FIFTY-FOUR | POSSIBLE TERRORS

My head's throbbing when I wake up, looking at some foreign ceiling with too many shadows. The ache in my head kicks up a notch, drumming like the beat of a well, drum. The pounding turns to spikes of fire against my skull - then the rhythm spreads to all the bones and muscles in my body. Even *breathing* hurts. I hold still, taking in the pain and trying to access why I feel like this. The I remember what happened in the woods outside of the Coven and close my eyes again. Suddenly, the volume in the room seems to go up and I can hear people talking nearby.

Three men are conversing by the door of Doc Quin's office, though the good doctor is nowhere to be seen. My sight blurs as my vision focuses on them until I can see clearly who's there. Hale, Mikyle, and another vampire I've never seen before now. He's a shorter man, but clearly younger, closer to my own age in appearance. His eyes are blood red, like the gate keeper's, bright and not shifting in shade like Mikyle's or Hale's. He's clutching a stack of stapled papers, flipping through them furiously with a terrified expression on his face.

"How on earth did they get ahold of a *siren*?" Mikyle hisses at the the other vampire, his eyes glowing iridescently. "I thought they stayed in the Northern Isles." His normally perfect sandy brown hair is ruffled, ends sticking up strangely. Hale's got one arm in front of my shadow. *Holding him back? Away from the other vampire? Why?* I blink dazedly and try to focus on what they're saying instead of the ricocheting throb of my head.

"I don't know-" The man croaks, flipping through pages of the document. "Our intel was good-" He insists, looking between my shadow and Hale pleadingly.

"Apparently your *source* left some things out!" Mikyle whisper-shouts, veins standing out on the side of his neck like he's about to lose his mind. I don't think I've ever seen him so mad before. *So un-composed...so very* not *like himself*. "What else did you miss, Striker?"

"Relax, Mikyle." Hale tries to calm my shadow, though I can see he's having a hard time controlling the anger in his own expression. "Striker, you're dismissed." The words are stiff, icy - but not specifically an order. He's calm enough not to be yelling at this man or using Compulsion.

"Hale, I'm so sorry-" Striker begins, eyes still wide and frightened.

"Go," Hale interrupts the vampire, his tone darkening, yet still calm. "Before I change my mind." His tone becomes a little colder. The vampire, Striker, takes off then - vanishing without another word. Hale releases my shadow and allows him to turn away. I can't see Mikyle's face now, but Hale's watching me. I give him a small smile and he nods back to me, his eyes wary but relieved.

"We need to retaliate-" Mikyle begins, still whisper-shouting.

"That's not your call." Hale replies coolly, but there's a warning tone in his voice even I can't ignore.

"I could take Ritska, and the Woods, we'd be back before the morning and then we'd never have to worry about the Reiniers-"

"Mikyle," Hale glares icily at my shadow, immediately shutting him up. "Don't make me regret my decision." He warns softly, his eyes flicking over to me.

"I'm sorry, sir." Mikyle immediately backs down, his body relaxing. "How are you doing, princess?" He's suddenly by my side, sitting on the edge of my cot, his gossamer gentle touch on my arm, stroking up and down. Goosebumps rise along the path he traces and I retract my hand, feeling my cheeks heat. I cover the movement up by touching my neck. The skin's smooth, no more deep gash, but my collar's still soaked in my blood. *It was real. Not another hallucination*.

"Fine," I rasp, wincing a little as my sore throat begins to throb. But I can speak. There's no blood in my airway or lungs.

"Try not to talk, the antidote is taking a little longer than expected to work." Hale says from my other side, standing beside rather than sitting on my cot. I nod and give him a *thumbs up*.

"If only you could listen to me as well as you do Hale," Mikyle sighs wistfully. I flip him off, rolling my eyes at my shadow. He grins and seems to relax a little more, tucking his legs under him and getting comfortable in the spot beside me.

I look at my father incredulously. But Hale just shrugs, a little smile twitching at the corners of his lips, not telling my shadow to stop being so friendly. I think back to what he's just said to Mikyle - *don't make me regret my decision. What decision?* I narrow my eyes at the men, looking between the two warily. Hale misinterprets my look and starts talking again.

"You were attacked by a supernatural creature known as a siren." My father begins, ignoring my shadow as he begins playing with stray curls from my ponytail. I have to smack his hand away a few times, but he just keeps going back to play with bits and pieces until I finally give up. Mikyle's behavior is weird, but I find it doesn't annoy me as much as it should. I decide to just ignore him for now. "They normally keep to themselves in the Northern Isle of the North Sea," Hale continues as if he doesn't notice what his lieutenant is doing. *Or maybe he just doesn't care?* I blink a few times at him to let him know pretty much every word he just said to me is like giberish. "It's a hidden place only those creatures and their allies can find. Apparently, the Reiniers have more connections that we originally thought." I frown at this. *Grandmother would never team up with...*

"I know your Grandmother has allies overseas," Hale seems to read my mind. "We suspect the Wolven Packs in Europe are more vastly connected than the allies here. Though we're not sure how many other supernaturals could be used for attacks. This was the first time Petra's used another species to ambush us." He explains, that worried look returning to his eyes, though this time, I can feel that emotion echoed in me as well.

I swallow, absorbing this information, thinking hard about the allies from overseas Grandmother mentioned. I still find it hard to believe she's do this. She hates everything that isn't Wolven. I can't see her agreeing to do something like this - no matter how much she wants me dead.

"We think she's getting desperate." Hale, again, seems to be reading me. "Considering her dislike and taking into account the shortening time between now and your Blooming, we believe she may try anything. Now that her first attempt to use the sirens has failed, we think she could start using other supernaturals as cannon fodder while they keep other Wolven safe. I'll be meeting with the Azures to talk to them about this later." He adds, looking more and more tired by the second. I don't blame him. Even though I don't know much - or really anything - about other supernatural creatures, I've heard enough horror stories from Grandmother to be terrified of vampires alone.

"Speaking of which, Mikyle," He looks at my shadow, still playing with my hair. "I need you to give an update to Alpha Azure." Mikyle releases the curls he was messing with and stands, waiting for further instructions. "Let them know about the attack and explain what we think this may mean for the next few weeks. Also let the Alpha know that I'll be by in an hour to go over the next steps."

"Aye, sir," Mikyle salutes Hale before turning to me and leaning over to ruffle my hair. I swat at his hand, scowling at the vampire. Mikle just grins down at me before disappearing.

"What's with him?" I grumble aloud, my voice scratchy, but not as hoarse as before. And this time, it doesn't hurt to talk. My voice is just disembodied - like it's not even me who's speaking, though my lips are moving and words are coming out. Weird.

"He's excited about the new assignment I gave him, I suppose." Hale sighs, massaging his forehead. "Though if I'd known he'd take advantage of the situation so much, I wouldn't have accepted so easily." My father admits a little more quietly.

"What does that mean?" I rasp, not liking the way that sounds. "What *assignment*?"

"Mikyle is going to teach you some techniques for fighting and basic training as a vampire." Hale tells me and I tilt my head, my frown deepening. *I mean, it's about time I learn something, right? Still*... The knowledge of having Mikyle as my teacher stirs butterflies in me. And not in a good way. He's stronger, faster, and older than me.

"He's happy to have the green light to kick my ass." I conclude aloud, grimacing.

"Pretty much." Hale confirms, his smirk returning with a vengeance.

"He's such a-" I fume, trying to keep my voice level.

"Well, that and something else..." Hale murmurs. "There's some other news he received that lifted his spirits a while ago."

"What kind of news?" I ask warily, narrowing my eyes at my father. Hale just smirks, and shakes his head.

"That's for him to share with you if he decides to." I grit my teeth, but don't press any further. I can feel the gears in my head turning as I think back to what he said and everything that's happened today. As I mull over everything, there's a gentle knock on the door to Doc Quin's office and the door swings open.

"Hale, we have those reports you wanted." Another vampire I've never seen before comes in after a moment, carrying a stack of papers like the other had. It's clear they're well organized and well informed - and yet - they weren't aware of the siren ally until it was too late.

"Thank you, Ander." Hale says to the vampire and takes the papers as the man, Ander, begins to give an oral report as well. Hale flips through the papers, pausing every so often to ask the vampire questions. I don't bother following the conversation since I have no idea what they're talking about.

And I realize how much of a problem that is. I know close to nothing about a situation that's come up because of me. I should be aware and trying to help, right? It's clear now that running never worked and probably will never work. Short of me dying, I don't see an easy out for the war on the horizon. And I have no intention of dying right now. There's only one solution I can see.

"Hale," I address my father from my cot. The conversing men turn to look at me. "I think I'm ready to join your Coven." I look right at Hale as I admit it. For once, I'm not conflicted by my decision. I need this. Today's events only proved it. I need help. I can't expect to keep running, thinking it's going to change anything. I need to change my response from flight. "I'm ready to fight."