"Ten hours until what?" But even as he asked, he knew. The knowing sat cold and heavy in his chest.
Simon wouldn't look at him. "Until my deadline expires."
"To kill me." Not a question. Charlie's voice came out flat, empty of the panic he probably should have been feeling. Instead, there was just a tired kind of acceptance.
His tail finally vanished.
"I'm not going to kill you," Simon said in a tone as if it was obvious, as if he was stating the weather. "If I really wanted you dead you'd belongdead by now."
Charlie nodded. He didn't know what else to do.
"Simon." Viktor spoke up. "You know what happens if you don't carry out the order."
"I know."
"Do you really?" Viktor moved closer, and something in his expression made Charlie's stomach drop all over again. "Because I don't think you're taking this seriously. Reuben doesn't accept failure. Especially not from his favorite."
Simon's jaw tightened. "I said I know."
"He'll send you to correctional training."
"I won't go."
Charlie looked between them, that sick feeling spreading. "What's correctional training?"
Neither of them answered at first. Viktor's hands had curled into fists at his sides, and Simon had gone very still.
"It's reconditioning," Viktor said finally. "For hunters who've been compromised. Who've lost their way." He paused. "Let's just say it isn't pleasant."
Well, that wasn't reassuring.
"You're making it sound like torture," Charlie said.
"That's because that's what it is," Viktor said.
"You're being dramatic," Simon cut in.
Viktor turned to him. "You know I'm not, and I'm not letting you do this."
"Shut up," Simon said, but his words lacked their usual bite. "I know how to handle Reuben."
"You mean you know how to handle the man who tied you to a chair when you were fifteen and pulled your teeth out to teach you that being a vampire meant suffering? That man?"
"Shut up," Simon said again, louder this time. "Reuben kept me from becoming the thing that killed my mother. I'm not a victim. I'm a survivor."
Viktor only looked at him for a moment. "Is that how you're framing it?"
Charlie's stomach churned as he tried to make sense of all he was hearing. Whoever this Reuben was, Charlie didn't like him, and he didn't want Simon to go back to him.
Simon's anger was etched into his features now. "This is a pointless discussion. I'm going to do what needs to be done, as Ialwaysdo." He pointed at Viktor. "You take Charlie to that vampire community and I'll investigate my lead and we'll meet up later. We need to stop wasting time."
Viktor's expression hardened. "This discussion isimportant. The second your deadline passes, Reuben will come for you himself. And he won't come alone."
"Let him come."
"You arrogant—" Viktor cut himself off, dragging a hand through his hair. "You helped me disappear when they wanted to send me back for more training. You risked everything to get me out, told them I'd gone west, covered my tracks for months. But you won't save yourself?"
Charlie watched Simon's face go carefully blank at the reminder. So Simon had helped Viktor escape the organization.
