THE SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR

Thirty minutes later my knees were bouncing uncontrollably. Partly from nerves-where was she?-but mostly because I was on vanilla Coke number four. Caffeine and I had always been a bad combination, now made worse by the nervous energy I could feel constantly flowing through me from the part of Uber-vamp's soul I'd taken when he attacked me on Halloween.

I checked my phone every thirty seconds, but I hadn't missed any calls and there were no new texts from David. Did I get the cafe wrong? This was the one we met at last October. But maybe she was thinking of another place? I needed her to tell me everything was fine.

The door chimed, and I looked up into Raquel's face. "Thank goodness!" I said, almost knocking my glass over as I stood up.

She rushed over to me. "Evie, I'm so sorry. This is the only chance I've had to get away, and-" The door chimed again, and Raquel watched as two men in itchy-looking wool coats walked in and stared at the menu. She turned back to me, her face smooth. "Sit down, please."

"Yeah, sure."

She sat across from me and put her hands up on the table, crossing and uncrossing her fingers like she couldn't get them to fit together quite right.

"What's going on? Who is this Anne-Whatever Whatever woman? Why is IPCA contacting me through someone other than you?"

Raquel took a deep breath. "I'm here to ask you to come back to IPCA in a formal capacity."

"You're what?"

"It's been determined that this experiment"-she closed her eyes briefly at that word, then quickly opened them and moved on-"isn't effective. You're being asked to return to your position at the Center. With full employee rights and salary, of course. They will also grant you conditional clemency for rule violations."

I sat back, stunned. "You're the one who helped me get out in the first place. You know I can't-I won't-go back! Besides, there's no point. I won't travel with a faerie, which makes me pretty much worthless. And even if I was willing to work with faeries, there's no way I'd go back to living in the Center! What are they thinking?"

She bit her lip. It was then that I realized she hadn't uttered a single sigh. Weird, and very un-Raquel. "Evie, I really think you should consider this offer. Or at least be open to negotiating the terms of your employment." She glanced over her shoulder, then leaned forward. "Please tell me you will consider it."

"What the bleep are you smoking? I-"

Her eyes flashed, her brows knit together, and she leaned even farther forward, shaking her head in an almost imperceptible motion. "Evie! Please. Tell me you will consider this."

Something was very wrong here. I trusted Raquel, I knew I could. "I-yeah, sure. I'll consider it."

She didn't look relieved; if anything, she looked more agitated than ever. "Thank you. I will give you a couple of days to think things over." She reached out and took one of my hands in hers, squeezing it way too tight.

"Maybe switch to decaf," I muttered, scowling. "Now can you tell me what's going on? And what about the town, are the para-"

"Thank you, yes, I must be going." She stood up, smoothing out her charcoal-gray skirt. "I'll speak with you at the end of the week when we've finished making the arrangements."

"I didn't say-Raquel!" I stood up as she turned on her heel and marched out.

Lend tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, frowning thoughtfully. "So, we know for sure Nona is keeping tabs on you. But she's told us before she wants you to be safe."

"Still, creepy. She's having me followed by her little seal cronies. And what about Reth?"

"Are you sure it was Reth?"

I traced my finger through the condensation on the window, watching the leafless trees fly by. There wasn't any snow out, which just made everything dead and flat and cold and brown.

I hate brown.

"Pretty sure. We know they're in contact. But even if it isn't him specifically, it's a faerie."

"Alright. No more Nona. You can stay with my dad more permanently than we had planned. Plus, it's safer there if IPCA decides to come knocking with their pet faeries."

"Too bad your dad is my legal guardian. Otherwise there wouldn't be any way to find me through him." My stomach dropped. "Oh my gosh, Lend. They can find him if they look, which means they'll know that he's not dead, either." David had faked his own death almost twenty years before when he was an employee of the American Paranormal Containment Agency. Falling in love with a water elemental wasn't exactly conducive to working for them anymore.

Lend shrugged dismissively, resting his right hand on my knee. "My dad's been doing this a long time, Ev. He'll be fine. Don't worry about him. I'm just pissed Raquel is still IPCA's lapdog and didn't tell you what was really going on."

I scowled, wiping away the hearts I'd traced along the window. "It wasn't like that. Something was up-something weird. She's definitely not acting like herself. I think she's scared about something, or...I don't know. It was like she couldn't tell me anything. Maybe she's trying to protect me by bringing me back in. Remember I told you I read all their documents about elemental paranormals going missing?"

He nodded grudgingly. "We still haven't heard from my mom in months. But she usually doesn't come out in winter anyway because of the ice."

"It could be connected. Nona's getting weirder by the day; now she's having me followed. There could be something going on that Raquel knows about."

"Why didn't she tell you what it is, then?"

"I don't know. But Raquel has my back. Always."

"I have your back."

I smiled and wove my hand through his elbow, leaning over to put my head on his shoulder. "I know."

"Good. That settled, I hereby declare a moratorium on any and all talk of IPCA or paranormals stalking you."

"Ooh, breaking out the fancy language. Why?"

"Because today is about fun."

"I like fun days!"

"This is a special one."

"It is?" Had I forgotten some sort of anniversary?

His face split into a sly grin. "It's your birthday."

"No, it's not," I answered, confused. "I mean, I guess it could be, but since we didn't know when it was for sure we always said I was a year older on New Year's."

"Ah, but when was the last time you checked your birth certificate?"

I laughed. "You mean the fake document your dad had Arianna compel the county records office into making?"

"Yup. You never noticed the date we put on it?"

"No..."

"December twenty-first. Which is today." He pulled into the mall and parked. "Happy birthday, Evie," he said, leaning in and kissing me with his perfectly soft lips. I smiled under his mouth, letting everything else slip away. Best fake birthday ever.

"Okay, I never thought I'd say this, but I'm tired of the mall." I sat on a bench, feet aching but heart happy. Lend had dragged me through the entire thing, even insisting I get a manicure and surprising me with a scheduled makeover appointment at one of the high-end salons. My hair twisted and curled just so, along with dramatic eyeliner, looked a little odd with normal clothes, but I felt special.

Lend finished texting someone and slipped his phone into his back pocket, then stood up. I'd never paid much attention to guys' jeans before (not for lack of desire, but rather lack of opportunity in the Center), but in the past few months I'd come to realize that most guys' jeans are really, truly horrendous. Too baggy, too tight, too low, etc. It's like guys don't realize that they can look great in a good pair of jeans. Shockingly enough girls, too, enjoy a well-framed butt.

Another area Lend was perfect in. His jeans choice, I mean. Well, his butt, too.

I smiled and stared at his face, watching his two profiles-the glamour one, which fit snugly over his real one. He looked down and caught me staring.

"Evie?"

"You, my dear boyfriend, are kind of beautiful, you know that?"

"That's what all the old ladies tell me before pinching my cheek."

"Which cheek?" I reached out and goosed him. He jumped and swatted my hand away, laughing.

"Okay, we're going to meet Arianna and my dad at the house; they made a big dinner and cake. Then a movie?"

I shrugged, happy. "Sounds good to me." It wasn't huge or over-the-top, but that was never Lend's style. I was glad that this wasn't when I usually had my birthday. New Year's would remind me how I used to celebrate. Every year I was in the Center, I figured out a way to sneak a ladder into Central Processing, climb the side of Lish's tank, and cannonball in. It was my favorite tradition.

Maybe I could talk Arianna and Lend into a polar bear plunge as a memorial.

My phone buzzed with a text and I pulled it out. Carlee. I smiled as I read, "OMG BRATTT U DIDNT TELL ME ITS UR BDAY. Girls nite friday?"

I texted back a yes, touched she cared about my pretend birthday. "Did you tell Carlee it was my birthday?" I asked Lend as we wriggled into our coats, held hands, and braced ourselves against the bitter chill of twilight that slammed into us when we walked outside.

"Guilty."

I smiled, then shivered. "It's dark so early these days."

"Today's Winter Solstice-shortest day of the year."

"Gee, thanks a lot. Way to pick the shortest day of the bleeping year for my birthday."

He laughed and put his arms around me. "Ah, but the longest night..."

"Scandalous!"

He blinked innocently at me. "What? More time for movies, right?"

"Sure..."

We drove through the town and into the trees toward his house, finally turning onto the long, winding drive. Just before we passed the last curve of the driveway he stopped the car and turned it off. I smiled wickedly, remembering how many times we'd sneaked off into the forest for a little post-date making out. Alone was really the only time he could melt off his glamour and be himself with me. Even around his dad and Arianna it made him too self-conscious. I reached out to open my door, but he leaned over and pulled it shut.

"Too cold?" I asked.

"You have to wait here for a minute, okay?" His look was brimming with excitement and mischief and I wondered what he had for me. Maybe some sweet present, like my necklace. I fingered the iron heart pendent, warm from being against my chest.

I bounced impatiently in my seat, watching as he ran up the drive and around the curve. In the dark I pulled open the neck of my shirt and peered down at the skin over my heart, doing my nightly soul check. No visible difference, just that same faint glow with a spark or two. Not gonna die today. Another thing to add to the happy list.

A couple of minutes later I was surprised when the figure that came back was...not him. It was Arianna, holding something bulky draped over her arm.

She opened my door, and I got out. "Where's Lend? I'm supposed to wait for him."

"Nope." She smiled bigger than I'd ever seen her smile before, and suddenly I was a touch nervous. What if she was working with Nona and the faeries? "You were waiting for me. Now, strip."

"I-What?"

"You heard me. Strip. Take off your coat, shirt, and pants. You can leave your bra, for all the good it does you."

I noticed then that the bulky thing over her arm was a garment bag. Aha! "Ar, listen, I don't feel that way about you. You're not my type."

"Oh, shut up, take your clothes off, and close your eyes."

"Again, not something I was hoping to hear from you tonight."

Her smile was replaced by an annoyed scowl. "DO IT NOW."

I laughed, confused but figuring this was her present to me. She had been in fashion school before she died and was an amazing seamstress. I closed my eyes and peeled my clothes off, goose bumpy and shivering in the frigid air. "Hurry, hurry."

"Lift your arms up."

I did and tried not to squirm as she pulled what felt like a hundred layers of fabric over my head. A zipper went up my back, then she tugged and twisted and smoothed. From what I could tell it was a dress-nothing on my arms, but material swishing against my legs. "Perfect. Of course." She sounded smug. "Foot," she said, taking one and pulling off my boot before putting a much higher heeled shoe on, then repeating the process.

"Can I open my eyes yet?"

"No. Take my arm."

I did and let her walk me around the corner. Behind my closed eyes I could tell there was light-a lot of light, way more than there should have been.

"Hold still," she said, slipping something carefully past my hair and putting it in place over my eyes and the top of my nose. "And keep your eyes closed!"

"Hmph."

"Brat." She let go of my arm, then put both of hers around me and gave me a quick hug. "Have fun."

Another hand took my elbow, one I instantly recognized by its perfectly smooth skin. "Can I open my eyes yet?"

"Yes," Lend said, and I opened them to see him, in a tux with a gorgeous midnight-blue and silver mask. Okay, maybe it was a good color scheme, after all. I looked down and my breath caught at what was quite possibly the most beautiful dress I'd ever seen in my life. Layers of sheer fabric cascaded from my waist with impossibly intricate pleating and ruffle accents. Flowers trailed from my shoulders down to the bodice, and it was a rich, perfect plum color. It felt like I was wearing a dream.

Beaming, I put a hand up to feel my own masquerade mask. I couldn't believe Lend had done this for me. Then I turned to see the entire house lit up with twinkle lights, and what looked to be half the senior class on the wraparound porch, Carlee at the front, all wearing formals and masks.

"Surprise!" they shouted.

It definitely was.