"You two don't know what you're talking about." Shaylin had one hand on her hip and her chin raised, but her face was flushed. Erik thought she looked cute, but not tough at all.

Dallas slid his hand around Erin's waist, and she leaned against him as they walked down the stairs to Erik, laughing at Shaylin the whole way.

"Hey, man." Dallas chuckled. "Don't worry. My mermaid and I will let everyone know what a dick tease she is." Erik tried to interrupt him, but Dallas just kept on talking. "No, you don't need to thank me. Just consider it a favor from one vamp to another."

Erik glanced up at Shaylin. Her face had gone from pink to white. He did consider it-just for a second, though. It'd be easier to laugh and walk off with Dallas and Erin. It might even make him feel as cool as it used to feel when he was the hottest fledgling at the school-when he could have any girl he wanted. Then he realized what he was thinking and felt sick to his stomach.

"No." Erik met Dallas's gaze. "Shaylin was right-you don't know what you're talking about. What you saw was me trying something stupid. Shaylin didn't ask for it."

"Ah, come on. You're Erik Night." Dallas's voice was still all friendly, but his gaze had gone hard.

"Yeah, I am. And I'm telling you that you're wrong. Shaylin isn't a tease. I was being a dick. If you two have to talk about her, that's what you should be saying."

"You expect people to believe a little freak like her turned you down?" Erin didn't even try to cover the spitefulness in her voice.

And I used to dream about being the center of a Twin sandwich. Goddess, I am a dick.

"What I expect is for you two to either tell the truth or shut up," Erik said.

"Well, this wasn't fun at all." Shaylin walked down the stairs quickly. As she passed Erik, she paused. "I've changed my mind about getting stuff from the dorm. Aphrodite can run her own errands." Shaylin looked from him to Erin. "I guess this means you won't be catching the bus back to the depot again tonight."

"I've ridden the short bus for the last time, but you go ahead. It fits you better than me, anyway."

"You tell 'em, mermaid," Dallas said, rubbing his hand over Erin's ass. "Water needs to be free to go wherever it wants."

"Yeah, and it's time for us to go. I'm bored," Erin said.

"I got somethin' for that!" Dallas bit her neck. Erin's squeal turned into a throaty laugh.

"And I won't be saying yes-no, yes-no. I'll just be saying yes-yes!" Erin sneered at Shaylin, grabbed Dallas's hand, and they walked away, laughing sarcastically.

Erik stared after them. "When did the two of them happen?"

"Right after Erin and Shaunee un-happened," Shaylin said. "And it's as bad as Shaunee thought it might be."

Erik's eyes widened. "You didn't come here to get Aphrodite's stuff, did you?"

"Nope."

Understanding hit him. "Ah, shit! Erin's changed sides, hasn't she? And that means Dallas and his group will know everything Zoey's group knows."

"Looks like it. I gotta go tell Z and Stevie Rae that Erin and Dallas really are together." Shaylin hesitated, then she added, "Thanks for standing up for me. I know it wasn't an easy thing for you to do."

"You really do think I'm a jerk, don't you?"

Shaylin didn't respond right away. Instead she studied him as if she understood how important her answer would be to him. Finally she said, "I think you have the potential to become more turquoise green than pea green."

"And that's a good thing?"

She smiled. "Even better than being a misogynistic gynecologist."

He laughed. "Okay, good. Hey, can I walk you to the bus?"

"No, not this time. But ask me again some time. For the record, when I say no I mean no, and when I say yes I mean yes."

"I pretty much already knew that about you," he said.

"Good, then next time you can wait until I say yes to kiss me. See ya later, Erik."

As Shaylin walked away Erik's smile got bigger and bigger. It wasn't his one hundred watt smile-that one was acting happy. This smile was better-it was feeling happy. And for the first time in a long time, Erik Night realized feeling was way better than acting....

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Kalona

"The clouds clear from the sky. I believe it is a good omen," Kalona said. He spoke to the High Priestess of Death, who was standing before the busload of fledglings and vampyres who still had not left for their depot home.