Ash looked innocent and yearning. "Just a little bite. A nibble.
A nip," he said. "You have such a pretty white throat...."
"Who does?" Blaise said, pushing her way through the other half of the bead curtain. Poppy had the feeling she was only speaking to focus attention on herself. She stood in the center of the room and shook back her long black hair with the air of a girl used to attention.
"You both do," Ash said gallantly. Then he seemed to remember Poppy. "And, of course, this little dreamer has a pretty white everything."
Blaise, who had been smiling, now looked sour. She stared at Poppy long and hard. With dislikeand something else.
Suspicion. Dawning suspicion.
Poppy could feel it. Blaise's thoughts were bright and sharp and malicious, like jagged glass.
Then suddenly Blaise smiled again. She looked at Ash. "I suppose you've come for the party," she said. "No. What party?"
Blaise sighed in a way that emphasized her lowcut blouse.
"The Solstice party, of course. Thierry's giving a big one.
Everybody will be there."
Ash looked tempted. In the dim light of the teaching room his eyes gleamed dark. Then he shook his head.
"No, can't make it. Sorry. I'm going to show Poppy the town."
"Well, you can do that and still come to the party later. It won't really get going until after midni ght." B laise was staring at Ash with an odd insistence. Ash bit his lip, then shook his head again, smiling.
"Well, maybe," he said. "I'll see how things go."
Poppy knew he was saying more than that. So me unsp oken message seemed to be passing between him and Blaise. But it wasn't telepathic, and Poppy couldn't pick it up.
"Well, hav e a g ood time," Thea said, and gave Poppy a quick smile as Ash piloted her away.
Ash peered ahead at the Strip. "If we hurry we can watch the volcano erupting," he said. Poppy gave him a look, but didn't a sk.
Inste ad, she said, "What's a Solstice party?"
"Summer solstice. The longest day of the year. It's a holiday for the Night People. Like Groundhog Day for humans."
„Why?"
"Oh, it always has been. It's very magical, you know. I'd take you to the party, but it would be too dangerous. Thierry's a vampire Elder." Then he said, "Here's the volcano."
It was a volcano. In front of a hotel. Waterfalls crashed down its sides, and red lights shone from the cone. Ash double-parked across the street.
"You see, we've got a great view right here," he said. "All the comforts of home."
The volcano was emitting rumbling sounds. As Poppy watched in disbelief, a pillar of fire shot out of the top. Real fire. Then the waterfalls caught fire. Red and gold flames spread down the sides of the black rock until the entire lake around the'
volcano was ablaze.
"Inspiring, isn't it?" Ash asked, very close to her ear.
"Well-it's ..."
"Thrilling?" Ash inquired. "Stimulating? Rousing?" His arm was creeping around her, and his voice was sweetly hypnotic.
Poppy didn't say anything.
"You know," Ash murmured, "you can see a lot better if yo u g et over here. I don't mind crowding." His arm was urging her gently but inevitably closer. His breath ruffled her hair.
Poppy slammed an elbow into his stomach. "Hey!" Ash yelped-in genuine pain, Poppy thought. Good.
He'd dropped his arm and now he was looking at her with aggrieved brown eyes. "What did you do that for?"
"Because I felt like it," Poppy said smartly. She was tingling with new blood and ready for a fight. "Look, Ash, I don't know what gave you the idea that I'm your date here. But I'm telling you right now that I'm not. "
Ash tilted his head and smiled painfully. "You just don't know me well enough," he offered. "When we get to know each other-"
"No. Never. I'm not interested in other guys. If I can't have James ..." Poppy had to stop and steady her voice. "There's nobody else I want," she said finally, flatly. "Nobody."
"Well, not now, maybe, but-"
"Never. " She didn't know how to explain. Then she had an idea. "You know the soulmate principle?"
Ash opened his mouth and then shut it. Opened it again. "Oh, no. Not that garbage."
"Yes. James is my soulmate. I'm sorry if it sounds stupid, but it's true."
Ash put a hand to his forehead. Then he started to laugh.
"You're serious."
"Yes."
"And that's your final word."
"Yes."
Ash laughed again, sighed, and cast his eyes upward. "Okay.
Okay. I should have known." He chuckled in what seemed like self-derision.
Poppy was relieved. She'd been afraid he'd be disgruntled and huffy-or mean. Despite his charm, she could always feel something cold running below the surface in Ash, like an icy river.
But now he seemed perfectly good-humored. "Okay," he said.
"So if romance isn't on the menu, let's go to the party."
"I thought you said it was too dangerous."
He waved a hand. "That was a little fib. To get you alone, you know." He glanced sideways at her. "Sorry."
Poppy hesitated. She didn't care about a party. But she didn't
want to be alone with Ash, either.
"Maybe you should just take me back to your cousins' place."
"They won't be there," Ash said. "I'm sure they've gone to the party by now. Oh, come on, it'll be fun.
Give me a chance to make things up to you."
Thin curls of uneasiness were roiling inside Poppy.