Tears poured down Courtneyas cheeks. She turned and scowled at Livvy. aYou jealous bitch.

Youave snapped it in two! How could you do this to me? Iall kill you for this!a Livvy opened her mouth to protest, but no sound came out.

Ross slid his arm around Courtneyas shoul- ders and guided her down the stairs.

aRoss, donat go!a Livvy called. aStay with 226.

me. Let Ari take her.a Ross didnat answer. Ari hurried to the stairs. aIad better go with them and help out.a They disappeared down the stairs. Destiny heard the kitchen door slam behind them.

Livvy hugged herself. She crossed the room to Destiny. aI hardly touched her,a she said. aIt was just an accident. I didnat try to break her arm. You believe me, right?a Destiny sighed. aYes, I believe you.a Livvy shut her eyes. aCourtney started it.

She grabbed me first. What does she think sheas doing? She knows I love Ross.a Destiny gasped. aLove? Did you say alovea?a Livvy nodded. She opened her eyes. aYes, I did. Why are you staring at me?a aWell a for one thing, Ross is probably a vampire hunter. Do you think head love you back if he knewa"a aHe cares for me. He told me so.a aBut you know Ross. He never goes with anyone for long. He always has three or four girls chasing him.a aThis is different,a Livvy insisted. aHe and Ia"weave talked. Heas serious about me.

Courtney has been trying to break us up. But I 227.

canat let her do that. She asked for it, Dee. She really did.a Destiny shook her head. aShe asked for it?

She asked for a broken arm? Did you see the bone sticking out through the skin?a aIad like to do worse to her.a aDonat say that, Livvy. Thatas horrible.a A sob escaped Livvyas throat. aYou donat understand me, Dee. Youare just like everyone else.a aStop talking like that,a Destiny snapped.

aWe have more important thingsa"a aNothing is more important than Ross and me!a Livvy screamed.

aCalm down. Calm down. Youare not think- ing clearly. Listen to me, Liv. Right now, getting to Renz is more important. We have to see him as soon as we can and tell him we need his special powers. Wea"a Destiny stopped when she heard the front door slam. A few seconds later, she heard heavy, trudging footsteps in the kitchen.

Both girls went to the stairs. aDad, is that you? Are you home?a Destiny called.

No answer.

Destiny led the way down the stairs. aDad?a 228.

He had his back to them. He was hunched over the sink, washing his hands.

aDad?a When he turned, Destiny let out a cry. His shirt was torn open and stained. Streams of dark blood had caked on his forehead. Both hands were cut and bleeding.

aOh my God!a Destiny cried. aDada"are you okay? What happened?a 229.

Chapter Thirty-Two.

aHer Blood Was Draineda aIam okay,a he said. aReally.a aBut, Dada"a Both girls rushed over to him. aWhat hap- pened?a Destiny repeated.

aA little car accident,a he said.

Livvy caught him as his knees started to fold. aA car accident? Are you hurt? Are you okay?a aIam fine, really.a He swung free of Livvy and stuck his hands under the rushing hot water in the sink. aMy mind wandered, I guess.

I hit a mailbox. No big deal.a Destiny stared at him. aYour mind wan- dered? Dad, youave got to get yourself together.

You could have been killed.a aI know,a he said, shaking his head. aBut Iam fine. Really.a aYouare not fine,a Destiny said. aYouare not yourself, and you know it.a 230.

aYouave been working too hard,a Livvy said.

aLook what time it is.a aI know. I know,a he muttered. aWhen youare right, youare right.a He forced a smile.

Then he shut off the water and went dripping across the kitchen, heading to his room.

Destiny and Livvy exchanged nervous glances. aHeas all cut up,a Livvy murmured.

aIam really worried about him,a Destiny said.

She looked out the kitchen window. Her dadas SUV stood in the driveway, close to the garage. Light from the kitchen washed over it.

aThatas so weird,a she said to Livvy. aCome here. Check this out. Dadas car a it looks perfectly fine.a Two days later, the phone woke her up. Destiny raised her head off the pillow and gazed out the window. The morning sky was still charcoal gray.

She fumbled for the phone and picked it up.

aHello?a Her voice was still hoarse from sleep.

She heard someone crying on the other end.

aHello? Who is this?a Muffled sobs. Then a choked voice she 231.

didnat recognize. aDee, itas me.a aWho? Pleasea"a aIam sorry. I canat stop crying.a aAna-Li? Is that you? Whatas wrong? Are you okay?a aYes, Iam okay. I mean, no. You see, Courtney a itas Courtney aa A shock jolted Destiny wide awake. She jerked up in bed and dropped her feet to the floor. aCourtney? Yes, I know. She broke her arm the other night.a aHer arm? No. No. No. Sheas dead, Dee,a Ana-Li said between sobs. aHer parents a they found her in the backyard. Sheas dead. Her blood a oh my God a her blood was drained, Dee. Courtneyas dead.a Destiny held a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. Ana-Lias voice sounded unreal in her ears. The words werenat making sense.

She didnat want the words to make sense.

Please let this be a mistake.

But no. Through her sobs, Ana-Li contin- ued. aThereas no school. School is canceled.

Everyone is afraid. Itas so frightening, Dee. The Vampire Killera"he a he struck again. Poor Courtney. I a canat believe it. I just saw her 232.

yesterday. First Bree and now aa The Vampire Killer?

No. I donat think so.

aI a Iall call you back, Ana-Li. I canat talk now. Later, okay? I a Iam too upset.a She clicked off the phone and tossed it onto the bed.

aLivvy!a she screamed.

She stared at her sister across the room, on her stomach, hair spilling over the pillow, one hand trailing over the side of the bed to the floor.

aLivvya"you killed her!a Livvy raised her head sleepily. aWhat are you talking about?a aDonat pretend. Donat play innocent with me.a Destiny grabbed her twin by the shoulders and shook her awake. aYou killed her. You killed Courtney.a Livvy pushed Destinyas hands away and yawned. aOh my God! Courtneyas dead?a She shut her eyes. aHow? How did it happen?a aYou know how!a Destiny cried. aYou did ita"didnat you, Livvy! You were afraid youad lose Ross. So youa"youa"a Destinyas voice broke into sobs.

Livvy turned her face away from Destiny.

233.

aThatas horrible,a she murmured. aHorrible news. I really canat believe it.a Trembling, Destiny stared down at her sister. aYouare not even pretending to be sorry.

How could you, Livvy? Courtney didnat have to diea"just because she and Rossa"a aLeave Ross out of it,a Livvy snapped. aI didnat do it, Dee. I swear to you.a Destinyas voice broke again. aMy own sister.

I a I canat even look at you.a aWell, you wonat have to for long.a aWhat does that mean?a Destiny cried.

aWhat are you saying? Have you gone crazy?

Are you that far gone? Have you gone nuts like Mrs. Bauer?a aSpeak for yourself, Dee.a Livvy stood up and, pulling down her nightshirt, made her way to the bathroom.

Destiny strode up behind her and spun her around. aLivvya"you killed for Ross. You killed a human being. Doesnat that mean anything to you? Donat you even realize whatas happened to you? Donat you think about the trouble weare both in? We have to find Renz right away. We have to be restored.a aMaybe I have my own plan,a Livvy said 234.

through gritted teeth.

aHuh? What are you saying?a Livvy dove into the bathroom and slammed the door.

aWhat are you saying, Livvy?a Destiny demanded. aWhat kind of plan?a 235.

Chapter Thirty-Three.

A Valuable Nature Lesson aWhereas your sister?a Ana-Li asked.

Destiny shrugged. aBeats me. She left the house right after breakfast. She didnat say a word to me.a aSheas just afraid,a Ana-Li said. aWe all are.

Our friends are dying off one by one. None of us knows how to deal with it. So Livvy acts angry.

Thatas her way. Sheall calm down a once they catch the murderer.a Destiny spent the day at Ana-Lias house. Ari and Fletch and some other kids dropped by after lunch. No one felt much like talking. But some-how it felt safer to be together.

Destiny thought about Livvy all day. And she thought about Renz. School is closed. Livvy and I canat see him today. How much longer can we wait?

She returned home at dinnertime to find the house empty. A phone message from Dad said 236.

that he was working late and that Mikey was staying at a friendas. No sign of Livvy.

Destiny didnat feel hungry, but she shoved a frozen pizza into the oven. She forced down a slice without even tasting it, then went up to her room. She began to pace back and forth, wondering what she should do next.

She picked up Livvyas nightshirt from where it had been tossed on the floor, folded it, and placed it on Livvyas bed. Livvyas eye shadows and lipsticks were a jumble on her dressing table. Destiny began to straighten them, putting caps on the tubes and bottles.

Destiny didnat start to feel strange until just after eight oaclock. Thatas when her skin started to tingle, her back itched, and she felt a powerful gnawing sensation in the pit of her stomach.

She ignored it at first. But the tingling became an ache and the gnawing, tumbling feel- ing in her stomach nearly doubled her over.

I need some fresh air.

She opened the window and took several deep breaths. She gripped the windowsill so tightly her hands ached.

Please a please a make this stop.

So hungry. Iam so hungry.

237.

She felt her hair stiffen and heard it crackle.

And then her skin was crackling too. Her grip on the sill loosened, and her hands shrank quickly.

Whatas happening to me?

She felt herself pulling inward a closing in a changing so fast. All crackly and stiff.

Muscles tightened. Vision blurred. Banging heartbeats made her chest throb.

Am I sick? Whatas happening? I canat con- trol it!

She saw her clothes in a rumpled pile below her. She felt herself floating up, floating effort-lessly.

She fluttered off the windowsill. Sailed across the room, up to her dresser mirror.

aNOOOOOOOO!a Her scream escaped as a shrill whistle.

Spreading her wings, she squinted into the mirror. Her sight strange, fragmented. But she could see clearly enough.

She could see her fur-covered body attached to the thin, veined wings, her tiny, red eyes, her rodent mouth hanging open as she stared a a stared at the bat in the mirror.

Screeching in horror, she turned, flapping 238.

her wings frantically, and spun in midair.

Hungry. So hungry now.

She sailed through the open window, out into the night.

Iam not human anymore. Iam a bat. I a want to go home. I want to go back.

But the hunger drove her through the purple-gray sky, over the dark houses. The cool wind felt good, rushing under her wings. She could feel her rapid heartbeats drumming in her chest, and feel the gnawing hunger in her belly.

Her wings flapped silently as she swooped low over a wooded fielda"and found what she was searching for. An owl on a high tree limb, staring straight ahead, so still, feathers bristling in the wind. A fat owl, filled with delicious blood a She swooped at it, opening her mouth hun- grily. Screeching down, she dug her teeth into its chest.

She didnat expect it to fight back. But the owl slashed a deep cut in her left wing.

Thrashing wildly, it tore at her belly with its beak.