Sage stood on the back terrace of the house, watching his final sunset over the Hudson River. His bags were all packed, securely in the trunk of his car, ready to go. No one had seen him pack, except his sister, the rest of his clan out and busy during the day. After their little argument, she had left him alone—going god knows where.Sage felt bad about it. The two of them had a long and complicated relationship, about as complicated as a two-thousand-year sibling relationship could get. On the one hand, she was always his biggest critic, ready to point out his faults, and always the first one to complain to his parents about anything he did wrong. On the other hand, he always sensed that deep down she was attached to him, and truly loved him. There were, in fact, a handful of instances over the centuries when he could remember her actually standing up for him, completely surprising him. That was her: inscrutable. After two thousand years, he felt as if he still didn’t really underst

Caitlin burst through the front door of her house, and right into Caleb’s waiting arms. He hugged her tight, and it felt so good to be back in his grip. Ruth stood by her side, whining and barking, leaping up on her.“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m so sorry for not believing you.”Caitlin hugged him back, not wanting to let him go either, especially after all the darkness they’d been through. Finally, she felt vindicated. Finally, he believed her. She felt his love for her coursing through, and as she did, she felt rejuvenated, restored, no longer so alone in the world. Finally, she felt as if she had a partner to help her deal with all this, to help save their daughter.All was right in the world again. Here was Caleb, back to his old self, at her side, trusting her, believing in her. Finally, he realized she wasn’t crazy. Finally, he realized she’d been right all along—realized that their daughter was, in fact, turning into a vampire.It had all happened so quickly, ever since Caitlin

Scarlet walked by herself down Route 99, cars whizzing past her, and never felt more alone. It had been the worst day she could remember.She ran over and over in her mind what could have possibly happened to Sage. How could he have abandoned her like that? Had he changed his mind? Was it something she’d said? Had he realized that he was just not that into her all along? Had he decided to stay with his family instead? Had it all just been a lie? Had he really sent his cousin for the necklace?The thought of him broke her heart completely. Sage was the last person in the world who she thought would let her down. Now, after the fights with her parents and her friends, she felt she had no one—absolutely no one—left to turn to. All the joy and optimism that had swelled her heart this morning now came crashing down, sending her lower than she had ever been. She truly felt she had nothing left to live for.Scarlet walked with her head down, dejected, barely even noticing the cars. She fel

Caitlin sat in the passenger seat while Caleb floored their car, Sam and Polly in the back. They had picked them up on the way and Polly was tracking Scarlet’s movements on her iphone. They all sped down Route 99, each on edge, Caleb doing 100 miles an hour as he raced for Pete’s.“I see her blue dot!” Polly yelled out, glued to her phone. “She’s still there. We’re getting closer. I see it!”“I hope it’s really her, not just her phone,” Caitlin said, with a sinking feeling.For the millionth time, she agonized over what her daughter could be doing at Pete’s. She wondered again if she’d made a mistake to leave for so long, to go to Paris, if she should’ve stayed here, at home, and done whatever she could to protect her. She felt overwhelmed with waves of guilt and anxiety.But she at least took comfort in being here with Caleb and Polly and Sam. It would be a rough crowd at Pete’s, and if there were any altercations, there was no one she’d rather have there than Caleb and Sam. Betwe