“Are you sure about this?” Beni asked, cutting her eyes to the basement door.

“Not really, no,” I admitted. “But he’s our only lead.”

Whatever Dad might think, this wasn’t about rushing off to confront...her. This was about Evan, and I would do anything it took to get him back. Anything. Even break a taboo.

“I’ll be waiting right by the door,” Beni said, punching her own palm. “Just yell.”

Despite everything, I smiled at Beni’s spunk. “I will.”

With that, I took a deep breath and headed into the basement.

Ira had lived through the Presence, after all. By the look of him, though, it hadn’t been a pleasant experience. He sat in the center of the circle, arms around his legs, head in his knees.

As I walked down the stairs, he raised his head and hissed at me. I wasn’t too proud to admit I felt a twinge of fear. Black eyes, narrowed in rage, stared at me. His skin had grown even paler, the veins visible even from a distance.

“Are you finally going to kill me now?” He spat. “Just get it over with.”

Swallowing, I came up to the edge of the circle. “No. I wanna make a deal.”

He snorted. “Everything my mom ever told me about Slayers is true. I’ve been down here for hours, craving, why would I believe you?”

“Because you’re my only option,” I said. “I have no reason to lie.”

He canted his head, looking me up and down. “They were here, weren’t they?”

“The vila?” He froze when I said their name. “Yes, they were here.”

Those big, black eyes blinked. “How did you get away?”

Actually, I wasn’t sure. How had my dad made an hours-long drive in minutes? There had been no time to ask him.

“They took my partner, instead,” I said.

“You mean your boyfriend?” He sneered. “I can smell it, you know. Him in you.”

I flushed. I’d always known vampires had enhanced senses, of course. But it had never felt so invasive.

“That’s none of your business.”

“Did you tell him about today?” He asked, almost sly. “About the way you wanted to kiss me by the falls?”

“I didn’t!” I snapped, then cursed myself. Shouldn’t rise to the bait.

“See,” he seethed. “Lies.”

I took a deep breath. “Okay, look. Show me the vila’s lair, and I’ll let you go--”

But he was already shaking his head. “No way. Death would be better.”

“You don’t have to go in with me,” I said, trying not to let frustration color my voice. “Just show me where it is.”

“They’ll kill you.” His voice was flat, utterly certain. “In an instant.”

“What have you got to lose, then?”

“Everything,” he said dully. “I fear them far more than you.”

After the demonstration of their powers in the woods, I guess I didn’t blame him. I wouldn’t be very scared of me either, compared to that. So maybe fear wasn’t the way to go. Time to sweeten the pot.

“You mentioned you were craving,” I tried instead. “What if...what if I fed you?”

He bared his teeth again, and it had no right to be as scary as it was.

“Don’t toy with me.”

I held my chin up. “I’m not.”

“You call it feeding, but it’s not like hunger,” he said, hands clenching against his legs. “It’s more like breathing. Necessary and immediate. You can ignore hunger when you can’t eat right away, but when you can’t breathe... Can you imagine what it feels like, suffocating down here for hours? Do you even care?”

For the first time, I felt a twinge of guilt. “I...I didn’t know it felt like that.”

“You didn’t care enough to know,” he shot back. “I’m just a monster, to you. Not a person.”

I pulled my sword free, and he went still, eyes on the blade. I held the edge against my palm, the red line from my birthday finally closed enough not to need a bandage.

“Do you want my blood or not?” I didn’t let my voice shake. I’d never offered a vampire my blood before. If I’d been asked before Evan went missing, I would have said I’d rather die.

“The hand doesn’t bleed enough,” he said, raising his eyes. “I’ll take it from your neck.”

“No,” I said, heart pounding.

“Then I guess you don’t love your boyfriend as much as you think,” he smirked.

I turned away from him, dropping my sword. Evan needed me, and there was no time to waste. I closed my eyes. Fathers of our Fathers, I prayed, forgive what I’m about to do.

“Fine,” I whispered.

“What was that?” Except for the edge of hatred in his voice, the playful tone almost sounded like his old self.

“You heard me.” I turned back around. “Vampire oaths involve blood, right? If you take mine, just enough to heal without killing me, you have to swear to lead me to the vila in exchange.”

We stared each other down for a long moment. Then...

“I swear,” he whispered.

Before I could stop myself, I swung my sword against the ground right through Espy’s circle. There was a flash of blue as her circle fell.

And then his teeth were in my neck.