“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I have proof. Students are getting sick all over. Chloe’s own mother was giving her steroids. Have you heard about some operation called the Trojan Horse?”

I was so relieved at his honest bewilderment that I could have wept.

“What are you going on about?” he demanded. “Hunter, leave League business alone. Leave it to the adults.”

“I can’t.”

“And stop seeing that … thing.”

“I can’t do that either.”

“Your mother would be ashamed.”

“I’m ashamed too.”

“As you should be.”

“Of your bigotry, Grandpa,” I finished quietly. “You know I love you, but I’m not you. You can’t force me to be. I agree with the treaties. I like what Hart’s doing with the League.”

“You’re young.”

“So? That doesn’t make me stupid. You didn’t raise me to be stupid. You raised me to be strong and independent and clever. Can’t you trust that?”

“I don’t even know you anymore, girl. How can I trust someone who willingly fraternizes with monsters?”

I took his big callous hand in mine. “It’s not that simple. But it’s still me. I’m still me.”

“I love you, girl,” he said gruffly. “You know I do. Now stop this nonsense. We have class.”

He’d raised me. He was the only family I had left. And he looked at me as if he couldn’t stand the sight of me. The only reason I didn’t let the tears fall was because it would have convinced him right then and there that I was no longer his granddaughter. I tilted my chin, straightened my shoulders.

And I let him lead me toward the gym where the Niners waited for a demonstration from one of the League’s most celebrated hunters.

Kieran was waiting for us outside the main gym. His hair was caught back in a ponytail, his cargos were perfectly regulation. He still wore his cast. Grandpa clapped him on his good shoulder.

“Glad you’re here, Black. Maybe you can talk some sense into my granddaughter.”

I waited stone-faced. Kieran looked wary.

“What do you mean, Caleb?”

“She’s dating a vampire!” he exploded.

Kieran winced. “Oh.”

Grandpa’s eyes narrowed to slits. “You knew about this?”

“Uh … yes, sir.”

I sighed. “Grandpa, leave him alone.”

“He’s supposed to look out for you.”

“I do!” Kieran sounded offended. “You should be proud of her. Hart requested her presence personally at the Drake coronation.”

I closed my eyes briefly. We were doomed.

“You went to a vampire ceremony?” Grandpa asked evenly.

“He didn’t know?” Kieran asked.

“No, he didn’t.”

“Sorry.”

Grandpa vibrated with rage. “I will not tolerate this kind of behavior in my family!”

“It’s different now,” Kieran tried to assuage him. “I’m dating Solange Drake. They’re a good family.”

Grandpa went red, then purple. Kieran took a step back. I whacked Grandpa between the shoulder blades.

“Grandpa, breathe!”

His breath was strangled but at least he didn’t keel over. Before he could shout the rafters down, the door swung open and York eyed us all with the barest politeness. Grandpa glared at him.

“What?” he barked.

“We’re waiting for your demonstration,” York barked back.

Grandpa jerked his thumb at Kieran, ordering him inside. I winced sympathetically. Helping Grandpa with fight scenarios when he was in a temper never ended well. I followed, because skipping it would have started another lecture on family responsibility. The Niners looked eager and nervous, chattering among themselves. Lia waved at me.

Grandpa threw a ninja egg at a short boy with glasses before York even blew his whistle.

A pepper cloud had everyone in the immediate vicinity coughing and sneezing.

“First lesson,” Grandpa growled. “Be aware of your surroundings.”

The boy’s face was bright red as he wiped his streaming eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. Everyone else stood at immediate attention, silently cowed. York looked reluctantly impressed.

“This is Caleb Wild,” he introduced belatedly. “Mr. Wild has been a hunter for decades. This is his assistant Kieran Black, nephew of Hart Black.” Excited glances were exchanged when Kieran’s last name was recognized, but the only sound was the pepper victim choking on a cough. Grandpa cut an impressive figure, pacing in front of the cadets, his white hair cut short, his muscled arms scarred. His boots clomped, ringing like an iron bell. Students trembled.

“You’ve all been given a sacred duty to protect the world against vampires. And every single one of you is capable of winning that fight. You!” The girl next to Lia staggered back a step.

“Yes, sir?”

“What’s your skill?”

“I … can throw.”

“Good. You!”

“Um …”

“Figure it out. You!”

“I’m fast.”

The students were still terrified, but they started to stand with more pride in themselves as hunters. Grandpa was good at that.

“It doesn’t matter how small you are,” he continued. “Or whether you’re a boy or a girl, or what your last name is. What matters is the League and the amount of fight in you. Even if you’re wounded, you can still make a difference. To demonstrate this, Kieran and I are going to spar.”