I knew something was wrong as soon as I opened my eyes.

For starters, Edison was gone. And I had a low, sickening feeling that he wasn’t alone, either.

I pushed myself up in bed and looked around as I tried to blink the sleep out of my eyes.

The first thought, of course, was that he’d left me again. Just like everyone else had. And could I blame him? I’d never get rid of the bloodlust. Not completely. It would always be there in the back of my mind like an itch I couldn’t quite scratch. And now not only did I have to worry about Ed, but also the life growing inside me.

There was a reason vampires weren’t supposed to be able to carry children. It was all I’d ever wanted, but not like this. Never like this. Anyone could tell you a bloodsucker had no place among small children. What would I do the first time my child fell and hurt themselves? How could I stand the sight of their life’s blood, pumping out through their all too fragile skin?

I leaned over the side of the bed and retched. The thought sickened me even more than the pregnancy symptoms.

Something was wrong, all right. And it looked like it was up to me to figure out what it was.

I winced as I detached the IV. I left it dangling by the bedside, a few droplets of modified Synth splattering to the floor.

I flexed my arms first. My fingers. Despite soreness from the injection site I felt stronger than I had in days. Having the right blend of blood really helped.

Maybe I’d make it through this trial after all. 

I moved my legs next, swinging them over the side of the bed. Call it a sixth sense, maybe, but the churning in my gut didn’t stop. It grew only stronger at the thought of Edison, and I knew deep down in my core that he was in trouble.

And he needed me. 

My steps, wobbly at first, steadied as I stumbled down the darkened hallway. This wasn’t right, none of it. Where we the nurses? Where was Veronica, who always watched the front desk?

The medical ward was a ghost town. As I stepped out into the foyer, I could see why. 

A faint glowing residue splattered the ground like paint. I followed it down the winding hall and straight to the elevator where it ended at the sliding metal doors. Someone or something had come this way, and left me these tracks to follow. I pressed the elevator call button and waited for a response. Wouldn’t surprise me if it wasn’t working either. Everything else seemed to have screeched to a halt. Why wouldn’t it?

To my surprise, the doors dinged open. 

Edison’s topaz stone lay there, flickering weakly on the floor. That sealed it. There was no way he would have left this. Not for the world. I stooped down to pick it up, and as soon as my fingers touched the rough facets, I saw a vision before my eyes.

Underground. A tunnel. Chains. And Edison, broken and bloody.

The trail of red continued into the car, but where it went after that was anyone’s guess. One thing was for sure: I had to tell the Guardians. 

If they couldn’t find Edison, no one could.

I took a deep breath and pressed the number ’13’ on the elevator. My body, still on a high from the new blend of Synth, positively vibrated with energy. As I rocked back and forth on the balls of my feet and my heart continued to thrum out a frantic rhythm, I just hoped I wasn’t too late.

No sooner had the doors began to open than I was out, pushing through the small opening and into the well-decorated lobby of the Guardian Division. 

Lights flickered on each of the colorful banners lining the wall—one for each gem in the sequence. But again, no signs of life.

I rushed down the hall to the bedrooms and knocked on the first one I came across. A few seconds later I was face to face with a very grumpy looking Quin. He rubbed his eyes and leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in the hospital?” He raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s Edison,” I said breathlessly. “I think something’s happened to him.”

Quin looked up and down the hallway then beckoned me inside. “Come in.”

I stepped into Quin’s room and marveled at the decor. It looked like some kind of stereotypical gypsy tent, covered with heavy fabrics and dark colors. “Now tell me clearly, what did you see?” 

I wrung my hands and forced myself to slow down. The thoughts and words came on like a hurricane, but I wouldn’t be of help to anyone if I wasn’t coherent.

“I was in the hospital. Ed came to see me. We talked. Cuddled. Then I woke up and he was gone. And everything was...I dunno how to put it...dead.”

Quin frowned. “Dead how?”

“The whole hospital wing went quiet. Didn’t see anyone down there, not even the night nurses. And there was this...goo, or something. Trailing the floor and leading right to the elevator. And when I got to the elevator, I found this.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out the stone, now only shining with a dull brown light. 

Quin’s eyes widened in recognition. “Shit,” he breathed. His hand went to his side, probably to clasp at his own gem. “You might be on to something. There’s no way he’d leave that behind. Where’d you find it again?”

“In the elevator.”

Quin shook his head. “I don’t like the sound of this. Come on, we’ve got to wake the others.”

He leapt out of his chair like he was spring-loaded and threw open the door, not caring that it clattered against the wall. 

“Hey idiots!” He bellowed. “Ed’s gone missing!” 

I stared in shock as he ran up and down the hall, banging on each door with surprising force. 

Subtle. 

Much groaning and cursing later, door after door opened. The sleep took flight as soon as they saw Edison’s topaz, though, and before long we’d gathered everyone. 

Well, everyone except Ed. 

“So what happened again?” Ollie asked me. He wrapped his arms around himself, shivering. “You woke up and just found his gem laying there?” 

“Something like that. Any idea where he might have gone off to?”

Ollie looked over to Quin. “Think you can reach him through the stone? If anyone can, it’s you.”

“I’ll try.” Quin turned to me. “Beck, can I see Ed’s gem please?”

I didn’t realize I’d been gripping it so tightly. My fingers ached as I unclenched, and something in my soul cried out as I handed it over to the Amethyst Guardian. Like I was losing a piece of myself—and in some ways, I was.

“Here goes nothing,” Quin said, wrapping his hands around the small gem. He took a deep breath, pushed it out, and closed his eyes.

His eyelids flew open seconds later, the pupils blown out in brilliant violet. The light pulsed through the lobby, rustling each of the banners in turn. Even though I was no Guardian, I could feel the energy gathering in the room. I could feel it rushing through the air, drawing into Quin’s body.

Then all at once, it seemed to explode out of him, plastering my hair back on my forehead and ruffling my clothes. When the dust settled, Quin came back to himself, still clutching the topaz. And he didn’t look happy.

“What did you see?” Wes asked. 

Quin shook his head, looking for the words. “I don’t know how, but they’ve got him.” 

“Who?”

“The Nightwatch Coven. Those damned vampires.”

Fear washed over me like an ice bath, freezing me in place. My heart stuttered and stopped for a terrifying moment before stumbling back into action. My mouth grew dry, my hands shook. Not again. Not after last time.

Hadn’t they taken enough from me?

“Nightwatch...” I mouthed the word. “I’ve heard that before.” It pinged at a distant memory, but from where I couldn’t tell.

“We’ve been trying to track them down to no avail, but it looks like they’re showing their hand at last.” Quin bunches his hands into fists. “And now they’ve taken one of our own.” 

Ollie spoke up. “We need to get Claria and Milo. Chester too. This is big.”

“No time,” Quin spat. “He’s in trouble now, and if we wait much longer...”

I bit my lip against the scream bubbling up inside me. I didn’t want to hear the end of that sentence. “Let’s go. Can you find him?”

“What is this let’s? I’m sorry, Beck, but you’re still weak. You need to stay here, stay safe...”

“Fuck that,” I snapped, surprised at my own ferocity. “Edison’s the only alpha that’s ever really cared about me. I’m not letting that get away from me. I’m coming.” 

The team exchanged glances, but I crossed my arms and stood my ground. I’d brought them this information, after all. If it weren’t for me, they’d still be asleep and unaware.

That, and everything deep inside me cried out that Edison was my mate, my chosen, and if anything happened to him, I’d surely be lost.

“Fine,” Quin said finally. “But stay back unless we call on you. Maybe you will yet be able to help, but we’ve got to be able to work. Understand?”

“Yes.”

“Then stand back. It’s time to transform, Guardians. Let’s go save our Topaz.”

The transformation sequence was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. A riot of colors, shapes, and sensations flooded before my eyes as the Guardians changed into their true forms. Each one wore a stunning outfit in the color of their gem, and the Ruby Guardian Wes carried a shining scepter with a glimmering heart-shaped gem.

“That was amazing!” I cried, clapping. “You all look so...fancy!”

“Cheesy and ridiculous is more like it,” groused Ivan, picking a fleck of dust off his silken shirt. “But it gets the job done.” He flashed me a smile. 

“We’ve got a job to do, Guardians. Let’s go find Edison.” 

They put their hands together in the center, each of them glowing with the color of their gem. Almost a full rainbow. Almost.

“You’re coming with us.” Salem grabbed me by the hand and held fast. “Don’t let go. And don’t do anything stupid.”

“Wait, what—“ I didn’t even have time to get the words out before a flickering rainbow of light cascaded around me. 

My feet hit soft grass and my knees buckled, sending me face first into mud. 

The shining tapestries of the Guardian Division no longer surrounded us. No. We had...teleported, for lack of a better word. But where were we?

“That’s a new trick.” Ollie coughed and picked himself up, brushing the dirt from his knees. “Thought Edison was the telekinetic one.” 

“He is,” Quin replied. “It’s something new I’ve been practicing with Milo. You know I have visions, right? Well we were thinking what if I could share those with others, make it feel like we were really there?” 

“Wait, this isn’t real?” My knees still screamed with pain as I got to my feet, spitting out grass. “Are you saying this is like a dream or something?”

“Not quite,” Quin said. “It’s more of a...” he twirled his hand, trying to think of the words. “Projection. Similar to how I’m able to touch things and see their connections, I just expanded it to all of you.”

“Dude.” Salem let go of my hand and pulled his long hair back into a ponytail. “Warn us next time.”

“I didn’t know if it would work.” Quin shrugged. “But here we are.”

“So we’re in some kind of dreamscape?” Ollie asked, wiggling his fingers in front of his face. “Seems pretty real to me.”

“It’s a little more than that,” Quin admitted. “And you can get hurt here, so stay on your guard. This is where I saw Ed last when I touched his gem. He’s bound to be nearby, but the scent of vampire was all over him—no offense, Beck. Dunno what they want with him, but we’ve gotta get over there, fast.” He rounded on me so fast I flinched. “Beck, that goo stuff you were talking about. Can you see it here?”

I squinted my eyes and scanned the landscape. At first, nothing. But if I let my eyes defocus just a little, I could see those tell-tale splatters leading off to the west.

“Yeah,” I said finally, pointing. “They’re going that way. What is it?”

“If my research is correct,” Ollie piped up, “It’s part of a vampire’s aura. They leave behind traces, little energy signatures. But only other vampires can see them.”

“Good thing we’ve got you, right?” Quin nudged me. 

Huh. My curse, my weakness was actually good for something? That was a first. I squinted once more and followed the red spots over a hill on the horizon. “That way,” I pointed. “The tracks are fresh, they’re not far.”

“Let’s go,” Wes waved, and we set off toward the horizon.

Never would have thought this curse would have come in handy for anything but causing misery and heartbreak. Well, never thought I’d turn into a vampire either. But little by little, I was starting to realize what Edison had told me all along: this wasn’t the end for me. Far from it. With the support of Diamond Falls around me, this could be a new beginning.

I cupped my stomach at a small twisting sensation there. Probably no more than a gas bubble, but it reminded me of the baby I’d soon bring to life. 

A new beginning for the both of us.

“This way,” I called, rushing through the tall grass. The area remained vaguely familiar, but I still couldn’t place it. Looked like the fields I used to explore outside Cormera when I was a boy. But they were vast and endless, hemmed in only by the southern mountains. We could be anywhere. 

“I hear something,” Salem called out as we got closer. “A stream, maybe.” 

I stopped and strained my ears. He was right. That was definitely the sound of water, but after cresting that hill the land was dry and flat as far as the eye could see. No streams or rivers in sight. Not even a puddle. 

“Maybe it’s underground?” I offered, walking toward the sound. The auras faded quicker now, and I jogged to keep up with them. If we lost the trail, we’d lose Edison too.

My stomach cramped again. That was a fate I couldn’t accept.

We stopped in the middle of a clearing, nothing around us but grass and straw. The sound of water still echoed in my mind like an annoying fly, but from where? 

“Lemme check something.” Ivan crouched down and brushed aside a few weeds. He pressed his hand to the ground, palm down, and waited. A thud of energy like a tiny earthquake jolted past my feet almost faster than I could react. Ivan stood, nodding. 

“It’s a tunnel. Hidden one.”

“And the water’s down there too?” Salem asked. 

“Seems so.”

“What do you think, Beck? See anything that could be the entrance?”

I looked around the clearing but all I saw was grass and weeds. Same as everyone else. Guess even I had lost the trail.

Just as hope began to flee and I looked on at the endless plains, there I saw it. 

A small, almost imperceptible droplet of red, buried under the grass and roots and seemingly long forgotten. It trailed along for only a few feet before stopping cold. Then the trail was gone.

“There!” I cried, pointing. I rushed over to the last fragment of tracks and crouched down, pawing through the dirt. My heart hammered like a drum in my chest and my breaths came in quick gasps, unmindful of anything else around me. Mud caked under my fingernails and smeared across my skin. Roots and rocks tugged at my clothes, but it didn’t matter. Something was down here. Something, I realized as the murky red trail resurfaced, I was meant to find.

“What is it?” Ivan called, rushing over. One look at what I’d uncovered and he put a hand on my shoulder, nodding. “You’ll want to stand back.”

“Is that the entrance?” I asked, knowing that it must be. A bare patch of ground, roughly square in shape, lay disturbed under the pale grass and gathering weeds. Someone had been through here, and recently.

“One way to find out,” Ivan said, and crouched to the ground once more. I took a few steps back and watched in awe, the rest of the team gathering around me.

The ground rumbled and shook beneath us as Ivan dug his hands into the earth. Green light spilled out around him and that’s when I realized what his power must be.

The square of dirt vibrated and brushed away, like being caught in a gentle breeze. The muscles in Ivan’s arms flexed as he bunched his hands into fists and thrust upward, using his legs for power. 

A column of earth shot out of the ground and dirt rained down upon us. I shielded my eyes and watched as a small opening began to form. Just big enough for someone to fit through. Rough-hewn stairs led down into the darkness, and the sound of water grew louder. 

Then came the smell. The instant, unmistakable smell of my mate. He was down there. And he was hurting.

“Let’s go,” Ivan waved us in. Ollie led the way with a quivering orb of light, and one by one we descended into the earth.

“Let’s go find our Guardian.”