Tonight.

I launched out of bed and sprinted down the hall—ignoring the fact that I was A, in my underwear, and B, cursed with the biggest hangover I’d ever had in my life. I barged into Mr. Aleksandrov’s office. Everyone in the room stared at me awkwardly as stood there practically naked, but I wasn’t embarrassed. I had an amazing body. My eyes fell on Xavier, whose arms were folded across his chest as he gawked at me, wide-eyed. I turned my attention back to Mr. Aleksandrov.

“Lucian is coming tonight.” I marched across the room and slid my phone across Aleksandrov’s desk.

Mr. Aleksandrov read my text and handed my phone back. “Ruby, I need a moment alone with the guardians.”

I became confused. “Am I not a head guardian?”

No one said anything. I glanced at Xavier and then back at Aleksandrov. “So now I’m the one on the need-to-know basis?”

He looked at me sympathetically. “Please.”

I turned on my heel and stormed from the office. From the ground floor, guardians stared up at me. You’d think no one had seen a girl in her underwear before.

“Good morning,” I grumbled at them before slamming Mila’s door behind me.

“What is it?” she asked, sitting up eagerly for some kind of news.

“Lucian is coming tonight. Eli texted me.”

Her mouth opened. “He texted you?”

I nodded and climbed back into bed.

“Now?”

“Yes…”

“Are you going to text him back?”

“No, it’s too risky.”

“Ruby, it’s daytime.”

“What if he’s kept in some underground cell? And is being watched?”

She shrugged. “I don’t think that’s possible. Lucian and the vampires are close by. I don’t think they have a set up like that.”

I chewed my bottom lip in thought and opened the text message. My fingers bounced around the screen as I typed the text message, but I paused before I hit send.

We WILL get you back. See you tonight.

I hit send and shut my eyes. I wanted to tell him how much I loved him and missed him…but I couldn’t. If someone read it, then he’d be in serious trouble. Despite how much we loved each other, we weren’t allowed to be together. My phone vibrated immediately and Mila squeed in excitement.

Don’t do anything stupid. You promised me. <3

I smiled. Even in text his authoritative tone came through loud and clear. The heart wasn’t much, but it was still evidence that could be used against us. So I deleted it. I didn’t reply. I didn’t want to risk it and I was content with sending just the one text.

“Hopefully one day the law will be changed and you two can be together,” Mila said.

“Hopefully. I don’t want anyone else.”

“When you save Hunter and it works… what happens then?”

I opened my mouth to reply, but I didn’t have anything to say. On one hand, I had Eli—the guardian angel and love of my life, the guy who had saved my life countless times and who’d I’d literally given everything to. On the other, I had Hunter—I liked Hunter, more than I probably should. I was the reason he became a vampire, so in a way I owed him…

“I don’t know. Hunter is who I’m supposed to be with, but Eli is who I want to be with. If I was allowed to be with Eli, there’d be no competition.”

“What’s stopping you from being together, really?”

“It’s the law. Goddesses only marry Gods.”

She nodded vigorously. “I know, but what’s stopping you from escaping and living with some kind of renegade angel tribe or something?”

I ran my fingers through my hair, combing out the knots with my fingers. “Because running away isn’t the answer… If we’re meant to be together, it’ll all work out.”

PREPARATIONS

I stayed in Mila’s room until late afternoon. Having slept most of the day, I was energized and ready to take on vampires, but of course that wasn’t going to happen.

“We go with the same plan as last night,” Mr. Aleksandrov ordered.

I paced his office impatiently.

“And look how last night turned out,” Mila muttered.

Aleksandrov ignored her. Funny, ignoring people is what he seemed to do best lately.

“We’ll get our taken guardians back, but with you involved, I’m worried it won’t go smoothly.”

“How so?”

He rolled his eyes at me like I was oblivious. “I know how you feel about Eli and I know how he feels about you. Lucian is going to want to bargain with me to get the guardians back and you’re the only leverage I have. I need to be able to call his bluff without you running in and sacrificing yourself like a lovesick puppy.”

I leaned on his desk, palms spread. I chose to ignore the part about how Eli and I felt about each other. Sure Mr. Aleksandrov knew, but that didn’t mean I was going to confess my love for Eli to him.

“I won’t do anything to jeopardize your plans, just let me be there.”

He stroked his beard. “I can trust you?”

“Yes…”

“You won’t do anything stupid?”

“No, sir.” I had promised Eli I wouldn’t.

He nodded. “Very well.”

I exhaled and stood straight.

“Are you serious?” Mila protested, storming toward us from the window. I turned towards her. She pulled her hair over the left side of her shoulder, exposing more of her frustration. Mila wanted to be in on the action. She was tired of being treated like a precious little girl. I noticed she was wearing jeans and a black tank top, something I had never seen her in before.

“I’m just as capable as Ruby.” With a flick of her hand, she sent Mr. Aleksandrov’s glass of water flying into the wall. It smashed into tiny little pieces. I grabbed her wrist, but she shook me off. Mr. Aleksandrov pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Mila, darling, smashing a glass of water is nothing compared to facing a vampire. You’d be killed. Instantly.”

Her eyes narrowed. I stepped closer to her, unsure of what she was planning. Behind me, the window shattered and tree branches and vines crept rapidly into the room. Within seconds, guardian angels kicked the door down and barged in. Mr. Aleksandrov raised his hand, signalling them to stop. They were confused.

“Mila,” I warned her, my voice low.

“I’m strong. I know I am,” She growled.

I was shocked and had no idea how to handle the situation. I’d never seen goddess magic used to such a degree nor had I witnessed Mila so forceful and scary, but I knew Mila. If it came down to it, her fear would immobilize her and her powers. She’d be killed before she had a chance to react.

“I will not be bullied into this,” Mr. Aleksandrov replied.

The branches and vines curled upwards, tearing big holes in the roof, leaving only the area by the door and his desk intact. Mr. Aleksandrov rose to his feet.

“Go ahead, destroy this entire house. I can replace it. If you die, I can’t replace you.”

The branches stopped growing and retracted slowly. Mila’s hands were clenched into balls by her sides. She ran, pushing through the guards, and sped off down the hall. I ran after her. Her door slammed in my face before I could enter.

I knocked. “Mila? Can I come in?”

She didn’t answer.

Slowly, I opened the door. Mila was on her bed, crying into her pillow.

“It’s not fair!” she said between sobs.

I closed the door behind me and joined her on the bed. I didn’t touch her—I was afraid she’d lash out and damage more of the house.

“He’s just looking out for you. You’re the only family he’s got left.”

“So that gives him the right to baby me? I’m nineteen years old!” she cried.

A pang of guilt coursed through me, I’d missed Mila’s birthday.

“And I’m capable of handling myself. No, I can’t take a vampire in a brawl, but I can guarantee I’ll kill one before it gets within six feet of me,” Mila continued.

I didn’t respond, mostly because I didn’t want to upset her even more. I agreed with Ivan, Mila is a goddess, she shouldn’t be fighting vampires—that’s what guardians are for, and if they’re good at their job, she should never have to see one. Ever. And of course with everything there is an exception to the rule—I am that exception. I’m half Heelian, I can harness the power of the sun—or at least I could, and if a vampire ever ends up in close quarters with me, I’m pretty sure I could take them.

“I hate it here. It’s boring. Nobody besides you likes me, and I can’t make my own decisions. I wish I did run away the night of Uncle’s party.”

“You don’t mean that.”

She lifted her face from the pillow. Her eyes were red and puffy. Her irises were no longer a clear blue, but clouded with tears. “Oh, I do!”

I felt sorry for her because I knew where she was coming from. I get pissed off when nobody includes me in plans because they don’t want me to get hurt—the feeling sucks and it isn’t until you’re on the other side, wanting to keep a certain person safe, that you realize how necessary it is.

“I’ll let you clear your head,” I mumbled as I slid off the bed. “But remember, it isn’t the fact that he doesn’t think you’re capable. It’s the fact that he doesn’t want to lose you.”

The door shut with a gentle click behind me. I proceeded down the hallway to Mr. Aleksandrov’s office. I had plans that I needed to be filled in on.

It was night. The moon was hidden behind a thick layer of cloud, shedding no light on the earth below it. I was more nervous than I’d been any of the previous nights. Tonight I knew for a fact that Lucian was coming and I needed to be on top of my game. I needed to end this once and for all—without the help of my sun power.

I felt the outside of my pocket over and over—making sure the needle was still in there. I didn’t know whether to be happy or embarrassed that Mr. Aleksandrov had caps made for them. Actually, I was embarrassed.

I hid in the sitting room, watching the open field from the window. As usual, the night brought a depressing gloom with it. Everyone knew someone was going to die, regardless what the plans were. Vampires couldn’t resist our blood and they’d put their bloodlust before any orders Lucian gave.

I shuddered at the thought of being anywhere near him. Sure, Lucian didn’t treat us that bad during our brief stay at Mount Kuuce. He’d provided us with beautiful rooms and mountains of food, but that didn’t mean I’d developed a form of Stockholm Syndrome and felt sorry for him. The guy was a raving lunatic and I needed to kill him. End of story.

A loud scream broke the deafening silence and I sprinted from the sitting room to Mila’s bedroom. She told me to let her know when it’d started. I opened her door and Mila wasn’t in her room. I stared at the empty room in disbelief. Had I stabbed myself again? I reached from my pocket and pulled out the syringe—it was still capped, which meant Mila had actually escaped her room. I pulled out my mobile phone and sent a text to Aaron.

MILA IS OUT THERE!

I put my phone back into my pocket and returned to the sitting room. I had no idea if he’d even receive it in time. I was torn between sticking with the plan and waiting for Lucian to come to the field or venture out and find Mila myself. I watched out the window. I had no idea how far Mila had gone, where she was, or even which direction she’d headed. The moon peered out from underneath a cloud and I saw them. Him. Lucian. They approached the house in a number too large to bother counting.

“Ruby?” The cold voice blew into me like ice. “I’ve come to take you home.”

I gasped when I saw Mila in Lucian’s grasp at the far end of the field. He had her by the hair, tilting her head back slightly as he dragged her along beside him and I could see it on her face. She’d frozen, she was too scared to fight back and use her powers. In my head, I urged her to use her powers with as much force as she had earlier today, but she didn’t. Forget the plan! I lurched forward, but a hand wrapped around my elbow, forcing me backward. I turned abruptly. Mr. Aleksandrov pressed his index finger to his lips.

“He has Mila,” I whispered, if I could even call it that. My voice was so low I couldn’t hear it myself.

Mr. Aleksandrov nodded. A hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes. If Mila survived this, she sure was getting an ass-kicking tomorrow—from her uncle and me. I turned back to the window.

“Come out, come out wherever you are,” he chanted in his usual exaggerated tone. “I can hear your heart racing. I can smell your blood!”

I gritted my teeth. Lucian was so full of cockiness and enthusiasm—it irked me to no end. But he would die tonight and the earth would be free of him and his annoying god complex.

“Do you remember,” Mr. Aleksandrov whispered into my ear, “when I told you that you were still our secret weapon?”

I nodded. Mr. Aleksandrov didn’t elaborate. He grabbed me firmly by the elbow, pushing me out of the sitting room and toward the front door.

“What are you doing? This isn’t the plan!” I whispered hastily.

“Consider this plan B.”

He kept pushing me until I was standing in the field, twenty yards away from Lucian. A shiver rolled down my spine. No matter how many times I came face to face with a vampire—any vampire, it was difficult. My mother’s face flashed through my mind and my chest ached. I missed her dearly, and I promised myself that when this was over, I’d find out where she was buried and I’d go see her. I smiled slightly. Yes, that’s exactly what I needed, to see my mother.