Half an hour.

Half an hour passed until Lexie felt like herself again.

but during that half-hour she had been powerful. No. More than that… she'd been invincible.

Now she was sitting in the van next to Caleb. He was looking out the window in the moving darkness. She looked at him. It had been as though she didn't even know he was there. How was that possible? She could usually feel him miles away… Caleb, why couldn't I feel you before, she thought.

"What?" he said turning to her. Lexie was a bit startled for a moment and then shook her head.

"No, nothing…"

The empousa in the front seat snorted and shook her head in amusement. Lexie hit the back of her seat. "Shut up!"

Lexie leaned back and tried to relax but her mind whirled around that single thought: I only became aware of him just now… She wasn't certain what exactly had happened to her when she saw Johnny being taken. She knew she was really, really angry, she'd been able to feel real rage coursing through her veins, she had felt the instinct to kill. And she had killed.

The realization struck her like a cold splash. Her hands felt icy cold and her stomach was about to turn.

But how good did it feel, don't you remember, a voice in her head said and she couldn't disagree. It had felt good when she thrust the horn into the empousa's chest. Even now it felt good in her hand.

"What is wrong with me," she whispered but this time Caleb heard her. He looked at her and stretched his hand to catch hers. She was a bit surprised at the gesture but when he tightened his grip on her hand for a moment she returned the squeeze.

"There's nothing wrong with you," he said quietly so that only she could hear him. His voice was like a cool remedy to a burning wound. It went through Lexie, calming her down. It made her heart beat differently – not with frustration or excitement, but with something else…

Caleb pulled his hand back and Lexie felt stupid for a moment before she looked away. Her eyes caught a light in the distance and then fixed on Rubens's reflection in the glass.

"Rubens, how much longer?" she asked.

"Not sure. About five miles I think."

"Hey, Lexie," Barry said and looked back at her from the seat next to the empousa. "You okay?"

Lexie managed a little smile and a nod. He nodded in return and he looked relief.

"Why, was there anything wrong with me?"

"Oh, no, you just…" he stumbled and tried to find the right words. "You were just… a little… not like yourself, you know?"

Lexie was quiet for a moment. So he'd noticed. Of course—he always noticed details, it was only natural he'd seen something wasn't right with her before.

"Yeah," she said. "I know."

Rubens saw the mansion in the distance and pulled over in front of the tall gate. The empousa had led them here and now was the time to figure out what they should do.

First of all, it was probably crawling with crazy vampires, ready to kill them any second. If anyone asked him, he'd say it was a suicide mission. But it was their suicide mission to save their friend. He wouldn't back out for the world.

"Okay, here's the deal," he started when everyone was out. "We talk to them on the intercom at the gate and tell them that we're here for an exchange."

"I told you already that it won't wo—"

"Shut up!" Lexie said and the redhead complied with a lot of teeth gritting and unspoken swearing.

"Wait, what if they really don't care about her and don't want to make any exchange?" Caleb asked.

"A better question is," Barry intervened in a grim tone, "what if her wicked sisters have already killed Johnny?"

It was a question they'd all avoided ever since they set out for the mansion. No one dared to assume the worst but they had to know if…

"I think that I'll go in there and rip every single empousa's head off until none are left standing," Lexie said with a grim determination that somehow gave everyone else the strength to continue. But Rubens shivered—he feared it wasn't just a figure of speech. "What's your name, leech," Lexie said to the empousa and she got a vicious hiss in return.

"It's Helly," she spat out. "As in you're going to fucking hell when I get free."

"Well, then I'll make sure you don't. Killing you would be my best chance, you know," Lexie said coldly and Barry smiled despite the seriousness of Lexie's words.

Rubens walked over to the intercom and pushed the button.

"What do you want," a woman's voice called.

"We're here for our friend and we have Helly with us. We'd like to make an exchange."