If it weren’t for Mario, Eric, and Sandra, she would go the whole school day without ever talking to anyone. She’d never felt more alone in her life.
“Let’s go do some dancing,” Karen said.
Avery followed them from the room and down the stairs to the living room. Her father looked up from flipping through the channels and grinned at them.
“You ladies look beautiful.” Then he took in their costumes and chuckled. “And you have a weird sense of humor.”
“That’s why Avery loves us!” Lila declared.
Her father’s smile slid away. “Be careful,” he said to Avery.
“I will,” she promised as she walked over to hug him.
He’d been a nervous wreck since Regan returned and she told him about the notes and the rift in the coven. He had wanted to send her back to her old school, and though it was really tempting, Avery was determined to try and see this through, if only because she knew it was best for the coven to at least still all be near each other most of the time.
Her father held her for a bit longer than usual before reluctantly releasing her.
CHAPTER 43
Avery shifted from foot to foot as she watched the students filing into the gym. The thump of the fast-paced music drifted through the night. Dressed in a colorful array of costumes, they were all laughing and talking excitedly with each other. At one time, she would have been just like them. Yes, she would have been in line with Lila, Karen, and Tina, but they would have been laughing and joking with the kids around them.
Now, the kids in front of them had huddled close together and as far from Avery as they could get. Tina kept taking turns scowling at them before turning her fierce look on the students behind them, who had left a ten-foot gap in the line. Lila and Karen babbled on as they tried to fill the tense silence, but it wasn’t doing any good.
“We shouldn’t have come,” Avery muttered.
“Yes, we should have,” Karen insisted.
“Of course we should have,” Tina said as she switched her glare to the kids in front of them.
Not as fortunate as the students in line behind them, the kids in front of them couldn’t get any further away. And then Avery realized they could as they stepped out of line and walked to the back of it.
The next bunch of kids in line scooted further back when Tina stalked toward them. “One good thing about all this,” Tina said as she scowled at the next group. “Our wait time is going down.”
Avery didn’t know if she wanted to laugh or cry; she settled for a snort and chuckle as she shook her head at Tina. Only these three could make such an awful situation better, and they were succeeding.
Not wanting to look at the frightened kids anymore, she turned to search the crowd for a member of the coven. She spotted a knight, a horse, some vampires, a couple of clowns, musicians, pirates, nurses, and more than a few zombies in the line, but no one from the coven.
“Who in their right mind would choose to dress like a clown?” Karen muttered.
“Five-year-olds,” Tina replied.
Avery released a high-pitched nervous laugh that she ended when she realized how awkward it sounded. Twisting her hands before her, she shifted from foot to foot as the line edged toward the Grim Reaper taking tickets at the open doors. Avery hadn’t purchased any of the tickets for this; she hadn’t planned on coming. Three days ago, Lila informed her that Sandra got them all tickets and they would be attending the Halloween dance together.
Avery hadn’t asked Sandra how she got three tickets for three people who didn’t go to this school. Sandra had her ways, and Avery preferred not to know them.
Alarm shone in the Reaper’s eyes when they stepped in front of him. He snatched her ticket from her and recoiled as if she were a poisonous snake. Lila snickered, and Tina rolled her eyes.
“Scaredy cat,” Karen muttered.
The Reaper glared at her, and Karen grinned back at him.
“Come on,” Avery muttered.
Though the entrance to the gym was crowded, she didn’t have to push her way through the crowd. People parted as if she were Moses and they were the Red Sea. Having had enough of their ridiculous fear of her, Avery gave them scathing looks as she lifted her head, straightened her shoulders, and strolled past them like she didn’t even know they were there. The last thing she felt was confident, but she could fake it.
Orange and black crepe paper and paper bats dangled from the rafters and brushed the heads of some of the taller students when they walked beneath the decorations. Pulled back against the walls, decorative witches, ghosts, goblins, and other assorted creatures covered the bleachers. The gravestones in the corners of the rooms had dirt in front of them with hands emerging through the earth. More gravestones delineated the dance floor in the center of the gym.
The only lights in the room came from a spotlight on the stage and the glowing jack-o’-lanterns placed near the walls. There were at least thirty pumpkins, all with an elaborate design carved into them. Landon and the dance committee had gone all out as it must have taken them at least a day to carve all the jack-o’-lanterns and decorate everything.
Students packed the gymnasium and shouted to be heard over the band. Avery pulled at the collar of her dress as sweat beaded her forehead. She hated being surrounded by all these people when one or more of them believed she should die, and all of them were scared of her.
They wouldn’t be staying here long.
“Let’s get something to drink,” Tina suggested.
Avery would love something to wet her parched throat. “Okay.”
They made their way easily through the parting crowd to the refreshment table. Tina lifted a couple of glasses of water and thrust them out to Avery and Lila before turning to grab two more. Avery searched for the coven as she studied the occupants of the gym, but she didn’t see anyone.
Then Shawn entered the gym. Dressed in his football jersey, the only thing he’d added to the costume was a streak of fake blood on his cheek. It seemed he was indifferent to Halloween as he was everything else. A pretty brunette in a cheerleader uniform hung on Shawn’s arm.
“There’s Shawn,” Lila said.
“Who’s the girl with him?” Tina asked.
“Amanda Becker,” Avery said.
“Is she a cheerleader here?” Lila asked.
“Yes,” Avery answered.
“Aren’t they original,” Karen murmured as she sipped her water.
“Come on; it’s time to dance!” Tina said and tossed her cup into the trash.
“Tina, no!” Avery protested.
But Tina grasped her arm and propelled her toward the packed dance floor. Avery skirted a gravestone and found herself standing at the edge of the dance floor.
“Dance, Avery,” Tina hissed in her ear. “Have a good time!”
The students fell away until they had a large section of the dance floor to themselves, but Avery chose to ignore them.
Screw it and screw them.
Resolved to at least enjoy herself a little, her feet started moving as she threw herself into the rhythm of the music.
“I haven’t danced in so long!” Lila yelled and laughed as she spun in a circle.
The beautiful smile on Lila’s flushed face made all the awkwardness of being here totally worth it, Avery decided. Avery grinned back at her friend as they bumped hips. The students, and all the coven’s problems didn’t seem so difficult when she had these three standing by her side. All her troubles melted away, and when the band switched to another song, they laughed as they danced around each other.
“Well, don’t you look cute.”
Avery turned at the sound of the husky, amused drawl to find Sandra standing behind her. She grinned at her cousin who smiled back at her. Sandra was breathtaking in a red dress that cleaved to her curves and didn’t reach the middle of her thighs. Her fishnet stockings were bright red, and so were her stiletto heels. A pair of devil’s horns sat atop her golden hair. The costume
violated the dress code the school had instated for the dance, but not even the teachers would say anything to Sandra about it.
“Hey,” Avery greeted. “You look great.”
“I know.”
Sandra tossed back her hair and shifted her attention to the others. A burst of laughter escaped before she regained her normally cool composure. Avery never thought she’d consider Sandra a good friend, but her cousin had helped Avery through this last month, and she was sure she’d helped Sandra through it too. Though she would never admit it, Avery knew Sandra missed Isla.
“Wonderful choice of costumes,” Sandra said. “As I’m sure you’ve realized, I also enjoy pissing people off myself.”
Karen laughed. “No, really? Not you.”
Sandra smiled at her before focusing on Avery again. “Have you seen the three saints yet?”
“No,” Avery said, wincing when she recalled Reid would most likely be here. Then, something Sandra said sank in. “Wait a minute, the three saints?”
Sandra had always referred to Landon, Reid, Rosie, and Alex as the four saints.
“Not paying much attention these days, are you?” Sandra placed the back of her hand dramatically against her forehead. “Alex is the son of the devil, a fallen saint, so to say. He has plummeted from the heavens to join us lowly sinners.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Apparently, the kingly saint stood up for you.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
“What did he stick up for me about?”
Sandra looked like the cat that ate the canary. “Reid. But that was just his small sin; his major sin was breaking up with the queenly saint.”
“What?” the four of them gasped at the same time.
“Apparently…” Sandra paused for effect as her eyes roamed over their rapt faces. “He has caused quite a hissy fit by defying the queen and abdicating his kingly throne.”
“But why did they break up?” Karen asked.
Sandra shrugged. “I’m not in the saintly loop.”
“Wow,” Lila breathed. “I never saw that breakup coming.”
“No one did,” Sandra replied, and her eyes narrowed on Avery. “You really have to start paying attention, cousin. You’re going to be our savior in this, after all.”
“I’m no savior,” Avery protested.
“It doesn’t matter if you are or not because you have to be. You’re the only person everyone trusts, unlike the rest of us disgraced Lucifers. Which means you are the only one who can bring us all back together.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not very well-liked right now.”
“I’ve never been well-liked, but I’ve always done what needed to be done—”
“What’s that? Annoy people?” Avery interrupted.
“That is a lot of fun.” Sandra’s emerald eyes twinkled with amusement. “But I’ve also made sure Landon doesn’t run all over us. I know she means well, and don’t ever tell her I said that, but she doesn’t always think about what we all want when she gets her mind set on something.”
Avery raised an eyebrow. “And you would do better at running the coven?”
“No, but that’s why I already told you that I think you should be in charge.”
“I want nothing to do with being in charge. Besides, I don’t know enough about the rituals or magical properties of things to run the coven.”
“True,” Sandra said, “but those are things you can learn as you go.”
“Sandra—”
“The running of the coven is a problem for another day. Regan is a problem every day, and we need you to help solve it.”
CHAPTER 44
“What would you have me do?”
“Bring us all back together. If you hadn’t broken up with Reid, you’d be the center of the saints right now. Damn it, Avery, stop shaking your head at me; you know I’m right!”
Avery stopped shaking her head. “But I did break up with him, and he and Landon aren’t exactly thrilled with me right now. In fact, they act like I don’t exist.”
“So they’ll be a little harder to deal with, but it can be done.”
Sandra’s flippant attitude irritated her. “And what about Isla who doesn’t want to talk to anyone?”
“You’re just making excuses when you know I’m right.”
Avery opened her mouth to protest, but Sandra was right.
“If you think it’s so easy, why don’t you try bringing them all back together?” Avery asked.
“Oh, I don’t have the patience for that.”
“Sandra,” she grated through her teeth.
Sandra’s dismissive air vanished. “Come on, Avery, we both know I’m one of the worst candidates for trying to reunite everyone. Shawn and Isla might have me beat by a little, but not by much. I am what I am, and I love it, but I do tend to rub some people the wrong way.”
Avery quirked an eyebrow at her. “Just some people?”
Sandra grinned at her. “Okay, most people, but it’s so much fun.” Then her smile vanished. “I know you feel bad for breaking up with Reid, but he’s going to have to get over it, so is the queen bee, and so are you. It’s only a matter of time before Regan makes his presence known again, and I do not want to be weaker the next time we face him because we’re all fighting with each other.”
If someone had told her three months ago Sandra would be the sensible one in the coven, she would have laughed in their face. Now she could only stand and stare at her cousin while feeling flabbergasted.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t try something tomorrow,” Sandra continued.
“Tomorrow?” Avery squeaked.
“Tomorrow is Samhain, Avery. Halloween, remember? I mean, it is why you’re dressed as an angel, after all.”
“Yes, I remember,” she said.
“Halloween is more than costumes and candy; it’s also when the line between the living and dead is the thinnest. If he managed to break through on Mabon, then he’ll probably be able to break through tomorrow too.”
The hair on Avery’s arms rose and her neck prickled as if someone were watching her. She glanced behind her but saw nothing there. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling Regan was nearby. Something wicked this way comes.
She’d been so focused on finding the skull that she hadn’t really considered Halloween would be another good opportunity for Regan to make his presence known. She swore as she glanced around the gym again.
“I’m never going to be able to get the coven back together by tomorrow.”
“Maybe, maybe not, but you’ll never know until you try.”
“And are you going to try too?” Avery demanded.
Sandra laughed. “After Shawn, I’m probably suspect number two on the list of people with the skull, for many of the members.”
Avery couldn’t argue with that.
“But I’ll do what I can.” Sandra examined her pristine, bloodred nails while she spoke. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to see what mischief I can get into. I’ll catch you later.”
“Sandra…” Avery started, but Sandra had already disappeared into the crowd.
Avery’s mind reeled as she gazed at the students; she didn’t know what to do.
“Avery,” Karen said, “I think Sandra’s right. Regan hasn’t shown himself lately; hopefully it won’t be tomorrow, but it’s only a matter of time.”
“You aren’t kidding,” Tina muttered.
“You three should go home tonight,” Avery said. They’d been planning on sleeping over her house, but she now realized it was a horrible idea.
“No,” Lila said. “We’re staying with you, and there’s nothing you can say to change our minds.”
Avery sighed. She hadn’t expected them to leave, but she wished they would. They’d been caught up in this far too much already. “He could take one or all of you again.”
“Then bring it,” Karen said. “Besides, you’re going to need he
lp in coming up with a plan for dealing with everyone; we can help with that.”
“Yes, we can,” Lila said.
“Fine,” Avery relented. “But I think I’ve had enough of this party. I’m ready to go.”
“So am I,” Karen said.
Avery walked off the dancefloor and was heading for the door when she spotted Reid standing at the refreshment table. The sight of him leaning against the table with a drink in hand and a smile on his handsome face froze her in her tracks. He looked amazing in a pair of black pants that clung to his long, muscular legs and a button-down, black shirt. A black cape and fangs completed his vampire costume.
Landon and Rosie stood beside him, and a group of students circled them. The girls were all standing far too close to Reid for Avery’s liking. The guys in the group had focused their attention on the newly single Landon.
Wearing a purple gown that flowed to her ankles, pointed ears covered Landon’s, and fairy wings were sewn into the back of her dress. Pink, silver, gold, and purple ribbons threaded her thick hair.
Dressed as cupid, Rosie’s pink dress floated around her and ended at the knees. Her short, strawberry blonde hair had hearts clipped into it. Small pink and red hearts were painted onto her cheeks. She held a small bow and a quiver of pink arrows adorned her back.
And then Talia walked up to stand so close to Reid that a piece of paper wouldn’t fit between them. Dressed in a Little Red Riding Hood costume, Talia looked pretty and sweet. Avery’s hands fisted as she glared at Talia, but Reid wasn’t paying attention to her as he talked with a pretty elf. Avery had seen the elf around school, but she didn’t know her name.
“Have you talked to Talia since the maze?” Tina asked.
“No,” Avery said. “She ignores me as deftly as everyone else in this school.”
“She’s such a bitch,” Lila muttered, and Avery couldn’t help but agree.
“You know, it’s awfully convenient that she showed up at school shortly before Regan came back,” Karen said. “Maybe she has something to do with him breaking free.”
“She’s not a witch,” Avery said. “And whoever freed Regan required magic to do so. Plus, she had no idea where we buried the skull.”
The Maze (The Coven, Book 2) Page 22
