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Ashley

This was fine. She was fine.

Ashley wiped blood off the blue card, which—according to her color key and risk/reward system—was the start of her next best course of action now that yellow was out. She’d planned on taking a picture of the wall so she could carry it with her when she left and zoom in on the cards when she needed to reference them, but now blood covered half the words. She tried to gently wipe another card with her shaky fingers, and her perfect calligraphy smudged. Or maybe that was just her eyesight going a little fuzzy. She dropped onto her box, both exhausted and frustrated. Why bother salvaging her plan if she was dying anyway?

The puking had stopped, but she was shaking, and her vision was blurring. Still, it might just be a bad reaction. Maybe she wasn’t dying. In which case, she needed her cards and color key. Maybe she could number the cards and use a clip to keep them with the key. It wouldn’t be as convenient as seeing them all inorder, but she could recreate her wall when she reached her next location. Wherever that was…

Yes, numbering the cards was the best solution. This solved all her problems. She pulled out a silver gel pen—the obvious choice for blue—and started numbering.

There was a banging at the front door. Ashley obviously couldn’t answer it. She was in hiding. It was rather insistent though. Didn’t matter, she continued numbering.

“Ashley!” That was Esther’s voice.

It was more muffled than she was used to, but she’d recognize that voice anywhere. One person had left the house while she was talking to Cynthia—she wasn’t sure who—which left a fifty-fifty chance that either Hannah or John answered the door.

Please, go away, wished Ashley.

The upper stairs creaked.

Tell her to go away.

The front door opened, but Ashley’s ears stuffed up like she’d left a concert after camping out in front of the speakers.

But she recognized that deep voice—John.

She crept closer to the stairs, hoping to get a better sense of what they were saying over the sound of footsteps. Had Esther come inside? There was shuffling, a loud crash, then Esther screamed.

Ashley’s limbs felt like they were moving through water, but she ran up the stairs and burst into the living room.

John had his arms locked across Esther’s chest as she tried vainly to block her neck.

“Ashley.” John’s voice was its usual slow and proud cadence. “I had a feeling that was you stowed away. You think I couldn’t hear you scuttling around down there like a rat?”

“Leave her alone, John. She isn’t part of this.”

Esther continued to fidget in his arms. Ashley wished she’d stop drawing attention to herself.

“I told you there would be consequences.” He leaned, his fangs inches from Esther’s neck.

Ashley clenched her fists, but there wasn’t anything she could do. John was hundreds of years older than her, and with time came speed and strength. He could snap Esther’s neck before Ashley took a single step. A wave of dizzying nausea passed over her—as though she needed another reminder of her disadvantage. It took all her concentration to keep from swaying on her feet.

“Take me instead.” Ashley clenched her fists. “You want someone to take your anger out on. Why not go to the source?”

“Your blood is not as sweet,” he replied.

He grazed a fang along Esther’s neck, leaving a small, red trail behind. A single drop of blood leaked from the opening. Ashley concentrated on controlling her breathing, holding back the urge to fling him from Esther, to curl her body around Esther’s and never let anything harm her ever again.

With dramatic slowness, John dragged his tongue along Esther’s neck, cleaning away the drop of blood.

“Stop it!” Ashley screamed, dropping her fangs.

Her cheeks felt wet. She hated to think she was crying, showing weakness in front of John, but that was what she was—weak.

Esther turned her nose inches from his, her face blank. Had John mesmerized her as well? Were there no boundaries he wouldn’t cross? Esther’s hand lifted, reaching for his cheek.

John said nothing, looking only at Esther, his lip curling in an amused smile.