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  A few minutes later, they pulled up outside a grand house.

  Serenity jumped out and rang the bell. She hadn’t realized both Sebastian and Vincent had followed her until Emily’s father opened the door, blinking back sleep, but with a concerned expression on his face. Immediately his eyes went to the imposing men who seemed to be flanking her like bodyguards.

  Emily’s mother, Diane, appeared behind her husband, wrapped in a robe, her normally meticulously-styled, short brown hair mussed up on one side.

  “Serenity?” she said, blinking in surprise. “Do you know what time it is? It’s almost two in the morning.”

  Serenity stepped closer to the front door, seeking shelter, Elizabeth’s iPad clutched to her chest to protect it from the storm. “I’m sorry. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t an emergency. I need Emily’s help.”

  The other woman shook her head, her face creasing in concern. “She’s fast asleep. She’s not seemed quite herself since she got back from the mall. Did something happen?”

  “No, nothing I’m aware of,” Serenity lied, her stomach twisting in knots at the untruth. “But Elizabeth is missing, so please, I need to speak to your daughter. I need to find out if Emily knows this boy. We think Elizabeth might be with him.”

  Under the shelter of the porch, she pulled up the picture. Diane frowned at the image. “You said Elizabeth is missing?” Serenity nodded. The other woman turned back to her husband. “Greg, go and wake up Emily.”

  “Thank you,” Serenity said, giving a sigh of relief.

  While they waited, Diane lifted her eyebrows at the two big men standing on her drive. “I see you’ve employed some muscle now?”

  “Oh, them?” She gave a quick glance back over her shoulder to see the two vampires standing motionless, both with serious, identical expressions on their faces. Though dressed completely differently, with Sebastian in his typical smart suit, and Vincent in jeans and a close-fitting tee, she could understand why Diane had thought they were hired bodyguards. She wished they’d stayed in the car. Her turning up in the middle of the night with them would only add fuel to whatever gossip would now start between the school moms on Monday morning. Elizabeth running off with some boy was bad enough, now she felt sure comments about how Serenity was setting a bad example for the girl considering the company she kept would start flying around. That’s assuming Elizabeth is still alive then. Her heart tightened and she forced her mind away from that line of thought.

  She turned back to Diane and shook her head, a smile quirking the corners of her lips. “That’s Elizabeth’s father, Sebastian, and his friend, Vincent.”

  She could see the other woman’s interest piqued, her gaze flicking over Serenity’s shoulder again to check them out in more detail.

  “I didn’t think he was still on the scene,” Diane said, not even looking at Serenity.

  “It’s complicated,” she said, shutting off the conversation, while thinking, You have no idea.

  Emily appeared. The girl’s hair was a mess, her face puffy from sleep.

  “Hi, Mrs. Hathaway,” she said, her voice small and sounding younger than she normally did.

  Serenity gave the girl a smile. “Hi, Emily. Sorry to wake you up so late.”

  The girl gave a shrug.

  “Emily, honey,” Diane said, “Elizabeth is missing and her mom thinks she may have gone off with a boy. Can you take a look at a picture and tell us if you recognize him?”

  Emily’s eyes went wide. “Elizabeth has run off with a boy? No way!”

  “This is serious, Emily. We don’t know if she went willingly or not.”

  Emily chewed her lip and glanced at the floor. “Sorry.”

  Serenity pushed the tablet toward the girl. “So, can you take a look?”

  Emily took the computer and stared down at the image. “No, he’s not from school.” She frowned. “But hang on a minute, I have seen him before. He was at the mall just before …” She trailed off, her brain skipping the section of time where Elizabeth had jumped her in the bathrooms. “Yeah, I remember him ‘cause he was staring at Elizabeth. We were giving her a bit of a ribbing about it, to be honest, but he seemed pretty harmless.”

  “Well, we think Elizabeth’s gone somewhere with him, so let’s hope so.”

  “Oh, man, that’s bad. I’m sorry.”

  “If you hear from her at all, let your mom know right away, okay?”

  The girl gave a small smile. “Sure thing.”

  Diane’s hand rested protectively around Emily’s shoulder. “If we hear anything, we’ll call right away.”

  Serenity forced a smile. “Thanks. I’d appreciate that.”

  They began to close the door and Serenity backed away, stepping off the porch. She turned and jogged back to the car, keen to get out of the storm. As she climbed back in the driver’s seat, both the passenger door and the back doors slammed, Vincent and Sebastian appearing already settled in their seats. She pulled her damp shirt away from her body, grimacing.

  “What now?” asked Sebastian.

  “Her other friend who was with her at the mall lives a couple of blocks over. We might as well go there and make sure she’s not heard anything.”

  “And if she hasn’t?”

  Serenity chewed at her lower lip. “Then I really have no idea what else to do.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Elizabeth climbed from the vehicle and stood in front of the motel, her heart in her throat. The motel had blue paint flaking from the door. Above the main entrance, one of the fluorescent lights of the sign for the Happy Rest Motel flickered. It certainly wasn’t an expensive place, something that lined up with the cheap car, and Elizabeth wondered why someone who had enough money to hire staff would be staying somewhere like this.

  Behind her, two car doors slammed, making her jump. She sensed the presence of the woman close behind her back, and Ryan appeared by her side. A wave of claustrophobia washed over her and she swallowed hard. Was she doing the right thing? Suddenly, she wasn’t so sure. She turned her head to take in the sight of the boy beside her, and his easy grin eased some of her tension. He was like her, she reminded herself. He’d been through this himself and come out okay on the other end. What choice did she have but to accept his help?

  Despite the rain drumming down on her head and shoulders, she didn’t want to move. Even the promise of shelter from the wind and rain wasn’t enough to make her run to the room. Besides, she realized, the cold barely affected her right now; it was as though she’d become numbed to it.

  The woman, Orla, took a step closer. Elizabeth sensed her heartbeat like a distant tribal drum, the woman’s body heat flooding over her in a wave. The now familiar flood of energy began to build in Elizabeth’s muscles and she clenched her teeth, fighting it back down again.

  Was this how her father felt all the time, she wondered? Her brain burned like it was on fire and only sinking her teeth into the flesh of another person would calm the sensation. She longed to connect with their heartbeat, to the initial race, followed by the slowing lub-dub of its beat until the rhythm became like a lullaby to a crying child, soothing her. She’d only experienced her vampirism in waves so far—the initial urge and overwhelming strength fading away after her needs had been sated—but did her father have to try to control this the whole time? The idea made her consider Sebastian with a whole new level of respect. She’d never imagined his life could be like this. Then she realized she could easily end up the same way.

  Even though these people were supposed to be able to help her, she didn’t want to show them what she was really like. She didn’t want to expose herself at both her most vulnerable and her most violent.

  The touch of Ryan’s hand on hers distracted her. “Ready? I’m getting soaked and some people want to meet you.”

  She forced a smile. “Sure.”

  The sharp-faced Orla brushed past and opened the door, stepping back to allow them through.

  As she walked in, a number of fac
es turned to her. An older man and woman sat at a small round table. The man was in his thirties, she guessed, with thick, wiry dark hair and a scruffy, thin beard, the woman a little older and chubby around the face and hands. They eyed her curiously as she entered, but made no attempt to smile or welcome her in. A red-haired man who bore a striking resemblance to Ryan sat at a desk.

  He pinned a smile on his face and got to his feet. “You’re here.”

  She looked around the room, at the threadbare carpet and the two narrow single beds, and shifted uncomfortably. “Who are you?”

  “My name is Mr. Callaghan. Ryan’s been telling us all about you. He says you need our help.”

  “Umm, yeah,” she stammered. “He says he’s like me and that you helped him before.” This strange collection of people so far hadn’t done much to alleviate her fears.

  The man gave another close-lipped smile, his gray-green eyes remaining impassive. “That’s right. Your kind is very rare, Elizabeth. We need to do everything we can to make sure you get through this in one piece.”

  “In one piece? Are you saying if I don’t accept your help, I might not stay in one piece?”

  “It’s not a threat, if that’s what you’re implying. I’m simply pointing out a fact.”

  She studied his face. There was something familiar about him and she felt sure it wasn’t just that the man was obviously Ryan’s father or some other close relation. She couldn’t help feeling like she knew him from somewhere, that she’d met him before.

  Touch his hand, she told herself. You’ll learn about him if you touch his hand.

  Yet, unlike most people she met, who couldn’t seem stop themselves from shaking her hand or embracing her, and so giving her flashes of insight she didn’t want, this guy had remained a respectful distance.

  “This is Liam and Mary.” Ryan introduced the two people sitting at the table. “They’re here to help as well.”

  “And how exactly are they going to help?”

  Mr. Callaghan stood. “You believe in magic, don’t you, Elizabeth?”

  She shrugged and said, “Sure. I mean, I’ve seen it, so it’s not a matter of believing or not.”

  He smiled. “Well, that’s good. Half of our work done then. In order to rid yourself of this thing, you’re going to need to make a sacrifice.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “What sort of sacrifice?”

  “Not the sort you’re thinking.” He laughed. “I won’t expect you to be killing any virgins. This is more your own sacrifice, one of your blood.”

  “My blood?”

  He nodded. “Yes, at exactly the right time.”

  “And that is?”

  “The exact moment of sunrise.”

  “How much blood are you talking about?” she asked, nerves still churning in her stomach. What am I doing here!

  “Not much. A pint at the most.”

  “A pint!” She wasn’t even totally sure how much a pint was, but it sounded like a lot.

  “Don’t worry,” said Ryan, pulling up his sleeve. He exposed a ridged white scar running along the inside of his wrist. “I’ve done it, remember. It’s totally safe.”

  She stared down at the mark, and then he pulled up his other sleeve show her a matching one. The last thing she should be was squeamish, but she couldn’t help the sight turning her stomach. She didn’t want to either hurt herself or let someone else hurt her, even if it did mean putting a stop to this thing.

  “Err, I don’t know …”

  The man and woman sitting at the table, Liam and Mary, stood and moved closer, slipping behind her to block the only way out of the room. Orla folded her arms and stared at Elizabeth with her narrow-eyed gaze.

  Unease spiked through her. “Ryan …?”

  “Don’t worry, Elizabeth. You have to do this. What other choices do you have?”

  “I’m not sure. My dad thought—”

  “Your dad,” his father interrupted. “You mean the vampire? The one you are desperate not to become like?”

  “Well, yes, but—”

  He wouldn’t let her finish. “You want that for your life, then, do you Elizabeth? You want to kill people, to put your life, your existence above everything else in the world. Don’t you care about hurting people? Ryan, here, saw what you did to your friends, or at least the state of them afterward. You hurt your friends, Elizabeth. What kind of girl does that? Is this how you plan to live?”

  He fired off so many words she struggled to think. She couldn’t put one thought in front of the other. “No, no. Of course not.”

  “You experienced sensitivity to the light today, didn’t you? The light hurt your eyes, made your head ache. Those symptoms will only get worse, Elizabeth. Soon, your skin will start to blister as soon as you step into the light. You won’t be able to go to school or hang out with your friends in the daytime. You’re going to turn into a freak. Now, here I am, offering you a way out, and you’re thinking of turning your back on me?”

  She shook her head, frantically. “No, not at all! I was just a little worried, that’s all.”

  I’m disappointed in you, Elizabeth. I thought you’d be strong enough to accept this was the right thing to do. I mean, you’ve met Ryan. You’ve seen how normal he is, how he’s able to fit right into society. What other reassurances do you need?”

  “You’re right,” she muttered, dropping her chin and staring at the worn carpet. “I’m sorry. I’ll do whatever you need me to.”

  The people at her back didn’t make any attempt to move out of the way, which didn’t put a stop to her sense of unease. Though Ryan grinned down at her, trying to make her comfortable, she couldn’t help the tension which tightened every muscle in her body like a coil of a spring.

  “You want a soda?” Ryan asked, loping over to the mini-bar fridge.

  Her eyes flicked around the room and she realized she had no choice but to go along with this for the moment. “Sure.”

  “Sit down, make yourself at home,” said Mr. Callaghan, lifting his chin toward one of the single beds. “We’ve still got a few hours till sunrise.”

  Ryan tossed her the can and she snatched it from the air without even thinking, her hand creating a blur of movement. She caught the others looking at her, eyes wide in surprise at the speed of her movement.

  I thought they’d seen this all before?

  She took a couple of tentative steps forward and sat on the edge of the bed. Ryan took a seat on the adjacent bed so he was opposite her. She hooked her finger through the ring pull and the can opened with a psst. Ryan lifted his own can in a salute and she mirrored the motion.

  The adults in the room seemed to relax a fraction, Liam and Mary taking their seats back around the table, Mr. Callaghan sitting back down at the desk. Orla stayed positioned by the door, her arms folded across her narrow chest, her lips a thin, hard line, and she didn’t take her eyes off Elizabeth.

  Elizabeth tried to appear at ease, but the whole time she was turning over where she could have recognized Ryan’s father from. He was so familiar, achingly familiar, and she knew if she could just figure out a way to make skin-on-skin contact, she would see it in an instant.

  Perhaps their caution was understandable, she thought. After all, she was half vampire and Ryan had seen her feeding from people. Though she couldn’t control when her vampire instincts seemed to rise up and take charge, these people might think she felt that way all the time. Their antagonism toward her might simply be them trying to protect themselves. She was dangerous, there was no getting away from the fact. Of course they had their guard up. And why else would they have her here if not to help her? Perhaps she was simply being too suspicious, she mused.

  Outside, a particularly strong gust of wind tore something from the roof and the sound was accompanied by the groan and screech of twisting metal. A heartbeat later, part of the fluorescent sign for the motel ripped from its holdings, crashed against the outside of the building and hung down past the motel room window. Dangerou
s wires sent sparks sputtering and firing from the frayed ends.

  Anxious glances were shared among the group, and this time Elizabeth didn’t get the impression it was her they were worried about.

  Perhaps they’re right, she decided. She needed to do this. For the safety of herself and everyone she knew.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The closer to home they got, the heavier a hollow, wretched feeling settled in the pit of Serenity’s stomach. She couldn’t help thinking she’d let her daughter down. She should have known Elizabeth planned to run away—if that’s what she had done—or at least realized she had some kind of life outside of her home life. Serenity had always thought she kept a close eye on Elizabeth and the idea she had some kind of association with this boy worried her.

  The visit to Jasmine’s house had produced almost exactly the same results, with her parents questioning what had happened at the mall and mentioning how Jasmine had been acting strangely ever since. They’d been suspicious of Serenity, suspecting she’d had something to do with Jasmine’s behavior, and her turning up in the middle of the night didn’t help. They’d been reluctant to drag their daughter out of bed, but the imposing figures of Vincent and Sebastian had helped to persuade them. Like Emily, Jasmine remembered seeing the boy at the mall, but nothing more. The girl had no idea where Elizabeth was now or if she’d had any other contact with the boy in the picture.

  “I should have known,” Serenity said to Sebastian as she drove, negotiating the debris-strewn streets, leaning forward once again to peer through the rain-driven windshield.

  “How could you? Her friends said the boy had been staring at her in the mall and that Elizabeth didn’t seem to recognize him, which means they only just met. You can’t predict the future, Serenity.”

  “We don’t know they only just met. She might have been ignoring him for a reason, trying to keep him a secret from her friends as well.”

  Sebastian frowned. “Perhaps.”