Depths (2)

Iris POV

The following day, we were already up at three so we could be escorted out of the gates by the vampires and dropped at the borders before sunrise.

Waking up grumpy and feeling like something was eating at you was the worst.

At one time, I caught myself wishing I could stay here.

"We could," Caci corrected, and immediately I turned to see Tristan looking out the window, hands on his chin. He raised his chin to scratch his neck, his adam's apple gleaming at me and making me swallow hard.

I turned to my side of the window. I should stop staring and getting attached, but that was hard to remember, especially when he was this close.

The car went downhill, the snow diminishing as we went farther away from the vampire clan.

I hadn't gone too far, and I was already missing the vampire clan.

I remembered Tyra hugging me as we said our final goodbyes. "Listen," she said, "it's not all over; we still have some hope."

"It doesn't seem like it," I whispered.

She caressed my hair and said,