Hourglass by Claudia Gray

Author:Claudia Gray
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Tags: Fantasy, Young Adult, Vampires
ISBN: 9780061284489
Publisher: HarperTeen
Published: 2010-03-09T06:00:00+00:00

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BALTHAZAR’S FRIENDS DIRECTED US TO A CHINATOWN bus, a cheap mode of transportation that usually

shuffled new immigrants from Asia between different Chinese-restaurant jobs up and down the East Coast.

However, it was a mixed lot on the next bus to Philadelphia—a few older people and a lot of college students

typing on laptops they balanced on their knees.

The bus was late, and it ran slow. Heavy rains up north, the driver said. Flooding on the highways. We didn’t care. Our money was rolled up in the front pocket of my jeans; though it dug into my flesh, I found the

pressure of it reassuring.

I rested my head upon Lucas’s shoulder as we leaned back in the seats. Maybe the bus was really comfortable, or maybe we were so tired that anything would’ve felt good. Both of us drifted in and out of sleep.

Sometimes I felt as though dreams and wakefulness were bleeding together like watercolors, soft-edged and

pale. All that was real was the reassuring scent of Lucas’s skin and the knowledge that, for now at least, we were safe.

At one point, while the bus rumbled down the road, Lucas reached up to stroke my hair. I realized that he thought I was asleep—really, I nearly was—and somehow that made it even sweeter.

Mostly, though, we finally got some rest.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” I pulled Lucas into the great hall of Evernight, which was decorated for the Autumn Ball. Candlelight softened the room into shadows, and the dancers moved easily through the steps of the waltz

the orchestra was playing.

Lucas shook his head and tugged at the tie of his evening suit. “This is so not my scene. But seeing you like this—it’s worth it.”

I wore a strapless white dress that flowed from the empire waist to the floor, and I could see enough of my fading reflection in a nearby mirror that I knew I wore white flowers in my hair. Never had I felt so beautiful.

But that wasn’t because I’d dressed up. It was because I was finally here with Lucas.

“Do you know how to waltz?” I whispered to him.

“Not a clue. But if you want to dance, let’s get out there and fake it.” Laughing, I let Lucas take me in his arms, and we spun upon the dance floor. No, he couldn’t waltz, but it didn’t matter that we didn’t fit with the other dancers. I watched them all around us—Patrice with her hand in

Balthazar’s, Courtney snickering at Ranulf’s clumsy footwork, Dana neatly leading Raquel through a turn—

and

wondered why none of them danced the way they wanted to.

Then another figure appeared amid the dancers, a translucent figure that shimmered in aquamarine.

The wraith came close to us and said, “May I cut in?”

“Of course,” I said, wondering how she knew Lucas and why she wanted to dance with him. But it was my hand she took, and I gave him a regretful glance as the wraith and I got lost in the crowd of dancers. I could see him watching me, but then the crowd swallowed him up.

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