I grabbed his hand, smiling. "Dance with me!"

Wil laughed and shook his head. "No, I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"Because you're drunk," he said careful y.

I glared at him. "Am not. I just feel good." Which was true. I might have been tipsy, but I wouldn't have cal ed myself drunk. My body didn't feel warm anymore, but I was stil a little giddy and I wanted to have a little more fun before I stopped feeling it altogether. "Come on, it's just for fun. Please dance with me?"

"Go ask Landon," he said, nodding behind me.

As I turned around, Landon walked up to me, right on cue. He looked dejected. "El ie, can I talk to you?"

Buzz kil . "Yeah." This couldn't be good.

"Can we go outside?"

"Yeah." I caught Wil 's eye as I fol owed Landon. Out on the patio there were only two other people, who when they saw the unhappy expressions on our faces went back inside the house. We walked across the long lawn toward the trees and the stone bench surrounded by my mom's lilies. When I realized that he'd brought me al the way out here for privacy, my jaw set tightly and my breathing became shal ow and nervous. I sat heavily and lost my balance. He caught my shoulder.

He peered into my face and laughed. "No way! El ie, are you drunk?"

"Not anymore," I grumbled.

"What? If you want more, I've got a few beers left."

"No, whatever. So, what's up?" I knew what this was about and I dreaded every word that was to come out of his mouth. His expression washed blank. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

Obviously. Get on with it. "Okay."

"Something has been bugging me lately," he said. "We've been friends for a pretty long time, and you know I care about you."

"Of course," I said honestly. "I care about you, too. You're one of my best friends."

"Yeah, but I feel a little bit differently than that." He leaned a little bit closer. "I real y like you, El . You're funny and smart

--"

"Oh, I'm not that funny and especial y not that smart. . . ."

"--and beautiful, and I want to be more than friends with you." He brushed my hair behind my shoulder. The gesture was meant to be affectionate, but Landon was practical y my brother and the touch just felt invasive.

I sat there, looking down at my knees and pul ing at the hem of my dress. I had been expecting this, yet I had never planned my reply. "Oh, Landon, I--"

"Please say you feel the same way," he breathed, getting even closer. "Wil you be my girlfriend?"

I struggled to keep a grimace off my face. "Landon, I--"

His hand cupped my cheek and pul ed my face toward his; then he tried to kiss me. The idea of kissing Landon was awkward, and frankly kind of gross. I twisted away and felt horrible instantly. When I stood up, he sprang to his feet with me, holding my arm.

"Landon, I just don't feel that way about you--"

He turned angry very suddenly, startling me. "Why? Is it because of that Wil guy? You've know him for what, two days, and you're already going out with him?"

I blinked at him and pul ed away. "No, that's not it, I--"

"El ie, it's me! You've known me since--"

I withdrew my arm from his grasp gently, cutting his words short. "Yes, that's it. It is you. You're my friend, Landon, one my best friends. You're like a brother to me. I love you like a brother. I--"

Something ominous tugged at my core, stopping me midsentence. I knew that feeling.

"Look out!" I shrieked, grabbing Landon's shoulders and throwing him to the ground. I slipped into the Grim just as the biggest reaper I'd ever seen charged out from the darkness. Landon cracked his head on the edge of the bench and lay stil on the grass. I spun around and darted toward my house. I screamed Wil 's name as the footfal s pounded the ground behind me. I turned back to defend myself.

The reaper roared and head-butted me square in the chest, knocking me right out of the Grim and rocketing through the air, clear over my pool, and sending me smashing through the picture windows that covered the back of my house. I landed on a sea of broken glass in my living room, surrounded by screams. For the longest two seconds of my life I couldn't breathe or move. My back hurt like hel , and I groaned painful y as I picked myself up, brushing the glass off me. My gashes healed almost instantly and left a few bloody streaks behind on my face and arms.

And my party was ruined. I was so pissed.

"Ellie!" Kate screamed, and rushed toward me. "Are you okay?"

I glanced back at her as she stood with Josie and a couple others gaping at me in shock. I said nothing and jumped back out through the broken window as Kate shrieked my name again.

Back within the Grim and out of my friends' sight, I could see the reaper standing at the back of my lawn, waiting for me only a few feet away from where Landon lay unconscious. He was the size of a Chevrolet Tahoe, with coal-black eyes set in a face short and bulky like a bear's. His wide snout was packed with jagged, serrated teeth, and his nostrils flared as he took in my scent. He dug his claws into the grass, his shoulders rol ing luxuriously, like a giant Hel cat kneading a blanket of earth.

"You get away from him," I growled as I cal ed my swords into my hands. The blades exploded in flames of angelfire, and I braced myself.

Wil entered the Grim behind me, his heavy blade already drawn. The reaper flashed his giant canines and hissed like a crocodile in response.