“Your guess is as good as mine as to how this’ll unfold,” he said, his sharp dhampir eyes scanning rapidly around as he spoke. Even in casual situations, his natural tendency was to watch for threats. In a high-stakes situation like this, he was constantly on edge.

“I just hope we’re able to—”

My words were cut off by the sound of a trumpet. We all turned in its direction and saw three men wearing yellow robes and golden helmets. I stiffened, earning a quick look of concern from Eddie.

“What’s wrong?” he whispered. “I mean, aside from the obvious.”

“I know two of them. Master Angeletti and Master Ortega. They were at the last gathering.”

“Remember, they can’t recognize you.”

I nodded, but seeing those familiar faces set me on edge. I expected at any moment one of them would point in my direction and declare me an enemy, sending all of these wannabe recruits my way.

But the two masters paid me no more attention than they did any of the other recruits. When the third man—the trumpeter—stopped playing, Master Angeletti spoke, his voice still deep and his gray beard still scraggly. “Do you see that?” he asked, raising his hands toward the rising sun. “That is why we are here, what gives us all life. The sun. The light. We were born to the light, born to goodness. It reminds me of one of my favorite psalms:

Humans are born into the light

Shining good, shining bright

Only evil thrives at night

Let us banish them from our sight.

I nearly choked with laughter, hearing poetry I probably could’ve written when I was ten years old. But Master Angeletti’s face was full of rapture as he spoke, and the other Warriors nodded along approvingly, like he was quoting one of Shakespeare’s sonnets.

“That is the natural way of things,” Master Angeletti told us. “Those who thrive in darkness are not part of the divine plan. They are evil and unnatural, and it is the job of our army to eliminate them and save mankind.”

Beside him, Master Ortega took a turn. “All of you are here because you have shown interest in eradicating that darkness and because your sponsors think you may be worthy to join us. But make no mistake: We will be the ones to decide who truly deserves to serve among us. It will not be easy. You will be tested and scrutinized, your very soul examined. If any of you are afraid or know you won’t have the stamina to face what’s to come, I invite you to leave now.”

Silence fell as he looked around expectantly. A few of the other recruits shifted their stances, but no one made any motions to leave.

“Very well then,” boomed Master Ortega. “Let the trials begin!”