Mila swore and paced the bedroom, hands folded behind her narrow back. “How could you forget it?”

“I think I’m the one that should be freaking out here,” I replied dryly, sitting against the wall. I rolled the strange red vial around in my hands, careful not to let the needle pierce my skin. God knows what it’d do to me.

“Then why aren’t you?”

“Because I’m trying to think, but I can’t when you’re pacing up and down the place, swearing your head off.”

Mila exhaled and fell backwards onto her bed. “What should we do?”

“I don’t know.”

Abruptly she sat up. “Let me go get it.”

My face wrinkled as I shot her an incredulous stare. “Are you insane? You’re not going anywhere.”

Mila knelt in front of me. “I know it sounds crazy, but I can do it. The guardians won’t notice me. I’d be the last person they’d expect to be running around.

“There are people with guns just across the field from here waiting for intruders. They’ll shoot you dead before you even step onto the path.”

“I know shortcuts and secret paths…”

“Okay, if the guns or guardians don’t get you, then the vampires will. No. You’re not going anywhere.”

Gosh, now I knew how Eli felt when he constantly had to say no to me. What a drag. Mila slumped down and pouted. I rose to my feet.

“I’m going to see if there are any guardians in this house that can send Lyric or Aaron a message. You wait here.”

I opened the door and slid out. The house was dimly lit, sending an eerie shiver down my spine.

“Sera?” I whispered urgently. I tip-toed down the hallway. In the silence, my movements seemed deafeningly loud.

“Sera?” I called again. “Anybody?”

A sharp sting seared into my hand and pain crepitated through my skull as I was slammed hard against a wall in the hallway. Whatever it was, I didn’t see it coming.

“What the hell are you doing, Moore?” the voice demanded.

I realized that I had my eyes squeezed shut. Slowly, I opened them. Aaron peered down at me. I focused on the scar that carved through his flesh. I’m not going to lie, I was absolutely petrified.

“Just the man I wanted to see.” I smiled, trying to hide the scared stutter from my voice.

“This is no time for games. What do you want?”

“I left my phone at home. I’m just letting you know that I don’t have it, so don’t text me. That’s all.”

His brows knitted together and he let me go. I dropped to my feet. I hadn’t even realized he was holding me off the ground.

“I could’ve have killed you. I thought you were a vampire. Next time, don’t sneak around a house when we’re expecting an attack.”

I nodded.

“I’ll come to you if the vampires show up.”

Again I nodded. As quickly as Aaron showed up, he disappeared and I was curious to know exactly how many guardians were hiding in the house. I walked back to the room quietly. The last thing I wanted was to be staked in the heart because a guardian thought I was a vampire.

“Good news.” I exhaled and closed the door. “We don’t need my phone, Aaron—” I turned away from the door. “Mila?”

I couldn’t see her. I took a few steps toward the bed. “Mila, this isn’t funny.” I walked around the bed, but she wasn’t there. She was gone. Panic constricted my chest. She had gone to get my phone. There was no other explanation as to why she’d leave the room.

“No, no, no!” I shouted, picking a book off her desk and throwing it at the wall.

I was so mad. She hadn’t listened to me. I needed to warn as many guardians as I could that Mila was running around the place. How did she get out? Did she manage to slip past Aaron and I while we were talking in the hall? If she did, surely she’d know I had sorted the problem out. I couldn’t let anyone know she’d gotten out. Mila would be in big trouble and I’d no doubt have to give my uniform back, which was depressing because I looked damn good in it.

I turned off the bedroom light and slid out the door, closing it behind me. As I crept down the stairs, they began to move—vibrate to be more exact. In the distance I could hear a man chuckle. What a melodious chuckle. Forgetting about Mila, I focused on the sound and followed it into the sitting room. Nothing was there.

“Ruby?” I heard the deep voice call. It was familiar. The sound of the voice alone was enough to make every hair stand to attention—in a good way. Rapidly, the sitting room began to change color and flicker. It filled with people that gyrated against each other. And then I saw her—Mila. She squeezed through the people and exited out of the door.

“Mila?” I called, as loud as I could, my voice inaudible even to me.

When there was a clear gap in the crowd, I sprinted from the room. The front door twitched and glitched out of sight before returning back to normal. I stared at it as it repeated itself over and over.

“Ruby?” The deep, soothing voice chanted again. I shook my head and ignored it. I stepped toward the door and black, gooey hands rose from the floor and grabbed at me, trying to pull me in, but I fought against them and managed to break free. I spotted her, Mila in a pretty white dress, sprinting across the field.

“Mila!” I screamed until my voice broke. “Mila!”

I tore off after her, the gooey hands following closely behind. But then he zipped in front of me, blocking her from sight.

“Ruby,” he said fiercely.

My lips parted with a sharp gasp. “Eli?” He was the one chanting my name.

He stared down at me, his skin as pale as snow. He leaned closer to me, and the moon brightened on us like the sudden high beam of a car. I saw everything, I saw what he was—what he’d become. A vampire.

In the blinding light, I focused on his eyes. They weren’t green—they weren’t any color—only the darkest shade of black. They held the soulless, malicious gleam that all vampires did. That I once did.

“No,” I whispered.

“Yes,” he replied. A wry-vampiric smile contorted his otherwise handsome face. “And guess what I want?”

“What?”

“You.” He bared his fangs and launched at me, but I dodged him. I couldn’t fight Eli, not now. I needed to stop Mila before—my thoughts ended as a gunshot rang in my ears. I dropped to my knees and watched as someone approached me.

“Ruby, it’s okay,” Aaron stated calmly, walking towards me with his arms out in front of him like I was some kind of feral animal. “Come back into the house, it will be okay.”

Eli was gone. The high beam moon shut off, leaving me in total darkness—hearing only Aaron’s voice.

“Mila is dead,” I whispered, tears spilling over my eyes. “Eli is a vampire.”

“No, none of that is true. Mila is safe, she’s in the house. I’ll show you.” I felt his fingertips brush my forearm and I recoiled away from him.

“You’re lying!” I screamed. “Why are you lying?”

“Ruby, it will be easier on the both of us if you just do as I say.”

“Mila!” I yelled in between body shaking sobs. “I’m sorry!”

And then darkness claimed me.

HANGOVER

My eyes jerked open and I sat up, gasping for air. It was daylight, the bright sun seeped in through the sheer curtains, filling the room with light. My head pounded so relentlessly into the back of my skull I swore it was trying to escape. I pressed my tongue against the roof of my mouth and tried to swallow. My mouth was so dry and sore. Two long, thin arms wrapped around me. I was confused. Last night, it was so real. Mila was dead, Eli, a vampire—I swear it happened.

“Oh Ruby!” Mila cried. “I’m so glad you’re okay. We’ve been so worried about you.”

I took in my surroundings. Aaron leaned against the wall opposite the bed and watched me curiously. Sera leaned against the doorway and a random guardian perched on Mila’s desk.

“How are you feeling?” Aaron asked.

I dropped my gaze to the bed I was lying on—Mila’s bed.

“Oh.” I gasped, yanking the green bed quilt up, covering my light pink sports bra. I flushed and glanced around my room. The guardians appeared unfazed by my indecent exposure. Eager to take the awkward tension off me, I answered him. “I’m fine… I think.”

“So, you totally flipped out last night,” Mila said, handing me a glass of water. She climbed onto the bed and crossed her legs. I greedily drank the cold water and gave her back the cup.

“I don’t know what happened… I was fine one minute and then… totally messed up the next. I can’t explain it.”

“I can,” Mr. Aleksandrov interjected as he entered the room.

He walked over to me and handed me an empty vial. I took it and examined it, careful not to drop my quilt. I frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“It’s empty.”

“Yeah, I can see that.”

“Do you know why it’s empty?”

I shook my head. Mr. Aleksandrov raised his right hand and tapped his palm with his index finger. I lifted my right hand and in the middle of my palm was a small, circular band aid. I groaned in embarrassment. “I stabbed myself?”

“Bingo,” Mr. Aleksandrov replied. “I guess it worked as some kind of hallucinogen.”

“You must have injected yourself when I attacked you last night.” Aaron narrowed his eyes. “I apologize.”

“It’s okay, it was my fault.”

“We weren’t sure what would happen to you, but once your fever died down, you appeared normal. Now, here we are and you’re as good as new.” Mila smiled.

I stared at the green bed quilt, absorbing all the information. “This is real?” I asked, glancing around the room.

Everyone nodded. “Mila is alive, and that means Eli isn’t a vampire.” I placed my hand on my forehead and exhaled. “Oh, thank god.”

“Luckily for you,” Mr. Aleksandrov began, “Lucian was a no show last night.”

Yes, that was lucky. I laid back down. I was afraid that if I sat up any longer I’d fall out of bed or vomit.

“We’ll let you rest, but I’ll be back later to check on you.”

Mr. Aleksandrov signalled the rest of the guardians to leave as well, and soon it was only Mila and I in the room. She laid down next to me, her long blonde hair whipping me in the face.

“Ow!” I half groaned and half giggled in pain.

“Oops.” She laughed. “Sorry.”

Mila flicked her hair over her shoulder and propped her head up on her elbow.

“Sorry if I scared you last night,” I muttered turning to face her.

“By the sound of it, I scared you more than you scared me.”

I remembered how lost I felt when I thought she had died.

“I can’t believe I stabbed myself.”

“It isn’t your fault, Uncle should have made little caps for the needles. What if you had to defend yourself against Hunter before you could inject him? It would end horribly if you pricked yourself in that situation.”

I nodded in agreement. “How’s your tattoo?”

“Still fresh and tinted.” She smiled, presenting her wrist to me.

Mila loved being the only one that could ease my stress. I covered my face with the blanket. The light in the room was unbearable. It made my headache beat harder and faster.

“I still can’t believe I stabbed myself,” I groaned.

Mila chuckled. “It isn’t the end of the world.”

I yanked the blanket off my head in protest. “It could have been. If vampires attacked last night… who knows what could’ve happened?”

“But they didn’t. Don’t worry yourself with what ifs and buts. It isn’t worth it.”

I sighed. “I thought it was real… it felt so real.”

“It wasn’t.”

I sat up and crossed my legs. There was so much I wanted to know about last night, but I didn’t know where to start.

“When… when I came back into the room, were you here?”

She nodded. “I was sitting on the bed in plain sight, but you couldn’t see me. I called out to you over and over… you didn’t respond. I thought you were trying to play some kind of prank on me. It wasn’t until you got angry and threw my book that I knew something was wrong.”

As she spoke, the events came to my mind, hazy like a bad dream.

“You tore from the room, and stopped on the stairs, cautious of something—I couldn’t work out what it was. As you walked into the sitting room, a few guardians showed up and then you screamed my name loudly and desperately.”

She told me how the guardians tried to stop me from leaving the house, like the gooey hands, but I managed to break free. She informed me that I had a conversation with Eli and then broke down. Aaron had ordered the other guardians to leave me alone. He was afraid they were overwhelming me.

“He tried to calm you down, but you wouldn’t listen. He tried to convince you I was okay, that I was standing right in front of you, but you couldn’t see me.” She took a deep breath. “And then he had no choice but to knock you out.”

Subconsciously, I rubbed the aching area on the back of my head. It was swollen to the size of an egg. I winced. It explained the headache, at least. How freaking embarrassing.

My phone vibrated, making the whole bedside table shake. I jumped. The thought of the vibrating staircase last night made me ill. I took a deep breath and grabbed my phone. It was a text message from—Eli! I opened it.