On the Edge of Humanity

I WOKE THE NEXT MORNING TO an audience of people watching me as if I were some caged animal that they were admiring. I wiped my eyes trying to remove the sleepy crust that glued the corners together. I sat up, not sure if I should speak or not. What were they all staring at?

Webb leaned up against the sidewall at the edge of my bed. His wavy brown hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. He trained his eyes on me. Was he waiting for me to give him a command? Directly in front of me at the bottom of the bed, Tripp straddled a chair, resting his arms on the back of it. Next to Tripp, Dr. Vieira stood with his hands in his lab coat, head tilted to one side. Was something wrong with me? Did I look like a zombie again? I bet that was it.

I raised my hands to smooth back my hair and stopped. A purple color sparkled from the light overhead. I looked down and swallowed hard. From what I could see, my straight black hair had grown an inch and was now hanging down past my breasts. However, that wasn't what had me spooked. I splayed my fingers through the ends of my hair. A mixture of black and purple streaked through the strands. How had my hair turned purple?

"Who did this to me?" I demanded, my voice frantic.

Dr. Vieira walked over. "Interesting. I will have to run more tests," he said as he leaned in and examined the ends of my hair.

"Don't you have enough of my blood?" I asked, trying not to snap at him.

I thought I would at least look as pretty as all of them. Nope. Ugly as a human and now I was the ugly vampire.

I dropped my head in my hands. Can I ever catch a break?

The door opened and Kate bounced in. "How's my newborn?"

"Don't call me that," I barked.

"Wow, what side of the bed did you get up on?" she asked.

"Look at this." I grabbed a handful of hair and waved it in her direction.

"Cool," she squeaked.

I wanted to strangle her. It was okay for her to look beautiful, but me, no way. I'd thought that at least one of the benefits of being a vampire would be for my appearance to change for the better, which reminded me of the scar on my cheek.

I released the wad of hair and rubbed my hand over the left side of my face. My fingers dipped in-between the scar, which was still on my cheek. Great!

I hated this new body already.

My father traipsed in. Tripp jumped off the chair and stood at attention. Webb pushed off from the wall, hands at his side.

"I need everyone in the war room in fifteen minutes," Commander Mason instructed.

He was clean-shaven and had changed into tan cargo pants with a navy blue t-shirt, which bore the SEAL emblem in the upper left corner of his chest. Over the top of the emblem in an arc was the word Jupiter, and under the emblem in an inverted arc was the word Sentinel. His right forearm was imprinted with some type of hieroglyphics, a series of symbols that looked as if Pythagoras scribbled a mathematical formula on his arm.

While most of the symbols were foreign to me, one wasn't. The fancy number four overpowered all the surrounding symbols-the same one Olivia had on her arm: the mark of the Jupiter Sentinel.

I smirked as I watched him. The most powerful vampire, Commander Steven Mason, barked orders at his troops, while each of them stood at attention, listening to my father's every word.

Kate sat on my bed, talking about something, but I tuned her out. I wanted to hear what my father was saying. As Kate's voice dominated my right ear, I strained my left one, trying to eavesdrop on the other conversation, but my father's voice had dropped to a whisper as he talked with Tripp and Webb. I hoped they were discussing Sam's rescue.

Kate was still jabbering when my father walked over to my bedside.

"Gentlemen and lady, let my daughter get ready." He sat on the edge of the bed as everyone else, including Kate, evacuated the room. "Everything okay this morning?" He fanned the ends of my hair. "I like the color. It's very becoming against your silver eyes."

"You're just saying that because you're my father."

"Once you look in the mirror, I'm sure you'll agree. You're beautiful." He let go of the strands and stood up. "I need you in the war room. I know you probably want to take a shower so I won't hold you to the fifteen minutes. Kate is going to take you to my room." He leaned over and kissed me on the forehead. "Don't take too long. Sam needs us."

He had his hand on the door when I asked, "So what should I call you?"

A confused look washed over him. "I would love it if you called me Dad, but I know I haven't earned the right. Steven is good for now."

"Um, how's Ben? Can I see him?" I held my breath, hoping my friend was okay.

"Ben is still in a coma. His vital signs have improved, though. I prefer it if you got dressed first and meet me downstairs. You can see him later."

Before I could protest he was gone. As he disappeared, Kate stood in the doorway.

"You ready?" she asked.

I pulled off the sheet, unfolded my legs and planted my feet on the floor. My head spun, making me plop back my butt on the bed. Thank the Lord it was there. I slowly inhaled, then pushed off and stood upright. My legs wobbled. I stood still for a moment before I tried to move my feet.

Kate leaned against the door watching me. Why wasn't she helping me?

As if she read my mind she said, "You need to learn to adjust to your new body. You've been through hell and back. Nourishment is the key and I don't mean blood. Human food will help."

"Vampires get hungry for human food?" I asked.

"Girl, you have a lot to learn about the vampire world. My brother was right. You've either watched too many vampire movies or have read too many vampire books."

I wasn't in the mood to argue with her. I was more irritated that Webb had discussed my immaturity about the vampire world with her. What else had he told her? I guessed it wasn't important right now. I needed to get my tush in gear and take a shower, but now that Kate mentioned food, my stomach growled.

I managed to shuffle to the door. I was afraid to pick up my feet. My legs were weak, but all my other body parts appeared okay.

I stood in the lab, glancing around. Everything seemed so new. My senses were sharp. My vision was crystal clear. I could read the anatomy chart that was plastered on the far back wall of the lab. Smells of alcohol, blood and rotten eggs washed through me. Noises that I hadn't heard before buzzed in my ears. Computers hummed, lab machines beeped and other noises wracked my eardrums. But one steady beat caught my attention.

I walked over to Ben's room and peered in through the glass. He was still lying on his back, eyes closed, not moving. His chest rose with every artificial breath of the ventilating machine. Bandages were still wrapped around his neck. I grabbed hold of the doorknob and turned it. The door was locked. I frowned. Why was the door locked?

I tried it again when Kate called out, "You're not allowed in there. Now, let's go."

What did she mean I wasn't allowed in there? Why not? I knew my father told me it wouldn't be good for me to see Ben now, but he never said to stay out of his room. I peered through the glass one more time, then reluctantly met Kate at the double doors.

I was beginning to realize that my father's presence was going to be a challenge...I smiled. More for him than for me.

Steven Mason's room wasn't just a room, it was an entire wing of the fourth floor. According to Kate, the fourth floor split into two sections: one half was the medical facility and the other half was my father's apartment.

My mouth hung open as I surveyed the penthouse of the alpha-alpha vampire. The military didn't spare any expense in making sure that Steven Mason was taken care of. The place was warm and inviting with a large, tan fabric sofa, two recliners that matched the couch, a square cherry wood coffee table and pillows galore decorating the living room. The best part was the thick, plush carpeting that covered the floor.

I walked barefoot, relishing the softness between my toes as I made my way to the wall of windows that lined two walls of the apartment, meeting together in a corner and framing half of the living room. I stopped in front of the window, just out of reach of the sun's rays, which shone through, casting a beam of heat on the floor. I was reluctant to step into the sun's path, afraid if I did, I would turn into a pile of ashes.

"It's fine. You won't burn," Kate said. She walked up and stood beside me in the sun's beam of light. "See, it doesn't hurt. It actually feels good. While sun doesn't affect us like you think it does, we can't be out in it for hours on end. Although as you get older, your body will become accustomed to it and you can withstand its power longer," she explained.

I wasn't ready to test her theory, although she was proof of not bursting into flames.

"What's in all these buildings?" I asked as I pointed to the three buildings that surrounded the courtyard below.

"Over there is where we keep our prisoners, when we have any." She flicked her finger toward the building opposite us. "The two other buildings are empty at the moment." She pointed, directing my attention to the brick structures that stood on the left and right side of us.

I thought of Jonah and Dr. Case and if they took up residence in a cell in that building. How did they prevent a strong vampire like Jonah from escaping?

"We have to get moving. Once we get through this mission, we'll have more time for a tour. Your dad's bedroom is in the back corner behind the kitchen. There's also a bathroom in there." She sat down on the couch and pulled a magazine from the coffee table.

Before I turned, something below caught my attention. I squinted to focus on the shadowy figure running across the courtyard. My gaze moved from right to left following the man who was looking behind him as if someone or something were chasing him. Who was that? Then the man stopped and rummaged around in the back pocket of his camouflage pants and pulled out a cell phone. Was that one of the Sentinel guards? Then a phone rang in the apartment, startling me. I spun around and looked at Kate.

"Ignore it. It's your father's private line. It will go directly to his cell phone if he doesn't pick it up in here. Um, shower, clothes, dress-in that order. Hurry, Jo."

Was the guard trying to call my father? Maybe he was keeping his commander informed of what he was doing. It seemed logical that all the guards were instructed to do that.

I shrugged and traipsed off, passing the kitchen, which was separated from the living room by a large island. The sounds of the appliances hummed loudly in my ears as I entered the hallway. Every little noise no matter how soft or loud, drove me crazy and set my eardrums rattling and my head pounding. Somehow I needed to filter out all the background noise, but I didn't know how.

I walked down the hall, passing a bathroom and two empty rooms before opening the door at the end of the hall into my father's bedroom. My jaw dropped when I entered. It was as if I had stepped into another world-the military world.

This wasn't a bedroom; this was a military command center. The only thing telling me it might not be was the large king size bed that sat against the wall directly opposite me. Alongside the right and left walls were maps of the United States and other countries. Two credenzas lined half of the right wall. Above them, glass cabinets displayed a multitude of weapons. Why would my father want to sleep among all these daggers, swords and guns when there were two empty rooms in the apartment? It was as if I were in a military museum.

I walked over to the cabinets, trailing my finger along the credenzas. The first cabinet had several different types of dagger. Under each one there was a small typed card explaining the weapon above it. Out of the five daggers, one in particular caught my attention: the British Knuckle Duster, circa 1943. This was the dagger that Jonah used to fight Webb. The handle had finger holes with four protruding studs-for punching, according to the card. I wondered if this type of weapon would've really taken out Webb.

As I made my way farther down the line, there were four unique swords in different shapes and sizes. Like the daggers, each of the swords had a card underneath it explaining its origins, with the exception of one-the Sentinel sword. Unlike the red handle on Webb's sword, the one on display had a camouflage handle, but the blade wasn't exposed. I studied it, trying to figure out where the button to engage the blade was. I pulled on the cabinet door, but it was locked.

I had moved down to the gun section when the apartment door closed. It was weird how clearly I could hear the quiet squeak of the door from this distance. Whoever came in or went out didn't slam it. They closed it softly, the door clicking in place. Maybe Kate left.

I didn't move. I tried to see how good my new vampire senses were and closed my eyes, trying to tune out the noises around me.

As I stood there listening, the doorknob to the bedroom turned. I spun around, adrenaline shooting through my veins. My throat started to burn, and the room around me momentarily vanished, then reappeared.

What just happened? Was I shifting into a vampire disguise or something? I ran into the bathroom to find a mirror, not caring about the intruder. I looked down at my body. It was still me. Had my face changed? I patted myself around my cheeks, nose and mouth-still me. I pulled open a drawer in the bathroom cabinet and it flew across the room, landing on the toilet. Jeepers, did I do that? I didn't pull it that hard or did I? This new body is going to take some getting used to.

I looked at the contents of the drawer, which were strewn on the toilet lid and the floor below. A compact of some sort lay on the cover of the toilet. That's weird. Is my father using make-up?

I picked it up, opened it, and inside was not only a mirror but also several bullets. What were bullets doing in a make-up compact? I jerked my head and flared my nostrils as if I were some type of police dog. The unknown person was now in the bedroom. Unlike Kate's cinnamon scent, this intruder had a woodsy scent.

As the bathroom doorknob turned, I jumped to the side of the door. The man walked in and my animal instinct took over. With my left hand, I grabbed the man by throat and pinned him against the marble wall near the sink. His hands wrapped around my wrist and tugged, trying to release my grip.

"Let go," Webb said, his voice strangled.

I blinked a few times. His face faded out. It went dark for a split second before I could see again. What was happening to me?

I stumbled backwards. "You shouldn't walk in on a girl in a bathroom, especially a vampire one."

"I heard a crash. I thought something happened, but I see you've been productive," he said as he looked around, his eyes resting on the contents of the drawer.

My cheeks suddenly burned with embarrassment. "I think I'm losing my vision," I blurted out.

"Does the room disappear for a moment then return?" he asked.

I nodded.

"You're eyes were shifting colors."

"But that didn't happen when I was human."

"As a vampire, you're more sensitive to things now. I'm sure your vision blurred slightly when you were human. You just didn't notice it. As you grow into your new vampire body, you'll find you get used to things like that." He walked to the door. "I put your clothes on the bed. Your father is waiting for you. So hurry up and get downstairs."

I locked the door behind him and leaned against it, breathing deeply, trying to calm my nerves. All these heightened senses, my hearing, my sight and my strength were too much to handle. Would I feel the same way when it came to boys? Would my feelings be stronger, sharper? Then it hit me. My stomach didn't flutter or do somersaults when Webb walked in. Nope, not like it did when I first met him. Did becoming a vampire change that? Would I have those butterfly feelings when I first kiss a boy? Or when a boy touched me like Ben did the other day? I shivered. Erase those thoughts. Boy problems would have to wait for another day. Hell, who was I kidding? A girl like me didn't have boy problems. I would be waiting an eternity for a boy to like me.

I peeled off my dirty clothes, turned on the water and jumped into the shower. The water pressure sent a shiver down my spine. I hadn't showered for a couple of days and I stood in the stall, enjoying the spray as it washed the sweat, blood and muck from me.

After I showered, I discovered the clothes Webb had folded on the bed. I surveyed my new wardrobe and laughed. Did he think I was a size two? The jeans looked way too small and I had my doubts on the short sleeve V-neck t-shirt. The good news was my boots were sitting on the floor at the foot of the bed.

I tried on the jeans slipping in one leg then the other, pulled them over my hips and shock washed over me-they fit. I wasn't even going to look at the size. Normally I wore a size ten because of my wide hips. I usually had to get one size bigger in jeans because of it, which caused a huge gap between my pants and my waist. Hey, maybe with my new vampire body, I would slim down-at least a girl could wish.

I dressed as fast I could, not wanting to piss off my dad. I was already taking too long. I couldn't do anything with my hair since I didn't have a band to wrap it back into a ponytail.

The living room was empty when I walked out. Where was Kate? I stilled for a moment trying to see if I could hear or smell her-nothing. I guessed I should get down to the war room. As I made my way to the door, it opened and Kate stood there, arms crossed over her chest.

"Are you trying to get me in trouble?" she asked, a scowl forming on her face.

"No. I've been waiting for you," I lied. I had only been waiting a few minutes.

She gave me a baleful look as I walked past her into the hall. I followed her, matching her in fluidity as we jogged down two flights of stairs, through several hallways and corridors until we walked into the war room. I was surprised at how easy that was. Normally, as a human, I would be panting for breath after a mile long jog. Maybe there were benefits to being a vampire.

My dad stood near a podium at the bottom in front of the movie screen, head moving from side to side, scanning the crowd. Every seat in the room was occupied.

Kate and I stood at the back of the room, just inside the entrance. I leaned up against the wall just to the side of the door, while Kate took the post on the opposite side of it. I glanced around, trying to catch the attention of my father, letting him know I was here, but he was staring at the people in the front row as if he were listening to what they were saying. I shifted my gaze. Who was he focused on? All I could see were a couple of bald heads.

As I waited for my father to speak, I became keenly aware of the subtle noises in the room. I still couldn't get used to hearing the crisp sound of hearts beating, people breathing, stomachs growling and people yawning, let alone the scents that mixed together, creating a hodgepodge of fragrances that made my nose wrinkle.

Kate leaned in and whispered, "Your father is pissed."

"How do you know?" I asked as I looked down at him.

"He bites the inside of his cheek. It's a habit he has. In another second or two he'll let out sigh to try to calm himself."

Kate knew more about my father than I did, which set off a spark of anger, igniting a flame of jealousy within me. My daddy issues were beginning to surface, but I wasn't ready to face them. I started tapping my foot on the floor.

"Like father, like daughter," she said.

"What?" I slid her a sideways glance.

"Stop tapping your foot."

Commander Mason let out a sigh just as Kate had predicted. He cleared his throat and the buzz in the room quieted. I wondered what he was so mad about. Was it because I was late?

"As most of you know, I've been absent for the past two weeks. You've been informed that the Plutariums had kidnapped me. While they were the reason I was missing, I won't reveal the full details today. What I would like everyone in this room to know is that we have a very important mission at hand-one that involves my son, Sam. While he may be family, we'll still follow all the protocols that we've learned. I don't want anyone straying from our rules of engagement. With that said, I need everyone to do their job, man their posts and pay attention to detail. I don't want any screw-ups. Understood?" Commander Mason waited for acknowledgement.

"Yes, sir," the audience said in unison.

The room vibrated and I had to cover my ears from the loudness of the deep baritone of collective voices.

"Good. Now, the team leads will report to Senior Chief Cooper and pick up your orders. Once you have those in hand, gather your team and study the plans. As I said, pay attention to detail and know your role." Commander Mason looked at his watch. "Okay, we have two hours before we leave. Let's be safe out there."

The thirty or so SEALs started to rise when a siren blasted through the speaker. The pain stabbed my ears and I thought blood was going to ooze out. I covered them and winced. What was the siren for? Was there a fire? Everyone in the room froze, looking at my dad and Webb. The alarm stopped, but a red light flashed from the ceiling every few seconds.

"Man your stations," a voice crackled through an overhead speaker. "This is a red alert."

"What's going on?" I asked.

"I got to run. Go down and stay with Webb."

"Wait," I called as Kate ran out.

Before I could make my way to the podium where Webb was standing, Tripp was beside me.

"Jo, come with me."

I followed him down to the side door where Webb had just exited through.

"Hurry," Tripp said as he held the door open for me.

I entered a bustling room full of vampires. It was as if I had stepped into the command center at NASA. Video screens hung from the ceiling, revealing every nook and cranny in the building and outside around the perimeter. Several desks and tables shaped in half circles were set up with monitors displaying different types of pictures and information. Several large TV screens hung on the back wall just beyond the computers, desks and surveillance equipment.

The epicenter of the Jupiter Sentinels' headquarters reminded me of a nest of ants. I didn't move, watching as my father stood next to Kate who drew on a whiteboard. Her hand moved smoothly, drawing a blueprint of what appeared to be a building. Webb stood near a male vamp who pointed to a computer screen showing an empty courtyard. One of the bald men who sat in the front row earlier stood behind a lady as she typed, her fingers flying across the keys. I shifted my glance from the lady to the TV monitor on the back wall.

A picture of the outside of Highland Memorial Hospital popped up. After a few more keystrokes, the TV screen split into four pictures of the inside of the hospital. Why were there pictures of the hospital on the screen? Was that the place where the Plutariums were keeping Sam?

I leaned in to Tripp who hadn't moved either. "What's happening?"

"We had a breach. Someone hopped our fence and is now somewhere on the property."

I thought about the man I had seen in the courtyard. Was that the same guy they were searching for? Maybe I should've said something to Kate or Webb earlier.

A radio crackled in the room. "Echo four, come in."

Webb pulled the radio from his belt. "Echo four, go."

"Sir, we have the intruder."

"Bring him to room five," Webb radioed back.

"Yes, sir. Charlie two out." Then the radio went silent.

Webb walked over to a room in the far corner that was enclosed with a picture window. It reminded me of the one in Ben's hospital room. My father joined Webb in front of the window as they waited for the intruder to enter.

Kate sidled up next to me. "You should have a seat. This might take awhile." She waved her hand, pointing to the lounge area, which was another room along the left side of the command center. "There are drinks in the refrigerator. Maybe even some you've had before."

I winged up an eyebrow. Was she talking about the flavored juice boxes? My gums started throbbing and my throat burned at the near mention of them.

"You're going to need all the blood nourishment you can get before we head out to rescue Sam," she said.

While the blood sounded appetizing, my stomach growled for human food. I stepped around a few desks and tables and walked into the lounge. A four-foot refrigerator butted up against the counter on the back wall. I made a beeline for it and pulled the door open. My gums were hurting just thinking about the creamsicle flavor I had a few days ago as a human. Would it taste differently this time?

My choices were limited. I was bummed that the only flavor available was vanilla. Oh well, I plucked it from the shelf, inserted the straw and sucked it down. Immediately my throat lost its burn. I decided to grab another box when my father cleared his throat.

"Don't drink another one," he commanded.

I turned. "Why?"

"For the first few months it is essential that the only blood you drink is mine."

"But Kate-"

"Kate should know better. I'll have a chat with her later. If you feel the need for blood, you need to let me or Dr. Vieira know immediately," he explained, sounding worried.

"How will I know if I need blood or not?" I asked. Now I was beginning to worry.

"You'll know. I need to talk with you about Sam, but not here," he said as he walked out of the lounge.

Did he want me to follow him? I opted to since there was something in his voice that scared me.

On my way out I stopped, scanning the sea of military personnel as they prepared for a mission to save my brother. If it weren't for this mission, what else they would be doing during the day? Weren't vampires supposed to sleep all day and conduct their business at night? I couldn't help but think about evolution and the vampire. How did vampires evolve? Darcy had told me they were night creatures. But the vampires around me like my father, Webb and Dr. Vieira were walking proof that the vampires of today blended in with humans, walking the earth during the day where the sun didn't burn them to ashes.

I shivered. Just thinking about it, not to mention me as a vampire, was mind-blowing. I pinched myself to make sure I was still alive, even if it was as a vampire, which led to several other questions. If vampires existed, what other creatures walked the earth among humans? Did werewolves and fairies or witches and warlocks exist? Was there a whole supernatural community I wasn't aware of?

"Jo?" My father nudged me.

I blinked a few times, then looked up.

"We'll go into the conference room off the war room where it's quiet."

I was about to turn and follow him when a man sitting in the glass-windowed room caught my eye and I gasped.

"What's wrong?" my dad asked.

"That man." I pointed at the window. "Is he the intruder?" My heart raced.

"Yes. Nevertheless, he's not a threat. Why?"

"I know him. He's a Plutarium. But I thought he was dead."

Everyone in the room picked up their heads.

My dad grabbed my arm and pulled me all the way into the conference room. "Sit down."

"Hey, what did I do? Why are you-?"

"Quiet." He paced the floor a few times, then scratched his head.

Geez, what's got him so huffy? I didn't like the sound of his voice. My heart was still racing and now he gave it more reason to sprint.

"Did I do something wrong? All I said was Plutarium."

There was something bugging my dad, and it wasn't because I blurted out Plutarium. It had to be because of the guy sitting in the interrogation room-the intruder-Neil Foster. The man who helped Sam and me. The man I thought was dead. Then it dawned on me. Was Neil working for my dad? Was Neil my dad's source and the friend he spoke of who owed him a favor? Was that how my dad got the picture of Sam?

"We need to talk about Sam," my father said.

"He's still alive, isn't he?"

I waited as he paced the floor. I started tapping my foot, then stopped, remembering what Kate had said, Like father, like daughter. A rush of darkness washed over me, then light reappeared. My eyes must've changed. I stared at my father waiting for him to say something, anything.

He stopped, knelt down in front of me and looked up. His eyes had blackened to pools of tar. The outer edges had a silver rim, unlike Webb's whose eyes took on a red rim when they turned black. He grabbed my hand.

Oh, this can't good.

I sat in this same room on Monday with Webb kneeling down telling me I had to become a vampire to save Sam. Fast-forward the clock to a few days later, now I was sitting in the same chair in the same room about to hear bad news again. Had my sacrifice been in vain? A knot formed at the back of my throat. I swallowed, trying to prevent myself from screaming.

"Jo. I don't know-"

"You ass-I don't want to hear it." Tears spilled out without hesitation.

"Young lady, you will not speak to me like that. Frankly, I won't have my daughter talking like a truck driver. I'm your father, even if I wasn't there for you. I'm here now and I expect you to treat me with respect if for no other reason than the fact I'm your elder. Are we clear?" He was still kneeling and he hadn't let go of my hand.

More tears spilled and I balled my right hand into fist. A rage of fury coursed through me. I'd had enough of people telling me what to do, trying to rape me, to kill me, bullying me.

Damn the victim, damn the vampires, and damn my father!

"Yes, you're my biological father, but who are you to appear out of nowhere and start barking out commands? I'm not in your military squad, Commander. You told me Sam was alive and that we'd save him. So don't bring me in here and tell me he's dead because-"

The door opened and Webb walked in.

"Commander, a word please."

"Come in, Lieutenant," my father said, not taking his eyes off me.

Webb stood at the door. He must've sensed the tension because he didn't move. Silence filled the room as Dad and I stared at each other.

"We need to leave. It's time," Webb said.

I broke the staring contest and glanced at Webb. His eyes widened when I looked at him. Was there something on my face? If there was, I didn't care. I wanted to strangle my father, who still glared at me.

"Sir?" Webb called again for my father's attention.

"Give us a minute," he intoned.

Webb left the room. My father stood up and I braced for impact.

"The purpose of this conversation is to inform you of some ground rules and expectations when we arrive at the place where the Plutariums are keeping Sam. I also want you to be prepared for the worst in the event we can't save him," he said.

"Wait. I didn't become a vampire for nothing. You promised we would save Sam," I said.

"He's still alive according to my source, but he's in bad shape. When we get into the facility, our mission is to remove him first, put him under Dr. Vieira's care and bring him back here. That's where you come in. You'll need to be there with Dr. Vieira the whole time and will need to do everything Dr. Vieira tells you. I don't want any drama from you, back talk or temper tantrums. I'll explain everything to you when I know we have completed our mission. Are we clear?" He was standing in front of me, arms crossed over his chest with his eyebrows pulled together.

He spoke to me as if I were one of his soldiers and the biggest bratty kid he had ever met. Well, there was probably some truth to bratty right about now.

I nodded.

Since I had shed my human existence to save my brother, I had to do everything I could to ensure my new vampire life included Sam, even if that meant being the good and proper daughter, stalling my anger for my vampire father for another day.

"So I'm going with you?" I asked, looking for confirmation.

"You and Dr. Vieira will accompanying us, but will stay in the van until we bring Sam out."

It wasn't the answer I wanted to hear. I had a feeling, as a brand new vampire, my mettle was about to be tested.