elt； too。 Why she’d made so many of us in the first place。 There were some things out there scarier than I’d imagined。 Diego hesitated； still listening； and a second later his patience was rewarded。 “Well；” she whispered inside the house； “now they know。” Was she talking about the cloaks or the mysterious clan？ Which one was the enemy she’d mentioned before the drama？ “That doesn’t matter。 We outnumber” “Any warning matters！” she growled； cutting him off。 “There is so much to do。 Only five days！” She groaned。 “No more messing around。 You start tonight。” “I won’t fail you！” Riley promised。 Crap。 Diego and I moved at the same time； leaping from our perch into the next tree over； flying back the way we’d e。 Riley was in a hurry now； and if he found Diego’s trail after all that had just passed with the cloaks； and no Diego there at the end of it… “I’ve got to get back and be waiting；” Diego whispered to me as we raced。 “Lucky it’s not in view of the house！ Don’t want him to know I heard。” “We should talk to him together。” “Too late for that。 He’d notice that your scent wasn’t on the trail。 Looks suspicious。” “Diego…” He’d trapped me into sitting this one out。 We were back to the spot where he’d joined me。 He spoke in a rushed whisper。
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“Stick to the plan； Bree。 I’ll tell him what I planned to tell him。 It’s not close to dawn； but that’s just how it has to be。 If he doesn’t believe me…” Diego shrugged。 “He’s got bigger things to worry about than me having an overactive imagination。 Maybe he’ll be more likely to listen now looks like we need all the help we can get； and being able to move around in the day can’t hurt。” “Diego…；” I repeated； not knowing what else to say。 He looked into my eyes； and I waited for his lips to twitch into that easy smile； for him to make some joke about ninjas or BFFs。 He didn’t。 Instead； he leaned in slowly； never moving his eyes from mine； and kissed me。 His smooth lips pressed against mine for one long second while we stared at each other。 Then he leaned away and sighed。 “Get home； hide behind Fred； and act clueless。 I’ll be right behind you。” “Be careful。” I grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard； then let go。 Riley had spoken of Diego affectionately。 I would have to hope that affection was real。 There wasn’t another choice。 Diego disappeared into the trees； quiet as a rustling breeze。 I didn’t waste time looking after him。 I sprinted through the branches in a direct line back to the house。 I hoped my eyes were still bright enough from last night’s meal to explain my absence。 Just a quick hunt。 Got lucky found a lone hiker。 Nothing out of the ordinary。 The sound of the thudding music that greeted my approach was acpanied by the unmistakable sweet； smoky scent of a
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burning vampire。 My panic went into overdrive。 I could just as easily die inside the house as outside。 But there was no other way。 I didn’t slow； just rushed down the stairs straight to the corner where I could barely make out Freaky Fred standing。 Looking for something to do？ Tired of sitting？ I had no idea what he was up to； and I didn’t care。 I would stick tight to him until Riley and Diego got back。 In the middle of the floor was a smoldering heap that was too big to be just a leg or an arm。 So much for Riley’s twenty two。 No one seemed terribly concerned about the smoking remains。 The sight was too mon。 As I hurried closer to Fred； for once the sense of disgust didn’t get stronger。 Instead； it faded。 He didn’t seem to notice me； just went on reading the book he held。 One of those I’d left him a few days ago。 I had no problem seeing what he was doing now that I was close to where he was leaning against the back of the couch。 I hesitated； wondering why that was。 Could he turn his nausea thing off when he wanted？ Did that mean we both were unprotected right now？ At least Raoul wasn’t home yet； thankfully； though Kevin was。 For the first time ever； I really saw what Fred looked like。 He was tall； maybe six two； with the thick； curly blond hair I’d noticed once before。 He was broadshouldered and muscular。 He looked older than most of the otherslike a college student； not a high school kid。 Andthis was the part that surprised me most for some reason he was goodlooking。 As handsome as anyone else； maybe even handsomer than most。 I didn’t know
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why that was so trippy for me。 I guessed just because I always associated him with revulsion。 I felt weird for staring。 I glanced quickly around the room to see if anyone had noticed that Fred was normal and prettyfor the moment。 No one was looking our way。 I stole a fast peek at Kevin； ready to shift my focus at once if he noticed； but his eyes were concentrated on some point to the left of where we stood。 He was frowning slightly。 Before I could look away； his gaze skipped right over to me and settled on my right side。 His frown deepened。 Like… he was trying to see me and couldn’t。 I felt the corners of my mouth twitch into not quite a grin。 There was too much to worry about to really enjoy Kevin’s blindness。 I looked back at Fred； wondering if the grossout factor would return； only to see that he was smiling with me。 Smiling； he was really spectacular。 Then the moment was over； and Fred went back to his book。 I didn’t move for a while； waiting for something to happen。 For Diego to e through the door。 Or Riley with Diego。 Or Raoul。 Or for the nausea to hit again； or for Kevin to glare in my direction； or for the next fight to break out。 Something。 When nothing did； I eventually pulled myself together and did what I should have been doingpretending nothing unusual was going on。 I grabbed a book from the pile near Fred’s feet and then sat down right there and acted like I was reading。 It was probably one of the same books I’d pretended to read yesterday； but it didn’t look familiar。 I flipped through the pages； again taking nothing in。 My mind was racing around in tight little circles。 Where was
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Diego？ How had Riley reacted to his story？ What had it all meant the talk before the cloaks； the talk after the cloaks？ I worked through it； going backward； trying to assemble the pieces into a recognizable picture。 The vampire world had some kind of police； and they were damn scary。 This wild group of monthsold vampires was supposed to be an army； and this army was somehow illegal。 Our creator had an enemy。 Strike that； two enemies。 We were going to attack one of them in five days； or else the other ones； the scary cloaks； were going to attack her or us； or both。 We would be trained for this attack… as soon as Riley got back。 I snuck a glance at the door； then forced my eyes back to the page in front of me。 And then the stuff before the visitors。 She was worrying about some decision。 She was pleased that she had so many vampiresso many soldiers。 Riley was happy that Diego and I had survived…。 He’d said he thought he’d lost two more to the sun； so that must mean he didn’t know how vampires really reacted to sunlight。 What she’d said was strange； though。 She’d asked if he was sure。 Sure Diego had survived？ Or… sure that Diego’s story was true？ The last thought frightened me。 Did she already know that the sun didn’t hurt us？ If she did know； then why had she lied to Riley and； through him； to us？ Why would she want to keep us in the dark literally？ Was it very important to her that we stay ignorant？ Important enough to get Diego in trouble？ I was working myself into a real panic； frozen solid。 If I still could sweat； I would have been sweating now。 I had to refocus to turn the next page； to keep my eyes
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down。 Was Riley deceived； or was he in on it； too？ When Riley’d said he thought he’d lost two more to the sun； did he mean the sun literally… or the lie about the sun？ If it was the second option； then to know the truth meant being lost。 Panic scattered my thoughts。 I tried to be rational and make sense of it。 It was harder without Diego。 Having someone to talk to； to interact with； sharpened my ability to concentrate。 Without that； fear sucked at the edges of my thoughts； twisted with the alwayspresent thirst。 The lure of blood was constantly close to the surface。 Even now； decently well fed； I could feel the burn and the need。 Think about her； think about Riley ； I told myself。 I had to understand why they would lie if they were lying so that I could try to figure out what it would mean to them that Diego knew their secret。 If they hadn’t lied； if they’d just told us all that the day was as safe for us as the night； how would that change things？ I imagined what it would be like if we didn’t have to be contained in a blackedout basement all day； if the twentyone of usmaybe fewer now； depending on how the hunting parties were getting alongwere free to do what we wanted whenever we wanted to。 We would want to hunt。 That was a given。 If we didn’t have to e back； if we didn’t have to hide… well； many of us wouldn’t e back very regularly。 It was hard to focus on the return while the thirst was in charge。 But Riley had drilled so deeply into all of us the threat of burning； of a
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return of that hideous pain