"I gotta say, Moreau, I'm impressed," Ivelyn remarked, red martini hanging delicately from her hand. "The theme is one for the books," which coming from her was one of the highest compliments offered.
I opened my mouth to respond, but a girl in a strawberry colored spaghetti strapped dress started talking to her. I stood there, patiently waiting to talk to the birthday girl. Troy had bought her dress, but you wouldn't have been able to tell.
It was a two piece halter top dress in the brightest shade of red with a diamond choker, that matched the top of the skirt. It was gorgeous, to say the least. Everyone looked wonderful — dressed for a ball.
"How did you pull off all the booze?" Ivelyn asked me after she broke free of the other girl. A waiter walked by holding a tray of drinks that were lit on fire. I grabbed one, blew out the fire and took a drink. It was orange flavored something -- delicious.
"A spell," I told her wagging my eyebrows. The best gift I could have given Ivelyn was a magic-fueled party. She leaned in closely her porcelain face inches from mine.
"Seriously? Show me!" I found myself smirking. I was toying with the idea of keeping the spell to myself, but I knew Ivelyn spent a lot of money on the alcohol she had. Honestly, I was surprised she hadn't thought of the spell herself.
"That's so smart," she finished her drink, set it on the table behind her. She grabbed two jello shots. One was red and one was black. She handed the black one to me. "Bottoms up." I didn't want one, but I did it because it was her birthday.
We did another and another. After that, we made it to the dance floor, our arms looped together. Ivelyn and I hadn't always been this close. It wasn't that long ago that I really disliked her. It never went as far as hatred, but it was close. Now, we were at a party for Ivelyn that I had thrown.
Our bodies moved to the rhythm of the song that pulsated against the chorus. There were so many people it was kind of hard to dance, but I was feeling the buzz from the alcohol, making me not care. I saw Daniel, talking with Giu and some guy from his Football team. In that sweaty hot moment, I wanted him.
"I'll be right back," I promised her. Ivelyn nodded, grabbing a girl, I think her name was Jane. They swayed back and forth. I looked for Troy, but couldn't see him. There were seriously a ton of people here.
It took me for what felt like forever to reach Daniel. He was holding a beer that had been barely drunk. I opened my mouth but was distracted by a waiter walking by. I grabbed a drink off the tray, not paying any attention to what it was. I was too thirsty to be picky. Unfortunately, I realized after a couple gulps that it was the salted-caramel vodka soda. At the time, it sounded amazing, but it was too sweet.
"Corn!" Daniel yelled, waving his hands. I closed the space in between us. "I'll catch you guys around." He told them. Giu was smiling widely at the guy and the two of them took off down the hall together. "You look so sexy in that dress, did I tell you that?" He hadn't, but I didn't want to argue.
"Yeah?" Gently, I bit my bottom lip, luring him in.
"Definitely." His arms felt nice around me, pulling me even closer. I felt his abs through his shirt. Lately, I had been so involved in planning and stressed about everything being perfect, I had barely a moment alone with Daniel. I wanted -- no, needed more moments like this. I closed my eyes, feeling the room spin just a tad.
His mouth found mine and we moved as one. I let my tongue slid over his teeth, feeling his fangs extend. It sent a thrill through me that was new. I was afraid of it but invited the feeling again. I ventured towards the end of the fang, applying the slightest pressure, knowing if I prickled myself hard enough it would draw blood.
I was curious to see what his reaction would be if I let my tongue slip. What would happen if he tasted one single drop of my blood? Would it push him over the end, into a frenzy? Was everyone here at risk? I had so many questions and only one way to find out.
Slowly, then all at once, I pressed delicately with pressure against his fang. His body went rigid and he sighed into my mouth. His mouth closed, giving me one peck, then taking a step backward. I was out of breath with endorphins high. I gave him a Cheshire grin, excited to try it again.
"Corn, what are you doing? You know what happens if you bleed, right?" He asked in a hushed whisper. His hands were on my wrist, so tight it almost hurt. I was thankful for the alcohol buzz.
"I don't care," I lurched forward, but he held me still.
"You will tomorrow," he sighed. Then, he moved closer, his lips against my ear. "You'll care if I drain you in front of all these nice people. Think about what that would mean. Do you know what that would do to me? If I hurt you." I wanted to point out that he had hurt me when he left Salem for over a month. Or when he refused to talk to me or his callous remarks. There were half a dozen examples of when Daniel had hurt me. One example is how tightly he was gripping my wrists.
Even in my current state of mind, I knew he was being logical. I had pushed our limits as a couple. This was one thing Daniel and I could do, especially in a room full of drunken teenagers. It sobered me up, plus Daniel grabbed a cup of water and had me drink it. I couldn't explain what had come over me. I blamed the alcohol, but it was more than that.
I had seen people do stupid things sober. Alcohol wasn't an excuse to do something stupid, it just intensified the consequences of that stupid thing. Some people didn't understand that.
Mir passed us and I gasped. Thankfully, the music was blaring and she didn't hear me. She had a thick smile on her face. I saw why, Jack, was dancing with her. I could tell they were both heavily intoxicated. They were clumsy and their eyes were hanging low. They looked happy together.
"Mir!" I screamed loudly over the music. She turned her head and I waved. She came dancing over to Daniel and me, dragging Jack over too. Her dress was the color in between red and pink and had a fitted bodice with 1/2 sleeves and a scalloped bateau neckline with a twirled flirty full skirt. Her shoes, which were in her hands, were strappy black pumps. They were super cute, but I could see why she had taken them off.
Earlier, her hair had been straightened and clipped back with butterfly clips. Now, the clips were gone and the curls were back. They suited her more.
"Corn! Daniel! Ohmygosh!" Everything she said was in full exclaim.
"Here's some water," I handed her my cup that Daniel had refilled. She took it and drained the cup in one gulp.
"Thanks, Corn, you're always so nice to me." She handed me the empty cup.
"No problem, Mir." I went to say more, but Jack and I made eye contact. "Take care of her," he nodded, then saluted me. "I mean it," I told him seriously. "You don't want to test what I'm capable of." As I said it, I realized how much I meant it. Even drunk, Jack knew what I meant.
Mir was only a couple of months younger than me, but I was protective of her like a little sister. Speaking of younger sisters, where was mine? After Mir left with Jack, I looked for Dara's dress. It was a simple heart-shaped short red tulle sequin dress. There were so many red dresses, it was impossible to locate the one I was trying to find.
"Hey, Corn, these are really good!" I found Kate, with a girl from my Health class. She had short black hair in a bob. Her glasses were the first thing you noticed, which was done on purpose. They were large and neon pink. She pushed them up, kind of like how Kate does and blushed.
"I'm glad you like them, Kate. Have you seen my sister?" Kate set down the cake square and looked around.
"I haven't, sorry." She looked around. "Have you met Courtney," she gestured to the girl she had been hanging out with. I nodded and gave Courtney a short wave. I hadn't known her name but did recognize her.
"We have Health together," I told Kate. "I'm sorry, but I need to find my sister." I left them there. Daniel and I had split up to cover more ground. He was supposed to call me if he found her and we would meet back up in the kitchen in twenty minutes. I looped around another time and still couldn't find her.
Now, I had lost Daniel and my sister. I checked my phone. Maybe I had a missed call from Daniel. As I clicked the side button the phone told me I had another ten minutes to look and no missed call. Great, where the Hell is Dara? Where would I be if I were Dara? She wouldn't be on the dance floor or where a lot of people were.
The roof!
I had almost forgotten there was a window that led to the roof. I rushed to the window, that was a current hotspot for the people smoking Weed. I denied several times a "hit" and carefully slipped out the window. My shoe slipped and my knee hit the concrete. My scream was muffled by my phone as my hand flung to my mouth.
It was a clumsy fall, to say the least.
Slowly, I tried to stand up. The roof was huge. I slid my shoes off, taking a page from Mir's book. It wasn't a smart idea. Who knew what kind of garbage was up on the roof, but I was taking my chances. Carefully, I walked around the roof, looking for Dara. I covered the roof in ten minutes and started to walk back.
Unfortunately, my path was blocked.
Normally, I would have continued on my path and excused myself for cutting in. It would have been simple. Except, it wasn't simply because the two people in front of me, were vigorously making out. You would think, this would make it easier because their eyes are closed and I could just slip past them and they would never know.
The bigger problem was that the two people on the roof were Erik and Sage. I guess they were finishing up what had started in the bathroom. My grip on my shoes tightened and I looked for a spot to hide. I ducked behind a raised part in the ceiling, completely concealed from them. As I did this, the bigger the realization hit.
I was supposed to meet Daniel as of two minutes ago and he was going to call me, then go look for me. I silenced my phone, but I didn't know what else to do. Erik and Sage were still making out, hands were everything. I cringed as I heard one of them moan. I pretended not to pay attention, but that is literally the hardest thing to do on a roof with only people making out.
"You're so hot," Erik told Sage as she ripped open his shirt. Now, I know this looks really bad that not only am I stuck up here, but I am watching this unfold. My only excuse is that this was much like passing a car accident on the road. You know you should keep your eyes on the road and just drive, but you can't. You have to watch the accident and see what happened.
It's human nature, right?
The other reason was that I had to make sure they didn't come over this way and find me. The thought that Erik or Sage would see me watching them, made my face permanently red. My ankle started to cramp at the angle I was at. Against my control, my ankle gave out and as it did this the sound of loose gravel alerted Erik and Sage.
How the Hell had they heard that? I wanted to ask them, but then again one of them was a Lycan and the other had heightened senses because they could turn into birds. Great, just great. Erik and Sage were the worst people to accidentally spy on.
"Did you hear that?" Sage asked eyes narrowed in my general direction. My heartbeat was in my throat, pounding away. How good was her hearing? Would she be able to hear my heartbeat, as Daniel could? I really hope she can't. Plus, how would she be able to identify my heart beat over Erik's?
"It's probably the wind or some animal. We are on a roof." He smirked at her. She was straddling him, his back pressed into the ground. Her hands were still on his exposed chest. I tried not to notice how tightly wound his muscles were flexing. He had been working out. She gave him a flirtatious smile and relaxed against him, making out again.
The weirdest part was that I was thankful for them making out again. I didn't want them to know I was here -- for obvious reasons. I relaxed a little. Then, my phone vibrated against my hand. Shit, I had turned the ringer off, but not the vibration. Before it could vibrate again, I clicked my phone off.
"Okay, you had to have heard that? That wasn't the wind." Sage told him, sounding a little more paranoid than she should. Oh, she's worried about the age difference. In Massachusettes, they didn't have Romeo & Juliet Laws, so Erik being seventeen was illegal. I had looked it up after Sage and I had our little chat. She was risking a lot to be with Erik. Although, neither of them were going to press charges about their consensual sex.
Still, I could tell it was on Sage's mind. I didn't blame her. It was different when you were a girl. There seemed to be more pressure. Plus, she wasn't from around Salem -- she didn't know how the locals were. Not to mention that they were currently on a roof, above at least two hundred teenagers -- all of which could easily call the Police on them.
"Babe, please don't worry about it." He urged. "Unless you don't want to--
"Pssh, don't even go there. You know you're hot." She responded flippantly. This pleased Erik. He reached for her, bringing her face towards his. As he did this, the rest of his shirt came off, falling to the ground. His hands moved up and down her body, and he flipped their positions. Now, his body hovered over hers.
I really shouldn't be watching this.
Yet, here I was. I really wish Addie were here. If she was here in Salem I can guarantee you I wouldn't be able to witness Erik and Sage have sex for the first time. This was becoming a really bad night. I guess I could just shut my eyes and plug my ears, wait for it to end. As I was contemplating this, there was an earth-shattering scream.
It pierced my eardrums. Erik jumped upright, jostling Sage. I had never seen Erik move so fast. He snatched his shirt off the ground and pulled it over his head. He wasn't able to button the top two buttons, they were beyond repair, thanks to Sage's aggressive move. The two of them ran towards the exit.
I wanted to run along with them, but I couldn't. I had to give it a minute or two. As I waited I turned my phone back on. It was killing me to not know what was happening. After the original scream, there were at least five more. One of the screams I recognized and I bolted towards the window. I should have looked for another way inside, but my brain wasn't working right. I bounded through the window and no one batted an eye.
Erik and Sage were across the room, looking in the opposite direction.
"Excuse me," I said politely. "Pardon me," I raised my voice, then started pushing through the crowd. Everyone looked dumbstruck. The music was cut. As I passed Erik and Sage I avoided eye-contact, hoping they didn't see me. They did and followed.
"Do you know what's going on?" Erik asked me. I look up at him, there was no shame in his eyes. He hadn't put two and two together, which was good. Part of me relaxed.
"No, do you?" I played dumb, which helped my case.
"No, we heard a scream." He ended with a shrug. We continued to push through people, following the screams. It led to the kitchen and on the floor lay a body. Are you freaking serious? The cause of the scream was Mir who was still letting her blood-curdling scream ring. I walked up to her and tried to calm her down.
"Has anyone called 9-1-1?" I asked the group around the body, which was all Magical creatures: Lycan's, Witches, and Cursed Ones. The humans had stuck to the other side, wondering what was going on.
"I did," this came from Daniel who looked annoyed. I was annoyed too. I was getting so sick and tired of people showing up murdered around me. Next to him, on the ground, was a sobbing Dara. Her face streaked in tears. Ivelyn sat next to her, rubbing her back. It was the kindest gesture I had ever seen Ivelyn preform.
For the first time, I looked at the dead body. Unfortunately, I recognized her. It was Cessair's body, lying broken on the kitchen floor. There was blood trickling from her mouth and onto the white tile. I felt like I was going to be sick. I clenched my fist and looked away. It didn't work and I had to run to the sink a few feet away.
My stomach contents were all red, reminding me of the blood that escaped Cessair's dead body. I puked again and this time it was just bile. Someone handed me a paper towel and a cup of water. I tried to take it, but dry heaved a couple more times before I was able to take them. When I looked up it was Kate handing them to me.
"Thank you," I croaked out. My throat felt raw and my eyes were bloodshot. Kate was great in a crisis.
"We should tell them the party is over," Sage told us. She was right. The Police would want to talk to everyone, so they should probably stay here. I didn't want to go against what Sage said, but the most witnesses we had the better. Except, that no one was going to be able to give me an alibi. This wouldn't look good for me, now that I had been at every single crime scene.
Great, just great.
As I said, this night was turning into one of the worst.
"No, we should have them stay. The Police will need to talk to them. We should all call our parents and guardians though. It's going to be a long night." I wiped my mouth and drank some water. Sage clenched her teeth, not used to not being the Alpha. She didn't say anything else, which I appreciated. I didn't have the energy to fight with her -- or anyone.
"Wait, guys, this was Sarah Good right?" This came from Troy, proving that you couldn't have brawns and brains. I sighed, tossing the paper towel in the garbage that was under the sink.
"Yes, Captain Obvious." Dara mutter cynically.
"No, what I mean is that Sarah Good kills people and jumps into another body, right? So, who is she now?" He made a good point. We knew originally Sarah Good had tricked Thana into handing her body over. Then, Rebekah Ray went missing and the next day Thana died. Then, ten days ago Cessair went on bail and now she was dead. Who was missing?
"Shit, he's right. Who's missing from the party? That's gotta be the person that Sarah Good took over." My mind was racing, trying to remember each person that I passed.
"There's no way to tell," Kate told us pessimistic. "Did anyone sign in when they got here? Even if they did, people could have left before Cessair's body showed up in the kitchen and--
"Wait, how did Cessair get in here? Did anyone see her?" Ivelyn interrupted Kate. It was another good point. Since Sarah Good had been in Cessair's body, that meant she had to have just walked inside as Cessair. That was a ballsy move. Even with Cessair on bail, she hadn't gone to Salem High School and her face had been plastered all over. If someone had seen her, it would have caused a scene.
"I didn't see her," Dara answered deadpanned. I walked towards her and slumped down on the other side of her.
"We should check social media, I made everyone use #Ivelyn'sSweetSixteen if they took a photo of tonight. That way, I could type in the hashtag and look through all the photos. I bet there's at least one photo of Cessair." Ivelyn added. What a smart idea coming from Ivelyn, she was on a roll.
I sighed.
"Guys, this is a mess." Another body dead and another body Sarah Good had taken. We were nowhere closer to figuring this out than the cops were to finding Vayne. It was starting to feel hopeless, especially as the Police sirens closed in on us.
"Vayne! Did anyone see Vayne?" Dara straightened upright. That's right, she didn't know. I still hadn't told her about my vision through Levi's eyes. Everyone looked at me with different expressions. Most of them were confused as if saying, why doesn't your sister know Vayne is most likely dead?
"I didn't," I answered quickly. Everyone else answers similarly. Dara was smart and she got the hint. If she asked me, I would tell her the truth, but she hadn't asked. I knew it was going to break her heart. So sue me if I wanted to prolong that hurt. She was my little sister and I wanted life to be perfect for her.
Instead, Sarah Good was killing her friends to get at me. We were going to figure everything out. I knew we were, but when? How many more people had to die before we figured out Sarah Good's plan? Sage's idea was the way to go. I needed to make contact with Sarah Good and offer myself as bait.
Wait a second...
"Guys, what if there's a note from Sarah Good on the body?" It wasn't what they wanted to hear. There was almost no time. The Police were coming up the stairs. We could hear their boots smacking against each step with authority.
"You're saying you want--
"If there's a note, we need to find it before Police do." I cut off Giu. She took a deep breath in.
"Lemme check," she offered. No one else offered, so I let her. She was quick, moving in a blur. Then, she stood upright. She didn't move a muscle.
"Did you find--
"Police, open up." A booming voice, that, unfortunately, I recognized. Tonight sucked.