He lifted a walkie-talkie to his face, mumbled into it, and the lights cut off in sync.

I searched the lawn frantically for any sign of Nathan. How would I find him when they were all dressed the same?

One of them pointed in my direction as I gained the door.

"Don't hurt him!" I screamed, dropping Ziggy to the marble floor of the foyer. I laid across him, wincing at the rattle I heard in his chest. "He's human! Don't hurt him!"

Without a word, the killer reached down and lifted Ziggy's legs before he barked at the others filing into the house. "I want a sweep of the grounds, and the house upstairs and down. Max, Amy, get the ground lights, and for God's sake, let's find the Soul Eater! Carrie, get him by the shoulders!"

It was Nathan.

Numb, I grabbed Ziggy under his arms. Seeing the doors were open, I nodded in the direction of the study. It was dark, but my eyes adjusted in time to guide Nathan to the corner farthest from the door. He eased Ziggy to the ground and whipped off his hood to examine the wound.

"It's pretty bad," I said softly. "Even if we got him in an ambulance now-"

"Shut up!" Nathan shouted, lifting Ziggy in his arms. "He's gonna be fine. Aren't you, kid?"

Ziggy's head lolled to the side, and he choked on his blood as he struggled to speak. Only two words came out clearly. One was home.

The other was Dad.

"Yeah. We're going home," Nathan whispered, smoothing Ziggy's hair back from his forehead. "Daddy's got you, and we're going home."

I covered my mouth as a sob threatened to tear from my throat. Outside the door, a war waged. No one knew that in this room, a father held his dying son.No one except us, and the Soul Eater.

I'd forgotten his presence, had even run past his coffin as we'd entered the room without a second thought. Now dread overwhelmed me. My gaze fell on the casket. It was empty, the lid torn off the hinges. "Nathan..."

He would be no help, I realized, as I watched him cradle Ziggy close, half rocking on the hard floor. The sight was too painful. I had to look away.

The Soul Eater was somewhere in the house. Then I remembered the vial of holy water Nathan had given me. I'd tucked it into my bra as I'd dressed for the party. I'd just fished it out when the doorknob rattled. "Nathan!"

He was on his feet beside me, his face expressionless. "Ziggy's dead."

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "Is there anything I can-"

"There's really not time for that now." Nathan stepped in front of me. "Whatever comes through that door, run like hell."

"Excuse me?"

Just then the doors burst open. Cyrus stood in the doorway, rage twisting his burned face.

"I should have known," he hissed as his one remaining eye moved between Nathan and I.

Nathan strode forward. "Simon Seymour, son of Jacob Seymour, by order of the Voluntary Vampire Extinction Movement, I charge you with the destruction of humans, the creation of new vampires, and the crime of aiding your sire, the Soul Eater, in his own offenses. How do you plead?"

A cruel smile formed on Cyrus's lips. "I never plead for anything. Certainly not to a whelp like you."

Nathan stood his ground as Cyrus moved closer. He watched Cyrus warily, as though he were a deadly snake about to strike.

"Dear Nolen. Stupid as ever."

Nathan clenched his fists. "How do you plead to the charges, Cyrus?"

"Does it matter? I'm unarmed, and no match for you, should you choose to strike me down in my weakened and vulnerable state." After a deliberate pause, he added, "Like you did your wife."

Nathan's body, tensed to the breaking point, snapped into motion. As his hands closed around my sire's throat, I wanted to kill him. My heart constricted in grief and horror at the thought Nathan might hurt Cyrus.

"Do you think she'll survive without me?" Cyrus wheezed. "The tie is too strong between us. But that doesn't matter, does it?

You didn't even save the pathetic human boy."

"Shut up," Nathan growled, slamming Cyrus into the wall.

Faintly, through the frantic staccato of my pulse, I heard Cyrus laugh. "You don't really believe you've changed? Just because you've killed a few of the bad guys?"

Nathan crushed Cyrus's head against the wall, and I slumped to the floor, my chest tightening painfully so that I could only take fast, shallow breaths.

When Cyrus spoke, his voice was ragged, but the hate there was unmistakable. "Kill me then, Nolen. It will be worth it to see the satisfaction in your eyes. I'll die knowing you're worthy of our sire's blood." Nathan's hands flexed, squeezing Cyrus's neck with fury, but Cyrus rallied one last time and shoved Nathan backward, hard.

Nathan lost his balance and toppled to the floor. As he pulled himself up, he snarled, "I'm taking her with me."

Cyrus stepped aside, rubbing his neck as he leaned against the wall. "Fine. You're welcome to her."

Before Nathan or I could react, Cyrus lunged forward and grabbed me by the wrist, spinning me into his arms like a dance. "How many pieces would you like to carry her out in? Two?"

He twisted my arm until the long bones of my forearm snapped like dried twigs. I'd never actually broken a bone before. Man, did it hurt.

Screaming in pain and anger like a wounded animal, I flailed my free hand to break the vial I still clutched in my fist. If I had to, I'd spray us both with it.

"What's this?" Cyrus hissed into my ear. "A token of affection from your knight protector?"

He pried my fingers loose and snatched the bottle. Ferocious fingers seized my chin and squeezed my face roughly, forcing my jaw down.

"All this time you let me think I'd created the perfect companion, and you were just waiting to sink the stake into my heart." He popped the lid off the vial and tilted it. A single drop hung on the edge, poised to fall directly into my open mouth. "We're more alike than I thought."

"Don't do it," Nathan warned.

"Why? Because you'll kill me? You've already proved you can't. You'd enjoy it too much." Cyrus tipped the vial a little more.

The suspended drop trembled and I closed my eyes.

I wasn't ready to die. I might not have anything to live for, but an empty life sounded a lot better than an uncertain afterlife.

"Please," I whimpered as best I could with limited movement of my jaw.

"Oh, shut up, Carrie. What a useless specimen you've turned out to be. Did you think you could betray me with no consequence?" His fingers gripped my face tighter. "What were you planning to do? Beg for mercy? Tell me you love me?"

Though it burned my soul to do it, I nodded a little, terrified my movement would bring the liquid onto my flesh. "I do love you." It wasn't completely a lie, but he didn't buy it. I couldn't exactly blame him.

"Do you think I'm stupid? Do you think I didn't sense your betrayal?" He licked my ear. "Every moment I was inside you, I felt your uncertainty. Your fear of me. You never made your choice."

Nathan sucked in a sharp breath, and hot shame flooded my face.

"Oh, does that bother you, Nolen?" Cyrus bit my neck softly. "I bet you thought you were rescuing a pure damsel. Don't let her fool you. She begged for it. She let me use her like a whore and she drank my blood as payment."

"Gentlemen don't kiss and tell," Nathan quipped.

How can he joke at a time like this?

"I never claimed to be a gentleman. Unlike others in this room, I don't deny my true nature."

Cyrus let the drop of holy water fall. I twisted away and it landed on the bare shoulder of my injured arm. The liquid burrowed through my skin and the flesh underneath like a scorching bullet. I bit my lip to stifle my cries."I do wish you'd scream, Carrie. You have such a beautiful scream." He sighed and tipped the bottle again. "Ah, well, just one of the things I'll miss about you."

The vial flew from his hand before he could spill the rest on me, and his grip released. I fell to the floor. I couldn't move my arm, and it felt as if it had been severed from my body while it hung lame at my side.

Nathan pinned Cyrus to the wall, his face changing as he flashed his fangs. The holy water splashed their legs, and smoke rose from the floor where it burned their feet.

Cyrus brought his knee up and kicked Nathan away. He hit the floor and rolled out of reach. I saw Cyrus withdraw a stake from his sleeve. I shouldn't have been surprised that he'd lied about being unarmed.

I jumped on him, sinking my fingernails into his face. One finger slipped into his empty eye socket, and it was all I could do to keep from yanking my hand away in disgust. He twisted violently, dislodging me, but I landed on my feet. When he stopped to wipe the blood from his eyes I was on him again, locking my legs around his waist and pummeling him from behind. He threw himself backward, crushing me between his body and the wall. The breath rushed from my lungs in a great whoosh and I slid to the floor, clutching my chest. He stood over me, ready to strike.

Nathan got to his feet and slammed his elbow into the back of Cyrus's head, bringing him to the ground. Once he was down, Nathan delivered vicious kicks to the back of his head until he stopped struggling.

"Is he dead?" I gasped, using Nathan's proffered arm to climb to my feet.

He didn't look at me. His gaze was locked on Ziggy's motionless body. "No. And he won't be out for long. Let me get Ziggy and we'll go."

As soon as he uttered those words, the doors to the foyer blew off their hinges.

A forceful and foul-smelling wind blew us both against the wall in a shower of wood splinters. Ashes exploded from the cold fireplace as flames leapt up seemingly from nowhere, and the remaining furniture turned over from the magnitude of the blast.

A tall, sickly vampire slid into the room. His eyes burned red, and his long white hair trailed behind him as he floated effortlessly above the ground. Although he looked much older, and though I was nearly overcome by the stench of decay, I recognized him.

It was Cyrus's father.

The Soul Eater.

"Carrie, run!" Nathan shouted. He sprang toward Ziggy's body.

I grabbed him by the arm. "No, Nathan, there's nothing you can do for him!"

The ancient vampire slowly came closer, his bloody, dripping claws outstretched.

"Don't go. I'm so hungry," he said, the sound of many voices speaking all at once.

"Fuck you!" Nathan screamed, and for a moment I thought he'd charge him without a weapon. "You took everything from me!"

He'd totally lost it. I'd never seen anyone so angry. All the resentment and rage that Nathan had been holding back from the world finally surfaced as he howled at the Soul Eater.

The vampire cocked his head, like a child who couldn't understand why he was being punished. "Just let me have a taste. A little taste."

The Soul Eater pointed to me. "You. Come to me." "No!" Nathan grabbed my hand and ran for the door.

"Don't run from me, boy!" The Soul Eater's tone was like fire. "I smell my blood on you! Why do you not serve your master?"

"I will never serve you again."

The assassins poured down the stairs. Some had removed their hoods, and they high-fived each other on a job well done.

"Get out!" Nathan shouted. "The Soul Eater's awake!"

It had never occurred to me their plan might have hinged on the Soul Eater's vegetative state, but power had radiated from the old vampire. Logic and instinct collided in my brain, and I knew even this large number of assassins were no match for his awesome strength.

They knew it, as well. It didn't take them long to move. They ran for the back door, some jumping over the stair railing to save time.

But Nathan had a different exit planned for us. I tripped over my ridiculous shoes and wrenched my ankle. Nathan never missed a beat.

"Hang on," he ordered, scooping me up in his arms. He slung me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and ran out the front door, down the steps and onto the driveway, then across the snow-covered lawn.

"Just a little farther," he repeated over and over, a determined mantra more for his benefit than mine.

I held on to him for dear life with my one usable arm as he struggled to keep his footing on the grass.

Please don't fall and break both of our necks. Not now, not when we're so close to getting away.

The front gate was closed. "Can you climb?"

I wiggled my good arm. "I can try."

"Good enough for me." He boosted me up. I scrambled to the top, but slipped going over and fell to my feet on the pavement.

The wicked heel of my shoe slid from beneath me, further twisting my injured leg. I swore loudly at the pain.

Nathan was at the top when he heard me. He jumped and landed next to me, rolling to his feet. "Can you walk?"

I shook my head. "I don't think so."

He lifted me into his arms and ran across the street, where Ziggy's van waited.

Nathan unlocked the door and dumped me onto the passenger seat. He hopped into the driver's side and started the engine, and I braced myself against the dashboard as he stomped on the gas.

I looked in the rearview and watched as we sped toward safety. Behind us, three black helicopters rose into the night air as the tiny, flickering lights of distant police cars approached.

"You're going to be okay," Nathan said hoarsely. "We're gonna be fine."

I took the assurance at face value, and since there was nothing left for me to do, I slumped against the seat and closed my eyes.