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Darkness Fades

I swallow hard, wondering why I felt Monarch lying to Gabrielle when he clearly was telling the truth. The crowd starts to break up and Mathew walks back up the stairs towards us with a strange look on his face that makes me tense even more.

“I think I know the reason he attacked me,” Mathew says as he reaches the top of the stairway and stands in front of us.

“Because of the papers,” I say. “I think that the Highers have him brainwashed somehow.”

Mathew shakes his head. “Not brainwashed.” He pauses, gazing out at the sun descending below the mountains. “Aiden’s changing into a Higher.”

“What!” Sylas and I both cry simultaneously.

Sylas inches closer, anger surfacing in his expression as he dares to look up from the ground just the slightest bit. “How can you be so sure?”

Mathew shuts his eyes, puts his hand into his pockets and then takes a piece of paper out before opening his eyes. “I managed to read quite a bit before he stole the papers… I even had this one in my hand when he attacked me.” He unfolds the paper. “Monarch says on this one that he messed up on subject 409, a boy named Aiden. That he broke the DNA… put too much of injection 7 in him…” He trails off as Sylas and I gape at him, having no idea what he’s talking about. “Right.” He stuffs the paper back into his pocket. “To make a long story short, Kayla is the only perfect soldier. As much as Monarch tried, he couldn’t create anything like her. He had a few failed attempts where he created something else—something almost perfect—yet filled with one flaw, greed. A Higher; and Aiden was one of them he messed up on.”

Sylas lets go of my hand and turns away. As much as the brothers fought, I can tell this is affecting him. He stands there for a moment, and when he looks at me, there’s a hint of sadness on his face, something I’ve never seen on him before. He erases it, though, and then shifts his attention back to Mathew.

“So Aiden stole the papers to prevent you from finding the cure?” he asks, drawing his hood back as the last of the sunlight slips away and the sky turns grey. I can hear faint howling in the distance start. “Does that mean there is no hope for a cure?”

“Not necessarily,” Mathew says, glancing around at the people in the streets rushing inside. “I think I read enough information before the papers were taken. I might understand what needs to happen to establish a cure. I just need some time to process it all… think… put stuff together.”

I look over at Sylas; the worry in me matches his. Time. I’d almost forgotten. We probably don’t have much time.

Taking a breath, I turn back to Mathew. “When we were in the colony, we heard the Highers talking about the monsters they’ve created; the ones we call abominations. They’re sending out an army of them out to find humans and bring them back.”

Mathew gapes at us, his wide eyes matching the full moon in the backdrop. “They’re coming here? To our town?”

“I think so,” I tell him. “At least, that’s what we’ve heard… although they said it could take days, even weeks to get the orders through.”

Mathew glances around at the streets winding in and out of the buildings, panicking, probably visualizing the madness and chaos that could happen. They’re fairly empty now, but they were packed quite a while ago, and if the abominations were around, they’d have chased down every last one.

He looks at both Sylas and me, pleading. “Can you help us?”

This town was ready to lock us up, yet Mathew wants us to protect them—save them. Sylas glances at me, and I can tell he’s thinking the same thing, waiting to see what I tell Mathew. Monarch told me I was here to help find a cure. That my purpose was to save humanity. To save the world.

“That’s what I was made for,” I say, my thoughts sort of connect, forming an understanding.

I understand. What I have to do. What I am. Why I was created.

Mathew breathes a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank us yet,” Sylas says. “Just because we’ll help you, doesn’t mean we’ll win,” he states bluntly. When Mathew frowns, he adds, “Just gather everyone that can fight.”

He nods his head and walks away down the street, heading towards the guards near the closest building.

“Do you think that I’m doing the right thing?” I ask Sylas. “Do you think I’m even strong enough to help?”

“I think that you’re doing what you are supposed to do.” He takes my hand and offers me a smile. A real one, too, which he’s rarely—if ever—done.

I open my mouth to say more because I’m worried about if I can handle this, but he silences me by placing his lips on mine. His tongue slips between my lips. He tastes so good that I open my mouth and willingly let him explore me. We don’t notice when Maci walks up behind us until she taps me on the side.

We break away from each other, startled. Or at least I am. Sylas looks momentarily content.

“It’s time,” Maci announces with her hands on her hips.

“Time for what?” I ask her, wondering if I’m going to get another one of her little riddles about the future.

“Time for me to tell you how to save the world,” she answers.

Chapter 20

What in the world? Sylas and I stare at her, stunned.

The grey sky darkens with each second that goes by until it’s jet black, but the glow of torches on the buildings lining the silent street radiates around us. The temperature has descended and more and more cries circle the town as more vampires awaken for the night.

“What do you mean?” I finally ask Maci. Sylas glances at me, his face contorted in confusion. “I thought you weren’t supposed to tell us anything like that?”

“I told you when the time was right I would tell you,” she says with a cheerful, small smile, her red hair blowing in the breeze. “And the time is finally right.”

She turns her attention to Sylas, tipping her head back so she can look at him. “You need to go and get the other Day Takers and bring them here. It’s the only way things will work.”

He’s not looking at her, but at me, gaping incredulously. “What’s she talking about?”

“I’m talking about saving the world,” Maci answers. “So please just get going.”

Sylas gradually turns in her direction, his eyelids lowering as he glares at her. “And how the hell do you know anything?”

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