Temptation (19 page)

The air in the room filled with smoke and a sour, sulfuric smell.

Matt and April stared in horrified disbelief as the flames
raged over Jessica's head, as she slowly melted, her skin sagging, dripping, wet chunks dropping off under the heat of the flames.

Jessica's outraged expression disappeared as her face caved in. Her skull was aflame, melting as her face had, and the fire spread to her shoulders, crackling loudly.

Headless, she slumped to the floor in a fiery puddle. The fire consumed her body in less than a minute.

And then the floor was on fire.

And the fire had spread to the walls.

And the coffin was burning, the rising red and yellow flames performing a sprightly dance over the smooth wooden lid.

Matt stared at the flames as if hypnotized. In the flickering, orange glare he could see that April was frozen there too, her eyes wide, catching the darting, leaping light, her mouth locked in a tight O of terror and astonishment.

The walls, the ceiling, the furniture, the coffin—all burned under the leaping red flames, so bright, so exciting, crackling so loudly; the fluttering sound, the sound of the hundreds of bat wings overhead, had finally disappeared.

“April?” Matt called as the flames encircled them.

Staring into the red and yellow glare, she didn't respond.

“April. We have to get out of here!”

He leapt over a line of low flames on the floor and grabbed her hand. His touch seemed to snap her out of her spell.

“Huh? Matt? We're okay?”

“Yes, we're okay!” he cried, pulling her through the open doorway.

And now they were in the cool, fresh air.

And now the house, consumed in flames, collapsed behind them.

And now April was rushing into Matt's arms, throwing her arms around him tightly, pressing her hot cheek against his.

“Matt,” she sighed, holding him close, “I'll never make fun of your horror movies again!”

A few nights later Matt walked with his arm around April's shoulder on the curving path toward town.

“I feel much better,” Matt said softly, kicking at a clump of sand. “How about you?”

“Much better,” April said, reaching up to her shoulder to squeeze his hand affectionately. “What a dreadful summer,” she added.

“The worst,” he said, trying to force back the wave of painful memories that kept invading his mind, returning relentlessly like the tides.

“I don't think we'll ever be the same,” April said in a soft, regretful whisper.

“Yeah,” he quickly agreed. “I didn't think I'd ever say it, but I can't wait to get back to Shadyside.”

“Me too,” April replied, tilting near, brushing his cheek with her soft, golden hair.

They walked on for a while in comfortable silence. Then, as
the beach cottages gave way to the large, grassy field before town, a large gray rabbit hopped boldly across the path.

“He thinks he owns the place,” Matt joked—and then stopped, letting go of April's shoulder.

As the rabbit crossed, Matt spotted something in the dirt.

“Whoa,” he said, bending down to retrieve it.

“What is it?” April asked curiously.

“Look,” Matt said. He held up her silver cross. “Is this the cross you lost?”

“Oh, just leave it there,” April said casually, turning away.

“Huh?” Matt wasn't sure he had heard right. “But, April—”

“Just
drop
it,” she insisted sharply.

Confused by her request, Matt obediently dropped the cross and chain back to the grassy field.

As he stepped away from it, April turned back to him, reached up and grabbed his shoulders with surprising strength, and bared her fangs, slender and pale in the light of the half moon.

“No—” Matt protested, struggling without success to free himself from her powerful grasp.

She chuckled, staring deeply into his eyes.

“But, April—” he insisted, panic gripping his throat. “It—you—
can't
be! Back on the island, you—you saved my life!”

“I know,” April said softly, smiling at him behind her ivorylike fangs. “Why should Jessica have all the nectar? I was saving you for
me
!”

Holding him tightly, she forced back his head and bit deeply, thirstily into his tender, throbbing throat.

A pale moon floated high over the beach at Sandy Hollow as Diana walked beside Eric. The wet sand felt cold under her feet. Diana took Eric's hand. “I love the beach at night,” she murmured.

“Huh? What did you say?” Eric asked. He seemed distracted.

“Nothing. Come on.” Pulling him toward the waves that broke gently on the sand, Diana began to walk faster.

The beach is so peaceful at night, she thought. So perfect for what I must do.

The stars gleamed, silvery against the clear black sky. It was at least an hour before dawn. Diana had plenty of time.

She studied Eric's face. His hair was black and shaggy, his eyes dark and serious. Her gaze lingered on his throat, on the smooth flesh just below his jaw.

Any moment now, she thought. Any moment.

“It's late,” Eric said. “I really should go home.”

“Not afraid of the dark, are you?” Diana teased.

“Of course not.”

“Then what's the hurry?”

“I had a crazy day. I'd like to get a little sleep before the sun comes up.”

Diana stopped walking and peered down the dark beach. “Look!” she cried. “Someone left a beach umbrella. Let's sit down. Just for a minute?”

“But it's so late,” Eric protested.

Diana hurried to the umbrella and dropped onto the sand beneath it. “Come on,” she urged. “We've got our own private spot.”

Eric joined her. She pulled him to her and kissed him. Just once. Quickly. His lips felt cool on hers. As cool as the night air.

“I really have to get home,” Eric whispered.

“You're not going home, Eric.”

For a moment, he said nothing, his face a frozen silhouette against the star-filled sky. “What are you talking about?” he finally asked.

“I brought you here to die.”

He laughed. “Is this a joke?”

“No, Eric. It's no joke. A vampire murdered my cousin last summer. She wasn't just my cousin, Eric. She was also my best friend. I want all vampires to die.”

Eric's fangs slid down. “You lose,” he snarled.

“No.
You
lose,” Diana snapped.

His eyes glowed with rage and hunger. He reached for her.

Diana rolled away. She yanked the beach umbrella from the sand. The special umbrella she had made for tonight.

Eric came after her, moonlight flashing in his eyes.

The umbrella top slid across the sand as Diana yanked the pole off.

“I can already taste your blood, the sweet nectar!” Eric proclaimed.

“Don't count on it,” Diana replied.

Eric groaned as she jammed the pole's sharp wooden tip through his heart. His eyes bulged wide in shock. “No!” he gasped. “No. You
can't
!”

He collapsed onto the sand.

The glow in his eyes faded.

His body shriveled. Slowly at first, then faster, his legs shrinking beneath his jeans. His arms dissolving. His skin flaking, blowing away in the wind.

Until a skeleton lay sprawled on the sand in Eric's clothes.

Bones. White bones.

Then dust.

Diana stirred the dust around with her hand until it disappeared into the beach sand.

“Good-bye, Eric,” she murmured. “I had a very nice time.”

“There's the Pizza Cove,” Billy Naughton announced, pointing to a small restaurant across the street. “Excellent sausage and mushroom pizza.”

Jay Windley nodded.

“Best pizza in town,” Nate Stanton agreed as he ran a hand through his sandy hair. “I ate it every night last summer. Really. I mean,
every
night.”

Jay nodded again.

Billy glanced around for other Sandy Hollow landmarks to point out. He had decided to spend the first night showing his best friend around. After all, he had spent all of last summer here, and Jay had never been to Sandy Hollow before.

Jay's friend Nate seemed kind of boring. Nate and his family had been at Sandy Hollow last summer. But Billy didn't remember much about them.

Maybe I was too busy with Joelle to notice anyone else, Billy thought.

“I don't like the Pizza Cove,” announced Lynette, Nate's little sister. Billy had a feeling Lynette would be tagging along all summer. It was only the first night, and already Mrs. Stanton had made Nate take her with them.

“Who cares what you like?” Nate teased her. “You'd like Gummi Worms on your pizza!”

Billy felt the salty dampness of the ocean breeze on his cheeks. The wind ruffled his long, black hair. He shook himself out of his daze. “It gets cold here at night,” he commented.

“No kidding,” Jay muttered, shivering. The ocean breeze plastered his light brown hair against his cheek.

“It's fun even when it's cold,” Nate declared. “This is going to be an awesome summer. Except for work.”

Billy groaned. “Don't remind me.” He turned to Jay. “What are you going to do while we're at work, Jay? Hang out with your parents?”

Jay laughed. “No way. I'm going to hang out at the beach and get a killer tan. But I'll be thinking about you poor working guys all the time.”

“Yeah, right.” Nate gave him a shove. Jay stumbled into a woman passing by.

Billy laughed. Nate was a big guy. Big and strong. He was nearly twice Jay's size.

Jay's taste in friends really changed while I was away this past year, Billy thought. He never used to hang out with jocks.

“The only thing I want to do this summer is meet girls,” Jay said.

“This is the place, man,” Nate told him. “I had three girlfriends last summer!”

Jay grinned. “If there are so many girls, how come we haven't met any yet?”

“He said there were a lot of girls,” Billy replied. “He didn't say they'd be interested in
you,
Jay.”

Nate laughed loudly and slapped Billy a high five.

“All my friends think Nate's a jerk,” Lynette announced.

Nate's smile disappeared. “Why don't you go play in the ocean, Lynette?”

Lynette skipped happily along behind him. “My friends
all
think you're a total jerk,” she repeated.

“Who cares what your friends think?” Nate grumbled. “I'm talking about real girls—not little kids in elementary school.”

Lynette stuck her tongue out.

Billy rolled his eyes at Nate in sympathy.

“Wow, look!” Lynette exclaimed. “An ice-cream place.”

Billy followed the direction of her gaze. She had discovered Swanny's, the ice-cream parlor and video arcade.

“Ice cream!” Lynette demanded, tugging her brother's sleeve. “Ice cream!”

Nate snorted. “Maybe later.”

They drifted down Main Street, then crossed to the other side and headed back the way they had come.

Only a few shoppers at the Mini Market, Billy observed. The summer season had barely begun. In a few days the Mini Market
and every other shop in Sandy Hollow would be crowded night and day with summer people.

“This has
got
to be a great summer,” Billy declared. “I deserve it after the year I had.”

“Yeah, it was so weird with you being in that hospital,” Jay replied. “I couldn't even visit you.”

“So what?” Nate put in. “Look on the bright side, Billy. You got to miss a whole year of school!”

“Well, I'm better now,” Billy declared. “And ready to party—big time!”

Nate stuck his hand in the air and Billy high-fived him.

“How are your jobs starting out?” Jay asked.

Billy and Nate groaned in unison.

“Mine's not too bad,” Billy replied. “At least I'm outside all day on the boat. My boss says sometimes rich guys charter it to go deep-sea fishing. Maybe I'll get some big tips.”

“At least you
wanted
a job,” Nate complained. “When my dad found out the golf course needed help, he said I'd do it—without even asking me! I wanted to party this summer, not kill weeds and replace divots.”

“Daddy says it will be good for you,” Lynette chimed in. “Because you're a lazy bum.”

Nate glared at her.

“Well, I'm not going to let work keep me from having a good time,” Billy declared. “I can work all day and party all night. Who needs to sleep?”

“I can party all night, too,” Nate agreed. “Bring on the girls.”

Jay laughed. “Get serious. In two days you'll both be totally wiped.”

“Not me,” Nate insisted. “No way!”

Billy was only half listening to his friends. The sound of surf in the distance had caught his attention. “Hey, let's check out the beach!” he suggested.

He led the way off Main Street to locate a boardwalk that ran to the beach. The old wooden steps leading down from the dunes groaned and sagged under their weight.

They had the beach to themselves. Billy knew it wouldn't last. By the end of the week, the beach would be jammed with sunbathers and swimmers and kids making sand castles. And at night there would be clambakes and bonfires and parties.

I can't wait, Billy thought. I can't wait to get started.

“You're right, man, this is awesome,” Jay agreed.

Billy glanced around. The crests of the waves glowed white in the silvery moonlight. Billy could see a stone jetty in the distance, stretching out from the shore until it disappeared into the sea.