Chapter 5

It didn't matter anymore. It would all be over soon. I would never have to see them again or intrude on their perfect little family of three.

I went back to school and sorted through the last of my things in the dorm. There were my parents' pharmaceutical research notes-containing the preliminary formula for a drug that could free vampires from the threat of crucifixes entirely.

The next day, I was sitting on a bench with the notebook, waiting to meet Caspian, when I spotted Silas and Julian in the hallway.

Elena had dragged them to a bench not far from mine. Her bright laughter echoed through the corridor.

"Behave yourself," Silas said, ruffling her hair. "We leave for the Caribbean in a few days. You can wear any dress you want there."

Listening to them, my chest felt suffocating. Just then, a classmate called my name, and I stood up to go over. When I came back, Elena was holding my notebook, tearing out the pages one by one.

My vision went white. I rushed over and snatched it back.

Elena let herself tip backward, striking her forehead on a stone pillar with a sharp cry. Every vampire student in the hallway turned to look.

My hands trembled as I opened the notebook. It was my parents' life's work-and five years of my own research. All destroyed. The pages had been ripped to shreds, and the remaining ones were smeared with a silver-ion solution that had blackened the text beyond recognition. On top of the pile of ruined paper, she'd drawn a large, mocking smiley face in marker.

Silas was at my side in an instant, not bothering to ask a single question before erupting: "Alice! Have you lost your mind? Why did you push her?"

Julian helped Elena up, his face dark as a storm.

Caspian walked over then. He took one look at the destroyed pages in my hands, and his expression turned lethal.

"Your research notes were destroyed?" he asked in a low voice.

Silas's fury faltered. He leaned in to examine the torn paper and frowned. "That's impossible. Elena wouldn't do something like this?"

"Let's go," I said to Caspian, my voice flat. I didn't wait for Silas to finish. Strange-I should have been hysterical. I should have screamed and raged the way I had so many times before. But all I wanted was to leave.

I'd been fighting them for six months. Six months of arguments, and the outcome was always the same. Since I was leaving anyway, there was no point wasting my breath.

I walked toward the exit with the ruined notebook clutched to my chest. To my surprise, Silas followed.

His tone was as cold as ever, but there was something oddly strained beneath it: "Give me the notes. I'll try to restore them with a restoration spell."

I didn't look back. "Don't bother."

I had originally planned to give this notebook to Julian-he'd once shown a deep interest in pharmacology.

Silas seemed to sense something was off. He grabbed my arm. "Alice, what's going on with you lately?"

There was a thread of anxiety in his voice I couldn't quite place. I simply reached out and gently pushed his hand away.

We stood at an impasse for a moment before he spoke again: "Elena is still young. If she really tore it, it couldn't have been on purpose."

Of course. He was only worried I'd "retaliate" against his precious darling.

I stepped into the elevator and pressed the close button. In that moment, the part of my heart that had refused to give up finally went still, and went completely numb.

As the elevator doors closed, I said softly, "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

Julian came running-he seemed to want to stop the elevator, but it was too late.

As the elevator descended, the last thing I glimpsed was the flash of panic in his eyes.

At noon, Caspian accompanied me through the final preparations for my audience with the Vampire King. That was when Julian suddenly called.

After I picked up, there was a long silence. Just as I was about to hang up, he finally spoke, his voice hoarse: "When are you coming home?"

I hesitated. "School's been busy. I'm not coming back."

"What about tonight?" he pressed.

I was confused. "I have plans."

Another long silence.

"Today's the anniversary of us being turned into vampires," he said, awkward and halting.

I held the phone for a long time without speaking. In years past, I'd always started planning months ahead-expensive gifts, and I'd tell them that even though vampires had eternal life, every day had meaning as long as you had family. I'd even begged them, eyes brimming with tears, to turn me on that very date, so the day of our rebirth would be the same forever.

But now?

"Happy anniversary," I said flatly. "Just go ahead and turn Elena."

Caspian plucked the phone from my hand, his tone frigid. "Your birthday gifts have already been sent to the castle. I'm sure you'll find them quite 'surprising.'"

After he hung up, Caspian shook his head. "I sent over the medal of honor for your research project."

I smiled and shook my head. They probably wouldn't believe it. Or if they did, they wouldn't care.

Caspian then took me to the Vampire King's castle. He was already waiting on his throne. I lay on the bed that had been prepared in the great hall.

The King looked down at me, solemn. "Are you ready for your new life?"

I nodded calmly and closed my eyes. After the First Embrace, all former ties of blood would be severed forever.

Sharp fangs pierced my skin, and the scalding royal blood surged into my veins. A tearing agony engulfed me, and I slowly sank into unconsciousness.