A Killer First Date (5 page)

“It’s citrine,” I explained. “If you wear it, it’ll block you from taking too much energy from other people. And from, you know, stopping time accidentally.”

Spencer swore again. “Man, I miss all the fun.”

“Oh yeah,” I said drily. “It was loads of fun. Can you explain it, by the way?”

“Side effect from the vampire blood in the magic.” I could imagine him shrugging through the phone.

“Is that why the broken carousel Lucy and Nicholas were on did the opposite and sped up?”

“Probably a reaction to Nicholas. And if he and Lucy were kissing like you said, it sparked off the kiss Vanessa gave Brent. And made a big mess.”

“Will the citrine work?”

“Of course it’ll work,” Spencer said. “I got straight As before I died, remember?”

I glanced at Vanessa. “Are you going to be okay now?” She nodded, looking sad but relatively calm. “Good. We’ll be watching you.” I felt stupid saying it, but she had to know she couldn’t just go around draining people.

“Ooh, very Bellwood,” Spencer said with a laugh in my ear, referring to our school’s scary headmistress before hanging up.

By the time I debriefed to the main agent in charge, it was past midnight and she insisted on driving me back to school. Chloe was awake, typing away on her laptop as usual. Her eyes were wide.

“Dude. I just talked to Spencer.”

I dropped my bag wearily. “Yeah, some night.” I kicked off my sneakers, shrugged out of my jacket, and turned toward my bed. Chloe swiveled in her chair to watch my reaction, smirking.

My bed was covered in flowers. Not roses—they were too common for Quinn. Instead, there were lilies and daisies and black-eyed Susans scattered over my blanket, under my pillow, and on the floor all around the bed. I smiled a goofy smile I was pretty sure I’d never smiled before.

“He came in through the window. Luckily, he called me first so I didn’t stake him.” Chloe shook her head, grinning. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Where can I get a Drake brother of my very own?”

The cool wind and the feel of Nicholas’s back supporting me chased away the last of the jittery adrenaline. He took me back to the Drake farm, but bypassed the main drive to the house, keeping to the fields instead. He stopped the bike at the edge of the woods. It was quiet, with just the wind and the frogs singing from a distant pond. His hand was cool in mine as he led me to a huge gnarled maple tree. The leaves were already starting to change color, like little pieces of sunshine even in the middle of the night.

“The tree fort,” I whispered. “I’d forgotten all about it.”

It was a series of platforms with slanted roofs and little railings. Solange and I spent an entire winter launching snowball wars on the boys from the highest platform. We still hung out in one of the oak trees on the other side of the farm since it was closest to the road and my house, but I hadn’t been back to the tree fort in years.

“I’m calling a do-over on tonight,” Nicholas said softly, leading me up the ladder into the tree branches. The leaves rustled gently. There were candles in lanterns that he lit, and cushions scattered around. “I still come here a lot,” he admitted. “When things get complicated.”

And lately things were always complicated. Except for right now. I sat next to him, our legs dangling over the edge. He put his arm around my shoulder until I was tucked against his side. The warm candlelight gleamed in his pale eyes.

We didn’t bicker or banter, we just sat there, swinging our feet and smiling as the last of summer faded away. He glanced down at me, smiling wickedly.

“So, about prom . . .”

Copyright © 2012 by Alexandra Harvey
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First published in the United States of America in February 2012
by Walker Publishing Company, Inc., a division of Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc.
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ISBN 978-0-8027-3425-9 (e-book)