Have a seat.”

I sat quickly, before he could change his mind.

“The bloodchange is still a bit of a mystery,” he admitted. “I’ve been doing research and experiments to better understand our family’s special challenge, but with varying degrees of success. It’s not strictly scientific, nor is it strictly supernatural, so we have as many questions as answers. There are only a few other families who can procreate like we do. All other vampires are made, not born. Technically, the Hel-Blar are made the same way; it’s only that they have a more violent transformation, without guidance or mentoring until it’s too late.”

“Are they as scary as everyone makes them out to be?”

“Yes.”

“Do the Hounds get sick too?”

“In a manner of speaking, though not like us. Our change is genetic, you understand. As near as we can explain it, when our young reach puberty, the flux in hormones triggers the change. It’s like the body attacks itself and then shuts down—

until it is reawakened by drinking vampire blood. Our children need to be very strong to fight through it and win.”

I swallowed. “But mostly everyone gets through it, right?”

“Mostly.”

“Why do some go crazy? Is that a hormone thing, too? Like permanent PMS?” He smiled briefly. “Not quite. It’s just that some are stronger than others. The bloodchange is so difficult, some just can’t hold on to themselves. If they get only just enough blood to survive, the thirst takes them over and it’s all they can think about, like the Hel-Blar.”

“Are you telling me Solange could turn into one of them if she’s not strong enough?”

“I wish I knew for sure. The more likely outcome would be that she might simply die and not reawaken.”

“This sucks.” I scowled. “But Solange is totally strong enough. She won’t die for real and she won’t go crazy.” If I said it enough, it would be true.

“I’m sure you’re right,” Geoffrey said soothingly. “She has strong genes, which is an asset. Drinking the blood from someone of the same lineage will restore her enough to win the battle. Her body won’t attack the new blood, but it can’t create its own supply either. At first, she’ll need to drink every day to supplement, less as she gets older.”

“She’s not going to get older.” I tried not to dwell on the fact that one day I’d be wrinkled and wearing dentures and she’d still look young enough to be my granddaughter. We had way bigger worries.

“She won’t age physically, no. At least not for a few years, after her body completely adjusts to its new form. I’m afraid I don’t really understand the science behind this adaptation yet. My theory is that it’s another genetic survival mechanism: we reach our optimum age, where we look the strongest. It’s a way to scare off predators, like making yourself look bigger to scare off a black bear.”

“Oh. And her special pheromone thing is a survival mechanism too, right? How everyone’s all obsessed with her?”

“Yes. It’s a mating thing. Everyone is wondering if she’ll be able to carry a vampire child to term.”

“Gross.”

“Study your Darwin, my girl.”

As if. “One more thing, why are the Hel-Blar blue?”

“It’s a side effect, like their fangs. Their extra fangs enable them to take their first . . . meals . . . with such violence and greed, it leaves them, in effect, engorged and bruised.”

“Oh.” I had to learn to stop asking these questions. I never liked the answer. I swallowed. “Thanks. I guess I should let you get back to work.”

“Yes, Darwin’s going to get a little help when I’m through.” He turned back to his microscope and I knew he’d pretty much forgotten I was there by the time I reached the door. I didn’t feel better exactly, but at least I didn’t feel like I was the only one in the dark anymore.

I drove home, mind racing. My house seemed too quiet somehow, too empty.

Mom’s Kali statue watched as I put out several bowls of water. It had to last until my parents came back—just in case. It felt melodramatic to think like that, but I needed to be prepared. Solange would have been happy hiding out in some deserted cabin until this was all over, but I wanted to fight. My parents still didn’t understand my violent tendencies considering the way I was raised: meditating, eating tofu, and taking long road trips in the middle of the school year to see petroglyphs or observe moose. My mom’s rabid tolerance extends not just to people but all species—

vampires included. Helena and my mom were best friends in high school but drifted apart when Mom went to college and then traveled around the world to find herself. It was ten years before Mom came back to her hometown. One night she went on one of her full- moon hikes and ran into Helena, who was pregnant with Solange and drinking the blood of a deer Liam had killed to help sate her cravings. Apparently, that kind of thing had only happened when Helena was pregnant with Solange and not any of her seven brothers.

Anyway, no amount of vampire mind control was going to make my vegetarian mom forget that particular sight. Helena couldn’t hide from my mom, and their friendship was rekindled, which was how we came to be so close and comfortable with the Drakes. More comfortable than they were with us sometimes— case in point: Nicholas.

Nicholas.

I really wished he’d been a bad kisser. It would have been much easier to forget it ever happened, to not wonder if it might happen again.