decorate a nocturnal dance club. I looked on as a truck backed into a loading dock and a few guys that looked more dead than alive loaded chairs, lighting equipment, and a pool table into the factory.
Alexander kept a watchful eye on the incoming boxes, making sure that there were no nefarious items or clues about whether Jagger still planned on opening the Covenant. Sebastian did his best to help, but Luna clung to him, keeping his hands busy. He often got caught up in talking to Alexander and had to be nudged back to work by Jagger.
As the evening wore on, it was clear that there was only one person who didn’t contribute to the transformation: Luna. The wispy fairy girl draped herself on a chair like a princess and, when breaks were taken, canoodled with Sebastian or asked him to fetch her bloody lattes. Several times I caught her fingering Sebastian’s dreadlocks but staring at Alexander. I felt she was up to something, but what, I wasn’t sure.
The following day at school, Becky and I were having lunch by the flagpole while waiting for Matt to join us. She was biting into a sandwich and I was picking at my organic peanut butter one.
“Have you heard any more about that club?” Becky asked out of the blue. “I hear rumblings all the time, but no one has any concrete information. I was wondering where it’s going to be and when it’s going to open.”
I had to tell Becky what I knew about the club — leaving out, of course, the vampire element. The rumors about the club echoed off the walls of Dullsville High, and it wasn’t right to keep her in the dark any longer.
“You have to swear to secrecy.”
“Of course. You know something?”
“I know a lot.”
Becky put her sandwich aside. “Tell me everything.”
“It’s Jagger — he’s going to open a club here. And it’s going to be in the vacant Sinclair Mill.”
“Wow — that sounds cool.”
“But you can’t tell anyone because Alexander and I have to find out a bit more about it.”
“Like what?”
“Like who he’s opening it to.”
“I thought I heard it was for everyone.”
“Yes. But I want to confirm it first. And I have bigger news,” I said, bursting to tell her more.
“What’s bigger than that?”
“He told me I can help him!”
“That is awesome!”
“I went there yesterday and helped clean up.”
“I’d love to help, too,” Becky said.
I hadn’t anticipated her reaction and willingness to be involved. I couldn’t imagine Becky being on the inside of the factory, setting up the club with the vampires. It was one thing for me to be there — it was another for her.
“I’m not sure you’d enjoy it. It’s really messy work.”
“And working on a farm isn’t?”
She had a point. “It’s just that—”
“I usually have all my homework done by the end of the day,” she said. “So I could use the time after school to help you guys.”
“Well, they really don’t start working until the evening. And they go all night, since they don’t have school.”
“I can help then, too. Matt is so busy with his scrimmages. It would be good for me to have something to do besides always waiting on the sidelines.” Becky flashed her soft baby face and sweet pleading eyes.
“Fine,” I said. “But this is our secret. I’m going over there tonight with Alexander. We’ll pick you up on the way.”
Just then Matt bolted out of the main entrance and headed over to us.
“My lips are sealed,” Becky said with a wink.
Becky dug her powder blue nails into my arm as I led her down the dark gravel road toward the factory.
“This mill is so creepy,” she said. Her teeth were chattering, not from the cold but from fear. “I can’t imagine anyone would want to come here willingly. I’m glad I’m not meeting you here.”
“I’d never do that to you,” I said.
“Why don’t they have lights inside?” she asked, looking at the darkened building as we walked to the door of the factory. “I only see flickering candles.”
“I guess the electricity doesn’t work yet.”
To me this was like a dream place; to my best friend it was a nightmare. She cowered, several times covering her hair as if at any moment a swarm of bats would fly over her head. She might have been right.
Alexander opened the unwieldy door.
“Are you sure this is safe?” Becky asked before stepping inside.
“I wouldn’t bring you here if it wasn’t.” I took her hand. “I won’t let anything happen to you,” I said.
She seemed a bit relieved, but only slightly, when we entered the factory and it was illuminated with votives and candelabras.
“I’m trying to be brave,” she said as she maneuvered around an empty crate.
Her foot hit something as we walked.
“Yikes!” she said with a gasp. “What’s that? I’m afraid to look. Is it a dead body?”
“It’s just an empty crate,” I assured her.
She wasn’t about to let go of my hand. I was touched that she was battling her fears to share in my new hangout.
There was an awkward pause when we entered the main room and I saw Jagger seated on a bar stool. When he spotted us, he immediately rose. He was surprised, and, by his frown, I could see he was not too happy that I’d brought a visitor.
“She’s with us,” I said. “She’s not going to spoil your secret.”
There was an even more awkward pause when Sebastian spotted Becky.
It was obvious he still had a pang for her — and more so since he’d tasted her blood.
Becky appeared delighted to see Sebastian, and the two locked eyes.
Luna swooped in from the shadows, sensing their romantic tension, and grabbed Sebastian around his waist as if he were a prize she’d won at a state fair.
“Sebastian and I were just thinking of ways to promote the club,” Luna proclaimed. “We thought about T- shirts. I was thinking mine could say WELCOME TO THE CRYPT and on the back SEBASTIAN’S GHOUL.”
“That sounds awesome,” I said.
“We brought Raven’s best friend, Becky,” Alexander said. “She wanted to help out.”
Alexander’s words were like a knight’s to his round table. His permission for Becky to be there wasn’t going to be challenged by anyone. Not even Jagger.
Sebastian squirmed in Luna’s clutches. It was apparent he was trying to finagle his position so he could talk to Becky. But Luna wasn’t going to let my best friend intercept her new boyfriend’s attention.
Luna grabbed his hand. “Jagger needs these crates returned to the dock. And while we are there, there’s something I want to show you.” She flipped back her hair from her neck, exposing a tiny bite mark. She giggled and flashed her glistening lashes.
Becky wasn’t suspicious. In the dim light of the mill, the marks were not clearly visible and could have been just a scratch. But I knew their true origin.
“Yes, Sebastian and I have big plans for the club, and for us. Right, Sabby?” Luna said.
“Sabby?” I mouthed to Alexander.
“We are going to be together for a while,” she said, then whispered so only I could hear, “maybe even eternity.”
I wasn’t sure why she was trying to shove her relationship with Sebastian in front of me and Alexander. Perhaps she was still hurt by Alexander’s spurning her at the covenant ceremony in Romania. Perhaps she was still in love with him and wanted to show him what he was missing. Or maybe she wanted to make me feel bad because I didn’t have what she did — a guy who bit her. Most likely, it was all of the above.
“Uh—” Sebastian said as he attempted to make conversation with us, but Luna’s charms were no match for
