Darkly Devoted (Book 1, 2, 3)

LOMD Chapter 12 - One True Enemy

Chapter 12

VIVIENNE WENT back to the forest behind the fair every day to make her stakes. Nicole couldn't come after the first day because the doctors were saying that Michael was slowly improving. It was understandable that Nicole wanted to be there when he woke up. By Thursday morning, the day after the big game against the Lethe Academy, Blake sent her a note in music class telling her she could at least make up for her absence at the game by meeting him and Ashlar at the Sunny Side Diner that night.

Vivienne reluctantly agreed. With Nicole gone, she had hit a wall in her preparation for Satan's Hollow. At least, by socializing with her school mates she might learn some more about what was in store for her. Vivienne borrowed one of Janun's dresses for her dinner date. She guessed that she needed to at least pretend to be the willing girlfriend.

Vivienne hadn't been able to avoid the news that Remin High had soundly beaten Lethe Academy in the recent game. Apparently, it was a big deal because Lethe Academy had won every game for the last three years. In fact, none of the students currently attending Remin High even remembered a time when they had beaten Lethe. They said that Lethe Academy had a vendetta against Remin because the last three Grand Masters were all graduates of Remin High.

Vivienne decided to not be a spoil-sport. She figured she would seem less strange and antisocial if she picked a festive dress to wear to dinner. Luckily, Janun had nothing but flowery and colorful dresses in her closet in various shades of pastel. Vivienne picked a cotton-candy pink dress with Marie Antoinette sleeves. She felt a hint of irony tying a black velvet ribbon around her neck to attract attention to it. It seemed unwise, seeing as she was dating a vampire.

Janun caught Vivienne trying to sneak the frilly, rustling dress back to her bedroom.

"Going on a date?" Janun asked as she covered her smirking mouth. "If you go dressed like that, you'll definitely be a virgin into your thirties. I think I wore that to my kindergarten graduation."

"I'm just trying to fit in with the other girls," Vivienne said with a grimace. "Don't popular girls always wear pink?"

"Wow, have you met any popular girls, in real life?" Janun asked. "Or are you getting all your fashion tips from the Disney Channel?"

"Fine, then help me pick something out," Vivienne said and returned the dress to Janun's bedroom. Vivienne stood around awkwardly while Janun went through her closet. Although they were sisters, she and Janun didn't have very similar body types. Janun was all curves with a round face, big Victoria's Secret model breasts, and pear-shaped hips. As Vivienne studied herself in the mirror she saw only skinny toothpick legs, a flat chest, and a sharp chin. She wondered if it would take a miracle for Janun to find anything in her closet that would look flattering on her skinny body type.

Janun was right about one thing, Vivienne didn't know much about popular girls. The only popular girl Vivienne had known well back in Lewisville was Allison. Vivienne chuckled bitterly to herself as she decided calling up Lady Maglania's host for fashion tips wasn't an option. For all she knew, Allison was the reason why Calbert was dead. If that were true, and it very likely was — neither she nor Blake was safe here in Remin.

Vivienne doubted Allison wanted her dead. No matter how angry Allison was about her betrayal, Vivienne knew her best friend would not try to murder her. Murdering Blake, that might be within the realms of what Allison was capable of.

Janun finally emerged from her closet with a black tank top and a mini skirt.

"Here, try this."

Vivienne made a face. "Oh, Janun, I look like a street-walker."

"Sometimes, less is more. You have the figure for it," Janun said as she eyed her own larger waistline in the mirror. Janun tossed a pink sweater at Vivienne. "And here, if you're cold you can always just throw a cardigan over it."