My mostly-a-mystery-to-me abilities have a name, and this can’t-tell-if-he’s-safe-or-not stranger knows what it is. Which only strengthens my suspicions about who he must be.

“I’ll explain more once we get you out of here,” he says.

“No. Why does me being a, um, Sire mean I’m in danger?”

“There’s been a slew of Sire abductions recently. Which is why my school has been recruiting Sires—to bring them somewhere safer.”

Abductions. I wasn’t prepared for any of this.

Granted, this whole trip came together very quickly.

Despite my family’s generations-long participation in a historic order, I was never able to be a part of it. I’d grown up with all the stories, heard so many of their wild, secret theories, and I couldn’t wait to be trained to take part in their important work. Kor and Izzy were both initiated into the order on their thirteenth birthdays, but then my own birthday came and went with nothing. My mother said I probably just needed to wait until they considered me ready. I worked so hard the next few years, hoping to impress whoever needed to be impressed, but nothing I did ever seemed to be good enough. Eventually, I stopped trying.

Until last month, when the Families discovered the condition I’d been hiding for so long. And it turned out they needed someone exactly like me for this job. I was given an itinerary, basic explanations of what to look out for, and that was it. I knew there were some risks, but no one had said anything about any abductions.

I feel my panic rising, but I’m still wearing the gloves and am not in the mood to have my hands cooked again. At least I’m out of the box.

I was in a box.

The reality of what I’ve just been through floods through me. I’ve been damming up my emotions as much as my need to pee, but now they’re breaking through.

“I was trapped for hours.” I choke on a sob. “Why didn’t you call the police or something?”

Michael is immediately at my side, laying a comforting hand on my arm. “Ada, I’m sorry, but these are not people that the police can protect you from. Hopefully I can. I promise that I’m here to help you, but we need to move quickly. The guards are gone for now, but I don’t want to take any chances. We’ve been incredibly lucky so far.”

I swallow past the lump in my throat and try to regain as much control as I can. “Well, if you’re here to help, can you get these off.” I shake my hands behind my back, the metal clanking loudly. “They really hurt.”

“They’re causing you pain?” He looks confused by this.

“A lot of pain,” I say through gritted teeth.