Chapter Two

“Who found us?” I breathed as Juliet and Phin rushed to me.

“I’m so, so sorry, Willow.” My mom’s voice broke. “If I had let your father tell you when he wanted to, if we’d moved farther… if I had done a lot of things differently… I don’t have time to tell you everything, but you need to listen to me. There’s a place your father and I own. It’s in Prescott. Just a little house—”

“You own another house? How?”

“Willow! Listen.” She gave me an address and Phin wrote it down. “You cannot come home. Do you understand? They’ll find you, too. They’ll take you and… I don’t even want to think about what they want from you.”

“Who?”

“Everything you need to know is in that house. It was our backup, in case this happened. You’ll find a letter, my journals, and money. Read the diaries and you’ll understand everything. What you are. What they made you. You need to leave now because they’re going to try to find you. Don’t let them. Get the journals and the money and run. Don’t look back and don’t—” The phone went dead.

My heart stopped as the phone slipped through my fingers and hit the carpet at our feet.

“What was that?” my brother asked. “Why do we need to run?”

I blinked. “I don’t know. But we’re going home.”

Phin gripped my arm hard enough to hurt when I stepped past him. “No, we’re not. Mom said to go to Prescott.”

“And Mom said a bunch of other stuff. We need to find her and Dad. I want them to tell me what’s going on.”

“Hold on.” Juliet waved her hands around before knotting them in her hair. “If it’s not safe for you, I don’t want you going, Phin. You could get hurt. You don’t know who found them. Or what it means.”

My brain couldn’t quite accept anything happening. The day had started normally. We’d all had breakfast together, then we watched a movie before going out for an early dinner. And then Mom told me to run for my life.

“This isn’t— I don’t understand,” I said to myself. My eyes went up. “I don’t understand.”

“Me neither,” Phin said. “But we’ll figure it out. Let’s go find Mom and Dad.” He dragged me to the door and Juliet followed.

Phin drove through every red light we came to and it still took us over twenty minutes to get home. Mom and Dad’s car had disappeared, and the front door had been kicked in. I ran inside and stopped dead in my tracks.

Two other bodies nearly slammed into me.

“What?” Phin asked.

“Don’t you smell that?” I turned to him.

“Smell what?”

“Blood,” I said as I followed the scent. I walked through the living room until I found myself in the kitchen.

Juliet gasped when we entered the room.

The once-white tile on the walls and floor had been stained a bright and angry red. A massive puddle of blood spread across the floor, and our mother’s phone laid right in the center.

The blood spread across the tile. It reached the border where the carpet started— soaking through the grey. I stepped back before it touched my feet.

“We’ve gotta go.” Juliet started tugging at Phin’s sweater. “Before they come back.”

I turned around and saw the rest of the room. The house had been tossed— with glass broken and furniture torn apart. All the little pieces of our lives laid shattered on the floor.

I doubled over and emptied my stomach behind the couch. My eyes burned from tears. This looked like too much blood for my parents to have survived.

But what had happened to their bodies? We left and got back outside. Phin didn’t speak as he tried starting the car, his hands shaking too hard to get the key in.

Juliet stilled them. “I’ll drive.”

He blinked and they switched seats.

She started driving and said, “So this is what’s gonna happen. I’m gonna pick up some stuff from my place, we’re getting that stuff at the house, and…” She paused as if contemplating whether or not to finish the sentence. “There’s this place in Washington we can go. It’ll be safe for us, Phin.” She tried smiling at him.

“No.” He violently shook his head. “We— You’re not coming. You’ll stay at your place and I’ll take Willow. You’ve got plans. I’m not letting you give them up.”

She carefully glanced at him while she drove. “You are all I have, Phin. I’m not letting you go.”

He stayed quiet until we got to Juliet’s place. She ran in for less than five minutes before she came back with a large bag. She shoved it in the trunk, and we headed for the house.

***

We pulled up to a tiny house at the top of a steep hill. The three of us got out and headed up. I went to open the door and realized we didn’t have a key. I didn’t see a hiding place for one either.

“What now?” Phin asked as he glanced around.

“Well.” I slammed the side of my body into the door and it splintered open. It didn’t feel like anything, but I blamed that on the shock.

Phin and Juliet looked at me with big eyes, but I ignored them.

The house looked empty and, for a second, I thought we had the wrong one. When we started walking around, I stepped on the hardwood floor. It creaked and the wood shifted enough for me to almost roll my ankle. I steadied myself and looked down at the uneven panel. I knelt down and my friends followed.

“I can’t get this up,” I said as I tried. “I need a butter knife or something.”

Juliet reached into her pocket and pulled out a hot pink pocketknife.

I took it from her and started prying the board up. I felt so stupid doing it— as if I had been trapped in a shitty horror movie, waiting for a guy in a mask to pop out at us. Nothing felt real.

I managed to get the thing up and I tossed it aside. Under the board, I found a box coated in dust. I pulled it out.

“This…” Phin stared at the box, “is actually happening. Isn’t it?”

“I think so.”

I opened the box and found three thick, black journals and an envelope on top of them. The envelope had my name on it. Just mine.

I opened it.

'Willow, If you’re reading this, I’m so, so sorry. This was meant to only be seen if there were no other options. And this means you’re in a lot of danger. Not that you haven’t been since the second I got pregnant with you, but now, the past is coming back to hurt you. We’ve done our best to try to keep you safe, but we should have known better. There was no hiding from what we were. What we made you. I’ll never get the chance to apologize in person. You’ll never hear the truth from me and your father. You deserved the truth.

We’ve been lying to you for a very long time. It was from necessity. I don’t expect you to forgive us, and you shouldn’t. We did all we could to give you a chance at the life you deserved. You and your brother. He’s not like you. NO ONE is like you. And that’s exactly why they want you back.

These journals are the ones I kept before, during, and long after my pregnancy with you. Everything you need to know is inside of them. Read them all, let Phin read them. You both need to know the truth about what’s coming next.

You’re not safe. Unfortunately, you never will be. Not as long as they exist. They will always want you. If they find you, their power will only grow. That’s what they want. All you can do is run from them. I’m sorry.

Love, Mom.'

I sat there for a full minute, staring at the paper. Eventually, Phin took it and read it aloud. I reached for the first notebook in the box. A piece of paper had been stuck halfway through it, with the words ‘Start here’ scribbled on it. Under that, it had instructions on where to find the money she and Dad had hidden. I couldn’t imagine that it would be a lot. I didn’t remember a time we didn’t struggle.

The note instructed me to go into the smaller of the two bedrooms and look at the top shelf of the closet. I had to haul myself up on the lower shelf and look into the darkness. I reached up and felt around for it. My hand hit cloth and I pulled it down. A duffle bag fell onto the floor and it looked way fuller than I’d thought it would.

A gasp left my mouth after I unzipped the bag. It had to be hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Something made a scraping sound above me, seconds before that something hit me in the head. Another duffle fell to the side. And then a third fell as well “Are you fucking kidding me?” I huffed to myself as I shoved the bag off my legs. I stared at the three massive bags and looked back up into the closet to make sure a fourth wouldn’t knock some more IQ points off me.

I stood with three giant bags of money that my poorer than poor parents left us. We could run for the rest of our lives.

A wave of nausea hit me, and I almost didn’t make it to the bathroom before the vomit ripped its way out of my throat. I hunched over the toilet for a few minutes before I rinsed out my mouth in the sink.

I stared at my reflection for a long while. I saw the same girl I had this morning. The timid, quiet, shut in. How could I survive without my parents?

I’d been wrong the whole time. I’d thought I had been in prison, but I had been in a sanctuary. I had been safe with them.

I pulled myself out of the bathroom and grabbed all three duffle bags. They weighed more than I thought, but I had no trouble carrying them out to the living room.

“What the hell is that?” Juliet asked as I dropped the bags.

“It’s a ton of money.” I sank to the floor. “How the hell did they get all of this? Can you remember a time Mom wasn’t cutting coupons? I can’t.”

Phin started going through the money. He counted for an hour before he finally got a number. He choked on the word. “Three…”

“What?” Juliet yelped. “Three grand!”

His eyes moved up and he shook his head slowly.

I blinked. “Three… million…”

“Where did they get three million dollars?” Phin shouted.

“Shh.” Juliet looked around. “Be quiet. You don’t know who might be trying to find Willow. They could be anywhere. Clearly, they’re stealthy.”

“Wait.” The space between his eyebrows wrinkled. “Willow. Why do you think it’s just Willow? If it was Mom, Dad, and Willow, it’s me, too. Right? Mom mentioned me in the letter.”

Juliet froze for a second. “The letter made it sound like it was just her. I guess I assumed.”

I looked back to the box with the journals in them. “I think I know where to find the answers we need.” I picked up the box and started on the first book, right where Mom had told me to start.

June 15

I found out today. I wanted to be happy. Leo and I made a baby of our very own. I spend my days taking care of the under-tens. I never wanted my child to have the life we have. I’m surrounded by people, but I feel like all I have is Leo and the baby growing inside of me. I’m not sure if this place is the place for our family.

June 27

We finally told Felix about the baby. He said he was thrilled with the opportunity. When we asked what he meant, he told us about the enhancements. I had suspicions before. One of my under-tens had been taken out of class to be worked with. He came back looking tired, but he didn’t tell me why. Normally, he’s so happy. He tells me everything. He talks to me all day long. I love him so much and I fear what they’re doing to him. I don’t want that for my baby. I don’t want them to be a subject. Felix promised that he’d get them the best care. There are a lot of things you can say about that man, but he always takes care of his own.

Their motivations are clear. They want stronger soldiers. That’s what they call us, what else are we? They send us on missions. We work for them.

The Lost Ones.

That’s the official name for us. We were lost and found. I don’t know much about when they found me. The scouters sweep hospitals for that kind of thing. They know where to look.

I read through the next few weeks, but nothing stood out. She mostly talked about how she felt and how happy Dad was about me. One entry caught my eye.

July 31

The first treatment was today. They said I was due in February and they needed to hurry and start before it was too late. The demon blood they injected into my veins burned for hours. They promised it didn’t hurt the baby, but how could it not? I felt like I was on fire. That wasn’t as hard to deal with as the vampire blood. That felt like ice. They always tell us to keep drinking it. An ounce a day, in case. It keeps us strong and gave us a backup should we meet our end. I’m on triple now. I wanted to know what this would do to my baby.

They said it was a girl.

I didn’t know I’d start loving her this fast. They said this wouldn’t hurt her. It makes her stronger. She’s going to be something amazing. The cost is weighing on me. They said she isn’t human anymore.

“Willow! What’s wrong?” Juliet shouted, grabbing my shoulder.

I didn’t know how to answer that, so I read the entry aloud to them.

“Is this a joke?” Phin ripped the book from my hands. “Why the hell would Mom say this?”

“I don’t know,” I sniveled. “Did she believe this was happening to her? Was she insane?”

“Will, our mother was a great many things, but crazy was never one of them.”

“What are you suggesting? That this…” I pointed to the book, “…happened? That Mom and Dad came from a place that collected kids and did experiments on them to make soldiers? Maybe, if it was just that, I could believe it. She said demon and vampire. She’s out of her mind. If I believe this, then I have to believe I’m not a human. I’m human!” I stared down at my body. My slightly short, human body.

Phin rested his hand on my knee. “There was a reason Mom wanted us to come here— a reason that our parents are dead. Don’t tell me that this doesn’t make sense. I think it’s true, some messed up… facility… that doesn’t want any liabilities.”

“Like me?”

“Like you.”

I still didn’t want to believe that my parents had been part of this world and never told us.

“Going under the assumption that this is true,” I started, somehow choking out the words, “then what are we supposed to do? I’m not a human and they want to kill me because of it?”

“No,” Juliet quickly said. “They never said kill. They want you back.”

“For what?” Phin said. “To stick her in a lab and poke at her?”

Juliet shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“How are we supposed to believe they won’t hurt her? They killed our parents. Everything from that place is evil.”

I didn’t want to talk anymore. I sat in the corner of the small room and went back to reading.

December 5

Only a couple more months before she’ll be here. Leo is the happiest I’ve ever seen him. I try to match the joy, but I can’t. I know what we’re bringing our daughter into, what kind of life she’ll have. It isn’t a life. One of the nurses told me this wasn’t the first pregnancy they’ve done this with. When I started asking questions, she clammed up. I guess I’ll need to find answers myself.

December 14

Twelve. How could they keep that from me? They said she would be safe, but they are liars. Twelve women and their babies died for this. Most didn’t even make it to term. The three that did were all stillborn. The files said that the vampire blood wasn’t what did it. It was the demon blood and the DNA extracts that killed them. The vampire blood heals all things that aren’t demon. Separately, they don’t do much. But mixed, they make a poison. A poison I’ve been letting them put in our bodies for six months. Killing her or making her stronger? I don’t know. They said it’s already consumed all of her human DNA.

My own file said that it was a miracle I hadn’t died. They expect me to be the first to deliver a living child. Typically, at this stage, the women miscarry. They upped the dose they gave me, and it should have killed her, but they think I’ll manage to pull through.

If I do, they’ll only make her suffer. They plan to use her to make more. She’ll be nothing but a lab experiment. The first half-demon, half-vampire they’ve ever seen. I’ve caught the excited looks on the doctors’ faces. They don’t see her as a person. Just something interesting and new.

December 23

I don’t know what to do. I can’t let this go on any longer. The pain was severe today. They were trying to give her more demon DNA. They want to guarantee she gets the magic that comes with it. They fear that, with her only being half of each, she’ll get nothing of either.

I don’t like the idea of leaving my under-tens. They’re just children and they don’t understand. If I leave them, they’ll only become more like the devils that run this place. The idea of leaving my favorite behind is tearing my heart to pieces. He feels like he is my own. He looks at me with such love in his big, blue eyes. They’ve changed colors since they started giving him treatments. The silver from the DNA is blending into his blue, leaving swirls of grey.

I feel the baby moving inside of me right now. So strong. I know she’ll survive the pregnancy. We need to leave. If she’s to have any kind of life, we need to leave.

January 8

Leo and I have our plan set in motion. The money in the vault will be easy to get. We can do this. Get the money and run somewhere sunny that they can’t follow. At least not Felix or any of his top men. The one perk for us is that they can’t go out for long in the sunlight. They can send the others, but they’re not as good.

I talked about taking my favorite under-ten. Leo said we shouldn’t. It’s too much of a risk. If we get caught, there is no telling what they would do to him. He is safer here. Even if leaving him kills me, I have to. I have to go the rest of my life without seeing him. I only have a few pictures of him.

I worry this new life won’t be much for her, either. It won’t ever be safe. The one who survived… they’ll always be looking for her. All we can do is keep her hidden. We run tomorrow.