“Vampire!” I heard Saren’s scream in the air, and my heart lurched to the bottom of my throat. I twisted around. I thought Gregory had disappeared, but it was me. I wasn’t on a wooded path. I was high up. I could feel the cool draft of a breeze and closing my eyes, I sensed from where I was. There was a sudden drop in elevation ten yards from me. I was high up on a cliff somewhere.
Then I felt him.
I started to take a step out, to find Saren, but I felt Roane’s laugh. He hadn’t laughed aloud, but it was inside of him. It washed over me and for a moment, I soaked it in. It was like a warm blanket on a cold night. I wanted to grab him, pull him over me, and hold on forever.
“Lucas,” I whispered, starting forward. Getting over the shock, I felt Saren’s fury right after. It was overwhelming the rest. I was starting to lose my connection to Roane, but then a hand clamped on me, and I was jerked backwards.
I looked up to Gregory’s furrowed eyebrows. He asked, “Where’d you go?”
“What?”
No, no, no. Rising panic was threatening to choke me. I looked around. My head was whipping back and forth. Roane—he’d been close. Saren was angry with him—I had to find both of them. I started forward, but Gregory held me back.
He said, “Oh no. Were you practicing some invisibility spell or something? You were here, then you weren’t.”
“Oh my God,” I muttered. My knees started to tremble. I’d been so close.
“Try again.”
I stilled. That was The Immortal. She was still with me. Relief like I had never experienced coursed through me, and I did fall.
“Where were you?”
“I was here. You silenced me.”
“I did?”
“Davy.” Gregory broke through the conversation.
I shot a hand up. “Stop.” Then, I closed my eyes and concentrated on The Immortal. She was here, and she was talking to me. I was slowly gathering my strength and abilities. That was what this meant. Had to be.
“You always had them.”
“I did?” I cocked my head to the side, but the words never left my lips. I asked The Immortal this.
She answered, “You were angry with me. I was becoming too much for you, so you silenced me. It was just recently that you allowed me to talk again. I’m not happy with you.”
I laughed. “You’re not happy with me? You were trying to take over.”
I felt her shrug. “You weren’t doing anything. Something had to be done.”
“I wasn’t doing anything? Me?”
“Yes. You.”
My teeth were still grinding against each other. She was self-righteous, looking down on me for being a captive. I said back to her, I couldn’t do a thing. “The witches—”
“Could’ve been killed,” she interrupted me.
“What? How?”
“Next time they try, because they will try again. Let them have me. I will go to them, but I will infect them. One by one, I’ll move through all of them. I’ll soak up all their power, and I’ll return to you. Don’t fight it next time.”
“Fight it? But . . .” She was delusional. How was I supposed to know to do that?
“You should trust me.” A calming and reassuring wave passed from her to myself. “You are The Immortal, Davy. I am merely a part of you. I will never be taken from you, and I will always return to you. It’s as if you would be loaning me to them, but a darker and sinister feeling came from her next, remember that any that I go to, I will poison. All will fall beneath me. All will fall beneath you.”
I gulped. That sounded ominous.
I felt her withdrawing, but she whispered again, “Remember. All will fall.”
“All will fall?” I echoed her.
“Good.” Gregory clapped me on the shoulder. “Let’s use that, whatever it was, and go with it. Come on. Let’s return to the others. You can let them know you’re one with your Immortal self again.”
He started back, but I couldn’t move. I was rooted in place, gazing around. I’d been so close to Roane. I heard his laugh. He’d been amused by Saren. I wanted to go back there, and I realized now that I had been there. It was a brief instant, and I could go back. The Immortal powers were awakening in me again, but as soon as I thought that, I knew I couldn’t.
My original plan to leave on my own was here now.
“Davy?” Gregory called from farther down the path. “Are you coming?”
“Yes.” I coughed, clearing my throat. “Coming.” My legs moved on automatic pilot. My body was with them, as we went back to camp, and as I explained that I had accidentally cloaked myself, but my mind was ahead. I was planning my route back to the Mori village, and a few hours later, as the vampires fell asleep, it was time to go.