"But you're terrified of bats!"
"Shh!" he whispered. "Swear you won't tell him."
"I swear. Now let's go—"
"Valentine was just here," Billy Boy said, glancing around. "We were going to meet his aunt."
"You want to meet his aunt?" I asked. "This is Valentine's aunt."
I handed my brother Jagger's gravestone etching.
Billy Boy gasped, his face turning as white as a corpse.
"But she's…"
"I know. I warned you about Valentine. Hurry, we have to go."
"Why would Valentine lie? Where is he?" he said, concerned. "We can't leave him—"
"Alexander will take care of him. You and I have to leave."
"I have to grab my backpack. Our project is inside it."
"Forget about your—"
Before I could finish my sentence, my brother had already taken off.
Valentine stepped out of the shadows.
Weakened and wearied, Valentine appeared more deathly than ever, as if he'd been lying at the bottom of a frozen lake. His lips were ice blue and his teeth were chattering, but that didn't stop the devilish boy from inching closer.
"Where's Billy!" I demanded.
"More important, where are my siblings?"
"I don't know. I already explained before that I thought they went back to Romania."
"Well, they didn't. Something—or someone—kept them from returning," he said accusingly.
"Is that why you were reading Billy's, Trevor's, and my thoughts? To find Jagger and Luna?"
"Yes, but I read a lot more than I imagined."
"What do you mean?"
Valentine inched closer.
"When I read Trevor's blood, I saw a covenant by the graveyard with Grim Reapers all around. A girl in a tattered prom dress walked up the aisle. But when she lifted her veil, instead of seeing my sister's face—I saw yours."
"You are talking about the Graveyard Gala—Trevor's party at the cemetery. That's not how it happened."
"I know, but that's how Trevor wanted it to happen. He never wanted my sister; he settled for her because she reminded him of you."
"I don't believe it."
"My family has been shamed ever since Alexander ditched my sister in Romania. Jagger came here to seek his revenge on that cowardly vampire. Then he called for my sister. Only they never called for me—because they think I'm a kid."
"That's normal. Billy feels left out all the time," I tried to assure him.
"But now that I'm here, I see that you are the cause of them being shamed again," Valentine said, advancing toward me. "Now they won't ever return to me and my family. Neither Trevor nor Alexander wanted my sister. They both want you—and they still do."
"I don't know what you mean. Why would Alexander 'still' want me—he already has me."
"Not completely. Remember…Alexander is a vampire, after all," Valentine said, and flashed his fangs.
I paused.
"I've read his blood. He's hungered for your flesh, blood, and soul since he laid eyes on you."
"I don't care what you say; you are just trying to destroy our relationship. But you can't!"
"Or can I? How long can you two be together when one craves the blood of the other? How long will you torment him? For eternity?"
"Maybe I'm the one who's tormented. I want to be in Alexander's world and he wants to protect me from it— and vampires like you!"
"Valentine—you've said enough!" I heard a familiar voice say.
I turned around. Alexander was standing behind me.
I gazed up at Alexander's dark eyes. Were Valentine's words about my boyfriend correct? Alexander backed away from me.
"Valentine—you have to leave this cave and this town now," I demanded.
"I won't leave until I've gotten what I came here for. And since I can't find my brother, I'll have to take yours."
Out of the darkness, Billy Boy traipsed toward me, his backpack slung over his shoulder.
Valentine grabbed my brother's puny arm and lifted his wrist to his mouth.
"What are you doing?" Billy Boy asked.
Valentine smiled a wicked grin and flashed his fangs.
"No!" I cried.
Valentine opened his mouth wide and began to bear down on my brother's wrist.