I tried to rid myself of the negativity and enjoy the rest of the Halloween party. I only paused when I saw a boy walk up to Kate, wearing a white mask concealing half his face like the Phantom of the Opera. The half of his face I could see was breathtaking. I had never seen any boy who looked so beautiful. His exotic, pale gold hair was combed neatly back with only a few escaping wisps and he wore a black tuxedo beneath a cape. Something about the exquisite fabric of the tuxedo told me we didn’t get our costumes at the same place.

Of course, he wanted to dance with Kate. I began to step away from them, but something in the curve of his lips made me hesitate. He lowered his head to a very excited Kate, whose face washed blank when he asked her something, the words on his lips forming, “May I cut in?”

She stepped aside and the boy took my hand, immediately drawing me close to him. His presence wrapped around me, electric and inviting, and he spun me around the hall in a waltz unbefitting to the music playing, but somehow kept in rhythm. Before I was aware, the music and commotion had drowned into a dull roar until I couldn’t hear anything at all. I looked nowhere but up into his eyes which were the most fiery opalescent kind of hazel I had ever seen, practically inhuman. His dancing was like water, powerful and unyielding, yet fluid and smooth through every movement as if he had the predetermined course of a river. I let him lead me through the crowd in a twisted state of shock and bliss, unable to perceive anything but his face. I wanted to take the mask off his face, to reveal the beauty beneath.

Yeah, he was hot.

We danced until the end of the song and he still held me to his chest, his mouth curving into a delicious smile.

“Come with me,” he said, more pleading than demanding.

I nodded like an idiot and let him lead me across the hall back toward the archway we entered through. The hideous feeling of rejection washed away as the mystery guy led me off the dance floor. I was too eager to follow him, too eager to make myself feel worth something. For an instant, I wished Will had seen me leave with this guy. Maybe a spark of jealously would prompt him to make a move.

The Phantom stopped me around the other side of the wall and toyed with one of my curls as he studied my face with a look of both awe and amusement.

“You are a beautiful girl,” he said in a slightly surprised voice, his face close enough that he didn’t need to speak up for me to hear him over the music.

“I like your mask,” my mouth blabbed stupidly. I wanted to slap my lips off. I like your mask?

He laughed, his voice like velvet. “I’m glad you like it. What’s your name?”

“Ellie,” I answered, swooning. I leaned heavily against the wall to hold myself up.

“I’m Cainan,” he added.

“That’s an unusual name,” I noted absently.

“It’s a very, very old one.” The backs of his fingers traced along my bare collarbone. I shivered.

“Are you a friend of Josie’s?” I asked, trying to concentrate on our conversation as he touched me. He made it next to impossible to accomplish that.

“No,” he said, his fiery opal eyes on mine.

As I stared into them, I could have sworn I’d seen golden flames flickering in his irises. I blinked and the flames vanished. “Do you go to our school?”

“No.”

“Do you know a lot of people here?”

“Only one,” he responded. “Your Will.”

Confusion hit me like a slap to the face. “My—?”

In that moment, Will appeared beside Cainan, his fist flying and slamming into the boy’s jaw. The Phantom mask flicked off and shattered on the floor, as if it were made of porcelain.

Okay, that wasn’t quite the move I wanted Will to make a few seconds ago.

“Will!” I screamed, grabbing his shoulder and yanking him back. “What the hell is the matter with you?”

He said nothing, but only stared at Cainan. Will’s eyes were bright green and, even in the dark hall, I could see his power humming furiously around him. Cainan rose to his feet, cupping his jaw—laughing. I would have bet everything I owned that hit from Will should have crushed every bone in Cainan’s face. How was he even alive?

Unless he wasn’t human.

“What are you doing here?” Will demanded, his voice subzero, frightening even me.

“I only wanted to meet her,” Cainan said. “I had to get a look at the girl who’s been rustling everyone’s feathers so much lately. Can you blame my curiosity?”

Nausea clawed through my abdomen and my body went stiff with fear. “Reaper?”

“Yes,” Will growled, not looking at me.

Cainan leered knowingly at Will. He reached a hand out to me, but before I could react, Will’s sword swung through the air and the tip pricked into the beautiful reaper’s throat.

“Don’t you dare touch her,” Will warned, pressing the blade a fraction of a millimeter deeper. Blood peeked at the tip. I glanced around, praying no one would notice.

“She’s a lovely thing,” Cainan said, still as stone, his chin up, his eyes locked on Will’s. “I see why you keep her so close. You wouldn’t want anyone like me sweeping off with her, would you?”

“Leave,” Will demanded. “Or we’ll take this outside and finish it.”

Cainan licked his lips as if the prospect was delicious. “I can arrange that.”

In my horror, my voice dropped to a harsh whisper. “I can’t fight dressed like a sexy nurse!”

“My dear,” Cainan said, his voice sensuous like wine, “I don’t intend on harming you. Your Guardian, here, is another story. We have unfinished business.”

“We aren’t carrying our quarrel into the world of humans,” Will said. “It can wait.”

I couldn’t be sure if Cainan’s face was disappointed or not. “Another time, then?” he asked.

“Agreed,” Will hissed.

Suddenly, Cainan vanished. Will stabbed forward in shock and anger, his blade punching through the wall. I felt warm lips on my neck and I screeched, wheeling away. Cainan grabbed me closer to him. As Will shot toward us, Cainan whispered into my ear, “When shall we meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?”

Then, he was gone again. This time, for good.

Will cried out in rage and pounded his knuckles into the wall, crushing the drywall. A couple of girls came around the archway and stared at us for a brief moment before giggling and moving on.

I grabbed his arm. “Calm down! I can’t believe you just punched a hole through Josie’s wall!” I looked around us, my heart pounding. “We should walk away…”