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  Mom made a bag of popcorn while I decided on what to watch. Then the two of us huddled under a blanket as we munched away from a shared bowl of popcorn, my head comfortably on her shoulder.

  I was so afraid of what I was doing to her. She’d already lost Becca; I knew how much it would hurt her to lose me too. If only there was a way I could tell her, but it was impossible to deliver the news so she’d understand.

  When it was time for bed, I found the tears creeping back and didn’t want to try and explain my unexpected breakdown again. As expected, she picked up on it. I blamed my sudden sniffling on allergies, and Mom didn’t press.

  I waited for the sounds of Mom getting ready for bed to cease before doing anything. First, I wrote a letter I’d planned to leave on my desk, telling her how I’d discovered a lead to find my father; even though I felt guilty as hell and was so sorry, I had to try and find him. I had to give her something, unable to allow her to think I’d simply disappeared—kidnapped or worse.

  Packing a suitcase was just as hard as writing those lines. I’d thought I was getting the harder item out of the way first, but I was wrong. Packing was equally hard to get through. It didn’t matter it was all just for show since I wasn’t allowed to bring anything with me to Sisters of Mercy.

  “Where are you going, Fee?” Becca’s sweet voice asked.

  I could feel her playful, childish presence and wished I could see her one more time. The pictures and old videos didn’t do her justice. It was hard to accept I’d continued to grow up without her—that once we were the same age—now forever frozen at six years old.

  “I have to go away for a while,” I said, knowing she wouldn’t fully understand the truth, even though she was the only one I could tell it to.

  “With that new group you’re in?”

  “Yeah; but I’m telling Mom I’m going looking for Dad.”

  “But you found Dad?”

  “I know that, and you know that, but Mom doesn’t.”

  “Then why don’t you just tell her?”

  “It’s not that simple, Becks,” I said, forcing the suitcase closed with a knee to zip it up. “You’re not going to tell her, right?”

  “No,” she said, sadly.

  “I know she’ll be upset and probably ask if you know anything.”

  “I won’t tell.”

  “Thanks, Becks. I promise I won’t be gone long. Then I’ll explain everything to Mom,” I said, figuring I could worry about that part later.

  Once I was packed, I went to the bathroom to freshen up, collecting more supplies I knew I wouldn’t be needing. On the way back to my room with my toiletries, I grabbed the bag of Oreos from the pantry. Then there was nothing left to do but wait. I wanted the option to split an Oreo, but my stomach was so finicky I was afraid to even attempt one.

  At five minutes before midnight, Matthew texted that he was waiting outside. This was it. I took a deep breath, adjusted the positioning of the letter on my desk, gathered my packed belongings, and left to face my fate.

  2

  Matthew

  I watched Fiona exit her front door and cross the parking lot in the moonlight. Her roller luggage trailed behind her, and what looked like a bag of cookies was clutched in one hand. Her face was as emotionless as I’d ever seen it, and I feared what was going through her mind at that moment. Even though I was personally guaranteeing her safety, she had every reason to be afraid.

  I’d focused the last few weeks on getting Fiona prepared for her time in the hospital, as well as preparing the place for her and Mallory. I’d never been so driven to keep True North candidates safe, but I’d taken a close personal interest in both of them, much to certain members of the Society’s chagrin. I trusted Jack, the General Manager of Sisters of Mercy, with a lot, but this was something it physically pained me to delegate.

  I didn’t know what to say to her when I got out to take her luggage and toss it in the back seat. She provided nothing more than a haunted smile that made me feel incredibly awful—guilty that I hadn’t been able to do more to stop this from happening.

  The drive to the hospital was equally quiet. The radio provided background noise, but no real comfort. The bag of Oreos sat in her lap, but she never went for one. Her focus remained out of the front window like mine should have been, but I couldn’t stop glancing over.

  “Anything I can do?” I finally asked when we were about a mile from our destination.

  “Make all this go away,” she said instantly, as if she’d been repeating the phrase in her head beforehand.

  “I will try to get you out as soon as I can, but can’t stop tonight from happening,” I said, truly disappointed in myself.

  “Then there’s nothing you can do.”

  She was right and it hurt to hear. “I’m sorry.” I placed a hand on her leg, but she didn’t respond to my touch at all like she’d done in the past. I should have been grateful the barrier between us was rising, but I yearned to be closer to her, despite my better judgment.

  By the time we reached the parking lot, the tension was so thick I could barely breathe. I’d made sure to drink extra blood before picking up Fiona, but my stress and anxiety were going through it fast. The hunger was once again rearing its ugly head in the worst way.

  I turned off the engine and we remained seated in silence. I didn’t want to go in there any more than she did.

  Her hands shook as she finally opened the bag of Oreos and removed one from the plastic tray. Then she proceeded to twist the cookie until the white filling obediently gave way. Fiona offered me the side without filling, which I promptly declined. Instead of eating it herself, she placed it back on the tray, then popped the other half into her mouth. Within seconds, she’d split a new cookie, placed the half without filling back in the tray and ate the other half.

  “What? You don’t like the plain side?” I asked, amused.

  “They’re not mine to eat,” she replied before going for her third cookie.

  I didn’t understand her answer but didn’t press. I just watched as she continued to work her way down an entire row.

  “Are you going to be okay?” I asked.

  When she started to heave, I knew she wasn’t. Fiona clumsily pushed open her door and hopped down to the asphalt, spilling what was left of the tray of cookies all over the ground. She dropped to her knees as her stomach began to convulse. I hurried around to the passenger side and knelt beside her, gathering her unruly hair and bunching it into a ponytail.

  She gagged for a while, but never threw up. After a few minutes, she maneuvered to a seated position, leaning back against the rear tire. “I’m so scared to go in there,” Fiona whispered.

  “I’m scared for you,” I said. “But I promise, I’ll get you out as soon as I can. But I need you to help me and actively reach across enemy lines and bond with Mallory.”

  “I don’t even care about her anymore. It’s just… I’m scared of everything else behind those doors.”

  I sat beside her and took her trembling body in my arms. “You’re going to get through this.” I kissed the side of her head while stroking her hair. “You’re going to get through this.”

  It wasn’t long after when I recognized the black Mercedes entering the parking lot. Douglas, Aaron, and Mallory stepping out of the car coaxed Fiona to her feet. It was clear she didn’t want to appear weak in front of Mallory—or any member of her family.

  Mallory wasn’t in much better shape, although she maintained a calm and arrogant demeanor. Her eyes revealed how she was screaming, quietly, on the inside.

  “Matthew,” Douglas said, his gaze as murderous as ever.

  “Douglas,” I said, not backing down from his challenging stance.

  He placed a protective arm around his daughter and ushered her toward the main entrance, which was unlocked—now open for admittance and visiting hours.

  Fiona grabbed my hand as we approached the door, and I wanted so much to never let her go. I was so upset at Ashley for
ever suggesting this—let alone convincing the Assembly this was the best course of action. But they were both so close to being expelled from the program, which also wasn’t supposed to happen. The fact I’d never heard about this event didn’t mean this wasn’t exactly what was supposed to happen. It was so hard to know…

  The Fiennes family members were huddled in one section of the waiting room while I strolled up to the admissions desk.

  “Good evening, Nurse Jenkins,” I said. She was a perky young nurse we’d had for decades, with long black hair tied into a tight bun. Her extraordinarily skinny frame left her with all sharp angles. Fortunately, her voice wasn’t as pointed as her features suggested.

  “Mr. Mercer, I’ll call Mr. Nelson to let him know you’ve arrived,” she said, picking up the phone immediately. Once she replaced the handset, she turned her attention back to us. “You must be Fiona. Please sign in here. Normally, we would ask for ID, but since you’re here with… well, this is a special circumstance.”

  Nurse Jenkins set an open notebook on the desk and offered Fiona a pen. Fiona scrawled her name on the next available line, then dropped the pen into the crease between the open pages.

  “I suppose you’re Mallory,” Nurse Jenkins said a little more loudly to grab the attention of the Fiennes family. “You’ll need to sign here too.”

  Mallory looked nervously at her father, who nodded and nudged her toward the check-in desk.

  “I see the gang’s all here,” Jack said, strolling up from the rear hallway. At his side was Ashley, her brown eyes wide and sorrowful.

  “Glad you’re enjoying this,” Douglas said, his jaw tight.

  “Your daughter will be in good hands; I can assure you.”

  “Your assurances mean nothing. I don’t want my daughter in any strange creature’s hands.”

  “Then let’s hope they bond quickly, so they can rejoin the rest of their class,” Ashley said.

  “It’s your fault this has been forced upon them,” Douglas argued. “I won’t forget that. You better hope she comes out of this unscathed or I will devote the rest of my life to destroying—”

  “Save your threats for someone who is actually intimidated,” Ashley scoffed. “There’s nothing you can do to this old woman. I’ve lived my life. I’ve been through the fire and come out the other side. Your petty threats don’t amount to anything more than a house of cards.”

  “We’ll see who falls.”

  “Are you done?” Jack asked. “You’re not making this any easier on these girls.”

  “I’ll never understand the two of you. It’s flat out sickening.” Douglas crossed his arms.

  “Come on, girls. It’s time,” Ashley said, holding out her hand.

  Fiona turned back to me, tears glistening in her beautiful hazel eyes. Her face was ashen, her expression one of abject terror. “I can’t do this,” she cried.

  “You can and you will,” I reassured her. “You’ll get through this. Just remember what I told you.”

  She nodded weakly. Before she could turn around, I took her face in my hands and gently kissed her. She snaked her arms around my waist and held me tight. I savored the smoothness of her skin, the feel of the scar on her face, and the taste of her lips. I tried to commit everything about her to memory.

  I overheard an exchange of snide comments between Aaron and Mallory but wasn’t about to let their jealousy and bitterness ruin my final moments with Fiona before releasing her into the darkness. She was my light, one I hoped would not be extinguished by her stay.

  When our lips parted, all I wanted was to kiss her again. Delaying the inevitable didn’t sound so bad right now, but Fiona quickly turned away and approached Ashley and Jack.

  Mallory was now embracing her father, her composure finally faltering.

  “Remember everything I’ve taught you,” Douglas said into her ear.

  It wasn’t a statement meant for others to hear, but as much as he refused to believe it, he was always underestimating my kind. I couldn’t help but cringe at his careless words.

  Soon, Mallory had joined Fiona, Ashley, and Jack behind the admissions desk, then their procession began into the back hallway. Fiona gave one pleading glance back before she was gone.

  “This is just as much your fault as that old crone lackey of yours,” Douglas said as he turned toward the exit.

  “Don’t antagonize me right now,” I warned. I needed a replenishment of blood to keep control of my faculties and draining him was becoming far too tempting. “I’m just as upset about this as you are.”

  “Not possible; Mallory is my daughter.”

  “You don’t need to remind me. I know exactly who she is.”

  “I don’t understand how we haven’t allowed this place to be raided and shut down yet. It’s an abomination.”

  “I’ve never expected you to understand,” I said.

  “And because of our tolerance and leniency, your kind will inherit the Earth,” Douglas retorted.

  “Shutting this place down will not change that, and you know it.”

  “I know it would make me feel a hell of a lot better and help me sleep at night.”

  Douglas stopped at the door, Aaron right behind him. “But who am I to make any changes around here? I’m only on the Assembly.” Without waiting for a response, Douglas crashed through the door and stalked into the parking lot, his son close in tow.

  With a sigh of relief, I collapsed into one of the waiting room chairs. “Do you have any blood up here?” I asked Nurse Jenkins.

  “Why don’t you just do a patient visit?” she asked.

  “I don’t do those anymore. Never mind. I’ll be fine.” I closed my eyes to try and find some calm in the darkness but was greeted with a shining vision of Fiona’s face every time.

  3

  Fiona

  I couldn’t say goodbye to Matthew, so I simply walked away without a word, joining Ashley and the boy standing by the reception desk. The boy looked too young to be anyone of importance anywhere else, so he had to be a vampire.

  He had boyish features reminding me of Matthew, including the radiant smile—probably only a year or two older than me when he was turned. His hair was short and blonde, combed flawlessly to the right. Even his eyes were nearly the same color as mine. His looks were so disarming, which scared me more than being in the presence of some obvious, sinister-looking creature.

  Mallory was at my side a few moments later, then the boy who introduced himself as Jack was leading us away from any remaining safety and comfort, and away from Matthew; I glanced back at his stoic face as we rounded the corner.

  I still felt sick from all the Oreos scarfed down while sitting in the parking lot, wishing I’d been able to throw up. Now, I didn’t want to vomit in front of everyone. I clutched my stomach and struggled to keep up.

  “You probably aren’t all that interested in the history of Sisters of Mercy, but it has been around for 124 years and only changed ownership once,” Jack said. “For the last half a century, it’s been a training facility for born vampires such as myself. It also used to be used for Society candidate training, though that was discontinued about two decades ago… until now.”

  “Lucky us,” Mallory said.

  “I started out here as an orderly in 1962 and am now the acting director of the hospital.”

  “And as I previously told you, I was a patient here in 1964, when I was just about your age,” Ashley said. “That was how we met.”

  “How incredibly romantic.” Mallory’s sarcasm couldn’t have been any thicker.

  “Good can come from any situation,” Jack said, eyeing Mallory as he spoke. “Even one as overwhelming as this. You just have to be receptive to it.”

  The hospital reminded me of my experiences in the True North Society building, where it was late at night, but the facility was brimming with activity like it was 9 a.m. on a Monday, rather than the real time of one o’clock in the morning. The walls were white, the floor tiles a vibrant gr
een, and the overhead LED lights as bright as the midday sun.

  Mallory and I were led into a locker room without a gender designation. Two of the walls were lined with small lockers, long wooden benches stretching across each row. The LEDs were just as bright in here.

  Jack unlocked and opened two of the doors, removing a folded pile of clothes from each locker. “You’ll both change into these uniforms and place all your belongings in the lockers,” he said. “You won’t be taking anything of your own with you, but it will be kept here for safekeeping, available upon your release.”

  “Are we changing right now?” I asked, the question getting a small snicker from Mallory.

  “Yes,” Jack said. “I’ll step outside to give you girls some privacy.”

  Mallory was already undressing by the time Jack left the room. Ashley remained, taking a seat on the opposite bench from our lockers.

  “Make yourself comfortable,” Mallory said as she continued to strip, steadily, but not rushing to cover up. “Getting a good eyeful? Like what you see?”

  “No,” Ashley said. “In fact, I feel sorry for you—for your entire family. I just hope this experiment actually works, for Fiona’s sake, anyway.”

  “How could you want to keep coming back after experiencing what this place is?” I asked, feeling slightly more comfortable since it was just the three of us in the locker room.

  “Because I saw past what most people did. I saw the greater good it had the potential of providing. My experience was horrible, but it was also transformative and enlightening—and one I wouldn’t give back for anything in the world. It opened my eyes. I was reborn. And I think more people should go through it in order to truly understand the nature of vampires.”

  “Anyone ever told you you’re batshit crazy?” Mallory asked, now nearly dressed in her tan hospital scrubs-like uniform.

  “I have my critics,” Ashley said. “But I do not allow them to derail my vision.”

  I was still as afraid as ever, but Ashley’s vision of what this facility was provided the slightest bit of comfort and hope, and even increased my curiosity of her—as well as instilling more than a little respect for what she’d been through and overcome.