Dancing With Raven (The Young Shakespeareans Series) (34 page)

“I’m in a terrific mood. See you in a few.”

Humming under her breath, Tori made her way to the Head of School’s office. As soon as she entered the waiting area, the secretary rose from her desk. A look of pity was written on the woman’s features. “Go on in, dear.”

Bewildered, Tori stepped into Mr. Ashton’s office. Three uniformed police officers were inside—two males and a female. Tori barely glanced at them.

“What’s this about?” she asked.

“Have a seat,” Mr. Ashton said.

Wide-eyed, she sank into a chair.

The female officer spoke. “Tori, I’m afraid we have some unpleasant news. Your foster mother, Misty Savannah, has passed away from complications following surgery.”

Shock, followed by a weird sense of déjà vu.
This can’t be happening. Not again.
“That can’t be true. You’re mistaken. It was just a face lift.”

The woman thrust a cup of water into her hands. “Drink this. It’ll make you feel better.”

Like an automaton, Tori drank.
Misty is dead? Misty is dead and I’m alone.
Someone said something about minors and wards of the state, but a buzzing sound muffled the words. The paper cup in her hand slipped from nerveless fingers and for some reason she couldn’t pick it up again. Confused, she glanced at the policemen, realizing too late that one of them had red eyes and the other one had horns protruding from his forehead. The woman appeared to be normal at first, until Tori spied the long thin tail curled around her ankle.
I have to get out of here.
She tried to stand, but her legs refused to support her weight and she curled to the ground. Words flew through the air between the Ashton and the police demons, ricocheting back and forth like ping pong balls. The demons were calling paramedics.
I don’t need medical help.
Tori’s head shook as she tried to focus.
It’s a trick. I’ve been drugged. Where is Raven?

Time passed, but she couldn’t tell if it was seconds or minutes before a pair of reptilian paramedics arrived.
Goblins.
They strapped her to a gurney and wheeled her out of the school. Since it was during class, no students were around to see what was happening. She screamed…but the sound died in her throat.
This is a nightmare and I have to wake up before it’s too late.
One of the goblins patted her arm. “Come midnight, you’re going to be the most famous human
ever
.”

The goblins lifted the gurney into a waiting ambulance. With a Herculean effort, she finally regained her voice. “Let me go.”

Gurgling laughter.

As the ambulance began to roll, Tori tried to free her arms from the straps holding her onto the gurney. Just as she managed to pull one arm loose, an oxygen mask descended over her face and everything went black.

Raven scanned the lunch room looking for Tori, but she was nowhere to be found. He spotted one of her friends, however, and crossed over to her table.

“Jenny, have you seen Tori?”

“She was called to Mr. Ashton’s office before second period and I didn’t see her after that.”

“Thanks.”

He hastened to the Head of School’s office to speak with the secretary, Mrs. Franklin.

“Hi, I’m looking for Tori Moss,” he said. “I was told she came here?”

The woman frowned. “Is she a good friend of yours?”

“Tori’s my girlfriend, and she’s staying with my family while her foster mother is away.”

“Oh, I spoke with your father early this morning about the Harringtons. Terrible tragedy about their grandfather.”

“Yes. You were telling me about Tori?”

“I probably shouldn’t say anything, but you’ll find out sooner or later. Her foster mother died.”

“What?”

“I’m afraid Tori didn’t take the news well. She fainted, and the police who were here to deliver the news called the paramedics. Fortunately, they arrived within minutes and took Tori to the hospital.”

Panic seized Raven in the vicinity of his chest. “Which hospital?”

“I don’t know, but it’s probably on the police report.” Mrs. Franklin picked up a pink sheet sitting in a wire tray on her desk. As she glanced over it, her brow furrowed. “Hmm.”

It was all Raven could do not to snatch the report from her hands. He gritted his teeth and waited.

“The hospital isn’t on the report, but I’ll give you the policeman’s name who signed it. Call the police station, and they’ll patch you through to him,” she said.

Vibrating with anxiety, Raven punched the station phone number she gave him into his cell.

“Hello, I’m trying to reach Officer Marcus Kehloe,” he said. “K-E-H-L-O-E.”

“I’m sorry, but we have no officer by that name.”

“He came to Performing Arts Prep this morning.”

“Hold on…”
Several seconds of silence.
“No, there’s no record of a dispatch to that school today. Do you have an emergency?”

“Officer Kehloe was here. Can you look him up by his badge number?” His hands shaking, Raven took the police report from Mrs. Franklin and read off the number.

“I’m sorry, but that badge number doesn’t exist. If there’s an emergency, please hang up and call 9-1-1.”

The call was terminated. Raven stared at his phone in shock. The next number he dialed was his father’s. As the phone rang, he burst from the office and sprinted toward the parking lot.

“Raven?”

“Dad, we’ve been played. Tori’s been kidnapped.”

Once they heard the news, Chase, Fletcher, and Felicia canceled their travel plans. They gathered with Ian in the living room at Blackfriars while Raven blurted out what he knew about Tori’s disappearance.

A muscle worked in Ian’s jaw. “Evidently, Lord Birmingham’s plane crash was no accident.”

“What do you mean?” Raven asked.

“Someone went to a great deal of trouble to make it look as if he was the mastermind. With him gone, we would naturally assume the danger was past and let down our guard. I should have known better.”

“If Grandpapa isn’t the mastermind, then who is?” Felicia asked.

Ian pursed his lips. “That remains to be seen.”

Fletcher shook his head, perplexed. “Could demons possibly be acting on their own to bring about the Apocalypse?”

“Shadow world denizens usually take orders from humans,” Chase said.

Raven felt like tearing out his hair. “How on Earth are we going to find Tori before it’s too late?”

Chapter Twenty

Barking Mad

T
ORI
S
WAM
B
ACK
T
O
C
ONSCIOUSNESS
. As she opened her eyes, she discovered she’d been deposited on a four-poster bed in a luxuriously appointed room. Except for a slight headache, she seemed to be okay physically. Emotionally, however, she was a wreck.
Misty is dead and I’ve been kidnapped by demons.

She slid off the bed and rushed to the door, but it was locked.
Naturally.
Next, she hastened over to the window, which was covered by heavy velvet curtains. When she pushed the drapes to one side, late afternoon sun streamed through the glass. Her first impulse was to open the window and try to climb down, but she was on the third floor. In addition, dozens of goblins were gathered on the carefully manicured lawn, staring up at her with a fixed gaze. When they saw her watching them, they hissed. Frustrated, she stepped back into the room and pulled the curtains closed.
Can I find anything to use as a weapon?
The desk drawers proved to be empty, unfortunately, without so much as a pencil. The walk-in closet and bureau were both clean, except for a lavender sachet. She gritted her teeth.
They must have anticipated me.

A young woman—a vampire, by the pallor of her skin and the beauty of her features—opened the door to the room. “Good, you’re awake! Forgive me for not knocking.”

“Bad manners are the least of my problems.” Tori’s voice sounded raspy.

“Oops. You sound like a mile of rough road.”

The vampire moved over to the carafe on the bedside table and poured a glass of clear liquid. Wary, Tori shook her head. The woman seemed amused.

“Don’t worry, it’s just water.”

A surge of panic propelled Tori toward the door, but the vampire reached it first.

“I’m sorry, but you’re not allowed to leave just yet.” Her smile was broad. “Don’t you know me, Tori?”

“No.”

The woman waggled a ring on her finger. “I said I’d give this to you when the time was right, remember?”

Tori peered at the ring.
Misty’s cocktail ring!
Her eyes traveled to the vampire’s face. She looked no older than twenty-one, but she definitely had her foster mother’s eyes, hairline, and eyebrows.

“I don’t understand.”

“Perhaps it’s the profile that’s throwing you off. I had my nose done before I was turned, and of course I’ve dropped fifty years. It’s me, sweetie. It’s Misty.”

“Misty Savannah is dead.”

“No, I’m
undead
. But I’m going to have a different name and identity as the offspring of Misty Savannah’s illegitimate daughter.” The woman made air quotes with her fingers.

“There is no illegitimate daughter.”

“Of course not! It’s just a cover story my agent will use to promote me. I’m going to have a whole new career as a singer, and it’s all thanks to you.”

“
What?”

“I sold my soul to become a star many years ago. Delivering the Leap Day child to demonkind was a wonderful bargaining chip to get it back, but when my longtime agent offered me a second chance at eternal stardom, that was even better. He’s Oliver Fairchild.”

“I thought your late agent’s name was Lincoln Youngblood.”

“That was Oliver’s name fifty years ago. He’s had two changes since then.”

Certain pieces of the puzzle suddenly clicked into place.
Now I remember where I saw Oliver Fairchild before. Although he looks different now, he was on Misty’s Hollywood wall of fame!

“You’ve known who I am from the beginning, haven’t you?”

“Not at first. But your mother and I became quite close and she confided everything to me.”

Tori gasped. “You killed my parents!”

“Not exactly. Your parents would never have gone along with our scheme, so Oliver sent demons to have them killed. Despite that, you mustn’t think I don’t care about you.”

“You don’t care about anyone but yourself!”

“Listen, Tori, don’t cause trouble. Oliver told me he’s impressed with your looks and talent. He can make you a big star.”

“Before or after he slices me open?”

“All he needs is a little blood.” She licked her lips. “You won’t even miss it.”