blood, shared his coffin with me. That the vampire things Alexander and I shared were very meaningful. But it wasn’t my business to tell our secrets to Alexander’s best friend.
“And I want to convince him that my feelings for Luna are different,” Sebastian added.
Oh boy, I thought. That was not what I wanted to hear.
“A girl wants to be special,” Sebastian said. “I tend to like a lot of girls. First Becky. Now Luna. If we’d been dating, you would have become a vampire a long time ago.”
The idea penetrated me. If I’d been with a different vampire, I might already be one by now.
But that wasn’t what I wanted — to be turned by a vampire’s desire alone. I wanted it to be special, permanent, and romantic. And I wasn’t the kind of girl to settle, either. Especially since I’d fallen in love with Alexander.
“Alexander’s looking for the right girl. Other vampires would bite a girl and never see her again.”
That did sound horrible. To be changed and then abandoned. “Have you done that?” I asked.
“No, but I’ve been close.”
I hung on his words.
“Alexander changed his life for you,” he said. “He didn’t return to Romania when he could have. He fought to buy his house so he could continue living here to be close to you.”
Hearing Sebastian say how much Alexander cared meant the world to me. I’d always wanted to do the changing, but Alexander had changed for me.
“I just know with Luna, this time it’s for real,” he said.
“How can you be so sure?”
“She’s amazing. She’s beautiful and sexy. I can’t take my eyes off of her.”
I didn’t care to hear how wonderful Luna Maxwell was. “Would you change your life for her?” I challenged. “Never travel to all those cities without her?”
Sebastian thought. “Yes. I think I would.”
“Then I think you love her,” I said through gritted teeth.
Although I wasn’t crazy about Alexander’s best friend falling for the one vampire I couldn’t trust, it was better than him turning his affections toward Becky again. I would have preferred for him to fall for Scarlet or Onyx, but no amount of my morbid matchmaking seemed to make that happen.
My cell phone beeped and I noticed I had a text from Alexander.
Where are you? What’s taking you so long?
I texted back, Meet me at your front door.
The front door slowly creaked open.
Alexander looked surprised to see Sebastian standing next to me.
“Dude—” Sebastian said. “It’s time I finally. .” he began.
He waited for Alexander to say something — anything — but my boyfriend remained silent.
“How about another game of Medieval Knights?” Sebastian said. “You can get even with me in the virtual world.
The best two out of three wins.”
A huge smile came over Alexander’s face. He pulled the front door wide open and Sebastian sauntered inside. I gladly followed the two upstairs to the Mansion’s TV room.
That was it — no groveling or tearful reunions. No hugs or major blowouts. Just a face-to-face, over-in-a- minute reconciliation between two childhood best friends.
I sketched my ideas for the Crypt while two vampires battled out their angst against each other with computergenerated swords.
There were a few things I felt good at: sneaking into mansions, getting in the face of brazen bullies, and decorating in the style of the macabre.
I wanted to share my ideas with Jagger because I was sure that I could help out with the opening of the club. I could design, decorate, or even clean. I didn’t care. I’d sweep floors if I had to. When I worked at Armstrong Travel, there wasn’t anything I wanted to do — and I was being paid. However, for a chance to be part of the Crypt, I’d be willing to do anything — well, almost anything — for free.
The next night, before I headed to the Mansion to spend time with Alexander, I raced to the factory to plead my case for joining the Crypt’s crew.
I found Jagger in one of the main factory rooms pacing and talking on the phone. When he caught sight of me, he quickly ended his call.
“I guess Sebastian told you we were here?” he asked.
“I figured it out on my own,” I said triumphantly. “I want to talk to you about something.”
“Yes?” Jagger seemed pleased. He dusted off an old chair and offered it to me. “Please sit down.”
I obliged and took a seat.
“What can I do for you?” he asked intently. If Jagger wasn’t so nefarious and creepy and Alexander’s onetime enemy, he would actually have been sexy. His white hair was jagged and edgy, and his mismatched eyes were intense and mesmerizing. And there was something attractive about the word “Possess” that was emblazoned across his upper arm.
“I’d like to help you with your club.”
“Really. .,” he said in a tone that revealed he was clearly as surprised as he was suspicious.
“I’m great at decorating. I can help find fun things around town.”
I realized I might be treading on his ego. After all, he did run the Coffin Club. Who was I to tell him he needed help to design a successful club?
“Of course, I know you are really good at it, too,” I continued.
Jagger sized me up. “I could use an extra hand,” he finally said. “But what about your boyfriend?”
“I’m not sure he’ll want to help.”
“Yes, I guessed that. But will he mind us working so closely together?” Jagger whisked back his white locks confidently. “What if you wind up preferring my company?” He grinned, his fangs catching the light of the flickering candelabra and his blue and green eyes piercing through me.
But I wasn’t interested in his romantic inferences. “I don’t think that will happen, and he’s not the jealous type.”
“I imagine he knows about the Crypt?”
“Uh. . yes.”
“And what does he think of the idea? He didn’t seem keen on it when I brought it up to him and Sebastian at his party.”
“I don’t think he likes it any more now than he did then.”
“But you do?”
“I love the Coffin Club,” I gushed. “And I want a place where I can hang out here in Dullsville.”
Jagger beamed. His pale skin radiated with the glow of my compliments. He rose, taking in his surrounding as if he was imagining the new club.
“But there’s that whole thing about. . vampires,” I said.
“That bothers you?” He leaned over me, his hair hanging sexily over his eyes.
“Yes.” I did my best to confront him. “I think this club should be for mortals only.”
“I thought that a vampire club would be up your alley.”
I stood up. “Uh. . it is,” I said sincerely.
“You want to be one,” he said, stepping in closer.
“I know,” I said, determined.
“You are in love with one,” he said with a mischievous grin.
“I know, but he’s different.”
“From me?” Jagger brushed my hair away from my neck.
I stepped back, bumping into my chair. “From the typical vampire,” I said sharply.
Jagger laughed, having fun with his little game. “Well. . you seemed to blend in with the Dungeon,” he said, confronting me again. “And that Phoenix guy.”
