

TAUNT

Ava Delaney #2

By Claire Farrell

Edited by Lynn O'Dell

All Ava wants to do is forget about the vampires, but they won't leave her alone. Between her failing business, angry landlord, disloyal friends, and vampire stalkers, life is starting to feel pretty stressful. When Ava finally deals with her biggest problem, she is caught up in the chain of events it triggers and taken along a path she can't escape from.

Ava has to figure out what exactly is her biggest threat: the humans, the vampires, the Council—or her true heritage.

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © Claire Farrell 2011

Claire_farrell@live.ie

Book cover image provided by Konradbak @ Dreamstime.com

Licence Notes

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

# Chapter One

I knew my grandmother was speaking to me, but all I could focus on was my old bedroom, the carpet still stained with the blood and tears of a child. Bad memories had rushed to the surface as soon as I stepped into the room; so overwhelming, my breath caught in my throat.

"Ava?"

I snapped back to the present. "Sorry, what?"

My grandmother frowned, familiar impatience fleeting across her face. "I was saying we could get a new bed, but the old one would do for now. You could move in straight away. What do you think?"

She stared at me with expectant eyes, apparently waiting for me to jump at the chance to move back in with her. Every cell in my body screamed, "No way, not ever." We had come a long way in a short space of time, mostly out of necessity, but that didn't mean I wanted to live with her again.

"I don't know. I'm not sure that's the best idea right now." Holding my breath, I waited for her protests.

"Of course it's a good idea! No point in renting all by yourself when I've an empty room here. You don't even have a real job, Ava." She shook her head, feigning disappointment, as if that was our biggest worry.

"Besides," her voice softened a little as she took a step toward me. "You were almost tortured to death, Ava. You _need_ to be taken care of." She smiled, and I could see she wasn't worried, certain I'd cave. She carefully avoided the fact that I did have a job, just not a paying one. Being in the employ of the most powerful vampire in Ireland against my will didn't have that kind of perk.

"Look, Nancy," I began, trying to remind her of the serious distance between us.

"Stop calling me Nancy!"

"Being back in touch has been nice and all, but I'm not ready to live here again. Not after... everything. It's way too soon for me. I mean, we were meeting up for tea, then suddenly you're moving on to me living here again?"

Her eyes narrowed, sending me back to my childhood for the briefest instant. She'd never been a patient woman; a lot of her actions had been questionable, to say the least. My grandmother did her best at the time, but even now, it took a lot to look the woman in the eye. After seven years of freedom, I wasn't ready for her methods of curing me.

"Oh, here we go." Her mouth tightened into a thin line that made her look as cruel as I remembered. "Pity me. Poor Ava wasn't loved. How about you think of someone else for a change, and stop bringing up the past? I had to live with a monster! What was I supposed to do?"

She might as well have slapped my face. Her apologies meant nothing, after all. Feeling my chin tremble, I shook my head. "I'm not bringing up the past, being in this room is. The fact that you think of me as a _monster_ is a pretty good reason for me not to stay."

"Wait a second, let's just talk about it." The anger in her eyes turned to worry. "I thought we were over all of this. I protected you; I kept quiet when those vampires took me. I thought that would change things, prove to you that everything's different now. I'm your only family, so why can't you let us have a fresh start? I took care of you when you needed me, why can't you give me this?"

"I'm sorry I made you think we could skip past it like nothing happened. But look at you, even now, after _everything_ , you still think I'm bad. You still think I'm wrong. I don't understand you. Why would you even want me to live with you?"

"Can't you see what it was like for me?" She clung to my arm. "How scared I was?"

"How scared _you_ were?" All of the emotions I'd pushed down flooded upward as I shrugged her off. I half-turned and lifted my shirt as a reminder. "Try and remember how scared _I_ was, for a change." She turned her head, unwilling to look at the scars she'd allowed a faux-religious conman to inflict before I reached my tenth birthday.

"There's obviously nothing to talk about then. You've made it pretty clear nothing's changed." Ignoring the lump in my throat, I left the room. I'd given her another chance because deep down I was desperate for family, desperate to belong. I should have known it wouldn't work out, it never did.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"

"It's fine," I said without looking back. "I get it, I do." I didn't enjoy being reminded of the past either. Our secrets weighed heavily on both of us. My mother giving birth to a child that was more vampire than human hadn't been easy for anyone, but I was almost certain it didn't automatically make me a monster. _Almost_.

As I left her house, I realised I had expected too much from my grandmother. After a seven-year separation, the couple of weeks we'd spent together had me thinking she'd mellowed with age, that she could be there for me and provide unconditional love. Some things would never be true, no matter how much I wished for them. She still relished the martyr role; I would always be her burden.

Determined to get the woman out of my head, I trudged through an unexpected rainstorm and arrived home dripping wet and shivering. My slutty next-door neighbour stared from her doorway as I opened the door to my flat. I ignored her and her freakishly strong perfume, and raised the volume on my television when I heard her male companion arrive. She went through men like I went through cartons of milk, and she wasn't quiet about it.

I couldn't afford to heat the flat, so I curled up under my duvet and eventually dozed off. Nightmares plagued my sleep. Over and over again, I saw Maximus rise up and strike against me. I woke up shaking, my cheeks wet with tears. He was dead. I killed him, but I couldn't let the whole thing go. The idea that he would somehow come back for me remained a constant torment.

Agitated, I counted and multiplied until my heart stopped racing. Once the blood Eddie Brogan fed me while I had been injured wore off, my anxiety returned. Although I'd feared feeding an addiction to blood, my thirst hadn't overwhelmed me in a while. My nervous habits had been the problem instead.

The sky darkened, and I sensed the vampires awakening. I went to my window and sighed; already they were hanging around outside my home. I had first noticed them three days before standing in front of my building in pairs. Every night, they came and stood where I could see them, watching, waiting, keeping me on edge.

I reached out with my extra sense and observed the world on another level. A world full of red pulsing, dotted with something... _other_. Even in my own apartment building, I saw a shimmering presence I couldn't explain.

Right outside my building were some conspicuously empty pockets. They had no spark of life, no flash of energy, no light of soul; they were nothing. That's how I knew they were vampires.

Frowning, I leaned on my windowsill and watched. The pair stood outside, silent and idle for hours, conspicuous enough to convince me I was supposed to see them. But why? If they belonged to Daimhín, this could be her way of reminding me I worked for her. I still hadn't come up with a way of getting out of that one. I shivered, unable to dispel a sudden chill. Next time I saw her, I had to ask, just in case they didn't belong to her.

I made a cup of coffee and, returning to the window, I noticed the vampires had been replaced with a different pair. I sipped my drink and stared freely at them, knowing they couldn't see me—and knowing that if they couldn't see me, they meant me harm. The magical safeguards around my building guaranteed that kind of protection from the uninvited who harboured ill intent.

I thought one looked familiar, but I couldn't be sure. Like all vampires, they had mottled, wrinkled skin that looked as though the blood had been completely drained. To me, most of them looked alike.

The vampires shifted uncomfortably, as if they could sense me watching. I knew I was safe from them for now; there were even more magical forms of protection on my building than before. Eddie had reassured my grandmother that he had tightened my defences, but a niggling doubt made me wonder what else he did. As far as I was concerned, he sold me out to the vampires in the end, so I could never trust him. I still didn't know what kind of supernatural being he was, or even what he was capable of. In some ways, I feared him more than Daimhín.

Shortly before dawn, the vampires sprinted away. I blinked, and they were gone. I couldn't begin to figure out what was going on, and I was too exhausted to try. Sleep claimed me as soon as I lay down.

Yet again, my dreams brought to the surface everything I had felt while being tortured. Lack of control was the one thing that overwhelmed me the most over the last seven years. Being left helpless by a vampire's torture methods went a step beyond my coping limits.

Alone and afraid, I trembled in the dark. Clutching the cross that had once magically numbed my thirst, I whispered pointless prayers to whatever entity was out there messing with me.

A gentle breeze caressed my cheek, each puff a cold, soothing hand against my skin. The presence had followed me around for a while and comforted me every night. I trusted it only because I had to trust _something_ or I'd go completely insane. What I really needed was for life to go back to normal, back to me avoiding humans and vampires as much as possible. Back to me staying out of trouble.

That was too much to ask for.

When a call on my mobile showed the name Daimhín, I was tempted to ignore it. I didn't dare, even though it was daylight, so it couldn't possibly be the vampire equivalent of a queen.

"Miss Delaney?" said an unfamiliar female voice.

"Yep."

"This is... the day assistant of Daimhín. I've been asked to inform you that your presence is required on Friday evening. I'll text you the location."

"Day assistant. Right. And if I'm busy?"

Her hesitation vanished, and her voice turned ice-cold. "Then someone will come and get you. It wouldn't be pleasant, so I advise you to turn up, Miss Delaney. Of your own accord."

"Fine. I'll be there. Hey, wait. Know anything about the vampires hanging around outside my place?"

She paused; I held my breath, half-hoping she would say yes. At least then I would know.

"I haven't heard anything about it." She hung up and sent me the text straight away. The assistant bothered me as much as Daimhín. I couldn't tell if she was lying about the vampires. I was pretty sure the woman was in a relationship of some kind with Peter, and he was the one who had told Daimhín I had agreed to work for her. More betrayal I didn't want to think about.

One of the non-life-threatening downsides to working for Daimhín was that it meant less time spent on my own business. Rule one of earning a reasonable income by buying and selling esoteric relics online involved maintaining a solid, reliable presence. The supernatural world had been a major factor in the deterioration of my business relationships. Feeling weary, I turned on my old laptop with a plan to make up time for whatever errands Daimhín had planned for Friday.

A loud knock at the door soon interrupted a grovelling email. I regretted opening the door the instant I saw the look on my landlord's face.

"Hello, Mr. McGreavy. How are you?" I gave him my cheeriest smile despite my expectance of a bad attitude in return.

He glared and lifted his shoulders, trying to tower over me. When I first came to view my home, he'd interviewed me in his flat where I'd seen plenty of old photos of him. He had once been a handsome man but had apparently eaten his weight in fast food until grease began to seep out of his pores.

"Where's the rent, Delaney?" His squinty eyes almost disappeared under the enormous frowning brow.

"I told you already, you'll get it in a few weeks. I'm still waiting to get paid." Total lie. My business had pretty much gone to hell while I'd dealt with accidentally enthralling a human and trying to avoid being picked up by two warring vampire clans. Recovering from Maximus's torture, I'd not only lost days, but also money, sales, and a couple of regulars to boot. Catching up proved a struggle. I had no chance of making the rent anytime soon.

"I'm still waiting, too. You have until tomorrow." McGreavy sounded really happy about that, the greasy sod. My slutty next-door neighbour could always charm her way into an extra couple of week's leeway. Wait. Maybe I could too.

I'd been thinking about what I did to Carl, spent some time concentrating on where the power came from to stop me from doing it again accidentally. Instead of shutting off any supernatural ability I might have, I had begun to explore the possibilities. It was time to find out if I could use my persuasive side on purpose.

McGreavy turned to leave, satisfied with his intimidation of me. I grabbed his coat sleeve, forcing him to stop. He tried to pull away and frowned at my hand, perhaps wondering why I was so much stronger than him. I stared right into his eyes and let that other part of me show, not the fangs or the aggression, but the seductive willpower that had worked so well on Carl, whether I wanted it to or not.

"I need more time," I said, my voice soft and slow. Different. Something pulsed on the surface of my skin, but I ignored the sensation and concentrated, kept thinking about how he should feel and tried to force the feeling toward him.

McGreavy's face contorted with anger then, all of a sudden, let it go. I could hear his heartbeat slowing down; the rhythm calmed me. His loose jowls slack, he stared back at me and nodded.

"Can you give me an extra month to pay?" I thought about pleasing me and pushed the notion toward him, willing him to accept it.

"Yes," he said with a fervent nod. "Of course." He leaned toward me as if to steal a kiss; I backed off, alarmed.

"Um, cool, thanks!" I closed the door on his surprised face. Risking a look through the peephole, I watched his features screwing up with confusion. Pleased with the results, I stifled a giggle as he stumbled away.

Cold air blasted the back of my neck. Apparently, the spirit wanted to show its displeasure.

"I had no choice, I can't pay him," I protested, but the words sounded dead, as if even I didn't believe them. The presence blew directly in my face, making me blink.

"I'm sorry," I amended, hoping it sounded sincere. I hated myself for forcing Carl to do my bidding by accident. What made my landlord any different?

I sat, humbled, and the guilt kicked in, sucking the exhilaration away. I decided to give Carl a call and check up on him. My reasons were selfish; I wanted to know he was doing okay, that I had done right by him after all.

"Ava? Is that you?" Carl's familiar voice was completely absent of the dull, brainless tone he'd taken on while entranced.

I opened my mouth to answer when a hysterical-sounding woman screamed at him in the background.

"Shut _up_ , Maria. I'm on the phone!"

"Um, sounds like a bad time, I'll call you back sometime." I hurriedly hung up just as his fiancée, Maria, screamed at him again.

I hoped they weren't still fighting because he had gone missing for a couple of days. The relief she felt when he returned home had quickly turned to anger, particularly when he continued to visit me. His visits had dropped off, and I assumed he had gone back to his own life and taken my advice to forget about my world.

Not for the first time, I wished _I_ had the luxury of returning to a normal life.

# Chapter Two

I spent Friday afternoon working, but my appointment with Daimhín never left my mind, pushing everything else out of my head. By the time I got ready to leave, I was running on nervous energy.

Getting ready mostly consisted of putting on silver bracelets and the cross-shaped talisman Eddie had given me. I still had possession of the special dagger he had pressed on me before a fight. I had no intention of returning it. I had adjusted my favourite coat so I could carry the dagger in a number of different ways; I wasn't letting it out of my sight if I could help it.

Daimhín's home was much more discreet than Maximus's had been. Her guards were scattered around the building and well-hidden except for the obvious emptiness in my other sight. Her tastes were muted, designed to be forgettable, just like her. I wished _I_ could forget all about Daimhín, but she wasn't about to let me.

One of her followers led me into a cosy living room where Daimhín sat surrounded by vampires, and even a human or two. Daimhín signalled for the others to leave. As they all trooped out, I couldn't help noting her vampires weren't exactly starving. Most of Maximus's vampires had been gaunt and hungry looking, not to mention less than loyal.

"Sit down, Ms. Delaney." Daimhín's low voice was still commanding enough to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

I sat on the chair furthest from her and waited. She smoothed her linen trousers, her outfit as understated as her slow yet precise movements. The leader of Irish vampires, Daimhín was pretty ordinary looking, apart from her burgundy eyes; even her skin wasn't as sickeningly parched as the other vampires.

Feeling a little queasy as I wondered what she had in store, I fidgeted under her stare. I crossed my fingers and hoped it wouldn't require a murder. She wasn't likely to be pleased when I refused.

"I have work for you," she said at last, each measured word a perfect enunciation. "Nothing problematic. I'd like you to accompany one of my children. He's been undergoing a punishment set by the Council for some time now. Tonight will be his first feed. You are to accompany him. Ensure he doesn't lose control."

I stared, my mind blank. "What?"

"Is this a problem?" Her pleased expression sent my whole body on alert. I sensed her testing my limits, first with Maximus's death and now with a potential vampire feeding frenzy.

"No problem," I said, surprising her.

"Good." She glanced at the door and raised her voice. "Rose, come back in here." Rose turned out to be a short, chubby human in her late thirties. She greeted me with a pleasant smile; I wondered why someone better suited to a school run was hanging around with a vampire coven.

"Rose." The sudden sweetness in Daimhín's tone was a dramatic change from the norm. "Tell Zion to release Jules from the cage and bring him here."

Cage?

Rose beamed back at Daimhín then obediently trotted away. I couldn't think of anything to say to Daimhín, who proceeded to stare at me expressionlessly. The more time I spent with the vampire, the more freaked out I became—it was impossible to read her intentions. I could have thanked Rose when she returned, followed by two vampires.

A vampire with the largest afro I had ever seen led the smaller one into the room by the hair and shoved him toward Daimhín. He landed in a ball at her feet.

"Good evening, Jules." Daimhín's lips twitched as though she were covering amusement.

Jules looked up at her; his long, blond hair covered his eyes, so I couldn't see his expression. I stared at his hollow cheeks—so like Arthur's. Although I had said yes to accompanying this vampire to his first meal in who knows how long, I had really intended to do him harm. Now he reminded me of Arthur, the vampire I had taken Carl from, and a little of the kindred feeling I had experienced with that vampire reappeared.

Crap.

"This... _lady_ will be joining you for dinner tonight. See that you mind your manners."

Jules turned toward me and flicked his hair from his eyes with a jerk of his head. His eyes were free from the scarlet tinge that signalled a vampire. My own eyes had gained a tint of red once or twice after ingesting blood. I wondered how long he had gone hungry to have such pure green eyes.

"Of course, _you_ may join his meal, Ms. Delaney. The Council hasn't set a quota on you," Daimhín continued. I'd heard a few things about the Council, and I fully intended to steer clear of them. The less they knew about my existence, the better.

"Um, yeah, that won't be necessary," I said, unable to tear my eyes from Jules. Curiosity spread across his face as he sniffed the air.

"Do what you like," Daimhín said. "Jules... Jules! Look at me. Go upstairs, and get cleaned up. We don't need you running the streets looking like a castaway. Hurry up. Ms. Delaney, you may wait outside until he's ready."

Dismissed, I wandered outside the gates. I was unimpressed with my latest assignment. I couldn't watch a vampire harm a human and not step in. On the other hand, a major part of my core didn't want to see a vampire go hungry either. It didn't feel fair, but I knew how seriously screwed up of me it was to think like that.

I needed to stay on Daimhín's good side, particularly when things were on such an uneven kilter. I didn't know what to do and, this time, I had no one to ask.

Jules leapt in front of me, surprising me. He smelled slightly less repulsive, and his eyes sparkled with excited energy as he bounced on the balls of his feet. I felt jittery just looking at him. If his skin hadn't been so grey and dried up looking, I might have seen a teenager standing there.

"Let's go," he said, and moved on without looking back. I wandered after him but soon found I had to run to keep up. He jogged for at least twenty minutes in what seemed like a totally random direction. My dread built with every step; I didn't have a clue what to do next. Jules came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the street and looked all around, reminding me of a dog following a scent.

This was it—decision time.

Jules rotated, one slow step at a time, his fangs already showing. He tensed, then raced past, knocking me to the ground in his urgency.

"Shit." I jumped to my feet and sprinted after him, trying to catch up. He got out of my line of sight within seconds. I had messed up already. Closing my eyes, I concentrated hard, using my other sense to seek out Jules, to find that pocket of emptiness screaming, "Vampire."

A scattering of voids dotted the nearby area. I decided to go after the closest one, the one moving away. Fast. If I hurried, I might catch him, but not before he approached a pulsing red source of fresh blood.

Snapping back to reality, I sped up until I caught a strong whiff of his odour. I couldn't see him anywhere. Puzzled, I paused, then realised he must be inside a building already.

I spied the open door just as a woman screamed. I had never heard such terror come from a human's mouth. I stormed into the building faster than I could have imagined and found myself in an ordinary-looking living room, ordinary apart from the cowering woman in the corner.

Jules crouched over her, and I could see why she looked so scared. His fangs glinted in the light; his eyes were giddy with need. He grabbed a handful of her hair and smacked her head against the arm of a chair to knock her out.

Arms outstretched, I jumped toward him without thinking, catching his fangs with my hand before he could bite down on her skin. I could only yelp in pain because he swung his arm around and whacked me hard in the face even as we both tumbled through the air. Rabid with hunger and utilising a scary amount of strength, he rolled me over and dived on top of me. I grabbed his hair to stop him from biting me again, but he pulled himself out of my grasp with ease. The blood from my hand distracted his attention from my arteries, just in time.

His eyes intensely focused, Jules grabbed my hand tightly and lapped at the wound even as I punched him in the head. He shifted his body, seeming to barely notice the blows. He sucked harder, a harsh moan coming from his throat.

I frantically tried to worm my hand away from him. Suddenly, two vampires approached and separated us by kicking Jules in the face until he let go of my hand.

Even as one vampire held him steady, Jules looked around for me with a creepy sort of eagerness. I didn't think he even noticed the other vampires, he was so intent on getting back to me. Judging by his expression, my blood didn't taste half bad. Great, something new to worry about.

The two vampires belonged to Daimhín; I remembered seeing them both at her home. I wasn't scared, but I _was_ worried. They stared me down, giving me a few seconds to get off the floor. I couldn't bring myself to lick my wound, not in front of them, and especially not after Jules had slobbered all over it. It stung badly, just like the bite I'd gotten on my chest. I still had the scar from that one.

"You're to see Daimhín tomorrow evening," the vampire holding Jules said, never taking his eyes off my hand. "As soon as the sun sets. Don't be late."

They escorted Jules outside, leaving me alone with the unconscious woman. I didn't wait around for her to wake up but, after listening to her heartbeat for a minute, I called an ambulance, just in case. Who knew what her story would be, but people would likely assume she'd been attacked, robbed, and probably hallucinated the bit about the fangs.

I hurried home alone, sick to my stomach at the thought of facing Daimhín again. Things hadn't gone according to plan—not at all. First, I had let Jules run off without me. Then when I saw he was about to feed, I got in the way. I had a feeling letting him taste me wasn't the best plan I'd ever had; it was lucky two of Daimhín's boys had turned up in time.

Wait. Why _had_ they turned up? I realised with a groan that they must have been following us the whole time. Not good.

Making it home unharmed, I ignored the vampires outside and ran into my building to clean my hand. Fourteen times. Overkill, maybe, but I was under a lot of stress, and fourteen was a safe number.

My only source of income was crumbling around me, my grandmother was putting pressure on me to act like the past never happened, and all of the people I thought might be my friends had either disappeared or else weren't all that trustworthy after all.

Counting, safe numbers, and my normal routine were the only things keeping me together. I was a bag of nerves all over again, worse, probably, now that I knew what was out there in the world.

Convinced it was finally clean of vampire saliva, I tentatively raised my hand to my mouth and licked the bite marks. The blood didn't stop flowing. The wound didn't heal.

The cold presence, or spirit, as I'd taken to calling it, drifted across my face, either trying to tell me something or to reassure me. I could never tell for sure.

The wound bothered me, it should have healed. I'd managed to heal my wounds a number of times.

"Maybe it's stress," I said out loud. I couldn't deal with any more surprises.

***

The next evening, after passing by a number of leering vampires outside my home, I headed for Daimhín's place again. I was so paranoid about being jumped on by my stalker vampires that I kept the dagger hidden under my long sleeves so I could easily grab it. Mostly, I felt secure if I could touch it. It stayed by my hand in case Daimhín decided she needed to punish me. If she wanted to end my life, I could at least take one of her vampires down with me.

Rose let me in and accompanied me to Daimhín's living room. I should have worried about dealing with Daimhín, but I was just thankful my hand had finally stopped bleeding.

"Chin up, love," Rose said, looking sympathetic. Even Daimhín's pets knew I was in for it.

Daimhín didn't clear the room this time. Jules sat at her feet and began panting like a dog when he saw me. His eyes were a scarlet red; he had obviously drunk his fill, somehow. From Rose perhaps, as her cheeks lacked the natural flush of the night before.

My interest grew when I saw a familiar vampire sitting next to Daimhín. Petite and pale, the intriguing child vampire's eyes bore light traces of pink. She stared right at me, but I couldn't find a child-sized vampire intimidating, even if I probably should.

"Last night didn't go very well." The look on Daimhín's face told me she had gotten what she wished.

"Really? I thought it went great." I scowled at Jules and hid my bitten hand in my pocket.

Daimhín leaned back in her seat and glanced at the child vampire. "Yes, well, at least we know for certain what you are _not_ capable of. I've been thinking of another use for you. Courier work, the occasional debt collection. Can you oblige?"

"Uh, sure. Where and when?" Finally, something that wouldn't test my morals.

"Now." Daimhín moved to the mantelpiece; it appeared as if her feet only skimmed the surface of the carpet. She opened a large jewellery box and took out a square brown package. The child vampire's eyes widened slightly. I took a step forward, then thought better of it; Jules's fangs were out again. He licked his lips, still staring intently at me. I held his gaze and experienced an odd sensation, like cold raindrops on my skin. I shivered a little, and he looked puzzled.

"That's enough, Jules," Daimhín said. Jules didn't respond, and Daimhín turned her attention to me.

"I need you to deliver this tonight. Wait for his instructions. Send them to my phone by text, do _not_ return here. The person you're looking for is known as Gabe. Don't worry, he isn't a vampire."

I shrugged, hoping she wouldn't see how relieved I felt. Delivering a package was fine with me, especially if the recipient wasn't a vampire. I took the package, listened to her directions, and headed for the door.

"Try to get this job done," Daimhín said. "Don't get yourself bitten on the way." Jules let out a hyena laugh. I glared at them all, not feeling like backing down, especially because my hand still stung, and I hadn't been able to heal the wound yet.

"Oh, by the way," I said, ready to run with my fingers gripping the handle of the door. "My place is being staked out by vampires. Yours?"

Daimhín smirked as if mildly amused. "Not mine. But I'd drink some blood if I were you. Just in case."

"No, thanks." I opened the door too roughly and semi-slammed it behind me, feeling better for the petulance of the act.

I considered running to the delivery point but, without human blood, I wasn't half as fast. I walked, the whole time feeling an imaginary pair of eyes on my back.

I rang Peter, even though I was still mad at him. He hadn't contacted me at all, and it bugged me more than I wanted to admit. After the way we had left things, we were overdue an important conversation. I needn't have bothered trying; he didn't answer. I put my mobile back in my pocket, shifted the dagger so I could keep a tight hold, and counted how many steps it took me to get to my destination.

The drop-off point turned out to be a small, cosy nightclub. It was slowly dawning on me that otherworldly beings ran most of the businesses in town. I supposed it made sense; creatures like vampires couldn't exactly work ordinary day jobs.

The club itself was modern and clean; a live band played unobtrusively in the background. Huge comparison to the dank vampire bar I'd visited before. There were lots of free tables and only one person working behind the bar.

The aroma in the air was strange and lovely. Something attracted me, but it was too mingled with scents of magic and other things to figure out exactly what it was. I sat at the bar and waited for the bartender to notice me until a new, familiar smell distracted me.

Glancing around, I saw Peter Brannigan sitting next to a man who had short horns on his forehead at a table in the corner. Peter looked as serious as always, focused on his companion. Not the least bit pretty, his gruff appearance still managed to stir something in the pit of my stomach.

Peter met my eyes and shook his head as if to say, "Leave it." I shrugged and turned away. I wasn't going to force him to talk to me, but I couldn't deny the little twinge I felt at seeing him.

The bartender was short, blond, and looked to be in his mid-thirties. Slim and covered in tattoos, he wore a short-sleeved shirt that exposed his inked sleeves. I gawked at a dragon on his forearm that seemed to move.

"What can I get you?" he said, moving his arms behind his back.

"Um, I've a package for some guy called Gabe. You him?"

He threw back his head and guffawed loudly. "Some guy called Gabe," he muttered, shaking his head. "Hold on, babe. I'll see if he's out back."

I glared after him, wondering what was so damn funny. I couldn't stop myself from sneaking one last glance at Peter, but he had already left. Without speaking to me at all.

I leaned my elbow on the bar and sunk my chin into my palm with a loud sigh. The appealing smell became more concentrated, and I sniffed the air appreciatively, smiling to myself.

"You have something for me?"

I jumped, startled, and gazed up at the single most beautiful creature I had ever seen in my life. Tall, broad, and muscular, his obvious strength gave me the urge to expose my belly. Figuratively speaking. His thick hair was coal black, his eyes a deep, dark, chocolate brown. He grinned, and I shook my head slightly, trying to focus.

"Yeah, are you Gabe? Daimhín sent me."

"I am Gabe," he said, like it was his title or something. His voice slid over me like a silk sheet, and suddenly I was imagining him wrapped up in one.

My cheeks flushing, I handed over the package. "I've to wait for a reply."

He opened the package right there, revealing wads of money. A lot of it. He read through the accompanying note then glanced up and down my body appraisingly.

"You may tell Daimhín that you will not suffice. Not even as part payment."

I stopped ogling long enough to listen. "Excuse me?"

"Daimhín wishes to exchange you in order to clear a long-standing debt. You won't do."

"Are you for real? Show me that!" I snapped the note out of his hands before he could stop me. He exchanged a bemused glance with the bartender who was chortling behind his hand. I ignored them and read the note.

I couldn't believe it. She had actually tried to sell me to some randomer.

"Of all the... I don't believe this shit." I was sick to death of vampires and everything else. "Well, you can't have me," I added, pointing at Gabe.

"I don't want you," he said, sounding like he was talking about a drink or a bar of chocolate. "But tell her I'll consider Eloise."

"Screw you," I said, turning to leave, ready to hit something.

"In your dreams." The cockiness of his words turned me cold, no matter how pretty he was.

"Stupid supernaturals with no damn morals. I'm not a _thing_! You can't all keep thinking I'm... ownable." My fingers curled into fists as I stormed out, ignoring the laughter that followed me.

Daimhín was pushing it. How dare she try and _sell_ me? I worked for her, albeit reluctantly, but she did _not_ own me. I stayed furious most of the way home, too angry to pay attention to anything going on around me. My fingers trembled as I struggled to text Daimhín's phone to let her know what happened at the bar, remembering to mention Eloise, whoever she was.

The cold presence returned and blew on the back of my neck. I glanced around but couldn't see a thing. On alert, I convinced myself I was being watched.

I tried to use my other sense to feel if anyone was around, but I was too agitated. To err on the side of caution, I assumed a vampire was out there and sped up, multiplying the numbers of my birth date together in my head to keep me calm. I tried to use my other sense again, peering into the night on another level. Instead of the emptiness I'd been expecting, a bright, white light burned into my brain. Whatever was out there, it wasn't a vampire.

My stomach turned when I came close to home and remembered the vampires who kept a constant eye on my building. When I turned onto my street, I saw two of them and stiffened, goose bumps rising on my arms. Neither of them approached, but I couldn't relax until I had made it within the safety line of the magic surrounding my apartment. Relief flooded through me when each vampire looked a little puzzled as I disappeared before them.

Feeling lucky, I trudged up the stairs. Being away from home at night wasn't doing me any favours. If I could find a way to leave Daimhín's workforce, then I'd be right on it. The vampires outside could attack me any night, but they didn't. The anticipation kept me on edge.

I caught his scent a half-second before I noticed him. Carl rose when I approached. With a bag at his feet and a solemn look on his face, it seemed like he had been waiting there for a while.

"Carl? What's wrong?"

His eyes were red-rimmed and unhappy. I felt sick, expecting the worst. It hadn't been that long ago when Carl was compelled to follow me around, going so far as to wait outside my door all night. This was all too familiar.

"I'm sorry, Ava, but can I stay with you for a few days?"

# Chapter Three

"Spill," I said, and took a sip of coffee.

Carl stared at his cup and acted like he hadn't heard me. We sat in my living room with me waiting for him to tell me what was going on. He definitely wasn't enthralled, but I couldn't help feeling nervous. I sniffed the air a little too much. A little too appreciatively.

"This is embarrassing," he said, avoiding my eyes. "You spent all that time trying to get me out of here, and I come running back first chance I get."

"Carl, why _are_ you here?"

He looked at me with pleading eyes. "Don't get mad. Look, before I... I have to explain something, confess something, actually."

I felt a chill and shivered; he looked so worried, it couldn't be good.

He ran his fingers through his hair, cleared his throat, and gathered himself together. "Okay, here's the thing. When everything was going on, you know, me being bound to you and all, I think I... well, I know I had these moments of clarity."

"What do you mean?" _Don't say it._

"I think maybe, sometimes, I could probably have... controlled myself a little better. Around you, I mean. A couple of times, I think I knew what I was doing and didn't try to stop it. There were times when I fought against the magic to get my own way. I made it harder for you. On purpose."

I bit my lip. It wasn't anything I hadn't suspected, but hearing him say it made me angry. I had gone through hell, I didn't want him to say he could have prevented it.

"Not the really bad stuff," he added hurriedly when he saw my expression. "I mean things like when you would tell me to leave, I could have done it."

"So why didn't you?"

"I didn't want to go home. You have to understand, Ava. I didn't plan any of this. None of my life, really. Nothing is how I expected it to be, and I know I'll never do anything worth mentioning. I'm an accountant in my girlfriend's—sorry, my _fiancée's_ —father's business. I've been working there for years, but I'm still not any good at it. I don't even care. I mean, I never wanted to be an accountant; he just gave me an easy option, so I took it."

I shrugged. "It's just a job, Carl. You can still do other things."

"It's not just that," he said, his voice getting louder. "I'm getting married to someone I'm not even sure I'm attracted to. I'm just plodding along, letting everyone else take care of the big decisions. And I'm bored. Of everything. This isn't how it was supposed to be."

He took a sip of his coffee, but still refused to look at me. I had no idea what to say. Where did I start?

"Anyway, I went on a lad's night out until Maria rang me to come home for some work emergency. What kind of accounting emergency can't wait until Monday? You know?"

He gazed up at me, looking like a little boy who needs to be reassured. Resisting the urge to slap some sense into him, I gave a quick nod, and he carried on, "So I leave, start walking home while I look out for a taxi, and this guy attacks me. He's crazy strong, and I'm thinking, 'Wow!' Not, 'this is weird.' Not, 'I'm scared.' But, 'Wow.'" He shook his head, looking surprised by the memory.

"You looked scared," I said, remembering his face in the alleyway when Arthur had him pinned against the wall.

"It _was_ scary. But mostly? It was exciting. Then you came along, and everything happened. A lot of it's a blur until the bond broke, but then I stuck around and, Ava, kidnapping that vampire was probably the most exciting thing I've ever done in my life. I keep remembering how alive I felt." With every word, he became more animated.

"Almost dying made you feel alive?" I saw the look in his eyes and knew he believed it to be true, but I couldn't understand it.

"Yeah. Alive and excited and really... doing something for a change. No more plodding. But then I got home, and Maria and her Dad kept nagging me. My parents joined in. All I could think about was what I know, that vampires are real. If I told any of them, they wouldn't believe me for a second. It's like a really cool secret, but all I want to do is talk about it."

"Is that why you're here? To talk?" That would be easy.

His face flushed red. "Not exactly. I sort of walked out on my job. And Maria. Everyone's pretty pissed at me."

I groaned. "Why on earth did you do something like that?"

"I couldn't handle how dead it made me feel. I'm not meant for that life, Ava; I'm not. When I was bound to you, I loved the excitement. That's why I didn't leave, even when I could have. I know it sounds crazy, but I had a taste of something amazing, and I can't face going back. I need to change things. Can I stay for a bit? Just until I figure things out?"

"I figured you had a death wish, but this is just stupid," I said, but I couldn't bear to dash the hopeful look in his eyes. Besides, it might be nice having some company again. I had to admit that breaking our bond had made me suffer; having him around eased the empty feeling a little. Perhaps he still felt the residual effects of the bond. The least I could do was give him some time to see if it wore off. "Maybe a few days then."

He tried to hug me, but I pushed him away and looked at him sternly. "If I start craving your blood again, you have to leave straight away. Okay?"

He nodded, looking so confident I doubted he had even considered what he would do if I said no.

"You're going to have to sort yourself out, though. No more stupid shit. You have to go home sometime, and surely you realise that being in danger isn't exactly a good route to happiness." As if I knew anything about it.

"Okay," he said, but I had a feeling he wasn't listening. I didn't want to push it; I owed him for accidentally bonding him to me and nearly getting him killed.

"Wait, you might not want to stay here. It's not exactly safe right now," I warned, remembering my night-time stalkers.

Carl grinned. "What, from you?"

I shook my head and tried to ignore the sick feeling in my gut. "For a few nights now, I've noticed some vampires hanging around outside."

"Outside?"

"Yeah, look." I led him to the window and pointed out the pair of the vampires keeping watch.

"Who are they?" he asked.

I stared out at them; I had no idea, and that scared me. "I'm not sure. Daimhín's saying they aren't any of her doing."

"You could always ask Peter or Eddie if they know anything," he said.

I ignored that. "They haven't done anything yet. They just wait, and stare, and act creepy in general."

"Not exactly stealthy." Carl frowned at the duo.

"Which might be the point."

Carl glanced at me. "Think someone's keeping an eye on you or trying to intimidate you?"

I exhaled loudly. "Does it matter? Point is, be careful after dark."

"I will, don't worry." He smiled, bouncing back as always. "So, what now? Want to watch something with me?"

"I have work to do," I told him. "Make yourself at home." I paused before I left the room. "Hey, Carl. You heard much from Peter?"

"A little, why?"

I shrugged. "No matter." So, it was just me then.

I hid in my room and tried to get some work done, but I couldn't get my head straight. I pushed the laptop away in agitation. Peter had been in contact with Carl. Not me.

I rang his mobile, unsurprised when he didn't answer. I left a message for him to ring me back, this time because I needed his advice on Daimhín, Gabe, and the stalker vampires, or at least that's what I told myself. Giving up any pretence of working, I gave Carl a blanket and went to bed.

Tossing and turning, it took me hours to fall asleep. Yet again, I dreamt of Maximus. This time I was back in his torture chamber, screaming, watching my blood paint the walls. He kept laughing as he sliced my skin with his nails. Nobody came, I was on my own. Then Maximus grabbed me and whispered my name over and over. I struggled helplessly until the walls weren't red anymore, and I realised it was Carl who held me.

I tried to push him away, but he wrapped his arms around me until I stopped gasping for air. Whispering to me, he stroked my hair, but the rapid thudding of my heart drowned out his words. I counted until the room stopped closing in, and I could breathe easier. I realised I'd been counting aloud and hid my face in my hands, mortified.

"Ava, look at me. Does that happen often?"

"Not really," I said, my throat aching with each word.

"You were screaming your head off. I thought you were never going to stop."

"I'm sorry." My voice was dull and low with shame that he had seen me at my weakest.

"There's nothing to be sorry about, I'm worried for you. Talk to me, what's going on?"

I saw how earnest his eyes were and knew he wouldn't judge me, but I wanted to contain everything I felt, to push it down where I wouldn't have to deal with it.

"Nothing," I said.

"Nothing. Look at you! You're shaking."

I shook my head and moved further away, suddenly aware of how close we were sitting. His eyes only held concern; since we had broken the bond, he treated me like a sister.

"I'm fine," I repeated, hiding my trembling hands behind me.

"You're obviously not fine. What's happening?" His voice soothed, broke down that defensive streak, made me feel like maybe it would be okay if I talked about it.

I wrapped my arms around my waist, mentally counting his heartbeat this time. "It's just... I can't let it go. I thought once the job was done, that'd be it, I'd be fine. But he's in my dreams every night. Maximus. It feels so real, and I can't escape. I can't look after myself; I just lie there and wait for someone to rescue me. But no one ever does."

I shook my head, not entirely sure what I was trying to say. I had never vocalised my fears before. "I thought it was over, but they're still out there, waiting for me. Every single night. And I can't stop them."

"You've gotten the better of lots of vampires, Ava. You've nothing to be scared about," he said.

A shudder ran through my body. They always won in the end. "You don't get it," I said. "I'm not as strong as them, and I'm outnumbered. It's like, I have to be like them just to survive. I have to drink blood to take care of myself, to be strong enough to defend myself, but that makes me the same as them. To scare off the monster under the bed, I have to _be_ the monster under the bed. That's sick, right?"

I saw his pity again. I hated it. He came toward me, but I held out my hands, ready to push him away. He backed off. "We'll help you. Me, Peter, everyone."

"Peter? He won't even _talk_ to me. I saw him, and he totally avoided me. He won't answer his phone either. I'm not even going to get into the crap with Eddie, Daimhín, and my grandmother. I can't trust _anyone_."

"You can trust me," Carl said, and I could tell he believed it. "And Nancy was beside herself when Maximus had you. I know Peter's tough to read sometimes, but he cares. I'm sure he does. Even Eddie, why would they beg Daimhín for help if they didn't?"

I gave him a wry smile. "To get me working for her. All part of their master plan." I felt better, angry rather than scared. I liked angry me best. Carl looked confused, so I shook my head. "Never mind, I'm tired. Thanks and all, but I need some sleep."

He hesitated, but I turned my back to him, and he left me alone.

***

Two days later, Peter still hadn't called, so I decided I was done with him, no more trying. The more I thought about it, the more frustrated I became, and the more Carl seemed to get in my way. The flat felt tiny again, just like before, except this time, Carl was determined to talk to me. About everything.

Question after question about how I was feeling, my night terrors, what we could do to make it better, why the vampires stood outside every night, what we were going to do about them—it drove me mad because all I wanted to do was forget about all of it. Finally, I told him through tightly clenched teeth that he should go visit Peter or Eddie, or anyone that wasn't me.

Once Carl left, I tried to get back to work, but he had completely distracted me. I paced up and down the room, trying in vain to come up with a long-term solution to Carl's problems. I passed the window, paused, and looked back out, wondering if I was seeing things.

I wasn't. Becca. Outside my home—just like the vampires had been.

"That's it." I ran down the stairs and hurtled toward Becca who was visibly startled by my sudden appearance. She held out her arm. Her hand was red, almost burned-looking, and it shook noticeably as she waved a crucifix in my direction.

"Back off!" she screamed.

I rolled my eyes and showed her the cross around my neck. The colour sapped from her face, and she backed away, letting the crucifix fall to the ground. I supposed she had a reason to fear me. After all, I had almost drained her dry the last time we met. She looked the same, still pale, blonde, and nasty with a freakishly young body and old face. Her eyes glinted red in the sunlight, a chilling reminder of the bagged blood in her fridge.

"I see you've found a new vampy sugar daddy." I gestured to the vicious-looking bites on her neck.

She grinned, vacantly. I knew she faked her confidence; I did the same thing on a regular basis. "Now that Max is gone, Gideon's taken me as his own."

"Who's Gideon?"

"He's in charge of the coven now," she said, her grin faltering.

"Suppose that has to be an improvement."

She tried to slap me, but I dodged her hand easily. "Don't talk about Max!" Pink tears slid down her cheek. "He was good to me, okay? This is all your fault anyway. If Max hadn't been so obsessed—"

"I don't need to hear his life story, Becca," I said, although I was surprised that she actually cared about Maximus; he had been severely unbalanced. "What the hell are you doing here?"

She blinked fast. "I'm supposed to keep watch during the day. And make sure you know about it. He's coming to get you." She lowered her voice. "If you thought Max was bad, you know nothing. Gideon's in a hurry, so you better watch out. I'm hoping he waits until I turn so I can come after you first."

"Scary. I take it this Gideon bloke is the one who's been sending vampires to stalk me." I tried to balls it out, but I was rattling inside.

Becca laughed. "You've no clue what he's sending after you." She looked so satisfied, I knew I should start worrying.

"And yet I don't care," I said. "But if I see you outside my home one more time, I might just get a little thirsty." I looked around to see if the coast was clear then gave her a quick flash of my fangs. It kind of amused me that she was comfortable around the vampires yet feared me. I got a little thrill from the look of horror on her face, but as I strode back inside, I felt true panic. I didn't know Gideon but, if he was worse than Maximus, then I was in trouble.

I rang Carl briefly to warn him not to come home after dark. He promised he would be careful, but I obsessed about Gideon all evening. His vampires hadn't attacked me yet, but they were making their presence known each and every night. I needed a plan of action for when they finally attacked. I had to do something, protect myself in some way.

I decided to chance my arm and call Daimhín. She wouldn't take the call, so one of her humans acted as a go-between. I asked for help, for some kind of protection because I worked for Daimhín, and a rival coven had it in for me. As soon as I heard her laughter in the background, I knew I was on my own. I had no clue what was coming, but I expected the worst. Evil was on its way, and I had no means to stop it.

# Chapter Four

The following morning, I awoke to a text from Daimhín's day assistant. After a night of terrifying dreams, the text was the last thing I needed. I had strict instructions to pick up a payment from Eddie at the close of working hours and bring it straight to Daimhín as quickly as possible. I knew Eddie was in debt to Daimhín, but it hadn't occurred to me that she might involve me in his repayments. I didn't want to face her after she'd refused to help me, not to mention, her trying to sell me, but I had little choice. I didn't want two covens after me. Again.

Carl wasn't in the living room; the blanket I left out for him hadn't been touched, and he hadn't called. For all I knew, he had been taken by the vampires. Hopefully Eddie had seen him. If Carl was really interested in the supernatural world, then Eddie's shop would be his first stop.

I kept watch for Becca, but she didn't show so I didn't have anyone to take out my bad mood on. It was partly her fault that I had such a bad night; her words gave my nightmares new details.

I hadn't been to Eddie's place since he locked me out and left Carl and me to fend for ourselves against a bunch of vampires. I dreaded seeing him. I knew he was powerful, but I had no clue what he was capable of, so confronting him was dangerous. Dealing with him was as frustrating and unpredictable as dealing with the vampires.

I walked fast but constantly felt like there was someone behind me. Becca's words had worked their way into my brain until they were all I could think about.

I opened the door to Eddie's shop and stifled a groan. My day had just taken a turn for the worse. Eddie was there, but so was Peter. I didn't particularly want to deal with either of them.

Eddie smiled, but I felt a chill pass over my skin. His shop often made me feel suffocated, and this time was no different. Magic hung in the air, but there was something else too. The longer I spent there, the more accustomed to the differences I became.

"Was Carl here?" I asked before Eddie could speak.

"What are you, his mother now?" Peter said. Only Peter could give me attitude when I walked into a room practically snarling.

I narrowed my eyes, then repeated the question, directing it at Eddie.

"You just missed him," Eddie said. "What can I do for you?"

I sighed with relief; at least Carl was safe. The big oaf.

"You owe Daimhín. I'm here to... speed up the repayments," I said, keeping my voice as level as possible. It killed me inside to do her bidding, but I didn't have much of a choice.

Eddie scowled, and a few books flew off the shelves which I pretended not to notice. "Of course," he said through clenched teeth. "Wait here." He left the shop and went upstairs, leaving me with Peter. The tension between us spiked a couple of notches; I pretended to look at the books to avoid looking at him.

"So," he said, after a few minutes of awkward silence. "How do you like working for Daimhín?"

Enraged, I twirled around to face him. "You better be freaking kidding me, Brannigan. Yeah, I love it, Peter. I love having your idiot girlfriend text me orders, especially when her idiot boyfriend is the one who got me into this mess in the first place and won't even take a call from me when I need some bloody help." I stalked toward him. "Oh, and I _really_ enjoy being followed around by vampires and their groupies every night and day. Do you know what's even better? Do you know what I like the _very_ best? Getting pawned off to creepy bartenders, like I'm for sale." I gestured wildly, letting all of the junk in my head spew right out of my mouth.

"Hurry up with the damn money, Eddie!" I hollered before Peter could reply. I wouldn't have heard him anyway, my head pounded so hard with rage.

Eddie hurried back, speechless for once, and handed me a thick envelope. I grabbed it and whirled around, ready to leave.

"Wait," Peter called after me.

"I have to go," I hissed through clenched teeth. I reached for the door, but it slammed shut before I could grip it properly.

"Open the door, Eddie." My head felt like it was going to fly into orbit; I barely clung to my sanity. Barely.

"I'm sorry, Ava," Eddie said. "I need to speak to you for a moment."

I bit my knuckle and took a breath. Turning around, I tried to stay calm. "What do you want?"

"This is important," he said. "I heard you shout at Peter. You said vampires are following you. Did you mean Daimhín's coven?"

"No, Maximus's. Well, Gideon's now. Whoever the hell he is."

Eddie frowned. "When you see Daimhín, ask her for protection."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, tried that. Got shut down."

He rubbed his chin and thought for a second. "Maybe you worded it badly. Tell her you're marked, and you need her to go to the Council. Tell her to openly claim you as one of her own. It's time."

"What? Be part of her coven?" Trust Eddie to come up with another way for me to be tied to a monster.

He shook his head. "No, just under her protection. Say it to her, that's all you have to do. Trust me, it's important."

"Right, sure," I said, but the cold presence that followed me around blew gently against my cheek, as if in agreement with Eddie. Could I trust it?

"Is that it?" I asked, this time angry because taking Eddie's advice always linked me tighter to the vampires. Plus, he had a habit of knowing exactly what was going to happen, but he didn't like to warn a person first.

Eddie hesitated, then nodded and let me go.

I fumed all the way to Daimhín's place. Sneaky and sly, Eddie never did anything for me that didn't end up helping him more. Peter bothered me more than Eddie. He made it sound as if I chose to work for Daimhín, like I could actually be happy about it.

The sky darkened before I arrived at Daimhín's home. Rose showed me into the empty living room; the dark circles under her eyes made me worry for her health. She told me to sit and wait for Daimhín.

I fidgeted, nervous, and my fears only increased when Jules entered the room. He flitted about, as edgy as before, and my senses made me hyper aware of his movements. He sat across from me and stared with a creepy grin on his face. Once again, I felt like something cold had dripped on my skin. Jules leaned forward, his face a mask of concentration. I automatically leaned backward.

"He's just a child." I started and looked over at the child vampire, who had spoken from where she stood by the door. Jules remained focused on me.

"What do you mean?" I asked her, unafraid. She moved closer.

"He's one of the youngest vampires here; he isn't... right."

"You look pretty young yourself," I said, unsure of her meaning.

She laughed, a pretty little laugh, and might have passed for human were it not for her arid skin and pink-tinged eyes. "In vampire terms, I'm old enough."

"But he isn't?" I ventured, keeping my eyes on Jules.

"Maybe a century old. One of the last. The final few decades of breeding produced a poorer quality of vampire. Like Jules. So unpredictable that the Council can't possibly blame their coven leaders for their actions." She danced around the room as she talked, her voice so soft I barely heard her. "Genetics changed; they're still changing. Perhaps a new breed will turn up, a worse one."

Becca's story about some kind of formula that could turn humans into vampires came to mind. "Is that possible? A new breed?"

She stopped moving and stared at me. "Very." She smiled at Jules like a doting parent. "He's trying to control you, you know."

"What?" I glared at Jules, but he was still concentrating.

Her voice went softer. "He bit you, didn't he? Tasted your blood. I wonder what that was like." She licked her lips. "Now he tries to use his power over you. She believes he isn't powerful enough, but I know that's not it."

"Then what is it?" I asked, holding my breath.

"Something else," she said with a brief smile. "He's just a weakling. Daimhín has no use for him. Not like Gideon. I dislike _him_ ; he was always cruel when he lived here."

I froze but, before I could respond, Rose returned, a fresh wound glistening on her neck. She wobbled a little at the door, and Jules was finally distracted from me.

"Eloise, you're not supposed to be here," Rose said, but she avoided the girl's eyes. The child vampire slipped out behind Rose, leaving me with a head full of questions. Gabe had mentioned Eloise. Why would he want a vampire? And Gideon. He'd been a part of Daimhín's coven?

"I'm supposed to take the money from you," Rose said. "She's still having breakfast."

I made a face and handed the money to Rose while making sure I kept my eyes on Jules, although he was now more interested in Rose. I grabbed her arm before I left.

"What are you doing here? Why don't you leave? I can help you," I said, unable to stop myself.

She frowned. "I want to be here. There's nothing else out there for me. I'm taken care of, all in exchange for something my body can make at any time. I'm something special here. Who the hell are you?"

I flinched at the harshness of her tone. "Kill yourself then," I muttered and left.

I couldn't get Rose or the child vampire out of my head. Rose had been so adamant that her life was better than mine. Was my existence that sad? And Eloise... so unique, so strange, but more importantly, she hinted at some interesting things. What had Gideon to do with Daimhín? And was she the one encouraging Jules to try his charms on me? I went over the conversation in my mind, trying to grip onto something definite, something that made sense.

Outside my home stood a pair of vampires I had seen a number of times. I slowed down because they both turned to face me. On alert, I inched toward the threshold, the line where the magic guarding my building began.

One took a step toward me. I sped up. They both moved toward me; we all knew they could catch me, but they let me get past the line anyway. I slammed the front door behind me and took some deep breaths, but it wasn't enough. My head was a mess, and the ground kept shifting beneath my feet.

Still unsettled, I headed upstairs, but stopped short. Carl stood in my slutty next-door neighbour's doorway; he leaned over her with a familiar look on his face. Her hand was on his chest, and he trailed his thumb along her throat. For a second, I just stood there, open-mouthed. He was supposed to fix things with his fiancée, not hook up with randomers on my doorstep.

My neighbour turned her head slowly, a seductive smile on her lips. "Evening," she drawled, and I wrinkled my nose at the overpowering scent of her perfume. His neck and ears burning red, Carl abruptly stepped away from her.

"Can I speak to you for a minute, please?" I asked Carl, barely containing the growl in my throat. He followed me into the flat; I slammed the door behind him and took a deep breath.

"What are you playing at?" I hissed.

He flinched. "I didn't do anything wrong, Ava. Am I supposed to ask your permission before I speak to people now?"

"Oh, come on! Really? That's the best you can do?"

He relaxed on the sofa with a smug look on his face. "I don't know what you're so uptight about."

I clenched my fists. "You're supposed to be sorting your life out, Carl. Not complicating it. I didn't let you stay here so you could have an early mid-life crisis. Go and fix things with your family, you idiot!"

"You're not my freaking mother. I don't need you to tell me what to do. The whole point in me leaving was to make my own decisions, and I'm sorry, but you do _not_ get to tell me who I can talk to."

"She's a skank!" My voice went shrill.

"Why do you care? I don't want to fight with you. I'm going to go find somewhere else to stay because this is just a ridiculous conversation. If I wanted a row, I'd have stayed at home."

"Go on! If I had known what a screw-up you were, I'd never have tried so hard to keep you safe!" I pushed past him and locked myself in my room, pacing as I listened to him gather his things. He hesitated outside my room, then obviously thought better of it because the front door slammed soon after.

I knew he thought I was acting like a crazy person, but I had reached my limits. I should never have let humans into my life; it caused one problem after another, and it all began with Carl. I desperately wanted to go back to how things were before I'd met Carl, before I'd let him and Peter and Eddie ruin my life even more than I had. I stayed awake all night, still thinking bitter thoughts as the first rays of the sun pierced the sky.

I heard a gentle thud, thud, thud, and felt my mouth water. Rubbing my eyes with the palms of my hands, I rocked to and fro as the thirst came back in full swing. First the pulsing in my apartment building. Then the heartbeats of strangers outside. My stomach growled; my throat ached. I clung to the cross around my neck and counted heartbeats, but nothing calmed me.

I gave in to my other senses and explored the world in that extra place, the one humans can't see. I didn't even know if vampires could see it. I lost myself in a wonderland of pulsing and throbbing—of walking meals. Any one of them could satisfy me. I stayed like that for hours, in another world, a darker one.

I knew I had stayed for too long when a shudder ran over me, and my senses found empty pockets amongst the living energies. Vampires, risen from the sleep of the dead. The lack of life chilled me, so I stopped looking and realised how dark it was outside. I couldn't remember my last meal, but I hadn't the stomach for solid food.

I stared out my window and watched the pair of vampires who would be staking out my home for the next few hours. I was on my own, I realised, and I always would be. My grandmother wanted to avoid her guilt, Carl wanted to avoid his ordinary life, and everyone else either used me or wanted me dead. The vampires would never stop coming after me, I thought with a shiver as I gazed at the pair outside. I had no hope, no friend, no protection, and no options. I didn't know what to do, so I went to bed and ignored the ringing of my mobile phone.

# Chapter Five

I stared at the spreadsheet on my computer screen and wondered how the hell I could ever manoeuvre myself out of the red. Money had become one of my biggest problems, and the fact that Daimhín had yet another job for me to do that evening meant I couldn't get much work done.

She had been strangely specific with her instructions: Be there at such a time, walk down a certain route. It made me suspicious, but I didn't exactly have choices anymore. The only reason Daimhín let me live was so I could work for her.

All day I'd had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. It felt like my enemies were closing in, and I was holding a flashing sign over my head that read, "Get me now."

I followed the directions exactly and found Folsom, the goblin who owed Daimhín money, after retracing my steps at least five times. I finally realised he was the owner of a small garage half-hidden behind large iron gates. Yet another businessman.

I knocked at the cottage next to the garage, but there was no answer. With a twinge of apprehension, I realised I would have to go into the garage itself. As I approached, I heard lots of banging and swore when I thought of the amount of tools and weapons that could be housed in a garage.

If Daimhín wanted to get rid of me, this isolated place would be perfect. Nobody knew where I was; nobody would notice if I didn't make it home. I knew she wanted me out of the way, but she had been biding her time for some reason. Between waiting for her and Gideon, I couldn't stand the anticipation anymore. I wanted to get it over and done with, whatever was coming.

I banged on the shutters and waited until they opened. Folsom took his time. I couldn't help staring at him. He looked like a short, old man but, every now and then, when I blinked, I saw an ugly little creature who was very obviously not human.

"What do you want?" he asked, suspicion colouring his tone.

"I'm here on Daimhín's behalf. I've to pick up something for her."

"Get out of here, half-breed, you're not on that bitch's business."

I sighed, already tired of him. "Look, I'm in a hurry. We both know you owe Daimhín money. I'm her... debt collector. So, divvy up because I don't have all day." My skin prickled; I didn't know what goblins could do, if anything.

"Don't make me get my axe out to you!" he shouted.

"Jesus, do you have to be such a cliché? Give me the damn money, already!"

He looked like he was preparing to jump me, so I crouched on the balls of my feet and showed my fangs. Total bluff, but he bought my fake bad-ass-ness.

"Thank you," I said when he finally handed me a bag. I practically had to pry it out of his hands to check the money. "Is this all of it?"

He nodded, but he refused to meet my eye.

"If it isn't, I'll just be back tomorrow. Maybe Daimhín will show up instead."

He muttered under his breath, grabbed the bag, and went back inside. I followed him in and watched as he piled more money into the bag. His fingers were gnarled and crooked. I wondered how well he could work in his garage when he clearly struggled to fill a bag with money. Folsom grumbled and threw the now full bag at me.

"Thanks so much," I said sweetly.

"Don't come back, half-breed!" he shouted after me as I walked away.

"Oh, shut up, you old windbag," I called back, annoyed by his rudeness. It was totally because I was a hybrid, the bigot.

I hurried to Daimhín's place to drop off the money. Folsom hadn't been out to get me, but I wasn't safe yet. On the other hand, maybe I was being paranoid.

"Bit late tonight, aren't we?" Daimhín said, as I was about to leave. Something in her cruel smile made me pause. She was a sly one, I could see that, and her actions put me on alert, whether I needed to be or not.

"Just a tad," I said. "Oh, by the way, I was told I should ask you for protection again. Officially. Because I'm marked, and I'm working for you. So you need to go to the Council, right?"

She bared her fangs, but I refused to flinch. After a couple of tense seconds, she nodded. "Of course." I could see it killed her to say it, and that meant it was significant. I felt a brief flash of gratitude toward Eddie.

I left Daimhín's place with the same gut feeling that something was going to go wrong. The sky darkened quickly during the winter, and people didn't hang about in the cold, which left the streets pretty deserted. There were some stragglers here and there, so I figured I was safe enough. The vampires probably didn't want their evil deeds publicised, but I kept a close hand on the silver dagger in my pocket.

A cool breeze blew the back of my hair gently, but something in the sensation told me it was the cold presence rather than the wind. Someday I would have to find out what exactly it was, but for now, I was grateful for the company. And the warnings. The presence blew insistently on my ear a full minute before the vampire ran at me.

He dashed in my direction, baring his fangs. I faltered, knowing people were close by. Right before the vampire reached me, I dodged out of his way, hoping he would run off and leave me alone. I've never been that lucky.

He turned back, grabbed my throat, and pushed me against the wall. I kneed him in the groin. It didn't hurt him, but he stepped back and seemed to just... wait. So did I, if only to take his measure.

He lashed out at me a couple of times, pulling back every time. Was he testing me? I thought of Daimhín's expression and wondered if he belonged to her. We skirted around each other, neither of us committing. I didn't want to tire myself out if he was playing with me. I tried to lead him off the main street, away from humans, before he managed to get a taste of my blood and turn crazy with lust.

Circling me, the vampire tore at my arm with his fingernails before I could duck out of the way. It hurt; I reacted by punching him hard in the face and then pulled back toward the shadows, suspicious of his intentions. He wiped blood from his nose and stepped around me, pretending to attack, then retreating.

My body buzzed with adrenalin, but I wasn't scared. I kept a calm head, preparing myself for the real battle to begin. He rushed me again, and I spun around, trying to elbow him. He took the blow and grabbed on, managing to wrap both arms around my neck and pin me to him.

I struggled against him before wising up and taking a second to plan ahead. I pushed backward with all of my weight, veering him off the path. My weight set him off-kilter, and he let go to balance himself. Determined to finish the fight, I grabbed him by the hair and pulled him fully into the shadows.

He called out a name. I froze, but nothing happened. As if realising he was alone, the vampire lost the plot and went for me like a rabid dog. This time he didn't hold back, and I barely avoided his snapping fangs.

Already angry from the altercation with the grumpy goblin, I kicked him hard in the gut, sending him flying. He jumped up, undeterred, and ran at me again. I dodged his attack easily. I was quick, smart, and he became too aggravated to make a good move. He was stronger, but I managed to use his strength against him to buy time, avoiding most of his strikes.

I didn't _need_ blood to survive; the thought soared through me, filling me with confidence.

It became clear that this would be a fight to the death. His attacks were ferocious, and I was fed up with defending myself. It was time to fight back.

Determined to give it everything I had, I tackled him, but he overpowered me and sent us both toppling over.

We grappled on the ground, him aiming for my throat. I held him at bay, using my legs to give me space, but he almost bit off my fingers. I let him throw me on my back, then I rolled over, wriggling away.

I leapt to my feet, and he ran back at me so quickly, he didn't notice the dagger until it was too late. His speed and strength helped me stick the dagger into his heart as far as I could. The dagger shone electric blue, then lit up every vein in his body as it burned the poison from within. I looked away when he screamed in agony, but I could feel the heat of the flames close to my skin. I heard the dagger drop to the ground amongst a mound of ashes that quickly blew away. It was over.

I won. Without blood, without counting. I had stayed calm, and I won.

I picked up the dagger and carelessly shoved it into my pocket. A flash to my left caught my eye. I heard a loud cracking noise and flew backward, unable to understand what had happened.

Then the pain came, burning hot in my stomach.

Humans dotted the streets; I could hear their whispers like thunder, yet that was quiet compared to the beating of their hearts. I pressed the wound, and blood drenched my fingers. The pain stopped. Not a good sign, but I was too tired to think about it.

My eyes closed by themselves; my whole body felt weightless. Not right. Feeling strangely empty, I struggled to open my eyes. Ignoring the dizziness, I rolled over slowly. I got to my knees first. Slow and steady. The blood still flowed; I could see a puddle on the ground, but I had to ignore it, had to move, couldn't bleed out—not right there on the ground.

I managed to push myself to my feet. I staggered on, trying to remember who lived close by, because I needed help. I pressed on the wound again, wondering why it didn't hurt. It felt slippery; I concentrated on that because all I wanted to do was lie down and sleep.

I kept going, trying to stay upright. My vision blurred at the edges, and I had no idea where I was headed. I just knew I needed to keep moving. Then I heard my name. Someone grabbed me, held me tight. Peter.

"I... I think I've been shot," I managed to croak. Of everything that could happen to me, this was the last thing I expected.

He nodded. "I know, she warned me something would happen. I've been ringing you, come on. We've all been looking for you. I'm taking you to the bookshop."

"No," I moaned. "Not him. I need to go home."

"Trust me, Ava," He ushered me along.

"I can't." I wanted to, but everyone felt like the enemy.

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" He sounded frustrated.

"On silent," I said through wet lips.

"It's okay. We have to hurry, come on."

I let him help me along but, after a couple of steps, I coughed, and blood poured out of my mouth.

"It's fine," he kept saying over and over again. "It's fine."

He eased me into his car and sped off. I was afraid to speak because I could taste the blood in my mouth, and after a couple of minutes the pain cut through the daze.

"It's hurting now," I said. "Think that might be a good thing."

He glanced at my wound. "We need to get the bullet out. Looks like it's healing over it."

"Can't be. I can't do that."

He shrugged. "I've seen you heal wounds before."

"Not anymore. Never works. Need to spit now."

He glanced at me, then opened the window. The breeze cooled the sweat on my face as I spat a glob of blood outside.

"If the skin heals, the bullet will be stuck inside. You're not healing properly on the inside, so we have to get it out." His voice shook.

I shivered, unwilling to think about what that might mean. No chance of a hospital, or even a doctor, and painkillers had never worked on me before.

I gave a little cry of pain when Peter pulled over outside Eddie's place. He pushed Eddie out of the way and helped me inside, half carrying me up the stairs. I gripped his coat and pressed my face against his chest to keep from screaming. The pain worsened, and the blood kept bubbling in my mouth.

Peter laid me down, and I chanced taking a look at my stomach. It was covered in blood, but the wound didn't look so bad.

"I'm sorry, Ava," Peter said, his face paler than usual. "I might have to hurt you."

I bit my lip and nodded. I had no choice.

"I have something that might help her, but it'll take at least twenty minutes to work," Eddie said.

Peter pushed him out of the way. "No good. She could bleed out by then; look at her."

He poured cold liquid over my skin as I fell in and out of consciousness. I heard Eddie whispering, but I was losing my grip on reality; his words meant nothing to me.

I felt Eddie clasp my hand; Peter used my own dagger to try and open the wound and force out the bullet which had buried itself inside. I tried not to scream, but I couldn't help it.

"Stop, just leave it," I whimpered, as the hot pain intensified. My fangs shot out, piercing my lip. Blood dribbled down my chin. Eddie wiped it away gently with a wet cloth. It felt like Peter was stabbing me with tiny hot pokers; I couldn't look at him, I just wanted him to stop.

"I'm sorry, I have to do this." The panic in Peter's voice swept over me, and I knew it was more serious than I thought.

"What's wrong with it?" I asked, feeling the fear in the air.

"The surface wound is healing fast, but you have to be bleeding internally. The blood... your mouth... it's not right. The bullet's stuck somewhere it shouldn't be. If I don't get it out, you won't make it. It'll take too much time to get to a hospital; you've already lost so much blood. I have to try."

I closed my eyes and nodded. I had to trust that he knew what he was doing.

Peter used the dagger again to widen the wound. Sweat rolled down my face as he finally used his fingers to stretch the wound enough to let the knife slip behind the bullet and push it out. It felt like hours; hot, probing, jagged pain surged through my body as he struggled with the bullet. I tasted metal in my mouth, saw the room fade in and out of colour.

"It's done," he said at last, looking paler than I probably was, and held up the bullet. "Silver. Lucky you're not a vampire, Ava." Taking a look at all of the blood I'd lost while he cut me, he shook his head. "Lucky you're not a human either."

I gave a shaky laugh and stopped crushing Eddie's hand. He pushed Peter aside and set to work cleaning my wound, using something strong-smelling to patch me up. I saw his hands move swiftly to stitch, but I stopped feeling every little pain. Peter lifted me slightly so Eddie could wrap a clean white bandage right around my midriff. A sharp pain ran right through me, and I grabbed hold of both men. Something slid out of my mouth and fell to the floor with a light thud. I heard a shriek, realised it was me, and lost myself in the darkness.

***

I awoke in the bed to Eddie and Peter whispering by the door.

"Shut up." I licked my lips. "You sound like bees. Annoying."

"You okay?" Peter asked, his face still pale.

I nodded. "Achy. Not as bad."

"I gave you a couple of things that should help. You had some kind of a reaction; maybe it was the bullet, maybe the ointment I used, I'm not sure." Eddie looked puzzled. "You'll be fine as long as you take it easy. No fighting."

I made a noise. "No problem." I tried to stretch and decided that was a bad idea.

"Blood?" Eddie asked.

I scowled at him in answer.

"At least you're feeling better," he said, sighing.

I closed my eyes and listened to the comforting sound of Peter's heartbeat. "I'm thirsty, though; I think I need to eat soon."

"Eddie, cook something for her. I'll stay with her," Peter said.

Eddie looked me over. "You sure you want to chance that?"

Peter nodded, and Eddie left. Peter turned to me, his expression deadly serious. "We need to talk."

# Chapter Six

Daylight streamed into the room. Confused, I stared at the window. "How long was I out?"

"Twelve hours, maybe? Eddie said it was something he gave you. Helps heal, but it's so painful he thought he should help you sleep through it."

"Would've been nice to be asked."

He shrugged. "You would've said no."

I stretched. My limbs felt stiff, and my gut definitely hurt, but I felt okay, all things considered. Maybe a little too okay. "He didn't give me blood again, did he?"

Peter shook his head. He looked exhausted. He wasn't a fan of the blood-drinking, so I doubted he would lie. "Do you remember what happened?"

I felt dizzy and closed my eyes again. I tried to remember, but everything was dim, as if a shadow covered my memories. I struggled to sort through it all. Vampire. Gunshot. Peter. Silver bullet. None of it made sense to me.

"Why were you there?" I asked, suspicion making my words sound harsher than I intended.

"Yvonne warned me something was going on. Something to do with you," he said, helping me as I struggled to sit up properly. I glanced around for my coat, feeling panicked knowing the dagger was away from me, but it hung safely on the back of the door, hopefully with the dagger still intact.

I turned my attention back to Peter. "So, who's Yvonne? Your girlfriend?"

"Yeah, well, no, actually, but she's Daimhín's day assistant, if that's who you mean."

"Right, of course."

Fishing in his pocket, he pulled out his wallet to show me a photo I had once spotted, a little boy who looked a lot like Peter. Peter's heart rate sped up, and I felt my own anxiety increase alongside his.

"This is my son. The woman you're talking about is his aunt. I was in a relationship with her sister. I lived with her family. Now they're all dead. I think it's time we cleared up a few things."

"You don't have to—" I stopped when I saw the look in his eyes.

"Yes. I do. You keep assuming things half right, and that's dangerous. For you."

"What are you talking about, Peter?" My voice croaked, and I felt vulnerable sitting wrapped up in bandages while he finally let me in.

He hesitated. "I didn't think this would be a conversation I'd have with you. I thought you were one of them at first, then I got to know you and saw that you were about five hundred shades of grey." He grinned suddenly. "I still don't get it."

"I don't get it either, Peter. What's with you? You knew I didn't want to work with Daimhín, but you still sent me into that mess, then I find out you're all cosy with her personal assistant. You avoid me for weeks and suddenly you're all white knight when I get shot. What's going on?"

"You're right. I screwed you over. I wanted you to work for Daimhín. I wanted you involved. I needed your help, but I didn't trust you enough to tell you why. Yvonne works for her because I pushed her into it; I wanted her to look for information on who killed her family." His expression turned dark. " _My_ family. These people, these _creatures_ , they don't talk to humans, but if you're in with someone important, then you have a way of finding out things, you know?"

I stared at him, sickened. Now that he was actually being upfront, I was afraid to hear it.

"I need you to understand now," he said. "Who I am, and what I'm prepared to do. You need to know. You're right about some things; I _did_ get you into a lot of this mess. When we first met, I changed my mind and decided to help you because Eddie said you could be the one to help me."

I frowned. "I don't understand. How could Eddie know that?"

He smiled, but his body tensed. "Eddie knows a lot of things."

I felt like I was peeping through somebody's window, but I needed more. Part of me wanted to hurt him, but part of me wanted to understand him. "What _happened_ to you, Peter?"

He closed his eyes while he spoke, rushing his words like he couldn't stop. "Everything I do is about my family, Ava. _Everything_. Lisa and I were too young when we had Emmett. I remember thinking my life was over. I didn't appreciate what I had. I ended up moving in with Lisa's parents. Yvonne hated me; she couldn't wait to leave once I stuck around. She still hates me, actually," he added with a humourless laugh. "Her parents were great to me, though. Treated me like one of their own, even though they thought I messed up their daughter's life."

He paused, and I wasn't sure if he wanted me to speak so I stayed silent and waited.

"One night, Lisa and I were supposed to go out together, but Emmett had a temperature. We argued about it because she wanted to stay home with him. I thought we should still go; we hadn't had any fun in a while. Even her parents said he'd sleep it off. I went out anyway; I was twenty and didn't have a clue. But I stopped sulking after a while and went home to apologise."

His fingers gripped his wallet tight, his knuckles white. "The lights were out. I thought that was weird. Then I tripped over Lisa's dad's body. He and his wife, lying together; I found out later their necks had been broken. I wasn't like this then. I was terrified. I swear, I almost lost my mind right there."

He shook his head and rubbed his cheeks before continuing. "I went upstairs. I don't remember walking, just that I got upstairs and saw Lisa. She was slumped against the wall outside Emmett's room. Her eyes were open, her throat slit, and her blood all over the walls."

He let out a shaky sigh. "I didn't touch her. I needed to find my son. I knew I wasn't going to see him alive; I just didn't want him to be alone. He was just a baby. He couldn't be by himself." His voice cracked, and I thought my heart might break for him.

"I did see him alive, just for a second," he said. "A monster had him. A real monster, a green scaly demon like something you'd see on television, just lifted him out of the cot. I froze, didn't move a muscle. It was like my brain couldn't understand what it was seeing." He shook his head, looking disgusted.

"What happened?" I asked, unable to help myself. Entranced by the story, I saw the real Peter crack through the shell of hate surrounding him.

He looked at me with empty eyes. "Then everything went black. I woke up in an ambulance. Emmett was gone. Nobody believed me about the demon, and they all thought I had killed Lisa and her parents. But there wasn't a speck of blood on me, and the time frame was all off. Still, Yvonne wouldn't talk to me, not even after they took me off the list of suspects."

His laugh was humourless. "At first, I thought I was really insane. Demons? Right. Then I dug around, went places, met Eddie, asked stupid questions, and found out there was this big bad world that couldn't be explained away."

"So that was it? Nobody found him? What about the demon who took him? What was it?"

His jaw clenched. "Not even a trace, not a clue, not a hope of finding what happened to Emmett. Nobody can tell me what the demon might be, doesn't exist, or so they say. But I've been looking ever since. I wouldn't leave Yvonne alone until she let me prove it to her. She wouldn't stay in her parents' house again, so she rents it to me. We only speak to exchange information and try to find a way of getting to whatever took Emmett."

I ran everything through my brain as quickly as I could. "He was alive when you saw him, though. Could they have him still?"

He shook his head, looking more broken than I could put into words. "I'd do anything, _anything_ , for that to be true, but there's no hope anymore. Why would they want him? I just hope he didn't suffer, that it was quick. It's been eight years now. You know, when I found out that these things were real, I went crazy, tried to kill as many of them as I could. I didn't think. I was mad with grief; if I had been at home, I might have stopped it."

"You would have been killed, too, Peter."

He stared into the distance like he had forgotten I was there. "Eddie helped me then, made me see there's a smarter way. That's why I owe him."

I wanted to tell him how sorry I was, but I had a feeling it was something he couldn't hear.

I closed my eyes and thought it over. I was right about him using me, setting me up. What had happened to his family was heartbreaking, so I could understand his motives. I still wasn't sure what Eddie wanted with Peter, but if I could help this man get some kind of closure, then I would do it willingly.

"Why did you tell me this, Peter?" I asked, confused by some of his words.

He moved to the window and stared outside. "I'm not the man I used to be. I've used people without thinking twice. Look at you. You're constantly trying to be the best you can be, but Eddie and I have helped mess up your life completely. I've felt differently about a lot of things lately. I lost my heart a long time ago, Ava, lost any compassion I might have had. I stopped asking for help and just took what I wanted. Sometimes I wonder what they would think of me now, if they would even recognise me."

"I'll help you," I said. "If I find out anything at all, I'll let you know. That's not... I would do that."

"Thank you," he said. "Maybe I should have explained it to you before, but I just couldn't find the words. You have to understand who I am. If I thought murdering a million innocent people would lead me to that demon, I would do it. I'll do whatever it takes to make them pay. Do you see? Do you see what I am now?"

He looked me right in the eye and let me see through his pain and bitterness. I knew he would do whatever it took, but that didn't make him a bad man. I couldn't blame him for feeling the way he did, and at least now I had a why. I couldn't think of Peter as bad, even when I should. He let me know, in his own way, that I could never really trust him, and I appreciated it, despite how much it hurt to accept.

"I've had such trouble with you," he said, almost smiling. "You're part of what I hate, yet you're nothing like them. I feel like we could have been friends, but we only spend time together when something life or death is going on."

"I am like them," I admitted. "I'm thirsty again. It's like, the more stressed out I get, the more like them I become. I feel like there's this darkness in me, and it's getting stronger. I do things, and I don't even know why. I don't trust my own emotions half the time."

"It's the world we live in, Ava. Spend any amount of time here, and it blackens your soul. Ten years ago, I couldn't have ended a life. Now I don't think twice about it. What does that say?"

I got out of the bed to stretch. "It says that we have to make hard decisions sometimes. Right and wrong doesn't seem as clear anymore to me."

He stared out the window again, lost in a memory.

Eddie returned with food. I felt better after eating. My wound was healing nicely, and the pain had toned down. Eddie was right about taking blood. It would help me recover quickly, but I still battled against that kind of thing. I wasn't going to willingly drink blood if I could help it. Eddie told me I was being stubborn to spite myself, but I had to stay human in my own mind.

"What do you think is going on?" Peter asked Eddie. "Since when do vampires use guns?"

Eddie frowned, deep in thought. "A volunteer might have taken the shot."

"I bet it had to do with Gideon _and_ Daimhín," I said, standing to stretch again.

"How do you know?" Peter was back on form, his past pushed into the background.

"Daimhín's been acting strange with me, and Gideon's been sending vampires, and even Becca, to stalk me. To freak me out. Besides, Gideon used to be part of Daimhín's coven."

His brows furrowed. "All we know is Yvonne overheard Daimhín talking about you on the phone. She made it sound like you were going to be attacked, so Carl and I looked for you."

"Carl?"

"Yeah, he's staying with me now," Peter said. "We split up to find you, but we never expected you to get shot."

"Maybe it's a test," Eddie said. "Should they ever come up against you in the future, they'll have a better idea of what you can do, isn't that right?"

"Funny you should say that," I mused. "There's this vampire in Daimhín's place. He's tried to put me under his thrall. Plus, he bit me. I keep feeling like they're trying to see what has an effect on me or something. Daimhín's been giving me weird tasks. She sent me with that vampire for his first feed after a punishment by the Council. Harsh, by the way. She sent vampires to follow us, so she was watching to see what I would do. It's like they all want to know how I'll react."

Peter's sat up straight, a determined expression on his face. "You said this vamp tried to beguile you. Did it work at all? Did anyone stop him?"

"It didn't work; one of the other vampires told me what he was doing. When he bit me, he acted like he enjoyed it. A lot. I didn't expect that." I shuddered. The idea of Jules drinking my blood freaked me out. The memory of his eyes filled with desire for my blood was enough to make me want to go home and lock my doors.

"That's sick." Peter's face paled.

"He liked your blood. How odd." Eddie sounded fascinated. I wanted to snap at him, but a loud bang startled me.

"Someone at the door," Eddie muttered. "I haven't opened the shop yet. Stay here, I won't be long."

When he left the room, Peter looked at me curiously. "They don't like the taste of vampire blood; it's strange that he enjoyed yours."

"Maybe I taste different."

"Could be. Perhaps the way you were made has something to do with it."

I bit my lip. I wanted to tell him, see what he thought, or if he knew anything about it, had ever heard of it happening before. I wanted to know exactly what my grandmother had told him about me.

"Did she tell you how it happened?" I asked.

He looked surprised. "Who? Nancy? No. She wouldn't say."

"I want to tell you." The cold presence blew so hard, my hair whipped across my face.

"Don't," he said, his eyes widening with surprise. "What the hell was that?"

I shrugged. "Something that's been following me around for a while. Keeps me on the straight and narrow."

He opened his mouth to say more, but the door burst open, and a group of broad-shouldered men trooped in. As they grabbed me, I realised they weren't human.

"What's going on?" Peter asked, but he didn't try to help as the men tied my hands behind my back. It didn't feel like rope, but I couldn't see.

Eddie followed them, apologising and begging me not to struggle.

"Ava Delaney, you are under custody of the Council," one of the men said. "My Guardian Circle has been tasked to transport you safely to the cells to await your trial."

"Trial? What the hell?" I struggled weakly, but they were too strong, and my stomach still hurt from the bullet.

Peter looked helpless, while Eddie called after us and told me he would see me soon. Like that was reassuring.

The Guardians half-carried me out to a black car with tinted windows. They pushed me into the backseat, and we sped off. I tried asking questions, but they ignored me, so I eventually gave up. I watched the city pass by, as my stomach churned with anxiety. I didn't know what to do; even if I managed to run, I had a feeling I wouldn't get far.

Two hours later, I was sick of looking at fields and actually felt happy when the car finally pulled in to our destination. There were no buildings around, and for a few minutes I felt certain I was about to be executed.

Two Guardians led me across a field until we reached a mound. One man waved his arm, and the ground opened up below us. We moved briskly underground and then through brightly lit white corridors for what seemed like an hour.

"Where are we going?" I asked, but the men continued to ignore me. I already hated the Council. My stomach and chest burned; I needed more rest before walking so far.

The further we moved, the less chance I had of escaping. We passed no one, and all of the white corridors looked exactly the same. None of the doors were marked, so I had no clue how the Guardians knew where to go. We could have been walking in an endless loop for all I knew.

Finally, we reached the end of a hallway, and I was pushed into a shower room. A towel, a bundle of clothes, and some toiletries were neatly laid out. I showered quickly, removing my bandage gingerly. The wound was healing well, but it still looked awful. A clean bandage was amongst the toiletries, and I wondered how they knew to include it. I did a sloppy job of bandaging my wound, but it had to do.

As soon as I stepped back outside, the Guardians took hold of my arms again. I was led into another room and pushed past numerous cells, all containing sleeping forms. The cell walls were almost see-through, but they shimmered with a distinct magical energy. We stopped at an empty cell; one of the Guardians freed my arms and snapped a metal bracelet on my wrist. It hummed with magic and made me feel a little nauseous.

"This is your tag," he said. "Don't try to remove it if you want to keep your arm."

He pushed me inside, made a sweeping shape in the air, and walked away, leaving me trapped in a translucent box with a private toilet and no sink. It looked like there was nothing keeping me inside, but when I reached out my hand, something shocked me backward.

"No point trying that," a voice to my right said. "Can't be opened from the inside and can't be used against the Guardians. It's pretty perfect, actually."

I glanced at the adjoining cell. A teenage girl sat serenely on a narrow bed with her legs crossed under her. "It's almost bedtime," she said.

"What _is_ this?"

"You should probably lie down now. It hurts to fall."

I had no idea what she was talking about, where I was, or why I was there. Unable to form a complete thought, I sat on the bed. I heard a hissing noise, and all of a sudden found it hard to keep my eyes open. As I succumbed to sleep, I wondered if the spirit had been warning me against the Guardians, or against telling Peter the truth about myself.

***

I woke blurry-eyed and confused. As soon as my focus cleared, I saw the young girl staring at me and remembered where I was.

"Ah." My mouth felt dry and sticky.

"You're awake," she said, her large blue eyes curiously flat.

"Mmm." Words weren't easy.

"You're different from the rest," she noted.

I blinked. She looked human herself. I tried to close my eyes and search outward, but something dulled my extra sense. I caught a brief glimpse of something blue, something human but not, and felt like a wall fell on me so I stopped in a hurry. I touched my stomach, still padded by a bandage. The pain was manageable, but I wouldn't forget it in a hurry.

"Are you hurt?"

"I'm okay," I said. "Got into a fight with a sneaky vampire."

An alarm sounded, and I felt the occupants of the other cells stir. None seemed as awake as the young girl. A shaft in the wall opened and displayed a tray with a bottle of water and some food, along with a bag of blood on the side that I did my best to ignore. I drank the water willingly, feeling a little more normal again.

"I'm Leah," the girl said. "What's your name?"

"Ava," I replied, feeling more curious about Leah than anything else. "Are you on trial, too?" She didn't answer, so I ate a little food and looked around, wondering where I could put the leftovers.

"They clear out the cells while we sleep, just leave it on the floor."

I did as she said. "Leah, why are you here?" I persisted.

She stared at me with sad eyes. "They don't know where else to put me."

I hesitated and searched her eyes for something that might explain the statement, but then I felt drowsy again and lay down. I hadn't felt tired a few seconds before; out of nowhere, I could barely open my eyes. I struggled against the sudden fatigue but lost myself eventually.

I dozed on and off for an age, although it could have been seconds for all I knew. The girl was wide awake each time I opened my eyes, but the rest of the cells seemed still.

After a time, my head cleared long enough for me to sit up again. I looked at Leah, hoping she could answer the question that wouldn't form clearly in my mind.

"It's the food," she said. "It keeps everyone compliant, but you seem to be fighting it better than most."

That made sense. At least, the first part did. I wasn't feeling like I was able to fight it at all. I decided not to eat the next meal that arrived.

The silence was eerie; the Guardians didn't check on us, and Leah was the only one alert. I could barely see the occupants of the other cells; they all lay barely moving on their cots. I began to get my thoughts together, but I still didn't have any idea of what was going on. Or what would happen next.

"Where are we?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. My words slurred together a little, but I felt much better than before.

"The holding cells. This is where everyone goes before they see the Council. They don't stay long, but I'm not sure where they take them once they leave here."

I noted the paleness of her skin. "Exactly how long have you been here, Leah?"

She shrugged and turned away. "Dunno."

"What... what are you?" There was no way of asking the question politely.

She looked back at me, and her eyes widened. "I'm human. What are you?"

I laughed. "I've no idea." I couldn't stop laughing, and I must have scared Leah because she lay down and pretended to sleep.

I lay on the bed awkwardly. Whatever Eddie had given me for pain had worn off, but I tried to think things through. There were no windows, so we were either underground, or they needed to house nocturnal beings. I guessed underground. The Guardians had mentioned me going on trial, but for what? Fighting with vampires? Working with them? I cursed Eddie for not telling me more about the Council when he had the chance.

I caught Leah sneaking a look at me. "Aren't you lonely?" I asked.

She sat up and bit her bottom lip. "Nothing lasts forever."

I tried asking her why she was in a holding cell. She refused to answer, and I got tired of pushing. Maybe I was interested because it distracted me from my problems. Still, Leah claimed to be human, and she wasn't an adult, so what did the Council want with her?

No food came for a while, and I almost felt back to normal.

"They must be taking you outside," Leah said, but her voice had a tremor to it. She had been biting her nails, and I could sense her agitation. She paced her cell like a caged animal, looking up and down the hall over and over again.

"I wonder if they're taking you to trial today," she said, her voice trembling still.

"Maybe," I said. Leah's frantic nail-chewing ramped up until even I was on edge. Soon, a group of Guardians came and, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Leah wring her hands together anxiously.

"Let's go," one said. "You've got a visitor."

They released me from the cell, and Leah spoke under her breath. "It was nice to meet you, Ava."

I didn't have time to wonder at her words because the Guardians let me out. To my surprise, they took me in the opposite direction from the one I'd arrived and led me upward into an ordinary looking building interior. I inhaled deeply, the fresh air a welcome relief.

The Guardians pushed me into a small room that held only a table and two chairs. I waited for a long time, my mind going into overdrive now that I was away from the suffocating cell. I tried to open the door, but it was locked from the outside. I could hear some heartbeats close by so I knew I was still guarded. Maybe they thought I could actually find my way out of the maze of identical hallways.

I tried to use my other senses again, but it was like my abilities were smothered by some kind of heavy magic. It didn't smell like Eddie's magic, but it clung to my skin, leaving a clammy sensation. The spirit hadn't come near me since the Guardians had taken me, and I had to wonder if something was stopping it.

I hadn't eaten in a while, so I could only blame my hunger on the sudden burst of happiness I felt when the door opened, and Eddie walked into the room bearing coffee, food, and painkillers.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked after he had redressed my bandage, tutting the entire time at the bad job I'd done. I held up a small green pill warily. It stank.

"Just take it. It's strong, so it'll last a few days. By then you should be fine. The wound is healing nicely, although not as well as it might."

I ignored the hint about blood and swallowed the tablet obediently, wrinkling my nose at the taste. He handed over the food and still warm coffee.

"Thanks," I said after I devoured everything he set in front of me.

"You shouldn't eat their food," he warned.

"Yeah, got that. So, why are you here? Why am I here?"

"From what I can gather, your existence has been brought to the attention of the Council. Gideon has made some accusations, and the Guardians took you in for an immediate trial. I've been with the Council for hours discussing this." He pinched the bridge of his nose, and I realised how tired he looked. "I'm speaking for you at the trial, and I've persuaded them to give you a pre-trial hearing. We need time to counter the accusations, and the hearing will give us a chance to find out exactly what the vampires are up to."

When I raised an eyebrow, he placed his palms on the table. "I know we aren't always on the best of terms, Ava. But this time, you need me. They trust me; they'll at least listen to me before making their decision."

"Decision on what?" I felt like I had missed something huge.

"Whatever it is you're being accused of. I have an idea, but we'll see at the hearing. You would probably have been charged by now if it wasn't for me."

He looked like I should be jumping for joy. Instead, I felt like I'd been thrown into a cesspit. Every single time I thought I was over the worst, something even worse happened. Eddie was my only link to the outside world and, for that, I supposed I had to be grateful.

"Um, thanks, I guess. For helping me with whatever the hell is going on. So, what, you people have actual trials?"

Eddie frowned. "More like 'us' people now, Ava. We _are_ civilised. Really. We have laws and courts, different from humans, of course. Our kind could never be tried by humans. It wouldn't work. We have a system and, if you know how to play that system, you'll do fine."

I sighed. There was never a straight path to the end. "So what now? What happens? What do I do? Should I try running?"

He shook his head vehemently, his face paling. "Never try to run from the Council, Ava. You'll never know a moment's peace again. Let's just see what happens first. In a few days, you'll make your first appearance. I'll try to get some time to figure out how Gideon plans on playing this one. _I_ speak, Ava. I take care of this. If you go running in all guns blazing..."

"I get it, Eddie. I'm not crazy."

"Depends who you ask." He smiled, looking almost fatherly for a second. "We'll take care of this, Ava, but you must know something. They're accusing you of being a daywalker."

"So?"

He caught his breath. "That isn't a good thing, child. Gideon's effectively outing you here. There's no going back now, Ava. This is your world, but not everyone will welcome you. They're concerned with upsetting the natural balance. I might not be able to convince them that you aren't a danger."

"How could I be a danger? I'm not even as strong as a vampire!"

He leaned forward and looked me in the eye. "Trust me when I tell you how serious this is, Ava. After this is over, you and Nancy are going to sit down and have a conversation about your family. I'll make sure everything is explained, I promise. But for now, let's focus on what's important here—making sure the Council doesn't find you guilty."

I tried not to panic. The Council was one thing, having an actual conversation with my grandmother was quite another. I decided to take his advice and concentrate on the bigger picture.

"Fine, it's a big deal. So if this Council finds me... guilty of stuff, then what happens?"

His eyes narrowed. "Then, Ava, then they'll sentence you. They could imprison you for eternity. They could execute you. You have to understand how serious this is."

I opened my mouth to protest, when the door opened, and a Guardian demanded Eddie leave. Eddie glared at the Guardian, slowly rose to his feet, then gazed at me for a few seconds before leaving. The door slammed shut, leaving me alone.

My thoughts spun rapidly, never giving me a chance to relax. I was screwed, royally screwed. Councils, trials, executions—I could disappear, and nobody would know what happened. By the time the Guardians came to return me to my cell, I wanted to throw up. At least when the vampires wanted to kill me, I had been able to fight back in some way. Now I had to sit around and wait and see if the whims of complete strangers would kill me or cage me.

Two Guardians led me back into the stark white hallways that led downward. They never spoke, but their fingers pinched into my arms as though they hated me. I was lost within minutes; even if I managed to break free of the Guardians, I would probably end up running through white corridors for the rest of my life.

A loud siren screeched, and it sounded as if all hell had broken loose. The Guardians threw me onto the ground as a loud bang in the distance rocked the walls. My head smacked against the floor; I lay where I fell, weighed down by two large men who pretty much knelt on my back.

They muttered to each other rapidly in an language I had never heard, but I could sense their fear. They stank of it. I had no idea what was going on, but they seemed to realise the alarms weren't anything to do with me and finally eased off a bit.

"Yeah, thanks for that," I snapped, as they pulled me to my feet. The men pushed me against the wall and kept me pinned there until the lights went out. The dark was claustrophobic, suffocating. There was no light at all, only myself and two strangers in a hallway.

One of the Guardians had a small torch and managed to provide a tiny light. "Come," he said. "This way."

They led me through a doorway I couldn't even see and left me alone in the dark. I heard them lock the door behind them. I couldn't see a thing, so I inched my way around the room as carefully as possible and found a chair.

The lights stayed out but, in the distance, I heard shouts. After a while, I heard the sound of footsteps running on the other side of the door. I eventually dozed off in the chair. I awoke some time later with a sore neck and a rumbling stomach.

As soon as the door opened, I jumped to my feet. Some tired-looking Guardians led me back to the cell, passing by white walls that now had cracks running through them.

"Redecorating?" I quipped, but the group ignored me.

The floor was covered in dust and plaster. Leah's cell was conspicuously empty, and her tag lay bent apart on the floor of her cell.

I laughed out loud. "Wow, did the kid break out? Some Guardians you lot are."

One of the Guardians growled in my ear and grabbed me by the scruff of the neck. He threw me onto the bed and stormed off. The remaining three double-checked all of the cells. The rest of the inmates were sleeping as usual; they'd probably slept through everything.

I lay on the bed and waited, only to laugh again at the idea of Leah managing to not only escape, but to find her way out of the maze. No wonder she had been restless and agitated.

A part of me was sad. I was totally alone without her, even though we had exchanged few words. The next time food was dropped, I didn't eat, although I felt half-starved. I banked on Eddie returning with some real food.

I wondered about Leah. It was better than thinking about my own problems, but I couldn't avoid them forever. My stomach hurt, and I almost regretted not drinking blood like Eddie had advised. Once again, I was out of my league. I couldn't see a way out. I didn't know their laws; I didn't even know what I was being charged with.

I sorely regretted not slapping Becca for her part in this. The more I thought about it, the more convinced I became that I had been set up for something.

I understood why Gideon would have it in for me, although when I had been at Maximus's mansion, it hadn't seemed like his coven members were particularly loyal. Daimhín couldn't seem to make up her mind about me.

I could defend myself against a lot of things, but my own heritage wasn't something I could easily explain away. After all, I knew little about it myself.

My grandmother had told me the bare minimum, that my mother had been pregnant when she and my father were attacked. He died, but she had managed to make it to my grandmother's house. She gave birth to me and died soon after explaining to my grandmother that I needed to be hidden, for both our sakes.

I had no birth certificate, not a real one anyway, and I'd spent most of my life pretending I was normal. I didn't know exactly what I was, why I was created and what it meant for my future.

For the first time, I really regretted my grandmother's relative silence regarding my creation. She told me the same few sentences anytime I asked, but she never went into details. I hadn't liked to push her on something that obviously gave her pain.

But I had a lot of questions; like how my mother knew exactly what would happen to me, how she knew I would be different and need protecting. The weirdest part was how my grandmother was persuaded to believe her, to hide me away, stay away from hospitals and, most important of all, take part in illegal activity by procuring a fake birth certificate to get me into school.

Remembering what Eddie had said about having a conversation with Nancy, I sat up straight on the bed. Now that I had time to think about it, he had sounded like there was something I needed to hear.

Before I could begin to wrap my head around the possibilities, some Guardians returned, this time with a new prisoner. A small man was carried in, kicking and screaming, his dark curls sticking to his forehead. I couldn't understand what he was saying, but the faces of the Guardians were blank, completely devoid of emotion.

The man was already tagged, and he tore at it frantically. When the Guardians stopped moving outside an empty cell at the end of the room, the prisoner changed tactics and clung to the nearest Guardian instead. "I won't!" he screamed. The terror in his voice sent shivers down my spine. One of the Guardians peeled the man off his colleague, carried the prisoner inside the cell, and pinned him to the bed.

The man stopped squirming and lay there. I could hear his panting clearly. Satisfied, the Guardian turned to leave the cell, but the man beat him to it and tried to run. He was struck over the head by one of the Guardians, and they dragged him by the feet back into the cell. He clawed at the ground, his eyes wide with fear. I stood on my bed trying to see what they would do.

They gathered around him, punching and kicking as he screamed out in pain. I couldn't stand it.

"Stop it!" I yelled, and they all turned around to look at me. The man, his face swollen and bloody, caught my gaze and nodded. Then he ripped open his sleeve with his teeth and put something into his mouth before the Guardians could stop him.

I watched as his body convulsed, and blood poured from his eyes and ears. He collapsed to the ground, and the Guardians all left the cell. I fell off the bed in shock. As the Circle passed my cell, I heard one of them mutter something about a cleanup crew.

For the first time, I truly feared the Council.

# Chapter Seven

I didn't eat at all on the day of the hearing. I wasn't just nervous; I had gotten myself into a knot of twisted anger and hate at the unfairness of it all. I had been left to mull things over for too long, and that time had given me an embittered perspective.

Before the hearing, I was given a cream linen dress and told to wear it with nothing on my feet or in my hair. I had to walk to the hearing barefooted, my hair swinging around my face. In the dark, they led me to an outside structure that resembled a three-sided marquee.

It was so good to be outside, to feel fresh air on my skin; I almost forgot to be afraid. The wind whipped around my ankles as we crossed the grass but, under the marquis, it was warm, well-lit, and protected—no wind, no cold, nothing except still air and eyes filled with animosity.

There were few people at the hearing. The Guardians led me to a ring of scorched earth in the centre of the marquis.

"What's this about?" I asked, not expecting an answer, which was lucky, because I didn't get one. The Guardians pushed me into the circle then quickly retreated. I flinched as a ring of flames lit up around me. Eddie had told me not to run, as if he had sensed me mentally preparing for the worst possible outcomes. Now I couldn't fight my way out without getting burned. Great.

A number of people entered the structure. Once again, I tried to use my other senses, but I couldn't let myself go; there was still some sort of block. The suffocating frustration made me panic, and I resorted to counting rapidly in my head.

I watched Eddie arrive and hoped he would stand next to me and tell me what was happening. He stopped to speak with a stocky woman and a tall, muscular, chocolate-skinned man. Two other men appeared to be listening to the conversation, although they stood apart, and I realised I was missing a heartbeat. One of the men looked ancient, older than Daimhín even, his dried-out skin and lack of pulse declaring him a vampire. I couldn't make myself look at the other man; my skin crawled, but I had no idea why.

All four strangers sat together in a row of chairs to my right. Eddie approached me briefly, but only to tell me to be quiet and let him talk. I fidgeted with the tag on my arm until a female Guardian standing behind me hissed for me to stop.

A few minutes later, a group of vampires stormed in like they owned the place. I glared at the blond vampire who had helped torture me along with Maximus, sending seething hatred in his direction. By the way the others fawned over him, I guessed he was Gideon.

Gideon grinned at me while the others heckled and laughed. Bristling, I stared back at them, daring them to come closer. I badly wanted an excuse to fight.

"Forget about them, they're just trying to get a rise out of you." This time the Guardian's voice was softer.

I looked around to see that she was a dark-skinned woman with almond-shaped eyes and corkscrew curls pinned back into a loose bun. "The Council will be here shortly," she informed me, then looked away. Of all of the Guardians I had come across over the last couple of days, she was the only one who had voluntarily spoken to me.

Before long, a number of Guardians led four people over to my left.

"Here's the Council now," said the woman behind me. My mouth dropped open as I realised one of them was Gabe. He was part of the Council?

Gabe glanced at me as he passed, but his eyes were blank and his face was expressionless. He was followed closely by a haughty-looking man with blond hair and bluish lips. I had no idea what he could be.

"That's Gabe and Erossi," the female Guardian whispered. "The other two are the important ones, Fionnuala and Koda. Stay quiet unless they ask you to speak, and you'll be okay."

An old man who looked almost transparent passed by next. He smiled at me, but his eyes faded in and out of colour so much that I felt dizzy. A woman, Fionnuala, I assumed, followed him. Tall and slim, she held the attention of the room. I couldn't get a read off her either. I was surprised at how dependant I'd grown on that extra sense and how frustrating it was to not be able to use it. Gabe and Erossi sat in huge chairs, while the older man, Koda, knelt before them, and Fionnuala perched on a stool. It didn't look official to me, but the air was taut with a tense atmosphere. I just knew I would do something wrong.

Fionnuala stared directly at me for a few moments, and no one spoke. I squirmed, uncomfortable, but she kept looking, finally cocking her head to the side like an inquisitive little sparrow.

"We are here for the hearing of one Ava Delaney, accused by the vampire coven now led by the one known as Gideon. You are Ava Delaney?"

I nodded.

"You use a surname? A human title?" Her eyes narrowed, and her tone was one of accusation.

"Yes, of course."

"The accusations are serious, and include murder and treason. How do you plead?"

"Uh... not guilty?"

"Indeed. You have only just appeared on the grid, so your word is unworthy. We, the Council, were granted our positions in order to keep peace and balance amongst the otherworldly creatures in this country. We are few enough that the actions of one can upset the whole. The rules are clear; _it_ is a danger and must be disposed of. Immediately."

"It?" Christ, I couldn't help myself. "I'm a person!"

She wrinkled her nose as if discovering a bad smell. Maybe I did smell bad to others, just like the vampires gave off a noticeable stench to me.

Eddie stood—about time too, I thought—and spoke in a high, regal sort of voice. It all seemed very dramatic. "I speak for her."

Fionnuala sighed. "Of course you do."

Gideon let out a scornful laugh that was followed by titters from his followers.

Eddie ignored them. "The accusations made by that creature are false. Fionnula, I demand a trial. This girl has done nothing to warrant execution, or even imprisonment for that matter."

She glared at him, like he was daring something she had forbidden. The human woman beside Eddie nodded. The black man did the same.

Fionnuala glanced at Gabe, who inclined his head slightly. "Fine," she said. "In a week's time, the trial will begin. If you speak for her, arrange her testimony. As should the vampires," she added, narrowing her eyes at Gideon.

"What do the vampires accuse her of?" the transparent old man asked.

"Koda, we accuse her of instigating war, deliberately exposing us to humans, murder, treason, and the worst charge of all, being a daywalker." Gideon waved his arms around.

A gasp rose around the room. And no wonder, Gideon had made it sound like I was a mass murderer or something. It seemed like Gabe and Eddie were the only ones who didn't react.

Koda looked me over with a small smile on his lips. "This little thing managed all of that? Very well. This better be good, Gideon."

"This creature betrayed us. She murdered a few of our number while we were busy settling a dispute with another coven. She came into our home under light of day and murdered our leader. A few nights ago, she killed again, publicly. She carries a dagger, one that kills us almost instantly. She is a threat to us; she must die."

"A weapon like that is uncommon." Gabe folded his arms. "Next we'll hear she's some sort of ninja assassin." He rolled his eyes as if bored.

"Perhaps she has a vendetta," Gideon said, ignoring the laughter at Gabe's remark.

"Why have we not heard of this one?" Fionnuala's hair sparked around her. "She has hidden in the shadows, perhaps she was underground. _Perhaps_ she is a Féinics."

"You are too paranoid, Fionnuala," Eddie said, but the way his heart raced gave me pause. "She fights for no rebel cause; remember, she was raised by a human."

"Then why does she fight at all?" Gideon sounded like he was enjoying himself.

"Hold on a second," I protested, almost forgetting about the flames and running straight through them. "You all attacked me first. Maximus kidnapped my grandmother and tortured me to find out how to make an army of people like me. You tortured me too, you dick!" The lack of sleep didn't do me any favours. Eddie gestured wildly, urging me to sit down.

Fionnuala's frown deepened, and I felt something malevolent in the air. Thunder rolled in the sky until Koda touched her shoulder gently.

"I'm sorry. She means no disrespect. She's recovering from a recent... injury and is still on painkillers. What she means to say is she was justified in defending herself. Gideon's coven did kidnap her grandmother," Eddie covered. "They tortured Ava to force her to reveal how she was created and only let her go when Daimhín interfered and took Ava into her employment."

"Hold on, she's Daimhín's employee?" Koda asked, leaning forward with interest.

"Yes," Gideon butted in. "They both should be punished. They have upset the balance. Daimhín probably created her. The mongrel changes everything just by existing. We can't let her go around destroying our kind. It's not like we can create any more of us." Wow, Gideon totally sold Daimhín out.

"Wait a minute!" I jumped when I heard Peter's voice from the other end of the marquis, I didn't realise he had attended, or even that he would have been allowed. "Gideon's been injecting humans with a formula meant to trigger the change, just like Maximus before him. That's against the law. That's what's upsetting the balance. Ask him about that!"

The Council collectively appeared interested, but Koda was the one who spoke. "Bring me proof, Brannigan. Then I can do something about it." He stared meaningfully at Peter, whose face grew determined.

"Why did you kill Max? In daylight, without a fair fight?" Erossi asked.

I shrugged. "Daimhín told me to do it that way. He deserved it anyway."

"For kidnapping your grandmother or torturing you?" Gabe looked at the other Council members. "We should speak on this."

After a long whispered discussion, Koda spoke for the other Council members.

"This case is more complicated than we first anticipated. Therefore, we are allowing one full week for both sides to bring forth a full and detailed account of each incident."

Gideon leapt to his feet. "We don't need a week, Koda!" For the first time, he lost the cocky look on his face.

"I don't care what you need. This is what you're getting. Both of you," he added sternly, looking from me to Gideon.

"But she'll remain in custody?" Gideon asked, almost pleadingly.

"No, there's no reason for that. She will remain under the custody of one of our consultants; therefore, we know she will be back for the trial."

Eddie got to his feet. "Of course, Koda. She can stay with me, and I'll keep my eye on her and make sure she arrives on time."

Unsure if that was a better solution than being imprisoned, I glanced up at Eddie. He had lost the stress line on his forehead so I figured the hearing had gone better than he expected. Or at least, no worse.

The Council all stood, Fionnuala declaring the proceedings over. Most of the observers left, each of them making sure to get a good look at me. The circle of fire died away, setting me free, and the remaining Guardians dragged me back to the building. They were rough about it, even though I was allowed leave.

One of them, a broad-shouldered man with glassy black eyes, pushed me into a room and followed me in. He stood by the door and waited.

"This is the bit where you let me go," I said, more than ready to leave.

He kept his focus on me, and I could have sworn I felt insects crawling all over me. A wave of nausea hit me when I tried to look into his eyes again. Wrapping my arms around myself, I kept as far away from him as possible and waited for Eddie.

The door opened after a couple of minutes, but only so someone could hand in my clothes. The Guardian threw them at me. "Change," he said, and I dropped my things to the floor in fright. His voice did something to me, something bad, and he knew it.

With trembling fingers, I picked up the clothes, realising too late that he planned on watching me dress. Humiliated, I avoided his eyes and threw my clothes on as quickly as possible. I felt myself withdraw, felt numbers come to the tip of my tongue. I shook myself mentally. No more scared little girl.

I looked the Guardian in the eyes, ignoring the shuddering awfulness in the blackness, and made a scornful noise. The smirk dancing on the corners of his lips vanished.

"I hope that was more thrilling for you than me," I said. "I'm sure the next time we're alone will be far more exciting."

He gripped my shoulder and pushed me outside the room. I expected to come up out of the ground, but the headquarters of the Council seemed to be a warren of entrances and hidden rooms. Finally, we made it to a set of double doors that led outside. Glancing around, I saw we were surrounded by unfamiliar countryside. Without a word, the Guardian released the tag from my wrist and waited in front of the doors. I stood a few paces away from him, shivering with cold, until Eddie and Peter pulled up. I got into the car without a word.

My favourite coat lay on the seat, and I gathered it in my arms, smiling when I felt the comforting shape of the dagger. I looked back at the building, seeing it now looked like a disused barn. The black-eyed Guardian still stood in front of it, staring at the car.

"Exactly how much trouble would I be in if I went back to murder him?" I was only half-joking.

"Guardians giving you a hard time, huh?" Peter asked.

"Something like that." I wasn't about to tell him I had to undress in front of one of them.

"Ava, don't even joke about something like that. It's big trouble you're in. Don't you get it?" As usual, Eddie had to put a damper on the one thing keeping me going. Revenge.

"I know I'm in trouble. They're all freaked out about the daywalker thing. How come?"

"They don't know what to do with you." Eddie's words sparked a memory. Leah had pretty much said the same thing about herself. "It isn't often they're faced with the likes of you," he continued in his pleasant lilt. I almost liked him when he spoke that way; it made me forget what he was capable of.

"The likes of me? What _is_ the likes of me?"

Eddie sighed. "That's what they're trying to find out. You have to understand, the Council is ancient, made out of necessity. The rules are archaic, mostly. You have to fit in, or know how to play the rules. Lucky for you, I consult, so I know the rules."

"I shouldn't have to play by the rules. I'm not in the wrong!" The whole thing frustrated me.

"But you see, that's the thing. By the rules, you _are_ in the wrong. Lack of knowledge is not an excuse. They have to make their point with you. I think I'll be able to talk them around; they won't put up much of a fight." I sensed his tension. There had to be a but coming.

"But..." I tried to help.

"But, I can't do much about your genetics, and that is your biggest problem. That is the one thing that could kill you." The strain in Eddie's voice was obvious. "I'll play it down, but I'll be the only one."

We all fell silent. I gazed out of the window, seeing plenty of nondescript fields. I had no idea where we were, or even what time it was. Being in a windowless room had screwed up my system. I thought over the hearing. It had been a mess of confusing phrases and opinions.

"Féinics," I said, remembering. "Fionnuala called me a phoenix? What was that all about?"

"Fionnuala's paranoid about rebel sects. That's not your concern; you have plenty of other things to worry about."

"The other stuff is bullshit, if you ask me," Peter said.

"What do you mean?" I had done the things they accused me of. Well, mostly, but in context, I had had no choice.

"None of it fits. Anyone else apart from you, and the charges would have been laughed at. Vampires sort this stuff out amongst themselves. Fionnuala should have locked Gideon up for wasting their time. So why did he even take up the charges against Ava?"

"To bring up the daywalker issue," Eddie responded.

"Exactly. He wants her out of the way, or maybe as a distraction. It'll take any steam off his arse about the human testing he's been involved in." Peter sounded confident. I didn't doubt his theory too much. Gideon had looked altogether too smug at the hearing.

"You know, Eloise kept dropping hints that make me think I'd been set up somehow," I said, drumming my fingers on the dagger. It sparked blue at my touch.

"Who's Eloise?" Peter asked.

"The child vampire," I told him. "Gideon was one of the vampires who helped Maximus, when they... when I was there. Thing is, there was a whole lot of atmosphere between Maximus and his coven. Most of them were barely obeying him; it was a bit unsteady. I don't get why he would want to avenge Maximus, or whatever; he didn't exactly seem to like him. Plus, Gideon used to be part of Daimhín's coven."

"This is making more sense," Peter said. "Maybe Gideon wanted his own coven, maybe he left Daimhín because he knew there was no chance of promotion."

"Or she sent him away," Eddie butted in. "Perhaps he gained too much favour within her coven, or perhaps she sent him out to spy on Maximus."

"I'm betting on that one." Peter's voice rose in excitement. "Gideon leaves Daimhín to spy on Maximus and stirs up shit in the coven. Maximus is put to sleep, so Gideon takes over and gets a taste of power, maybe thinks Maximus was on to something all along. Maybe he's using Ava to take down Daimhín in a way that keeps his hands clean."

"But remember who ordered Ava to kill Maximus," Eddie said.

"The same person who made us leave Ava with Maximus for an entire night. The one who made sure she had reason for revenge. And what came of it? They pushed Ava to her limits and found out blood heals her rapidly." Peter looked around at me. "Has this whole thing been a set up?"

I was lost in a swirl of memories and conversations. Some barely remembered recollections were connecting and becoming more concrete.

"Arthur told me not to trust anyone. I think he was right. All of these bullshit jobs have been like tests, like they're all seeing what I can do, what I can withstand. They're looking for my weaknesses, seeing what they can set me up for. And I've been the idiot who let them have a front seat."

"Perhaps it would be wise to play down your injury," Eddie said slowly. "If anyone asks, it was a flesh wound. No penetration. The silver bullets could have been a test, too."

"Yeah, that too. I mean, the vampire kept pulling back at first. I couldn't understand why he didn't just go for it." I groaned. "I am so bloody stupid. Daimhín gave me directions straight to Maximus's room. It wasn't locked; there were very few guards or humans around. It was too damn easy, and I was so grateful, I didn't even think twice to consider how suss it looked. I just wanted him dead. And they banked on that."

The car swerved a little. "Sorry," Peter said. "This is our fault, Eddie. We got her into this mess, and they just ran with it. We have to fix this."

I swore inwardly. How could I not see everything that was right in front of me? I was so glad for the chance to get rid of Maximus that I let myself get tangled further in the schemes of a couple of vampires. I saw everything through new eyes and wanted to scream at my own stupidity.

"Daimhín never wanted to kill me, did she? She just wanted Maximus to think that, to push him. Gideon was probably whispering in his ear the whole time. And his vampires, they didn't do anything to me for a while, just followed me around, intimidated me. Becca and Daimhín tried to make me afraid of them so I was on edge. They provoked me until I reacted, and I fell for it!" It was all so obvious now that I could see the big picture. Daimhín hadn't saved me. She'd used me to get her own way, and now I was going to die for her.

"Pretty good plan really," Peter said. "If Daimhín had killed Maximus, she would have had to face the Council and explain herself. That nearly always brings up other deceits. This way, she has her coven, and her biggest opponent is dead; their coven is smaller, and her own little bitch is in charge of them."

"Except he isn't really her bitch anymore," I reminded him. "He sold her out, too, at the hearing."

"Bet Daimhín didn't expect that," Peter said. I gave a little laugh, but I wasn't amused. They were all a bunch of devious animals, and I was stuck in the middle.

"Investigating Daimhín will also keep the Council busy." Eddie sounded thoughtful. "Gideon might be smarter than we thought."

"He keeps the Council busy for a while. Why? To do what?" I wondered aloud.

"Did you see how pissed he was when I brought up what he's doing to humans?" Peter said. "I reckon there's something happening with that. Something big. He needs the Council to be distracted. Maybe they're already suspicious, and he wants them on a bigger trail. Or maybe he wants Daimhín caught up in this trial to do something under her nose. I bet it's to do with the formula they're injecting in humans. If we could get some of it and show the Council, they would have to investigate him fully."

"Keep out of that, Peter. It's none of our business." Eddie's voice rose in anger, but I didn't understand what Peter had said to provoke his rage.

"The Council should know he can't be trusted," Peter argued.

"There's nothing we can do about that." Eddie raised his hands. "Let's figure out how to battle the accusations against Ava."

"What's the point?" I said. "I can't change how I was made."

Eddie looked at me. "Ava, they'll ask you about your heritage, your creation."

"I won't tell them anything," I said stubbornly.

"You won't have a choice. The truth may be revealed before you're ready for it." Eddie's eyes softened. "Prepare yourself for surprises, Ava. The Council has a way of exposing the truth."

"We'll see." I folded my arms, unwilling to discuss it. I'd gotten tortured to try and make me reveal my heritage; it hadn't worked. I hadn't gone through that only to reveal all to the next group of supernatural beings who asked.

"Don't worry, Ava. I'll figure this out for you. I'll make sure you stay safe." Eddie sounded kind, but I knew he wasn't as unassuming as he sounded. I wasn't sure what his idea of safe was, but it definitely wasn't parallel to mine.

# Chapter Eight

As soon as I stepped into Eddie's shop, I felt trapped. I was under his custody; I couldn't leave, couldn't get away from him. That sucked. Peter had driven off as soon as we got out of the car but arranged to meet us the next day. Being alone with Eddie was instantly uncomfortable. A lot of unresolved tension wedged between us.

"I need to sleep," I said. "I didn't get much... back there."

"Understandable. Head on up to your room."

I raised my eyebrows, disliking the word _your_.

"Goodnight, Ava. We'll sort this out tomorrow." He gestured toward the stairs.

Once upstairs, the cool presence returned, and I was surprised by my relief. It breathed softly on my cheek as I lay in the giant bed, staring at the ceiling, too stressed to fall asleep.

Everything was spiralling out of control, and I couldn't keep a handle on any of it. Being around people, having to adhere to supernatural rules I didn't know existed, and trying to keep up with all of the underhanded drama and backstabbing overwhelmed me.

My biggest problem was lack of knowledge. I knew hardly anything about the supernatural world, and it was about time that changed. Maybe if I learned a few things, I might figure out just what to do next.

The next day dragged until Eddie closed the shop, and Peter and Carl turned up. All four of us gathered around the shop's counter and sipped coffee.

"You okay?" Carl asked me. I shrugged. Nothing truly awful had happened to me, but I couldn't say I was okay; well, at least I wasn't dead.

Carl scratched the back of his head, and I remembered the last time we spoke had turned into a big row.

"Sorry about before," I said, knowing he was unsure whether to bring it up or not.

"It was my fault." He shook his head. "I felt like shit when I heard what happened to you. Maybe we shouldn't try living together again."

I returned his grin and felt better. The air between us had been cleared.

Peter snapped his fingers. "Okay, Brady Bunch, can we get on with things now?"

"Don't start. I could be put down like a dog in a week's time. I think I have a right to take a minute to—"

"You're not going to be put down!" Peter interrupted, but he didn't sound so sure.

"Yeah, right. Like this Council gives a crap about what's right and wrong. There was a girl in the cell next to me. I think she escaped, but she was just a kid. How can they keep a kid there?" I mumbled, half to myself.

Peter and Eddie exchanged glances. I wondered if I was counting aloud. I wasn't sure why I had fixated on Leah. Maybe because I felt indignant on her behalf, and it was better than focusing on my own stuff.

"And that kid vampire who follows Daimhín around. Who turns a kid into a vampire? What kind of scummy things am I dealing with here?"

"It's going to be okay," Eddie said, trying to reassure me.

"Oh, yeah, I should listen to you. You sold me out the last time I listened to you."

He waved the air as if to brush over the fact. "That's not how it happened. We planned on handing you over, remember? Paying off a debt was just a handy bonus."

I looked at him in disgust. "Is that an apology? Christ." I leaned my head on my hands. I had no idea what to do next. If Eddie was my best bet, then I was screwed.

"Alright," I said, swallowing back an insistent wave of panic. "Tell me."

Eddie looked confused. "Tell you what?"

"Everything. The Council, their rules, how their trials work. Everything you should have told me before that might have kept me out of this mess. Right now, I need facts. I need to know what I'm going to do. I need to know what my chances are."

"You're right," Eddie said. "I should have told you more. I honestly didn't expect them to entertain Gideon."

Peter slammed his cup down. "You knew about him?"

"I knew he was up to something, but I thought Ava could handle it."

"Are you kidding me?" Peter's expression said I couldn't handle anything.

Eddie took a step closer to me. "Maybe you should give her a bit of credit."

I was about to open my mouth to tell them both to shut up, but Carl beat me to it. It was amusing to see how startled they were; they had gotten used to him falling asleep and being incapable of taking part in conversations.

"Give it a rest. This isn't helping Ava. Let's figure this out, okay?"

I rested my hands on the counter, needing to get the conversation back on track. "Eddie, what's going to happen? After the trial, how do they make their decision?"

"It depends on Gideon, and how big a case he makes against you. If you could discredit him, then the attention would turn from you. The biggest problem is what you are, but if we can distract them from that, it could go in your favour."

"So, let's do it," Peter said.

"Do what?" Carl asked.

"Discredit Gideon. We know he's involved in illegal human testing, so we need to get our hands on some of the formula and pass it on to the Council. Plus, we can always try and come up with an actual defence for the other stuff." Peter's excitement grew with every word; it was as though he relished the whole thing.

"How on earth are we going to get our hands on that formula?" I asked, incredulous that he thought it was a viable idea.

"Becca."

I made a face. Becca was a pain in the arse. "Well," I said. "You get right on that, and good luck. But, maybe in the meantime we should figure out a defence. What rules have I broken?"

Eddie cocked his head. "Technically, you could have gotten away with it, but Gideon is claiming you have ulterior motives for all your actions. He's saying you didn't fight in self-defence, but rather to instigate a civil war amongst vampires."

I made a disgusted noise. "They were on the brink of that already."

"Peter told me you think that maybe this is a distraction," Carl said. "Using the trial to get everyone focused on you, so Gideon can get away with the human testing."

"That's a good possibility," Eddie agreed. "But we won't know what his final move is until the trial. We might be able to use the rules against him, if we're imaginative. Besides, the Council has never been keen on the vampires. That's why the quota is enforced. If we can persuade them you're more human than vampire, they might feel obliged to protect you. Or at the very least, that it isn't their place to judge you."

"What about Carl?" I asked.

"What about him?"

"I was only trying to help him, and I got both covens on my back, then they kidnapped my grandmother," I said. "Surely that has to count for something."

"I could be a witness," Carl said.

Eddie seemed to think about that.

"Besides," I continued. "They've taunted and provoked me, practically forced me into a fight this time. Daimhín knew, I know she did, and she did nothing to help me. They can't seriously get away with all of that, can they?"

Nobody seemed to want to answer that one. Finally, Eddie spoke in a gentle voice. "We'll do our best to make sure that won't happen."

"Why are you helping me?" I asked, more abrupt than I intended.

"I've told you before, it's in my best interests to make sure you're relatively safe. I don't want Gideon to win and, as a consultant to the Council, I have the authority to help you."

"Alright, tell me about the Council members then, and the others, the consultants. One seemed human," I said, changing the subject.

"Yes," he said, nodding. "She's a witch, but quite human. The other consultants include a shapeshifter, a vampire, and an outer-level demon."

I glanced at Peter, but he seemed unruffled. I wasn't. "Wait a second, a demon?"

"Working together, at least on a surface level, avoids wars." Eddie carried on as if I hadn't spoken. "The four members of the Council are Gabe, Erossi, Koda, and Fionnuala. You already know Gabe," he said before I could ask a question. "Erossi is an immortal; he represents many immortal creatures, particularly those like him and those from the sea."

"So, what, is he a God?" Carl asked.

Eddie snorted. "He wishes. He merely lives forever. He's the only immortal who was interested in taking the job. He isn't anything special." I tried to hide a smile; Eddie sounded pretty jealous.

"Next is Koda, the eldest member of the Council. He is an ancient Dryad, the last of his kind in this country, although he represents a vast range of species. His time on this earth is coming to a close, that much is clear. He's more sympathetic than the others, although Gabe is particularly vested in the outcome." He hurried on, possibly seeing me want to question him further. "That leaves Fionnuala, an old fae. She's the head of the Council and likes the sound of her own voice, but she's very powerful, as are most of the fae. She's one of the few fae controlled enough to be on the Council."

"You need to win her over," Peter warned me.

"I don't know how easy that will be," I said, doubtful.

"Twist the rules enough to make her get on your side," Eddie advised. "She would respect that."

"I shouldn't have to twist the rules. The rules should be protecting us, not vampires."

They all stared at me. "What?" I said. "I'm not a vampire, so don't go looking at me like that, okay?"

"We know you're not like them, Ava," Carl said. "But maybe if you were more like them, then their rules would protect you too."

"I don't know," I said, feeling more frustrated than ever. "What did I even do wrong?"

"Okay," Eddie said. "They're saying you tried to start a war and that because you're a different... species, you're a danger to the balance. One species openly attacking another is not acceptable."

"But I've avoided all of them my whole life. Why would I want to instigate any problems?"

"Exactly," Eddie said. "They won't have proof to back up the claim."

"Maybe Nancy could give evidence, too," Carl suggested.

"We could ask," Eddie said, concentrating with his eyes closed for a few minutes.

"So, wait," I interrupted. "Let's skip ahead a bit for a minute. What exactly happens at the end of the trial? Who decides what happens to me?"

"The Council hear from the consultants. They each give an opinion, and then the Council takes some time alone together to discuss their final decisions. They take into account what would be best for the greater good. Therefore, even if they found you innocent of Gideon's accusations, they could potentially find you to be a threat. I am almost certain this is what Gideon is really going for here," Eddie said, shaking his head.

"And if Daimhín gets some of the blame attached to her along the way, all the better," Carl added, anger flaring in his eyes.

It was a lot to take in. I didn't have many options. Yet again, I was between a rock and a hard place, but this time I had no way of sliding away unscathed while the others knocked themselves out.

"I'm screwed, right?" I looked at all three men and knew they thought the same.

"No," Peter insisted. "We'll figure something out. They can't get away with the things they did. You only killed Maximus on Daimhín's orders, and you were pretty much provoked into fighting this time around. The maddening thing is why the Council is willing to take this seriously."

"Doesn't really matter. Besides, I'll always be something different, no matter how well we prettify things," I reminded. "Someone was bound to get snippy about me eventually, right?"

I tried to smile, but the atmosphere in the room kept me mired in disillusion. I knew they had to be thinking the same things I was. I was doomed, no matter what we did. The cold presence made itself known, as if it knew I needed comfort. Even though the sensation was cool against my skin, I felt warmth drift through my body. My optimism grew, and I decided I wasn't going down without a fight. It wasn't over yet.

"Look," I said. "I know this is a tight spot, but I'm not giving up. Not after everything. There has to be a way to fix this."

Peter suddenly grinned, looking years younger. "Of course there is. Koda gave me that look, like he's very interested in what Gideon's getting up to. If we can do anything to implicate Gideon further, then he's going to be on your side, maybe even persuade the others to throw out the charges."

Eddie shook his head. I shivered, unsure why. "That's not a good idea," he said.

"What's not a good idea?" Peter asked, baffled.

"Going after Gideon. There's no point. They were prepared to skip the trial for this. The real problem here is Ava's heritage. The other stuff doesn't matter, not in the long run."

"You give up then," I snapped. "Not like it's your life we're talking about, is it?"

Needing air, space, something, I stormed out of the bookshop. Mostly, I wanted to forget about everything. I stood outside leaning against a wall and watching my breath frost the air.

Peter followed me out. "It'll be okay."

"Nah, it won't. Not really. Like Eddie said, I can't change who I am." I shook my head, trying to shake the melancholy that kept trying to swallow me. "I need time to think."

"Know what I need?" he said.

"What?"

"A drink. Want one?"

I grinned. "Aren't I under house arrest or something? Besides, alcohol doesn't affect me so much."

He pushed against my shoulder. "Well, if you're under the eye of one of the Council, then you can't get into too much trouble. And maybe he can come up with a drink that has an effect on you."

"Eye of the Council? You mean Gabe? Are you mad?"

"Why not?"

I was already in trouble, and maybe I would figure out some semblance of a plan if I had some time away from the intensity of Eddie's place.

"What about Eddie?" I asked.

"I'll text Carl, get him to follow us over without letting Eddie know where we are. It'll be fine."

I giggled, the tension making me giddy. "I feel like a teenager sneaking out of the window or something."

"Did you ever do that?" he asked as we headed for Gabe's bar. I knew he was trying his best to cheer me up, and I appreciated it.

"Me? Nah, I was too much of a wimp. Don't tell me, you did it all the time."

He gave me a cheeky wink. "I never hid it, just walked out the door. My dad was pretty laidback about that sort of stuff."

"What about your mother?" I couldn't help being curious about his past.

"She died when I was a kid. I can barely remember her. Probably best she didn't see what I grew up to become." The smile dropped from his face.

"Where's your dad now?"

"He moved to Spain with his girlfriend when I became a father myself. Said I didn't need looking after, and he deserved a bit of sun. We talk sometimes, but we were never close. My girlfriend's parents were more like parents to me than my own."

"That's so sad," I blurted. "Sorry," I added, seeing Peter's expression.

"It's alright. I'm just surprised you can call anyone else's life sad; I mean, you didn't have it easy, right?"

"Let's not go there. Although I seem to have a knack of attracting particularly messed up crap."

He smiled again. "That you do. I was thinking, maybe Gabe might give us a hint at how things will go during the trial."

"Maybe. What _is_ Gabe, anyway?"

"Angel," Peter muttered under his breath.

"Excuse me?" No freaking way.

"Yeah, I know," Peter said, but he didn't look happy.

"Hold on. Angels are real?"

"Why is that harder to believe than vampires?" he asked.

I was still in a little bewildered world of my own. "And _Gabe_ is one?"

"Yes, Ava." He walked faster.

"But... but, he's an arsehole!"

Peter laughed, his sudden sombre mood forgotten. "Yeah, well, like anything, the myths get things a little wrong sometimes."

"Wow," I said, still shaking my head in disbelief. "That's screwed up."

"You're part vampire. I thought you would have taken this better."

"I never really considered good things being real."

"Who says they're good?" was Peter's glib reply. "Come on, it's cold; hurry up."

"Don't forget to text Carl," I reminded, speeding up. But all I could think about were angels and my own wonder.

We walked mostly in silence after that, Peter giving me time to let things sink in. I vowed to learn more about the world I'd spent my life avoiding—if I managed to survive the Council's judgement.

Still early, Gabe's bar was full. We had to queue up, and I suddenly felt self-conscious. Usually it was because I wasn't human enough, but this time it was because I wasn't supernatural enough. I could smell the difference in the air; it made a burst of adrenalin ride through my body, keeping me on edge. We weren't in danger; my senses just seemed to be excited by the thrill of otherness in the air. I didn't know what anyone was or what they could do, if anything, but Peter's humanity stood out like a sore thumb.

The bouncers at the door regarded me for a couple of seconds before letting us in. One seemed about to protest, but the other held up a hand and then waved us through. The bar was different than before with an electric atmosphere.

"It's kind of cool here," I said.

"Yeah, the angel's hideout is always the coolest place in town."

"What's your deal?" I asked, as quite a few customers sent wary glances Peter's way. Even more gave him a wide berth.

"I get away with more than I should." He grinned. "I'll tell you about it sometime. Now, let's get a drink down us and think of how we're going to work Becca."

He sounded light-hearted enough, but he had to be thinking about the last time we had paid Becca a visit. I wanted to talk about it, but he was already calling over the bartender, the one with the moving tattoo.

"What is he?" I whispered.

"Fae," he replied. "He's okay, for a faery."

"Hey," the bartender said, noticing me. "What's up, Red? Nobody trading you today? Aren't you supposed to be in jail or something?"

"Leave it, Finn," Peter said, but his tone was friendly.

"What can I get you?" Finn asked.

"Usual for me," Peter said. "But how about something a little... special for Ava here?"

Finn smiled knowingly. "Wonder if I have anything special enough. Let me guess, can drink all night without slurring her words?"

I tapped my fingernails on the bar in agitation. I hated when people talked over me like I wasn't there. "I really doubt you have anything special enough."

Finn laughed and walked away, calling over his shoulder, "We'll see, little lady, we'll see."

Peter looked around. "You see Gabe anywhere?"

"Nah, I think I'd smell him. I'll let you know if that happens."

"That's sick."

"Whatever, it comes in handy when—" I doubled over and dry-retched

"Jesus, Ava. You haven't even had a drink yet."

Bile burned my throat. There was something in the air, something dark and malicious, something that made me want to run. Something familiar.

I quickly scanned the room, looking for the malevolence I could almost taste on my tongue. The air was clammy, as if something hovered over us in a sticky mist.

"What's wrong?" Peter touched my arm, but then I saw what I had sensed.

A pretty woman stood across the bar talking to the object of my attention. Chocolate-skinned and black-haired, she laughed merrily at something he said, but an object gleamed in her companion's hand. Anger, confusion, and fear, his emotions were so strong, they sent a rush of adrenalin shuddering through my body.

He moved his hand backward, gaining traction even as I leapt to my feet and ran over to them. He swung his hand toward her. The whole bar went silent as if time stood still, but they all watched me run. Before I had taken a second to think, I jerked his arm backward. Too late, he'd already grazed her, but I couldn't stop to ponder the implications of that. I struggled to get him to the ground; he was strong and enraged. The scent of blood filling the air was distracting, almost human, but not quite. I did my best to ignore it, determined to stop the man from doing any real damage.

He fought, struggling to throw me off, but he was weak enough that I was able to wrestle him to the ground. His long brown hair stuck to his face with sweat. I could hear screams and shouting in the background, but nothing prepared me for the bright light that suddenly filled the room. Wincing, I rolled away from the man and covered my eyes. After a second, I tried opening them. Gabe stood over us with streams of white light surging from his body.

He glared down at me.

"I was trying to help," I muttered, my eyes still half-closed. The light suddenly disappeared amid a lot of groaning from most of the bar.

I jumped to my feet and went over to the young woman who lay on the ground holding her side, a look of shock on her face.

"Are you okay?" I asked. Peter grabbed my arm and pulled me aside. Glancing behind me, I saw the man raise his knife, but at the last second he drove it into his own heart. He shuddered violently before dropping to the ground, dead.

"What the hell?" I whispered amidst more screams.

"How did you know?" the woman asked me, and I realised I recognised her as one of the Guardians from the hearing.

I shook my head, not sure what had happened. I'd reacted without thinking, as always. The Guardian examined her wound, suddenly more sure of herself than before. "It's nothing, just a shallow cut, it'll be gone as soon as I phase."

_Phase?_ I glanced at Peter, who shook his head slightly.

"Thank you," she said. "It could have been worse. You grabbed him just in time."

I shrugged and moved through the gathered crowds back to my seat, carefully avoiding Gabe's stern expression. Peter followed, giving a low whistle. Looking back, I saw Gabe and Finn help the young woman into the back room. Some others, their faces grave, carried the body through another door.

"What happened?" Peter urged, his voice low as he looked around.

"I smelled fear." I didn't know how else to explain it. The blackness in the air that turned my stomach terrified me.

"Esther was scared? She didn't seem like she even noticed the knife until he was on the ground with it."

"Esther's the girl? No, not her fear. His. He was terrified and angry and just a black ball of emotion. He was suffocating in it." I'd never felt anything so strong before.

"You sensed all that?"

"Not exactly. I smelled it. Kind of. I know, it's weird, but it's definitely a scent. I can sense things, see things sometimes, but I have to concentrate. But the smells come even when I'm not concentrating. That and the sound of his heart racing. He was really freaked out. I'm not sure what was going through his head."

Peter's eyebrows furrowed, disbelief crossing his face, but he didn't argue. I think we had both reached a point where anything was possible.

Finn came back out to the bar and handed me a large glass filled to the brim with a liquid that sparkled.

"On the house," he said. "For avoiding a murder."

"And providing a suicide?" I said, snarkily. "You're welcome."

He raised an eyebrow, then leaned toward me. "I dare you to drink this down in one go."

I glanced at Peter, who was grinning. The whole bar had gone back to normal, as if a man hadn't just stabbed himself and died in the centre of the room.

"Is this a good idea?" I asked Peter.

"Probably not. But if you're game, drink up."

I sniffed the blue liquid. It was sort of fruity smelling. I picked up the glass and eyed it. It didn't look like it would kill me.

Finn was already chuckling when I lifted the glass to my lips and took a hesitant sip. Not bad. I tipped the glass and horsed the entire contents down my throat before slamming it down and giving a little hiccup.

"Finn! What did you do?" a woman shouted from behind us. Finn laughed out loud, but it echoed in my ears, too loud and harsh.

My vision getting hazy, I looked at Peter. "This is screwy," I mumbled, feeling like my tongue had just grown too big for my mouth. The drink rested in the pit of my stomach, burning hot. My tongue sparked with fire, or so it felt.

"Finn, that was shameful," Esther exclaimed. Finn didn't look ashamed, not that I could see him properly.

"S'okay," I tried to say. I stood slowly and deliberately, feeling like my whole body was heavier than usual. Peter began to laugh, louder when I stumbled.

Esther said something, but I couldn't hear very well. The walls started turning upside down, and so did my balance. I landed face first on the floor. There was more noise around me, then everything went dark.

# Chapter Nine

I woke up groaning. My head pounded; it felt like someone had chopped the top of it right off. It reminded me of my time in Maximus's home, and I squeezed my eyelids together, hoping the nightmare would end soon. Something cold slapped my forehead, and I opened my eyes with a start.

"It's okay," Esther said as she squeezed a wet rag and dampened my forehead again. "You'll feel better soon; Gabe cleaned out your system."

I didn't even want to know what that meant. Looking around, I saw a strange room and panicked. "Where am I?" I asked, sitting up too quickly and feeling it. "Ow." I pressed my palm against my temple, hoping to push the pain away. I touched my bandaged stomach tentatively. It stung, and I wondered if I might have opened the wound when I fell.

"It's okay. This is the back room of the bar. You've only been out about an hour."

"An hour? I have to get back." I tried to sit up again and winced.

"Chill. You're in Gabe's place. There's no rush. My brother's out there questioning everyone. Trust me, you'd rather be here."

"Your brother?"

"Aidan. He's a consultant for the Council."

"Oh, him. What... you're not human, are you?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Is that a problem for you?"

I laughed, but it came out too harsh and made me cough. Esther handed me a cup. I sipped it and held her stare. "I can't exactly talk about not being human."

She nodded as if satisfied. "We're animal shifters. I turn into a bear, so I can't really claim to be human. I work for the Council, too. Do you remember me?"

"I remember. You were at the hearing. What exactly do Guardians do every day?" I meant, aside from watching women undress.

"We're the equivalent of a police force, pretty much, so when one of us is attacked, there's a scene."

"Wow," I said, swallowing hard. "Are you... arresting me?"

Her face brightened, and she burst into bubbly laughter. Seriously – a were-bear? "You saved my life! I owe you big time."

"Don't worry about it." I took a sip of water to avoid saying anything else.

"Sorry about the trial." She bit her lip. "If there's anything I can do..."

"It's fine," I said. "Nothing anyone can do right now. Wait, you got stabbed, are you alright?"

"Oh, that was nothing. I healed almost as soon as I phased." She pulled her hair back into a clip, and I almost laughed at the idea of her turning into a bear in such a tiny room.

"Handy trick. So, what's been happening out there?"

She grinned, her eyes crinkling in amusement. "Gabe made Finn carry you back here while Aiden went alpha out there. Finn was mostly afraid you'd puke on him, or that you'd wake up suddenly like a tranquilised tiger and bite him or something."

I rolled my eyes. "As if."

"I know, right? That drink, though, I can't believe you knocked it back!" She sounded impressed.

"Why? What was it?" I could barely remember tasting it.

"They didn't tell you? Idiots. It's a fae drink. Their form of a shot. Except it's really potent for everyone else. You had a crazy reaction to it, you were mumbling and drooling and—"

"I get the picture," I interrupted, embarrassed. I'd never been drunk before. "Is Peter gone?"

"He's waiting in the bar with some human. Tall, blond, very cute?" She paused, waiting for me to fill her in.

"That's Carl. He's, uh, he was my... well, I sort of enthralled him by accident a while ago. That's what started the mess I'm in," I admitted, cringing.

"He's the one? I wouldn't have let that one go," she joked. I smiled back at her, feeling totally at ease.

The door opened, and one of the consultants from the hearing walked in. He strode straight over to Esther and embraced her. "How are you feeling?" he asked, looking her over quickly.

"I'm fine." She pushed him away. "Aiden, this is Ava, she stopped it from being a lot worse. Ava, this is my big brother, Aiden."

I nodded at him, feeling wary, but something in his eyes made me feel like there were no secrets behind them.

Aiden shook my hand. "Thank you. I owe you a favour. Speaking of which, Peter tells me you might be safer away from Brogan. If he doesn't have your best interests at heart here and, seeing as you saved my sister, I can make other arrangements for you." His eyes narrowed. "After that, I can't help you."

"It doesn't matter. Really." Better the devil I knew, I decided.

Esther put her arm around me. "But at least let me help. I owe you my life."

"No more projects, Esther," her brother said under his breath. She glared back at him.

"Um, should I go now?" I asked, trying to escape the tension between them.

"I have a few questions first," Aiden said, and sat next to me. "What exactly happened earlier? Nobody else, not even Esther, knew anything was wrong until you flew across the room."

I bit the inside of my cheek, quickly figuring out exactly how much I should reveal to someone who worked for the Council. "It's hard to explain. I kind of... felt his tension. He was so angry and scared that I couldn't help looking, and I saw a knife in his hand. I _knew_ I had to get over there."

"You sensed the fact that a respected Guardian was about to attack one of their Circle, even though nobody else noticed a thing?" He sounded sceptical, but I couldn't explain it any better.

"A respected Guardian?" I tried to change the subject, but I wanted to know the full story, too.

Aiden's jaw tightened. "He was one of ours. A shifter, a Guardian."

"A were-bear?"

"No, a fox. I've no idea why he attacked Esther." He looked troubled, as though the world rested on his shoulders. "I need to finish up out there; I'll let Peter know you're awake." He left without a backward glance.

"So, you're like those other Guardians then, those men?" I couldn't resist wrapping my arms around myself; the more I learned about Guardians, the less I liked them.

Esther stared at me for a minute, like she was trying to read something on my face. "Did something happen?"

"Nah. I should probably get going. Eddie's going to be pissed. I kind of snuck off." I blushed, knowing I sounded like a kid who was going to get in trouble with her parents.

"Oh, wait," Esther said. "Give the poison a chance to get out of your system. You're probably going to be wobbly for a day or two. Aiden might want another word with you, too."

"I've told him everything I know. I can't help what I can do."

"Hey, no worries. He's just doing his job. And like I said, if I can do anything to help you, I will. I pay back everything I owe." She smiled, but I couldn't help wondering what Aiden meant by _projects_. "More water?"

I nodded, and she rose to open a fresh bottle. "So," she said, handing it to me. "What's the deal with you and Peter Brannigan?"

"What do you mean?" Though my question was genuine, my heart started racing anyway.

"He always works alone! I don't think he's ever said two words to me before, and now he's running around with you and Carl, who is hot, by the way, even though he's supposed to be this scary—"

"Well, he's not," I interrupted, feeling my face burn.

She leaned back and smirked all the more. "Come on, there has to be something going on."

"There isn't," I insisted. "A couple of weeks ago, he wanted me dead. But then he helped me with Carl, and we're getting on okay sometimes. No big deal."

Her eyes narrowed. "You don't know what he does, do you?"

I shook my head. "All I really know is that his family was murdered, and that's how he learned about people like us." I stopped talking because I realised I didn't actually know what he did when he wasn't helping me. He hadn't been generous with the details.

Esther shivered dramatically. "He scares me. He hates all of us. He tolerates my kind because he knows we can control ourselves, and he respects Aiden. But I can see the disgust in his eyes when he looks at us. The Council hired him, you know."

"To do what?" I asked, fascinated.

Esther bit her lip, and my stomach filled with dread. "He works freelance, does all sorts of things, but the Council hired him to be a hitman. He gets away with it because he's human and can't be brought up before the Council. But it's dangerous; I only know because Koda warned us to ignore Peter if we found him in the middle of something dodgy."

She pulled her knees up toward her and waited for my reaction. I wasn't sure what to think. I could see why Peter would do that job. After all, hadn't I been Daimhín's own personal hitwoman when it came to ending Maximus's life?

"I guess that makes sense," I said after a minute.

"It's one of those secrets everyone knows, but nobody talks about. But I thought I should clue you in, seeing as you're running around with him. Watch your back, you know? It was Brogan who got him the job; he came up with the idea in the first place."

My own eyes narrowed then. Of course he did. "Eddie's supposed to care about Peter, and he gets him a dangerous job like that?" I was fuming. "Esther," I said, remembering the reaction to Peter in Becca's bar. "Are vampires kind of edgy around Peter because of the hitman deal?"

Her eyes widened. "No, that's just a rumour as far as most vampires know. People are scared of him for a couple of reasons. One, he doesn't care if he lives or dies. A suicidal human is just as dangerous as a sorcerer or demon. Two, he's pretty bad-ass. He is just so bloody determined and vengeful that he won't fall until the fight is over. He put on a damn scary display a few years back that made everything in this country think twice before taking him on. Maybe you should ask him about it sometime."

"What about Eddie?"

She shuddered. "I can't bear him. He used to be on the Council."

"What? Really?"

"Yep. Erossi has his place now."

"The immortal?"

Esther nodded fervently. "That's him. Eddie used to speak for the immortals, but there was a big incident before I was born, something major involving Eddie. It was an embarrassment; he was shamed and forced to leave the Council. They gave him a seat as a consultant to pacify him, and nobody talks about it, just little whispers and rumours."

"Any idea what happened?"

"None, it's all very hush-hush. Some people reckon he'll get back on the Council one day."

I thought about this. "Wait, who did you say he represented?"

"The immortals." Her tone said, " _Duh_."

"Eddie? He's immortal?" I asked, gobsmacked.

Her mouth widened into an "o" shape. "You didn't know?"

"Eh, no! What the hell is he?"

"I'm not totally sure, but it's something to do with keepers and knowledge and sleeping gods and some such crap. I don't know. A lot of these creatures have very longwinded histories; I can't keep up."

"What about you?"

"Me? I was born this way. Respectable family, then Daddy married beneath himself. We were pretty happy until Mama died when I was little. Unexpectedly too, so she never warned him she could shift into animal form. He got the fright of his life when Aiden started doing it in his teens. It became this big family secret, but when I started doing it too, he knew he had to do something about it."

"What did he do?" I was riveted.

"He found out what we were, then paid some other shifters a lot of money to take care of us. Eventually, we settled in and learned what we were doing. Turned out Aiden is this hard-core alpha figure, which ruffled a few feathers. After lots and _lots_ of shit, he took over. First as head of the pack who took us on, then he stepped up to keep all of the shifters in line. Some of them were practically feral, yuck!" She made a face. "The Council saw what he was doing and offered him a seat as a consultant. Daddy had left us a bit of money to keep us quiet so he could wash his hands of us completely, and here we are."

"How old are you, Esther?"

"Twenty-one." She made a face.

"That's pretty young for all of that Guardian responsibility. Are you happy?"

"Pretty much. I mean, it's kind of cool being the alpha's little sister. In this world, people look up to us. When I was growing up, my dad pretty much thought of us as freaks." She rolled her eyes, but I sensed her hurt.

"I can relate. That sounds an awful lot like my grandmother, Nancy. She kept trying to cure me when I was a kid."

"Do you mind me saying? You don't smell like a vampire. What exactly are you? Everyone's calling you a daywalker. You don't smell much like a vampire, and I always thought a daywalker was something mythical, you know, a vampire that wasn't affected by the sun?"

I couldn't help smiling. "You probably know more about it than I do." I remembered she might know more than me about lots of things. "Hey, there was a girl in the cell next to me, Leah. I think she escaped. Do you know anything about her?"

Esther shook her head and changed the subject. I had a feeling she knew something about Leah but didn't want to say anything. That piqued my interest even more. Esther had given me a lot to think about, yet all my mind concentrated on was Leah.

Esther crossed her legs and stared at me. "So tell me more about this formula that helps humans turn into vampires. I thought Peter was crazy, but looking at you... well, anything's possible."

I leaned back and thought for a second. Where to start? "I'm not sure how much you know about what happened to me, but both Daimhín and Maximus were after me. So I decided to step out of the way and let the two of them deal with each other. Becca runs the Black Rose bar, and she was a volunteer. We went to speak to her to find out about Maximus."

"Okay..."

"So Peter and I get to her place, and she attacks him, bites his shoulder. I fought her, but she was scary strong, so I bit her and drank her blood." I bowed my head in shame at the revelation and hurried on with the story. "Her fridge was full of bagged blood, and Peter left because he was freaked out. I asked Becca about the blood, and she told me there are vampires in Spain who had perfected a formula. They had tested it on humans until it worked, and a human was turned."

"Spain?" gasped Esther, horrified. "It actually worked?"

I nodded. "Apparently so. Anyway, there were vampires outside my home every night after Maximus died. Then once, during the day, I saw Becca again. She told me the vampires were sent by Gideon, and he was after me. I asked her why she looked like shit, and she said Gideon had taken over Maximus's job and was experimenting on her, just like Maximus had. She pretty much told me he's getting the formula from Spain."

Esther whistled. "That's screwed up stuff. If that's true, there will be war. Literally. Not many species would be happy with the vampires increasing in numbers. It took long enough to squash them in the first place." She shook her head in disbelief.

"Yeah, well, I reckon that Gideon's on the exact same path as Maximus. I think he wants more numbers so he can defeat Daimhín and earn himself the largest blood quota. Or get rid of the quota altogether. Except he's planning on changing humans using that expensive formula rather than waiting for me to dish the dirt on how I was made."

She shook her head slowly. "That kind of makes sense, Ava. Pity you've no proof. That blood quota is a huge bone of contention for the vamps over here. What about you? You're not part of the quota yet. How come?"

I frowned at her. "I don't drink blood. At least not if I can help it. I don't bite people."

"You bit Becca."

I glared, trying to contain my anger. "That was different; I had no choice. She was about to kill me."

She held her hands up. "Hey, I'm not judging. The rules are different around here, you know. If you have a problem with biting, maybe you could ask the Council about the bagged blood. If you work for Daimhín, they may end up associating you with her coven and giving you a quota, too. She would just acquire the blood from the vampire's blood bank, so it's no big deal, not really."

"Vampire's blood bank?" Okay, now I had heard everything.

"Yes," she said, smiling brightly. "Daimhín makes sure her coven supplements their diet with non-fresh blood. They don't like it, but it keeps them going when they run out of their share of the fresh stuff."

"Then why are some vampires starving while the coven leaders grow fat?"

She looked taken aback. "Ava, we can't control the ins and outs of each coven. They keep to themselves, particularly when it comes to dividing up the blood quota. There's nothing we can do."

I remembered Arthur and became annoyed. "If you can arrest me for defending myself, then you can ensure vampires don't get so crazy with hunger that they'll attack anything and not be able to stop. I had to do a job for Daimhín, escort some vampire who had been starved for months along to his first meal. He was shit-faced crazy, Esther, he couldn't control himself at all. Tell me how that's okay. Something has to be done about this stuff," I persisted.

"Wow, and that's all it took for you to start campaigning for vampire rights," Esther said, covering her giggles with one hand to her mouth.

I paused, open-mouthed with shock, as her words sank in. Why _was_ I so hard-headed about vampires like Arthur?

"I'm not... I mean, I'm not going to be a vampire cheerleader or anything, but some of this stuff doesn't seem fair. Then there's that kid vamp, the young girl with Daimhín, she doesn't seem like a vampire at all."

"Daimhín's kid _is_ different," Esther said.

"How so?" I asked, instantly curious.

"As far as I know, she's their seer. They turned her because she was psychic. There are some supernaturals who hunt down special children specifically to turn them or use them." She didn't sound sad about it. Was that why Gabe wanted Eloise, to hear the future?

"Wait, Daimhín hunted down a psychic kid specifically?" I couldn't stop my body from tensing.

"Not Daimhín personally. Trackers, probably demons. People pay good money for that sort of thing. They probably told the vampires about the child, and the vampires obviously waited until the girl turned thirteen before turning her into a vampire," Esther said.

"Why thirteen? I mean, not that it's the most screwed up thing in the whole story or anything."

"Yeah, I know," she said, nodding. "Apparently, thirteen is the year a psychic is at their most powerful. It's the year a shifter first changes, too. Something about that age draws in otherworldly power, so Daimhín must have wanted to make sure she stayed thirteen forever. I'm not sure how long she's been with Daimhín, but she's definitely not like the other vampires. She rarely leaves Daimhín's side, for one thing."

"And her eyes aren't as red as the others, so she must not drink as much blood, yet she doesn't look like she's starving."

"Yeah, well, Daimhín would hardly starve her little pet. I can see why you would feel sorry for that vampire," Esther said.

"It's not like any of us have chosen this life."

"Well, some vampires did, back when it was possible to choose. At least, that's what Reuben told Aiden."

"Who's Reuben?" I was beginning to feel confused by all of the information she threw at me. Esther was the chattiest non-human I'd met so far.

"He's another consultant to the Council. He's a vampire, but he's incredibly old, so needs very little blood. Plus, he's learned to control the savageness of his nature. It comes with time, or so he says."

"If he's learned it, then surely he can help them control it. If they can come up with a formula to turn humans again, then they can figure out how to ease the thirst."

"Are you asking for them or for you?" she asked gently.

I blushed. I supposed it was a big concern because it affected me, too. "How long do you think we'll have to stay in here?"

"Ooh, nice subject change." She patted my shoulder and opened the door to look outside. "Almost empty. Peter's chewing the ear off my brother right now. He's going to spend the night in the cells if he isn't careful. So, any more questions while we're hanging around?"

I thought about it. "Do all countries have their own Council?"

"Not all. Most of the war-torn countries have no ruling committee, which is why they run rampant."

"I thought human politics and wars didn't have anything to do with the supernatural element," I said with a frown.

"They don't, but some of the human wars have been instigated by supernatural beings. Some demons in particular flock to war and strife; they thrive on it. But many countries have a Council-type leadership, or else share one with a number of countries. Also, there are higher powers, a step above the Councils. They rarely interfere, though. In fact, none have in my lifetime. I'm not even totally sure they still exist, to be honest."

"My head really hurts now." I pressed my palms against my temples.

We chatted for a few more minutes before Peter and Carl joined us. Esther liked to gossip, so I didn't have to contribute much.

"How are you feeling?" Peter asked me, trying to keep a straight face.

"Great, no thanks to you."

"Sorry, but at least it took your mind off things for an hour or two." He looked pleased with himself.

I made a face. "Yeah, only because I was unconscious. Is Eddie going mad?"

"Gabe talked to him. He probably won't murder you now."

I wondered what had Peter in such a good mood, then realised that he enjoyed the drama. I could live without it.

"Maybe you two could persuade Ava to let me do her a favour," Esther said, but her eyes were fixated on Carl.

"You could always give her a few hints on dealing with Gideon," Peter muttered.

"You have no proof, Peter. I told you already," Aiden said, surprising all of us except Esther with his presence.

"I know. But how do we get it? What kind of proof do we need? I mean, Gideon set up a whole trial against Ava without any proof at all," Peter kept going.

"But he has witnesses," Aiden reminded him.

"So does Ava!" Peter insisted.

"Actually, I don't," I said. "I'm the only one who was there when I killed Maximus, I was the only one when I was attacked by that last vampire, and I'm the only one who heard from Becca's mouth about the injections coming from Spain and the fact Gideon's crowd was after me. It's my word against theirs."

Peter rubbed his face, looking tired all of a sudden.

Esther looked on sympathetically. "We want to know about the formula, too, but you know we can't help you without any evidence."

I wasn't looking at the door when it opened, but the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. That nauseous feeling swept over me again, and I turned around slowly, half expecting to see the dead shifter returned to life.

Instead, I saw a Guardian, the one with black eyes, the one who filled me with an abnormal amount of horror when I looked at him. The darkness seeped from him and made me want to vomit. I couldn't fathom how the others were so unaffected by his presence.

"Need me for anything else?" he asked Aidan, but he looked in my direction. I glared back at him, unwilling to let him see how much he intimidated me. I had gotten the same feeling from the dead shifter. It couldn't be a coincidence.

"No, that's fine. Head home, Coyle. Get some rest." Aidan grinned at the Guardian like he was his greatest friend. I winced when he put his hand on the man's shoulder. If they were friends, then I couldn't exactly tell Aidan about the way Coyle made me feel. I had no proof or theories, I just knew there was something about Coyle that reminded me of the shifter right before he attacked Esther.

I felt better as soon as Coyle left, but shaking that unexplainable fear was harder than it should have been.

The shifters chatted with us for a while, but all I wanted to do was go home. They hadn't figured out why one of their own attacked Esther, and Aiden periodically asked me questions about the incident. It was like he kept expecting my story to change. It had, but not in a way I could put into words that he would understand. I wanted to go back to my own home, but it was Eddie's place I had to return to that night.

# Chapter Ten

Aiden drove me back, then distracted Eddie long enough for me to go to bed without having to deal with him. I spent most of Saturday morning avoiding Eddie, but the growling of my stomach soon sent me skulking downstairs and into the shop.

"What on earth are you doing behind the counter?" I asked, astonished to see Carl instead of Eddie behind the till. Eddie smirked at me from the bookracks.

"I told you I left my job. I needed work, so Eddie offered me some work. Cool, eh?"

"Cool?" I leaned with my palms on the counter. "Are you completely mad? You cannot trust Eddie! You have a life. A _safe_ life, Carl. Go back to it, and stop all this nonsense. I don't have the energy to worry about you right now."

"That's rather judgemental of you, Ava," Eddie said, but he didn't sound upset or angry. Not that I cared.

"Give me a break for a change," Carl shouted, his nostrils flaring with anger. "I'm not a child. We've already had this conversation. I know you had to look after me for a while, but you don't anymore. In fact, by the looks of things, you need more looking after than me."

"You arsehole!" I called over my shoulder as I stormed off, my hands itching to slap him. Eddie followed me into the back room and calmly made some coffee.

"Why don't you take it easy, Ava? This isn't your biggest problem. In fact, this isn't your problem at all."

"Why on earth did you give him a job?"

"Would you rather he asked Daimhín for one? Because that was his plan. He's trying to help you. Can't you see that? He doesn't know what else to do. He isn't Peter; he doesn't know his way around. He's trying his best. Maybe you should take help where you can get it."

I made a disgusted noise. "He isn't trying to help me. He's acting like a child pretending to be a superhero or something. That isn't what this life is. There are no heroes, and he'll end up just like the rest of us."

Shaking with anger, I sank into a chair and folded my arms. I wasn't even sure if I was angry because I was scared for me or Carl. Maybe it was guilt. After all, he had only been dragged into this world because of me. Who said Arthur would have killed him? For all I knew, he would have taken a quick drink then altered Carl's memory of the incident. Not for the first time, a little twinge of guilt said I had done the wrong thing by Carl after all.

I let out a whoosh of air and tried to calm down. "Look," I said. "Just tell him you made a mistake, that you don't need any help here."

"But I do need help," Eddie said, keeping his back to me. The cold presence blew over me in continuous ripples. I ignored it. It was time for me and Eddie to talk.

"I don't trust you for a second," I told him. He didn't respond. "For God's sake, Eddie. At least try to explain yourself."

He whirled around. "Explain what, Ava? The fact that I've protected you every step of the way? Put my reputation on the line to help you? When are you going to grow up and stop being so ungrateful?"

My hair blew all over my face, and everything in the room rattled as his anger grew. I steadied myself, preparing for a bigger backlash of power. Morbid curiosity made me want to see exactly what he could do.

Eddie lifted his arms, filling the air with a major scent of magic. I stood my ground and pushed out my other senses, feeling his power. I saw it clearly. He was blessed with it, but not born with it. It wasn't part of him, yet he held it tight. Stolen power.

I pushed further than ever before, past the walls I'd never dared climb. I moved onto yet another level, and the world gained a new light. I blinked a few times, getting used to the change. Then it all became clear. I saw what could only be described as souls surrounding Eddie. They were stuck to him, clawing at his sleeves with translucent fingers.

My eyes widened in shock and fear, but I couldn't move to save myself. They were all over him, open-mouthed with silent cries. Of everything, that was the last thing I expected to see. Of everything, it was the one sight that horrified me most.

I watched as he gathered up energy that leaked from the souls and forced it against me. It drained from the souls in vivid colour, but flung toward me a murky grey. On this level of being, I managed to use my other senses to put up a barrier against him, sickened by what fuelled his strength. The defence was automatic, instinctive, and useful. This was a new playing field, and I had the best toys.

The barrier flinched as the force hit. It trembled, but didn't shatter. Eddie frowned with confusion and gazed at his hands, his disbelief almost comical. I realised I was the only one who could see the barrier. My otherworldly sense could keep me safe; for the first time, I truly explored the potential of my unnatural gifts.

I felt strangely excited by the idea that I was using a hidden talent, and I was even more thrilled by Eddie's surprise. A dull shuddery feeling inside echoed around because of Eddie's power, or at least, the source of it. I held up the barrier, seeing Eddie trying again.

I actually grinned as I felt my own power surge through me. I never knew I could use it in such a tangible way. I'd never tried to figure it out before, never stretched the limits, never indulged in it for long. I had never seen the beauty of it.

Eddie's arms moved again; the souls wept silently as he sucked their energy to him. I ached for every one of them, even as their power was flung toward me. The barrier held, but then, I hadn't expected it to falter; I knew my strength was capable of withholding against whatever Eddie controlled. He and his actions mystified me. He gained some strength from them, but surely he already had some kind of power in order to contain the souls in the first place.

Sweat rolling down his forehead, Eddie panted and leaned against a counter. The danger gone, I lowered the barrier hesitantly.

"What the hell was that?" I hissed, for the first time feeling confident that I had the upper hand.

"I could say the same thing to you."

"I will never trust you, Brogan. Not ever."

He shrugged. "You will. I know it. You'll know what you need to know at the right time, and you'll see where I'm coming from, and why I've done everything I've done. Stop fighting me, Ava. We're on the same side, I promise you. If you work with me, I'll help you with the Council, and I'll keep an eye on Carl."

"What about Peter?" I asked.

"I would never hurt him. I need him, too."

"Conveniently forgetting the time you tried to choke him?"

He shook his head and spoke earnestly. "I was merely proving a point that time. You don't know, and you refuse to just take things as fact. I can't explain every little action to you in incredible detail. This is how it is; that should be good enough for you."

"Well, it's not good enough! Of course it's not! I have to know why. I have to! Why I'm like this, why these things happen, why all of this is happening!" Everything in my heart was a question and always had been. I had never known enough.

"If I thought you could handle everything, then you would know everything. Now is the time for you to focus, not worry about a million irrelevant things." Eddie slumped into a chair. "Trust me for now. I swear to you that I'll protect Carl. But only if you help me whenever I need you to, no questions asked."

My stomach churned. Once again, my actions were being tied to Carl's safety. How on earth could I keep protecting him? Why should I? Even after everything we had been through, I barely knew him, yet I kept risking everything for him. I felt like he was my younger brother, even though he was older. He just seemed so silly and impulsive that I couldn't rely on him to look after himself. But the favours to Eddie were stacking up.

"I hate you," I said, and got up to leave the room, but before I walked away I felt almost certain I saw a glimmer of sadness cross his face. I hesitated for a second, then joined Carl in the shop. I waited while he served a rare customer then faced him.

"Okay, I'm sorry," I said. "I was being a bitch, but I still think you should go home to your family, to your fiancée, to your safe life. It's crazy for you to risk a chance at normality for this shit." I gestured around us and hoped he would understand, but the frown on his face deepened.

"Just because you think normal is good doesn't mean the rest of us have to. You think I'm warped, but you're the one who can't be happy with what you are! How dare you talk down to me about wanting something different when that's what you're all about? Whether you like it or not, I'm in this. I'm helping, and I'm a part of something, so suck on that one, Ava Delaney."

I stepped back, shock widening my eyes. He lowered his head immediately, his temper over. "Look, I'm sorry. But I'm a grown man. I make my own decisions, right or wrong. Don't try and take that away from me. Not again."

I held up my hands, signalling defeat. Things had been so much easier when Carl didn't have a mind of his own. "I don't want to fight. Just promise me you won't trust Eddie."

"I already promised you that once. I've kept that promise, don't worry," he said, his eyes steely and determined; all of a sudden, he reminded me of Peter. That made me sadder than I could have imagined.

"You sure? I mean you took a job here."

"Yeah, of course I did. Look at all of these books. It's a treasure trove of knowledge. I've already picked up a couple of things that might help you out, just trust me on that one."

I couldn't hide my smile. Staying mad at Carl was impossible when he was so eager. "What did you find out then?"

"I need to read up a bit more but, I swear, I'll be of some help this time."

"You helped me last time, remember?" I said, referring to his cutting himself open in a room of vampires to give me blood. I still hadn't forgiven him. It was pure luck that tasting his blood had satisfied my craving rather than provoking the addiction further. I could stand close to him now, but it might have turned out very differently. Every day, I waited for that to change, as I knew it would eventually.

"I might have helped a little," he said, picking up some books and stacking them on the shelves. I helped him with the books, mumbling thanks, and exchanging a look with him that said more than words ever could. We were connected in a way that couldn't be achieved through hours of talking; even though the bond had been cut, some of the threads still held tight.

As Carl had told me, the books in Eddie's shop were extremely informative. Whenever Eddie spent time in the shop, I ignored him and picked up a book instead. I still wasn't sure how to deal with the new knowledge; I wasn't even sure if there was anything I could or should do about it. My best bet was avoidance, and my ignoring tool of choice was a book on hell spawn and demons. Pretty interesting reading, though the images were a little disturbing. I picked up bits and pieces of information and wondered how much was fact and how much fiction.

Peter dropped in while Carl and I were in fits laughing about something silly. Peter's stern expression sort of dampened the mood. A wave of nausea hit me, milder than before. Maybe I was coming down with something, and the dead shifter had nothing to do with the black-eyed Guardian named Coyle after all.

"How are you today?" Peter asked, still looking like a rain cloud hung over his head.

"Fine. Stuck here, of course."

"You ready to make a plan yet?"

I exchanged looks with Carl. Peter could suck the fun out of every day with ease.

"I've no idea where to start," I muttered, and fingered the book I'd been reading, while I contemplated ignoring Peter as well. I didn't want to think about the trial. I didn't want to think about what the outcome might be. As if to hint at me, Carl took the book away and put it under the counter.

"I do," Peter said. Big surprise there. "Esther seems pretty smitten with you, Ava. She's said a couple of times that she wants to help, and I think you should let her."

"Shouldn't she be busy trying to figure out why one of her own tried to kill her?" I said, annoyed at Peter's insistence that everybody drop everything to join our cause. I also found it strange how little impact the incident had on everyone around me. It was like they had all forgotten how to react to something awful. Even Carl seemed to be oblivious to near-death experiences; he hadn't even asked me how I was feeling after being shot. The wound had already healed, but still, it felt oddly inhuman of them not to be more concerned.

"There are plenty of others willing to take on that job," Peter said. He might have been talking about cleaning up spilled milk. "I reckon Esther needs a distraction from that. Eddie's all about dealing with the trial. I figure we can deal with Gideon in the meantime. Let's not make it easy for him."

"So what do we do?" Carl asked.

Peter's eyes gleamed. "Aiden won't help, but I get it. He has to be seen as neutral. But Esther's only a Guardian. She has access to information we don't, and she can easily keep an eye on Gideon's coven without raising suspicion. We just have to persuade her to help out."

"Oh, is that all?" I couldn't see Aiden allowing Esther to help, especially if it risked her job.

"If I can give her a reason to help, then all she has to do is warn us of any deliveries or suspiciously secret transactions going on. Then we intercept one and take the goods to the Council."

I gaped, realising he was serious. "Okay, what if there are no deliveries before the trial starts? What if we intercept a delivery, and it isn't the formula? How do we even know if it's the formula? And how can we even prove that it was headed toward Gideon? Never mind the obvious problem with _secret_ transactions."

Peter stared back, his jaw twitching. "Good questions," he said, although it looked like it killed him to say it. "I'm going to work on Becca, see if she can be persuaded to rat on the vampires. It won't be easy, but I'll keep at her. Maybe I'll find a way inside the building, and try to track down concrete evidence."

"You can't break into the home of an entire vampire coven. You won't make it out alive!" Carl's impressed face belied his words.

"Daytime. Human guards. No problem." Peter's mouth twisted into a cruel smile.

I closed my eyes. Peter would hurt humans. He wouldn't think twice. I couldn't let him do that. "I could go with you, maybe distract the humans while you sneak around. Or the other way around."

"You can't get involved in any of this, Ava. You're in enough trouble. We can't risk it. You stay here, and keep out of trouble."

I opened my mouth to protest, but he carried on as if I didn't exist. I knew with certainty then that he planned on going in fighting.

"Esther wouldn't ignore any evidence I find, and I'm pretty sure she, or one of her team, could keep an eye on Gideon's bank accounts. That kind of information would have to be hacked, but that wouldn't be a problem. If money is being sent to Spain, then we'll know there's a loose link that we can play on."

I waited, praying he would say he was joking. Peter looked so optimistic all of a sudden that I didn't have the heart to tell him it was completely stupid. Carl decided to gently imply it instead. "You know, that's going to take a _lot_ of refining."

Peter glared at him. "Do you two have anything better to do?"

Carl and I exchanged glances. Actually, we didn't have anything better to do and, if I was going down, I didn't want enough time to worry about it.

"What about Eddie?" Carl said.

Peter lowered his voice. "We don't tell him anything. We're going to give Ava a fighting chance, no matter what he says. Worst comes to the worst, Ava could try and influence Becca's mind, or maybe one of the live-in pets, to force them to help us.

"No way," I said, straight away. I was not messing about with anyone's mind. Never again.

"Get over it. It's not a big deal," he said, surprising me because he hated that part of me.

I glared at him, unwilling to back down. Peter stared back at me for a few seconds with a disturbingly cold look in his eyes. Finally, he relaxed, but not before a bead of sweat rolled down my spine. Something wasn't right.

Peter waved a hand. "Fair enough. I'm going to pay Becca a visit. See if I can get her to talk to me."

"She's not going to help us," I warned.

"I won't know if I don't take the chance. I'd take you with me, but you kind of bring out the worst in her." I made a face. I hated being stuck with Eddie.

"Maybe you could call Esther," Carl said. "Ask her if there's anything she can do to help with Becca."

"Worth a try, but Becca's still human, so it's not exactly her jurisdiction. I'll let you both know if I have any news.

I thought about Peter's plans when he left, and soon realised what I had to do.

"Carl," I said before he left that evening. "Can I trust you?"

"You know you can."

I took a deep breath. "I can't let Peter go near Gideon's coven. Most of the people there are innocent, but he'll hurt them anyway."

Carl looked taken aback. "He wouldn't."

"Carl. He wants to get a job done, and he doesn't care who gets in the way."

"He's being a friend, Ava."

"Just trust that I know what I'm talking about. I need your help. I'm going to the coven to see if I can find out anything. They won't expect me. I can sneak in, have a quick look around, and be gone before anything can go wrong."

"But Ava, what exactly are you looking for?" He sounded concerned, so I took a moment to think about it.

"I'm not sure. I just want to go in there so Peter doesn't have to," I admitted.

Carl frowned. "Ava, Peter's idea is stupid. He'll see that himself when he gets a chance to think it through. You can't go over there. You don't even know what you're looking for."

"I don't know what else to do," I admitted. "We have to do _something_. This is bigger than the trial; Gideon shouldn't get away with any of this. Imagine what would happen if all of the vampires got their hands on that formula, the amount of people who would die." I shook my head. Gideon had dragged me into his mess, and I wanted out of it. Nobody seemed willing to go after him, and somebody needed to.

"Hey, I get it. I want to stop him, too. Maybe if Esther speaks to Becca herself, she might help. If she saw her, she'd know there was something very wrong there. Maybe that would be enough, and nobody would have to break in," Carl suggested.

"Peter probably will anyway, and end up locked away himself. Could you maybe call Peter and see if he can persuade Esther to tag along, as a favour to me?"

Carl made the call, and Peter arranged to visit Becca with Esther the following day. It was a small relief. I hoped the visit to Becca would go well enough, and Peter would drop the idea of breaking into Gideon's home.

That night, I asked Eddie if I could take some of his books to the spare room I was using. He said it was okay, but he handpicked them himself without a word. He turned off all the lights and pushed me toward the stairs before I could choose a book on my own. I knew being around him was going to be difficult, but I hadn't expected there to be quite so much tension in the air.

That evening, I sat in Eddie's spare room and tried to read the books, but they seemed more of the fairy tale variety than the genuine kind. I debated ringing my grandmother, but I remembered what Eddie had said about me being told the whole truth. My phone shook in my palm, and I put it down. I decided the whole truth could wait for a few days.

# Chapter Eleven

The next morning, I awoke early. I dressed quickly and went downstairs before Eddie got up so I could get a chance to read one of the more authentic books that he kept steering me away from. When Eddie finally showed his face, I slid the book back under the counter and pretended I hadn't been doing anything. He narrowed his eyes but didn't say anything about it, although he stayed very close to me for the next few hours.

"You can help out today, Ava," he told me. "Give you something to do."

I shrugged, pretending I didn't care, but inside I was swearing. I wanted to be free to think about the trial and Gideon without Eddie breathing down my neck. Eddie was so against us trying to do things another way that it kicked off a brand new wave of suspicion. I knew he needed me for something, but he wanted the trial to go his way for reasons I hadn't figured out yet.

"Why don't you get some breakfast upstairs?" he asked, at last.

"Not hungry," I told him, although my stomach was rumbling pretty loudly.

"You could always make yourself a cup of tea or something. The air in here is so drying." As soon as he said it, the moisture was ripped from the air; my throat dried up instantly. The more he tried to get rid of me, the more obstinate I felt.

"I'm okay, Eddie," I said with a bland smile. "It's fine in here."

He frowned and was about to speak again when Carl breezed into the shop carrying a bag.

"Morning, Ava," he said cheerily. "Hi, Eddie. I know I'm early, but I thought I'd have breakfast with Ava before we opened up."

Eddie made a face and gave up, mumbling under his breath about me not being hungry as he walked away.

"Thank you so much," I said, pulling Carl into a grateful hug. The effects of the blood bond were still there because I always felt better when he was around. The door opened, and Peter walked in carrying steaming cups of coffee and looking even moodier than the day before. I grabbed the bag out of Carl's hand and delved in.

"Oh, my God, I'm half-starved," I moaned, reaching for a breakfast roll.

"I forgot you eat like a teenage boy," Carl teased.

"Yeah, yeah." I hoisted myself onto the counter. I unwrapped my food, took a bite and let out a little happy moan.

Carl and Peter exchanged bemused glances.

"Leave me alone," I said. "Eddie's been following me around all morning, trying to see what I'm up to. I couldn't even get anything to eat."

"What were you doing?" Peter asked.

"Just reading a book; he's doesn't seem to want me to read half the books here. They're just books. I don't know why he's so interested," I complained.

"Maybe there's something here he doesn't want you to see," Carl ventured.

"I've seen enough, trust me."

Peter took a sip of his coffee and inched toward me casually. "Like what?"

A familiar sick feeling churned my stomach, and I put my food down. I couldn't pass it off as nothing anymore. With a sinking feeling, I watched Peter carefully. I was used to things feeling off in Eddie's shop, but this was altogether too familiar. "Never mind," I said at last.

Peter looked vaguely disappointed, but he didn't press the issue. After a moment, the sick feeling eased off, but I was no longer in the mood for food.

"So, anyway," I said. "I'm supposed to help out here today. Eddie's idea of a punishment, I suppose. Peter, you still on with Esther?" I hoped I didn't sound too eager.

"Yeah, unless Aiden is keeping her locked indoors in case she gets attacked again."

"That was weird, wasn't it? In the club, I mean," I added.

Peter frowned. "It was, actually. Shifters always stick together, and they keep themselves in control when they bunch together like that. They never turn on their own, especially not in public. That's what _I_ don't understand about it. If they have problems, they keep them locked in. Sometimes shifters disappear, but it's done following their rules. I've been thinking about what happened, and it makes no sense. I've never heard of a shifter harming himself. Not like that."

"Esther was pretty shocked, too," I said. "But she didn't seem too upset by it."

"They don't experience emotions like humans," Peter explained. "The animal side keeps them pragmatic about certain things. The danger was over; therefore, there was no real reason for her to stay scared or upset by it."

"That's strange," I said.

"She's nice, though," Carl said, his face brightening. "Maybe Becca will warm to her, too."

"I really can't see Becca giving us information freely." Becca wanted to be a vampire; she would hardly rat on the others.

"So we make her," Peter said, his expression turning ice cold. We finished our coffees in silence. I felt sick again and knew it had something to do with Peter. The spirit blew gently on the back of my neck, and I realised I had the means to find out if there really was something wrong with Peter.

As we sat there, I sent out my other sense, knowing the others would never realise what was happening. I felt Eddie's presence upstairs then returned to the shop. Many sensations around me, not human, not vampire, something different. I wondered if it could be the souls I had seen Eddie take advantage of. On a whim, I tried to find the spirit that followed me around. I couldn't see a thing.

I swooped my other sense over Carl, everything fine and normal there. Then I turned to Peter. Red pulses, normal. I pushed harder, moved onto that other plane and saw something that wasn't quite normal, something that sent shudders of apprehension through my body. A dark shadow clung to Peter, swallowing his inner light. It held tight, not quite able to seep into his soul.

I'd often had the instinct to drink blood, but now I had another instinct, one that compelled me to cleanse Peter of the darkness. Without thinking, I jumped off the counter and crept up to Peter, staring into his eyes and probing around him with my other sense. I had always assumed it was a vampire talent, yet I felt bound to battle darkness with it. It made no sense, but I didn't have time to consider it.

I kept exploring, ignoring Carl when he called my name. I had to find where it attached itself. I felt the darkness very definitely now, cobwebbing itself to Peter's soul. Anger flared within, I had to kill it, whatever _it_ was.

Unsure of myself, I acted on a gut feeling and, ignoring his bewildered expression, I placed my hands on either side of Peter's head. I pushed against him, not with my body, but with that other something I had inside me. I felt warmth bubble up from my stomach, into my arms and through my hands. The energy, if that's what it was, moved from my fingertips into Peter, burning whatever linked the web of darkness to him.

It reacted wildly and latched on to me instead. I took a deep breath and inhaled the black shadow. I saw it clearly, tasted the bitterness, choked on the pain of it.

The cold look left Peter's eyes; I could feel Carl pulling me away, but I couldn't let go. Not until the shadow was all gone. Only when Peter's light shone through did I let go and fall back into Carl's arms, knocking us both to the ground. I left that shadowy level of existence and lay on the floor of the bookshop. I panted with tears rolling out of my eyes. My nose felt wet. I wiped it, and my hands came away crimson.

I curled up, pain wracking my body as the shadow I had absorbed was burned up. My veins lit up under my skin, and I wondered if I was dying. The thought drifted over me but didn't stick.

I gasped loudly as Carl grabbed my arm and touched the flaring lights that shone through my skin.

"What is this?" he cried out. "What's happening? I'll get Eddie." He moved to lay me down on the floor, but I gripped his wrist.

"Don't," I hissed. "Not him." Eddie probably already knew.

Carl nodded, trusting me completely. The burning stopped, the nausea cleared up, and I managed to take a look at Peter. His skin was grey and sweaty; he didn't make a sound—not the best sign. He had his back to the counter and shook almost as much as I did.

I stared at the ceiling and touched the floor beneath me, drumming my fingers to ground myself. I counted aloud, not caring that Carl and Peter could hear me. After a few crazy minutes of lying on the ground, I knew I wasn't losing my mind or my life. I finally sat up, helped by Carl who did his best not to freak out at the sight of the blood all over my face.

"Are you okay?" I asked Peter. He shrugged, speechless.

"Please tell me if you're hurt or anything." I moved toward the counter so I could lean against a solid surface. Peter was the solid object of choice, but he didn't look particularly welcoming.

"What did you do to me?" he asked, disgust in his voice.

"I reckon she saved you from something pretty bad," Carl said. "I saw it. It was... unlike anything I've ever seen. All of this black smoke just poured out of you and into Ava. Her skin turned black, then it turned white, like something lit up inside her. Like the vampires when she sticks them with that little knife. It scared the _crap_ out of me."

"You saw it?" I asked, relief sweeping over me. It made more sense when I wasn't the only one who could see something.

Carl nodded again, and I thought he might throw up.

Peter looked at me. "Do you know what it was?"

I shook my head, exhausted. "I can sense things. It's like I have another pair of eyes that see energy or something. It's how I found Carl, actually. I have to concentrate on using it, though. Sometimes I feel like something is off, and that's how I know I should use it. One of the Guardians, the one we saw at Gabe's bar, he makes me want to throw up when I see him. There's something screwed up about him."

"Coyle?" Disbelief coloured Peter's voice.

"Yeah, him. I had that same sick feeling in the bar before that shifter attacked Esther. Do you remember?"

He hesitated, then nodded. "You almost vomited. I remember that now."

"Yeah, well, it was the same feeling. Then I started feeling it around you and, just now, I thought I'd... take a look." I fidgeted with my sleeves. "Sorry, but I needed to know. I saw Carl as normal but, with you, there was like a web of darkness over you, sticking to you. It was like it tried to get into your soul. I've no idea what it was, but Carl's right about it absorbing itself into my skin. Then something in me just burned it away. It hurt, but it's gone. Definitely gone." I hoped.

Carl helped me to my feet, then pulled Peter up, too.

"Did you feel any different today?" Carl asked him. He had no trouble believing anything I said.

Peter shrugged. "I felt like I was coming down with something, maybe, nothing serious. I don't know what the hell she's talking about, though."

Carl put his hand on Peter's shoulder and spoke in a firmer voice than I'd ever heard from him. "She's telling the truth, Peter. Something got to you." He let that sink in, then turned to me. "Shall I get you something? To clean up?"

Carl hurried off without waiting for an answer, leaving me alone with Peter. I felt like we were back at the beginning, back to when we first met. I half-expected him to punch me again.

"You feeling okay now?" I ventured.

He rubbed his face and looked everywhere but at me. "Yeah, I better go meet Esther." He left without saying goodbye.

Carl came back with a wet cloth and basin of water. "Maybe you should use this in the back room, if anyone comes in... hey, where's Peter?"

I grabbed the cloth and wiped my face. "Gone. He has to meet Esther."

"Damn, I forgot. Peter's off to save the day." Carl bit his lip, then slammed the basin on the counter, splashing water everywhere. "I have to go, watch the shop for me, please. You're a star, see you!"

He was gone before I could form a question. I finished cleaning my face and took Carl's place behind the counter. Just when I thought I knew myself, I proved I'm even freakier than I ever expected.

Eddie showed himself, a suspiciously innocent look on his face. The incident hadn't exactly been silent. What had he been doing? My frown only deepened when I sensed his bliss. Smug happiness rolled off him, but the spirit spun around and around me. Another warning. This time I was tired enough to listen.

"Where's Carl?" Eddie asked, and I realised he carried two cups, one for him, and one for me.

"He didn't say. I'm taking his shift. You wanted to give me something to do."

He smiled pleasantly, but I did my best to keep out of his way for the next few hours, despite his insistence that he stay in the shop with me. He found the book I'd been reading and put it back on the shelves without a word. I made note of the shelf. As soon as Eddie turned his back, I went to retrieve it. I couldn't find the book, no matter how hard I looked.

I whirled around in frustration and saw Eddie watching me with an amused look. I forced a smile and sauntered around the bookracks, as if I were only perusing the shelves out of boredom.

Esther and Peter arrived together later that evening. Peter did his best to avoid my eyes as Esther related her experience with Becca. Not good. Becca wouldn't talk.

"But what did you think of _her_?" I asked.

"She looked awful." Esther frowned. "But if she won't talk, then we can't point the finger. I believe something is going on, so I'll do my best to convince my Circle we need to look into it. Illeana is a siren; she'll be the most help here, I think."

"Why are you bothering that creature?" Eddie demanded.

Esther shivered noticeably at his voice. "Council business," she said, but her voice was small and pitiful. "It's my duty to prevent trouble."

He opened his mouth to argue, but the door opened and interrupted him.

"Carl!" I ran to him, horrified. He grinned through a split lip, as though his face wasn't swollen, bloody, and bruised. My mouth watered in spite of myself.

"What happened?" Peter asked, sounding as confused as I felt.

"Bring him into the back room," Eddie said. "I'll close up and get something for his wounds."

"Don't get mad," Carl said, and my stomach sank. Not a good statement when it came from Carl.

I narrowed my eyes as he settled in a chair in the back room. "What did you do?"

"I went to see the volunteers. At Gideon's place. I told them Becca had convinced me that volunteering was a valid lifestyle choice."

Peter whistled, but hot rage burned in my ears, silencing the growing thirst. Why on earth did I bother trying to keep him safe when he insisted on running headfirst into trouble?

"What happened?" Peter asked, moving aside to let Eddie into the tiny room.

"They welcomed me with open arms, and we had a nice little chat about volunteering and the possibility of being turned into a vampire, at least, until one of them recognised me and got suspicious. Then, they kicked me out... _after_ they taught me a lesson." He tried to wink, but his eye was already half-closed.

Esther gasped. "You poor thing."

I gave a little snort. Poor thing, my arse.

Carl laughed, although the smile turned into a wince when Esther dabbed at his face with something Eddie handed her. I hoped it stung. Bad.

"Anyway," he said hurriedly, seeing my expression darken. "They told me it's possible to become a vampire, but you have to take a lot of tests first. Most people don't make it past that point. Besides Becca, there have only been two other possible candidates. One lives with the coven, the other doesn't. The formula arrives a couple of times a week, one of the volunteers usually collects it so they can feed the vampire who delivers it."

"Pretty good, Carl," Peter said, giving him a nod.

"Wait, there's more. Becca needs the formula more often than the others now. She's been picking it up from the delivery vamp so he can inject her and bite her straight off. The deliveries have been bumped up over the last fortnight—just for her." He relaxed in his chair, looking satisfied.

"Is that enough for you?" Peter asked Esther.

"I can work with that." She lifted Carl's shirt to tend to a wound that was still bleeding. His scent filled the air, deliciously citrusy. My throat ached. As my anger lessened, my thirst grew. I panicked, unable to remember how to control the sensation.

"I have to get out of here," I said, sweat rolling down my forehead.

Eddie took one look at me and shouted at Peter to get me outside. The disappointment on Peter's face was like a jab to the gut, but I let him drag me out of the room. As soon as I was away from Carl, my heart stopped racing so fast. Peter kept pulling me until we got outside, and I was able to suck in deep gulps of fresh air.

"I'm sorry," I said, little more than a whimper.

"Get in the car," was all he said.

Peter led the way in silence. I cursed my overt reaction to Carl's blood. I had been completely unprepared for the sudden need.

"You feeling okay now?" he asked, after a few minutes of us sitting in the car.

I shrugged. "I was fine once we got outside." I hesitated. "I wouldn't have hurt him."

He looked over at me for a few seconds, but I couldn't face him. "I know," he responded.

"I don't know why I..." I heaved a sigh. "I just panicked."

"It's a small room," he said. "Too many people. Too much stress and nervous excitement. He's not scared of you. He'll be fine."

"Too bad he isn't scared of me." I remembered how stupid Carl had been. Even if they weren't vampires, the volunteers were supporters of creatures who didn't value human life. It had been an idiotic move on his part.

"Don't be so hard on him," Peter said. "He did good. Now we know we have to keep a close eye on Becca. It's all working out."

I stared out the window. "We gonna talk about earlier?"

"Probably not."

I glared at him. "We have to find out what it was."

He rubbed the tattoo on his wrist. "And we will. When all of this is over."

"I think I'm scared." I didn't even mean the trial, although that was a weight on my shoulders. I meant of black shadows and dodgy Guardians, of Eddie with his trapped souls, of my thirst, and even of Peter. I was terrified.

Peter's hand found mine and squeezed. I wrapped my fingers around his and watched people go by, feeling comfort from his solid warmth. I knew he would be around until the trouble ended.

"Becca cared about Maximus," I said, letting go of his hand. He pulled it back to his body as if nothing had happened.

"So?"

"She cried about his death. He really meant something to her. Gideon took over by fooling Maximus, probably by working with Daimhín to help me kill him. Becca's the only one who acted loyal." I frowned, wondering how she could care about such a creature.

"If she cared about him that much then she should hate Gideon, so why is she his pet now?" Peter said.

"Maybe she doesn't know the full story. Maybe we need to make sure she knows it."

He started the car.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"We're going to your place so you can pick up some of your stuff. Valid reason for you to leave Eddie's place, right? On the way back, we might as well pay another visit to Becca. Let's test out your theory."

I felt like hugging him. I had hated being away from my small flat for so long.

Peter was pretty quiet on the drive over, but it wasn't as awkward as things had once been between us. Still, I tried to make conversation.

"What's with the tattoos?" I asked, as his sleeve bunched up to reveal the cross on his inner wrist.

"Protection," he said gruffly.

"Tattooed crosses work?"

"Yep. As long as the ink is blessed. Mostly, it psyches out the vampires when they see it."

"I can imagine," I said, thinking of how I always reacted to it. "What about the other tattoos?"

He cleared his throat. "Which ones?"

"How many you got?"

"A few." His lips curved upward.

"Okay, what's the one on your arm mean?"

"It's an old Celtic inscription. It's supposed to protect your soul."

I thought about the shadow that had clung to Peter's soul. Although stuck fast, it hadn't sunk in; I wondered if the tattoo could have really protected him from harm.

There were no vampire followers outside my home when we got there. My landlord wasn't around, and my neighbour wasn't peeking out of her door. Bliss. I got inside and almost squealed with joy. I sank into my favourite chair and made a happy sound. Home.

I opened my eyes to see Peter smirking at me, but I didn't care. "I'm going to shower," I told him. "Make yourself at home. Make sure that kettle's full," I added as I headed to my bedroom.

For the first time, I was glad of the communal hot water because there actually was some in the taps. I removed my bandage carefully. I felt glad I wasn't human when I saw how well it had healed, despite everything. Feeling ecstatically happy, I washed my hair with _my_ shampoo and soaped my body with _my_ shower gel so I smelled like myself again. I dressed, then towel-dried my hair as I joined Peter in the living room. I turned on the kettle and combed my hair, still finding joy in the most mundane of actions.

"You're looking very chirpy," Peter said, his eyebrows rising.

"I hate staying with Eddie. I love being home. Plus, no more bandages for me." I headed back into the bathroom. I found my moisturiser and spent a whole minute rubbing some onto my face. My skin loved me for it, and every familiar action brought me peace. The aching thirst vanished completely.

When I returned, Peter was hovering by the counter, standing by some cups.

"It's okay. I'll do that." I moved past him in the kitchenette, the sudden proximity setting my skin on fire. I chanced a look at his eyes and saw they were flaring with the same intensity I felt. He wasn't looking at me like Ava, the would-be vampire or Ava, the daywalker. He was staring at Ava, the woman, and that sent a shiver down my spine.

"I take sugar," he said, and I gulped. I wasn't even sure why. I moved toward him again, expecting him to step aside. He stood his ground, and I had to reach over his shoulder to grab the sugar from the press. As I leaned away from him, I caught his scent. Instead of my mouth watering, my whole body suddenly heated up with longing. My cheeks flushed red as his body followed mine, closing the space between us.

Scared I might drop it, I rested the sugar on the counter. I looked up at Peter, not recognising what I saw in his eyes. Still he moved, his body finally touching mine. I let myself lean against him, not even thinking about it.

He slid one hand across my waist, then looped his finger through my waistband and pulled me close with ease. I gripped the counter to steady myself as his other palm cupped my cheek, his thumb resting on my lips.

I froze, too scared to move in case I broke the spell. He licked his bottom lip, his eyes flickering from mine to my mouth. I barely covered the deep sigh my body couldn't contain. He moved his face closer, leaning his forehead against mine, our noses barely touching.

My heart raced even as his did. I realised I was holding on to him just as his heart began to skid rapidly along in his chest. I relished the effect I had on him and felt my stomach flutter at the notion. His eyes were heartbreakingly soft and young, the way he would have been if life hadn't screwed him over.

Holding his gaze, I lifted my chin. Braver now, I felt ready to take a risk, but a bang on the door interrupted everything. Just like that, the mood snapped; Peter moved away, avoiding my eyes. Frustrated beyond belief, I answered the door without checking and regretted it instantly when I saw my landlord standing there, his piggy eyes squinting with anger.

"Where's the money, Delaney?" he demanded.

"You said I had some time," I said as quietly as I could. At least I hadn't screwed up his mind for all time.

"Yeah, well, I changed my mind. Hand it over," he roared. I backed up slightly and could tell by the gleam in his eye that he saw that as a victory.

"I don't have it," I muttered, mortified that Peter was witnessing the scene. "You said I had time. Why would I have it now?"

"Don't be a cheeky bitch. I need that money! Now!"

"Whoa, back the fuck up there," Peter said, stepping between us. His jaw was tight, his tone low and scary. "There's no need for that crap."

McGreavy paled and stepped back, his hands in the air. "I don't want no trouble, I just want my money."

"Come back in a couple of weeks. If she doesn't have it, I will," Peter said firmly, then slammed the door in my landlord's face. I peered through the peephole and saw him muttering to himself, as if debating whether to let it go or not. With a sigh of relief, I saw him head down the stairs. I leaned my forehead against the door and covered my cheeks with my hands, wanting the ground to swallow me up.

"Ava?"

I turned, but Peter was too close, blocking my way.

"What was that about?" he asked, reaching out for me. I blocked his touch, feeling too exposed and little. He flinched visibly, but I ignored it and sat down.

"I'm behind on my rent is all. He said he would give me a few more weeks to pay." I didn't tell him I had made McGreavy say it.

"I thought you were doing okay," Peter said, sitting as far away from me as possible. Even then, I felt a chill emanating from him.

"I was. Until the whole thing with Maximus. It screwed up a lot of deals because I wasn't around to work or delay anything or even get in contact with anyone. I'm behind on everything, but I'm catching up," I lied.

"You need a lend? Something to tide you over?"

My stomach turned. I definitely did not want to take money from Peter. Things were messy enough. When I declined, he looked as if he had taken it as a personal insult. I couldn't win.

"We should head on to Becca's place," he said, standing abruptly. "Get whatever you need to bring to Eddie's and come out to the car." He left without looking back. I felt like crying. Every time we started getting comfortable around each other, we'd either have a tense and sexy moment, or a tense and misunderstood one.

As we drove to Becca's flat, I tensed up even more, remembering how Peter had reacted the last time we went there. Granted, I'd been in full-on attack mode, but he hadn't handled it well.

We headed straight for Becca's flat and knocked on the door. After a minute, she opened it and then tried to slam it shut again, but Peter stopped her. She rolled her eyes in resignation and let us in without much comment.

"What now?" she asked, her hands on her hips.

"Christ, you look worse than earlier," Peter blurted out. Becca scowled, but she really did look terrible.

"Is that what you came to say?" she said, her sarcasm hiding her fear.

"No," I said. "You need to tell us everything you know about the formula."

She lounged on her sofa and lit a cigarette. "Or not."

"Remember what happened last time I paid you a visit?" I asked.

She made a face, and her fingers trembled around the cigarette. She grinned suddenly, and I noticed that her teeth looked different. Not fanged, just different somehow. Her eyes were redder than before, and her heartbeat was incredibly slow. With a pang, I realised she was very close to death. Whether she kept living or not was another issue.

"There you go again with the threats," she said. "And you make out they're the monsters?"

"That's enough." Peter took a seat across from Becca. "It's time to do the right thing, Becca."

"Oh, and I'm doing the wrong thing right now? Says who? You and your daywalking girlfriend? Bullshit, Peter. I'm not hurting anyone, you sanctimonious prick." She stubbed the cigarette with angry stabbing motions.

"I thought you cared about Maximus," I said.

She glared, her eyes glittering. "Don't talk about him. You don't know him. He was _special_."

"Yet you hang around with Gideon now." I shook my head with an exaggerated sigh.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She sat back, but I could see the spark of interest in her eyes.

"You do know that he helped set Maximus up, right? I mean, he was never loyal to Maximus anyway, and the dust had barely settled before he took over. He was a little too on the ball. He made sure nobody was around to protect Maximus." I waited, but she stayed silent, and I lost hope. I glanced at Peter, but he wouldn't look at me.

Becca rubbed her forehead so hard, it left a pink dented mark. "He destroyed all of Max's precious things. Max kept his human belongings for so long that they turned into artifacts. Gideon. That traitorous—I knew it!" She slammed her hands on the coffee table, and it collapsed, startling Peter and me. She got up and paced the room, shaking her head every now and then. When she finally whirled around to acknowledge us again, I was ready for her to lose the plot completely.

"I need that formula. If it stops now, I'm screwed. I can't even take it late. I'm going to keep taking it, and then I'm going to make sure I repay Gideon for everything he's done." She sat back down and closed her eyes. Her arms looked floppy and weak, like she was suddenly out of energy. When she opened her eyes again, they were watery and dazed.

I decided to keep asking questions until she answered. "I want to know about the testing going on and the formula the vampires are using. Do you know what's in it?"

Her words slowed. "I hardly asked, I don't care."

Peter sighed. "Where do they keep it?"

"They don't keep it. They use it straight off. It doesn't keep, or they don't want to get caught with it. I don't know."

"Can you get us some of it?" Peter asked.

"No. Only a tiny bit arrives. I need every drop." She sighed and rubbed the back of her head against the chair.

"Why would you want to turn, Becca?" I asked. "Last in, first out, especially when the quota gets a little tight."

"Yeah, well, the way I hear it, there won't even be a quota for much longer. I ain't worried, love."

Peter and I exchanged glances. Was Gideon honestly planning on staging a rebellion against the Council?

"I'm tired." She yawned. "I need a lot of sleep these days."

"We should go," Peter said, and headed for the door. He held it open for me and hesitated as I passed him by. I heard him tell Becca she could come to him if she needed help. I looked at him quizzically when he joined me, but he pretended not to notice. I wondered if he was being soft or if he had another plan.

We got back into the car and drove back to Eddie's place.

"So what do you think?" I asked.

"It's screwed up. She's all over the place. She was the same earlier, up and down. I think you got to her about Gideon though. I might just be able to persuade her to speak to the Council about him." He kept nodding like he could hear her already.

"She doesn't have long left, Peter. I'm sorry," I said, hesitant to ruin the mood but wanting him to know.

"She barely looks human anymore."

"Do you think there's a chance? That she'll turn?"

"Maybe. But I'm more worried about what she'll turn _into_ ," he replied.

I gave him a pointed look. He clarified, "What I mean is, vampires were made from a type of human that doesn't exist anymore. Technically, because our bodies have adapted enough to ward off their poison, we're a new variation, and we don't know how the poison will react with our systems. I'm concerned that she'll turn into something we don't know anything about."

"I'm sure she won't." I tried to sound confident, but he was right. Technically, we didn't know what we were dealing with. But if anything had gone wrong in Spain, then surely they wouldn't be selling the formula to vampires abroad. Not unless they _wanted_ it to go wrong. I bit my lip, worrying.

"Hey, it's okay," he said, noticing my concern. "It'll be fine."

"We all keep saying that, but nothing's fine. That was some screwed up stuff in Eddie's shop, and yesterday he tried to attack me. I swear, it looked like he was using people's souls or something. Then the thing with Esther and the shifter who committed suicide. Lots of strange things are happening. It seems like something bigger is going on while we're hung up on the little things."

The worry flooded out of me; I couldn't stop it. Peter pulled over sharply, and cars behind us beeped at the lack of a warning.

"Wait," Peter said, turning in his seat to face me. "Back up. Did you say Eddie attacked you with _souls_?"

"He tried to. Somehow I managed to block it, but don't ask how." I held out my hands. "I know it sounds crazy, but that's how it felt at the time. I saw something, and I was convinced they were souls."

"You said the darkness was on my soul. How would you even be able to see a soul? Vampires can't do that, how can you?"

"I don't know! I don't know why I used the word _soul_ even. It just made sense to me."

He puzzled over it for a few seconds. "If it makes sense to you, then I believe you."

"Don't think I'm evil anymore?" I asked with a laugh, but I was only half joking. I held my breath, waiting for his answer.

"I don't care what you were born as," he said. The kindness in his eyes calmed my nerves. "You try to do good, and that's what counts."

I shivered, but in a good way. The air sparked with tension again; the sensation felt perfectly normal. That was partly what I enjoyed about Peter's company; he brought out the human in me.

"I suppose we should get back to the bookshop before Eddie spontaneously combusts. I've had about twenty missed calls from him today," Peter said, but he didn't move.

"Okay."

He studied me until I squirmed in my seat. He laughed at my awkwardness and took pity on me. "I'll make sure people are watching Becca from now on. We don't want to miss any of these deliveries. I reckon there'll be one before the trial. If we can't persuade Becca to help, then we'll just have to catch them in the act."

I liked the sound of that.

# Chapter Twelve

We made it back to the bookshop before Eddie's head exploded. Peter explained what had happened at Becca's to Carl and Eddie before leaving to brief Esther, who had already left.

"I'm sorry about earlier," I told Carl, my face roaring red.

He smiled, nonplussed. "It's cool. I should have warned you or something."

"You okay anyway? Looks like Eddie did a good job on your face." Carl's face was already a lot better, thanks to Eddie's bag of tricks. He couldn't sort out the lisp, but at least Carl's eyes could open.

I couldn't relax around Carl. I no longer craved his blood, thankfully, but I was embarrassed by how weak I'd been when he needed me to be strong.

"You're being stupid," he said, and made me look at him. "You didn't do it on purpose."

"I know." I shrugged. "You did good today. You probably made Esther help me. But don't do that ever again," I added before his ego swelled even more.

He laughed and elbowed me gently. "It was fun, though."

"You're so sick." I hated the way he linked danger and pain with a good time.

"Oh, I can't believe I forgot. That chick, Yvonne, came here looking for you. Daimhín wants to speak to you. I told her you were with Peter, hope that's okay," he said, looking worried all of a sudden.

"It's fine. She'll probably call him instead. I have absolutely no intention of going to see Daimhín. I'm not going to lie for her at the trial, and I can guarantee you that's what she wants."

"Probably. So, what now?"

"Now?" I sighed. "We wait, I suppose. Peter said he was going to get someone to follow Becca, to make sure we don't miss the next delivery. They have frequent deliveries because they pass on small batches, so we could be lucky enough to get our hands on one before the trial."

"How do the deliveries arrive? Plane, post, courier, what?"

"Um, I don't know," I admitted. "We kind of got overexcited about the little stuff."

Carl frowned. "That's not like Peter."

I blushed; we might have been distracted.

"We're hoping Esther comes up with something, I suppose. And that I can escape from Cell Block Eddie once I have to move." I pushed past him to wander amongst the book shelves. "Hmm, there's a lot of interesting stuff here."

"Yes, there is," Eddie said, startling me. "But unfortunately, this isn't a library. Sit down for a few minutes, Ava. I want to discuss the trial with you."

I heaved a sigh and obeyed, feeling like an irritated teenager with an overprotective father.

"I believe the trial will go as planned for the most part. You may be called upon to give your version of events, but that doesn't always happen. Still, it's better if you're prepared. Go over what happened, make sure it's clear in your mind. Don't exaggerate or over-sensationalise. Be honest, concise, and... try not to be rude."

"What?" I asked, surprised.

"You can be abrasive when you feel threatened. It's better if you come across as non-threatening as possible, make them see you as vulnerable."

I glanced at Carl, but he looked like he agreed.

"I am who I am," I said, affronted. "I can't help how I come across."

"Stop acting like a spoiled teenager for a minute, and think about the trial. It isn't just the trial. This is your introduction into the world. Think of yourself as a debutante; you have to make the right impression. If the trial problem goes away, then there will be many interested in watching you. If they consider you a threat, you're in trouble. Do you understand, pet?"

He looked so earnest that I felt like trusting him, throwing my life into his hands and saying, "Yes, please, manage me." I shook myself out of that in a hurry, fearing he was trying to cast his will or whatever on me once again. His unnatural power terrified me. I would always be wary of him, even when his eyes were as soft as a father gazing upon his only daughter, even when I desperately wanted to trust him.

He took my hands, pleading with his eyes. "It's not like the world you know, Ava. The rules are old and need to be followed. You need to show them you're capable of doing as you're told. You've lived on your own for long enough; it's time for you to join the rest of us now."

I wasn't sure why I felt so sad. Tears rolled down my cheeks. Surprised, I choked back a sob and brushed the tears from my face with my hands.

Carl rushed over and put his arm around me. "What's wrong?"

"I have no idea," I said, looking at my wet fingers as though they were stained with blood instead of tears.

"She's not feeling her own emotions," Eddie said, turning away from us.

"What does that mean?" I asked, looking up at Carl, who looked as confused as I was.

"I've long suspected you could absorb emotion," Eddie said after a pause.

"Excuse me?"

"Similar to an empath, you feel what others feel. You say you smell emotions, and I believe you, but I think it stems from you actually feeling what is in the air around you," he elaborated.

"I don't get it. How is that possible?" I asked. Carl edged away from me noticeably. I frowned, seeing Eddie's words as just another way for me to be alone.

"Anything's possible," Eddie said with a calm smile. "I now believe the thirst was hard for you to control because you were also struggling to control emotions that weren't yours. Today, for example, you were in a small room during an emotionally charged situation. There were all sorts of feelings flying around. They overwhelmed you, and the thirst took over."

"I'm not sure—"

"It's true," he interrupted. "I'm not sure if that should be known at the trial, at least not publicly. Maybe we'll be forced to relate it if your lack of control comes up. It would be a simple task to introduce you to an experienced empath who could help you find the control you need to get by in life."

He was beginning to sound like a motivational speaker, and I felt a spark of hope. "Okay, say it's true. How on earth would anyone else's emotions get in the way and have an impact on my thirst?"

"You maintain control over your thirst constantly. Once Carl was thrown in your path, you were fighting to control both aspects, anger, fear, any number of emotions, plus the desire to drink blood. It was too much because you weren't prepared for it." Eddie sounded matter-of-fact, but my thoughts raced.

I thought about incidents that might back up his theory. I glanced at Carl, whose neck and ears had turned bright red, and wondered what emotions I'd absorbed from him.

Then Arthur, maybe that would explain the kindred feeling I felt around him; he had felt it first, and I absorbed it. It would explain the incident in Gabe's bar, barely. And Peter... well, I'd think about Peter another time.

I felt my whole body go loose as the tension drifted from me. Maybe Eddie was right, and I wasn't in control of myself; it wasn't the thirst, it was everyone else around me. That didn't sound right either.

I shook my head. "No, can't be. I don't feel everyone's emotions. I thought maybe Arthur, yeah, but none of the other vampires."

"Arthur was a young vampire, maybe a hundred-years-old. I believe he was one of the last to be turned. Perhaps he still retained enough of his humanity to affect you. The others have been dead a long time; their systems would work differently."

I shrugged, thinking it still wasn't likely.

"If it was true, would it be considered a good or bad thing?" Carl asked.

Eddie smiled wryly. "Depends on who you asked," he said, enigmatic as usual.

He hung around for a while and insisted on teaching me how to use the till. I got the feeling he didn't want me to have time to think too much. Still, everything he had said about emotions rumbled around in my head for a while. It made me look at everything differently. How could I ever trust my emotions if I was feeling everyone else's?

The biggest question was _why_ I could sense other people's emotions.

***

The next few days passed slowly. Sometimes Peter or Esther dropped in, but never with an offer to take me anywhere. I felt like I was going stir crazy. Carl tried his best to cheer me up, but being around Eddie drained me emotionally. I constantly wondered if I could trust him, and where his power really stemmed from. It was wearisome.

Esther brought little news. She was doing her best to keep an eye on Gideon's coven and Becca. She was still trying to persuade her fellow Guardian, Illeana the siren, to find out about Gideon's bank dealings. Carl and Becca had both made her determined to put an end to Gideon's plans.

Being stuck inside while everyone else worked on my behalf depressed me; I began moping around Eddie's premises like a gloomy ghoul. My time was running out, and I was the only one sitting around waiting for things to happen.

The cold presence kept trying to make itself known. At first, its cooling breezes were soothing, soft touches on my skin that could only be called pleasant. But as the days went on, it became apparent that the presence, whatever it was, was becoming annoyed by my moping. Eventually, I received one final icy blast in the face that woke me up big time.

"Alright, already," I muttered, rubbing warmth back into my cheeks. "I'll cop on, jeez."

"Who are you talking to?"

I whirled and frowned when I saw Gabe. Alone in the shop during Carl's lunch break, I hadn't even heard the door open.

My mouth gaped open in shock. Anger was the only thing to cover my nervousness. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that," I snapped.

"Still a virtue of kindness, I see," he said.

"Don't even speak to me," I responded haughtily.

"I need Eddie anyway, not you." He stepped away, and I watched his form with interest, remembering he was supposed to be an angel. He glanced behind him and caught me staring. A smile curved his lips. Quick as a flash, he was before me, leaning over the counter. I stared up into his eyes, seductive and yet calculating.

"Eddie's upstairs," I said, hoping he would either go up there or go away.

"And you're all alone then," he said in a smarmy sort of way, his fingers dancing across the counter to mine. I pulled my hand away and hid it behind my back.

"Not for long," I hissed. "Why don't you go away?"

"I'm happy here. I find you extremely entertaining."

"Well, I find you extremely annoying, so back off. What kind of angel are you, anyway?"

He flinched, but covered it well. "You speak of angels today. So I'm upgraded from 'some guy' then? Lucky me."

He leaned further over the counter and lifted my chin, too rough, to search my eyes with his. His scent made my mouth water. Desire stirred in the pit of my stomach. Such a beautiful creature, but the more I looked, the less of a human I saw behind his irises. His true form tried to shine through, and I smiled.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

"That your human form is beautiful. Pity it isn't real." My smile turned triumphant as I watched the charm fall from his face. He backed up and glared at me.

"Maybe I will go find Eddie after all," he said. He walked off, leaving me feeling chilled. I wrapped my arms around myself, completely thrown by the encounter.

"That was stupid, Ava," Peter said. I jumped about a foot in the air.

"Christ, will everyone stop sneaking up on me?"

"Sorry, where's Carl?"

"Gone to lunch. Wait, what was stupid?" I asked, frowning.

"Antagonising someone on the Council. Don't forget he's going to be voting on whether you live or die. Charm him; don't piss him off."

I made a scornful sound. "Charm him? You sound like Eddie. I can't fool people into liking me, Peter. I wouldn't know where to start. This is me, like it or not."

He shook his head in apparent disappointment. "Sometimes you have to play the game, Ava."

"Oh, well, now we have that out of the way, I might as well go to bed. Day is done."

"No need to be snarky. I came over to tell you that Esther managed to get the siren to help her out. She found out there are huge, and I mean huge, like millions, in transactions being sent to Spain by Gideon."

"Millions? Where the hell did he get millions of euro?" I couldn't understand it.

"Their businesses are fluid; they learned to keep it that way so a recession or market crash wouldn't screw them right over. Plus, they're all connected to vampires in other countries. Money has a way of making money, you know?"

I wished it was that easy. Even having my laptop at Eddie's place wasn't saving my business. I had no idea how I was going to pay my rent. Not that it would matter if the trial didn't go my way. Biting down on the panic, I tried to concentrate on the business at hand.

"How do you know so much about these things?" I was frustrated at my own lack of knowledge.

"I've been at this a while. Besides, people talk to me." I realised he was really enjoying himself and wondered if that's why he helped me, because it was his idea of fun.

"What next?" I asked, ignoring how disappointed that thought made me feel.

"We have proof he's paying them, but we haven't proved what he's receiving in return. The Council already watches any official shipments from other countries, so they have to be getting the formula another way. Constant deliveries would be suspicious, and vampires don't risk regular travel, so it has to be something unorthodox. Also, frequent vampire travel is something that catches the Council's eye. I think we need to watch Becca very carefully. We can't afford to miss out on the next shipment," he said, his eyebrows creasing into a deep frown. "It's going to be tiring, I know, but the trial is tomorrow night. Can you stay awake until then? To help follow Becca?"

"Me?" My face brightened.

"Of course _you_ , who else? Esther is following her now, but I'm going to take over soon. I really think this is our last chance. I've been asking around everywhere, and nobody knows a thing. That kind of hush-hush is near impossible, and we already know Becca's deeply involved, so I'm banking on her coming through for us. You up for a stakeout?"

"Hell to the yeah," I said, getting my coat on. We left before Gabe finished with Eddie. It seemed like the best time to escape.

# Chapter Thirteen

A thrill of excitement ran through me as we walked to the car. I glanced at Peter and saw he was the same, hyped up by something actually happening. We drove to Becca's place, nodded to Esther as she drove away, and settled down for a long wait.

"There are some drinks and snacks in the back and an all-night cafe down the street for coffee or the bathroom. If you need to sleep, let me know."

I raised my eyebrows. As if I could sleep. "Yeah, you too."

"I'm just saying, Ava. Esther told me earlier that Becca hasn't been leaving the house in daylight."

"That makes it easier. Think the sun is affecting her?"

"Maybe, makes sense, right? She might go off for a ramble in the middle of the night, so we have to make sure we pay attention."

"No worries." I relaxed in my seat, keeping my eyes on Becca's building up the road. "Hope she doesn't recognise your car."

"Even if she does, she badly wants that formula. I don't think anyone would stop her." He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel with the rhythm of the song playing on the radio.

I tried to stay calm, but millions of random thoughts whirled around in my brain. I was losing control of my life, felt everything I knew slipping out of my fingers. I was floating in the ether and depending on Becca to pull me back in. Depending on other people never worked out in my experience.

"What if nothing happens tonight?" I bit my lip to stop it from trembling.

"It has to." Peter's voice stayed strong. Good thing, too; any hint he didn't believe it, and I would have lost the weak hold I had on my panic. "She needs that injection. Soon. I reckon Gideon's been holding out until the last minute, just in case. He probably thinks Eddie wouldn't let you out of his sight the night before the trial."

I tried not to, but I found myself thinking about the trial. I couldn't see a resolution. We all knew we were grasping at possibilities. Even if the Council went after Gideon, they still had to pass judgement on me. At least one member hated me; at least one hated the man who spoke for me.

I remembered the man in the cells, the one who had taken his own life rather than face the Council. Out of everything, that image was stamped on my mind. An unpleasant death by his own hand had been preferable to the Council's judgement. Fear slithered around my heart, leaving me hiccupping with cold dread.

"This could be the last thing we ever do together," I blurted.

He raised his eyebrows in question.

"If the trial goes... badly, this could be the last time we actually spend time together."

He opened his mouth then closed it again and nodded. "Maybe so."

"I want you to know I'm grateful. For your help. With everything." I watched his jaw twitch. I needed to lighten the tone. "And that I forgive you for hitting me when we first met." He turned to face me, ready to protest, but he saw my amusement and stopped.

"You're getting way too cheeky for your own good," he said, but the tension had broken. "It's weird how things happen," he said after a while.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if you had told me a month ago I'd be here with a part-vampire chick staking out a human who is pretty much a part-vampire chick, too, I wouldn't have believed you for a second."

I nodded. "I wouldn't have believed there would be so many humans in my life, or that I'd end up in court because of a vampire."

"Nancy keeps calling me about you."

The swift change in subject made me roll my eyes. "She must not think I'm going to die then, or else she would be ringing me."

He smiled. "She's trying."

"Let's not talk about her," I said, feeling my good mood slip away.

"What do you want to talk about?" He shifted closer to me. I ignored him and kept looking at Becca's place. "I have a good feeling," he said. "I think things will work out."

I felt his eyes on me, like he wanted me to look at him, but I couldn't. I physically couldn't make myself look at him because I was afraid of what I would see in his eyes. How it would make me feel, what it would make me do. I didn't want pity affection, not from him.

I gulped as the tension sizzled in the air, possibly a figment of my imagination, but that didn't make the sensations any less real to my body. I caught my breath and decided we needed a little space. I definitely needed some air.

"I need a coffee," I announced, and got out of the car before he could respond. Exhaling loudly, I jogged down to the cafe. I pushed open the door, but out of the corner of my eye I spotted Becca running out of her building and off down the road. I sped after her on foot. Hearing Peter start the engine, I pulled my mobile out of my pocket and rang him. Panting into the phone, I let him know I would follow her on foot in case he lost her.

She cut through a park as soon as she could. I kept my distance, scenting her in the air; I was in no hurry to make my presence known. I followed her for at least half an hour, surprised by her stamina and speed. The formula must have been doing something crazy to her system. I had to ring Peter to make sure he was following us because Becca kept running through places a car couldn't follow.

Eventually, she slowed near the beach. She walked along the retreating tide line. I followed her over hilly mounds of sand mixed with grass. There were many people around, couples in cars mostly.

Becca found a deserted spot, sank down on the sand, and just waited. Every now and then, she inched her way along the sand, away from the tide and people. She moved to a barrier that blocked cars from going further along the beach and rested her head against it as if she had dozed off.

I called Peter and told him to pull into the old car park that overlooked the sea. I kicked sand from my feet before I pulled them into the car.

"She won't see us here," I said.

"I can barely see her," he complained.

"I can. It's pretty cold out there; I don't think sitting on the sand is going to do you any favours. She'll probably leave soon, right?"

"Not unless this is the delivery point," he pointed out.

"Only one way to find out," I said.

We sat together in apprehensive silence as we waited for something to happen. Becca just sat there on the sand. It was kind of creepy. The place was notorious for drinking teens, learner drivers, and amorous couples, so there were enough cars to keep us from appearing too conspicuous. Not that Becca even bothered looking around her, she just stared at the sea. Nobody bothered her, but I had a feeling she could handle herself even if someone had tried.

"This is weird," I said, realising that nothing was going to happen any time soon.

Peter shrugged and changed the radio station, flexing his arms as he did so. "Maybe we should walk around a bit," he said. "Just in case we have to chase her."

I arched an eyebrow. "You mean in case I have to chase her."

He smiled lazily. "I'm not that slow."

"Sure you're not, old man," I teased.

A rare, bright smile flashed across his face, and he stepped out of the car to stretch his arms and legs. I did the same, sick of his car. Becca was far enough away that she couldn't hear us, but not so far that she could disappear on us.

I sat on the bonnet of the car and let the cool sea breeze whip my hair around my face. I could already taste the salty tang on my lips. The scent in the air was beautiful; for a few minutes, I felt content.

"Not a bad way to spend your last night of freedom," Peter said, sitting next to me.

I relished being free. I recognised the feeling and bottled it in my mind to save for later. I would probably need to remember this. I let myself lean against him, enjoying the way his sturdiness held me.

"She looks like she's turned to stone down there," I said in exasperation. "Do you think she's waiting for the delivery here?"

He shook his head. "Not a clue. You cold?" he asked when I shivered.

"No," I replied. I wasn't cold, not really. Something about the night felt different to me, maybe because it could be my last one. My pent up anxiety coloured the world, but even counting wouldn't fix things.

Becca stood and moved closer to the water, as if she had seen something. "Do you think we should get closer? Make our way down there, maybe?"

"If you like. At least we'll be moving."

We ended up crawling in the sand until we had a better, yet still discreet, view. I was close to hysterical and had to bite down on my sleeve to stop myself from laughing. Peter pushed me gently.

"I'm never bringing you on a stakeout again," he said under his breath.

I hiccupped. I might never do anything again. As if he had the same thought, he looked at me with dismay. My fingers sank into the sand, and I straightened my back, gasping for air, trying to push my emotions back down. Peter rubbed my back, and I shook my head, pulling away.

"I'm not... I can't," I spluttered, trying to say goodbye without saying goodbye.

He hesitated, his hand frozen against me. I turned and pulled him into a hug. He embraced me for a few seconds before pushing me back and making me look at him. I shook under his fierce gaze.

"I told you, Ava. Everything is going to be okay. _You_ will be okay. It's not over, and you're not allowed fall apart. Not now, not tomorrow. You won't let them see this, because this isn't you. There's a reason the vampires have it in for you. They're afraid. They should be. You'll never stand in line. Remember that. Own it. They can't break you. Not the vampires. Not the Council. This isn't _over_."

The fire in his eyes lit something inside me. I grinned back at him, feeling all of those confused pieces click into place. I was scared most of the time. I never showed it. I always pushed back. It wasn't over. Not yet.

"Too right it's not."

I glanced over at Becca. Pulling back, I put my finger on Peter's lips in warning. We both watched her. She waved out at the sea. Peter and I looked at each other, baffled, but then I saw it.

I spun my body away from Peter to get a better look. A figure was in the water, slowly rising up as he walked toward the shore. Vampire. On his back was a bag, presumably containing a waterproof package.

"What the hell?" Peter whispered. "Did he walk under the water? Swim? All this way?"

I shuddered at the idea of all those tons of water bearing down on him. Vampires didn't breathe, but it had to be confining. I wondered if he really could have come from Spain.

"This is how they're getting past the Council," Peter whispered. "Who knows how long this has been going on? Random spot, hand over to a human. Nobody knows a thing."

The vampire approached Becca. I held my breath, taut with anticipation. The vampire seemed to be spitting out water as he walked, and he stretched out his arms like they were sore. I wasn't surprised.

Becca held out her arms, as if to embrace him. He knelt down, pulled the bag off his back, and took something out. Becca knelt before him, blocking my view. I couldn't see what he did to Becca, but I guessed he injected her with a dose of the formula. He stood, grabbed her roughly, and sank his fangs into her neck. Partly to feed, partly to ensure Becca had a dose of his poison in her system.

I gave a little gasp, but Peter hushed me, fascinated by the proceedings. Becca's moans filled the night air. They could have been a randy human couple to a casual bystander. The needle, an act of a drug addict. There was a reasonable explanation for everything.

After a couple of minutes, the vampire let go and pushed Becca away from him, then he walked through the sand as if he knew exactly where he was going. Looking a little disoriented, Becca stumbled after him.

"What should we do?" I whispered. "If we follow them to Gideon's, we've as good as lost them."

"We confront them then. Try and persuade Becca to rat on the others. If we hold that vamp, it'll open up some questions about how he got here and why. The Council doesn't allow foreign vampires to travel to Ireland freely, not without a pass. Come on," he said, his heart racing noisily.

I followed him warily. Catching a vampire was a lot harder than killing one, but we'd done it before. This time _Becca_ was the unknown; we didn't know what a fresh dose of formula would do for her.

As we closed in on the pair, a blinding light shone on us.

"Halt," demanded a voice. A group of Guardians surrounded us.

"Not now," I muttered.

"It's time for you to prepare for your trial," one of them said, looking rather happy about it. I looked around in a panic; Becca and the vampire were getting away. I couldn't leave it now, not after everything.

"Esther!" Peter called out. Esther ran, pushing between the Guardians to get to us.

"I'm so sorry," she said, pity etched on her face. "Gabe called you in early."

"Never mind that," I said. "Becca got the delivery."

A Guardian snapped a tag on my wrist and began to lead me away. Peter held Esther's arm and tried to speak to her in urgent tones, but I was pushed into a Guardian jeep and driven away immediately.

Disappointment sank into my stomach like a dead weight. I had been so close, yet I was still on my way to the trial and totally unprepared. I hadn't expected them to come for me so soon, and now I wouldn't even find out if they confronted Becca.

Dejected, I sank into the backseat and avoided the eyes of the Guardians. The long journey back to the Council's court was over within seconds, or so it seemed. I was thrown into the same room as before and told to wait. There was nothing else I could do.

# Chapter Fourteen

I changed as the Guardians watched, not leering this time, just seeming impatient.

"Let's go," one said, as soon as I was ready. Again, I had to wear the same plain dress, my hair loose and my feet bare. Yet they let me keep the cross around my neck. It physically hurt when they took my clothes, thus carrying the dagger away with them.

Trembling with nerves, I shuffled after the Guardians, the anticipation chilling me beyond measure. I had no plan, no way out. All I could do was stay strong and hope for the best, the best being a miracle.

This time, the marquee-type structure was much bigger. Lots of people gathered outside. Many looked human, but others could have stepped out of the book on hell spawn. They all watched me with interest, some of them with cool hatred in their eyes. They leaned forward, waiting to see a spectacle, a dead woman walking.

Eddie was already waiting for me when the Guardians forced me toward the ring of scorched earth. He made a frustrated noise and ran his fingers through my hair.

"Jesus, Eddie," I snapped, pulling away from him.

He held his hands out in front of me, placating me. "Please. It's wild you look. We need you innocent, helpless. Are you still wearing the cross?"

I instinctively threw my hand up to my chest. I nodded, staying silent as the reality set in.

"Let them see it. Let them see you aren't so dark that the light burns you, Ava."

I had no idea what he was talking about. He was jumpier than usual and muttering half to himself, but I let the cross dangle in clear sight. I looked around, seeing no one I recognised. The flames lit, trapping me.

After a few minutes, Aiden, giving me a brief, curt nod, led the rest of the consultants in. That set up a loud rumbling in the crowd, and I looked around in a panic, wondering what was happening. They were merely discussing things amongst themselves, but it felt like they were accusing me of something.

The Council members themselves entered the room slowly, speaking to a number of people on the way in. Gabe avoided my eyes, and I knew I was doomed. I hadn't even gotten proof of the formula; there was nothing left for me to do but face my punishment.

Gideon once again made a grand entrance, followed by some of his coven. He was so smug, it would almost have been worth it to step up and smack him one. Daimhín followed a few minutes later, with some of her coven members gathering around her. She had been ordered to attend, or so Eddie informed me. The child vampire stared at me with dark, blank eyes. Her empty expression told me nothing.

"Poor kid," I muttered. Maybe she already knew the outcome.

Eddie shushed me as Fionnuala stood to speak. "As usual, there will be no violence in this court. Speak in turn, or speak not at all."

The way she said it made me think there was real meaning behind the words. A putrid scent filled the air, but then it suddenly changed to a fresher smell, like daisies and grass.

"We will begin," she said and sat on the ground. The room stilled, everyone quieting so they could hear each word. Many of them plonked themselves on the ground randomly, and I spotted Carl with my grandmother clinging to his arm.

Gideon rose from his seat. "Our first charge is the death of our coven leader, Maximus."

Eddie leapt to his feet. "Ordered by Daimhín who had seniority over Maximus."

"Truth?" asked Erossi, sounding bored.

Daimhín looked long and hard at me then nodded. "Truth."

"First charge dropped," Koda announced. "Daimhín and her coven must reduce their blood quota for a month and face the wrath of their seniors."

Daimhín bowed her head, but she didn't look too worried. I wondered who her seniors were and what they could do to her. Lowering the blood quota would only affect the youngest vampires, I realised, feeling furious at the idea.

Gideon stood once again. "Our second charge is the same as the first. She may have been requested, but she had no right to act on behalf of a vampire against another vampire."

"Poor judgement," Koda conceded. He looked at me. "Your reason?"

Gideon laughed. "Surely no reason exists that would clear her?"

"We'll be the judge of that." Fionnuala narrowed her eyes at Gideon, staring him down.

Eddie stood to speak, but Koda waved him away. "I'd like to hear from the accused."

I looked at Eddie, who nodded. I took a deep breath, trying to think straight. "Maximus wanted to use me to take down Daimhín," I began, purposely avoiding how he planned on doing that.

"Lies." Gideon sounded sure of himself. I had to ignore that.

"Daimhín wanted to kill me. I was just trying to help Carl," I pointed at him. "I didn't want to get involved in any of this mess. But Maximus kidnapped my grandmother, so I had to go to him and trade places with her." I exhaled loudly, remembering. "Maximus and his coven tortured me until Daimhín arrived and offered me a job. If I accepted, then I would go free. When I healed, his death was my first job. I'm glad he's gone because he was a monster."

The Council muttered together, as did the rest of the room.

"Can the humans approach?" Koda asked.

Carl led my grandmother to the front of the room.

"What say you?" Fionnuala sounded stern.

They exchanged glances, and my grandmother spoke first. "It's true, all true. They would have murdered us. Ava saved me."

"And me," Carl added.

"That particular vampire was well within his quota limits. Besides, didn't the accused enslave you?" Gideon asked Carl, refusing to meet his eyes, as if he wasn't good enough to converse with properly.

"Yes, but she saved me first!" Carl insisted, almost shouting.

"She saved you in order to make you her slave? Interesting. And isn't it true that even this old woman, this _grandmother_ , isn't it true that she herself raised this half-breed as a demon? That she was afraid of... it? Maybe now she's still scared, scared of telling the truth.," Gideon said, his face as smug as ever.

"That's ridiculous," Nancy snapped, her cheeks burning red with anger. "I'm not scared of my granddaughter. Of vampires like you, maybe!"

"Oh, really? May we introduce a witness?" he requested, looking up at Fionnuala and smiling sweetly.

Koda shook his head, but Fionnuala said yes. I glanced at Eddie in confusion, unsure of what was going on. The door burst open, and two vampires walked in. They held an old woman by the arms. Her eyes were wide with fright, and in an instant I knew her. Helena, the one person my grandmother had told about me. The woman who had told us part of the reason I should be kept a secret—because no vampire had managed to turn a human in over a century.

My heart sank as I realised Gideon's game. My grandmother must have had the same realisation because she made a gasping sound. How had he found her?

"Tell them what you told us," Gideon said, pushing Helena forward.

She kept her eyes low. "The old woman was terrified of her granddaughter. She wanted me to cleanse her of the evil demon inside her. I could not."

She lifted her eyes and looked straight at me. "That's all I know."

I gave her a small smile letting her know it was okay. She hadn't told them anything else. Koda looked at Fionnuala expectantly. She nodded. "Truth."

"I'll say I'm guilty to that charge, if the Council guarantees Helena goes free and unharmed. The vampires can't touch her again," I said loudly, my voice steady.

Helena thanked me with her eyes, but my grandmother seethed with anger. I shrugged, not knowing what else to do.

"Agreed," Fionnuala said, and nodded at the Guardians.

They started to lead Helena back outside. "I could not cleanse the demon because there was none!" she shouted over her shoulder.

"Next charge," Fionnuala demanded briskly as though Helena had not spoken. Two Guardians led my grandmother and Carl away from the Council.

"We accuse this creature of instigating a civil war between vampires," Gideon said, lazier than before, as if he had already won.

"Counter?" Koda said.

"I don't know anything about vampire politics," I said before Eddie could speak. "I've been avoiding the supernatural world my whole life."

"Still, she had to know what her actions would achieve," Gideon said.

Erossi shook his head. "She's not clever enough for that. This charge shall be forgotten."

"Fine." Gideon ground his teeth. "Murder again, for the lone vampire she attacked. In front of humans, no less."

"Explain," Fionnuala demanded.

"They kept following me around, trying to scare me. Even had humans stalking me. One told me Gideon was coming for me. One attacked me, sort of, kept trying to antagonise me or something. After we fought, somebody shot me. Obviously another vampire."

"Lies," Gideon hissed.

"Oh, shut up," I said. "We all know this is part of your big, stupid plan. Give it a rest already. I know Spanish vampires are turning humans, I know you're buying the formula, and I know you're testing it on humans, too. So, stop with the holier-than-thou attitude, alright?"

"Proof?" Fionnuala said, but the colour drained from her cheeks.

I shrugged. "Nothing that your Guardians don't already know."

"This is ridiculous," Erossi said. "We don't have time for this nonsense. Either Gideon proves the half-breed acted with intent, or the half-breed proves Gideon is playing a bigger game. No more accusations that cannot be backed up." His voice rose until the hairs stood up on the back of my neck.

Eddie held up his hand. "I should point out that she requested assistance and official protection from Daimhín. Yet none was received, obviously."

Koda made a noise and addressed Daimhín, "You did not come to us regarding the girl. Why not?"

Daimhín glared at him, her rage barely contained. "It must have slipped my mind. I hardly expected such a fuss to be made over her actions."

"This child is new to our world and has probably made some bad choices, but most of them were accidental," Eddie said, sending a pointed look in Daimhín's direction. "There are others with more cunning who have used her to meet their own ends."

"That's amusing coming from you, Brogan," Erossi sneered, his haughty face looking prim.

The anger rolled off Eddie in hot waves. I feared he would ruin both our chances of survival. Before he could react, the murmuring rose to excited chatter. Peter stalked in, pulling Becca along beside him. Esther and an astonishingly beautiful brunette followed him.

"What is this?" Erossi snapped.

Esther ran ahead of Peter. I risked a glance at Gideon and covered my smile at his agitation. He jumped up with one final accusation before Esther could speak. "Our last accusation is that the half-breed is a danger to our world. A danger to all of us. She is a daywalker, an unnatural being who upsets the balance. This must be dealt with!" he shouted, the words spilling out so fast that they joined together.

Eddie groaned and whispered, "Now it is spoken, it can't be undone. Even if Peter proves something against him, it's too late; they'll have to judge you on your heritage."

My heart beat louder as the room buzzed with the new turn that had been taken. Some of the observers cried out for judgement. Danger sparked in the air; one wrong move could lead to disaster.

Esther had to shout to be heard. "Council members! After a tip-off—"

"What tip-off?" Gideon sounded scornful, but there was fear in his eyes.

Esther stared him down like he was dirt under her shoe. "The humans you surround yourself with have been happy to fill in the blanks, vampire." She turned back to the Council. "After a tip-off, one of my circle, Illeana, discovered that Gideon and his coven have been sending large transactions of money to the Spanish vampires."

"How large?" Koda enquired.

"Numbers ranging in the millions of euro," Esther replied.

Daimhín jumped to her feet, surprise obvious on her face. "That is clearly against the strictest of rules." She pointed at Gideon. "This will be dealt with by our own." Her words carried weight; Gideon bowed his head and trembled under her gaze.

"This involves us, too," Esther insisted. "It's an external matter now."

"Carry on, Esther," Fionnuala said, massaging her temples.

"Peter Brannigan and I apprehended the delivery of a new formula. A foreign vampire gained illegal entry into this country and passed it on to one of Gideon's volunteers. This formula is said to aid the transformation of humans into vampires. The Spanish have allegedly already succeeded."

"This is not good," Koda said.

"Proof, Koda," Fionnuala chided.

"Here's your proof," Peter said, pushing Becca forward. She was deteriorating rapidly. Her skin was pale and clammy, her heart barely beating. Her eyes had turned scarlet, and she appeared dazed. She'd had her dose of the formula, for all the good it would do her.

"What is this?" Erossi wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Absolute proof. This used to be the pet of Maximus. He began injecting that formula into her on a regular basis. When he died, Gideon took over, increasing the injections. She drinks blood and is... well, she isn't doing well. Look at her. She's agreed to tell us everything she knows about Gideon's reprehensible actions. A Spanish vampire is currently being contained in the cells, ready for questioning. He delivered the formula and entered the country without a pass. With this woman's testimony, I believe we have a solid case against Gideon and his contacts in Spain."

I almost did a little dance. Peter and Esther had sorted out Becca in my absence. Arresting the vampire was a bonus.

Fionnuala gestured for the formula to be handed to her. She turned it over in her hands, but her interest didn't spark until Becca was led to the Council. They observed her with worried glances and a rapid exchange of whispered words. They took a few moments to ask Becca questions, but the rest of us weren't permitted to hear. The secrecy puzzled me.

Daimhín spoke once more. "This is a complete violation of our rules. Gideon must be punished."

The questioning finished, and Fionnuala nodded her agreement. "This human has confirmed what has been said. Gideon must be tried. His coven cannot retaliate. This half-breed is free of all but the last charge. Daimhín, do you claim her as one of your own?"

She frowned, but nodded. "She is my employee, therefore I take responsibility. If she survives."

"Then she should be paid a wage," Peter demanded, giving me a sneaky wink.

"Indeed," Koda said, barely suppressing a smile. "All employees must be paid."

Daimhín gave a curt nod and sat back down, looking entirely unimpressed. Nothing had gone the way she had planned, and now she was stuck with me. However, I knew that if I made it out of the Council's clutches, hers would be almost as bad.

"Take this human to the cells. She needs to be examined further," Fionnuala ordered. Two male Guardians led Becca away but, as she passed me, I felt something shift. My skin crawled as I listened to her heartbeat. Thud... thud... nothing. Yet she still walked.

"Wait!" I shouted and moved through the flames, but it was too late. She was already turning. Her eyes grew wide as she clutched her chest, everyone near her backing away at the guttural sounds emitting from her throat.

Every single person in the vicinity froze and stared at Becca. She gagged, then opened her mouth wide as her fangs emerged. I watched in morbid fascination as she threw her head back and shrieked like a banshee, saliva dripping from her mouth. She didn't look like Becca any longer. Nor did she look like a vampire.

The shrieking stopped, and she snapped her head around to take in the room—faster than a vampire. She hacked out a hoarse sound that sent shivers down my spine. The silence in the room was overpowering. Everyone watched in morbid fascination, waiting to see what would happen next.

She crouched low, her lips curved back to reveal a full set of fangs. A Guardian broke out of the spell and took a step toward her, but she leapt onto his shoulders and ripped off his head with one twist of her hands. He probably hadn't even seen her jump; his head was flung across the room into a crowd of people.

Someone screamed, and everyone moved away from Becca in a single mass. I ran straight for her, reaching out my arm, but she looked me right in the eye, gave a little howl, and ran outside, knocking over half a dozen people in her path to block me from following. Some Guardians pulled me back to the circle of flames I had just passed through without a burn.

"We have to go after her!" I shouted, but most of the room was too stunned to move.

"Find her," Koda demanded at long last, but she was gone; I knew that. They hadn't acted quickly enough. And she wasn't like the other vampires. Who knew what kind of destruction she might cause? I gazed at Peter, who looked as horrified as I felt.

"They'll take care of it," Erossi said of the group who had run out of the room after Becca. He ignored the Guardian who had been beheaded, even as a number of workers cleaned up the mess. The body was carried away without ceremony.

"Now to the last charge," Koda said, his voice trembling. "The issue of a daywalker in our midst."

The others took longer to gather themselves. Finally, Fionnuala nodded. "I would like to inspect her." She gestured toward me. The magical flames disappeared, not that they could harm me after all, and the Guardians escorted me to Fionnuala. I knelt before her, and she placed one cool hand on my head. I closed my eyes, feeling dizzy, until she finished whatever she was doing.

"That's enough," she said, her voice suddenly hoarse. "She's blocking me."

"I'm not," I whispered.

"I would like to inspect her, too," Gabe said, and curled his finger to call me over. I stepped toward him apprehensively.

He placed his hands on my shoulders and made me kneel before him. I gazed up at him, but he didn't meet my eyes. Instead, he lifted the chain around my neck and fingered the cross. He raised an eyebrow and glanced at the other members of the Council. A hushed silence fell over the proceedings.

Gabe lifted my chin with one fingertip and peered into my eyes. I felt naked before him, like he could see every bit of me, under my skin, into my heart. Eddie wanted me to be vulnerable before them, and now he had his wish. I couldn't look away from Gabe; I felt trapped in his gaze.

My skin warmed, and Gabe's eyes turned white. I exhaled heavily when the light poured out of him. It slid into me, wrapping me in ribbons of heat, and I felt him probing my mind. I panicked and fought back, resistant to the last, pushing him away until the probing stopped. Gabe made a choking noise and stepped back, letting go of my chin. He blinked, and his eyes were back to normal, but loud gasps behind me made me take my eyes from him.

They all stared, everyone in the room. I looked down at myself; my skin had lit up from within. A question rose to my lips, but Gabe dismissed me back to the ring of flames before I could give it voice.

"I'd like to hear from everyone, I think." Fionnuala's voice wobbled.

"We claim her as our own, a daywalker," the vampire consultant said. Fionnuala nodded her acceptance of his claim, but a frown remained on her brows.

"I disagree," Gabe said, standing up. I glanced at Eddie, but he didn't seem surprised at all. "She is no daywalker."

Erossi arched a brow. "How can you be so sure?"

Gabe let out a sigh and kept his eyes on me. "Because my brother attended her birth."

I searched his face for an answer to that statement, but he looked away and addressed the rest of the Council. " _We_ claim her as our own."

Fionnuala stood and raised her hand. "All spectators must leave. Now."

Internally, I was freaking out. How could they carry on so calmly when Becca had turned into a monster in front of their eyes? How could I stand there so calmly when Gabe had said something so huge?

After a few minutes, where everyone except for my friends, the Council, the Consultants, and the Guardians were ushered out of the room, Fionnuala sat down again. "Speak on, Gabe. What is this about?"

He stared at me before sighing and rolling his eyes. "I know what she is."

"We're waiting," Fionnuala snapped, but she twisted her robe in her hands. I held my breath, sensing the gravity of his words.

"She is an impure nephal. Not yet matured, but a nephal all the same. Or rather, would have been if Seth had left things alone." He shook his head, his mouth twisting into a grim smile.

What. The. Hell?

"Here?" Fionnuala sounded horrified. "That can't be! What are the odds?"

"It's of no matter," Erossi said. "We need to make a decision. If ever anything upset the balance, it is this creature."

"She _is_ the balance." Gabe's words were low, but there was a finality to them that I didn't understand. In fact, I didn't understand anything they were saying.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Fionnuala glared at me.

"Tell you what? I've no clue what the hell is going on!" I snapped back, impatient at being the last to know something they all seemed familiar with.

"She is ignorant," Gabe said, but this time his look was pitying.

"What's going on?" I whispered to Eddie.

"I warned you to prepare yourself for surprises," he murmured under his breath.

"We have other issues to deal with," Gabe said. "It's time to end this madness."

"Madness?" Erossi snorted. "This is worse than we first thought."

"No," Koda said softly. "This is much, much better. Think, Erossi. Think of what this could mean."

"I _have_ thought." Erossi's haughty tone turned urgent. "I see what you don't."

Koda waved his hand dismissively. "A vote?"

Fionnuala nodded. "Consultants, what say you?"

"She is harmless," Eddie said. Aiden stood and claimed me as friend, not foe. The other consultants said they had no problems with me living. The witch wished me imprisoned instead. It moved onto the Council members themselves.

"I don't wish her to live," Erossi voted.

"I am keen to see what she brings to our world," Koda proclaimed.

"We wish her alive," Gabe said, and he gave me a sweet, unexpected smile.

Fionnuala was the decider. "After much thought, I believe she is more useful than dangerous. We will need more numbers soon."

Once they made their decision, it was over too quickly. I was left dizzy and flustered, not knowing what was happening. Most of the court cleared out quickly, ready to settle the Becca situation.

Eddie took my hand and led me over to Gabe. "Speak to her," he demanded before calling my grandmother to join us.

"What were you talking about?" I demanded, fidgeting like mad.

"I don't have time for the whole saga," he said. "You should be nephilim, but you're an impure breed."

"I don't know what that means!" My fingers trembled.

"It means you're not a daywalker, you're not a vampire, and you're not even human. Not really. Your father was human. Your mother was not."

"What are you on? Of course she was human," I said. I looked at my grandmother and faltered. "She wasn't?" I felt so confused. My grandmother shook her head and refused to meet my eyes.

"What... what was she then?" I was afraid of the answer. "What's going on?" My voice caught, and it seemed to bring out a softer side to Gabe.

"When Lucifer abandoned heaven, he took some of his supporters with him. Without heaven, they lost their divinity and became wretches. He decided to punish God by adding a new predator to earth, one the humans couldn't fight. Seth became the first vampire, and he made followers of his own. To balance it out, Michael rewarded seraphim with a life on Earth. They took human forms and performed the opposite job to vampires. They gave energy and light instead of taking it away." Gabe looked at my grandmother with a strange gleam in his eyes.

"When the seraphim bred with humans, they created nephilim—giants, warriors, those who would overthrow the darkness. But Lucifer sent Seth to destroy the seraphim. Their blood called to him, and he swam in it. Then he discovered that he could taint the nephilim... in the womb."

I wanted to vomit. I wanted to hear the rest of the story, but what I read between the lines terrified me.

"His mission sent him all over the world, hunting down seraphim before they reproduced. Seraphim went into hiding because Seth was the dealer of death. He still creeps in the shadows, trying to find the light. He takes the tainted nephilim after their birth and sends them to live in the darkness. There are few seraphim now that the vampires have stopped multiplying, and the numbers of nephilim have dwindled. There were wars, and many were destroyed in the battles." Gabe's face darkened. "Your mother was a seraph who chose a female form. Seth came for her, but my brother was on his heels and helped hide you and your grandmother."

With a heavy heart, I turned to look at Nancy. She knew it all and had told me nothing. Everything was a lie.

"So what's the big deal then?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. "I'm still not one or the other, not much has changed then."

Gabe pressed his lips together and shook his head. "The big deal is unpredictability. The nephilim were made for war. Heaven's soldiers who could walk the earth with their power intact. The impurity changes the extent of the power and who it can be used against. You still haven't matured; you could be a danger to either side. Or both. Or neither."

"Are there more like me?"

"I'm sure there are," he said, surprising me. "The seraphim go to ground; they hide. Who knows what's out there?"

"My mother was an angel?" I couldn't quite grasp it.

"Yes. She was a special entity. We have always regretted letting her go." He really did look sad. I remembered the cold presence. Could it be?

"Is she...? I mean, she's dead, but she's an angel. So can she communicate with me? Like a ghost, or a spirit, or something?" I asked, hope blooming.

"No, Ava. She's gone. I promise you she's well, but she can't come back here. But you have her light, I saw that plainly."

I hiccupped. For an instant, I had had her back, only for her to be taken away again. So the presence following me wasn't my mother. Maybe I was glad; that spirit had witnessed my lowest moments. The story tumbled around in my brain until I recalled one idea. The angels stopped interfering when the vampires became impotent.

"Um, in case you haven't noticed, the vampires just started reproducing again."

He nodded. "We'll have to take measures, of course. Ava, we will speak again, I promise, but right now I need to deal with whatever that monstrosity is."

He touched my chin like before and stared into my eyes. He nodded and swept away, leaving me standing there with Nancy and Eddie.

I turned on my grandmother straight away. "How could you not tell me?"

"I'm sorry, Ava. But I told you what you needed to know," she said.

"You didn't think I needed to know about my own mother? That I might not be the only one? You told me all about the bad stuff, Nancy. Why not any of the good?" My voice became shrill and hurt my ears, but I couldn't calm down.

"You'll understand, if you would just listen, let me explain."

"Ava, listen to her. Now is your chance to learn." Eddie put his hand on my shoulder, but I slapped it away. If I started on him, then the fire would truly start.

"I doubt it," I spat, and left.

I might be free, and my enemies might be punished, but those closest to me had hurt me most of all, and I had no idea how to begin dealing with the knowledge of my true heritage. Only one spark of hope remained. I had my mother's light all along.

#  Epilogue

I sat in my armchair and twisted a silver bracelet around my wrist. Sometimes I considered getting tattoos like Peter, but I figured a bracelet was as much protection, without the pain. Jules enjoyed the taste of my blood enough to make protection necessary; I didn't want to get bitten again. If what Gabe had said was true, then enough of my mother was in my DNA to make me appealing to vampires. I didn't believe anything I was told anymore, so it was good I had learned that lesson the hard way.

I rubbed the scar Jules had caused until Peter turned up to get me. "Ready?"

I nodded and walked past him before he could ask me any more questions. I'd been numb for a fortnight. Lost.

Peter and Carl had turned up on my doorstep to talk to me the night before. Carl brought me the book Eddie hadn't wanted me to read. He said I might find it interesting, but I knew I couldn't look at it yet.

Both men had seemed concerned. I hadn't answered my phone for days, hadn't done much of anything for days. I didn't quite know where to begin.

They claimed they had come to warn me about Becca. Still on the loose, she'd managed to go on a bloody killing spree. The Gardaí called her a serial killer; apparently, the whole country was on high alert. The Council had requested my appearance again, so Peter said, and he offered to drive me there.

"Have you spoken to Nancy?" he asked when we got in his car.

"Nope."

He hesitated. "You should."

"No." My voice stayed firm, no trace of the quivering in my heart. I had let her get away with a lot of things, but this was one too far.

"This will be fine," he said when the silence between us became too much for him to bear. Peter only knew how to handle aggressive Ava. "You're not in trouble, or they would have sent the Guardians to collect you."

I shrugged. I didn't know what my purpose was, and I felt so lost I didn't know what to figure out first. I'd spent my life making allowances for my misdeeds because of the badness born into me, but the good had been there all along. Now I had answers to my questions, yet I wasn't ready to hear them. I wasn't anxious or thirsty, so counting didn't help soothe the aching in my chest. Maybe time would.

"Are you okay?" He laid his hand on mine. I pulled it out from under his and wrapped my arms around myself, ignoring his question. I didn't know what kind of answer I could possibly give. Maybe feeling numb was okay.

Peter knew the way to the Council's meeting place, I noted. It was far from the cells or where court was held. He led me underground to a place that smelled refreshingly earthy, despite being encased in white plaster walls. Yet again I wondered just how much of the country was being used for otherworldly purposes.

We passed scatterings of Guardians, all expressionless, yet the scent of their fear assaulted my nostrils. A number of them flanked us until we reached the room where Koda and Gabe waited. They sat together at a table with a number of obviously non-human beings behind them. Not Guardians, yet they guarded the pair.

"Take a seat," Koda said. "Both of you."

I sat as far away from the others as possible. I felt as though the proximity would taint me further, as if I could become any more of a mongrel.

Koda and Peter exchanged glances, and I realised Peter already knew why we were here. I braced myself for something I probably wouldn't want to hear.

"It's good to see you again, Ava," Koda said, his voice gentle and his appearance dizzyingly translucent. "It's just a pity it isn't under better circumstances." When I didn't answer, he cleared his throat. "Let's jump straight in, shall we? We've searched for Becca but haven't been able to bring her in yet. A number of Guardian Circles, the vampires, and the shifters have been seeking her out. There have been casualties."

He bowed his head, and Gabe took over. "The problem is, we don't know what she is or what she can do. We've already witnessed her bring death during a trial that's been blessed by Fionnuala. That's unheard of." Gabe shook his head, looking weary and tense. "She's gone beyond vampire; this is something we've never seen before. The formula the vampires have been using creates a mutation, an unstable one. We ran tests on the formula and are working in conjunction with Spain's leaders to shut down the dealers. The vampires are dealing with it amongst themselves, but we don't know how many disasters like Becca are running around." He shook his head in disgust. I stared at him, wondering how many disasters like _me_ might be running around.

"Maybe you all should have acted quicker then," I said, keeping my chin high. "You were warned. You've only yourselves to blame."

"We have laws and rules we must follow, child. You know nothing of our world." Koda sounded insulted, but I didn't care.

"And you know nothing of doing the right thing. Why the hell am I here?" I scratched my arms, feeling suffocated by my own skin.

"She's strong and fast, and her blood thirst appears to be insatiable," Koda carried on, ignoring my worsening mood.

"But what's that got to do with me?" I asked, resisting the urge to scream to the heavens.

"Ava, we realise you've had a difficult experience with us, but we'd like to hire you," Koda said, and for a second he appeared to be completely solid.

"As a Guardian?" I brightened; that was a purpose.

"I'm sorry, Ava," he said, his voice softer than before. "Your kind doesn't have a place with our Guardians. We'd like to hire you, but off the books."

"Like Peter?" I asked, my chest tightening.

"Similar to Peter," Gabe confirmed.

"I'm not a killer," I said. Well, only when I had to be.

"We want you to bring Becca in. The Spanish leaders would like us to run tests on Becca, to figure out this formula and its potential. However, she's dangerous; it's understandable that an incident leading to her death might occur." Koda laid his hands on the table. I didn't like the look in his eye.

I frowned. "So what you're saying is, you want me to find a human who's been experimented on and turned into the equivalent of a vampire on steroids so you can cage her and test her further?"

"We need to figure out how many there could be out there, how many vampires are using this same formula. Maybe we can reverse the effects. We won't know until we take a look at her DNA." Gabe sounded sincere, but something in his tone, the way he held his body, sent me on alert.

"Where you gonna keep her? One of your cells? She's a victim. Why are the victims always the losers around here?" I hated Becca, but I couldn't get the thought out of my head. Vampires and demons ruined people's lives all the time, yet they never suffered for it. They were never truly punished.

Gabe's lips twitched. "If you want to change things, then you'll have to get involved _around here_. So, do you think you can handle that?"

I glared at him, sick of people trying to play me. "If all of your trained dogs can't take her down, what makes you think I can?"

Koda looked surprised. "You're part nephilim," he said. "You are a warrior."

I laughed. "Really? Because I wasn't a warrior before he used that word on me. What's changed?"

Peter inched closer to me. "Just listen to them, Ava. Look at how many vampires you've killed without any training. Imagine what you could do if you tried." He sounded excited, as if he didn't remember how much I had struggled to gain the upper hand in a fight.

"I fluked out on most of them! I drank blood. I can't go there again." My chin shook; he knew better.

"We'll send you blood donations," Koda said. "We can offer you humans, bagged blood, anything you like."

"No!" I shouted, and jumped to my feet. It was back to the same thing. To outdo a bad thing, I had to be bad.

"Please, Ava," Gabe pleaded. He held my gaze and, for the first time, sounded trustworthy. "She's murdered dozens of people, more every day."

"Why can't you do it?" If they wanted me for being part angel, then surely a full angel would do the trick.

Gabe bowed his head. "I'm not a god. On Earth, I'm not fully functioning. I wasn't created here; you were. We can't find her, and we can't trust the vampires to bring her in. For all we know, she's holed up in one of their buildings. We'll send you the blood, but you don't have to take it. It'll be your choice. It isn't just Becca, although that's particularly urgent. In future, we'd like you to work in an undercover capacity, finding people, picking up traitors, using your special talents to pinpoint problems, that sort of thing. The money's good, and we'd like a chance to see what you can do."

Gabe looked very pleased with himself. When I arched my eyebrow, he changed his tack and laid my dagger on the table before him with no discomfort. "You can hold a weapon created for a nephal warrior in the first Holy War. That's proof enough for me that you're one of Heaven's soldiers. When the time comes for you to make a choice, we need you to be on the right side."

I thought about it. I didn't want to work for the Council. I had enough trouble working for Daimhín. Then I glanced at Peter and remembered his son. If I was out there, working, I could pick up information for him. Peter needed closure, and I had my own theories about his son, especially after hearing Eloise's story. I'd been just getting by for long enough; I needed a purpose to keep going. I needed to _feel_ something again. I wanted to prove to myself I could be less like the vampires and more like my mother, given the chance.

For now, I would be willing to take on the job. Becca was running around murdering people, most of them innocent bystanders. She acted like she still feared me, so maybe the job was right for me. I wasn't afraid anymore.

For a long time, I had felt like I couldn't trust my own body. Now I knew a thing or two, and I had plenty of opportunity to learn more. Ignoring my heritage, ignoring the supernatural world, none of that had worked, and dipping my feet in had only led to trouble. No, I had to get involved, learn everything I could about them and myself, and make a better life. For me.

If I worked from the inside, there was a chance I could find out more. So many things were bothering me—Eddie, the souls, the cold presence following me, the shadow that stuck to Peter and the were-fox, the mystery of Leah and the victims, so many victims of this world. This was my chance for answers, my chance for change. My chance to find myself.

"I'll take the job," I said. "For now."

Gabe handed me the dagger and, as my fingers clasped the handle, I felt whole again.

###

For more information on Claire Farrell's books, please visit her author blog at Doing It Write Now or  sign up to the newsletter to be notified of new releases.

The full Ava Delaney series:

Thirst

Taunt

Tempt

Taken

Taste

Traitor

