Ben was confined in his bedroom for just over two hours before he heard footsteps coming down the stairs to get him. He’d already searched the room thoroughly but there was nothing of use. There was nothing at all in fact. The room was obviously reserved for guests. He pocketed his phone and stood up ready to greet whoever was coming. When the door opened he saw Aiden and clearly he had not yet forgiven him for prying into his business.

“Theo’s back,” he said frostily. “Let’s go.”

Aiden didn’t speak all the way up the stairs. Ben suspected that a convincing apology would be enough to wipe the slate clean with Aiden, but he dared not mention the matter in earshot of Theo. If Theo heard what Ben had been saying then he’d probably slice off his tongue to stop him from trying anything again. Ben wondered if his tongue would grow back or if he’d have to live forever as a mute.

They went through to the dining room where Theo was sitting at an elegant wooden table.Behind him on the wall was a collection of exquisite katanas. Five glistening steel blades. How dearly Ben desired to snatch one down and use it to slice off Theo’s head. But Theo would have him on the ground before he could even get near one. Besides, he was not alone. Next to him was a dark-haired, overweight woman. Ben deduced that she must be the expert Theo had referred to earlier in the night.

“Benedict, do have a seat,” Theo said, indicating the chair opposite him.

“This is the reason I have been rudely brought here tonight?” the expert asked. Her unimpressed eyes wandered over Ben’s body.

“I thought you’d be more remarkable too,” he said as he took his seat.

Theo snickered. “He is lacking in the respect department. I fear I shall have to force it into him through more violent means if he is to remain with us for the duration.”

“This is Katelyn. I would like you to tell her the story of how you became a vampire,” said Theo.

“Yes, and don’t spare the details. Even the most minor things could prove to be fundamental to my deducing what is responsible for your mutations.” She said every word in a flat and emotionless voice, but that didn’t stop Ben from being offended by her phrasing.

“Mutations?” he repeated. The word conjured images of creatures climbing out of the sewers or crawling away from a nuclear wasteland.

“I was merely referring to the aberrations in your vampirism,” she explained, unemotional and purely scientific apparently.

“Aberrations. You’re just a plethora of kind words, aren’t you?”

“Tell the story,” Theo snapped impatiently.

Ben adjusted into a more comfortable position and then talked Katelyn through his journey, from the moment he’d first seen Erin up until now. Every time he said something that intrigued Katelyn, she would press her finger to her temple and stroke small circles on her skin. At first, Ben thought he was giving her a migraine, but as far as he knew vampires didn’t get such trivial things as headaches and migraines. He hoped that this was the last time he would have to tell anybody the story of how he’d become a vampire. He was starting to get sick of his own origin tale.

“Well?” Theo demanded mere seconds after Ben had finished his story.

Katelyn ignored him. She sat with one elbow on the table and her head cupped in her hand. Her middle finger traced small circles over her chin as she stared off into the distance, deep in thought.

“When Benedict was turned there were three, what I like to call, unconventional factors.”

“Unconventional factors?” Ben asked in confusion. He understood what the words meant, but he didn’t know what factors counted as conventional or otherwise.

“Yes, factors that would not usually be the norm. Number one, you stole the blood that turned you. In all my considerable years as a vampire, I’ve heard of humans being turned against their will, but I’ve never heard of one turning themself against the vampire’s will. It is unconventional indeed.”

Theo sighed with irritation. “Yes, it’s weird, but I hardly think it’s enough to cause such a drastic change. What are the others, pray tell?”

Katelyn took her time before answering him. Ben got the impression that the expert was not a big Theo fan. The list of those who disliked Theo grew longer each night.

“Number two, Benedict’s transition began during the day when the sun was still in the sky. This isn’t unheard of, what with the Chang’an bloodline and all, but with the other bloodlines, it could make all the difference.

“And then there is the third, and most pertinent. He was turned with poisoned blood. The silver in the sire’s blood is clearly the reason for Benedict’s silver immunity.”

“Yes, but what about the stake immunity?” Theo said, slamming his hand down on the table and leaning over Katelyn. His gentlemanly facade was slipping again.

Katelyn refused to look at him and kept her eyes on Ben. She didn’t seem to be at all intimidated by Theo, rather she was irked by him. “Will you please sit back and refrain from your petulant outbursts. I work for the Veil, not you, and I will not be treated so rudely.”

Theo’s lips stretched in a grin and a soft chuckle slipped through them. Slowly, he eased away from her and sat back in his chair. “My apologies. I’m simply anxious no doubt due to all the excitement. Please, continue at your leisure.”

Katelyn nodded curtly, apparently not sensing the danger that lurked behind Theo’s resurfaced manners.

“On their own, these factors would be trivial. Inconsequential. But together they have created something new. And let us not forget where this took place.”

“The hospital?” Ben asked. There was nothing special about Maidstone Hospital. Nothing that would pertain to vampires at least.

“No,” Katelyn said dismissively with a sharp shake of her head. “Maidstone. Although this town may seem a little ramshackle and uninspired, it is actually a place of great power. Hence the vast witch community that resides here.”

“Witches? Witches are real?” Ben looked around in his shock, but neither Theo nor Aiden who was standing in the doorway was at all surprised by what Katelyn had said.

“Did you think vampires were the only supernatural beings in the world?” Theo asked lazily.

“Yes, yes, witches are real. Now be quiet and let me finish. I want to go home,” Katelyn grumbled. “The town was given its name because of a set of powerful stones around which a settlement was built. The Stones of the Maiden. The stones were said to absorb power and that power could be harnessed and used by supernatural entities. If you were turned in close proximity to those stones then they may well have channelled power into you during your transition. Just a theory, of course.”

Theo stood up and stepped away from the table to glance out of the window, his back to the room.

When Katelyn spoke next her voice was hushed as if she was afraid of being overheard. “There is one final theory. Benedict’s ability to overcome death is reminiscent of one very particular kind of vampire.”

“Impossible, he was turned by another,” Theo snapped, looking away from the window.

“We don’t know how they came to exist. For all we know they were mutations of an existing bloodline,’ Katelyn argued. “We cannot rule out that the extinction of the Korvus line contributed to what Benedict is. The timing is more than convenient.”

Theo’s eyes darted greedily from Katelyn to Benedict.

“What am I?” Ben asked. He did not like the hungry way that Theo was staring at him.

The tension in the room grew to an unbearable level before Katelyn spoke again.

“I’m not certain yet,” she said. The tension dissipated like a balloon releasing air. “I need to perform an experiment. Then I will either prove or disprove my theory.”

“What experiment?” said Theo.

“I need a human. I need to see what happens when Benedict sires a vampire.”

“Oh, what a waste of time. New vampires cannot sire until at least one full moon phase after their rebirth,” Theo said, his impatience coming to the fore.

“Which I obviously know. You brought me here for my expertise. If you are not going to listen to me then I might as well leave.”

“You know where the door is,” Theo snapped, before once again re-injecting some politeness. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I am letting my stress rule me.”

“Once again, I forgive you. But if you need to apologise a third time I shall leave and all that I have learned here will be reported to the Veil.”

“Of course. I understand. Aiden, please bring us the wife.”

Ben had forgotten that Aiden was even there. He’d been standing by the door watching everything in silence. He shot Theo a sullen look before stomping out of the room.

“Do I get a say in this?” Ben asked, already knowing the answer. He was not at all keen on the first vampire he sired being somebody chosen for him. He had the romantic notion in his head that every vampire he turned would be hand chosen for a specific reason. He’d create his own brood of specially chosen vampire children. A family crafted by him to survive the centuries.

Katelyn stood up from the table and walked around the room, glancing at the furnishings and decor as if she were a judge on a reality TV show about houses.

“This is a fancy abode you’ve acquired,” she said. She ran her fingers over the railing that sat halfway up the wall. “A Victorian era dado rail. Genuine if I’m not mistaken.”

Theo could not have looked less interested in the dado rail, and Ben couldn’t say that he disagreed with his sentiment. Although, he had learned the correct name for it. Not that he was likely to ever mention one in a sentence. This was probably the first house he’d ever been in that sported one.

Aiden returned to the dining room with Cindy in tow. She was dressed in a burgundy dressing gown and looked like she’d just been woken up. Ben felt a pang of sympathy for the poor woman who he presumed was Leon’s wife.

“Ah, you must be the true owner of this fine house. I was just admiring your dado rail,” Katelyn said.

The woman’s eyes widened in bewilderment. Compliments about her home were likely the last thing she’d expected when she’d been dragged from her bed.

“It’s your lucky night, Cindy,” Theo said, stepping around the table to meet her. “Benedict here is going to bestow upon you the gift of vampirism.”

“What?” Cindy said, horrified.

“Yes,” I suppose it’s a matter of perception. Not everybody wants to be a vampire,” Theo said, his voice still laid back and casual. It was like he was offering her a new job rather than a whole new means of existence.

“I really don’t think she wants to be turned,” said Ben. He didn’t want to turn her either. The bedraggled woman was not all the kind of person he would have chosen to give the gift of vampirism.

“She doesn’t have a choice.”

Ben stood up and stared at the open door behind Aiden and Cindy. How badly he desired to run through it and keep running until Theo and all his friends were far behind him. That was obviously not going to happen and not least because Theo could outrun him.

Cindy began to shake her head slowly. She tried to back out of the room, but Aiden held her in place by her arms and refused to let her go. She struggled in his grip and he held on fast. It was amusing to see him try to keep hold of her whilst at the same time he tried to touch her as little as possible.

“I’ve let you live in my house free of charge. I’ve let you kick me out of my own bedroom and treat me like a fucking slave, but I will not allow this!” she screamed.

Ben saw Leon cowering just outside the room watching the proceedings. He was smart enough not to enter the room and involve himself in what was going on, not even for his wife. Ben pitied the man, but he despised him too. Ben would have come charging into the room ready for anything if his wife were being abused the way Cindy was.

“You have allowed nothing,” Theo informed Cindy. He strolled across the room and closed the door, issuing a command to Leon as he did so. “Back to bed, Leon, and don’t come up here again. If I so much as suspect you have ventured up the basement stairs I shall pay your dear children a visit.”

“Benedict, your blood is required,” Katelyn said.

“Couldn’t we find somebody more willing? Or more deserving?” Ben asked. They were pretty much condemning Cindy to death and he wanted no part in that.

Theo produced a large wine glass from the cabinet across the room and brought it over to Ben. “No, Benedict. Time is of the essence. Need I remind you that you promised to follow my every instruction. Your friend’s life was the price. Let’s not go back on our deal now, I fear Miss Butler will get the blunt end of that arrangement.”

Placing the glass on the table, Theo held out his hand. Ben gave an apologetic glance to Cindy before surrendering his arm to Theo’s grip.

“You see? Things go far more smoothly when you cooperate. If you continue to behave so well I might start to forget that you tried to kill me.”

Theo pushed Ben’s sleeve up so his forearm was exposed. His fingernail suddenly sharpened and transformed into a long black claw. Ben remembered that Theo’s bloodline was an animalistic one. Ben had seen him summon bats and now he discovered Theo could grow claws too. What else did he have in his arsenal?

A sharp sting dug into Ben’s arm as Theo sliced open his flesh and then held the wound over the glass to catch the bright red blood that escaped. Ben’s arm healed fast and Theo had to cut him twice more before the glass was finally filled. Ben felt only slightly unsteady on his feet once his blood had been taken. He eased himself down into a chair to recover, confident that a small drink of blood would restore his strength.

Theo carried the glass over to Cindy who had struggled so much that Aiden had resorted to forcing her to kneel on the floor. She tried to shove the blood away from her and Theo had to snatch it back before she could knock it from his grip.

“Behave yourself, Cindy. Otherwise, I will go and visit your children. Would you like that?”

Cindy ceased to struggle and looked at Theo with a strange mix of submissive defiance. She would have happily murdered him if she were able.

“Excellent. Now, drink up.”

Cindy took the glass reluctantly and sipped at the blood as though she was sampling a fine wine for the first time.

“Before the moon sets, if you please,” said Theo with no compassion for how arduous a task it must have been for the poor woman. Ben had had an easy time drinking Erin’s blood, but that was because he’d spent most of his life wanting to be a vampire. Cindy was Ben’s polar opposite.

After a few sips, the delightful taste must have found its way to Cindy’s tastebuds because she began to gulp the blood down greedily. She guzzled it with a beastly lust as if it was to be her last drink ever. In actual fact, it might well be.

When she was finished she held the now empty glass up for Theo to take. He did so without complaint and placed it down on the dining table. He never once took his eyes off Cindy.

“Well then, I suppose now all we need to do is wait,” he said. He slipped into the chair next to Ben’s and waited.

Aiden stepped away from Cindy, who he was no longer holding. She had come to the conclusion that resistance was futile and now she knelt in the middle of the floor with her head hung low, waiting for whatever was about to happen to her.

Aiden stepped out of the room and returned a few moments later with a warm mug of blood. He offered it to Ben like it was a mug of hot chocolate. Either Aiden had forgotten about their disagreement from earlier or he had forgiven Ben. Either way, Ben did not care. He took the mug and gulped the blood down, eager to replenish the pint he had given to Cindy. He’d already begun to feel better but the blood sped the process up.

“Don’t bother to offer the rest of us any,” Katelyn sniffed.

Theo said nothing. He had eyes only for Cindy. He was fully invested in the experiment now, even though he had not thought it was worth conducting before.

It wasn’t long before Ben recognised the first signs of the transformation. The first thing that had happened to him after drinking Erin’s blood had been enhancements to his sight. Everything seemed more vivid and vibrant. He’d noticed the shine of the sun on each blade of grass and the various shades of red that made up Erin’s hair.

Cindy was looking around the room in wonder as if she was seeing everything for the first time.

“It would appear that it has begun,” Katelyn announced, even though everybody else in the room could see exactly what she could.

“What is happening?” Cindy asked, her voice was distant and subdued. Her fight had left her for good.

“Benedict,” Theo prompted. “She’s your offspring.”

“Not by choice,” he muttered before turning to Cindy. Theo’s words had evoked a strange paternal feeling; a desire to do right by Cindy. Even after everything, Erin had still guided Ben through his transformation. Now it was time for him to do the same for Cindy.

“You’re becoming a vampire,” Ben told her. She looked at him and he saw that her pupils had expanded to encompass almost all of her eyes. “Your hearing will change next and then the rest of your body.”

“The rest of my body?” her voice wavered as she spoke.

“Yes, your body has to transform to be able to sustain you in your vampiric form,” Ben told her gently, trying to remember everything that Erin had told him. “I’m really sorry, Cindy, but it’s going to hurt. A lot.”

And just like that, the next step began. Cindy clamped her hands over her ears and doubled over in an effort to block out all the new sounds that were flooding into her ears. “STOP!” she screamed, giving over to the pain so easily.

Ben wondered how she was going to survive the full process if she was already crying out in pain at only the second stage. It was only going to get worse.

“I’m not watching this,” Aiden said. He turned for the door.

“Stay,” Theo commanded him. “This is no time to get squeamish. This is a process of purification. Her pain is her gain.”

“Her pain is going to lead to her death. I don’t need to see that. Just because we’re vampires doesn’t mean we have to be morbid.” He turned and reached for the door handle.

Theo was on him in the blink of an eye. Aiden’s front was pinned to the door, his face pressed against the wood and Theo’s lips at his ear.

“If I’d know you were so pathetic I would never have plucked you out of your miserable human life of offering yourself up to any man who sent you a smile. This is not something to be shied away from, my love.” Ben had never heard somebody call someone their love whilst making it sound so unloving. “This is a rite of passage and one we should all share in. Watching humans die is nothing to us. You need to squash that part of you that cares. Humans die every day, but we are eternal. Do not think of this as somebody dying, but rather as somebody ascending.”

Theo released Aiden and stepped away from him. Aiden’s lips were curled in disgust and his eyes were glossy with shame. It was obvious that he wanted to rebel against Theo, but he did not dare. He turned back to the room and watched as Cindy began to scream and writhe on the floor.

It was unusual to be on the other side of the transition process, watching somebody else go through it rather than experiencing it for himself. Ben wrinkled his nose as he wondered if he had looked as disgusting and helpless as Cindy did. He presumed that he probably did. In moments of such extreme and intense pain, a person forgets about the people watching them. They care only about the feeling ravaging their body. They care only about finding a way to make it stop. Ben had been fortunate that he had only had an audience of one. He didn’t want to think about what it would have been like to go through that whilst four impassive vampires watched on.

At least, to Cindy they must have seemed impassive. She was in no position to look around and see the emotions on each of her spectator’s faces. All she knew was that she was enduring the worst anguish of her existence and nobody was doing anything to help her.

It hadn’t been like that for Ben. He’d had help. Erin had helped him. She had knelt by his side and offered him comfort and encouragement. She had pulled him through and given him the strength he needed to survive the ordeal. Now it was Ben’s turn to do the same for Cindy. He had sired her, willingly or not, she was his responsibility.

Without asking for permission, he stood up and walked tentatively over to the screaming mess that was his first sireling. Ben lowered himself to the floor beside her. Her discarded dressing gown was on the ground and one hand gripped it tightly. She was covered in thick sweat and her shirt clung to her skin. He could see the bones of her ribcage through the garment.

“Cindy,” he said softly. Too softly. She didn’t hear him over her own grunts and cries. “Cindy, listen to me. Focus on my voice,” he said loudly. He tried to remember everything that Erin had said to him. Ben had thought that Erin was a cold and uncaring vampire, but compared to Theo she was Mother Teresa.

Cindy turned her face up to Ben’s. Her black eyes stared daggers at him. “What do you want?” she demanded. Warm saliva splattered over Ben’s face and he wiped it away with his sleeve, resisting the urge to return to his chair and leave her to her pain.

“I know that you’re in more pain than you’ve ever experienced in your life—”

“What would you know about pain. I’ve given birth to two CHILDREN!” Another wave of agony caused her to scream the last word of her sentence. Theo snickered in the background.

“And how does this compare?” Ben said waspishly, momentarily letting his anger get the better of him.

Cindy took a swipe at him, but he easily avoided her sluggishly thrown hand. Once again he was filled with the desire to leave her to her pain and her misery. But unlike him, she had not asked for this.

“You will endure this,” he told her. “You’ll want to give up, but you will not. Would you like to know why?”

She glared at him again and growled like a cornered cat. He took that as a yes.

“Right now your house is filled with people you despise. They’ve barged in, turned your husband and you into slaves, threatened your children, and taken over your entire lives. If you die now, they win. If you survive, you’ll come out of this with strength like you’ve never felt before. And then you can take revenge.” He was filling her with false hope. She stood no chance of defeating Theo. Not on her own anyway. But when Erin arrived maybe Cindy could be of use. Three vampires were better than two.

“You say that as if you’re not one of them,” said Cindy.

“I’m not. I’m a prisoner here just like you,” he said softly. He was amazed that Theo had not told him to shut up.

She peered up at him and through her pain, he could see that she wanted to believe him. He tried to convey his own despair to her and it looked like he might have been successful, but then another surge of pain ripped through her and she convulsed on the floor and screamed again.

Cindy’s transformation went on for hours. It did not last as long as Ben’s had. Perhaps that was because Ben had transformed with poisoned blood, or maybe every person was unique. Cindy contorted and screamed on the floor for about four hours before finally, she fell silent and still.

She lay on the floor in a puddle of her own sweat, panting heavily as the pain finally receded. Any shame she might have felt when the process began was well and truly gone now. She didn’t care who saw her in her current state. She only cared that it was over. Ben knew because he’d been through it very recently too. He remembered the relief of coming out the other side messy and disgusting looking, but pain-free and alive.

“My, my,” Katelyn said. She approached Cindy with awe and knelt down on the floor beside her. Cindy paid her no attention until the expert took her by the hair and pulled her head up. The expert stared into Cindy’s heavily-lidded eyes for a few seconds before dropping her head back on the floor.

“The verdict?” asked Theo.

Katelyn pushed off the floor and returned to her feet. “Well, usually she’d be dead already, but we aren’t dealing with usual. She needs blood before we can know for sure.”

Theo nodded. “Aiden, be a lamb and fetch our new recruit some blood, won’t you?”

“Dogs play fetch not lambs,” he snapped, but he moved all the same. With a huff worthy of a teenager, Aiden swung the door open and stomped away through the house.

“He’s an interesting choice for you, Theodric,” Katelyn told him. She spoke the way somebody might speak to a friend who had entered into a relationship with somebody half their age. In fact, that probably wasn’t that different from this situation.

“I didn’t bring you here to critique my love life, Katelyn. I can’t help but notice you haven’t had anybody in your bed for a good century or two.”

“My, my, aren’t we crabby today? Mind your manners, Theodric. I’m a good deal older than you and I don’t have to follow your orders.”

Theo stared coldly at Katelyn but he didn’t say a word. “We’re going to need some silver,” he said. Then he turned and left the room.

Katelyn was staring down at the new vampire ponderously as if she was expecting something interesting to happen.

“Are you part of the Black Veil?” Ben asked, deciding he had an opportunity to dig for information.

Katelyn glanced up at him as though she had forgotten he was there. “Yes, I am,” she said with pride.

“Are you higher up than Theo?”

A small smirk came to her face. “I am.”

“I don’t suppose you have a complaints department? It’s just I’m not entirely satisfied with the kidnapping I’ve received.”

Katelyn let out a little laugh that sounded like a frog ribbiting. “We don’t have a complaints process, I’m afraid. And unfortunately, if my suspicions about you are correct then you have much worse on the horizon.”

Ben was about to ask what she meant by that when Theo walked back into the room. In his hand, he had a long silver knife. He held it by the wooden handle to avoid the silver touching his skin. Ben felt rather smug about having that one advantage over every other vampire.

“Everything okay in here?” asked Theo.

“Yes, Benedict was just voicing his displeasure about your treatment of him.”

“Well, don’t be a tattle-tale now.”

Aiden stormed into the room with another mug of warmed up blood in his hands.

“Blood,” he announced sullenly before placing it on the ground next to Cindy.

Cindy’s head snapped up as soon as the blood landed before her. Her nostrils flared as the scent of blood wafted up her nostrils. She dragged herself across the floor, her limbs carrying her in a predatory style, like a lion hunting a gazelle.

Ben remembered what it had been like his first time. The pull of the blood had overridden all other thoughts and controlled him. He’d been seduced by the sound of blood pumping rather than the smell of the stuff itself. Cindy had no sound to sing to her, only the sweet fragrance.

She snatched the mug up off the floor and clutched it in both hands as she tipped its contents down her throat without hesitation. Her throat bobbed with each greedy gulp and Ben heard every glug as she guzzled it down. When she was done she tossed the cup aside and laid back on the floor, relishing in the buzz provided by the power that was now coursing through her veins.

“Doesn’t she need more than that?” Ben asked, remembering how much he’d sucked from his first victim.

Katelyn shook her head. “We don’t need her at full strength.”

“Clearly, she has survived the transformation,” said Theo. “Is it the silver now?”

Katelyn nodded and Theo stepped forwards. He didn’t stab Cindy with the knife, instead, he pressed the flat of the blade to her cheek and held it there. Cindy tried to back away, but Theo held her in place.

“What are you doing?” she demanded.

“Well I never,” Katelyn said in awe. She’d probably never seen a vampire unaffected by silver before.

“She inherited his immunity,” Theo said. He sounded more concerned than awed by the discovery. “So, he’s not just an anomaly if he can pass on his traits.” He tossed the knife aside and stepped away from Cindy.

“No,” agreed Katelyn. “There is one final test. I need to know if she is as resilient as he is to death by stake.”

“Well then,” Theo reached inside his jacket and produced a sharpened length of wood. “One blackthorn stake. Just like the one I used on Benedict.”

“Wait, you can’t stake her,” Ben objected, suddenly realising what they meant to do. “After everything she’s been through.”

“You said it was an ascension,” said Aiden, his eyes were filled with betrayal and loathing.

“Theodric has never been known for his honesty,” Katelyn informed him. “Do it, or hand me the stake and I will.”

“No!” Cindy said, catching on to what was about to happen. She went for the door but Theo got there first.

He darted forwards with vampiric speed and Cindy screamed. He plunged the stake into her heart before anybody had a chance to stop him. Not that anybody was going to.

“I’m sorry,” Ben told her as if he’d driven the stake in himself. Tearful eyes stared at him accusingly, reminding him of the promises of power and strength that she would have if she just endured the night. Now he realised that he should have let her give in to the pain and die before she’d finished turning. Her entire ordeal had been for nothing.

As her body hit the floor her skin turned pale and lifeless. Her eyes glossed over and her head turned to the side and settled into its final position. She didn’t catch fire or turn to dust. She looked just like any other person who had been killed. A tiny glimmer of hope alighted inside him. Cindy might not be dead. His first vampire child could come back to life as soon as the stake was removed. Just like he had.

Of course, that was what this experiment was. Theo took hold of the stake and yanked it out of Cindy’s chest. It made a sticky sucking noise as it came out, almost as if the body did not want to relinquish it.

Everybody stared at the body, waiting to see what happened. The wound did not heal and Cindy did not awaken. She was completely dead.

“That’s that then. Conclusions?” Theo rounded on Katelyn.

“He passed on his new abilities, but not his resilience against death. Meaning that he is either completely unkillable or…” she seemed reluctant to finish her sentence. Her eyes met Theo’s in a moment of silent understanding. “There’s only one way to be sure.”

“I’d rather not cut off his head. Besides, he did die when I staked him. He simply returned to life after the stake was removed.”

“And I count the number of vampires who have that ability on one hand.”

Theo’s eyes settled on Ben in a way that was wholly unsettling. He stared at him like a child who’d just unwrapped a much-wanted gift on Christmas morning.

“What are you talking about? What am I?” he asked, his voice quiet and afraid. He’d only wanted to be a vampire, he hadn’t wanted to get thrust into the middle of a vampire mystery.

“Potential,” Theo said in a voice that could only be described as lecherous.

“The only vampires who can survive being staked are ancient vampires or progenitors. Progenitors are the first vampires of a bloodline. All vampires of their bloodline inherit their abilities,” Katelyn explained.

“Hold up, what exactly are you saying?” Ben asked.

“Well I think we can all agree that you are not an ancient vampire,” Theo said in a condescending drawl.

“Which means that you are the first new progenitor in at least five thousand years,” said Katelyn.

“How delightful.” Theo began walking back around the long table.

“Delightful indeed. There is much research to be done. We need to know exactly how this has happened. The fact that this has happened mere weeks after the Korvus line was wiped out cannot be overlooked. It’s almost as though nature demands that there be five bloodlines. One dies and another is born. The first step is obvious. We need to get in touch with Teremun. He must be told at—”

Ben felt the whoosh of Theo sprinting past him and he heard the whistle of metal on the air. Katelyn stopped speaking abruptly as her head jumped up off her neck, did a little somersault in the air, and then went tumbling to the floor. Her body followed soon after. Blood squirted from her open neck all over the wood flooring.

Theo was standing next to her, a bloody katana in his hands. The silence that followed his assault was filled with terror. Aiden was staring at the expert’s corpse, apparently, this act of violence had shocked even him.

When Theo spoke his voice was a hushed whisper and even he sounded scared of what he’d just done. “Under no circumstances is this revelation to leave this house.”