Stargazer

Stargazer is the second novel in the Evernight series. It takes place a few months after the events of the previous book and was first published in 2009.

Plot
WARNING: Contains spoilers

A few months after the events of Evernight, Bianca Olivier is preparing to begin a new school term at Evernight Academy. The night before school begins, Bianca breaks into Mrs Bethany's carriage house in an attempt to find evidence as to why the headmistress is allowing human students into the school after all these years, but comes up with nothing. Bianca is unhappy about the new school year, missing her vampire hunter boyfriend Lucas Ross and having to put up with the taunting of the 'Evernight types', though she is relieved to get her friend Raquel Vargas as a roommate. Her other friend, Vic Woodson, also has a new roommate, a very old vampire named Ranulf, whom he quickly befriends. Lucas manages to get a message to Bianca, saying that his Black Cross cell is in Amherst on a hunt, and asks her to come meet him. Bianca does, but ends up becoming involved in the hunt. Bianca takes pity on the vampire, a seemingly innocent and helpless young girl named Charity. She manages to get away from the hunters and Bianca returns to Evernight, only to be caught by Balthazar More. He intends to turn Bianca in to Mrs Bethany, until Bianca mentions the appearance of the vampire that escaped. Balthazar is shocked and reveals that the vampire is in fact his younger sister, Charity, who he has not seen for thirty five years after she ran away from the Academy. Balthazar agrees to keep Bianca's secret, but in exchange, she and Lucas will help him track down Charity and persuade her to return to Evernight. Lucas reluctantly agrees to the plan, believing Charity is part of a dangerous tribe of vampires hunting humans. So that no one becomes suspicious as to why Balthazar and Bianca are spending so much time together, they pretend to be in a relationship, which makes some awkward situations for the pair, especially as Balthazar really does have feelings for Bianca.

Meanwhile, strange and frightening things begin happening around Evernight, such as ice forming on the walls and floors, whispering voices, objects moving by themselves and sightings of ghosts. It becomes clear that Evernight is being haunted, with the wraiths becoming increasingly malevolent. Bianca begins to believe that the wraiths are targeting her specifically - they always appear to her immediately after she has consumed blood, and one ghost attempts to communicate with Bianca, writing the word 'OURS' in the frost on her window. Bianca also has dreams about a male wraith, who tells her they want "what was promised". Bianca comes to learn that many of the human students come from 'haunted' houses and comes to the conclusion that Mrs Bethany is deliberately drawing the wraiths to the school, but cannot figure out why. Bianca and Lucas also experience tension in their relationship, due to Lucas' prejudice towards vampires and Bianca's naïve belief that vampires are not as dangerous as Lucas makes out. For her seventeenth birthday, Lucas takes Bianca to an astronomy tower and allows her to drink his blood. Bianca mistakenly believes that Lucas wants her to drain him of blood, which would turn them both into vampires. Bianca likes the idea of this, because they would never have to apart again, but Lucas is disgusted by the idea, telling Bianca that even though he loves her, he could never become a vampire, not even for her, and he'd rather be dead.

Things reach a head when Bianca, Lucas and Balthazar track Charity to Boston, where they accidently run into the school bully Courtney, who is secretly visiting her human family. Courtney threatens to tell Mrs Bethany, but is suddenly attacked and killed by Charity - at this point in the story, it has become clear that Charity is a very sadistic and disturbed individual. Charity refuses to listen to Balthazar's pleas to return to Evernight, stating she hates Mrs Bethany and thinks that vampires should kill humans, because to do otherwise is to deny their natural instincts. She also reveals that Balthazar was the one who made her into a vampire (albeit unwillingly) and that she harbors resentment towards him because of it and wants him to suffer. After Charity escapes, Lucas says they should burn Courtney's body, because the ground is too hard to dig. Bianca, however, is distraught over the night's events and lashes out at Lucas, accusing him of being insensitive and treating vampires like monsters. After a heated argument, Lucas leaves and it appears he and Bianca have broken up. She and Balthazar return to Evernight despondent over the night's events. Bianca finds herself drawn to Balthazar out of loneliness and offers to let him drink her blood. She and Balthazar very nearly end up having sex, but are interrupted when the wraiths attack Bianca and attempt to kill her. Mrs Bethany manages to save Bianca by hurling an iron dagger through the wraith, explaining afterwards that materials found in human blood, including iron and copper, are harmful to them. After the incident, Bianca confronts her parents about the wraith attacks. Her parents admit what Bianca has suspected all along; she is the one the wraiths are after.

Celia and Adrian explain that they lied to Bianca about the manner of her birth - vampires cannot produce life, unless they have the help of a wraith, with the vampires providing the body and the wraiths the spirit. Celia and Adrian were desperate for a child and sought out the wraiths for help. They performed a ritual that allowed the two vampires to conceive Bianca. Unfortunately, Celia and Adrian later learned that the wraiths intended for Bianca to become one of them when came of age, and that because her parents refused to uphold the bargain, the wraiths are now trying to kill her, because murder creates ghosts. This is why Bianca's parents were so adamant about her becoming a vampire, so that the wraiths would unable to harm her and they would never lose her. Bianca is horrified by this revelation, feeling betrayed by her parents. She rejects them and refuses to speak with, becoming withdrawn and isolated. Bianca sees now that her parents have deceived her about the true nature of many vampires, and thinks Lucas was right all along. She also decides that she never wants to become a vampire, and will remain human, despite her father's insistence that this isn't an option for her. Mrs Bethany lets Bianca stay in her guest room, because the roof is made of copper and thus will keep her protected from the wraiths. On the night of a blue moon, Bianca heads out to admire it, and encounters Lucas, who has sneaked onto the grounds to see her, knowing she would be out for the phenomenon. Lucas apologizes to Bianca for the things he said. Bianca apologizes too and reveals what she has learned. The couple reconcile and make plans to run away together, Lucas being sure that Black Cross will have the knowledge to protect her from the wraiths.

However, a few days before Bianca's escape date, Charity turns up unexpectedly and claims sanctuary at Evernight. Even though Mrs Bethany despises Charity, she firmly believes in upholding the rules of Evernight and allows Charity to stay. Unfortunately, Charity contacts Black Cross and tells them that the vampires are planning to massacre the human students, prompting Lucas' Black Cross cell to attack Evernight and set fire to it. Bianca and Raquel manage to make it out with Lucas' help; Lucas also stakes Charity when she tries to stop Bianca from leaving. Lucas' mother Kate offers to let Bianca and Raquel join Black Cross. Raquel is horrified to learn that Evernight has been inhabited by vampires all along and is only too happy to accept. Bianca has no other option and agrees to join, even though she knows that if the hunters discover she is half-vampire, they will probably kill her. She is also worried about her parents and friends back at Evernight, as well as the wraiths and Charity's tribe coming after her, but is comforted knowing that Lucas will be there to support her.