"I FEEL LIKE that will be a lot easier said than done," Eli stated with a low chuckle. He arched an eyebrow at her. "It won't be safe either."

She reached out and patted his arm. A coy smile tugged at her lips. "Haven't you learned by now? We like to live life dangerously."

Eli rolled his eyes toward the ceiling. "Sophie," he said. A hint of annoyance colored his tone.

"I know, I know," she said. She lifted her hands to her face and rubbed at her temples. A thousand thoughts ran through her head — an abundance of potential ideas that she knew outright would never actually work. "You are right," she admitted. "It will be a lot easier said than done."

"Safety needs to be our number one priority," he said.

She nodded in agreement. It wasn't her own safety that she was concerned about, however. She genuinely wasn't sure that she could handle losing Eli again.

A wave of silence rolled through the air, crashing into them and dissolving their conversation. She fiddled with the edges of her cell phone and tried to come up with something — anything that might possibly help them in this situation. Eli leaned over and kissed her forehead. Then he stood and started toward the bedroom door.

"I'm hungry," he announced. "Do you want anything?"

She shook her head but moved to follow him anyways. "I'm not very hungry right now," she answered.

He smiled at her and nodded. "Alright then."

She followed him out into the main room, instantly making her way toward the couch. As she sank down into the comfortable cushions, Eli bee-lined toward the refrigerator. He grabbed a pack of blood and quickly downed it.

A quiet knock at their front door startled both Sophie and Eli. Both shared a confused look. "Maybe that's Aelia," Sophie said.

He shrugged. Shoving her cellphone into her pocket, she stood and made her way toward the door. Eli made his way toward the couch, where he could better see the front door.

Sophie was surprised to see Finn standing on the other side of the door. He smiled at her kindly, a hint of excitement glimmering within his eyes. She poked her head out and glanced down the hallway.

"I had to move fast," Finn explained, as if reading her mind. He glanced over his shoulder — almost as if he expected one of the armed guards to appear. "Luckily, I am old enough to have a few tricks up my sleeve."

"What brings you here?" she asked him curiously.

"I know how to remove that mark on your throat," Finn explained. His excitement was almost overwhelming. Something bright illuminated his eyes and his cheeky grin was infectious.

"But we can't do it here," he said. His grin faded a bit and he glanced over his shoulder. "Not with so many eyes on us."

"Then where?" Sophie asked. A frown tugged at her lips. She knew this castle inside and out. There wasn't really a good spot within it to do something secretive — at least not anymore. Not with murderous Revenants on the loose or armed guards.

"The forest," he answered.

Alarm rang through Sophie. Her eyes widened and she started to shake her head. He grimaced and held up his hands, almost in a hesitant gesture. "I know how it sounds. But I have found a small crack in this fortress. It is so concealed that I doubt the creatures have found it yet. It won't take long either."

"What happens if we are discovered?" she asked him. "There are guards patrolling the entire campus. We aren't supposed to leave our apartments."

Finn did not seem to hesitate. He lifted one shoulder in a slight shrug. "I have already spoken with your mother," he reassured her. "I explained the process and the importance of doing it outside the castle. She has made an exception for this — for you."

Sophie stared at him for a moment. She didn't remember specifically telling her mother about her mark, but it was possible that Finn had explained everything to her. "Okay," she said. She glanced back over her shoulder at Eli. He sat on the couch, watching her intently. She searched his face for any type of reaction — any type of hesitation or sign that she should turn Finn down.

He stared at her with his mismatched eyes for a moment. Then he shrugged.

Heaving a small sigh, Sophie returned her attention to Finn. She graced him with a small smile and said, "Let's go then."

Attempting to figure out anything further regarding the Revenants would have to wait.

Finn smiled again. He nodded and glanced back over his shoulder once more. "We will need to move fast," he said. "Aelia asked specifically that we try to stay out of sight. We don't want to encourage any of our students or other staff members to leave their little make-shift prisons."

With one last small look toward Eli, Sophie stepped outside and quietly shut the front door to their apartment. One of her hands slipped into her pocket, fingers curled tight around her cell phone.

"Are you ready?" Finn asked her.

She nodded and a smile stretched across her lips. She couldn't help it. A sliver of excitement flooded through her and filled her with a newfound abundance of energy. Part of her wanted to do a little happy dance.

This was it.

She would finally be rid of her stupid curse mark — her last tie to her crazy, murderous uncle and one of the most traumatic events of her life.

She just couldn't wait.