Savannah

Shock held me frozen for a moment. When I could move again, I ran down the stairs after the guys as fast as I could. Needles of pain burst over me as if I had run through explosions of fireworks, faded away, then returned. The guys were fighting with magic.

I shoved open the foyer doors and ran outside in time to see Dylan hit Tristan then grab the camera and run toward the front parking lot.

I started to go after him. But then I saw Tristan lying on the cement ramp. I ran to him instead.

He had a busted lip, his left cheek was starting to swell, and the knuckles on his right hand were cut and bleeding.

"Tristan, are you okay?" Kneeling, I lifted his head.

"Savannah, the grass..."

He didn't appear to be that beat up, yet he couldn't seem to move. Had Dylan used a freezing spell on him or something?

"Where are you hurt?" I asked, trying to stay calm. But my heart was screaming.

"Get me...to the grass," he whispered.

Huh? "I shouldn't move you."

"Please."

Maybe the cement beneath us was hurting him. I didn't understand, but it didn't matter. He seemed so weak. I'd do anything he asked as long as it helped.

Moving to his head, I grabbed him under the arms and dragged him backward toward the grass. I hadn't thought I'd be able to budge him. But it turned out not to be nearly as difficult as I'd expected. Maybe because he pushed with his feet to help.

As soon as I got him to the grass, my feet slipped on the wet ground. I landed on my butt. Good enough. I cradled his head in my lap. "Is this better?"

He nodded, spread his hands palm down on the grass and closed his eyes.

Prickling began along my neck and down my arms, faint at first, then growing more intense by the second.

"Ow," I gasped, rubbing my arms. It felt like a swarm of fire ants were attacking me.

"Sorry," he mumbled with a tired smile. "Had to get some energy."

"That's...you?"

He nodded.

"Oh. It's okay, then, keep going."

The prickling returned, grew, sharpened to tiny needles stabbing me all over. I knew what a pincushion felt like now. Gritting my teeth, I fought back a whimper. It would be over soon. Surely just a little longer...

He rolled up halfway, and the sensation stopped as if he'd hit a switch. Twin handprints of burned grass marked where his hands had just been. He turned toward me and cupped my cheek, his thumb stroking away tears I hadn't realized I'd cried. "I'm okay now, Sav. Sorry about that. Is Dylan gone?"

I nodded, leaning into his hand. I was just relieved that he was okay.

"Did he get the memory card? I dropped it around here somewhere."

I looked around us, but in the dark I couldn't see anything. "I don't know. I can't see it."

He cursed. "I should have held on to it-"

"He was hitting you. Don't worry about it." Gripping his wrist near my face, I closed my eyes. "You're okay. That's all I care about right now." I sighed through my nose then froze as my stomach grumbled. Something smelled good. Maybe it was Tristan's cologne.

"Are you wearing a new cologne today?" I said, drawing in more of the overwhelming scent.

"Uh, no." He sounded a little amused.

"Wow, you smell good."

"Oh, no, no more kisses tonight. That's what got us in this mess."

I should be upset at his words. But all I could focus on was how good he smelled. He seemed positively...lickable. I turned my face toward his hand still on my cheek, and the luscious scent intensified, making me want to moan.

I reached up to hold his hand and studied it. "Ouch. Your knuckles are bleeding."

"Yeah, I busted them on his face. Obviously not often enough, though. Listen, if he did find the memory card, I don't think he'll really send those pics to your family. His problem is with me, not you. He just likes to play head games..."

His voice faded away along with all other sounds except the solid, strong thud of his heart.

I brought his wounded fingers to my mouth and kissed a scraped knuckle. And the single most intoxicating, mind-numbing, soul-shattering flavor exploded across my tongue.

It was like red velvet cake, chocolate meringue pie, rocky-road ice cream and apple pie a la mode combined. But better. A million times better. I could live on this flavor for the rest of my life and die happy. I kissed the next knuckle on his hand, and the flavor filled me again, just a sip of pure heaven to tease and tantalize and drive me mad with need for more.

I could sell my soul without hesitation for a cupful of this taste.

"Savannah? Savannah!" Tristan pulled his hand from my grasp, and I nearly wept, the loss was that intense. The scent faded away, the taste on my tongue fast following it.

Despair swamped me, and I buried my face in my hands in an effort to hold it in. It was either that or scream from the emotion. I pulled in long breaths of clean air to clear my system of the druglike effects. But I couldn't clear out the memory of that smell, that taste on my tongue.

Slowly, reason seeped back in until I couldn't understand why I'd lost control in the first place. The memory was still there, but not the emotions, allowing me to think again.

What in the world had just happened?

"Savannah, are you okay?"

Was I? I'd kissed his wounded hand, and then...

I glanced at his hand, at his bloody knuckles. The taste in my mouth, surely it couldn't be...

A bead of blood still shone on his split lip. Unable to believe I was really doing it, I reached up, stroked a thumb over that glistening spot, then brought my thumb to my mouth. And like before, that same scent and taste filled my nose and mouth, drowning out every other sense, hollowing me out so nothing was left to take up room inside me. Clearing away everything I was, so only the craving was left. But this time, that craving was tainted by horror.

A nightmarish chorus of hisses, high-pitched like nails drawn across a thousand chalkboards, screeched from nearby, breaking through the mental fog and drawing my attention.

The watchers, just ten yards away on the opposite side of the road, bared their teeth and fangs at me. Fangs. Ohhh, holy crap.

I shot to my feet, and the vampires fled together in a blur.

"Savannah. What's wrong?" Tristan stood up beside me, the panic in his voice an echo of the fear pulsing through me.

"The watchers. They just hissed at me then took off."

"And before that? You completely zoned out on me."

"I..." I could not tell him about this, could never admit what seemed too horrible for even my own mind to absorb. "I...have to go home." Now. Before I did something way worse than just lick the blood off his fingers. I fumbled in my jacket pocket, found the team keys and all but threw them at him, afraid to get too close to him again. "Please lock up for me."

"You have to go home? Right now?"

I nodded, but even that tiny movement threatened to shatter my self-control.

"Well, at least let me walk you-"

"No! I can't. I'm sorry. I..." I could see a vein pulsing in the side of his neck, right there beneath the thin, breakable surface of his skin.

How easy would it be to cut that skin? Just a little nick, and then...

Oh, my God.

Unable to say another word, total loss of control seconds away, I turned and ran for my truck. The key scratched around the keyhole before I could get the door unlocked. I threw myself in, started the engine and caught a tear-blurred glimpse of Tristan running toward me as I sped away. He looked upset, confused, but okay.

He would be okay now. The watchers were gone. Tristan obviously wasn't weak anymore, judging by how hard he had been running after me. And since I'd left, he would be safe from me, too.

Tristan

It was a night for insanity all around apparently. I ran after Savannah, reaching the parking lot in time to see her truck fishtail out the exit in a flurry of spitting gravel and squealing tires. Wow, she'd gotten to her truck fast.

Slow down, Sav, please. I willed her to hear me. You're going to get into a wreck if you don't.

I'd have to go after her and make sure she got home okay.

Jogging back into the sports and art building, I crossed to the far end of the entrance hall and slapped a hand over all four light switches at once, plunging the foyer into darkness. I would lock the foyer doors, too. That should be enough to keep out any vandals. Later I'd come back, turn off the upstairs lights we'd left on and grab our things. But only after I made sure Savannah got home safely.

Moonlight shone through the windows at either side of the foyer doors, lighting my way toward them. If I hurried, I might even catch up to Savannah before she got home. Then we could talk about whatever had freaked her out so badly.

A sharp sting stabbed at the side of my neck, and the world went black.

Savannah

I had to pull over. I couldn't see the road through my tears.

It had finally happened. I'd felt the bloodlust. That was the only explanation for it.

No denying it now. I was turning into a full-fledged vampire. And that put Tristan in an incredible amount of danger. From me.

I didn't have any excuses anymore. I would have to break up with him. Tonight.

Fumbling with my cell phone, I finally managed to dial his cell. Only to reach his voice mail instead. I couldn't leave a message; his parents might hear it.

When I couldn't cry any more, I finished the drive home then trudged into the house.

"Savannah, your father finally called again," Nanna said as soon as I shut the front door.

"What? Did he leave a-"

"On the hall table by the phone."

I ran for the phone and number. Oh, please, let him have a solution for all of this!

He answered on the first ring.

"Dad!" The relief was so sharp it was almost painful, making me forget how much I wanted to hate him. I sank onto the edge of my bed. It would be all right now. He might still be a spy for the council, but at least he had the answers I needed to fix everything. "Oh, man, do I need to talk to you. Are you okay? I thought you'd be gone for weeks, not months."

"I am fine. And, yes, we do need to talk. However, it should be done in person. I am back in the States now. Can you meet me for lunch tomorrow at our usual restaurant? Eleven o'clock sharp. Be sure to dress nicely."

Dress nicely? He must have gone off the deep end while on his trip. And what was with the businesslike tone? "Um, sure, Dad. But you sound...weird. Is something wrong?"

"We will discuss it tomorrow. See you at eleven." He hung up.

I stared at the phone, muttered, "Yeah, I missed you, too, Dad," then ended the call. I don't know why I'd thought the conversation would go any better than that. After all, nothing had really changed. Just because I'd admitted I was happy he was okay didn't mean he cared about me now.

Exhaustion pushed down on my shoulders, making it hard to even breathe, much less deal with yet another problem tonight. Sleep. All I wanted was sleep. I would deal with everything tomorrow.

Flopping back on my bed, I flipped the comforter over myself, then fell asleep still dressed with all the lights on.

I couldn't remember my dream when I woke up late the next morning. All I could remember was that Tristan had been in it and trying to tell me something, but he kept disappearing in a haze the exact color of blood.

I didn't want to think about him or what happened last night. Or the color of blood. Normal. I would surround myself with the normal today.

I had to rush through a shower in order to get ready in time for the lunch meeting with my father. I threw on the only pantsuit I had and twisted my hair into a low bun. It was while I was dabbing on some makeup to partially hide my puffy eyes and red nose that Anne called.

"Hey, the girls and I wanted to know if you will come with us to Tyler today," she said. Her tone was a little flat, as if she already knew my answer.

"I really wish I could, but I'm meeting my father for lunch today, then I have Charmers Spring Show practice until late tonight."

"Yeah, I figured you couldn't," she muttered.

"Aw, Anne, don't be-"

"I know, I know. Don't be mad, and you'll see us next week in the cafeteria." She sighed. "We just kinda miss hanging out with you outside of school, you know?"

Lord, the guilt was just piling up on me lately. "What if we have a group slumber party next weekend? I could come right after practice."

"Which lasts till what, nine at night on weekends?"

I winced. "More like ten or eleven."

She grumbled. "Nah, let's just wait till after the stupid show when you actually have time to hang out with your friends. That'll be in another month or two, right?"

"Anne-"

"I've gotta run. See you Monday." She hung up.

Feeling tired already even though the day had just started, I ended the call and went in search of my shoes. Obviously as soon as Spring Show season ended, I would have to make sure to spend more quality time outside of school with my friends.

Nanna must have heard me getting ready in the bathroom. When I came out, she had a cup of steaming tea waiting for me on the dining table. I didn't have much time, so I drank it standing up.

"Always in such a hurry," she murmured with a smile, shaking her head as her hands almost magically whipped a ball of soft pink yarn into the tiniest pair of baby shoes I'd ever seen. The daylight flooding in through the patio door made her silver needle flash, drawing my attention. Reminding me of the way the lights had flashed on Dylan's silver camera as he'd run off with it. "You look worried, hon. Is everything all right?"

I forced a smile. "Everything's fine, Nanna." I swallowed hard. "Um, did anyone call today?" Like a really ticked-off descendant?

"Like who?"

I shrugged. "Just wondering if there were any calls for me or whatever."

"No, dear, I don't think so."

I tried not to sigh out loud with relief. Dylan must not have found the memory card last night. Otherwise the Clann would be going nuts by now.

Frowning, Nanna glanced at the wall clock near the kitchen. "Aren't you going to be late for lunch with your father?"

I glanced at my watch. "Oh, crap! Okay, gotta run. Love you." I bent down and gave her a quick peck on her papery cheek. "Don't forget, after lunch, I've got Charmers practice till at least seven, maybe eight or nine. So I'll see you later tonight, okay?"

"Okay, hon. Love you, too. Tell your father I said hello."

"I will. Hey, nice booties, by the way."

She grinned, her face lighting up like a little kid on Christmas morning. "Why, thank you, dear! See you tonight."

I arrived at our usual restaurant, Chez Corvet's, faster than I'd expected. My father was already waiting for me at a white cloth-draped table in the middle of the mostly empty restaurant.

He looked the same as always, perfectly polished in one of his usual dark blue suits. And yet the way he stared at me to day was different, colder somehow. The look definitely didn't invite any ecstatic, long-lost reunion hugs from me. Just seeing him staring at me like that reminded me why I'd given up trying to please him and refused to talk to him for months.

I sat across from him. After the waiter took my drink order and left, my father said in a voice so low I had to strain to hear it, "Can you hear me?"

The restaurant wasn't busy at this hour. Most of the lunch crowd wouldn't get here till twelve. Yet he acted as if we were surrounded by tables full of nosy eavesdroppers instead of empty chairs and one couple in a booth against the back wall.

Still, if he wanted to act mysterious, I guessed I could play along for the sake of getting some much-needed answers.

"Yes, I can hear you, barely," I whispered.

"Good. Keep your voice quiet just like that." He reached into his jacket's inner pocket and withdrew a black-and-silver flask.

"You carry around your own liquor?" I frowned at the flask as he reached for one of the empty wineglasses on our table.

His face remained expressionless as he slowly filled the glass with a dark red wine.

I sighed, getting impatient. Then a scent wafted over from the kitchen that made my mouth water. Oh, yeah, I'd forgotten to eat this morning. And last night, too. Well, I'd definitely be ordering whatever the chefs were making in the kitchen today. My stomach grumbled.

He slid the glass toward me. "Tell me, does this smell good to you?"

Huh? "You know I'm way too young to drink wine."

"I never said it was wine."

My heart skipped a beat. "Then what..." I stared down at the dark red liquid. "Oh." He was a vampire. Of course. So this was...blood. "It doesn't smell right." But it did smell...good. Ew, gross!

"You mean it does not smell like Tristan Coleman's."

I froze. He knew. Oh, holy heck.

I stared down at the table between us, my thoughts scrambling. I'd really hoped to leave my relationship with Tristan out of today's conversation and just focus on my latest changes instead. So much for that plan.

One dark eyebrow rose as he leaned back in his seat. "Tell me about last night."

"It sounds like you already heard about it. Did your council's other spies give you a call?"

"They did report to the council, yes. But I would like to hear your version of it. You two have been spending a lot of time together? Alone?"

It was either lie or tell the truth. And I was really, really tired of lying. After a long hesitation, I nodded.

"You care about this boy." It wasn't a question. My face must have already given me away.

"I'm sorry. I know I wasn't supposed to. I swear I tried not to. And I've been trying to break things off with him for a while now. But it's...it's harder than I thought it'd be."

"I know what that is like. I experienced the same difficulty with your mother."

His understanding tone surprised me. Hope flared too bright and quick inside me to be stopped. I gripped the edge of the table. "Would it really be so bad if I kept dating him? What if I swore to never, ever join the Clann?"

"They could still use him to manipulate you into helping them."

I closed my eyes, feeling my shoulders sag.

"And then there is the issue of the constant danger you pose to him. Every time you two are together, every time you kiss-"

"Kiss?" My eyes flew open.

He nodded. "Do you not remember? You also come from the incubus. We are able to take energy through a kiss."

I wanted to slap my forehead. I'd completely forgotten. So all the times I'd kissed Tristan, and I thought he was just joking around about feeling light-headed...

"And then there is the small matter of last night's events," he added.

I closed my eyes against the growing panic, trying to hold down the sickening horror rising up in my stomach. "The bloodlust." No point denying any of it now. I was so royally screwed. "Is the council going to make me live with you now?"

When I finally found the courage to look at him, I expected him to be furious. Instead, a hint of a smile tightened one corner of his mouth. "You make such a thing sound like the end of the world."

I shrugged, too tired and defeated to think of anything polite to say. If I had to live with him, it would be the end of the world. Then again, it already felt like my life was pretty much over. I was officially one of the monsters now, complete with cravings for blood.

"Unfortunately, such things are not up to me to decide," he added. "Which is why we must leave soon. But first, look at me." He waited until I looked up at him in confusion. "Savannah, you will drink that now." He pointed at the glass of blood in front of me, all the while staring me down.

"Uh, no, thanks."

"Savannah, you will drink it this instant." His tone was weird, like he was trying to compel me to obey him.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to drink that." He'd have to pinch my nose and force it down my throat first. I didn't care how much trouble I was in, I wasn't going to drink a whole glass of blood. I wasn't that far gone. Yet.

We stared at each other for a long, tense moment. Then suddenly he smiled. "That's my girl."

"Huh?" Were all vampires this moody and strange, or just him?

Still smiling, he picked up the glass and drained it. I actually had to look away in order to calm my gag reflex. Just because it smelled good didn't mean it was anything anyone in their right mind should be guzzling.

When he finished, he said, "You passed the test. Now we may leave."

Test? Like a pop quiz? I had to jump to my feet and practically run to keep up with him as he led the way out of the restaurant to the parking lot. "Hey, wait a minute! What test?"

He stopped by his car. "To see what vampire abilities you have now."

"Like?"

"So far, you are still immune to the elder vampires' ability to control fledgling vampires' wills."

Some vampire might be able to control me someday? I shuddered. To distract myself from that idea, I asked, "What else did you test me on back there?"

"You have a vampire's hearing, or you would not have been able to hear me at all. According to what the watchers learned from your friend Anne's mind, you have the ability to mesmerize human males with your gaze. Your physical abilities were nearly as advanced as a newly turned vampire when I saw you dance last spring. So you should be fully equal to a vampire in strength, speed and agility soon, possibly after your first feeding."

Feeding? I nearly threw up in my mouth.

"And though you may have experienced a bit of the bloodlust last night, you have not lost control over it as a newly turned vampire would. Most would not be able to control themselves so well, even around a normal human with injuries."

"I will never drink blood." Never mind last night. That was just a few drops. They didn't count.

All human expression left his face, showing the true alienness that I had come from. "If the bloodlust continues to strengthen within you, you may not have a choice eventually."

We'd see about that. "So what happens now? The council just keeps watching me?"

"I wish it were that simple. But you present a true danger to them now, even more so than before. The council insists on meeting you."

"Why?"

"Because of the bloodlust. You cannot be allowed to endanger our society's secrecy if you prove incapable of controlling it. The council must meet with you and decide what action to take."

"When?"

"Right now. I am to take you directly to the nearest airport, and from there, to their headquarters in Paris." He opened his car's driver-side door then stared at me.

"And if I don't want to go?"

He became so still he could pass for a statue. "That would...not be good."

Or what, the council would send someone to hurt Nanna and Mom?

Because I wanted to scream, I took a deep breath, held it for five seconds then let it out in a huff and yanked open the passenger-side door. "Fine, let's go. Seeing as how I obviously have no choice."

"Thank you."

On the way to the airport, I had to borrow Dad's phone because I'd left mine with all the rest of my things at school. I had to do a Google search for the dance-team director's home number before I could call her. "Mrs. Daniels, this is Savannah Colbert. I'm sorry, but I have a family emergency and have to go out of town for a few days."

"Oh, hello, Savannah. That's fine, I understand. Actually, I had intended to call you earlier today. Did you forget to lock the foyer doors last night?"

Huh? My mind was being pulled in too many directions at once. I had to blink a few times and backtrack to last night, which seemed a lifetime ago. "Oh. No. I had to ask Tristan to lock up for me because of the...family emergency. Did he turn off the lights?"

"The downstairs ones, yes. But the upstairs lights were still on this morning, and I found your and his things still there."

I cringed, closed my eyes and struggled for the strength to deal with yet another problem. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't take care of it myself. I'm not sure why Tristan forgot to lock up-"

"I understand, Savannah. I just wanted to double-check with you. I hope everything turns out well for you and your family. Please call me and let me know when you will be able to return to practice."

"Thank you. I will." I ended the call with a shake of my head.

Why would Tristan have forgotten to lock up? If he had the strength to run so fast after me when I left, then he definitely had the energy to at least lock the foyer doors before leaving. He knew that was our job now that we'd entered Spring Show season and had late practices every day. I'd explained to him a couple times how the janitors would no longer secure the building for us until after Spring Show weekend, when our need to use the building so late each night would end. He knew how paranoid I was about forgetting to take care of this, because then the school administrators would complain to Mrs. Daniels.

Had Tristan taken off after Dylan when I left and that's why he forgot to lock up?

"Do not forget to call your mother and grandmother," Dad said.

My heart still pounding with worry over Tristan, I numbly dialed the next number on my list and braced myself for a tougher sell on my upcoming trip.

"I do not want you to go with him," Nanna insisted after hearing about the trip with my father. "It's not safe."

I glanced sideways at my father, sure he could hear every word she'd said. "I don't think we have a choice, Nanna. Just...try not to worry. I'll stay close to him and out of trouble, and I'll be back in a couple days or so. I love you."

A long pause. "I love you, too, hon. Please be careful."

"I will."

I couldn't reach Mom, so I left a message on her cell phone. I could just imagine her reaction when she got it.

Then, even though it risked further ticking off my father, I had to call Tristan. When I got his voice mail, Dad glanced at me with one eyebrow raised in silence. I hung up without leaving a message. If Tristan had left his phone at home and his parents saw the missed call, at least they wouldn't recognize Dad's number.

Where the heck was Tristan?

We flew on the council's private jet, first to New York, where we stopped to refuel, then on to Paris. At first, I was too worn-out to want to talk much. But eight hours of end less worrying about Tristan, even while flying in a jet with a luxurious brass-and-white-leather interior, was enough to drive me crazy. Desperate for a distraction, I moved to the swivel chair opposite my dad's and cleared my throat to get his attention. There was still so much about the vampire world that I didn't know. If I was going to fully turn into one of them, maybe it was time for me to arm myself with as much information as possible.

He didn't seem annoyed as he lowered the newspaper he'd been reading. "Something you would like to ask?"

"Um, yeah." I cleared my throat, feeling more awkward than I ever had before. "Do you get paid to help the council?"

"No. Part of my punishment for defying them and marrying your mother is to help them in any capacity they deem appropriate now. Mainly, that role has been to provide them with updates about you and your progress in life."

"So your job really is to spy on me."

"Think of me more as your lawyer who meets on your behalf with the council."

"Which makes them, what...the court judge?"

"Consider them the government, police and the Supreme Court for all vampires. They create our laws, ensure our secrets are protected and rule over disputes among our kind."

"So when they say they want to meet me, this meeting-"

"Is a trial," he finished for me.