Demonosity (11 page)

“Um, no, I don’t. Now can you please go away?” she said, staring at him as she tried to figure out where all of his delusions came from. Then she decided that she really didn’t care.

“And by go away, she means leave,” Nash added in a pointed voice, but Reuben only shrugged as he got to his feet.

“Fine, but you’ll come around,” he said in a confident voice. “After all, how will you be able to resist me when we’re working together every day at lunchtime, not to mention every afternoon and on weekends?”

“Reuben, for the last time I’m not getting back together with you. I can barely handle being in the same biology class, so there’s no way I’m going to hang out with you after school.”

“Of course you are,” Reuben insisted. “When I was around at your house yesterday, your mom was telling me all about how you were auditioning for
Romeo and Juliet
, and hello, I’m stage manager. We’ll be seeing each other all the time. Don’t try to tell me it’s a coincidence,” he said as he waggled a finger at her and then sauntered away, his chain belt rattling as he went.

The minute he was gone, Cassidy shook her head. “Seriously, what is it with my mom? How many times does she need to be told that I’m not going to do the school play? She has to stop thinking that she can make my decisions for me, and—”

“Nash, there you are.” Celeste Gilbert suddenly appeared, and this time it was Nash’s turn to let out a long groan, which Celeste ignored as she sat down and patted her fitted T-shirt. “Can you believe how crazy Friday night was, with that maniac attacking us like that? By the way, what happened to you afterward? We all went to Eric’s house. I was hoping that you would be there. Okay, and why is your friend staring at me like that, because I’ve got to be honest, it’s freaking me out big-time.”

“What?” Nash asked in confusion, but Cassidy couldn’t bring herself to reply as she stared at the soft white tendrils of light that radiated from Celeste Gilbert, shimmering and undulating in an ethereal dance that was like nothing she had ever seen before. But suddenly, the soft strands sharpened and narrowed as an angry black line formed around the pale, pure glow, and Cassidy gasped in horror as she realized that what she was seeing was a bright and terrible beauty.

Oh, crap.

C
eleste Gilbert is the Black Rose?
Celeste Gilbert is a virgin?
” Nash repeated ten minutes later as they stood in a huddle at the side of the cafeteria, his normally clever face looking totally confused. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure . . . well, I’m sure about the Black Rose part, so I guess that makes her a virgin. She’s glowing like a Christmas light.” Cassidy took another glance over to where Celeste and her friends were now sitting, the searing white light so dazzling but at the same time tinged with a dark edge that Cassidy couldn’t quite describe. It was unnerving.

“I did not expect this.” Nash ran a hand through his shaggy hair, and a group of nearby girls sighed in appreciation.

“That makes two of us.” Cassidy finally gave in to her urge and began to pace up and down the greasy cafeteria floor, ignoring the strange looks that people were shooting her. “I mean, it’s obvious that Thomas, while being an expert on weapons and fighting, is a complete fail when it comes to high school, because there’s no way that I can follow Celeste around everywhere.”

Nash thoughtfully chewed his lip for a moment. “Okay, so we’ve already started getting everything together to make the protective amulet, which will stop her from going all Glow Girl to demons. And if we get a copy of her schedule from the office, we’ll at least know where she is during the day.”

“You can get a copy of her schedule?” Cassidy asked in surprise since, at the start of the term, she’d had problems getting a copy of her
own
schedule.

“Hey, I’m practically a shoo-in for Harvard. I can handle this,” Nash assured her as he squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry, I’ve got your back.”

By the end of the school day, Cassidy realized that they’d completely underestimated what was involved in protecting Celeste Gilbert. For a start, Celeste’s classes were all over the place, and even worse, it turned out that she was selective with regard to which classes she bothered to attend. And none of it was helped by the fact that Celeste now seemed to think that Cassidy was bona fide crazy.

“What possessed you to tell her that I had a snake called Hamish that ate dead rats?” Nash asked as the pair of them reluctantly made their way to the auditorium.

“I was trying to turn her off you, and that was the first thing that came into my mind. Of course, that was before I realized that I needed to follow her every move. This is a disaster,” Cassidy wailed as they reached the auditorium for the dreaded auditions.

“You do realize that I wouldn’t step foot in this place for anyone else but you,” Nash complained as they squeezed past all the would-be thespians nervously hovering outside the auditorium, reciting the balcony scene. “If Celeste sees me, then she’s going to think I’m auditioning.”

“And if Reuben sees me, then he’s going to think that I want to get back together with him,” Cassidy said in an equally appalled voice as they finally managed to make their way to the main stage, where a frazzled Mrs. Davis, the drama teacher, was standing with a clipboard and a general look of panic. “But we really don’t have much of a choice.”

“I know.” He let out a pained sigh as he nodded toward the far side, where Celeste was glowing so brightly that Cassidy had to shade her eyes to stop herself from squinting. Then he ducked as Celeste glanced over. “Okay, so how about you keep an eye on her and I’ll wait down in the seats to make sure that no demons come in. Oh, and while you’re following her, there is one other small little thing that we need to do before we can make the protective amulet tonight.”

“What is it?” Cassidy said in a cautious voice.

“In addition to the parsley, I need a strand of her hair.” Nash coughed as he took a step back from her.

“What?” Cassidy stared at him for a moment, waiting for the punch line, but when it wasn’t forthcoming, she quickly shook her head. “Sorry. It’s bad enough that I have to try to follow her around at a distance—but now you want me to get a strand of hair?”

“Did I mention that I really need two strands?” Nash admitted before giving her a supportive pat on the arm.

“Nash, that’s ridiculous. She can barely stand to look at me—how am I going to get within hair-stealing distance? Anyway, why can’t you do it? At least she likes you.”

“Yes, that’s the problem, and I can’t do anything to encourage her or she might get the wrong idea. Then I’ll be forced to move to Australia to escape her. Besides,” he said in a coaxing voice, “it’ll be easy.”

“Nothing about this is easy,” Cassidy reminded him. “And why are you only telling me about this now?”

“So you wouldn’t have time to wriggle out of it, of course.”

“Fine. I’ll do my best to get two strands of Celeste Gilbert’s hair. But I warn you, if she catches me, I’m going to tell her they’re for you.”

“Australia,”
he reminded her in a singsong voice, knowing that she wouldn’t go through with her threat. Then he scuttled away before she could change her mind. Cassidy let out a sigh and climbed up to the stage. As soon as she got there, Celeste darted behind the heavy curtain, and Cassidy was forced to trail after her, privately wondering if someone was having a laugh at her expense.

She was just making her way past the leftover props from last year’s production of
Cats
when Celeste came to an abrupt halt to read a text message, giving Cassidy only a moment to scramble out of sight behind a fake boulder.

She watched as Celeste thumbed a reply to someone, and a moment later she held the cell phone up to her ear and began a loud, angry conversation about a pink dress. Whatever the problem was, Celeste wasn’t happy, and she began to pace around the backstage area, waving her free hand in annoyance.

Cassidy ducked even lower behind the fake boulder and ignored her cramping muscles as she glanced at her watch. Was this what it was going to be like until the solstice? Because if so, then she was going to have a problem, and she was just deciding if she should try to find Thomas to discuss it with him when she heard a rustling noise from over by some dismantled lighting equipment.

Someone—or something—was over there.

Panic flared in her chest as Celeste, oblivious to any danger, continued to argue into her cell phone. Cassidy took a deep breath and tried to remember all of Thomas’s instructions, but unfortunately, all she could think of was rule number one:
Never go anywhere without your sword.

The rustling noise increased, and Cassidy looked around for a potential weapon, adrenaline surging through her veins. Then she caught sight of an umbrella. It wasn’t quite a sword, but it was still a weapon, and she tightened her grip on it just as Celeste suddenly finished her call and angrily marched back out through the heavy curtains.

The moment she had gone, Cassidy jumped out from behind the boulder toward the lighting equipment. As she went, she centered her energy and lifted the umbrella in front of her, so that she could—

“Cassidy?” Travis asked as he walked out from behind an old spotlight and looked at the umbrella in surprise. “What’s going on?”

“Travis?” She lowered the umbrella and swallowed a groan. Now that he wasn’t dressed as James Dean, his dark curls once again fell around his face and he was chewing his full lower lip, which made him look even more gorgeous than ever. Unfortunately, while he looked gorgeous, she probably just looked crazy. “Wh-what are you doing back here?”

“I’m here for the auditions, so I was trying to meditate first. It makes me feel centered,” he admitted, still looking with confusion at the umbrella in her hand. “What are you doing backstage?”

“Um.” Cassidy could feel her cheeks going bright red, since she could hardly tell him that she was trying to protect a virginal vessel from being ripped apart by a demon. “I was looking for Nash and thought that I saw a mouse. I really hate mice.” Then she groaned. What was it with her and all the reptiles and vermin? Next time she told a lie it was only going to involve unicorns and happy animals.

“Obviously.” Travis raised an eyebrow before grinning. “Still, it works out well for me, since I was hoping to see you today.”

“You were?” she asked, all thoughts of Celeste forgotten as she self-consciously smoothed down her green silk dress. She’d teamed it with some boots and one of her dad’s old vests, and while this morning it had seemed cool, now it just seemed dumb, and she wished she was wearing something from the Gap like a normal person.

“Yeah, I felt really bad that I had to bail on you at the party. It sounds like I missed all the action. Did some crazy guy really go racing through there with a sword?”

“Yeah. They think he might’ve been a college guy who’d had a little bit too much of . . . well . . . too much of something,” Cassidy said, merely repeating the rumor that the rest of the school had been buzzing with all day. It certainly made more sense than the truth.

“I hope you weren’t near him.”

“Actually,” Cassidy confessed, “he did come right up to us, and Nash ended up getting knocked over. But don’t worry”—she added hastily, noticing that Travis’s face had drained of color—“he’s fine. Just some bruising in an embarrassing place.”

“So what happened to the guy? Did the police come or anything?” Travis asked, and Cassidy felt a flood of memories come racing back. The stench of the demon as she had thrust the sword through its distorted flesh. The flames as its body burned.
The vision she’d shared with Thomas.
She felt her face go pale, and she jammed her nails into the flesh of her palm to bring her back to the present.

“He ran off before anyone could stop him,” she said in what she hoped was a casual voice just as Mrs. Davis called for everyone’s attention. Cassidy immediately lowered her voice. “Okay, I think that’s my cue to go. But good luck with the audition.”

“And good luck to you, too. I’m pleased you changed your mind.”

For a moment Cassidy looked at him blankly before realizing what he meant. She went to shake her head to explain that it would be a cold day in hell before she ever auditioned, but before she could open her mouth Travis reached for her hand and pressed something into her palm. The feel of his fingers on hers sent an electric shock racing around her body.

“What’s this?” Cassidy asked as she uncurled her fingers to see a crystal. It was a ruddy orange color, with speckles of black running through it, hanging off a thin piece of leather.

“It’s a good-luck charm,” he explained. “I normally use it when I audition, but after what you were saying about your stage fright, I thought it might help you.”

“But—” Cassidy again tried to explain that she wasn’t going to audition, but Travis cut her off with a shake of his head. She watched in fascination as his dark curls spread across his brow, perfectly framing his eyes.

“It’s okay. I know you don’t think you’re going to audition, but just in case you change your mind, I would like you to have it.” He smiled, his perfect white teeth dazzling against his smooth tanned skin. Before Cassidy could reply he slipped away and headed over to the rest of the group, leaving Cassidy clutching the crystal necklace tightly in her hand.

Had any of that really just happened?

However, as much as she longed to stand there, she suddenly realized that not only should she be keeping an eye on Celeste (no matter how little she deserved it), but she wanted to see Travis audition, and so she quickly hurried out to the front where Nash was sitting, his long frame sunk low into one of the seats.

“Okay, so you look happy.” Nash studied her face, an amused expression tugging at his lips. “Does that mean you got the strands of hair?”

“Not exactly,” Cassidy admitted before smiling again. “But I have been talking to Travis. Can you believe he was totally bummed that he had to leave early on Friday night?”

“Did you explain that you were otherwise engaged with a demon?” Nash wanted to know.

“Of course I did, because all the magazines say that you should talk about demons when hanging out with your crush,” she deadpanned before relenting. “Okay, so I actually just told him that I didn’t stay long. And get a load of this, not only did he say he wanted to see me again, but he also gave me this for good luck in case I was going to audition for the play. Isn’t it gorgeous?”

Nash studied it for a moment. “It looks like a carnelian. Not worth much, but as far as a healing stone goes, it offers strength and helps give a person confidence in her decision making. Which is actually very fitting for you.”

“Not to mention that it’s a token of how pleased Travis is that he’s met me.” Cassidy let out a happy sigh as she took it back from Nash and slipped it over her neck so that it was hanging just to the right of her heart. She grinned some more, and Nash rolled his eyes.

“Yes, this mineral was formed over hundreds and thousands of years just to help you get a date. And while of course I’m thrilled for you, may I look at the grimoire now? These auditions are going to go on for ages, and I figured that I might as well start reading up on how to make the amulet. Assuming that you can get the hair,” he said, but Cassidy hardly heard as she craned her neck so that she could watch Travis move fluidly across the stage, so gorgeous and powerful.