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“Isabel, Adam and… Nicholas.” He pulled a face as he spoke the name. “Are they staying? The number of vamps in this city’s been decent for years, thanks to you. With two more in the city – that can only last so long.”

I wasn’t buying his innocent act for a second. If I was honest, I didn’t have an answer. Everything I’d learned tonight about how vampirism spread made it worse – sure, Isabel and Nicholas could control their feeding, but anyone they sired, intentionally or not, might not be so careful. And when I tried to picture myself turning against them… my chest twisted painfully. I couldn’t do it.

I sighed. “I don’t know, Tom. I haven’t given it much thought. I’m taking the days one at a time.”

“You don’t seem to have thought much about any of the tough questions.”

“Please don’t be like that.” I rubbed at my temples, fighting the headache. “I’m trying to talk this out with you, and you’re jumping down my throat.” When he just stared back stonily, I threw up my hands. “Can’t we deal with the problem that’s affecting us right now and worry about everything else later?”

“What if later, we’re not around to worry about it?” He raised an eyebrow. “We might go into this together – if you get your way, and you usually do – but there’s no guarantee we survive. Who’s going to make sure your precious new vamp friends are under control after?”

“Is this a jealousy thing?” The words came out sharper than I intended. “Are you mad because I made other friends?”

“I’m angry,” Tom’s voice dropped dangerously low, “because your new friends have centuries of murderous history as baggage, Erin. That’s not easy to take when you prefer to spend time with them than with me.”

“You’re not exactly being the greatest friend right now,” I said evenly.

He glared at me for a minute and abruptly stood.

“I trust you, Erin. But them? Not a bloody chance. I’ll help because I have to, but don’t think for a second I’m keeping quiet about it after.”

21: None Can Save All

Isat in furious silence. Tom had stormed into the kitchen, but I didn’t follow. I knew he wouldn’t leave – he distrusted the vamps too much to risk being alone. Breathing heavily, I tried to calm myself down, but I was struggling. What had started as mildly upsetting had led to anger, and I needed to get out – if only for some fresh air and to rid myself of the headache.

I had my boots on and was out of the door before Tom could stop me. Running through the streets in the leftover slush of the recent snow, it began to rain. I kept going, no longer caring how wet and cold I was. I just needed to expel the energy inside of me.

By the time I slowed to a jog miles from the house, my lungs were burning and my heart was racing. I leaned forward, hands on my knees to catch my breath. The rain was still coming down, but I wasn’t cold anymore.

Looking around, I found myself back at the park with the old lodge, though I hadn’t planned to come here. I straightened and stretched, turning my face to the sky. I felt better – and there wasno harm in doing a quick sweep while I was here. It wasn’t even midnight yet. And it might keep me from thinking of Tom’s words – because some of them were just a bit too close to the bone. There was no way I was ready to think about all that.

Vaulting the high gate with ease, I smirked as I landed lithely. Finally, I was feeling physically like myself again. Hopefully, there’d be someone here to make my night worthwhile.

Pushing a hand through my soaked, heavy hair, I set off along the main path, peering into the shadows of the gigantic oaks spaced out across the lawns. As I passed the playground, movement flickered under the climbing frame. Seconds later, a limping tabby appeared, meowing at me mournfully before shooting away into the night. I glowered, disappointed.

Rain trickled down my neck and under my coat. As goosebumps prickled my flesh, I froze. Slowly, trying to appear as casual as possible, I took another look at the playground. There was someone there. I was sure of it.

I opened the small gate almost silently, edging around the back of the slide that created a small, enclosed hideaway. Under the rope bridge connecting the two sections of the frame, they huddled in the darkness. I shuddered, my entire body on edge. It hadn’t been just the cold.

An older man, his face haggard and ruined by prolonged exposure to the elements, lay lifeless across the lap of a young girl with dirty blonde hair. She was familiar, though I could barely see her features as she nuzzled her teeth into his throat, practically purring with contentment. Blood stained the man’sfilthy jacket, but even from here it was clear his heart was no longer pumping.

Crossing the tarmac in four long strides, I grabbed the girl by the hair and yanked her up from the ground, smashing her head into the underside of the slide. A metallic gong sounded through the night. For a moment, she clawed at my hand with her fingernails, trying to loosen my hold. I wound my hand more tightly into her greasy locks, pulling her neck backwards at a painful angle. She snarled, exposing her bloodstained teeth, but her arms dropped to her sides limply.

The clouds shifted above. Moonlight lit up the park and I fully saw her face for the first time. My grip loosened, and I threw her to the ground. In seconds, she’d pushed herself up on her elbows and was scowling at me, malice in her eyes.

My stomach lurched. It was the teenager I’d first seen at Solace’s – April and Will’s blood bag. No longer covered in scars, teeth marks or bruises; her skin glowed with the luminescence of eternal youth.

I stood there, staring at her in disbelief. She glared back, though she seemed dazed.

“No…” I murmured, the word catching over the hard lump that had formed in my throat. She couldn’t have been more than fifteen.

A slow, sly smile spread across her face. “I know you, don’t I? You smell… different.”

I said nothing. I didn’t know whether to feel anger or despair – after everything, I hadn’t even saved her. It was exactly what I didn’t need to see tonight – evidence to back upeverything Tom had said.

With a shaking sigh, I dropped to one knee and quickly unsheathed the Damascus knife buckled to my leg. Her eyes flicked to the blade as the moonlight glinted off it brightly, and back to my face. She scrambled backwards, hiding under the climbing frame.

I dived after her, catching her by the ankle. This was my mistake to fix. She tried to pull away and heaved the homeless man’s corpse at me with alarming strength. My grip broke. The body thudded against my chest, and I shoved him off me.