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"How did you escape froroup of witches came to visit the Elders one day, and offered a fresh batch of hue for fifty vampires We didn’t knohat they needed us for We didn’t question it And when three witches caeon quarters, we all followed them without hesitation"

Rose bit her lower lip and rubbed a palainst her forehead "And Annora… she’s not a vampire now?"

"She is a witch"

"But how?"

I paused, considering how to answer her question "The witches who came for us were… different"

"Huh?"

"These witches didn’t come from The Sanctuary"

"Then where did they come from?"

"They have their own abode outside of the witches’ realm"

"But who are they?" she asked, frustrated

"Let’s just say that they are a darker breed of witches than you’ve likely ever coet here? I thought the gates between the human realo"

I almost smiled at her naiveté, but refused to answer Rose pressed for hed and crossed her arms over her chest "Well then, continue What happened to Annora?"

My eyes glazed over again as I dug back into my memories

"We were transported away fro our stay there, Annora becas that went on behind their walls She e in a way that I never could have predicted She confessed one day to me that she wanted to become one of them I tried to nored et rid of vampirism froht only the blood of an immune and--"

"As I said, these are not ordinary witches"

"So they made her a witch," Rose said slowly

"In the end, Annora’s desire for their poas too great"

"How on earth did you end up here?"

"The witches have reasons for wanting us here," I said, averting my eyes "Reasons that I won’t disclose to you Since Annora had gained their trust, and since they knew of her connection to ical person to oversee Stellan andthese two islands"

"And all of the vampires here on these two islands--all of them were rescued froe for protection fro"

She breathed out and sat back in her chair, running a hand through her hair