I woke up the next morning, still in Fang's arms on the couch, my head resting on his chest, his arms resting around my waist. Most of my weight was on Fang. Oops.

I slowly removed Fang's arms from around my waist and gently settling them on his stomach, sitting up. I put pressure on my shaky legs and stood.

Then fell to the ground, clutching my head. It burned.

I held any noises in and curled into a ball, my eyes squeezed shut. What's happening?

I couldn't take much of this any longer and I hadn't even had the pain for twenty-four hours. I could usually hold onto any pain for way longer than this.

I need help, though.

Later on, Fang had woken up to find me in the same position, fingernails digging into skin, as if I could claw it out. There was a piece of paper on the floor, right next to me, almost invisible. He had snatched it off the floor and opened the folded paper.

It was a phone number. One I had never seen before.

So what do we do?

We call it.

DRU POV

I was really dying to save Graves. I had to. I need to. I can't live without him. He wouldn't leave me behind and he would always come back for me and I needed to do the same for him.

"Hay," Christophe whispered softly, appearing in-front of me. He stroked my cheek. "What's on your mind, little bird?" His face was inches away. His apple scented breath flew across my face.

"It's Graves," I mumbled. "I'm worried. He's with Sergej for crying out loud. He can't get hurt because of me..." This was not helping me at all. I was just pushing my troubles onto someone else and keeping them at the same time.

Scaring the shit outta me, Christophe's phone rang. He frowned but answered it. "Who's this?" I didn't bother trying to listen to the person on the other end. Probably just someone trying to sell something. His hand still lay like a feather on my cheek. He listened. His eyebrows furrowed. "How did you get this number?" Now I was confused. Dru, listen. The person talking to Christophe could be in big trouble.

So I listened. "...found the number on the floor. We didn't know what to do, so we called it.

"We?" I was confused to. Christophe put the phone on speaker phone so I could hear what the guy was saying better. Somehow the person on the other end had heard me ask the question.

"Yeah, Max and I. Max needs help. She's been hurting and this number was just there so we called," the guy was frantic, pain filled his voice. Mental pain.

"Sorry, I think you have the wr–" I cut Christophe off.

"She?" I was scared now. Maybe if I listened to myself, I could get something right. It could be another svetocha. "Put her on the phone!" Christophe stared at me, confused. I just shook my head and grabbed the phone from his grasp.

I faintly heard in people talking in the background.

"Fang, what's happening?"

"Is she okay?"

"Who are you talking to?"

"Why does Max look like she's in so much pain?"

I couldn't take and I'm guessing neither could the guy.

"SHUT UP!" We both yelled at the same time, me through the phone. It was quiet. "Get her on the phone now!" I yelled through the phone. I could almost see the people staring at the phone, like I was crazy.

"Hmm?" I weak voice asked, cracking.

Okay, what happens if she hasn't heard the word before? Oh, well. Christophe will just help me make up a random lie. "Have you ever heard of the word 'svetocha' bef–?" My words were lost in screaming. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. Shit! "WHERE ARE YOU?" I yelled over the screaming.

"Arizona! Hurry up!" Then the guy hung the phone up.

I turned to Christophe. "We're leaving. Now." Then I was off to get everything organised. We would be there very soon. Christophe could track them down in a way I won't bother to understand right now

MAX POV

I screamed. The word hurt my head. Tears were making tracks down my face and sweat covered my forehead. "WHERE ARE YOU?" The mystery girl yelled through the phone. I would answer her but all that was coming out right now was a scream that I couldn't stop. Fang told the girl something I couldn't hear, and then hung up. The scream was dying down, but still there. My throat was dry.

"Water," I croaked. Fang rushed out of the room and came back with a glass of water filled to the brim. Fang stretched it towards me –about to help me lift the glass so the water could slid down my throat –when the door bell rang loud and clear. Fang jumped slightly, the water splashing over the edge of the cup and onto the floor.

The knocking quickly became frantic. "Flock?" I whispered out. I still needed cold water. I coughed. They appeared in front of me –looking for directions –looking expectant. "Fighting positions." They nodded and did as I told. I coughed again. Harder. I felt weak. I couldn't move.

"It's okay, Max. Just a couple days or so before those people get here," Fang soothed. I nodded at the door and he tried to smile at me, what turned out to be a grimace. "Right. Door." He quickly got into a fighting position and opened the door in a flash. A guy and a girl stood there, they both looked like teenagers, except the guy had something in his eyes that told me he was much–much–older. "Who are you?" Fang growled. The teenagers looked amused.

The guy disappeared in a second and reappeared next to me. I sunk closer to the floor, too weak to fight. He was coming closer and I found it in me to have a few punches. I was still weak but I would fight for the flock. I jumped up weakly, fists raised. "Christophe, leave her alone! You could hurt her and you know what she is. Just... grab her and fight them away. We need to get back and figure out how to get Graves. Let's go."

"You have to get past us first." My head turned towards the flock. They were all in fighting positions, ready to fight for me. I shook my head at them.

"Leave me. Go. Run away then do an up and away." Tears formed in Nudges eyes. Iggy and Fang stood shocked, pain visible in Fangs eyes. Angel and Gazzy stiffened.

"Max, what if they work for the school?" Nudge asked. Angel shook her head and said, "They don't. They're the people Fang called before." What?

The guy let go of me slowly. "How do you know that?"

"Why don't you tell us you're secret, and we'll tell you ours?" Angel was getting kind of scary.

Christophe turned shocked. "What are you?"

"What's a djamphir? Half-vampire." Angel retorted. Christophe gaped.

The girl stepped forward. "Dru–" the girl–Dru–held her hand up, cutting him off. 'No, Christophe. I really don't want to hear it. You know where I could be right now? Saving Graves. He could be seriously hurt, by now! It's all your fault. You held me back. He would always come back for me, no matter what. I need to do the same for him, but I can't. Let's just get max to the Prima Schola." She sighed.

"Where's this Graves?" I asked.

"Excuse me?" Dru asked. Pain flooded her voice.

"We can get him back. Where is he?"

"Max? What are you doing?" Fang came up behind me.

"Maybe, whatever has this Graves kid is really dangerous. Maybe we have to do something involving this world, to save the world," I explained.

"What? Why do you need to save the world?" Dru seemed really confused now.

"Um... It's necessary. Fang, Iggy, can you help me?" I asked nodding my head towards Dru. Fang nodded and tapped Iggy's hand. They each grabbed an arm. Dru looked confused.

"What are you doing?" Dru screamed. I just shook my head at her. "Up and away," I told the flock. Angel walked up to the window and jumped. Dru's jaw dropped in shock. Gazzy was next. Then Nudge. "Your turn," I said turning towards Iggy, Fang and Dru.

"Why are you committing suicide?" Dru really didn't know what was coming for her.

"Trust me, Dru. You'll love what's coming. Oh, and don't scream, please." Dru's eyes widened as she neared the window. They jumped. And I was close behind.

I spread my wings, the wind catching in the feathers, causing me to be able to float in the air. I smiled and flew above Fang and Iggy, Dru hanging in the air, staring at the ground in horror. "Okay, so where is this Graves?" I yelled over the wind. She looked up at me, then to my wings, and back at me. Her lips twitched a little.

"Dakotas! How is this even possible?" I just smiled and flew to the front of the flock, leading the flock to the Dakotas.