“I’m just hiding out from my little sisters. They giggle.” She tilted her head. “Where are all your famous brothers?”

“Around.”

She rolled her eyes. “Are they as insufferable as mine?”

I rolled my eyes back. “Worse.”

She looked unconvinced. “I only have the one,” she pointed out. “My family has daughters the way yours has sons. His rarity has made Haridas’s head roughly the size of a hot-air balloon.”

I had to grin. “I have seven of those.”

“Seven what?” Quinn interrupted, leaning in the doorway. “Seven heroically patient big brothers of which I am the obvious favorite?”

“Something like that,” I allowed. “You know, if you replace ‘brother’ with ‘baboon’?”

It felt so wonderful to banter normally with Quinn that my eyes burned. The forest was stained with blood, the smell of charred wood and smoke lingered on the wind, and too many were still unaccounted for, but these small simple moments were healing.

They were precious, emblematic of what we’d been protecting: family.

And talking to Lalita, even so briefly, was also emblematic of how sheltered I’d always been. Because of our exile, Madame Veronique’s secrets, and the prophecy, we’d kept to ourselves. There was so much about the vampire world outside of Violet Hill that I didn’t know about. An hour at the Blood Moon camp had been enough to show me that.

Others might still say I was barely sixteen years old, but there was no denying I wasn’t like other girls. I knew how to use a sword and a pottery kiln, how to plan for a war and a medieval siege. And I knew that my family loved me.

Now I needed to know so much more.

I needed to know everything, see everything, understand the world for myself, not just through the prism of prophecy or fear. “I don’t like the look on your face,” Quinn groaned.

“I’ve just had an idea.”

He groaned louder. “I’ll get protective headgear for everyone.”

Lalita laughed, winking at me sympathetically. “You’re right, seven brothers must be worse,” she said as she uncurled from the sofa. “But this one’s much cuter than mine.”

Quinn grinned. “I am the prettiest,” he agreed modestly.

I went to the shed to figure how to get my parents to agree to my plan. The shed was messier then it had ever been. I barely even remembered the temper tantrum I must have pitched to have left so much broken crockery behind. I reached for the broom and swept out the floor and tidied the shelves. It was soothing, rhythmic work, the kind Lucy’s mom would have called meditative.

I couldn’t pretend I hadn’t experienced the last few months. I couldn’t go back to being the girl fighting the weight of a prophecy, a spirit, and her own self.

I had a lot of planning to do.

First things first.

I texted Kieran, feeling butterflies in my belly. Then I went up to Connor’s room, and cornered Sebastian afterward in the library, as the last of the council members filed out of the house. I’d have to talk to my parents now, before they left for another round of talks at a secret location. The bloody end to the camp councils had cut short too many important and tricky discussions.

“I’d like to meet Kieran,” I said quietly. “I’ve already activated the GPS in my phone, sent Connor the coordinates, and asked Sebastian to come with me. And I’ll take Boudicca.” She lifted her head at the sound of her name and trotted over to stick her cold wet nose in my palm. “I’m only going as far as the tree by the bunker on the other side of the creek.”

My parents looked at me for a long squirming moment. Mom finally stood up and hugged me. “Thank you,” she said simply. “Don’t forget your sword.”

Another mother might have said, “Don’t forget your mittens.”

It didn’t take long to reach the tree with its mossy roots under the snow. Sebastian melted politely into the night, quiet as just another shadow. Boudicca went to investigate interesting smells. The night was crisp and clean, the snow broken only by the footprints from the last time I’d met Kieran here. I had to force myself not to remember Viola and Constantine’s special tree, the one that bled like a flesh wound. They’d loved each other and they’d let it turn tragic and terrifying. Well, Viola more than Constantine.

I wasn’t going to let that happen to Kieran and me.

Even though he hadn’t arrived yet. And even if he’d changed his mind.

Boudicca’s ears perked up just as I heard the soft tread of boots approaching. The wind tossed the bare branches overhead, showing a thousand stars. Kieran stood under a pine tree, wearing jeans instead of cargos and a regular pea coat. He waited patiently, half smiling. I swallowed and walked toward him, feeling as nervous as if this was a first date.

“You came,” I said softly, stopping awkwardly in front of him. He reached out and took my hand, our cold fingers tangling. Snow fell lightly, catching in my eyelashes. I smelled the cedar-and-mint scent of him.

“Of course,” he said, as if it was a given. “Sorry, I’m late. I had to sneak out. League’s a mess.”

“How’s Hunter?”

“Rough,” he answered. “As expected. I made her move in with me for a few days. Mom will feed her tea and Quinn can visit. Campus is far from safe,” he added. “In case you or Nicholas are planning to see Lucy.”