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Now everything had changed. For the first time in hundreds of years, I wanted to remain. I wanted to explore something that mimicked normality. Even if that something was bound by the regular span of a human life, I wanted a taste of freedom. Of peace.

Didn’t I deserve as much? Hadn’t I suffered enough?

I broke from Ensley’s mouth, my unbeating heart aching. “Ensley, love. Listen carefully.”

We’d already talked about this, but it needed to be emphasized. “Once you’ve dismantled the barriers, it’s imperative that you leave quickly. Listen to Cristofer. Ascend the ladder and shut the trapdoor. Replace the blossoms and under no circumstance should you remove them unless I tell you it’s safe to do so.”

“I know.”

“No matter what you hear or how frightened you are, they must remain in place, and you must be above ground.”

“Okay.”

“Promise me, Ensley.” I peered deep into his troubled eyes. “Please.”

“I promise. How long will it take to revive him?”

“It’s hard to say. He’s been locked in a state of torpor for a long time. It could happen quickly, or it might take effort to draw him to the surface.”

I only hoped I could control Iulian once he awoke, but I didn’t express my concerns, lest I frightened Ensley more.

“What if the hunters don’t believe I am who I say I am? Once you turn your focus to Iulian, you said you’d lose control of your group, and Cristofer can’t control nine men. What if they turn on me?”

“They won’t. By that point, they’ll have bigger issues to contend with. Do what you can to keep them on the surface. It’s vitally important they don’t descend. If you can’t… If they try to come down…”

“Get off the island.”

“Immediately, even if you have to swim.”

Ensley shivered. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. That water will be fucking cold.”

Cristofer arrived as the sky faded to a rich indigo and the first stars broke through the thin veil of wispy clouds. The night felt ominous and threatening. The air was still like the earth was holding its breath.

Cristofer studied Ensley’s wardrobe and nodded approval. “Is he armed?”

“Yes.” I indicated the items we’d collected.

“Good.” To Ensley, he asked, “Any questions before we head out?”

Ensley shook his head and eyed me. “We’ve gone over everything several times. My backstory is memorized, and I’ve been roleplaying for years, so whatever we haven’t thought of, I can fudge.”

The plan was for Ensley to meet the hunters during the evening shift change, announcing himself as a transfer from another city. Ordinarily, it might not work. We didn’t know their recruitment rules or who among the hunters was in charge of those things, but Cristofer and I planned to make the crew receptive to the suggestion.

Presenting Ensley as a transfer, effectively a new recruit, gave him the excuse to move between the upper and lower areas to get familiar with his surroundings. It also warranted his asking unending questions. To facilitate the ruse, we’d outfitted him with similar weapons, including a stake and a stuffed pouch like the ones we’d seen the other hunters wear. A transfer would have gear and understand how to use it.

In the few days we’d had to prepare, Ensley had collected his own vial of holy water from a local Catholic church, along with a proper silver chain necklace with a crucifix, which he had the father bless. The pendant his mother gave him wouldn’t deter Iulian the same, especially when he woke in a state of frenzy, and Ensley’s safety was my greatest concern.

The hunters weren’t likely to kill Ensley, even if they discovered the ruse. Iulian might, not through any fault of his own, but because he would wake in a state of severe hunger and attack the first living thing he saw. Hence my insistence that he leave the instant the barriers were down.

We piled in the Jeep, and Ensley drove us to one of the side streets where the hunters usually parked their vehicles. At the trailhead, Cristofer vanished into the dense trees, giving us a private moment to part ways.

“Don’t be long,” he said as he slinked into shadow. “You’ll be together again soon enough.”

The moment he was gone, I huffed. “I wish he wouldn’t tempt fate.”

Ensley smiled and brushed a thumb over my creased brow. “That was meant to reassure you. He sees how worried you are.”

“Rightfully. This isn’t a walk in the park.”