Tonia didn’t answer at first. Then she raked her nails through her hair, as if that could calm her down. “Wow. You’re—blunt. Really blunt.”

“I’m trying to be honest.”

“If you’re not interested—or there’s someone else—there is, isn’t there? Should’ve known the women of this country wouldn’t let you wander around unattached.”

Balthazar nodded and tried not to think of Skye. “Will you tell me why?”

“You only see the final result. But in high school—really, my whole life up to now—I didn’t have this.” She made one gesture that seemed to take her in, head to toe. “Do you know, I lost fifty pounds the year before I came to Darby Glen? I thought it would change things. But nothing ever changes.”

He was too familiar with loneliness not to recognize it in another. “You’re not the person you were before. I’m not talking about the weight; I mean—you get to change. Mature. Grow up.” It was a journey Balthazar would never be able to take; no matter how many centuries he lived or how much wisdom he acquired, his heart would always be young. “Trust the person you’ve become. Take pride in it. And see who chases you.”

Tonia finally smiled a little. “Maybe you should be a guidance counselor instead of a history teacher.”

“You never know.” Before fate was done with him, who could guess what else he might have to become?

The song shifted to something slower, almost mournfully sweet. The lights dimmed slightly, and the room filled with a rosy glow and dozens of tiny white scattering beams reflected throughout. For one brief moment, even the high school auditorium seemed to be beautiful.

Laughter echoed from the doors as another group of students came in. Balthazar turned, knowing even as he did so that he would see Skye there.

She stood at the edge of the group, tethered to them only by Keith’s meaty hand around hers. Skye wore a more elegant dress than the showy stuff most of the girls favored; in this light, her dress appeared to be some delicate shade between champagne and rose, made out of filmy stuff that left her shoulders and most of her legs bare while wrapping her body in soft petals. Her dark, burnished hair was gathered into an artfully messy tail that fell to one side of her neck. There was no pretending that she wasn’t the most beautiful girl in the room.

Skye’s gaze locked with his. In that instant, he saw just how much she didn’t want to be with Keith … how she’d dressed for him, so that he would see her and want her.

And he knew she saw how badly he wanted her.

The moment between them was broken when Keith towed her out onto the dance floor. Within seconds, they were only one of the many couples shuffling along awkwardly out there, Keith half talking to his friends over her shoulder as if she weren’t even present.

Balthazar remembered seeing Skye waltz with Lucas at Evernight Academy’s grand Autumn Ball a few months ago. That was the place for a girl like this, not some crepe-papered auditorium. And the guy who should be with her … the one who should dance with her… God, anybody else but Keith Kramer. She was so much more graceful than her lump of a partner would let her be.

But he didn’t mean that. He didn’t want her to be with “anybody else.” He wanted her to be with him.

The rest of the dance was torture. He had to confiscate some cigarettes from a few juniors out back, and summon the willpower to toss them away unsmoked. Tonia Loos had finally gotten the picture, but a couple of students, including Madison Findley, asked him if he was allowed to dance with them even though he was a teacher. Balthazar instantly said no. One of the final couples to arrive was Craig Weathers and Britnee Fong, which made him want to somehow shield Skye from the sight. She didn’t seem overly troubled, but not long after they came, she let Keith lead her off the dance floor and out of the auditorium.

Probably they were going out back to talk. Or make out. Or to Keith’s car. A guy could get a lot done in a car.

“Balthazar?” Nola said. “You need to take five? You’re looking glazed. Besides, this thing’s wrapping up.”

Don’t go after her unless you’re going to follow through, he told himself. Don’t put her through it. If you stop her from being alone with Keith, you’re stopping her from moving on. You can’t do that unless you’re ready to go the whole way.

Nola repeated, “Balthazar? You want to take off? Tawdry, I mean, Tonia and I can wrap up here.”

“Thanks,” he said, straightening up. “There’s somewhere else I need to be.”

And someone else I need to be with.

Chapter Twenty-two

IT’S GOING GREAT, SKYE TAPPED OUT ON HER phone as she stood in the back hall of the auditorium. We’re having a good time.

I call bullcrap on that. Nobody ever took time to text their friends in the middle of an actual fun date.

Clementine had a point, as usual. Skye said, You have to start somewhere, right? Then she glanced up and added, Keith’s back. TTYL.

“Hey, Madison and Phillip figured out how to jimmy the library lock,” Keith said. “We’re gonna get the six-packs out of the trunk. Come on.”

“We can drink those later, right?” Skye glanced backward at the doors that led to the auditorium, through which music faintly played. “We’re at the dance, Keith. We ought to dance.”

“But all the guys are in the library,” he said, like the whole point of going to a dance was to hang out with as many of your friends as possible, as far from the actual dancing as possible. Evernight’s Autumn Ball would have been lost on him. “What, you don’t drink or something?”