“So you finally replaced me,” she muttered to herself more than anyone, sniffling as she regained her composure. Sitting down again and hunching over, she stared at the table. “You know, my mate is dead now. He died in an explosion on one of the harvested casinos on the strip.” Her eyes fluttered up to mine, her eyes shining with the tears still pooling in them. “You wouldn’t know anything about that would you, Rye?” She turned back at her ex-husband and waited, the hatred gone and only desolate sadness remaining.

  Rye’s jaw twitched as his face stilled. He said nothing but stared coldly back at her. I was done with the tension and I prayed that it would end soon. I was tired of watching this ex-lover’s quarrel, knowing it was about me regardless of what was said.

  “Heh.” Seraphin shook her head, wiping her face and standing up once more. She circled the table and came to stand between Rye and myself. Bending down, she let her lips almost touch his ear as she whispered, loud enough for me to hear, but no one else. “Give her blood. Make her realize she is one of us. No one will stop our victory and she will be all yours.” She pulled away, her eyes slipping over toward me, her face stone cold serious as she sped out of the massive room.

  It sent shivers through my entire body to hear her words. I was still confused but something dawned on me that made my stomach turn into rock inside of me.

  “Rye?” My voice was a whisper, unsure and shaking like an earthquake.

  He didn’t seem to notice my plea, breathing in deeply, clearly affected by Seraphin’s words. They had crawled into him and woven around his brain.

  “Hmm?” He stood up as the spark returned to his steel-colored eyes. He pulled me up, too, and held my hand as I followed behind him, leaving the dining area behind. I didn’t ask my question. I couldn’t, at least not here. Not yet.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The bed felt amazing but my head was making it impossible to sleep. Rye had left me to rest after he’d brought me back to the sleeping quarters. I begged him to stay but he had refused, stating that he had some loose ends to tie up before resting. I let him go only after he told me exactly what Seraphin had meant by giving me blood. He was so reluctant that I almost had to rip it out of him, telling him that he would have to deal with me no matter where he went. He had rubbed his tired face, sighing as he sank onto the bed beside me.

  “She’s right, April. They discovered this in the enemy hive. If blood is introduced to you or anyone from your family, you become stronger. A super human. You would have a vampire’s strengths but none of our weaknesses; you’d also be much more powerful than we could ever be….”

  “Wait, what?” I stuttered, interrupting his words. No, no way.

  “It’s true. There are no true humans left, only us hybrids, the wildling vampires and you, a type of super human and vampire hybrid. You don’t need blood to survive but if you do have it, you’ll become immensely strong and powerful, capable of killing a hybrid without breaking a sweat.” He stood up then, looking extremely concerned as he turned to walk away but he hesitated, making me feel breathless.

  I had nothing to say to that. Was that what they had been doing with my mother’s and brother’s blood, finding out all about them and their uniqueness? Blood made us a rare breed indeed. But what if the hybrids fed off of our blood? Would it help make them more powerful? I asked Rye this before he stepped out into the walkway toward the door.

  He shook his head, shrugging. He seemed frustrated that he couldn’t, or wouldn’t, answer me. He didn’t seem to know. I had wanted to ask him what would happen to a feral that drank my blood but he had also seemed uneasy to answer that. If a vampire had my blood, it could mean a dozen things. It could make them just as powerful as me or be as useless as a placebo to them. Who knew? I was hoping the rival hive didn’t know or wasn’t planning on finding out.

  I felt suddenly anxious to get going to save my family. Time was running out. It had taken so long to get this far. I prayed they were still okay, that they had been left plenty alone and not tampered with. If they had been, what would I find? What could I do about it? I was definitely not sure and decided to try not to think about it. Tomorrow I would confront it; tomorrow everything would be known.

  But tonight I had to rest, even though my mind was having none of that with the millions of questions running through it. I wanted it to be over; I wanted the normal life I had always thought I would have, a life of college, parties and homework. It didn’t seem like so much to ask for yet here I was, without any of them and without any hope for the future but a bleak darkness that enveloped everything it touched.

  Rye had left without saying goodbye, uncertain as to what else to say. Might as well be that way, for I had nothing else to say either. I awaited the daylight like never before as I pulled the soft blanket up to my chin and curled onto my side, the pillow under my neck and over my arm. The texture of the wall was looking far more interesting than anything else. Closing my eyes, I willed the sleep to come. I had lost count of the days without my family. I had lost the time so easily, never noticing how it had flown by without a glance. I would make sure my family was safe and rescued tomorrow. If it took drinking a vat of blood, so be it. There was nothing left for me to fear now and I was done being nice. It was time to get to know myself better. How else could I really know? What would it possibly do?

  If I was human, it would do nothing to me, maybe cause my stomach to churn and make me sick. Otherwise, if what Seraphin had said was true, maybe it would be the edge I needed to win this, maybe it would be the difference we needed to overtake the hive and find my family that much faster. In the morning I would ask Rye for blood; I would drink it and see if it did anything. If it went well, I would be that much closer to my family. If not, I wasn’t opposed to puking it right back up.

  My eyelids fluttered, growing heavy like weights had been sewn onto them as I fought to stay awake. It was late and I would have only a few hours of sleep at this rate if I didn’t stop my mind from racing. I let my eyelids close, savoring the darkness as it slipped into my mind and beckoned me to rest. Yes, I could rest. There was a chance the next sunrise would be my last. So for the time being, I rested.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  The early hours rolled in much too quickly. I snapped awake at Miranda shaking my shoulder, whispering that it was time to get ready to go. I was never awake faster than at that moment, on my feet and moving. I had never gotten ready so quickly before either, almost forgetting to put my hair back into a tight pony tail. Of all days, I didn’t need my long black hair in my face. Tucking in my shirt and strapping my weapons to my belt and bandoleer, I smiled at the bow and arrows laid out for me, along with several grenades. I was sure either Miranda or Rye had thought to bring me more stuff. I was certain to use it. After putting on a light jacket, I pulled on the quiver and hung the grenades along another bandoleer, crisscrossing the other one full of sharp silver daggers.

  Glancing up before I left, I caught sight of my reflection in the dresser mirror. I looked like me, but thinner and just that much older. My blue eyes seemed to glow slightly, making them stand out from my skin. I could see my mother’s face in mine as well as some of my father’s strong features. He had mercifully died three years ago, quietly in his sleep. A silent heart defect, they had said. My mother had been devastated. I had been numb but strong for her. Jeremy was a bit too young to understand what had happened. The pain and loss fades with time, but it never truly goes away. Just another unseen scar on the soul.

  I swallowed the slight anxiety swirling up into my throat as I pushed back a strand of my charcoal black hair, straight as an arrow, without a curl in sight. I felt a wave of comfort flow over me. I knew things would be okay, no matter what happened that day.

  A smile crept onto my lips, letting the white of my teeth shine through, reminding me of that school girl I once was. Jeremy shared my smile and I couldn’t wait to see his again. This was the most important day of my life. Nothing would keep me from them; I would make sure to do anything to bring them back. Even though I didn’t look forward to drinking any blood today, I was going to. If it gave me an edge to win, it was a small thing to me now.

  “About ready?” Rye’s calm voice echoed in the empty room. Turning toward him I nodded, strapping my last machete in, tying it to my thigh. I kicked my legs up and rotated my arms around, making sure my weapons would not restrict my movements. Taking a deep breath in, I cracked a smile, returning his. His eyes were glowing this morning, like shiny steel balls that I had seen rocking back and forth against each other on office desks before the outbreak. The ticking and continual momentum had been fascinating to look at. Now these orbs shined back at me in the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen. An ocean of calm filled me with him nearby.

  “Let’s go,” I said, and followed him out to have a quick light breakfast in silence with the others in the crowded main tunnel. I was quite impressed by how many were joining us today. The tunnel was full of hybrids, built like skyscrapers and geared up for a war. I took in the exhilaration of the atmosphere as murmurs rippled through the crowd, a mixture of light laughter and more serious chatting echoing off the walls. I let the energy fill me up, hoping it would be enough to get me through what I was going to do next.

  “Rye, bring me some blood.” I averted my gaze to his lips, avoiding his eyes, for I knew they would be filled with confusion. He shook his head slightly, his lips pursed.

  “April, no, you don’t have to do that….”

  “I know.” I shushed him, hoping he could see that I would not take no for an answer. I didn’t want to fight him for it; I wanted all my energy left for the battle ahead.

  “It might not work.” He reached up and ran his fingers down the curve of my cheek, making me bring my eyes up to meet his. I could feel my skin tingle under his touch as it arrested my breathing for a moment. I could feel his concern but I kept it to myself. I didn’t want to feel his anxiety, too. I wanted to be focused, determined to make it out of this game alive no matter what.

  I think he saw this in my expression, making him slump his shoulders slightly, relenting to me. He gave his head a slight tilt, looking at his cousin Blaze who stood near us, loading guns and ammo into his armory. Blaze gave him a nod, having heard the entire conversation.

  Rye tensed, taking a deep breath. His lips firmed as he pulled a knife sheath off his forearm, holding his wrist out toward me. I watched him, confused with the gesture. He continued to hold his wrist out to me and beckoned me to take it. I took his hand and looked down at his smooth skin, pale but with the shadows of blood-filled veins running underneath. I could almost see his pulse beating within the layer of skin, like a beacon telling me where to go. I gripped it tighter, trying to sync our heartbeats together as my breath sped up, nervous now that it was happening.

  “What do I do? Just bite you? Won’t it hurt you?”

  “Shhh,” Rye shushed. He grinned, his fangs flashing me, as though he had extended them a bit. He was excellent a concealing them when he spoke so the gleam of his sharp canines took me by surprise.

  He pulled his own wrist to his mouth and bit into it, never flinching or making a sound. I fought the urge to cringe away, not knowing if it was going to be unpleasant or not. My tongue ran over my own teeth, even and straight. Lacking fangs made me feel more human but if drinking blood was to become a necessity, it might be a hindrance. My mouth was dry, parched like a desert as I watched his smooth, crimson blood leak from the puncture holes.

  “Here,” he said, offering me his wrist. I took it into both my hands, taking strength from his assurance.

  He gave me a nod and held fast. I licked my lips and let my mouth engulf the wounds. The coppery swell of warmth overtook my senses immediately. I let it flow down my throat, its sweet syrupy texture making me feel a sudden rush through my head that surged through my skull and down my spine, all the way to my fingertips. I couldn’t stop drinking, it was as if I had been left dry and this was the only way to quench a thirst I didn’t know was there. It was exquisite, like silken honey. If this was what it felt like for the vampires to drink blood, I now completely understood the craving they lived with every day.

  “Alright, April.” Rye’s voice echoed in my head like a distant dream. I didn’t want to let go; I could hear his heart beat in my mind, the sound engulfing my senses like a gong sounding off. Something stirred in me that had never awoken before, something primal and fierce. I would not let go, I would drain him dry until his heart ceased to beat, until the light in his eyes dimmed. It begged me to, this primal thing that I did not fight–it wanted me to keep going and it took my consciousness with it.

  I heard yelling and voices but they were so far away and so faint that I barely registered that one of them was Rye’s.

  I felt a rolling momentum as the room lurched under me and I found myself staring up at the brilliant bulbs lighting the tunnel. My tunnel vision was gone and Blaze was behind me, clasping my arms tightly and breathing hard. Why was he holding me, locked in his arms? I almost could not breathe. I wiggled in his grip, searching the gathered crowd for Rye. Lifting my head, I spotted him, on his knees and clutching his wrist as if he was in dire pain.

  What have I done?

  “Let me up, it’s over now.” I muttered. Blaze hesitated but must have felt it was now okay to let me loose. I scrambled to my feet and glanced between Blaze and Miranda, who I now saw had been standing behind Blaze. “What happened? What did I do?” I watched as Miranda helped Rye to his feet, his stance slightly unsteady. My confusion flooded my mind as I stared at them; no one offered an explanation as I waited.

  I licked my lips. The remnants of his blood flashed me back to the drink. His paling face, his voice drowned out by the incessant need that had pulsated through my body, a fire engulfing me from within, needing a quenching that only his death would bring. My breath slowed and the horror that I had almost killed Rye for every last drop of his life made me run to him, desperate to remedy my actions.

  “Oh my God, Rye, are you alright? Rye?” My arms hovered as I reached out to him. He pulled away swiftly, still clutching his arm. Anger and fear flooded his flashing steel eyes, making my heart sink. He knew. He knew I would have forfeited his life for his blood, it didn’t matter what we felt for each other. It was that powerful a drive, so primal and unrequited.

  “But I didn’t know, Rye. How could I have known it would be like that?” I stepped forward again but stopped when he gave me a shake of his head. He turned to leave, almost stumbling to get away, giving Miranda a slight shove to let him walk unaided, leaving me there, arms as empty as my heart.

  I had never wanted this. Never this.

  Blaze came to my side and put his hand on my shoulder, bringing me away from where Rye had stood. Facing him, I wanted him to tell me what had changed. What would happen now? With Rye’s blood coursing through me, what difference had it made? I hoped it had been worth it. I hoped that the results would be well worth the cost I paid, but I wasn’t sure.

  “Blaze?” My voice quivered under the shock of everything.

  “Give him a moment, he’ll come around.” Blaze handed me a washcloth to wipe my face. I wondered what I looked like, my chin dripping with blood, standing in a mass of vampires. It was then that I noticed them, the others standing a few arm’s lengths away from me, fear flowing through their blinking eyes. They had watched with interest but now they cowered away in nothing short of terror. I dropped the cloth, finding Blaze waiting for me, serious and contemplative. It was as if he knew what I was thinking. He gave me a tight grin as he started speaking again.

  “You’ll be a killing machine. I doubt any one of the others will be able to take you down. You almost got away from me before you came to your senses. I almost couldn’t pull you off of Rye.” He paused as the pain streaked across my face. I cringed at the thought of draining Rye. To think of what I could’ve done made me sick.

  “So what now?” I asked warily, knowing the time crept closer to our confrontation with the enemy hive. “Is Rye too weak to help me? Why couldn’t he give me some of the stored blood? Why did he give me his?” My feelings were a miserable mixture of anger, regret and remorse.

  “You’ll have more power with vampire blood; Seraphin noted this in the other hive’s research. The leftover stores of human blood we have are for emergencies and as a last resort for food. Miranda is giving him some blood; he’ll be right as rain in no time.” Blaze handed me a small wallet that contained different types of lock picks neatly lined in the plastic. I took it and looked up at him, confused.

  “They’ll be chained up–you’ll have to pick the locks. I assume you know how to do that by now, being on your own for so long.” He winked as he turned to walk away, leaving me fingering the cool iron metal of the picks. Sighing, I stuffed them into my jeans where they would not slip out. To see my family chained up was going to be hard enough. I prayed I found them intact. I just wanted to see them again, hear their voices once more.

  “We can do this, right?” I asked softly, hoping he heard me over the resumed murmur of voices bouncing around the room.

  Blaze nodded, almost imperceptibly. “We can do this.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The hive spread out into a large circle surrounding the Stratosphere Tower Casino and Hotel. It was a wide perimeter and I was worried we were spread too thin to penetrate the building. Blaze reassured me as we peeked around from behind a pile of cars and garbage strewn across the alleyway behind the parking garage. Behind the casino were apartment buildings that had not weathered the ravages of time very well. Windows were smashed and doors hung on their hinges as they creaked in the slight breeze of the dawn. It was still semi-dark, but everyone could feel the sun pushing on the horizon. It was like a hum in the air, vibrating along our skin.