Also by Anna Staniszewski
My Very UnFairy Tale Life Series
My Very UnFairy Tale Life
My Epic Fairy Tale Fail
My Sort of Fairy Tale Ending
The Dirt Diary Series
The Dirt Diary
The Prank List
The Gossip File
The Truth Game
Switched at First Kiss Series
I’m With Cupid
Finders Reapers
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Copyright © 2017 by Anna Staniszewski
Cover and internal design © 2017 by Sourcebooks, Inc.
Cover design by Sourcebooks, Inc.
Cover image © Michael Heath/Shannon and Associates
Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
Published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc.
P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410
(630) 961-3900
Fax: (630) 961-2168
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data is on file with the publisher.
Contents
Front Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Back Cover
For Ray. Collect all three!
Chapter 1
Lena hated surprises. And yet here she was in her mom’s car, winding through Phoenix during morning rush hour, on the way to some mysterious location.
“We’re not going to your hospital, are we?” Lena asked. Normally, she didn’t mind hospitals, and she was curious about her mom’s job as a nurse, but Lena wanted to stay far away from illness and death while she was visiting her mom over winter break. Then she’d really feel as if she were on vacation.
Her mom only smiled and said, “Wait and see.”
Lena groaned. “Mom! Don’t you remember what happened when you tried to throw me a surprise party at the zoo when I was little? I still can’t go past that place without feeling sick to my stomach.”
“Of course I remember. Just because I haven’t been around for a while doesn’t mean…” Her mom cleared her throat. “You’ll like this surprise. I promise.”
“Does it have anything to do with your assignments?” Lena asked, perking up. She had recently found out that she and her mom shared a huge supernatural secret: they were both soul collectors, people who helped guide souls into the After. Except, after years of collecting souls, Lena’s mom had recently been promoted to the role of soul hunter, which meant she tracked down the souls that got away. Lena couldn’t wait to hear more about the other parts of her mom’s job, especially since it sounded a lot more exciting than hers.
“No, it’s nothing otherworldly.” Her mom honked her horn. “I just hope we get there on time!”
“On time for what?” Lena asked, but all she got in return was another mysterious smile.
As they pulled to a stoplight, Lena suddenly sank back in her seat as a wave of dizziness swept over her. A second later, a strange ringing echoed in her ears. What was going on? She’d felt a little light-headed on the plane ride yesterday, but it had been nothing like this.
All at once, the spinning and ear-ringing stopped, and she was fine again. Huh. Probably jet lag. Since Lena had never even traveled out of the state before, let alone a couple of time zones over, it made sense that her body would be a little confused.
“Are you okay?” her mom asked. “You look pale.”
“Just tired,” Lena said. Then she laughed softly. “We probably shouldn’t have stayed up so late last night talking about quilting patterns!”
Lena’s phone beeped in her pocket. It was a message from her boyfriend Marcus: What do you think about a light-up bow tie for the NYE dance? Also, I miss you.
She couldn’t help grinning. Marcus had been talking about the New Year’s Eve dance at the Y for days. He was convinced that if they kissed at midnight, next year would be just about perfect. Not only was Marcus a total romantic, but he was also a supernatural matchmaker—like Cupid but without the diaper—which meant he spent way too much time thinking about mushy stuff. Lena didn’t believe in superstitions, but she was excited to be able to check “first dance” off her list of things to accomplish before she turned fourteen. As far as she was concerned, things between her and Marcus were already pretty perfect.
I miss you too, she wrote back. But NO glowing accessories. With our luck, you’ll get electrocuted!
Finally, her mom stopped the car in front of an old theater. “Ta-dah!” she said. “It’s your Christmas present!”
“Are we going to see a show?” Lena asked, her nerves melting away.
“Better than that. You’re going to be in a show!”
Lena stared at her. “Huh?”
“My coworker’s cousin runs a theater workshop for young people during winter break,” she said, “and I was able to get you in at the last minute. At the end of the week, they put on a short production, and everyone in the workshop gets a part. Isn’t that great?”
Lena blinked. “Really? You mean I’ll finally get to be in an actual play?” She’d been dreaming about being onstage for years, but so far, all her attempts had failed. Maybe this would finally be her chance. She could picture it already, standing in front of a big crowd in a fancy costume, making people laugh and maybe even cry. “Mom, thank you! This is amazing!”
She threw her arms around her mom and gave her an awkward hug over the gearshift. After three years of them being apart, it still felt strange to have her mom around to hug whenever Lena felt like it, but she was starting to get used to it.
“You’re welcome,” her mom said as Lena finally let her go. “Now let’s head inside. We don’t want to be late.”
“Wait, you’re coming in with me?”
“Of course! It’s like the first day of school, right? I want to make
sure to see you off.”
Lena swallowed as she spotted a couple of other kids her age going into the theater alone. Yes, this was like the first day of school. You didn’t want your parents walking in with you then either.
“Um, thanks. That’s really nice, but I’ll be okay by myself.”
“Are you sure? You won’t know anyone, and you might not know where you’re going and—”
“Mom, I’ll be fine!” Lena said with a laugh. “I’ve been doing stuff on my own for years.”
Her mom held up her hands in defeat. “You’re right. Have fun. I’ll pick you up at one, okay?” Then she handed Lena a lunchbox she’d packed for the occasion and finally let her go.
Lena practically tumbled out of the car, her body humming with excitement. She quickly sent Marcus a message telling him about the class. She could imagine him in his room, working on one of his model spaceships, restoring it so it was almost as good as new. After the crazy few months they’d had—swapping powers and then swapping them back only to have them go totally overboard—Marcus had definitely earned some quiet time. They both had.
When Lena glanced up from her phone, she expected her mom’s car to be gone, but her mom was still sitting at the curb, obviously waiting for Lena to go inside. Lena gave her one last wave and then headed into the theater.
The first thing Lena smelled as she went into the lobby was buttered popcorn. She paused. In her experience, that scent meant a wandering spirit was nearby. But then she spotted the concession stand, cranking out popcorn for the matinee, and she had to laugh at herself. She’d gotten so used to worrying about souls running around that it was hard to relax. But all the drama from the past couple of months was over. Now that things between Lena and Marcus were great—and the two of them were determined to keep them that way—there was no need to worry.
That’s awesome! Marcus wrote back. Break lots of legs!
Lena chuckled and then poked her head into the theater. She sucked in a breath at the sight of the gilded ceilings, red velvet curtains, and colorful murals on the walls. The place could probably use a good cleaning and a fresh coat of paint, but it was still amazing. Lena couldn’t believe that she was going to perform here!
As the door closed behind her, Lena spotted a circle of about ten kids her age sitting on the stage. Inside the circle, a tall woman was standing very still and speaking in a slow, steady voice about the importance of being punctual.
Suddenly, the woman glanced up at her and paused. “Lena Perris?” she asked.
“I-I’m sorry I’m late,” Lena said, rushing forward, though it was only one minute past nine. Even by her dad’s standards, that meant she was on time.
“I’m Miss Fine,” the woman said. “Join us.” She held out a preprinted name tag. Lena grabbed it and attached it to her shirt before finding a spot in the circle. Then she tried to focus on what Miss Fine was saying about the expectations for the week. There were a lot of them. Being on time. Respecting your fellow actors. Knowing all of your lines.
As she talked, some of the other kids started to look nervous, but Lena had to smother a smile. This was so much better than her school’s production of Alice in Wonderland. That show had gone okay in the end—despite Lena accidentally crash-landing onstage during it—but Lena couldn’t help thinking it would have gone even better if the director had been a lot stricter. Maybe then the Cheshire Cat wouldn’t have totally blanked on his lines halfway through opening night.
“Any questions?” Miss Fine asked when she was done.
“What show are we doing?” a boy with wild blond curls asked. His name tag said his name was Zade, which Lena thought made him sound like someone from a boy band. He even had the hair to match.
“During the showcase, we’ll be performing selected scenes from Peter Pan,” Miss Fine answered. A rumble of excitement passed through the group.
“Is that a real trapdoor in the stage?” a boy named Luis asked, pointing to the center of the stage. “Will we get to fall through it?”
Miss Fine smiled. “It is a working trapdoor, but I don’t think any of our scenes will require it.” She clapped her hands. “Okay. If there are no more questions—”
“Is it true this theater is haunted?” a girl named Shontelle broke in.
Lena tensed for a second, but Miss Fine chuckled and said, “You sound like my grandmother. All old theaters have stories about them. I’ve done several workshops and plays here, and I really don’t think we have anything to worry about.”
“But I heard they had to cancel a couple of shows last year because weird stuff kept happening,” Shontelle said. “Doors slamming and people getting locked in closets and—”
“It’s true one show had to be called off, but it was because the cast got the flu,” Miss Fine interrupted. “The other production was only postponed due to some electrical problems.”
Lena glanced around, trying to find any hint of the hazy sparks that meant a wandering soul was nearby. But the theater was dark except for the overhead stage lights.
“Are you sure?” Shontelle clearly didn’t want to let it drop. “Because I heard—” Suddenly, she jumped. “Ouch!” she cried, gripping her arm. “Something just pinched me!”
“Probably a bug,” Luis said from across the circle. “There was a scorpion in my kitchen this morning. It was so cool.”
That didn’t seem to make Shontelle feel any better.
“Or maybe a bird pooped on you,” Zade chimed in. When everyone gave him puzzled looks, he pointed up. “There are birds living above the stage. I heard them flapping around.”
Lena glanced up and, sure enough, spotted a pigeon roosting above one of the curtains.
“Okay, okay,” Miss Fine said. “We’re getting off track. Yes, there are birds in the theater, but the management has promised me they’ll be gone before our show. And as far as I know, there are no scorpions and no ghosts. Okay?” She looked at Shontelle, who was still rubbing her arm above the elbow. The girl gave a weak shrug.
Miss Fine seemed happy with that response, because she clapped her hands again and added, “Now, let’s get up and do some physical warm-ups. We have plenty of work ahead if we want to be ready for our show on New Year’s Eve.”
Lena blinked. “Wait. New Year’s Eve?”
“That’s right,” Miss Fine said. “Our performance will be a matinee on December 31. Is that a problem?”
“I-I’m supposed to fly home that morning.”
Miss Fine waved her hand dismissively. “It’s already taken care of. When I spoke to your mother about signing you up for this class, she changed your plane ticket to the following day. Didn’t she tell you?”
“Oh.” No, her mom hadn’t told her.
Miss Fine glanced back at the other kids. “Now, everyone find a spot on the stage, and let’s do some jumping jacks!”
As Lena started to go through the boot camp regimen Miss Fine had in store for them, her mind swirled. How would she tell Marcus that she couldn’t make it to the New Year’s Eve dance? He’d be crushed! And why hadn’t her mom checked with her before changing Lena’s plane ticket?
Then again, Marcus knew how important being onstage was to her. If they did their midnight kiss a little late, maybe it would be okay. How much difference could a few hours really make? Still, she dreaded having to break the news to Marcus.
“Lena, get your head in the game!” Miss Fine hollered like a drill sergeant. “Do those squats like you mean them!”
Lena’s muscles ached, and her lungs heaved for breath, but she couldn’t help smiling. Finally, here was a director as serious about theater as she was. This was going to be one amazing vacation.
Chapter 2
So far, this was turning out to be a terrible vacation. Marcus had wanted to lock himself in his room and work on his models for most of winter break, but instead, over Christmas bre
akfast, his dad had declared that he was remodeling the bathroom and that Marcus and his sister, Ann-Marie, would be helping. Marcus was a total weakling compared to his athlete sister, a fact that had become painfully obvious when she’d lifted two packs of bathroom tiles while Marcus had struggled to carry just one. That pretty much set the tone for the whole project.
Now on day two of being crammed into the bathroom with his dad and sister, Marcus was covered in grout and dust and sweat, doing his best to hold a pipe steady while his dad kept yelling at him to hold still. Marcus was so busy trying not to move—or even breathe—that he got light-headed for a minute and had to sit down and wait for the ringing in his ears to fade. Meanwhile, his sister was pulling up tile as if she’d been doing it from birth. Show-off.
As Marcus finally got back to work, his mom poked her head into the bathroom. “Do you really have to do this now? I can’t concentrate with all the noise.” She looked exhausted, and there were chunks of dough in her hair. Normally, Marcus’s mom made sculptures out of trash, but this time, she’d decided to use raw pizza dough. That meant the fridge was crammed full of dough balls, and the whole house smelled like moldy bread. And since her new show was opening in a couple of weeks, she’d been even more frazzled than normal, especially since the sculptures kept sagging.
“How much concentration do dough blobs take?” Marcus’s dad said with a chuckle, brushing some dust off his forehead.
Marcus’s mom pursed her lips. “Just because you don’t understand my art doesn’t mean you can make fun of it.”
Uh-oh. Marcus and Ann-Marie exchanged looks. The air in the tiny bathroom was suddenly charged with tension. No doubt, their parents were about to have another one of their fights. His parents’ relationship had always had rough patches, but these days, his mom and dad seemed to argue about everything, even about who should turn off the porch light at night. The fights were bad enough when Marcus had to listen to them through his bedroom wall. He definitely couldn’t handle being in the middle of one in a tiny bathroom.
At that moment, a miracle happened. Marcus’s phone buzzed. It was a message from his boss Eduardo, a.k.a. Eddie. New love match in an hour. Then it gave the location and target.
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