Zach's mother Helen pushed her silverware aside and unfolded the cream-colored linen napkin, draping it with care across her lap. "I have to say we were pleasantly surprised to receive a dinner invitation. It's been a long time. Not since before . . ." She seemed to realize what she was about to say and stopped, instead smiling at me over the table.

"Mom," Zach hissed under his breath.

"Sorry," she replied, pantomiming zipping her lips and throwing away the key.

Zach and I exchanged glances at his mother's not-so-subtle way of referring to our break-up that had happened this past July, now five months ago. Despite how much time had passed, our respective parents still held out hope that we would somehow find our way back to each other. But Zach had been casually dating Hannah, and I was taking a much-needed break from guys in general.

Still, there was an inherent easiness about Zach that I missed and longed for. More than once I wished John had never entered my world or introduced me to the underbelly of vampire society. My life had been pretty perfect up until then, and yet nothing changed the fact that Conrad Abernathy had been grooming me for this position from the beginning. My so-called perfect life had been nothing more than a temporary illusion, easily shattered.

"Blake was the one who suggested dinner," my mother said. "I would have had you over ages ago if . . . well, you know." She raised a brow in my direction.

"Does this mean that—"

"No," I said firmly to Helen, divining where her thoughts were going and immediately putting to rest any speculation that Zach and I were getting back together. "But that doesn't mean Zach and I can't be friends. And considering you and my mom are so close, I didn't want there to be any awkwardness between you guys. Besides, I've missed these weekly dinners," I added with sincerity. "Call me nostalgic."

Zach's father wrapped his fingers around the stem of his wine glass and held it high. The others did the same, and Zach and I somewhat more hesitantly raised our water glasses. "To nostalgia and good friends," Zach's dad announced.

"To nostalgia and good friends," we echoed.

I did my best to breathe as little as possible through the duration of dinner. My mother had prepared pot roast with potatoes and carrots, Zach's favorite. Although I was slowly acclimating to the offending odors of human food, certain smells burned my nasal passages and made me gag if I caught a sudden whiff. Taking a small but appropriate portion so as not to raise suspicion, I spent the next twenty minutes pushing around food and pretending to chew while Zach's and my parents talked and laughed just like old times. I watched them with an air of sadness. I would miss this.

When it appeared that dinner was finally winding down, I rapped the side of my glass with the tines of my fork to get everyone's attention. Conversation stopped abruptly and all eyes turned to me. "I have an announcement," I said, needing to clear my throat more than once to get the words out.

"Have you decided where to apply to college?" my father said hopefully. The future of my educational career had been a topic of conversation lately, one that I'd been dodging. Talking about it was pointless anyway.

"Not exactly," I said.

"Well, what is it then?" my mother asked, taking a sip of her wine though her eyes stayed firmly fixed on me.

I glanced down at my still-full plate, feeling unexpectedly embarrassed.

They won't remember.

Looking up again, I met each of their curious gazes in turn. "I just want to tell you all how much I love you."

No one said anything at first. It's not every day you sat around the dinner table declaring your love to others.

"We love you, too," my father said, amusement pulling at the corners of his mouth.

"What brought this on?" my mother said more practically, though not without feeling. I hadn't missed the sudden softening of her eyes or the relaxing of the lines around her mouth. My mother and I had always gotten along, despite some of her more annoying tendencies, and I was well aware of the fact that she'd been missing that closeness over the past few months and feeling like she was losing her hold on me. I was, after all, her only child.

"I realize I haven't been the nicest person to be around lately," I said, "or even the easiest person to live with. I know you all have questioned my judgment and choices." At this, Helen and my mother exchanged another glance, and I knew exactly what they were thinking.

"Anyway," I said quickly, moving on before either of them could put in their two cents. "I just wanted to say thank you."

"You're welcome," my father answered, shifting in his seat.

"I'm not sure where this is coming from," my mother said, "but your apology is certainly appreciated. We all know you have had some rough moments over the past few months. It wasn't easy being sick and having Coach ask you to leave the cheerleading team. No one faults you for being emotional."

I chuckled under my breath, thinking that getting kicked off the squad had been the least of my problems. "No, it hasn't been easy," I answered. "And things aren't going to get any easier until I do something about it."

"What are you talking about?" Zach said. He'd been giving me odd looks throughout dinner, which I'd been trying to ignore, and I had the feeling he knew something was up. Even if he didn't know what it was exactly, we'd known each other far too long and been too close for him to be completely oblivious.

"I'm afraid you're not making any sense," Helen said.

"There's just one more thing I need to say." My heart was pounding in my chest, making my words come out shaky and breathless. I didn't think I was going to be able to get through this.

"All right," said my mother. "Say what you want to say and then I'll pop into the kitchen and get that cherry pie out of the oven. I'm sure it's done by now."

I waited until I had everyone's full attention before taking a deep breath and speaking again. "Each of you will pack a bag of personal items and leave New York, together. You will take a vacation to someplace warm and far away from here. You will not question why I am not with you, and you will not return until you hear from me saying that you can."

I had never compelled more than a few people at one time. I held my breath, fingers clenching the cloth napkin in my lap, hoping it had worked.

Helen's brow creased before her mouth widened in a grin. "You know," she said, as though struck with a brilliant idea. "This might sound crazy, but I've been wanting to visit the Florida Keys. I think we should go as a group. Spend Christmas down there."

"It's not a crazy idea at all," my mother said, brightening. "We could leave tomorrow."

"I haven't had a vacation in ages," my father said. "I'm way overdue."

"This cold weather is making my arthritis flare up," Zach's father added. "Warm weather and sunshine would do us all good, I think."

I relaxed, slumping in my chair as the breath I'd been holding rushed out. It had worked. I had compelled them. Under no circumstances would my parents have agreed to leave work otherwise.

"Let's go into my office," my father said. "We can use my computer to book our tickets."

The five of them rose as a group and headed down the hallway toward my father's office, chatting excitedly while leaving me sitting alone at the dinner table. After a moment of silent contemplation, I rose and made my way to the kitchen where I turned off the oven before removing the cherry pie to cool.

With a wistful look down the hall, I grabbed my bag and walked out the back door.

**********

"Be careful," he warned. "Your actions are becoming predictable."

I laughed, but without humor. "I was going to drive to your house until it occurred to me that I have no idea where you live, so I came here instead. If there's anyone more predictable than I am, Josiah, it's you. I knew you would come here looking for me."

I moved over, and the glider groaned with his weight, swaying slightly as he sat down. His shoulder touched mine. "You are like an emotional beacon that draws me. I cannot help myself."

"I sent my parents away," I said, ignoring Josiah's comment and the way his words and the proximity of him made my heart accelerate.

"You sent your parents away." It was a question, though he hadn't phrased it as such.

"I compelled them to leave town. I compelled Zach and his parents, too."

Josiah set the glider moving gently with the tip of his boot, not answering right away. "Why would you do that?" he said at last.

His tone of voice put me immediately on the defensive. "Because I love them. I can't take the chance of them getting caught in the middle. I can't live in fear wondering if, or when, Margaret might hurt them."

The glider stopped and Josiah turned to me, curling his fingers around my arm. "I applaud your bravery," he said in a low voice through his teeth, "but you can be so very careless at times."

I tried to pull my arm away, but his grip only tightened. "Are you pissed off at me for doing what I felt was necessary to keep my family and friends safe?" I said, my voice rising in disbelief. "I thought you, of all people, would understand."

He closed his mouth, breathing heavily through his nose as he searched my face. "Do you realize the implications of what you have done? If Conrad or Margaret find out that you have compelled your family and Zach's to leave, they will look upon you with suspicion. You must give them no reason, none at all, to doubt your loyalty."

"Why would they suspect anything? People take vacations all the time, especially this time of year. The holidays . . . the crappy weather . . ." But even as I said the words, I realized that Josiah was right. I had made a potentially grave error.

"I just wanted to keep them safe," I added in a small voice.

"You are young and impulsive," Josiah said, releasing my arm at last. "That makes you prone to mistakes."

"I'm not that young," I said. "I'm seventeen."

"I understand your need to keep them safe. Keeping you safe is my greatest desire, even though I have failed you at times."

I closed my eyes against the onslaught of emotion. It would have been so easy to kiss him then, but I could not give in to bodily temptations. Not when my feelings for John and Josiah were tangled and complicated. Not when I had to focus on protecting my friends and family. Not when I had a job to do.

I stood quickly, not completely trusting myself to speak, and paced off a safe distance. Pushing away my growing desire for the vampire behind me, I gathered my wits and asked, "What do I do now?"

I hadn't heard Josiah rise, but all of a sudden he was at my side, standing just a little too close. That seemed to be his habit these days. "Come with me."

"Where?" I asked, turning to look up at him. He wasn't wearing his hat this evening, but still his face was cloaked in the shadow of the waning moon.

"I want to show you something," he replied, pushing back the few tendrils of hair blowing in his face. "Leave your car here and ride with me."

"Fine," I said. "But if I get a parking ticket for abandoning my car in the park after hours, you're paying for it." Smiling ever so slightly, he turned and led the way.

"You know, you're not a horrible driver," I said some moments later as we merged onto the highway. We were heading north up the hill, with the southern tip of the lake spreading like black ink out the driver's side window and the bright lights of downtown fading from view behind us.

"Did you expect otherwise?" he asked, amusement in his voice.

I shrugged. "I guess I can't see you driving something more modern than a horse."

He laughed, a rare and deep-throated sound that reverberated through the interior of the car. "You are hopelessly naïve, Blake Ehlert. Life is not static. People—and vampires—have an amazing capacity to adapt to changing circumstances. They must. You will discover that as decades pass."

"I'll take your word for it," I said. "You never answered my question, though. Where are we going?"

"I am taking you to my home. Like I said, I want to show you something."

"If I want to show you something is code for anything even remotely inappropriate, you can take me back to my car right now. We are so not at that point in our relationship."

"Are you implying we might one day be?"

"Now you're putting words in my mouth!"

"I believe you were the one who started it." He chuckled again. "I assure you there is nothing at all inappropriate about what I am about to reveal to you."

Having put my fears to rest, Josiah navigated the miles in silence, at last slowing the car before turning up a gently sloping gravel drive that stretched into darkness. Bare-limbed trees towered overhead, forming a threadbare canopy that was no doubt lush and enveloping in warmer weather but looked skeletal and forlorn at this time of year. About a hundred feet beyond sat the property, an old Greek revival farmhouse that, while not as grand as the Abernathy mansion, was still quietly impressive.

"You seem to be doing well for yourself," I commented.

"Being a member of the Abernathy family comes with privileges," he replied.

Following Josiah, we entered the main quarters via what would have been the carriage house back in the day. I was brimming with curiosity, wondering what could possibly be here that he would want to show me. But when he unlocked the door and pushed it open, gesturing for me to enter ahead of him, I saw my answer standing in the kitchen.

"Ian!" Dropping my bag to the floor, I flung myself at the vampire, the force of my impact nearly knocking him off his feet. His arms went around me, hesitantly at first, and then more tightly. "I had no idea you'd come back," I said.

"No one knows," he replied, burying his face in my hair.

I pulled back to see his face. "Not even John?"

He shook his head. "I couldn't risk anyone knowing I was here. Especially not John."

"You sent him away," I said to Josiah. "Why is he back?"

But it was Ian who answered for him. "Josiah sent June and me in search of the Queen."

My mouth fell open as I turned to stare at Josiah once more. "You what?"

"He could see what was happening, probably better than anyone else. Given my reputation for impulsive behavior and running away from things, he knew no one would miss me."

"Except John," I pointed out. "He's been worried sick about you. You couldn't have at least called or texted him?"

"I asked ye to give him word that I was okay," Ian said to Josiah, accusingly.

"I did. That did not stop your progeny from obsessing over your whereabouts," he answered.

Ian's lips thinned. "Of course not. I should have known better."

"Anyway," I said, paddle-wheeling my hand for him to continue.

"I was the only one who could disappear without raising suspicion," he said. "June met up with me under the guise that her sister had fallen ill. It was a ruse to buy her some time. There was no guarantee that we would find the Queen, or that she would even listen to me. Given that June has so long been in Conrad Abernathy's employ, given that she sees and hears things he assumes she does not . . ."

I nodded. "You thought the Queen might listen to June, a mere human. Someone who would risk her own life if it meant saving the lives of others."

"As well the Queen should," Josiah said, splitting a pint between two mugs, which he then placed in the microwave.

"But why would she allow an audience to a single human and a vampire with a questionable track record? No offense, Ian," I added hastily.

"None taken."

"I was led to believe the Queen concerns herself in political matters only if she has to," I went on. "Otherwise she takes a hands-off approach to ruling. What could June and Ian possibly say to her that would make any sort of difference?" The microwave dinged, and Josiah passed the warm mugs of blood to Ian and me.

"I've always looked down on rats and never aimed to be one myself," Ian said, giving me a pointed look. "But even I thought the Queen deserved to know what her progeny has been up to these days."

I nearly choked on the mouthful of blood I had just swallowed as the meaning of Ian's words registered. "Wait . . . are you saying that the Queen is Conrad Abernathy's maker?"

"And so she is of the entire Abernathy family," Josiah said. "She was not yet Queen when she turned them. From what I understand, she has many progeny. That is why she remains in seclusion. The emotional bonds are overwhelming."

Ian twirled his finger near his head. "She's a bit crazy, that one."

"Why doesn't anyone think to tell me the important stuff?" I complained. But Ian and Josiah only stared at me, neither of them supplying an answer. "So then you talked to her?" I said to Ian.

"I did," Ian said.

"And?"

He upended his mug and swallowed the remaining contents in one breath. When he smiled at me, his lips and teeth were stained a deep red. "Let's just say Conrad Abernathy is soon going to have one angry mother on his hands."

*****

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