d around to make sure no one was waiting for the bag； because I thought Fred would probably be curious； too。 Riley caught my eye； smiled the tiniest bit； and jerked his chin slightly toward the corner where Fred was。 Which made me want to do the exact opposite of what I’d just been planning； but whatever。 I didn’t want Riley to be suspicious of me。 I walked back to Fred； ignoring the nausea until it faded and I was right next to him。 I handed him the bag。 He seemed
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pleased I’d thought to include him； he smiled and then sniffed the shirt。 After a second he nodded thoughtfully to himself。 He gave me the bag back with a significant look。 The next time we were alone； I thought he would say aloud whatever it was he had seemed to want to share before。 I tossed the bag toward SpiderMan； who reacted like it had fallen out of the sky but still caught it before it hit the ground。 Everyone was buzzing about the scent。 Riley clapped his hands together twice。 “Okay； so there’s the dessert I was talking about。 The girl will be with the yelloweyes。 And whoever gets to her first gets dessert。 Simple as that。” Appreciative growls； petitive growls。 Simple； yes； but… wrong。 Weren’t we supposed to be destroying the yelloweyed coven？ Unity was supposed to be the key； not a firste； firstserved prize that only one vampire could win。 The only guaranteed oute from this plan was one dead human。 I could think of half a dozen more productive ways to motivate this army。 The one who kills the most yelloweyes wins the girl。 The one who shows the best team cooperation gets the girl。 The one who sticks to the plan best。 The one who follows orders best。 MVP； etc。 The focus should be on the danger； which was definitely not the human。 I looked around at the others and decided that none of them were following the same train of thought。 Raoul and Kristie were glaring at each other。 I heard Sara and Jen arguing in whispers about the possibility of sharing the prize。 Well； maybe Fred got it。 He was frowning； too。
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“And the last thing；” Riley said。 For the first time there was some reluctance in his voice。 “This will probably be even harder to accept； so I’ll show you。 I won’t ask you to do anything I won’t do。 Remember that I’m with you guys every step of the way。” The vampires got real still again。 I noticed that Raoul had the ziplock back and was gripping it possessively。 “There are so many things you have yet to learn about being a vampire；” Riley said。 “Some of them make more sense than others。 This is one of those things that won’t sound right at first； but I’ve experienced it myself； and I’ll show you。” He deliberated for a long second。 “Four times a year； the sun shines at a certain indirect angle。 During that one day； four times a year； it is safe… for us to be outside in the daylight。” Every tiny movement stopped。 There was no breathing。 Riley was talking to a bunch of statues。 “One of those special days is beginning now。 The sun that is rising outside today won’t hurt any of us。 And we are going to use this rare exception to surprise our enemies。” My thoughts spun around and turned upside down。 So Riley knew it was safe for us to go out in the sun。 Or he didn’t； and our creator had told him this “four days a year” story。 Or… this was true and Diego and I had lucked into one of those days。 Except that Diego had been out in the shade before。 And Riley was making this into some kind of solsticey seasonal thing； while Diego and I had been safe in the daylight just four days ago。 I could understand that Riley and our creator would want to control us with the fear of the sun。 It made sense。 But why tell the truth in a very limited way now？
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I would bet it had to do with those scary darkcloaks。 She probably wanted to get a jump on her deadline。 The cloaked ones had not promised to let her live when we killed all the yelloweyes。 I guessed she would be off like a shot the second she’d acplished her objective here。 Kill the yelloweyes and then take an extended vacation in Australia or somewhere else on the other side of the world。 And I’d bet she wasn’t going to send us engraved invitations。 I would have to get to Diego quick so we could bail； too。 In the opposite direction from Riley and our creator。 And I ought to tip Fred off。 I decided I would as soon as we had a moment alone。 There was so much manipulation going on in this one little speech； and I wasn’t sure I was catching it all。 I wished Diego were here so we could analyze it together。 If Riley was just making up this fourdays story on the spot； I guess I could understand why。 It’s not like he could have just said； Hey； so I’ve lied to you for your whole lives； but now I’m telling the truth。 He wanted us to follow him into battle today； he couldn’t undermine whatever trust he’d earned。 “It’s right for you to be terrified at the thought；” Riley told the statues。 “The reason you are all still alive is that you paid attention when I told you to be careful。 You got home on time； you didn’t make mistakes。 You let that fear make you smart and cautious。 I don’t expect you to put that intelligent fear aside easily。 I don’t expect you to run out that door on my word。 But…” He looked around the room once。 “I do expect you to follow me out。” His eyes slid away from the audience for just the teensiest
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fraction of a second； touching very briefly on something over my head。 “Watch me；” he told us。 “Listen to me。 Trust me。 When you see that I’m okay； believe your eyes。 The sun on this one day does have some interesting effects on our skin。 You’ll see。 It won’t hurt you in any way。 I wouldn’t do anything to put you guys in unnecessary danger。 You know that。” He started up the stairs。 “Riley； can’t we just wait ；” Kristie began。 “Just pay attention；” Riley cut her off； still moving up at a measured pace。 “This gives us a big advantage。 The yellow eyes know all about this day； but they don’t know that we know。” As he was talking； he opened the door and walked out of the basement into the kitchen。 There was no light in the wellshaded kitchen； but everyone still shied away from the open doorway。 Everyone but me。 His voice continued； moving toward the front door。 “It takes most young vampires a while to embrace this exception for good reason。 Those who aren’t cautious about the daylight don’t last long。” I felt Fred’s eyes on me。 I glanced over at him。 He was staring at me urgently； as if he wanted to take off but had nowhere to go。 “It’s okay；” I whispered almost silently。 “The sun’s not going to hurt us。” You trust him he mouthed back at me。 No way。 Fred raised an eyebrow and relaxed just slightly。 I glanced behind us。 What had Riley been looking at？
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Nothing had changed just some family pictures of dead people； a small mirror； and a cuckoo clock。 Hmm。 Was he checking the time？ Maybe our creator had given him a deadline； too。 “’Kay； guys； I’m going out；” Riley said。 “You don’t have to be afraid today； I promise。” The light burst into the basement through the open door； magnified as only I knew by Riley’s skin。 I could see the bright reflections dance on the wall。 Hissing and snarling； my coven backed into the corner opposite from Fred’s。 Kristie was in the very back。 It looked like she was trying to use her gang as a kind of shield。 “Relax； everybody；” Riley called down to us。 “I am absolutely fine。 No pain； no burn。 e and see。 C’mon！” No one moved closer to the door。 Fred was crouched against the wall beside me； eyeing the light with panic。 I waved my hand a tiny bit to get his attention。 He looked up at me and measured my total calm for a second。 Slowly he straightened up next to me。 I smiled encouragingly。 Everyone else was waiting for the burn to start。 I wondered if I had looked that silly to Diego。 “You know；” Riley mused from above； “I’m curious to see who is the bravest one of you。 I have a good idea who the first person through that door is going to be； but I’ve been wrong before。” I rolled my eyes。 Subtle； Riley。 But of course it worked。 Raoul started inching his way toward the stairs almost immediately。 For once； Kristie was in
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no hurry to pete with him for Riley’s approval。 Raoul snapped his fingers at Kevin； and both he and the SpiderMan kid reluctantly moved to flank him。 “You can hear me。 You know I’m not fried。 Don’t be a bunch of babies！ You’re vampires。 Act like it。” Still； Raoul and his buddies couldn’t get farther than the foot of the stairs。 None of the others moved。 After a few minutes； Riley came back。 In the indirect light from the front door； he shimmered just a tiny bit in the doorway。 “Look at me I’m fine。 Seriously！ I’m embarrassed for you。 C’mere； Raoul！” In the end； Riley had to grab Kevin Raoul ducked out of the way as soon as he could see what Riley was thinking and drag him upstairs by force。 I saw the moment when they made it into the sun； when the light brightened from their reflections。 “Tell them； Kevin；” Riley ordered。 “I’m okay； Raoul！” Kevin called down。 “Whoa。 I’m all… shiny。 This is crazy！” He laughed。 “Well done； Kevin；” Riley said