I got a strong flash. The vision showed her and Missy in the school library, transfixed by Piper's laptop. They were sitting so close, I could actually smell the coffee on Missy's breath. Looking through Piper's eyes, I saw an open Facebook page.

Missy was barking orders at Piper. "Hurry up, Piper. I've got to meet Zeke at the Till in ten minutes." The Till was a bar frequented primarily by university students, and had a pretty strict carding policy. How did Missy think she would get in there?

Piper typed furiously in response, but didn't look up. Although, I could feel her heart race and her stomach churn at the mention of Zeke. Who was he? I couldn't think of a single Tillinghast teenager named Zeke. Maybe he was a University student.

As Piper typed, I looked closer at the screen; she and Missy were creating a new user profile. This struck me as odd given that both girls had been active on Facebook forever. Just as I tried to make out the user name, the image faded. I returned to Piper's kitchen.

Piper shook off my hand. "Ellie, I don't need your help." Then she marched off to the front door.

I followed in her wake with a private smile. I didn't care if she dismissed me, because I finally had something to go on.

Chapter Twenty-one.

I was wrong. The more Michael and I mulled over the flash I'd gotten from Piper, the less excited we became. On closer a.n.a.lysis, the flash didn't really shed much light on the scheme-beyond the Facebook element-or the intended victim. On balance, we were left with more questions than answers.

Even though I hated to admit it, we were both getting a little frustrated and burned-out from our little investigation. So when Michael suggested-in the nicest way possible-that we leave off our "research" for the week before the fall dance, I told him I'd seriously consider it. After he mentioned I was looking worn-out, I agreed to take a break; I wanted to look good for the dance, as he well knew. But I found it hard to put the whole thing out of my mind.

I tried to let the dance distract me. Once Ruth finally forgave me for buying my dress without her-after I pointed out that it left me more time to dedicate to her search-we spent hours at the mall. She tried on gowns in every shade imaginable-from black to pale green to lavender to chocolate brown-and finally settled on a pale pink dress that looked surprisingly perfect with her reddish hair. The big hurdle over, she then turned her attention to the smaller details like our hair, makeup, shoes, and even nails, not that she thought of these finer points as minor. We pored over countless magazines and visited every Tillinghast makeup counter and shoe store until we found the perfect accessories. Happily, I let her sweep me up in all things dance, relishing feeling like a normal teenager for a change.

We made plans to have everyone meet at my house just before the dance. Everyone included not just me, Ruth, Michael, and Jamie, but the parents as well. Ruth didn't feel comfortable having Jamie pick her up at her house with just her dad around. And anyway, Ruth's dad and my parents were close. Once my parents and Ruth's dad were going to be on the scene, we felt like we had to include the guys' parents too. I never thought the guys would actually ask them. But surprisingly, they did.

Friday night before the dance everything was in place. I had my dress, shoes, purse, and makeup lined up and ready to go, even though we had hours to get ready on Sat.u.r.day. I finished my homework that afternoon, so I wouldn't have to think about it Sat.u.r.day and Sunday. I'd even begged off flying with Michael; I told him that I needed at least one night of uninterrupted sleep to look perfect for the dance. He begrudgingly agreed.

But I couldn't sleep. I was restless, though I couldn't say exactly why. Thoughts of Missy and Piper crept into my consciousness, but they weren't the sole source of my agitation. Anxiety about my powers and what they meant crossed my mind from time to time, yet I'd really let go of my worries over the past week and enjoyed myself. So, why couldn't I sleep? Had I grown used to staying awake all night? Was it just typical pre-dance jitters that average teenage girls experienced? I didn't know.

The minutes ticked by, a half hour, an hour, two hours. I grew madder and madder at myself. I should've just gone flying with Michael; it always tired me out. Finally, at the three-hour mark, I threw off my quilt and sheets and padded over to the computer. I had to do something other than lie there in my bed.

I stared at my Google homepage. Before I knew it, my fingers were racing across the keypad. I looked up and saw the name "Professor Raymond McMaster" typed into the previously blank search box. Where had that come from?

I really hadn't given him much of a thought since that humiliating day in Miss Taunton's cla.s.s. Or so I thought. My subconscious must have been working on overdrive. The truth was, I didn't feel like a vampire. I always imagined vampires as cold-hearted, or no-hearted. The feelings I felt were... big, warm, inclusive. I needed an expert to help me sort this out. I clicked onto the Harvard University webpage and read Professor McMaster's resume. Under-grad and grad work done at Harvard, followed by a post-grad stint at Oxford. He did an a.s.sistant professorship at Stanford, after which he took on his current tenured role back at his alma mater. Impressive. Especially for a Dracula expert.

Scanning down the bio, I saw a list of his published papers. They weren't all about vampires; some of them focused on other "supernatural folklores and mythologies." But vampires certainly seemed to be his specialty. I clicked on one paper that looked particularly interesting: "Multicultural Origins of the Vampire Legend."

I clicked open the paper. The very first words made me shiver unpleasantly. Professor McMaster might not serve as the ally I'd been hoping for, to convince Michael that we were not vampires.

Vampires walk among us. Whether the Scottish baobhan sith, the Indian baital, the Chinese jiang shi, the Croatian kosci, the Romanian moroi, or the Mexican tlahuelpuchi, every society and every culture harbors vampires. The question is not whether vampires exist-in our collective subconscious or on our streets-but in what form and why.

Page after page, Professor McMaster's thesis-all around the notion that vampires must be real, given their presence in every civilization-enthralled me. And chilled me. This wasn't some kook spouting off crazy conspiracy theories on the internet, but a respected scholar at Harvard University, of all places.

But, Professor McMaster saved the real zinger-to my mind, anyway-for the last paragraph.

This survey makes clear that, although each society's vampires take different forms, they share two unsettling characteristics: an inhuman ability to transport themselves, and a fascination with blood. But while interesting, the precise form and nature of a culture's vampires ultimately is of no import to the vampires' purpose. Wherever they might be found, whatever form they purport to take, all vampires embody our darkest and most primeval fears of the unknown and serve as the key to the mystery of what, if anything, comes after death.

Suddenly, Michael's vampire theory seemed all too possible.

Chapter Twenty-two.

By morning, I had no time to think about Professor McMaster, vampires, Missy, Piper, or anything other than the fall dance. Ruth arrived at eight A.M. A.M. with as many bags as my parents and I took with us on our summer trips and a computer-generated timetable of our appointments and activities. I was never so happy to see Ruth; I didn't want to be alone with my thoughts for company. with as many bags as my parents and I took with us on our summer trips and a computer-generated timetable of our appointments and activities. I was never so happy to see Ruth; I didn't want to be alone with my thoughts for company.

All day long, Ruth swept me up in a tidal wave of manicure and pedicure appointments and professional makeup applications. I drew the line at having my hair done by her stylist-no one could ever make sense of my thick, pin-straight hair, not even me-but I watched as Ruth had her hair pinned into a complicated style that really suited her. I thought my parents would balk at all the overt displays of frivolity and materialism, but they didn't. They seemed relieved to have a normal sixteen-year-old daughter getting ready for a dance. I found it a relief to play the part, rather than wallow in the reality that I was some freak of nature, like one of the creatures described by Professor McMaster.

"Ruth, Ellie! Come down, girls. Everyone will be here in a few minutes," my mother yelled up to my bedroom from the base of the staircase.

"Oh my G.o.d, it's almost six," Ruth nearly shrieked.

I looked at the clock in disbelief. Had we really been primping and preening for almost ten hours? I guess if I cut out the time we spent getting coffees and lunch as well as the time in transit and gossiping, we had spent more like four hours beautifying ourselves. But still, it was kind of unbelievable.

Ruth and I walked over to my old, stand-alone full-length mirror. Gazing into it, I gave her the once-over first, not quite ready to face my final self.

"You look gorgeous, Ruth," I said and meant it. With her long reddish hair pulled off her face and neck and the pale pink dress setting off her physique, she was transformed into a princess.

She gave me a huge hug and then quickly pulled back to check me out. "Ellie, Michael is going to faint when he sees you. You look so glamorous, like a movie star or something."

Laughing, I stared back at the mirror. I definitely did not look like a movie star, but I looked better. Somehow, the fitted red dress and new makeup enhanced my figure, straight black hair, and blue eyes. Instead of appearing gangly with oddly bright eyes, I looked, well, striking. It felt weird to apply that word to myself even in my private thoughts.

"Girls!" my mother yelled again. That tone meant hustle hustle.

Teetering on our heels, we hurried to the top of the staircase. Just as we were about to walk down, we heard a loud knock on the front door.

"Too late," my mother whispered harshly from the bottom stair.

Our momentary delay in front of the mirror cost us. We would now be forced to descend my steep, long staircase with an audience, like a pair of modern-day Scarlett O'Haras. Not exactly the impression I wanted to make on Michael's parents. I'd been kind of hoping to go the nice-girlfriend route, not the drama-queen path.

Glancing at each other first with a mixture of fear and excitement, Ruth and I put on our game faces. We pasted on brave smiles and headed downstairs hand in hand. My dad opened the door about mid-staircase so I couldn't get a good look at our guests until we neared the bottom stair.

When I finally glanced up from the final step, to which I had my eyes glued so I wouldn't fall, there stood Michael, so handsome in a dark blue suit and yellow tie. His green eyes pierced mine, and I didn't need to ask him how I looked. His expression said it all.

In front of everyone, before he even brought me over to his parents, he took me by the hands and kissed me lightly on the lips. Then he strapped an exquisite rose corsage around my wrist; he already knew there was no s.p.a.ce for it on the bodice of my dress. He whispered, "It's nowhere near as beautiful as you."

I should've been embarra.s.sed, but I wasn't.

He broke our gaze first, saying, "Mom, Dad, you remember my Ellie."

My Ellie. He knew precisely how to make me melt. I stretched out my hand to a very pretty, chestnut-haired woman who was beginning to gray around the temples. Just like my parents. I'd met his parents twice before-once when they had me over for dinner, and once when we sat together at one of Michael's football games. They were unfailingly pleasant, if a little distant and formal, and somehow we managed to avoid the awkward topic of Guatemala. I still couldn't dredge up an image of Michael from the far reaches of my trip memories.

"Mrs. Chase, it's nice to see you again."

"You too, Ellie. You look absolutely lovely tonight. Michael told me about your dress, but his descriptions didn't do justice to the dress-or you in it."

I blushed, thinking of Michael talking about me to his parents. Trying to ignore the redness of my cheeks, I welcomed his dad next. He was attractive, with an olive complexion and nearly black hair. I kept searching for family resemblances, but blond, fair Michael didn't favor either one of them.

My parents joined our conversation. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Ruth, Jamie, and their respective parents made their introductions. The group moved into the living room, and my mom pa.s.sed around appetizers while my dad poured soft drinks for the kids and wine for the adults.

An hour pa.s.sed with surprising ease. School and the dance provided ready topics of conversation, and even Ruth's usually recalcitrant dad seemed to relax and open up. Around seven, Michael and Jamie started glancing at their watches and dropping hints that we should leave. The parents acquiesced, but only after they took about a million pictures.

Everyone said their farewells, and Ruth, Jamie, Michael, and I hopped into Michael's car. We had decided on one car. We had no idea what the parking would be like, and in any event, we had agreed to hang out at my house afterward.

Michael was just about to pull out of the driveway, when I called out for him to stop. Unused to carrying a purse, I'd left mine on the kitchen counter.

Michael drove me right to the porch's front steps, and I climbed up them as fast as my spindly heels would allow. Opening the front door, I was relieved that none of the parents were lingering in the front hallway. I wanted to slip in and slip out without the holdup of more chitchat.

Tiptoeing down the back hallway toward the kitchen, I heard my mom and Michael's mom talking. So much for going undetected. But then a rush of water from the kitchen sink sounded. I peeked in and saw our moms' backs as they rinsed off the dishes. Maybe I could slide in and grab my purse unnoticed.

"I still cannot believe that you and Armaros are in Tillinghast," my mom said in a tone that wasn't exactly warm.

"We really had no other choice," Michael's mom said apologetically.

"After we worked so hard to make them forget that they'd ever met-in Guatemala...." My mom's voice trailed off.

"I know. And so successfully with Ellie. Those same techniques didn't work so well with Michael, as you know."

"We did need to have them meet at least once before they come of age, to see how they'd react to one another and to find out what they were capable of together. We needed to take that risk in Guatemala. I just wished they'd fully forgotten each other," my mom said.

The way my mom said it made me wonder whether something awful had happened in Guatemala that they wanted me to forget. If only I could get flashes from my parents or Michael about that trip. I'd tried without success. I kept coming up against that same wall.

My thoughts were interrupted by Michael's mom. "I know, and that's the only reason we've let them spend time together. But it would be so much easier to keep them in the dark until it's time."

"It would have been easier if you'd stayed away from Tillinghast," my mom replied, her voice getting louder and angrier.

"You know that the best way to protect them is to have them in the same location. To keep watch over them."

"You should have contacted us beforehand."

"It didn't seem wise. You know that. Tonight-all of us together in one place-was risk enough." Michael's mom sounded almost repentant.

"Even once the children had found each other of their own accord? You didn't think that you should contact us then?" My mom's voice rose; she was really mad.

"We couldn't take the chance, Hananel. It seemed better to wait and allow their relationship to develop of its own accord. And watch."

Hananel? Who was Hananel? My mom's name was Hannah. And what were they talking about?

My mom was almost screaming. "Watch? Those are rich words coming from a former watcher, whose watching was anything but pa.s.sive waiting. Just what did you think this pa.s.sive waiting and watching would gain us?"

"Time, Hananel. I thought the watching would give us time."

My purse dropped to the ground with a clap, and both women pivoted toward me.

"Ellie, honey, I thought you'd gone," my mom said, her voice as sweet as sugar.

I bent down to pick up my purse and brandished it like a sword. I smiled as if I hadn't heard a thing, and said, "Couldn't leave without my purse, could I?" Then, uncertain of what to say or do, I waved good-bye and raced back to the car. The conversation I overheard was bizarre, to say the least, but I wouldn't let it ruin my first dance with Michael.

Chapter Twenty-three.

The expression on our cla.s.smates' faces as we walked into the gym was worth every moment of preparation. The girls mostly gave Ruth and me sidelong glances of appreciation and mild astonishment, but the guys were another story. Some of them openly gaped as we sauntered across the room.

Ruth basked in the attention, and I could tell that Jamie derived a certain vicarious thrill being by her side. As for myself, I experienced a surge of power not unlike the sensation I got when I had a strong flash. And looking at Michael, I saw that he did as well. The feeling helped dispel the nagging voice inside my head about the conversation I'd overheard in the kitchen, which I hadn't dared to mention to Michael yet. I didn't want to ruin our perfectly normal teenage night with a reminder of our strangeness.

We smiled at the other kids as they stared at us, and tried to act casual. The four of us commented on how the dance committee had really transformed the place. Our gym no longer looked like a relic from decades past, but more like an intentionally retro eighties dance club.

All the while, Ruth's voice buzzed like a little bee in my ear as she gave a running commentary on the other girls' dresses. Lexie, she p.r.o.nounced, looked great in her strapless blue mini, as did Charlotte in her black-and-white lace dress. But, Ruth said, what was Nikki thinking wearing that gold satin full-length gown with a crystal neckline?

I spotted Piper and Missy in a dark corner, almost behind a set of bleachers. The out-of-the-limelight spot seemed odd for the girls; I expected them to hold court front and center, especially at an event like this. And where were their dates? I knew Piper was going with Lucas, but I wondered who Missy's date was. I hadn't seen her with Charlie lately, but I had spotted her walking up the library stairs with that other guy. I guessed that guy was the Zeke mentioned in the flashes, and the figure I'd seen in the shadows.

Maybe Piper and Missy had sequestered themselves in the corner because one or both was mad that they hadn't been named Fall Queen, and maybe that had something to do with their plan. Their former friend Vanessa had somehow managed to rally an overwhelming majority in order to win the votes. I stopped dead in my tracks. Why was I spending even a minute of my night thinking about them, especially when Michael and I had made a pact to take a break from our investigation? I pushed all thoughts of Piper and Missy out of my mind so I could enjoy my night.

One of my favorite songs, Coldplay's "Lost," started to play, and Michael pulled me onto the dance floor. He carved out a place for us in the crowd, and then wrapped his arms tightly around my back. I looked up into his green eyes, bright even in the darkened room. For the millionth time, I thought how lucky I was to have found him.

The music grew louder, and he pressed his body up against mine. I held on to his strong upper arms and rested my head on his shoulder. The tempo of the song picked up, but Michael slowed down. He lifted up my chin and leaned down to kiss me.

His lips felt so soft, so inviting. I kissed him back and savored the gentle touch of his tongue. As he ran his tongue lightly over my teeth, I began to experience a surge of desire for him, unlike anything I'd felt during the many times I'd been physically close to him before. But this was no normal desire to kiss him, or go further. This was different than anything I'd ever felt before. This was bloodl.u.s.t.

We broke off and stared at each other. Michael felt it too. We had to leave the dance floor before something happened. Something we couldn't control. Something that would freak out everyone around us.

"I'm going to the bathroom to freshen up," I said, for the benefit of anyone nearby who might be listening.

"Do you want me to come with you?" he asked, his voice cracking a bit.

"No, no." The last thing I needed was Michael in close proximity to me. He shot me a concerned look, so I smiled and rea.s.sured him. "I'll be fine."

Michael walked me to the gym door nearest the bathrooms. He gave me a kiss on the cheek and then leaned against the wall, as if he needed its support. "I'll wait right here," he said, still breathing a little heavy.

I nodded and opened the door. A little unsteady on my feet-and my heels-I wobbled out into the jarring fluorescent glare of the hall. Blinking in the bright light, I turned right toward the girls' room. A long line of girls-all waiting to jockey for position in front of the mirror, no doubt-snaked out of the door into the hallway. I just couldn't face all that aggressive female energy in my state.

Instead, I turned left, pa.s.sing by the gym doors. Maybe a little walk would help distance me from the urge. I started down an empty hallway, lined with lockers and cla.s.sroom doors. Funny how the hall looked so unintimidating and small without all the kids streaming through it. After I cooled down, I turned back toward the gym-and Michael.

Then I heard a whimper from a connecting hallway. Backing up a few steps, I peeked down the hall. On first glance, it appeared empty. But then I saw a small movement in a darkened doorway, and I heard the whimper again. I hesitated. I really didn't want to deal with someone else's problems tonight of all nights. But the Good Samaritan in me won out over my apprehensions.

Not bothering to soften the click of my heels, I approached the dark niche. The whimper grew louder and became an actual bawl by the time I got there.

"Are you okay?" I said to the girl cowering in the doorway. Her face was buried in her hands, but I could see her upswept auburn hair and her chocolate brown dress. Maybe the poor girl had gotten into a fight with her date.