Chapter
Eleven

Shrieking fills my head. Even though I lack the breath to make a sound, I must be the one screaming. Until this moment, I never realized pain could be a tangible thing—something that could wrap around your body and squeeze until you begged for the end.

I’m sorry, Aunt Rachel. I thought I could save you. But I’m just not strong enough. Please God, let it be over soon.

A flash of white light blinds me. Is this the end?

Pain rockets along my hip, and the light vanishes. Slowly, my vision falls into focus and I find myself on the still-warm asphalt, loose gravel digging into my palms.

Beside me, the female Corpus writhes on the ground, twisting along with the flames engulfing her body, almost like a dance.

The fire hadn’t been inside me, after all.

Slowly, I roll onto my back, blinking to make sure my eyes aren’t playing tricks on me. The stars blink back, the same ones that hung over my head all those boring years I spent at the cabin. I wonder, do these stars even recognize me anymore?

Sebastian’s hands are on my shoulders, dragging me away. The heels of my tennis shoes grind against gravel. I can’t take my eyes off the writhing figure. The flesh drips from her bones like melting wax. “Wha-what the hell happened?” I ask.

Sebastian pulls me to my feet. A flicker of something—fear, maybe—passes through his eyes. “Charlie, she bit you and erupted in flames.”

I bring my hand to my neck, expecting blood or puncture holes. Instead, I find nothing. “Why? How?”

“I have no idea.” His own gaze stays locked on the burning Corpus. She’s stopped moving, barely more than ash as the fire licks across what remains of her bones. “We’ll have to figure it out later. Now we leave.”

“But—”

He winds a fist into the collar of my shirt and yanks me forward. “No time. More will be on their way.”

Tires screech as the silver Mercedes peels around the corner of the building only to stop inches away from my toes. “Get in,” Opal yells through the open driver’s-side window. Her gaze drifts to the smoldering pile of the former Corpus vampire. “What the hell happened?”

“I think I set that vampire on fire,” I say.

Opal’s eyes widen. “What? How?”

“Later.” Sebastian opens the back door and throws me across the seat.

I land with an oomph.

He climbs in and slams the door. “Drive.”

The tires squeal and the car surges ahead. Something smacks the window, and I look up just as gray claws rake across the glass. “Go, go, go,” I scream.

“Hang on,” Opal calls.

I’m tossed against the door as the car swings wildly to the right. The clawed hand disappears. On either side, the buildings whirl past in a streak of gray and brown. “Where are we going?” I ask.

Opal blinks several times, her knuckles white on the steering wheel. “I—I don’t know. The hunters—the school—that was my home. Now—” She bites back the words with a shake of her head. “I can’t go back into foster care. I won’t.”

“We’ll go to the Anima,” Sebastian says. His eyes meet mine, and the intensity I find there steals my breath. “They will keep you safe.”

Opal’s laugh is an angry bark. “I’ve had my fill of bloodsuckers for the night, thank you very much. There’s no way in hell I’m going to willingly track down any more.”

Sebastian scowls. “I can’t take you with me. My clan will imprison you in the farm. The Anima are your best shot at staying alive.”

“No. I’m done.” Her voice quivers. “I’m staying away from all leeches—no matter their clan.” She presses her lips together and shakes her head. “As long as you monsters exist, there is no such thing as safe.” She glares at him in the rearview mirror, daring him to argue.

Sebastian doesn’t say a word.

I remember that dreamy look on her face when we first arrived at the compound and she ran into Scott. He meant something to her—they all did. And now they’re gone. I, probably better than most, know exactly what that feels like.

I scoot to the edge of my seat and wrap my arms around the headrest in front of me. After surviving a vampire massacre, seatbelts are almost a laughable safety measure. “Did you see Scott?” I ask softly.

Biting her lip, she shakes her head.

“That’s good, right? That means there’s still a chance.”

“Not much of one,” she spits through clenched teeth. “God, I hate fucking vampires.” She screams the last word, slamming her hand against the steering wheel. The silence that follows swells so large it pushes me against my seat, threatening to suffocate me.

“You know where we have to go,” Sebastian says, finally.

Opal inhales sharply. “If you even suggest going to the Anima again, so help me, I’ll shoot you now.”

“You have a better idea?” he asks.

Opal slams on the brakes. The tires screech, and I’m thrown against the seat. The buildings surrounding us are dark except for the random lit office. “I don’t get it. Why do you care what happens to us? You’re a bloodsucking Mentis. You should want to take us to your farm and drain our blood.”

His eyes narrow. “I don’t care what happens to you. I care what happens to Charlie. And the Anima will, too.”

“I’m sorry.” She twists in her seat, facing me. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but what makes you so goddamn special?”

I shrink against the seat. “I-I—”

Sebastian cuts in, “I believe Matteo, King of Anima, is her father.”

“Jesus Horatio Christ the Third.” Opal turns around and stomps on the gas pedal. The car lurches forward, making me fall back against the seat. She locks eyes with me in the rearview mirror. “What does that even mean—your father? Are you one of them?”

The accusation makes me flinch. “No. I’m human.”

Sebastian makes a face. “You’re a dhampir.”

“You don’t know that for sure,” I spit through clenched teeth.

“Patrick was right,” Opal says, shaking her head. “Vampires don’t protect humans. I shouldn’t have trusted you. Look what it got me.”

Her words tear at my heart. “Don’t say that.”

“To be fair,” Sebastian says, “the Corpus that attacked you had nothing to do with us.”

She gives him a withering look in the rearview mirror.

Leaning back, he shrugs.

Several long minutes pass before Opal slams her hand against the steering wheel. “Fuck,” she screams. “I have no family, no home, no money—nothing! Except for a bloodsucking corpse and a half-corpse whatever-the-hell-you-are.”

I am all-too-aware of the guns still strapped to Opal’s chest. I look to Sebastian, who seems more amused by her breakdown than concerned.

“I’m human,” I say again. Though I’m not sure if I’m trying to convince anyone but myself at this point. “And it’s not like I asked for any of this, either. I lost my home, and my aunt, too. All I have in this world is a hunter and a vampire. You’re not exactly resume-reference material.”

Opal blinks, then her lip twitches in an almost-smile. “I don’t know. That sounds like a pretty kickass resume to me.”

“So, we’re screwed together?” I ask.

Opal glances at Sebastian. “What about the leech?”

He exhales loudly. “For the last time, I’m trying to protect Charlie.”

“Why?” She draws the word out with a huff. “Vampires don’t do anything that doesn’t benefit them. Crossing your own clan could get you in a lot of trouble.”

“If they find out, they will kill me—but only after many days of excruciating torture.” His tone is matter-of-fact.

“Exactly.” Opal waves a hand in the air. “Why would you risk that—for her?” She jerks her chin at me.

“Hey,” I say.

“No offense,” Opal adds.

Shifting in his seat, Sebastian looks out the window. His jaw flexes several times before he answers. “It’s like you said, I’m self-serving. I believe Charlie can help me uncover my past life as a human. That’s all.”

His admission pinches in a way I don’t quite understand, and I look away.

“Why do you even care about your human life?” Opal asks.

For several seconds, he says nothing. “I need to know who I was and how I came to be—this.”

“You don’t want to be a vampire?” I ask.

He shrugs. “I don’t know. How can I know what is better when an entire part of me is missing?”

Opal laughs out loud, startling me. “Oh my God. A leech with an existential crisis. Just when I thought I’d heard it all.” She continues chuckling, drawing a frown from Sebastian. “Look, I’ll save you the time and trouble. Your human past? Doesn’t matter because it’s gone. You’re dead. You’re a walking, bloodthirsty corpse. I don’t trust you. I don’t like you. And I sure as hell don’t believe you won’t hand us over to the Mentis the first chance you get.”

He leans back, his eyes glittering in the dark. “Just like I don’t doubt you’ll shoot me in the heart the second you get an opportunity.”

“Did we just all become best friends?” I ask.

Opal makes a face, her eyes flicking to me. “You think I’m the one you have to worry about. Apparently, this one,” she juts her chin at me, “can set vamps on fire. What the hell is up with that, anyway? Is it a dhampir thing?”

“No,” Sebastian and I answer together. “I’m not a dhampir,” I say with a huff.

“Dhampir or not,” Sebastian says, “combusting a vampire is not something I have heard of before.” Raising an eyebrow, he gives me a long look. “That was very strange.”

I squirm in my seat and rest my hand on the bottle that miraculously managed to stay in my pocket. “My aunt gave me a mixture of essential oils before she was taken. I wonder if that’s what did it?”

Sebastian makes a face. “I would know if there was an oil that could burn vampires. Mentis are schooled in every available mortal weapon.”

Opal laughs. “Sorry, bloodsucker, looks like your almighty clan doesn’t know everything after all. Charlie, you have to give me some of that oil, especially if we’re headed into a vampire lair.”

Sebastian scoffs. “I wouldn’t describe the Anima compound as a lair, just as I would hardly describe the Anima as vampires. They’re little more than humans with sharp teeth.”

“Speaking of,” Opal glances at me, “do you have sharp teeth?”

“Of course not.” Reflexively I run my tongue across my teeth. As far as I can tell, they’re no different from anyone else’s.

Still, Opal watches me warily for several more seconds before returning her attention to the road. A frown pulls at her lips. “Where am I going?”

We stop at a light. To our right is an all-night café. A group of women with tiaras and pink feathered boas laugh at a booth next to the window. I’d be willing to bet vampires are the last thing on their minds. My gut twinges with grief over a life I’ll never have back. I place my hand on the window, wishing I could join them, just for the night.

“It would be easier if you let me drive,” Sebastian says.

“Dude.” Opal shakes her head. “I’ve lost everything. I just need control over…something. You have to give me this.”

I think Sebastian might argue. He nods. “Washington, Missouri.”

“Washington is where the wineries are, right?” Opal asks. “That’s like, the middle of nowhere.” The light turns green and Opal stomps on the gas, leaving the girls, tiaras, and cheese fries far behind us.

“Yes,” Sebastian answers. “The Anima prefer isolation. Still, they remain close enough to the city to keep their eyes on the other clans.”

She arches an eyebrow. “How do you know this?”

“We know everything about each other. We’re on the verge of all-out war.”

“Why?” I ask.

“I—we—we’ve always been at odds.” His brow furrows, almost as if this is the first time he’s considered the question. “Our differences in feeding and hunting created the rift in the clans. St. Louis is the largest city in the heart of the country. If you possess the heart, you dominate the body.”

“So, there are vampires everywhere?” I ask.

“Yes,” he answers, “but the kings and queens of the clans reside here, fighting for control of the heart.”

Opal snorts. “All the feuding is pretty dumb, if you ask me.”

“Because human fighting makes more sense?” Sebastian asks.

With lips pinched, she looks away.

As we drive, the buildings become smaller, fading into rows of tightly-packed houses. Soon the yards grow wider until even the houses fade, leaving us surrounded by endless dark highway. My mind is a soupy mix of fear and questions. Sebastian stares ahead, eyes trained on the road, his expression unreadable.

“Take the next exit,” he says after a long stretch of silence. “In a quarter of a mile, there will be a gravel road on the right. That leads to their compound.”

My pulse quickens. I thought we had more time. “Will they try to hurt us?”

“No.” He shakes his head. “The Anima believe in peaceful coexistence with humans.”

“Will they hurt you?” I ask.

His eyes glitter in the moonlight. “Maybe. Anima fight as a last resort. But I’m Mentis, and our clans are at odds.” He shrugs, clearly not concerned.

Opal rolls to a stop at the top of the exit ramp. She twists in her seat to look at him. “Normally I couldn’t care less about the demise of a bloodsucker, but you did sort of save us back there. Maybe it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if you didn’t stick around. I hear Florida is nice this time of year.”

He smirks. “Opal, I’m flattered you care.”

She wrinkles her nose. “Just enough to not waste a bullet.”

“I’m touched. Still, Charlie is my best shot at getting answers about my past. I’m not leaving until I have them.”

My stomach clenches with unease. “I already told you I can’t help you.”

He tilts his head. “That’s only because you haven’t tried.”

I sigh and sink deeper against the seat.

Opal huffs. “Okay, it’s your funeral. And maybe ours, too. Who the hell knows.” The car moves forward. “Let’s get this over with.” Following Sebastian’s directions, she makes a right onto a gravel road lined with trees. The farther we travel, the more the branches reach over the car until I feel as if we’re going to be swallowed whole.

Opal stops the car in front of a rusted red gate blocking the road. Only darkness lies beyond it. A sign hangs from the top rung reading, No Trespassing. Violators will be prosecuted.

With a groan, Opal turns off the car. “What now?”

“We wait,” Sebastian answers.

“For what?” No sooner is the question out of her mouth than a crow caws loudly, making me gasp. A second later, it perches on top of the gate, tilting its head to watch us with gleaming eyes.

“For a bird?” Opal asks dryly.

“No.” Sebastian sits up, shoulders tense. “For the Anima.”

Another crow lands beside the first, then another, and another, until there are nearly a dozen black birds lined up on the top rail, their beady eyes directed toward us.

Sebastian stares back. “And it looks like they’re here.”