"Why on Earth would you do this?" Harley screamed. "What did you think you were going to achieve? Yes, we are alive but for how long? We are going to have to live out the rest of our lives like sewer rats. I'd rather be vampire food." He was right, of course, but she couldn't bring herself to admit it. "Don't speak to me that way. I'm still your ruler—" "No, you aren't," he spat. "You're nothing now. We are both homeless, worthless monsters." The wind picked up, spreading the trash from an upturned bin in their direction. She watched, mesmerised by a cola can that skittered across the tarmac, trying to think of a solution to this mess.  Harley stood and kicked an empty can into a bush. "Screw this. I'm going home." "No." She grabbed onto his slender leg, holding him with all her strength.  "You can't force me to stay with

Jade, hearing her brother's voice, shot from the house without bothering to check her state of dress or put shoes on. "What?" she asked him. "What's going on?" she followed up without waiting for a reply."Every vampire from every Clan is circling the village as we speak. They want revenge, Jade. On all of us."Jade turned to Theon. He was a monster, yes, but could he take on an entire race?His face, as always, was impossible to read. As Jade waited, listening to the wind whispering through the trees, a thought occurred. 'It's too quiet.'Even if they walked at a ninja's pace, skulking between the trees, her advanced hearing would pick up something. Animals, having even greater instinct, would be scarpering in great numbers if what Jason said were true. As sneaky as the vamps were, there was no way to quieten the wildlife in those woods."Someone's coming," Theon whispered. He frowned deeply, causing the line across the bridge of his nose to wrinkle and fold. It wasn't an express