We were all quiet as the limo set out to deliver us to the mansion. I looked at the faces of my companions and tried to guess what they were thinking, how they were feeling.

Jessica appeared worried and thoughtful. She was staring out the window to her left, but her eyes had that distant look in them that told me she wasn't really seeing anything outside. She was lost in thought, and her thoughts troubled her.

Reuben had a look of grim resolve and acceptance to him. He looked like a man who knew he was going to die, but was determined not to make it easy.

The look on Tara's face tore at my heart. She looked anxious, but more than that she looked sad. She didn't look like she was scared of what was coming though. It was more like she was grieving for whatever else her life might have been instead, if things had gone differently.

I think if it were possible, she'd probably have had tears in her eyes. And for the first time since I died I was glad I couldn't cry, because that look on her face would have been enough to set me off a second time tonight.

I already felt guilty and ashamed for how I broke down earlier. I hated letting people see me as vulnerable, and I especially hated admitting that I really was as immature as I looked. I was sure Jessica and Reuben probably lost whatever respect they had left for me this evening. I figured that's why Jess suggested we run rather than fight. She probably realized I didn't really have it in me.

Rather than dwell on that any longer, I forced myself to think about the situation we were in now. The first question I had was how did Isabelle know the four of us were together at the apartment. She must have known at least a half hour before her message, since she had enough time to order Eric to come get us.

I could only think of two answers.

Maybe they were tracking our phones. That would show them Jess and Reuben were together at my place. And depending how long they were tracking they may have known I was waiting at the subway station for Jess. And they may have known Reuben was over visiting Jess. Tara wasn't given a phone so they couldn't be sure where she was, but it wouldn't be much of a guess to assume she was with me.

The other possibility was one of my friends betrayed me somehow. Maybe after I admitted we hunted last night, or maybe after I shared Isabelle's letter. Maybe it was after I let them see her journal. I didn't notice anything, I didn't see either of them sending a text or doing anything else suspicious. On the other hand I wasn't watching them constantly. Now I realized I should have.

I knew it was a possibility one or both might turn on us or attack us. I was ready for a fight. It never occurred to me they might play along with things while secretly alerting Isabelle.

In the end it didn't really matter how it happened. The choice was made for us, we were being taken to the matriarch. All I could do now was hope we had enough of an advantage to give us a chance. I was Isabelle's wild-card, and Tara was mine. Nobody knew she had half the ancient blood. I hoped nobody knew she was carrying that gun. And if they did, I hoped they wouldn't realize till it was too late that the gun was loaded with silver.

We were nearly at the mansion now, only about five minutes out. I turned and looked through the window into the front compartment and asked, "Hey Eric? How are things at the mansion? Any strange stuff happen in the last week or two?"

He kept his eyes on the road but replied, "Yes ma'am. Three more of your crew seem to have vanished since Sally died. Anthony went missing on Monday, then Marcus on Tuesday. And Gwen disappeared on Thursday."

Eric kept his voice fairly level but he sounded stressed. I figured he knew as well as the rest of us that seriously bad stuff was going on. There was probably very little he could do about it though. He was old, but he wasn't trained to fight. He was pretty much at the mercy of the Family, like almost everyone else.

"Thanks Eric," I sighed.

As I settled back down in my seat, he added "Ma'am? Just a random bit of trivia for you, I don't know if this would ever be of interest. But all the vehicles in the livery are kept with the keys in the ignition."

That caught me by surprise. Not so much that they left the keys in the cars, but that he made a point of telling me. It left me wondering. Maybe he was suggesting a possible means of escape.

I didn't even know what vehicles the Family had, apart from the Caddy and that panel van. I hadn't seen the old Lincoln in over a decade, I assumed they got rid of it when they got the Cadillac. The livery building had five garage doors, so I figured it held at least five cars. There may have been more, the building was big enough that they could park cars two-deep inside.

I was still mulling over that as we turned into the driveway.

The next surprise came when we drove past the mansion. I was expecting to be dropped off at the front door as usual. Instead we were taken further back onto the property.

In fact, we drove straight up to the livery, and one of the garage doors rose up to allow us in.

The interior of the building was dimly lit, and Eric switched off the headlights as he pulled inside. To our left were a few other vehicles. I saw the old Lincoln was still there, and next to it was the panel van. I couldn't see if there were any other cars on the far side of the van.

To the right was empty floor space. The floor was poured concrete, the walls were cinder block. It was all very utilitarian. There was a door in the back corner on the right, and another door in the wall just in front of the limo as we came to a stop.

The garage door started closing now that we were inside, and Eric cut the ignition.

"Good luck," he said quietly as he exited the car. He walked forward and disappeared through the door in front of us.

The four of us sat quietly for a moment, then Reuben sighed "May as well get this over with."

He opened the door and stepped out, followed by Jessica. I went next, and finally Tara emerged as well. We were all sort of lined up next to the limo, with no indication what to expect. I wasn't sure if we should stay here or if we were meant to go somewhere else. Tara was to my right, Reuben stood to my left, and Jessica was on the far side of Reuben.

I decided there was something I needed to say, before it was too late.

I looked to my right and put an arm around Tara's shoulders and said, "Tara? Whatever happens here, I need you to know something."

She looked up at me. She was still looking nervous, and sad. She didn't say anything, she just looked into my eyes.

I took a breath then I finally said it.

"I love you Tara. I think I always have. Maybe right from the first time we met."

Her eyes widened as my words sank in. She gulped, and her lips parted slightly. She whispered, "I -"

"Oh how very touching," Isabelle's voice interrupted whatever Tara was about to say. "And quite disgusting."

The door in front of the limo swung open again as Isabelle walked in. She was carrying that big executioners axe in her left hand. I noticed her aura of fear was missing. Or if she was still casting it, I couldn't feel it anymore.

Cynthia followed, and she was armed too. She held a modern hunting crossbow in her arms. It was loaded and drawn, and even from here I could see the bolt had strips of silver running down its length. There were two more identical silver-lined broad-head bolts held in clips on either side beneath the bow. Cyn was wearing gloves, I assumed that was so she could handle the bolts as opposed to her being worried about leaving fingerprints behind.

Finally two more vamps followed, they were both unarmed. I hadn't met either of them before but I could tell they were very old and very strong. Two of the four elders, I assumed.

The four of them all sort of lined up in front of the four of us. Isabelle stood across from me, with Cynthia to the left. To the right of Isabelle was the elder woman, and at the end on the right was the man.

It felt a little like the final show-down in one of those old western movies, two rival gangs facing off against each other. Except we were in a dimly-lit garage with a Cadillac limo at our backs, and our enemies were all smartly dressed.

I knew when the fighting started Isabelle would be the main threat. The two elders would be almost as dangerous. Cynthia had the bow, but after her first shot she'd need time to reload. I figured if I could make enough of a diversion without getting hit, that would buy Tara time to get her gun out and start shooting.

Everyone was silent for a few moments as we all just stared at each other. Finally it was Isabelle who spoke up.

"Jessica, step forward."

Jess glanced at the rest of us, she looked anxious. I wondered if Isabelle planned on executing us all one at a time while the rest watched. And if that was the case I wondered who'd be last. Probably me, she'd want me to see all my friends die first.

With Jess standing midway between me and Isabelle, the matriarch asked "Tell me Jessica, what have you to report?"

Jessica stepped further forward and to the left, she took her place to the left of Cynthia as she replied "Reuben has been hoarding blood. Not a violation of our laws, but frowned upon regardless. That is why he wasn't affected by the tainted batch, he's still consuming blood from earlier deliveries."

Jess continued, "Samantha and Tara however both admitted to breaking the Covenant. They hunted and fed on a human last night, and they plan to do so again. They suggested they could show Reuben and I how to do it too. They are also guilty of sedition, they spoke to us of either abandoning the Family or attacking it."

Reuben and I were both staring at Jess now. I was just disappointed, but he looked angry. I couldn't help but note though, Jessica didn't say a word about the letter, the ancient blood, Isabelle's journal, or any of that other stuff we shared with her. I wondered if she was perhaps keeping that back to give me a chance. Maybe she regretted her betrayal, or maybe it wasn't entirely her choice.

"Excellent work Jessica," Isabelle stated. "You have secured your place among us. Molly, James, I trust you'll agree with that decision?"

The two elders on the right both nodded, the woman stated "Agreed. Jessica will be spared."

Our matriarch's attention returned to me as she asked, "Samantha, have you any last words before you're destroyed?"

"Yeah," I replied. "I have a couple questions. First, is the real Isabelle still in there somewhere? Or is she truly dead? And second, how the hell do you pronounce slug marb? Or can I just say slug marbles? Because that's the thing that keeps coming into my head."

Nobody laughed, not that I expected them to. None of them reacted at all to my questions, or the revelation that I knew or suspected what the elders really were. Isabelle answered my first question though.

She gave me a cold, hard look. Then she smiled, but her eyes remained just as cold. "Isabelle is quite dead. And she was delicious. The three of you are all a little young for our tastes Samantha, but that won't stop us from consuming you."

As she finished speaking she made a gesture with her left hand, and Cynthia raised the crossbow. The stock was pressed against her shoulder and she aimed down the bolt. It was pointed directly at my heart, and at only four or five meters away there was little chance she'd miss.

The look on Cyn's face made it clear she'd been looking forward to this moment for a very long time.

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