SOPHIE WALKED QUICKLY down the stairs, her gaze scanning over the assortment of tables that were spread out throughout the first level. Tabatha was tucked away into the corner, at one of the tables that pressed up against one of the walls. She was twisted in her seat, her back against the wall, and her legs were stretched out atop the chair that sat beside her. A small pile of books and printed packets littered the table in front of her.

"Hey," Sophie chirped as she approached the table. She eyed a particularly thick looking packet. "It looks like you found some good stuff."

Tabatha sighed. "Kind of," she said. She gestured toward the open book in front of her. "I asked the librarian if she had anything on strange, unknown creatures. I didn't specify that we were looking for anything on the Revenants. So she literally gave me everything."

Sophie arched an eyebrow. "Everything?"

"Everything. Including books and packets on creatures that have nothing to do with the Revenants," Tabatha said. She scoffed and gestured to a large book that she'd already pushed aside. "This one right here is nothing but snippets of stories and legends about undiscovered creatures from the ocean. Like we need that."

"I mean, what if they swim though?" Sophie suggested. "Who knows? We surely don't."

Tabatha stared at her for a long time, entirely unimpressed.

Sophie chuckled and revealed her own pile of books. "I'm not sure how helpful these will be, but at least it's a start. Thank you for talking to the librarian!"

"Of course," Tabatha chirped.

Together, Tabatha and Sophie tore through the books and packets spread out around them. The books that had potential were set aside in a nice, organized pile. The books that seemed useless were discarded onto a nearby chair. Once they had narrowed the information down, they split the books and packets between themselves to read.

In the end, they didn't find much.

Sophie heaved a sigh and rubbed at her eyes. "I haven't had any luck," she told Tabatha. "Have you?"

Tabatha scowled. "No, I haven't. This stinks."

"Seriously," Sophie agreed. "I think I'm going to take a break and go find Eli. I'm sure that he's talked to his sister by now. She may have found something else."

"Have fun," Tabatha said. She pulled out another book and started to flip through it.

As she walked toward the door, Sophie glanced back over her shoulder, her gaze scanning over the upper floor. She half expected Finn to be standing there, either hidden within the shelves or leaning against the railing, watching her. She didn't see anything though.

Sophie managed to track Eli down to the hospital wing, more specifically in Wolfe's room. As she entered the room, she smiled hopefully at Eli and Aubrey. "Did you find anything new?"

Aubrey groaned.

Eli chuckled. "Unfortunately, there is nothing new to report."

Sophie sighed. "I ran into Finn today in the library," she announced. "We had a very interesting conversation. What did you think about his speech during the meeting earlier?"

Eli frowned. "It was detailed, and yet kind of vague. I still feel like I know nothing about these creatures."

"Finn. I feel like I know that name," Aubrey said, her gaze focused on the screen in front of her. She frowned and pursed her lips, lost in thought.

"We've met him once or twice," Eli said. "Through the old Headmaster."

Aubrey looked up from her screen. Her eyes were wide, focused on Eli's face. "Oh!" she said. "I think I know who you are talking about now!"

"I don't really remember him," Eli admitted. "I only met him once or twice at most. And it was nothing more than a quick introduction."

"I don't think the Headmaster even told is why Finn was there," Aubrey added. "There was no small chat, no elaborate explanation as to why he was in our home. He just appeared and, if we happened to be present, then brief introductions would be made. That's it."

Sophie folded her arms across her chest. "So that just means that we don't know much about him," she said. "Except that he spent time with the Headmaster."

Aubrey lifted one shoulder in some sort of half-shrug. "Exactly. All we really do know about him is that Finn was very close to him. The Headmaster wasn't a good person. Or a sane one. At all. I'm not saying that makes Finn an awful person automatically, but I would definitely be careful when you are around him."

"Yeah, I wouldn't completely trust him yet," Eli said. "Not until we know him better and know his true intentions."

The tips of her fingers absently traced along the scarred skin at the base of her throat. "I understand," she said, her voice soft. Distant. "He seemed very interested in my mark."

That caught Eli's attention. "Really? What did he say about it?"

"He said that he might know what it is, and that he might be able to remove it," Sophie explained. "He needs to study it."

"Study it?"

Sophie shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure what that means, or what he is planning. But if it's a chance to remove it, then I'm in."

Eli nodded. "I know how much it bothers you," he said softly, almost to himself. "Just please, promise me that you'll be careful. We still don't know much about Finn yet."

"I agree," Aubrey said. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"I'll be careful," Sophie assured them. She cracked a small smile. "Besides, maybe he will wind up revealing his evil plot for world domination while he studies my mark."

Eli snorted. Aubrey rolled her eyes. "Ha, ha. Very funny."

"I thought so," Sophie remarked.

Aubrey leaned back in her seat and her nails clicked furiously against the keyboard in front of her. Silence settled over the room. Sophie locked eyes with Eli and mouthed to him, 'Has she eaten yet?'

He nodded and lifted a hand, his index and thumb almost pressed together. 'Just a little', he mouthed back.

That made Sophie feel a little better.

"This is interesting," Aubrey said. "So I just did a search on Finn's name."

"And?"

"There's nothing. Absolutely nothing. No birth records, no published articles. Literally no sign of his existence," Aubrey said.

Eli pursed his lips. "I mean, he is a vampire though, so that isn't necessarily unusual. Most vampires try to stay off the grid and undiscovered. Especially once they are older."

Aubrey huffed. "Yeah, but I still find it kind of weird. With all the new technology that's available, it's almost impossible to stay off the grid. Even the old Headmaster and Aelia had to buy out the local hospitals and banks just to keep their secrets safe while running this school."

"Finn doesn't have a school to run though," Sophie pointed out.

"I guess," Aubrey harrumphed. She eyed Sophie. "Just make sure to be extra careful around him."

Sophie laughed and waved her off. "I promise. It will be just fine, Aubrey."

hey babes!

So I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this chapter --but at least it's a new chapter! I'm super proud of the fact that I've been able to update this book (and Ice) regularly for the last several weeks. It's been hard to get back into the swing of things but hey, this is still progress!

Any feedback is greatly appreciated! Thank you all so much for your continued patience and support! It genuinely means the world!!! I hope you all have enjoyed what has been posted so far! 

ash ❤

P.S. I will be going to Nashville with my family next week. A new chapter will still be posted, but it may be later than expected!