Juliet Immortal

killed Nancy, there has to be some reason. I know she wasn’t a soul mate, but …
    Another horrible thought drifted through my mind as I lay awake for the few hours left in the night by the time Melanie and I arrived home: What if Romeo found a way to work the spell to reclaim his body alone? What if Nancy was a blood sacrifice for some dark ritual? What if Romeo achieved his goalwithout me and is now free to roam the earth in his own body? What will I do if my chance has passed me by?
    I try not to jog my heels, almost grateful when Gemma arrives, giving me something else to focus on. She breezes into the waiting room in a black turtleneck and black jeans, the diamond chandelier earrings dangling from her ears the only break in her mourning gear. She sighs and claims a seat on the opposite side of the room.
    Melanie makes a
humph
ing sound but doesn’t dignify Gemma’s arrival with a greeting. I don’t either. I narrow my eyes, letting her see the fight in me. Last night, on the way back to town, Ben told his brother and Melanie that Gemma almost ran me over. Melanie was livid and insisted we press charges.
    Ben and I have a date to give our statements at the police station Saturday morning. I don’t think it will result in any real punishment for Gemma, but I want her to know she isn’t getting off the hook. Melanie called Gemma’s mother this morning and warned her to expect a call from the police about Gemma’s “dangerous and insane behavior.” Her mother threatened a lawsuit and hung up.
    Gemma, however, seems unperturbed. She ignores Melanie’s grunt and my glare and stares at the ceiling, her aura blazing crimson, sipping orange juice as if her conscience is blissfully clear. Her gaze doesn’t waver until Mike walks in, and then she offers him only the barest nod. He nods back, lifts a nervous hand in my direction, and claims a seat a careful distance from both of us.
    I give him a hard look, wondering if he had anything to do with Nancy’s death, but the suspicion vanishes before it can fully form. Suddenly the truth is as clear and bright as thefluorescent lights glaring down on the waiting room. Mike isn’t the Mercenary working with Romeo; he’s a man in love. True love.
    My eyes widen as I home in on his chest, on the rosy glow that certainly isn’t coming from his black polo shirt. Holy … 
crap
. There it is. Not quite as bright as it should be, but it’s definitely there, the telltale glimmer of a soul mate.
    Why didn’t I see it before? Why didn’t I guess?
    Because I haven’t seen him in the light. Mike has his break during my English class. I’ve only seen him after school, in the shadowed wings of the theater. The backstage lights aren’t on during rehearsal, and the stage lights aren’t bright enough to illuminate someone standing outside the action. Then yesterday, when we were outside, it was dark under the awnings covering the walkway. Still, I should have seen it. I
would have
if I’d been focused.
    Every word he’d said yesterday had been a dead giveaway.
    I don’t know what you’ve heard. Did you tell Ben? If you tell …
    I close my eyes, feeling like a fool. Mike’s hand on Gemma’s back, the way he stood up for her at rehearsal, their shared laughter as they put away the props, her talking about his “hotness” that night at my house—it makes sense now. Ben said Gemma had another “friend” she was unwilling to name, probably because a relationship with him is forbidden. Mike can’t be more than twenty-two and Gemma’s eighteen and legally an adult, but he’s still a student teacher at this school and she a student. He’ll be in a big hairy mess of trouble if they’re found out.
    Another Romeo and Juliet
, I think wryly as I open my eyes.
Damn it
. And now …
    Well, who knows if I’ll be able to bring these two together?Their love is practically illegal, fraught with complications, and Mike’s aura isn’t exactly on fire. But then, the consequences if they’re caught are a lot more serious for him. He’s probably aware of that and—
    My cell bleeps in my backpack, pulling me from my thoughts. I reach for my bag, but Melanie stops me with a hand on my arm. “I think they’re almost ready for us.” She points toward the office, where Mrs. Felix and Mr. Stark have risen from their chairs.
    “But the superintendent isn’t here,” I whisper. “Neither are Ben and his brother or—”
    “Wait!” A breathless Romeo appears at the