Then Valentine drew closer, his green eyes locking on to mine in a strange hypnotic stare. "You'd imagined an elaborate and gloomy gothic covenant ceremony in the cemetery, underneath the moonlight, an antique candelabra and a pewter goblet atop a closed coffin."
I stood frozen as the boyish Nosferatu continued to recite the very thoughts and feelings I had had last night at the cave. “You expected to be holding a bouquet of dead roses and wearing a morbidly black sexy lace dress, which would flow behind you as you walked between the tombstones."
How did Valentine know what I had imagined? I could barely breathe as Valentine took another step toward me. I hadn't told anyone about my dream covenant. Valentine and Billy Boy must have rummaged through my journal— only I didn't even remember writing about my fantasy gothic underworld wedding.
"When you thought Alexander was ready to turn you, your blood ran cold," Valentine charged.
A chill ran from the top of my scalp down through my spine and over the back of my legs.
Valentine had read my thoughts as he stood over me in the cave holding my neck. Now, in Billy Boy's bedroom, he was doing the same thing to my brother. What was he after?
"It is time you leave this house and this town," I said, reaching for my container of garlic.
Like any pesky mortal kid, Valentine enjoyed our quarrel. "You act big with your black nail polish and lipstick, but you could never be one of us. You don't have what it takes," he continued. "And Alexander needs to know you aren't ready."
His words hit me like a lightning bolt. "You can't…use my thoughts against me," I warned.
"Or can I?" he asked with a wicked grin.
Billy Boy began to stir.
Valentine quickly retreated into the room's shadows.
I glanced at my brother, who remained sleeping. When I turned back, I noticed Billy Boy's window was open and Valentine was gone.
11 Blood Reader
Valentine's words haunted me as I futilely attempted to search through my Olivia Outcast journal for any covenant dream entries.
"Alexander needs to know you aren't ready," the mischievous vampire had said to me. Valentine was trying to threaten Billy Boy and at the same time destroy my relationship with Alexander.
I shivered, recalling Valentine's grasping my sleeping brother's neck. Although I was relieved the tween bloodsucker had escaped from our house, I was still distraught. I gazed out my window and imagined Valentine flying directly to the Mansion, squeezing his bat-shaped body through a breech in an attic window, then becoming a gothic boy again and confronting an unsuspecting Alexander with negative ideas about his vampire-wannabe girlfriend.
If Valentine betrayed my wandering thoughts and revealed them to my vampire-mate, what would this mean for my future relationship with Alexander? How dare Valentine tell me, much less anyone, that I was frightened of the one thing I'd always dreamed of becoming. On numerous occasions, Alexander made me aware of his disapproval of my joining his dark and dangerous world. My gentle vampire wanted to protect me from the underworld, but gradually, through our time together, he felt comfortable enough to share portions of it with me—the Mansion, the amulets, his coffin. If he knew I had hesitated or, worse, was afraid, he may have no choice but to bond eternally with a true vampire.
Right now, Valentine might be meeting Alexander. I'd sneak out—only I had no way of knowing to where…the Mansion, the cemetery, or the cave? I lay in bed, my eyes wide open. I was as restless not knowing where Valentine had flown off to as when the menacing vampire had appeared in Billy Boy's bedroom.
The next morning, I awoke to the sounds of Billy Boy's shrill voice rattling through the heating vents. I lifted up my groggy head from the pillow, grabbed my Malice in Wonderland slippers, and headed downstairs.
My parents were brunching on coffee and cantaloupe while reading the Dullsville Saturday newspaper.
"Valentine is gone," Billy Boy, still in sweats and an oversized T-shirt, ranted to my parents. "He wasn't here when I woke up. He didn't even say good-bye."
"Are you sure?" my mother asked. "Did you check the entire house?"
"I searched everywhere."
My parents looked concerned. "Did you call him at his house?"
"I don't have the number," Billy Boy replied.
They don't have a phone in the bat cave? I wanted to say.
"Maybe we should drive by his house," my dad offered.
"He said he was staying with his aunt, but I don't know where she lives," my brother confessed.
I had to put a stop to this before my parents involved the police, the PTA, and Dullsville's mayor.
"Why is there so much commotion?" I chimed in. "I saw Valentine get picked up last night after everyone went to sleep. I guess he was homesick. I thought you all knew."
"He didn't tell me—," Billy Boy said.
"Duh—he obviously was too embarrassed. He wants to impress you, not look like a fool."
"In elementary school," my mother began, "I had a friend who frequently came over with her sleeping bag, but always left by ten-thirty."
Billy Boy shrugged and said, "Maybe you're right." He grabbed a cup of juice and headed upstairs. I followed him to his room and stood outside the doorway.
"What were you doing on the computer last night?" I asked.
"What's it to you?"
"Don't be annoying. Hey, if it wasn't for me, you'd be searching the crawl space for your friend."
Billy Boy rolled his eyes, then sighed. "Okay. We were looking for tombstones."
"That sounds like something I'd do."
"Well, maybe we are more alike than you think."
I checked out my brother, who was sporting a Chess Club T-shirt. "That'll be the day. Why were you searching for tombstones?"
Billy pulled something out of his desk drawer. "Valentine had these," he said, revealing a weathered piece of paper.
Billy Boy showed me a cryptic gravestone etching— just like the ones Jagger used as grim artwork to decorate his hideouts.
"Valentine said these were his ancestors," Billy Boy continued. "These two are from Romania. We were searching for the last one when you burst in. Now I can't find it."
"Let me see them."
"No, I need to return these to Valentine when I see him again."
"When do you plan on meeting him?"
"None of your business."
"It is my business unless you want to find someone else to protect you from bats hanging on your windowsill," I threatened.
Billy Boy appeared aghast, recalling the wiry creature dangling just outside his bedroom.
"Monday at Oakley Park's fountain. After dinner."
"Let me see the etching!"
"No."
"Pretty please, with bat wings on top?”
“We're going to put it with our vampire project." Billy Boy slammed the door before I could wedge my foot in. Then he bolted the door. Not only was Valentine becoming more brazen, so was my nerdy brother.
I opened my eyes to eternal darkness in Alexander's coffin. I'd been sound asleep for what seemed like centuries next to my vampire-mate. I could hear gentle breathing next to me. I stretched out my arms and hit the lid of the closed coffin. I wasn't entwined in Alexander's arms, but rather pressed against his back.
Unaware of the time, I gently nudged my sleeping vampire. I wanted to know how much longer we'd be entombed.
I heard my boyfriend stir.
"Alexander?"
I could feel his body turn over. His hand gently rested against my neck.
"Reading my thoughts?" I asked. "Hmm…I bet you can't guess what I'm thinking," I teased coyly.
Alexander didn't remove his hand. Instead he pressed harder.
My heart rate quickened. I became dizzy. I felt claustrophobic, like the already close coffin walls were closing in on us.