Hey Guys! Guess what? It's my birthday! I'm turning 18 today! So of course I have to celebrate by updating!

I really love how this chapter turned out, and can't wait to hear what you guys thought of it.

Review and let me know?

Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns the VA and Bloodlines.

This might not have been the best idea I had ever had, but it had felt like the right thing to do at the time.

But now…now I felt like I was in the making of a huge mistake. Surely I had my reasons, I wasn't just acting without thinking, I had thought about this. A lot.

I started tapping my fingers against the boarding pass I was holding in my hand, and look up at the small screen telling me my flight was delayed.

As I sat here I couldn't help thinking about my conversation with Sydney. The one I'd had just before I made the decision to do what I was about to do.

"So…you're a what? Witch?" I was too shocked to freak out. Someone had handed me a glass of water, but I hadn't touched it.

Sydney looked exhausted as she responded "Yes, kind of anyone. It's a little more complicated than that"

"Complicated how?" I asked. I felt just as tired as Sydney did, but mostly I also felt betrayed. When Sydney had told me about her and Adrian, she had promised she had no more secrets and that I knew everything there is to know. This isn't exactly the kind of thing you'd forget to mention, and that's how I knew I had been lied to again. I had gone for the logical reason, it was my nature to do so, but I secretly wished I could just for today be naïve enough to think she had just forgotten to tell me.

These last few days with Sydney and I getting along again had been amazing, I always felt better when she was around. Like I could be sure I was protected, because I had my sister. Now the girl sitting before me felt like a stranger, someone not worthy of my trust, and it broke my heart.

"Zoe, it's best if you don't know. The girl, Alicia, she's a very bad person and I'm afraid she'll come looking for you. The less you know, the safer you'll be"

"So that's what all this is about? Keeping me safe?"

"Yes!" Sydney said, and looked relieved. I scoffed.

"And how many times did you plan to use that one? Don't you think I've been lied to enough?"

"Zoe! Please believe me! I am doing everything in my power to keep you safe. I'm still me, I am still the sister you've always known"

Her words sent another wave of bitterness over her betrayal run through me, and I couldn't sit here quietly anymore as I watched my world fall apart.

"The sister I know" I yelled "She believes in logic and science and she does certainly not believe in magic! She hates vampires!"

"But I've changed! Zoe-"

"I don't care! Don't you see how wrong this is? Wielding magic?"

Sydney got up from her chair as well, and placed both hands on her hips

"Of course I know that! I'm still me…only more-"

"Only more what?" I cut her off "Rebellious? Is this some kind of act to prove that the alchemists can't control you?"

"No, I am not trying to prove anything! I am just trying to figure out who I am. And by being with Adrian and using magic I am more me than I have ever been"

"Well that's really bad news then, because this 'new you' isn't the sister I know and love"

I knew from the look in her eyes, that my words had hurt her. With a small voice she asked "What am I then to you?"

"You're the screwed up version of a girl I used to admire" I turned around and, practically ran up to my room.

Tears were streaming down my face, and I wanted nothing more than to run back downstairs and tell my sister that I loved her.

Sadly it seemed that everything had changed, and the girl downstairs might look like my sister, but she wasn't her.

With shaking hands I pulled out my phone from my pocket, and dialed Stanton's number. I had said there was no way I could hurt my sister like this, but the girl downstairs wasn't my sister.

Stanton answered on the first ring "Yes?"

"Ma'am? I think we need to talk" My voice shook and clearly gave away that I was crying.

Stanton hesitated before answering "Zoe? Is everything okay?"

"No" I wiped my nose with my sleeve, and tried to hold back the tears falling from my eyes "No, it's not."

And that was how I'd ended up here. Sitting in the airport ready to board a plane that would take me to New York, which was were Stanton was at the moment. I was going to tell her about what my sister had become, I was going to let her know about Adrian and the magic, and hopefully Sydney would get the help she so desperately needed.

I was doing this because I wanted to save the girl my sister used to be. I used to admire Sydney, she was greater than life itself to me, and this new person she had become was going to have to be erased, and then hopefully she and I could start over.

I had told Sydney I was leaving to spend New Years at home, I think she believed me when I told her, and normally I would've felt bad about it, but after everything I didn't like I should be the one who was feeling sorry for the other.

"Flight 201 to New York now boarding" a machine like voice announced, and I got up from the chair I had been sitting in.

I boarded the plane, and as I sat down and waited for takeoff another memory rolled over me from yesterday when I had announced I was going to be gone for the weekend. This one almost hurt me more than the one with Sydney, but right now I was too tired to think of why.

I had always liked packing. I liked that I was allowed to be completely, and obsessively organized and people didn't think it was weird.

Today I hated packing. I didn't even look at the clothes I angrily threw into my suitcase. I just made sure I had the right amount. Tears threatened to fall from my eyes, and it took every bit of my self-control not to cry.

The thought of telling Stanton everything had been playing in the back of my mind for a couple of days, but every time it had resurfaced in my head I had dismissed it, telling myself it would be going too far.

Ever since I had talked to Stanton a couple of hours ago, I had felt scared. I wasn't sure why, but I was terrified about going. I kept telling myself I was doing the right thing, but it never felt right.

I decided then to just pretend like I was packing to go home, and everything was okay between my sister and I. I was able to keep that up for about a second, before I realized I was being absolutely foolish.

A knock on my door made me jump, and if it had been any other situation I would've happily welcomed the distraction. Now? Now I was just terrified of the chance that I might have to look my sister in the eye.

I opened the door, and found Eddie outside my room. Why was he always everywhere? I didn't try to hide the frown I knew I had to be wearing upon seeing him, and he didn't seem like he cared.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, placing my hands on my hips.

"I heard your fight with Sydney," he told me, he was acting almost sheepishly, like the way you'd have expected someone who had been eavesdropping on a conversation would act.

"So?" I asked, annoyance shone clearly through my voice.

"I just wanted to make sure you're okay"

"It's not your job to make sure I'm okay" I was surprised by how cold my voice sounded, and the look on Eddie's face turned hard.

"Why do you have to be this way? You're so undependable! One day you're all nice and fun and you act like you're happy here, and the next you're all 'I hate all vampires' and I am getting sick of it"

"Then don't be around me," I snapped, and Eddie surprised me by taking a step closer. My head was screaming at me to take a step back, but my body wouldn't let me. Part of me wanted to what he was going to do.

"I can't! Don't you see? It's not like I want to be chasing you, and want to be treated like crap by you, I just can't help being around you"

I was holding my breath. Eddie was so close to me, as he spoke his lips was just inches from mine, which was surprisingly distracting. Still his words left me confused, and I had to ask.

"Why do you do it then?"

"I think you know" he told me, and leaned closer. His lips were so close to mine, he was going to kiss me. My whole body felt excited and curious and scared and…wrong. It felt wrong. Something inside of me changed, and I pulled away the second before his lips would have touched mine.

"No" I told him, my whole body was shaking, but I wasn't sure whether it was in a good or bad way "No! You can't kiss me!"

It took Eddie a moment to find his voice, and when he did he was still confused "Why?"

"Because I can't. It's not supposed to be…It's wrong. You can't ever kiss me. I am not going to let you"

I wasn't sure who I was trying to convince, him or me, and with my shaking voice I was pretty sure I didn't sound all that convincing.

"Zoe, you're fooling yourself if you're going to pretend you didn't want me to kiss you"

"And you're delusional if you really believe that" I slammed the door.

"Miss? We're getting ready for landing" A flight attendant softly shook my shoulder. I changed my seat to sit upright again, and rubbed my eyes. I hadn't slept at all since my fight with Sydney yesterday, and was surprised by how heavy my head still felt. I was sitting by the aisle, and tried to look out the window but couldn't see anything. I leaned back in my seat, and pretended not to care. I was getting pretty good at that.

As I walked out of the airport a man in a black suit was holding a sign with my name on it.

Zoe Melrose.

Or almost my name, I had only had to live with the fake last name I had been given when moving to Palm Springs for a week, but I was already getting sick of looking at it. I missed being Zoe Sage. She seemed like a lot less confused girl than the one I was now.

The driver took me to a hotel that had been booked for me by Stanton, this was also where we were going to have our meeting.

Once I had unpacked my bags, I texted Stanton to let her now I had arrived. Her answer came a minute after:

Okay. Go to the receptionist and tell her your name, she will lead you to a room where we can talk privately. I will see you in a few minutes.

I wasn't the least bit surprised that Stanton wanted to begin already. The alchemists never wasted time and were known for extreme efficiency.

I did as I was told, and the receptionist led me down a long hallway, which was brightly lit and made me want to squeeze my eyes shut. She stopped at the last door on my right side, and told me to go in.

I opened the door, not allowing myself time to hesitate. As I walked inside I heard the sound of something small hitting the ground. I looked down, and realized I had dropped my necklace. I lifted the heart of gold I always wore on a chain around my neck, and suddenly Sydney's voice rang loud in my heart.

I always knew you had a heart of gold.

Suddenly betrayal ran through me again, stronger and more powerful than before. I felt like it took all my energy to stand up again, because this time I didn't feel the betrayal turned against me. I felt like I was betraying my sister.

I sat down at the table after reattaching the necklace around my neck. Stanton was sitting at the table wearing khaki pants, and a white button-down shirt. She had a pen and paper ready to take notes for what I was about to tell her.

I opened my mouth, ready to tell her all the horrible things I had witnessed since arriving in Palm Springs, but nothing came out.

Stanton started talking, sensing my insecurity.

"So, Zoe, you called and said you had some new information in the case against your sister. Is it true? Is she really having a relationship with a vampire?"

It was typical Stanton to go straight to the point, and I got myself together, knowing exactly what I was going to say. There was only one way to get this thing out of the world forever.

"No, Ma'am" I told her "But I am."