Temptation (21 page)

“All just food,” the blond one repeated.

April saw the hunger in their eyes, the unquenchable yearning for nectar.

“Wait. I think I remember you,” the blond girl declared. “It was Gabri who turned you into an Immortal, wasn't it?”

April nodded. “That's right,” she agreed. “Gabri did it.”

“What's your name?” the blond vampire asked.

“April Blair.”

“I'm Irene,” the blond girl told her. “And this is Kylie.”

Kylie grinned at April, showing her fangs.

April realized that Irene was studying her, sizing her up. But Kylie seemed interested in only one thing. Nectar. Her eyes glowed with hunger. A glistening drop of saliva trickled from the corner of her mouth.

“Why are we standing around here?” Kylie asked hungrily. “I need the nectar. I need it
now.
”

“Let's go,” Irene agreed.

They climbed the dune that rose to street level.

“I'm so glad summer is finally here,” Irene murmured.

“I hate the winter,” Kylie grumbled. “There is hardly anybody around. I get so hungry.”

They reached the street. April waited as Kylie checked her appearance, adjusted the black scrunchie in her hair, smoothed her short denim skirt.

Irene caught April's eye and smirked. “Kylie thinks she has to look good to attract the nectar.”

April shook her head. “Why don't you just cloud their minds?” she asked Kylie. “Make them helpless and drink all the nectar you want.”

“It's more fun this way,” Kylie replied. “I'm ready. Let's go.” She strode onto the sidewalk near the dune.

April gazed at the scene as they wandered toward Main Street. People strolled along the sidewalks. A man and woman with a toddler. Two girls in Hard Rock Cafe T-shirts. A gray-haired couple walking slowly, gazing into the shop windows.

“Nectar,” Kylie whispered.

Irene gripped April's arm. “Look.”

Following Irene's gaze, April spotted three boys across the street. A young girl tagged along behind them.

That guy is pretty cute, April thought.

The boy was tall, with long, dark hair. He pointed to something. He seemed to be showing the others around town.

Look at me, April thought, staring hard at the boy. Turn this way and look at me.

The tall boy shifted his gaze in April's direction. He stopped short, pulling his friends to a halt. All three boys turned to stare.

Kylie tossed her red hair and chuckled. “They're so easy to control, aren't they?” she murmured.

“Dinnertime,” April proclaimed hungrily. “Let's go get them.”

“Whoa. Watch out!” April cried as Kylie pushed past her.

But the redheaded girl ignored her. She stepped up to the tall, black-haired boy. “Hi,” she said. “You guys here for the summer?”

Wow, April thought. I guess we know which one she wants.

“Yeah. I'm here for the next two months,” the boy replied.

Kylie cocked her head and smiled, her red hair tumbling over her shoulder. “I'll be here until Labor Day,” she told him.

April realized that Irene had started talking to the big, athletic-looking boy. That left the short, thin one for her.

“Hi, I'm April.”

“Oh, uh, my name's Jay.”

Seems nervous, April thought. “Where are you from?” she asked.

“Uh . . . Holcomb. All of us are from there.”

“I'm from Shadyside.”

“Never been there,” he replied, abruptly displaying a big goofy grin. “Is it nice?”

“It will never make the list of the top five hundred most fabulous places to live!”

Jay laughed. “Neither will Holcomb.”

Good, April thought, he's starting to loosen up a little. Jay introduced her to his friends, Nate and Billy. And to the little girl, Lynette.

Kylie's tinkling laugh caught April's attention. She turned to see the girl slip her arm through Billy's.

Kylie tried to pull him away from the others. But Billy seemed to resist. He looked very uncomfortable.

April smiled to herself. Never thought I'd see any boy resist the charms of someone like Kylie, she thought.

She turned to Irene and Nate. At least Irene is doing well, she thought.

Nate seemed much more interested than Billy. He was grinning nonstop at Irene.

These boys will do, April decided. We can keep them around for a while.

“How would you guys like to be in a play?” she asked. All three reacted with surprise.

“Tryouts are this week at the summer theater,” April continued. “A lot of kids have already joined the theater group. They've made sets and everything.”

“What play are you doing?” Jay asked.

“Night of the Vampire,”
April replied. She saw Irene and Kylie glance at each other. She smiled at the boys. “We're really short on guys,” she added. “We're
always
short on guys.”

“What's it about?” Nate asked.

“Might be about vampires,” Jay teased him.

“Duh. I know, I know,” Nate grumbled. “I mean, what is the story like?”

“It's about two vampires who fall in love with their victims,” April explained. “It's a comedy.”

Irene laughed.

“It sounds kind of cool,” Nate said. “But Billy and I both have jobs.”

“No problem,” April assured him. “Rehearsals are always at night—all the performances, too. A lot of us . . . can't make it during the day.”

“You said a lot of kids are in the play?” Billy asked.

April turned to him in surprise. Why did he sound so suspicious? “Yeah,” she answered. “A lot.”

“Then I'm in,” Billy declared. “I really want to meet people this summer.”

April narrowed her eyes at Billy. What's his problem? she wondered.

“Come on, let's walk,” Kylie urged, tugging on Billy's arm.

They strolled along Main Street. Irene stopped in front of the Beach Emporium window. “Nice bikinis, huh?” she said to Billy.

He shrugged.

Irene shook her head. “A little too wild for me.”

“For
you,
yeah,” Kylie sneered. “You're so . . . out of it.”

“It's called good taste,” Irene shot back. “But I wouldn't expect you to know about that.”

Kylie and Irene have only one thing in common, April decided. The need for nectar. It will be a long summer hanging out with them.

“I hear there are a lot of wild parties here during the summer,” Kylie said to Billy.

“There are usually parties and bonfires on the beach,” Billy replied. “They get pretty wild sometimes.”

“I love to party,” Kylie murmured, staring into his eyes.

Billy walked on without replying.

Wow, April thought. Kylie can
not
seem to get him interested. Not many guys would pass up a chance with a girl as beautiful as Kylie. What is his deal?

She turned back to Jay. “Have you come here before?”

He gave her another big lopsided grin. “Uh, well . . . no. It's my first time.”

“Don't be so nervous,” April teased him. “I don't bite!”

Jay blushed a bright red. “I'm not nervous,” he insisted. He gave her a shy smile.

He's actually kind of cute, April decided. I guess I'll stick with him. Kylie wants Billy, anyway.

April glanced at the redheaded vampire. She was still holding on to Billy's arm. And he still appeared bothered by it.

Billy is too suspicious, April decided. Kylie will have a hard time with him. I'm better off with Jay.

“I want to go home.” Lynette's shrill voice cut into April's thoughts.

“Now?” Nate growled.

“Mom said you had to get me back before eleven.”

Nate glanced at his watch and sighed. “Okay.”

“We'd better go, too,” Billy declared. “Nate and I have to work tomorrow.”

“Can we get together again?” Nate asked Irene.

“I'm going to try out for the vampire play,” Irene answered. “Maybe I'll see you there.”

“Excellent!” Nate beamed.

“I think I'll try out too,” Kylie declared. She gazed up at Billy. “It's my kind of play.”

Billy didn't answer. Jay and Nate said good-bye. The three boys left, with Lynette tagging along beside her brother.

Kylie sighed. “I'm so thirsty. I like that Billy. I wanted to sink my fangs into him.”

“He didn't seem to like you too much,” April observed.

Kylie whipped around to face April, her eyes flashing with anger. “It's because I'm so hungry! I tried to cloud his mind, but I was too weak. But tonight I'm going to drink
someone's
nectar! Anyone's.”

“Take it easy,” Irene cautioned. “We have all summer. If you drink too much and kill one of them, the summer people will be all upset.”

“Who cares if they get upset?” Kylie demanded. “Do you think I care about hurting their feelings?”

“If too many dead bodies turn up,” April pointed out, “the police will close the beach. The summer people will leave. All the food will go away.”

“I hate taking just sips,” Kylie complained. “Sips are never enough.”

“But if you drink too much blood and kill them, there will be no nectar at all. They might even get wise to us—and hunt us while we sleep!” Irene insisted. “We have to take sips.”

Kylie let out a growl. She shifted her smoldering eyes to April. “You sure were coming on to Jay. You're hungry too, aren't you?”

April nodded. “Starving.”

“Remember,” Irene warned. “Just take sips. After three sips, they become one of us. They become an Immortal. But that's the way it has to be. Don't kill anyone.”

“Unless
they
attack you,” Kylie added. She gave a hungry moan. “Why did those boys have to go home so early?”

“They'll be back tomorrow,” April promised.

“It will be so boring, just taking sips from them.” Kylie sighed.

April nodded. “I wanted to drink Jay up. Drink until he was dry!”

“Hey! How about a bet?” Kylie suggested. “That will make things more interesting! First one to turn one of those three boys into an Immortal wins.”

April giggled. “You're on.”

“Okay,” Irene agreed. “It will be fun.”

“I've won already,” April declared. “Jay is so ripe, so ready . . .”

“Billy won't resist me next time,” Kylie insisted. “This will be an easy bet to win.”

The tips of Kylie's fangs slid into view. Her eyes blazed. April had never seen such intense hunger before.

“Kylie!” Irene snapped. “Watch it! We're on Main Street!”

Kylie's fangs disappeared. “I'm so hungry,” she whispered. “So terribly hungry.”

“What will be the prize if we win?” April asked.

“Yes,” Kylie said, “what will I win for making Billy one of us?”

Irene chuckled. “I've got it. The perfect prize. At the end of the summer, the winner can have the other two boys for dessert!”

Billy leaned against the stage and gazed out at the kids who had shown up for play tryouts. There were about thirty of them—everybody talking at once, laughing, telling jokes, teasing each other.

Which ones? he thought.

He studied their faces. Were any of them vampires? Did the cute girl in the front row sleep in a coffin all day because direct sunlight would kill her?

How about the two boys giving each other high fives?

Where are they? he wondered. Where are the vampires who killed Joelle?

A short, round woman with her blond hair in a bun strode onto the stage. “All right, everybody!” she shouted, trying to be heard over all the noise. “Let me have your attention.”

The noise slowly died down. “I'm Ms. Aaronson,” she announced. “I run the community theater here at Sandy Hollow. And I'm thrilled to see so many young people here.”

Billy tuned her out as she talked about the play. He stared intently at the other kids in the auditorium seats. Each friendly smile could hide sharp fangs, he knew. Each strange face could belong to a monster.

Ms. Aaronson cleared her throat. Billy glanced up at her again. “Let's see,” she said. “Ah, here we are. Jay Windley, you're first. Please read from the script.”

Jay stepped forward, looking very tense. Billy couldn't help smiling when Jay gave Ms. Aaronson one of his lopsided grins.

Jay took a deep breath and began reading. He was usually pretty soft-spoken, but now his voice sounded deep and powerful as he said the lines.

He's pretty good, Billy thought, surprised. He's really getting into the part.

Jay completed his reading without blowing a single word.

“Hey, you were great,” Billy told him.

“I guess it went okay,” Jay replied, smoothing back his brown hair. “I just wish I could do that well with girls.”

“You seem to be doing okay with April.”

Another lopsided grin. “Is she here yet?”

“Haven't seen her,” Billy reported.

Jay nodded. “I hope she comes to tryouts tonight.”

“Relax,” Billy said. “This whole thing was her idea.”

“Hi, Billy.”

Billy turned to find Kylie standing next to him. She gazed at him with a smile. “I guess I'm a few minutes late.”

“They just started. This will be going on for hours,” Billy told her.

“Which part are you trying out for?” Kylie asked. She moved closer to him. He could smell her perfume.

“Just a little part. A delivery boy. He has five lines.”

“I'm trying out for the lady vampire,” Kylie informed him proudly. “I think I'm going to get it. I'm a natural.”

“Is April here?” Jay asked eagerly.