CAROLINE'S EYES GLOWED YELLOW for a moment and then she crumpled into Iosefa's shoulder. "No. My poor baby is dead," she sobbed. "No, she's not. And I think she's trying to talk to me."Caroline sat up, her eyes shining with hope. "You saw her? How?"I explained the grainy black and white vision and the true dream of her with Peter. Her face paled when I told her about Shanna and Peter's bond."But she's alive," she whispered. "They told me she was dead. And she stopped talking to me ..." Her face fell again. "And now he's mutilated her ...""What do you mean she stopped talking to you?" Zander asked.Caroline opened and closed her mouth, unable to explain. Iosefa rubbed a hand along her arm and took over. "Shannandoah was--" "Is," I interrupted.He clenched his eyebrows together before nodding. "Very well then. Shanna is a telepath."Zander and I scooted forward to the edge of our seats. "She can read people's minds?" I asked.Both Iosefa and Caroline nodded. "And she can
ZANDER NARROWED HIS EYES. I didn't trust her either. The twins' mother might appear small and harmless, but she was cranky and mean. And now she was popping out of thin air like a ghost. From the smile on her face, she'd enjoyed our reaction, too. "That's a good question," said Zander, choosing not to comment on her sudden appearance. "It's something I'm trying to find out."She nodded, curiosity dancing in her eyes. "I'm surprised your mother didn't look at your marks."I frowned at her, thinking that she'd probably been hoping to sneak a peek at them herself. "That's really nobody's business but our own." "You're right, of course," she said, smiling slyly. "But you're wrong about them being a 'supernatural hickey.'" She smirked at me, reminding me that she'd overheard my conversation with Ruthie in the driveway. I felt my face heat up."Supernatural hickey, huh?" Zander said in my mind."That was all Ruthie," I replied, and he chuckled."Whatever you have on your shoulder bl
SUDDENLY, SOMEONE RIPPED OPEN the back door. Ruthie's voice cut through the haze of shocking news that Mrs. Efoti had just delivered. "Hey, guys!" I looked toward the kitchen to see her skipping toward us. "Mr. Efoti is kicking us out," she said indifferently. "Time to skedaddle. Enough of this serious crap. I need to start primping for tomorrow." It sounded like she was ordering us to leave, but her eyes sought out mine with a question. I blinked, still processing what I'd heard. Ruthie's eyebrows drew together as she looked from me to Zander with concern."Yeah, we can go now," I agreed, rising from the couch before she could question me. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, but didn't pursue her curiosity.The twins ambled in behind Ruthie, Isaac dwarfing his sister. Phoebe seemed surprised to see her mother alone with us. "Where's Caroline and Uncle Iosefa?""Aunt Caroline," corrected her mother. Phoebe rolled her eyes. "I mean Aunt Caroline.""She wasn't fe
I STARED AT MY reflection in the mirror. Ruthie had given me an "up-do" with intricate braids and curls that weighed down my head, making me feel unbalanced as I teetered on my heels. Sparkly bronze flowers were tucked in here and there, matching the design on the bodice. It bedazzled the eye with twinkling stones and shadowy aqua and bronze lines that branched upward from my waist and over the capped sleeves. A wide aqua band of fabric made my waist look smaller, and the skirt flared out into an A-line, falling in waves to the floor and billowing around my feet. It was hands-down the most beautiful thing I'd ever worn, and like I had my own fairy godmother.I blinked rapidly, fighting back tears of gratitude for my dad who had forked out the money for the dress, the shoes, and the jewelry. Mrs. Robles had done the legwork to track down the dresses and matching accessories. Ruthie couldn't say enough about how awesome her mom was, a welcome change from her normal ranting about her. Sh
RUTHIE HAD HEADED DOWN without me and I could hear her parents oohing and aahing over her. I descended the stairs, carefully placing each foot in front of the other. Grasping the railing with one hand, I concentrated so hard on walking that I forgot to be nervous. Halfway down I glanced up. Zander stood at the bottom, slack-jawed. I looked him over from head to toe and almost missed the next step. His auburn hair was slicked back, the sides flat. He wore a slim, slate grey tuxedo with a matching vest and bow tie. His hands held a clear corsage box. Suddenly, bright lights flashed between us and I blinked. Ruthie's parents were going all paparazzi."Mom! Dad! Seriously!" whined Ruthie.The spell broken, I noticed Maverick standing next to Zander. He was trying not to gape at his date, and as I watched his customary control cracking a bit, I almost laughed out loud. He wore a black tuxedo with a silver tie that complemented the sparkly bodice of Ruthie's dress. Ruthie had bought it f
THE SCHOOL LOOKED LIKE a medieval fantasyland. Metal knight statues that seemed to watch our every move framed the front doors. Couples snapped pictures next to them before going inside where the music blared with the promise of a good time. It was almost like Ruthie had written the script. Arm in arm, the four of us practically floated through the doorway and into the auditorium. We gasped with delight when we saw that it was decorated with hundreds of sparkling stars hanging from strings of lights on a lowered ceiling. A castle backdrop hung from the stage and flickering sconces in varying shapes and sizes stuck out from the walls like glowing gargoyles. Students melted out of our way, staring and whispering as we glided across the floor. For the first time in my life, I didn't care. I knew I looked like a million bucks, I was here with the guy I loved, and my best friend was by my side inhaling the silent adulation like a movie star. Zander and Maverick led us out to the dance floor
I TURNED TO ISAAC and Phoebe. They were doing their twin talk again. I recognized it more easily now that Zander and I could communicate the same way. I scanned the dance floor for Ruthie and Maverick as I waited patiently. Minutes went by."Where's Ruthie?" asked Phoebe, suddenly noticing her absence."I don't know," I replied. "The last time I saw her, she and Maverick were still on the dance floor.""Wynona and Luke are sitting over there," said Isaac, pointing to a table on the left side of the gym where they were laughing at some of the dancers. "Maybe they've seen them."When we approached, they stood up, their expressions alert as they assessed our moods. "What happened?" asked Luke. "Peter's here," said Isaac with a snarl. Luke cursed."But Zander went to talk with him," I quickly added. "Peter was dancing with Phoebe. He must have erased some of her memories because she doesn't remember why she shouldn't have been dancing with him."Isaac had Phoebe by the arm, but she
"RUTHIE IS A FORCE of nature, Tru," said Phoebe. "There was no way to avoid involving that girl."The weight room's overhead lights flickered with foreboding. We glanced around, wondering what was going on, but then they stopped.Regret etched lines into Maverick's face. "I'm sorry, guys," he said, hanging his head. "I let my guard down, and now ..." His thoughts were easy to deduce. He was assuming the blame. He had allowed himself a little fun - at a high school dance no less - and therefore, Ruthie had been abducted. But it wasn't his fault. No matter what Phoebe said, I knew the fault was all mine."It's okay, man," said Zander. "We'll get her back. But first, can you tell us what happened?" Maverick nodded, deep lines forming between his eyes. "I walked Ruthie to the restroom and went to the men's room. Two guys jumped me inside. I didn't even get to take a swing." He took a deep breath and ran both hands over his pale face. "Before the lights went out, they said somethin