The Eternity Key (20 page)

I hitch a ride to Cupid’s Ball with Tobin and Lexie, feeling like a third wheel even though they’re on a fake date.

“Well, you look passable,” Lexie says when Tobin picks us up. But she looks him up and down in his tux more than once—clearly liking what she sees. Tobin might be “too short” for Lexie, but there is something magical about a guy who can wear a tux well.

Tobin removes his black fedora and, with a grand bow, replies, “And you, sweetest Lexie, are as ravishing as ever.” His voice drips with sarcasm, but the notes flitting off him suggest he’s telling the truth.

I make a mental note to needle Tobin later about his history with Lexie—and possibly their future?

“You
all
look gorgeous!” Joe says, pulling out his iPhone to take some pictures. “Especially you, Daph.”

Things are still weird and a little strained between us, but I return his compliment with a smile. Lexie had insisted on taking me shopping a week before the dance. “If you and I are going to continue being friends, we need to bring your fashion up a few notches. No more of,” she said, waving her hand in my general
direction, “this. I’m having my dress custom-made, but I’ve had a couple of my Sopranos draw up a list of glam boutiques in LA who cater to the big and tall.”

She’d been kidding about the
big
part (I think), but compared to Lexie, I am pretty much a giant—I guess that’s what happens when you’re descended from the last of the Amazons. But I didn’t put much stock in a dig from a girl who probably had her dresses custom-made so she didn’t have to buy them from the juniors department. However, I have to admit that she did a pretty stellar job in helping me pick out a dress. It’s red chiffon with a satin underlay. The bodice is a formfitting sweetheart neckline with capped sleeves, while the skirt is short in the front and long and flowy in the back. And because we’d bought it at a store for tall clientele, I don’t have to worry about constantly tugging at the front of my skirt, because it isn’t too short.

Lexie’s dress has a similar skirt, but is pink and strapless, with intricate beading. I’m pretty sure it cost five times more than mine.

Joe insists on taking more than a few pictures. After about ten different poses, I remind him that he needs to go meet his band before they make their surprise guest appearance, and he lets us go.

“Shall we?” Tobin asks, holding out both of his arms to escort us to the car.

We arrive at the town hall shortly thereafter, but Tobin parks across the street rather than using the valet, in case we need to “bug out,” as he phrased it.

As much as Tobin would probably like to walk into the dance with two girls on his arms, I insist on waiting a few minutes before following them in. I am supposed to be going to the dance stag, as is Haden, since we’re not supposed to all be seen together.

When I finally walk into the entry hall, I find that it looks
like a pink-and-red-heart-filled bomb has gone off. They’re everywhere, from dangling like lanterns from the ceiling to masking the walls.

I show my ticket to Dax, who, as a faculty volunteer and a lookout for our little operation, is manning the ticket table.

“Everything looks well to have a good evening,” he says. I think this sounds odd until he gives a slight nod behind him.

I follow his gesture with my gaze to find Haden standing in the rotunda of the building, just in front of the dance floor. I take in a quick breath that I hope Dax doesn’t notice. I’d thought Tobin wore a tux well, but that was nothing compared to the way Haden looks in his. All dark and dashing and kind of regal.

It strikes me for a moment that he
is
a prince.

Or at least he could have been if he hadn’t given it all up to save me.

I start to take a step in Haden’s direction, but Dax clears his throat, catching my attention. “Don’t forget to check your jacket,” he says, even though I don’t have one. I glance over to the coat-check station—a closet with an open window where students can pass their jackets to the clerk—to find Ethan and the other Skylords conversing—no, arguing—with each other. I can’t tell what they’re saying, but Terresa gives me a quick, sharp glance before returning to the argument.

Remembering that the Skylords are watching, I take a roundabout path to the rotunda, rather than making a beeline for Haden. I pass Tobin and Lexie, who’ve stopped to talk to Bridgette and her date, and give Tobin the smallest of nods as I go.

The rotunda is a large, circular room in the center of the building, with four sets of stairs that give access to a balcony overlooking the dance floor. A large crystal chandelier, as big as an elephant,
hangs from the center of the ceiling, with glittering pink and red hearts dangling from its arms; and the floor and columns supporting the balcony are made of white marble. Tables, draped with black-and-white tablecloths, and adorned with arrangements of red roses, surround the outskirts of the dance floor, and an ice sculpture of a plump, little cupid with his bow and arrow guards the refreshment table that fills the space between two of the staircases on the south end of the rotunda. The space between the two north staircases is filled by a stage that has been erected for the DJ—and later for Joe and his band when they make their surprise appearance.

I give the rotunda a good once-over, expecting to see the mayor, but I don’t. Instead, I spot the security guards, who stand at the top of each staircase. According to Tobin, their job is to keep students from wandering beyond the balcony to the corridors where the mayor and other town officials keep their offices. Below, the only security is that of the school faculty chaperones, who will be more than busy when Joe’s band arrives. There is already a lot of excitement and speculation buzzing around the dance about a rumored surprise—and it’s obviously a band, from the equipment set up on the stage.

I pick up a glass of pink fizzy punch from the refreshment table, where Garrick had grudgingly agreed to volunteer this evening. I don’t see him at his post and quickly begin to worry about the plan. It may not work if he doesn’t play his part.

I start to panic until I spot him, at the end of the table, slouching in a chair with his legs crossed and a plate of little sausages and cheese in his hand. He catches me glaring at him and gives me a sarcastic thumbs-up, then drops his attention back to his plate of food.

I take my glass and stand at one of the tall tables lining the dance floor and watch people who have come to the ball with
dates dance to a slow song. It’s 7:57 when Haden comes to stand at the table next to mine. His back is to me, but I still hear him say, “You look beautiful,” over the music.

I am glad he cannot see me blush.

I watch the couples dancing, my anxiety growing the closer we get to eight, and I let out a too-loud laugh when something catches my eye. I clamp my hands over my mouth.

“What?” Haden says, turning toward me.

“Over there,” I say, gesturing with my hand hidden by the table. “Check it out. Terresa and Calix are dancing together.”

He turns slightly away from me again but looks at Terresa and Calix dancing only a few yards away. Their movements are mechanical and stiff, and I get the distinct impression that Terresa does not enjoy touching Calix.

“I mean, it’s totally a ruse because they’re obviously watching your every move,” I say as Calix turns Terresa away so she isn’t glaring at Haden for once. “But aren’t those two supposed to be pretending to be cousins? Someone should tell them dancing together isn’t the best idea, considering their cover.”

Haden’s shoulders shake a little as if he were silently laughing. I wish I could see his face. I start to move so I can face him, when the music comes to a stop and the DJ says into the mic that he has a special announcement on behalf of Lexie Simmons, the organizer of the dance. I can see Joe and his band waiting in the corridor behind the north stairs. I look to the other side of the rotunda and watch as Tobin and Lexie try to make their way through the crowd to the south stairs. I check my watch. It’s only eight. We’re seven minutes ahead of schedule.

I reach over and squeeze Haden’s hand behind his table.

“Ready or not, here we go,” I whisper.

chapter thirty

The hysteria that fills the room when the DJ announces the special guests who will provide the entertainment for the rest of the evening is more than I could have predicted. Egged on by the over-the-top reactions from Lexie’s Sopranos, a throng of students rush toward the stage. Chaperones and a handful of security guards descend on the crowd, holding them back just so Joe and his band can even get to the stage. The scene is almost as exhilarating as the fact that Daphne is holding my hand behind the table.

Joe takes the microphone from the DJ.

“ ’Ello,” he calls to the crowd, which goes even wilder. “I’m Joe Vince, and we are the Stargazers. Some of you might have heard of us.”

Excited screams echo through the rotunda, the crowd pressing even closer to the band. Someone, possibly Bridgette, tries to climb up onto the stage, requiring two security guards to pull her away.

Joe laughs charmingly into the microphone. “We’re going to perform some of our old favorites tonight, but also a couple of new songs, to give you a little preview of the album we’ve been preparing, based on the rock opera that I’ve written for the school. The
first of which features a very special guest vocalist.” He swings his arm out in my and Daphne’s direction. I pull my hand out of Daphne’s grasp and step away from her. “Daphne, will you please join us onstage?”

A panicked look strikes Daphne’s face. This is not part of the plan.

“Come on, Daphne,” Joe coaxes.

She starts to shake her head. “We haven’t practiced this song in weeks,” she says, even though I am the only one who can hear her.

“All right, crowd, let’s get her up here!” Joe leads the students in a rollicking chant of: “Daphne, Daphne, Daphne!”

“Go,” I mouth to her.

Daphne starts to move toward the stage but gets mired in the crowd.

“Can we get a little assistance here?” Joe says, pointing to a couple of unoccupied teachers at the bottom of the south stairs. They respond by creating a buffer so Daphne can make it through the crowd.

I look at the time on my phone. It’s 8:07 now. Joe has been buying us time and additional distraction. Tobin and Lexie are in place now, midway up the stairs, surrounded by a knot of students who are trying to get a better view of the band.

I look for Garrick, hoping I
do not
see him, but spot him headed down the south corridor with an empty food tray. A little late on his timing. He disappears through a doorway. I watch the time on my phone. If he does his part right, then something should happen in exactly a minute and a half.

Daphne makes it to the stage to join Joe. The drummer hands her a microphone.

The time turns over to 8:09. I look toward the south corridor.

Nothing.

Harpies, I’m going to kill Garrick
.

Five more seconds, and just as the band is striking up and the crowd is cheering in a frenzy, I feel a rumble under my feet and a popping sound, and Garrick comes dashing out of the boys’ bathroom.

Never mind
.

Even from this far away, I can see that his feet are wet. He approaches one of the security guards who has descended the south stairs. He swings his arms widely, gesturing toward the bathroom, and I presume that he is frantically explaining that a water pipe has burst under one of the sinks. Hopefully leaving out the part in which he had caused it to happen by boiling the water in the pipe with his lightning power.

The guard pulls out his radio and does exactly what I had hoped. In a matter of seconds, the guards at the top of the south stairs descend in a hurry. They follow Garrick in a rush to the bathroom.

The band starts playing, and with all the attention in the room focused on them, I am the only one who notices as Tobin and Lexie slip away from the crowd on the stairs and up into the corridor leading to the mayor’s office.

I am inclined to follow them, my anxiety egging me on to make sure they don’t mess up their end of the plan, but as Daphne’s voice fills the rotunda, singing a duet with Joe, a calming sensation ripples through my body. My rationality returns to me. Calix and Terresa are watching my every move. If I were to follow Tobin and Lexie, it would only lead the Skylords right to them.

Instead, I hope to Hades that they can get the job done.

chapter thirty-one