Jordyn's face softened. He patted her hand. "You are cute. Telling me such stories to make me feel better."

If Kaila had a tail, it would have drooped. She recalled the Christmas Eve she discovered Paw Paw changing into a Santa suit in the dining room.

"Oh little Goosy," Paw Paw said, scrambling to hide the hat, wig, and beard. All Kaila could do was stare, open mouthed. Later, they left milk and cookies by the fireplace anyway.

Now, Jordyn had changed the channel. He held still, c.o.c.king his head as he listened. The Country Channel aired an old black-and-white film of Patsy Cline. She crooned into the microphone, "Sweet Dreams of You."

"I like this," Jordyn said. "We don't have music."

He rested his neck on the couch and closed his eyes. Kaila marveled at Jordyn liking the corny music. When the song ended, he opened his eyes. "Again!" he commanded the television. Patsy Cline started "Sweet Dreams of You" from the beginning.

"How did you do that?" Kaila asked.

"You can do everything we do. You'll see." He stood, held out his hands.

"What?"

"Come here."

Jordyn put his arms around her, nuzzled his cheek against hers. "I have always wanted to try this," he said, peering around, as if embarra.s.sed.

He swayed side to side; Kaila realized he was talking about dancing. She closed her eyes, sighed, dizzy with his touch. He had such strange energy, like a battery charged beyond capacity.

His arms tightened as they swayed back and forth. When he touched her, she felt electrified, receiving his charge. His hard chest flattened her soft b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She wanted to press herself closer, wanted to merge as one. He rubbed her lower back while rubbing his cheek against hers. She felt the stubble on his jaw. He moved his lips to her neck and softly kissed.

"Now I know," he started to say. He jerked back.

Kaila jumped with fright when she saw that the rest of the hive had invaded the living room. Echidna, Toby, Antonia, Lucius, and Viktor stood in one line in their silver bodysuits, arms crossed.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Lucius asked, peering through black sungla.s.ses at Jordyn.

"Shame," Viktor added. His red hair was tousled and wavy; his lips pouted above his red beard.

"I liked it," Toby said, his wide face grinning. "Were you going to kiss her?"

"Shut up," Echidna said to Toby, placing her hand on her slender hips. "You are turning into a fool."

Toby looked hurt. "I'm not!"

"We need to chill," Antonia said, putting slender fingers to her dark tufts of hair sleeked back by a silver headband. "Comprehend, Jordyn, the reason we're here is we need to stick together as one. You can't be leaving the hive like this."

"Who says so?" Jordyn challenged.

Viktor lurched in front of Jordyn. "You know who." He smoldered at Jordyn and cupped his hand on Jordyn's crotch. He squeezed. "You're turning into an animal. Letting this rule you."

Jordyn returned the favor and put his hand on Viktor's crotch. He squeezed harder, lowering his head like a tiger prepared to strike. "And let me remind you, that you, too, are half animal."

Viktor thrust his face close to Jordyn's. His black pupils split his blue irises in half. "You want to play animal?" he asked in a low tone. "Let's play."

Echidna pushed between them. "I agree. Let's play." She tossed her beautiful moon face at Kaila, her perfectly cut black hair swaying. "Do you want to have a party?"

"I-I don't know."

"We've never been out like this," Toby said. "Let's stay here, please."

"Just be calm," Kaila said, a pit in her stomach. "Relax. Um. Everyone sit down." She felt incredibly nervous with the mounting tension while her family slept upstairs.

"Your family will stay asleep," Jordyn rea.s.sured.

Echidna nodded at the television, telepathically changing the channels. "Look!" she exclaimed.

The cast from Jersey Sh.o.r.e danced in a club with music playing, the lights changing color. The hive observed the people in the club, moving their bodies.

"Could we do that?" Toby asked. "It seems like fun."

Viktor studied the television, then contemplated Kaila with his reptilian eyes. He ran his hand through his red hair. "Do you have any alcohol?"

Before she could reply, he thrust two fingers below her wig, lifted the plastic.

"Stop!"

Too late. He'd peeked into her mind. He strode to the living room.

Kaila trailed after him. "We really shouldn't."

Viktor located the liquor cabinet, opened the door. "Oh," he said, spying the bottles of Scotch, rum, gin, and tequila. "But we should."

He loaded his arms with liquor bottles and brought them to the kitchen table. "Party time!"

"Oh, you dear!" Echidna purred.

Toby's bald head was stuck inside the refrigerator. "What's this?" he asked, pulling out a platter.

"Um, fried catfish, potato salad," Kaila murmured.

"Don't worry," Jordyn said. "We can keep the mind-screen on your family. They'll never hear or know a thing. We already put the Bourg down. She doesn't know where we are."

"That's right," Antonia snapped. "You need to stay with the hive. And you should use the word *we' not *I.' That's what this is all about."

"Well, let's just have . . . fun . . . tonight, okay?" Jordyn said. "Our secret."

Antonia considered. "Fun," she proclaimed, as if trying on the word for size.

"This is delicious!" Toby cried, his mouth full of fried catfish and tartar sauce.

Echidna, busy clinking ice into gla.s.ses, said, "Not even a human animal, Toby. You're turning into a full-fledged pig."

"Say what you want," Toby said. "But this tastes much better than what we eat."

"What do you eat?" Kaila asked.

"Plump crying babies," Viktor called, uns.c.r.e.w.i.n.g the cap on a Scotch bottle. He actually smiled at Kaila then, revealing sharp incisors.

"Hush, Viktor," Antonia said. Then to Kaila, "Do you think we could summon your friends Pia and Melissa?" She stuck her hands into the pockets of her silver bodysuit. "To interact at a party, I mean. This could be . . . educational."

"Yes!" Toby cried. "Can Melissa come? Please. I like her. We can get her here in a second."

Everything was spiraling out of control. Viktor and Echidna were pouring drinks. Toby piled food on the table, eating it cold. Lucius leaned back on the couch, transfixed by the television.

"What do you mean summon?" Kaila asked.

"Watch," Toby said. He looked at Antonia, saying, "You-Pia. Me-Melissa. Go!" Then Toby and Antonia were no longer standing in the kitchen.

"Wait," Kaila said to the air where they had stood.

"Have a drink," Viktor said, pushing a Scotch at her.

Kaila never drank. Her grandmother did not tolerate foul language or believe in underage girls drinking.

The gla.s.s was in her hand.

"Cheers," Viktor said, lifting his gla.s.s. He leaned closer, his lips and orange beard nearly touching her face.

"And," he added, "now that you are awakening, I hope you will soon turn your allegiance." His warm breath smelled metallic, like blood. "Then I may not be such a b.a.s.t.a.r.d. To you, at least. I'll always be a b.a.s.t.a.r.d to every full-blooded human."

He clinked his gla.s.s to Kaila's, and then deeply swallowed the Scotch.

"Why do you hate humans so much?" Kaila asked.

"We don't hate," Viktor said. "Hatred is reserved for humans." He narrowed his eyes and said, "Cheers."

She sensed he toyed with her and would not be forthcoming with answers.

Kaila sipped the Scotch then puckered her lips, shaking her head.

"Wow," Jordyn said, taking a sip. "This is strong. Like liquid fire. Tastes like poison. I don't understand how people like this-"

"Try another sip," Echidna said, putting her beautiful face close to Jordyn as Kaila twinged with jealousy. "Let's try it. On the TV at parties, humans drink the poison fire."

"Kaila!"

Kaila turned and saw Melissa and Pia. Toby and Antonia stood behind them. She realized that Melissa and Pia were not fully conscious. Their shoulders were slumped, their chins down, eyes vacant. Melissa wore a night shirt. Pia wore sweats. Both looked as if they'd been dragged from their beds.

"Kaila," Pia said. "What are we doing here?"

"I don't like this," Kaila said. "Wake them up."

"It is not allowed," Jordyn said.

"Well, can't you make them happy?" Kaila said. "Can't they be here and have fun?" she implored the hive. They stared blankly.

"Don't you understand that humans aren't resting when they're mind-stared? It's like being buried alive. It isn't right."

"We don't care about them resting," Echidna said quietly.

"Well, what do you care about?" Kaila asked.

"Caring is emotion. So, then . . . nothing." Echidna shrugged.

"Kaila," Jordyn intervened. "We will tell you everything once we know which side you're on."

Echidna added, "Do foreign countries tell the other countries all their secrets when they meet?"

"These aren't foreign countries!" Kaila exploded. "These are my friends." The hive said nothing, their expressions lifeless.

"Forget it!" Kaila threw up her hands. She leaned close to Melissa and Pia. "Hey, it's Kaila," she said. "Part of our triad. You trust me, right?"

Through their trance, Pia and Melissa nodded. "Well, look at me." Kaila felt her eyelids lifting. She knew her eyes were turning from blue to solid black.

"You're at my house now and everything is okay. You're going to feel happy, have a good time. You will think nothing is weird and know you are totally safe."

"Whoa!" Toby said, looking at Kaila. "She's doing a mind-screen. Go girl!"

Instantly, Pia and Melissa lifted their heads, looking more alert.

Melissa turned toward Toby. "What's that? Catfish?"

"Have a seat," Toby said, patting the chair next to him.

"This is cold," Melissa said, poking the catfish with her finger.

"That is bad?" Toby asked.

"I'm glad you came," Antonia said to Pia.

"Me too," Pia said, sliding her chair next to Antonia. "Out of all of you, you seem to have the most sense."

"Strange," Antonia said. "I feel the same about you. You are forthright and speak your mind. You don't play silly games saying one thing and meaning another."

"I'm proud of you," Jordyn said to Kaila. "Your first mind-screen." He whispered, "We'll make it so they don't remember in the morning. But we all can have fun tonight-Earth style-like on the television screen. We are having . . . a party . . . drinking poison fire." He lifted his gla.s.s to Kaila and they clinked and sipped. "We never had a party before."

Lucius called from the adjoining living room. "Look what they show on this TV thing."

"Leave that on," Toby called from the kitchen table.

On the TV screen, Paula Deen was frosting a chocolate cake in her kitchen.

"Useless," Lucius said. He nodded, changing the channel with his mind. He paused, considering. "What are they doing?"