All of the Karkadanns in the kitchen straightened like soldiers who had received their orders.
“All we need to do is hold the cellar entrances until the students are evacuated,” Evan said. “We don’t need to kill the vampires.” He looked directly at Pearl. “Killing them isn’t the goal here.”
Marcus cleared his throat. “What about the tunnel?” he asked. “What if the vamps make a run for it, come up to the surface somewhere else, and then double back to the mansion?”
“The nearest tunnel system entrance is a mile away,” Pearl said. “Once we—I mean they—notice there’s a problem with the feast, some may try. And, as you probably know, we’re fast.”
Sandy nodded briskly. “So we complete the evacuation before any of the vampires notice. We have more than an hour to do it. If we’re careful, we won’t need to hold the entrances or worry about the tunnels. Zero casualties on either side.”
“Sandy,” Donald said. His voice was quiet and intense, like Evan’s. His eyes were fixed on his wife’s face. “Are you sure about this? We’re risking a lot of kids.”
“We do it quietly over the course of the hour, and the risk will be minimal,” Sandy said. “Especially in comparison to the potential rewards. We’ve waited a long time for a moment like this.”
They held each other’s gazes, and Pearl was suddenly reminded of Mother and Daddy and how they knew each other so well that they sometimes communicated just through their eyes. She wondered what her parents would think of the Karkadanns. They’d think they’re tasty, she thought.
Lizzie interrupted their staring contest. “You’re assuming the students cooperate. They’re not going to want to leave their prom. They won’t understand, and they won’t leave quietly.”
Everyone around the table fell silent.
“Sure they will,” Pearl said, “if their friends are. I’ve studied the social dynamics. Peer pressure is a powerful thing. All we need to do is tell the truth to a few select people, ideally some from each clique, and the rest will follow their lead.” She knew a few of the key players in each branch of the social hierarchy. She bet Evan knew more.
Lizzie rolled her eyes. “Seriously? You want to tell kids about vampires?”
“She kind of already did,” Bethany said. Her cheeks blushed pink, matching her hair. “Everyone pretty much laughed. And I . . . I told them it was the new prom theme.”
Evan nodded. “Mr. Barstow assumed we were planning a kind of improv dinner theater show around a vampire theme. We could spread the word that the evacuation is part of the show.”
“Convince a few to sneak away, and the rest will follow,” Pearl said. “Like good sheep.”
“Absolutely not,” Sandy said. Her tone was as firm as Mother’s, and Pearl instinctively straightened her posture. She had to remind herself that this was not Mother. “You’re talking about trusting children to—”
“You trust them,” Pearl said, waving her hand to indicate Bethany, and Evan and his siblings. She excluded herself. She doubted they trusted her. In their shoes, she wouldn’t.
Gently—Pearl had the sense he did everything gently—Evan’s father, Donald, said, “We raised them. Of course we trust them. Plus, they aren’t minors. With the exception of Evan, all of our children have been hunting vampires on their own since they turned eighteen. Your classmates, however, are minors who have no knowledge of vampires.”
Pearl rolled her eyes. “Sharp fangs. Suck blood. Lot easier concept to grasp than the purpose of the Federalist Papers. And for the record, I’d like to point out that it’s deeply ironic that I’m the one arguing in favor of trusting humans.”
“It’s our job to protect and save them,” Donald said.
“Can you?” Pearl countered.
Silence. Evan’s family studied the kitchen table. His parents exchanged glances that seemed loaded with unspoken words. Pearl glared at each of them and said, “You’re perfectly fine with using four hundred kids as bait, but not with trusting any of them to help save their own skins. I may be new to this whole having-a-conscience thing, but I’m thinking that doesn’t sit right.”
Bethany said, “She has a point.” Her cheeks flared bright red as everyone looked at her. “Truth is, the math doesn’t work. There aren’t enough of us. We need more allies.”
Pearl watched their faces and knew she’d won. Even Evan’s parents reluctantly nodded. Smiling, Pearl said, “Good. I know where to start.”
Pearl spotted Zeke and Matt lounging in the rain on the bleachers by the athletic field, instead of in sixth period, where they were supposed to be. Each had an umbrella propped up over his head. Zeke was typing on his phone. Matt was reading a book. Neither noticed Pearl.
Ducking under the bleachers, Pearl poked her finger up at Zeke’s leg. “Boo,” she said.
He tumbled off the bench onto the next bleacher, and then he sprang to his feet. Matt dropped his book. He retrieved it and dried it off frantically with the bottom of his T-shirt. “Pearl!” Matt said. “Are you trying to give us heart failure?”
“Big bad vamp hunters should be more alert,” she said. She slithered through a gap in the bleachers and then boosted herself onto the bench beside them. Rain wormed through her hair. She ignored it.
“It’s daylight,” Matt said. “No vampires now.”
Briefly, Pearl considered displaying her fangs with no prelude. He’d given her such a beautiful opening. But it wasn’t worth the dramatic value. “Boys, I need your help.”
“Your wish is our command,” Zeke said, executing a half bow.
“The vampires are plotting to attack the junior prom, feed, and then torch the place to hide the evidence,” Pearl said.
“I knew it!” Matt said. “Always a bad idea to have large social events. Totally tempting fate. Vampires love proms. Look at the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie. I mean, don’t look at it, because it’s seriously bad, like in an awesome way, but the climax? Giant vampire attack at prom. Also, Carrie. No vampire attack there, but lots of blood and carnage. And don’t forget Mean Girls. The horror, the horror!”
Zeke frowned at her. “You’re mocking us. Not cool, Pearl.”
“Obvious option is to cancel the prom, but we can’t,” Pearl said. “A bunch of slayers think it’s a brilliant opportunity. The plan is to hold the prom as normal so that the vampires don’t figure out something is wrong while I infect them with special grow-your-own-soul juice. Meanwhile, the slayers will evacuate everyone from the prom so that when the vampires come up for their feast, the food has left the building.”
“She is mocking us,” Matt said. Zeke nodded.
“I wish I were,” Pearl said. “But the slayers need your help with the evacuation.” She sat down next to them and looked out at the field. Rain drizzled down her cheeks. Her clothes stuck to her skin. “And I need your help if it fails.”
“Our help?” Matt asked.
“The evacuation needs to be silent and gradual so that the vampires don’t notice,” Pearl said. “But if they do notice . . . we need to slow them down.”
Zeke lifted his umbrella over her head. “What’s this all about, Pearl? Level with us. You can’t expect us to believe that you ditched class and came out here in the rain to poke at our hobby.”
“Apparently, I’m the first vampire with a conscience,” Pearl said without looking at them.
“You can’t be a vampire.” Matt pointed at the sky. “Daytime.”
“Yes, I can.” Pearl pointed at her mouth. “Fangs.” She concentrated for a second and then displayed her fangs. She then retracted them and didn’t move.
“Whoa,” Zeke said.
“Do we stake her?” Matt asked. He tried to sound cool but failed. Inching away, he scooted across the wet bleachers.
“She’s not trying to bite us,” Zeke said. “And it’s Pearl. Wait, when we first met you . . . that guy behind the Dairy Hut . . . you weren’t really . . . All right, who put you up to this?”
“I’d
like to try to avoid being responsible for the deaths of everyone in the junior class. I think you guys can help. But if I’m wrong, let me know, and I’ll head back to history class. Or, more accurately, I’ll ditch and try to come up with a better idea. Ideas aren’t really my strong suit, though. Apparently, it’s Bethany who is the mastermind genius.” She decided not to mention Evan’s role in this. Zeke and Matt were confused enough already.
They were staring at her. “So not following you,” Zeke said.
Pearl stood up. “If you want to help, we’re meeting at the mansion tomorrow after dawn to prepare. Bring whomever you want, so long as you can guarantee they won’t panic.”
At the start of seventh period, Pearl intercepted Tara en route to the mall—the head of the prom committee had a pass to leave campus to buy prom supplies. Climbing into the passenger seat of Tara’s car, Pearl said, “Do you believe in vampires? Not the sparkly variety.”
“You!” Tara screeched.
Pearl blinked. She hadn’t expected her to figure it out so quickly. “How—”
“You changed the prom theme without even consulting the prom committee!” Tara said. “I thought we were friends. You need to get out of the car. Now. I’m not speaking to you.” She pointed at the car door and tossed her hair to show she meant it.
“Tara, I’m a vampire,” Pearl said.
“Yeah, whatever, and I’m queen of the sea.”
“Your Marine Majesty, I’m a vampire,” Pearl said.
“Look, I like the theme, okay?” Tara said. “I think it’s brilliant. I wish I’d thought of it. But you could have told me! I was fending off questions the whole rest of the day, and where were you, by the way?” She continued her tirade.
Pearl sighed. Concentrating, she slid her fangs out. “Tara. Tara!” She curled back her lips to expose the points. “See.”
Tara screamed.
“I won’t hurt you,” Pearl said. “Calm down. Sheesh.”
Tara continued to scream.
Pearl contemplated biting her merely to shut her up. Regrettably, that would be counterproductive. Studying her nails, she waited for Tara to quit screaming. She noticed that Tara didn’t try to exit the car, which was an interesting choice. “You aren’t running away,” Pearl said.
“Duh, it’s raining outside,” Tara said. “Someone is supposed to hear my screams, run over, see your fangs, and then spread the word about our commitment to the prom theme. Pearl, if you’d just let me in on your idea sooner, we could have rolled it out with style!”
Pearl reminded herself that it was her brilliant idea to involve the humans. She hadn’t thought they’d be quite so dense. “Tara . . . My parents fed on Ashlyn. That’s why she . . . that’s what’s wrong with her and her parents. Vampire bites hurt humans’ minds.”
Tara was silent.
It was such an unexpected sound that Pearl felt her muscles tense, ready to defend herself. She tried to read Tara’s expression, but Tara’s face betrayed nothing. She merely studied Pearl. At last, when Tara spoke, all traces of her usual ditzy act were gone. “Ashlyn’s my best friend. Or was. She changed a few weeks ago, about the time you appeared here. I don’t think it’s nice of you to joke about her like this.”
“It doesn’t really matter if you believe me or not,” Pearl said, “so long as you help at the prom. Before the end of the night, about a hundred vampires plan to chow down on the prom-goers. We need to evacuate everyone before that happens.”
“Evacuate prom?”
“Alternative is we cancel it. But then we lose our shot at stopping the vampires permanently. Plus, I’ll be killed, which would suck both literally and figuratively.”
Tara’s eyes were as wide as if she were watching a horror movie. “You’re serious about this. You aren’t staging some elaborate practical joke on me, are you? If so, I warn you I have zero sense of humor. I will not be humiliated in public.”
“If this works, you’ll be a hero,” Pearl said. “All we need you to do is convince everyone to leave once Evan gives the signal. Get them out quietly and tell them to find a house that vampires can’t enter. Any nonpublic place works. Vampires can only enter a house that we’ve been invited into by a resident.”
Tara was quiet for a moment. Rain battered the windshield. “You’re telling me that vampires have been sucking on Ashlyn.”
“Ever since I damaged her car,” Pearl said. “I believe my parents have visited her and her family multiple times.”
Tara reached into her shirt and pulled out a necklace: a diamond-encrusted crucifix. Instinctively, Pearl flinched. Tara’s eyes widened. She looked at the crucifix, and then she looked at Pearl. “Seriously?”
Pearl nodded and put it in a language she knew Tara would understand: “As serious as a Manolo Blahnik shoe sale.”
“Ha, very funny,” Tara said. “For the record, no vampire is ruining my prom. I won’t allow it. Canceling is not an option.”
“Then you need to lead the evacuation,” Pearl said. “If you do it, it will become cool, and a certain percentage of the class will follow. Just lead them home or to after parties or whatever. So long as everyone is inside until dawn, you’ll all be fine.”
“After parties are a cool idea,” Tara said.
“Exactly,” Pearl said.
“You know, of course, that I don’t believe you,” Tara said. “I’m doing it because it fits the theme. This will be the best junior prom ever. Totally blow those seniors out of the water.”
It was easiest to talk to Sana while they were jogging through the drizzle after school. Side by side, their sneakers sloshed on the field. Muddy water splashed their calves. Sana had taken the news surprisingly well, especially after Pearl demonstrated her natural speed. “So what you’re telling me is . . . I am actually the fastest human student at Greenbridge High?” she asked.
“Humans have such odd priorities sometimes,” Pearl said.
“Coping mechanism,” Sana said.
“Goal is to get everyone out before the vampires notice,” Pearl said. “Quietly round up all your friends and get them to the cars. Herd as many other students as you can too.”
“Or we could skip prom and avoid the entire risk-of-bleeding thing,” Sana said.
“Or that,” Pearl agreed.
“But you aren’t planning to cancel,” Sana said. “And these vampires in the cellar . . . if they notice the evacuation, they’ll come for whoever’s there.”
“Pretty much. No one will blame you if you ditch.”
Sana ran silently for a while. Puddles spattered under their feet. “Coach just couldn’t have let us run inside today. Had to make us slosh. Despite the perfectly nice track inside.”
Pearl agreed.
“You know this is nuts, right?” Sana said. “There are about a hundred things that could go wrong with your plan.”
Pearl agreed with that, too. She’d considered and reconsidered the plan. With so many vampires and humans involved, the potential for disaster was enormous. But she didn’t have any better ideas. “If this doesn’t work . . .”
“Think I can run fast enough?” Sana asked.
“I hope so,” Pearl said.
“That’s not reassuring.”
Rain began to fall harder, and Pearl wiped it out of her eyes. “I’m a bloodsucking fiend,” she said. “I’m not supposed to be reassuring.”
Chapter
TWENTY-SEVEN
At dawn on Saturday, the morning of the prom, Pearl sat on the front steps of the mansion and waited. Earlier in the week a fleet of gardeners had trimmed the shrubs and planted a swath of tulips and daffodils. The petals shimmered as the light danced over them. Yesterday’s rain still dotted their leaves, and the earth smelled like moist mulch. Beyond the manicured gardens, the nature preserve glistened with raindrops so that it looked as though a jeweler had spilled diamonds on the grasses, bushes, and wild apple trees. Really, the sky should have stayed gray and damp. It would have been a lot more appropriate for an
impending massacre than this cheerful lemony sunrise.
On the plus side, at least she would die in a pretty place.
Out loud, Pearl said, “This will never work.”
Evan sat down next to her. He slipped his arm around her waist. On her other side, Bethany sat too and put her arm over Pearl’s shoulders.
“Okay, that’s really too touchy-feely for the vampire,” Pearl said. She shrugged them both off. “I don’t need sympathy; I need plans.”
Both of them were quiet.
Bethany spoke first. “If you want to quit, no one will blame you.”
Pearl snorted. That was just about the most inane thing she’d ever heard. “If I don’t show at the ceremony, my Family will kill me.”
“Only if they catch you,” Bethany said. “You can stay with us after sundown. Evan’s family can keep you safe.”
“Splendid,” Pearl said. “I’ve always wanted to be a pet.” She waved off their objections. “Besides, the Karkadanns won’t be so fond of me if I ruin their master plan.”
Down the narrow, twisty gravel driveway, Pearl heard the crunch of tires. She grinned as the pickup truck rattled into view. “Enough with the melodrama. Here comes the cavalry.” She stood as Zeke parked. Matt plus three friends rode in the bed of the truck, crammed between shovels, wheelbarrows, gas cans, and boxes of metal junk. It looked as if they’d carted their backyards to the mansion.
Zeke climbed out of the cab while Matt and their friends hopped out of the truck bed. Efficiently, they handed out shovels. They had easily twenty more shovels piled in the back.
Bethany skipped over to them. “You came! Ooh, you have a plan?”
Zeke held up a hand to forestall Matt. “Safe to talk here?”
Pearl pointed at the sun, which now hovered above the horizon. “Clearly.”
“Always pays to be careful,” Zeke said. “You said the vamps plan to torch the place to hide the evidence. So that got our creative juices going, inspired our muse, so to speak. . .”
“Out with it,” Pearl said.
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