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I raised the glass in salute and downed it in one gulp. It tasted warm and clean. I had to stop myself from licking the inside of the glass before handing it back.

“Thank you again, my friend,” I said. “I’m sure we have a lot to catch up on, but I can feel the hour is late. I’ll see you tomorrow evening, right after sunset?”

Nathaniel nodded and stepped into the hall. “Good night,” he said. “And Vincent, I truly believe you’ll be happy here with us, despite what Anna said. We’ll make it work. It’s so great to see you again.” He reached out and rested his free hand on my silk-clad shoulder. “I feel like things are complete now that you’re here,” he said, giving it a gentle squeeze.

I could see that he meant what he said. It felt good to be wanted, to be loved.

We said goodnight, and I closed and locked the door. I was so tired I practically fell into bed. I wasn’t sure whether the exhaustion came from the hard travel or from finally being somewhere safe, somewhere I could relax and let my guard down. Either way, I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep immediately, feeling protected and happy to be with my loved ones again.

15

JULIAN

After I found out about my parents, my days and nights fell into a routine. I went through all the motions to keep myself fed, clean, and rested. And then I went through them again the next day. It was a holding pattern. What I was holding for, I didn’t know, but I supposed I was waiting for it all to be over.

After yet another week stuck in the cabin with no electricity, no internet, and no outside contact, it became unbearable. I was at my breaking point. I needed something to do and wanted to see what was happening in the world. It was time to go for a hike.

Although I felt nervous, I also felt hopeful. I packed a small backpack and, at the last minute, took one of the rifles my dad kept on hand. I could hear my father’s voice: “The biggest danger in a disaster is other people.” My dad wasn’t the most trusting guy, but he had a point. Especially when the disaster involved a plague of epic proportions spread from person to person.

I picked up my bag and slung the weapon over one shoulder. The snow had fallen heavily, and using the car was too risky; besides, I only planned to go to the base of the hillside and into the small town to see what was going on. In my best-case scenario, I would arrive in town and find the power restored and life back to normal. I hoped the outages were limited to the most rural areas. I needed to know. Surely the people in town would know more than I did. Sitting around and imagining the worst was untenable.

I hiked down the long driveway, turned onto the snow-covered gravel road, and began my descent. The road twisted back and forth, with a steep drop-off on one side. No plows had been through, and there were no tire tracks. But there were no other homes past the cabin, so it wasn’t unusual. The trees started to thin as I hiked lower down, and I caught my first glimpses of the main highway below. It didn’t look promising.

The roadway leveled off as I neared the intersection, giving me a clearer view. A blinking traffic light hovered above the crossroads, but the light was dark. Several vehicles sat stopped at odd angles that suggested a crash. I approached the two-lane highway cautiously, straining to hear if anyone was in the area, but there was no sound other than the wind through the trees.

Sure enough, there had been an accident, with two cars and a truck positioned in a way that partially blocked the intersection. Everything was blanketed in snow, and there was no evidence that a plow had come through since the latest snowfall. What troubled me most, however, was the condition of the gas station across the road. The only way in or out of the town across the highway was through this intersection, and the gas station was the first building that defined the town itself.

I crossed the road, staying close to the tree line. I wasn’t sure I wanted anyone to see me until I figured out how bad things were. I moved to the side of the gas station and took a good look as I crept past. The front door was wide open, the windows were smashed, and one of the pumps had been knocked over. The smell of gasoline hung heavy in the air.

I hadn’t spotted anyone yet, so I continued deeper into the town. I stepped out of the trees and walked along behind one of the shops. The row of buildings faced the small main street and made up most of the town. I rounded the building, staying close to the wooden structure.

At first, I didn’t see anything unusual, aside from the lack of people. I exhaled in small clouds and squinted against the glare off the snow. I thought I could make out something lying in the road farther down. I stepped back behind the row of buildings and moved closer.

I edged along behind an aging brick bank, rounded the corner, and peeked out. This time I could see what lay in the road. Even under the snow, two bodies were unmistakable. The heels of a pair of boots jutted above the snow, and a hand protruded from another mound. This was not the best-case scenario I’d hoped for. I wasn’t sure whether it was the bodies that frightened me most or the fact that no one had come to claim them.

There was no need to go any farther. I’d seen enough. I stumbled back to the cabin in a daze. This wasn’t going to end anytime soon. It was worse than I’d imagined. Maybe things were better outside the mountains. After all, it would take a while for anyone to reach this place. Yeah, I just had to ride this out, I told myself.

What other choice did I have?

I’d been right about how my father had stocked the place. If I was careful, the supplies would last through the winter. I hoped rescue services would reach me before then. I decided to start rationing what I had, just in case. There had to be more supplies back in town, but I didn’t want to return until help arrived.

I needed a plan. I decided to stay close to the cabin but opted not to use the generator my dad had installed. It was loud, and I didn’t want to draw attention to my location until I knew rescuers were nearby. I didn’t know what had killed the two people I saw in town, and the thought of the wrong people finding me there alone was unsettling. It was freezing, though, and I was grateful for the wood stove. The smoke it emitted wasn’t ideal, but it was better than freezing to death. It was a risk I had to live with.

Even though what I’d found in town was horrifying, I was glad I’d gone. Now I knew. Now I had a plan. I would wait. I looked over at the rifle leaning against the cabin wall. One way or another, this would end.

16

VINCENT

Early the next evening, Nathaniel was back at my door. He brought some fresh clothing: jeans and a T-shirt. They weren’t my usual style, but I couldn’t refuse clean clothes. “You could have had the staff drop these off,” I said. “There’s no need for you to wait on me yourself.” Nathaniel just smiled and waved the comment off.

I dressed quickly and pulled on my boots before joining Nathaniel in the hallway.

“First, I’ll take you to meet Rich,” he said. “He’s usually in the lounge at this hour. Afterward, I’ll show you around so you can get a feel for the place.”

“Is Richard in charge here?” I asked, curious.

“We don’t really have a leader, but if we did, it would be him. Most vampires here seem pretty impressed with him, Anna included.” He shrugged. “Until you showed up, he was the oldest among us. He also chose the location and invited most of us here,” he added.