Chapter 1

As I walked briskly away from the Academy, I could feel a million emotions gushing into my head from the bond: anger because I was leaving her, jealousy because I chose Him over her, resentment that I was able to just run away from her and the school, hope because I promised that I would be back for her, fear that He would kill me, and courage because she knew I could handle anything.

Just don't die on me, Rose. If you died, I'd have to die too. I love you—be careful.

A single tear rolled down my cheek as I walked away, and I tried for all I was worth to keep it together. I could handle this, Lissa was right. I could feel the three stakes that I had stolen before I left cutting into my skin. I had hidden one in my boot, one on the inside of my long jacket, and one in a hard-to-find compartment in my backpack. All I could do now was hope that Dim—that He did not kill too many before I found him. I would not allow myself to think of that thing as Dimitri. Not my beautiful, loving, perfect Dimitri. This thing was a monster, not that man I loved.

So I set out to Missoula, to look first at the mall where he once bought me lip gloss, then at the house in Spokane where I had made my first kill. Then, if he was not there, I would catch a plane to Siberia—his home.

I had reached the highway by then, so I stepped to the side of the road to flag down a car and hitch a ride to Missoula. I wasn't scared of humans now, I had handled much worse. Three cars went by before one actually stopped for me. It was a silver Kia with two young-looking guys in the driver and passenger seats. It stopped in front of me, the window rolling down. My back straightened. I really hope they're not perverts, I wished silently.

"Hey, you need a ride?" the guy with the blonde hair called. He was driving. His friend in the passenger seat was looking at me with concern, and I realized how crazy I probably looked: a girl with long, almost-black hair, wearing all black, with a black backpack that was stuffed full, black boots with a shiny metal stake stuffed down them (only the handle was visible), and winter clothes thick enough for Siberia (which is where I was probably going). I probably looked like some weird goth hitchhiker, or I looked like a bounty hunter. I giggled to myself—I sortof was a bounty hunter. The guy staring at me also had blond hair. Both of them looked to be about twenty-one or so.

"Yeah. Are you guys going through Missoula?"

"Yeah, we are. Hop in." he gave me a dazzling smile, and I noticed his super-white teeth. I opened the door and slid in, hoping they weren't weird or anything, though I'm pretty sure that they were thinking the same about me.

"I'm Daron, and this is my twin brother, Cal. We live in Missoula—just on our way back from visiting our aunt" he sure was a talker.

"Thanks for giving me a ride. I'm Rose; I go to St. Vladimir's Academy just a little ways from here." I glanced at Cal. He hadn't said a word.

"No problem. Running away or something?" he sure was nosy.

"Sortof, I guess. Just have some stuff to take care of and I don't want anyone tagging along." They didn't need to know what kind of business.

"Hmm…" was all he said then. He must have run out of questions. We sat there in silence for a few minutes, until Cal turned around and suspiciously glared at my boot, where my stake was shoved down into it.

"What is that?" he said pointedly.

Crap. "Pepper spray," I lied. He didn't buy it.

"You're lying." He raised an eyebrow, and it took all I had not to start crying right there. He looked so like Dimitri in that moment that my heart ripped in half all over again. "What is it?" he demanded

I leaned forward to where I was about eight inches away from his face. He jumped, not expecting me to move so close or so fast. I forgot that I moved about ten times faster that any human. I knew he wouldn't believe me, so I told him the truth. "It's a stake, of course—I hunt vampires for a living." I smiled at him. Daron almost swerved into a tree, he laughed so hard, but Cal's eyes widened and I knew that he knew I wasn't joking. But he didn't freak out and try to kill me or anything, or even throw me out of the car. Interesting.

"Oh, I see," he said. He started to turn around, but I stopped him by lightly placing my hand on his arm. He glanced at me, obviously confused, and I put one finger across my lips, telling him with my eyes that it was our little secret. He studied me for a moment, then smiled and turned around. I let out the breath I had been holding.

We made it to Missoula without any more conversation, and when we neared the bank, I told them it was my stop. I opened the door and climbed out.

"Nice meeting you, Rose," Daron smiled charmingly. He was actually quite attractive, but his brother definitely had the better looks, I thought. "Nice to meet you…" Cal said. He was uncomfortable, and I wondered why—but I guess finding out that you had picked up a vampire hunter and drove her to your town was kind of taking a toll on him.

"Nice to meet you guys, too. And thanks for picking me up. I might have had to walk here otherwise." I laughed and gave Cal my most heart-breaking smile, hoping that it might help to persuade him to my secret. He smiled back, and I turned around and went into the bank. I went up to the counter and told them that I was withdrawing from Adrian Ivashkov's account, and said that he should have called to tell them I was coming. The woman said that he did, and she made me sign some papers. She handed me a debit card and I thanked her and set off to the mall.

I cased the place thoroughly, along with the surrounding area. I saw no signs of Strigoi. Feeling a bit relieved, I went to the bus stop, just barely catching one that would get me to Spokane. I searched there too, finding no clues. I checked into a hotel and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.