Nightworld Academy: Term One(Nightworld Academy #1)(59)

My stomach lurches as a thought hits.

I've lost sight of Andrei.

Then I spot him in a corner, drinking from a plastic cup. He's watching everybody as Ash and I are, but are his motives different to ours?

My unease shifts to panic when I look back to the group of girls and Tessa can’t see Tessa. She reappears from behind a cloud of dry ice, half-choking on the cloud, and drags someone behind her. They approach and I straighten to alert.

Tessa criticised Andrei earlier, but the guy whose hand she's gripping isn't in costume, unless you count the black and white Scream-style mask. I take a sly look at Andrei. Still more of an effort than him, I suppose.

"This is Bradley." She smiles proudly, then leans closer to say, "He's mine."

A whiff of stale vodka joins her words.

"What year is he in?" I ask.

"Oh. No. He's a car mechanic. Works at the garage on the edge of town. My car broke down and he came out to help me. We clicked and..." She waves a hand. "Here we are."

I'm distracted by him, but not because I'm checking him out. Is he the guy from my vision? I swallow and ready myself. "I can't see Bradley properly," I whisper. "Is he hot?"

She nudges the guy. "Bradley. Mask."

It's as if I'm rubbing away the silver on a scratch card, hoping to win the lottery, as I watch. Bradley pulls the latex from his face and his brown hair sticks up on his head. The guy wipes perspiration from his forehead.

"I need to keep the mask on, or people will see I'm not supposed to be here," he says gruffly.

No scar. Not the guy I predicted. I give Bradley a wide, relieved smile, thankful I'm wrong. Should I be disappointed that he isn't the guy, though? At least we'd have located him. "Hey, Bradley. Why can't you come here?"

"He's like you," puts in Tessa. "Bradley was expelled too."

I choke a laugh. "Whoa. Thanks, Tessa." I'm keeping a low profile and hoping the wig and heavy make-up helps keep me disguised. Poor lighting and a smoky atmosphere assist me, thank god.

But it also helps the guy I'm looking for stay hidden.

Amelia watches our exchange and then looks at me expectantly. She steps closer and attempts to talk over the music. "Is that him?"

"No," I call back.

"Is Ash still on the lookout?"

I nod. This conversation is pointless in this noise. Amelia gestures at the dance floor. "Can I dance if he is?" she calls.

I'd chastise her that we're here to help Tessa and discover what I saw, but she's desperate to join in. "Sure, if you stick with Tessa."

I stumble back in surprise as she gives me a tight hug then skips into the dancers to join two of Tessa's friends. They welcome her like an old acquaintance, arms outstretched. Judging by their exuberant moves, they've enjoyed Tessa's vodka too. Tessa and Bradley now chat, his hand on her backside and hers on his chest, faces close.

Aware I'm about to become a third wheel, I head back to the table for more punch.

The cupcakes over there looked good.





Chapter Thirty-Three





MAEVE



Cake wrapper in one hand and an empty cup in another, I spy on my surroundings from the vantage point on a chair in a dark corner. Several people accosted me at the drinks table and interrupted my dancefloor view. Some asked clever questions, ready to twist my answers and use as gossip. Becky, the school's equivalent to Katherine, grilled me for five minutes. In the end, I told her I'd moved to a school with vampires, witches, and werewolves.

This gave enough ammunition for Becky to take and confirm that my mental state is still a few fries short of a Happy Meal.

I toy with the idea of speaking to Ash or returning to Amelia, who's still giddily dancing with Tessa’s new friends. Tessa dances along with her, so she's under watch. Ash remains in his sentry post by the doorway. Between us, we've the hall and Tessa under a watchful eye.

And Andrei?

Adrenaline spikes as I stand and look into the hall, now almost at capacity. Would Andrei dance? Probably not. I check anyway, weaving through the dancers and apologising as I bump into some. The dry ice smells sweet and the loud music assaults my ears, confusing my senses.

Couples lurk in darkened corners and I surreptitiously pass them, staring too long, and stop checking once someone looks at me like I'm a perverted weirdo.

No Andrei.

Double crap.

We agreed that Ash would stop Andrei leaving, and I check with him and Amelia. Neither have seen him. Ash steps towards the crowds then looks back to the doorway.

"Stay here, I’ll look for Andrei," I tell him.

I ask Amelia to look out for Andrei too, as I rack my brain for places he could go. Allowing him to join us was dumb enough. Allowing him with us and not keeping him supervised is a mistake we could regret for a long time.

There's an area backstage, behind the school hall, that leads to changing rooms and a small kitchen area, for those involved in the termly musical performances. The metal doors to these are normally locked, but tonight people carry drinks and snacks from the kitchen into the hall.

Wiping a hand across my forehead to dry the growing perspiration, I head over to a door where bright light filters through into the darkened hallway. A mum helping with the evening smiles at me and offers the tray she's carrying. "Cupcake?"