She tossed her stuff on her bed and then shut the bedroom door. Pulling her shirt over her head, she toed off her sneakers at the same time. Then she slipped out of her jeans and grabbed her martial arts karate gi from the closet. Yeah, it was a copout when it came to a costume for the Halloween party, but she hated Halloween. She yanked on her pants and then belted her top on afterwards. Black belt. She smiled. At least no one would dare to get fresh with her or give her any other kind of grief. She hoped.

  Emma pulled up out front of the house in her bright red Ford Focus and Fiona hurried to pull on her white tennis shoes, then raced to the front door. But then she paused. Why could she hear her friend’s car pull up in the drive? She had never been able to before, at least that she recalled.

  She opened the front door, then closed and locked it. Not wanting her great aunt to show up and change her mind about Fiona going to the party, she raced to the car, yanked the door open, climbed into the passenger’s seat, and slammed the door closed. “Go, Emma.”

  “You’re worried your great aunt will stop you? You said she gave you permission to go.” Emma wasn’t worried they would get into trouble over it. She had a bit of the devil in her.

  “Yes,” Fiona said. “I mean, she gave me permission, but that doesn’t mean she won’t change her mind. She really didn’t want me to go.”

  Emma had already pulled onto the road and headed for the school. “Your wish is my command.”

  Emma had a hot boyfriend, but he was going with some of the guys to the party and would meet her there. Fiona thought it had been weird. Why not take Emma to the party? At least Fiona was glad she didn’t have to find another ride to the high school. She probably wouldn’t have been able to go then. Her great aunt wouldn’t take her. She’d already said so.

  Tall, blond, outgoing, and never in a fluster, Emma was everything Fiona wasn’t. Well, except for the blond hair. For whatever reason, Emma had made Fiona feel welcome during her senior year, when everyone else ignored her like she was a brand-new freshman with a communicable disease. Instantly, seeing her friend, Fiona’s spirits lifted some, not a whole lot, but some. Emma’s blond hair was swept up in a chignon, an attempt at a period-style hairdo, while she wore a yellow southern bell gown.

  Emma flashed her a chemically whitened smile, but then she frowned at Fiona’s attire. “I can’t believe you’re wearing your martial arts uniform.”

  “I still can’t believe your boyfriend didn’t take you to the dance.” Fiona knew she’d get a lecture about her choice of costume. The best defense was to go on the offense. “I thought Randy would take you.”

  “Yeah, if the guys ask him to go with them, he does it, forgets all about me, but when he sees me, all he’ll want to do is spend the time to dance with me.”

  Fiona hoped that was true. She had never been to a dance at the high school here before.

  When they arrived at the school, a lot of the kids were just arriving also, and headed inside the gym. Fiona had expected to see a variety of costumes from vampires to ballet dancers. What did she know?

  But what did she see?

  Dead cheerleaders. Dead soccer players. Dead jazz dancers.

  Couldn’t anyone come to Portland High School’s Halloween party dressed as something less… dead?

  Fiona and Emma went inside and immediately Emma saw her boyfriend. “Talk later.” She hurried off to meet up with the guy. He was wearing his football uniform. But Fiona figured Emma would think that was cool, not something to lecture her boyfriend about. Then they were dancing.

  Fiona sighed with relief. She had been afraid that maybe he was breaking up with Emma and that’s why he didn’t bring her to the dance.

  Then Fiona’s attention riveted to two ghoulish teens dancing together, a guy and a girl she knew were dating. They both gave her sickly, bloody smiles.

  At seeing all the “dead” people, Fiona’s stomach twisted into knotted rope. Why would anyone mimic the dead? It seemed rude, even sacrilegious. Would any of them feel that way if their parents had died so recently? It added another reason why she didn’t like being at the party. Trying to curb her irritation, she tugged at her black martial arts belt and took another deep breath.

  Rock music thundered in the gymnasium, shaking the floor and rattling the walls, while colorful rays of lights poked into the darkened room, making everything look eerily surreal. Decorated in faux cottony spider webs, jack-o’-lanterns, ghosts made out of someone’s white sheets, and hideous toothy ghouls painted on poster board, the place looked bad enough. But the ghoulish students squirming on the gym floor made the most hideous scene—a vision similar to something really bizarre in some other world of an apocalyptic, zombie flick.

  Reminding herself she came here to earn extra credit in social studies—a subject she definitely needed help in—she vowed to stay for one hour, no longer. The alternative was returning home to her great aunt’s old people’s Halloween party. She wished her parents had warned her that her Great Aunt Regina was unusual, but odd didn’t begin to describe her or her friends. The really strange part was her parents had never even mentioned her before and then when they died she came to take Fiona home with her and had said she was Fiona’s dad’s aunt on his mother’s side.

  Like any other Halloween, this appeared to be one more disastrous venture.

  Fiona saw Emma finish a dance with Randy. He kissed her, then took off in another direction. Emma got a drink at the refreshments table, and she headed back through the twisting, turning dancers toward Fiona like an arrow shot from a bow, her drink held up high so no one would knock it out of her hand. Emma glided toward her in the yellow satin gown, the top cut low, and her breasts pushed up, looking as though she would fall right out of the gown if she leaned over just a tad. Emma smiled at her.

  Fiona mirrored Emma’s smile, though she couldn’t stir up any enthusiasm for tonight’s activities. As soon as Emma reached her, she said, “You and Randy didn’t dance very long. Doesn’t he want to dance?”

  “He had to run to the little boy’s room,” Emma explained to her. “We’re going to dance once he returns.”

  Fiona motioned to the others on the dance floor. “I’m glad we’re wearing something original, and aren’t one of the undead, only⁠—”

  “We stick out,” Emma said, lifting the cup of punch to her lips. She always seemed comfortable with the way she was, no matter the time or place. “Besides, wearing your ju-jitsu gi isn’t exactly original.” Giving Fiona one of her lopsided grins, she tucked a golden curl behind her ear. She tsked in a way that meant Fiona was her social project, and somehow, she would change her into a woman of confidence. “Next time we’ll do it right.”

  Fiona folded her arms and raised her brows. “There won’t be a next time. We’ll have graduated by then. The truth is I would settle for good grades in school, getting through the rest of the year living with my eccentric great aunt, and leaving all this behind. I can barely wait to live in a dorm at the university where my older brother is now enrolled in Dallas.”

  Emma’s eyes widened just a bit, then she quickly recovered. “You haven’t told your great aunt yet, have you?”

  “No. There never seems to be any time to mention it.” The truth was Fiona feared her great aunt might object. There was no sense in making a scene when she was stuck living with her for the rest of the school year—seven more months, but who was counting?

  “Don’t you think she might want you close by since you’re her only living relative? Maybe to go to the University of Portland?” Emma planned to go there, so Fiona was certain that’s why she wanted her to attend the same university.

  But Fiona hadn’t seen her brother in eons, and she wanted to be close to him, like she’d been before their parents died. “Nah, she wasn’t close to my family when they were alive, so I don’t know what difference it would make now.”

  Emma didn’t respond, just tugged at one of the tails of Fiona’s belt. “Showing off your black belt can only help to intimidate the guys, you know.”

  Fiona sighed deeply. “I don’t have a date. I really didn’t plan on coming, except I needed the extra credit.”

  “You could make a “c.” It’s not all that bad a grade.” Emma was smart, but she often didn’t apply herself. Her grades reflected it, but her actress mom didn’t seem to care.

  Fiona shook her head. “You know, even when I work really hard to earn good grades, sometimes that’s not enough. If nothing else, my parents had instilled in me the importance of earning good grades in high school, especially when I plan to go to college.”

  “No fun,” Emma teased.

  “I guess I just have to wait until I go to college.”

  “Then you’ll be busy trying to make good grades in college.”

  “My mom would die if I made a…” Fiona said the words before she thought, and then she felt like the incredible shrinking teen with a heartache the size of Texas, her eyes filling with tears. She silently threatened them not to leak down her cheeks. She gritted her teeth. She didn’t think she would ever come to grips with the fact her parents were dead.

  Emma patted Fiona’s shoulder ineffectually, seeing her discomfort but at a loss as to what to say.

  Wanting to change the subject, Fiona said, “I didn’t have time to think about a costume.” Which wasn’t quite the truth. Deep in the recesses of her mind, Fiona had hoped Halloween would somehow just magically disappear, and she wouldn’t have to think about it. She’d never felt comfortable with Halloween, All Hallows Eve, as if something dark inside her stirred. More now than ever. The dreams, the nightmares, the visions… “Besides, you’re lucky you could wear your mother’s Little Theater gown.”

  Emma nodded. “I am, but I could have dug through Mom’s costume wardrobe and found something for you too.”

  “Right, her witch’s costume from Hansel and Gretel.”

  “She has others. A sexy, fringed dress from the flapper era show she did, Thoroughly Modern Millie. I told you that you didn’t need a date. Lots of kids come to these things, mingle, and end up going steady.”

  “Yeah, easy for you to say. Here comes the star quarterback.” Fiona hadn’t meant her words to come out sounding so… irritated, but now that Randy would whisk Emma away, Fiona definitely felt like a small spider hiding in the crack of a wall.

  Blond like Emma, only Randy’s eyes were a sapphire blue and hers more of an aqua blue, the two seemed to have eyes only for each other in the crowded gym.

  Emma’s smile returned. “Hmm, hey, Randy. I didn’t have a chance to tell you that I love your football costume.”

  He smiled back at her and kissed her cheek. “I love your Cinderella dress.”

  Fiona was about to tell him Emma was a southern belle, but Emma said, “I’ll be anything you want me to be.”

  Fiona rolled her eyes.

  Twirling around, Emma showed off her gown. The bodice dipped enough to entice the guys, but not too low to get her kicked out of school, unless she leaned over. The skirt billowed out and reached her ankles. She looked like a blond version of Scarlet O’Hara from Gone with the Wind.

  Emma winked at Fiona, took Randy’s arm, and moved with him to the dance floor.

  Fiona watched her friend dance with the quarterback hunk, wishing she could be so lucky. Though she imagined wearing her combat ready martial arts uniform probably turned any guy off, if he thought of getting fresh with her.

  Then she snorted under her breath. Right. Guys dancing with dead cheerleaders instead was a real turn on.

  Then a glimmer of light caught her eye from across the room. A sparkling lure in a crowded bowl of squirming, faux, half-rotted humans. Her gaze shifted from the shimmering ruby in the gold ring the wearer wore to see a guy dressed in a black tux, wearing a black shirt even. He was dressed to kill. She looked up at his face. He had soft, wavy, coffee-colored hair and dark eyes that studied her, not anyone else, but her. His mouth turned up instantly when he caught her eye. Omigod, he…he looked like the guy from her dreams. The guy from the mall incident. Literally. Arman? It couldn’t be.

  Just as suddenly, her whole body grew sweaty as it would when she worked out in a vigorous ju-jitsu lesson.

  Now, he was fab. No white paste smeared on his face to simulate the undead. No streaks of red blood to suggest the ghoulish look others wore tonight.

  She’d never seen him at the school before. Not that that would be unusual. As big as the Portland High School was, she could attend it forever, and never meet all the students. Heck, she wouldn’t need to, once she had met one as intriguing as Tux was.

  “Hey, want to dance?” A guy wearing a toga leaned against her, his words slightly slurred. His meaty hand clutched her shoulder, and his hot breath reeked of whiskey. She knew the smell well because she'd smelled it on her father often enough. The guy's grimy size-twelve sneakers nearly stepped on her size six and a half’s.

  Had he mixed alcohol with the punch? Or had he brought the liquor to the party in a flask? Idiot. The image of a younger version of her father acting like that flitted across her brain. No way did she want to have anything to do with some teen getting an early start on the same path to destruction.

  Before she could shove his hand from her shoulder, the ruby ring bearer wearing the black tux appeared beside her. She didn’t have time to wonder how he’d moved across the gigantic floor through all of the squirming, writhing bodies so quickly. Unless he'd already been on his way to see her. She hoped he would step in to rescue her before she had to create a scene and knock toga guy on his butt herself.

  “The lady wishes to dance with me,” Tux eloquently said, his hand outstretched, palm upturned, as if he was an actor in some old-time movie.

  She glanced down at her gi. How could she dance with anyone who looked so suave when she looked like she was ready to do martial arts combat? And in sneakers?

  The drunken kid stumbled off. “Whatever,” he mumbled under his breath.

  Tux still held his hand out to her, waiting for her to accept. His eyes focused on hers, willing her to go along with him.

  Still, she hesitated. Guys never asked her to dance. What was wrong with this one? Didn’t he know she wasn’t popular? That she wasn’t an adorable cheerleader with all the cute moves…that her moves could be deadly?

  He smiled a little. Immediately, he disarmed her.

  “Sure, why not? You must be new to the school.” She took his hand and her whole body heated. She didn’t want to call him Arman and for him not to be the same guy she’d spilled her drink on at the mall in Dallas. How odd would that be that he would be in Portland, Oregon and at her school function now?

  He didn’t say anything, though his eyes devoured her as if she was a tasty sweet treat that he couldn’t get enough of. His attention both bothered and intrigued her. She’d never met any guy who acted so interested in her, but the notion kept darting through her mind, why? Why had he targeted her, when there were lots of other girls who were cuter and much more outgoing? Never mind that they looked hideous with fake blood dribbling down their faces and throats. Without all that fake gore, they were attractive. And why did he look so much like the guy in her dreams?

  “My name is Fiona Wilder.”

  The smile returned to his lips, his eyes darkening to midnight.

  “But the name can be misleading,” she rattled on like she always did when someone made her nervous.

  Her skin grew clammy, and she was sure her deodorant would fail her when he still didn’t respond. She took a deep breath, tried to stifle the urge to keep talking about nothing at all, and waited for him to tell her his name, but still, he said nothing. Just moved her across the floor to the slower paced waltz as if he’d danced all his life. The feel of his heated hands on her body, seared her to the core. She hated what a neophyte she was when it came to being with a guy. But Bradley Stapleton had given her every reason for staying clear of the general male population last year. Which was one of the reasons Halloween didn’t appeal. And because of him, she was glad she wasn’t attending high school in Dallas any longer.

  “Hmm, you sure dance well,” she murmured, almost forgetting she was swaying to the music in clunky tennis shoes.

  Thankfully, her older brother had taught her how to dance, or else she would never have been able to move a step. With tall, dark, and handsome leading her across the floor, she felt as though she’d been dancing with him for eons.

  When the music ended, he still held her hand while his other rested on her hip. She smiled, embarrassed, her cheeks growing hot. “The dance has ended.”

  A couple of girls giggled at her as if she and Tux were the weirdest kids in school. Or maybe they were wishing they had a chance to dance with him instead.

  The music began again, a faster paced number. Only he didn’t let go, but instead glanced at the band members, his look dark and foreboding. Suddenly, the band cut the music, and began playing another slow dance. Tux smiled, the expression softening his hard, angular features, and he moved with Fiona across the floor. She glanced back at the band and all the members were watching Tux as if he had made them change their minds about the dance routine and would clue them in concerning the next dance scheduled.

  Which was ridiculous to consider, but she couldn’t help it.

  She caught a glimpse of Emma watching her, her mouth agape, and her blue eyes as wide as the lake near her great aunt’s home. A new flush of heat rushed across Fiona’s skin. Yeah, Emma couldn’t believe that Fiona would be dancing with a hunk any more than she could.

  “Your friend?” Tux asked, his voice deeply sensual.

  What was there about the guy that melted her insides into molten lava? “Yeah, my best friend.”

  He nodded, but she couldn’t read his expression this time.

  Then the horrifying thought crossed her mind—he was interested in her because she was Emma’s friend? Instantly, she stiffened. If he thought that he could get friendly with her so he could make the moves on her girlfriend next…