now. Right now!”
Pol y looked shocked as Caitlin reached out and dragged her against the direction of the crowd, into the other room.
The two of them were soon in the adjoining empty room.
“Caitlin, what are you doing? I need to go see him—”
“Pol y!” Caitlin said firmly. “That singer, your boyfriend, Sergei—he’s not who you think he is.”
Pol y looked back at her, confused, not registering.
“He’s a very, very bad man, Pol y,” Caitlin said. “He’s a dark and evil vampire. He is a loyal member of Kyle’s Blacktide coven. He’s come back here from another century, probably sent back to find me. I’m sorry to say this, but he’s using you. And you have to stay away from him.”
For the first time ever, Caitlin watched Pol y’s face contort with anger.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Pol y snapped back. “Sergei’s not like that. You’ve got him mixed up with somebody else. Sergei is perfect. Yes, he’s a vampire, but he’s from a good coven. He didn’t come back for another time. He’s always been here. He told me. He’s from Russia.
He’s a singer. He’s not out to get anyone. Least of al you.
You just think this is al about you, that the whole world is about you!”
Caitlin was stunned by that. She had never seen Pol y act this way.
“Pol y, please understand—”
“No, I understand already. You’re just jealous. You want him for yourself. And you can’t stand to be happy for me. What’s wrong with you? I thought you were a good friend.”
Pol y suddenly brushed passed her, heading back to the room—and Caitlin reached out and grabbed her wrist at the last second.
“Pol y, I’m tel ing you. Please. I know it’s painful to hear it.
But you have to listen. You have to trust me. Stay away from him.”
Pol y looked back at Caitlin, locking eyes with her, seething with rage.
“Take your hand off of me,” Pol y said, slowly and firmly, with such venom in her voice, that it actual y took Caitlin aback.
Caitlin slowly released her grip.
“Our friendship is over!” Pol y said.
And with that, Pol y marched off, into the other room, slamming the huge door hard behind her.
Caitlin stood there, feeling hol owed out. She felt so sad to see her relationship with one of her best friends crumbling before her eyes. She hated the fact that a guy got between them. That he had changed her best friend. The Pol y wasn’t the same person she used to be.
And she hated the fact that there was nothing she could do about it. That, no matter what she said or did, she knew that Pol y would never listen. She was too clouded by love to see straight.
And she felt worried that Pol y was in for trouble. That she would have her heart broken.
More than ever, Caitlin knew that her time at Versail es was up. She had lingered for Pol y’s sake, and that had clearly been a mistake. She felt there was no more time to waste.
It was time to find her father.
As Caitlin walked out of the room, suddenly, the door opened behind her. She turned, and saw Lily approaching.
“What happened?” Lily asked, as she walked up beside Caitlin, the two of them walking together away from the room.
Caitlin was embarrassed. She hoped she hadn’t made a scene storming out of there, and she wondered how much everyone else had seen. But she couldn’t have stood to be in front of Sergei a moment longer, and she didn’t trust herself to be in his presence without taking revenge.
Caitlin shook her head, not sure how much to tel Lily.
“Pol y and I…we…had a disagreement.”
She could feel Lily looking at her.
“It’s over Sergei, isn’t it?” she asked.
Caitlin turned and looked at her. Lily was very perceptive.
“How did you know?”
Lily sighed, as the two continued walking down a new hal .
“Pol y’s completely changed ever since she met him. It’s been unbearable, real y. And he’s such a…creep. So ful of himself. Personal y, I can’t stand him. I don’t know what she sees in him. What anyone sees in him. I don’t even know where he came from. It was just like, one day he was here.”
“Wel , I do,” Caitlin said.
She stopped and turned to Lily.
“I met him before. Unfortunately. In another place and time.”
Lily’s eyes opened wide. “You mean another century?”
Caitlin nodded. Lily look fascinated.
“He’s an evil vampire. The right-hand man of an even more evil vampire,