FORTY-THREE | COMPULSION

I run into the woods, all the way - well - until I reach the clearing. I stop in the center of the area, close my eyes and let everything around me fade away. Then I take a deep breath, stretching my lungs and stomach until I feel like they're about to burst - and then - I sing. My voice rings out, echoing off the trees, sounding amazing.

It's my go-to song. The first few lines of the opera song swell out of me, and my hand automatically goes to my diaphragm, resting lightly there as I belt out the opening lines of *O Mio Bambino Caro* as loud as I can. No one's out here anyway. No one can hear me.

As I sing the gorgeous ballad, I feel my stress beginning to drain out of me, each new lungful of air I take in just forces the memory of the last two weeks from my mid. And, as always, the swell of emotion that always comes with singing or even listen to this song pour out of me as well. When I open my eyes, singing the last few notes, I find my vision is blurred by tears.

Slow clapping comes to my ears and I wipe my eyes dry to see my father standing at the edges of the clearing, smiling softly and applauding me. I feel slightly annoyed he was able to sneak up on me so easily, but don't allow it to show on my face.

"That was lovely, sunshine," He tells me, his voice calm and quiet, but I hear it clear as day.

"I wasn't running." I tell him.

"I can see that," Hale nods, still giving nothing away.

"Guess we should talk." I say after a second, little threads of guilt shuddering through me.

"We should." He agrees, looking around. Probably thinking about the last time we were here - the night I ran away.

"You didn't come after me that night when I ran. Why?" I ask, trying not to admit I've been asking myself the exact question repeatedly, not sure if I really want to know the answer, but something inside keeps nagging me over it.

"Sunshine, do you recall exactly what you said to before you left?" Hale's frown deepens, eyes narrowing slightly, like he doesn't trust me. Or he's bracing himself *against* something.

"I told you to leave me alone." I recall, wrapping my arms around myself. Not sure I like where this is going.

"No. You *ordered* me to leave you alone." He says calmly, his face relaxing into an unreadable mask. "I couldn't follow you, even after we knew you had left Kiwina." *Wait, what?* I mean, I thought it was weird that only Blue came after me, but... *How is that even possible?*

"I-I didn't know I could order you to do anything." I stutter out, managing to control the shock in my voice.

"It's not common, but I really should have expected it. The ability is known as Compulsion." He tells me gravely, watching me wearily.

"Ability?" I blink a few times then frown at him.

"A vampiric ability." He clarifies. There it is again. Yet another something about vamps I didn't know. Something important.

"Can...can all vampires do it?" I ask slowly, chewing the inside of my cheek, not really sure if I want to hear the answer to this either.

"No. If they could, we'd be living in a very different world." Hale sighs, a rye smile twisting at his lips. "As far as I know, only ten vampires have ever had the ability to compel others. And only two are able to use it on other supernatural creatures. Well," He shakes his head and looks away from me. "Now I guess it's three."

"You're one of those, aren't you?" I rattle off my next question, though I feel like I already know the answer.

"It's not something I advertise, but, yes." He tells me, slowly closing the distance between us until he's only a foot away."I am." His jade eyes are cold now, dull and almost cruel. "But I'm warning you now, sunshine, if you try that on me again, I won't hesitate to show you the full extent of my own abilities." And I know this isn't a bluff.

"Yes, sir." I croak, wincing at the very thought of the kind of power he wields. He's ancient afterall. *What do I really know about him anyway?*

"Good. Now-" He extends his hand out towards the general direction of the house. I sigh and begin to walk when I realize my hands have begun to shake at my sides.

"Not this again." I growl, clasping them together tightly to stop the, from quivering like I had before, when I was on the run. But now, this is worse. They tremble even as I squeeze them with all my might.

"Stop." Hale orders, pulling them apart and examining each one individually. "How long has this been going on?" He asks me, frowning at me, face guarded again.

"It stopped when I came back-" Hale waves a hand dismissively, shaking his head.

"Before that then. When did it start?" He clarifies.

"Uh, I guess a few days after I left. I thought it was cause I wasn't sleeping for a while-"

"You can't be putting any unnecessary stress on your body right now."

"Well that's kinda hard right now don'tcha think?" I hiss at him, then take a breath. "Sorry." I apologize, looking back at him to see he's watching me even more carefully. "What?"

"Mood swings aren't a good sign, sunshine." He replies cryptically.

"What? I thought they were normal, like puberty or something." I'm floored by this other, new revelation.

"No, most vampires experience the opposite. A numbing calm. Not boiling emotions." Hale now looks as ancient as he boasts, wise but also old. *Worried*?

"What should I do?" Panic starts to set in. If Hale's scared, I should be terrified.

"I think you should see our physician-" He begins firmly.

"I don't want to have to drink blood." I interrupt him, trying to be as equally firm. *Haven't we been through this already?*

"You wouldn't need to-" Hale says slowly, though he doesn't even seem to believe it himself.

"I said *no*." I'm not so terrified that I'd sell my soul to the bloodlust just yet.

"Fine. Then at least talk to Doctor Blythe." He scrubs a hand over his face, looking utterly annoyed now.

"Why?" I automatically question, wondering if I really should place my trust in the Doc after all.

"She has the second greatest amount of knowledge about vampire physiology in the Azure Pack. And I trust her." He sighs, giving me, for once, a fully honest answer that even I trust.

"Okay." I nod once. Doc is human after all. And I trust her, too.

"Okay?" Hale raises an eyebrow at me quizzically.

"Yeah. I like Doc. She's nice." I shrug, not telling him that I trust her to have the best interest of my mind, soul, and body in mind as well. Not just my one-sided condition of being a vamp-hybrid.

"Good. Then," He glances at his watch. "Now should be a good time. Mikyle," He speaks at his normal volume, and my shadow suddenly appears between us.

"Aye, sir?" Mikyle doesn't look at me when he arrives, keeping his dark red eyes trained on my father.

"Please escort my daughter to Doc Blythe's for a check-up." Hale instructs. "Oh, and, sunshine?"

"Yeah?" I look at my father, feeling that icy fear settle in me when I note the coldness has returned to his jade gaze.

"Now that you're aware of your abilities, I suggest you try to choose what you say to others more carefully." His cryptic words sound more severe than a warning and I feel a shiver race down my spine.

"Y-yes." I manage to choke out, bobbing my head quickly.

"Keep a close eye on her." Hale lowers his voice as he meets Mikyle's eyes. "She's not allowed to give you orders."

"Aye, boss." Mikyle salutes my father, grinning at him before turning back to face me. "Well you heard the man, princess. Let's go."