Ominous (20 page)

Since first arriving at Easton last year, I had attended some elaborate parties. Birthday celebrations on yachts, fund-raising parties at swank New York City locales, clambakes in Nantucket where the most basic thing on the menu was barbecued lobster meat in sweet-cream butter sauce. Not to mention the Legacy soirees—huge events with elaborate settings, attended by the most overly indulged, ridiculously privileged, stunningly beautiful kids on the Eastern Seaboard. But my seventeenth birthday party blew them all out of the water.

If I hadn’t been so distracted trying to keep an eye on all my friends, I would’ve been having the time of my life.

The Lange mansion had three huge party-appropriate rooms on its ground level. First there was the grand foyer, with its marble floor, winding staircase, and two-story ceiling. Then there was the ballroom, which had literally hosted balls at some point in its history, and could therefore adequately hold upward of two hundred guests.
Finally, there was the dining room, which boasted fireplaces at both ends and normally held a gleaming oak table long enough to seat forty people comfortably.

Tonight that table had been removed and replaced by several cozy seating sections for people to lounge on while they noshed on seafood skewers and swigged five-hundred-dollar champagne. Colorful bubbles floated across the ceiling, and the sound of waves was being piped at a subtle level through dozens of hidden speakers. On the low tables at the center of each seating section were the aquarium centerpieces Noelle had promised, and along the walls stood elaborate arrangements of coral and sea anemones, which had somehow been animated to sway lazily, as if they were actually growing from the bottom of the ocean. The ballroom was set up for dancing, with colorful mesh eels dangling from the ceiling, undulating eerily and flashing different hues to the beat of the music the DJ was spinning from his booth. The walls had been papered with light blue and aqua green swaths of fabric, which heaved like waves, and actual sand dunes lined the walls.

I hadn’t spent much time in there, however, because my friends had been keeping to the dining room, huddled together at two of the comfy seating areas. Whenever they did move, they were easy to track, since they stayed in a clump as they shuffled from room to room. Ironically, they reminded me of that old children’s book,
Swimmy
, in which Swimmy the fish teaches his tiny friends to swim together in the shape of one big fish in order to keep the larger predators away. Just like the tiny fish, my friends were sticking together for safety.
I was glad they were taking the threat seriously, even if they hadn’t believed in the book of spells. Unfortunately, Kiki hadn’t arrived yet, and her absence was starting to make me tense. Especially considering she and Constance—who was currently downing a shrimp cocktail to my left—were the two under the greatest threat.

“You don’t have to hover, you know,” Noelle said, looking up at me as the latest group of well-wishers edged away into the crowd. “I can keep an eye on everyone.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind,” I replied.

I glanced over my shoulder toward the corner where Goran and Sam were stationed. They had agreed to keep a reasonable distance so as not to cramp our style, but I always felt their eyes on me. Not to mention my mom’s and dad’s. At the moment they were standing a few feet away from the bodyguards, chatting with Constance’s parents, whom they had just met. Luckily, Noelle’s mom and dad were elsewhere. I’d yet to see my mother in the same room with my biological father, and I hoped I wouldn’t have to—ever. Imagining how that scenario might play out made my head feel like it was going to explode.

Noelle got up onto her knees and leaned her hands on the back of the couch on which she, Portia, and Rose were sitting. “I didn’t do all that planning just so you could stand there and not enjoy it. Go! Dance! Find your floppy-haired boy toy. I’m on babysitting duty.”

I laughed and lifted one shoulder. I hadn’t seen Josh yet tonight, and I couldn’t wait for him to arrive. “Well, if you insist…. Thanks, Noelle.”

She shooed me away and I finally turned, noting how Sam hopped into action the second I stirred. I greeted a few more guests as I moved through the door and into the foyer—some faces familiar, some completely new—and made my way into the ballroom. All the while my senses were on high alert, and I made sure to keep an eye out for anyone out of place, any strange movement, any prying eyes.

The music in the ballroom was so loud the floor shook beneath my silver shoes, and my rib cage seemed to radiate the beat. I paused for a moment to get my bearings in the relative darkness. I heard my brother, Scott, let out a whoop from somewhere near the center of the dance floor, and all I could do was hope he wasn’t making too big of a jackass out of himself.

“Reed! There you are!”

Suddenly I was caught up in a quadruple hug. I recognized Kiran Hayes’s signature flowery-musk scent before I ever got a look at her face. When I pulled back, there she was in all her supermodel glory. Just the sight of her brought back so many memories of my first days at Easton and Billings that my eyes flooded with tears. She wore a dark green dress with an elaborate ruffled collar that grazed her razor-sharp cheekbones and accentuated her olive complexion. With her was Taylor Bell, another of my first friends at Easton. Her curly blond hair was pulled back in a crazy ponytail and she wore an offthe-shoulder blue jumpsuit that made her look as slim as Kiran. The third set of arms belonged to Natasha Crenshaw, my former roommate and still good friend, whose royal blue dress was conservative but still accentuated her every curve. Her long black curls had been
twisted into an elaborate bun at the nape of her neck, and her dark skin shone under the strobe lights.

“Guess Noelle gave you a heads-up on the color scheme,” I said with a smirk, noting how their outfits complemented the décor.

“It’s good to have friends in high places,” Kiran demurred, taking a sip of her champagne. “You look amazing!”

“Thanks,” I replied, looking down at my own dark aqua dress. The silk skirt floated around my knees like a cool breeze, and the portrait neckline played down my athletic shoulders. I’d found it at the foot of Noelle’s bed that morning, inside a huge white box with a pink bow. The card read
HAPPY BIRTHDAY—WALLACE LANGE
. I had a feeling Noelle had actually picked it out, but I appreciated the gesture.

“Amazing, but tired,” Natasha added, reaching for my hand. “Everything okay?”

I smiled, exhausted. Leave it to Natasha to not only notice my current state, but call me out on it.

“It’s the birthday girl!”

Dash McCafferty burst from the crowd along with Gage and Trey Prescott, wrapping me up in a brief hug. His blond hair had been cropped short and he wore a suit so new it looked stiff. Still, he was one of the top five hottest boys in the room.

“It’s good to see you, Dash,” I said, a bit formally, giving him a pat on the back. I was still wary of any physical contact between the two of us after what had happened at last year’s Legacy—and the aftermath.

“Hope you don’t mind, P.A., but I didn’t get you a gift,” Gage said, swigging his scotch. “I’ve been laid up since the ‘incident’ last week.”

He tried to do air quotes but dumped half his drink on the floor, splashing Taylor’s shoes.

“Hey!” Taylor said, shoving him with one hand. “Watch it, Coolidge.”

“Ooh! Look who’s grown a spine since leaving Easton,” Gage said, wagging his fingers at her. “Guess that’s what happens when you matriculate at an inner-city PS.”

“Well, you haven’t changed,” Taylor groused. She grabbed a napkin from a passing waiter and bent to swipe at her shoes.

As much as I wanted to catch up with my old friends, I needed to go check on the girls again. I was about to make an excuse to bail when someone grabbed my wrist. My heart hit my throat, but it was only Kiki, and my body flooded with relief.

“Reed. I need to talk to you,” she said urgently.

“What’s up? Is everything okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, I just …” She cast a furtive look at the others, but they were all debating whether Gage was a jerk or not. Like that was even debatable. “Some of it worked,” she said, drawing me in closer.

My pulse thrummed in my ears. “Some of what worked?”

“The spells,” she said through her teeth. “I’ve been practicing them, and I got a few of them to work.”

Suddenly my mouth went dry. Someone whirled past, air-kissing me and wishing me many happy returns, but I didn’t even register who it was.

“Are you kidding me?” I asked.

She shook her head slowly from side to side, not taking her eyes
off mine. I tugged her away from my other friends toward the wall.

“Which ones?” I asked. I basically had the list memorized, though I hadn’t tried any of them myself today. There had been too much to do in preparation for the party, but I was also kind of … angry at the book for failing me. I hadn’t even looked in its direction since last night.

Yes, I was giving a book the cold shoulder.

“Well,
Levitas
, first of all,” Kiki whispered, looking around furtively. “Forget the spoon. I made an entire set of silverware dance.”

My pulse raced in my veins, tickling every inch of my body. “Seriously?”

“Yep,” Kiki said, grinning. “And I got
Ventus
to work too.”

I blinked. “Wait. You
made
wind?”

Kiki nodded proudly. “I moved the curtains in my room and everything.”

I could hardly breathe I was so excited. “Kiki, do you realize what this means?”

“I know,” she said.

I grabbed her hand and looked around. “Come on. You have to show me.”

“Where? This place is crawling with people. Not to mention security detail,” she said.

“I’ll find a place.”

We were just stepping away from the wall when a waiter stepped up next to us and handed me a small, square card.

“What’s this?” I asked him.

“A message for the birthday girl,” he said before moving on.

I looked at Kiki. That was weird. And weird, considering our current circumstances, was not good. I glanced behind me and felt bolstered by Sam’s presence about ten feet away.

“Open it,” Kiki said.

Fingers quaking, I tore open the small envelope. Inside was a flat card with a message scrawled across it in familiar handwriting.

Reed
,

Meet me in Noelle’s room for a birthday surprise
.

Love
,

Josh

I felt a momentary rush of relief, but it didn’t last long. The last time I’d been passed a note during a party, it had been a fake—a note from Dash that had actually been from Sabine, telling me to meet him on the roof. And the rest was awful history.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated in my clutch. I exhaled loudly and yanked it out. It was a text from Josh.

STOP STRESSING. IT’S REALLY ME. I JUST WANT TO GIVE

YOU YOUR PRESENT IN PRIVATE. NOW GET YOUR BUTT

UP HERE!

I laughed, relieved for real now. I glanced at Kiki reluctantly. “I should go.”

“That’s cool,” she said. “Just find me when you come back down.”

“I will. Thanks.” I shoved the note and the phone back into my bag and headed for the door. As much as I wanted to see Josh, my excitement was tinged with regret. If Kiki could really perform spells, I was dying to see it. Maybe I’d just have to cut the Josh-time short. I was halfway through the lobby when I almost collided with Noelle, Ivy, and the Billings pack.

“Hey! We were just coming to dance with the birthday girl,” Noelle said.

“Actually, I’m on my way upstairs. Josh is up in our—your—room,” I told her. “Distract Sam so I can slip away?”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Ivy asked, glancing up the stairs. “Maybe he should come with you.”

“They’re not letting anyone upstairs unless they’re on the family’s approved list,” I said, gesturing toward the two beefy guards at the foot of the steps. “I’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” Noelle said. “But come right back. I mean it. No naked birthday fun. Josh is just going to have to wait until the threat is neutralized.”

I blushed hard and glanced at Ivy, who was also pink around the edges. “I have no intention of engaging in naked birthday fun,” I assured them, wondering if Noelle had said that only to torture Ivy. “I promise, we will both return to the party in fifteen minutes. If we don’t, you can call in the National Guard.”

I turned around and started toward the stairs. Sam made a move
to follow, but Noelle stepped in front of him, one hand to the center of his beefy chest.

“Let her go. She’ll be fine,” she said.

“But I—”

“It’s her birthday and she wants some alone time with her man,” Noelle told him. “So unless you want to be part of an illegal threesome …”

That was the last thing I heard before jogging up the steps. I laughed under my breath as I made my escape, my heart beating wildly, knowing that for once, only good surprises awaited.