Carrie Jones - Entice (Need)

To Emilythe most awesome and glorious
person ever ! Drink water!

Contents

L aw enforcement authorities are still investigating the strange bus accident that recently killed several Sumner High School students. Meanwhile, Bedford police advise that another boy has been reported missing from that town, bringing the total up to eight. N EWS C HANNEL

Am I really not allowed to complain about being here? I ask as we enter Bedford High School about an hour late for the winter ball. In an attempt to make it more ball and less high school, the lights are dimmed in the front foyer and giant white snowflakes and twinkly lights dangle from the ceiling. They are supposed to look festive, but they are dingy from years of use. The white is sort of an off-yellow that looks like old tea-stained teeth more than snow.

Cassidy, my tall, braided, partially elf friend, puts her arm around me. If we arent allowed to complain about your new pixie status, you arent allowed to complain about the dance.

Issie stomps the real snow off of her pink and gold heels and chirps, Actually, I think you are allowed to complain a couple times, but not

Not excessively? Devyn suggests, pulling his birdlike body up to its full height. Its like hes posturing, showing me that hes protecting Issie. He keeps looking at me out of the corner of his eye like I might attack any second. But I wontI mean, I dont think I will.

Exactly. Not excessively. Issie beams up at him, smiling, and its so sweet how she does it and how he smiles back that something inside me breaks a tiny bit. Nick and I used to be like that. Then he died. Sort of. A pixie king killed him. He died in my arms and then a winged woman took him away to some mystical place that only warriors who have died in battle can go. My breath stops, just remembering itthe blood, the way he was just gone.

Zara? Cassidys arm tightens around my shoulders as we march forward. I guess since shes a bit psychic and can see into my soul, shes the only one who seems to trust me a hundred percent when I dont even trust me a hundred percent. You okay?

I nod. I am not going to ruin the night for them. But then I smell it Dove soap, the copper metal tang of blood. Somethings wrong.

Issie sidles up to me. I know you miss Nick, but well find a way to get him

I shake my head, listening. Thats not it. Somethings wrong in the school. I can smell blood blood and fear.

Issie drops my arm as Devyn stills and says, I smell it too.

Dev and I exchange a look and start running down the hallway. I yell behind to where Issie and Cass are. Hide, guys. Okay?

We burst into the dark, decorated cafeteria. White Christmas-style trees with blue lights are splayed along the walls. Hip-hop music pumps through the air. People are moving frantically, but theyre dancing mostly, not running for their lives. Devyn and I stand there, surveying all the gowns and suits, smelling the sweat and way-too-intense cologne.

Do you see anything? I ask.

He starts to say no, but then he points to the darkest corner, where fake Christmas trees half hide movement in the soda machine alcove. Two girls in bizarre gowns are yanking at a guy I dont recognize, pulling on his tie, hustling him out the emergency exit door. Hes bleeding from the nose and the wrist. Thats the blood Im smelling, and even though its pretty obvious hes been drinking alcohol, I can smell his fear too. It rolls off him almost solid, like a color of air around himyellow and dark brown.

Dev, I start.

He interrupts me. I cant change here. People will see.

Devyn is a were. He can shift into an eagle.

Just back me up, I tell him, which is a total role reversal. Im usually the one who backs other people up. Still, I say it and mean it as I bump through dancing groups and couples who are so into themselves that they dont notice anything at all.

Devyn murmurs in my ear, There are two of them.

Devyn let me go first, I say again, trying to hurry without being too obvious. The girls are hustling the guy toward a door marked FIRE EXIT . Theyre moving pretty fast and I know if they get him out of here hes a goner, because they arent regular girls. They are pixies. Theyre going to bite at him and torture him and basically drain his soul until he goes insane or dies.

How do I know this? I know because now Im a pixie too.

I bang toward them and position myself between them and the door. Just like me, they appear human, hiding their blue skin and their freaky sharp teeth with a glamour. One wears a red dress that looks and smells like its been hanging out in a Goodwill since the 1980s. Puffy sleeves with shoulder pads give her football uniform shoulders, and monster ruffles along the bottom hem do not help things. The other one wears a black cutout dress that only supermodels should even look at. Shes got her hair in a French twist.

Stop, I say.

Eighties Dress raises an eyebrow. We are having far too much fun to stop.

Oh, thats original.

The second pixie, who looks like a red-haired Barbie, snarls at me while batting her eyelashes, which would be weird enough even if she didnt have blood on her teeth.

I try to make myself as tough seeming as possible. I said stop.

They laugh.

I admit that I am not the most intimidating-looking personpixie? whateverbut laughing at me is so not cool. This horrible, horrible primal rush of anger surges through me as I take a step forward and the guy in between the pixies staggers backward, hitting the wall. His suit coat rumples up behind his butt as he starts sliding down. Devyn lunges forward to help him, but Evil Red-Haired Barbie shoves Devyn backward into me. I catch him at the waist and leap around him.

You need to calm down, I say, pointing my finger at her like some kind of angry teacher-person, and you need to leave. This is my school, and you are not messing with the people here.

You and Mr. Skinny are going to stop us? Barbie tucks her hair behind her ears, obviously not impressed.

Eww. Why would you even want to claim this school? It smells like a strip mall, the other one says.

I dont answer either of them, just stare the first one down as Drunk Boy flops onto the floor and starts crawling away.

I dont want to hurt you, I say, stepping forward, so this is your last chance.

Shes a pacifist, Devyn says behind me, standing up again. I wonder why hes saying this. Is it to remind me of who I used to be or to remind himself? Do you know what that means? he adds.

They look at us blankly.

It means I dont believe in fighting, I explain, taking another step closer. The tension fills the air. I know theyre both ready to strike, to tear and rip with teeth and hands. But I have no idea if I can fight them. I know Im stronger now that Im a pixie, but all the emotions rushing through me I dont know if I can control them.

Nick would take the stronger one down first, make a statement. So thats what I decide to do. My arm snatches out and grabs Barbie by the wrist. I squeeze and sweep my legs underneath her to try to trip her. She doesnt fall for it, jumping back. Her free hand smashes into my stomach. I oomph but dont fall either. Instead, I do the first thing I can think of, which is kick at her againand this time its like something has switched on. Im way faster than I should be. The kick connects with her shin. I send another one to her thigh as she staggers.

Then I grab her hair. My fingers smoosh into the twist. Yanking her head to my ear, I say, Get out of here before I ruin your heels and your dress and your face.

She snarls menacingly at me, but theres no way she can move.

Devyn, is anyone looking? I ask.

Nope, he answers.

The other pixie harrumphs. Fine. Well go. Can we take the meat?

She gestures toward the drunk boy, who is trying to crawl back toward the punch table.