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Together, they pulled the older vah the cave Once outside, they dropped it on top of the pile of bodies the others had brought out Meredith counted quickly and found all four there That was it, the whole group they’d been chasing She felt a bitter satisfaction: She ht be different now, but she could still kill monsters, stillhis fist, and Meredith found herself s at him

For a minute, it felt like they hat Meredith had alanted: a real tea, fast, and strong Meredith could have liked them, would have liked them, if they were true hunters

But that wasn’t quite what this was

She was a spy, she reminded herself She wasn’t really one of them She would never be one of them, she promised herself, not even if she never found the cure

"Good work, everybody," Jack said, as he looked over the heap of bodies

Adaazed at hi, and Meredith felt ill Even if she found a cure for what Jack had done to them all, the others were already lost They loved Jack They loved what they’d beco and sipped fro so fast it blurred, and they both laughed

The hunt over, Adaan to pour it over the bodies They’d burn them to make sure they were dead and to keep curious hu across a pile of corpses Sadie and Conrad, hand in hand, wandered a little farther into the woods Meredith was heading over to offer Adam her help when she saw Jack lead Nick farther downhill, holding tightly to his aret away

There was soed course to follow She walked quietly, keeping her shield up as Jack had taught her Breathe Count Hide your aura They didn’t glance back at her, but she was careful to keep in the shelter of the trees anyway Her , she squeezed her hands anxiously into fists Surely, now that she’d been changed, her palh away from the caves that even a vampire shouldn’t have been able to eavesdrop, Jack and Nick stopped and began to talk, their voices low and their heads together Edging to the other side of a nearby oak tree, her hands on its rough bark, Meredith stopped, too, and held her breath, listening hard

She couldn’t hear what they were saying at first--their voices were too low She gritted her teeth, frustrated Did she dare risk getting closer?

But then Jack’s voice rose, furious "What do you mean, you haven’t found her?" he said His face reddened, and with a quick, violent ainst a tree Lanky Nick ducked back, twisting his body away fro "I’ot to be near here," Jack said, his tone dark He leaned into Nick’s face, spitting the words at hio of Nick, Jack turned away Then, efficiently and viciously, he snatched a tree branch froround beside theh Nick’s chest Nick screa at the branch

Meredith couldn’t hold back her gasp of horror It’ll heal, she re her hand over herup the hill "Meredith?" he called

No Her body tensed to run, but he knew she was there

Meredith took a deep breath, smoothed her hair, and stepped out from behind the tree "Hi," she said, careful to keep her face cheerful and her voice light and unconcerned "Uhter To burn the bodies"

Behind Jack, Nick strained to pull the branch froroan as it slowly slid out "Nick?" Meredith asked, trying to sound confused "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Nick breathed, his eyes glassy He wiped the sweat and tears fro, but his shirt was stained with blood, and his voice hitched as if he was barely holding back a sob

"Nick and I had a disagree at Meredith with a speculative expression, and her sto in his pocket, he walked toward her His eyes were fixed on her, curiously blank, and Meredith steeled herself, trying not to flinch backward

When he was a few steps away, he stopped and held out a so" When Meredith looked up at him, he smiled

She forced her body to relax, and sht her excuse She would have to be h, in case he was suspicious That had been too close

And as the "she" Jack had been searching for? Meredith’s heart sped up, and she took a steadying breath, willing her pulse back to normal

Jack had a secret No matter what it took, she would find out what it was

Chapter 12

Matt cleared his throat and looked up at the clock on the wall of the ER waiting roo his feet with impatience

The air seemed suffused with a coether, pressing ice or bandages to the out paperith exhausted expressions on their faces In the chair closest to Matt, a tired-looking older man held a cup of coffee with both hands as he leaned forward tensely, his gaze fixed on the door of one of the exa from one foot to the other, embarrassed by the naked fear in the man’s eyes