Aaand we're back with Thomas! This is one of those chapters where I'm really glad I have an outline for the whole story, because time jumps are sometimes real difficult to write jajaja. Either way, hope you all enjoy!

June 25th, Six and a Half Years Ago I

Everything felt sharp.

That was the only way to describe the sensation of walking through the Raith mansion. Every sense, from sight to smell to touch, was sharp. The light filtering through the windows was bright, and I could count every ray of light that passed through the crystal chandeliers above me. I could smell the wooden floor, even through the thick layer of lacquer. I could feel the individual strands of fabric in the new V-neck shirt Lara gave me. The simple shirt was soft, and probably more expensive than nearly everything I've owned for the past 13 years.

I should have been overwhelmed. By the sights, the sounds. The Turn.

Really says something about me that I wasn't.

I kept pace with my sister, strolling down the polished floors with as much confidence as I could pull out. It was easier, somehow, now that I could fully take in the effects of the Turn. My legs were stronger. My posture was perfect. It took little effort for me to match Lara's speed—which was quick, even as she stalked forward in tall heels—and there was a difference in my personality, too.

You walk taller when you know you look good. When you've put effort into yourself and know others recognize it. Well, it turns out the White Court vampires don't even need to put in the effort.

With every glance at whatever polished surface we walked by, I caught a glimpse of my reflection. My face was stronger, more polished. My gray eyes—no longer blue—were sharp and shining. It made my stare look intense instead of nervous. My curled hair fell around my face in waves that were so perfect you'd never think it was natural. It was definitely more perfect than I could ever get it to look when I was human.

I looked good. I looked really good. I didn't even need my glasses anymore. The Turn had fixed my near-sightedness, just like it fixed the scar I had on my stomach from my appendectomy a couple of years ago. I'd forgotten what it was like to walk around without the feeling of glasses slowly falling down my nose.

It almost distracted me from the fact that I could maybe die today. Or at least sign my own death warrant.

Don't go seeking death just yet, boy, my demon rasped. Its voice, low and growling, echoed in my head, without a way for me to shut it up. You don't get to run away from this. Not when I've waited this long to meet you.

The demon hissed, but I could sense it was wary. That's the perk of it being inside my head, I suppose. It could hear me, and talk to me, whenever it wanted. But that also meant I knew exactly what it was feeling, too.

You'll get used to it, my demon said. After this, let's go out for a bite. My first meal was… rough. I'd like something pleasant this time. Something that'll make you stop thinking.

You really think I'll satisfy your warped palate? I thought in return. I barely share my stuff with Harry, even when the kid actually asks for it. What makes you think I'll give in to you?

Because you already have, the demon hissed. And you know it.

It was right.

For a member of House Raith, 18 is a pretty standard age for a vampire to Turn. According to Lara, at least. She'd told me some things, after I'd fully recovered at the mansion, but there was a look in her eyes. There was something else on her mind. Something about my Hunger.

Either way, it's not like it changed much. I'd finally earned my gray eyes, and that meant I'd also earned an audience with Lord Raith himself.

"What do I call him?" I asked.

Lara glanced at me. Now that I'd Turned, she and I looked even more alike. Aside from my more angular jawline, courtesy of my mother, she and I had the same facial structure. Though her long hair was less wavy than mine, she and I shared the same cheekbones and noses. And now, the same eyes.

Lara's beautiful, and I don't mean that just because she'd stab me with her heel if I didn't say so. I mean that she is actually gorgeous, to the point where I'm sure she'd become someone's trophy wife just so she could kill them and run away with the trust fund. At the moment she was wearing a tight-fitting white dress that hugged the curves of her body, alongside diamond earrings that matched her necklace.

"Father would be best," she said. "You could risk other names, but I wouldn't recommend it for a few decades. And even then, one of my sisters threw herself off a cliff after she called him 'Daddy-O' in an official session of the Courts, so I'd advise against it."

A lump formed in my throat. "Who was it?"

"It was before you were born."

I nodded slowly. "What was her name?"

Lara paused, like she was surprised at the question. "Maria," she said softly. "You would've liked her. She had a talent for getting on my nerves."

"Younger siblings tend to do that," I said.

"They do." Lara smiled, but there was a faraway look in her eyes. The kind that made them lose some of their bright gray shine. "But some of them are more annoying than others."

I scoffed. I might only have one younger sibling, but I can't imagine him as anything but annoying. He always goes through my stuff, wakes me up just because he's bored, and sometimes randomly jumps on top of me 'because it's funny'. Seriously, he—

My throat closed up.

Harry…

Uh-oh, the demon rasped. Thinking about that pesky little human again? That won't do you good here, boy. Not after everything.

It won't, but I couldn't help it.

God, how did this all get so fucked up? I knew everything was going to change for me. Ever since I was 14, I knew, and I'd accepted it. I'd accepted that I was going to Turn into a creature that had no business being around Harry, and that I'd have to leave. I knew that.

So why did it still hurt so much?

"You knew," I rasped. "You knew how I'd Turn."

"Yes," Lara said.

I took in a shaky breath to push down the anger in my throat. "Did you arrange it?"

"… There was a chance you wouldn't Turn."

I understood what Lara meant by those words. She might be a player of the White Court, but she was still my sister. And if I knew her as well as I thought I did, as long as she doesn't get thrown under the bus, she won't hurt me. She might hurt me to save her own skin, but nothing beyond that.

If I hadn't Turned that night, I'd be dead. I know that for a fact. So, no, Lara didn't arrange it.

But she also didn't try to stop it.

"It wasn't personal," Lara said. "It was simply what had to happen."

"Did you have to drag them into it, too?" I snarled.

"I didn't ask for the Dresdens to be involved," Lara said sharply. "My only order was to stay out of sight, and bring you back home when it was done."

A loud laugh echoed through the hallway. "And it's about damn time."

I turned to the sound of the voice. A woman with short hair, cut close to the skull, turned the corner to face us. I hadn't heard her walk over, which meant that she must've already been there.

"Hey, baby brother." The woman grinned, and her lip piercing shined under the chandelier's light. "You grew up."

My chest tightened, to the point where I could only say one word. "Elisa."

I have a lot of sisters. Eight of them, if I remember right. Aside from Lara, I haven't seen any of them in years, even though I wanted to. Sounds crazy, right? Wanting to know more about a family of modern-day succubi. But I did. Mom might have given birth to me, but for the first five years of my life, my sisters raised me as much as my mother did, if not more.

Some of them I remember well, others not so much. But that's what happens when your mom steals you away from home when you're still mixing up your left and right. Your memories of the past get blurred, crossed together. To the point where I've forgotten which details belong to which sister.

I know one of them always wears skirts, and likes to spend hours braiding her hair. Another one would always take me outside, to run around the mansion's giant backyard. And there's one who, though I can't remember her face, always wore strong perfumes. I remember they smelled of lilacs, roses, and gardenias.

But out of all of them, there are three I remember the most. Sure, that's because they're the ones who spent the most time in Chicago, where Mom was basically held captive, but that's just how it goes.

One of my earliest memories is with my sister Natalia, watching the Cubs play at Wrigley field. She would take me to games and explain the rules to me; get me cotton candy when I asked why Mom couldn't come with us. Lara was the sister I saw most often, probably because she was in charge of the day-to-day stuff of raising me. Stuff like getting me dressed and tucking me into bed. And then there was Elisa, who would barge into my room, tell me to grab my shoes, and take me on a joyride in Lara's brand-new Mustang.

Elisa was always the most fun.

In terms of appearance, she hasn't changed much. She still has the same nose as me and Lara, but with a rounder face and thinner lips. She has more piercings than before, especially around her ears, but she still has the same diamond rhinestone on her nostrils. She was roughly half a head shorter than me in a set of gray platform sneakers, so taller than average height. Her leather pants were tight, and her black shirt was so sheer it was nearly see-through. She'd dyed her hair to give it highlights, but her roots were already growing back in. She was as stunningly beautiful as she'd ever been. And she was here.

I was looking at my sister.

I didn't know what to say—because what do you say to a sister you haven't seen in over a decade—but Elisa didn't wait for me to figure it out. She just strolled over and pulled me into a hug that sucked the air out of me. Once I'd forced air back into my lungs, I returned the hug with equal force. It hurt. Elisa's arms with like vices around me, and my arms ached with the force in which I held onto her. I didn't care. I just closed my eyes and held on tight.

Memories of my early childhood came rushing back to me. Unlike my other sisters, Elisa spent most of her time with me at night. She would sneak me out of my bedroom at night and take me to hers. We'd watch movies on her brand-new VHS player while snacking on movie-theater grade popcorn, and you can bet that none of the flicks were kid-friendly. I still remember the time she fell asleep before I did, and I, being a kid, went through her collection of VHS tapes.

I woke her up to ask why there were two naked ladies on a case cover. I'll never forget how she laughed and gave me, a five-year-old, a basic rundown on the concept of scissoring. Did I understand any of it? No. But in hindsight, that should've been the first clue that my family wasn't normal.

God, I missed her.

"I heard about the school," Elisa said. She released me, and we broke apart from the hug. "Hell of a way to Turn, little brother. If you weren't a man, I daresay Dad would be impressed."

Guilt crawled up my spine. I turned away.

"Stop," Elisa ordered. "First, don't do that. Keep your emotions in check, and your eyes on me."

I closed my eyes and sucked in a breath. The feeling of guilt still nagged at my skull, but I pushed it away. Turning back to Elisa, I raised my head and looked her in the eye.

"Better." Elisa clicked her tongue. "But lose the cockiness. You keep your eyes on our father, but don't make eye contact. That's too familiar."

"But don't look away?" I huffed. "Make up your mind, Elisa."

She shrugged. "Not my mind to make up. You gotta find a middle ground. Submissive enough that he'll like it, but not enough that you look pathetic. If he sees you as a kicked puppy, that's weakness. You don't want to show that around him."

"Giving sensible advice, are we?" Lara asked. I barely caught myself from flinching. After seeing Elisa, I'd almost forgotten she was here, too. "It only took you a few decades. What's next? You'll actually learn how to maintain my car properly?"

Elisa grinned. "As if you don't like the upgrades I've given it. I mean, come on, the Porsche has never looked better."

Lara sighed in exasperation. I hid a laugh behind my hand.

It's been so long since I've seen my sisters, I'd forgotten about moments like these. Moments where I wasn't the only one who could and would bug Lara.

"As I was saying," Elisa said, her grin fading away. "Find the middle ground with Dad. His daughters he likes submissive, but his sons? Too meek, and he'll see you as a weak link in the Court. He can't have that in front of Malvora and Skavis."

I glanced at Lara. "Other Houses of the Court," she explained.

"That doesn't mean you get to puff up your chest like you're in control," Elisa continued. "That's enough of a challenge for him to decide right then when you'll die. Which'll probably be sooner than later."

"You seemed concerned for me, Elisa," I said. I forced a smirk onto my face. "Is that wise? Like you said, I could get a bounty on my head before our first family dinner."

"Probably not." Elisa shrugged one shoulder. She paused, considering something, before speaking again. "But as you know, love is patient. It's kind. It doesn't envy, it doesn't boast. It is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it's not self-seeking, and keeps no record of wrongs. It protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres. When I was a child, I talked like a child. I thought like a child. When I became a woman, I put the ways of childhood behind me. Now I know in part, and then I shall know fully. Even when I am fully known."

"And now these three remain," I said, continuing the passage. "Faith, hope and love."

"And the greatest of these is love." Elisa huffed. "Unfortunately."

I felt tears burn behind my eyes. "You haven't seen me since I was five."

"And I still love ya." Elisa smiled, but it was strained. "I don't know how many years you've got left, but I've missed enough of them already. Figure you owe me at least a couple before you're pushing daisies."

"And you owe me at least a decade without your warped sense of humor," Lara interjected.

"You know you love me, sis." Elisa turned back to me. "But seriously… Get out of there without a knife to your throat. At least for Natalia's sake. Her flight doesn't get in until tomorrow."

"Natalia?" I said. I let out a quiet breath. I tried to keep my tone light, but emotions tinged my voice. Fear, joy, sadness. All of it. Everything I felt in that long, echoing hallway. "She remembers me, too?"

"We all do," Lara said. "Emilia, Ines, Felicia—"

"Gisela," Elisa added.

"Whom we will speak about," Lara said, very deliberate, and very slowly. "At a later time."

Elisa blew out a puff of air. "Ah, that's right. You were probably too young to remember the attic."

I raised my eyebrows. Lara gave Elisa a pointed look, to which Elisa rolled her eyes.

"So it's a whole family reunion," I said. "So is everyone skipping their hair dye appointments, or is it just you?"

Elisa stuttered before snorting. Loudly. "Hah. Cheeky," she said. "That'll work with us. Not him."

A pit of fear filled my body. I nearly stumbled as I realized where it'd come from. Part of it was my own emotion, how couldn't it be? But the rest of the fear… came from my demon.

It did not, the demon hissed. I'm just making sure you stay on your toes.

You say that, I thought. But remember, I can't hide from you, and you can't hide from me.

The demon went quiet. The fear remained.

"Mind your words until you're out," Elisa ordered. "Scratch that. Mind 'em until Nat gets here. It's been a few decades since we've had a baby brother, and I know she's missed 'em."

With that, Elisa nodded and strolled down the direction I'd come. I watched her walk away, until Lara put her hand and my shoulder and spun me to face her.

"Walk tall," my sister said. "No matter what."

My throat bobbed, but I nodded anyway. "I will."

Lara dropped her hand from my shoulder. She turned and continued leading me down the hallway, toward the dining room I remember I was never allowed into. That was the grown-ups' dining room, Lara had told me as a child. I'd only be allowed in when I was ready.

I was ready now, it seems, because Lara stopped in front of a tall gray door with a silver handle. She pulled it open. With my new enhanced hearing, I could hear how the sparkling hinges creaked just the tiniest bit, but nothing else. The demon that had been rasping in my head ever since I Turned had gone silent. I could still feel it, but it was watching. Waiting.

Cowering.

Lara walked into the dining room, and I followed behind.

After 13 years, it was time to meet Lord Raith.

An image of Dad—my real dad, the one who actually raised me and cared for me—flashed in my head. I saw the image of him staring up at me, half-covered in blood. Him whispering, "No," over and over again. Then came an image of my little brother, eyes wide with tears tracks lining his face. I remembered him screaming my name as I fell unconscious.

That was the last memory I had of them. The last memory I might ever have of them.

And here I was, hundreds of miles away, in a mansion I half-remembered with sisters who are half-preparing for my inevitable death, off to meet the man Mom risked her life to get me away from.

I love my sisters—even the ones I haven't met since I was a kid. The tightness in my chest I felt at just seeing Elisa proved that. And now, I'm home, as a full vampire of the White Court, here to claim the Raith name. I'm with my family.

And all it took was leaving the rest of my family behind.

A surge of dread rushed through me the moment I entered the dining room, and I knew, with every fiber of my soul, that I'd done more than enough to deserve it.