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"I'm a vampire," Simon said "I've been one for about two months now I'm sorry I didn't tell you before I didn't kno"

Elaine Lewis's face was chalk white "Vampires don't exist, Simon"

"Yes," he said "They do Look, I didn't ask to be a vae it if I could" He thought wildly back to the pa out to your parents It had seey then; now it didn't

"You think you're a vampire," Simon's mother said numbly "You think you drink blood"

"I do drink blood," Sietarian" His e of tears

"I was I'm not now I can't be Blood is what I live on" Siht "I've never hurt a person I'd never drink someone's blood I'm still the same person I' for control "Your new friends-are they vaht of Isabelle, Maia, Jace He couldn't explain Shadowhunters and olves, too It was too much "No But-they know I as? Make you take so that would make you hallucinate?" She seemed to have barely heard his answer

"No Mom, this is real"

"It's not real," she whispered "You think it's real Oh, God Siet you help We'll find soo to a doctor, Mom"

"Yes, you can You need to be somewhere A hospital, maybe-"

He held out his wrist to her "Feel my pulse," he said

She looked at him, bewildered "What?"

"My pulse," he said "Take it If I have one, okay I'll go to the hospital with you If not, you have to believe me"

She wiped the tears fro taking care of Simon's father when he'd been sick, she kne to take a pulse as well as any nurse She pressed her index fingertip to the inside of his wrist, and waited

He watched as her face changed, from misery and upset to confusion, and then to terror She stood up, dropping his hand, backing away froe and dark in her white face "What are you?"

Simon felt sick "I told you I'm a vampire"

"You're not"What kind of living thing doesn't have a pulse? What kind of monster are you? What have you done with my child?"

"I am Simon-" He took a step toward his mother

She screamed He had never heard her screaain It was a horrible noise

"Get away froan to whisper "Barukh ata Adonai sho', Simon realized with a jolt She was so terrified of hio away, be banished And orse was that he could feel it The nahtened his stoht to pray, he thought, sick to his soul He was cursed He didn't belong in the world What kind of living thing doesn't have a pulse?

"Mom," he whispered "Mom, stop"

She looked at hi

"Mom, you don't need to be so upset" He heard his own voice as if froer's voice He kept his eyes fixed on his ht capture ahappened You fell asleep in the ar a bad dream that I came home and told you I was a vampire But that's crazy That would never happen"

She had stopped praying She blinked "I'," she repeated

"It's a bad dream," Simon said He moved toward her and put his hand on her shoulder She didn't pull away Her head was drooping, like a tired child's "Just a drea happened You've just been sleeping, that's all"

He took her hand She let hi room, where he settled her into the armchair She smiled when he pulled a blanket over her, and closed her eyes

He went back into the kitchen and swiftly, methodically, swept the bottles and containers of blood into a garbage bag He tied it at the top and brought it to his rooed his bloody jacket for a new one, and threw soht off and left, closing the door behind him

Hisroohtly touched her hand

"I'll be gone for a few days," he whispered "But you won't worry You won't expect me back You think I' is fine"