Darkness (Alisa Rose #2)

-Twenty Two-

Alisa's POV

The Feast of San Vicente had the whole school buzzing with excitement, but I wasn't exactly feeling the festive spirit. The air felt heavy, like something bad was just waiting to drop. Maybe it was the way Bryce kept glaring at Jordan—or the fact that Emmett and his fang-club were probably lurking around, waiting to crash the party.

"Looks like everything's all set," I said, leaning against the stairwell railing, arms crossed. "David and Sidney have sprinkled magical salt around the entire perimeter. Should keep the Tikbalanugo out for now."

Bryce was sitting on the steps, looking like he hadn't slept in days. Which, considering the whole 'I'm a newborn vampire now' thing, he probably hadn't. "Sounds like a good time," he muttered, but his tone was dry, and there was a definite edge in his voice. His eyes darted toward Jordan for a split second, and Jordan just shifted uncomfortably next to me.

Yeah, no tension there at all.

Jordan cleared his throat, trying to act casual but failing miserably. "At least we've got the salt thing going for us. That's... something, right?"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, yeah. Nothing says 'party protection' like a sprinkle of salt. Just like grandma used to do when the demons came knocking."

Jace chuckled next to me, clearly enjoying himself as usual. "Only bad times," he added, smirking as he nudged me with his shoulder. "Don't forget, Emmett and his merry band of bloodsuckers aren't exactly picky about party crashers."

I sighed. "Yeah, thanks for that reminder. Just when I was starting to think we might get through this without someone trying to rip our heads off."

Bryce ran a hand through his hair, clearly not amused by Jace's humor. "So, we're just sitting here, waiting for Emmett to make his move? Because I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not exactly in control of my... urges."

He shot another look at Jordan, who avoided eye contact altogether, instead staring down at his shoes like they were the most fascinating things in the world. Great, I thought, so we've got brooding vampire tension on top of everything else. Just what we needed.

Jace, ever the jokester, grinned. "Relax, Bryce. We've got your back. Besides, if you get too bitey, we'll just throw you in the janitor's closet until the full moon passes."

I elbowed him lightly. "Real smooth, Jace. That's definitely how you make friends with the undead."

He threw his hands up in mock surrender. "Hey, just offering solutions. Can't have him gnawing on anyone's neck mid-feast."

Jordan finally spoke up, but his voice was soft, almost hesitant. "He's not gonna lose control. Right, Bryce?" There was something almost pleading in the way he said it, like he wanted to believe it more than anything.

Bryce stood up from the steps, giving Jordan a look that said he wasn't in the mood for any heart-to-heart moments. "Let's hope not," was all he said before turning away from us.

I exchanged a glance with Jace, who gave me a subtle shrug. He could sense the tension too, and honestly, it was making my skin crawl. There was no telling when or where Emmett and his crew would show up, but with the way things were going, I wasn't sure if Bryce could handle it. Or if we could.

"So what's the plan?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation back to something useful. "We know Emmett's going to show, but do we wait for him to make the first move, or...?"

Jace's face turned serious for once, and that always meant bad news. "We wait. But we stay ready. Emmett knows this place inside out, and he's banking on the fact that we'll be caught off guard. But we won't be."

Bryce huffed. "If he brings his army, it's not just gonna be a couple of vamps. We're talking full-on chaos."

"Yep," I said, popping the 'p.' "And that's exactly why we've got to be one step ahead. Keep the students safe, deal with Emmett, and hopefully, make it out of this mess in one piece. Simple, right?"

Jordan laughed nervously. "Yeah, simple. No pressure."

Jace glanced toward the courtyard, his eyes scanning the area like he was already planning a battle strategy. 

The four of us split up, and I headed downstairs.

The school courtyard was packed, students and faculty rushing around to set up the final preparations for the Feast of San Vicente. The noise was chaotic, with people shouting directions and trying to make sense of the last-minute changes. Naturally, Ms. Chika was in full-on "teacher mode," directing us like we were soldiers in some kind of weird high school battle.

"Sidney, make sure those banners are straight!" Ms. Chika called out as she adjusted her glasses. "And David, please stop tangling yourself in the streamers!"

David, predictably, was already wrapped up in the decorative streamers like some kind of confused human burrito. "Uh, little help?" he called, struggling to free his arms. "I think I'm turning into a piñata here."

Sidney shook her head, biting back a laugh. "You'd think after all those years of gift wrapping, you'd be better at this, David."

"Hey!" David protested, trying to wiggle out of the mess. "Gift wrapping is an art. This... this is sabotage!"

I smirked as I untangled him, shaking my head. "Well, at least you're committed to the role. But if you start handing out candy, we're going to have a problem."

"Don't tempt me," he grinned. "I've got some emergency Skittles in my bag."

Sidney rolled her eyes, balancing a box of supplies as she placed it on a nearby table. "We are so doomed if you're our only source of emergency sugar. I swear, you and Alisa are the worst enablers."

"Hey!" I shot back with mock offense, handing David the last bit of streamer to hang. "I'm just here to make sure no one dies of boredom. That's what friends are for."

Ms. Chika sighed, clearly tired of our antics, but not enough to tell us off. "Less chatting, more prepping, please. We need to be ready by the time the guests arrive."

I saluted her. "Yes, ma'am. We live to serve."

As I helped Sidney straighten one of the banners, something flickered in the corner of my vision. My head snapped to the left, catching a glimpse of someone tall and familiar.

Emmett.

He was just standing there at the edge of the courtyard, watching us. His presence sent a chill down my spine, but as soon as I blinked, he was gone. Like a shadow slipping away into the crowd.

I shook my head and turned back to Sidney and David, forcing a smile. No need to freak them out just yet.

David caught my expression. "Uh-oh. You've got that look on your face. You know, the 'I just saw something creepy but I'm not telling anyone' look."

Sidney paused, raising an eyebrow. "Did you just have another 'vampire vision,' or are you finally losing it from all this manual labor?"

I laughed, though it was a little shaky. "Let's just say I might've spotted a party crasher. But don't worry, nothing we can't handle."

David groaned dramatically, throwing a hand over his forehead. "Great. First, I almost die by streamer strangulation, and now vampires are crashing our party. Can't I just have one normal feast?"

Sidney rolled her eyes again, playfully smacking him on the shoulder. "David, your definition of 'normal' is so warped at this point, I'm pretty sure you'd be bored without the vampire drama."

"Maybe," David admitted, grinning. "But I'd like to think I can appreciate the simpler things in life. Like, I don't know—surviving the day without being eaten."

I chuckled and patted his shoulder. "Relax. I promise if any vampires come for you, I'll make sure they know you're off the menu."

He gave me a mock bow. "Your heroism knows no bounds, Alisa."