“Hey, Rox.” He looks at me. “Eliza.”
I manage a noise somewhere between a squeak and a groan. Roxy looks at me like I’m a child who was expecting a PlayStation on Christmas Day but has unwrapped a second-hand abacus. She frowns and widens her eyes at me, but I probably shouldn’t move or say words until I know I’m in full control of myself.
“Hey, Charlie,” says Roxy, then steps forward and squeezes Sadie. “And Sadie!”
“She doesn’t really do hugs any more,” says Charlie Chamberlain.
“Shut up, Charlie,” says Sadie, pulling a face.
“How are you this big?” says Roxy, looking down at her.
“I know, I’m nearly as tall as Eliza!” says Sadie, beaming at us.
“What are you guys doing here?” asks Roxy.
“Well, Sadie wanted to come for her birthday and mum was going to bring her, but that sort of fell through. It was either lose the hotel deposit and the cost of the ticket, or guilt trip big brother into bringing her, so I figured, hey, day off school. So, here I am. Bonus.”
“Here you are,” I say, through gritted teeth. “Bonus.”
He smiles at me, oh-so-pleased with himself, standing here ruining my life. He’s lucky he’s got his little sister in front of him.
“Yep,” he says, doing subtle jazz hands. “Surprise.”
Issurprise the word?
“You’re here all weekend then?” Roxy asks, glancing at me then smiling back at Charlie Chamberlain and Sadie.
Charlie nods and rolls his eyes. “Yep, four whole nights of nerd fun.”
“Hey,” says Sadie, elbowing him in the stomach. Did I mention I love this kid? “Mum said you’ve got to be nice, and you’re not allowed to say nerd or anything bad aboutVampire Falls.”
“Not even Damon Van Schwartz?” he says, bending down and making wide eyes at his sister.
“Especiallynot Damon Van Schwartz,” says Sadie, her eyes misting over at the thought of him.
“I don’t know why you’re all piss-takey, pal; you had a DVS haircut for an entire year,” says Roxy, raising an eyebrow.
“I did not,” he says.
“Oh, you so did.” Roxy pulls out her phone and waves it in front of him. “Would you like a little reminder, Charlie Van Schwartz?”
“Whatever,” he says, then looks at me. “You’re quiet. Something wrong?”
Roxy stiffens next to me. I take a deep breath, ready to launch a diatribe (yes, I said diatribe) into Charlie Chamberlain’s self-satisfied, friendship defector face, but as I form the first word which starts with a hard F, there is a slight, but not invisible to the experienced ear, change in background hotel foyer noise.
I look around, my convention senses tingling, and I’m right. Everyone holds up their phones in the direction of the revolving doors, which means that a Convention Guest has just entered the vicinity. I grab Roxy’s arm, but she’s already sensed it and is looking at the same person I am.
Damon Van Schwartz, aka everyone’s favourite morally grey vampire, Viggo Rassmussen, has entered the building.
CHAPTER FIVE
BUD LEROY
That looks bad. Like, amputation bad. I think there was a medicine cabinet back there. I’ll check it out. Do you have any allergies?
JULIANA THE DEMON HUNTRESS
I’m only allergic to two things: Incubus venom, and assholes. [looks at Viggo]
