Ritual

by Alex Duval

  “You know, I don’t think I ever crossed Trinny off when we realized she wasn’t a vampire,” Adam said slowly.

  Jason felt a sudden jolt of understanding. Judging by Adam’s expression, he felt it too. “The list,” Jason whispered.

  Adam pulled out his wallet and yanked a faded piece of paper from the billfold.

  “I kept my copy in the same place,” Jason said. “Right in my wallet—which was stolen by the crossbow killer. He has this list!”

  “And Trinny’s name is on it because we suspected she might be a vampire,” Adam went on. “Since she’s French, and she used to hang with Maggie sometimes.”

  “So you were right about the killer being a vampire hunter. And we made his job a hell of a lot easier. We gave him a nice alphabetical list of vampires to kill!” Jason exclaimed in horror. “Or at least a list of people you and I thought were vampires. Poor Trinny … it’s our fault she’s dead.”

  “It’s our fault they’re all dead,” Adam replied.

  “We’ve got to stop him before he kills again,” Jason said. He grabbed his tuxedo jacket off its hanger.

  “If only we knew who his next victim was. He’s probably stalking someone this very second,” Adam said, his fingers trembling as he tried to unfold the list.

  “I already know the answer to that,” Jason said grimly, making for the door.

  “How come?”

  “The murderer is just going down the list,” Jason said. “Killing vampires in alphabetical order. Think about it …” He was running down the stairs now, with Adam racing after him.

  “Dominic Ames, Scott Challon,” Adam murmured, still clutching the folded list. “Trinny Dareau … oh!”

  Jason swung the front door open and as his eyes met Adam’s, he knew they were both thinking the same thing: Sienna Devereux was next.

  FOURTEEN

  “Let’s go,” Jason said.

  “Wait. Hold up!” Adam stepped into the doorway, blocking Jason’s way. “I know you’re losing it at the moment, but you need to calm down. I don’t think Sienna’s in any danger, at least not immediately.”

  “She’s next on the list. On our list—”

  “I know,” Adam interrupted. “But tonight is the full moon. The vampire-hunting season is over. The guy’s already killed today. He’s done. We have a few weeks before the next season begins, and we’ll find a way to protect Sienna before then. We’ll force Zach to believe us, and with him on our side …”

  But Jason was already shaking his head. “I don’t buy it. This guy wants to kill vampires. He must have realized by now that Trinny wasn’t a vampire. He made a mistake, and he’ll want to fix it. He’s only got tonight to do that.”

  “You’re jumping to conclusions,” Adam said.

  “The last time he made a mistake was with me,” Jason pointed out. “Then he murdered Dominic that very same day. He attacked a nonvampire, and when he realized his error, he killed an actual vampire only a few hours later.” Jason pictured Sienna, saw her with the crossbow bolt in her heart. “He’s going to do the same thing today.” He gently pushed Adam aside and headed for his car.

  “Your mask!” Adam called, running after him with the hand-painted mask Dani had bought for Jason at the mall. “They won’t let you in without it.”

  Jason skidded to a halt. “And my ticket,” he muttered, patting his pockets. “Where’s the ticket? They really won’t let me in without that.”

  “Check your inside pocket,” Adam suggested.

  Jason stuck his hand into the inner jacket pocket and felt the thin piece of parchment paper that the ticket was printed on. He was good to go.

  “I can’t go with you,” Adam panted as Jason slipped behind the wheel. “I have to get dressed. They’ll kick me out if I show up in jeans. The Sandhurst Castle doesn’t allow jeans. Ever.”

  Jason glanced at Adam’s Vespa. “I’ll drop you home on my way to the castle,” he said. “It will be faster.”

  “It’s true, the Vespa has never been the choice of an action hero,” Adam said, climbing into the VW. “And ever since you moved to town, I seem to keep getting involved in crazy action-hero situations.”

  Jason floored it, speeding toward Adam’s house. As he drove, he fished his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Sienna. “Pick up, pick up, pick up,” he chanted as her cell rang. But instead of hearing her voice, he got the automated voice mail message. Jason hung up.

  He screeched into Adam’s driveway. “Get there as soon as you can,” he said as his friend scrambled out of the car.

  “I will. And Jason, don’t worry,” Adam said seriously. “There are cops all over that place, whether you see them or not. Nobody’s going to hurt Sienna.”

  Jason nodded. But his fear only grew as he drove the rest of the way to the Sandhurst Castle. He had to force himself to stop at red lights and not to do 100 mph. Sienna was in danger and she didn’t even know it.

  When he reached the Sandhurst Castle, which was really just a big old mansion with a single turret, Jason slammed the car into park and leaped out with the engine still running. The valet had to jog after him to give him the ticket. Jason shoved it into his pocket and pushed through the heavy wooden doors of the building.

  The place was filled with music. A string quartet dressed in black played at one end of the huge foyer. All four of the musicians wore white masks over their eyes. A swag of sheer golden fabric was draped from two columns on either side of the group, forming a canopy over their heads.

  “Welcome and happy holidays,” said a woman in a deep burgundy evening gown. “May I take your ticket, please?”

  Jason stared at her, trying to figure out if he knew her or not. But the green-feathered mask she wore covered almost her entire face. “Um, sure.” He pulled the ticket out of his pocket and handed it to her as he scanned the hallway for Sienna.

  “Not your valet ticket, your ticket to the ball,” the woman said, sounding vaguely annoyed, and suddenly Jason could place her. It was Sienna’s mother. She always seemed a little annoyed by him.

  “Mrs. Devereux?” he asked. “Where’s Sienna?”

  “I haven’t seen her in a while,” Mrs. Devereux replied. “Your ticket?”

  Jason dug out his ball ticket and handed it over. “Have fun,” she called after him as he hurried up the marble steps and into the ballroom itself.

  The place was huge, and every single inch of it was beautifully decorated. Lush green pine trees lined the walls on either side, all decorated with golden bows and white lights. Some of the lights were large and some as tiny as little pieces of rice. The mixture of the two made the Christmas trees look magical, as if they were covered with a field of stars.

  Burgundy velvet ribbons—the same shade as Mrs. Devereux’s dress—formed big bows on the back of each gold-upholstered chair. The tablecloths were the same burgundy color, with an overlay of the sheer golden fabric, and each table had a centerpiece of huge, fluffy ostrich feathers dyed to match the burgundy.

  Feathers are ticklish, Jason thought, the memory of his IM conversation with Sienna popping into his head. His throat constricted, and he felt a rush of fear. What if something happened to Sienna tonight, something bad? What if something had already happened?

  Jason wove his way through the ballroom, searching for her. It wasn’t very crowded yet, but everyone Jason passed was wearing a mask, making it impossible to see who they were. How was he supposed to find Sienna when the whole point of the evening was to hide your identity?

  “Your mask doesn’t work when it’s in your hand,” a girl in a white dress with a deep V-neck called.

  Jason stared at her, trying to place her voice. It wasn’t Sienna’s, but it was familiar. He looked at her eyes, hidden behind a smooth white mask that covered her whole face. The mask was a different kind of face, like a porcelain doll’s, with one exquisite sapphire tear on its cheek.

  The girl laughed, lifting the mask away from her face with the fancy carved stick that held i
t. It was Erin.

  “You’re supposed to wear it,” she said, taking Jason’s mask from his hand. She slipped it into place over his eyes and arranged the elastic band around the back of his head to hold it in place. “Perfect,” she said, stepping back to admire him.

  “Where’s Sienna?” he asked, in no mood to make small talk.

  “Wow. You really have it bad for her.” Erin laughed.

  “I just need to find her. Now,” Jason said.

  “She’s off doing hostess stuff,” Erin told him with a shrug. “Maybe she’s talking to the chef or something.”

  Jason moved on to the dance area, where multi-colored spotlights moved lazily across the wooden floor. There was more sheer drapery here, surrounding the whole dance floor so that it looked like a gypsy’s tent. It was spectacular, but there was no sign of Sienna.

  “Have you seen Sienna Devereux?” Jason asked Dani’s friend Billy, who was wearing a tuxedo and a mask shaped like a swan, its long, graceful neck curving over his head.

  “Nope. Where’s your sister?” Billy asked.

  “I don’t know,” Jason murmured, and continued on through the stained-glass French doors to the balcony that ran along the outside of the building.

  Alabaster lanterns glowed softly in the darkness. A dark figure stood in the shadows. As Jason stepped closer, the man turned, revealing a tuxedo beneath an old-fashioned cape and a white mask that covered only half his face like the Phantom of the Opera’s.

  The hair on Jason’s arms stood up, and a feeling of unease unaccountably swept over him. Was this mysterious loner the killer?

  “Can I help you?” the guy asked, and Jason recognized his voice instantly. It was Brad.

  Jason didn’t feel like getting into it with Brad right now, so he just shook his head and went back inside. The room was beginning to fill up now. People stood in little clusters of two and three, all of them exquisitely dressed with spectacular masks.

  But Sienna was nowhere to be seen.

  Jason pulled out his cell phone and dialed her number again. Her voice mail picked up immediately, and Jason cursed under his breath. She wasn’t answering her phone, and it seemed she wasn’t at the ball. Had the hunter found her already?

  FIFTEEN

  Jason’s cell phone rang, the shrill notes interrupting his search. He answered it immediately. “Sienna?”

  “Nope,” said Adam’s voice. “But that answers my question. You haven’t found her yet?”

  “No. Are you here?” Jason asked.

  “I just walked in. I’m in the foyer,” Adam replied.

  “I’ll be right there.” Jason hung up and hurried back to the foyer. He figured maybe Adam could point out which of the masked partygoers were undercover cops. Jason could get some of them to help him search.

  Except that Sienna was in the foyer already. The second Jason got there, he saw her. There was no mask in the world that could keep him from recognizing Sienna, and his heart flooded with relief at the sight of her. The crepe fabric of Sienna’s gold dress clung to her curves, then widened into a frothy, delicate skirt that was cut dramatically to skim the ground at the back, while rising to just below her knees at the front. She stood talking to Adam and another guy.

  “Freeman!” Adam called and waved.

  Sienna turned to face Jason as he walked over to them. The mask she held up to her face was a stunning combination of antique white lace and gold enamel, the textured fabric braided into the smooth, shiny gold. It covered half her face, from her forehead down to her nose, with a large ruby set in the forehead between her eyes.

  “Jason,” she said, lifting the mask away from her face. He noticed that the stick it was attached to had a red silk thread twisted around it, with a long feather dangling from the end.

  “Feathers,” he murmured, smiling at her.

  She smiled back. “They’re sexy,” she replied, her voice husky.

  “Well, hello, Captain America,” said the guy standing with Adam and Sienna. “Love the red, white, and blue.”

  Jason gazed at him in surprise. It was Detective Tamburo, all decked out in a tux with his longish hair pulled back into a neat ponytail. He even had a mask, although his was a plain black leather eye mask.

  “Huh?” was all Jason could think to say.

  “Your mask,” the detective replied.

  Jason glanced down at the mask. A field of red stars on a blue background, and a white stick to hold it with. “Oh. Yeah. I hadn’t noticed,” Jason said.

  But Tamburo had already forgotten about Jason. “The sooner we go, the sooner you’ll be back,” he said to Sienna. “You don’t want to miss the whole ball after you planned it all, do you?”

  “Go?” Jason cut in. “Go where?”

  “Detective Tamburo wants me to go to the police station.” Sienna sighed. “Right in the middle of everything.”

  “This killer isn’t going to wait for you to finish your little masquerade, princess,” Tamburo said. “And think how happy you’ll be if you’re the one to help put him away.”

  “Do you have a new lead?” Jason asked.

  The cop nodded. “We’ve got a witness who can put a friend of Dominic’s near the scene of his murder. Since his girlfriend’s out of town, I’m hoping the divine Ms. D. here can ID the photo for me.”

  “Why can’t I do it in the morning?” Sienna protested. “Jason, tell him I can’t leave my own party.”

  “Actually, I think it’s a great idea,” Jason told her. A great idea that will get you out of harm’s way, he added silently. Then he could concentrate on catching the murderer. He’d check the list to see who was next after Sienna, then he and Adam could alert the cops and they’d all be ready to pounce the instant the killer made a move. If he didn’t have to worry about Sienna’s safety, Jason knew he’d be able to focus a lot better. He shot a look at Adam.

  His friend took the hint.

  “It’s true, Sienna. If you can recognize the guy, maybe you’ll get a killer off the street,” Adam put in. “The party can wait.”

  “I promise, it will be worth it,” Tamburo told her.

  “If I ID this guy in a photo, how long will it take you to find him?” Sienna asked.

  Tamburo shrugged. “Hey, I’m good, but I can’t see the future. You got a crystal ball, princess?” He glanced at Jason. “Although I guess that’s more your department, isn’t it, Freeman?”

  The sound of hundreds of tiny bells chiming at once filled the cavernous foyer.

  “It’s time for dinner to start. Everyone please find your tables!” Sienna’s mother called. Jason spotted Dani and Kristy in the throng of people heading toward the ballroom.

  “Let’s go,” Detective Tamburo said, taking Sienna’s arm. “I’ll have you back by dessert.” They walked off toward the valet desk, and Jason turned to Adam. “We need the list,” he said. “If the killer can’t get to Sienna tonight, he’ll go for whoever is next.”

  “How do you know? Have you got a crystal ball?” Adam joked, pulling the list out of his wallet. “Didja pick one up at the psychic fair?” He began reading the names on the list aloud, but Jason wasn’t listening, because things were starting to slot into place in his mind. But everything rested on one very important question….

  “Wait a minute,” he interrupted Adam. “Did you tell anyone about me going to the psychic fair?”

  “What? No,” Adam said. “Anyway, if not Sienna, then the next vampire—”

  “Are you sure?” Jason interrupted again. “You didn’t tell your father? Or any of the cops?”

  “That you’re a New Age, crystal-toting weirdo?” Adam said. “No. Who cares? We’ve got bigger things to worry about right now than your supercool image, dude.”

  “I’m not worried about my image!” Jason snapped. He took off after Tamburo and Sienna.

  Adam hurried to catch up. “Where are we going?”

  Jason didn’t answer. His eyes scanned the people drifting in from outside. Tamburo and Sienna we
re nowhere to be seen, but he had to find them. Joking out onto the circular driveway, he finally spotted Tamburo—pulling away in his car, Sienna in the passenger seat.

  “Damn,” Jason muttered. Just as Adam caught up to him, Jason turned and strode back inside. His pulse was hammering in his ears. Tamburo had teased him about having a crystal ball. About that being Jason’s “department.” But why would he say something like that … unless he happened to know that Jason had been to a psychic fair?

  “Freeman, what’s going on?” Adam cried, following him back inside.

  Jason frantically searched the faces, looking for his sister. “I can’t recognize anyone with all these masks,” he complained. “Where’s Dani?”

  “You have to look for the mask, not the person,” Adam said. “Dani has that green mask with the cat ears … there!” He pointed out Danielle, stepping through the ballroom doors with Kristy and Billy.

  Jason sprinted over to her, gently pushing masked partygoers out of the way in order to reach his sister.

  “Dani,” he cried, grabbing her elbow and trying to stay calm enough to ask her the all-important question. “Wait. I need to know if you told anyone about the psychic fair.”

  “Told anyone what?” she asked, looking over her shoulder as her friends disappeared inside the room.

  “That I was there,” Jason explained impatiently.

  “Oh. No. I wouldn’t do that to you.” Dani took her arm away from him. “Why are you being so weird?”

  “Did Kristy tell anyone?” he asked urgently. “It’s important, Danielle. Do you know if she told anyone at all that I was there?”

  “No. Of course she didn’t tell. I’m sure.” Dani pulled her mask away from her face and frowned at him. “Seriously, what’s up with you?”

  “Nothing,” Jason told her. “Don’t worry about it.”