The evening after, I move towards the rendezvous point given by Theo. It is close to the castle and densely wooded. I turn my gaze to the castle. It's an enormous structure rising toward the night sky, surrounded by a tall wall, and a line of guards walking its perimeter. It is a perfect place for the three vampires to guard during the night.

Right now, I am nervous as I stand waiting for him. I know that I need to do this—things would be harder if I didn't. Yet, I can't shake the feeling of anxiety as my meeting with him looms ever closer.

“Kaiya.”

I spin around at...