"Enough!" I say, and push him away. "I have evil to vanquish!" I laugh as I stick my arms back through my sleeves, and grab my cape off the arm of the sofa.

Connor raises his eyebrows and shakes his head.

"Yeah, I know-bring it down a notch."

Connor runs his hands through his hair again and then adjusts his pants. "I guess I'll go home and take a cold shower. If I'm lucky I can get in bed before my mom gets home."

I look at the disheveled couch cushions, the candle stub on the table, and the pumpkins- hating what I'm about to say. "Hey, I really don't like the thought of zapping the cute pumpkins you carved into oblivion with a spell. Do you think you could maybe clean up a little so my mom doesn't know we were out here? I'd do it, but the new me shouldn't be the last one to arrive."

"Sure, cleanup crew is my middle name."

He smiles, but I can't help feeling guilty. "Forget it, I'll do it when I get back-I'll have time to go out in the morning before she gets to work-she always sleeps in."

Connor walks over and kisses me. "I'm just yanking your chain. I don't mind, and the less evidence we leave behind, the better. Now get going!" He slaps me on the a.s.s and I head out.

I take my broom and run over to the mudroom door by the kitchen. Nuisance comes trotting out, and I quickly rub the top of his head. "Gotta go, baby," I coo, heading in. I walk over to the old chest and flip open the top. I check out a couple stakes, choose pine, and slip it in my cloak. I grab a maple one for backup, and plunge it in the air as I run back outside. "Hasta la vista, vamp."

I slip the stake in my other pocket and mount my broom.

"I fly in darkness for the good of all, let me pa.s.s unseen till I land again." The electric tingle of the cloaking spell rushes over me and I head up over the trees toward the high school, hoping the vamp goes down quickly so I can go back home and dream about Connor.

6.

I land behind the baseball dugout, and wonder if I'm the first one. Dragging my broom through the dirt, I walk to the front and see Zahara, Sascha, and Dani sitting silently on the bench-a small fluorescent lightbulb crackles on and off above them.

"No Margo yet? Where is she?" I ask, pleased she'll be the last to arrive for a change.

"I'm not sure. She was at the meetinghouse when they got the call, so she should be here soon," Zahara says quietly.

"Well, after the c.r.a.p she gave me about my mom not seeing the stupid cauldron she should-"

"Jules," Dani interrupts, "it's Kelsey DeFelice. That's who we're after tonight."

I bite my lip, hating myself for joking about tonight's kill with Connor earlier. I didn't think it'd be someone I know- someone my age. We haven't hunted anyone we knew in years, and just the thought of staking Kelsey makes my stomach turn. "I thought she'd just dropped out of school.

When did they get her?"

"Apparently she wanted to take the goth stuff to the next level and got herself turned on purpose," Zahara says. "At least that's what Mrs. Keyes told my mom."

"Why would anyone do that? That's crazy-that's a . . ."

"A death wish," Sascha says. "G.o.d, this sucks-I like Kelsey. She was one of the few girls at school who actually talked to me. She was my partner for the pig dissection in ninth grade. We named our pig Lucifer, and I did all of the cutting because, ironically, she was too grossed out.

We used to drink peppermint schnapps in the locker room showers before gym cla.s.s last year."

Sascha laughs quietly. "She always said we had to be minty-fresh and buzzed so we could deal with the jock girls and floor hockey."

Zahara lowers her chin and shakes her head. "My mom said she's turned a bunch of guys since she got bit. We have to do it-she's a killing machine-like all the rest of them. And if she got herself turned she knew the risks. It's not like vamps think they're untouchable-they know people are out hunting them. We need to treat her like any other vampire-toast!"

"I heard it's like crack," Dani whispers.

"Crack?" Zahara asks. "What the h.e.l.l are you talking about?"

Dani fidgets with her broom handle. "Online-there's this, like, message board, and well, I don't know if the people on it are really vamps or not, but from what they're saying, getting bit is like- o.r.g.a.s.mic."

"Oh, my freaking G.o.d!" Zahara says. "Little Miss Innocent is trolling vamp-wannabe message boards reading about o.r.g.a.s.ms! You didn't believe that bull, did you? Even if they were real vamps on there, they'd just be feeding people what they want to hear so they can sink their fangs in them. Crack!" she laughs. "Wait until Margo hears this."

"I-I, uh, was just doing research," Dani sputters. "I knew it was all made up-I was just telling you what I read. But shouldn't we be getting ready for Kelsey?"

"Yeah, it's almost time," I say, trying to help Dani change the subject. I finger the tip of my stake in my pocket. "Who's gonna bind her?"

"I'll do it," Sascha says. "I've got one in my hand already, but I don't want to dust her."

No one says another word, and I know we're all hoping someone else will volunteer to do it, or that Kelsey will get nasty and one of us won't mind doing the deed. I pull on the chain of my necklace and I'm relieved to see the stone in the center is dark.

"Maybe she won't show up," I say.

"Troy?" a voice calls out.

"That's her," Dani says. "She's coming."

"Andreeeew," Kelsey calls out in a singsong voice.

Her footsteps get closer and I stuff my necklace back under my cape so Kelsey won't see it when it starts to glow. I realize the dugout light is still on and my heart quickens as I look for the switch.

"Out!" Dani says, pointing to the bare bulb, beating me to it.

I breathe a sigh of relief that the parking lot lights don't reach all the way into the benches.

"Where ya hiding, guys?" Kelsey calls out.

"d.a.m.n," Sascha whispers. "This sucks."

"You boys ready for me?" Kelsey says as she rounds the corner. "You ready to . . ." She sees us and freezes. "Whoa, Sascha? Is that you? Julia Harris?" She nods at Dani and Z. "You girls partying out here?"

My eyes go wide as I wait for Sascha to throw the binder.

"Hey, Kelsey," Zahara says. "Long time no see! What've you been up to? You got smart and ditched the school thing I heard."

I'm glad Z has the brains to stall for time. I nudge Sascha and think I see a tear glide down her cheek.

"Ha, yeah," Kelsey says. "Somethin' like that." She runs her fingers through her black hair and hitches up her baggy pants. "You seen Troy Dillon and Andrew White? They graduated last year, but we kinda have a date." Kelsey winks and her black lipsticked mouth beaks into a knowing smile.

"Haven't seen them," Zahara says, "but we were just about to light up a joint-want to join us?"

Kelsey laughs. "Man, I had a feeling those two were gonna blow me off, but so what? I'll party with you girls tonight! Show them, huh?"

She walks into the dugout and I elbow Sascha again. "Let's get going, Sascha. Light it up."

Sascha's hand b.u.mps into mine, and I realize she's trying to pa.s.s the binder to me.

"I see you girls got smart and ditched that b.i.t.c.h, Margo. I never could figure out what you saw in her, Sascha, I mean, d.a.m.n that girl. .." Kelsey pauses and looks at each of us each in turn-her eyebrows raised. "What is up with the Little Red Riding Hood look? This is obviously some fashion trend I missed, and I'm thinking you shoulda missed out on it, too!"

I grit my teeth and hate that I'm feeling embarra.s.sed to be wearing a cape. I hate that some three-hundred-year-old rule says it's the only thing to go out hunting in. I hate that we're buying into that rule. I grab the binder, and flinging it at Kelsey's feet-a foot or so off. "We bind you to the earth!" I yell, but I'm pretty sure the binder won't take.

"What the h.e.l.l?" Kelsey's head jerks around as the dirt and dust of the dugout floor start to twist up her legs. She stares at us for a split second, and then bares her sharp teeth. "Witches!"

She leaps up, morphs into a large brown bat, and flaps against the ceiling of the dugout, then heads toward the wide opening. A small sandstorm rises up trying to capture her before falling back to the ground.

"Reveal!" We scream together, our arms held high, aiming at the bat.

The spell hits, and Kelsey, human again, crashes to the ground on her back just outside the dugout. Sascha throws another binder at her. "We bind you to the earth!"

As Kelsey struggles to get up, the dirt rises up, engulfing her, twisting along her arms and legs and across her stomach-pinning her down. She cranes her head up, looking at us. "What the f.u.c.k are you doing to me?"

"I'm sorry," Sascha says. "I didn't want to do this."

Kelsey struggles to move, but the binder's too strong. "You're a f.u.c.king witch! s.h.i.t! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I-I'm so sorry," Sascha says again. She looks at me and her shoulders cave. "I can't do this." She runs back toward the benches and I hear her sobbing.

"I wasn't gonna get you!" Kelsey spits out. "I just thought we were gonna have a smoke. I wasn't even gonna tell you what I was, 'cause we're friends. Right, Sascha? Sascha! We're friends!" She thrashes around for a few seconds then growls in frustration. "Let me go, okay?

You'll never see me again."

Bile rises in my throat as I watch her splayed out on the ground struggling, helpless. I think about all the vamps I've staked without thought-without really, truly caring about who they used to be.

"We can't let you go," I say, keeping my voice steady. "You've hurt too many people."

"Oh, for G.o.d's sake! I didn't do anyone that didn't want it. h.e.l.l, Troy and Andrew know what I am-we were just gonna have a little fun. I wasn't gonna turn them! Please." Her voice cracks and she starts to cry. "Sascha? Sascha, don't let them do this, please!"

"Look, we're all sorry, but you chose this-you knew the risks," Zahara says, acting the hard-a.s.s again, but I notice she hasn't taken a stake out of her cloak.

"Oh, man, you sanctimonious s.h.i.ts are too much. But even if you b.i.t.c.hes go through with this, it'll have been worth it. No regrets!" Kelsey struggles and cranes her neck up off the ground.

The binder pulls on her and she throws her head back to the ground, and sighs. "Well, what the h.e.l.l are you waiting for? You always torture your vics before you kill them? Is that what you s.a.d.i.s.tic freaks like? "

"No!" I say. "We don't want to do this, but-"

"What's a matter, Sascha, why ya hiding back there? Don't you wanna stake me? Ya gonna let your prissy friend, Zahara, do it? Or what about you, Dani?" she snarls. "Show me how tough you are!"

"Will someone do it already?!" Sascha yells.

Dani looks at me with pleading eyes, but I shake my head. "Z?"

"Why me?" Zahara mutters as she finally pulls a stake out of her cape pocket. "I wish I didn't have to do this, Kelsey, but- "Oh, for G.o.d's sake," Margo says, landing by home plate. She stalks toward us with one hand on her hip, dragging her broom with the other. "She's still alive?" She stands next to Kelsey, glaring at us all. "You couldn't handle one stupid vamp without me?"

Margo drops her broom, pulls a stake out, and kneels down next to Kelsey. Kelsey's eyes go wide, like she figured none of us would actually go through with it, but now she knows it's really going to happen.

"Margo, no!" Kelsey screams, trying to twist out of the binding. "Please! Let's talk-let's- ".

Margo puts one hand on Kelsey's upper chest and then slams the stake into her heart with the other. I hear the stake splinter as it goes through her and hit the ground. Margo turns her head as Kelsey implodes-her last cry echoing in our ears.

Margo stands up and brushes the fine dust-the last remnants of Kelsey-off the front of her shirt. "What was the problem here? You had her bound-why didn't you stake her?"

Zahara takes a step toward her. "It was Kelsey-and you know-we know her and ..."

"I don't remember anyone complaining when we staked that librarian who used to do story time," Margo says.

"That was different!" I say, amazed Margo is being so cold about this. "That was our first hunt and Miss Melissa was out of control-there was a definite kill-or-be-killed thing going on that night. Kelsey didn't even show her fangs until we tried to bind her!"

Margo laughs. "Oh, please. Do you really think Kelsey was going to hang out with you- no fangs involved? It's cla.s.sic vamp stuff. She was just trying to get close."

Zahara looks at the rest of us. "I don't know-I kind of think she did just want to party with us."

I nod. "And it's not like she could have taken all of us."

Margo rolls her eyes. "It takes seconds- seconds for a vamp to mesmerize someone-or a group of someones. She was obviously going to try to get you under sway, and then take her pick.

And what would've prevented her from calling in some friends to help her finish you all off? She was a vamp; we kill vamps. End of discussion."

"But I don't think she was after us-seriously. If you could've just seen her." Zahara kicks the ground. "Where were you, by the way?"

Margo jerks her head toward Z. "I ... I was . . . I'm just late, okay?!"

"Fine," Z says, "but don't get on our case if you weren't here to see the whole thing through! And I still say she wasn't going to reveal."

"And you know what?" I add. "My necklace is supposed to warn about danger and it was completely dark seconds before she showed up!"

"Actually," Dani says, "it could've stopped working already. Your mom did say the stones could empty at any time."

Margo takes a deep breath. "Bottom line, this is our job. We can't personalize it."

"Wow, sounds like you got some great insights into hunting during your little initiation,"

Sascha says, getting up off the bench. She walks right up to Margo-and I can tell Margo's not liking the close proximity.

Sascha tilts her head and looks Margo up and down. "Apparently they exorcised the last remnants of feeling out of you, too."

Margo's mouth drops open, and then she narrows her eyes. "Well, you'll find out soon enough, won't you? Four more days until your birthday, and then you can decide for yourself whether or not a vamp's worth crying over."

"I'm out of here," Sascha says, grabbing her broom from the corner of the dugout. "Happy freaking birthday, Margo."