I gripped the wheel so hard my hands started to ache. I knew what I should say. I should tell him nothing had changed, I still wanted him to stay away. But I couldn’t make myself say the words.
“Exactly how much trouble did I get you into?” he asked, pained. “Sounds like you’ve got it even worse than I do.”
“Why?” I asked, glancing at him. “How much trouble are you in?”
“I’m pretty much under house arrest. They let me out for school, and that’s it.”
“And Halloween,” I corrected. I couldn’t keep the tinge of jealousy out of my voice.
Lucas sighed. “Yeah.” He leaned his head back against the seat. “Gretchen keeps trying to encourage this thing with Amber. Which is pretty funny, considering Amber’s the kind of girl Gretchen used to eat for breakfast.” He shrugged. “What can I say? It was nice to have a break from the house projects. I’ve already plastered and painted the walls, fixed the front steps, replaced the back porch, and re-caulked the windows. I’m even learning to grout.”
“Sounds like you’re in pretty hot water,” I said.
“I broke one of the cardinal rules,” Lucas said glumly. “No outsiders in the armory. Period. I’m in the doghouse until Hale decides I’ve paid for my crimes and gives me back my social life.”
“So why are you in my car?”
Lucas gave me an amused smile. “Well, Braedyn, I noticed you climbing out the window and decided to follow your lead. I’m guessing if Murphy knew you were having a birthday party, he’d have let you walk through the front door.”
I smiled back, caught. “Fair enough.”
“You look amazing, by the way,” he said.
“Thanks,” I murmured, blushing.
“That’s what I don’t get about you,” Lucas said softly. “You ask me to stay away from you, then get mad when I hang out with other girls. You tell me you don’t want to be friends, then look totally crushed when I leave you alone after a game of volleyball.” Lucas turned to study me in the light of my dashboard. “And if I didn’t know better,” he said. “I’d think you blushing at my compliments actually meant something.” He looked out the window. “I wouldn’t have come if I’d known you didn’t want me here,” he murmured. “It’s too hard to be around you anyway.”
My nose stung as an onslaught of emotion rolled over me. I bit my lip, fighting off tears. If I started crying now I would die from shame. The Raven came into view and I drove into the crowded parking lot, gliding into the first spot I could find and killed the engine. We sat for a moment in the dark silence of the car.
“I’m sorry,” I said hoarsely.
“Why? You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s not like you made me feel this way. And it’s not like you can help it if you don’t feel the same.” Lucas unlatched his seatbelt and reached for the door handle. Before he opened it I caught his hand. Lucas looked at me, startled.
“What...?” I said, battling the hope that surged in my chest. “What do you mean?”
“You want me to say it again? Because it feels kind of crappy to tell someone you like them and...” He studied my face, mystified. “Braedyn? Are you crying?”
“I like you,” I whispered. “I like you like you.”
The tension in Lucas’ face evaporated. Without another word he slid toward me, slipped his arms around me, and drew me forward into a kiss. Our lips met and the jolt of electricity I felt in my stomach dwarfed every kiss I’d imagined us having. My willpower broke, swept away by the force of my feelings. For one moment, nothing was real beyond this kiss. After a long moment, Lucas pulled back to look into my eyes.
When he spoke, his voice was husky with emotion. “You have no idea how badly I’ve wanted to hear you say that.” I lifted a trembling hand to his face. His eyes closed, savoring the touch.
“What are we going to do?” I asked. “Gretchen... my dad...?” Lucas caught my hand and kissed my fingers. I took a deep breath, dizzy. “I want to be with you,” I said. “I want to be with you more than anything.”
“We can deal with Gretchen and your dad tomorrow,” Lucas said. “Let’s just enjoy tonight.”
“That sounds good.” I leaned forward shyly. “Do we have to go in?”
Lucas chuckled. “I’m good with staying right here,” he said. “But Cassie and Royal...?”
“Right.” Reluctantly, we got out of the car. Lucas offered his hand and I took it, feeling his fingers close around mine warmly. We turned to the club. That’s when I noticed the crowd.
“Of course,” I sighed, frustrated. “The one night people decide to mob this place would have to be my birthday.” Lucas gave me a strange look but didn’t say anything. “Keep an eye out for Royal and Cassie. Maybe we can still get a table.”
We reached the edge of the crowd. I started to recognize faces from Coronado Prep.
“There she is!” someone shouted. An excited thrill ran through the crowd. People stepped aside, forming a path to the club. I clung to Lucas, startled.
“Hey, you invited them,” he said with a small smile.
“But...? There’s no way all these people are here for my party?”
Missy waved from the crowd. “Oh my gosh, Braedyn, I love your dress!”
“Thanks,” I said with a sinking sensation. If Missy was here, what had happened to Desert Fest?
A breeze kicked up, swirling around me. I felt my dress fluttering around my legs, acutely aware of the eyes of the watching crowd. “Come on,” I whispered. “Royal and Cassie are probably waiting inside.” We made our way to the front door and the crowd closed up behind us. By the time we reached the entrance, we were in the heart of a noisy mob.
Lucas must have felt my hand trembling. He gave it a comforting squeeze and leaned close. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ve got your back.”
Together, we walked into the club.
Chapter 8
“Holy wow,” Lucas breathed out. That summed up my thoughts exactly.
We came to a dead stop inside the club’s entrance. Ripples of silvery material covered the tables while strands of tiny lights twinkled across the ceiling. Elegant bouquets of white roses adorned the tables. Mingled with the velvety petals were gleaming crystalline icicles. More crystals lay scattered across the tabletops, sparkling like loose diamonds. Ice statues stood guard around the room, lit dramatically in pillars of white light, while cool blue lights shifted on the dance floor. The effect was devastating. The place was packed. I felt like we’d crashed a party for an A-list celebutante.
Half the soccer team lounged by one of the tables. Parker noticed me walking in. “Yo, the Birthday Girl!” he said, a wide grin splitting his face.
“Happy Birthday,” someone said to my right. I turned and saw a perky woman in her twenties holding a delicate tiara in her hands. She slipped the tiara onto my head and stepped back, admiring her handiwork. “Perfect.” She turned me to face the assembled crowd and a cheer went up. I wanted to shrink into the floor. A new song pumped into the club and people started dancing.
“Who are you?” I asked, turning to the perky woman.
“I’m Rachel, the party planner,” she said, beaming. “Your friends said this was a last-minute surprise, so since we couldn’t talk to you about it, we decided to go with ‘Ice’ as a theme. I love a double-entendre. Enjoy.”
Lucas guided me into the club and let out a low whistle. “I guessed Royal was loaded, but this is insane. You have some devoted friends.”
“There’s no way I’ll ever be able to make this up to him,” I said, uncomfortable. I looked around for Royal or Cassie but couldn’t see them anywhere. As we made our way through the packed club, random people kept calling my name. We came to a stop beside a table holding a massive, silver fountain. Soda poured from one tier to the next in a shimmering curtain. This table also held the largest of the ice sculptures: a beautiful young woman in a traditional Japanese kimono, holding two slender swords.
I grabbed Lucas’ arm, stunned. “I th
ink that’s Tomoe Gozen,” I breathed.
“Which means...?”
“She was a samurai from the twelfth century,” I explained. Lucas gave the statue a second glance, interested.
Parker slid up next to me. “Someone said you loved that stuff. We told Rachel and she had this carved for you.”
“Why?”
Parker smiled with his signature confidence. “We wanted to do something memorable for your birthday.”
I looked around with a growing sense of dread. The honey-blond demon in Old Town had mesmerized tables full of suits. Lucas called it enthralling. Everywhere I looked, I saw boys smiling in my direction.
“It’s happening,” I whispered with a rush of fear.
“What was that?” Lucas asked, leaning closer.
A slow song filled the club and Parker took a step toward me, trying to edge Lucas to one side. “How about a dance?” Parker asked, giving me a smile.
“Took the words right out of my mouth,” Lucas said. Parker seemed to see Lucas for the first time. He frowned as Lucas offered me his hand. I let Lucas guide me onto the dance floor. “I kind of hate that guy,” he murmured. “Although I guess I should feel bad for him.”
“Why’s that?”
“I know what it feels like to want someone who doesn’t want you back,” Lucas said simply. The dance floor was dimly lit and warm in the press of bodies. Lucas held me close. I let go of my worries, leaning into him, resting my head on his shoulder. His hands curled tighter around me. There was something lovely and anonymous about the darkness of the dance floor. The slow song came to an end far too soon, replaced by another throbbing dance song. As the floor flooded with eager dancers, I pulled Lucas to one side.
“I should find Royal and Cassie,” I said.
“Sure. I’ll get us something to drink.” Lucas turned away and started pushing through the crowd toward the bar.
As I turned to search the crowd, Parker found me. “Perfect timing. This song was my request.” He offered me his hand, clearly hoping to lead me back to the dance floor.
“Actually,” I said. “I’m kind of here with someone, Parker.”
“One dance isn’t exactly cheating.” Parker took my hand.
“No, thanks,” I said firmly. “But I bet Cassie would love to dance. She’s got to be around here somewhere. You should find her.”
“I didn’t arrange all this for Cassie.” Parker wouldn’t let my hand go. “Come on. One dance, then we’ll call it even.”
“Even?” I said, irritated. “I didn’t ask you to do this.”
“Didn’t you?” He smiled, as if catching me in a lie. “You made sure we heard the details of your party, then practically challenged me with that look this morning.”
I stared at him, dumbstruck. “What?”
“This morning,” he repeated, getting impatient. “By your car.”
“Parker,” I said, wrenching my hand away from him. “I think your imagination is playing tricks on you.”
Parker’s eyes narrowed. He glanced at his friends, watching curiously at the table behind us, then turned back to me, suddenly cold. “If I’d known what a tease you were I never would have wasted good money on you.”
“Forget what I said,” I spat. “Cassie’s way too good for you.”
Parker looked like he wanted to say something else but I pushed away from him into the crowd. I noticed someone moving through the dancers out of the corner of my eye. I turned to see who it was and my stomach turned to ice.
A smoky shadow swirled lazily around a sensual brunette. I’d never seen her before, I was sure of it; she didn’t have the kind of face you’d forget. She danced riotously in the center of the room, throwing her head back with wild abandon. I blinked, staring. The shadows ringing her weren’t as formless as I’d first thought. They were smoky wings, draped like a cape around her shoulders, hard to make out in the darkness.
“No,” I breathed. I suddenly knew what I was looking at. No one else was reacting to the wings, because no one else could see them.
The Lilitu smiled seductively at her dance partner and turned in his arms. He led her around the dance floor and I caught sight of his face. It was Greg. The demon gave her smoky wings a little snap. They shook off a dark mist and Greg unknowingly breathed it in. He shook his head and stumbled, grinning at his slip like an intoxicated idiot. The Lilitu leaned close to whisper something into Greg’s ear and his smile deepened. She took Greg’s hand and started to lead him off the dance floor. Dancers moved out of their way without acknowledging them at all.
I was too frozen by fear to move. Greg had no idea what kind of danger he was in. I needed Lucas. He would know what to do. I turned to look for him and came face-to-face with Amber.
“Pretty pleased with yourself?” Amber asked, her lips pulling back in a sneer. “Fair warning. I’m not letting Lucas go without a fight.”
I scanned the room over her shoulder, to desperate to take her bait. I couldn’t see Lucas anywhere.
“You wrecked Desert Fest,” Amber growled. “You owe me!”
I pulled the tiara off my head and shoved it into her hands. “Here,” I said. “Keep it.” I pushed past her into the crowd.
A few moments later I spotted Lucas, moving toward me with two blue drinks in hand. We met in the crowd and he offered a glass to me.
“Better drink this fast,” he said. “Look.” I followed Lucas’ gaze and spotted Derek moving through the crowd as if he was searching for something. “If one of the Guard followed him here, it’s going to be a short party for us.”
“We’re in trouble,” I said. “I saw a Lilitu on the dance floor. With Greg.”
Lucas stared at me, suddenly serious. “How do you know she was a Lilitu?”
“I saw her,” I said. He read the full depth of my meaning in my eyes.
“You’re a spotter?” Lucas set his drink down, took my hand, and wove us through the crowd toward Derek. Derek looked up as we cornered him near the club’s entrance. Lucas pushed him back against a pillar. “You shouldn’t have left your house, man.” Derek looked foggy, like he was half-asleep. Lucas grabbed his face and looked into his eyes. Derek’s pupils were so large the irises looked almost completely black. Lucas glanced at me sharply. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed.
“What is it?” I asked, seeing Lucas’ fear.
“She’s drawing him to her,” he said. “I think she plans to attack.” Lucas bent his head as someone answered his call. He had to shout into the phone. “Gretchen, it’s me. I’m at the Raven club with Derek. There’s a Lilitu here.” Lucas met my eyes grimly. “Because Braedyn can see it.” His eyes tightened slightly. “Yeah, I know what you said. You can skin me later. Get down here. This place is packed.” Lucas hung up, urgent. “We have to get him out of here.”
I glanced around at the club, full laughing, dancing people. They were completely unaware of the danger in their midst. “What about everyone else? What about Greg?”
“Derek is vulnerable,” Lucas said, frowning. He didn’t like this any more than I did. “He’s one mistake away from becoming a Thrall. He has to be our priority. Derek, you’re going to have to come with...” But when we turned back to the pillar, Derek was gone. “Damn!” Lucas scanned the room. Spotting Derek in the heaving crowd wasn’t going to be easy. “Can you see the Lilitu?”
I looked back at the dance floor. I couldn’t spot any trace of the smoky shadow I’d seen before. “No.”
“Okay,” Lucas said, tense but determined. “I’ll check the back, you take the dance floor.” I nodded and Lucas slipped into the crowd, headed for the back hallway.
I moved toward the dance floor, feeling useless. Someone screamed behind me and I turned - but it was just a girl, laughing as her boyfriend spun her in his arms. On edge, I moved forward without looking where I was going. I crashed into someone and turned to apologize. The words died on my lips.
Two Lilitu stood before me, regarding me with eyes li
ke deep pools. The first had short red hair, cut in an elegant bob. She turned, deferring to the second.
This Lilitu had long blond hair so pale it was almost white. Her limbs were a study in grace, from the perfect curve of her shoulder down to each immaculately manicured fingernail. She held my gaze with mesmerizing power, but underneath her beauty she looked... Alien. She stared into my face and tilted her head to one side.
“Welcome, little sister,” she said. Her voice rang with a metallic edge. It seemed to mute the noise around us. Wings of shadow rose up behind her, unfurling majestically. I jerked back as a swell of terror rose in me. I’d never been this close to something so clearly other.
The redhead studied me impersonally. “This one?” Her lilting voice sounded puzzled. “She’s so... new.”
As I stared at the Lilitu, I suddenly had an odd sensation that their beautiful features hovered over something deeper, like the reflection of the sky on water. As I made this realization, I was able to see beneath the surface beauty. Under their human faces, cold white skin stretched over angular bones. Inky lips parted to reveal pointed gray teeth. And their eyes... I let out a frightened breath. Their eyes were black, unfeeling, like the eyes of a shark. The eyes of a predator.
The white-blond Lilitu raised one of her hands. I saw with a shudder that hovering under the illusion of human fingers, her fingers ended in bony, pitch-black claws. The inky color stained her fingers, but faded to a bone white by her wrist. She brushed the tip of one dark finger against my forehead. I jerked back, repulsed. A chill lingered where she’d touched me.
The redhead glanced at her, waiting. The white-blond Lilitu looked almost disappointed.
“What...” My throat was dry. I swallowed. “What do you want?”
“She is not ready,” The white-blond Lilitu said. She turned back to the dance floor and melted into the crowd. The redhead followed, shooting me one last curious frown before they disappeared in the press of bodies.
Thrall (Daughters Of Lilith) Page 10