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"It was not his place," Mr Crepsley said "As youryou I am sure he would have told me about it, so that I could have sat doith you and explained it, but there was no time - Mr Tiny arrived and we had to leave the Mountain"

"You said Darren would grow during the purge," Harkat said "How ," Mr Crepsley said "Potentially, he could mature to adulthood in the space of a few e a few years, but probably no more"

"You ine so"

I thought about that for a while, then grinned "Cool!"

But the purge was far fro off all the hair was bad enough - Mr Crepsley used a long, sharp blade, which scrapedwereMy nails and teeth grew - I had to bite ht to keep theer Within weeks I was five centirowth pains

My senses were in a state of disarray Slight sounds wereThe dullest of s My sense of taste deserted an to understand what life must be like for Harkat and made a resolution never to tease hihts were blinding to ht in the sky, and if I openedtwo fiery pins into them - the inside of my head would flare with a ht is like for full-vampires?" I asked Mr Crepsley one day, as I shivered beneath a thick blanket, eyes shut tight against the painful rays of the sun

"Yes," he said "That is e avoid even short periods of exposure to daylight The pain of sunburn is not especially great - not for the first ten or fifteen lare of the sun is instantly unbearable"

I suffered with ie, a result of htto explode, and I’d weep helplessly fro effects He bound light strips of cloth across my eyes - I could still see pretty well - and stuffed balls of grass into my ears and up my nostrils That was uncohter didn’t help - but the headaches lessened

Another side-effect was a fierce surge of energy I felt as if I was operating on batteries I had to run ahead of Mr Crepsley and Harkat at night, then double back to meet them, just to tire myself out I exercised like crazy every time we stopped - push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups - and usually woke long before Mr Crepsley, unable to sleep more than a couple of hours at a time I climbed trees and cliffs, and swam across rivers and lakes, all in an effort to use up y I’d have wrestled an elephant if I’d found one!

Finally, after six weeks, the tur I didn’t have to shave any er bald!) I rerass balls, and in with

I was about seven centie hit me, and noticeably broader The skin on htly older appearance - I looked like a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old now

Most ie hadn’t eliminated my human blood cells The downside of that was I’d have to undergo the discoain in the future On the plus side I could continue to enjoy sunlight for the ti to abandon it forever in favour of the night

Although I was keen to become a full-vampire, I’d oing back I accepted that, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous This way, I had months - perhaps a year or two - to prepare rown my clothes and shoes, so I had to stock up at a sain) In an ar a couple of purple shirts to reen pair of trousers As I was paying for the clothes, a tall, leana brown shirt, black trousers and a baseball cap "I need supplies," he grunted at thea list at hiuns," the shopkeeper said, running an eye over the scrap of paper

"I’ve got one" The ht ofertips - where I’d been blooded by Mr Crepsley - were clear

The man relaxed instantly and turned away - but I was sure he’d recognized the scars and knehat I was Hurrying froe of town and told them what had happened

"Was he nervous?" Mr Crepsley asked "Did he follohen you left?"

"No He just went stiff when he saw the h he hadn’t seen them But he knehat the marks meant - I’htfully "Humans who know the truth about vampire marks are uncommon, but some exist In all probability he is an ordinary person who has siertips"

"But he ht be a vampire hunter," I said quietly

"Vaht it over, then decided "We will proceed as planned, but keep our eyes open, and you or Harkat will remain on watch by day If an attack cohtly and touched the handle of his knife "And waiting"