could he? The glitter and glitz of Devnee took up all his attention. He galloped across the room toward her.
He was tough, and half violent, stunning without being handsome.
And I was right, thought Devnee, getting ready for Trey. Beauty over kindness any day.
But “any day” no longer existed for Devnee Fountain.
The old Devnee—her days had been any old day, one blending seamlessly into another, dull, fogged, pointless days.
Now the days spun and sparkled.
The exciting crowd burbled around her, and she within it. Aryssa did not come back for a week, and when she did, even Victoria and William seemed only to half know her. Aryssa was a half person.
Devnee was relieved.
Now she need only half worry.
Aryssa probably couldn’t even tell what had happened. Aryssa was just a thing now. A half event. To whom people gave half their attention.
Or none.
Chapter 12
A VALENTINE’S DAY DANCE.
Thanks to a generous parent in the restaurant business, it was not held in any gym or cafeteria, but at the Silver Cloud. This sounded to Devnee like a Montana ranch or an America’s Cup sailing ship.
It was a perfectly named restaurant. Silver walls—yes, silver! They reflected a thousand times more than the dark marble of the school lobby. Crystal prisms hung from a thousand ceiling lamps, and tiny hidden lights, like miniature Christmas tree lights, rimmed unexpected ledges. Rainbows flitted from one crystal to another, and colored shadows danced on the silver walls.
The high ceilings were hidden by something gauzy that Devnee could not quite see; truly cloud-like.
She felt airborne. Felt ethereal. Felt beautiful.
She floated, because silver clouds floated.
Trey was a wonderful dancer, and the dance was a wonderful dance.
And Devnee Fountain had no competition in the beauty department. She had never been worshiped. She had never even been noticed. And at this dance, she reigned.
Something had changed inside her as well.
She could feel things happening in the room, happening in other people, that she had never felt before.
She knew, absolutely knew, that every girl in the room wished she could look like Devnee Fountain. She could feel their wishes. The room was full of wishes. Quivery, like gelatin, the wishes cluttered the room, and she felt as if she were swimming among them.
Wishes for beauty, for grace, for love, for boys, for more, and more, and more, and more.
She was glad they were so far away from the tower, and the shutters, and the hemlocks of the vampire.
Too many wishes here for him.
A hundred girls in a hundred pretty dresses swirled by, and their wishes throbbed in her ears and pulsed against her heart.
How easily his fangs …
“Why are you doing that?” said Trey.
“What?”
“Putting your hand over your mouth like that.”
She had not been aware of doing that.
“Every time you laugh, you cover your mouth,” said Trey. “I mean, what for? Something wrong with your teeth?”
Her laugh was tinged with fear. Did her hand know, as the shadow had known, that Devnee was no longer right? Was the hand trying to cover her up, as the shadow was trying to escape? If she looked in a mirror right now, along with the beauty, would she see long, pointed, dripping—
She laughed. She said, “Silly habit. Now I’ll break it.” She kissed Trey on the cheek.
Trey kissed her back. On the lips. “Keep breaking it,” he said.
They were doing this when William and Victoria waltzed up. They didn’t really waltz, of course; Devnee had never actually seen anybody waltz. But they were so graceful together the only possible dance word was waltz.
Victoria said, “I was just wondering, Trey. Not to be rude or anything.” She smiled gently at both of them, and then especially at Devnee. “But I phoned Aryssa and couldn’t get much out of her. What exactly is wrong? Why isn’t she coming back to school?”
Trey frowned a confused little-boy frown, as one bewildered by global events beyond control.
He was tough, and half violent, stunning without being handsome.
And I was right, thought Devnee, getting ready for Trey. Beauty over kindness any day.
But “any day” no longer existed for Devnee Fountain.
The old Devnee—her days had been any old day, one blending seamlessly into another, dull, fogged, pointless days.
Now the days spun and sparkled.
The exciting crowd burbled around her, and she within it. Aryssa did not come back for a week, and when she did, even Victoria and William seemed only to half know her. Aryssa was a half person.
Devnee was relieved.
Now she need only half worry.
Aryssa probably couldn’t even tell what had happened. Aryssa was just a thing now. A half event. To whom people gave half their attention.
Or none.
Chapter 12
A VALENTINE’S DAY DANCE.
Thanks to a generous parent in the restaurant business, it was not held in any gym or cafeteria, but at the Silver Cloud. This sounded to Devnee like a Montana ranch or an America’s Cup sailing ship.
It was a perfectly named restaurant. Silver walls—yes, silver! They reflected a thousand times more than the dark marble of the school lobby. Crystal prisms hung from a thousand ceiling lamps, and tiny hidden lights, like miniature Christmas tree lights, rimmed unexpected ledges. Rainbows flitted from one crystal to another, and colored shadows danced on the silver walls.
The high ceilings were hidden by something gauzy that Devnee could not quite see; truly cloud-like.
She felt airborne. Felt ethereal. Felt beautiful.
She floated, because silver clouds floated.
Trey was a wonderful dancer, and the dance was a wonderful dance.
And Devnee Fountain had no competition in the beauty department. She had never been worshiped. She had never even been noticed. And at this dance, she reigned.
Something had changed inside her as well.
She could feel things happening in the room, happening in other people, that she had never felt before.
She knew, absolutely knew, that every girl in the room wished she could look like Devnee Fountain. She could feel their wishes. The room was full of wishes. Quivery, like gelatin, the wishes cluttered the room, and she felt as if she were swimming among them.
Wishes for beauty, for grace, for love, for boys, for more, and more, and more, and more.
She was glad they were so far away from the tower, and the shutters, and the hemlocks of the vampire.
Too many wishes here for him.
A hundred girls in a hundred pretty dresses swirled by, and their wishes throbbed in her ears and pulsed against her heart.
How easily his fangs …
“Why are you doing that?” said Trey.
“What?”
“Putting your hand over your mouth like that.”
She had not been aware of doing that.
“Every time you laugh, you cover your mouth,” said Trey. “I mean, what for? Something wrong with your teeth?”
Her laugh was tinged with fear. Did her hand know, as the shadow had known, that Devnee was no longer right? Was the hand trying to cover her up, as the shadow was trying to escape? If she looked in a mirror right now, along with the beauty, would she see long, pointed, dripping—
She laughed. She said, “Silly habit. Now I’ll break it.” She kissed Trey on the cheek.
Trey kissed her back. On the lips. “Keep breaking it,” he said.
They were doing this when William and Victoria waltzed up. They didn’t really waltz, of course; Devnee had never actually seen anybody waltz. But they were so graceful together the only possible dance word was waltz.
Victoria said, “I was just wondering, Trey. Not to be rude or anything.” She smiled gently at both of them, and then especially at Devnee. “But I phoned Aryssa and couldn’t get much out of her. What exactly is wrong? Why isn’t she coming back to school?”
Trey frowned a confused little-boy frown, as one bewildered by global events beyond control.
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