I glanced at Grace. “Okay, but we aren’t going any farther than Flynn’s pub.”
“But that’s just down the street.”
“Exactly. If anything happens, we can get home fast. And practically all the employees at Flynn’s are vampires, so we’ll have backup.”
“Fine. I’ll go ask Becks if she’s in,” Grace relented. “You put this on.” She threw the pink dress at me.
I stared down at the thin scrap of material that would barely cover my backside, muttering to myself, “Definitely not.” I returned it to my wardrobe and instead grabbed my favourite pair of black faux leather pants and a purple off-the-shoulder T-shirt, throwing them on the bed before going to see how Grace was handling Rebecca.
“There is absolutely no way,” I heard my sister say as I approached her bedroom.
“Please, Becks, I’ll owe you one. I’ll even scare all your students into behaving in your classes. Just think about it, no more teasing the new teacher. They’ll be quiet as mice. It’ll be like you’ve been there for years.”
I stood in the doorway. Rebecca had clearly been sitting in bed reading a book. A book that was now tossed onto the floor while Grace lay across Rebecca’s lap, her big brown eyes pleading as she stared up at my sister. Obviously, Grace had no problem begging in such a flirtatious manner.
I studied Rebecca, but I couldn’t detect any signs that having Grace in her lap made her embarrassed or uncomfortable. Nor did I sense any attraction on her end, though she was one of the most reserved people I knew. Rebecca kept her feelings stored away, locked up tight in a vault rarely to be opened. The only person she ever really opened up to was our mother, and even then, it wasn’t very often.
Rebecca eyed her. Grace’s last offer must’ve piqued her interest. “How exactly would you convince every single one of them to behave? That’s a lot of students.”
“You leave that to me. I have my ways.”
“I don’t want you threatening people.”
“No threats will be made. You have my word. Strongly worded suggestions are my forte.”
“Strongly worded suggestion is just a fancy way of saying threat,” Rebecca countered.
“Hey, if you don’t want to take me up on my offer, that’s fine,” Grace said as she rose from Rebecca’s lap. Rebecca grabbed her by the wrist, and Grace looked completely enthralled by the action.
“I didn’t say that.”
“Well, do we have a deal, then?”
Rebecca blew out a breath, looking conflicted. “Maybe.”
I folded my arms, my protective instincts kicking in. “Just how much of a hard time have your students been giving you?”
Her attention came to me as she dropped Grace’s wrist. “It’s not that bad. I just haven’t gained their respect yet.”
“I have an idea!” Grace interjected. “How about the next time I’m in your class, I act out, and you can give me some severe punishment in front of everyone. That’ll scare them enough not to mess with you anymore.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” I said, knowing that the teachers who earned the most respect at St. Bastian’s were the ones who doled out the worst punishments.
Rebecca looked back at Grace. “Are you sure about this? Because you’ll actually have to endure the punishment to make it believable.”
“I’m sure. So long as you come out with us tonight,” Grace replied sweetly.
My sister glanced out her bedroom window. “Where exactly did you want to go?”
“To Flynn’s. It’s just down the street.”
Rebecca blew out a breath. “Okay. We can go for one hour and then home.”
“Yes! I knew you wouldn’t let us down,” Grace said, jumping up and laying a kiss on Rebecca’s cheek before running off to my room to get ready.
Rebecca’s hand went to her cheek for a short moment before she looked at me, shaking her head. “How does she always manage to get her way?”
“It’s a talent,” I said, stepping closer and lowering my voice. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. Even if you don’t take us out, I’m sure Grace will still help you with your students. I’d do it myself; only everyone knows we’re sisters. It wouldn’t have the same impact.”
“It’s fine. I’ve been cooped up indoors all day. It’ll be good to get out.” She climbed from the bed and went to her dresser, pulling several clips from a container to pin up her hair. “How are you feeling? About the demon mark and everything?”
Being reminded of my current circumstances gave me a pang of unease. “Well, it’s definitely not fun, but I’ll survive.”
Rebecca eyed me through her mirror, a fond smile shaping her lips. “I know you will. You’ve always been so resilient. Even when you were a kid, you’d fall off a tree and hurt yourself, and you’d be back climbing the same tree two minutes later.” I chuckled at that because it sounded about right. “And I won’t allow anything to happen to you,” Rebecca continued. “I’m stronger than our parents give me credit for.”