Cryptic Cravings

Not wanting to draw attention to us, Alexander parked the Mercedes in a grassy area more than fifty yards away from the mill. I was still beaming over Alexander taking my blood as his own. We tiptoed over the gravel road that led to the factorywitha connectionthat couldn't be broken.As we neared the entrance, the dreamy look in Alexander's eyes continued and was onlyslightlymarred byhis concernover the discoveryof Jagger's presence.

We walked quietly through the shadows, and Alexander squeezed my hand extra tight.

The two antique smokestacks pointed toward the heavens like giant grave markers. The desolate and dilapidated factory was riddled with graffiti, broken and missing windows, rusted doors, and overgrown weeds and grass.

Discarded boxes, trash, and beer cans were scattered around the grounds.

We turned a corner and came upona vintage black mustang--Sebastian's ride.

Alexander stopped in his tracks. He sighed and slumped, let down by the discovery that his best friend was in the company of his former nemesis.

"Maybe Sebastianfelt he had nowhere else to go," Ioffered encouragingly.

"Now that he's fallenfor Luna,"Alexander said, "he's probablyunder Jagger's spell, too."

Alexander took a deep breathand started for a white woodendoor withthe words "GETOUT" spray-painted in black.

"Well, thenIguess we're going in," Isaid.

But instead of charging in, Alexander stopped.

"Maybe we should wait," he said, pausing at the doorway. "Theyobviouslydidn't want us to know that they're still here. Maybe we shouldn't let them know we found them."

"But how are we going to find out what's going onwiththem?"

"I could go in myself--undetected," he said, alluding to his nocturnal powers.

"That hardlyseems fair," Isaid withthe disappointment of a child who is told she is too short to go on an amusement park ride. "If Icould change into a bat, I'd do it, too."

Alexander realized my limitations were upsetting me.

"Besides," Isaid, "it might be dangerous to leave me here alone inthis dark, desolate place."

He nodded inagreement. "We'll see what we canfind out from here."Alexander cupped his pale and once bloodstained palm. I stuck my combat-booted foot in his cradled hands and he lifted me up. I struggled at first but managed to grab on to a ledge and pulled my head slightly above it so I could peer in through a broken windowpane. My black fingernails were in stark contrast with the gray cement.

Breathless, I peered in. At first it was hard to see. My vision had to adjust to the dim lighting. A flickering candelabra sat on a wooden table, and then I spotted a flash of white hair.

"Over there," Iwhispered toAlexander.

He adjusted his stance a few feet to our left to where I could now see clearly. Jagger was sitting with his back to me, his red-flamed Doc Martens boots resting up on a crate and his fingers woven together, supporting his white-haired head. He was the king of this crumbling castle. Sebastian, however, was fidgety.Alexander's best friend repeatedlypushed his dreadlocks awayfrom his face, his manyrings catching the candlelight. He didn't see me;perhaps the glare from the light above them hid me or he was so deep inthought he wasn't focused onanything else. He tapped his leg repeatedly, like a junkie waiting for a fix. I'd never seenhim this frazzled.

"We'll need to start tomorrow," Jagger declared, "to get this thing up and running."

"So soon?" Sebastianasked.

"What are we waiting for?" Jagger countered.

Sebastian drummed his black-painted fingers on the table.

But Jagger andAlexander now had a truce, and Jagger wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that--or would he?

"The CoffinClub is a success," Jagger said. "So there's no reasonnot to start one here, too."

"This townisn't filled withvampires," Sebastiansaid. "Not like the other one, anyway."

"This townneeds a place to dance," Jagger said. "For everyone to come alive--at night."

Sebastiancouldn't argue withthat. "Iagree--there isn't anything to do inthis town."

"And thenthe vampires will flock here. Like we did.Alexander, Luna and me, and now you. Mortals above and vampires below. The Coffin Club was a success and this one will be, too. We are sitting on a gold mine here in this abandoned factory."

"The CoffinClub Two?" Sebastiansaid.

"Ialreadyhave a name for it: the Crypt."

"But are the preppygirls inthis towngoing to want to hang out at a place called the Crypt?"

"Ihave ways to entice them besides the name alone," he said ina creepybut sexytone.

"And vampires?" Sebastianasked skeptically.

"The mortals won't evenknow they're here. Besides, Ihave surprises planned for this club."

"What kinds of surprises?" Sebastianwondered.

"If Itold you, thentheywouldn't be surprises, would they? Besides, that's weeks away. We have a club to build first."

"What aboutAlexander?" Sebastianasked.

"He canbe a partner, too. But I'm not sure if he's the type to owna club. He's veryprivate."

"He is mybest friend. Ifeel funnyabout this--without him being onboard."

"Is your best friend, or was?" Jagger challenged. "Well, you'll have a place to stayhere as long as youlike."

Sebastian paused for a moment. He was the type that traveled constantly, his coffin covered with stickers from countries and cities around the world. It was something Icould tell he was contemplating--a place to call home.

"But there is more of a vampire culture inbigger towns, am Iright? Here it's justAlexander.And let's be clear. I think he likes it that way. Ithink we should respect that," Sebastiansaid.

Jagger cracked his knuckles, trying to mask his frustration.

"He escaped everything," Sebastianadded. "Persecutionfrom mortals and persecutionfrom . . ."

"My family?" Jagger sat up. "The irony, youmean. That he'd travel so far away from my family and ultimately we'd wind up settling here, too?"

"Youguys have a truce."

"I know. He helped mybrother, Valentine. WhenValentine was weakened and alone,Alexander cared for him and returned him to me. I'm not suggesting we restart that feud. But does that meanthat what's good forAlexander is good for us, too?" Jagger asked pointedly. "Do we have to live our lives around his? Besides, maybe a vampire club is just the thing he needs. He won't be so alone onthat hill withonlya butler to attend to his needs."

"I'm just saying. Iknow he's still mad at me for what Idid to Luna at his party. Iknow he thinks it jeopardized his existence here.And more of us coming to town--the kind that might be like me and act onimpulse . . . it wouldn't be good for anyof us."

"You were just being you. Just being us." Jagger leaned in. Evenfrom far away, his blue and green eyes were piercing. "Ican't help it ifAlexander's more . . . restrained. He should have bittenRavena long time ago. Why let it drag on?"

Just then my foot slipped and I knocked over the empty soda can on the window pane.

"What was that?" Iheard Jagger say.

"Ithink someone is outside."

I held my breath. Alexander did, too.

Alexander and I stood against the wall. A pigeon was walking along the window ledge.

Alexander tossed a twig near the bird. Startled, it flapped its wings wildly and flew off past the window.

"It's just a pigeon,"Iheard Sebastiansay.

Alexander cupped his hands and helped me up again.

"Youshouldn't be onedge," Jagger said. "Why are you so worried? It's just a club."

Sebastian thought, then finally spoke. "But it's a club with vampires--in a place that has been inhabited by only one. Alexander fights every day to be who he is and do the right thing. Just because you and I might be more a like? That doesn't mean he's the one that's wrong."

Jagger now was the one riffling his fingers through his white locks.

"I really want to run this past him," Sebastian said.

"And what's he going to say, yes? Besides, you can't tell him you've been hanging out here with me and Luna."

Sebastian hung his head low.

"Don't despair," Jagger said. "It's going to be awesome. Music blasting, drinks flowing, dancing until dawn.

Beautiful girls everywhere. What's not to like?"

Sebastian's face lit up inthe candlelight.

The Crypt sounded like the kind of club I'd want to hang out in. Just like the CoffinClub--but onlya few miles from my house. I bit my lavender lip in excitement.

"I know he's mad at me . . ." Sebastiansaid, "but Istill have his back."

"He'll see the club once it's open," Jagger said, rising. He put his arm around Sebastian. "It won't be too long.

We'll decorate at night. Ihave ways of getting these things settled veryquickly."

Sebastian bit his black nails.

"Just think it over," Jagger said, slapping Sebastianonthe back like a coachdoes to a football player. "You have a place to stay, a new best friend, and . . ."

"A girlfriend," a sweet, ethereal voice said.

Just then pink hair bounced in from behind the shadows.

Luna was dressed ina wickedlycool frock--a pink mini-dress withblack spiderwebbed tights. Her perfectly straight baby pink hair appeared as soft as something out of a shampoo commercial.

Sebastian shot up.

She took his hand and pulled him into her. They shared a kiss that probably would have gone on forever if Jagger hadn't cleared his throat.

"It's Luna," Iwhispered toAlexander. "Now we should go in--"

Alexander helped me back to the ground and Itold him what I'd heard. He shook his head. "We need to wait," he said.

"Really?" Iwas surprised byAlexander's suddenchange incourse.

"Yes," he said. "But not for too long. I'm always getting Sebastianout of predicaments. Maybe this time he needs to figure things out himself."

"But what about this new club?" Iasked. "It will be here, inDullsville."

"That we will have to fix. But Idon't have to at this moment."

We heard the sound of a car driving over the gravel. Alexander pulled me back into an alcove.

A white Beetle painted to look like a skull drove past us and parked. Scarlet and Onyx hopped out of their car.

"Ithink it will be funto hang withthem here for a little while longer," Onyx said.

"That's because youwant to be next to Jagger at all times."

"I do not!" she declared.

"It's okay," Scarlet reassured her. "I'd like to tryto see that Trevor guy again.

He's sucha prep--but Ihave to admit, Ireallythink that's hot!"

Onyx giggled.

"Too bad Ican't bring him here," Scarlet said. "Maybe I'll just show up at his school inhis locker room."

The two girls giggled as Onyx opened the trunk.

"But he can't know about us," Onyx said. "That's whyit's best to date vampires. We don't have to hide. Maybe you should like Sebastian?"

"He's all into Luna. That girl gets onmynerves. Isense something fake about her."

"Like she's not a real vampire?" Onyx asked as they retrieved several bags of groceries.

"No--like she's up to something. She's either reallysaccharine-sweet or totallyaloof."

"Do youthink she reallylikes Sebastian?" Onyxasked as theyheaded for the door withgroceries inhand and passed by us.

"I think she likes--" Scarlet said, but we couldn't hear her answer. They had disappeared into the factory.

Alexander took my hand and led me away from the abandoned mill.

"I have other things onmymind tonight," he said, his eyes still dreamyfrom the blood exchange, and he drove me back to the Mansion.

As I lay in my bed, I cuddled Nightmare in my arms. Alexander had finally taken my blood as his own. The moment felt as intense for me as it was for him. To be one of the few living humans in the world to have blood taken by a vampire thrilled me beyond belief. And that it had been done in a harmless and loving way made the whole event exhilarating and blissful. The most important part to me was that Alexander showed me that he needed me,craved me, wanted me. The feeling of connection I now felt to him was stronger than blood.

And that moment was muchdifferent thanwhenSebastianhad takenBecky's blood. One, she hadn't knownit had happened; two, she wasn't aware that Sebastianwas a vampire; and three--and most important--she wasn't in love with him.

With Alexander, this was something we shared together as a couple. He needed me--inside and out, just as I did him. Heart, soul, and blood.And if he'd done this, something Inever thought he would do, did that meanthat he was one step--a big step--closer toward turning me? Ithrew myhead back on the pillow in laughter.At this moment, I didn't care about being a mere mortal.A vampire had taken my blood! I'd experienced much more beyond belief since meetingAlexander Sterling. I'd always dreamed that vampires existed, and now Iknew. I'd falleninlove withone--and this verynight, he'd acted as a true vampire and shown me how much he needed me.

But what should have been a uniquely blissful moment was complicated once again by the nefarious vampire twins, Jagger and Luna. If only I could spend time just thinking about Alexander. Finally our lives could be about just us. I wondered if that would ever happen.

I was torn about the Crypt. When I thought about what Jagger was proposing, a fabulous new dance club where none before existed, I was ecstatic. Practically speaking, though, there was nothing worse than having vampires (ones other than Alexander and his family, of course) inhabiting our town and mixing with mortals. If this place became a second Coffin Club, we could only guess what new vampires would do. Would they put the lives of unsuspecting students or townspeople indanger? But the other part--the dance club itself--was exactly what I'd reallywanted all mylife.A club, a haunted happening, onlya few miles from myownhouse, that I'd be able to attend. A place, unlike school and all of Dullsville itself, where I would finally fit in.

My mind raced. Maybe I could help Jagger and the others with the plans, marketing, and decorating the Crypt. I could be the very thing they needed to bring life to the club.

Could this reallybe the gift I'd always dreamed of, and just intime for mybirthday? But this one thing that would bring excitement into my life might bring disaster toAlexander's. The increase invampires inDullsville could bring attention to them and ultimately reveal the secret identity of the one vampire I cared about the most.

Or maybe, just maybe, this could be a place like the Mansion, where Alexander could finally be himself. No hiding or pretending to be anything but himself. Just drinking real Bloody Marys and dancing until dawn.

It was a gamble, knowingAlexander's former nemesis. Jagger was a vampire who craved attentionand seemed to receive a lot because he owned a vampire club. Ultimately I was skeptical about his underlying intentions for this new club.

I was restless. For the first time in my life, the one thing I knew I needed to stop from happening was the one thing I wanted to make sure happened. Jagger, Sebastian, and the others were holed up inside the factory making plans for the Crypt while I was reduced to studying, homework, and insomnia.