Immortal Hearts Page 0,10

him, you'll have all of eternity to find out if you guys made the right decision so quickly." Just then, I spotted Jagger coming up from downstairs. "Let's go talk to your brother about the good news," I continued. "We'll make a huge affair for you. We can invite the whole town."

Suddenly Luna's waxlike face flushed cherry red, and her pink lips tensed. She wanted me to be mopey and in a jealous frenzy about her fast-moving relationship and obviously didn't like my enthusiasm.

"I'm not so sure..." she said, her bright tone darkening.

"Yeah, this will be great," I went on. "Alexander can be one of Romeo's groomsmen!" That image hit her hard. Alexander standing on the altar with her but not being the one she was bonding with for eternity. I thought she might explode.

"What?" she said. "Are you nuts? We just started dating!" She hopped off the stool and glared her baby-blue eyes at me. "Gosh, you are so immature!" She threw her hair back again and left me standing alone by the empty stool.

I spun the stool around in victory. I guess I didn't have to worry about Luna's covenant plans for now. I breathed a sigh of relief. Everything with her was tied up for a while into a nice pink-and-black-skull bow, and I could go back to normal - whatever "normal" meant.

up for a while into a nice pink-and-black-skull bow, and I could go back to normal - whatever "normal" meant.

I was starting to leave to join Scarlet and Onyx when someone grabbed my shirtsleeve. I turned back to find Luna suddenly by my side.

"By the way," she said, "I can't wait until Stormy comes here. It's as if the puzzle will be completed. She's like family to me, you know." My heart dropped. Like family to Luna? They were close - that close?

"Uh ... you know Stormy?"

"Know her? I practically raised her. I was her babysitter," Luna exclaimed as if I should have known. "We are like sisters. I guess you couldn't know," she continued. "You haven't even met her."

Now my lips were tensing. How did Luna even know Stormy was coming to town? And why was she so excited?

"She's coming to visit Alexander," I said emphatically.

"I know," she said, almost squealing. "I can't wait!"

This was something I hadn't even imagined. I knew Alexander had been in an arranged covenant with Luna - which he rejected - but I wasn't aware of Luna's history with Alexander's sister.

"I thought you were mortal then," I said. "Wouldn't it be hard to sit for her when she's up all night and you're not?" I was hoping she was lying.

"It was. But I'd stay up all night with her until the Sterlings got home. I was her favorite sitter. I can't wait to see her again!" Jealousy seared through me, this time in a big way. Not only did Luna know about a sister that Alexander had who I'd only recently learned about - but she had already had a relationship with her. I could only wonder what Luna was like as a babysitter. She had to be the coolest one ever. Making Count Chocula treats, telling ghost stories instead of bedtime stores, and sliding down banisters like witches on broomsticks.

Not like my sitters, who mostly never returned after one night of playing with the shaven-head dolls in my Barbie Nightmare House and cooking spider-shaped cakes in my Easy-Bake Oven.

Luna had everything I wanted - except Alexander - and though he was the one thing that mattered most to me, she still wound up getting under my temporary-tattooed, bone-white skin.

"She gets in soon," she went on. "I can't wait to have her here at the Crypt. She'll die when she sees it!" Then she let go of my sleeve. Luna whirled away from me, and I could hear her laughing as she slipped behind the bar and cozied up with Romeo.

Luna was evil. I wanted to be the one to bring Stormy to the Crypt, and Luna already had plans for that. How could I compete with her? I normally wasn't jealous of others - there wasn't much that I desired from people in Dullsville. But Luna had it all, and even though I had one thing she wanted - Alexander - she somehow managed to make her life's mission to see to it that I was the loser. And if I let her, she would do just that.

"Where have you been?" Scarlet asked when I caught up to