Read Online Dead Is Not an Option by Marlene Perez - Free Book Online
Authors: Marlene Perez
Tags: Fiction, General, Family & Relationships, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, Social Issues, Interpersonal relations, supernatural, Girls & Women, Siblings, Friendship, School & Education, Psychic Ability, Mysteries & Detective Stories, Schools, High schools, Sisters, Interpersonal Relations in Adolescence
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plates.
Circe and Count Dracul were sitting at the table on the back patio. The kitchen window was open, and I eavesdropped on their conversation as I loaded the dishwasher.
"But Vlad," she said, "I could not reverse the spell even if I wanted to."
He said something too low for me to hear.
"The pen," she replied. "I left it." If Circe had used the pen to cast a spell, she would want it where she could look at it every day and gloat. I was almost certain the pen she was talking about was the one I had seen at Wilder's Restaurant when I'd "won" those cooking lessons—the pen with Bam's initials on it.
"You could not find it?" the count asked.
"Perhaps, but the other item was"—she paused—"confiscated."
"Unfortunate," the count observed.
I suppressed a snort. I didn't believe anything she was telling him.
I couldn't pick up anything else she said, so I tried a little mind reading. The only words I picked up were Balthazar and present. I couldn't do it for long anyway, not without Circe catching me, so I went back to the old-fashioned kind of snooping. I moved closer.
"And there is no way to retrieve it."
"You're certain?" the count asked.
Poppy poked her head into the kitchen. "How's the dessert coming?"
I nearly dropped the plates.
"F-fine," I said. "Can you get the ice cream?"
"What are you so jumpy about?" she said, then looked over my shoulder. The count and Circe were clearly visible.
"Nothing," I said. I didn't sound convincing, even to myself.
"Daisy, I'm saying this for your own good," she said. "Stay away from Circe."
"Don't worry, I will," I told her. At least until I found that pen.
CHAPTER TEN
Seeing Circe back in Nightshade fueled my determination to free Lily and Balthazar.
The next morning, I called Bianca. "Hi, it's Daisy," I said. "Can I come by Wilder's?"
Bianca agreed to meet me before her shift at the restaurant.
As I maneuvered my car up the long drive, my thoughts went back to my junior prom, which had been held at the Wilder estate. The Scourge had done a total Never Been Kissed and had planted an agent who posed as a high school student. Prom night had been interesting, to say the least. I crossed my fingers that we weren't in for a repeat performance.
I waited for her in the empty dining room at Wilder's Restaurant. Her straight black hair swayed as she walked. There was still something feline in the way she moved, even when she was in human form.
She poured us a couple of sodas and then sat down.
"Thank you for agreeing to see me," I said, unsure where to start.
"Anytime," she said. "So, tell me where you're going to college."
I sighed. "I haven't heard from any colleges yet," I said.
"None? But isn't that a little unusual?"
"Maybe I just didn't get accepted anywhere," I said gloomily.
"But you would have received word either way, correct?" she prompted me. "Isn't it odd that you haven't heard one way or the other?"
Strangely, the thought cheered me up. Bianca was right. Colleges sent rejection letters as well as acceptance letters, and I had received neither. A mystery indeed.
"Now, I know you didn't come here for college advice. What can I help you with?" she asked.
"I've been looking into the disappearance of Mrs. Wilder's sister," I replied. "And I need your help."
"I'm not sure how I can help you," she said. "Circe and I weren't close or anything."
"Do you know where Circe stayed last time she was in Nightshade?"
"She stayed here, at the Wilders'," she replied. "In one of the guest rooms."
"I'm looking for something that Circe may have left here," I explained. "A pen engraved with Balthazar Merriweather's initials on it. Can I see her room?"
Bianca brushed her long black hair out of her eyes. "I can let you in there for about half an hour. That's it."
"That would be a big help," I said. "Thanks so much."
She led me up the stairs, past Mrs. Wilder's bedroom, which I'd actually been in once before under very strange circumstances.
"When did Mrs. Wilder buy
Circe and Count Dracul were sitting at the table on the back patio. The kitchen window was open, and I eavesdropped on their conversation as I loaded the dishwasher.
"But Vlad," she said, "I could not reverse the spell even if I wanted to."
He said something too low for me to hear.
"The pen," she replied. "I left it." If Circe had used the pen to cast a spell, she would want it where she could look at it every day and gloat. I was almost certain the pen she was talking about was the one I had seen at Wilder's Restaurant when I'd "won" those cooking lessons—the pen with Bam's initials on it.
"You could not find it?" the count asked.
"Perhaps, but the other item was"—she paused—"confiscated."
"Unfortunate," the count observed.
I suppressed a snort. I didn't believe anything she was telling him.
I couldn't pick up anything else she said, so I tried a little mind reading. The only words I picked up were Balthazar and present. I couldn't do it for long anyway, not without Circe catching me, so I went back to the old-fashioned kind of snooping. I moved closer.
"And there is no way to retrieve it."
"You're certain?" the count asked.
Poppy poked her head into the kitchen. "How's the dessert coming?"
I nearly dropped the plates.
"F-fine," I said. "Can you get the ice cream?"
"What are you so jumpy about?" she said, then looked over my shoulder. The count and Circe were clearly visible.
"Nothing," I said. I didn't sound convincing, even to myself.
"Daisy, I'm saying this for your own good," she said. "Stay away from Circe."
"Don't worry, I will," I told her. At least until I found that pen.
CHAPTER TEN
Seeing Circe back in Nightshade fueled my determination to free Lily and Balthazar.
The next morning, I called Bianca. "Hi, it's Daisy," I said. "Can I come by Wilder's?"
Bianca agreed to meet me before her shift at the restaurant.
As I maneuvered my car up the long drive, my thoughts went back to my junior prom, which had been held at the Wilder estate. The Scourge had done a total Never Been Kissed and had planted an agent who posed as a high school student. Prom night had been interesting, to say the least. I crossed my fingers that we weren't in for a repeat performance.
I waited for her in the empty dining room at Wilder's Restaurant. Her straight black hair swayed as she walked. There was still something feline in the way she moved, even when she was in human form.
She poured us a couple of sodas and then sat down.
"Thank you for agreeing to see me," I said, unsure where to start.
"Anytime," she said. "So, tell me where you're going to college."
I sighed. "I haven't heard from any colleges yet," I said.
"None? But isn't that a little unusual?"
"Maybe I just didn't get accepted anywhere," I said gloomily.
"But you would have received word either way, correct?" she prompted me. "Isn't it odd that you haven't heard one way or the other?"
Strangely, the thought cheered me up. Bianca was right. Colleges sent rejection letters as well as acceptance letters, and I had received neither. A mystery indeed.
"Now, I know you didn't come here for college advice. What can I help you with?" she asked.
"I've been looking into the disappearance of Mrs. Wilder's sister," I replied. "And I need your help."
"I'm not sure how I can help you," she said. "Circe and I weren't close or anything."
"Do you know where Circe stayed last time she was in Nightshade?"
"She stayed here, at the Wilders'," she replied. "In one of the guest rooms."
"I'm looking for something that Circe may have left here," I explained. "A pen engraved with Balthazar Merriweather's initials on it. Can I see her room?"
Bianca brushed her long black hair out of her eyes. "I can let you in there for about half an hour. That's it."
"That would be a big help," I said. "Thanks so much."
She led me up the stairs, past Mrs. Wilder's bedroom, which I'd actually been in once before under very strange circumstances.
"When did Mrs. Wilder buy
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