IN THE STILLNESS OF my bedroom, something had changed. I wasn't alone. The gray mist of dawn lightened the window shades. My eyes swam into focus. Alexander was there, sitting on the edge of my bed. His shirt was blood-spattered, his hair messed up.
Last night came rushing back to me: Vigo. The police. Alexander knocking me out of the way. How I'd blacked out for a minute after falling to the ground, and then opened my eyes to see Alexander being restrained by the police ... and Vigo gone. Luisa and Katie had helped me up and rushed me out, frantic. Luisa called her parents so they could pick us up and take me straight home. I'd been in a daze, barely able to make sense of anything.
"I'm sorry to have wakened you," Alexander whispered. "I just wanted to make sure you were all right."
"I'm fine," I said, sitting up. I'd never been so happy to see someone. "Did you break out of jail?"
"There was no need. Once you left, I broke free of the police and went after Vigo. But he was long gone."
"I can't figure out how you got there so fast."
Alexander set his jaw. "I had already tracked Vigo to the club. He had lined up with everyone else, bold as brass. I had to find an alternate entrance. I ended up having to enter through a third-story window."
"I don't understand it. Why would he attack with so many people around?"
"He wanted to make a scene. A horrific scene." Even in the shadows of my bedroom, I didn't miss the hard glint in his eyes. "You almost got yourself killed, Amy."
"Me? What about you?"
"I was poised to kill Vigo."
"And the police were about to shoot you. If I hadn't jumped in —"
"If you hadn't jumped in, Vigo would be dead. I had to let him go in order to prevent you from being shot."
"You think you could have staked him before they shot you?"
"Yes."
"But as soon as you drove the stake into him, they would've opened fire on you!"
"Very likely."
I stared at him, unable to believe what I was hearing. "And that would've been okay?"
"Vigo would be dead, and that is all that matters. I would have fulfilled my destiny."
"It's not your destiny to die!" I said it with such force that my head throbbed.
"How can you know that?"
"I just do. That's why I stepped in."
"Vigo knows about you now," Alexander said quietly.
I pictured Vigo, and felt a stab of fear. His skin was smooth and pale, so pale that he'd reminded me of a sick little boy, someone you'd want to comfort, not run from. I'd seen him play the helpless card when Alexander had been about to stake him.
How many people who had helped Vigo had paid with their lives?
"He doesn't necessarily know that I know you, right?" I asked, hearing the tremor in my voice. "I ... I could've just been some person not wanting to see anyone get shot."
"You jumped in front of police with their weapons drawn. He knows, Amy."
I glanced toward the window. "He can't come in, right?" I remembered my dream about letting the vampires in, and shivered.
"Unless he is invited, he can't come in. Let your mother and Chrissy know that they are not to let a stranger into the apartment under any circumstances."
I nodded, and Alexander watched me for a moment. I suddenly felt self-conscious in my thin T-shirt and pajama bottoms, my hair wild around my shoulders.
"You put your life on the line last night," Alexander said softly. He searched my face. "Why, Amy? Why would you do such a thing?"
Tears filled my eyes. "You know why."
"No, I don't know."
I swallowed hard."Your love is your greatest vulnerability," Alexander had said to James in Otherworld. The truth of his words struck me then. I loved Alexander — not the character anymore, but the real person. I'd known it ever since that evening on the rocky riverbank. And I was more afraid than ever that something bad would happen to him.
I spoke before I could stop myself.
"I love you, okay?"
He looked stunned. "You love me."
I dropped my eyes. My heart was beating erratically. "Yes."
"You don't have to look away, Amy."
I raised my eyes, dashing away tears with my knuckles. "I don't have any more to say about it, so please forget it."
"I will. But just one thing."
He leaned into me, and his lips closed over mine. For a moment I was too shocked to respond. Alexander Banks was kissing me. Was this a dream?
My lips parted, and I kissed him back. His hand slid into my hair, bringing me closer.
This definitely wasn't a dream. His kiss was nothing like the tender, romantic kisses of my fantasies. It was better. I could feel the roughness of his stubble against my cheek. I tasted a ravenous hunger inside him that matched my own.
When he finally pulled back, I saw a burning look in his eyes. We didn't speak for a while as we both tried to regain the control we'd lost.
"Forgive me," Alexander said.
I wanted him to kiss me again, but I wasn't sure I could speak. Or move.
He reached out, as if to touch my face, then dropped his hand. "I must go." He stood up, and left the room.
When I awoke again, it was almost noon, and someone was knocking on my door.
Mom peeked in. "How are you feeling?"
For a second, all I could think about was Alexander's kiss. And I realized, with a sense of wonder, that I felt happy — happier than I'd ever been.
But that wasn't the answer Mom expected. I'd come in last night, pale and shaky, and told her I wasn't feeling well as an excuse for not sleeping at Luisa's.
"Much better," I said, yawning. "I think I was just overtired."
"What happened last night?" Mom asked, looking concerned. "A few of your friends called this morning asking how you were doing. Luisa said there was an incident at the club and you got caught in the middle."
"It's not a big deal. Just a stupid fight. I got knocked down." I saw Chrissy hovering in the doorway, curious, if not concerned. When she realized that I had spotted her, she straightened and walked away.
"Let me bring you breakfast in bed," Mom said. "Pancakes? Waffles with bananas?"
"I'm not hungry yet. But thanks, Mom."
She kissed the top of my head.
I got up to go to the bathroom, then came back and checked my messages. They were all from the girls, pelting question after question.
I called Luisa.
"Ames! Oh my God, how are you?"
"I'm okay."
"What happened? None of us understand. Katie said that you told her a fight had started outside. Next thing I know Alexander's beating up some guy in the middle of the club and then he's getting arrested!"
"He didn't get arrested. The cops went after the wrong person. Some guy randomly started hitting people. Alexander helped the cops take him down."
"Are you sure? Amy, be honest with me. Has Alexander been stalking you or something? Is that why he showed up last night?"
"No. It was nothing like that. I told him he could meet up with us at the club. Anyway, I'm so sorry your Sweet Sixteen got ruined."
"My birthday didn't get ruined. For once I was actually there when something exciting happened. I'm just sorry you got banged up."
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
When we hung up, I sat back against my pillow. I wished I could stop lying to my friends. One lie always seemed to need more lies to back it up. And the troubling part was, I was becoming better at it, quicker. It wasn't exactly a skill I'd been hoping to develop.
But if I was becoming a better liar, how could I have let the truth slip to Alexander? I still couldn't believe I'd told him I loved him. I hadn't meant to. It wasn't like me to speak without thinking. But the words had just slipped out. Why?
It was a good question. But the question that really drove me crazy was: Why had he kissed me?
Luisa must have relayed the message that I was okay and needed my rest, because no one called again. Tomorrow I'd face more questions at school, but I wasn't going to worry about it. I had plenty of other things to worry about.
Midafternoon, I was flipping through a magazine on the living room sofa, still obsessing over the kiss, when there was a knock at the front door.
"I'll get it!" Chrissy said, running out of her room.
"No, wait!" Panicked, I jumped off the sofa, beating her to the door. "We didn't buzz anyone in."
"So? It's easy to get in the building." She looked through the peephole. "Oh." She went back to her room.
I looked through, then opened the door. "Hey, Katie."
She didn't come in. I could tell something was wrong. She never looked this serious.
"We've got to talk." She glanced behind me, spotting my mom in the kitchen. "Maybe we should go somewhere and get coffee?"
"Sure." I got my wallet and a hoodie. A quick check of the clock told me it was almost three — plenty of time before sunset.
The elevator was crowded, but we squeezed in. Two old ladies with hearing aids were talking loudly about how kids these days were all messed up and into weird cultish stuff and no wonder there was a vampire murderer out there.
Outside, the afternoon sky was overcast. Gusts of wind stirred the sidewalk litter. There weren't many kids out. They were probably snuggled on couches watching Disney movies.
Katie thrust her hands into the pockets of her jeans. "Should we head to Starbucks?"
"I don't need anything. You?"
"Nah. Let's not bother, then."
We went to a nearby school yard, grabbed a free bench. A group of guys were playing basketball, and I couldn't help but think of the poor teens who'd been murdered while playing ball last week.
Katie turned to me. "I need the truth."
"The truth about what?"
"Last night. Everything. First, you're rushing us out of the club with some excuse about a fight outside. There was no fight outside. Next thing I know, there's a brawl going on between Alexander and Vigo."
I blinked. "What?"
"I was watching through the window. Those guys looked exactly like them. Alexander had a stake, and he was about to kill Vigo when you jumped in front of the cops. Did I imagine all that?"
My stomach tightened and I looked down. I wasn't sure what to say.
"You need to tell me the truth. Or tell me I'm insane. Just tell me something."
I wasn't going to tell her she was insane, not after all she'd witnessed. And she was one of my best friends. It was time I told her the truth.
And so I did. I told her everything, the words coming out in a flood. I started with the night I'd been attacked by Vigo, and explained how Alexander had convinced me he was real. I told her all about Ms. P.'s theory, and even the trip to New York City to meet Elizabeth Howard. I only left out the part about Alexander kissing me in my room, and my profession of love.
When I was done, Katie had a dazed look in her eyes. "This is crazy, Ames. Crazy. Like science fiction."
"Or literary physics."
She half-smiled. "We always knew Ms. P. was a little eccentric."
"So you believe me?"
"I do. If I hadn't seen what I saw last night, I might not. But ..." She shook her head. "You were wicked brave, throwing yourself in front of the police."
"I don't feel wicked brave." I feel wicked scared.
"He doesn't know who you are, right? Vigo, I mean."
"No." I heard my voice waver. "I don't think so."
"Good." But I saw a flash of worry in her eyes.
"Katie, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you what was happening. I really wanted to. But we didn't want Alexander's presence here to get out. It would interfere with him hunting Vigo."
"I don't blame you for not telling me." She exhaled deeply, and I guessed what she was thinking — that she might have preferred not to know.
"Please don't tell Luisa," I added. "She's not great at keeping secrets."
"I know. It's going to be hard, but I won't tell her. I promise."
I gave Katie a hug. Tears came to my eyes as I realized how lucky I was to have her as a friend. I wished I'd been able to confide in her sooner.
"So," Katie said after we separated. "I can't believe you met Elizabeth Howard. She freaked out when she saw Alexander, huh?"
"Sort of. She seemed to recognize him at first, but then she didn't believe his story. It was Alexander who freaked out when she wouldn't listen to him. You know how temperamental he is."
"I do. That's why I prefer James." Suddenly Katie's face lit up. "Hey! If Vigo and Alexander are here, do you think James might cross over?"
I had to smile. "I wish he would, especially if he brought Hannah with him. We could use a vampire on our side right now."
At school on Monday, Reuben and Brian came up to me. "Heard your boyfriend got into another fight this weekend," Reuben said, leaning against my locker. "They say he jumped some kid at the Teen Scene."
Jumped some kid? If they only knew.
"I bet he's too scared to fight guys his own size." Brian crossed his arms to show off his pecs. "Next time he won't have a choice." Brian bumped fists with Reuben, and they walked off.
I sighed. I'd barely been at school five minutes, but the story had already circulated. I didn't know if I had Luisa or her drama club friends to thank, or someone else from our school who'd been at the club.
"Teach them a lesson, Ames." Katie poked her head around the door of my locker. "Not everyone's got you know who in their corner."
"Don't tempt me. If Alexander gets involved, it'll only make things worse."
"I think they'd be so scared of him they'd never bug you again." Katie grinned. "It would be sweet to see Alexander kick some butt. We could call it AlexanderBanksMania and sell it on pay-per-view."
I couldn't help but laugh.
The morning droned along. My thoughts kept returning to the weekend. The terror at the club. My realization that I loved Alexander, and speaking the words out loud. The kiss — and what an incredible kiss it was. But then I would think of Vigo still out there, and any happiness I felt was replaced by fear.
At lunch I headed to the library. Ms. P. jumped off her stool when she saw me.
"Are you all right?" she cried. "Alexander told me what happened Saturday night."
"I'm fine." I followed her into the inner office, where we could talk privately.
"He told me that the police had their guns drawn and you got in the way." Her voice was stern. "What were you thinking?"
"I had no choice — they were going to shoot him."
"I know how fond you are of Alexander. But you could have been killed."
"I didn't think the police would shoot me." The truth was, I hadn't thought. I had acted on instinct.
"Events are unfolding as they're meant to, Amy. You shouldn't have interfered."
I stared at her. "Do you think Alexander is meant to die?"
A troubled look came over her face, and she put a hand on my shoulder. "We have no way of knowing how this will end. If Alexander has to give his life to kill Vigo, it might be for the greater good." Behind her glasses, I saw tears come to her eyes. "I would hate to see anything happen to Alexander, but he's chosen this life for himself. And sometimes ... sometimes those we love best end up dying."
I shook my head. I could not accept what Ms. P. was saying. Alexander was not meant to die, and I was not going to regret saving him. "The story isn't going to end that way. I know it, Ms. P."
"The truth is, Alexander doesn't belong in our world. You know that, don't you?"
"No. I don't know it." I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. The sadness was locked inside me.
"I'm sorry I've upset you, dear. I only want you to be safe."
"I'll be fine."
"You always say that, even when you're not fine," she said gently, and I knew that some part of that was true. "Vigo has seen you now, so you must be extra careful."
"Don't worry. I won't be going out after dark."
"Good. Keeping yourself safe has to be your number one concern."
"I know. Trust me, Ms. P. I don't have a death wish."
That night, as I was getting into bed, Alexander phoned. It was the first I'd heard from him since our kiss, and my heartbeat sped up.
"Elizabeth Howard just called me in hysterics," he said.
I gasped. "Is she okay? Is she hurt?"
"She is traumatized, but not injured. Vigo came to her door this evening with a huge arrangement of flowers. He asked her son if he could come in. But when Elizabeth saw him, she recognized who it was immediately."
"Oh, God." I pressed a hand to my forehead, feeling dizzy. Poor Elizabeth.
"She addressed Vigo by name, then he bared his fangs and lunged at her. But he was unable to enter her home because he hadn't been invited. He fled."
I could only imagine the terror of it. No wonder Elizabeth Howard had been hysterical.
"What did you say to her?"
"I told her that she and her children were safe in the house. Her husband is away in California on business. I promised that I would visit her tomorrow, and that we would find a way to keep them safe. She lives in Kenilworth, just an hour from here. At any rate, I will call Ms. P. when we hang up. I am sure she will want to come with me tomorrow. She can probably leave right after the school day ends."
"Me, too. I'm coming, too."