The alarming euphoric sensation consumed me as the monster hungrily fed from my neck. I fought to resist him, knowing he was going to suck me completely dry—to kill me for some transgression my mother allegedly committed. He held me immobile without exerting much effort.

Every other time I felt my life draining away, I continually told myself it was only temporary—they weren’t really going to kill me. I knew this man had no intention of upholding the hospital’s rules; much like the Pissarro brothers, it seemed he wasn’t supposed to be here, but he’d somehow gotten in despite Matthew’s directions.

When I’d committed to going here, I feared I might not make it out alive, and was willing to take that chance. Now, I had to wonder if the gamble had been worth it. Was needing to know more about my father—and all the secrets the True North Society coveted—worth dying for? As I felt my final seconds of life approaching, I still couldn’t answer that question. I mostly felt bad for Mom and Becca; now, all they would have was each other. Then Matthew’s beautiful face flashed into my mind’s eye and I wondered where that relationship could have gone. He’d worked so hard to get me into the candidacy program, determined to get me into the Society—and all that work would have been for nothing.

I didn’t know if Mr. White was going to finish off Mallory once he was done with me since it seemed to be me he was really after. I hoped he’d spare her, so at least one of us could continue into the Society. We’d made some real progress in the short time we’d spent in here—something I never thought would have happened in a million years.

Suddenly, Mr. White’s teeth pulled out of my neck as he raised his head and roared. I thought my eyes were deceiving me because the door was open and Matthew was rushing into the room. His expression was murderous, his fangs long and gleaming.

Mr. White leapt up from the bed and braced himself for impact as Matthew collided into him, both men crashing into the wall with a force that shook the whole building. Mr. White shoved Matthew back, sending him flying across the room. The stone wall at the point of impact crumbled around Mr. White as he sped toward Matthew, smashing into him before he had the chance to recover.

I sat up on the bed, my heart in my throat as the two vampires continued to brawl near the doorway. Mr. White seemed more powerful than Matthew, who now was on the defensive. I turned my attention to the other side of the room where Mallory still lay. She was conscious now, but barely moving, trying to maneuver herself to get her face out of the blood pooled around her head like a morbid halo.

Matthew was on the receiving end of brutal punches to the face, trying to block them as best he could, but failing in deflecting many. I wished there was something I could do to help him, but wasn’t foolish enough to throw myself into the battle raging before me. So I gathered what strength I had left, leapt down from the bed, and raced over to Mallory’s side.

“It’s okay,” I said, placing a gentle hand on the small of her back. “We’re going to be okay.”

“I—I don’t think I’m going to be okay.” Her voice was weak and strained. Blood covered one whole side of her face. As she breathed, a blood bubble expanded from her nose and burst like bubblegum. “Don’t leave me here.”

“I won’t,” I promised. “You’re coming with me and we’ll get you help.”

Just then, Matthew was thrown across the room again. Where he landed after bouncing off the stone wall, he lay in a heap on the ground. Blood marred the wall from which he’d ricocheted. Mr. White was speckled with blood—Matthew’s blood. He seemed to be relatively uninjured while Matthew was struggling to get up from the floor. Mr. White approached Matthew with the confidence and swagger of someone who’d already won the fight.

“You should have heeded my warning and stayed out of Order affairs,” Mr. White growled, now standing over Matthew’s broken body.

Matthew cocked his head to the side and spat blood, then stared up at Mr. White with a murderous intensity.

I couldn’t watch Matthew die and felt tears rising to the surface as I closed my eyes. I found Mallory’s hand and gripped it tight.

Please make it quick… for all of us, I silently pleaded.

Then I heard the deafening, quick burst of multiple gunshots and a body collapsing to the floor. My eyes sprung open, and through the thick glaze of tears, I could still make out Jack standing in the doorway, gripping an outstretched pistol in both hands.

Mr. White was lying on the floor beside Matthew. Jack walked up to the motionless body and rolled him over, so his back was against the floor. Multiple bullet holes in his chest were spilling blood.

“What do you want to do with him?” Jack asked, tucking the gun into the waistband of his pants.

“We need to kill him,” Matthew said. I could barely make out what he was saying.

“He sure looks like the Vampire Order assassin who attacked you in the parking lot.”

“That’s why I need to kill him.” Matthew pushed up on his knees, looking down at the still body of Mr. White, whose long gray and black hair fanned out around his head like he was under water. In a flash, Matthew punched the unconscious man in the chest and retracted his fist, which was now holding the man’s dripping heart.

“Perfect. Now the Order’s gonna come shut us down,” Jack said, shaking his head. “Well, it was a good run, I guess.”

“The Order’s not going to shut us down,” Matthew said, wiping off his bloody hands on Mallory’s bedsheets. He was beginning to look better already. “I’ll make sure of it.” Then with his eyes full of empathy, Matthew rushed over to Mallory and me. “Are you all right?” he asked, his voice thick with concern.

“Yes,” I said. “I’ll be fine, but Mallory needs help.” I was still squeezing her hand. “Please, help her.”

Matthew smiled and turned his attention to Mallory. He examined her head, finding a large gash behind her left ear that was still gushing blood. Acting quickly, Matthew bit into his forefinger and mixed his blood with hers over the open wound, which seemed to close up before my eyes. The gash healed so much quicker than wounds did when Kelsey was healing us every morning. Within seconds, Mallory was sitting up and alert again.

I ripped off one of my bedsheets and brought it to her, so she could wipe her face clean of some of the blood that had painted her red.

Without me having to ask, Matthew bit into another finger and ran his finger over my neck where Mr. White had bitten into me. Then I was in his powerful arms, his breath warm and heavy on my neck.

“I thought I was going to lose you,” he said, kissing the side of my neck that he’d just healed—it felt like he was licking up some of the blood as well, sending a shiver down my spine.

“You came for me,” I said, squeezing him tighter. “I was afraid we were both dead.”

“I’ve got you now and I’m taking you with me. You’re not staying in this place another night.”

“Please don’t leave me here,” Mallory pleaded.

“I promised I wouldn’t leave you and I won’t,” I said, looking Matthew in the eyes, hoping he wouldn’t object. I had no idea if we were really going to be approved to leave when it came to President Janice Bolt and the rest of the True North Society officials.

“Of course,” Matthew said. “I wouldn’t leave Mallory alone. You’re both coming.” He stood up and faced Jack. “Who allowed him in this building? They weren’t supposed to be visited by guests whatsoever. I was told Nurse Dalio was assigned to them? Is that correct?”

“I already knew where this would go,” Jack said. “I don’t know how this happened, but I’ll find out right away.”

“We were with Nurse Dalio this evening,” I said, and Mallory nodded.

“I’ll find her at once,” Jack said, already heading for the door.

“And did you finish what you were working on earlier?” Matthew asked.

“Yeah; it’s done. Everything’s ready for you.”

“I saw Nurse Oleander before I came here. Bring her here, so she can help us get the girls’ things back.”

“Sure thing,” Jack said and disappeared into the hallway.

I didn’t think kindly of Nurse Oleander, but if Matthew trusted her, then I had to trust his judgment.

“What’s going to happen to us now?” Mallory asked, finally getting to her feet and taking a seat on my bed.

“I don’t know,” Matthew said, but I’ll work something out. You two have been through enough—more than generations of candidates. That must be worth something, no matter the odds you have with each other.”

“We’ve been connecting,” Mallory said. “I’m sorry for everything I’ve done—how difficult I made our candidacy. It wasn’t fair to Fiona. It wasn’t fair to the rest of the candidates. It wasn’t fair to you—and I appreciate everything you’ve done for us.”

I was shocked and elated that it seemed we’d make a genuine connection after all those years. And this was the first time she actually apologized. However, I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it and make her hate me again.

“You don’t have to convince me, but the Assembly of Seven. If you’re able to do that, then I think you’re golden,” Matthew said.

“Our newbies are checking out so soon?” Nurse Oleander said, suddenly standing in the doorway, her icy blue eyes as chilling as ever.

“They need their things,” Matthew commanded.

“I can assist with that, Mr. Mercer,” she said, holding the door open and gesturing for us to file past.

Matthew led the way, followed by Mallory. I took one last look at the ruined body of the vampire intent on killing me, but he was no longer there. Where his body had been was now a pile of black and gray ash. There was even dust on the wall where his blood had sprayed from the gunshots. All that was left of him were the empty clothes he’d been wearing.

“Chop, chop, child,” Nurse Oleander said, and I hurried into the hallway to reach the rest of my group. She led us to the locker room, opening the lockers that still contained everything with which we’d entered the hospital. “We’ll be right outside while you change back into your clothes,” she said, giving us wet towels to wipe away some of the residual blood from our nightmarish encounter.

“I’ll be right outside,” Matthew promised. “There are no other doors in.”

Before he could escape, I caught him and pulled him in for a kiss—thanking him for coming after me, for saving my life, for putting his own in jeopardy to do so.

“What was that for?” he asked, shyly.

“For everything,” I said, then pushed him out of the locker room, so Mallory and I could change back into our old identities, which hopefully wouldn’t turn us back into our old selves.

“If I ever see this place again, it will be too soon,” Mallory said.

I couldn’t agree more, rushing to get dressed, so we could get the hell out of here. Nurse Oleander gave us one of her disturbing smiles as we left her behind in the reception area, making our way into the moonlit parking lot. Matthew guided us to some new sedan of his and opened doors for both of us. Mallory and I eagerly climbed in, more than ready to leave Sisters of Mercy behind as well, though I knew our time here would always be with us. It was now a part of us, for better or for worse. Hopefully, our time spent here had been enough and done its job. I guessed we’d soon find out.