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“He was with Abel. I heard his voice.”

“I was?” Claude asks.

“You heard it? You never even saw him and you just… assumed it was him?” Alexei demands.

“There was nothing to fucking see in that darkness. All I could do was hear, and I heard him. Hell, maybe I saw him too, I don’t remember, I just know he was there,” I snap.

“Do you think you could tell me when this was? I’d love to know if I really do know this Abel guy,” Claude says. “I have traveled a lot and met many people. I don’t… recognize the name necessarily, but it doesn’t mean that I never met him.”

“I don’t know. It was a long time ago. That period of time was… I don’t know how long ago.”

Alexei doesn’t seem pleased, but I don’t give a shit if it means I can avoid telling him.

“If you told them the truth, I bet they’d be more willing to help you,” Mads says.

“I don’t want to tell them the truth. Do you want to recount how your family was killed?” I ask.

He grimaces. “You’re right. I do not. I’m sorry.”

Fuck. “I… didn’t mean to bring up bad memories. I’m not good at this shit.”

“You don’t have to tell me more,” Claude says. “But if you do remember when or how I might know Abel, it would really help.”

“Alright.”

We pull into the VRC before anything else happens, and they discreetly escort us into a different vehicle, another large three-row SUV, as they talk to DeGray and Briar and transfer Vivian’s body into their care.

I close my eyes and try to think about when it was that I’d heard Claude. Lost in that darkness, time shifts and moves in strange ways, and it’s hard to piece it all together.

At the time I heard his voice, I was in the dark because I refused to kill a child. Abel killed them anyway. But why does any of this stand out to me? What makes Claude’s voice stand out?

The car door opens and the four of them get in. Finn turns in his seat so he can look back at us. “Brooks is getting information on where to send you, and then we’re going to focus on finding out where Grady is.”

Mads speaks up. “Before we hunt for Grady, I insist on being taken to a lab. I want to make enough antidote that everyone here has some on their person. The ingredients are extremely expensive and hard to get, but I think it’s vital for the main detectives who will be trying to stop Abel to have them. ”

“Okay. I’ve informed Brooks, but we don’t happen to have a chemistry set lying around anywhere,” Finn says. “He’s looking into getting you over to the university.”

“Thank you.”

When we reach Orin’s, I still have absolutely no idea why I recognize Claude’s voice. Clearly, if I can’t even identify it, I should never have focused my attack on him. But my mind isn’t always reasonable after years spent with Abel.

Mind in turmoil, I get out of the vehicle and follow them up to the house. I’m honestly surprised Rylee isn’t already running out and making me promise to never leave her again. But when Finn opens the door, I freeze.

“He’s here, get Mads away,” I order as I rush in for Rylee. I don’t have to go far before I find her sitting at the dining room table. She’s seated next to Abel, who pats her head as he looks at me.

Orin is seated across from them, looking extremely tense, and another vampire I don’t recognize is seated next to him, his head bowed like he can’t even manage to look up with the aura Abel is exuding.

Abel smiles as he watches me. “Such a sweet girl here, Ender,” he says as he pats her head again. Rylee hugs her cat as she gives me a desperate look, obviously wanting to run to me but aware she can’t with Abel by her side.

“Orin and I were discussing his possible position as head of the US council. At first, I wasn’t certain, but I think he’d do well,” Abel continues as he stands up and walks toward us.

I want to kill him. I want to rush over and cut his fucking head off, but with how weak I currently feel, I know there’s absolutely no way.

And even with Marcus, Claude, and Alexei here to back me up, I’m aware that there’s no chance Abel would put himself in a position where he’d be at risk.

He must have vampires surrounding the place to protect himself.

“Pleasure to meet the rest of you. I’ve heard a lot about you,” he says as he stops in front of us.

“I know Ender, of course. We go way back. Marcus, I don’t believe we’ve ever met.

For being such an influential and impressive man, you sure don’t like to stick your head where the power is, do you? It’s good to finally meet you.”

“You’re under arrest for the abduction and attempted murder of Mads and Ender,” Marcus states.

Abel smiles. “Come on now… I’m the head of the council— creator of the council—and that man there is one of the most wanted vampire killers, while the other created a drug to wipe out vampires.

Do you really think they’re going to take their side?

How exactly is that going to work? You think the council won’t back me up when I simply state that we were apprehending two known killers? ”

Marcus grits his teeth. “I’ve never come across your name on the council.”

“I guess as the founder I never really thought I had to tack my name on something I own, but I could be wrong.” His attention shifts off Marcus like he’s already bored of him.

“Oh, and you are the infamous vampire hunter. You were quite the pain in my ass. Killed a couple of friends of mine,” he says as he eyes Alexei before moving on.

“Claude, right? We meet again. It was always a pleasure dealing with you,” he says, then turns to Finn.

“And Watson’s little pet?—”

“Stay the fuck away from him,” Marcus growls.

“Watson was good to me, and even though this nasty little human killed such a great man, I would never destroy something he adored.” He reaches out to pat Finn’s head, much like he had Rylee’s, but Marcus tries to smack his hand away.

The room becomes so suppressing that Marcus just barely manages to slide Finn behind him as Abel’s aura fights against Marcus’s.

If Marcus can’t defeat me, I can’t fathom he could defeat Abel.

Abel chuckles as he starts toward the door. “Ender, come along now. You know it’s time you returned home.”

I grit my teeth as I fight against the aura that once was capable of controlling me. I’m drawn into the darkness the moment I feel it, dragged straight down, and I know the only way out is to do as I’m told?—

A hand presses against my chest and my eyes snap open. Mads’s fingers dig into my shirt, giving me the strength I need to pull away from Abel’s control.

When I look up, Abel is watching me as I focus on Mads’s hand and the strength it gives me to stay in control. Abel merely grins, but it’s a look that tells me he’s not happy. He walks out of the house as I question why the fuck he left us all alone… and what he has planned.

Rylee bolts out of the chair, setting her cat down before rushing over to me and grabbing me. Only then does Mads’s hand pull away from me, but now I have Rylee to ground me.

“I was so scared. He was so scary. What’s he want? Why was he like that?” she asks as I pick her up and squeeze her.

“It’s okay,” I assure her. “You’re okay.”

“What the absolute fuck was that?” Finn asks. “Why was he so strong?”

“Because Watson created him. I don’t know how, but I know he called Watson his maker. Maybe using Miller’s research? Maybe using Miller himself? Fuck if I know. They didn’t exactly share their findings with me,” I say as Rylee’s fingers dig into my shirt. “You’re fine.”

“You okay, River?” Finn asks.

“Y-Yeah. I just… that was terrifying,” the vampire I didn’t recognize whispers.

Finn wonders, “Why’d he just walk out? If he wants Mads… why just leave?”

Well, that’s easy enough to figure out. “He’s confident he has or will have Grady.

As for the rest of you, he’s giving you a chance to join his side.

Same with Orin. It’s a threat. Do what he asks, and he’ll reward you.

Don’t and he’ll kill you. He knows that all of you are influential and useful.

So why dispose of you when he could use you?

You’d be wise to do as he asks,” I say. “I will deal with him myself. If you will just watch Rylee for a little bit longer?—”

“You are not doing this yourself,” Mads insists. “How exactly do you think that’ll turn out with you doing everything alone?”

“Hopefully, it’ll turn out with him dead,” I say as I set Rylee down and try to guide her back to Orin, but she refuses to let go of me.

Finn protests, “He can’t just… take over. He can’t just… he should be arrested and… fuck.”

“How are you going to arrest him?” I ask. “He’s literally the creator of the council which stands at the very top. Nothing the VRC can do or say matters to him.”

“If we work together—” Alexei begins but Marcus cuts him off.

“He was not alone here,” Marcus says. “Once we made contact with him, I could feel the vampires closing in. He has his own fucking army. Just because we stopped people who were likely working with him, like Chief Bowman and Addison, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t have more to fill their spots.

Ender is right. We are influential in the VRC and with the vampires outside of it. He’s seeing which side we take.”

I try to urge Rylee to the others, but her fingers are digging so tightly into my shirt that she’s threatening to tear it. “None of it will matter if he’s dead. As soon as I recover, I’m going to kill him. Take care of Rylee until I’m done.”

I turn toward the door, but Claude steps in front of me and grabs the front of my shirt. It immediately puts me on edge, but the look on his face stops me.

“What did he do with them?”

“What?” I ask.

“I was selling artifacts at the time and was asked to transport some people into Abel’s care since I was going there to deliver a book.

What did he do with them? I didn’t speak their language.

What did he do with the people? Were you there?

You were the vampire who was chained up, weren’t you?

He told me you were a killer. I remember that you begged me to kill you. ”

I jerk back, having forgotten that. It’s not like he was the only one I begged for help.

“Let me leave.”

“What happened to them?” Claude sounds so desperate to know.

“I don’t know,” I lie. “Can I go now?”

“Why did he keep you chained up? He told me not to go in that room, but that last night, I heard something and went in.”

“Let’s just… leave it here,” Mads says as he gently pulls me back.

“Let’s figure some stuff out. I think it’d be best if we went to the university first. Can we go now?

That sounds like a good idea. I feel like time isn’t extremely on our side.

Should we all go? I think so. I think the more the merrier thing. ”

“I’m going on my own,” I counter.

Mads narrows his eyes at me. “You’re going to let me get murdered? And you’re not even going to wait to take an antidote with you? The one you took wore off long ago. So are you just going to wallow around in misery when you could have gone with me? You aren’t even back to normal yet.”

“En, what’s going on?” Rylee asks. “Please don’t leave!”

“Stay until you feel better or else this will be an absolute waste,” Mads says.

I take a deep breath and nod. “Fine. We’re heading to the university now, then. Rylee, let’s go.”

“I need my cat!”

“Leave the cat.”

“He’s sad alone!”

“If you lose the cat, don’t come crying to me.”

“I would never cry. I’ve never cried since I was like a baby,” she says, but the way she eyes Finn and Orin makes me feel like that’s not quite true.

“I… think I’m going to head to the department to join Bentley,” River says. “I’m not quite sure I’m cut out to help with this part without Bentley’s assistance.”

Finn smiles at him. “Of course. He could definitely use your help there. We really don’t know what to expect or what might come of this. You need to be careful, though.”

“I will be,” he assures us.