It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her, but I forced myself to hold back. She was too eager for this information, too inquisitive—like an investigative reporter. That wasn’t like her. I bet Stephen had asked her to find out everything she could about Bishop from me. Stephen had fooled her into believing he was a tall, dark and handsome guy helping girls free themselves from the burden of their souls.

I hated him more at that moment than I’d ever hated anyone in my life.

Despite the dark feelings swirling inside me, I forced myself to give her a casual shrug. “Like I said before, he’s just a guy.”

“Okay, fine, if you say so.” She got to her feet and helped pull me to mine. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You and I are going to Crave tonight. There’s somebody who’s going to be there who wants to meet you.”

“Who?” The thought of going back to the nightclub didn’t appeal to me in the slightest.

She shrugged. “All I know is she’s someone important.”

“She?” A shiver of fear went through me. Maybe it was the Source—the one Bishop was searching for.

Carly looked at me with concern. “It’s going to be okay, you know.”

“Is it?”

“Of course it is.” Carly pushed her sunglasses off her face so I could see her eyes. They weren’t glazed or dazed or anything other than totally sincere. She was actually worried right now. About me. There was nothing about her that looked remotely like an out-of-control, soul-sucking monster.

Come to think of it, I had yet to see one of these mindless zombielike grays Bishop had told me about. Carly seemed just like me—rational and levelheaded. And not running around kissing anybody with lips.

“Do you trust me?” she asked.

I didn’t have to think about it long. “Of course I do.”

“More than anybody?”

I nodded. Twelve years of being best friends had to count for something.

“And you want the whole truth about what’s going on in this city right now?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Then you’re going to get it tonight. Stephen was worried I wouldn’t be able to convince you to come back. He knows he made a really bad impression on you. I don’t think he’s half as cool as he tries to pretend to be.”

“This is not news to me.”

“So come on, come to Crave with me again tonight.” She grinned. “Tuesdays are half-price chicken wings night.”

I let out a shaky breath and ignored my stomach rumble. “That does sound tempting.”

“Thought it might. This hunger—it’s not that easy to deal with, is it?”

“You feel it, too?”

“Oh, my God, yes. You should have seen what I ate at lunch. I went to McDonald’s. I think they’ve put up a wanted poster for me as the girl who gulped down four McChickens in one sitting. And two large fries.”

“Wow. Impressive.”

The only thing that tempted me to return to Crave tonight was the promise of answers. Real ones, this time, not half-truths and shiny sales pitches from Stephen. I needed Bishop to restore my soul, but in the meantime, I might as well do a little research of my own. It could help him, too, if this led me to the Source.

“Fine,” I finally said. “I’ll go.”

She gave me a tight hug then unlocked the driver’s side door to her Beetle. “I’ll pick you up at eight. Dress up. I think we should try to look really hot tonight.”

I frowned at her. “What, you’re just leaving me here? The least you can do is give me a ride home.”

“You live three blocks away.”

“What’s your point?”

She laughed. “Fine, lazy. Get in.”

Best friends till the end—that had always been our philosophy. Both of us were now missing our souls thanks to a kiss from Stephen Keyes. And so far, nothing seemed like it had changed except our increased desire for chicken wings and fast food.

That was a huge relief.

Maybe Bishop was wrong about grays. Maybe he’d been given some lousy information and this mission was a big waste of time and effort—something had totally been blown out of proportion. Maybe everything was going to turn out okay, whether or not my soul was successfully restored.

No, I didn’t think it would be nearly that easy, either. All I knew for sure was that I’d be getting some more answers tonight. I just wished the questions weren’t getting so damn scary.

Chapter 14

There was no sign of Bishop or the others after school or into the evening. Even if I’d wanted to contact him, I had no idea how.

I couldn’t stop thinking about him. From what I’d learned about him and Kraven, to hoping he could help Carly, Bishop was constantly on my mind. Also, I liked being near him—the warmth he gave me, the sound of his voice, his tall and strong presence that made me feel safe and protected. I even liked the way he challenged and aggravated me sometimes.

I missed him more than I ever would have expected.

Instead of focusing on that, I worked on getting ready to go out. I dressed as if it were a Friday night, with a short black skirt, black tights, a sparkly tank top, high-heeled knee-length boots and my thin, knee-length leather jacket. My winter coat would have to wait for a less fashionable occasion. I took extra time with my makeup, going heavy with the black eyeliner, and then I brushed every last tangle out of my hair so it hung in a fairly orderly manner all the way down to my waist.