 
THIRST

(Ava Delaney #1)

By Claire Farrell

A Paranormal / Urban Fantasy Novella

Ava Delaney calls herself a hybrid—a living, breathing human who happens to have vampire poison running through her veins. The only thing greater than her thirst for human blood is her capacity for guilt. She does her best to avoid the human world, for everyone's sake.

When Ava accidentally enslaves a human while saving him from a vampire, she realises she has to look for help setting him free. Despite her misgivings, she expands her world but finds herself dragged into a possible vampire civil war. With the help of some new friends with ambiguous loyalties, she tries to find a way to keep her human, and herself, alive.

Copyright © Claire Farrell

Claire_farrell@live.ie

Book cover image provided by Inga Marchuk @ Dreamstime.com

Licence Notes

All rights reserved. Not for resale.

Chapter One

The scent of fear mixed with fresh blood stopped me in my tracks. My fangs slid out rapidly—too many missed meals. Feeling like a monster, I made an effort to retract them and sniffed the air again. Definitely human, definitely in trouble.

I closed my eyes and listened to my senses, the extra ones I usually ignored, relishing the opportunity to indulge. In my mind, I sensed rather than saw the streets around me. Nothing but darkness filled with the occasional red throbbing of a human heart.

Probing further into the dark, I found the injured human's presence easily. He stood in an alleyway nearby, his pulse calling to me—strong and loud. An emptiness appeared, too close to the human. A void in my other sight screaming supernatural. A dead, soulless vampire stalking his prey, tantalised by the scent of fear.

Just like me.

That's why the guilt always hit me so hard. If I didn't help then it meant I was bad as the vampires. I couldn't conquer the thirst, but I could keep my humanity, even if I did my best to avoid humans.

Sometimes I interfered and helped humans escape from prowling vampires. It had never been a big deal, usually over before anyone got hurt. The vampires never realised what I was because they didn't believe someone like me could exist. The humans never realised they had almost been slaughtered by a mythical creature they didn't believe could exist.

Adrenalin coursed through my body at the thought of confronting a vampire with a bleeding human. I knew I had to calm down, or the vampire would hear my heartbeat a mile away. I took fourteen steps. A good number because one plus four equalled five. Five was safe. Unlike six. Too many sixes scared me. Fourteen more steps. Relief. My pulse slowed.

Too human to be stealthy, I embraced my clunky stride. Swallowing my fear, I walked into the alley as if I owned the place. Fourteen steps.

A dark cloud blocked the moon, leaving me pretty much sightless. I rested my hands on my hips and waited, hoping I made a believable vampire. My eyes didn't adjust to the dark straight away, but that racing heartbeat drew my head in the right direction, hiding my lack of night vision. My eyes focused in time for me to see the vampire's surprise. He drew back from the human's throat, revealing a gaunt face with concave cheeks and desperate eyes that glittered with hunger.

Nineteen, twenty, twenty-one... I thought I had long grown out of counting people's heartbeats, but there I was using my fingers to keep track of every batch of forty-one. Almost as good as fourteen.

The vampire kept his eyes on me, his dark hair slicked back behind his ears. In life, he might have been handsome once, but not anymore. Most vampires were ugly. Death did that to you.

Hoping to intimidate him, I looked him up and down. He hadn't yet noticed anything off about me, and I counted on the human's stench covering me until I got him away.

The vampire watched me but didn't make a move. He had already tasted the human, but I could tell the wounds were shallow. He was still at the taunting stage vampires seemed to like so much. As cruel as cats, they enjoyed playing with their food. My insides tensed with anticipation. Faking confidence, I tapped my foot five times while I stared him down. He licked blood from his lips with slow, careful movements.

14, 28, 56, 112... I hoped I wasn't mouthing the numbers I doubled in my head.

Mr. Vampire finally relaxed, but his hand remained on the human's chest, keeping him pinned. I stayed mute and prayed the human would stop making those cornered animal noises. They provoked me, so I could only imagine what they did to a real vampire. Creatures without a soul, vampires didn't bother trying to control their instincts. However, they were smart enough to rein in their impulses in order to survive. Although, this one didn't seem to be particularly clever. He still hadn't noticed my heart beating.

"Share?" The vampire spoke at last, his voice hoarse. I raised my eyebrows and tapped my foot another five times. I didn't know that much about vampires, so I tended to trust my instincts and hope for the best. It had worked so far.

"He's yours?" the vampire asked, his voice holding a more respectful tone. He thought I was above him in the pecking order, I realised.

"Yeah, he's mine," I said, meaning it. I gestured toward the human. "Come here."

The human pushed aside the vampire as if he were made of cardboard. I tried to act unsurprised when he trotted to my side like an obedient puppy.

The vampire bowed his head. "Apologies. I didn't smell a bond on him."

I shrugged and turned to leave, my anxiety growing. I had already seen the strange query spark in the vampire's eyes, as if he noticed my own eyes lacked the red tint that his held—or maybe he realised he could hear another heart beating. Unsurprising, considering how much my heart rate had increased since the still-bleeding human moved closer to me.

I grabbed the man's arm and dragged him out of the alleyway after me. Thankfully, he didn't panic and followed me without protest. Most people lost the plot when total strangers bit them, so it was a relief to see he was able to hold it together.

"Run!" I hissed, as soon as we were out of the vampire's sight. Despite his dazed expression, the human sprinted onward, forcing me into a run just to catch up to him.

A forceful sensation washed over me, making me shiver. The vampire knew something was wrong with me, and he was going to follow us. It was as though he'd sent a silent message straight to my brain, letting me know his intentions. Creepy and invasive.

Glancing over my shoulder, I spotted him following us from a distance. His footsteps were completely silent. He didn't even appear to be running, but he was fast, and his face was full of solid determination.

"Shit." His expression scared me more than anger would have. A persistent vampire meant I'd have to keep the human with me until the coast was clear. That could be a problem.

"Hurry! Keep running until we get to my place," I told the human.

He moved faster than I could have believed possible. He also ran in the right direction ahead of me, which made no sense. I was too busy counting our collective footsteps to really consider the implications. We reached my home unharmed, but I was sure the vampire could have caught us easily.

The apartment block I lived in was protected by magical safeguards to ward off unwelcome visitors. I had purchased most of them online, so their authenticity is probably dodgy, but enough of them worked to hide us if we needed it. I hoped.

Opening the front door of my apartment building as fast as I could, I pushed the human man ahead of me. Skidding in after him, I slammed the door shut, praying we were safe. I watched through the door's glass panel with my fingers crossed, trying to ignore the heavy breathing of the human.

The vampire wandered around outside, looking puzzled but not altogether concerned. To my relief, the spells hid us well. When he finally left, he made an outstanding jump upward and out of my line of sight. Letting out a shaky breath, I closed my eyes and leaned my forehead against the door. Too close, my existence was meant to be a secret. Lucky this time, but at least the vampire was gone. Relieved, I thought it was all over.

Then I smelled him. The human. The blood on his neck had congealed, but the odour was still there, tempting me. Too close. He did everything to provoke my instincts whether he knew it or not. I whirled around and glared at him, bolstered by anger.

"Get upstairs to my apartment, and clean yourself up. It's on the third..."

He was already heading up the stairs as if he knew exactly where to go. The door to my apartment was unlocked, so I figured he'd find his way eventually. As soon as he went upstairs, I leaned against the wall and sank to the floor, light-headed with weariness, tension, and thirst.

The last thing I needed to do was taste his wound, but that was all I wanted to do. Breathing deeply, I tried not to think about the one time I tasted a human's blood. I focused on sunlight and churches, cartoons and music. Anything that reminded me of being human, but it wasn't working.

The only thing that had ever helped with the thirst was counting. I was never sure if the counting was a side effect of the thirst, or if I would have counted numbers anyway, but as I sat there drumming my fingers in sets of three, I didn't care.

Five fingers, five fingers then four. My nails tapped out the rhythm on the wall. Three sets adding up to fourteen. Because four minus one equals three. Safe numbers to calm my nerves.

At last, the spinning stopped, and I felt more like myself. My breathing slowed; the raw intensity of my thirst subsided. I even stopped drumming my fingers. But I didn't trust myself. I couldn't, not until the human left.

After I had calmed down some more, I followed the human upstairs. It seemed like the vampire was long gone, so I contemplated kicking the human out and letting him fend for himself. He was in the bathroom still, so I waited. I drank a whole litre of milk, hoping it would help with the thirst. I could survive on real food, and had my whole life, but I thirsted constantly for blood.

The thirst was the biggest problem in my life. I literally planned my days around it. It was always worse at night. Something about the moon dug the craving from me and gave it a new spark of power. It was a raw hunger that came from somewhere other than my stomach.

I tidied up my tiny living room until the human strolled back in, unfazed. I really looked at him for the first time. After ignoring people for so long, I tended to forget how distinctive their faces could be. A handsome man, he had thick blond hair and clear blue eyes—a poster boy for healthy living. Over a foot taller than me, he was built to be touched. I wasn't technically attracted to him, not really, but the miniscule wounds on his neck drew me in straight away. I found myself wandering over to him, entranced.

My mind went blank. His blood would taste like heaven. I could take it easily. My eyes fluttered upward, stilling him with one look. His heartbeat slowed as my gaze turned darkly seductive. My tongue snaked out of its own accord, curling up to moisten my top lip. He inched forward, drawn by an unseen force. I felt like a predator: powerful and sexy. The compulsion to count vanished. I curved myself against him, my eyes widening at the contact. He stood there as if the way I was behaving was completely normal.

I moved as close to his neck as I dared, right on the edge, but unprepared to jump. The man smelled so good that my mouth watered again. He was as calm as if we had just been walking a dog, not running for our lives from a vampire. I had an insane urge to straddle him and lick his neck, but I stepped back thanks to the warning signals going off in my head.

I ran to the window and shoved it open, my own behaviour making me frantic. Hoping the fresh air would clear my thoughts, I stuck my head outside. It had been a long time since I was quite as close to a human for more than a couple of seconds. My body cried out for me to respond to him in the way I was supposed to, but I wouldn't. I had enough guilt on my shoulders. I couldn't deal with any more.

His hand on my back sent a shudder running through my body. For a second, I arched against him and almost purred. But then I remembered the last time I felt good when a male hand touched me. I pulled my head back in and pushed him away as roughly as I could.

He stumbled backward, knocking over a lamp and falling awkwardly against a wall. The thud of the impact made me wince, but he smiled at me with eerily empty eyes before getting back on his feet.

He hadn't spoken at all, and for the first time I realised something wasn't quite right. Although grateful he wasn't asking me hysterical questions, I had to admit I should have expected some sort of a response. I had been so busy flirting with disaster that I hadn't paid enough attention to how weird he was acting.

"What's your name?" I asked, trying to fill the awkward silence that weighted the air. Although he seemed comfortable, I was tense enough for both of us. I realised I was wringing my hands together in a steady rhythm and moved them behind my back, self-conscious of the nervous habit.

"Carl. What's yours?" He responded easily enough, but the tone of his voice was blank and emotionless.

"Uh, Ava. Listen, you're probably wondering what the hell just happened out there..."

"I'm not."

His calm was disturbing, and I trembled all over. He might as well have had a flashing sign saying blood donor hanging around his neck.

I kept expecting the man to lose the plot and act like a normal person would under the same circumstances. He was behaving as though being bitten by a freakishly strong, strange man and pushed around by a freakishly strong, strange woman were perfectly reasonable things to happen.

"You're amazing," he said. I shook my head, his words knocking me even further off-kilter.

He shot toward me, intimidating me with his height. Cornered, I panicked. The sudden sense of alarm I experienced made it harder to concentrate on not doing anything stupid—like draining Carl dry.

Logically, I knew I was stronger than him, but I was raised to understand men were supposed to be stronger than women. It was hard to see him as a victim when he was heading for me with intent on his face. Holding my hands up in front of me, I backed away. He pushed them out of the way, rushing forward to grab my waist and press his lips against mine.

His tongue forced my mouth open. There was nothing sexy about it. It was sloppy and rushed and unattractive. But the pulse in his neck was so temptingly close, I almost put up with the kiss. On the edge of a dark line, I stepped back, retreating firmly onto the side of human.

The girl in me got pissed off at his roughness. It was a good distraction from the thirst. I shoved him, slapping his face hard as he stumbled back. He rubbed his jaw, but the dopey, languid smile never left his face. I resisted the temptation to slap him on the other cheek just to make it even.

"You need to go home now, Carl. Forget about tonight, and mind yourself. And don't even think about doing that to me again unless you want a broken nose." My voice was steadier than I felt.

He frowned at me, his forehead wrinkling as though he was trying to figure something out.

"I want to stay with you."

His voice was interesting, quite high in pitch for such a big man. It had a nice tone, and I wondered if maybe he was a good singer. I realised I was staring at the pulse ticking in his neck instead of his face. To my absolute horror, he inclined his head, offering me his throat.

"What are you doing?" I whispered, backing away because the strings holding me together were already stretched as far as they could go.

He's willing, whispered a little voice inside. What harm is one little sip?

I shook my head vehemently, trying to silence the urges. They hadn't always been this loud. I doubted one little sip would be enough anymore.

"I'm... not sure." His eyes were confused again, the colour dulling as he answered.

"Okay, time to leave." I wanted him as far away from me as possible.

Gripping his arm firmly, I held my breath so I couldn't smell him. I led him to the door and pushed him out into the hallway. It was hard enough to stop myself licking his neck without him offering it to me on a plate. I slammed the door after him and waited to hear him go downstairs. He didn't. I peered out the peephole and saw him still standing there, motionless. His face was slack; he was just... waiting. It was like someone had switched off his brain.

"Sod him," I said under my breath. I stalked over to the alcove that passed as a kitchen and rummaged around for some bread. After shoving some slices into the toaster, I fidgeted around my kitchenette, slamming press doors even amounts of times before scrubbing at a clean plate until the toast was ready. I slathered on lots of strawberry jam then sat on an armchair in the adjoining living room and munched away, the sugar soothing me a little.

His pulse outside the door was enough to keep me on the edge of my chair. I drummed my fingers as loud as I could, but the beating went on and on, louder and louder, until I felt like screaming. My head pounded as the thirst intensified, my entire throat feeling as though it had been caked in dust. The gnawing in my stomach had grown into something I couldn't ignore.

I got up to look through the peephole again. He stood in the exact same position.

"Get out of here, Carl!" I shouted at him before storming into the bathroom for a shower. The water helped drown out the sound of the blood pumping through his veins and made me feel a little more human. I had to get rid of him—that much I knew. His reasons for sticking around niggled at me; the abnormal blankness on his face bothered me even more. It wasn't natural.

After I showered, I went back to wandering around the flat. After a few minutes of pretending Carl wasn't there, I relented and opened the door again. I had to figure out his game.

"Why are you still here?"

He shrugged, his eyes unfocused.

"Where do you live? Are you sick or something?"

He shrugged again. He tilted his head to the side, exposing his neck once more.

"Oh, crap," I said, slamming the door and retreating in a hurry. I spent the next couple of hours lying on my bed with music blaring until I fell asleep.

The first thing I heard when I woke up the next morning was a slow thud, thud, thud. It took me a few minutes to realise it was him. Still there.

I went to the door and opened it, exasperated beyond belief. Carl looked like he hadn't moved all night. His face brightened when he saw me, but dark circles cushioned his bloodshot eyes. He yawned then, looking completely exhausted.

"Why won't you go home?" I asked, startled by the whine in my voice. He stared back at me.

"Sit down." I meant in my apartment, but he sank to the floor. Not a good sign.

"Leave, and don't come back," I ordered, testing out a theory. He cocked his head to the side and looked at me with puppy dog eyes.

"What the hell? Just come in, before someone sees you." I glanced out into the hall to see my slutty next-door neighbour smirking at me from her doorway, her dressing gown opened just an inch too far.

"Lover's tiff? At least you finally found a man," she said, tossing her honey-from-a-bottle coloured hair. She winked provocatively at Carl—who didn't notice—then went back inside, leaving the stench of overly sweet perfume in her wake.

"Come on," I said, majorly annoyed at my neighbour.

Carl followed me into my apartment; straight away, I felt suffocated by his presence. My flat wasn't large, but it seemed miniscule with him there. He was huge and filled up all of the free space.

Pacing up and down, a rush of thoughts came to me at once. Vampires could enslave people, enthral them. What if I had somehow done that to Carl? I hadn't done it before, but I was as unnatural as the vampires; who knew what I could do?

When I was younger, I had been desperate to learn about my origins and snuck lots of books on vampires home from the library. They were supposed to be fiction, but I was pretty sure a lot of it was accurate. My grandmother caught me and flipped out about it before I could finish them, but from what I read, vampires had abilities. Mind control being one of them. Maybe I could do the same thing—or something similar.

I was infected with vampire poison while still in my mother's womb. Born an oddity, I was a human-vampire hybrid with a soul. A conscience. Guilt. And major thirst for human blood. With that kind of conflict, I should have had a split personality, but instead I was just a tad OCD.

Acting like a normal person ended badly for me, so I made the choice to hide from humans and vampires. My grandmother had made sure I remembered the legacy my mother left me. Nobody can know. If vampires didn't find out how I was created then they couldn't do it again. I thought I was the only one, which made me a fluke—or a freak. I hadn't tried to test my limits, so I was never sure what I could do.

One thing was clear—Carl wasn't going away. He did whatever I told him to do—anything except leave—and he acted like he was a willing sacrifice or something. The more I considered it, the more I was sure the whole mind control thing could be done. But I didn't know how it was done. I always assumed it had something to do with biting humans.

I definitely hadn't bitten him. But he was still there, not moving, waiting for me to command him. I stared at him, not having any idea what to do. If I didn't know how I caused it, how could I fix it?

Chapter Two

"Why don't you try to get some sleep?" I suggested. "There's some stuff in the fridge if you're hungry. Help yourself."

Remembering how he had spent the entire night outside my flat without moving, I decided I needed to be more specific.

"Listen, Carl, look at me. You have to take care of yourself without me telling you to. Anytime you're tired, sleep. You're hungry, eat. When you're thirsty, drink. Whenever you need to use the bathroom, go find it. You get dirty, clean yourself. If you're in danger, save yourself. Even if the danger is from me, okay? I'll be back soon."

We had spent the entire morning in the same apartment, and now I was ready to eat him alive. Literally. A bit of fresh air and some space would do me good. I locked him into the flat, unwilling to risk him following me. He wasn't happy about being left behind, but it was for his own good.

It was a bright winter's morning, and the streets were relatively empty. I grabbed a sandwich from the nearest shop and made my way to the park. A woman bumped into me, and my fangs shot out straight away. I retracted them, but being so out of control rattled me.

"Wish I'd let the damn vampire eat him," I muttered to myself, scaring an elderly man who was passing by.

I sat on a cold bench in a quiet corner of the park. It was nice not being close enough to a human to want to bite them. But I still worried about Carl. I had to get rid of him—to protect him from me. I would never hurt him on purpose, but I had come too close to crossing the line to ever trust myself with him.

I shivered from the cold and the niggling insistence I had to call someone for help. I was out of my depth and didn't exactly have a list of people to turn to. Only one person knew the full truth about me, and that had caused the distance between us. She hadn't treated me well, yet I grew up craving her love and acceptance—no matter how much she failed me. She was my only familial link, the one my mother charged with my care, the one who could have loved me but didn't.

At twenty-five, I could now stand as her equal. I could defend myself. But the thought of asking for her help made me feel like a child again. She'd always wanted to cure me, as if I were diseased. Facing the idea of asking her advice cut deep. I didn't want to prove her right, but I had nobody else in the world to turn to; I ensured that when I ran away and made a life of my own, intentionally alone. The choice was out of my hands; I had to put pride aside to help Carl.

My stomach churning, I held my mobile phone to my ear and waited for a familiar voice to answer. One word threw me back into my past. The silver crosses, the holy water baths, the daily prayers to God for cleansing. The mistake I made that forced me to leave. One hello from Nancy, my grandmother, and everything I bottled up threatened to break loose.

"Hello?" she said again, her voice impatient. I hesitated, already regretting the call. I wasn't sure what to say, or if she'd even want to hear from me. Our relationship has always been strained at best.

"Ava?" she whispered. I swore silently. How on earth did she know it was me? I cleared my throat, stalling as always.

"Uh, yeah, it's me."

"Ava," she repeated, relief washing the tone of her voice, much to my surprise. "Are you okay? Where are you?"

"I'm all right."

"Do you know how long I've been worrying about you? Seven years. Seven years, Ava! Without a phone call or anything! How dare you do that to me?"

I sat back and let her words roll over me. The familiar anger in her voice was almost comforting. I ran away when I was eighteen, after an intimate moment with my first serious boyfriend almost turned into a bloodbath. Too ashamed to go back home, I did what I could to make money and finally got a place of my own. I didn't go far. I settled for a rough area she wouldn't be caught dead in.

"Granny," I interrupted. "I need your help. I've... done something. I don't know what to do to fix it."

Her intake of breath was sharp. But her voice became brisk and business-like. "Is there a body?"

My insides curled up in shock. "No, I haven't... I don't hurt people, okay?"

"Then what is it?" Her voice was too calm for my liking.

"There's this guy, Carl. I don't know him or anything. I just happened to be around. I, uh, smelled something. A vampire attacked him last night. I helped him get away, but now he won't leave me alone. I think I've done something to him. I don't know what, but he stood outside my door all night, waiting for me."

"Is he stalking you? Have you called the police?"

I almost laughed. I could only imagine the police trying to deal with Carl. "It's not like that, Granny. He's not himself. It's like he has a spell on him. He thinks he's my slave or something."

"Is that a bad thing?" The amusement in her voice loosened me up completely.

"I'm freaking out here! I can't be around him; he keeps offering himself to me. His neck, you know? I'm scared, Granny. I don't know what to do. It's like he's trying to get me to bite him. I can't control myself; you have to help me. Please, tell me what to do?"

A couple of tears rolled down my cheeks. My hands shook again. I had to have the worst of both sides: the weakness of humanity and the overwhelming thirst of vampirism. I sniffed noisily, overcome by self-pity and frustration.

"You could come and stay here. I could help you control it."

I brushed away my tears, angry at her words. "How? You gonna make me kneel on the floor and pray for my sins? Didn't work before, remember?"

"There's no need to be a smart mouth." Her voice trembled a little. The way we reverted back to our old relationship annoyed me. Her, the victim. Me always having to apologise for the way I was born.

"I'm sorry. This is hard for me, okay? I can't go back there. You know that. I have to figure this mess out." I tried to swallow my bitterness for Carl's sake.

"You can't do it alone. If you're asking me for help then you're in big trouble, that much I can tell you. If you won't come here then I can give you a name and address. There's a man I've come across who knows about things like this. He might be able to help you. Will you go see him?"

I nodded obediently before remembering she couldn't see me. "Yeah, okay. I'll see him. Thanks."

"Before I give you his details, I need you to promise me something."

"What?" I said warily.

She took a shuddering breath.

"I want you to keep in touch with me. I want my granddaughter back. And I need you to remember you are human. Not a vampire. Not a demon. Not evil. I'm sorry it took me so long to realise that. You have a problem, yes, but it isn't bigger than you. You can do anything you put your mind to. Remember that when the thirst kicks in." She moved on briskly, giving me the details of the man she knew and telling me to be careful. She hung up before I could thank her.

I typed the man's contact details into my phone quickly before I forgot them. Peter Brannigan. I was pretty sure the address was in a nice part of town. I imagined Brannigan to be a middle-aged librarian living with his cats. I wondered how my grandmother had even come across him and if he was the real deal, or yet another con artist.

The entire conversation with her had been surreal. I sat and stared at my phone for a few minutes, completely overwhelmed. The day before, I had been sure I would never talk to the woman again. Yet here I was, listening to her talking about my thirst like it was nothing.

I was born in my grandmother's house, shortly before my mother died from a vampire's bite. She refused to go to a hospital, saying they would find me. Whatever she said convinced my grandmother that not only did vampires exist but that her grandchild would be a hybrid version who needed to be kept hidden. My start in life was a secret. That was rule number one in our family, so it was strange for my thirst to be acknowledged by my grandmother in such a relaxed manner.

I could only remember her telling one person the truth about me. That woman had appeared to be the real deal. She was the one who told us vampires hadn't been able to turn humans in over a century. She warned us that secrecy was imperative, and she even tried to mend the damaged relationship between my grandmother and myself. She disappeared before she could finish the job.

I knew I had to go back to the flat, but I figured if I brought food then Carl's scent might not hit me as hard. I unlocked the door and dumped the food on the table, keeping a careful eye on Carl. He had been asleep on the sofa and was stretching lazily, giving me a charming smile.

"Hungry?"

He nodded eagerly. I gave him some of the food and took the rest, standing at the counter to put space between us. It was nice being close to him without feeling compelled to bite him. It was almost normal. I had company for dinner for the first time in seven years. I nearly smiled.

I wasn't sure how being enthralled worked, if his brain worked properly, if he'd even remember all of this later. But I decided to treat him like a normal person as much as possible. Just in case his mind was still his somewhere in there, and he was freaking out internally.

"Is there anyone who might be missing you? Someone I can ring?"

Carl looked up dreamily, shook his head slightly and went back to devouring his food.

For someone who had spent almost seven years spending as little time with humans as possible, I was strangely disturbed by Carl's lack of chatter. I found myself waffling away to make up for the quiet. Twinges of guilt snapped at my insides when I thought of his worried family.

"Carl, if you're freaking out and scared and can't, you know, express it? Then I want to say I'm not planning on hurting you. I'm trying to figure this out. Promise."

He looked back at me solemnly.

"Talk to me. It's weird when you don't. What age are you? Do you have a job? Family? Anything like that?" I wasn't used to making small talk; I hadn't a clue how to initiate conversations. Especially with a complete stranger I'd accidentally enthralled.

"I'm... twenty-seven. Engaged. Live with her. Maria. I work... in an office, accountancy." He scrunched up his nose and squinted, like he was trying really hard. Oh, God, what have I done?

"Engaged. Wow. You must be planning the wedding, yes?"

He put his fork down and looked thoughtful. He seemed to make a conscious effort to gather his thoughts and speak to me properly.

"She is. I don't want to." A pained expression settled on his face.

"Don't want to plan or get married?"

"Get married. We're together ages. It's what you're supposed to do."

"I'm pretty sure you're supposed to do what makes you happy."

He looked directly at me, clarity in his eyes. But it passed within seconds. His eyes dulled again, and he went back to his food.

"Don't worry, Carl. I found someone who might be able to help sort out our little problem. Then you can go home and forget all about me."

He shook his head. "No, thanks."

I was afraid of that.

"Whatever it is you're feeling, it isn't normal. This isn't what you really want. And it's dangerous for you here. I'm a danger to you. So you need to go. Okay? Trust me, you'll thank me later."

He smiled blankly at me. It was frustrating trying to talk to him, so I gave up. "Go watch TV or something for a while."

I finished my food and went to lay on my bed, thinking about what to do next. I could visit the man my grandmother recommended, Peter Brannigan, but we might not be back by dark, and I didn't want to risk that vampire seeing us again. He was bound to return; I saw how curious he had been.

I decided it would be better to leave as soon as it got bright the next morning to avoid trouble. Vampires couldn't handle sun light, so daytime meant protection. Unfortunately, during winter, there weren't that many daylight hours; I had often spotted vampires out and about just before dusk. My biggest problem, however, was spending another night with Carl.

I had been okay while we were eating, but now I wasn't doing anything in particular, my ears kept zoning in on his pulse again. I began to imagine what he tasted like. I clawed at my clothes, bit at my knuckles, and struggled to stay still, wondering if it felt anything like a junkie's withdrawal. Carl knocked at my door, right on cue, as though he knew how I was feeling.

"I'm trying to sleep. Go away!" I shouted at him, my voice bordering on hysterical.

I had to keep him away from me. He was all too willing to be a victim. I reminded myself he had a family somewhere, people who would miss him if he didn't come home. I remembered my grandmother's words.

I'm bigger than my thirst; it doesn't own me. I repeated that sentence in my head over and over again until I dozed off.

My dreams were all about Carl. He was in the alleyway again, pinned against a wall, his eyes wide with fear. But it was me holding him there, my eyes that glowed red. It was me nipping his neck and licking his wound slowly, sensually.

I awoke crying, my stomach growling with hunger, my heart racing with need. I heard him move and prayed he wouldn't come near me because I was way too close to the edge. I stayed awake, pretending to read, until daylight came. I was counting on Peter Brannigan to solve all of my problems.

I showered and dressed then stuffed myself full of cereal and toast, hoping to get out of the apartment without killing Carl. I sent him into the bathroom to get washed up.

"Don't even attempt to shave," I hollered at him through the door. The last thing I needed was for him to cut himself on a razor. I nibbled on chocolate until he was ready.

"We're going to see a man called Peter," I told him. "He's going to help us. You'll snap out of it, and everything will go back to normal." I didn't add what else I was thinking—hopefully, he could help before I tore Carl's throat out.

Carl moved toward me suddenly, catching me unaware despite my edginess. He held my arms and moved close to me. My heart pounded with anticipation. I lifted my face and nuzzled against his chest, inhaling his scent and relishing the feel of his heartbeat against my cheek. I realised I was licking my lips again when he jerked his head down and brushed his neck across my mouth.

My fangs shot out rapidly, shocking me into action. My head fought against my instincts, and I pushed him away as hard as I could, even as my mouth opened to bite him. I stumbled backward, losing my balance as Carl fell to the ground. I lay there panting, half afraid to move.

"We have to get out of here," I muttered, the thirst almost blinding me with its intensity. The angry girl inside hadn't been much help this time, and my head felt like it might explode.

"It's okay, Ava," Carl said, moving close to me again.

"No, it really isn't. Don't come near me!"

He stopped moving straight away, to my relief. I wasn't able to control the thirst. It would always get the best of me. It was like an animal trapped inside me, wild and feral. I'd never tame it. I needed help.

I had no choice but to reach out and find it.

Chapter Three

I shuffled up the driveway to Peter Brannigan's house warily, not knowing what to expect. My grandmother hadn't given me much information other than his name and address, and the assurance he could help me.

Carl strolled along beside me; being outside in the fresh air made it much easier for me to avoid sniffing at him like a hungry wolf. I felt a lot more human in the daylight; the thirst was weakest in the afternoon. The sun wasn't particularly good for me, but I was pale skinned and red-headed; the same could be said for anyone with my complexion.

Peter's house was in a nice area with lots of families, dogs, and unnecessary 7-seaters. Safe from the other world; the one most of his neighbours didn't believe in. Even safer than the world I lived in, with its dirt and crime. Going from my home to Peter's was like passing through a portal into another dimension. Strange, that the person who could help me lived in the middle of a suburb.

Uncomfortable about suddenly welcoming so many humans into my life, I hesitated at the door. I glanced at Carl who stood too still, staring at me with emotionless eyes. I screwed up his life, so I had to fix it. I rang Peter Brannigan's doorbell before I could change my mind.

A man answered the door, and I found myself appreciating his appearance. He wasn't pretty like Carl, or as tall, but something about him seemed so safe and solid that I wanted to tuck myself under his arm and be protected.

He was young enough, maybe thirty, but his eyes were old and weary. Combined with the long scar across his chin, I just knew he'd seen more than his fair share of trouble. He had cropped sandy brown hair and hazel eyes that stared into mine until I flushed red. I realised I had been so busy crushing on him that I hadn't even heard his heartbeat or smelled his blood. I figured he must be Peter's son or something.

"You looking for someone?" he said, his eyes flashing between myself and Carl. I was sure I didn't imagine his eyes lingering on me.

"Uh, yeah, sorry," I said, getting my head together. "I'm Ava. I was given this address and told to look for a Peter Brannigan. I have a, uh, problem I need some help with." I hoped I didn't sound like too much of an idiot.

He stared at us both for a couple more seconds, his eyes sweeping over me appraisingly once more before he nodded, his face unreadable.

"I'm Peter, come on in."

As soon as I stepped over the threshold, a bright light zeroed in on me, accompanied by a loud alarm.

"What the...?"

Peter's expression turned to horror and then rage as he lifted his arm. I stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before realising he had hit me. Hard. My brain signals finally caught up, and white hot pain seared through my jaw. I tried to sit up, only to see Peter fling Carl off his back like he was possessed. He jumped on me before I could react. Pinning me to the ground, his face contorted with anger, making him look psychotic. I was too shocked to struggle. The siren stopped, but I was still seeing lights.

"What did you do?" he snarled. "Force some sorcerer to make a talisman that lets you move around during the day?" He shifted until one knee held down my arm while the other leaned too hard on my throat.

"What? No, what are you talking about?" I gasped for air, panicking when I realised his position was cutting off my air supply. "I can't breathe. Get off me!" I swatted at him ineffectively, unable to take a good swing.

"Yeah, right, bloodsuckers don't breathe. Who sent you, bitch?"

His eyes darkened, and I slowly realised he would be happy to see me die right there on his floor. I struggled against him, frantic, and grabbed at his shirt sleeve until it exposed Celtic symbols tattooed on his biceps. My eyesight blurred from the lack of oxygen; I was too panicked to find his weak spot. Just in time, Carl pulled him off me and tossed him aside easily, much to my relief. I sucked in air too quickly for my lungs to cope with, setting off a minor coughing fit.

"Don't hit Ava again," Carl said sternly, pummelling Peter in the stomach repeatedly.

Good minion.

I managed to shut the hall door so none of the neighbours could see the scuffle then crawled over to the men, my head still spinning from being punched in the face.

"Stop now, Carl," I said. He did, but Peter jumped toward me again. Carl grabbed his shirt and pulled him backward before he could reach me. I tried to act as if I hadn't just shrieked like a teenage girl.

"Just hold him like that for a minute," I told Carl, my heart pounding hard. "I'm sorry Peter, but he's going to keep hitting you if you keep attacking me. It isn't his fault. Like I said, I have a problem I need help with."

Peter snarled at me, his face twisted with hate. He spoke a few words under his breath in a language I wasn't familiar with, smirking slightly. I couldn't understand what he was saying, but his face fell in surprise when nothing happened.

"Look," I said, getting as close to him as I dared. "I don't know what just happened, but I'm guessing you think I'm a big, bad bag of scary. Well, I'm not. At least, not exactly. I don't want to hurt anyone. I just want to be left alone. But I need help with that. This big guy pinning you down? He's Carl. I think I accidentally made him my servant or something. I need it to stop. Like now."

Peter's eyes pierced into mine. For a second, I was hopeful, but the hateful sneer he sent my way snapped me back down to earth.

"Please," I said, my voice shaky.

"Why would I help you?"

"Because Carl here keeps offering me his neck, and I'm getting thirsty. If you have any kind of compassion, you'll help him out."

"So drink then. That's what you do, right?" He sounded so scornful and cynical, I felt my hackles rise.

"None of your business, is it? Point is, I don't want a servant. I want Carl gone. Can you help or not?"

"Get off me," he told Carl, perhaps feeling his lack of macho at being held down in his own hallway.

"It's okay, Carl. Let him go. He'll be good." I hoped.

Carl nodded, and let go of Peter, who immediately stood up and tried to tower over us. I was still too wiped to even bother standing up.

"I don't know who gave you my address or why you're really here, but you need to leave. Now."

"You're not going to help," I said, seeing the look on Peter's face. I had no idea how to spend another hour with Carl, never mind another night.

"Why the hell would I help out a vamp? I don't know how you're managing to get around during the day without frying, but the alarm doesn't lie. Get out before I blind you with holy water."

"I've done nothing wrong, alright?" My panic made me defensive. He was supposed to help us, not freak out on me.

"Yeah, except enslave this poor sod," he said, gesturing at Carl.

"That was an accident!"

"Leave." He clenched his fists, his jaw tautening with anger. I knew better than to waste my time reasoning with hatred. I was on my own. I couldn't believe he was ready to let Carl die. I had been so sure he would help me, I hadn't even imagined what I would do if he didn't.

Carl and I walked home together in silence as I thought about Peter and wondered if I could have handled it better. I wiped away a few tears of frustration and tried to figure out my next move, but there was no Plan B—Peter Brannigan had been my only hope.

As soon as we got back to my place, I dove into my freezer for some ice. My face hurt like hell. I winced as I held a towel full of ice cubes against my cheek, sorely regretting not getting a punch in. I heated up some leftovers in the microwave and once again made Carl sit as far away from me as possible. My jaw made it hard to eat, but I had to chew through the pain if I wanted Carl to survive the rest of the day.

Carl kept looking at me anxiously. "It's okay," I said, sensing he was worried about me as part of the whole vampire-minion bond thing. "Everything's going to be okay," I told him, but I didn't believe it. I kept forcing food into my mouth, swallowing hard to get it past the lump in my throat, surprised by how emotional I felt.

A knock at the door soon interrupted our meal. I was so depressed I didn't even remember to look through the peephole. As soon as I opened the door and saw Peter Brannigan standing there, I backed away in horror lest he punch me again. His lips curved upward with a grim sort of amusement. I put on my game face and acted as snarly and vampire-like as I could. It was kind of hard with a swollen face.

"What do you want?" I said, crossing my arms and letting my fangs show purposely for one of the few times in my entire life. He took a step backward in disgust. I retracted them hurriedly, not having the energy to keep scaring him. He waited a few seconds then came closer again.

"I followed you home," he said, looking over my shoulder into my apartment. "Big lunk's still alive, I see."

He brushed past me and came inside, glancing around the room and picking up a book I had left on the coffee table. Carl watched his every move.

"Come on in then," I muttered, shutting the door.

"Tiny place."

"Yeah, well, we can't all live in a big house with a white picket fence. Wouldn't do my reputation any good. So, did you want something in particular? Or were you just passing through and felt like hitting something?"

His eyes narrowed. "I wanted to see where you live so I could kill the whole nest. But I see you're a loner."

"You came to kill the whole nest and decided to knock first?"

"Well, I knew there had to be humans here too."

I didn't tell him he would never have found my place if he meant to do me harm, thanks to some of the protection spells scattered around my home. Instead I shrugged and sat down to try to eat the rest of my food. Peter smelled really good, and I was hungry. Best thing for me to do was distract myself with human gluttony.

"Lunch for two? How sweet," Peter said, but he was frowning. I wondered why until I realised that vampires probably couldn't eat human food. I waited for him to speak, but he was too busy inspecting the room like he wanted to buy the place. He came across as cocky, but I caught an underlying scent of fear. A couple of minutes later, he had calmed down significantly.

"Listen, I don't know what your game is, but it isn't fair to leave the big fella in the middle of it, seeing as he has no control over his actions."

I snapped my head up to meet his eyes, afraid to hope. He sounded deadly serious.

"You're going to help me? Really?" I said, still cautious.

"Not you. Carl. He's human. I help humans. They deserve it."

I lowered my head. "Of course," I murmured. I didn't care about his attitude, helping Carl would in turn help me.

"I have to warn you; any sign of you misbehaving, and you're dead. I've killed vamps before, so doing it again won't be a problem for me, all right?"

I nodded, but I was thinking, who is this guy? "So do you know what I did? How I can fix it? Is there a spell I can do or something?"

"I'm not sure how you managed to do it accidentally, but I have a friend who's in the know," Peter said.

"What?" I couldn't believe it; he didn't have a clue either. "You're supposed to be the man in the know. What the hell is this? You trying to set me up or something? Got a buddy who wants to punch a girl too?"

To his credit, he looked momentarily ashamed, but then shook himself out of it. "I'm a hunter. I go after bad things. I'm not all up on the facts on vampires, all right? I know a good bit, but it isn't like we have a friendly little chat before I stake them, you know? But the man I mean, he runs a bookshop. If he doesn't know then I'm betting one of his books will help. You want to see him or not?"

I chewed for a few minutes. I had nothing to lose, not really. He thought I was a full-on vampire, sure. But he didn't know that things like holy water and silver crosses didn't affect me, so even if he did attack me again, he might do something that wouldn't hurt me. If I could run then he wouldn't catch me. Besides, I had to do something about Carl.

"Okay," I said at last. "I'll see your friend. But remember, if you hurt me then Carl will hurt himself trying to help me out."

Peter nodded, giving me a quick smile that jerked my insides upward. I was pretty disgusted with my reaction. Only I could be attracted to a man who hated my guts on sight.

"Can we go today? I mean, now, so we can get back before dark?"

"What's the rush?"

I cleared my throat and glanced over at Carl who was on the edge of his seat and glaring at Peter. "I really need this to be sorted out as soon as possible. I'm having some... trouble, being around him."

"You feel like you're gonna bite me?" Peter said, his eyes too bright as he rubbed his wrists, drawing my attention to the small crosses tattooed on them. I wondered if it was a form of protection but pretended not to notice.

I shook my head. "Nah. Just him. Guess he must taste nicer than you or something."

Peter wrinkled his nose in disdain. I almost felt bad for freaking him out.

I remembered my manners and decided I should at least attempt to be hospitable, now that he was helping us. "Want some food? It's just leftovers."

"No, thanks. I'll just sit and wait until you're both ready."

He sat on the sofa next to Carl and tried to make small talk with him. Carl was not in a forgiving mood. I couldn't help smiling to myself as he rebuked any attempts at conversation. Not that he was able for a discussion now he was pretty much mind controlled by me.

I crossed the room to get some milk out of the fridge and drank until I felt full. I had always turned to milk as a replacement for blood. Peter kept watching me until I was so nervous that I spilled some. Cleaning up, I willed my hands to stop shaking. I had to trust Peter, but I couldn't help wondering if I was about to run into a trap. I could only hope for the best. I wiped the counter in fourteen strokes. My normal routine helped me calm down.

"You two ready to go?" I asked, as soon as I felt less rattled.

They both stood, Carl towering above Peter. Even as my thirst-driven instincts screamed out for Carl, I couldn't help focusing on Peter instead. Apart from the punch he had given me, I was pretty sure he was my type. If I allowed myself to have a type, that is. He had nice lips too, but little reminders of another man with nice lips stopped me from staring at Peter too much. The ache in my jaw helped.

"Okay, let's go see the wizard," I mumbled under my breath.

Chapter Four

On the way to see Peter's friend, I tried to trail behind both men—determined not to get too close. Peter glanced around and slowed his pace, unwilling to keep his back to me. I couldn't help sighing as Carl joined him, both of them surrounding me with the heavy scent of testosterone that made it hard for me to think straight.

Peter kept looking at me as if he were waiting for me to burst into flames. When nothing untoward happened to me in daylight, he moved on to glaring at complete strangers. Suspicion darkened his eyes—everything he thought he knew about vampires had been proven wrong by me, as far as he was concerned.

"I'm the only one who does this," I said, trying to reassure him. I got a scowl for my trouble. Carl bumped against him, getting between us and making me hide a smile.

"Who is this contact of yours?" I asked Peter, trying to make conversation.

"A businessman," he said, without looking around. "He knows a lot about... supernatural things. He's helped me out a few times."

The bookshop wasn't too far from my house. I realised I had passed it by before. It was an independent seller with lots of old books, specializing in the occult. The shop had very few customers, yet it seemed to thrive. It had been around for as long as I could remember, but I had never gone inside.

As soon as we stepped through the doorway, I felt the power in the air. It emanated from a man standing at the counter and ran right through me, making me shiver. Peter hadn't told me the man knew about supernatural things because he was one himself. It surprised me that Peter was comfortable with any supernatural element—he was so intent on hating me.

I didn't say anything, but I suspected the man was a big player in the supernatural world, and that intrigued me. You wouldn't have known it looking at him. He was small and wiry, with a crooked nose, ginger hair and lots of freckles. He had huge blue eyes that seemed so earnest, I might have felt safe in his shop—except for the strange cold sensation on my skin.

The shop itself was small; most of the books were old, and the most interesting thing in the place was the owner. To my surprise, Carl took a step behind me and gripped my arm. I wondered if he felt something in the air too, but Peter moved toward his contact with a friendly smile on his face and distracted me from Carl's reaction.

The man smelled like magic and strength to me, similar to the smoky smell when a lit match is blown out mingled with the sharp, salty tang of the sea. Goose bumps appeared on my arms as the man looked me over. Something seemed to push against my skin, an invisible hand searching for something.

He greeted Peter like an old friend and then looked at me again, this time with a huge grin. My skin warmed up as whatever it was backed away. I smiled back at the man, determined to show I hadn't noticed a thing. Playing dumb was just about the only card I had.

"This is Eddie Brogan. He might be able to help you," Peter said, but his voice sounded almost forced.

"Oh, with what?" Eddie asked, his voice lilting pleasantly.

"Eddie, this is Ava. She's a vampire. She's here to ask you for help." Peter really enjoyed delivering that line, and I fidgeted nervously in the silence that followed.

Eddie's eyes snapped back to me, narrowing as he looked me over once again.

"A vampire in daylight, Peter?"

"I know. She isn't talking." Peter scowled in my direction, but Eddie stepped closer to me, his eyes full of curiosity.

"You look too young to have been dead for at least a century," he remarked.

"I haven't been," I blurted out, confused.

"Isn't that funny? Considering humans haven't turned into vampires in at least that long." His voice was soft, but I felt like I had been tricked into revealing something I shouldn't. "Your name's Ava, is it?" Eddie asked me, not unkindly.

I nodded, feeling like a shy schoolgirl all of a sudden. "This is Carl," I said, gesturing toward the tall man who hadn't moved an inch from my side since we entered the shop. "I, uh, I seem to have accidentally made him my... minion. Somehow." I honestly couldn't think of a better word.

Peter snorted derisively. I ignored him.

Eddie nodded with understanding. "That you have. He's threaded very tightly to you. So you want to cut the threads, is that it?"

"Yeah, or whatever. I just want him gone, before... I want him to leave me alone, okay?"

Eddie stared at me, and I felt another odd sensation roll over me. I tried not to react, but it was so invasive I couldn't stop myself from taking a step back to try and shrug it off. As soon as it stopped, I felt something cold brush against my hands, like something else was there with us. Eddie nodded finally, as if deciding something.

"I'm going to take a break now. Would you three care to join me for some coffee?"

He put a sign up on the door but didn't bother locking it. Eddie escorted us into a small backroom with a makeshift kitchen then brewed some coffee. I couldn't help glancing at Peter with concern. Eddie wasn't at all what I had expected. Peter shook his head slightly, so I looked away. I knew I disgusted him, but a little camaraderie would have been nice.

Nerves got the better of me. Back in the shop, I had been able to count books if I got jumpy. The backroom was so sparse that I needed to count heartbeats again. It was that sort of thing which got me into trouble in the first place.

Eddie sat down at last, having placed cups in front of us all. Both Peter and Eddie stared at me like I was supposed to do something. I glanced at Carl, but his eyes were closing, apparently taking my instructions to take care of his needs literally. I sipped the coffee to give myself something to do as an uncomfortable silence draped over us. The coffee was surprisingly good. Eddie noted my appreciation with some satisfaction.

"Enjoying it?"

"Yes, it's delicious. I thought it was instant." I realised Peter's mouth had dropped open, and I frowned at him in confusion.

"What?"

He shook his head. "You really like it?"

"Uh, yeah. Don't you?"

He frowned at Eddie. "What the hell is she?"

Eddie gave a low chuckle. Fury burned up inside me, drowning out the panic.

"What's in this? Poison?" I slammed my hands on the table, livid at the idea and disgusted with myself for being so naive.

Carl stood up abruptly, startling everyone. He glared at Eddie who signalled toward him and made a low noise. Carl fell back down, his anger forgotten. Still hot with fear and rage, I got to my feet instead. Ready for a confrontation, ready to fight my way out.

"It's all right, child. It isn't poison, but it is magic. It won't harm you, don't worry. I just had to make sure your intentions were purer than Peter suspected."

I sat in my chair, my concern for Carl the only thing stopping me from lashing out. I was sick of being tested. They couldn't just help Carl and let me go on my merry way. Everything had to involve suspicion.

"I'm sorry," Eddie said, his voice soft and velvety. An unexpectedly sudden bout of drowsiness caused my eyes to flutter and almost stay closed. I struggled to clear my thoughts through the haze. I sat up straight and forced myself to be more aware, trusting Eddie less and less.

"I'll help you, Ava. I see exactly who you are now. I see it all. The only problem is, the vampires see it all, too. Their seer is a pain at the best of times." He waved his arm vaguely in the air.

"Seer?" I had no clue what he was talking about.

"Aye. I'm sorry, Ava, but your problems just got a lot bigger. They know you're coming."

"How could you possibly know that?" I asked, mystified.

I took note of the furtive glances exchanged between Eddie and Peter.

"I have eyes everywhere, so I know for certain they'll be waiting. Or worse, they'll come looking."

"Looking for me? Why? What did I do?"

"Not what you did. It's what you are, pet." His words were kind, but I couldn't allow myself to soften for a second. I couldn't let the vampires find me, find out how I was made. All I wanted was Carl gone and life to go back to normal.

"What she is?" Peter asked, staring at me like I might grow horns. "What is she?"

"Later, Peter," Eddie said. "So, tell me what happened. With Carl." Abruptly, he was steely eyed again. As observant as a bird. It was unnerving.

"Nothing happened. Not really. I could smell him. His fear."

"Wait, you can smell fear?" Eddie's mouth curved upward.

I bit my lip, wondering if I said too much again. "Uh, yeah. I went to see what was going on. A vampire had him, was toying with him. He asked me if Carl belonged to me, and I said yes. Told him to come over to me. Left with him. I didn't notice until later that he was obeying everything I told him to do. Everything except leave me alone, that is."

"That's part of it," Eddie said. "He can't until you let him go. He'll keep trying to serve you until then."

"You know how to fix it?" Peter asked. His expression was grim; I wondered what he could be thinking.

Eddie rocked in his chair, his eyes closed. He hummed a tuneless song. I glared at Peter, blaming him for taking me to see a lunatic. He put his finger to his lips and nodded toward Eddie. I glanced at Carl who had fallen asleep in his chair, his coffee untouched.

"It's as I thought," Eddie said after a minute. "You claimed him. He wasn't opposed to it. A vampire bore witness. Now he's yours. Don't you want him?" His voice changed again; his tone felt like a cool palm on my hot forehead.

I shook my head slowly. "No." My voice was a cracked whisper.

"Why?"

"I don't want anybody. Nobody's safe around me." I felt compelled to speak. I didn't want to answer him, but I couldn't help myself. I could sense Peter staring at me intently, but I could only focus on Eddie. I was unable to break eye contact with him. My panic was dulled by whatever he was doing to me. I felt like my body was spinning around, and I gripped my chair to brace myself.

"Who sent you to Peter?"

"My grandmother." Peter made a noise, but it sounded so very far away. I could have sworn I was floating around the room, but my eyes were still latched onto Eddie's.

"And if I tell you how to free Carl, will you do it?"

"Yes."

"Even if it hurts?"

"Yes." My answers were whispers, and I sensed Peter leaning in closer to hear me.

"Do you want to harm Carl?"

"No. But I might not be able to stop myself."

I still couldn't look away from his eyes; they were big black pits of nothingness, and I was sinking into them, almost freefalling. A cold hand on my shoulder brought me back to the room. Shuddering violently, I gasped, not quite sure what had happened. Glancing around, it was clear nobody else was there, but I knew I felt a hand touch me.

"Is she okay?" Peter asked, more concerned than I would have expected. Eddie ignored him.

"Ava. You have bound Carl to you. The only way to revoke it is to persuade the witness to reject your claim."

"The witness? You mean the vampire who attacked Carl in the first place? But how? How will I find him?" I asked, already worrying.

Peter snorted. "Surely a vamp knows where vamps hang out."

I refused to look at him. "Yes, of course," I said, unwilling to share how little I knew about vampires.

Eddie smiled, but his eyes were full of pity. "I'll give you directions to a bar. Vampires visit regularly as do their followers. You may find information there."

"Thank you."

"So is that it? Can I go now?" Peter said, his voice sarcastic. His eagerness to leave left me cold.

"You sit down," Eddie said. Although his tone was as low and calm as before, I shivered as though he shouted. His presence was almost overpowering.

"Perfect, just perfect," Peter muttered, but he sat down right away.

Eddie ignored Peter and returned his gaze to me. The blackness was gone, but I was afraid to look too deeply in his eyes. He scared me. I had to be on my guard around him.

Peter was looking at me warily, but I had no time for his problems. Night was coming. We had to leave quickly. I shook myself, aware that heavy magic had finally lifted.

"We have to get going. Is there anything else I need to know?"

"Possibly. Peter, wake Carl up, and take him outside for a few minutes. Ava and I need to chat about something a bit more personal."

Peter reluctantly dragged Carl up out of his seat.

"No, I'm staying with Ava," Carl said. His hesitation made me even more suspicious of Eddie.

"It's okay. I'll be out in a minute." I watched him follow Peter outside, my heart sinking at the emptiness in Carl's eyes.

Afraid of being alone with Eddie, I acted snappy.

"Can we hurry this up? I want to get all of this over and done with as quickly as I can."

Eddie smirked at me. "I know you don't like to be around people, but if you were used to it then Carl wouldn't bother you so much."

"I was used to it before. Didn't help my ex much."

"A mistake. We all make them." He confirmed my suspicions. He knew more about me than he should.

"Some mistake. I bit him and drank his blood, Eddie. I could have killed him."

"But you didn't. Stop thinking about what you might have done, and concentrate on what you have done. You've helped out a few humans, right? Carl can't be the first. I'd say that balances out an indiscretion or two."

I shook my head in disgust. "That isn't how it works."

"Isn't it? We'll see. Hold on for a second. I want to show you something."

He left me alone and was gone long enough for me to get scared. The persistent cold gasp of air on the back of my neck kept me on edge. I couldn't see anything, so I searched with my other sense and noticed a faint wisp of pale white energy right next to me. There was definitely something with me, but I had no idea what it could be.

Eddie returned with a small velvet box in his hand. "This is for you," he said, handing it to me. "It might help."

I opened the box, revealing a silver filigree cross. I touched it hesitantly, half-expecting it to burn me after the things I had been thinking about recently concerning Carl. But it felt cool against my fingers. I started, almost certain I saw a flush of crimson cross the surface for an instant. I glanced at Eddie quizzically.

"It's okay," Eddie said. "It won't hurt you, although it might hurt a real vampire. Poor little mix that you are. You have it bad, don't you? The thirst?"

I nodded, my eyes welling up with tears. He patted my shoulder sympathetically.

"You know what I am?" I asked, almost hesitant to hear his answer.

"I know more than that, petal."

"So what am I?"

"You're neither vampire nor human, that's for sure," Eddie said.

I bit my lip. "Do you know my grandmother? Is that how you know about me?"

"Nancy? I know her well. She came to me some years back and told me all about her little Ava. She's not the woman you once knew. May I?" he asked, unclasping the necklace.

I let him drape the chain around my neck. It was long enough to be covered by my clothes if I tucked it in. Its touch was surprisingly cool. Refreshing. I felt it lean against my skin as if it were sinking in. Calm drifted over me almost immediately. The dry ache in my throat subsided. Relief.

"Oh, wow," I murmured, stretching lazily.

"Feeling better?"

"Are you doing that?" I asked.

"No, it's the cross. It's a talisman of sorts. It'll help you with the thirst. Keep your mind focused long enough to get Carl out of your way."

"And you just happened to have this lying around?"

His smile was sudden but genuine. "Something like that."

I was overwhelmingly grateful, but even as the cross dispelled my thirst, I realised I hadn't craved Eddie's blood for a second. Curious.

Aside from that, the cross worked. I could already tell it was exactly what I needed. I could feel it, the magic working its way into my veins, quenching the thirst, and soothing that raw hunger in my gut. For the first time in years, I relaxed and knew what it meant to feel human. Maybe Carl could survive his visit with me after all. That thought alone brought a lump to my throat, and I realised just how tense my adult life had been.

"And look, Ava. See the cross? Four tips plus the body make five. Safe. Touch it when you need strength."

His smile was kind, but I blushed anyway at the thought of him knowing about my little quirk. I could only figure my grandmother had told him. My number obsession had bothered her almost as much as my vampire-like tendencies.

"Don't forget, you're heading to vampire territory now. It won't be safe for you. You have to be on your guard. Aware. There isn't much time; they know you're around, and the cross won't work for long. So be careful. And trust Peter. He's a bit gruff, but that's to be expected after what happened to his family. He can be narrow-minded sometimes, but he's a solid one."

I touched my bruised face self-consciously. Eddie tutted.

"That was unfortunate all right. I have just the thing." He took a tub out of a cupboard and wiped some of the contents on my face. It felt slick and oily, but my face tingled nicely, the freshness of the pain dissipating.

"Didn't Carl help you?"

I nodded. "He offers himself to me, too. How do I make him stop?"

"It can't be helped, I'm afraid. Part of the thrall is to give you what you need, whatever that might be. Go on now, little one. It'll be dark soon. Visit the bar tomorrow in daylight. Get information before you go again at night. Be wise."

He pressed a piece of paper into my hands, directions to the bar. I glanced at the name but had never heard of it before. I thanked him again, less in fear of him but still wary. He didn't accompany me to the door, but the strange presence did. I pushed the door open and stepped outside, my stomach turning a little at the drastic change in atmosphere once I was away from Eddie's magic.

Outside, Peter and Carl stood together. They stopped talking as soon as I approached. I fidgeted awkwardly, knowing Peter wanted to leave. For the first time I was able to stand next to Carl without wanting to feed on him, but all I could think about was making Peter stay.

"Uh, thanks for bringing me here," I said to Peter, fidgeting under his gaze.

"Did he give you the address?"

"Yeah, it's some place called the Black Rose. I don't know it, but his directions are pretty clear."

"I know it," Peter said. "I'll pick you two up tomorrow, okay?"

"Oh," I said, surprised. "You're going?"

"I said I'd help. I'll see you both tomorrow."

"Early," I called after him, hoping he'd hear me. He raised an arm in answer and kept on walking away. I admired his behind for a few seconds before I remembered Carl, who was still standing there aimlessly.

Carl and I walked back to my place. For once, I was thankful for his silence because I had so much to think about. At least now I had a purpose and a chance to help him.

That evening, the cross worked its magic. Somehow, it seemed to mask Carl's scent or at least dampened my reaction to it, even when he offered his wrist to me. I was able to shrug off my instincts with little effort. I couldn't believe how relaxing it was. It made me feel almost human.

An undercurrent of need remained, but, for the most part, the temptation was easy to control. I was still bothered by Carl's behaviour, though. He was compelled to do it, but it irritated me that he wasn't even trying to survive. As soon as he dozed off that night, I rang my grandmother.

"What's the deal with Eddie Brogan?" I barely let her say hello.

"What? Ava? You know Eddie?" Her voice was thick with sleep.

"The man you sent me to, Peter, he took me to Eddie. After he'd attacked me, that is."

"Oh, Ava, didn't you tell him I sent you?"

"No. Look, that doesn't matter; tell me about Eddie. Can I trust him? He gave me something; it's helping me. I'm not so thirsty now."

She caught her breath. "The cross? It works?"

"How'd you know about the cross?" I seemed to be out of the loop on every single thing. My self-imposed exile meant I had to ask questions at every turn. I was eager to catch up.

"When you left, I bought books at his shop. I suppose I... well, I sort of hoped you'd be there. You used to sneak those books all the time."

"Go on," I said when she hesitated.

"Well, he spoke to me one day, and I found myself telling him all about you. He said he could help you with the thirst. He showed me the cross, said it was for you. But—"

"But I never came back." I chewed it over in my mind, wondering if he had forced her to talk the way he had with me. "Did you tell him everything? About my mother or anything?"

"I'm not sure... I just don't remember so well."

"It's okay. You've told me all I need to know. I'll ring you next week."

I hung up before she could invite me over. I wasn't nearly ready for that. I mulled over the day's events. Eddie opened up more questions than he answered. Even though his talisman had worked, and Peter seemed to trust him, I still felt like I shouldn't. That led me onto thoughts of Peter and how nice it would be if he didn't completely hate me.

I couldn't sleep that night because I kept thinking about Peter, not Carl.

Chapter Five

The first thing I did when I woke the next morning was to reach for the chain around my neck to make sure the cross was still there. As soon as my fingers touched it, a sense of security eased the tension in my muscles. For the first time since Carl showed up, I felt really relaxed in bed and ended up dozing off again. A loud knock on my bedroom door a while later woke me properly.

Bleary eyed, I practically fell out of bed trying to see what was going on. Peter stood outside my bedroom door, eyeing me with a smug grin.

"Thought you wanted to be early?" he said, clearly delighted he caught me unawares.

"Shut up," I croaked as I shoved past him. "Lemme shower. Put on the kettle."

"Face is better I see," he called after me.

I checked in the bathroom mirror and sure enough my face was almost totally healed. A shadow of a bruise remained, but it was so light that a touch of concealer would cover it.

"Who is that guy?" I muttered, wondering what else Eddie could come up with.

I took a quick shower before heading into the kitchen. Peter and Carl were both sitting on the sofa eating sloppy breakfast rolls in silence.

"One on the counter for you," Peter said, his mouth full.

I glared at him suspiciously, but he seemed in good form, so I figured it was worth trying out the food. I was pretty hungry, even with the chain around my neck. The food looked greasy but tasted delicious. Peter raised an eyebrow as I wolfed it down.

"Quick metabolism," I told him, my cheeks heating up. I had always had a huge appetite. When I was a kid, my grandmother went through a phase of trying to starve the demon out of me. It didn't work. I got so hungry that I bit a kid in school. My fangs hadn't grown yet, but it scared her, and she went back to feeding me properly.

"Why you here so early, anyhow?" I asked Peter after a few minutes, breaking the awkward silence.

Peter crushed the greasy wrapper from his food and stood to throw it into the bin.

"Figured we need some sort of plan before we go storming vampire bars," he replied.

"So how are we working the bar?"

He sat back down next to Carl, who had fallen asleep again.

"Think he's okay?" Peter asked in concern.

I shrugged. "Can't be great. He nods off a lot. I sort of ordered him to take care of his needs, didn't mean it quite like this."

To my surprise, Peter laughed out loud. "What?" I asked.

"If he starts taking care of all of his needs in public, I'm holding you responsible," he said, waiting for me to catch on.

My cheeks burned with embarrassment as it dawned on me what kind of needs he was talking about. Peter laughed heartily again at my expression.

"Don't be twelve," I said, trying to look serious.

"Okay, okay," he said, making an attempt at sobering up. "So, he does whatever you tell him?"

"Just about," I said.

"I wonder if he understands what's going on. Must be awful to have no say in anything you do." Peter grimaced in disgust. Then he caught my stare, and a glimmer of regret flashed across his face.

"So, yeah, the bar," he said. "I know a girl who works there. Where did you find Carl?"

"An alleyway off Herbert Street." I could never forget that detail.

"We can ask her who hunts there. It would help if you can describe the vamp."

"That's it? We ask some girl and go home?" I said, unconvinced that counted as a plan.

"Pretty much. If we let it be known we're looking for him then he might not be as pissed off at us when we confront him," Peter said.

"Seriously, is that all we're doing? Doesn't seem like much of an effort. I mean, she might not even know who we're on about." It sounded like he was looking for an easy, happy ending. I couldn't see that happening. Not with my luck.

"Who knows? It's possible she might not know who we're talking about, 'cept this chick knows everyone."

"Can she be trusted?" I didn't like the sound of a human who knew so much about vampires.

"Nah." Peter relaxed; talking about things he knew for certain seemed to make him more comfortable around me. "She works with vampires and lives; she's gotta be up to something dodgy somewhere. She's no worse than anyone else, but she's a little too fond of vamps, if you know what I mean."

I didn't. "Don't you trust anyone?"

"Not even for a second."

I shivered at the cold glint in his eye. I was supposed to be the monster, but Peter was scarily black and white. "What happened to you?" I blurted out, unable to help myself.

He cleared his throat and stood up abruptly. "Wake up sleepyhead over there, and let's get going. I want to catch Becca when she opens the bar."

That was it. Conversation over. Even on the way to the bar, Peter was deadly silent. It was across town, so we got a taxi. He decided he had to sit in the back, squashing me between himself and Carl. It was awkward, packed up that tightly with two men, particularly after being alone for so long.

Now that the thirst itself was subdued, thanks to the cross Eddie had given me, other unwanted feelings came to the surface. Even the pressure from Peter's leg against mine made my entire body heat up. By the time we got out of the taxi, I was practically having hot flushes.

A flood of traumatic memories hit me when I took in our surroundings. It had been a long time, but I had been there before. A fancy restaurant stood across the street, but I knew it had once been a small community hall. One frequented by a so-called cleanser who had encouraged my grandmother to let him beat the devil out of me. I hugged my arms close to me, trying to block out the past.

"You know that place?" Peter asked when he noticed me staring.

"Once upon a time. When it was something else."

I couldn't take my eyes off the restaurant, but all I saw was my grandmother telling a strange man I had a demon in me. I begged her not to leave me with him, even then I could smell the badness coming from him, but she pushed me aside and walked away—even as I called her name.

Carl linked my arm, distilling the memory and giving me an excuse to look away from a place that had haunted my early teens. As if he knew I needed reassurance, he smiled down at me, his eyes clear and focused for a change. I smiled back automatically, wondering when I had started looking people in the eye again. Peter caught my attention as if he wanted to say something but shrugged instead and led us to a decrepit looking building at the end of the street.

"Doesn't look like a bar to me," I remarked.

"It can't, or else every human in the area would be in there, plus all the under-aged kids. Nightmare. The only ones who are welcome are vamps and their volunteers, but Becca knows me, so we'll be okay as long as we don't start anything."

I grimaced at the term volunteers. I might thirst after a bit of blood now and then, but the thought of regularly taking advantage of people like Carl made me feel ill.

"The real entrance is down that side street," Peter continued, pointing ahead. "Let's go, and let me do the talking. I'm not exactly popular around here, but they'll listen to me. Keep the giant quiet."

I took a tight hold of Carl's arm and followed Peter around a laneway that led to what should have been the back of the so-called bar. It smelled rank and was covered in colourful graffiti. I lingered behind, full of nerves, but Peter strode ahead with confidence. I couldn't help but watch him admiringly. I was sure he had once been charming, and I wondered what had happened to make him so cold.

A short blonde exited a doorway and threw a black sack into one of the bins ahead of us. Peter headed directly to her, and I guessed she was the infamous Becca. She had the body of a teenager, but when she turned, I was shocked to see that her face hadn't aged nearly as well.

"Hey, Petey," she squealed in a little girl's voice. "Haven't seen you for a while. Where you been?"

She hugged him tightly, fitting easily under his chin. Glancing at Carl and me, she sent a dark look my way. I tensed up—she didn't smell entirely human.

"How are you, Becca?" Peter asked.

"I'm as fine as always, can't you see?" She giggled loudly at her own joke. I gripped Carl's arm tight, all of my instincts warning me to be cautious. Carl's body had tensed too, which only heightened my own wariness.

"Of course I can, hot stuff. Listen, I need a favour," Peter told her. I hadn't seen this side of Peter before and wondered how sincere he was being.

"Oh, yeah? Wanna come in and have a quick one? A drink, I mean," she said, her eyelashes fluttering like mad.

"Yeah, I'm thirsty as hell. Listen, this is Ava and Carl. Okay if they join us?"

Becca looked us over, her mouth widening into a smile that never reached her lips. "Double date? No problem. Come on, before the cleaners get here."

We followed her through a small door that led into a huge dark room. As my sight adjusted, I saw the walls were all dark wood panelling. The air was filled with must and dust, and the faint scent of blood—cleaned up blood. I shuddered and let Carl pull me toward the bar. Becca gave Peter a shot without asking before turning to Carl and me.

"What can I get you two lovebirds?"

"Uh, just juice for us," I said. "Please," I added, trying to smile sweetly. Her quizzical look convinced me I'd failed miserably.

"So," she said as she poured a drink for me—completely ignoring Carl, as if she knew he wasn't all there. "What can I do for you today?"

"We're looking for information on a vamp who hunts Herbert Street. You got any idea who's over there?" Peter asked.

She bit her lip and looked thoughtful. I was certain she knew exactly who he meant, but Peter waited patiently while she pretended to think really hard.

"I'd say that would have to be one of Max's boys. I think that's his territory. What do you want with one of them?" Her tone was breezy, but her body had tensed up, which made me suspicious. Her eyes drifted to mine and narrowed briefly.

"Ah, that's complicated. I need to ask him something is all. Nothing major, no hassle. Any way I could find out who exactly I'm looking for?"

"With no name? He'd have to be a regular here," she said with a sly smile.

She was obviously stalling, which irritated me, so I butted in, hoping to annoy her into talking properly.

"He's small, very thin, kinda pretty with chin-length dark hair. A little scruffy, looks like he could use a good meal. Ring any bells?"

She glared at me, and the look in her eyes grew so intense that her irises seemed to darken and change before me. When she spoke again, her voice suddenly sounded a lot more grownup. "That could be anyone," she snapped. Turning back to Peter, she smiled. "But it might be Arthur; he's been in talking about a redhead he saw. She the one?" Her eyes turned greedy, and my stomach flipped over with worry.

"Could be," Peter said with a shrug. "Any chance you could let Arthur know we need a favour from him? We'll be back around, once the place fills up a bit."

"Of course, darling, anything for you. I'll let Arthur know all about you. As long as you aren't going to bother Max," Becca said, reaching out and placing her hand on Peter's arm.

"Nah, it's nothing to do with Maximus. No need to get him involved," Peter said, stretching languidly away from Becca's touch. He seemed relaxed, but I could hear his heart beat racing. "We only need Arthur for ten minutes, tops."

"Well, you take care of him, okay? I don't need Max to get angry and take it out on me." She gave a knowing laugh and touched her neck. It was covered with a scarf. I really didn't want to know what was under that scarf.

"Don't worry, Bec. I'll make sure you're safe."

"Oh, I don't want to be safe, darling. You know that." Her eyes darkened again until I was sure they glinted red. She gave Carl a hungry look, and I sincerely hoped I didn't stare at him like that. She focused on me again, and I involuntarily leaned backward, wanting to get out of the filthy pub and away from the freaky bartender.

"Thanks a lot, Becca. Take care of yourself. We'll be back later, so don't forget to let Arthur know." He smiled at her, but as soon as he turned away, his face tightened, and he gestured toward the door.

Becca waved us off and got back to work but gave me one last filthy look as we left. I gulped in fresh air outside, more than relieved to be out of that place.

"What the hell is she?" I hissed at Peter.

He gave me a condescending look. "You're one to talk."

I felt a little jab of hurt at being compared to Becca, and then anger that I still hadn't proved myself in his eyes. Seeing my irritation, he carried on. "Okay, she's half gone. She was obsessed with being young and somehow persuaded an old vampire to try and change her. It didn't work, obviously. Looks like they're still trying."

"How do you know all this?"

"I ask."

"Okay, fine. So she wants to be young or whatever. But what does the vampire get out of it? I mean, I know he gets her blood, but he also has to give his, right?"

Peter cocked his head to the side. "That isn't how it happens," he said slowly. "Vampires were only ever created through the poison in their saliva and fangs. They don't need to exchange blood to do it."

I nodded, feeling stupid. The books I'd read had said a blood exchange was necessary to create a vampire.

He looked at me, eyes full of curiosity. I waited for him to question me, but he let it go.

"She's a volunteer. The vamp does it to keep her on side. If they do it regularly enough then she manages to carry some of the vampire poison in her body. It affects some parts of her and not others. You understand?"

"Eh, no."

"Look," Peter said, his tone impatient. "She's still human, obviously, but she's kept enough of the poison in her system to keep her body young, that's all. Vampires leave her alone because she's a volunteer. Her vamp likes having some guarantees around when he wants a quick snack. Plus, a volunteer lasts a lot longer than someone who's been enthralled. Or so I've been told."

We both looked at Carl, who was shuffling his feet and lagging behind us, then exchanged worried glances.

"All of this vampire stuff is too complicated for words." I was way out of my league and tired of having to have everything explained to me.

Peter raised his eyebrows. "Shouldn't you know more about it than me?"

He still thought of me as a real vampire. Maybe a stupid one. I wasn't interested in filling him in, so I avoided the question.

"Anyway, do you think she was telling the truth? About this Arthur vampire, I mean. Is it him and will she tell him?"

"I reckon she thinks it's him, but whether she tells him or not... well, your guess is as good as mine. Becca does what works for her, and she's careful. That's why she's still alive. She didn't like you, by the way."

"Yeah, there's a lot of that going around. I had a feeling she knew about me, like she was expecting me."

Peter rubbed the cross on his wrist as he considered this. "Maybe. There's no telling with her. She's different when the poison is fresh in her system."

"And did you see the way she looked at Carl?"

Peter nodded. "Like he was dinner. She completely ignored him apart from that. I suppose she's used to entranced humans in her bar."

I didn't want to see that woman down any dark alleyways, but I decided it was something best left to myself. I was unwilling to let Peter know I was a coward.

"By the way, kinda pretty?" he said as we queued up at a taxi rank, raising his eyebrows quizzically. It took me a minute to realise he was referring to my description of Arthur.

"Oh, shut up. I just meant he isn't as wretched looking as most vamps I've seen."

I couldn't get a read from his expression, but I knew he had to be wondering about me. It was pretty obvious I was something very different to the creatures he was used to.

"So, what next, we come back after dark?" I said, changing the subject.

"Probably. You can see if you recognise your witness. Who knows? Maybe he'll approach us first."

We got a taxi back to my place because it was well protected, although Peter informed me that most of the charms and spells I had purchased were junk made to rip people off.

"I'm not exactly up on the latest witchcraft," I told him, feeling defensive as he tutted at yet another useless talisman.

"Where on earth did you get all of this junk?"

"Online." He gave me a 'you've got to be kidding me' look. "Really," I insisted. "I buy and sell things online, that's how I make money. Sometimes I come across this kind of thing, and I keep it instead of selling it on."

"So, what, you're a vamp who makes her living on eBay? Now I've seen everything."

I couldn't help blushing; I knew I made a pretty naff vampire. He wandered around the flat, immediately picking out all of the hidden talismans.

"How do you know where they're hidden?" I said, cross he was so comfortable in my home when I was on the edge of my seat in his presence.

"That's part of my job. Finding things. God, this really is crap," he scorned, picking up an alleged ancient artefact. "I'll have to recommend a few merchants to you. Although I admit the stuff that actually works is pretty good. Maybe Eddie would sell you a couple of things."

I fingered the cross around my neck, possessive despite knowing it wasn't mine to keep. "I don't know whether to trust him or not."

"Me either. But I've never known him to harm an innocent."

"Guess I should stay innocent then," I said, before realising what it sounded like. My face grew hot. Peter moved away from me, looking as awkward as I felt, and continued his assessment of my protection spells. I was technically borderline innocent, but he really didn't need to know that. The more time I spent with Peter, the more of my naivety I accidentally revealed.

Chapter Six

Once the tension showed no sign of dissipating, Peter announced he was going to get a car. As he left, he muttered something about not being able to bear squashing himself into a backseat with me and Carl again. I chewed my nails in agitation while he was gone, worrying he wouldn't return. I lay on my bed and wondered about how much being my man slave was affecting Carl. Peter said the enthralled didn't last long, but I didn't know if that was because they kept getting drained or worse—their brains couldn't hold up to the mind control.

The good thing about worrying about Carl was that it distracted me from other things. Like what Eddie was, the fact he knew my grandmother, and his enigmatic mentions of a Seer. Then, of course, there was the little fact I was planning on walking straight into a vampire bar and pretty much demanding that a hungry killer do me a favour.

"Ava," murmured Carl, startling me out of my reverie.

"What's wrong?" I said, turning around to look at him. "Oh, shit."

With a dopey grin etched on his face and a sharp kitchen knife in his hand, Carl stumbled toward me, blood flowing steadily down his neck. I froze as he shut the door behind him, closing us into the bedroom together. The scent of his blood hit me, and all of a sudden, I was ravenous.

"Please, Carl, go away. You don't know what you're doing!" My fangs shot out—I couldn't help it. The cross around my neck had eased my thirst for a while, but an open vein in front of me undid all of its good work. Despite my pleas, Carl kept coming at me, not stopping until his body loomed over mine on the bed. I didn't know what to do, so I closed my eyes, put one hand over my mouth and screamed, pushing at him frantically. I felt his blood drip onto my fingers. Warm, vital and oh, so tempting. I'm bigger than this, I told myself.

"Get away from me!" I yelled, managing to push him back with my knees. It gave me enough space to roll over, and I hoped the blood wouldn't accidentally fall into my mouth. I was tempted, though—so much fresh blood, right there, going to waste. I ached for it, but I knew that if I started, I wouldn't stop.

"Come on, Ava," Carl said, pulling me over and onto my back with ridiculous ease. He was unnaturally strong, and it seemed as though the more that I backed away, the more he pushed.

Tears poured down my eyes as I fought wildly against the urge to lap his blood off my fingers. I clamped my clean hand over my fangs as hard as I could, and hit out blindly with my other arm. I connected, but Carl didn't falter for a second.

He pinned my arm down and struggled to pull my hand away from my mouth. It took all of my strength to resist him, but I knew it was only a matter of time before I gave in.

"Please, stop!" I let out a sob, unable to understand why he wasn't obeying me. Carl was turning out to be the worst minion ever.

Just as I felt my resolve weakening, Peter burst through the bedroom door, his eyes wide, probably in disgust at seeing my fangs. I knew he was going to kill me, and part of me wanted him to. I couldn't fight anymore. Carl was still struggling to force his blood on me as Peter grabbed his shoulders and wrestled him to the ground. I tried to lie still and ignore the sounds of both men fighting—I needed to get a grip on myself and contain the thirst. My whole body shuddered with fear. I had been seconds away from giving in, seconds away from becoming the monster everyone already thought I was. I counted the cracks in the ceiling, finding comfort in the numbers.

A hand touched my shoulder. Faster than I could think, I was huddled in the corner, my back against the wall.

Peter stared at me, confused and even a little concerned. "Are you okay?" he asked, holding his hands out toward me like he didn't know what else to do.

I nodded but stayed put.

"Ava, what are you doing?" he asked, his tone gentler than usual.

I realised I was multiplying out loud. I shook myself out of traumatised little girl mode and tried to act normal.

"Where's Carl?" I asked, hoping he would ignore the tremble in my voice.

"Knocked out on the floor. Don't worry, he's okay. I'm going to clean him up. Maybe you should... take a minute." He almost sounded friendly. That was a first, but I was too numb to care. If he had arrived a minute later, he would have caught me feasting on Carl—I was sure of it.

I dragged myself into the bathroom and locked the door. Gazing into the mirror, I saw a tired-looking girl with messy, unnaturally red hair and a complexion that was too pale to be real. My blood-shot eyes were rimmed with pink, and my cheeks were tear-stained. I scowled at my reflection. I was so weak that I couldn't even protect myself against a human with no control of his brain. It was ridiculous. I took long, deep breaths, but my hands wouldn't stop shaking.

After a few minutes, I reluctantly joined the others in the living room. Carl smiled innocently at me, but all I wanted to do was hit him hard. Peter stared at me, his expression unreadable.

"Carl, go take a shower," he ordered. I nodded my agreement and moved across the room to get out of Carl's path to the bathroom.

"You feeling all right yet?" Peter asked when Carl left the room.

"Of course."

"That was pretty intense back there," he continued. "I heard you screaming; I didn't know what to make of it. Then I saw... well, it wasn't what I expected."

"Yeah, so are you ready to go?"

He walked over to me, didn't back off even though I did. He touched my chin lightly and studied my face. "What are you, Ava?"

My skin felt like it was burning. I didn't want to drink from him, but I wanted something. That's why I had to push him away, before I made a mistake.

"What happened you, Peter?" I said as coolly as I could manage.

His face hardened. "Yeah, I'm ready to go. I'll wait by the car until you get Carl sorted," he said. Leaving me with Carl was his petty punishment for my words.

As soon as he left, my pulse raced with fear. I didn't want to be alone with Carl again. But Carl acted as though nothing had happened. I tried not to look at the bandage on his neck as I ordered him downstairs to Peter's car. I headed for the passenger seat of the dark green Cordoba, surprised by how much my hands were still shaking.

"You're in the back," Peter said. "Carl, up front."

I was just happy he was letting me forget what had happened in my apartment with Carl, so I got into the backseat without any fuss.

Maybe it was nerves, but I couldn't help giggling to myself, especially when the radio came on playing show tunes. Peter growled something incoherent and switched the station. Within minutes, Carl had fallen asleep again, so I was left alone with my thoughts.

The streets became familiar as we drove. More memories. I kept flashing back to my grandmother crying about the devil inside me. Of me standing awkwardly beside her, not knowing what to do and accused of being a heartless demon. I was nine.

That time, the man she turned to for help had been true evil—the source of many nightmares. I had bitten him and told him my vampire father would kill him. That was after he made me eat salt for an hour one day. He laughed out loud and told me there were no such things as vampires. Granny refused to believe he wasn't helping, but he was just another in a long line of conmen who inevitably disappointed her. That was when I went through a stage of wanting to be a real vampire. Stupid kid.

Big contrast to how I felt as we drove to the vampire bar. My whole body twitched with nerves. There was too much going on—my thirst for Carl, my attraction to Peter, and the fact I was going to willingly show myself to true vampires. Even counting Peter's steady heartbeat wasn't enough to calm me down.

"Maybe we should leave Carl somewhere. It might be too dangerous for him," I said.

"Nah," Peter said. "He'd do himself more damage looking for you."

"We could go back and lock him in at my place."

Peter shook his head. "He'd probably knock himself out trying to head-butt his way through the door." He glanced at Carl's sleeping form. "Poor bloke won't last much longer, you know."

I knew. Carl wasn't doing well. An offhand comment from me could bring him a lot of harm. I had no idea how to mind control someone properly. Thinking of his bandaged neck, I wondered if some part of me was telling him to offer himself on a plate.

I fidgeted with the cross around my neck. If I hadn't been wearing it, Carl would be dead, of that I was certain. I owed it. And Eddie, I realised grimly. I had a strong feeling Eddie didn't help anyone unless there was something in it for him. I couldn't help remembering what he said about the vampires expecting me.

"What's a seer?" I asked.

"Something like a psychic, I suppose."

"So, they should already know all about me, then?"

Peter shook his head. "Not necessarily. They can't pick and choose what they see. But whatever they see is still valuable. Why?"

"Just thinking." Eddie had told me they knew I was coming and for the first time, I realised that might mean they had seen what I was. I had a theory about myself. I reckoned my making was a fluke, a mistake. Otherwise there would be lots more like me running around.

"Why can't they make new vampires anymore?"

Peter didn't bother trying to antagonise me into admitting what I am. Progress. "Something to do with genetics, I suppose. Humans evolve to fight threats to their existence."

"What, like an immunity or something?"

"Exactly. A vampire's fangs contain poison so it's an attack on the system. Maybe enough humans were bitten to start developing a way of fighting back. We've evolved somewhat, and whatever it was that allowed the change doesn't seem to exist anymore." He gave me a knowing glance in the rear view mirror. "Although maybe that means something different exists."

"So, if someone went around killing all the vampires that exist in the world, then that would be it? No more vampirism?"

"Suppose so," he said, but he didn't sound excited at the prospect.

For one wild minute I dreamed about paying the world back by wiping out all of the vampires in existence. Then I snapped back into reality and realised I couldn't win a fight with a human, never mind a vampire.

Peter parked the car one street away from the bar. "I'm parking out here, on the main road. If it all goes wrong, run to the car. Tell Carl the same. Don't wait for me."

"Yeah, right, like I'm going to leave a human alone with vampires," I said, rolling my eyes.

He turned around to face me, his hazel eyes more intense than I'd ever seen them. "Look, in case you haven't figured it out yet, what I do is hunt evil. All kinds. Then I kill it. I've been doing it for eight years, so yes, if it all goes wrong, don't wait for me."

His eyes were like ice—I couldn't help shivering under his stare. I didn't doubt him at all. He even scared me.

"I mean it, Ava. If anything goes wrong, get that lunk out of there. I can't trust either of you to take them on, so leave it to me."

I was sort of offended by that remark but knew he had a point. "All right, already. So, what's the plan?"

"The plan is you stay cool, and let me do the talking. We go in, don't look anyone in the eye. I'll speak to Becca and see where we go from there. Don't worry. If he isn't around then we'll come back tomorrow."

"Fair enough. Listen, Peter, thanks for doing this." He opened his mouth to protest, but I cut him off. "Yeah, yeah, I know. You're helping Carl, not me, but I'm benefiting too whether you like it or not."

He shook his head slightly, a bemused look on his face. "Actually, I'm not sure who I'm helping anymore."

He gave his bottom lip an absent-minded lick with the tip of his tongue. I let loose a little sigh.

"What?" he asked, his lips curving upward into a huge grin.

"Uh, nothing," I said, barely getting out a word. I shook Carl's shoulder a little too hard, startling him awake. We both followed Peter to the same side street again.

The place looked different at night. The darkness created lurking shadows and a general creepiness that spooked me. As we followed Peter to the door, I realised there were people in the shadows. Couples. The scent of fresh blood reached my nostrils, letting me know exactly what they were doing. I touched the silver cross but kept it hidden under my shirt, I didn't want anyone to know it didn't affect me.

I heard a couple of soft moans and automatically edged toward Peter. He was the closest thing to normal in my life. He gave me a quick smile, probably an attempt to reassure me, but my instincts still told me to run.

Peter pushed open the door, letting a stale odour engulf us.

"What is that stench?" I whispered to him.

He frowned at me. "That's how vampires smell. It's more intense when there's a whole bunch of them together."

"Oh, my God, do I smell?" That would be pretty embarrassing.

He gave me a rare genuine smile. "No, actually. You're a pretty rubbish vampire, to be honest." He laid his palm flat against my chest, and the tenor of his voice changed. "And look at that, you even have a heartbeat."

He inched closer to me, letting the door swing shut. Carl stood behind me, forgotten. "Seriously, Ava," Peter said. "What the hell are you?"

Not thinking about what I was doing, I touched his cheek and relished the heat of his skin. "I'm a big, bad, scary vampire. And don't you forget it."

To my surprise, I heard his heartbeat thunder in his chest. I stepped backward awkwardly, bumping into Carl, and the moment was lost.

Peter turned his back to us and strode into the bar like he owned it. Carl and I scurried after him, but not before I tripped clumsily through the doorway. In the corner of the room, three steps led up to a higher, more private section that had a view of the entire bar. We sat there, and I finally felt comfortable enough to look around.

The room still managed to look musty even with all the lighting. There were large red halogen bars on the ceiling emitting an unpleasant glow, while the walls flickered with tacky electric candles.

Human musicians huddled together in a corner. They had the same blankness in their eyes that Carl now possessed, thanks to me. The singer, on the other hand, had to be a vampire. She looked repulsive, but her voice was amazing. Sultry, deep and sexy, she was the focus of the room. Even Carl stared over at her, despite having the attention span of a gnat. Seeing his fascination, I wondered if a real vampire would have the power to take Carl from me. Although that would solve my problems, it wouldn't help Carl much.

The clientele were a mix of human and vampire. Some of the humans were enthralled, sitting or standing obediently beside their masters, while others were there willingly, the stench of their sweat tinged with fear. Maybe they were adrenalin junkies, or maybe getting bitten felt really good.

I spotted Becca at the bar. Her scarf was gone, and she stroked the puncture wounds on her neck at every opportunity, her eyes wide with anticipation. All the vampires at the bar looked her over, but none were obvious in their need. They controlled themselves a lot better than I ever could, even with the cross around my neck. I wrinkled my nose in self-disgust.

The vampire odour was becoming more noticeable; I couldn't understand how Becca put up with it night after night.

"It's the smell of death, you know," Peter said, startling me.

"What?"

"That smell. It's because they're dead. They rot unless they feed. They can't function without a regular supply of blood. They degenerate."

"Why do these people come here? Knowing they could die?" I asked, baffled at the idea of humans willingly giving themselves to vampires. I couldn't see anything attractive about the concept.

Peter shrugged. "There's something for everyone in this world. Maybe they want to die. Maybe they want something else."

"Is it a sexual thing?" I whispered. My weakest moment had come in an intimate setting.

Peter grinned. "You really are clueless. Vampires can't do it unless they just fed."

"Why?" I leaned closer to him, extremely curious.

"Because... there's no blood supply, nothing to stimulate them unless they've taken warm blood from a living person, and even then it doesn't last long. It's the only time they really feel. They're dead, remember?"

"So, why do all the myths make it seem like a seduction?"

The smile dropped from his face. He gestured toward the other tables. "To make it more attractive. To cover how repulsive it all really is."

"How come you know all of this?" I asked, fascinated.

"How come you don't?"

I wanted to tell him, but I couldn't take the chance. He didn't trust me, but if his job was hunting evil things then I wasn't surprised. Becca interrupted us before I could speak.

"Nobody's in tonight, Petey."

"You sure?"

She batted her eyelashes. "'Course I'm sure. You want a drink?"

"No, we'll be on our way."

"Come back soon," she said, ruffling his hair. I couldn't help feeling angry as she stared me down, but the red tint in her eyes bothered me so much, I dropped mine first. I couldn't understand why anyone would want to be a monster.

"Why are we going already?" I hissed at Peter when she walked away.

He jostled Carl, who was trying to doze off. "Because people have noticed us, and there's more than one vampire in here getting interested in you, so move, we're out of here."

I took one last look around the room and saw he was right. A number of vampires stared right at me, more quizzical than angry, but the hairs on the back of my neck stood up nonetheless. I hurried after Peter, feeling safer when he was within touching distance. He knew what he was doing. I didn't. I had to pull Carl after me; he was too busy staring around the room to hurry.

As we approached the door some of the vampires stood up as if to follow us.

"Oh, shit," I muttered, then held my breath. The bar went silent, and I had the suffocating feeling that there was a target on my chest. To my surprise, Peter stopped and pushed me ahead of him, glaring right at the vampires. Carl gripped my arm and pushed me closer to the door. My stomach lurched, but they all sat down, and we hurried out the door. We made it out of a vampire bar alive. But we still didn't have what we were looking for.

Chapter Seven

Once we were safely outside, I took a deep breath. "That was a waste of time."

"Don't worry, we'll come back," Peter said and led the way again.

"Hey, how come those vampires left us alone back there?" I asked him as I beckoned Carl to follow.

Peter shushed me and darted his head around. I was about to ask him what was wrong but suddenly realised how quiet it was. No heartbeats. No couples. Just the three of us and a feeling that someone else was there. Someone with no heartbeat.

A figure in black jumped noiselessly from somewhere above down to the alleyway a few metres ahead of us. I screamed and grabbed Peter's hand. His palm was large and warm; I expected him to shrug me away, but he kept his eyes on the figure before us. After a second, Peter squeezed my hand and slowly let go, taking a half step in front of me and Carl.

"I hear you've been asking about me," said the figure. I squinted until my eyes adjusted to the dark and realised it was the vampire who had originally attacked Carl.

"It's him," I whispered.

"You Arthur?" Peter asked loudly, his voice steady.

The vampire nodded, his lank hair falling over his eyes. "I remember you," he said to me.

"Yeah, um, hi," I said, unable to think of anything less lame.

"You're an interesting one," he said. His voice was dry and raspy, even though I smelled blood and could tell he had just drank from someone. He took a step toward me.

"Stay back," Peter ordered. Arthur looked surprised but obeyed.

"As honoured as I am you've bestowed a visit on little old me, I've things to do. Get on with it. What do you want?"

"You witnessed something between these two," Peter said. "She claimed him and now wants to undo it. She needs you to reject the claim."

"Really," said Arthur, the corners of his mouth curving into a mocking smile. "And I benefit how?"

Peter hesitated. "I don't know; if you're lucky maybe I won't end you."

I gasped, but Arthur threw back his head and laughed. "It's true what they say about you," he said. "All brawn and no brain. But forget you. It's her I'm interested in."

I put my hand on Peter's arm to silence him. His face was red with rage, but I could sense his fear.

"Can you help me?" I said, taking a cautious step forward. Arthur flew toward me as fast as lightning, gripping me and pulling me away from Peter before I could make a sound. My feet never touched the ground. Arthur held my gaze as he swept me further into darkness. Peter swore as he and Carl ran after us, but I shouted at them to stop. They both skidded to a halt as I carefully took Arthur's hands from me. The faint odour of decay and the thundering of Peter's heartbeat made me skittish, but something about Arthur felt kindred.

He gazed at me in wonder for a moment, then bent his head and pressed his ear to my chest. I looked helplessly at Peter who seemed as stunned as I was. Carl relaxed; even he could tell Arthur meant me no harm.

Arthur stepped away from me at last, his eyes watering with bloody tears. "It's true," he whispered. "You're alive. But how?" He gripped my shoulders tightly. "Tell me," he urged. "How did he do it? Are there more?"

I shook my head, wondering who he was talking about. "Just me. And I need help first."

Arthur frowned. "If I help you, will you come with me? To see the head of my coven? He's interested in you. I didn't understand when I first saw you, but now I get it. This changes everything."

"You'll help me?" I asked, hope surging through me.

"Only if you help me. I need more blood. He'll let me have a bigger share of the quota if I'm the one who takes you to him. Come with me. Without those two," he said, gesturing to Peter and Carl who were slowly approaching us.

"Ava," called Peter, his voice a low warning.

"It's okay," I called back. I didn't want to go with Arthur, but he seemed to know what I was. I was desperate to know more about myself and just as desperate to help Carl so it didn't seem like a bad deal. "What am I?"

"You have many names," he whispered. "Let me take you home."

"If you help me get rid of Carl, I'll go willingly." I ignored Peter's frustrated grumbles and shook Arthur's hand. He looked into my eyes and nodded his agreement.

"This is ridiculous, Ava, you can't go with him!" Peter shouted.

"It's fine," I said. "He's my own kind, right?"

Arthur jerked his head around, but it wasn't enough of a warning. My body flung backward as a vampire barrelled into my midsection, winding me. On the ground, I barely made a sound as his hands wrapped around my throat. Without thinking, I grabbed my cross and pressed it against his wrist before he could crush the bones in my neck. Surprised, he let go, his skin sizzling. Peter and Carl rushed at him as I lay there struggling to catch my breath, but Arthur got to the vampire first.

He wrestled him to the ground, only lifting his head to shout at Peter.

"Get her out of here! I'll find you, just go!"

Peter and Carl helped me up and made me run to the car, despite my pleas to stay and help Arthur. If he died, I'd have no options left.

"Get in the car Ava," Peter said, pushing me in the back seat.

None of us spoke for a few minutes, but Peter's heartbeat was racing again. I kicked the back of his seat in frustration.

"We should have stayed."

"Are you stupid? That vampire tried to kill you, did you want to die?"

"We outnumbered him," I protested.

Peter muttered to himself and put his foot on the accelerator. He kept glancing in the mirrors, probably looking for a speedy vampire who wanted me dead.

"Where are we going?" I asked, finally realising we weren't heading for my home.

"To see Eddie." Peter shut down after that and didn't speak for the rest of the journey.

The bookshop was closed for the night, but Eddie had the door open before we could knock on it. He ushered us in, highly agitated. We followed him into his tiny back room. Eddie put the kettle on and mumbled to himself. Peter gnawed on his nails and even Carl seemed on edge.

Eddie made coffee and sat down, looking straight at me but seeing right through me. I watched, fascinated, as his lips moved silently. Then he shook himself, and his eyes focused again.

"Nobody is hurt." It was a statement rather than a question.

"What the hell happened?" Peter said. He sounded angry, but I could still sense his fear.

Eddie shook his head. "Things are happening too quickly. I didn't expect it. An assassin was sent after her."

"You could have warned us," Peter said, sounding petulant.

"And you could have warned me when you brought Nancy Delaney's granddaughter to my place for a visit," Eddie shouted. The air crackled around him, and the hair on my arms stood up.

Peter looked me over in horror. "Nancy? Nancy's your grandmother?" he said, appalled. I was sure he thought it was a shame a nice old lady like Nancy had an evil being for a grandchild.

"No matter," Eddie said. "Things just became more complicated. I don't know how they knew so soon."

"Who knew what so soon?" Peter said.

Eddie took a deep breath. "Ava, Arthur's maker is an ancient called Maximus."

"Yeah, Becca told us that," Peter said.

"Becca? Hmm, maybe it was her words... never mind that now. Ava, I'm sorry, but the vampires are on the brink of civil war. Your appearance just changed the game."

"Me? What can I do?"

"Maximus believes you're a daywalker. A living vampire. A daywalker could destroy all of the vampires without a battle. You could tell Maximus how you were made so he could create an army of daywalkers. To protect him, kill his enemies in daylight, and help him overcome Daimhín."

"Daimhín?" I asked.

"Another ancient. She's the oldest vampire in the country and the one with the largest coven, so she rules over the other covens. It's by her say so that they don't drink their fill. She assigns quotas for each coven, and it's up to the head of the coven to decide who feeds and who doesn't."

"Why do they have quotas?" I interrupted. "Arthur is starving, why?"

"I told you, a lack of blood hurts them, punishes them. The quotas are set by the Council to protect the human race and to keep the vampires in check," Peter said, his face pale and taut with tension.

"The Council?"

"Focus, Ava," Eddie said. "Maximus wants to change who allocates the blood, possibly even fight the Council on the quota. Not good news for humans. I'm certain that assassin was sent by Daimhín to kill you before you could tell Maximus how you were created. How were you created, Ava?"

His voice changed, making my senses go on alert. It seemed so simple to me, the way I was made. But if I told people and that caused it to happen to more innocents then I would feel guilt I never had before.

"You can tell me, Ava," he said coaxingly.

I thought about it, I even opened my mouth to speak, but the idea of Maximus's vampires attacking pregnant women and stealing their newborns was incomprehensible. My mother told my grandmother I could be taken, but I was never told how she knew or why Nancy believed her. I only knew it had to be a secret.

"No," I said, gritting my teeth. It physically pained me not to answer him.

"Good," Eddie said.

Another test, great. I wished there was a way to skip past the bit where I had to keep proving myself.

"What do we do?" Peter asked.

Eddie shrugged. "She's on their radar now. They'll look for her."

A chill ran down my back. Once again I was totally screwed.

"You said I was already on their radar."

He nodded. "True, but they've acted quickly. They've already found you once. I doubt the assassin was mere coincidence. Daimhín doesn't want someone like you in her domain. She must be worried."

"I agreed to see Maximus," I reminded everyone. "If Arthur helped with Carl. I pretty much promised."

Eddie shook his head. "Either Daimhín will kill you, or Maximus will use you. You need to keep away from vampires."

"I can't hide forever, and Carl needs Arthur's help too, remember? They'll find me, regardless. What do I do?"

"You could fight," Eddie said. Although his voice was sad, his eyes were happy. I didn't have time to figure it all out.

"So I'll fight," I said.

Peter snorted. "You squeal like a schoolgirl anytime you're attacked. Come on! You're helpless!"

I glared at him before turning to Eddie. "Can you help me?"

"There's a lot you need to know. Holy water and a silver crucifix might do nothing to you, but a stake in the heart will kill you all the same. A vampire can drain your blood or snap your neck like a human's while a human can set you on fire and send you to hell just like a normal vampire. You have to be extra careful, but then again, you might have some abilities they don't have."

"Like what? Catholic guilt?"

Eddie smiled. "This is one of those rare occasions when I don't know the answer to everything."

"How do I find Arthur and avoid that assassin? Assuming they're both still alive."

"You're not seriously considering making contact with that greasy vamp again, are you?" Peter said, barely containing his disgust.

"I don't have a choice. Look at Carl!" Carl had fallen asleep again, and a large gob of saliva was dripping down his chin. "I need him gone. For his own good. You saw what happened earlier." I held his gaze until he looked away.

"Arthur is your only option, it's true. But the assassins will keep on coming. Daimhín needs to ensure the secret isn't revealed, or she'll lose her advantage," Eddie said.

"Arthur said he'd find her," Peter said, his eyes narrowing.

Eddie nodded. "Be that as it may, Maximus won't let her go easily. It'll be hard to get her back if he takes her."

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here." I wasn't about to let them decide anything for me. "I need to sort things out with Arthur, nothing I can do about that. I'll deal with the other stuff later."

Peter threw his hands up in the air and walked out of the room.

"Spoiled git," I muttered.

"He'll get over it," Eddie said. "I don't think you realise how risky this is, Ava."

"I have to get Carl back to normal. He cut his neck today and tried to force his blood on me. It's only a matter of time before I give in."

"Maybe drinking blood wouldn't be the worst idea."

"Are you kidding me?"

He shook his head with a small smile. "It's natural for you. Maybe it would help you fulfil your potential."

The greedy look in his eye made me shiver. I could have sworn I felt a hand ruffle my hair. Peter came back into the room before I could think of anything else to say. I gripped my cross tightly; it had helped save my life and Carl's, maybe it would help me against Eddie too if I needed it.

"Okay," Peter said, his face grim and determined. "We can do this. But we need a plan. Weapons. Protection. We have to go in prepared this time."

He looked set to carry on making his speech, but Eddie held up his hand for silence. He retreated into his own little world again, looking but not seeing. He blinked then gasped. Right before someone banged on the shop door.

"Nobody move," he whispered.

Somebody knocked sharply on the door while all of the front windows were pounded on. I sat still, frozen in fear until the sound of smashing glass made me jump to my feet.

"Ah, it's Maximus," Eddie said, nodding. "Daimhín is much more discreet."

I must have looked as petrified as I felt because Eddie gave me a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Ava. They can't come in."

"Do they need to be invited?" I asked.

He laughed humourlessly. "Not at all. But this building is very well protected. You can't leave tonight. None of you. Wait until daylight. Until then we can decide what to do next and get some sleep."

"So, what? They're all going to come after me now?"

"Pretty much," Eddie said.

"But there's two sides. Like, they're enemies?" I asked.

Eddie nodded.

"I'm in the middle then. I think I'll get out of the way and let them stomp on each other."

Peter stopped pacing long enough to think about it. "Sounds like the makings of a plan. Maybe you aren't as clueless as you look after all."

"Nice to see you two agreeing on something," Eddie said. "Maybe you can come up with something a little more concrete while I go clean up the mess out there and sort out where you're all sleeping for the night."

Peter and I sat together in silence for a few minutes, trying in vain to ignore the jeering that rose up when Eddie entered the shop. Purely to give myself something to do, I woke Carl up.

"We're going to sort everything out, Carl. You'll be back home soon."

He shook his head and jutted his chin like a defiant five year old. I couldn't help sighing and wishing I was free of him.

"I wonder if he has any family," Peter said.

I shrugged. "I've tried talking to him about them, but he won't say much. He thinks he doesn't want to go back, but he's supposed to be getting married. We have to get him home before his fiancée gives up on him."

"Not going," Carl said, so loud that Peter and I jumped.

"See what I mean?" I said, wondering what was going through Carl's head when he sat there staring at nothing. "What about you? Do you have any family?"

Peter grew cold again and refused to answer. The silence unnerved me. I pretended to type my name on my legs. Then I switched the letters for numbers and counted out my name in the order it appeared in the alphabet. Added the numbers swiftly, my breathing growing steadier each time.

"What is that?"

"What?" I had almost forgotten I wasn't alone.

"That... thing you do, what is it?"

"I'm just messing about with numbers in my head."

"You mouth them, sometimes whisper them. What are you, some kind of math freak?"

My face grew hot. "No, it relaxes me is all."

"Oh."

I wished I could hide my face. My habit had always been embarrassing but in front of Peter, it made me feel almost exposed. My grandmother had often acted like I was doing it purposely, just to annoy her, but I couldn't help it. It had eased off around my ex-boyfriend, but once I left, my nervous habits had only increased.

"Peter, what's the Council?" I asked, desperate to change the subject.

"It's a group of beings who... oversee things, pretty much," he told me. "They make sure no single species has a major advantage and step in to prevent wars. They enforce a quota on the vampires so they never become strong enough to go on any major rampages. It works—since they took charge, humans have stopped believing in things like vampires."

"What about humans? They don't prevent those wars."

"Human wars rarely have any real impact on the supernatural world, but a supernatural war could destroy mankind. The Council protect humans as much as they can; I honestly don't know why."

"They protect humans, but they allow vampires to feed on them?" That made little sense to me.

"They enforced a quota," he reminded me, shrugging. "They're supposed to keep a balance, not mollycoddle one species alone."

I let the information soak into my brain. Maybe I could find a way to make use of this Council.

"I'm sorry about hitting you that time," Peter said, interrupting my thoughts.

"That's okay."

He hesitated before speaking. "Everyone I've ever loved has been murdered by something—not human. The alarm went off. I had to attack."

"It's fine. I'm not exactly innocent, right?"

He gazed at me. "You're not what I expected."

"What's the plan then," I said, changing the subject in the hope the atmosphere would lighten up.

"It's your idea. What were you going for?"

"I don't know. Maybe arrange to meet up with both sides at once, then, when they're busy battling it out, we kidnap Arthur and make him sort out the Carl situation."

He burst into infectious laughter. "Ava, that's the worst plan ever."

I frowned. "I've never had to come up with a plan before, okay?"

"It just might work," Eddie said, sneaking into the room and making us both jump.

"Are you serious?" Peter said, disbelief etched on his face.

"Always. Poke holes in it."

Peter relaxed. "How about it's so obvious a child could see through it?"

"Therein lies the beauty."

"Maximus might show, but how do we get Daimhín there? If she knows where Ava is, she'll go after her. She isn't about to meet up somewhere all civilised. Actually scratch what I said before, Maximus won't either."

"Then we plant a seed," Eddie said with his eyes closed.

I felt that strange presence in the room again. Ignoring it, I piped up. "We could let it be known that I'll be at a certain place and see if they'll race to get me first."

"I suppose I could let it slip to Becca," Peter said. "Although, if that was Maximus outside tonight, he'll be back no matter what we say or do. And we'll have to talk to someone with Daimhín's ear too." A look passed between the two men, I didn't know why, but it made me uncomfortable.

"Shouldn't be a problem," Eddie said.

"But what's to stop them from tearing Ava apart anyway? She could get hurt by accident."

"Surely you don't care about that," Eddie said with a calculating glint in his eye.

"Of course not." Peter glared at Eddie. "But still, there's no way we can kidnap a vampire. I mean come on, let's be realistic here."

"Why not?" Eddie said. "You've killed worse than a vampire. Ava is part vampire, and the thrall can give Carl above average strength."

"Killing something is a bit different than kidnapping an evil being and making him talk without attracting the attention of warring vampires."

"I'm sure you'll think of something," Eddie said.

I yawned loudly, barely able to keep my eyes open.

"You need to sleep," Eddie said.

"Maybe we should go home." I was reluctant to fall asleep at his place.

"They're still outside, waiting. They'll be there until dawn approaches. Best to get some sleep now and figure things out in the morning. Come on, I'll show you to your room."

He stood up. Evidently the discussion was over.

"Let's go, Carl," I said, nudging him. "Beddy byes."

Carl and I followed Peter out of the room and up a narrow staircase. I was surprised to see upstairs resembled a real home. A nicely furnished one. Thick lush carpets covered the floor, and the walls displayed watercolour paintings. Eddie led us to the very end of the hallway and opened the last door.

"This is where you'll be sleeping for the night. Sorry you have to share. There's a bathroom right next door."

He said goodnight and left us to our own devices. The room itself was moderately large and furnished in gold and plum velvet. A little too heavy for my taste, but I appreciated the effort that had gone into it. A large double bed sat in the centre of the room. A small lounger was in the corner, and the rest of the furniture was dark mahogany.

Peter shifted his feet, obviously ill at ease. I realised there was one bed for the three of us. Hesitating, I looked at the lounger, thinking I might fit on it.

"You can have the bed, Ava."

"Oh, it's okay. The lounger looks like my size. You two can share the bed, I mean, if you're secure enough in your manhood and all that."

"Funny. Just take the bed. I'll have the lounger, and Carl can sleep on the floor or something."

"Carl, get into bed," I ordered. "But even look at me during the night and you're on the floor. Got it?"

Carl shuffled over to the bed. Peter shook his head and tried to relax on the lounger. I threw a blanket and pillow at him.

I sat on the bed and took off my boots. It had been a long day, and I wasn't sure I was going to make it through many more of them. The sick part was that something inside me wasn't scared; it welcomed the idea of death. I was so tired of merely existing, but I couldn't see a way of truly living. I had a purpose, I reminded myself as I watched Carl get comfortable on the bed. I wasn't going to give up without a fight.

I inched over to the window, half afraid to look outside.

"Shit," I whispered, seeing half a dozen vampires in full view. Who knew how many were hidden.

"Don't worry. They'll be gone in the morning. Worst case scenario is you never leave your home at night," Peter said.

I threw him a scornful look. "Sure, that's the worst case scenario."

He sat up and spoke earnestly. "We'll get this fixed, Ava, don't worry."

"Easy for you to say. I've never been in a fight; I haven't a clue how to defend myself."

"Maybe tomorrow, I'll teach you a few moves," Peter said and yawned.

"Eddie said you've killed worse than a vampire. What's worse than a vampire?" I asked.

"You don't want to know."

"Sure I do."

"Go to sleep, Ava."

I sighed and lay on top of the bed. Carl was already snoring under the blankets. He needed as much sleep as a newborn baby; that couldn't be a good sign. I lay awake for ages, listening to the comforting sound of Peter's steady heartbeat.

I had been about to solve my problem with Carl when an even bigger crisis was thrown at me. Clutching the silver cross, I mentally thanked it for saving me and wondered how Carl had ever seemed like the biggest problem imaginable. One group of vampires wanted to use and enslave me, while the other just wanted me dead. Even with a half-baked plan, I couldn't see any possible way to get out of the mess I was in.

Chapter Eight

Carl woke me the next morning, looking pitiful and claiming he was starving. Bleary eyed, I stared at him until I realised he hadn't eaten in a long time.

"All right, I'll go hunt and gather. Wait here. And don't wake Peter."

I got up but paused to look at Peter for a minute. His face was completely relaxed and utterly handsome—devoid of frowns and glares, he looked five years younger. I felt a little pang as I wondered what had really happened to him. Losing his whole family must have affected him badly. For an instant, I wished our lives were normal so I could get to know him better.

Heaving a sigh, I left the room, knowing it wasn't meant to be. We both had too many issues to deal with. The fact I could probably do to him what I had done to Carl didn't help.

The chilly presence followed me out of the room.

"What are you, then?" I mumbled, half to myself.

"Ava?"

I jumped about a foot in the air. Covering the yelping sound I made, I greeted Eddie with a false smile.

"Hi, um, Carl's hungry. I was going to go out and get him something."

"No need for that. Kitchen's this way. Sit with me while I finish making breakfast. It's still early, but I thought we all needed a good meal to start the day. Before we get into anything else."

I followed him into a cosy intimate kitchen. There was a small table surrounded by four chairs near the door, but I was too absorbed by the smells coming from the old-fashioned cooking range to be interested in anything else.

"That smells delicious. Need any help?"

He shook his head. "Sit at the table; I'll pour you some coffee. Did you sleep well?"

"Okay, I suppose. As well as anyone would knowing there's an army of vampires outside waiting to tear you apart."

He smiled. "It wasn't quite an army." He sat across from me. "In fact, I believe you would be more than a match for any of them."

"But not all of them," I said. "I doubt I could take on even one of them, anyway."

He hesitated then leaned forward. "If what I've heard is true, daywalkers are strong, stronger than vampires even. But they must drink."

"I thought I was the only one."

He leaned back. "The one who ruled before Daimhín created one. He passed on the knowledge to Daimhín as he lay dying, murdered by his own child. She had that daywalker murdered and swore to never allow another to live. There have been others. Most are killed in the womb or not long afterwards. Some escape for a while, but almost all are found out in the end."

"How do you know all of this?" I asked in wonder.

"I have my ways. Just remember what I said; you have untapped talents inside, that's what Daimhín's afraid of. Use them. I've been waiting for a daywalker to come along for quite some time now."

"We smelled food," Carl said behind me. Eddie held my gaze for a few seconds longer, enough to make me feel uncomfortable. He stood up abruptly and gestured toward the chairs.

"Sit. Breakfast is just ready. I hope the room was comfortable," he said, heading back toward the cooker.

"Yeah, great," Peter said, sitting down and giving me a penetrating look. "You okay?"

I nodded, but I really wasn't. As the men chatted pleasantly together over breakfast, all I could think about was having hidden talents. I wasn't sure if drinking blood to somehow unleash some kind of special power that might exist was something I was prepared to do. I didn't doubt Eddie's words, something told me he knew very well what he was talking about. What I doubted was my ability to handle the consequences.

"Have you thought anymore about what you're going to do?" Eddie asked. It sounded innocent enough, but I knew he meant giving in to the thirst. I half expected him to ask for his necklace back.

I glared at him, unable to hold back my distaste. I got the impression he wanted to use me for his own gain, I just hadn't figured out what that was.

"You already know what I'm going to do," I said, venom penetrating my tone.

"Ava, chill," Peter said.

"You might like kissing his arse, but it isn't my idea of fun," I snapped back. I turned to Eddie, deciding to set him straight. "And you. Don't think I'm stupid. You're a little too interested in what would happen if I drank blood. You're not all that invested in Carl's safety. Or mine for that matter. So maybe it's time you spat out what's really in it for you."

He stared at his plate for too long. I stood, ready to leave.

"Sit down." Eddie didn't shout, but his voice reverberated around the room, shocking me into obeying. The force of his will washed away and angered me all over again.

"I apologise," he added. "But you need to watch that attitude. It won't get you anywhere, and you, little girl, owe me. You'll listen to my advice if you know what's good for you."

"Eddie, go easy on her," Peter said. Eddie held his hand up abruptly. Peter choked, his eyes widening in surprise. He grabbed his throat, opening and closing his mouth repeatedly.

"What are you doing to him?" I didn't know what to do; Eddie was more powerful than I had guessed, but Peter was turning purple. "Stop it!" I shouted, jumping to my feet again. Carl followed suit, but I pushed him back down, afraid Eddie would pick on him too.

Eddie rolled his eyes and gestured with his hand. Peter gasped a couple of ragged breaths.

"Now," Eddie said, an irrepressibly smug smile on his face. "I'm a lot older, wiser, and more powerful than you. Don't piss me off. This is your only warning."

Peter threw a horrified glance my way. I swore under my breath. I knew being around other people was a mistake. Someone always got hurt, or worse, turned out to be a major arsehole.

I leaned my elbows on the table and nestled my head in my hands. 14, 28, 56, 112, okay. All I had to do was persuade a hungry vampire to help me get rid of Carl, spark a vampire world war, and manage to survive it all without being struck by lightning or getting offed by a moody as yet unknown entity with super powers called Eddie.

I sighed wearily and looked up at Eddie. "What exactly is it you want?" The odd presence I kept feeling blew on the back of my neck as if urging me to play along, except I wasn't sure whose side it was on.

Eddie grinned as though things hadn't gotten as tense as hell. "I don't want a thing, Ava. Not yet. But the time will come when I'll need you on my side. And I want you to be ready." He leaned forward and whispered to me. "Or you'll be no use to anyone."

A shiver ran up my back at his words and the darkness in his eyes, but I fired back a defiant glare, unable to let myself show he was intimidating me. One corner of his mouth curved upward.

"Why don't you three pay a visit to Becca," he said after a moment of tense silence. I'll work on Daimhín's crowd and get back to you. I know you could call, Peter, but I'd rather do it myself." He smirked at Peter who lowered his head.

None of us argued. We left, subdued into silent obedience. In the car, I sensed Peter's frustration, but I was curious.

"Who is he calling?" I asked.

"Nobody important. Maybe it was a mistake to go to Eddie," he muttered.

"We've no other options. Well, you do. But me and Carl? We're stuck."

"I've never seen him act that way before."

I shrugged. "What else can he do?"

"I don't know. I never knew he could do... what he did back there."

I pushed at Carl's long legs in frustration. There wasn't enough room in the back for him to sit comfortably without digging his knees into me.

"Oh, screw this." I climbed into the front seat, ignoring Peter's protestations. "I can't sit next to him back there!" I shrieked.

"But you just had breakfast!"

I glared at Peter. Of course he would assume I meant I couldn't control myself. In fairness, I couldn't, at least not without the help of the cross around my neck.

He glanced at me worriedly, barely paying attention to the road.

"Are you going to bite me, Ava?"

I snorted inelegantly. "Your blood doesn't appeal to me. Get over yourself. Where are we going anyway?" I said, desperate to steer the conversation away from things about Peter that might appeal to me.

"To Becca's house. It's her day off, so she won't be at the bar. She might know something about Arthur and that assassin. I mean, we've no idea if Arthur is alive, or undead, or... whatever."

"Shouldn't we go back and get some—I don't know—weapons or something?"

"It's only Becca, Ava. Don't overreact." I was almost certain I heard him mutter such a girl under his breath.

"Besides, it's near Nancy's house, thought you might like to drop in to her, say hello, have some tea."

He pretended to concentrate on the road, ignoring the choking noise I made. I hadn't realised Becca's place was close to my grandmother's home.

"I don't think we'll have time for that."

"Sure we will. Won't take long, she'd like to see you." He turned to me, his eyes softer than usual, making my stomach quiver. I knew there was nothing between us, but I frequently needed to catch my breath when he looked at me.

"I can't." I couldn't hide the ache in my voice, but I really couldn't go see my grandmother. I wasn't ready to face the past. Not yet.

"I know you had it bad before with Nancy. So I'm sorry I was so hard on you at first. I thought you were something else. I don't know what you are, not really, and I don't exactly trust you, but I still shouldn't have treated you like that," Peter said, conflict clouding his expression.

"Really kills you to admit when you're wrong, doesn't it?" I said, trying to keep my voice light.

I could see him trying not to smile. I relaxed in my seat, for the first time feeling like we were on even footing.

"I tried to find you, you know," Peter told me after a few minute's silence. "Years ago. You never told me your surname, so I didn't connect you with Nancy until Eddie said it. Nancy hired me to look for you, but I couldn't get a trace. Guess the charms on your apartment building didn't help, eh?"

"I didn't want to be found," I said, baffled at the idea he had been looking for me on my grandmother's behalf.

"Yet you stayed so close to home," he said, trying to draw me out. I pretended he hadn't spoken.

"How come she hired you anyway?"

"I deal with things people don't believe in."

"What, like me?" I said, my tone wry.

"Occasionally. I'm good at finding bad."

"Gee, thanks."

He shrugged carelessly, but I noticed the look of pain that fleetingly crossed his face. I was intrigued, but he wasn't going to open up to me. I wanted to know more about him, his life, and whatever tragedy that had befallen his family, but I wasn't used to face-to-face contact. I didn't know how to talk to people properly.

"We won't stay long at Becca's. We can leave the giant in the car. Looks like he's sleeping like a baby again."

"Think he'll be okay?"

"Nope."

"You don't have to keep helping us, you know. I get the feeling you're sort of forced into it. But it's my mess. And it's gotten a lot worse. So if you need to head on without us, I totally understand."

I bit my lip, wanting him to stay. It was nice having the company.

"You're never gonna help Carl by yourself," he said with a teasing smile. "Someone has to keep an eye on you two. You seem to be getting on okay though. You know, with that drinking blood problem."

"Yeah, the thing Eddie reckons will solve all our problems. I'm doing okay with it. Mostly thanks to something Eddie gave me."

"Is it hard?" he asked. "Feeling thirsty all the time?"

I nodded, thinking about the sleepless nights I'd spent listening out for heartbeats and imagining what I could do to their warm-blooded owners.

"It's never good. And I've no idea what makes Eddie think it will help me out to just do it already. That's not going to end well."

"Have you bitten anyone since, you know, before you left Nancy?"

"No," I barely managed to speak. I had forgotten he would know all about me.

"He was okay, Ava. Wesley, I mean. You didn't hurt him, and he hadn't a clue what happened. You didn't have to leave."

I was flung back into the past at the mention of his name. My only boyfriend, one I had craved. I was attracted to Peter and lusted for Carl's blood, but with Wesley, it was the whole package. I could barely keep my hands off him, and I ignored the warning signs. Blood lust was so deeply coupled with attraction that I couldn't see straight.

And then I made my mistake. Alone together, we decided to take the next step. He was sweet and loving, and I was crazy about him. In the darkness, his kisses made me feel sure we were doing the right thing. Every touch, every kiss, every heartbeat was just right. But as our bodies moved together in a perfect rhythm, I lost control. One second I was throwing my head back in unbridled ecstasy, the next my fangs were shooting out and zoning in on his neck.

Wesley had cried out as soon as my fangs sank into his skin, but he was still enjoying himself. The pain hit him a couple of seconds later. Too late. Rich, spicy blood had already flooded my mouth, so much better than his touch. Mesmerised, I had lapped it up in a strange sort of frenzy. Warmth had rushed over me, and my body had rocked in orgasmic waves even as he desperately tried to get me off him.

Finally, his screams had disturbed me. I released him and looked up in surprise. The fear in his eyes had been plain to see. I knew the monster he saw before him, recognised the blood-stained animal that had feasted on him. I was my own worst nightmare.

Horrified with myself, I grabbed my clothes and fled. I kept running until I couldn't anymore. That took a long time; I must have been fuelled up on adrenalin or something. I rang my grandmother, Nancy, but her first words were—"What did you do?" I knew I couldn't go back home ever again.

"Ava?"

Peter's voice broke through my memories. I shook myself, realised my eyes were wet and quickly brushed them with my sleeve. I still couldn't go back, no matter what Peter said.

"Ava," he seemed reluctant to speak. "We're here. Carl can stay in the car. Let's go see Becca."

Chapter Nine

Becca lived in a narrow block of apartments not so different to my own. It was nicer than my place though. My own street always seemed to be covered in perpetual darkness, even on sunny days.

"She's up on top," Peter said, squinting as he looked upward. "Lift or stairs?"

"Stairs." No way was I risking being stuck in a lift with Peter. Plus, I couldn't chance leaving Carl alone for too long if the lift jammed. I was becoming almost fond of him, as though he was a pet I was babysitting for a friend. Odd to have around, but I suspected I might even miss him once he left.

We ventured up the stairs in silence. "Number 6b," Peter informed me. I gulped. Six was never a good sign. My gut reaction intensified when we reached her apartment and saw her door was wide open. Looking in, we saw most of the furniture had been toppled over. I sniffed the air.

"I smell blood."

Peter put his finger to his lips and gestured for me to follow him. He crept past the wide open door, glancing left and right. His heart thudded loudly in his chest, distracting me.

"Wait here," he whispered and headed toward what might have been the bedroom or bathroom. The place was brightly coloured, a dramatic contrast to the bar, but something bothered me. I couldn't figure out what had triggered the warning signals in my brain.

I jumped with fright as something crashed to the floor in the room Peter had entered. I heard him yell and raced after him. He was on the ground, Becca on top of him. Her face was covered in blood. My stomach did a flip as I realised it was Peter's blood.

"What the hell?' She whipped her head around at my words and showed her teeth. Her eyes were so red that I had to double check to see if she had fangs. She didn't. But her very ordinary human teeth were covered in blood from where she had bitten Peter's shoulder. He was too dazed to struggle.

"You crazy bitch!" I shouted as I lunged at her. She barely had time to get to her feet before I collided with her. We rolled on the floor and crashed into the corner of the bed. She was quicker to recover than me and pinned me down. It took less than two seconds for me to get scared at the sheer force of her strength. I could barely move. I was getting pretty sick of everyone pinning me down with such apparent ease.

Becca wrapped her hands around my neck, moaning with excitement as my heartbeat raced.

"You... monster," I said, gasping and desperately pinching at her hands to no avail. My air supply was depleting rapidly, and her fingers were making a good effort at crushing the bones in my neck. Not again. Peter was still prone on the ground, Carl wasn't around, and I was on my own.

I tried to buck her off me, but she gripped my waist tight with her knees. I kept moving as much as I could to distract her while I desperately reached out with my hands for something to use as a weapon. Under the bed, my fingers brushed against something cool and metallic. I struggled to grip onto it but finally managed to take a firm hold. I pulled, but it was stuck on something. Black dots marred my vision; I knew I hadn't long left. With one last blast of adrenalin, I pulled as hard as I could and felt a release. I swung into the air and realised I was holding a hair straightener.

My heart sank as it barely connected, but the wire managed to whip around into the air, the prongs of the plug connecting with her eye.

"Ow!" She howled with pain, letting go of my neck to instinctively touch her eye socket. Blood seeped from her eye, but I didn't care. Air slammed into my lungs making me want to retch, but I concentrated on tackling her. The back of her head smacked to the ground as I held her down. Peter stirred behind me, but I couldn't turn to check on him. Becca was much stronger than me, and I knew I couldn't keep her pinned for much longer. I had only one weapon—my fangs. They shot out, but I hesitated, unwilling to commit.

I felt cold air blow on the back of my neck and heard one word whisper in my ear.

"Bite."

Excitement flooded through me. I shuddered as I sank my teeth into flesh. Her skin tore easily. She tasted funny, but her screams of pain and fear encouraged me to keep going. Instead of lapping, I sucked and dug my fangs deeper into her arteries. I relished the feeling of pure raw energy flowing through my system. As she weakened, I became stronger.

"Ava, stop it!" Peter shouted, but his words were dull behind the wall of power I was creating. Becca's heartbeat slowed, and the humanity inside pulled me away from her.

"Oh, God," I said, horrified, even as I licked her wound and the blood from my chin.

I covered my mouth and looked up at Peter, appalled by how little I regretted what I had done.

"Is she okay?" he said, pushing me out of the way to check her pulse. "Why did you do that?"

"You told me to bite her!"

"You wish."

I remembered the cold presence I felt and realised he was telling the truth.

"Shit," I murmured to myself. "Eddie." The cold air turned into a sharp blast of icy protest against my neck. I rubbed it hard, trying to warm up again. "Okay, sorry."

"What are you on about?" Peter snapped. Becca was too pale, but I could see her shallow breaths, hear her slow heartbeat. Everything was louder, clearer, more intense than before. The first time I had bitten someone, I barely drank and was so freaked out afterwards I could have sprouted wings and not noticed. This time I had drunk my fill. Satiated for the first time in my life, I now saw colours on a whole new spectrum. Performing the act of a dead creature had made me feel more alive than ever.

"Her wound is healing," Peter said, in awe. "Did you do that?"

I shook my head, unable to stay calm. "She bit you. What the fuck, Peter?"

He shivered noticeably and backed away from Becca—and me. "She jumped on me from behind, almost knocked me out. Then she bit me and banged my head off the ground. I must have passed out or something. I woke up and you were on her." He wrapped his arms around himself, his face pale. "You're all scary as hell; I hope you know that."

Carl burst through the doorway, ready to save us, presumably. He looked from me to Becca, and I bit down a wave of nausea.

"Carl, you watch Becca. Don't let her leave. Or bite anyone," I said, needing a minute away from everyone.

I headed to the bathroom to clean my face. Looking at myself in the mirror, I noticed a pale red gleam in my eyes. I had to sit on the side of the bath to settle myself. My whole body was buzzing with excess energy. I'd done it—but not because I couldn't help myself. I looked at the silver cross. Red swirls of colour skimmed the surface. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see. The hit of adrenalin had faded away, and I was left with a funny, shaky feeling.

I almost killed Becca—but she might have killed me if I hadn't fought back. She was crazy strong, stronger than me until I fed on her. What on earth had possessed her? She might be human, but she was acting like more of a vampire than I was. Even her blood tasted funny.

I left the bathroom and looked around for a reason not to join the others. Remembering Becca's red eyes, I inspected her kitchen. A serious lack of food, but plenty of chilled blood.

"That's just weird," I said to myself.

The cold presence blew gently on the back of my neck as if in agreement.

"Ava! She's awake," called Carl.

Becca was awake all right, and mad as hell.

"Get your slave off me!" she spat, reminding me of a hissy cat.

"He's not my slave. What's with all the blood in the fridge, you freak?"

"Blood?" Peter said. "What the hell's wrong with you, Becca?"

"I need it, okay? Look, Petey, let me go. I'll be good, promise," Becca said, the whine in her voice making me angry. She gazed up at Peter, her eyes wide with innocence, but the dried blood all over her chin ruined the effect.

He looked away in disgust.

"Why did you attack Peter? Did you know we were coming?"

Her eyes narrowed. "I don't have to answer your questions, bitch."

Carl shoved at her. It was like having a guard dog, only better. She seemed to be offended that he was the one containing her.

"I don't feel good," she said in a tiny, pitiful voice. "You drank too much, you silly cow."

She was pretty pale. "I know," I said, beating down panic. "Answer a couple of questions, and I'll take you to hospital."

"We can't take her there. She might bite someone," Peter said.

"Just give me a drink," Becca snapped.

Peter recoiled in unconcealed horror.

"I meant one from my fridge," she amended, but she looked thrilled by his reaction.

"Okay, Peter, go and get some." I told him, seeing I had to take the lead this time. "Don't heat it up."

Becca glared at me but didn't argue.

I sat on her bed. "Spill, Becca. We'll feed you if you do."

She rolled her eyes with disdain, but when Peter returned with a bag of blood, her face lit up. She licked her lips greedily. "They told me to watch out for you. I was supposed to hurt you if I could. 'Cos I can go out during the day."

"Give her the blood," I said. She ripped it open and gulped it down, barely pausing to take a breath. Her eyes rolled upward with pleasure when she drained the last drop.

"Why are you drinking blood, Becca?" Peter had a funny look on his face, as if he were barely holding it together.

"No choice." She sighed softly, her eyes fluttering closed.

"Ava, I changed my mind. She looks like hell; we have to take her to the hospital. Fuck the blood bags; she might need a transfusion," Peter said.

"I don't. Just give me another drink, and I'll be fine."

He got one, threw it at her, and stormed out of her flat.

"What did they do to you?" I asked her, disgusted by how eagerly she was drinking. I hoped I didn't look like that to Peter.

She shrugged. "They're turning me into one of them."

"That's not possible," I said, scoffing at her delusions.

"It is now. There are these Spanish vampires, yeah? They kept testing on people, trying to turn them, trying to figure out how to trigger the change. Finally it worked on one guy. The rest all died."

"They figured it out? They can turn humans into vampires?" So not good.

"Yeah, but it's pricey. Max reckons I'm a good candidate, so I get an injection every week—he bites me daily. I haven't changed yet, obviously, but I'm close. I can feel it. I'm so thirsty now. I think I'd die if I didn't drink blood."

"Have you even tried?" I said.

She ignored me. The whole thing was insane; I couldn't believe the vampires were actually testing on people like that. Worse still, it sometimes worked.

"Doesn't it hurt?"

She laughed without humour. "Like hell. But it'll be worth it. What the fuck are you then? What's all the fuss about? You have fangs; you must be closer to the change than me. Damn."

She actually thought I was like her. Sick to the stomach, I was glad when Peter returned.

"Ava, I have to go."

"Can I get up now, Petey? I'm sleepy." Becca's heartbeat was still slow. I almost felt guilty.

"Let's get out of here, Ava," Peter said.

I nodded. Becca couldn't be trusted. I picked her up, surprised by how easy it was, and laid her on the bed. She was already dozing off.

"Wait a second, Becca. Is Maximus coming after me?"

"He wants you real bad," she said dozily. "People in the day. Vampires at night. Someone's gonna get you."

"You tell Maximus to come get me himself. I'll be at the bookshop, you know, the one with the smashed windows." I was pissed off, but her eyes had closed, so I wasn't sure if she heard me.

"Let's go," I muttered, avoiding Peter's eyes as we walked downstairs. "First thing I'm doing when this is all over is get self-defence lessons. I keep getting hopped on." I tried to laugh, but Peter didn't respond. I sniffed the air and bit my lip.

"I'm driving," I told Peter at the car. He didn't argue. That scared me more than anything. "Think she'll be okay?" I asked him, just to get him to speak.

"Who cares?" He moved to get in the backseat, but I stopped him.

"Wait," I said. "Carl, get in."

I looked up at Peter, almost too embarrassed to speak. "Don't freak out, but your shoulder is still bleeding a little. It's kind of distracting, but I think I can close the wound. Will you let me?"

He hesitated, then nodded. I held him still and inched closer to his shoulder. His blood didn't call to me like Carl's did, but it was blood, it was going to entice me in some way. I ran my tongue over the slow bleeding gash on his neck, feeling his pulse thud. He tasted a lot nicer than Becca, sweeter. His scent reminded me of cinnamon. I licked again and again, as the skin gradually knotted itself together under my tongue. For whatever reason, I could fix him.

He pushed me away from him roughly. I realised then how close I'd been to him. We were both panting. Droplets of sweat rolled down his temples.

"I need a drink," he muttered.
Chapter Ten

I followed Peter's directions and drove us to what turned out to be a tiny pub.

"You can't drive for shit," he mumbled under his breath as we left the car.

"It's been a while, okay?" My ex-boyfriend had taught me, but I hadn't driven since. "Isn't it a bit early for this?" I asked, more to distract myself. Since I tasted Peter, his cinnamon scent had overtaken my nostrils completely.

"Never too early for a shot after being fed on," he replied.

He knocked back four shots then chased them with a beer.

"Feel better yet?" I asked.

He glared at me. "I've been bitten by a human, watched you go into a little vampiric frenzy and almost kill someone, and then you licked me as if you wanted to..." His cheeks flushed red. "And, apparently, there are vampires and humans galore after us. What the fuck are we supposed to do now?"

"Well, we could get shit-faced drunk, or we could man up and deal with it," I snapped back.

"Option A it is," he said and ordered more shots. "Want one, Carl?"

"You can't give him alcohol!"

"Why not? Look at the size of him; he can take it."

"I dunno, it's like giving alcohol to a kid or something. Stop it!"

"You really need to lighten up," he said and downed another drink.

"What do we do now?" I asked him, trying to get him focused on reality.

"We drink. And if we're smart, we forget all about things that go bump in the night. Even if you're one."

"We have to do something, Peter."

"What we have to do is face facts. Life is shit, and then you die. Some of us sooner than others. And if you're really unlucky, some psycho bitch will bite a chunk out of your neck."

I tried to get him to focus—even catching him up on what Becca had said about the experiments in Spain, but he brushed it off. Two hours of constant moaning later, and he could barely stand. "That's it, we're going," I told him when he knocked a glass into my lap.

"Spoilsport," he muttered but followed me anyway. I hoped even he was fed up with his whining. Carl held him up long enough to make it to the car without toppling over.

"I'm driving, you idiot," I said, guiding him away from the driver's seat. "Both of you, in the back, now." I felt like a harassed mother, something I would never be. In the car, I drummed on the steering wheel. Peter had lost it. He was supposed to be this big hunter or something, and he couldn't deal with having his shoulder licked by a girl.

"My house," Peter said, slurring his words. "Safe." He closed his eyes and was soon snoring. It took me a long time to drive there. Not only did I get slightly lost, but I was pretty sure a car was following us. I wanted to get it off our trail, so my driving became even more erratic. Eventually, it disappeared from the rear view mirror. I breathed a sigh of relief and tried to remember where exactly Peter lived. I wanted to be inside before anyone else came looking for me. I also needed to work out how to make sure Carl and Peter stayed safe if anything worse happened.

Both men were asleep when I pulled into Peter's driveway. I decided to work on Peter first seeing as it was his house. I figured one of the keys linked with his car keys would fit his front door. I struggled to help him out of the car, but once he untangled his legs from under the passenger seat, supporting him to his front door was fine. I felt strong, part of the after effects of drinking Becca's blood.

One of the keys fit into the door but no matter what I did, it wouldn't turn.

"Is there some knack to this or what?"

He looked at me blankly for a few seconds before pointing downward. A thin slot was on the bottom of the door. "Card key. Wallet," he mumbled and gestured to the back pocket of his jeans. I tutted and reached into his pocket, avoiding his eyes.

"Seriously paranoid," I muttered as I flipped open the wallet. I instantly paused because the first thing I saw was a photo of a smiling toddler with large hazel eyes, just like Peter's.

Peter snapped the wallet out of my hands and found the card key himself, his fingers shaking. He bent down to feed it into the door but fell over. I tried not to laugh as I helped him back up. He stumbled into me, forcing me back against the door. This time I held his gaze and listened when his heartbeat sped up. He smelled like stress and alcohol. It was hardly romantic, but nobody told the butterflies in my stomach. He brushed my hair from my face with a surprisingly gentle touch.

"I don't get it," he said. I waited for him to elaborate.

"Peter?" said a woman's voice in a quizzical tone.

Over his shoulder, I saw a woman approach us. She was around thirty and beautiful, with very defined features and short, glossy, chocolate brown hair. Becca had been a fake, overly flirty piece of trash, but this one was three steps above me on the ladder and provoked an unfamiliar twitch of jealousy. Then I remembered the photo of the cute kid in Peter's wallet and put two and two together.

I side-stepped and distanced myself from Peter automatically. The woman glanced at me then back to Peter with the most disappointed look on her face. She called his name again, but he blatantly ignored her. Mortified, I figured my best bet was to move on quietly and leave them alone, so I tried to slip away.

"Where are you going?" Peter's voice was cold and brash. I shuddered at the unpleasantness of his tone.

"I'm going to get Carl. Make our way home."

"No, you're not. Go get him and come in."

His abruptness put my back up, but I knew he was right. We had to make some sort of a plan before the vampires woke for the night. I always knew when; that one point in time when they all collectively opened their eyes. It was the moment I became more alive too.

The woman raised an eyebrow. I glared at Peter before storming off.

"Wake up, Carl," I hissed, taking my frustration out on him. He took it mildly which infuriated me even more. I twisted the cross in my fingers as we hurried to the house. Night was going to come quicker than usual, I could tell.

The alarm went off as soon as I stepped past the hall door. I tensed, remembering the last time, but Peter was busy muttering in the corner. The sound stopped, and the crazy look on Peter's face disappeared. I shut the door behind me, wondering how long I was going to last with his mood swings.

He led us into the living room. The woman wasn't there.

"Where's your girlfriend gone?" I asked.

"Who? Oh, her. Home."

He turned his back on me and left the room, mumbling something about making a phone call. When he returned, he vibrated with anger, but at least he wasn't as hopelessly drunk.

"Maybe you should have a rest," I suggested.

"Can't. I spoke to Eddie. He contacted Daimhín's day assistant and told her he could hand you over to her."

"Day assistant?" I asked.

"Yeah, someone who does whatever needs to be done when she can't," Peter said.

"Why would someone want to work for a vampire?"

"Maybe she pays well. Hey, Carl, why don't you go fix yourself something to eat in the kitchen."

Carl pottered off. "Thanks," I said. "He needs to eat a lot, for a human."

"Whatever." Peter's dismissive tone forced me to realise we were back to square one. "Maximus is bound to turn up at Eddie's place again, so let's hope Daimhín's there when he does."

"They should just attack each other, right? Nobody else needs to get hurt?" I didn't want to risk a human life just to pit one set of vampires against the other.

"Maybe, if we're lucky. Next problem is Arthur. You sure you want his help? Not getting attached to old Carl there?"

"I want him to go home," I said, surprised Peter had to ask. "He won't even tell me where he lives, so I can let his family know he's okay."

"Aren't you sweet?"

"Get over yourself, Peter Brannigan." I had about enough of his sarcasm for one day.

He held up his hands and exhaled loudly. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm just pissed off at... everything. Let's forget it for now and concentrate on staying alive, okay?"

I shrugged, upset by his attitude, and worrying he wasn't really contrite but was merely saving his angst for later. He pulled out a drawer in his desk and beckoned me over.

"You and Carl are going to take some of these, just in case. We may need to use them to take on Arthur. He's kind of fascinated by you; I don't think we'll need to threaten him. But just in case."

"Who are you, Buffy the Second Coming?" I said, running my hands over finely sharpened stakes, silver handcuffs and what looked like bottles of holy water.

"Hilarious. If we work together, we should be able to take Arthur without anyone getting hurt. Theoretically."

He took out two stakes, a couple of bottles of holy water, a pair of handcuffs and a long, thick silver chain. "Keep these in your bag, and give Carl some holy water. It's the only thing he can't do something stupid with."

I stuffed the lot into my bag. "Thanks."

"I need some sleep. Do what you want until I wake up. Then we're off." He turned abruptly and headed up the stairs, leaving me feeling cold. He had sobered up once his girlfriend had shown up, but then his mood had turned even sourer. I was sure he was in trouble because of my problems, and he didn't need any more.

I waited a few minutes, thinking things through, then headed into the kitchen. "You're going to make yourself sick," I told Carl. I sat down next to him. "I'm going to need your help tonight. Bad people are coming for us. Will you help me get one of them alone? He owes me a favour."

"Of course."

I gave him some holy water and wrapped a long silver chain around his neck. "Keep this on," I warned him. "If anything gets a hankering for your throat, this might put them off. And take this stake. I swear, Carl, if you hurt yourself with that thing, I'll kill you. Only use it against a vampire if you really need to, okay? Can I rely on you?"

He nodded, turning the stake over in his hand.

"Hide it in your sleeve or something. Like this." I helped him and carried on, suddenly feeling shy. "Carl, I know the real you is in there somewhere, and I'm guessing you know a little of what's going on. I wanted to say, I'm sorry, okay? All of this mess is my fault, and the only way I can fix it is by putting us in danger again. I don't know what else to do. It'll be over soon. I promise."

He was listening, but I wasn't sure he understood me exactly. I sighed and got to my feet. I figured I had given Peter enough time to fall asleep.

"Come on, we're going."

"Is Peter okay?"

"Yes, but he's staying here this time." Carl nodded although he looked disappointed. We left quietly, making sure the door was closed securely behind us. I sniffed the air, scenting the faintest smell of blood, then moved on quickly with Carl.

"You sure you don't want to tell me where you live, Carl?"

"With you."

"Nah, I meant before that. Where's your family? I could let them know you'll be home soon."

He ignored me. I had a feeling he could resist the thrall in some ways.

The plan in my head was clear. Do it all myself and stop the others from being hurt. I couldn't forget the horror in Peter's eyes when he saw Becca and me drinking blood. He had done enough. Carl didn't even know what he was getting into. It wasn't fair to include him but I had no choice. It was the only way I could break the bond.

I figured it was time to see Eddie. As soon as I walked into his bookshop, he knew. He could tell exactly what I'd done. And it made him very happy. The cold presence blew urgently against the back of my neck, but I already knew I was signing a deal with the devil.

"You're back," he said, not bothering to cover up his smugness. "And feeling better than ever?"

"Not exactly."

"You did feed?"

"I had no choice. I didn't do it because I'm bloodthirsty, okay?"

His eyes softened. "It was the right thing to do. How can you help anyone if you aren't strong? There's no shame in what you are, Ava. You aren't evil. You have gifts, and if you let yourself, you might do some good in the world."

"Good for the world? Or good for you?" I wasn't afraid of him anymore. My time was running out; I hadn't much to lose by pissing him off.

"Maybe they're not mutually exclusive."

"Yeah, right. Look. You pretend you're going to give me to Daimhín tonight. Becca told us Maximus himself is coming for me too. Let them duke it out while I get Arthur alone, so Carl can go home unharmed."

"And then?"

I sighed, more weary than I ever thought possible. "Then someone has to win. I can't hide forever."

"You can't let them take you, Ava. I won't let you. I've waited too long for this."

"If you could take them on then you wouldn't need me, would you?"

He stared at me. I felt my head become light as his eyes darkened. It would have been so easy to fall into the emptiness. I struggled against it, smiling in triumph as his forehead creased in confusion. I shrugged off his power with ease in the end.

He moved in closer. "See what you can do when you let yourself be who you really are?"

"It's not who I am," I said, fierce in my belief. "I'm Ava, not vampire. Remember that one, Eddie bloody Brogan."

"You don't have to fight everything," Eddie said.

"Feels like I can't stop fighting. It's okay Carl," I added hurriedly, seeing Carl preparing to strike out at Eddie. He knew I was upset, and that reminded me of something.

"Eddie, Carl seemed to know I was in trouble earlier."

"That can happen, yes."

"But it wears off, right? After the whole bond business is done?"

"Probably," he raised his hands to quieten me. "That's not important right now, Ava. Let's talk about tonight. I can't help you much. I can't directly harm the vampires, but I can try to keep Carl safe. For a while at least."

"A while?"

"Power isn't unlimited; I'll do what I can for as long as I can." His expression darkened and some of the books fell off the shelves.

"Sorry. How can I hurt Arthur? Without killing him I mean? I need to get him away from the others so he can help us. I don't want to go too far by accident."

"Silver will contain him. But if it penetrates his heart, he'll die almost instantly. Holy water will hurt but never do enough damage to kill. Fire is lethal, but you need a lot of it. Breaking bones, even the neck, will hurt and take a long time to heal but completely removing the head from the body will kill them," he told me, no emotion in his voice.

"Fine. That's fine," I said. "I have what I need. I can do this, right?"

"Of course you can. But you might need this." He rummaged under the counter and took out a heavy wooden box. It was covered in engravings. He put on a pair of gloves and opened the box, retrieving a small silver dagger. He handed it to me gingerly, handle first.

It was heavy in my hand and felt surprisingly warm. Vibrating with power, it gleamed sapphire blue when it touched my skin. The very tip of the blade was curved. I touched it lightly with my finger and jumped with alarm as even the briefest of touches resulted in a few drops of blood falling from my finger. What had really startled me was the heat that came from the blade.

"It's ancient," Eddie said, looking at it longingly. "It's made of fire and light, metal and magic. It works perfectly against vampires. It's powerful—don't lose it."

I put it into my bag, ignoring Eddie's exasperated sigh. I sucked on my finger to stem the flow of blood. As soon as it left my lips, Eddie grabbed my hand and peered at my fingertip. I pulled my hand away and took a step backward. Carl tried to move forward, but I got in his way. He actually had something to lose.

"It's true," Eddie said, his mouth widening into a rapturous smile. "You healed yourself, didn't you?"

"Not really." The cold presence was frantically sweeping across the back of my neck.

He gripped my shoulders tight. "Ava, don't let anyone know about it. You don't want to make yourself more attractive to Maximus, trust me."

I rubbed my face, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "It's never happened before today, why now?"

"Maybe you never licked an open wound before. Or perhaps you did and didn't stick around long enough to see what happened next." He smiled slyly. "Perhaps it's linked to the blood you've drank. It's not really healing, rather accelerating the normal cell re-growth."

He moved away, taking his time and picking up the books that had fallen when he got angry. "Or perhaps you're just special."

I exchanged a look with Carl. Something about Eddie set him off on alert every single time. It was like he was hearing something I didn't.

"Yeah, sure, special," I said, forcing a laugh. "Anyway, back to tonight. Should we find somewhere to hide?"

Eddie faced me, his eyes stern and cold. "I made a promise, Ava. I'll be handing you over tonight."

"Don't you think—"

"No. I don't. No discussions. I'll cloak Carl, but you need to be seen. Prepare yourself. Perhaps you'd like to have a nibble on Carl while you're waiting."

He left the room with a smile on his face.

"Don't even think about it," I snapped at Carl.

Rancid fear had been simmering inside me all day. Now it was boiling over. If we could surprise Arthur by getting to him from behind then we had a chance. Being handed to vampires didn't seem to leave us with any hope. I wasn't sure what would happen to Carl if I died, but I couldn't trust Eddie to keep him safe. I wanted Peter's advice, but it was better for both of us if I kept my distance.

Carl and I sat in the shop's back room together, mostly in silence. I had an awful sensation that I was waiting for my doom.

"Carl, I might die tonight. If I do, can you do me some favours?" I said, hoping he could take in what I was saying.

"You won't die. I'll do anything for you," he replied. I didn't doubt his belief, but I knew our chances weren't great.

"I don't know if our bond will break," I said. "If it doesn't, and I die, I want you to run. As fast as you can to someplace safe. Either this place, or mine. Or even to Peter for the night. Don't let them catch you."

"I won't," he said.

"And. If you could. Tell my grandmother? About all of this, except maybe leave out the bit when I drank Becca's blood."

Carl smiled and nodded, but I had no way of knowing if he really understood me. Just in case, I lowered my voice and leaned closer to him. "If things go right, and the bond breaks? Get out of there. Don't stick around. Just leave, and forget me. Never look back at any of this. And no matter what happens, don't trust Eddie. Not ever."

He shook my hand solemnly. I hoped he would remember my words when it mattered.

Chapter Eleven

Night came too quickly. I could feel the moon crying out to me, the blood in my veins answering her call. I didn't know how to prepare for death. Eddie joined us, kept our silent vigil until it was time.

"I'd like to say a prayer," he told us, a couple of minutes before it was time for vampires to wake. He lit some candles and placed a cracked black bowl on the table.

"Blood. Love. Sacrifice. Accept our offerings, and protect our souls. Connected and ready to serve. Fill us with power, and watch over us." He cut his hand, and let the blood drip into the bowl. I touched the cross, but it wasn't necessary. Eddie's blood was wrong. The colour, texture and smell repulsed me. Once again, I was filled with curiosity about who he was—and exactly who, or what, he was praying to.

"Do you offer?" he asked Carl who nodded, strangely interested in the proceedings. Before I could stop him, he sliced Carl's palm and squeezed his hand until his blood fell into the bowl. Eddie held his hand out to me. Hesitant, I placed mine in his cool palm. He swiftly cut me and drained some of my blood into the bowl.

"Give me the dagger," he said. I glanced at him as I handed it over. His jaws were slack; he reminded me of a puppet on a string as his arms moved jerkily around. He spoke in a language I wasn't familiar with. Guttural sounds that stirred something within me. Fear slowly dissipated, only to be replaced with something else. Courage, perhaps? Or merely foolhardiness.

Eddie kissed the knife, his lips blistering at once. He stirred the blood in the bowl with the dagger. A blue light flared up from the liquid, making me jump backward in fright. Eddie spoke one more word, and the light vanished. He lifted the knife, shook it once then offered the bowl to me.

"Drink," he urged.

I hesitated. Freaky hoodoo stuff wasn't my thing. Neither was drinking my own blood. Eddie's hadn't looked too delicious, and I didn't need to know what Carl's tasted like.

"Just drink it," he said, pushing it into my hands. I shook my head, but his eyes darkened, and the room vibrated. The cold presence brushed against my hands, so I raised the bowl to my lips and slowly took a sip. I had to close my eyes to stop my head from spinning. It didn't taste like blood. It tasted like... sunlight. Warmth. And power. Most of all, power. I tipped the bowl to drain the lot. Pure heat rolled down my throat, completely destroying the panic inside me.

Eddie placed his palm against my forehead and pushed until I resisted.

"Flood our sister with spirit. Let the Keeper of Light stay safe to lead us on through the storms ahead. Make the Warrior of Flame return."

My eyes shot open. Eddie's were black, but flickering flames reflected in his eyes. I glanced at Carl who was staring at me like I had turned into a shooting star or something. Then it was over. Eddie broke away, and the tension snapped. The room lit up, and my skin tingled.

"It's time," he said and gave Carl a small pouch. "Keep that in your pocket. You won't be seen until the power runs out."

"What about this?" I gestured to the chain around my neck. "When will this run out?"

Eddie patted my shoulder and gave me the dagger, still dripping with our blood. "It already ran out, I can't sense any of the magic anymore."

I hadn't felt a real longing from the thirst since Eddie had given me the cross. It couldn't have run out already. He smiled reassuringly and gave a little nod, as if he knew exactly what record my mind was playing.

"Come." He bade us to follow him.

This time I stuck the dagger in my belt and promised myself I was getting a kick ass sheath for next time—if there was a next time.

I took a deep breath as I stood next to Eddie at the front door of his bookshop. Every cell in my body seemed to hum in anticipation as darkness fell.

"They're here," Eddie said at last. I already knew. I swallowed my fear and held my head high as a group approached the bookshop.

"No further," Eddie shouted.

The vampire in the very centre of the group held up her hand. Those around her halted. One made me catch my breath. No more than thirteen, she was different to the others. Vampire but not. Her sad eyes penetrated mine until hers flickered back to the central vampire who stepped forward into the glow of a streetlight, allowing me to take a good look at her. She had short grey hair cut tight against her head. A tiny woman, she looked no more formidable than me. Her wrinkled skin gave her a harmless look, but her eyes were fierce.

"Is this she?" Her voice was quiet enough, but it carried over my skin until it felt as if I had shrivelled up.

"Yes," replied Eddie. For an instant, I imagined I saw a wisp of something ahead of me, but it disappeared almost immediately. I felt two forces in the air, Daimhín's and Eddie's. Both having a silent battle unbeknownst to everyone else. "Is my debt paid in full?"

My head jerked toward Eddie in surprise. He ignored me. I bit my lip as a lump formed in my throat. I had been used. I turned back to the vampire, unable to look at Eddie for a second longer. I desperately tried to figure out how this affected our plans, but I couldn't concentrate—I was too scared.

Daimhín inclined her head. "As soon as you hand her over for execution."

Eddie pushed me forward. I was completely alone until I felt Carl's presence behind me along with someone or something who gently left a cool kiss on my cheek. I found it comforting. Carl squeezed my hand, and my heart slowed down a little. Daimhín's face was expressionless. She stared at me until another voice spoke from a roof behind her.

"I think an execution might be a tad over the top."

Daimhín's face creased in disgust as a figure jumped down, followed by a number of others, one of whom I recognised as Arthur.

"Here I am, hunting her down, and this disgraced oddity hands her over to you. I. Saw. Her. First."

I guessed he was Maximus, not that it mattered. His hair was long and his clothes flamboyant. He obviously wanted to be noticed. He probably knew Daimhín would be there and went out of his way to make a cool entrance. I wasn't impressed. Neither was Daimhín, judging by the fire in her eyes. She kept her voice steady.

"I claim her. Leave. You have no business here tonight."

"Oh, but I do," he said, sneering as he sauntered closer to her. I could almost see her hackles rise.

"I won't repeat myself again, Maximus. Go."

His eyes glinted as he entered the light of the street lamp. He licked his protruding fangs as he looked me over.

"Don't even think about it," said Daimhín, sounding like a mother talking to a bold toddler. I gripped Carl's hand behind my back, unsure of what to do next. Arthur approached but was still some distance behind Maximus.

Maximus ignored Daimhín and headed straight for me. Closer now, I could tell he had once been handsome. A strong jaw line was now covered in mottled skin, and the long hair was a distraction from the many blemishes on his face and neck. Yet he moved as though he were God's gift to women.

Quick as a flash, Daimhín was in front of him, blocking him. Carl pushed me slightly, getting me out of the way. Both vampires squared up to each other. It was almost comical—one very tall, flamboyant old man against a tiny, shrivelled looking old woman. But then she sliced him across the face with her fingernails, and it wasn't close to funny anymore. He howled with pain as she tore strips of skin away then responded by punching her so hard, she flew backward straight through where I had been standing. Eddie managed to dodge out of the way in time. He ran inside and locked the door, abandoning Carl and I to our fate.

Daimhín was flung against the wall, her head cracking against the brickwork. It didn't slow her down. She made a furious noise of rage and ran straight at Maximus, knocking him to the ground. I watched his coven, expecting them to help him, but they all seemed to hesitate. Daimhín's vampires took the choice away by following her lead and hurling themselves at the enemy. I couldn't even pick Arthur out from the brawling crowd.

"Crap, what now?" I muttered.

A hand clamping around my mouth stifled a scream that would have surely been shrill.

"Hush," whispered Peter. "Follow me."

I grabbed his sleeve and followed him willingly, relieved beyond measure. Carl and I scurried after him as he led us down a laneway. He made sure no one was following us then launched straight into a lecture.

"What the hell did you think you were doing? Why did you and Carl run off? This isn't the plan! Handing yourself straight over like that, you could have been killed!"

"It was Eddie's idea," said Carl. Peter jumped and looked all around.

"Oh, right, Eddie shielded Carl so he can't be seen," I explained.

"Wait," Peter said. "Eddie decided you should leave me behind and walk straight into the path of ancients?"

"Not exactly," I admitted. "Just the bit about the ancients."

Peter ran his hands through his hair in exasperation. "I can't believe you brought Carl into this alone."

"I know, it sounds stupid, but he has to be involved, so I thought the fewer people getting caught up in this, the better."

"You're an idiot," he said. "So, what was the next part? How were you planning on getting Arthur away from the others?"

I shrugged. "Distract him somehow..."

"You two seriously need me around. Luckily, I have my car and a brain in my head. Let's go nab us a vampire."

Chapter Twelve

"You sure this is going to work?" I whispered to Peter. "I mean we can't even see Carl."

"Yeah, but you can hear his heartbeat and smell his blood. That little nick on his hand is going to be like a radar for you and the other vampires, so we have to be quick."

He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as we watched vampires tear chunks from each other using just their teeth and fingernails.

"We don't stand a chance," I said.

"Want me to do the next bit? You can drive if you like."

"No, I can do it. Keep the car running." Although, deep down I knew I was desperate to go home and forget about the whole thing. I got out of the car, re-pierced the small wound on Carl's hand and led him toward the vampires, trying not to wince at the blood and lumps of flesh flying everywhere.

"There he is," I whispered, finally spotting Arthur.

"Yeah, I got him," Carl replied, sounding a lot more confident than I felt.

Peter had been right. I knew exactly where Carl was. I followed him as close as I dared without being seen by Arthur who was finishing off a small female vampire. As he ripped off the vampire's head with a grunt, Carl began to softly call his name.

Arthur's head jerked around, bloodlust in his eyes. He hopped up and ran toward Carl before I could blink. Just as fast, I sped after him, delighting in the sense of freedom. I was faster than ever, from Becca's blood and possibly Eddie's spell. Arthur ran right into Carl, I hadn't expected him to lock onto Carl without even wondering why he couldn't see him. I sped up, terrified I was going to be too late.

Arthur threw back his head then tried to sink his teeth into what I assumed was an invisible Carl's throat. He flew backwards as if burned. I smiled, remembering how I had wrapped a silver chain around Carl's neck. Arthur's hesitation was perfect. I clamped the silver handcuffs on to his wrist and mine. He whipped his head around in confusion and tried to back away, but I held him still.

Changing his mind, Arthur launched himself at me, his jaws wide. His face contorted in pain and a howl emitted from his throat as Carl wrapped his chain around Arthur's neck, making it easy to lead him to the car. I was beginning to think we might make it when the cold presence I kept feeling blew so hard, my hair fell over my face.

I turned around and realised one vampire had spotted us. He eyed us warily then put his head down and ran. I snapped the handcuff off my wrist, not even pausing to notice how easy it was.

"Run," I whispered. "Don't let them see the chain."

Carl managed to hurry on with Arthur without holding out the chain, making it look like Arthur was running away.

I slipped the silver dagger out of my belt and waited. It didn't matter whose side the vampire was on, I had to stop him. He was on me in seconds, rushing at me so hard, he ran straight into the dagger. I used his strength against him. Too late, he felt the blade sink into his skin. He was in so much pain he didn't even cry out, but the red tint disappeared from his eyes, replaced by fear. The knife seemed to burn him from the inside out. Every vein under his skin glowed before his entire body burst into flames that quickly burned out into dust.

"Holy shit," I muttered, trembling at the intensity of the flame and how quick the whole fight had been. Then pain shot through my arm, and I realised his fingernails had sliced deep into my flesh before he died. I quickly licked the wounds and didn't wait to look at them heal.

Slipping the most awesome dagger in the world back into my belt, I turned to run back to the car. Peter had gotten out and was helping a now visible Carl shove Arthur into the backseat without him biting anyone. They didn't even see the small brunette race toward them. I sprinted after her, my lungs burning with exertion, but she reached Peter before me and hurled him over the car.

She jumped after him, preparing to snap his neck, but I managed to grab her hands first. I pulled her away from Peter, but she shrugged me off and ran after him again. He kicked out, knocking her back into me. I wrapped my arms around her waist and held her back. He pulled a stake from his sleeve and aimed it directly at her heart. She leaned forward then pushed all of her weight backward, smacking me in the face with the back of her head and knocking us both back down to the ground.

Dizzy, I grabbed her hair and tried to toss her to the side, but she squirmed around and clawed my face. Blood dripped from scratch marks on my cheeks. Peter kicked her in the face, barely missing mine as I pushed her off me and tried to get up. Once again she went for Peter, this time clawing at his leg and pulling him to the ground.

The dagger burned at my side, but in my panic I couldn't get it free.

"Ah, screw it," I said and used my fangs instead. I sank my teeth into her shoulder and tore away a chunk of flesh. I spat it out in disgust, but it was enough to get her away from Peter.

"Keep out of the way Peter!" I shouted at him, fearing I would bite him by mistake. Time slowed down, and I planned every move ahead of time. The vampire freaked out at my speed as she struggled to land a hit. Finally, she managed to elbow me, the force of it knocking me a few steps backward.

The vampire faced me, her mouth a snarling mess of fangs. She ran for me, swiping with her nails, but I took my time, ducked at the last second then threw myself upward with a punch driven by all of my strength. She fell against the car. I didn't wait. I drove my fist against her face one more time, hearing her nose break in a satisfyingly bloody crunch.

She howled with fury. "Bitch!" she screamed as one of her fangs fell away. My face stung, but hers was completely swollen. Rage gave her the strength of an army. She swung her fist at me twice. This time I wasn't quick enough and ended up on my back, dazed. The dagger clattered to the ground. I managed to grab it as she jumped on me and sank her teeth into my chest.

Peter ran to my aid, but I was already driving the dagger into her skull as hard as I could. She spluttered then collapsed on me. Peter hauled her off and dug his stake through her heart, but she was already burning. The dagger shone in my hands, the blade going from bright red to a cool blue. I gripped it tighter, feeling its power shooting through me. I felt as though it belonged to me.

"Where the hell did you get that thing?" Peter asked.

"Later." I jumped up. "Come on, let's get out of here." We both jumped into the car where Carl was struggling with Arthur. If I hadn't ordered him to do it, he wouldn't have had the strength.

I took over, trying not to pass out from the pain in my chest. Peter forced his foot down on the accelerator and sped off, the wheels squealing in protest. We had gotten away, but I couldn't relax yet. I still had to deal with Arthur. He seethed with anger but kept his distance, and I knew he had seen what my dagger could do.

"Sorry about this, Arthur," I said out of politeness. "But we had to do something to get you alone with us."

"Let go of me," said Arthur, trembling with rage.

"We will, but we need your help first. Remember?"

"You promised. You made a deal."

"I know. And I'm sorry about that, but things have gotten way too complicated." I winced with pain and shifted in my seat. Vampire bites hurt.

"He'll destroy me for this."

"Who?" Carl asked.

"Maximus, you idiot. I left the battlefield. In his eyes, I'm a deserter. All because of your petty problem." He tried to sound angry but came across more vulnerable than anything. I felt sorry for him.

"We'll take you back. As soon as you help us. Nobody will even notice you left."

I ignored Peter's irritated sigh up front. "Please, Arthur. I don't want this. Help me."

He stared at me for a long moment. "Fine. Then you let me go."

"Of course." I nodded with enthusiasm.

"Is he yours?" Arthur stared hard at me.

"No!"

"I agree. There. Let me go."

"What? That can't be it," I said in surprise.

"It is. Let me go, please."

"But that's just lame." But then I felt a jerking pain in my stomach and a sense of loss so deep, I wanted to cry.

"What did you expect, fireworks? Let me out of the damned car, half-breed!"

I looked at Carl. His head was bowed, and his body shook violently.

"Carl? You okay?" Peter asked.

"Yeah, he's right. It's done." Carl looked at me, eyes full of pain. I couldn't bear it. His pain or mine.

"All right, you can go," I said, opening the car door and pulling Arthur out after me. I carefully took the silver chain off his skin, wincing as it sizzled. I unlocked the handcuffs and was immediately thrown against the car. Arthur's fangs shone in the moonlight. He snapped his head toward me, his hand on my throat. I was in too much pain to struggle. I expected more and took one last glance at the world—but nothing painful happened.

Instead, Arthur whispered to me. "Trust none. They watch you now."

He sped away, leaving me gasping for air. Peter was still getting out of the car.

"I'm sorry, he was too fast."

"It's okay," I said. "He didn't hurt me." I licked my fingers and rubbed the wounds on my chest and face. My nose was still bleeding, but the scratches healed quickly. The wound on my chest stung like crazy, but it too healed, albeit more slowly. It left a noticeable scar behind.

In the car, Carl's head was on the dashboard, sweat rolling down his face.

"Carl, are you okay?" I said, feeling frantic. "Could he die?"

Peter shook his head, but his face was pale; he wasn't sure.

"I'm okay," said Carl. "It hurts is all. I need to lie down."

"We could go back to Eddie," Peter said.

"He sold us out!" I snapped.

"We've no choice; he might know what to do."

Peter drove back toward the bookshop, but the fight wasn't over. The street looked as if it were drowning in blood.

"Keep driving," I urged, afraid we wouldn't get away after everything.

As we drove by, I saw Maximus turn on Arthur. Arthur backed away, holding his hands up. I half expected him to roll on to his belly. Maximus flew at Arthur, and they both smashed through a window. A half second later, Maximus rushed back outside with Arthur's head in his hands. I looked away, guilt pouring over me. We caused it. Even though he was a vampire, I had felt a sort of kinship toward Arthur. And I wanted to know what his last words to me meant.

"I'm taking us to Nancy's house," Peter said, interrupting my thoughts.

"What? No way."

"There's nowhere closer, and I can't drive around all night."

"Fine." I felt too miserable to argue. I curled up in a ball, feeling a persistent ache in my stomach.

"Sorry, Carl. Can't get you home until morning. Just in case." Peter's voice was gentle and that worried me more than anything.

"'S'okay," mumbled Carl. I was almost afraid to look at him. I didn't know if he was scared or hated me, but I knew he was in pain because of me.

The reality of the last few days exhausted me, and I dozed off in the car. I was in the middle of a dark dream when Peter shook my shoulders to wake me up. "Ava, quick. Get up," he whispered urgently.

My eyes flickered open to see Peter looking distraught.

"I'm sorry, Ava, something's happened here."

"What? What's wrong?"

"We're outside Nancy's house, but her front door is torn down, her windows are smashed... I don't think she's here."

I jumped up, pushed him aside, and ran into my grandmother's house for the first time in years. I sucked in a breath. Everything looked the same except the furniture had been tossed around.

Peter came up behind me. "Is she here?"

I shook my head. "No, I can't smell her. There's blood. Not much, but it's there. They took her earlier, maybe yesterday. Oh, God, what have I done?" I sank to my knees.

"Who took her?"

"I don't know! Does it matter? It's all my fault no matter who did it. I'm systematically screwing up the lives of everyone around me without even trying!"

"Come on, get up," Peter said. "Freaking out isn't going to help Nancy."

I took a deep breath, wiped a few tears from my eyes, and got to my feet. "Yeah, you're right. I've stuff to do. Look, thanks for everything. You didn't have to help, but you did. I owe you. I have to go now, and figure this out. Could you make sure Carl gets home safe?"

"Yeah, sure, but I'm not going to... I mean, I know Nancy. I have to help, too," Peter said, his forehead creasing with stress.

"I'm going to help you, too." Carl limped into the room.

"Are you two stupid? You could die! You're both human, and you've nothing to do with this crap. I've gotten you both into enough trouble as it is!"

Carl crossed his arms stubbornly. "I'm not going while you need help. What happened with me was an accident, and you did everything to fix it. I'm not going to walk away until it's over."

"Carl, you don't know what you're talking about. It's the bond, you're still feeling it."

"I'm not, Ava," he said, his voice firm and steady. "I'm sticking around because I want to."

"Same here," Peter said.

I glared at them both, but they were unfazed. "You can help me figure out what happened, but that's it."

"Whatever," Peter said. "Let's go."

"Where?" said Carl.

"My place. We'll figure out things from there."

As soon as we got to Peter's house, he made some phone calls—leaving Carl and me alone in the kitchen. We made sandwiches and coffee and faced each other warily for a while.

"You feeling okay now?" I asked.

He nodded. "A little shaky. It felt like something was ripped out of me back there."

"I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "It's okay. Thanks for looking after me when I was all... brainless."

"Do you remember everything?"

"Not everything, more like flashes. I remember the other vampire. I was looking for a taxi home after a night out. This guy asks me for the time, and next thing I know, I'm up against a wall being nibbled on. Then you walked up, and all of a sudden, I had to follow you. All I wanted was to do what you said. And, you know, other stuff."

His ears and neck flushed scarlet. "It's okay," I said. "You had no choice."

"But I wanted it. Even when I tried to be me, I still wanted it. I keep thinking about when I tried to—"

"Don't worry about it," I said firmly, not wanting to acknowledge it happened.

He scratched the back of his neck. "But you really fought it. You could have just killed me and gotten rid of me that way. I don't know what to make of the whole vampire thing, but you're not bad."

It was my turn to blush. "I had a little help. Eddie gave me this," I showed him the cross. "And it made it easier for me to stay normal."

"Doesn't matter. You still tried not to hurt me."

"I promise we'll talk about this, just not now, okay? Want to call your family or something?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I probably should."

"What are you going to tell them?" I asked as I handed him my mobile phone.

"As little as possible."

"I'll give you some space," I said and headed into the other room.

"Where's Carl?" Peter asked as he flipped through a book.

"I gave him my mobile to call his family."

"If you avoid the world, what do you need a mobile for?"

"My business. Sometimes people want to make phone contact. No big deal."

"Hmm. Okay, look at this map," he said, marking it with a pen. "My best guess is this is where Nancy is."

I looked askance at him and waited for an explanation.

"Fine. I rang someone who works for Daimhín. She said no way did they take Nancy. Rang around a couple more sets of eyes. One said there's an old lady amongst the volunteers who aren't really volunteers at Maximus's place. This is where I've heard it is."

"You know someone who works for Daimhín? How do you know they can be trusted?"

"I just do. Besides, it makes sense for Maximus to take her. He wants you, probably reckons you're human enough to be persuaded if they take someone you love."

I bit my lip. Maximus was pissed. He had killed Arthur who was completely loyal to him. What would he do to a little old lady? After everything she'd put me through, she was still my grandmother, and according to Peter and Eddie, she had changed.

"Don't worry," Peter said, putting his hand on my shoulder. "We'll get her out of there."

"I can't say I ever really loved her, Peter," I said, reluctant to speak the truth but needing to get it off my chest. I sat down and avoided his eyes. "But I don't want to see her hurt. If I'm honest, I barely know her. She wasn't exactly a cuddly, loving woman, you know?"

He sat next to me and squeezed my hand briefly. "I get it. But she isn't like that anymore."

"You don't know," I said, shaking my head. "She had all these rules and secrets but no explanations for most of it. She wouldn't even tell me about my parents, or what really happened when I was born. And the things she did to me, Peter, how she made me feel. I've hated myself because of her, and she couldn't just accept me. She couldn't just love me. I was just a kid—I was born this way. I didn't choose it."

His eyes widened, and I wondered if I'd said too much, but for once, I didn't care. I needed to talk to someone. "Part of me thinks she deserves to be punished... but not this way, not like this. This isn't right. If anything happens to her, it'll be my fault. I don't want that."

"It's okay to feel all those things, Ava," he said. "When I first met Nancy, she was in a bad way. She blamed herself for everything. She regretted a lot of things. I know she made mistakes with you, but almost everyone who's introduced to this other world loses the plot in some way. Except maybe Carl."

I laughed, relieved he was taking the conversation in a lighter direction. "Yeah, he seems at ease with everything, doesn't he? I can't believe he's volunteering to stick around. I was him? I'd be running away, screaming like a little girl."

"And you do it so well."

I punched his shoulder lightly. He clasped my fist and held my stare a little too long. I mentally counted rapidly, anything to calm down my racing heart. Carl interrupted us before things could get any more awkward.

He burst into the room in a temper and threw my mobile on the sofa.

"Everything okay?" Peter said, inching away from me.

"Yeah, it's cool. So when are we going to get Ava's grandmother back?"

Carl's fists clenched tight; I wondered what his family were like.

"Peter thinks Maximus has her. He reckons he knows where."

"I'm pretty sure, actually."

"We going now?" Carl asked.

Peter shook his head. "We should get some sleep first; let you heal up a little. You still don't look the best. Then maybe head over during the day. There'll only be humans there."

"Humans?" I said, surprised.

"Yeah, they tend to use bodyguards during the day. No problem to us."

I squirmed. "I don't like the idea of humans getting hurt."

Peter's face darkened into something I didn't like. "They deserve it if they work for evil. I'm wrecked. I'm heading to bed. We'll talk more in the morning. There are spare rooms upstairs, so take your pick."

He left, followed by a yawning Carl.

"I'm going to sit up for a bit," I told them.

I tried to relax, but all I could think of was my grandmother. Maximus could spend the entire night torturing her while I had a good night's sleep in Peter's house. If I waited, she would probably suffer and judging by Peter's black/white morality issues, the bodyguards would almost certainly get hurt too. I had enough on my conscience. The more I sat there thinking, the more certain I became. I was going alone. To offer myself in exchange for my grandmother.

Chapter Thirteen

Once again, I found myself sneaking out of Peter's house. I originally planned to call a taxi, but I had forgotten my mobile. I decided to run and look out for a car on the way, but changed my mind when I realised I was running fast. Very fast. Determined, I pushed myself harder and harder, to the quiet outskirts of the city. I found my way to Maximus's place easily. It was as though I honed in on his location.

He lived in a very fancy mansion-sized building on a small but well-kept estate. I should have guessed. The exterior decorating made me want to puke, all overdone fountains and played-out colours. I was surprised by how unafraid I was. I had worked myself up into a fit of anger that was keeping me going. If I was entirely honest, part of me was too tired to care if I lived or died.

Two vampires stood outside the house and clocked me with surprise clear on their faces.

"I'm here to see Maximus," I said. To my relief, my voice stayed steady. They let me pass without speaking a word.

The front door opened before I reached it. A young girl dressed in a stereotypical slutty maid costume greeted me. Puncture wounds on her neck were barely healed. I stifled a shudder.

"Follow me," she said in a sweet voice. I wanted to cry for her. She was someone's kid.

She moved purposely slowly then gave a neat little curtsey and held open a door for me. I made my way into the room, recognising Maximus straight away—even if I hadn't, it was obvious who was in charge. He was the one lounging on an old-fashioned chaise lounge, fawned over by the others. One vampire sat closer to Maximus than the rest, his blond hair caressed by Maximus's oversized hands.

"Come in, come in," Maximus called out, as if I were an old friend. He rose to his feet and knocked the blond vampire aside carelessly. He scowled behind Maximus's back, hatred in his eyes.

"I really didn't expect to see you so soon," Maximus said.

I stepped closer to him. "You have my grandmother?" I said as boldly as I dared.

Maximus grinned and tossed his hair. "I do, indeed. But enough about that —"

"Let her go, and then we'll talk."

Maximus frowned. I obviously wasn't acting the way he wanted me to. Judging by some of the other vampires in the room, he was used to those more docile than I.

"I don't want to," he said, surprise making his voice high. I noticed the blond vampire roll his eyes, and a couple of others shook their heads in disgust—apparently Maximus wasn't a popular leader, after all.

"Then I won't talk." I shrugged and put my hands in my pockets so he wouldn't see them shake.

For a couple of seconds, I expected him to attack. His chin shook, and his eyes narrowed as he looked at me, but then the smile returned. "I think you will, young lady, but I don't mind humouring you. Bring out the old woman."

He stared me down as two vampires left the room. They weren't as thin as Arthur, but they seemed as obedient as Carl had been. Either vampires could control other vampires, or else they were terrified of Maximus.

The duo soon returned with my grandmother. I cried out at the state she was in. She had aged dramatically since I last saw her. She had been spry my whole life, but now she looked unbelievably frail. Tears formed in my eyes as I noticed dried blood splattered on her clothing and one side of her face. One of her eyes was bruised purple. Her face lit up with hope when she saw me, but the spark died almost as quickly.

"Let her go." I spoke through clenched teeth, ready to fight, but not willing to risk my grandmother being hurt. Our past didn't matter anymore—I wasn't about to let the vampires have her. Especially not Maximus.

"She's a feisty old lady," Maximus said, wandering over to her and lifting her chin. "I'd like to keep her." He turned to gauge my reaction with some satisfaction.

"If you want my help then you won't piss me off. Don't give me a reason to look for revenge." I glared at him, his arrogance making me stubborn. He wanted me to join him, yet he threatened my family? His mistake.

Some of his vampire cronies rose to their feet and hissed their disapproval. Maximus laughed heartily, joined by his blond sidekick, as if they enjoyed the show.

"I'll let her go as soon as you tell me all about yourself. This little old lady knows nothing, it seems." He said it lightly, but I could feel his irritation and guessed my grandmother had been as stubborn as me. My chest swelled up with pride and gratitude as I realised she kept my secret.

"She's practically senile," I said, trying to sound scornful, bluffing in the hopes at least one of us would get out of the building alive. "She probably doesn't even remember who I am. But still, she's family. Let me send her off safely. If she calls me from a friend's place, then I'll do what you like. Me for her. What do you think?" I sauntered around the room, touching vases as I spoke. Maximus flinched each time. I picked one vase up and pretended to let it fall. Maximus cried out in horror. Imagine, a vampire attached to old pieces of pottery and glass.

"Whoops!" I put the vase back down and smiled sweetly at Maximus. "Well?"

"Fine," he said, charging past me to inspect his possessions. He pouted, probably because I wasn't begging, and I realised that everything had to be dramatic for him. I couldn't help wondering how he had become the coven leader when he seemed more concerned with getting attention than anything else.

"Get her out of here!" he shouted at the closest vampire to him who bowed her head and edged away from him.

"I need to say goodbye first," I said, stalling. "This is the last time I'll see her."

"True enough," Maximus said. The reminder seemed to cheer him up.

My grandmother swallowed a sob. I was only glad she had the peace of mind to keep quiet.

"Back off," I snapped at the vampires who held her. They moved away without argument. Maximus launched into an insulting tirade against them for not standing their ground. I saw it as an opportunity.

I grabbed my grandmother tightly then quickly slipped the dagger from the sleeve of my coat under her top to her waistband, hoping no one would notice. "Stay safe," I said.

Her chin quavered. "I love you, Ava. I'm so sorry for everything."

"I know. It's okay. I'll be okay. Go to Peter, call me, and let me know you're safe. Don't worry about me now." I didn't believe her, but I wasn't as scared anymore. I was sort of resigned to the fact something bad was going to happen to me. At least I had helped Carl; that counted for something.

Maximus gestured idly toward us. "Take her to her desired destination. See she makes it alive." He sounded bored, and I wanted to hurt him—force him to take our lives seriously. A couple of vampires grabbed my grandmother's arms and led her away. I watched her leave and felt completely alone.

Chapter Fourteen

Maximus grabbed me from behind and sniffed my skin with a moan.

"Daylight and humanity. It's all over you, my dear. You'll be so useful. I reward loyalty, you know."

"Like Arthur?" I said, remembering how Maximus had repaid his loyalty.

Maximus threw me to my knees, enraged. "Don't speak to me of that name," he shrieked, hysteria in his voice. I was surprised by how easily he became unbalanced, not what I expected from a vampire.

Maximus lifted his arms, closed his eyes, and made a show of breathing deeply. He then sat down and relaxed with a smile. I attempted to get to my feet.

"Do not move!" he screamed at me, his face convulsing with anger. "Stay on the ground like the dog bitch you are!"

One of the vampires kicked me back down, not holding back. I grunted loudly, winded, amazed by the sheer force of strength. Maximus smiled happily again. He was completely psychotic, I realised. I wasn't going to survive for long, no matter how valuable he thought I was.

"Now," he said, as if nothing had happened. "Why don't you tell me all about yourself?"

I shook my head. "Not until my grandmother calls."

Tutting, he folded his arms. "I don't have time for that," he whined.

I eyed him, wary, waiting for him to do something unpredictable.

He smiled suddenly and looked all too pleased with himself. "I'll just have to tease it out of you."

He jumped to his feet before I knew what was happening then kicked me hard in the stomach. He lifted his foot to kick again, but this time I was ready. I grabbed his leg and tore a chunk of flesh and cloth away with my fangs. Someone grabbed me back by the hair as Maximus howled in frustration and pain, his cry a major exaggeration. The blond vampire's eyes gleamed with excitement as he punched me in the face whilst the others held me still.

After my nose had broken noisily, they threw me forward onto the ground. Gasping with pain, I curled up into a ball as kick after kick rained down on me. My face, stomach and back burned with pain as Maximus and his crew enjoyed their sport. It felt like an eternity, but finally, everything faded to black.

***

I awoke to something ice cold dripping onto my forehead. I was completely alone in pitch blackness, but I could sense it was daylight. The irritating drip persisted. I struggled to move my head away, but I was pinned down by something heavy. My arms were tied above my head, and it was cold in the room.

After a couple of minutes of futile struggling, I prayed for the intense pain of the night before so unconsciousness would claim me again. My arms ached, and the rope was so tight that my wrists burned with pain. The dripping was the worst; my head ached from it, but I couldn't even move a centimetre to ease the relentless pain.

After an hour, I was sobbing, and by the time a couple more hours had gone by, I felt like I was going insane. I couldn't relax for a second, unsure when the vampires or their human servants would come back—if they ever did. I shivered with a chill, and each movement felt like another kick in the stomach.

My arms had gone thankfully numb, but I had a persistent fear they weren't there at all. My head pounded until I wanted to scream, but my throat was so dry, nothing more than a croak came out of my mouth.

I was exhausted, mentally and physically, but the waiting was the worst. It was so dark, I was so alone, and I couldn't sense a thing. I wept for what seemed like hours. Each minute was both hopeful and devastatingly anti-climatic as I waited for something to happen, someone to come, somehow for it all to end. I couldn't see a way out.

Night came at last. I sensed the vampires awakening. The doors of the room opened, flooding the place with light that burned my eyes. A figure approached me. My eyes were too screwed up from the light to see who it was, but I recognised the voice.

"How lovely to see you, my dear," Maximus said. "Did you have a nice rest?"

I kept my eyes closed. I couldn't manage speaking.

"Get her out of here, take her into the main room, and quench her thirst."

I wasn't thirsty. I wasn't anything anymore. I wasn't sure if I was alive. Hands grabbed at me roughly, setting me free and carrying me off. The light was too much for me to bear. My arms still existed. I could tell by the sudden burning pain as blood rushed to my fingertips.

I was barely conscious by the time they lay me down on a flat surface. My breathing sounded funny, harsh and jerky. I remembered my nose had been broken, but the thought drifted idly around in my head.

"Are you ready to talk to me now?" Maximus said, pacing up and down. "Your grandmother didn't call, I'm afraid. Perhaps she had a heart attack on the way."

I heard his words, but they flitted about my brain, never quite holding down in the one spot. They sounded slow, like they moved up and down a spectrum of sound, each one echoing until all of the words had been heard. His voice bounced around my brain until, finally, I understood.

"Get her a drink, I said!" Maximus shouted, sounding furious. I drifted off only to be woken by a warm splattering of liquid on my parched lips. I licked then opened my mouth willingly, letting a stream of blood fall down my throat until I choked on it. The flow stopped, and I coughed for a minute then licked at my lips steadily. Eventually, I even managed to open my eyes, feeling less broken than before.

"There she is," Maximus said, standing by my shoulder, rubbing his hands together in delight. "Nice to see you back with us, my dear. Now, can you talk?"

At first only a dry, dusty sound came from my throat. Finally, I managed one word as Maximus eagerly leaned over me to hear.

"Granny."

He tutted. "I told you, she's gone. Now, tell me about your creator. Do you know his name? Do you remember what happened?"

I nodded slowly, feeling like every cell in my body was aching.

"Tell me!"

"Fuck... you." I could barely hear myself, but apparently Maximus got the message loud and clear. He thumped hard on my stomach. My body jerked of its own accord as blood gurgled up into my mouth. I leaned my face to one side and let the blood flow out of my mouth and down my cheek. I was going to die.

Maximus picked up a scalpel, but I didn't have the energy to panic.

"Don't you think she's had enough?" the blond vampire said. "We need her alive, remember?"

Maximus squared up to him, his nostrils flaring. The blond didn't back off, but he stayed silent as Maximus shouted in his face. "I decide when she's had enough!"

He returned to the table, smiling brightly, and carefully drew the blade along my stomach, cutting away my clothes, a little piece at a time. He sliced my skin, lightly at first, then piercing jabs that jolted my whole body. I closed my eyes, ignoring the pain. I heard Maximus scream with fury, but I felt a cool breeze against my cheek and retreated into myself.

His voice grew distant as I concentrated on good things. Crushing on Peter, Carl volunteering to stick around and help me, the sun on my skin, chocolate, and the colour of daffodils in spring. I smiled and sensed Maximus going into a rage. He could hurt my body all he liked, but my mind was safe, locked up in my own world. I drifted away again, and this time I didn't expect to wake back up.

***

"Ava!" A familiar voice brought me back into the world. I groaned as pain hit me as hard as a wall. "Jesus! Look at her!" It was Peter.

"Not possible," I tried to say, but my mouth was too swollen.

I opened my eyes and saw a vague shape ahead of me, but my vision was blurred and scarily bad.

"You went too far, Maximus," a woman's voice said. A figure leaned over me and poured more liquid into my mouth. Blood, tasting wonderfully citrusy. I instantly felt further away from death. My vision cleared, but the figure was gone. I blinked at the ceiling, focusing on the lights, and listened instead.

"It's nothing to do with you," Maximus was saying.

The woman hesitated, as if waiting for him to apologise. When he didn't, she spoke again, her voice harsher this time. "I'm leader for a reason. Do I need to put manners on you yet again? I want her out of here."

I tilted my head and saw a group of people a few feet away. Daimhín, Eddie, Peter, Carl, and even my grandmother. My head swirled in confusion. How was that possible?

"She's mine," Maximus said, his tone sulky.

"I claim her," Daimhín said.

"Why? To kill her?"

"Probably," Daimhín said. "But Eddie here has an interesting proposal. I'd like him talk to the girl right now."

Maximus made an infuriated noise but didn't stop Eddie as he approached me along with Peter.

"Ava," Eddie said under his breath. "Daimhín is willing to take you from here. All you have to do is agree to work for her."

I shook my head slightly. From one monster to another, how was that making it better? Eddie made a frustrated sound, and Peter moved closer to me.

"I know what you're thinking," Peter said. "But my rule is this, do what keeps you alive right now and figure out the rest later. We'll think of a way out, but for now we have to do what we can to get you out of this mess. Listen to Eddie this time."

I stared at Peter, but I felt numb. I didn't know what was right anymore.

"She said yes," Eddie called out.

"Did she really?" Daimhín asked. I couldn't tell if she was happy or disappointed. I couldn't work for the one woman who wanted me dead. At least Maximus needed me alive, whether he had the self-control to keep me that way or not. I gazed at Peter pleadingly, but he shook his head. "Yeah, she agreed," he told them all. I heaved a weary sigh, my chest spiking with pain.

"Let's get her out of here then," Daimhín said. She lifted me carefully and carried me past my grandmother and Carl. She seemed physically okay, but Carl had a bloody bandage wrapped tight around one wrist. It barely registered that I must have drunk his blood.

Daimhín carried me to her own car, giving me the chance to take one last look around. A whole fleet of cars had been parked outside; it looked as though she'd brought along an army. Maximus didn't dare challenge her. He just stood there swearing instead. I knew the others were following, but only my grandmother was allowed in Daimhín's car.

"Drive to her apartment," ordered Daimhín. The woman in the passenger seat inclined her head then gave me a quick glance. I realised she was Peter's girlfriend. Daimhín's assistant? I blacked out before I could process the thought.

Chapter Fifteen

I woke in my own bed. Aching all over, I licked my lips and tasted blood. I tried to sit, but my entire body protested so I gave up.

"You feeling okay?"

I tried to look around without moving my head. Carl sat beside my bed, big black bags under his eyes. His stubble was turning into a proper tawny beard. I tried to speak, but no sound came out. I rolled my eyes instead. It was a stupid question, anyway.

"Hold on, I'll get help."

Like I was going anywhere. My eyes closed again, but before I could lose myself completely, voices filtered through the film of pain around me. A cool breeze blew on my neck, clearing my head. Opening my eyes, I saw Eddie holding a blood bag over me. I tried to mouth the word no, but he ignored me. I was terrified of being overwhelmed by the thirst. I didn't want to feed the built-in addiction I was carrying around with me.

"Take this quietly, Ava. You'll heal faster this way. All the damage is on the inside."

I opened my mouth obediently as he carried on speaking, his tone hypnotic.

"We've been forcing it down you for days now. You've been unconscious for that long. We couldn't take you to the hospital because your fangs wouldn't retract. Besides, a human doctor can't fix a supernatural being."

Days. How many days? Not that it mattered. I was alive. I hadn't expected to get out of Maximus's place alive.

"If you took some fresh blood, from the source, you would heal up much more quickly," he said. "They won't let it happen until you agree, though. What do you think?"

I shook my head as hard as I dared, glaring at him. The bagged blood didn't taste quite right, but it was better than knowing someone in my life cut themselves open to feed me.

I slept after I drank, but the pain wracking my body was less excruciating than before.

When I next woke, it was night. My grandmother sat by my bedside, wide awake and alert. She looked better than the last time I'd seen her, but she was pale, and her head was still noticeably wounded with a deep cut. The bruise around her eye had turned yellow and somehow that looked worse to me.

"Come 'ere," I mumbled. She leaned over me as though I were about to say my last words. I raised my hand to my lips as slowly as possible then licked. She cocked her head, looking first confused and then disturbed as I pressed my wet fingers to her wound. I watched it heal rapidly. She felt the area with cautious touches, her eyes widening as she realised what I'd done.

"Wow."

I nodded carefully, surprised to find my body wasn't as stiff as before.

"You were very brave, Ava. I was so proud. I'm sorry I let myself be taken. I mean, I opened the door to a bunch of vampires without even realising it."

"Doesn't matter. I was screwed either way. They would have gotten to me somehow. Better to go to them than wait in fear for the rest of my life."

I cleared my throat. It felt better. I sat up, careful not to move too fast. I was in my own bedroom, but everything looked different. I couldn't put my finger on why.

"So what happened when you left Maximus's place?"

She looked away and frowned. "The vampires drove me to Peter's house, but they wouldn't let me call you. Peter was frantic. Eddie was already there. They were all trying to figure out what had happened. Eddie decided we could only beat Maximus's coven by using someone bigger and better." She pulled her arms around herself, as if guarding herself from her memories.

"So, it was Eddie's idea?" I asked.

"Yes," she said. "He organised a meeting with Daimhín, but she warned him not to go near the coven during the day, or she'd be forced to act against him. He persuaded her it would be better to use you than let Maximus keep you. She thought about it and said she had a few jobs for you, if you were willing. We had to wait until night again. It was awful."

"Looks like everything's all figured out for me."

"Oh, don't worry, Ava. Peter said as soon as we got you back, we'd figure out how to get you away from Daimhín safely. We've all been discussing it while you were unconscious. I'm glad you have so many people ready to take care of you."

I avoided her eyes. I remembered it differently. My grandmother didn't seem to notice.

"Daimhín actually seemed reasonable," she continued. "For a vampire. The other one though, he's crazy. I thought he would kill me for breathing too loud."

"Yeah, he seemed pretty unstable to me too. Listen, I'm tired, so go get some sleep, okay?"

She nodded then kissed my forehead. When she left, I tried to think. The cold breeze was gentle now, as delicate as a kiss on my cheek.

"Thanks," I said out loud, then felt stupid. I was still worried about Daimhín. What if she wanted me to murder babies or something sick like that? Although she was more in control of herself than Maximus; he was ridiculously unbalanced. Being away from him was looking like the better option. But if I was around him, there was more chance of me getting my own back.

Peter and Carl visited me soon after, Carl carrying a bunch of flowers. I eyed his still bandaged wrist in concern. Peter asked me how I was, but I wasn't in the mood for pleasantries.

"Did you set me up?" I asked him.

"What? No!"

"So it's a coincidence that the infamous day assistant that everyone's been talking about just so happens to be your girlfriend? A fact I discovered after you told Daimhín I'd work for her?" My voice shook with anger, the idea he might have betrayed me consumed my thoughts.

"It's not like that," Peter insisted, shaking his head.

"What's it like then?" I said.

"I don't have to explain myself to you." His eyes turned hard, and he stormed out of the room slamming the door behind him.

"He wouldn't do something like that," Carl said.

"Don't even talk to me. Look at what you did," I said, pointing at his wrist.

He fidgeted, looking bashful. "You needed help, and I could give it, so I did."

"You could have been killed; cutting yourself in a room full of vampires. What were you thinking?" I couldn't believe how reckless he was.

"I'm not like Peter. I helped you the only way I could. I'll leave, I'm sorry." Carl hurried to the door, but I called him back. He hesitated, ready to run.

"Wait, Carl. I... thank you. For helping me." I felt guilty for not allowing him to have his hero moment. He gave me a meek smile then hurried off, leaving me alone to sleep again.

I was woken a while later by someone gently shaking my shoulder. I opened my eyes to see Daimhín, accompanied by her assistant, Peter's girlfriend. I glowered at that one, feeling just as betrayed again.

"I wanted to pay a visit to my newest employee," Daimhín said, her cold face as unreadable as stone. "How are you feeling?"

"Alive. Sort of."

"Did you tell him how you were created?" She got straight to the point, but after Maximus's theatrics, I appreciated her bluntness.

I shook my head slightly. "No, of course not."

"Even while you were tortured?" She was persistent, but for once, I was sure of myself.

"He would have stopped torturing me if I talked," I reminded her.

"Somehow, I doubt that."

"Whatever. I didn't tell him anything. I don't tell people that stuff," I said.

"Good. I still have an advantage over him then. I have you."

"I thought you wanted me dead." But she was in my home; that shouldn't have been possible if she wished me harm.

"I do, in theory," she said. "But if I think a daywalker will be useful, I keep them. Like a pet."

"I'm not a pet." I was furious by the nonchalance in her words.

She inclined her head. "Probably not. I've been looking for you for quite some time, and now you're working for me. Strange how things work out." She laughed. "There are occasionally things I'd like done by people like you. I think you'll enjoy the first job, actually."

She smiled so suddenly, I wanted to flinch. I did my best to keep still. Daimhín was not someone I wanted to show weakness in front of.

"What's it like?" she asked.

"What?" The quick change in subject confused my already dull thinking.

"The sun. It's been a long time. What's it like for a vampire to walk in the sun?"

"I'm not a vampire either," I said, my teeth clenched.

"No, I suppose you're not. Not really. Ms. Delaney, it's crucial that no vampire learn how you came about. The world is better off without this knowledge."

"As are you. I mean, you stay in control, right?"

"True," she said, nodding her head. "But it just so happens that the greater good and my goals coincide for once. Let's keep it that way. You stay loyal to me. And I'll stay loyal to you. I don't want you around me so often, you know. I'd like to keep you away from vampires, full stop. But if I need you, then you have to come running. That's the deal."

Her icy blue eyes pierced into me. I had the sudden fear that she could read my mind. The way the corner of her mouth curved upward into a smirk didn't help.

"If my family and the people around me stay safe from your kind then we have a deal."

Daimhín inclined her head slightly. "I hear you have the dagger."

The air tightened. "What dagger?" I bluffed.

"Now, now, I can't take it from you. I'm surprised you can touch it. It burns the poison from our bodies, purges us of the very thing which animates us. I suppose it works differently for you."

The cold presence was back, carefully breathing on my arm as if to keep me calm. After everything, I was happy to have it around.

She sniffed the air. "Is there something here?"

The cool air grew icy on my arm. "What?" I said, knowing full well what she meant this time.

She glanced around the room, more curious than concerned. "No matter," she said, at last. "As for your family and friends, they'll be safe from me, but are they safe from you? And if you don't feed, how can you protect them?"

"I don't have to feed," I hissed.

"You're not feeding yourself with the blood," she said. "It's the poison in your blood stream that craves it. The poison can't strengthen you if you don't feed it."

"But I don't kill people. I don't eat them either!" I had to make sure she knew I wasn't like her.

She surprised me by laughing girlishly. She leaned forward conspiratorially.

"Tell me. Do vampires count as people?"

I stared back at her, unsure of what my answer was to that.

She relaxed back into her chair, suddenly looking more like a school teacher than a ruler of vampires.

"Let me tell you about your first job."

Epilogue

The sun beamed down on my face. It seemed poignant that the sun was out in all its glory on the day I was sent to complete my first job. Humming to myself, I tried to gather my confidence together, the only thing I lacked. Maximus's torture had taken more out of me than blood and pain. It had taken three weeks, but physically, I was fully healed apart from the scar on my chest. It itched sometimes, but I would take that over torture and death any day. Mentally was another story, one I wasn't particularly ready to deal with.

I took short, quick strides, counting fourteen at a time as I wondered at how much one short month had changed my world. I was more aware of the vampire side of me, I was in the employment of the head vampire in Ireland, I was back in touch with my grandmother, and I wasn't so scared of humans anymore. Seclusion didn't seem like the best idea any longer, but there was still fear. I had opened myself up to so many people—I was afraid of being hurt by them.

Life wasn't perfect. My grandmother and I weren't exactly close, but at least I could call her and know she wouldn't howl at the moon about it or call me Lilith for my trouble. I wasn't sure if we could ever be close, but we were working on rebuilding our relationship. Admittedly, she was the one making the effort, but as far as I was concerned, she was the one who had screwed things up in the first place.

Carl was having problems adjusting to his normal life, so I was keeping out of his way—and away from the memory of his blood. He didn't talk about it much, but I sensed he was having a hard time dealing with it. I still felt the occasional ache after our bond was ripped apart. I didn't want to ask how it was going for him.

Peter had gone off my radar for the most part. I didn't know if I could trust him. Between him bringing me to Eddie in the first place, agreeing on my behalf to work for Daimhín, and possibly being the boyfriend of Daimhín's day assistant, I wasn't sure what to think.

The loose ends made me panic. Besides knowing I had a lifetime of "favours" to do for Daimhín, I owed one to Eddie too. He could collect at any time, and I still wasn't sure who he really was, or if he was keeping an eye on me. Even Arthur had warned me to trust no one, but his warning was too vague to be of any real use.

Thinking about everything unsettled me. I swallowed down an anxiety attack and concentrated on making it through the day. I held my cross and counted to fourteen as I waited for a set of traffic lights to change. Even though the magic had worn off, I still felt something in the silver. It comforted me, and I was sure it had to have some remnants of power remaining because the thirst was nowhere near as uncontrollable as it had been despite the fact it had been fed while I was badly injured.

The cold presence was still hanging around. I didn't have a clue what it was, but I was sure it had tried to warn me of danger, and for that, I was grateful. I slipped my hand in my pocket and felt the warmth of the dagger. Eddie hadn't asked for it back, and I wasn't going to hand it over voluntarily. I still felt a huge sense of ownership. It was overflowing with power; I would be nothing without it.

I reached my destination all too soon. Wrapped up in my own thoughts, I hadn't realised how fast I had been walking. Taking a deep breath, I walked through the gate and straight up to the bodyguards at the front door. Adrenalin buzzed through my veins, but I hoped I wouldn't have to hurt the humans.

Two tall, bulky men stepped in my way. I gripped the dagger tightly, remembering my instructions to leave an obvious message. One of the men laughed scornfully. "Are we supposed to be scared of that little butter knife?"

"No, you're supposed to be scared of these," I hissed, letting my fangs show freely. The man paled and ran, not loyal enough to risk being bitten. The other hesitated even when I got in his face. I groaned inwardly then kneed him in the groin. Hard. He jerked backward without a sound. I watched with some fascination as his face turned white, then red, and finally purple. Wheezing, he toppled over, clutching at himself, no longer a threat to anyone.

I kicked the front door open with ease. I'd been fed a lot of blood while I was healing, courtesy of Daimhín's kitchen. I didn't ask questions. It was better that way. I was off the blood, but I still felt the after effects—I was faster, stronger, less likely to count heartbeats to keep calm.

I looked around quickly, expecting more bodyguards, but either Maximus was extremely lax or extremely cocky. I knew which one I was going for.

I followed Daimhín's very specific directions and found Maximus's underground bedroom. It was a windowless basement dressed up to look like it had been furnished for royalty. Pretentious to the last.

Maximus lay on satin sheets in a bed that could probably fit six people. As soon as I saw his sleeping face, I felt rage bubble up and threaten to explode out of me. He had taken my grandmother, scared me, hurt me, made me think I was going to die, almost killed me, and only let me go because a more powerful vampire wanted me instead. He was spoilt, petulant, needy, and unfair. He had no loyalty to his own kind, and he was completely unstable.

I hesitated. The world was better off without him—but a final death was too good for him.

I could take him.

Hurt him. Make him suffer. Make him plead for mercy. Daimhín would never know, probably wouldn't care either. I stood over him, contemplating, dagger in hand. Then, as a cold breath chilled my neck, I realised I couldn't do it. I could never be like him, even if I wanted to.

I'd been having nightmares since I left his house. I woke up screaming most nights. Alone and scared. He had marked me in his own way. Daimhín's first job for me was the final death of Maximus, but I would have done it anyway. Or I'd never have a good night's sleep again.

Trembling, I raised the dagger then stabbed him in the heart, knowing a feeling of satisfaction that couldn't be topped. His eyes shot open and looked straight at me. He tried to rise up against me, but it was too late. His blood went on fire inside his body, bloody vein by bloody vein. He gasped with pain, unable to make a sound beyond a choking noise as his throat burned with the rest of him.

He stretched out his arm before collapsing backward, his body slowly turning to ash. A permanent death. A true death. It was over, all over. And I was the last sight he saw. It was over so quickly, it barely seemed real.

I couldn't stop shaking as I left the building. I wanted to set the whole place on fire, burn the lot of them, but Daimhín had warned me not to harm another vampire. I was Maximus's punishment for trying to mutiny against Daimhín. The others would heed his death as a warning.

By the time I got to the end of the road, I was sweating profusely and had to sit down. I kept expecting him to be there when I turned around; it was like my mind was taking its damn time realising he was really gone.

I jumped with fright as my mobile rang. It was my grandmother.

"Is it done?"

"Yeah, he's gone. Burned in his bed."

"Poor soul," was the dry reply. "And you? Is it better?"

"I feel... numb. But glad too. Glad it was me. I'll feel better as soon as it sinks in." I hoped.

"I wish I'd been there. To see it."

"Well, it's done now. Back to normal." Until the next job. But I couldn't think about that. Not yet.

"Why don't you come over? I'll make you tea."

I thought about it. After killing something in cold blood, I needed a bit of normality, a bit of humanity. "Tea sounds good actually," I said. "I'll be there."

I hung up and left to have tea with my grandmother as any human might do, but my smile was grim. I had no idea what the next day would bring—but at least I was alive.

###

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Keep reading for two preview chapters of Taunt – Ava Delaney #2, currently on sale at 99c.

Complete Original Ava Delaney Series:

Thirst

Taunt

Tempt

Taken

Taste

Traitor

Preview 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 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.

Preview 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. 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 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 haven'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. "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 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 drank 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 pink, 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.

Daimhin 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?"
For more information, check out Claire Farrell's blog or email the author.  Sign up to the newsletter to be notified of new releases and receive occasional coupon codes for free copies, or like the Facebook page for more regular updates.

Books by Claire Farrell:

Chaos Series:

One Night with the Fae (Free Companion Prequel)

Soul (Chaos #1) – Free

Fade (Chaos #2)

Queen (Chaos #3)

Usurper (Chaos #4)

Blight (Chaos #5)

Ava Delaney Series (Completed):

Thirst (Ava Delaney #1) – Free

Taunt (Ava Delaney #2)

Tempt (Ava Delaney #3)

Taken (Ava Delaney #4)

Taste (Ava Delaney #5)

Traitor (Ava Delaney #6)

Awakening (Ava Delaney Volume I – Books 1-3)

Uprising (Ava Delaney Volume II – Books 4-6)

Lost Souls Series:

Tainted (Ava Delaney: Lost Souls #1)

VBI Series:

Demon Dog (VBI #1)

Cursed Series (Completed):

Verity (Cursed #1) – Free

Clarity (Cursed #2)

Adversity (Cursed #2.5 – Free

Purity (Cursed #3)

Cursed Omnibus (Entire Cursed Series)

Stake You Series (Completed):

Stake You (Stake You #1) – Free

Make You (Stake You #2)

Break You (Stake You #3)

Short Story Collections:

Sixty Seconds

A Little Girl in my Room

Other:

Death is a Gift (A standalone banshee novel)

Zombie Moon Rising (A Peter Brannigan Novella)

Ghost Moon Rising (A Peter Brannigan Novella)

Upcoming Releases:

Tethers (Ava Delaney: Lost Souls #2)

Sacrifice (Chaos #6)

