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His head hurt.

He wasn’t hungry, but he felt depleted somehow, anyway.

He imagined hewouldbe hungry again, and probably soon, even though they’d probably been feeding him from that bag for most of the night. His body was likely using every drop they’d given him to reknit his vampire flesh.

He was a little shocked at how much it had replaced of what he’d lost already.

He shuffle-stepped towards the door.

He moved slowly.

He took his time.

He could see where he was now; it was a small, cave-like, obviously underground cell, but not in the sense of a prison or jail cell. Remembering they were in the basement of a church, it crossed his mind that they might’ve left him in a prayer or meditation cell.

Whatever it was, it was quiet.

Deathly quiet.

They were far enough underground here, a drone wouldn’t hear them from above.

No wonder Malek and Tai had never been bothered here.

No wonder Malek had been reluctant to take Tai out of the Cauldron, where she’d been safe. The older of the two siblings hadn’t wanted to bring Tai into the larger New York Protected Area at all when Nick first met them. He’d been afraid of what might happen to her out there, and now, Nick almost understood.

He could feel the anxiousness in him rising already at the thought.

He was remembering bits and pieces of the things Tai had told him the last time he’d been awake. They’d disabled their implants and comms. They’d de-networked their headsets, which likely would be enough on its own to make St. Maarten apoplectic.

Nick didn’t even know how many of them were here.

He’d seen Malek, Wynter, Tai.

He swore he’d smelled Charlie, at least once.

He had memories of seeing Kit holding his other arm and wrist while she and Malek dragged him out from under the truck.

He might’ve glimpsed other faces and bodies under those dome stars, carrying him across the field in the dark, but he couldn’t remember.

Tai mentioned Morley. Had Morley been there? Morley hadn’t been helping to carry him too, had he? If so, Nick didn’t remember seeing him.

Had he really seen Kit? Or had he imagined that, too?

Had there been more of them?

Jordan.

Gaos.They had to find some way to get Jordan away from Archangel.

Or should they?

Would it be better to leave him where he was? Let him build a life for himself as a regular Midnight? What right did Nick have to make him a fugitive, a criminal, before he’d even adjusted to the idea of what he was? Why force him into a life on the run, a life possibly controlled by Brick and the White Death?

Nick could so easily get Damon killed.

He shoved the thought out of his mind before it could make him sad.

He tugged carefully on the metal door.