“What the hell is going on?” Katie said softly. They were crouched in the undergrowth since Alexis said she heard something.

Alexis again shushed her. “Please, let me listen.”

Katie wanted to say something snappy back, but she kept quiet. Alexis had her captain-of-the-guard voice on again.

After a few minutes Alexis turned to her and said, “They’ve passed now.”

“Who’s passed now?” Katie asked with annoyance.

“You still need to be quiet—a vampire could hear us. I heard a lot of voices approaching. They were talking about finding someone quickly and eliminating them.”

“Killing them?” Katie said with shock.

Alexis nodded, and then her phone rang. She grabbed it quickly to stop the loud ringtone.

Katie worried more and more as she listened to Alexis’s side of the conversation.

“But the Principessa is unharmed?…Yes, yes, of course. Katie is with me…No, I won’t let her out of my sight…Yes, Principe.” Alexis ended the call.

“What’s happening?” Katie asked.

“When they arrived to see the Principessa’s parents, they had been viciously attacked by vampires. Byron has a suspicion that they may go to Sybil next, and after what I heard, I think that’s a safe bet.”

“Don’t think you’re going to leave me behind while you deal with this,” Katie warned.

“I can’t. As much as I’d like to, you wouldn’t be safe.”

“So what do we do?”

“Bhal has ordered any of our vampires left in the village to meet us here, and then we’ll go to Sybil’s cottage. Then you will just need to keep behind me with no arguments.” Katie did open her mouth to argue, but Alexis said firmly, “No, I don’t care what you say. You mean too much to me to risk you getting hurt.”

That did shut Katie up.

* * *

Amelia sat on the couch gazing at her adoptive parents’ bodies covered with a sheet. She wasn’t crying, she couldn’t. Amelia felt numb and cold.

Byron finished talking to Bhal and joined her on the couch. “How are you feeling?”

“Numb. I want to cry, but I can’t. I know they were harsh to me, and I couldn’t wait to get away from them, but they were still my parents. They gave me a roof over my head, and I never wanted for anything materially. Emotionally, yes, but—”

Byron put her arm around her. “I understand. They were a big part of your life, and they didn’t deserve this ending. You are right to grieve them.”

“I know. We’ll make sure they have a decent funeral?” Amelia said.

“Of course we will. The police will be here soon, and we’ll head back.”

“What about Sybil?”

“I’ve let Alexis know, and there are vampires on their way to her.”