Page 282 of The Blairville Legacies

“Let's go there!” Grace shouted louder, but her voice was drowned out.

I pushed past a few dancing girls and tried not to push them over because I was getting a little dizzy. But I made it to the seating area in one piece.

“It's so hard to get a decent seat here, believe me!” Grace seemed to like it here, because she bobbed along to the beat of the music. “I think I'll go dancing in a minute, is anyone coming?”

“I'll be right behind you,” Larissa replied. “I'd just like to have a drink first. Are you coming, Julie?”

“Julie doesn't drink,” Grace laughed, but Larissa had already pulled Julie up again. “Then Julie will have a drink today.”

“I'll come with you,” Grace replied.

Larissa looked at me.

“Grace, I feel like dancing too,” I said quickly and got up to pull Grace to her feet, even though my desire to dance had finally disappeared a minute ago.

Grace looked up, a little confused, but Larissa and Julie had already disappeared into the crowd of dancing people.Perfect. Step one was done. I hadn't actually thought we'd be able to separate them so easily, but it had worked.

As if the DJ had a heart for me, he playedThere she goesbyTaio Cruzand a few more people came onto the dance floor too.

Grace threw her arms up and immediately started dancing. And shecoulddance. I tried to keep up and move, but my body was weakened, and so I kept stumbling into people who luckily didn't pay much attention to me. In my mind's eye, everything slowly began to spin.

“Don't take offense, but I need to get you back to our place. Youreallydon't look well,” Grace said, pulling me back to the seating area where a group of half-drunk guys had almost sat down.

“Grace...” I gasped, a little out of breath. “What did your mum do to me there?”

“You mean the rite of passage?”

I nodded and had to cough. My lungs felt like someone was putting pressure on them. And this pulling in my chest...

“She used a full moon ritual, which is conjured by the strength of the Circle's blood, ebony splinters and incense.”

I looked at her to let her know that I didn't understand.

The DJ switched toScream & Shout, which my headache seemed to take personally.

“Why do you ask?”

“Ever since that stupid ritual, I've been feeling likeshit.”

She eyed me. “But that can't be right. This ritual is one of the safest and most commonly performed rituals. Amara is the Domini.”

“Maybe something has gone wrong. Otherwise, you wouldn't want to do this to me a second time.”

Grace laughed for a moment before her expression became serious again.

“You're the first one it's gone wrong with.” She put a hand on my shoulders. “And I hope everything turns out well, of course. However, your strange condition can't be caused by the ritual.But if it makes you feel better, I can ask Amara.” She pulled out her cell phone and held it up. “I'll be right back, okay?”

Then Grace disappeared outside.

My eyes darted around.

Don’t stop The MusicbyRihannastarted playing, which fortunately wasn’t that bad. But it didn't get any better. My hands started to shake, and I looked down, only to realize with a shock that my veins were standing out again.

I shuddered and reached in a daze into the small black leather bag I'd borrowed from Mum. I frantically opened it and rummaged around for my pills, but they weren't there.

“Shit,”I cursed. A slight panic rose inside me, because if I had a seizure now, I was on my own.

I hadn't been able to speak to Julie again in private, either. She had made me curious yesterday, and I wanted to know if she knew anything about my attacks.

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