Eternal

26 ~ Dancing Queen

Prom night at Winterhaven was much the same as prom night anywhere else. After a day of primping and preening, the seniors donned their tuxes and cocktail dresses and piled onto a coach bus headed for the big event—in our case, a beautiful hotel fashioned after a castle that sat high atop a hill overlooking the Hudson River.

The evening began with a formal, sit-down dinner followed by dancing. The only difference between others proms and ours was that everyone attending Winterhaven’s had to sign a special COPA rider that outlined additional rules and punishments specific to this special, off-campus event.

Apparently, there had been problems in the past. With only two weeks left before graduation and college plans already set, the threat of expulsion didn’t hold much weight for some, it would seem. So in order to secure a ticket to the Winterhaven prom, you had to make a special trip to the headmistress’s office to read and sign the rider. Of course, the special circumstances also meant that everyone attending had to be a student at Winterhaven—in other words, no outside dates.

Not that this affected too many people, but I knew of at least one girl—a senior on the fencing team with me—who had to go dateless because her boyfriend went to one of the hill schools in Riverdale.

Regardless, I was certain that I had the hottest date possible. I glanced over at Aidan, sitting beside me in his tux, and thought for sure that he was the most beautiful boy I’d ever seen. He’d opted for a white dinner jacket instead of black, and it suited him perfectly, made his eyes look like clear aquamarines in the flickering candlelight.

He’d used some sort of product on his hair to tame the golden waves, but one single curl had escaped, falling across his forehead. I resisted the urge to reach over and brush it back, deciding that it gave him a careless, boyish air that fit the circumstances.

More than anything, I was glad that Mrs. Girard had let him come. Luc was here, of course—Aidan’s own personal bodyguard. At least a dozen additional vampire guards were stationed around the perimeter of the grounds, keeping watch. At the first hint of a threat—real or imagined—Aidan would be whisked back to Winterhaven. He’d had to agree to that before Mrs. Girard would allow him to come. Well worth it, I decided. Even if it meant Luc was lurking in the shadows, following us everywhere we went.

Aidan leaned toward me, his breath warm against my neck. “You want to go outside and get some air?”

“Are we allowed?” I asked.

“No one said I had to stay inside,” he answered with a shrug.

I nodded, pushing aside my half-eaten slice of cheesecake, and rose to follow him out. I couldn’t help but admire the decor as we wove our way toward the exit, the room a labyrinth of tables, chairs, and bodies. The prom committee had chosen black, white, and red as the night’s color scheme, and the result was truly elegant. The round tables were draped in black, the chairs covered with crisp white linen. A tall, rustic candelabrum stood in the center of each table, holding white pillar candles in various sizes. Long-stemmed red roses were twined around the base and arms, filling the room with their scent. The overall effect was magical, like something out of a fairy tale.

And I felt like a princess in my chocolate-brown chiffon dress. I’d accessorized it with French blue—strappy sandals and a simple wrap. Aidan’s mother’s aquamarine and diamond necklace—the one he’d given me last year for Christmas—completed the outfit.

The jewels were heavy against my throat, fit for a viscountess. I didn’t feel worthy of them. They were far too valuable, too precious for a school prom. But seeing the happiness—the love, the pride—shining in Aidan’s eyes when he saw me wearing them told me I had made the right choice.

As soon as we stepped out onto the stone patio, I paused, glancing back inside. “Wait. I’d better tell Matthew where I’m going. You know, just so he doesn’t get all twitchy if he can’t find me.”

I saw Aidan roll his eyes, though he tried to hide it by turning away from me. “Fine,” he said. “Do you see him anywhere? He was sitting over there with the other chaperones.”

I peered through the glass in the door, my gaze scanning the staff table in the room’s corner. Matthew’s seat was empty now. “That’s weird. I don’t see him. Oh well. We can’t stay out long, anyway. I think they’re doing king and queen soon, and I’ve got to be there to cheer for Cece when she wins.”

Winterhaven was progressive in many ways—we didn’t have cheerleaders or a homecoming court, much less a homecoming queen. But some of the old-school traditions remained, including the presentation of prom king and queen, voted on by the senior class. There were actual crowns and scepters, or so I’d been told, and the king and queen led off the night’s dancing with the opening slow song, also chosen by the seniors. I was pretty sure that Cece had it in the bag, though who would be voted king was anyone’s guess.

“Feeling confident in your roommate, I see.” He reached for my hand, bringing it to his lips.

“No one else has a chance,” I said with a laugh. “Anyway, she looks like a queen tonight.”

“The both of you do. My queen,” he said with a mock bow.

I leaned in to him, resting my head on his shoulder. The sun had only just set, leaving the sky a colorful canvas. Indigo, gray, orange, pink painted the sky in wide, rolling bands. Down below, the town’s lights were twinkling, matching the first stars up in the sky. In the distance, the river stretched and twisted. Across it spanned the Tappan Zee Bridge, brightly lit against the river’s still, dark waters.

The breeze stirred, lifting the tendrils of hair from the sides of my face, cooling my skin, and I let out a contented sigh. “It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?”

“Beautiful,” Aidan agreed, but when I glanced up at him, I saw that he was looking at me, not the view. My heart did a little giddyap, my skin tingling all over.

“Have you ever been to a prom before?” I asked him.

He shook his head. “No. Never. You?”

“This is my first.”

“Good,” he said, his fingers trailing down the column of my neck, eliciting a shiver. “A first for us both. I feel as if I’m at a ball, stealing away my paramour for a forbidden kiss.”

I held my breath as his lips slanted down toward mine. His kiss was soft and gentle and sweet, leaving me aching for more.

“Let’s go down to the lawn,” he said, his voice low and silky smooth. “Perhaps we’ll find a hedgerow maze to get lost in.”

Wordlessly, he led me down the wide steps to the flagstone path below that wound through the hotel grounds. We’d taken only a few steps when I stopped, dead in my tracks. Matthew stood a dozen or so feet away, with a woman. And they were arguing—loudly.

“It’s just that I don’t like surprises. You know that,” he said. “You should have told me you were coming.”

“Then it wouldn’t have been a surprise,” the woman said sharply.

Charlie. It had to be Charlie.

“You’re putting me in an awkward position,” Matthew said. “I’m supposed to be chaperoning. Not . . . with a date.”

“Technically I’m here with my father. I’m his date. This is about her, isn’t it?”

Matthew shook his head. “No. I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Look, Matt, if you’re willing to give up everything for her, don’t you think I at least deserve to meet her? Can’t you at least give me that?”

For some inexplicable reason, I chose that moment to test our connection. I reached out to him psychically: Megvéd. There was that click again, and then he was there, right inside my head. For a split second, our consciousnesses merged. I could feel everything he felt—panic, discomfort, confusion. And then just like that, he disengaged.

As if in slow motion, he turned toward me. The woman followed his gaze, her eyes meeting mine, and then she looked back to Matthew.

His face said it all.

“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” the woman asked, a brittle smile on her face.

I launched myself into action, hurrying over to where they stood in silent standoff. “Hi, I’m Violet,” I said, forcing a neutral tone into my voice. “You must be Charlie. I’ve heard so much about you!” I held out a hand to her, and she took it, pumping it twice before releasing it. “Oh, and this is Aidan. My boyfriend,” I added pointedly, offering him my best besotted-girlfriend smile.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Violet,” Charlie said. “Obviously, I’ve heard a lot about you, too.”

She was tall in heels—almost as tall as Matthew. Her hair was pale blond, pulled back into a neat French twist, and her eyes were the same light blue as Kate’s had been. She looked older than I’d imagined. Older and more sophisticated.

And she loved Matthew—I could sense it. Really loved him, in a desperate kind of way. I’d never felt so low in all my life.

Because I was the one keeping them apart. She’d never have him all to herself—ever—and there wasn’t anything I could do about it. No amount of reassurances, of promises that my heart belonged elsewhere, would change that. As much as I liked to think that I was in control of my own destiny, there were some things that fate controlled—like centuries-old blood-borne legacies that couldn’t be denied, no matter how hard we tried or how badly we wanted to ignore them.

Just then my cell, which I’d stowed away in my little purse, let out a screeching chirp. “Sorry. I need to get this,” I said, digging it out and glancing down at the screen.

Where are u? the text read. They’re about to do king and queen!

“We have to get back inside,” I said to Aidan. “It’s crowning time.”

He just nodded, clearly anxious to extricate himself from this uncomfortable little tableau.

“It was really great to meet you,” I directed at Charlie as I stuffed my cell back into my bag. “Maybe we can . . . I don’t know . . . go out to dinner or something after graduation?” It was a stupid suggestion, but I was floundering for something appropriate to say.

“It was good to meet you too,” Charlie said.

“We’d better hurry,” Aidan said.

I made it back just in time to clasp Cece’s hand and give it a squeeze before they called her name, declaring her prom queen. The room erupted in cheers as she made her way to the center of the dance floor and accepted the sparkling tiara.

Standing beside me, Joshua wolf-whistled loudly as Queen Cece made her curtsy, scepter in hand.

“She looks beautiful up there,” I told him, nudging him in the ribs.

“She looks amazing,” he agreed.

“And now for the presentation of our prom king,” the announcer said.

I rose up on tiptoe, trying to see who had the mic. It was Suzanne Smith, I realized, head of the prom committee. I made a mental note to congratulate her on a job well done.

“As this year’s prom king, the senior class has chosen . . .”

A lengthy drumroll followed, during which I glanced over at Joshua, looking hopeful.

“Not a chance,” he shouted over the din. “Who would vote for a shifter?”

“. . . Aidan Gray! Come on up and join your queen, Aidan,” Suzanne chirped cheerfully.

“Well, this is awkward,” Joshua quipped while Aidan just stood there, looking a little stunned.

“Go on,” I urged, giving him a little shove forward. “You just got promoted—from viscount to king.”

I had to stifle a laugh as Aidan was crowned, looking about as stiff and uncomfortable as anyone possibly could. The senior ballad was announced, Cece and Aidan were shoved together, and the dancing finally began.

And, okay, a teeny-tiny part of me was jealous to see the two of them up there dancing—my boyfriend and my best friend. But I had to admit that they looked spectacular together. Cece’s silvery white dress set off her dark skin and hair flawlessly, a perfect foil to Aidan’s fair, golden-boy looks. It almost looked planned, as if they had coordinated their outfits and everything.

Halfway through the song, Suzanne took up the mic and invited the rest of us to join in.

Joshua tapped me on the arm. “I guess you and I . . . I mean, why not, right?”

I tried to look coy. “Are you asking me to dance, Josh?”

“Well, you know, I just thought since my date is a little occupied at the moment. With yours.”

“Let’s go, then.” I reached for his hand, dragging him out onto the dance floor.

“I’m not a very good dancer,” he warned as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “There’s not much to it. Just rock back and forth.”

“Okay, but this is just weird,” he muttered. “With you, I mean.”

“Hey, thanks a lot! At least you’re taller than me now.” I had to look up to see his face. “Way taller. Wow. What happened to you?”

“Just a late bloomer, I guess.” He shuffled around so that he had a better view of Aidan and Cece in the center of the throng. “Damn, why do they have to look so good together?”

I turned to look over my shoulder at the pair of them gliding elegantly across the floor. Aidan met my gaze and winked. In return, I blew him a kiss.

“Are they waltzing?” Joshua asked. “Seriously?”

“Just hang on. It’ll be over soon and you can reclaim her. Sheesh, you don’t hear me complaining. I’m going to lay my head on your shoulder for a second, okay? Try not to flinch too much.”

His mouth curved into a smile. “Are you using me to make him jealous? I don’t approve.”

“I love this song. Shhh, let me enjoy it.” My head still resting on Joshua’s shoulder, I sang along as we swayed awkwardly.

When the song finally ended, Suzanne reclaimed the mic. “Let’s get this party started!” she shouted, and the DJ obliged with some pumping bass.

A relieved-looking Joshua released me just as Aidan and Cece hurried over to us. “Switch!” Cece commanded.

And then she and Joshua were gone, swallowed up by the crowd.

“I missed you,” Aidan said, ducking his head down toward my neck. His lips tickled the skin beneath my ear, making me shiver.

“What is your thing with necks?” I teased. “I swear, you’d think you were a vampire or something.”

“Very funny. You want to dance?”

“Yes, but pictures first. I don’t want to be all sweaty.” I led him away, toward the far corner of the room, where the formal portraits were being taken. Every couple of seconds, the flash went off, temporarily blinding me as we approached.

“Look, there’re Sophie and Tyler in line. Max and Marissa too. Hurry. Let’s catch up with them before someone else gets in front of us.”

Tyler asking Sophie to prom had been an unexpected surprise. I just hoped he didn’t screw it up. I was glad to see that, for now at least, Sophie was smiling happily. She looked like she was having fun.

“Hey,” I called out, joining them in line just as Sophie and Tyler stepped up to have their pictures taken.

“If it isn’t the king himself,” Marissa said. She looked beautiful in a short, magenta strapless dress with a peplum, paired with black patent Doc Marten boots. Max had coordinated his accessories with a matching bowtie and cummerbund and had dyed the tips of his spiky hair—all a bold magenta.

“Wow, Max,” I said, eyeing him up and down. “You’re really rocking that punk-formal look. Juilliard isn’t going to know what hit them.”

“That reminds me,” he said. “Don’t forget to e-mail me your friend’s name. That ballet chick. I’ll look for her at orientation.”

“Yeah, and give me her cell number,” Marissa said. “I’ll text her as soon as I’m settled in the dorm. We can hang out.”

Come fall, they would all be together—Max and Whitney at Juilliard, Marissa downtown at NYU. I was glad that Whitney would have someone to show her around the city, to introduce her to people. I was just sad that that someone wouldn’t be me.

“Next,” the photographer called out, and Max and Marissa switched places with Sophie and Tyler.

“There you are,” Sophie said. “I was looking for you at the crowning. I didn’t see you anywhere.”

“We went out for air and just barely made it back in time.”

“Good thing you did,” Tyler said. “Can’t have the king miss his own coronation.”

For a moment there, the air crackled with tension. Just ignore him, I told Aidan telepathically.

“But hey, man, congrats on that.” Tyler paused, looking Aidan straight in the eye. “We’re good now, right?”

Several seconds ticked by in strained silence. Finally, Aidan nodded. “We’re good.”

“Next,” the photographer bellowed.

Aidan and I started toward the camera, but I stopped midway, an idea forming in my mind. I turned back toward my friends. “We need a group shot when Aidan and I are done. Someone go find Cece and Josh, quick!”

I saw Max and Tyler dash off while Aidan and I struck our first pose for the camera.

“Okay, little lady, turn a bit more to your left. That’s it. Chin down. Smile, you two.” Pop. We tried several different stiff, awkward poses before Tyler and Max returned with Cece and Joshua in tow.

I motioned for everyone to join us, and we all squashed together, arms looped over shoulders and around backs. Aidan was on one side of me, Sophie on the other. I glanced around at my friends, laughing and smiling as the flash popped, thinking I’d never been happier in all my life. This was perfect . . . well, as close to perfect as it could ever be without Kate. Still, something felt slightly off, but I wasn’t exactly sure what. And then I caught sight of Matthew in my peripheral vision.

“Hey, Dr. B.,” Tyler called out, motioning with one hand. “Come on. You should be in this too.”

“Yeah,” Sophie said, moving over to make room for him between us. “C’mon, you go right here.”

Tears burned behind my eyelids as he squeezed in, an arm thrown carelessly over my shoulder. Now it felt right, I realized as the flash began to pop again. Just so—with Aidan on one side of me, my Megvéd on the other. And around us, the best friends anyone could ask for. If only I could bottle this moment in time, capture it for eternity.

We were all together, minus Kate and Jack. Together, but never again whole. As the final flash popped, a single tear slipped down my cheek, captured digitally for all time.