SIXTY-ONE | AFLOAT

I tucked the necklace under my collar before walking inside. The jolt of cold against my skin was fresh and reviving, and I smiled to myself as I unlocked the front door. Everything was falling into place.

I’d asked my Dads to organise a trip to The Heath with me sometime soon, and I’d hoped to catch up with them when I got back from Westcliff. Kicking off my boots, I called out to them.

“Dad? Paps?”

There was no reply. Shrugging to myself, I slipped off my coat and hung it up. It was nice, if a little odd, to have the house to myself. I worked far more than either of them, which meant that, unlike when I’d been living with Harper, someone was almost always in the house when I was home.

Though I had a free afternoon, the sense that I should be acting out against the vampires remained prevalent. There wasn’t much I could do – we were out of leads, save for The