“There are all sorts of ragtag anti-undead human militias around the world these days, some more sophisticated than others. The Persean Knights have a lot of company.” We reach my block and she slows, pulling up to the curb outside my house. Snow is still drifting down, dusting the porch overhang like sugar, and everything looks so peaceful it makes me want to scream. Quietly, Daphne says, “I left him alive so he can crawl back to his friends, or whoever sent him, and let them know you’re protected. It’ll buy us some time before whoever it is tries again.”

“They’re going to try again?” I swivel to her in horror. “What if they come here?”

“I’ll make some calls, see if I can get eyes on your house when I’m not around,” she promises, gripping my shoulder with a comforting hand. “Look, if there’s a way to stop the prophecy from coming true, or to prove that it’s a hoax, the Brotherhood will find out. In the meantime, I’m going to do everything I can to see that you’re protected. I know this is awful, but you’ve got to do your best to act like everything’s normal.”

I laugh wildly, shaking my head. “Yeah, sure. No problem.”

“I’m serious, Auggie.” She meets my eyes, and she looks like the old Daphne—the one I thought she was all along: sweet, sisterly, tough in a kind way. “No matter what happens, you’ve still got a life to live. Don’t waste it by giving in to fear of what might be coming. Don’t let a possible future ruin what you’ve got right now.”

“I’ll try,” I hear myself saying, but that hollow feeling only widens. Someone just tried to kill me, I’m drawing death scenes on autopilot, vampires have books with my name in them, I’m slowly becoming possessed, and the only person I can trust is someone who’s been lying to me for the past six months. And her sage advice amounts to Hang in there, baby! How am I supposed to keep this a secret? How am I supposed to smile?

Once again, Daphne waits at the curb, watching me like a guard dog as I shuffle up the walk in a daze. Mounting the porch steps with Frankenstein feet, I dig for my keys with fingers that are still restless with fear. My house is empty right now; my mom is working late, and my dad will be at the gym, so at least I won’t have to worry about them being killed in a staged home invasion if that ninja has impatient friends.

At least not tonight.