I look at Will. There’s practically no space between us since it’s a tiny bathroom with a toilet and sink. ‘Were you planning on staking him?’
Will holds my eyes steadily with his. ‘If that’s what you want.’ A frisson of understanding flows over me, and I know he won’t hesitate. My knight will fight the evil vampire for me. Will brushes a ringlet off my cheek, and Ilean in to his touch. The evil vampire can wait a bit longer for all I care.
‘If I kiss you, will you turn into a snake?’ I ask softly.
Will nods. ‘Probably, so it’s not a good idea.’ He moves closer. ‘However, I did manage to control it downstairs with a stern“no”!So maybe we should practise...’
His hands rest on my hips, and I sink into his touch as his lips move towards mine ...
‘Sorry to interrupt. But could someone give me a hand here?’
I turn to see Sadie grinning at us—her hands resting on the toilet cistern and her ass poking out through the window.
Will moves away from me, and I glare at Sadie. Bad timing! ‘What are you doing up here?’
‘Everyone’s coming,’ she says as Will hauls her inside. ‘You didn’t think we’d let you have all the fun, did you? Besides, there’s no way Damian’s leaving Floss alone in here with Alexander.’
Speaking of which, Damian appears at the window next.
‘Hey,’ he says in a low voice, climbing down over the toilet seat. Then Floss brings up Elliott.
‘Well, this is cosy,’ she says with a laugh, climbing in after him. We all shuffle closer together.
‘How do you fit six vampires into a smallbathroom?’ Damian jokes. ‘With caution.’
My body is now pressed up against Will’s, and I can feel him shivering. It must be a huge effort for him not to change. But he’s managing it admirably.
‘I’m not nervous you guys will bite me. But I am nervous about being in the same building as Alexander,’ Floss whispers. But it’s a bit late to be thinking that now since we’re all up here.
The music stops suddenly, and we all freeze. Then a low thump of bass starts up from downstairs, and we all relax again.
‘So what’s your plan?’ Sadie asks her.
‘I don’t know,’ says Floss with a shrug. ‘We don’t even have any weapons.’
Will checks in the cupboard behind him. ‘What about this?’ He brings out a toilet plunger and rips off the rubber end. ‘Anyone got a penknife?’
Floss reaches into the side of her boot and hands over a Swiss Army knife. We all look at her, and she hitches a shoulder.
‘What? If you had a vampire target on your back, you’d never leave home without it either.’
Will does some quick-fire whittling while I watch with pride. He’s so capable! And I do like a man who’s good with his hands.
The finished product is a short, stout stake with a sharp pointy end. He gives it a twirl, holds it aloft, and does a practice thrust at Elliott’s chest.
Elliott recoils. ‘Watch it, mate.’
‘Staked by toilet plunger. What a way to go,’ says Damian, then looks nervous as Will hands the stake over to him and the knife back to Floss.
‘I’ll try to get Alexander away from the party and upstairs,’ Will says. ‘My friend mentioned there were going to be themed rooms. So I’ll ask for a quick tour before he does the lucky dip. You guys wait in one of the rooms, and I’ll let him lead the way. Once he’s in, you can ambush him, and someone can drive in the stake before he knows what’s happening. But for God’s sake, make sure it’s Alexander you’re driving the stake into and not me!’
***
After reassuring Will that we’ll definitely check that we’re staking the right vampire, he leaves to head back downstairs to the party. ‘Right, guys,’ murmurs Sadie. ‘Let’s go.’
Cautiously, we edge out of the bathroom and tiptoe down the corridor like we’re spies in a James Bond movie. There are three doors on either side of us. Floss opens the first one with the nameplate ‘Fang-tasy Suite’,and we all peer inside. It’s giving off castle dungeon vibes with cheap foam bricks and bondage gear hung on plastic chains. In the middle is a bed shaped like a coffin but covered in zebra print fabric. Glow-in-the-dark skeleton decals are stuck to the wall, and a bunch of plastic bats hang from the ceiling.
‘Wow,’ breathes Sadie. ‘This is really cheesy. Alexander should’ve hired a professional interior designer.’
