We reached our room. My bones and muscles were aching from exercising my powers with Rhys earlier that morning. I wanted nothing more than to lie down and fall asleep.
As I moved toward the bed, Rhys said, “Wait. We need to attend the ritual first. It starts in an hour. We’re just in time for it. If you want you can rest until then, but I’ll have to wake you—”
There was a knock on the door. Rhys went to answer it. His aunt stood in the doorway. Her dark hair was tied up in a tight bun. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her.
“I sensed your return,” she said, eyeing me as I sat down on the edge of the bed. “How did it go?”
“Mona’s one of us now,” Rhys said, placing a hand on my shoulder and squeezing it.
Although Isolde looked shocked that I’d returned in one piece, she didn’t voice her surprise.
“Hm. Good.” Her mouth formed a hard line as she looked me over.
“How have things been since we left?” Rhys asked.
“We’ve kept up the rituals, if that’s what you mean. But there’s something that I must talk to you about.”
“Oh?”
“I just heard from Annora. The immune is missing.”
“The immune?”
Isolde nodded, her eyes darkening. “While you were gone, and since Efren was in no mood to help me, I decided to take the Novalics to collect some more humans from Annora. Well, a day after our visit she discovered the immune missing.”
Rhys’ lips parted in disbelief.
“Of course,” she continued, “we don’t know for sure that the Novalics are behind it. It could have been one of Annora’s vampires. But even if they did, I think it’s best not to ask them outright. I’d rather we find the proof on our own before confronting them. If they have done this then we have a very serious situation indeed.”
Rhys rubbed a hand against his forehead and stared back at Isolde.
“You really think they’d betray us like this? After all they’ve seen of us?”
Isolde shrugged. “I’m just saying that this is an unfortunate coincidence.”
“Hm,” he grunted. “Well, we ought to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible.”
“Yes,” Isolde said. “Because we can’t afford for something to happen to that immune. It would be a huge setback. We have to hope wherever she is, she’s still alive.”
“Have you told anyone else about this?”
She shook her head.
“Not even Efren. I’d rather keep this between the three of us for now. In case they are innocent, I don’t want to place unnecessary doubt in people’s minds. Annora is conducting an investigation of her own. There is one vampire she already suspects could be behind this, but she’ll get back to me about this.”
“All right,” Rhys said, his voice low. “I agree. It’s best to keep this between the three of us until we know for sure.”
“Well, I’ll see you at the ritual,” Isolde said. “The Novalics will all be there as usual, of course.” She turned on her heels and left the room.
Whereas previously I’d been feeling tired, now, at the mention of the immune being missing, I was as far away from sleep as I could be. I knew the importance of the immune.
“We need to start investigating this right away,” I said, walking over to Rhys. “There’s no time to lose. We can’t afford for anything to happen to that immune.”
He looked at me and a small smile formed on his lips. He placed his hands on my waist and drew me in toward him, kissing me tenderly on either cheek.
“You really have changed,” he said, his voice husky. “You’re finally aligned with us. With me.”
I stared at him.
“Of course I’ve changed. You think I could have survived what the witch put my mind through without changing?”
He continued staring into my eyes, as though he couldn’t have adored me more than at that moment.
“No, of course not.”
* * *
I stared around at all the familiar faces in the cave as everyone filed around the ceremonial stone at the center.
I scanned the benches for the Novalics. They had arrived later than usual and also sat in different seats, further to the left than I was used to. Normally they sat opposite us.
Erik and Helina Novalic sat together. Then, next to the girl, my eyes fell upon another dark-haired, green-eyed vampire I had never seen before. He was clearly related to them. Their brother, I assumed. He must have been a new recruit while I was gone. I looked away from him as soon as he looked up.
“That man next to Helina, he’s also a Novalic?” I asked in a voice barely louder than a breath.