Immortal Hearts Page 0,16

them.

But then her smile soured. "Oh no! I forgot Phantom!"

We turned to the car, and Jameson held in his stick-pin arms a ghost-white cat with pink eyes.

"Jameson! Thank you!" Stormy rushed over and held her cat.

"You are quite welcome, Miss Athena."

"She's cute," I whispered to Alexander. "Just like you."

"You'll love it here, Phantom," she cooed to her cat. "Just like I will."

Alexander noticed Jameson grabbing Stormy's suitcase and backpack from the trunk.

"I can get that, Jameson," Alexander offered.

"Thank you, but no need," the Creepy Man said. "You greet your sister."

"Let's go inside," Alexander said. "I'm sure you're hungry."

"Awesome! I can't wait for a smoothie with cherries and a purple sword!" Stormy exclaimed.

"Of course, Miss Athena," the Creepy Man said with a toothy smile.

Stormy raced into the Mansion. "Here I am!" she declared to the empty foyer.

Alexander beamed again.

"This is so awesome," she continued to Alexander. "I'm going to have so much fun here with you!" He tousled her hair like only a big brother could.

"I do remember - it's all the same," she said, smoothing out her hair. "This isn't fair!" she exclaimed. "You get full reign of this place without Mother and Father looking over your shoulder."

Jameson placed her bags by the staircase. "Dinner won't be long. Then I'll unpack your things, Miss Athena, as you settle in." He creeped slowly toward the kitchen.

"Which room is mine?" she asked.

"You'll have to guess," Alexander said. "But I think you'll know it when you see it. Raven helped me decorate."

"She did?" Her eyes squinted, and her voice couldn't hide her skepticism. I knew there was a chance she'd resent me decorating parts of the Mansion, and here it was before me. She pushed a smile out as hard as she could. "That was very kind of you," she said, overly polite.

Alexander put his arm around her bony shoulder as the two walked up the staircase. I knew it was important to let the two siblings have their time together.

Alexander put his arm around her bony shoulder as the two walked up the staircase. I knew it was important to let the two siblings have their time together.

"I can help Jameson," I said from the bottom of the staircase.

"You have to come up, too," Alexander directed.

I was anxious when we reached the top of the stairs. My heart thrummed the way it Ced h="2 might if I was throwing a surprise party and hoping that the recipient was indeed surprised.

By the looks of Stormy's style, I thought maybe she'd like how I decorated her room, but there was a huge chance I could have missed the mark on her taste and she'd see the room as a big disaster. I held my breath as Alexander lit several candles, illuminating her room. Though the vampires could see in the dark, the soft light helped us all see the room's interior even better.

She paused and glanced around.

"This ... is..."

"Yes?" Alexander asked, waiting for her reaction.

"Gorgeous! It's just fabulous!" she exclaimed.

Even Phantom examined her new surroundings by jumping on the chaise longue and sniffing at the stuffed animals.

I breathed a sigh of relief, and it appeared that Alexander had been anxious, too, as his sigh was audible.

She raced over to the chaise longue, hopped on it, and hugged a few of the pillows.

"And this Hello Batty plush!" she said, holding it up. "Do I get to keep it?"

"Everything is yours," Alexander said.

"We can put your coffin right here," Alexander said, pointing to the only empty area.

His words sent goose bumps over my flesh. A coffin. For a girl to sleep in. It was so awesome!

Stormy buzzed around the room, touching everything she saw. "I love these candles!" she said, sniffing the lavender scent. "And these picture frames - with your paintings of us, Alexander! These look exactly like Mother and Father. And these curtains! They are so long and luscious!" She draped them over herself as if they were a ball gown. "How do I look?"

"Like a movie star!" Alexander said.

"I can't believe you did all this for me."

"Well, actually," he said, "Raven did. You know that I don't have a clue about buying frilly pillows," Alexander said.

"But I thought you did it with her," she began.

"Well, Alexander put everything together," I said.

"Not really. Raven picked out everything and designed it."

"You did?" she asked. "How did you know what I liked?"

"Alexander told me."

"But Raven found everything," Alexander said proudly. "She did a great job, didn't she?"

"Yes." She nodded enthusiastically. Then she asked, "Did Luna help?"

Luna?