Scarlet opened her eyes to see her mom looking down on her. She blinked several times, as she slowly came into focus. Her mom looked down in concern. On her other side her dad stood over her, too, also looking down with concern.Scarlet looked around and realized she was lying in her bed, in her bedroom. She glanced out the window, and saw it was night, and looked over, and saw her clock blinked 9 PM. She wondered how she got here. She tried to piece it all together, but it was hazy. It freaked her out that her parents were in here. What were they doing here, in her bedroom, looking at her like that?“Scarlet, are you okay honey?” her mom asked with concern.Scarlet checked in with her body and realized she felt totally fine. She just couldn’t figure out how she got here.Scarlet sat up in bed.“What happened?”“Do you remember?” her mom asked. “The church?”Church. Scarlet thought back, and started to remember. She recalled going to church with her mom, talking to that priest.
Caitlin sat there in her living room, in a daze, feeling the world spinning out of control beneath her. More and more, she felt as if she were living in a dream, far removed from reality, trying to grasp hold of the events happening around her. Some days, she felt as if she were losing her mind.That episode in the church was real. It was very, very real. Those blown-out candles, those shattered windows, were the first tangible thing she could point to to prove to herself that she was not crazy. That her daughter was a vampire. Even the priest had fled. For once, her fears had been confirmed by someone else.That was all she needed. Now, finally, she felt confident in herself, felt certain about what was happening to Scarlet. Regardless of what Caleb, or anyone else thought, she was more determined than ever to save her daughter before it was too late.Caleb paced their living room in a manic state, talking to one person after the next on his cell. She had never seen him so worried.
Scarlet’s heart beat with excitement as they pulled up to Sage’s mansion. He had driven her here from the party, and she recalled the shocking moment when she’d first seen his car: a black Lamborghini. She’d never seen one before. As she had sat in it, sinking into the hard, leather seats, so low to the ground, she couldn’t help feeling as if her life were becoming more and more surreal.She had never met anyone who had owned a car like this—and in fact, had never met a boy who seemed as mature and ageless—and mysterious—as Sage. Everything he did just made him more mysterious. Every question she had just led to more questions. How could it be that he was driving a Lamborghini? Was he that wealthy?They had barely spoken during the drive, which only deepened the sense of mystery.He’d driven her down familiar village streets, then made a few unfamiliar terms, taking her down roads she rarely drove on in all her time growing up here. The roads twisted and turned and before she knew i
Caitlin sat on the airplane, waiting for it to take off, and checked her cell yet again. She felt so guilty for leaving Caleb like this, especially with Scarlet missing—and felt especially guilty leaving the country. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d gone overseas, especially without Caleb. She couldn’t help but feel like a criminal, fleeing in the night. She was starting to have doubts if she was doing the right thing.Caitlin kept trying to text and call Scarlet, as she had the entire way to the airport. She’d tried texting and calling Caleb, too. Neither answered. Caleb, she assumed, was just mad at her; but Scarlet, she feared, was out of touch. She felt that if there were any good news, she would have heard already. Her heart sank further as she sat there.She hoped that when she got back, she could patch things up with Caleb. Explain it all to him, that he would believe her this time, understand. And that they could get their marriage and family back on the right track,
Sage sat there, on the wide stone patio, watching the moon drop against the Hudson. He had hardly moved since Scarlet had left. He couldn’t help feeling as if he’d messed it all up—and at the worst possible moment.His heart was breaking inside. He felt closer to Scarlet than to anyone he’d ever encountered in his time on earth, and it had all been going so well. Looking into her eyes and kissing her had been the highlight of centuries.And then, at the worst possible time, he had gotten struck with the pain. This last year, this final year of his life, the pains had been getting worse, coming more frequently and getting stronger the closer he came to his death date. Now, with just weeks left to live, the pains had become more intense and unpredictable—not just for him, but for every member of his clan. They came out of nowhere and sometimes, they were crippling.How could he possibly explain that to Scarlet? What was he supposed to say? Was he supposed to tell her that he was an Im
Caleb stormed out of his house, livid. He could not believe what was happening to his family, how quickly everything seemed to be changing. Caitlin, who’d been a rock in his life for as long as he had known her, was having a breakdown. He had never seen her like this. All she talked about were vampires, supernatural nonsense, and her belief that her own daughter was turning into a vampire. It was ridiculous. He had been hoping that it was only due to stress, to Scarlet’s sickness, and that it would all go away and she would return to normal.But Caitlin seemed to be getting worse. She wouldn’t stop obsessing over it, talking constantly of vampires, and then, bringing Scarlet to church. Now she talked about the priest, and something about the windows breaking. It was crazy. She had really lost it.If that were not enough, now she was getting on a plane for Paris. Caleb had gone from being merely upset over this to truly worried. He didn’t know who he was more worried for now—his daugh
Scarlet pulled up to her house in Sage’s growling Lamborghini, and parked it in the driveway. It had been the first time she had ever driven any car alone, and the whole ride had been terrifying, as she worried the whole way home that she’d get pulled over. She also felt especially funny driving this car, which was so expensive and which wasn’t even hers.She saw the empty house, her mom and dad’s cars gone, and realized she was the only one home. She wondered where they could be at this late hour.She glanced down at her phone as she turned off the car, and saw all the missed calls and texts from them. She felt guilty. She hadn’t wanted to avoid them, but she knew they’d be furious at her for sneaking out. They wouldn’t understand, and answering their calls would have just made everything much worse. There was no way she could explain it to them without their freaking out.She worried that maybe they were out there looking for her. She felt bad about that. But at the same time, she
Scarlet raced in the Lamborghini, speeding down the twisting and turning side streets, still trembling from her encounter with her dad. She had been shocked by his anger, and even more shocked at her own reaction. She hadn’t meant to hurt him like that; she’d only wanted to throw his arm off, to shove him away. She had barely touched him, and he’d gone flying across the room, like a cannonball. She had never seen anything like it, and her own strength terrified her.Was it true? Was everything in her mom’s journal real?Was she becoming a vampire?Scarlet was finding it harder and harder to discount all of the strange things happening to her. Her super strength. The light sensitivity. Her speed. And most of all, her desire to feed. Too many things were adding up.As she drove in the darkness, she felt there was only one place she could go, only one person she could turn to who might understand.Sage.She didn’t know why, especially after his having asked her to leave, but for som