Keith. We ought to dance.”

“But all the guys are in the library,” he said, like the whole point of going to a dance was to hang out with as many of your friends as possible, as far from the actual dancing as possible. Evernight's Autumn Ball would have been lost on him. “What, you don't drink or something?”

“It's not that. It's just—”
Forget it
, she decided. “Go ahead. I'll catch up with you in a few minutes.” By which she meant, never, if she could swing another ride home.

Keith said, “Sure thing!” as he started jogging back toward the library. Obviously he was completely unconcerned whether she stayed with him or not. Why shouldn't he be? She didn't care any more than he did. For him, she was just his excuse to come to the dance; for her, he was just proof that somebody out there might eventually want her, even if Balthazar didn't.

Balthazar did want her, though. She knew that. The memory of the two hungry kisses they'd shared rippled through her. Skye had thought if she pulled back, she'd stop longing for him, but her longing had only become sharper. She wanted him to ride beside her, to make dry comments in study hall, to spar with her until she was breathing fast and her heart pumped wildly—Skye missed both everything they'd had and everything they
should
have had.

Give me More
, she thought, but the joke fell flat even in her own head.

She wanted to walk back onto the dance floor. Being watched by Balthazar was hotter than being held by Keith. And she'd chosen this dress, these nude shoes, her hair, her makeup, everything, thinking only of how Balthazar would feel when he saw her.

But her walking back out there alone would look like she was begging him to notice her again, or to take that next step, and she wouldn't beg. Also, she'd be all by herself in front of Craig and Britnee; she was doing better with that, but not better enough to let them see her apparently ditched by her date for the evening.

Maybe she could just walk through quickly, go to the door, and snag a ride with somebody who was leaving, like couples were starting to do…

Someone tapped her on the shoulder, and Skye turned to see Redgrave standing next to her. “Shall we dance?”

She gasped and started backing away, but Redgrave made no immediate move to follow. He was as debonair as ever—dark gold hair immaculately slicked back, his suit a deep tan that matched his skin. His attire was appropriate for the occasion, complete with elegantly knotted cream silk tie at his throat. His hazel eyes looked less like those of a human and more like those of a wolf.

“I'll scream,” Skye managed to say. “Someone will come.”

“Someone will. One of your dear school chums, I suppose. It makes no difference to me, because whoever runs through that door first will be the next person I kill. Do you really want blood on your hands?”

“You won't kill them if it's Balthazar. He's here.” Though she knew better how to defend herself now, she also knew exactly how much of a chance she stood against Redgrave on her own.

“I realize that. But we don't want to drag him into this, do we? Or take the chance that he won't be first through the door?” He smiled at her gently and gave her a quick, courtly half bow. “I only asked for a dance, my dear. And, of course, for that conversation you owe me. You don't seem at all the type to break her word.”

Skye had made that promise to save Balthazar's life, but she'd envisioned Redgrave finding her in Café Keats again or some other neutral ground. Not here, in a half-lighted hallway, when she was all alone.

Balthazar's on the other side of the door
, she reminded herself.
Stay here so that if anything happens, you can scream or run for it. This is as good a place as any to get this over with
. “All right. If you want to talk, talk.”

“I also want to dance.”

“I didn't promise you a dance.”

Redgrave laughed softly. “But you want to dance, too, don't you?”

The strangest sensation settled over her—not real emotions, but a weird sort of echo of love and desire. Skye could almost feel the weight of it, light but inescapable, like a shroud. She found herself lifting her arms into dancing position, and Redgrave smoothly slipped into her unwilling embrace.

“What are you doing to me?” she managed to say.

“A very few of us can do this. It takes a thousand years or so to age into the gift, but when it comes, ah, everything becomes so much easier. The effect doesn't usually last long—so don't worry, you'll be repelled by me again soon enough.” Redgrave began to sway back and forth with her. “Evolution works for all creatures, you know. Not just the living. And nothing says ‘survival of the fittest' like the ability to hypnotize your prey into remaining still just long enough to be bitten.”

He's going to bite me!
Skye wanted to pull away, but her body didn't obey. She just kept dancing, a marionette to his will. “You get one conversation. Use it.”

He ran his cool fingers down her spine, pausing just long enough to dip his fingers in slightly beneath the back of her dress. “You should join me. If you don't, you'll regret it. I mean that sincerely. You've proved to be a resourceful and courageous girl—and quite a lovely one, if I may say so.” Redgrave dropped a kiss on her shoulder, which made her want to shove him away with all her strength. His hold on her remained fast.

At least she could still speak the words she wanted. “One, I'm not joining you. I don't want to be a vampire. And two, get your hands off me.”

“After this dance,” Redgrave promised, as his hands shifted lower on her back and pulled her close so that their bodies were pressed against each other. “I told you before, my dear. Joining me doesn't mean becoming a vampire. There's no saying whether your miraculous blood would still have its power after the change, which means I'm not willing to take the risk.”

“So, what, then? I pay my membership dues, get the secret decoder ring?”

He chuckled slightly. “I want you to agree to come with me. To remain by my side, under my protection, and to give me or any vampire I choose a taste of your blood when we wish it. I promise you, if you do that, we'll never take so much as to make you ill or weak. Scarcity is half the value, you know. You'll have all the trappings of wealth. My tribe will serve you as ardently as they serve me. If you liked, we could make this a very pleasant arrangement—” His hands settled on her hips, making it clear what he meant by that. “But if you wish to keep matters on a professional basis, you may have whatever companions you wish. Except Balthazar, of course. He's a rogue. A menace to his own kind. That won't do at all.”

“Why is it so important to you that I join you if you're just going to take me anyway?”

“Easier, for one,” he said. “More agreeable, also, and I like things to be agreeable and easy. Despite what Balthazar might have told you, I'm actually rather generous as long as I get my way.”
As if that was some great virtue
, Skye thought. “Besides, there's a particular sweetness in bending someone's will that mere force cannot possess. The deaths of the More family? A night's entertainment. Slowly turning Charity into my most devoted progeny? Unending bliss.”

“Is that supposed to be your sales pitch?” Already she could begin to feel some of her will returning to her; the ghostly shimmers of false pleasure she'd felt at Redgrave's touch had started to fade. “There's nothing I want more than to be rid of you. Forever. I'm not coming with you, no matter what.”

“You say that before I describe the alternative.” Redgrave's hands went to her hands around his neck and seized them both; the pressure was hard, crushing. Meant to hurt. He pushed her back—dance over—but kept her in his powerful grip. “You will come with me, Skye. By your will or against your will. As I've said, I'd prefer it if you chose this path. And much less trouble than keeping you captive. But if I have to build you a cage, girl—I will.”

“Let me go,” Skye said. Finally her body returned to her, and she jerked back as hard as she could, but it wasn't enough to break his hold. “I'll never do it.”

“I could do so much for you, Skye. Why don't you choose a man who really wants you? Who knows what he is and doesn't run away from it?”

The reminder of Balthazar's rejection stung, but not enough to distract Skye from what she had to do.

“I would never choose you.” With that, she kneed Redgrave between the legs as hard as she could.