“Say hi to Connor. And don’t drink any coffee,” Chloe advised turning off onto the path toward the gym. “Your entire nervous system might explode.”

Since it wasn’t raining I drove my own car to the farm. Duncan had done a temporary fix on the engine so it only worked in dry, clear weather but it was better than nothing. My face hurt from my wide grin that I just couldn’t help. I was driving to the farm again. I could almost remember what it felt like to drop by for an ordinary visit or a sleepover. I was pulling into the driveway when my mom called.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Hi, Lucky. I haven’t heard you this happy in a long time.”

“I know.” If I sounded any happier sunshine and lollipops would come out of my butt. “I’m at the farm.”

“I figured. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“What’s up?” I asked, grabbing my bag and getting out of the car.

“I’m so glad Nicholas is back. I know you two missed each other a lot.” She paused.

I groaned. I knew where this was going. “Mom.”

“I just want you to be careful.”

I rolled my eyes even though she couldn’t see me. “No more safe sex lectures,” I said. “I get it. I’m still finding all the condoms you snuck into my stuff before I moved into the dorms.”

“I don’t just mean that,” she said quietly, sounding uncomfortable.

Since repeatedly talking about sex didn’t make her uncomfortable I leaned against the hood of my car, frowning nervously. “Okay, then what?”

“It’s easy to get carried away when you’re so happy, when you’re celebrating. But you’re still too young to make decisions that will affect your entire future.”

“Are you sure this isn’t the sex talk?”

“People talk about being together forever,” she explained. “But in your case, it’s not just talk.”

“Oh.” This wasn’t the sex talk. It was worse. It was the vampire talk.

“You’re too young to risk your life to live forever,” she continued. “Please don’t do anything rash.”

“Mom, are you asking me if I’m going to let Nicholas turn me into a vampire?”

“I’m asking you to think long and carefully.”

It’s not like I hadn’t thought about it. Of course, I had. But it was always something to think about for later.

“It’s dangerous,” she continued. “It could kill you.”

“Mom,” I interrupted her because she sounded like she was about to panic. “You can relax. I don’t want to be sixteen forever.”

“You say that now.”

“And I mean it. Being carded for eternity doesn’t appeal.” I bit my lip. “I can’t promise I won’t ever make that decision, Mom,” I added. “But I can promise I’m not making it right now.”

She exhaled so forcefully it sounded like there was a hurricane trapped in my phone. “Okay,” she said. “Okay. Thank you.” She laughed, sounding both relieved and anxious. “Oh honey, talking about condoms is so much easier.”

I snorted. “Maybe for you.”

I hung up and went up the pathway to the farmhouse, shaking my head. It was so familiar to see Bruno standing on the front porch with his bald head, tattoos, and dangerous weapons, that I just had to hug him.

“Lass,” he said in his Scottish accent. “Shouldn’t you be in school?”

“I brought homework,” I said. “Can I just sit in the living room until Solange wakes up?”

“Sure,” he said, running his big hand over my hair. He pushed the door open and when the dogs came barreling at us, I crouched down for another hug. This one was considerably furrier. “Guard,” he ordered them, pointing at me. Boudicca and Byron followed me to the library end of the living room and lay down around my chair. They followed me into the kitchen when I went to make tea and even insisted on coming into the bathroom with me.

For a while I just sat there looking out the window at the fields and the line of trees beyond. My tea grew cold and Byron started to snore. I went back to my books, trying to find references to “Dawn.” Not much to go on. Most anti-vampire zealots associated themselves with a sun motif. Even the Helios-Ra used the sun in their crests and logos. I checked the Drake collection but they had even less information and it was just as boring. I fell asleep and didn’t wake up until Bruno touched my shoulder.

“Lucy,” he said gently.

“Mmfwl?” I blinked blearily, wondering why it was so dark in the living room. Bruno grinned and leaned over to switch on one of the Tiffany lamps. The light had a purplish hue as it glowed through the blue-and-red glass.

“Solange is awake,” Bruno said.

Chapter 24

Solange

Thursday evening

I woke up to most of my family staring at me intently. Thank God Aunt Ruby wasn’t there or I might have had a heart attack. I shifted, wondering what felt different. Another shift in my bed and I realized two things: I was in my own bedroom and I didn’t feel the usual searing hunger threatening to break me open.

“Easy,” Uncle Geoffrey said when I tried to sit up. I was hooked up to an IV full of blood, which explained my curious lack of homicidal bloodthirst. He was giving me a transfusion, the way he still did for Christabel.

Only I was chained up.